Healthier You in 2022
1/7/2022
MILTON, Fla., - Start the new year right by committing to you in 2022. Veronica Holbrook, M.D., a primary care physician with Santa Rosa Medical Group (SRMG), shares a few simple actions to consider this year that can make a big impact on your health over time.
Connect with others. Spend time with friends, family and those you care about. You’ll benefit from your mental well-being and your physical health. Studies show that people who have close friends and family are healthier and live much longer than those who do not.
Get your ZZZs. Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule to ensure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance. It is also one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain and obesity.
"When my patients tell me they want more sleep, but can’t seem to get more on their own, I often encourage them to avoid screen time for at least an hour before bed," said Holbrook. "Sleepless nights can cause even more problems, like stress, anxiety or depression, creating a vicious cycle.”
Minimize stress. Practice mindful breathing or meditation to bring moments of calm to your day. Stress has a negative effect on your health, affecting blood sugar levels, food choices, susceptibility to sickness, weight, fat distribution, and more. Books, podcasts or apps can teach you how to start a meditation practice.
Move more. Walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week and do muscle strengthening, like carrying groceries, at least two days a week. Walk with a partner for social connection and accountability. Movement can help you prevent, delay and manage chronic diseases, improve balance and stamina, reduce the risk of falls and improve your brain health.
Go outside. Walk around the yard. Work in the garden. Hike in the woods. Spending time in nature gives the benefit of vitamin D from the sun and helps with depression, exercise and even creativity.
Eat a rainbow. Colorful whole fruits and vegetables look great, are naturally more filling and are better for you overall. A balanced diet with appropriate portions of produce, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products helps prevent, delay and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
“It’s important to remember that a balanced diet and exercise go hand in hand,” Holbrook said. However, seeing and talking with your primary care provider is also necessary to properly manage your health.”
Visit your doctor. Go ahead and schedule your primary care physician and any specialists such as allergist, orthopedist, cardiologist or OBGYN. Put screenings on the calendar too, such as a mammogram, bone density, and colonoscopy. Regular visits and screenings help you keep your health on track – identifying risk factors or issues early and managing chronic conditions like diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure.
To find a physician or learn more about healthy choices for you, visit SantaRosaMedicalGroup.com.
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