Commit To Healthier Habits This Year

If last year was a bummer for you, as it was for many people, it’s time to turn it around. Make 2021 a year that changed your life. Commit to healthier habits and make lifestyle changes, so by next year at this time, you’ll be praising 2021. There’s a reason people make New Year’s resolutions. It’s a time to get rid of the old, change what you can change and make your life better. When you improve your health habits, you’ll find you’ll also improve your mood, too. These changes will have you living healthier and affect you for years to come.

Make small changes to your eating habits.

You can start by switching everything in your diet or take it one step at a time. Start by giving up sugar or processed food. It’s not that simple, but well worth the effort. Add more vegetables to your dinner plate and cut back on starches. You don’t even have to count carbs or calories, just go for more whole foods, like fruits and vegetables. They don’t have to be fresh, you can use frozen vegetables and fruit, since they’re picked at their ripest and frozen immediately, so they may have more nutrients than those in the produce department. Avoid fried foods and use more steamed, roasted, fresh or grilled foods.

It’s time to get moving and exercise.

The toughest part of exercising is doing it regularly. It has to become a habit, something like brushing your teeth in the morning or putting on shoes for work. Carve out a time to workout each day. Make it your appointment with fitness. If you do it at the same time every day, you’ll be more likely to stick with it. Find ways to increase your physical activity, such as walking to lunch rather than driving or parking further from the store. Even taking the steps rather than the elevator is a good addition to a healthier life.

Don’t burn the candle at both ends.

If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll pay for it both mentally and physically. Not only will you feel too tired to workout, lack of sleep can affect your weight in another way. Your body makes two hormones that regulate eating, ghrelin—the hunger hormone—and leptin—the one that makes you feel full. When your body doesn’t get enough sleep, it overproduces ghrelin and blocks the production of leptin, so you’re always hungry. Lack of sleep also affects your health in a negative manner. Adequate sleep is heart healthy.

• One healthy habit that everyone could use is smiling more. Not only will you make your life better, you’ll affect those around you. Studies show that people who smile more live longer.
• Drink adequate water. Staying hydrated is extremely important, no matter what the season. It can affect your joints, muscles, heart and mental condition. In fact, some seniors who are dehydrated receive a misdiagnosis of dementia.
• Take a minute every day to be grateful. Gratitude and giving thanks for the things you have not only makes you appreciate them more, makes you more aware of the good things in life. You’ll find yourself healthier and more at peace when you practice an attitude of gratitude.
• Walk faster and with more confidence. Your posture is extremely important and so is how fast your walk. Making changes in your stride and the vigor of your walk as you hold your head high can make a world of difference.

For more information, contact us today at Jari Love