As we usher in 2017, most of us are filling our “notes” apps and notepads with New Year’s Resolutions. Want to know what’s at the top of that list? You guessed it: Lose Weight! In fact, weight related resolutions typically account for 38% of Americans’ New Year’s resolutions[1]; and while “lose weight” beats out every other goal for the top spot, “stay fit and healthy” lingers in the #5 position.
So why all the focus on losing weight if not to be fit and healthy? It’s likely to be a result of our skinny-obsessed culture and/or our need to feel attractive. But more important than being attractive, is being healthy. So, this year, as you set your physical wellness goals, ask yourself what’s more important to you, how you look or how you feel. Feel great and you’ll likely look great too.
Here’s how:
Nutrition
According to the office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, there are three nutrition-wise ways to reduce your health risks and live a healthier life.
1. Control your calorie intake – Adults between the ages of 30 and 60 should be consuming between 1800 and 3000 calories per day depending on each individual’s exact age, gender, weight and level of activity.[2] I, for instance, an active female in my 30s, need an estimated 2000 calories per day to maintain my calorie balance. Understanding our expected calorie balance needs is an important first step in making well-informed food choices as we move through our days.
2. Reduce your consumption of unhealthy food components - Sodium, saturated fatty acids, cholesterol and added sugars can all be detrimental to your body if you are not careful about the quantities at which they come in.[3] Limit yourself to less 1,500 mg of sodium and 300 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. Less than 10% of your calories should come from saturated fatty acids and keep trans fatty acids and refined grains to a minimum.
3. Consume more nutrients – Fruits and vegetables are truly your friends. Specifically, peas, beans and those vegetables which are dark-green, red and/or orange will serve you well. High protein foods are also very friendly to our bodies, particularly those which are lower in calories and solid fats. Also, potassium, dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D are of special concern in American diets, so make a concerted effort to eat foods rich in these nutrients.[4]
Physical Activity
Sitting around without getting enough exercise is a silent killer. Studies showed that people who sit and watch TV for more than four hours per day, were 46% more likely to die of any cause and 80% more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.[5] The health benefits of a physically active lifestyle are irrefutable. It combats disease, improves your mood, boosts your energy, helps you sleep better and betters your sex life.[6] People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about seven years longer than their counterparts. The numbers all speak for themselves. So make an effort to be more active this year. Focus on two key areas to see a marked improvement in how you feel.
1. Put some pep in your step – Aerobic activity gets the body’s large muscles moving in a rhythmic manner for a sustained period of time. Hike, walk on the treadmill, ride a bike or mow the lawn. You’ll feel all the better for it. Experts recommend 2.5 hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (brisk walking) or an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (jogging) to improve your health. Double it for even greater health benefits.[7]
2. Lift a weight or two – In combination with the aerobic activity, you should also engage in some muscle-strengthening activities that can help to increase your skeletal muscle strength, power, endurance and mass.[8] Try to do two or three sets of 8-12 repetitions per set, at least two of the seven days of the week. If lifting weights is really not your thing, yoga and push-ups/sit-ups help too.
Rest
Rest is a necessity, not a luxury. If you do not get an adequate amount of sleep, you will essentially be operating at the cognitive equivalent of someone who is inebriated.[9] Your problem solving skills are impaired and your stress levels are higher… and those are just the immediate consequences. Long-term consequences include accelerated skin aging, brain damage, decreased bone density, and an increased risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer.[10] The benefits of getting an adequate amount of sleep are also clear: improved memory, sharper attention, greater creativity and safer travel.[11] So, make sure you are sleeping soundly.
1. Sleep long enough – Adults between the ages of 26 and 64 need between seven and nine hours of sleep per day to perform optimally. Some can get away with six. Some may do better with 10.[12] Anything less or more than the recommended amount, compromises your energy level and thought processes.
2. Sleep well – Healthy sleep is important to your daily functioning. So get into the habit of sleeping well. That means that you fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of laying down, your sleep is continuous (no long periods of lying awake after a bathroom trip, or phone ring) and you wake up feeling alert and refreshed.[13]
Now don’t get me wrong, everyone is entitled to some ice cream here and there and even a lazy Sunday binge of Law & Order and Lifetime movie marathons. But this year, remember to make your physical wellness a priority. Our bodies truly are our temples. Let’s treat them as such.
For help with setting and keeping your New Year’s Resolutions, visit Dr.Dee’s website...
References:
[1] New Years Resolution Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/[2] Estimated Calorie Needs per Day by Age, Gender, and Physical Activity Level. (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/usda_food_patterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf[3] Estimated Calorie Needs per Day by Age, Gender, and Physical Activity Level. (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/usda_food_patterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf[4] Estimated Calorie Needs per Day by Age, Gender, and Physical Activity Level. (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/usda_food_patterns/EstimatedCalorieNeedsPerDayTable.pdf[5] Physical Activity Improves Quality of Life. (2015). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/PhysicalActivity/StartWalking/Physical-activity-improves-quality-of-life_UCM_307977_Article.jsp[6] Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389?pg=1[7] How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? (2015, June 4). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm[8] Glossary of Terms. (2015, June 10). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/glossary/index.htm#muscle-strength[9] Williamson, A., & Feyer, A. (2000, October 1). Moderate sleep deprivation produces impairments in cognitive and motor performance equivalent to legally prescribed levels of alcohol intoxication. Retrieved December 28, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739867/[10] Carter, S. (2014, July 9). 10 Frightening Costs of Sleep Loss. Retrieved December 27, 2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/high-octane-women/201407/10-frightening-costs-sleep-loss[11] Sparacino, A. (n.d.). 11 Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep: Go ahead, snooze! Retrieved December 27, 2015, from http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html[12] M., H. (2015). Sleep Duration Recommendations. Retrieved December 27, 2015, from https://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/STREPchanges_1.png [13] What is Healthy Sleep? (n.d.). Retrieved December 27, 2015, from https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/what-healthy-sleep