You made it. Despite all the feasting on fast food, all those days you missed at the gym, all those nights as a couch potato
— you managed to survive another year.
How do you feel? Do you have good energy? Do you wake up with a spring in your step? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you eating right? Are you taking your vitamins? To help you out, here’s my list of 10
healthy resolutions to follow:
1 Start the year with a complete physical. OK, you may not be able to get an appointment for a few months, but make the call. Ask to be put on a cancellation list. Now, when you’re feeling fine, is the best time to get baseline readings on your cholesterol, blood pressure and all your body’s other systems. That way, your doctor will have a reference point if there are changes in the future.
2 Get tested. You know all those exams you’ve been putting off. Are you overdue for a pap smear? A dental checkup? An eye exam? Pick up the phone and make the appointment. Women over 40 should get a mammogram. Everyone in your family over 50 should get a colonoscopy. Have you been tested for diabetes? Millions of Americans are walking around with diabetes and don’t even know it. Make this the year you finally get that test you’ve been putting off.
3 Take your vitamins. Women, if you’re in your childbearing years, make sure you’re getting 400 micrograms of folic acid every day. Folic acid prevents birth defects in developing babies. But you need to take it before you conceive. You can take it as a vitamin or load up on enriched grain products, citrus fruits, spinach and raspberries — all loaded with folic acid. Or perhaps it’s calcium that you need. Talk to your doctor.
4 Shrink your waistline. Chances are your abs could use some tightening. It’s not just about looking better, it’s about feeling better. Tight abs will help with your balance and posture. Working on your six-pack also will help you ward off lower back pain in the future. This year, make crunches a regular part of your day.
5Get moving. A new year can be just the motivation you need to get off the couch. To prevent the loss of muscle and bone density , you really need to make strength training a part of your day. If you don’t move it, you lose it. There are many great sports to choose from. You can run, lift, bike, swim, ski, or power walk. But quit thinking about it and start doing it
now. 6Change the menu. Make this the year you change your eating habits. Start including more dark green, yellow and orange vegetables. Load up on citrus fruits. Eat blueberries and kiwi. Your diet should be rich in antioxidants (vitamins E, D, and carotenoids), helping you fight off cancer and heart disease.
7Start noticing your skin. Did you know that your skin is your body’s largest organ? So why ignore it? Chances are your skin has been overexposed to the sun. Have you had a complete skin exam by a dermatologist? This year, give your skin a little extra TLC. And while you’re at it, have another glass of water. It’s so important for your skin’s health and your overall health.
8Nighty-night. You know you need about 8 hours of sleep a night. Yet we’re all so busy, somehow sleep becomes a low priority. So —
go to bed. Start turning off the TV just a little sooner. Eliminating or at least reducing the amount of caffeine you consume might help.
9Make friends. They may be the most powerful medicine you have. Medical researchers have found that people who have friends tend to be happier, healthier and live longer than those who don’t. In fact, friendship has numerous physical and spiritual benefits. In 2004, make sure your friends know how much you appreciate them. (To any of my friends kind enough to read this — I love you guys!)
10Slow down. (This is the one I need to focus on.) Chances are you’re in a hurry all the time. Who isn’t? So this year take time to stop and breathe. Meditate. Practice relaxing whenever you can. Take a good breath in, hold it for 4 seconds, then slowly exhale. And as you blow out, imagine you’re blowing out all the stress that’s tightening your muscles. Take at least 5 minutes every day to just cool out and breathe.
Each year, we make resolutions that we don’t keep. This year, see if you can’t keep all 10 on this list.