Your Guide To Achievable Health Resolutions For The New Year (That Don’t Involve Weight Loss)

The new year is upon us, which means it’s time to set intentions for self-improvement. What health resolutions can you make — besides losing weight — that can make the biggest difference in how you feel with the least amount of effort?

Here are eight suggestions.

There is a world of wearable biometric devices on the market today. These gadgets can give you tons of information about your health by monitoring your sleeping habits, energy expenditure and heart rate variability.

You can try one of these devices to help you identify what you need to work on the most health-wise. After purchasing your new gadget, go about your daily activities as normal for at least two weeks to get a baseline — let the readings provide a baseline for what to work on for the year.

You don’t have to go straight to 10,000 steps — experts now debate that target number, anyway. However, setting a goal to walk for 10 minutes a day is manageable for nearly anyone.

Let yourself stop at that time limit if it feels right. However, don’t be surprised if you sometimes want to go farther once you build up your stamina. Walking doubles as stress relief, so lace up your sneakers a little more often.

Fresh fruits and vegetables have phytonutrients, with each color corresponding to a different nutrient profile. Research suggests that certain chemicals in plant-based foods protect against chronic diseases and cancer.

While supplements may help, plants often contain substances that work synergistically to help your body use them more effectively.

Additionally, plant-based foods are often rich in fiber, which is part of nurturing a healthy gut. Scientists have uncovered more about the gut-brain connection in recent years, and research continues regarding how the bacterial colonies in your intestines impact your overall physical and mental health. The hope is that unraveling the mystery will lead to improved treatments for depressive symptoms and attentional deficits.

Fiber is one half of the puzzle — your intestinal bacterial colonies love to feast on certain prebiotic varieties. The other half is probiotics. These consist of the live organisms themselves, contained in fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir and kimchi. Although you are born with these bacteria, your colonies change and deplete over time due to stress, antibiotic and alcohol use. 

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer in women, but the number of fatalities has shrunk by 40% thanks to mammogram use. You should schedule one if you are over 50 or between the ages of 40 and 49 with your doctor’s recommendation.

Additionally, you should test your A1C levels each year, keep up with your vaccinations and undergo other recommended screenings. For example:

• You should begin screening for colon cancer at age 45 unless your doctor recommends earlier testing.
• You should have an annual cholesterol screening starting at age 45 and every five years after that unless your doctor recommends more frequent screening. 
• You should have an annual screening for diabetes starting at age 35. 

Lastly, make sure your yearly appointments are set. Check-in with your eye doctor, ensure you have your dentist appointment on the calendar, and your annual pap smear scheduled with your gynecologist.

Make sure you have adequate health care to meet your needs. If your employer offers coverage choices, ask to review the available options before open enrollment. If you rely on the Marketplace, go to Healthcare.gov and see what plans are available. 

If you have ongoing health issues, finding support is a must, especially if you’ve lacked access to care for financial reasons. Reach out to various organizations devoted to people with your disorder. They may be able to point you toward resources such as sliding-scale clinics where you can get needed medication refills for less if you lack traditional coverage.

Stress may cause more disease than any other, especially around the heart. Chronic stress produces ongoing inflammation and raises certain hormone levels that make your heart work harder.

Find at least one stress management technique that works for you. It might be something traditional, like yoga and meditation, or it could be a different hobby — something active like exercise or nurturing that cooking that deflates your tension. 

Your body performs multiple functions during sleep, and a lack of it can take a toll on your health in many ways. Being less alert makes you more prone to accidents. Furthermore, insomnia can wreak havoc on your body, leading to physical health problems. 

While everyone suffers occasional restlessness, your environment matters. Dim the lights, invest in blackout curtains and a white noise machine to eliminate distractions, and surround yourself with comfort to make your sleep as high-quality as possible.