New year, new resolutions? Yes, but resolutions without pressure… not too difficult to keep!
It is customary to make good resolutions every new year. But there is no question of setting unattainable, frustrating goals… in short, counterproductive. No, we make easy-to-follow resolutions that will allow us to improve our mental and physical health (without it taking up too much time). Examples.
1. Go to bed earlier and take naps
According to a investigation carried out by Opinonway for MGEN and the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance (INSV), the French sleep on average 6 hours 41 minutes during the week and 7 hours 33 minutes on weekends. It’s too little. “It is estimated that on average, 30% of the population suffers from sleep debt” tells us Marc Rey, neurologist and president of the INSV. However, sleep is essential to preserve your immune system (therefore being less sick), clean your brain of cellular waste stored during the day, strengthen memory, regenerate our cells, participate in the proper functioning of the heart, regulate your metabolism (appetite, stress , irritability…) and his emotions. So in 2024, your resolution is to go to bed earlier (especially before midnight) and take more naps if you feel the need.
2. Stop dieting
To lose weight, there is no point in depriving yourself or falling into the trap of diets at the beginning of the year. What you need is to get back into good habits. “Ditch the tempting diets, they have shown their ineffectiveness in the short and long term. In the end, you end up with more pounds and low morale. First of all, start by learning to listen to your body and follow your own diet. It’s simply a matter of rediscovering the simple sensations of hunger and satiety, that is to say eating when you are hungry, stopping eating when you are full, not snacking automatically. In short: learn to respect your own pace and your own needs“, explains Dr Boris Hansel, endocrinologist and nutrition specialist.
3. See a doctor to try to quit smoking
No pressure. “My first advice is to consult a health professional, either your doctor or a tobacco specialist. The latter will be able to determine through tests your levels of physical dependence and motivation and measure carbon monoxide in exhaled air. Depending on your smoking profile, he will adapt the treatment. Patches and/or oral nicotine substitutes (lozenges, gums) taken over a long period of time double the results at three months. On a daily basis, there are various tips to resist the urge to smoke: drink a large glass of water, brush your teeth or even call a friend. recommends Dr Philippe Guichenez, tobacco specialist.
4. Go (again) to see your dentist
“It is essential to do one descaling per year to completely eliminate tartar. Dental plaque is made up of saliva, food debris and bacteria. When it is not completely eliminated by brushing, it calcifies until it forms tartar. Irritating and rich in germs, it promotes the development of gingival and periodontal diseases“, explains Dr. Christophe Lequart, dental surgeon. And in the long term, teeth fall out.
5. Walk more often
It’s great for the heart, burning calories and increasing muscle mass. Go for a walk alone or with friends for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week or opt to be sporty: an invigorating walk with friends, a bit of cycling, swimming sessions are suitable. Another piece of advice: cardiovascular prevention also involves a healthy lifestyle and stress management. Avoid stimulants like cigarettes, alcohol or coffee and even tea. Relax, relax, learn to breathe better and be positive!
6. Eat more slowly
It may be a boat, but “eat more slowly and moderately: a single dish is enough. Opt for a hearty breakfast, a balanced lunch, why not a mid-afternoon snack and above all a light dinner so as not to store fat at night. What to eat? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, white meat, fish…“, recommends Dr Jean-Loup Dervaux, author of “Infarction and cardiovascular diseases in women”.
7. Don’t deny yourself pleasure foods
Good news: “You should not deny yourself foods that make you happy. They are a pick-me-up against the stress and worries of daily life, they are good for your morale” supports Dr Pierre Azam, nutritionist. “On the other hand, rather than binging on squares of chocolate all afternoon, eat them for breakfast. This is THE meal where fat is burned the most quickly. So you’ll start the day off right!“The doctor also advises eating enough at three meals a day to avoid snacking. “Eat three full meals a day. Often people snack simply because they are not eating enough, or even skip meals. As a result, they feel hungry throughout the day.” However, snacking, we know, is bad for your health and for your figure.
8. Get your eyesight checked
After 40 years, visual problem or not, you need to see an ophthalmologist every two years. This check-up allows us to detect eye diseases that develop with age, particularly presbyopia, and to take stock of the risk factors that can have an impact on eye health (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc.). “The first thing to do when you notice regular discomfort in front of your computer is to consult the ophthalmologist to check your visual acuity. We wrongly blame the screens. In fact, they often only reveal a lack of visual correction“, explains Dr Jean-Michel Muratet, ophthalmologist. If you wear lenses, know that you must consult them every year because they are likely to damage your eyes, especially if they are worn incorrectly or worn too much.
9. Take up a sporting activity without constraints
Before joining a club or taking out a swimming pool membership card, ask yourself the right questions. Are you motivated by this activity? Can you get there without too much hassle? To last over time, you need to be able to easily get to the place where the sporting activity is taking place and at a time that suits you. Then, set achievable goals. “My first thing is “anti-rust”: we leave every morning with a pedometer around our wrist or attached to our key ring and we forget about it. In the evening we look at how many steps we have taken. Your goal: at least 35,000 steps per week (approximately 5,000 per day). At the same time, I recommend doing at least 10 minutes of endurance activity per day: walking or cycling, what matters is doing it at the right intensity, that is- that is to say with motivation but without running out of steam either. It’s good for the heart and for weight. The icing on the cake is that you can add to these daily habits a sporting activity during your leisure time: swimming, a dance class, tennis games, etc.“, explains Dr Boris Hansel, endocrinologist and nutrition specialist.
10. Check your chest more often
Self-palpation of the breasts should be carried out by the woman once a month outside of her period, rather afterwards when the tissues are more supple. It is recommended to always carry out this examination at the same time so that the comparison is relevant. The purpose of this self-palpation is to look for a hard, painless, fixed and irregular mass. It is also necessary to consult when there is discharge from the nipple or when an irreducible nipple umbilication has recently appeared. If you are over 50 and haven’t had a mammogram recently, now is the time to schedule one.
THE organized breast cancer screening every two years targets all women aged 50 and over. Of course, you can have a mammogram before age 50, especially if you have risk factors. It is also necessary to provide a make an appointment with your gynecologist to benefit from a regular clinical breast examination, at least once a year.