Fall In Love With Your Body: New Year’s resolutions worth keeping

By Alina Makhnovetsky

We all want to start the New Year with a new lease on life, but amidst the conflicting reports, contradictory diet fads and insane detox plans, finding the right path can be more difficult than actually embarking on a healthy route. While for now, there is no miracle pill to swallow or magical mirror to glance at and fall in love with your body, there are ways to energize, pamper and gloss over your imperfections for a healthier, happier you. Here, are our ideas, sure to get you glowing and comfortable in your skin in 2009.

Make Time for Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and giving it a little attention can go a long way in improving your appearance and overall health. A study completed by the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER) confirms, good skin care—such as washing with an effective, yet gentle cleanser, applying moisturizer, exfoliating weekly and never leaving your home without sunscreen—can do wonders in delaying the natural aging process and prevent many skin problems. Recently, experts agree exfoliating on a regular basis is extremely beneficial. Scrubbing helps remove the top layer of dead skin cells that dull the complexion; a microdermabrasion procedure, a chemical peel or a simple exfoliating scrub can transform your skin and give you an instant glow. Using a gentle scrub with tiny grains is best, big grains and cheaper scrubs can tear skin and cause more harm than aid.

Spice It Up
Sticking to a healthy diet also has countless benefits—besides gaining a svelte figure—and nutritious meals can be your source for more energy. But eating greens and staying away from bad fats can get challenging and monotonous. To upgrade your healthy eating plan, indulge in flavorful food combinations, new cooking options and with an inventive spirit enliven your meals and snack choices. Nutritionists at The National Library of Health suggest adding chickpeas, black beans or garbanzos to your salad. We all know beans are good for the heart, but they are also an excellent source of fiber, can lower your cholesterol and have the innate ability to curb your appetite.

Choose Water
Many of us watch what we eat but not necessarily what we drink. According to a recent study, an average American gets a fifth of their daily calorie intake from beverages. Selecting wisely what to drink can stir up your metabolism, curb your appetite and lower your daily calorie count. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reported that soft drinks are the largest source of calories in the American diet. Opting for water will not only cut your calories per day, but will also help supplement your diet. Further, drinking two glasses of water before a meal can help your stomach feel full quicker.

See What Your Body Can Do
Exercising is a critical component of good health and positive body image. This year, instead of incorporating a fitness plan to shed pounds focus on connecting with your body and learning new ways to use it. A consistent exercise routine helps increase circulation, deliver nutrients to skin cells, ridding the body of potentially damaging toxins. Experts also agree that working out provides benefits to the overall function of the body and diminishes stress. Most importantly, try picking a vigorous work out that you enjoy, instead of one you feel is a chore. Even belly dancing can become part of your fitness strategy.

Spend Some Time Outdoors
The natural rhythms of our body are synchronized by the changing light of the day. To feel our best, we need at least 20 minutes of natural light every day. Our bodies require a sufficient supply of Vitamin D, a natural sun supplement for a stronger immune system and hydrated skin. Soak up the sun while you sit on your deck and read, or in colder months bundle up for a brisk walk for these essential nutrients and natural energy.

Laughter is the Best Medicine
As it happens, the old adage may carry some truth. The physiological changes that occur in our body when we laugh, the stretch of muscles throughout, the pulse of blood pressure and the speediness of our breathing, all send more oxygen to our tissues. And now researchers say, laughter, besides adjusting our mood can even burn calories. A study done at Vanderbilt University measured the amount of calories burned through laughter; 10-15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories!

Catch Extra Z’s
Sleep is the time for your body to repair damage caused by stress. Researchers claim sleep can also sharpen your memory, help maintain weight and reduce the risk of depression. While the body rests the brain busily sorts the events of the day and stores them into memory, sleeping lets your brain complete this function, calm your nerves and essentially gives you a rested appearance. Researchers also found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese, since the lack of sleep disrupts the balance of hormones that affect our appetite. Lastly, sleep also helps our body build serotonin and people who suffer from a serotonin deficiency are more likely to incur depression.

Switch from Cosmo’s to Wine
Previous studies have found that both high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, commonly prevalent in oily fish, and moderate alcohol consumption, especially wine are linked to healthier hearts and longer agility. Scientists have confirmed that moderate consumers of alcohol had higher levels of omega-3 in their body, when compared to nondrinkers, although following the same seafood diet, while heavy drinkers had the lowest amounts. The healthiest levels, those that benefit cardiovascular activity and your body, were found in those drinking one glass of wine daily. The nectar of the gods, as it turns out, is also the one for your health.

Give Up those Butts
There is no way around it; smoking is simply bad for your health and harmful to your body. According to the National Cancer Institute, cigarette smoking causes over 87 percent of lung cancers and is currently being linked with a handful of other diseases. Smoking also accelerates the aging process and causes wrinkles. The narrowing of tiny blood vessels in the outermost layer of the skin, due to smoking, decreases blood flow, depleting the skin of oxygen and nutrients it needs. Damage is also caused to the elastic fibers and collagen, which give your skin strength and elasticity.

Connect Between the Sheets
New research suggests that having at least two orgasms a week can increase your life span, boost your immune system, improve cognition and keep skin healthy. Sex even works as an antidepressant, a survey revealed that people who have more sex feel more at ease and happier with their body. Finally, a New Year’s resolution with countless bonus benefits.

Alina Makhnovetsky is a freelance writer and lives in Philadelphia, PA.