It is the start of a new year and everyone is making New Year resolutions. The College of Medicine’s Drs. Abdo Asmar, Maria Cannarozzi and Leonardo Oliveira, who treat patients at UCF Health, view wellness options as a menu. They suggest you work with your doctor to pick and choose healthy options that will make the biggest impact on how you feel. Here are some of their suggestions for helping you enjoy a healthy 2012.
PRACTICE PREVENTION
- Preventing a disease is easier than curing it. For that reason, we should all begin the New Year by making an appointment with a doctor you trust and with whom you can communicate. Ask your doctor about routine preventative testing and recommend the right treatments for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Take other preventative steps to protect your health. Get vaccinated. Apply sunscreen. Use seatbelts. If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so responsibly and in moderation and never drink and drive.
YOUR DOCTOR IS PART OF YOUR TEAM
- Health improvements – like quitting smoking and losing weight – are challenging. So choose a doctor who works with you to achieve shared goals, who provides you with wellness tips that fit into your everyday life.
EXERCISE FOR A BUSY YOU
- If it’s difficult to schedule exercise, use your workplace as a gym. Wear a pedometer and set a goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. Instead of emailing or phoning a colleague, walk to that person’s office. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Hold walking meetings if you don’t need your desktop computer. A total of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week will make you live longer and better.
CELEBRATE YOUR HEALTH
- Trying to quit smoking? Select an anniversary date or other positive, important date in your life as your first day of being smoke-free. Rather than viewing that day with dread, use the day’s celebration to inspire you to choose a healthier lifestyle.
YOU DESERVE REST
- Don’t forget to take a break. Sleep and rest are essential to your health. Adequate sleep not only makes you feel better, it decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease, improves memory and is important to maintaining body weight.
CHEER YOURSELF ON!
- Give yourself credit. Pick a health goal and try to achieve it. Even if you don’t reach the entire goal, give yourself credit for getting closer to it. Celebrate small achievements rather than allowing self-defeat.
INVEST IN YOURSELF
- Remember, your health is like a retirement plan. The best way to stay well is to take small, positive, daily steps that build your health account. That’s easier than trying to make drastic changes all at once when retirement – or illness – is looming.
UCF Health wishes you a happy and healthy New Year. The medical team at our medical facility is eager to team up with you for a great 2012. To schedule an appointment, please call 407.309.4800.