It’s that time of year again! As New Year’s Eve approaches, you might be considering how you want to change your life in 2017. It’s perfectly fine to consider multiple resolutions to improve different areas of your life, but since we specialize in helping patients look and feel their best, we suggest the following five resolutions that will benefit your health.
Go for a walk… every day. Whether you visit the gym regularly, or never work out, we all need a little more exercise in our days. Going for a simple walk after dinner is a great way to boost your metabolism and get some much-needed fresh air.
Start a daily yoga practice. You might not have time for a regular, hour-long yoga class at a studio. But you can probably spare twenty minutes per day to stretch and clear your mind. Practice yoga first thing in the morning, and you can go to work feeling focused and refreshed. Or, if you practice at the end of the day, your routine can serve as a way to relax and unwind.
Quit smoking. On average, smokers die about ten years sooner than non smokers, and smoking accounts for about 1,300 deaths every single day in the United States (according to the CDC). One of the best things you can do for your health is to quit smoking, and to avoid secondhand smoke as much as possible. Not only will you cut your risk of cancer and other diseases; you will also look younger and feel better.
Cut out sugar. It’s hiding in almost all packaged foods these days, and it’s at least partially responsible for weight gain and multiple health problems. Sugar is also addictive, meaning it’s hard to eat only a small amount without craving more and more. Quitting sugar might carry as many health benefits as quitting smoking. Just remember to read food packages carefully, and learn the industry “code words” for sugar like “sucrose” and “fructose”. Slash these empty calories from your diet, and you can lose weight and cut your risk of many diseases.
Commit to fresh produce. Dietary resolutions often revolve around quitting a particular substance (such as sugar). But you can take a more positive approach by promising yourself that you will eat more of something good. In particular, you should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Fill up your plate with fresh produce at each meal, and you can lose weight, look younger, and fight age-related diseases all at once.
As always, give us a call if you need expert nutritional advice. We can also examine you for underlying conditions which can complicate your weight loss efforts, and work together to remedy any problems.
