The New Year’s Resolutions that Your Doctor Wants You to Achieve
Every year, New Year’s Resolutions seem to follow a similar pattern: more health, save money, spend more time with family, travel, and the list goes on. However, the American Medical Association (AMA), has other resolutions in mind for a healthy 2019:
Learn if You Are at Risk of Suffering from Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most critical health conditions around the world, affecting an estimated 30 million Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost a quarter of the American population suffering from Type 2 Diabetes is not receiving the necessary care and attention. Also, over 20% of the population can have prediabetes and not know it. For this reason, we recommend performing a screening test once every six months. See your general practitioner regularly or visit our Walk-In Clinics. (Add page link)
Be More Physically Active
Most of us do not follow the guidelines that indicate the amount of physical activity we should perform:
- 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week
- Or 75 minutes of rigorous training
The good news is that it is easier to meet these goals than you think. For example, running daily activities, such as: walking, cleaning, dancing, and climbing stairs count as exercise too, so there is no need to sign up at a gym or hire a personalized coach.
Take Care of Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is associated with an increased risk of stroke and even of heart disease, thus we invite you to take care of and know your optimal blood pressure levels. Visit your doctor, who can teach you how to control your blood pressure through strategies that include a balanced diet, exercise, and stress relief.
Less Processed Food, More Organic Food
Consuming high amounts of processed foods (those loaded with sugars, salts, fats and chemicals), has been linked to a wide variety of problems, ranging from weight gain to type 2 diabetes and cancer. Switching something as simple as your soda for water is a good start. Acquiring the habit of cooking food at home and cooking dishes with proteins, vegetables, and carbohydrates are also good strategies.
Follow the Medical Recipe Completely
If your doctor has prescribed antibiotics and gives you a schedule, respect it. Taking antibiotics at inappropriate times, or stopping them early can cause resistance or immunity to the prescribed medication. This is a major health problem, since resistance to antibiotics is contributing to the creation of certain infections. We suggest you follow the instructions of your doctor.
Don’t Skip on Vaccines
Vaccination is one of the best ways to prevent diseases, ranging from influenza to measles. They also decrease the risk of getting sick and the danger of spreading the disease, resulting in a healthy population. Talk to your GP and ask about the vaccination list; make sure you and your family are up to date.
Control your Stress Levels
Sometimes stress can be beneficial. But suffering from an accumulation of stress can threaten your physical, mental, and cognitive health. Finding techniques to manage and reduce stress should be within your New Year’s purposes. Medical specialists recommend activities like yoga and meditation; others suggest exercise. At the end of the day, we are all different, and free to choose what works best for us.
