Here’s to your health in 2017!

Many people couldn’t wait for 2016 to be over. There were so many catastrophes, broken relationships, accidents and deaths, many caused by heart failure. Mother and daughter Debbie Reynolds/Carrie Fisher were the most recent celebrities who succumbed to heart failure.
Heart failure could be congenital, but a lot of cases are also attributed to lifestyle. People who are overweight, those who went through years of decadent indulgence (smoking, drinking, drugs), people who work hard, are subjected to a lot of stress, and who do not exercise are almost sure candidates of having some kind of heart
disease.

At the advent of this new year, a good part of your New Year’s resolutions should be about health and lifestyle. It may be difficult to stick to these resolutions, but let’s face it: A healthy mind and body require some kind of sacrifice. Health will elude those who don’t try to live healthy. No pain, no gain.  Here are some resolutions for a healthy you:

1. Every year, losing weight is perennially on most everyone’s list. For those who are overweight, on the border of obesity, suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, or have high cholesterol levels, don’t be in denial and consult a doctor and/or nutritionist.

Chances are, you have to change your diet and lifestyle. Don’t expect instant success, you will encounter a lot of bumps on the road, but if you strive to reach your goal, which is the weight you would like to go down to, success is just around the corner. A healthy diet and a desire to lose weight go hand in hand.

2. Quit smoking if you are still smoking. The warning on the pack says it all. Smoking causes heart attack, lung cancer, throat cancer, etc., leading to death. An incentive is to think about the money you will save when you stop buying packs and packs of cigarettes.

3. Avoid stress. Since stress is unavoidable every so often, chronic stress can increase the risk of heart disease, depression, obesity, insomnia, and many more.  An integrative medicine specialist Dr. Roberta Lee says that long work hours, little sleep, no exercise, poor diet, and not spending time with family and friends can contribute to stress. “Stress is an inevitable part of life. Relax, sleep, socialize, and take vacations,” she suggests.

4. Cut back on alcohol if you love to drink. Drinking in excess affects the brain’s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss or even seizures.

Chronic heavy drinking boosts your risks of liver and heart disease, hypertension, stroke, mental deterioration, and even cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast.

5. Sleep. A good night’s rest can do wonders for your mood and appearance. Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, memory loss, and looking older than your years. So, sleep, take a nap and don’t feel guilty about it.

6. Stay socially connected. Research shows that people with strong social ties are happy people. In fact, a lack of social activities can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking.

With social media and smart phones, it is so easy to revive lost relationships. In this advance age of technology, do not be a recluse.

7. Do social work. Happiness increases when you help others in need and happiness is good for the health. Research suggests that helping the less fortunate gives positive emotions, which result in making people more resilient and resourceful.  Peter Kamaris, PhD, coordinator of public education for the NY State Psychological Association, says that someone who makes the resolution to be a volunteer and help the poor is likely to obtain a “tremendous personal benefit in the happiness department.”

8. Learn a new skill, go back to school and boost that brainpower. A 2007 study found that middle-age adults who had gone back to school had stronger mental power and verbal skills than those who did not. Several studies have linked higher educational attainment to a decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

9. Make exercise a plan of your life. Whether it be as simple as walking, learning a sport, going to the gym, move that body! Research shows exercise is great for the heart and for the health! View fitness as a permanent lifestyle change, not an activity that you will stop once you reach a number on the scale.

10. Be mindful of the environment.  Read up on what is toxic for the environment and let us not put out stuff that is bad for all kinds of life. (human, animal or plant life).  Remember, we are all connected and somehow, every chemical we put out into the environment will come right back to us in some way, shape or form. — Source: www.health.com