One simple New Years resolution that you can make is just to feel healthier. There are many things you can start doing today to help you feel healthier, and they work amazingly fast. You may wake up tomorrow feeling better than you did today!
Quit Smoking
It’s amazing how quickly your body starts to bounce back after you’ve quit smoking. You will notice that your senses of smell and taste will become much stronger. The cough you may have, in the mornings especially, will start to decrease as your airways finish clearing out the tar that you’ve been breathing in. Electronic cigarettes that allow you to gradually decrease your nicotine intake are one popular method for quitting smoking. You could also try nicotine patches or gum. Keep your hand busy with other things while you are working on kicking the habit.
Drink More Water Every Day
If you don’t drink enough water on a regular basis, you may notice that you feel more lethargic. You’ll begin to feel this way because your organs are working harder. On average, women should be drinking around 1 liter of water per day, while men need at least 2 liters. Other liquids throughout the day count toward this, but pure water, without any additives like sugars and caffeine, are absorbed by the body much quicker and easier.
The easiest way to make sure you are drinking enough water is to fill a liter bottle each morning and carry it with you throughout the day. Just as any other healthy habit, the more you do it, the easier and more natural it will become.
Eat Less Refined Sugar
If there is one thing everyone should cut or drastically reduce from their diet, it is refined sugar. Refined sugar can be found in many processed foods, so it may be hard to cut them out completely, especially since things that are considered “comfort foods” contain high amounts of refined sugar. Sugars that are called “raw” have actually gone through the refining process as well, just not quite as much as white sugar.
White sugar has no nutritional value and has many health risks if you eat too much of it. Consuming too much refined sugar can cause yeast infections, slow down your immune system and raise triglycerides (fat content) in your blood, which contributes to heart disease. It can also damage teeth and promote general stress.
Get More Physical Activity
Have a regular exercise routine is ideal, but only as long as your doctor approves. You don’t want to end up overexerting yourself, but you also want it to count. Beside exercising, you can make it a point to take the stairs sometimes instead of the elevator, as long as you are feeling up to it. The more you do things like this, the easier they will be. You will start to feel more energetic, and make it easier for you to do everyday things, like checking the mail or bringing in groceries. Your doctor may prescribe the use of oxygen therapy while you exercise.
Breathe Deeper
You should make it a point to sit down and take deep breaths, at least once a day. Deep breathing is known to reduce stress and increase the amount of oxygen you take in, as well as help release the carbon dioxide in your body. One easy thing to remember is, breathe out twice as long as you breathe in. This ensures that you are ridding your body of any built of carbon dioxide.
Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.
Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.