Healthy New Year Resolutions

HAPPY NEW YEAR to EVERYBODY!

Another new year beckons. Another chance to begin making resolutions and resolve to make them happen this time around. It feels good to make promises to yourself, and it even feels better when you see them come true. I bet you already know most of these but you still neglect resolving to make them a part of your daily routine. How about this new year? Can you make them come true? Here are my suggestions:

1. STOP SMOKING - and begin adding years to your life and life into your years. Also, by now you must have heard of the ill-effects of second-hand smoke to people around you. Yes, they can also get sick (think of lung cancer and asthma attacks) by inhaling your smoke. Do everyone a favor, stop smoking now!



2. FIND TIME TO SLEEP MORE - 'Ever wonder why you always feel sleepy at work? Or why after your alarm clock woke you up, you continued to stay in bed? Or why you're always grumpy? Or why you feel easily exhausted by minor tasks? Or why your judgment and attention seems impaired? Yes, the culprit is lack of sleep. Your body needs rest and more than 6 hours of sleep every night. If you can't meet that, a sleep debt occurs, and this can accumulate over time. More incentive? Well, there's a study that says you lose more weight sleeping than being awake. How about that? So, hear your body when it screams for sleep. You'd be glad if you listen and heed its call.



3. WASH YOUR HANDS - Thouroughly. Meticulously. Rub each finger well. Extend it a bit higher to include the wrists and part of the foreams. Make those soap suds bubble. Remember, the less bubbles, the dirtier. Scrub them. Rinse well with clean, running water. Pat dry with a clean hanky. Wash often --- before and after meals, and especially after going to the toilet or washroom. See how simple washing can prevent most of us from having colds and other infections.



4. FLOSS and BRUSH YOUR TEETH - How many Filipinos floss their teeth? How many know how to brush their teeth properly? Up and down and from side to side? How much toothpaste? Just enough to cover three-fourths the length of your toothbrush. Brush your teeth upon waking up in the morning and after meals. Floss if you can before brushing. Ask your dentist how if you do not know how to do it. Oh, do follow the recommendation --- consult your dentist at least once a year.



5. DON'T SQUEEZE THOSE PIMPLES ! - any dermatologist will tell you that's a no-no. Doing so leads to scarring and soon your face will look like the craters of the moon, and it might soon prove to be very difficult to get a date. Leave the pimples to the experts, and don't touch them. If it can't be avoided, just remember to do the resolution #2 first, ok?



6. FIND TIME TO READ BOOKS - and not just because your teacher assigned it for a book report. Read! Read! Read! Let your imagination develop and discover the existence of worlds you never knew before. It really widens your horizons. As an added bonus, remember that saying that a rolling stone gathers no moss? It's true! When you read, your brain becomes stimulated, and even if you grow old, the risk for having dementia is lessened. Also, you instantly become the life of any party you attend. Isn't that cool?



7. EAT BREAKFAST ! - Almost all people around here do not take time to eat a hearty breakfast before starting their day. Students are always in a hurry to get out of the house, and employees would be lucky if they can sit down and eat a full meal of rice and any decent breakfast viand. Coffee for breakfast? It's not healthy and its not enough. What you get from coffee is fake energy coming from the caffeine boost and nothing more. Eat a full meal --- rice, bread, fruits, ham, egg, sausages, etc.
   Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day not only because you are breaking a fast, but because you should be prepared to face the day's workload with energy coming from real nutrients and vitamins.



8. EXERCISE - if you are one of my long-time readers, you know how I almost repeat in my posts the need to exercise often. It need not be as grand and flamboyant as getting enrolled in a gym with a personal instructor; it helps, but it is not necessary. Mere walking, running, jumping, and climbing stairs instead of always taking the elevators will do wonders for your body.



9. SAVE MONEY - even 5 pesos or ten pesos a day will go a long way. Yes, even if you have multiple bank accounts. Don't ask me, "What for?" You can always find some extra money helpful when the need arises.



10. SMILE MORE OFTEN - and make it come from the heart. Smell the roses and a smile will surely well up in your face. With the exception of some people who are immune to the power of smiling (they're very few, I assure you!), the smile is very contagious like its cousin, the laugh. A smile radiates warmth and a friendly atmosphere.

So, what do you think? Can the list above be done or should we wait for another new year to do them?