Physical Therapy Today: A new year, a new you - Final tips

I hope you are well on your way to achieving a healthier, happier and longer life by the lifestyle changes you have made so far in this New Year. If you have yet to start, you still have time. In this final “New Year, New You” article I would like to leave you with some final tips:

• Nutrition – Forget about all the fad diets and dieting. Instead, follow the USDA’s new Food Guide Pyramid and monitor your caloric intake. Replace simple carbohydrates like those found in white bread and sweets with complex carbohydrates like 100 percent whole wheat bread or fresh fruits. Try to eliminate the amount of saturated and trans fats in your diet and eat monounsaturated fats which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Examples of food with saturated and trans fats are steak and butter, while olive oil and nuts are examples of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Eat good proteins such as lean meat, poultry, fish and beans. Use fat free or 1 percent fat milk products. Finally, consider taking a high quality, professional brand daily multivitamin, mineral and antioxidant formula.

• Fiber – Fiber is essential for health and fitness. It improves elimination, flushes cancer-causing substances from the system, and helps keep cholesterol levels in check by decreasing the absorption of dangerous cholesterol in the body. A high fiber diet will help you control your weight by making you feel full so you don’t overeat and more energy is spent on digesting and absorbing high fiber foods. Fiber also helps move food through your digestive system more efficiently meaning fewer calories are left to be stored as fat. Natural foods such as whole grains, vegetables and fruits are your best fiber choices.

• Water – Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day or one half of your body weight in ounces (for a 150 pound person that would be 75 ounces).

• Make time for sleep – Failing to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night even if you are following a healthy diet and exercising regularly can put you at risk for health problems such as obesity.

• Stay active – We have previously discussed the importance of exercise. The body, with its amazing system of muscles, joints and bones was meant to move. If the body doesn’t move, its supporting structures start degenerating. Through exercise the body is regenerating itself, especially with the right nutrients providing the raw material for growth and maintenance.

• Indulge once in a while – Now that you have been eating right consistently does that mean you can’t indulge in a piece of chocolate cake? No. It’s healthy to indulge every now and then. Renouncing certain foods forever is a vow that is hard, if not impossible to keep and trying to do so may only make you crave certain foods more. Unless you loosen the reins occasionally, you could set yourself up for a pattern of overeating and bingeing. Most importantly, your long term results won’t be affected by an occasional nutritional infringement, especially if you are exercising regularly. Try setting aside a day or two during the week (weekends are good) when you can indulge in some of your favorite foods, but in moderation.

• Nurture your relationships – It is vital you connect with other people. Studies show people who remain socially active live longer and happier and have fewer health problems, and when they have health problems they recover more quickly. Even if you are alone, you don’t need to be lonely. Join or start social groups, volunteer or take a class. Build relationships with your healthcare providers. Your health care program is not comprehensive without regular checkups or health screenings. Do this even if you feel well as this is called prevention.

• Develop a can-do attitude – Don’t let a setback make you “throw in the towel.” Forget the past and resume your lifestyle changes one day at a time. Watch what you say to yourself and talk with people who have gone through what you are going through. Those who have succeeded will empathize with you and are proof you can make it too. Expect success and you will achieve it.

In closing, many people don’t realize how much better they can feel if they live a truly healthy life. It’s vitally important to eat right, get enough sleep, exercise on a regular basis, and have friends and family with whom you kick back and have fun. Best wishes on your road to achieving a healthier, happier and longer life.

Casey Cortney, MPT is a licensed physical therapist and owner of Sidney Rehabilitation & Wellness Clinic. Casey can be reached at 308-254-4979 or by visiting the website at http://www.sidneyrehab.com.