Metro Monthly

The New Year is the best time to make a fresh start in our lives, a new beginning toward our goals and accomplishments. Forgive, forget and move forward should be the attitude for the next few months. One thing we should be most committed to is a healthy lifestyle.

Most Americans make resolutions to lose weight and start a healthy regimen, but by the middle of the year some are back to old unhealthy habits. However, do not feel discouraged: research has shown that it’s still better to keep starting to exercise and eat right than to do nothing at all.

Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still the leading killer in the United States, accounting for more than 50 percent of all deaths. According to the American Heart Association, one American dies of some form of CVD every 33 seconds, and it’s the underlying cause of just under 1 million deaths annually. About one third of CVD deaths occur prematurely (before the age of 75) and one out of five Americans live with some form of CVD.

It’s been proven that prevention is the most-effective strategy for fighting cardiovascular disease. The first goal in prevention is to stop the development of risk factors. This can be done through lifestyle changes and adopting healthy life habits that will prevent CVD. These include: quitting cigarette smoking; decreasing blood cholesterol levels; decreasing high blood pressure; making healthy food choices; increasing physical activity; and maintaining ideal body weight.

Most of us know that prevention is the key to success and we know actually what to do. We even have tried over and over again to do the “right thing” but we seem to fall short. We should try a different, holistic approach in our quest for healthy living – one that considers mind, body, and spirit.

Numerous studies have shown that how we think and feel affects our physiological being. Negativity, hostility, depression, hopelessness, and chronic stress increase the risk of development of CVD. For those individuals who have experienced an acute cardiac event, it substantially increases the risk of reoccurrence. Research has shown that having any of these psycho-social factors promotes poor adherence to medical treatments and risk-factor modification. In other words, if your mind and spirit are not right, you will not stick to a healthy lifestyle regimen. Here are 10 suggestions for developing a healthy lifestyle that incorporates the “mind, body, and spirit” approach.

• Determine what you like and don’t like. What makes you feel good? What really makes you happy? If you don’t know, take the time to find out. You’ll be surprised to know that the things that make you happy are very simple. Once you know what makes you feel good and fulfilled, do at least one of those things everyday.

• Develop a realistic and believable plan of action. The ultimate goal is to maintain an ideal weight, eat healthy and decrease the risk of developing chronic diseases and medical complications. However, we have to be realistic. Most of us can never be a size 2 or have a six-pack, but we should watch our waistlines. (Waists should be less than 32.5 inches for women and less than 35 inches for men.) The waist-to-hip ratio guideline is to keep the waist circumference much less than the hip circumference. Research has shown that abdominal fat is the most dangerous and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases.

• Adopt healthy life habits to prevent CVD and other chronic diseases. Quit smoking, decrease blood cholesterol or blood pressure, become active, and maintain an ideal weight. Most can be achieved through healthy eating and regular exercise. Consult with your physician, exercise physiologist, and registered dietitian for proper instructions and education.

• Take at least 15 minutes a day to meditate, practice breathing and relaxation techniques and pray to a higher power. Think positive thoughts. All of these not only enhance spiritual well-being but promote healing and relaxation for our minds and bodies as well.

• Avoid situations that promote stress. Get out of caustic relationships, develop time- and money-management skills, and learn how to respond better to stressful life events that cannot be avoided. Take classes in yoga, tai-chi, or anger management, or learn breathing and relaxation techniques. These classes help to reduce stress and promote health.

• Learn to laugh. Laughing stimulates the production of the “feel good” hormone endorphin. It also relieves stress and causes relaxation of the muscles in our body. A new trend in the fitness world are classes that teach laughing. Have you heard of “laughing aerobics”?

• Embrace alternative medicine. The American society is a little behind on the alternative medicine techniques that have been around for centuries in other cultures. Techniques such as acupuncture, massage therapy, aromatherapy etc., have been proven to enhance healing and good health. Schedule a deluxe spa treatment and enjoy.

• Include your family in your healthy lifestyle regimen. It’s very important to involve your family in your lifestyle changes. Not only will that bring built-in support, but it will surely make things a lot easier at home. Trust me!

• Give back to the community. Participate in volunteer work in your community. Donate time and money to your favorite charities. Doing good for your community gives one a feeling of purpose and well-being.

• Never stop trying to live a healthy life. It’s far better to do something than to do nothing at all. Research has proven over and over again that healthy lifestyles reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve the quality of one’s life.

• Remember that being healthy requires commitment and it’s a lifelong journey. There’s a good chance that you may relapse into your old unhealthy habits. However, the benefits and rewards of good health outweigh any of the inconveniences. So, get back up and keep starting over and over again! Good luck!

Vicki Haywood Doe is a PhD candidate, in exercise physiology at Kent State University. She is an ACSM certified health fitness instructor (HFI) and a health fitness consultant for Vicki Doe Fitness, LLC, a health fitness consulting company located in Niles, Ohio.