The New Year is all about making resolutions, but some of those resolutions are just so hard to keep. How many times have you or a good friend resolved to eat better, exercise more, or lose weight? While all three of those goals are excellent things to strive for, they are very hard to stick to on a day-to-day basis. Below are five health-related new years resolutions that are easy to keep and actually can make a big difference!
1. Don’t share chapstick.
We all share chapstick. You are out with your friends and someone asks if anyone has chapstick. Then we all use it because it is the middle of winter in Pittsburgh, and dry lips are everywhere. By using someone else’s chapstick, you are being exposed to the germs of the other person and everyone else that has also used their chapstick. You can pick up a cold or worse, the flu. This habit is pretty easy to change. The next time you are at Rite Aid, buy a three-pack of chapstick. Put one on your dresser in your room or in the bathroom. Put the second one in your favorite purse for going out, and put the third in the bag you usually take to class. This should decrease the number of times you are in a situation without chapstick. Now the hard part is to not share with anyone else now that you have your own.
2. Drink more water.
I am sure you have heard this over and over since you were little. Water is good for you, and it is free – what could be better? There are tons of benefits of drinking water. Water keeps you from getting dehydrated, helps you lose weight, keeps your skin from looking dry and wrinkled, and decreases muscle fatigue. Here are some tips to help you drink more water: 1) Make sure you have water whenever you are eating a snack or a meal, 2) Add flavoring to your water. You are more likely to drink something that you think tastes good, and water with flavoring is better than no water, and 3) Keep a bottle of water with you all the time – in the car, in class, around the house, in your bag. You can buy a cute water bottle at Target. Mine has different colored straws so that I can change the color to match my day.
3. Wash your hands before you eat.
It’s habit to wash your hands after going to the bathroom, but what about before you eat? In between meals, you touch so many things in your daily life – doorknobs, other people, and desks. All of these have germs on them, and when you touch items and then touch your food you are transferring viruses and bacteria. You don’t want to eat those! Washing your hands before meals is an easy way to prevent getting sick this winter. You can wash your hands in the kitchen sink while you are preparing a meal, and keep baby wipes or Purell in your purse for those situations when you are eating and a sink is not nearby. There are bathrooms near most dining areas on campus where you can stop in to wash your hands before you begin eating.
4. Take calcium.
This is definitely something your primary care doctor has told you, and it is especially important for women in our age group. You can still build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis! Calcium can also help you stay slim, decrease PMS symptoms, and may even help prevent cancer. Calcium supplements now come in multiple forms. You can take a pill that you swallow, but they also make chewable calcium that is chocolate flavored. The chewable calcium can be found at Rite Aid or CVS and comes in multiple flavors. You can take this calcium supplement with your daily multivitamin or throw a couple in your purse and take them with lunch or at another time during the day. I promise they do not taste bad. I personally like the fruit flavors.
5. Cut back on alcohol.
And you do not even have to cut back that much. You can start with one drink or one shot less than usual. Cutting back on alcohol consumption is good for your liver, and it can benefit your health in a lot of other ways too. Excess alcohol calories, especially when added with late night pizza, can cause you to gain weight. Cutting back even a little can cause your waist to shrink. Also, some of your hormones can be thrown out of whack when you drink too much alcohol. This New Years resolution might help your bank account!
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/feat…
http://www.sheknows.com/health…
http://zentofitness.com/7-reas…
Pictures:
http://timesulin.com/blog/livi…