It’s a brand new year and people have begun thinking about or are already working on their New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, many of the resolutions we make are either too lofty or simply forgotten about before February opens its doors. However, making resolutions can be a good thing, and what better resolutions can you make than to boost your health? If you are looking for the top things you can do to help you stay healthy this next year, here are three things you may want to put on your list.
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Eat More Fat -for years you’ve been trying to reduce the amount of fat in your diet because everyone said it was the key to losing weight and living healthy. The fact is, our body needs fat to perform critical functions. Fats help regulate hormone levels, repair cells, and support brain function, among other things. Fats also help us absorb certain vitamins that are only soluble in fat. And although you think eating fat will make you fat, obesity has been on the rise all during the low-fat diet trend. This is partly because the body needs fats to lose weight, but it needs to be the right kind of fat. So, for your New Year’s resolution look to include healthy fats in your diet daily. Focus on monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados, sesame oil, nuts, fatty fish, and safflower oil.
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Get Moving – if you were hoping the admonition to eat fat would come with news that you don’t really need to exercise, sorry to disappoint. Research continues to pile up regarding the benefit of activity for the health. The biggest drawback many people face is lacking the time to go workout out at the gym for an hour. Here is the good news: every minute of getting your heart rate up really does help improve your overall health. The resolution: take a few minutes each day to move, whether it is a 10 minute walk, washing the car to some upbeat music, mowing the lawn, just get moving. Making a conscious effort to ensure you get at least some active movement in each day will go a long way toward giving you a healthy life.
- Get Some Omega-3 – inflammation is one of the body’s worst enemies. From heart disease, to gum disease, bowel issues to cancer, inflammation is a part of many of the most talked about diseases on the planet today. Omega-3 fatty acids actually help to block the production of inflammation causing enzymes, reducing the amount of inflammation in the body. Many prescription drugs seek to accomplish the same purpose, but with side effects. Resolve to include more omega-3 foods in your diet, such as fish and walnuts.
Keeping it Simple
Obviously, a list of health resolutions could be quite extensive: our list sadly lacks a discussion of antioxidants, super foods, and other healthy eating choices, but keeping it simple is often more successful than shooting for the moon. If these three resolutions are already part of your daily life choose three simpler, healthful choices, and stick with them. Lofty resolutions sound grand, but rarely see follow through. It is far better to make a few healthy decisions and stick with them. Here’s to a happier, healthier New Year!
Sources for this article include:
- lpi.oregonstate.edu/ss08/fat.html
- www.today.com/health/every-minute-physical-activity-really-does-count-new-study-shows-8C11042850
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3331709/
