By: Eric Bitet LMHC, MA, MPH

As spring begins to knock on our doors, this is a good time to give an early first quarter review of our healthy behaviors and reflect on the famous New Years resolutions most people set for themselves annually. For some, this means evaluating your progress towards meeting your health related goals you’ve set.  But for others, it already means looking back on a ‘flash in the pan’ idea that didn’t make it through the first few weeks of January and has already been converted to statements like, “I’ll start before the summer” or “soon” and maybe even something like “I’ll start before my birthday.”  The fact of the matter is everyday can be New Years.  If you have already slipped up on your New Years resolution to live healthier in some way this year, it is never too late or too soon to start now!

I want you to think about your resolution and where you stand with it right now!  Was it similar to some of the very common ones such as dieting, exercising, or quitting smoking?  Maybe you wanted to be more health aware and planned to get your physical examination but haven’t got to it yet.  Whatever it may have been, you can still be successful at living healthier in 2010.  After all, it is only February!  By the way, for those of you whose resolutions had nothing to do with your health, hopefully this article can plant a seed or act as a light bulb turning on for you.  Are you out of shape?  Overweight?  Do you smoke cigarettes or have some other aspect of your health that you want and need to improve?  Now is the time to start thinking long and hard about this!

So what do you need to do?  It is always very important to consult your physician and inform them of your intentions.  They can guide you and give you expert advice based on your current health status and age and guide you towards what you should be doing.  Once that is done, a good start would be to develop a plan.  Make a schedule for yourself and stick to it!  A former mentor once said you have to plan your work and work your plan!  In translation, you must take action!  But it is important that you start small, develop a foundation of healthy living habits, and make steady progress.  The old cliché goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and we can’t transform ourselves in a days time.  If your goal is to eat better or go to the gym and exercise, make a daily schedule for yourself that is realistic with specific times to exercise and follow it strictly.  You will see that after two weeks these new behaviors will start to become routine.  The same goes for dieting.  You must follow a set schedule by mapping out your meals on a daily basis and keeping score for yourself.  For those of you who have interest in cutting back on smoking cigarettes, it is important that you consult your physician or your local health department for guidance on what to do and for access to smoking cessation aids and educational materials.  In addition to these common target areas, there are many other areas that a person can focus on to begin to live a healthier life and improve their overall health and well-being.

Maybe you want to improve your health but you just don’t know what to focus on and where to start.  According to many health experts, here are some uniform good habits that you can follow to live healthy, improve your quality of life, and overall increase your chances for longevity.

At the top of the list are diet and exercise.  Eating right and being physically active are very important in maintaining healthy body weight and cardiovascular health as well as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes.  It also has been shown to improve mood and reduce stress levels in the body.  In addition to physical activity, the brain must also be exercised and kept active!  Research shows that mental activity such as reading, writing, solving crossword puzzles or math equations can help keep the person’s cognitive and analytical functions intact for a longer period of time.  It is also a good habit to get the proper amount of sleep.  Sleep has been shown to improve cognitive functions such as memory and concentration as well as enhance one’s mood and immune and cardiovascular systems.  The average requirement for sleep is 8 hours per night but many people can function well with 6 hours of sleep.  Ultimately, the most important aspect of sleep is that it gives the individual the energy they need on a daily basis.

Moreover, social activity has also been shown to have positive health effects.  Those who spend more time with family and friends and socialize regularly have been shown to be healthier than others who are isolated and alone.  It is important for the spirit that we make connections with others, share our time, and very importantly unwind and laugh!  Finally, it is recommended that we get regular medical examinations including physicals every 6 to 12 months.  This of course is the key in keeping aware of the status of our health and detecting the development of diseases like many different forms of cancer in their early stages.

For New York City residents, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYCDOHMH) along with the Fund for Public Health New York (FPHNY) recommend these 10 steps to living healthier:

• Have a regular doctor or other health care provider
• Be tobacco-free
• Keep your heart healthy
• Know your HIV status
• Get help for depression
• Live free of dependence on alcohol and drugs
• Get checked for cancer
• Get the immunizations you need
• Make your home safe and healthy
• Have a healthy baby

To look at each of these steps in detail and to read about the reasons why these areas are targeted please visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/tcny/index.shtml.

All in all, it is up to us to take action for ourselves!!  No one can keep that next Big Mac and large soda out of our mouths or run our next mile and lift the next weight for us!  There isn’t an individual who can be forced to quit smoking, drinking, or make a doctor’s visit.  These responsibilities to take care of ourselves lay solely on us.  It is the choices made now that will shape the future of our health and wellness.  We often don’t look back on something with regret until something has already happened and it is too late.  The heart attack victim and the smoker who developed lung cancer most likely wished they lived differently.  But that doesn’t have to be you.  Take a stand and choose to live a healthier life.  Reinstitute that lost New Years resolution with a new one!  With all this in mind, ask yourself, how’s your health in 2010?