STAY IN TOUCH
QUIT SMOKING
CUT YOUR STRESS
CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL
GET MORE SLEEP
OMG Digital Magazine | 289 | Thursday 28 December 2017 • PAGE 26
Health
Top 5 Healthiest New Year ' s Resolutions
ALYSSA SPARACINO
New Year , healthier you ! New Year ’ s resolutions are a bit like babies : They ’ re fun to make but extremely difficult to maintain . It ' s hard to keep up the enthusiasm months after you ' ve swept up the confetti , but it ' s not impossible . This year , pick one of the following worthy resolutions , and stick with it . Here ’ s to your health !
STAY IN TOUCH
Feel like old friends ( or family ) have fallen by the wayside ? It ’ s good for your health to reconnect with them . Research suggests people with strong social ties live longer than those who don ’ t . In fact , a lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking , and even more than obesity and lack of exercise , a 2010 study in the journal PLoS Medicine suggests . In a technology-fixated era , it ’ s never been easier to stay in touch — or rejuvenate your relationship — with friends and family , so fire up Facebook and follow up with in-person visits .
QUIT SMOKING
Fear that you ’ ve failed too many times to try again ? Talk to any ex-smoker , and you ’ ll see that multiple attempts are often the path to success . Try different methods to find out what works . And think of the cash you ’ ll save ! ( We know you know the ginormous health benefit .) " It ’ s one of the harder habits to quit ," says Merle Myerson , MD , director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Program at St . Luke ’ s and Roosevelt Hospitals , in New York City . " But I always tell people to think of how much money they will save ."
CUT YOUR STRESS
A little pressure now and again won ’ t kill us ; in fact , short bouts of stress give us an energy boost . But if stress is chronic , it can increase your risk of — or worsen — insomnia , depression , obesity , heart disease , and more . Long work hours , little sleep , no exercise , poor diet , and not spending time with family and friends can contribute to stress , says Roberta Lee , MD , an integrative medicine specialist at Beth Israel Medical Center , in New York City , and the author of The Super Stress Solution . " Stress is an inevitable part of life ," she says . " Relaxation , sleep , socializing , and taking vacations are all things we tell ourselves we deserve but don ’ t allow ourselves to have ."
CUT BACK ON ALCOHOL
While much has been written about the health benefits of a small amount of alcohol , too much tippling is still the bigger problem . ( In fact , binge drinking seems to be on the rise .) Drinking alcohol in excess affects the brain ’ s neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression , memory loss , or even seizures . Chronic heavy drinking boosts your risk of liver and heart disease , hypertension , stroke , and mental deterioration , and even cancers of the mouth , throat , liver , and breast .
GET MORE SLEEP
You probably already know that a good night ’ s rest can do wonders for your mood — and appearance . But sleep is more beneficial to your health than you might realize . A lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes . And sleep is crucial for strengthening memories ( a process called consolidation ). So take a nap — and don ’ t feel guilty about it .