Introduction

In this blog, we will offer helpful guidance to assist you in reaching your resolutions for wellness and health this year. It’s admirable to set goals for a healthy lifestyle, and we’re here to help you with important decisions that will have a big influence on your health. Now let’s get into some practical advice on staying hydrated, exercising, eating right, staying healthy, and getting enough sleep. With the knowledge and techniques in these guidelines, you should be able to make 2024 your healthiest year yet. Continue reading to learn how making little but meaningful adjustments to your daily schedule can make you happier and healthier.

1. Drink water regularly

If your resolution is as simple as “drink more water,” you’re making a bigger health resolution than you may realize. Dehydration can lower energy levels and even affect brain function, so it’s important to ensure you’re drinking enough water each day.

A few easy ways to increase your daily water intake include:

• Getting a water bottle with a straw that you keep near you while you work, work out, and eat
• Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning
• Replacing carbonated drinks and juice in your fridge with flavored sparkling water
• Infusing water with fresh herbs or fruit for natural sweetness and flavor
• Setting a goal to drink two glasses of water with every meal

2. Exercise Regularly

“Motion is medicine when it comes to spine health.”

Staying physically fit improves cardiovascular and muscular health and helps fight disease. Exercise has also been shown to reduce stress and improve your overall mood, so try to squeeze in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week plus at least two days of muscle-strengthening activities. But effective exercise doesn’t have to be time-consuming or require fancy equipment. In fact, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that incorporating short bursts of exercise into everyday activities—running up the stairs in your home or office instead of walking, for example—can make a difference in improving a person’s overall health. Regular movement during the workday can also help reduce aches and pains. For example, you can add 10 squats, 10 tricep dips on a solid chair, and wall pushups to your daily routine. Also, make a point to get up from your desk two or three times an hour to walk around and do light stretching, such as back bends, which will help counter being hunched over a computer.

3. Eat Right

“Focus on eating vegetables cooked in olive oil and natural spices, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats.”

In addition to getting enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day, focus on protein in the morning. Packing your breakfast with protein will keep blood sugar and some “hunger hormones” more stable throughout the day, helping to control your appetite. Consuming excess sugar leads to a condition called insulin resistance, which is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, a fatty liver, and cardiovascular disease. It has also been associated with cirrhosis, neuropathy, kidney disease, general inflammation, and cancer. One easy-to-follow diet is the Mediterranean diet, a plant-based, low-carbohydrate diet that is full of “healthy” fats like nuts and seeds and is clinically proven to decrease our risk of developing heart disease. What you eat can cause inflammation in your bowels and gut, and inflammation is a predisposing factor for colorectal cancer development. Researchers have identified the main food substances that cause inflammation in the body and may contribute to an increased risk of colorectal cancer: sugar, animal fats, and red and processed meats. There isn’t one specific vegetable that is a magic cure-all for a healthy colon. It’s more about eating a variety of nutritious foods and focusing on a colorful, plant-based diet. “We need to increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and berries and try to keep the amount of red meat and animal fats to an absolute minimum.”

Many people make their resolution something broad, like “eat better,” but narrowing it down to something more specific, like watching your sugar intake, can help you make strides in your health journey. Limiting added sugars from both food and beverages in your diet is important for your overall health, as added sugars can contribute to an elevated risk for certain chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Consider making your resolution to experiment with temporarily removing or limiting sugar from your diet. To do this, focus on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, nuts, and unprocessed foods. You can also replace table and processed sugars with natural sugar substitutes such as whole fruit, xylitol, stevia, erythritol, or monk fruit. If you have a sweet tooth you just can’t kick, try replacing nightly desserts with naturally sweet foods such as dates, smoothies, or frozen yogurt. Keep in mind some smoothies and frozen yogurt may have added sugars, depending on the brand and what’s in them

4. Protect yourself from COVID-19 and flu

“I am very excited about this new vaccine.”

With new COVID-19 vaccines available, the updated shots are expected to better target new variants, according to experts. It’s especially important for pregnant women to protect themselves from the flu and COVID-19 with vaccines.  The preventive measures for COVID-19 also apply to the flu: avoiding large crowds and gatherings, wearing a mask, social distancing, frequent handwashing, and staying at home when you feel sick. “A lot of people may be coughing and sneezing, so the likelihood of transmission is much higher when you’re having active symptoms.

5. Get Enough Sleep

“Many think of sleep as the first thing we can steal time from, as if it’s flexible or bonus time.”

It’s critical to keep a regular sleep schedule and get about eight hours of sleep a night. Immune, hormonal, and metabolic regulation are associated with sleep regularity. It’s the time during which the brain cleanses itself, so we need to prioritize it. The goal is to regularly align your personal and professional activities within the 16 hours around your eight-hour sleep period. Below are some tips for healthy sleep:

Keep to an anchor wake-up time
You can always compromise a little bit on the weekends, but try to maintain the same wake-up time. This trains your body to activate the systems of your brain, increase your body temperature, and release cortisol at the same time. Having an anchor helps you create a sleep rhythm, which your brain can naturally perpetuate.

Be mindful when you drink caffeine
Caffeine can be in your body for nine hours, so it can affect your ability to fall asleep. If you eat or drink caffeine between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., it can keep you up until midnight. Pay attention to your intake of foods and beverages with caffeine, like dark chocolate, green tea, or coffee.

Reallocate tasks
Think about the best ways to get things done so that you’re not cramming them into the two hours before you fall asleep. Maybe there are things you’re doing late at night that you can do in the morning. People might say, “I’m too tired in the morning,” but you may be tired because you’re going to bed late. If you can adjust to an earlier time, you may find you’re just as productive when you wake up.

Conclusion: Stick to Your Plan

Whether you’re looking to lose weight, get in better shape, stay in better touch with family and friends, quit smoking or drinking, or have another goal in mind, there are simple strategies you can adopt to stick with your plan.