3 Healthy Habits You Must Develop and Imbibe in 2023

It is common to see people make a list of what they desire and wish to achieve in the New Year. This list comprises several areas an individual wants to work on and achieve- including health. And, of course, I have often stated that health is at the centre of everything you do.

The financial stability you intend to achieve in the New Year is dependent on how healthy you are. And this applies to every other sphere of your life. Health experts have advised on the concept of health as being a continuum, and as such, it must be worked upon daily. In fact, with a high level of dedication and commitment!

While that has been established, it is important to highlight three healthy habits to develop and imbibe this year, 2023.

The first on the list is keeping your weight under control.

Achieving and keeping your weight under control, that is, maintaining a healthy weight is crucial for overall health. It must be one of your goals for the New Year. Probing why this is important will link us to stating the benefits of healthy weight.

Keeping your health weight under control will help you avoid and manage a variety of illnesses and ailments. As I wrote in one of our previous articles, obesity is the mother of all diseases- it gives room to several other opportunistic diseases. Uncontrolled weight increases the risk of suffering from differs health problems which include but not limited to heart disease, blood pressure that is high, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing difficulties, and several types of cancer. Also, keeping a healthy weight is crucial because it lowers your risk of acquiring these issues, improves your self-esteem, and provides you with more energy to enjoy life. This leads us to the next action for a New Year, which is maintaining an active lifestyle, and one significant way to achieve this is through exercise.

The concept of exercise involves striking a balance between energy intake and expanded energy. This requires some physical activity.

To keep your weight under control, you must maintain a balance in your energy. This is crucial. Your body needs to balance the energy it receives from food and drink (this is your energy IN) with the energy it expends when breathing, digesting, and engaging in physical activity ( this is your energy OUT).

To achieve this, here is a simple formula to note and follow:

Weight remains constant if energy IN and energy OUT remain constant over time (energy balance)

Weight gain occurs over time when there is a surplus of energy.

Over time, a net energy deficit equals when weight loss occurs.  

In sum, to keep your weight under control, only consume the amount of food that you are sure your body can expend.

The next on the list is Consuming healthy and optimal diets.

The renowned Professor of health education, Professor George O, once remarked that “nutrition goes beyond just eating.” It involves taking in foods according to how it is needed and required by the body.

One of your goals in the Year 2023 is to be intentional about what you eat, and as much as that is important, it begins with developing a healthy eating habits. There is no doubt; a nutritious diet has several advantages, such as strengthening the bones, defending the heart, preventing sickness, elevating the mood and, of course, building the immune system. However, as part of what you should do to stay healthy this year, you must ensure you swap Trans fats, added salt and sugar-containing foods with more nutrient-dense alternatives as part of your healthy eating practices.

It is worth noting that all major food groups, including lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, high-fibre foods and colourful fruits and vegetables, are embedded in nutrient-dense foods and are typically represented in a healthy diet. So, it is your duty to identify those food items in the food stores nearer to you or the ones you can get within your house yard and feed on them as needed by your body.

Another trick to consider this year is INTERMITTENT FASTING!

Watch out for our next post. Till then, stay healthy!