Small Resolutions to Make a Big Difference

In February 2019, Dr. Erika Brown, MD, joined Decatur County Hospital our Chief Medical Officer. As we kick of 2021, Dr. Brown has some advice to help you start or maintain healthy habits to improve your quality of life.

Greetings and welcome to 2021!! At this time of year the days are short, the wind is cold, and it’s popular to take on “resolutions” for self-improvement. Resolutions are usually well-intended, but are often difficult to maintain for more than a few weeks or even a few days. Many advertisements offer products and plans that promise “can’t fail” results. When considering ways to improve your health and wellness in the new year, please consider the following handful of inexpensive and readily available items:

  1. Drink at least 60 ounces of WATER every day. You would not use pop or coffee or tea to water your plants. They need water, and so do you! Sixty ounces may sound unrealistic, but it’s really pretty simple. If you drink a 12-ounce glass of water with each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and also have a glass mid-morning and mid-afternoon, you will have consumed 60 ounces for the day. By avoiding liquids later in the evening, you should be able to avoid getting up too often during the night.
  2. Work up to at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Walking counts! Start where you are comfortable. Getting up and moving for a few minutes several times a day is better than not moving at all. Over time, increase the pace and the increase the time spent exercising. If you’re looking for extra benefit, do some gentle stretching too.
  3. Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Research really has shown that the human body needs 6-8 hours of sleep a night. “Sleep Hygiene” is a set of best practices for getting a good night’s sleep, and improving your Sleep Hygiene is a good place to start. If you’re still struggling to sleep, you should discuss your sleep practices with your Primary Care Physician as there may be a medical reason for your sleep troubles. For example, you may benefit from a Sleep Study, which is used to identify treatable causes of sleep disturbances and can be performed right here at Decatur County Hospital.
  4. Eat REAL, nutritious food. Powders, pills, supplements, shakes…the list of advertised magical miracles is lengthy (and usually expensive). At the end of the day, real food (the kind you buy in the produce, meat, and dairy sections of the grocery store) are best for you and don’t have to break the budget. Keep serving size in mind and don’t forget about non-meat sources of protein (such as beans).
  5. Wash your hands often. The world is a dirty place, and that’s ok! Unfortunately it is easy to pick up germs in the environment on your hands and transfer those germs to your face (eyes, nose, and mouth). By simply washing your hands with soap and water frequently (before you eat, after using the restroom, when you get home from being out and about, etc.), you can lighten the load for your busy immune systems and decrease your chances of catching a contagious illness.

Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself. Do the best you can to make healthy choices as often as possible, but also remember that perfection is unrealistic. Stay positive and focus on the real goal of feeling good!

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