Most people worldwide consider the new years as the start of a new chapter in their lives. One of the things they do to symbolize this belief is to make New Year’s resolutions for themselves. While this is a noble action worthy of praise, many people must follow their resolutions consistently. This usually happens because they’ve set restrictive, unsustainable, and unrealistic goals for themselves.
To break this cycle, urgent cares in Fairfield, CT, recommend you make easy-to-follow resolutions that will improve your health and be easy to commit to for life. Here are some New Year’s resolutions that can boost your health and well-being this 2023.
Did you know that people who eat more home-cooked meals have much lower body fat than those who opt for to-go meals? Studies show that 28% of 11,396 adults who eat at least five home-cooked meals per week are less likely to be overweight. If you find preparing home-cooked meals tiresome, urgent cares in Fairfield, CT, suggest starting by making one meal a day. As you get used to meal prepping, increase the frequency of making home-cooked meals until the task becomes much more manageable.
Aside from preparing home-cooked meals, experts recommend people eat more whole foods. These foods include fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains, to name a few. Your body will need all the nutrients from these foods to function at an optimal level. Opting for whole foods can significantly reduce your risks for heart disease and many other health issues, such as higher body weight and blood sugar levels. Additionally, whole foods can drastically lessen your chances of contracting specific diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Most adults nowadays live a very sedentary lifestyle. After sitting down for hours and hours while working, we’ll go home, eat our dinner, and happily sit on our couches and watch the movies. Unbeknownst to many, this lifestyle is harmful and has adverse effects on your health. In fact, many people believe that “sitting is the new smoking”. This sentiment became popular in the scientific community due to studies that show how people who sit most of the time have a higher risk of developing diseases, or worse, death.
A sedentary lifestyle can bring you more harm than good. If you want to live healthier this year, urgent care in Fairfield, CT, recommends you make an attainable New Year’s resolution of sitting less than you should. If you have a desk job that requires you to sit for prolonged periods, incorporate 15-minute walks at lunch or at least walk for about 5 minutes as a break time every hour.
What could go wrong by drinking that cola you’ve just bought at the grocery store? Apparently, a lot. Sugary drinks are almost a staple in the American diet, and many health experts and urgent care in Fairfield, CT, believe it shouldn’t be so. According to the CDC, frequent intake of sugary drinks is attributed to obesity, weight gain, and even worse diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more.
It’s not bad to drink sweetened beverages occasionally; just make sure to limit it as much as possible. The key here is to minimize your sugary drinks intake as much as possible until you’ve kicked out the habit for good.
Sleep is an absolute necessity. Unfortunately, many of us take it for granted. Sleep deprivation can cause severe consequences to our body, like a higher risk of weight gain, heart disease, and even depression! There are numerous reasons why people find it difficult to sleep, so urgent care in Fairfield, CT, recommends maintaining good sleep hygiene to make sleeping much more effortless.
As part of your healthy new year’s resolution, try to do the following and make them a habit. Doing so can guarantee restful sleep.
Sleep is our body’s way of resting and healing itself. So, do yourself a favor and prioritize your sleeping habits if you want to live healthier and happier this 2023.
Have you ever wondered why gyms are packed to the brim during January? This happens because most people make an unrealistic New Year’s resolution to buy an expensive gym membership and try to go there consistently every day. Since they don’t have a solid foundation of being active, their efforts often are for naught, and their memberships aren’t fully maximized.
If you find it difficult to commit to gym memberships, we recommend you find a physical activity you enjoy and stick to it. For example, run for an hour every morning or bike to work. If you’re a big fan of combat training, try enrolling at your local boxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym. Since you like these activities, you’ll find it harder to get bored. Eventually, you’ll find yourself living in a healthier body while having fun – it’s a win-win situation!
Most employees nowadays are now working from home. With this kind of working environment, they often find themselves stuck in their homes. Going out seems like a chore unless necessary, and they often spend days or weeks on end without even letting the sun touch their skin. While this kind of lifestyle may sound harmless, little do people know that it can do you more harm than good.
Spending time outdoors can significantly improve your health. By enjoying the trees and nature outside, you’re relieving your body of stress, thus lowering your blood pressure and elevating your mood. Before the first year of 2023 ends, do yourself a favor and spend more time outside daily. Start by taking a walk during your lunch break or walking your dog. Eventually, you can crank things up a notch by hiking on weekends and camping with your family or friends.
As adults, we often find ourselves burdened with responsibilities to the point where we forget to take care of ourselves. It is as if taking some time off for ourselves seems like a selfish thought, and we could’ve spent the time we used to rest on something more productive. This mindset and lifestyle are toxic, and you’ll quickly find yourself burned out if you don’t decide to step back once in a while to rest.
Practicing self-care doesn’t have to be time-consuming and arduous. Urgent cares in Fairfield, CT, believe that self-care is doing something that will benefit your mind, body, and emotions. Some people like to soak in a bathtub after a long week’s work. Others like to attend their yoga class. For some, self-care means going to the gym daily and working out. There are others who will even spend the entire weekend indoors to catch some sleep!
Find out what self-care routine works for you, and do this at least once a week to rejuvenate yourself. Self-care is not selfish; you should incorporate it into your life as much as possible.
Smoking may not look harmful at first glance, but it’s the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. Tobacco use doesn’t just affect the lungs; it can also harm other organs in your body. Cigarette smoking can cause many diseases, such as lung cancer, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), to name a few.
If you’re a smoker, the best thing you can do to live a healthier life in 2023 is to stop smoking. Doing so can significantly lower your risk of contracting smoking-related diseases. Additionally, smoking cessation can bring back many things you can’t enjoy as a smoker, such as more energy, a better sense of smell and taste, and a lack of brain fog.
But if you’re not a smoker, urgent care in Fairfield, CT, suggests you don’t start smoking, no matter how tempting it might be. Cigarette smoking is a downward spiral, and many people who’ve successfully stopped smoking can tell you how challenging it is to do so. Consequently, they’ve lived a much healthier and happier life after they’ve quit smoking.
Drinking alcohol occasionally is not so bad, but downing countless shot glasses and bottles multiple times a week can earn you an early ticket to the hospital. Frequent alcohol drinking can lead to preventable illnesses like heart and liver diseases, to name a few.
Too much alcohol intake can prevent you from reaching your health and wellness goals. So, if you drink too much, do your best and reduce your alcohol intake this 2023. If you feel like going cold turkey is not for you, set a reasonable and attainable alcohol intake limit every week. Track yourself and keep yourself accountable throughout the year, and you’ll be surprised by how much progress you can make health-wise this 2023.
In this digital age, attention is the new currency. Almost all of our electronic devices are competing to gain our attention. And if they win, we’ll quickly find ourselves addicted to the internet and everything it provides. According to research, spending too much time on your smartphones is linked to several issues, such as:
This year, set a realistic goal to reduce your smartphone usage. Use your smartphone and other devices only for productive purposes, such as communicating with your loved ones or learning. Doing so can drastically improve your mood and increase your productivity.
Many people believe setting a New Year’s resolution is only a waste of time since you can’t even do most of the things on your list. Urgent cares in Fairfield, CT, believe otherwise. If you want to live a healthier and more satisfying life this 2023, DOCS Urgent Care & Primary Care Fairfield urges you to set realistic and realistic goals for this year.
Your list doesn’t need to consist of extremely difficult tasks such as working out twice a day or cutting out all unhealthy foods in one go. Instead, we urge you to take things one step at a time until you’ve found your rhythm. Once you do, you can learn how to commit to a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle this 2023.
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