6Jan/10Off
5 Health “Secrets” for the New Year
With the New Year now under way (and resolutions to keep!), it’s great to be reminded that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is actually pretty easy—with the right direction, that is. Our friends at Canyon Ranch offer these 5 suggestions for keeping ourselves happy and healthy now and for many years to come:
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#1 – Take it Day by Day Commit yourself to making one doable, positive change in your life each month in 2010, then find the internal discipline to stick with it. Tip: Take a hint from 12-step programs, and tell yourself that you’ll take it one day at a time. |
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#2 – Exercise Regularly and Eat Well Physical functionality won’t happen without it, so don’t stint on activity. Resolve to do something every day—this will help you develop a genuine exercise habit. Studies have shown that exercise is good for mental function, as well. When it comes to eating, skip junk food and fast food—sticking instead to whole grains, fruit, and vegetables and lean meats. |
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#3 – Be Positive Try to find joy and give joy each day. You don’t have to be happy all the time—no one is—but try to find the silver lining whenever possible. To a large extent and in the long run, happiness is a choice we make. |
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#4 – Stay Connected Interact with others each day in a productive, satisfying way. In this hyper-busy, electronically saturated world, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of maintaining our sustaining connections with others. Call up a friend, spend time with a family member, grab a cup of coffee with a co-worker. Join a club. Take a class. Volunteer. |
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#5 – Manage Your Stress Uncontrolled stress is a modern epidemic. Fortunately, you can learn dozens of easy, effective techniques to control it. Breathing classes, relaxation and meditation recordings, soothing music, yoga classes—they’re all good. |
—Julie Sinclair, editor-in-chief
Images: Canyon Ranch
