*10 realistic and achievable New Year resolutions worth considering*
Posted By _Dr John Briffa_ On December 31, 2009 @ 6:30 pm In _Exercise
and Activity_, _Healthy Eating_, _Sleep_, _Sunlight_
I read a report in the last week regarding New Year resolutions, the
thrust of which was that setting the bar too high is more likely to lead
to us not keeping to whatever resolutions we have made. In other words,
opting for smaller, more manageable changes might be a better long-term
strategy. I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly. And I also believe
that even seemingly relatively minor adjustments to lifestyle can reap
enormous dividends in terms of it's impact on things like energy and
vitality (too things that many of us can find our in short supply from
time to time).
So here, in no particular order, are 10 suggestions for 'bite-sized' New
Year resolutions that some of you may feel inclined to act on. My
suggestions is to pick just one or two (maybe three) of these in the
first instance, and allow a month or two for you to feel the benefit of
your new behaviour and settle in to your new habit(s). You can always
add further healthy behaviour later on.
1. Drink water
Maintaining hydration, in my experience, has a profound influence on
vitality and energy levels, including mental energy. I suggest drinking
enough water to keep your urine pale yellow throughout the course of the
day. The usually-critical step that needs to be taken to make this
possible is to keep water by you e.g. put a bottle and glass on your
desk or carry a water bottle with you as you go out and about during the
day.
2. Take exercise
This is certainly one where setting the bar too high can be
counter-productive. I'd advise against, therefore, promising yourself
you're going to spend an hour in the gym, four times a week. If you
really are quite sedentary right now, how about committing to a 10
minute walk each day. Earlier this year I developed with the help of
some colleagues a 12-minute exercise routine as part of a forthcoming
book. I've managed with relatively little effort to perform this every
day for the last six months (except for when I 'put my back out'
recently). Previous attempts at more ambitious exercise have generally
been less successful.
3. Eat mindfully
In our fast-paced world, there can be a tendency to eat while distracted
and 'shovel in' more food than we need. See [1] here
<http://www.drbriffa.com%20http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/08/05/mindful-eating-associated-with-lower-risk-of-weight-gain/>
for some information about why eating mindfully can be beneficial to
health, and how to do it.
4. Chew thoroughly
Part of mindful eating can be thorough chewing of food, which at the
very least will enhance the body's ability to digest food efficiently,
and will usually help with any symptoms of indigestion/reflux. I most
recently wrote about the value of chewing [2] here
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/11/24/gastroenterologist-disses-the-value-of-chewing/>,
where you will also find links to blogs which explore the relationship
between slower eating and reduced food consumption.
5. Make time
Some new habits (e.g. exercise) can take time, which some of us believe
we already don't have enough of. See [3] here
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2006/12/31/creating-time-for-the-whatever-new-behaviours-you-may-have-planned/>
for a blog post which is about creating time for whatever new habits
demand this.
6. Sleep
Sleep has the ability to optimise mental and physical energy, and
optimal levels of sleep (about 8 hours a night on average) is linked
with reduced risk of chronic disease and improved longevity. One simple
strategy that can help ensure you get optimal amounts of sleep is to go
to bed earlier. Getting into bed a 10.00 or 10.30 pm (rather than 11.30,
say) is not a waste of time, but a potentially useful investment in
terms of your short and long-term health.
7. Eat a primal diet
Common sense and a stack of science dictate that the best diet for us is
one based on foods we've been eating the longest. If you know nothing
else about diet, this nutritional 'nugget' will help you cut through the
marketing hype and dietary misinformation, and allow you to make healthy
food choices (if you so wish) quickly and confidently.
8. Snack healthily
Snacking tends to have a 'bad' reputation, and at least some of this is
based on the fact that many snack foods (e.g. biscuits, confectionery,
crisps/chips) are far from healthy. However, going for too long between
meals (especially between lunch and dinner) can cause the appetite to
run out of control, which can lead to the overconsumption of unhealthy
food and drink later on. Quelling appetite with something healthy (e.g.
a handful or two of nuts) can do wonders to help us maintain our healthy
eating habits will minimal effort.
9. Get more sunlight
Sunlight and the vitamin D this can make in the skin has a myriad of
benefits for body and brain (see category 'sunlight' in left hand
sidebar for more information regarding this). While burning is to be
avoided, I advise getting as much sunlight exposure as possible if
optimal health is your goal.
10. Appreciate more
In a [4] recent post
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2009/12/25/a-random-act-of-kindness/> I
wrote about how my New Year's resolution this year was inspired by
witnessing a random act of kindness recently. In the comments section of
this post, the subject of appreciation came up. It occurs to me that
many of us live in societies that are hugely aspirational, and as a
result we can easily find ourselves chasing an ever-growing list of
goals, many of which can be material in nature. To be frank, many of us
could do with spending more time focusing not on what we don't have, but
on what we do – in its broadest sense. So, in addition to whatever
material things we may want to give thanks for, we might also feel
appreciation for our things including people, pets, our health, a
beautiful landscape or sunset or whatever.
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Article printed from Dr Briffa's Blog: *http://www.drbriffa.com*
--
Norma Bridge, Dip ION FdSc
Essentia Nutrition
+44 (0)7791 890 541
www.essentianutrition.co.uk
Member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy (BANT)
Nutrition Therapy Council Registered Practitioner (NTC)
Dip NT Clinical Studies Tutor - Premier International
