Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
It’s that time of the year once again. Time to put 2023 behind us and look forward to 2024! We have all worked hard to make the holidays cheerful but now is the time to take a deep breath and put all your stress behind you and to think about a new year’s resolution.
As we all know, New Years is the time to set personal and family goals and resolutions to better yourself and your loved ones. It’s also the busiest time of year with the holidays and kids getting back to school. Most usually have a New Year’s resolution related to dieting or exercising. “When you are mentally and physically at your best you will spread your happiness to those around you.” Says Dr. Mary Ann Campbell, board certified in Family Medicine.There’s no other better way to know how you can improve yourself than to ask your primary care doctor. Your doctor has all your health documents and can easily tell you how you can better yourself.
Dr. Campbell recommends a few tips to focus on your family’s health this New Year:
Eat dinner as a family without devices. About 40% of American adults battle obesity and are overweight. However, it’s not just a problem that adults face. In the year of 2020, close to 17% of children were also affected by obesity. Studies have found that device-less dinners gave families time to bond and increased communication which then made them less likely to become overweight. When families eat together at least three times per week, kids tend to eat more fruits and vegetables and less fried foods and sugary drinks.
Snack better. Buying and serving healthier foods and more fruits and vegetables is a great start. Letting your children help pick the foods or select produce at the store can get them excited to eat it. Also, be sure that the portion sizes are correct. While it might be easy to choose that for ourselves, a tablespoon per year old for young children is a good place to start. Some great choices are raisins, yogurt, fruit, reduced-fat cheese, baby carrots and peanut butter. Mom and dad can set a good example by putting down the junk food, too.
Get enough sleep. Some studies found that 30% of American children don’t get enough sleep and unfortunately, some adults aren’t the best example
when it comes to shut-eye. The National Sleep Foundation reports that more than 70% of adults don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep a night. For us, sleep deprivation might present as brain fog and forgetfulness, but it can also contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease and high blood pressure risks. For kids, a lack of sleep can decrease their learning ability, increase tantrums and make them more accident-prone. Children need between eight and 17 hours of sleep per day, depending upon their age, so make sure sleep is a priority.
Play together. Exercise is no fun if it’s something you dread doing. Instead, make it a family affair through play. Set specific goals for movement at least five days per week so it’s easier to stick to your plan. If something arises, don’t cancel – reschedule. Activities you can do together include walking, jumping rope, hula-hooping, playing putt-putt, riding your bikes or playing basketball. Stuck inside? Try yoga or roll up soft socks into balls and have a “snowball” fight.
These are all great family resolutions, but everyone should have a personal goal as well. Have a goal to visit your Primary Care doctor and see what you can improve on to stay healthy and feel at your very best!
Dr. Campbell specializes in all aspects of primary care for adults and children of all ages. Her preventative health care services include general physical exams, women’s health exams and child wellness exams. She treats type 2 diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, obesity, kidney disease, anxiety, depression, arthritic disorders and hyperlipidemia. She also treats hyperhidrosis with Botox as well as using Botox to treat chronic migraines as well as using Botox and dermal fillers to treat the effects of aging.
Start the year right and schedule your annual wellness exam with Dr. Campbell!
Call 239-920-4503 or visit
https://www.physiciansregionalmedicalgroup.com/doctors-providers/campbell-mary-ann-md-9411
