Dr. Tariq Jagnarine
Family Medicine, Endocrinology/Diabetes
A new year often signifies a fresh start for many people. For some, this means setting health goals, such as losing weight, following a healthier diet, and starting an exercise routine. However, more often than not, the health and wellness resolutions chosen are highly restrictive and unsustainable, leading most people to break their resolutions within a few weeks. That is why many people make the same resolutions year after year.
To break that cycle, it’s important to make resolutions that can not only improve health, but also be followed for life.
Health Tips for 2022:
1. Eat more whole foods
One of the easiest and most sustainable ways to improve overall health is to eat more whole foods. Whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fish, contain a plethora of nutrients that our body needs to function at an optimal level.
Research shows that following a whole-foods-based diet may significantly reduce heart disease risk factors, body weight, and blood sugar levels, as well as decrease your risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.
2. Sit less, and move more
Whether it’s due to having a sedentary job or simply being inactive, many people sit more than they should. Sitting too much can have negative effects on health. In fact, it may be linked to an increased risk of overall mortality.
For example, if you have a desk job that requires long periods of sitting, make a resolution to go for a 15-minute walk at lunch, or to get up and walk for 5 minutes every hour.
3. Cut back on
sweetened beverages.
Cutting back on sweetened beverages is a smart idea, considering that sugary drinks are linked to an increased risk of obesity, fatty liver, heart disease, insulin resistance, and cavities in both children and adults.
4. Get more quality sleep
Sleep is an essential part of overall health, and sleep deprivation can lead to serious consequences. For instance, lack of sleep may increase your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and depression.
There are many reasons why people don’t get enough sleep, so it’s important to focus on our schedule and lifestyle to determine the best ways to improve sleep quantity and quality.
Decreasing screen time before bed, reducing light pollution in your bedroom, cutting back on caffeine, and getting to bed at a reasonable hour are some simple ways to improve sleep hygiene.
5. Find a physical
activity that is enjoyable
Every New Year, people purchase expensive memberships to gyms, workout studios, and online fitness programmes in hopes of shedding excess body fat in the year to come. Though most people start strong, the majority don’t make their new routine into a lasting habit.
To get started, choose an activity based on enjoyment, and whether it fits into the daily schedule. For example, taking a half-hour walk, jog, or bike ride before work, or swimming at a gym that’s on the way home are simple and sustainable exercise resolutions.
Then set an attainable goal, such as planning to walk a few specific days per week, instead of aiming for every day. Making a more realistic goal can enhance the chances of making the new routine last, especially if new to working out.
6. Take more ‘me time’, and practise self-care.
Taking time for yourself is not selfish. In fact, it’s imperative for optimal health and wellbeing. This is especially true for those in caretaker roles, such as parents and healthcare workers.
For people with busy schedules and limited time, making a resolution to engage in self-care may take some planning. However, it’s well worth the time investment. Self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or time-consuming. It can simply mean taking a bath every week, attending a favourite weekly yoga class, preparing a healthy meal for yourself, going for a nature walk, or getting an extra hour of sleep.
7. Cook more meals at home
Research shows that people who cook more meals at home have better diet quality and less body fat than people who eat more meals on the go.
In fact, a study of 11,396 adults found that those who ate five or more home-cooked meals per week were 28% less likely to be overweight, compared with those who ate fewer than 3 home-cooked meals per week.
Start by making one meal a day, then increase the frequency over time until the majority of your meals and snacks are made at home.
8. Spend more time outside
Spending more time outdoors can improve health by relieving stress, elevating mood, and even lowering blood pressure.
Making a New Year’s resolution to spend more time outside every day is a sustainable and healthy goal that can benefit almost everyone, no matter where we live.
Taking a walk outside during our lunch break, hiking on weekends, going camping with friends, or simply soaking in the beauty of our backyard or local park are all ways to incorporate nature into our daily routine.
9. Limit screen time
Many people depend on their phones and computers for work and entertainment. However, spending too much time on electronic devices — particularly on social media — has been linked to depression, anxiety, and loneliness in some studies. Setting a resolution to cut back on the time spent scrolling through social media, watching TV, or playing computer games may help boost our mood and enhance productivity.
10. Try meditation.
Meditation is an evidence-based way to promote mental well-being. It may be particularly helpful for people who have anxiety or depression.
Trying out this practice is a perfect New Year’s resolution, because there are many ways to meditate, and it’s easy to find books, podcasts, and apps that teach you how to start a meditation practice.
Though most New Year’s resolutions are only kept for a short period, the healthy resolutions listed above are sustainable ways to improve your physical and emotional health, and they can be followed for life.
This New Year, try out a few of the resolutions in this article to help make this year — and the years that follow — the healthiest and happiest possible. Happy New Year!
