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As we get ready to approach the New Year, one can’t help but think about a reset. In addition to improving our relationship with others, this is also a time to think about self-improvement, especially as it relates to self-care.

If you’ve been running around taking care of everyone but yourself over the past year, make this New Year the year of self-care. After all, it’s hard to take care of others if you are run down!
 
Healthy eating, exercise, and adequate sleep are three different areas to consider focusing on in the New Year. If you can’t tackle them all, choose one to focus on for now, and gradually work your way toward the other areas of good self-care.

Healthy Eating
Navigating nutrition information can be very confusing, especially in the age of influencers and celebrities pushing serious nutrition misinformation. The key to healthy eating is sustainability. What is one thing you can change about your current eating habits that could result in improved health? From my experience, two nutrition behaviors that give the most bang for your health are:

1. Decrease your intake of added sugars from beverages and sweets. Once you cut back on obvious sources of added sugars (i.e. cookies, cake, candy, soda, and other sweetened beverages), start paying attention to added sugars (not total sugars) on food labels. You may be surprised to find added sugars in other foods such as salad dressings, condiments, pasta sauces, and whole grain cereals. Over time, aim to decrease your intake of added sugars to no more than 25 grams per day.
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2. Increase your intake of non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables are every vegetable in the world you can think of except for potatoes, peas, and corn. Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables all count towards your goal of 6-9 cups of vegetables per day. If you’re like most people, you probably aren’t getting close to this amount, so this may be the one change you decide to focus on.

Exercise
Our bodies are meant to move every day. Movement comes in many forms and doesn’t have to be at a gym. In fact, walking is one of the best forms of movement for your body. Walking works major large muscle groups, is easy on joints, can be done year-round, and doesn’t require fancy equipment – just a good pair of walking shoes. Everyone should aim to move their body for a minimum of 30 minutes per day.

Adequate Sleep
One area of health that is often overlooked is sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation contributes to a myriad of health problems. Lack of adequate sleep and poor-quality sleep affect cardiovascular markers of health, stress hormones, and hormones that affect appetite. Over time, poor sleep contributes to poor food choices and overeating.

Behavior change isn’t easy. To be successful, choose one behavior to focus on at a time, and gradually build on that behavior until it becomes your new habit.

Shanah Tovah and a healthy New Year!

Amy Knoblock-Hahn

Dr. Amy Knoblock-Hahn is a member of Temple Israel’s Board of Trustees and the 2024 President-Elect. She works professionally as a registered dietitian nutritionist and health behavior expert in private practice.
 

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