Kick-Start Your Healthy New Year

There’s enough to do in January without piling on a list of New Year’s resolutions that will likely be broken before the ink’s dry on your new gym membership. However, there are simple things you can do that will make a big impact on your overall health.

To help you kick-start your healthy New Year, we posed this question to several UCF Pegasus Health physicians… IF I CAN DO ONE THING TO IMPROVE MY HEALTH THIS YEAR, WHAT SHOULD IT BE?

Here’s what they said:
* “Drink more water. Most people don’t drink enough water for all the processes that take place in their bodies-from digestion to maintenance of body temperature. Water even helps with weight loss. If you’re a healthy adult, you should drink at least 64 ounces of water a day.” – Dr. Maria Cannarozzi, Medical Director & Internal Medicine
* “Exercise. The ideal goal is 30 to 40 minutes of exercise four to five times a week. However, studies have shown that just 10 minutes of daily aerobic exercise can improve the health of your heart. So lace up your walking shoes…you won’t be sorry.” – Dr. Bernard Gros, Cardiology
* “Substitute whole wheat for white bread. Whole wheat takes longer to digest, so you’ll feel full faster, causing most people to eat less. If you’re a white bread lover, slowly introduce whole wheat into your diet, perhaps starting with breakfast. But the key is choosing products that are 100 percent whole wheat, making sure that “whole wheat” is listed first in the ingredients.” – Dr. Rema A. Gupta, Endocrinology
* “Eat more fruits and vegetables. Most Americans eat far too many processed foods like boxed mac & cheese and potato chips, as well as consume more meat than is necessary. But instead of focusing on what you shouldn’t eat, concentrate on having at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.” – Dr. Virgil Dawson, Family Medicine
* “Know your BMI (Body Mass Index). This is a measure of your body fat based on height and weight (the calculator can be found online). A person with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, for example, is considered to be within the normal weight range. Just know that this number doesn’t tell the entire story of your health, but it does provide good information to discuss with your physician.” – Dr. Stanley Haimes, Occupational Medicine

FREE NEW YEAR’S SEMINAR SERIES
If you’ve resolved to get healthy in the New Year, check out the free seminar series offered at UCF Pegasus Health:
* Resolution to Results: The Psychology of Achieving Your New Year’s Resolutions (Tuesday, Jan. 20, 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.)
* Super Foods for Super Health (Wednesday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
* Your Healthy Heart: From Diets to Statins (Monday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.)
* Strategies for Successful Diabetes Management (Monday, March 16, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
* Understanding and Managing Arthritis (Thursday, April 9, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.)
* Resolution to Results (Part 2): Evaluating Your Progress and Moving Forward (Tuesday, April 21, 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

Space is limited, so registration is required. For more information and to register, visit www.UCFPegasusHealth.org.

Post Tags