7 things you may wish to give up in 2020 and 7 things you may wish to pick in 2021…
By: Dr Rachana Jasani
Tags: Stay Healthy, Happy New Year, Stay Fit For Life, New Year Resolution

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Give up the weighing scale, track your steps instead: It is essential to know that we are not what our weighing scale shows! If ever you would wish to quantify your health, avoid using a weighing scale and prefer a step tracker instead. The number of steps you are able to walk (without breathing difficulty)is the hallmark of your cardiac health.

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Set your goals according to your capacity. People with old age, heart problem, knee joint issues, etc may not be able to walk faster, so they may take additional time to attain their goals. However, these goals should be practical and realistic. Aim to add at least 100 steps every week till you reach your maximum limit.

2. Give up zero carb fads, prefer healthy carb combinations instead: In order to loose weight or get the most captivating body shape, the most widely practiced routine is cutting down carboydrates completely from diet. Carbs are most extensive sources of body fuel and cutting down completely on carbs may pose a threat in the long run. Hence, one can rather chose healthy carb combinations like carb with proteins which include recipes like soya with oats parathas or egg with multigrain chapati roll or multicereal kathi rolls.

3.Give up on processed foods, prefer DESI instead: Our Dadimaa’s recipes may take longer time to cook but they surely are good for our health and wellbeing. Processed foods which can be instantly made like noodles, soups, gravies, etc contain too many unwanted items like stabilisers, thickeners, colours, flavours, softeners, etc. which pose a threat to our health.

Dadimaa’s recipes are free of such preservatives and artificial agents, hence they are safe for our health. Hence, to stay healthy one can prefer veg appam balls with veg stew over breads/toasts, thalipeeth over sandwiches/burgers, prefer handwa over pasta/lasagna, jhalmudi (bhel) over instant noodles, sindhi koki (paratha with onion and spices) over garlic bread.

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4.Give up meal replacers, prefer wholesome food instead: Usually most widely used meal replacers are protein shakes which are very low on carbs and high on proteins. When used once-twice a week, they may prove to be beneficial; however, a prolonged use with no meals in between can lead to health concerns and nutritional deficiencies. It may lead to fatigue, irregular bowels, disturbed sleep pattern, loss of interest, difficulty in focusing,etc

Hence, a careful selection of all foods containing good amount of nutrients is vital. Instead of artificial meal replacers, one may opt for mini meals like vegetables tossed with low fat paneer or egg and fresh lentil/ chicken soup.

5.Give up on office gossip, prefer an office workout instead: Gossip from any corner, be it kitchen or park or office, should be dumped! A healthy get away from the daily gossip is a mini workout.

Workout ideas which are practically possible and are beneficial too include rotations of neck, hand and waist, calf raises, shrugs, stretching including back and sides and deep breathing exercises. These exercises are doable, easy, quick to perform and offer many health benefits.

6.Give up smoking, prefer chewing instead: Smoking increases the risk of several health issues including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, etc. It may have a temporary stress releasing effect but, in the long run it may lead to increased risk of death. Hence, it is extremely vital to quit smoking.

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One of the healthiest replacer for smoking is the use of a chewing gum. There are several benefits associated with use of chewing gums which include- cleansing of the teeth due to increased salivation, prevents the accumulation of plaques, neutralises bad odour from mouth, avoiding acculumulation of bacteria, etc. In order to avoid sugar in the gum, one can opt for sugar free chewing gums.

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7. Give up cars, prefer bicycles instead: While the use of cars only adds to the pollution and sedentary lifestyle, switching over to bicycles is not only beneficial for fitness but is pocket-friendly too. While this shift may not seem to be a practical approach in metro cities owing to burden of traffic, it can however be used for short trips like for shopping of vegetables/ grocery/ stationary or greeting friends or going to a park, etc.

Cycling helps in increasing your cardiac fitness, strengthening your muscles, improving flexiblity, decreasing blood cholesterol levels, improved sleep paterns and also in decreasing stress levels. Cyling with family and friends helps in strengthening our bonding. One should look forward for cycling even if it is possible only once or twice a week.

#Byebye2020 #Happynewyear #Happy2021 #safe2021 #2021goals #2021fitnessgoals #2021fitnessregime #2021healthtips