Many of you like to set goals for the new year! Us too! But never heavy and rigid “resolutions”. Instead of expecting yourself to quit smoking in 30 days or lose 10 pounds before summer, start by establishing “good” habits for your heart, brain, and spirit. You will find that the rest will follow on its own.
Top Santé shares with you four ideas for being in better health in 2025. Achievable ideas and not injunctions that make you feel guilty!
Focus on “small” goals in nutrition or sport
Start “small” rather than nothing at all. If your intentions are to “eat healthy,” “exercise more,” or “finally start meditation,” you don’t need to set ambitious goals that require rearranging your schedule. For example, we know that most adults don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. If this is you, perhaps you can add a fruit to breakfast or as a snack, and an extra serving of vegetables to lunch or dinner?
Also, if you’re currently inactive, rather than trying to go from zero to 45 minutes of exercise and thinking “I can’t do that right now…so it’s no big deal”, try going from zero five minutes away. A study published in the journal JAMA Oncology found that adding five minutes of exercise a day could be enough to reduce cancer risk. According to another study carried out by an international team of researchers led by the University of Sydney (USyd) and University College London (UCL), 5 minutes would be enough to slightly reduce blood pressure (20 to 27 minutes per day were necessary to achieve clinically meaningful reductions).
And if you’ve heard about the benefits of mindfulness meditation and want to do the same, you don’t have to spend 30 minutes (or more) every day redirecting your mind. Although experts don’t all agree on the length of meditation session that produces the best results, most agree that shorter sessions (just one to three minutes) can be beneficial.
Get light at the right time
A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencerécente tracked the light exposure of more than 88,000 people and found that those with the most exposure to light between midnight and dawn had a 21 to 34 percent higher risk of premature death over the eight years following compared to those who spent these hours in the dark. On the contrary, people who had the brightest days had a 17% to 34% lower risk of death compared to those who spent the day in low-light environments.
Seeing light when it should be dark, and vice versa, alters our circadian rhythms, impacting health. So open curtains and blinds during the day and at night, ban ambient light sources that are not necessary for safety (like night lights and the blue light from your smartphone).
Maintain your social life
Take care of your social life. Much research has shown that loneliness and social isolation are risk factors for depression and anxiety, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and cognitive decline.
It is important to note that loneliness is not the same as being alone. You can be alone and not feel alone, or you can be with other people and still feel alone. It’s harder to make friends as an adult, so maintain your current positive relationships. If you don’t have many, the good news is that there are benefits to participating in meaningful, productive activities with other people, even if you don’t really consider them “friends.” This could be a sporting activity, volunteering or a book club.
Prioritize your sleep
Many physical or mental health problems could actually be alleviated if the French gave more importance to their nights. This is the case for depression, stress, irritability but also overweight, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Restorative nights also strengthen your immunity.
To get restful sleep, create a routine in the evening and stick to it. Try to go to bed at the same time every night, avoid screens and have a tidy, uncluttered bedroom conducive to sleep. Avoid heavy meals in the evening, so as not to complicate digestion. The latter involves heat production which interferes with sleep. It’s not a question of refusing a good dinner all year round! Simply choose a light meal in the evening several times a week. To avoid setting too strict a rule, set yourself two or three evenings per week during which you favor vegetable broths or fish.
Source: www.topsante.com
