A healthy return on investment
There’s a reason you put off making healthy changes until the new year: You make resolutions that require a lot of effort, and it’s human nature to put off tasks you believe will be burdensome. So instead, this year, consider making changes that seem so minimal that even calling them “changes” feels like an overstatement. “Some lesser-known and easy-to-implement strategies for feeling good in 2018 may make the year more meaningful and healthy,” says Julie L. Pike, a clinical psychologist in Durham, North Carolina. Give them a whirl — and watch the health benefits add up:
1. Meditate for five minutes every morning.
While most research on meditation involves 20-minute or longer sessions, experts agree that even one minute daily is better than none. If you practice consistently, you’re boosting your chances of reaping benefits like reduced anxiety, improved cognition, a stronger immune system, less pain and lower blood pressure. Meditating in the morning assures you’ll get it done — and sets a healthy tone for the day. “Things such as positive affirmations, morning prayer and mindfulness techniques such as mindful breathing and awareness have all been shown to retrain our brains, lower our stress levels and help get us mentally ready for the day,” says Dr. Tiffany Lowe-Payne, an osteopathic doctor in Raleigh, North Carolina.
2. Sip sparkling water instead of soda.
Crave the sparkling sweetness of your afternoon soda? Of course you do; it’s crafted that way. But you can satisfy the same desire while slashing empty calories by drinking sparkling water instead. “Changing your drink to water will quickly reduce your unhealthy calorie intake,” says Dr. Nicholas Pennings, chair of family medicine at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lillington, North Carolina, who recommends adding fresh fruit, mint or cucumber to your glass if water alone is too boring. Two years ago, one of Pennings’ patients followed this advice and changed nothing else — and lost 19 pounds in 6 months. He’s kept it off since.
3. Invite a coworker to lunch.
You eat lunch every day — why not maximize its health benefits by doing it in good company? When you eat with other people, Pike says, you “tend to eat more mindfully and to eat healthier foods, and therefore gain less weight, which has far-reaching health effects.” It also reduces your stress hormone levels and increases secretion of oxytocin, the hormone that fosters closeness. If you can dine with someone who makes you laugh, even better. “While it’s easy to feel overloaded and stressed by our daily lives and world events,” Pike says, “it’s important to use laughter as a tool.”
4. Go meatless on Mondays.
Chowing down on a portobello patty instead of a beef burger just once a week is hardly a sacrifice — and may be enough to reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. It’s also kind to the environment. Dr. Sean Hashmi, the regional lead of adult weight management at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, suggests filling half your plate with vegetables, one-quarter with healthy whole grains and the rest with a protein like beans, lentils or tofu. “This strategy will immediately begin to decrease your red and processed meat intake,” he says.
5. Cook lentil or bean pasta instead of regular pasta.
No matter the day of the week, if you’re cooking pasta, swap out classic spaghetti for a nutrient-rich type made with lentils, beans or another pulse, suggests Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian outside of Los Angeles and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Pulses, a subcategory of legumes harvested solely to eat the dry seed, are “low in fat, loaded with fiber, an excellent plant-based protein and a good source of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, potassium and folate,” she says. “They provide benefits to our heart health, digestion, weight and blood sugar management.”
6. Downsize your plates.
Rather than focusing on eating less (not so easy), simply dine on smaller plates (pretty easy). Research shows that serving yourself on a plate with a diameter that’s just 30 percent smaller cuts the area of the plate in half and reduces how much you eat by 30 percent. “Calories add up quickly — especially with things you do consistently — so cutting back on portions can be really helpful to prevent disease and stay healthy,” says Jessica Crandall, a registered dietitian in Denver and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Just don’t cut down on your vegetable portions, she adds.
7. Power down 15 minutes earlier.
Chances are, if you skip 15 mindless minutes of scrolling through Instagram tonight, you won’t miss it. Better yet, you may find you fill the gap with an activity that really does enhance your health and well-being, be it initiating a meaningful conversation, reading a book or writing thank-you notes. “If you shut down your auto-pilot technology surfing, you open the possibility to induce positive emotions in other potentially rich and varied ways,” says Rachel Hershenberg, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University and author of “Activating Happiness: A Jump-Start Guide to Overcoming Low Motivation, Depression, or Just Feeling Stuck.”
8. Sleep 15 minutes more.
Going from six to eight hours of sleep nightly isn’t going to happen, well, overnight. But you can start moving in the right direction by bumping your bedtime up just 15 minutes. “Over the past year, we have gotten even more evidence that sleep loss can increase risk for weight gain, heart disease, blood sugar problems, impaired work performance and even worse mental health,” says Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Once 15 minutes earlier is a habit, tack on another 15 until you’ve hit the recommended seven to nine hours nightly.
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8 Tiny Lifestyle Changes That Deliver Huge Health Rewards originally appeared on usnews.com
