The New Year has just begun with the arrival of 2018, giving us the opportunity to start afresh. Majority of the people make New Year resolutions, some of the most common ones are to quit drinking, to lose weight, to lead a healthier and fit life. However, a lot of people tend to lose track and do not stick to these resolutions. The bitter truth is that some habits are very hard to lose. This year try to develop new healthier habits rather than focusing of getting rid of the old habits. One does not need to make drastic changes in their lifestyle, even small changes help go a long way in creating an impact on one’s health.
Here are a few health tips to help fulfill your commitment to a healthier you this year:
Have a plan
The first and foremost thing to do when you decide to make lifestyle changes is to have a plan as to how you will go about it. Outline the changes you want to bring in your lifestyle and work on how you would fit them into your current lifestyle. Do not make too many changes at once, take small steps towards a healthy life.
Get adequate amounts of sleep
Your body needs to rest and sleep after a tiring day in order to recoup energy to function the next day. Aim to get a minimum 7-8 hours of sleep. Make minor alterations to your lifestyle including dinner time which ultimately affects your bedtime. Do not compromise on your sleep and ensure to get the required amounts of sleep per day.
Do not follow fad diets
Fad diets always look appealing and may even seem to work sometimes. However, fad diets are an extremely unhealthy practice and do not give long-term results. A lot of these diets exclude major food groups and encourage the inclusion of various supplements. These are not diets that one can continue to follow for the rest of their life, hence should be avoided. There is so much information available on the internet these days, making it difficult to differentiate true from false. Do not make any drastic diet changes without consulting a dietician.
Follow healthy eating habits
Eat mindfully in order to help lose weight the healthy way and maintain an optimal body weight. Healthy eating is extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle as what you consume decides various aspects of your health. Avoid consuming junk and processed food as they are extremely high in calories and low in nutrients.
Consume sufficient water
When thirsty, water should be the first drink you reach out for. Water helps in keeping yourself hydrated and flushes out the toxins from the body.
Exercise regularly
Working out is an important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Healthy dietary practices coupled with physical activity helps in maintaining good health. It is important to establish a workout routine and to stick to it. Moderate physical activity for at least 5 days a week is more than enough to keep you fit.
Schedule regular visits to the doctor
This is something that has been stressed upon a lot of times, however, a lot of people do not consider it important to consult a doctor unless they fall seriously ill. Regular doctor’s visits in order to rule out the possibilities of an illness is not considered necessary. This is a practice that needs to be included as part of your lifestyle. Regular doctor’s visits are always essential to diagnose a health condition in its initial stages and treat it accordingly.
Dr. Chetankumar Arjunbhai Patil
General Physician
Aster Clinic, Al Muteena (DMPC)
