Setting Positive Health Goals for 2024
Once Christmas passes, we are all going to start thinking about the new year. With that always comes new year's resolutions. What are some resolutions that you could make as a family that is achievable and sticks beyond January 31st?
Reducing Eating out
As you are reflecting on your finances, you may want to cut back a bit. Reducing the amount of meals that you eat at restaurants/get takeout is not only good for your wallet but also better for your health. When you eat out, you consume more calories. This is due to multiple factors:
- The portion size is often larger at restaurants vs. what you might eat at home.
- Restaurant food is often higher in fat, sugar, and salt. That’s why you like it so much! But these things aren’t good for your long term health.
- Restaurant meals tend to be lower in fiber which means you could eat more since fiber helps to fill you up. Fiber has many health benefits including improving your bowel health, lowering cholesterol, controlling blood sugar, and helping you achieve your healthy goal weight.
When you eat at home, you have a better understanding and control of what you are actually consuming. The best meals are made from scratch where you see each ingredient enter the dish. If you start cooking more at home, you can involve the whole family in this effort. This will help your children to have a healthy relationship with food.
Schedule regular family time
Your time together as a family helps you stay connected and understand the ups and downs each of you are facing. A great way to spend time together is sitting down at family meals. During this time you can catch up on everyone's day. Try to do this at least once a week if not more often.
In the spring, kids sports will largely start back. Supporting each other on the sports fields is another great way to encourage your family members and show that you are in life together. Everyone loves to have their own cheering section. Regardless of your interests, share time together.
Get active together
Exercising is good for your health. In the winter, it’s especially important that we are active because the days are shorter and there is less sunlight. If you want to fight the winter blues, exercise can help you do this. If each family member doesn’t have their own workout regime, this would be a great time to start family walks. Get outside together for at least 30 mins a day. Walk around the neighborhood, shoot basketball together in the driveway, go for a hike on a pretty day. Spend the time together making memories and your health will also benefit.
As you are thinking about healthy plans for your family in 2024, you don’t have to call these resolutions. These are new healthy habits to benefit your family’s overall health.
Our team at Healthstar Physicians Premier Medical is here for your entire family. We have two offices in Newport and an office in Sevierville. We provide preventative care, treat chronic conditions, and also provide acute and urgent care for patients. If you do not have a family doctor, we would love to get to know your family. In addition to family medicine, our team also provides osteopathic medicine, obesity medicine, and podiatry.
We are accepting new patients and accept most forms of insurance. To make an appointment in one of our Newport offices or our Sevierville office, please contact us.
