How can I be healthier this year?
That’s a question just about every one of us asks as a new year dawns.
Too often we start strong in January, full of steely resolve to (fill in the blank)—eat better…lose weight…get more exercise…save money…be kinder…find love…get a better job…improve relationships…spend more time with friends…be more spiritual…
…only to watch our high hopes fall to Earth in February or March.
This year, let’s break the mold.
To get us started, we asked some of our health experts to let us know the changes that really make a difference for a healthier, happier life.
They responded with unique, refreshing and inspirational insights.
THE BOTTOM LINE: EXPERT TIPS ON A HEALTHIER, HAPPIER LIFE
Dance! Dancing improves balance and fitness in people of all ages, prevents cognitive decline, controls blood pressure, elevates mood and improves quality of life. –Leo Galland, MD, director of The Institute for Functional Medicine in New York City
My best piece of advice is to always listen to your heart. It will tell you everything from what to eat, how much water to drink, the amount of sleep you need, to knowing the truth about things. Some call that instinct, but in reality it is paying attention to the metaphorical heart, which is what truly makes us tick. –Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, attending cardiologist and director of Women’s Heart Health, Heart and Vascular Institute, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City, and author of Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum’s Heart Book.
Go small or go home! People often believe that big, bold acts are required to achieve extraordinary results, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Extraordinary results are accomplished through ordinary acts done daily. It is not intensity, it is frequency that transforms—be consistent. –Lee Jordan, certified American Council on Exercise (ACE) health coach and personal trainer based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Stay positive, visualize the life that you want to live and reward yourself for good behavior. Have both short- and long-term goals. Your short-term goal should ultimately bring you closer to achieving your long-term goal. The key is to make sure it is a smart goal—specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. Oh yes, and listen to podcasts—they can provide you with tips, keep you motivated and educate you in ways that can improve your chances of success. –Jim White, registered dietitian, certified fitness instructor, and owner Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios.
Slow down! Travel…internationally if you can. Taste, feel and smell another place, meet new people. Practice being open—to everyone, to ideas. Take a break. No one is going to give it to you, so just take it. Look out the window…see the light, refocus your eyes, hear the traffic, see the colors, shades of gray or green or blue… –Deborah Gustafson, PhD, professor of neurology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York.
Have gratitude and it will change your attitude. It is common and very easy to feel down and depressed at this time of year. Be grateful for what is good in your life, and show your gratitude by reaching out to others less fortunate. Share your blessings with others by inviting them over for a meal, or visit a neighbor who is lonely and has no family. Lift up your spirits by lifting others! –Dennis Goodman, MD, FACC, director of integrative medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York City.
We now understand that what you eat can change your rate of aging. We also understand that whether and how you exercise, sleep and manage stress can do the same. But what we don’t yet fully appreciate is that when we work with or view a garden, trees, animals and nature, it is just as powerful a force in making us biologically younger. –“ChefMD” John La Puma, MD, Santa Barbara, California, author of Refuel: A 24 Day Eating Plan to Shed Fat, Boost Testosterone, and Pump Up Strength and Stamina.
Write your troubles away. Studies show that writing for 15 minutes each day decreases anxiety, improves your immune system and encourages a good night’s sleep. Write about emotional situations, write about your worries, write about disturbing memories. You will soon—often in four or five days—notice the healing effect. –Roberta Temes, PhD, psychotherapist, medical hypnotist and author of How to Write a Memoir in 30 Days.
Refocus from materialism to people. When people are sick and dying, they realize that things won’t make you happy. Ask yourself, If I were to die tomorrow, what would I value today? Now use that insight to ask yourself, What do I want to do with my time? –Judy Kuriansky, PhD, clinical psychologist, sex therapist and adjunct faculty, Columbia University Teachers College, New York City. She is the author of five books, including The Complete Idiot’s Guide to a Healthy Relationship.
Be as kind to yourself as you are to your pets. And if you don’t have a pet, get one. –Bernie Siegel, MD, Woodbridge, Connecticut, founder of Exceptional Cancer Patients, author of the best seller Love, Medicine & Miracles.
