By this point in the season, we are tired of the sluggish winter and our extra holiday weight. We are vowing to swim laps and exchange our winter carbs for carrots. Unfortunately, our ambition often evaporates when we step into cold air. We retreat humbly to our blankets and pasta and promise ourselves, “Once it’s warmer . . . . ”
But our health goals are easier to accomplish if we don’t drop them each Thanksgiving and reintroduce them each March. The only way we can maintain good health is to make wise practices a habit. The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) advises six pillars, or regular practices, to not only help us feel better each day, but also slow and sometimes even reverse the progression of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular conditions, obesity and type 2 diabetes:
• A whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern. You’ve likely been told to “eat your vegetables” since birth. It’s time to listen. A diet consisting of fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains will help you feel well. Avoid artificial ingredients and additives whenever you can. If healthy food is hard to find in your neighborhood, take IndyGo or drive to Eskenazi Health’s Fresh for You Market at 720 Eskenazi Avenue.
• Physical activity. You may find those who state the number of steps they take each day annoying, but motion is critical to health. Even five minutes of movement matters. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines suggest at least two and half hours of moderate (heart beats faster) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous (cycling, etc.) exercise, ideally spread throughout the week. Try to manage the twice-a-week muscle-strengthening exercises the guidelines recommend as well.
• Restorative sleep. Poor sleep can contribute to minor and chronic illnesses. Don’t think of seven hours a night, ACLM’s minimum recommendation, as an indulgence. Good sleep can help you lose weight, relax and feel better. Sticking to the same bedtime hours each night and avoiding screens an hour before sleep can assist those who struggle with insomnia.
• Stress management. Strategies that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposes to reduce stress include monitoring how much news you take in, meditating, stretching, allowing yourself breaks and discussing what you’re going through with others. But if your stress, like that of many Americans, is undermining your ability to get through the day, contact the Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center for more extensive solutions.
• Avoidance of risky substances. A 2018 study in Hepatology by Meritxell Ventura-Cots, Ph.D., et al. drew a strong link between cold weather and alcohol use in nearly 200 countries. Wintry weather along with seasonal stress may tempt you to drink more. But if you want to sleep well, diminish stress and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, cut back on or eliminate your use of alcohol, tobacco and other unhealthy substances. If you are dealing with substance abuse and need assistance, contact The Sandra Eskenazi Mental Health Center Adult Addiction at 317-880-8491.
• Positive social connections. Spending time with friends and family members who lift you up can improve your wellness. Give yourself the time you need to contact and spend time with others who are good for you.
Do not feel as if you need to introduce all six practices simultaneously. But it is important to remember how much of your health is within your control. Even moderate changes can set you in the right direction.
Nydia Nunez-Estrada, M.D.,
Family medicine specialist with Eskenazi Center North Arlington