As the new year approaches, many people are thinking about goals and improvements they would like to make in the coming year. A lot of us know we have developed habits that don’t serve us well, and now is the time of year when many people think about retraining those habits. At Central Ozarks Medical Center, our goal is to help the communities we serve improve their health, healthcare awareness, and access to healthcare. If you are interested in some simple, common-sense ways to improve your health in 2023, we have seven habits to consider changing that could help you towards your goal. To learn what they are, just keep reading this blog!
Empty Calories
It can happen because we’re tired, because we’re stressed, or because we’re super busy. But when we start reaching for fast food and chips and soda and other types of junk food, we are consuming calories but giving our body no nutrition. It’s unrealistic that people will never eat this kind of food, but when we do it’s important to understand your body is going to need actual nutrition to help balance out the junk. You’d be amazed at how much better you will feel and look if you make a point to replace junk food with healthier options. Focusing on high protein and high-fiber foods, and avoiding processed foods is a great habit to start in 2023.
Neglecting Our Sleep
While we would not allow ourselves to let our cell phones go dead without feeling silly, many of us are guilty of neglecting our sleep in order to get more things done, or because of stress or anxiety. But unfortunately, it becomes a bit of a cycle because not having enough sleep makes it harder for us to deal with the things that come at us and cause stress and anxiety. Your body goes into more of a regenerative mode when it is sleeping, and you need to allow that in order to help your body stay as healthy as possible. So, consider yourself as important as your cell phone, and make sure you get plenty of sleep to recharge.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Ironically, one of the first signs of being dehydrated is fatigue. That can lead us to go for sodas and coffee and anything but water. It really takes a mindset to develop a new habit of making sure water is your go-to drink. It may help to get a water tumbler so you can keep track of your water intake more easily. There are different guidelines about how much water a person should take in each day. On average it should be about a half an ounce per pound of body weight. But an easy way to tell is by the color of your urine. If it is dark or deep yellow or orange, you’re not getting enough water. If it is light yellow, kind of like lemonade, you’re doing good.
Not Exercising Regularly
It can be hard to find the time, and when we skip exercising it can be even harder to find the motivation. But fortunately, when you start getting in the habit, it becomes more motivating so you can get in the groove and make it a part of your routine. Like everything else, it may be a matter of mindset and actually scheduling it on your calendar so it’s not an option.
Smoking
Smoking cigarettes is incredibly hard on your body in every way. It is a challenging habit to break, and if you need help, we have mental and behavioral health specialist in Central Missouri that can assist you. One of the best things you can do for your body is to avoid the damage that cigarette smoking causes.
Drinking Too Much
Not everyone is going to abstain from alcohol 100%, but if we all use some common sense and drink in moderation, it can be far less detrimental to our health. Drinking several drinks on a daily basis not only adds a lot of calories, but it could be harder for your body to stay at peak strength when it comes to your immune system. Like anything else, moderation is key.
Eating Too Much Sodium
It can be very easy to get way more sodium than your body needs if you are eating a lot of processed foods or frozen microwave dinners. The more you can focus on eating fresh whole foods, non-processed foods, and not adding a lot of extra table salt, the more likely you are to stay within a reasonable sodium limit. Keep in mind that using iodized salt can give you the iodine that your body needs, and when cooking, add salt at the very end rather than during the cooking process to convey more flavor with less salt.
Happy New Year from our Health Clinics at Lake of the Ozarks!
None of these tips by themselves are life-changing, and none of them are impossible to incorporate into our lifestyle if we make it a goal. It’s not about avoiding certain things, it’s about being true to and valuing your own health. We all want to be as healthy as we can, we want to feel good, we want to have energy, and a positive mindset. The more we focus on being true to that goal, the more motivated we will be to change these bad habits into good ones. We hope you are able to apply some of these tips in the coming year, and we invite you to use the link below to follow us on social media so we can share with you more helpful information about healthcare in mid-Missouri and tips on how to live a healthier lifestyle.
Follow along with our blogs to get more health and lifestyle pointers to keep you out of our office more than once a year!
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