Health and Wellbeing

The start of a New Year provides us with the chance to take stock of our lives and reflect. We are all ageing that is a fact of life, but the overall goal should be to head into our mid-life and golden years in the best possible health. Our diet and physical routines can really influence the likelihood of getting serious disease and becoming a burden on our loved ones and the health service, therefore prevention is key.

If this Christmas was particularly indulgent, you are not alone, but now is the time to focus on what you can do to ensure that your 2022 has the best possible start.

So many New Year’s resolutions don’t even make it to the end of January, therefore, to give yourself the best chance of succeeding, try to set regular goals and come up with a simple and measurable plan. DIET Add one piece of fruit and/or one piece of vegetable at every meal. It’s amazing how quickly that will accumulate your intake of the healthy stuff and it also has the effect of ‘crowding out’ the bad food.

Try to go plant-based for at least one day a week. Not only are you doing your bit for the planet, especially if you use seasonal and local fruit and veg, it also helps overall wellness, promotes longevity and prevents disease.

Always have healthy snacks on hand, this makes it easier to overcome the munchies. A handful of almonds, an apple or some prunes can help satiate cravings and stop you reaching for the biscuit tin at those critical trigger times of the day.

Try to add one new healthy food each week. Start with the alphabet: week one, A is for asparagus, week two, broccoli, celeriac, dates etc. Have fun with the family coming up with a list and put it on the fridge and tick off each week you achieve. Before you know it, you will have done six months.

Ensure that you keep well hydrated as a dehydrated body doesn’t work as efficiently and the benefits of water include increasing energy, flushing out toxins, improving skin complexion and boosting immunity. If you struggle with plain water, try infusing it with cucumber, mint, or watermelon, or drinking herbal tea.

Experiment with spices in your cooking, not only do they add flavour and save you adding too much salt, but they also have many health benefits in particular cinnamon, turmeric and garlic. Studies around gut health show that these can ward off inflammation which is linked to many diseases.

Try to have homemade smoothies or soup five days a week or avoid processed food for a month. It doesn’t seem like such a life overhaul if you add or eliminate a certain food for just 30 days. Plus, if you get in the rhythm of it, you might continue. Or if not, you know you will start a new goal the next month. ACTIVE LIVING Aim for 30 minutes of activity daily, try doing the midday mile, a brisk walk in your lunch hour. Set your alarm 30 minutes early to fit in some exercise, or get the children involved after they have done their homework in the evening.

If you can enlist a workout buddy and set some goals, this accountability will help you stick to your goals, at the same time making fitness more fun. If your bestie doesn’t live close by make a phone date and walk together.

If you try to create a new goal every month it helps prevent you becoming overwhelmed, which is when you are most likely to give up. MINDFUL LIVING What exactly is mindfulness? It is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you are sensing and feeling in the moment without interpretation or judgement. The benefits are that it quiets a racing mind and helps to alleviate stress and anxiety.

Give the Morning Miracle a try. This practice popularised by Hal Elrod involves a wake-up routine. At its simplest it can involve a 30-minute period where you practice meditation (apps such as Headspace or Calm can guide you with this). Write a gratitude journal of all the things that you have to be grateful for, read a book to increase your knowledge and devote some time to stretching. This practice puts you in the right frame of mind in which to tackle the day ahead.

Remember it is vital that you focus on good quality and solid sleep. The latest research shows that eight hours sleep is essential for our bodies to heal and restore. Try to ensure that you go to bed between 10.00 - 11.00pm to give yourself the best chance of achieving the optimum time.

Finally, and most important of all remember to - BE KIND. To yourself and to others – always. It really does make a difference.

Thanks to our Health and Wellbeing sponsor Lester Aldridge. www.dorsetchamber.co.uk/ wellbeing-resources