New Year, Better You! Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations

According to the American Heart Association, “A healthy diet and lifestyle are the keys to preventing and managing cardiovascular disease. It’s not as hard as you may think! Remember, it's the overall pattern of your choices that counts. Make the simple steps below part of your life for long-term benefits to your health and your heart.”

Use up at least as many calories as you take in.

• Start by knowing how many calories you should be eating and drinking to maintain your weight. Nutrition and calorie information on food labels is typically based on a 2,000-calorie per day diet. You may need fewer or more calories depending on several factors including age, gender, and level of physical activity.

• Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75-minutes of vigorous physical activity (or an equal combination of both) each week.

• Increase the amount and intensity of your physical activity to burn more calories.

Regular physical activity can help you maintain your weight, keep off weight that you lose and reach physical and cardiovascular fitness. If it’s hard to schedule regular exercise, look for ways to build short bursts of activity into your daily routine such as parking farther away and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Ideally, your activity should be spread throughout the week.

Eat an overall healthy dietary pattern that emphasizes:

• A wide variety of fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains and products made up mostly of whole grains

• Healthy sources of protein (mostly plants such as legumes and nuts; fish and seafood; low-fat or nonfat dairy; and, if you eat meat and poultry, ensuring it is lean and unprocessed)

• Liquid non-tropical vegetable oils

• Minimally processed foods

• Minimized intake of added sugars

• Foods prepared with little or no salt

• Limited or preferably no alcohol intake

Fight Fatigue Risks

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), “as our lives get ever busier, our sleep is often the first thing to go and we can quickly become fatigued. Being fatigued can have serious impacts on our health and safety, but some simple steps can help you get the rest you need.”

Don’t Sacrifice Sleep

NSC, goes on to state that, “If you aren’t getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each day, consider these risks:

• When you miss out on sleep, it can affect more than just your productivity: fatigue can lead to decreases in cognitive performance, vigilance, accuracy and judgement, among many other effects.

• Chronic sleep deprivation can cause a number of serious health risks, such as depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses.

• Losing small amounts of sleep over time can be detrimental. A person who sleeps six hours a night for two weeks performs similarly to someone who loses one full night of sleep.

loses one full night of sleep.

• Driving while fatigued can be similar to driving under the influence of alcohol. Driving on four to five hours of sleep means you are four times more likely to crash.

• Up to 70 million Americans have a sleep disorder, which are major drivers of fatigue. Left untreated, sleep disorders can contribute to decreased productivity, lead to higher rates of absenteeism and even exacerbate other health problems.

• Not sure if you’re fatigued? Microsleeps and yawning are usually the only visible symptoms of fatigue, but hidden symptoms can include decreased vigilance, attention, memory and concentration.”