“How to Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions” plus 1 more Health – TIME |
| How to Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions Posted: 03 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST If you’re like almost half of all adults, you have a New Year’s resolution. But once the champagne flutes are back on the shelf, it’s hard to make that pledge stick. A week into the new year, just 77 percent of resolution makers are still on track, and after six months, only about 40 percent will have stayed the course, according to University of Pennsylvania research. Why is maintaining resolutions so tough? Researchers have identified several culprits, such as setting a goal that’s too vague or having unrealistic expectations (lose 30 pounds by March 1—ha!). But perhaps the biggest challenge is turning your wishes into immediate action, then keeping with it. “It’s easy to change your attitude but difficult to change your behavior,” explains Christine Whelan, PhD, clinical professor in the School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. “If you’re committed to it, however, you can make a new habit or behavior permanent.” How to set manageable goalsOutsmarting the odds means setting doable goals (go from couch to 10K, not a triathalon), then breaking them down into reasonable steps. A new you in the new year starts right here. Find out how to reboot your diet, your workout, your stressful days, and your energy, and how you can make those resolutions stick. Watch the video: 5 Simple Tricks to Stick to Your Weight Loss Goal Health.com: 57 Ways to Lose Weight Forever, According to Science Reboot your dietWhen it comes to cleaning up your eating, take a tip from the Boy Scouts: Be prepared. If you want to rise above temptation, like a yummy app spread at a party, you have to think one step ahead, says New York City nutritionist Joy Bauer, RD, Today show contributor and founder of Nourish Snacks. It also helps to have no-deprivation strategies, she adds: “Eating better is often associated with misery, so it’s no wonder that so many people throw in the towel.” Use these tactics to eat healthier, long-term. Figure out your “why”Maybe you hope to set a good example for your kids. Or you’re just tired of not fitting into your old jeans. If you know the reason that’s fueling your desire to eat better, you can use it to motivate yourself when you’re eyeing the dessert menu, says Whelan. Don’t focus on subtracting food“Instead of making an ‘I want to lose weight’ pledge, try ‘I’m going to put more fruits and vegetables on my plate,'” says Bauer, “so the resolution is a positive action that you can perform over and over.” Art Markman, PhD, professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Smart Change, agrees. “If it’s an addition instead of a takeaway, you’re more likely to repeat it until the action becomes an automatic habit,” he says.  |
| Here’s Even More Evidence That Fish Oil Is Good for You Posted: 03 Jan 2017 07:00 AM PST Doctors and health officials have long urged the public to eat more fish, since the healthy fats in fish—primarily from the omega-3 family—tend to lower risk of heart attacks and other heart problems. In fact, the most recent dietary guidelines recommend that Americans eat more fatty fish per week. (About half of Americans don’t eat any fish at all, or consume it only occasionally.) But lately, there’s been confusion over whether the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from food or supplements actually lead to healthier hearts and fewer cases of heart disease. For example, some studies suggest that fish oil supplements, which contain the active ingredients eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), may not lower risk of having a heart attack, but may lead to fewer fatal ones. In a study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers reviewing 34 studies on EPA and DHA from food and supplements, as well as heart disease risk, found evidence of the benefits of omega-3 fats in reducing heart problems. There is a caveat, however: the study was funded by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED), a group of makers and marketers of fish oil products. According to the study authors, GOED did not play a role in the design or interpretation of the study results. The analysis included gold-standard clinical trials—in which people were randomly assigned to take omega-3s or not, then followed for their heart disease outcomes—as well as population-based studies, which looked for trends among people eating or taking omega-3s and those who did not over longer periods of time. Overall, those consuming more fish oil in the population studies lowered their risk by 18%. Among the people participating in the clinical trials, those at higher risk of developing heart disease seemed to benefit more from the fish oil. In people with high triglyceride levels, coronary heart disease risk dropped 16%, and 14% in people with high LDL cholesterol. While the results suggest that EPA and DHA may help to lower heart disease risk, experts point out that population studies may be biased toward finding benefit, since people who take omega-3 fatty acids may also engage in healthier behaviors like exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and eating healthy diets while avoiding high sodium foods. Ongoing clinical trials looking at the effect of omega-3 supplements on heart disease risk—and taking into account the potential effects of things like exercise and diet—may provide a more definitive answer on whether fish oil pills are really worth the money. Until then, heart experts say it’s best to stick with the natural sources by eating at least two servings of salmon, tuna or other fatty fish a week.  |
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