Health-wise, What Am I Doing Differently in 2024?
“Habit is a cable; we weave a thread each day, and at last we cannot break it.” ―Horace Mann
For a health and wellness enthusiast, answering this might be easy. The reality is I am human. Sometimes I have the best intentions but they don’t translate into actions. I know the benefits of the popular ‘five a day’. Have I implemented it to the letter T? Hell no! Why? Life happens and other times, we just fall by the wayside.
The ‘5 a day’ diet is research-based. It showed an association between diets with sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables and lower incidences of many age-related diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer [1].
According to Harvard Health, fruits and vegetables contain high amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols, such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and flavonoids, as well as high levels of fiber. All help with lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, and managing weight. Their antioxidants may also help with cancer prevention by stopping free radicals from damaging the body’s genetic material, according to research from the National Cancer Institute [2].
I always shop for fruits and green veggies. Sometimes, I buy frozen options to worry less about spoilage. I use them to make my smoothies. That’s a practice I’ll stick to in 2024 as long as I do not have access issues.
On my last vacation, I suddenly rediscovered the benefits of drinking water. I’ll stick with that practice as well.
I barely have headaches. My skin looks great without makeup. I fall ill less frequently and severely. These are things to remember in the new year.
Anytime I deviated from the norm and life stresses hit me, my health took a plunge in one form or another. I stopped my practice because I moved house. It sure reflected in my body. The migraine headaches returned. My period pains were a nightmare. My skin was breaking out.
The new year is around the corner. Many of us want fresh starts. My priorities are clear to me. I have made a mental note: ‘5 a day’ has the potential to end all bad days.
These are my calls to action:
- The fridge and pantry will always have a variety of fruits and vegetables
- Nothing beats clean drinking water.
- I will blend the fruits and vegetables every day and have them as breakfast or sugar fixes.
- To vary my 5-a-day diet, I will steam some vegetables with protein. To be specific, I can steam some spinach with tuna fish or steam broccoli with mushrooms and eggs.
- I am a snacker. To ensure I am not gulping down junk, I’ll have a variety of nuts like peanuts, cashew nuts, and almond nuts in open areas. I’ll keep carrot sticks with cucumber in the fridge.
A lot of times, we resolve to do things because we have no choice. I had lots of rough patches this year. It pushed me to either make or firm up on these resolutions. I have no intention of letting a day pass without my ‘5 a day’. The benefits are too great to pass up.