5 Habits For The New Year To Have A Healthier Life
The end of the year is approaching and the time of personal balances does not give truce. It is common for us to look back during the month of December to review which objectives we have met and which ones were still pending. We believe that leading a healthier lifestyle is among the purposes, so we propose these 5 habits for the New Year to have a healthier life.
Before going to the list, it is worth clarifying that they are not magic, but they are very easy to fulfill. Living in a healthy way is not impossible and it will not require time or material or financial resources. Only the will to want to change and perseverance are enough.
1. Do physical activity
We started with this habit because we think that the rest of the healthy habits will come more easily from the daily physical exercise. It happens that physical activity is health and is the antithesis of sedentary lifestyle that brings so many problems.
According to various studies, moderate daily training reduces the risk of ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes. Likewise, sedentary lifestyle is one of the first causes of obesity, a disease that brings with it others, such as diabetes mellitus.
Dancing, doing sports, walking, choosing the stairs instead of the elevator are small actions that will gradually change your way of thinking and approaching physical activity. Some experts point out that with 30 minutes of physical activity of a medium intensity per day the changes in health will be noticed.
2. Prioritize rest, among the best habits for the New Year
Getting a good night’s rest and adequate sleep have a significant impact both physically and mentally. Rest is related to the immune and hormonal system and affects eating patterns.
As explained in a study published by Eduscientia , on the cognitive level it affects concentration, memory, attention span, and learning. On the other hand, the plane of emotions is also affected by a bad rest.
The state of mind of people who do not sleep as they should is manifested by feelings of hopelessness and clinical depression. This has been demonstrated in a publication of the National Library of Medicine that compares the results of patients treated for depression or insomnia in the same way.
As you have seen, sleeping properly will bring you benefits in various aspects of your daily life. Research states that an adult should rest between 7 and 9 hours, while a preschooler between 10 and 13.
3. Eat healthy
We can be tempted to argue that in winter you eat more and the foods are hypercaloric, while in summer salads are the best allies. In fact, you can eat a healthy, tasty and balanced diet all year round regardless of the season.
In winter, the body asks for foods that generate heat, that is, that are hot, such as soups or stews. Stews can contain legumes, grains, and cooked vegetables. In summer, everyone’s favorite options are raw vegetables in salads and fresh fruits, which increases their consumption.
Both vegetables and fruits provide vitamins and minerals and the best way to consume them is at home, in their natural state and without resorting to processed foods. Why? Because by opting for its natural presentation we avoid the unnecessary intake of sodium and sugars that are incorporated in industrialized foods.
These are our suggestions for a healthy diet:
- Choose seasonal vegetables and steam them to preserve their properties.
- When you cook, prepare an extra meal so that you have a healthier option before choosing to buy a menu.
- Add an extra vegetable to your recipes, even if it didn’t originally have it.
4. Quitting smoking is one of the best habits for the New Year.
It is a no-brainer, as smoking has nothing positive. Lung cancer, chronic bronchial obstruction diseases, complications in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and the list would be endless.
Cigarette smoke is toxic and none of its forms or forms are safe : light cigarettes and electronic devices that deliver nicotine are equally harmful. At the moment there are no known studies that give concrete evidence that its toxicity is lower.
If you are a smoker, you are surely aware of the damage you cause to yourself and those around you with each cigarette you smoke. However, it does not hurt to remind you that it is never too late to become aware and quit. New year, new life, healthy and smoke free. In return, you will only get benefits. Less money lost, better health, more hydrated skin, clothes without unpleasant odor.
5. Build healthy relationships
From our condition of human beings, interpersonal relationships are indispensable. We are born and grow in society and the encounter with the other is an inalienable part of life. The issue in question is the type of relationships we choose to have, who we are in contact with, and whom we choose to keep away.
Our proposal to incorporate as one of the habits of the New Year is that you dedicate time to the people who add and not who subtract, those who vibrate high at a frequency similar to yours. The importance of building and maintaining healthy social relationships has implications for health. They provide well-being and a person who feels good has even greater longevity.
How to incorporate these habits for the New Year to have a healthier life?
Habits are built with sustained and constant practice. Once a reasonable time has elapsed in which we have repeated certain actions, these will become automatic. This means that we will not have to stop to think before doing them.
We aim to do healthy things like cook at home, choose the stairs, not smoke, or have coffee with friends. For how long? According to the 21-day theory developed by plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz, we need to practice something for only 21 consecutive days for it to become a habit. When we start?
