28 Jan Top New Year’s Resolution: “Think Healthy”
Searching for just the right New Year’s Resolution ideas? Check out these suggestions, each of which may help you to be specific in your goals.
It’s a tradition when it comes to any New Year’s Resolution: Ideas center on self-improvement—and often in the area of health. And why not? For some, buying a new car or traveling to an exotic locale might come first. But without our health, those fancy material possessions and adventurous trips won’t mean as much.
Here, I offer some worthy New Year’s Resolution ideas, each of them focused on helping you improve or maintain your health. In fact, “focused” is the key word. It’s too easy to make a resolution to simply “lose weight.” Or “exercise more.” Or “stop smoking.” Better to be specific in your goals: “Lose weight by giving up junk food,” for example.
I hope the tips presented here will lead you toward health-conscious New Year’s Resolution ideas—ones that work for YOU.
1. Discover your ideal body weight
That’s right—there’s an ideal weight, or at least a range, for all of us. Do you know what yours is? Often, we “just know” when we need to lose weight, but finding out your body mass index (BMI) can give you a more specific figure. Use this equation to get there:
Weight in pounds ÷ (Height in inches x Height in inches) x 703
BMI results are classified as follows:
- 18.5 or lower: Underweight
- 18.5 to 24.9: Normal weight
- 25.0 to 29.9: Overweight
- 30.0 and above: Obese
Click here for an online BMI calculator that can do the math for you. Note: BMIs are not reflective of muscle to fat ratios, and therefore the results need to be individualized. This is just an approximation.
2. Get your protein
Adhering to any type of diet doesn’t mean you should skimp on protein. The daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (or 0.37 grams per pound of body weight).
Figure out your own protein needs by multiplying your weight by 0.37. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, your RDA of daily protein is 57 grams. Too much protein from red meat can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, so make sure the protein you get is balanced between lean meats and fish and a variety of other sources, from seeds and nuts (including walnuts, pistachios, almond butter, and peanut butter) to beans and peas to eggs.
**And remember, one person’s panacea is another person’s poison. Know your body and its limits with respect to protein consumption, metabolism, activity level, osteoporosis and cancer risk factors, liver and kidney function tests.
3. Get your carbs
Don’t rob yourself of needed carbs if you’re adhering to a low-carbohydrate diet. You could be missing out on vital nutrients found in sources like steel cut oats (fiber, protein, iron, thiamin, magnesium), farro (iron, fiber, protein, thiamin, zinc), and brown rice (known to help cut diabetes risk and lower cholesterol levels). See my blog posts for more.
4. Kill the junk food
The temptation is all around us, and when a hunger pang hits, it’s so easy to cave in. A few cookies? A bag of salty chips? A triple cheeseburger with bacon? A greasy pizza topped with greasy pepperoni? Make it a resolution to pass on such treats. They’re not worth the health risks.
5. Give up soda
Drinking soda pop, according to studies, can be linked to at least seven serious afflictions: liver disease, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease (and kidney stones), pancreatic cancer, and osteoporosis. If you follow me on twitter, you know I fully support the World Health Organization’s soda tax.
6. Don’t eat late at night
Here’s an easy one—commit to resisting the temptation to graze during the nighttime hours. Okay, maybe it’s not easy. But that late-night sandwich or bowl of Kettle chips can become habit-forming, and the results aren’t ideal for your health. Late-night eating can cause the obvious health setbacks (weight gain, elevated triglycerides and cholesterol, impairments in blood sugar regulation) along with effects that you might not consider: altered hormone function, inflammation, and, yes, impaired memory.
Late-night snacking, if it’s a must here and there, should focus on filling choices like celery, carrots, and other veggies, or fruits (an avocado or cherries can be a good choice). You likely know you should avoid fatty, sugary, or caffeinated items. Better yet, resolve to cut out late-night eating, UNLESS you have blood sugar issues. Early morning waking can be the result of blood sugar drops and a couple of tablespoons of nut butters or an avocado 20 mins before bed may help keep sugars stable through the night.
7. Push yourself in your exercise—think aerobic and strength training
If you find your exercise patterns inconsistent, take the plunge and start an fitness routine, whether you join a program at a local gym or do it yourself via a video program. Physical fitness attained through aerobic activity and strength training has innumerable benefits; it’s a key to everything from weight control to mobility, blood pressure to cardiovascular health, prevention of diseases to emotional health, and much more. Research reports 150 mins per week of moderate to mod-intense physical activity and strength training 2x week should as the goal.
8. Work those muscles back into shape
Resistance training is as important as aerobic exercise, so get lifting. You don’t necessarily need barbells; pulling a resistance band or pushing against a wall also count as strength training. The point is to consistently partake in deliberate exercises that challenge your muscles with “stronger-than-usual counterforce.”
Resistance or strength training helps your body to fight off all kinds of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis as well as anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease – particularly for women!
9. Resolve to fight off stress in healthy ways
Speaking of stress, it hits every one of us, and, as experts will tell you, it’s not a bad thing; there’s good stress (which inspires us to get out of bed, go to work, and accomplish goals) and bad stress (which we may feel over job deadlines, health woes, relationship issues, or even long traffic jams). Our No. 7 and No. 8 New Year’s Resolution ideas above can help you handle stress, and so too can good sleep hygiene, a balanced and healthy diet, and such solutions as cognitive behavioral therapy.
See my blog posts on stress for more inspirational ideas.
10. Don’t allow yourself to sink into depression
Depression can sneak up on us and manifest itself in myriad ways that can affect our overall health. Resolve to be resilient when you feel symptoms of depression, which can typically fall under the categories of Major Depressive Disorder or the more chronic Persistent Depressive Disorder, or it may be related to what’s known as “situational depression”—the result of a negative life event.
Your methods for beating depression may range from treating a dopamine deficiency to a serotonin deficiency. Of course, because this condition is so personal, each of us will benefit from different treatments. You may find your depression-busting resolutions within one of my blog posts: https://dradatya.com/blog/
11. Meditate
Never tried meditation? Proponents swear by its benefits: It can “help alleviate stress, improve thinking and memory, and, according to some research, lower your risk of serious health conditions like diabetes and heart disease,” according to the publication UCLA Medical Center Healthy Years. “For seniors, it can be one of the easiest ways to improve their overall well-being.”
Meditation, contrary to some perceptions, isn’t difficult, nor is it a “mysterious” pursuit. It’s a technique by which you practice focusing your attention. In one of the most popular types, mindfulness meditation, “you focus your attention by intentionally bringing it, in a non-judgmental manner, to what you’re experiencing in the present moment.”
12. Keep your memory sharp
If you’re in your 20s or 30s, it may not seem like an urgent task. If you’re in your 50s or 60s, it makes sense to keep your brain in shape by eschewing yet another sitcom rerun in favor of memory-building exercises and activities. Four proven methods include: playing brain games; being social; moving your body via exercise; and eating right by maintaining a healthy diet rich in lean protein, fruits, and vegetables.
13. Sleep right
The 6 o’clock alarm won’t seem so jarring when you resolve to be well-rested, via good sleep hygiene, starting in 2017.
Let your body and mind get the rest they need by sleeping seven to eight hours per night. If this resolution makes sense for you, see my posts on sleep: https://dradatya.com/category/sleep/
What better way to start off the new year than by making sure you’re well-rested?
Let’s Get Started!
Remember to be realistic, too. Even if every one of the above might apply to you, keep your list to a reasonable total of resolutions. Good luck—and Happy New Year!