It's a few days to 2022, and you most probably have a mental picture of your new year's resolutions. No doubt, you want to be fit, well and healthier. Here are five rewarding health changes you can achieve in the New Year.
Visit the hospital for checkups and cancer screenings
A number of entertainment stars lost their lives to cancer this year alone. Going for recommended cancer screening is a sure-fire way to avoid being caught unawares by this disease and many others. You may have been used to seeing a doctor only when you are helplessly ill. This coming year, however, we recommend you go for a full body check-up and screen for your risk of common cancers.
Are you a female between the ages of 25 and 65 and you have never had your cervix screened for cancer? Then you may want to add that to your to-do list in 2022. Do you have a parent or sibling who is diabetic? Hello, that's a red flag right there and you need to be screened also.
Ditch the 'white stuff' in your diet
Don't get this wrong, not every white-colored food item is bad. Think about good gracious cauliflower. However, white bread, white rice, white pasta are all refined carbohydrates you can definitely do without in 2022 and still bag better blood sugar control while at it and yes, of course, a slimmer you. The 'white stuff' sure really does taste better but it also lacks the nutrients your body needs.
Dump anything refined and let's choose the dull-tasting wholegrain family: whole grain pasta and bread, quinoa, brown rice (ofada rice). And if the term 'white stuff' does ring a different bell in your head (hard drugs), let's just say it's a sign it's time to break the addiction.
Get regular counseling or just check into rehab
Do you think you don't need therapy for whatever reasons, well chances are you might. Agreeably, therapy is recommended to help you recover from disturbing life events, crises, or a mental health diagnosis. Most of us have had our fair share of this rollercoaster ride called life. That means everyone can benefit from regular therapy sessions. Just think of how the past few years have taken a toll on your mental health. From COVID-19 to Omicron to mass loss of jobs and social isolation.
Are you “Cocaining” or “alcoholing” your way through chronic pain, stress, a cheating partner, and loneliness? If so, you need more than counseling and 2022 can be the year you check into rehab. Some benefits of counseling are better relationships, a higher level of emotional intelligence, more self-awareness, and increased productivity. Who wouldn't want that? You can therapy your way to a better you.
Up your Safety Game
Are you still standing over your toilet bowl to take a poop in the loo? We sure have learned from the horrific snake bite incident of a Lance Corporal in Nigeria recently. Have any plans for an accident-free year? You should actually. Consider simple changes such as fumigating your home and its environment, having a first-aid box and fire extinguisher in your home and/or vehicle.
Remember an extinguisher is not meant for decoration, you should learn how to use it. You could also learn how to use a life jacket and oxygen mask before boarding a plane. You can purchase these items and practice setting them up at home. This is better than just nodding to what the flight attendant is explaining about safety on a flight even though you didn't understand the lecture. That's risky. With the increasing surge in natural disasters occurring, you should have a disaster go-to-bag that contains first aid supplies, bottled water, non-perishable foods, packed and ready to go.
Start saving for medical emergencies
This is one of those difficult things to commit to. Somehow it's easier to save up for a new car, home, or vacation than to save up for future health challenges. Nevertheless, with proper planning and the right mindset, you could be able to forget a huge sum of cash in a separate bank account designated solely for a medical crisis.
People who were involved in ghastly road accidents or contracted coronavirus disease for which they had to spend a lot of money for treatments didn't exactly anticipate the event. It just happened. It's better to be prepared than sorry. So start saving daily from January and do not be tempted to spend the funds. Even if the year ended and you didn't need it, you want to continue saving. Make it a lifetime habit to save for health emergencies.
Making new year resolutions is pretty easy. What's not easy is following through and hitting your set targets, especially if it concerns health and well-being. According to Mark Twain, "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like and do what you'd rather not." So let's get started already shall we?
