Start the new year right by committing to you in 2022. Simple actions can make a big impact on your health over time. Catalina Niculae MD, a primary care physician with Physicians Regional Medical Group, shares a few to consider this year.
Connect with others. Spend time with friends, family and those you care about. You’ll benefit your mental well-being and your physical health. Studies show that people who have close friends and family are healthier and live much longer than those who do not.
Get your ZZZs. Set a consistent bedtime and wake-up schedule to ensure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance. It is also one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain and obesity.
“Getting your sleep not only helps with minimizing stress but it helps you with maintaining your mental performance throughout the day,” says Dr. Niculae.
Minimize stress. Practice mindful breathing or meditation to bring moments of calm to your day. Stress has a negative effect on your health, affecting blood sugar levels, food choices, susceptibility to sickness, weight, fat distribution, and more. Books, podcasts or apps can teach you how to start a meditation practice.
Move more. Walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week and do muscle strengthening, like carrying groceries, at least two days a week. Walk with a partner for social connection and accountability. Movement can help you prevent, delay and manage chronic diseases, improve balance and stamina, reduce the risk of falls and improve your brain health.
Go outside. Walk around the yard. Work in the garden. Hike in the woods. Spending time in nature gives the benefit of vitamin D from the sun and helps with depression, exercise and even creativity.
Eat a rainbow. Colorful whole fruits and vegetables look great, are naturally more filling and better for you overall. A balanced diet with appropriate portions of produce, whole grains, lean meats and avoid seed oils and sugar products helps prevent, delay and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.
“Regular checkups and annual wellness visits are a great opportunity for addressing chronic health conditions and help create a healthy lifestyle that will promote longevity,” Dr. Niculae states.
What we eat and how we live really matters when it comes to our health. No pill will ever replace real food, sunlight, exercise, good sleep and a healthy mindset. Dr. Niculae believes that diet, exercise, and social activity are key to keeping a healthy lifestyle as you age.
Visit your doctor. Go ahead and schedule your primary care physician and any specialists such as allergist, dermatologist, orthopedist or cardiologist. Put screenings on the calendar too, such as prostate exam, mammogram, bone density, and colonoscopy. Regular visits and screenings help you keep your health on track – identifying risk factors or issues early and managing chronic conditions like diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure. Dr. Niculae is currently accepting new patients.
To find a physician or learn more about healthy choices for you, visit www.physiciansregionalmedicalgroup.com or call 239-348-4221.
Dr. Niculae’s office is located at
Physicians Regional – Pine Ridge Medical Office Building
6376 Pine Ridge Rd, Naples, FL 34119
(Across from Pine Ridge hospital)
For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-348-4221 or visit PhysiciansRegionalMedicalGroup.com