Tips from the experts to be your healthiest self throughout 2024.
By Jenna Hughes
The new year is a time to reset and focus on goals and resolutions. For many people, that includes wanting to improve their health and wellness. As you start the new year, Repertoire collected nine health tips from experts:
No. 1: Healthy aging
Healthy aging includes maintaining a consistent healthy lifestyle, according to the Mayo Clinic on adult aging beyond 50. To prevent chronic disease and maintain a healthy weight, eating a variety of nutritious foods, regularly engaging in physical activity, and monitoring any health or well-being changes closely can all promote good health as you age. Be careful of widely marketed anti-aging therapies, supplements, and treatments, as these may be harmful to long-term health, and remember that there is no quick fix to healthy aging besides maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.
No. 2: Vitamin D supplements and heart disease prevention
Some observational studies have boasted that individuals with high levels of vitamin D had lower rates of heart disease. Before following the trend and taking a large dose of the supplement, Dr. Steven Nissen of Cleveland Clinic recommends considering the risks that are associated with excessive vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is a nutrient that can help your body absorb calcium, boost bone health, support the immune system, and reduce inflammation in the body. However, a study released in 2017 in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that taking high doses of vitamin D does nothing to prevent cardiovascular disease. Excess vitamin D can even result in too much calcium in the blood, increasing the risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Cleveland Clinic instead recommends building healthy lifestyle habits to keep your heart healthy and consulting a doctor before taking new supplements.
No. 3: Can superfood powders really boost health?
Green superfood health powders and supplements are a widely circulating health trend on social media. But how effective are these health supplements in contributing to better health? Green health powders can be found advertised by many brands to be used as an additive to water, smoothies, and in baking and cooking. Green supplements may include probiotics, herbs, digestive enzymes, and more, and many companies promote that these products are healthy and help meet nutritional goals. According to Rachel Sproat, a registered dietitian at UPMC Western Maryland, these superfood powders should not be a substitute for whole fruits and vegetables. There is little solid research on the benefits of green powder supplements, according to UPMC, and the multivitamins in them may include much more than your body needs. Be sure to maintain a proper diet in addition to taking green powdered supplements.
No. 4: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis and weight management
N.E.A.T, or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, is the creation of heat through movement that is not related to exercise. N.E.A.T is an important part of weight tracking and management, according to Intermountain Health. A calorie is a unit of heat, and the number of calories burned per day is part of the weight management equation. Each time we move or complete physical activity, we create heat and calories are burned. N.E.A.T can be accomplished through day-to-day activities such as walking, gardening, taking the stairs, or even fidgeting. N.E.A.T makes up two-thirds of an individual’s total calorie expenditure throughout the day. To increase N.E.A.T for weight management or better health outcomes, engage in behavior such as walking while talking on the phone, parking further away from your destination, or washing dishes by hand.
No. 5: Women’s heart disease prevention
According to Emory’s Women’s Heart Center, heart attack risk is on the rise in younger women age 35-54. However, with certain lifestyle changes, heart disease is preventable by up to 90%. It is important to know your individual risk factors and find a cardiologist that specializes in women’s heart health, because the risk factors for women are different than those for men. Heart disease risk factors for women include diabetes, autoimmune diseases (such as lupus and arthritis), obesity, menopause, hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and pregnancy complications. Talk to your primary care provider about reducing risk factors, managing existing conditions, and addressing lifestyle habits that are potentially impacting your heart health.
No. 6: Diet and diabetes awareness
For those that have newly been diagnosed with diabetes, or those wishing to take better steps to prevent developing diabetes, it is important to know how and where to start. According to John Hopkins Medicine, making healthy drink choices such as water, unsweetened coffee and tea, vegetable juice, or milk can decrease dehydration and reduce unwanted sugar and glucose spikes. Also, preventing and maintaining health with diabetes includes carb awareness and being mindful of your diet. Reducing carbohydrates such as high-sugar starches including milk and bread, and tuning into feelings of hunger and fullness, can help individuals in preventing and managing diabetes.
No. 7: Mindfulness routine for mental health
Therapists and psychiatrists use the practice of mindfulness to ground patients and contribute to individual’s journey in improving and managing mental health, according to experts at Sanford Health. Mindfulness is described as a state of mind and being, not necessarily a particular set of behaviors or actions, that get an individual to focus on the present moment. When you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious, taking inventory of where you are is important to focus on in order to improve overall mental well-being. Mental health statistics in the U.S. are staggering, with one in five adults living with a mental illness, according to Sanford Health. Research has shown that mindfulness practices, such as breathing practices, meditation, guided imagery, and more can increase gray brain matter, increase ability to focus, and contribute to reduced stress.
No. 8: Children and getting through the flu
To differentiate between the signs of a common cold and the flu in children, look for a sudden onset of symptoms, a fever, body aches, chills, and a headache as signs of the flu. A stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat are more likely to be the common cold, according to Providence Health. Children that have the flu usually feel much sicker than those with a cold. Children with the flu need lots of rest, fluids, and to stay home from school while recovering.
No. 9: Lifestyle changes and reducing Alzheimer’s disease
Certain lifestyle changes, such as participating in aerobic exercise, quitting smoking, staying social, maintaining a healthy diet, getting quality sleep and getting mental exercise can all reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, according to Mercy Health. There is no one guaranteed way to reduce Alzheimer’s disease, but lifestyle changes can improve an individual’s overall health and wellbeing. Older adults can participate in physical activities such as walking or swimming, connecting with other people, and eating a diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent aging-related diseases.