New Year, Healthy Year

The end of 2009 has quickly come to a close.  It sounds so cliché to have a resolution any more doesn’t it? Is it really necessary to have a new year’s resolution? In my opinion, you shouldn’t ever wait to make life changes, that are for the better, until January 1^st, of any year.  But perhaps, for the mental game of it all, it is helpful to think of it as starting a clean slate in a new year.  What are your goals for this year? Think carefully about changes you could make that would make you feel better inside and out. 

 WebMD featured an article regarding 5 healthy resolutions that women should consider taking on. 

 They are:

1. Eat, but don’t overeat

                  Women are often very black and white about losing weight or carving out  new eating patterns.  As women, we tend to cut out entire food groups rather than find a reasonable way to live with a variety of food.  Instead of ridding our diet of all desserts and end up bailing out on the whole thing in two weeks, it might be better to pick a day out of the week when you allow yourself something special. 

      2.   Jump outside the box

                          The idea here is that you don’t need a snazzy gym outfit and gym membership to do specific exercises at the exact times, places, etc.  Thinking outside of the box in this situation is that if we set unreasonable goals, we tend to give up in two weeks or so, in the realization we can’t meet those expectations.  Instead, be also open to the things around you…raking leaves, floor exercises while watching your favorite t.v. show, etc.

    3  Protect your bones

                    This is not a widely-popular resolution, but it certainly should be for most girls and women.  The bone thinning disease, osteoporosis, threatens millions of Americans and that is what makes it so very important to be conscious of what you are putting in your mouth every single day.  It is suggested to have 3 servings of dairy every day.  Calcium sources from dairy and non-dairy can include but are not limited to: skim milk, low fat cheeses, yogurt, salmon, dark green vegetables, calcium fortified juices and cereals, etc.

A guideline for appropriate amounts of calcium for women are:

-between 1,200-1,500mg daily for girls ages 11-24

-1,000mg daily for women ages 25-50

-1,200-1,500mg for pregnant and breastfeeding women

    4  Take health exams and earn an “A”

                    Staying up to date in all health screenings is very important.  It might not have such a romantic ring to it, but nonetheless the end result is staying happy and healthy. 

    5   Move to center stage

                    Basically, this means take care of yourself! As women, we so often find ourselves taking care of everybody else.  We balance so many things, between work, health, relationships, family and there is never enough time for all of it.  Resolution 5 is all about reducing stress and making time for ourselves.  Stress can be damaging to our health and decrease our immune system amongst many other side effects.  Whether it is going for a nice walk, bath or just spending time with a good friend, do something for you regularly. 

 Whatever you end up choosing to focus on this year, be realistic and yet optimistic!  As a good friend once told me, “this is a process, not a report card,” so don’t be too hard on yourself when you get to those stumbling blocks.  Happy New Year everyone!

Sarah Present

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