How to Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

You’ve sipped your last bit of eggnog, the cookie cutters have been tucked away, and the gift shopping is finally over. The holidays are a pleasant memory now, and it’s time to focus on your goals for the new year. If you made New Year’s resolutions in the past, but gave up halfway through January, you may want to reconsider how you set your goals and whether you’re trying to bite off a little more than you can comfortably chew.

To help you stick to your goals this year--whether that’s losing weight, eating healthier, or making any other any healthy lifestyle change--Health Advocate offers these tips on how you can stick with your New Year’s resolutions. 

Be clear about your goals. If you’re looking to shed pounds, don’t say, “I will work out more.” A better resolution might be, “I will lift weights twice a week and walk 30 minutes during my lunch break.” If you have a specific goal in mind and can quantify it, you are more likely to follow it.

Think of it as an accomplishment. Have a positive mindset and frame your goals in a positive light. For example, don’t say, “I will stop drinking caffeine, including coffee and colas.” This can make you feel like you’re depriving yourself of something you enjoy.  A more positive attitude about your goal would be to say, “If I need a pick-me-up during the day, I will drink a cup of tea instead of grabbing a Coke or cup of coffee.” 

Do what you think is right for you. Your resolutions should revolve around what you value, not what someone else thinks you should do. Make your goals for you—not for someone else.  Don’t say, “My wife thinks I’m lazy and I should exercise more.” Take a positive outlook and say, “I will run the treadmill 30 minutes each day because it makes me feel more energized.”  

Don’t think big. If you’re looking to add more physical activity in your life, take it slow. You’re not training for a marathon. Aim to take a 30-minute walk each day.

Make resolutions that you’ll enjoy. We can all benefit from making our lives happier. For example, resolve to carve out more time to read, go to the movies or spend more time with your family and friends.  This can increase your happiness and well-being.

Get support. Tell people close to you such as family and friends about your goals. If they are supportive, they will help cheer you on the path to success.

It’s resolution time! Be committed to the resolutions you choose. If your employer has given you access to a wellness program through Health Advocate, be sure to give us a call!  Our wellness coaches can help you reach your lifestyle goals, such as fitness, healthy eating, de-stressing and weight loss.  

‘Tis the Season for Healthy Holiday Gifts

The holiday season is a great time to buy gifts for those who are near and dear to you. This year, consider giving gifts that promote wellness and health. Plus, a healthy holiday gift sends the message that you truly care about the recipient!  Here are some great gift ideas that promote the healthy benefits of eating, cooking, exercising, and relaxing.

Food baskets filled with lots of healthy foods.

Make your own gift baskets that are packed with fruit, nuts and spices which are high in antioxidants and can help protect one’s health. You can even take that overabundance of last summer’s garden produce stored in your freezer and make homemade low-sugar or low-fat jams, breads, or sauces and add them to the basket, too. Another idea is to fill a basket with high-quality extra virgin olive oils (many are flavored) and different kinds of balsamic vinegars; these can aid in healthier cooking.

The gift of tea.

Fill a gift box with all kinds of flavored organic teas along with a glass teapot to make the tea in. Research shows that antioxidants in green tea trigger more fat loss among exercisers.

A dark chocolate escape. 

Who doesn’t like chocolate? Give a box of high-quality dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cocoa) that is full of antioxidants and good for the heart. It can also help block the breakdown of fat and carbohydrates and can curb cravings for salty and sweet foods.

Accessories that can help someone cook healthier meals.

Hot gift items that encourage healthy cooking are crock pots, rice cookers, vegetable steamers, juicers, and even non-stick skillets that make healthy fare like egg-white omelets and stir-fry meals easy to cook.

A gift certificate to a healthy class.

There’s no greater way to empower people on how to make healthier cooking choices than by watching a master drum up innovative, healthy meals. The best part is that afterwards, you get to share the meal with the others in the class! Or, give the gift of good fitness. Give a gift certificate to a series or yoga, Pilates, kick-boxing, or other fun fitness class.

* Gadgets to exercise by.  Pedometers are a great gift for people to help them calculate and keep track of how many steps they make in a day, which promotes daily exercising. You can even include a filtered water bottle along with the pedometer to encourage more water consumption. Another idea is a set of resistance bands that come in all strengths for leg, arm and hip toning and strengthening—and if your gift recipient is a frequent traveler, another bonus is that resistance bands also fit easily into a suitcase. If you’re looking for a great gift for the fitness fanatic, give a heart rate monitor for aerobic workouts.

Ahhhhh... a gift to relax by. 

A gift certificate for a massage or another relaxing spa treatment gives a loved one a chance to release stress and feel pampered. Give the gift of stress reduction this holiday season!

From all of us at Health Advocate, we hope you have a happy, safe and healthy holiday!

Six Common Holiday Hazards (and How to Avoid Them)

The holidays are often characterized as a time full of good cheer with many social gatherings, festively-decorated trees and homes, and radios blasting all your favorite Christmas songs. But did you know that the holidays are also one of the most dangerous times of the year when it comes to household accidents and injuries? Now’s the time to be aware of holiday hazards so that you can reduce your risk of ER visits, unexpected medical bills and property damage disrupting your festivities.

• Dangerous Christmas lights. Be sure to check your Christmas lights for frayed and loose connections that could spark and cause a fire. Also make sure you don’t use an indoor extension cord for outdoor lighting since they are not fireproof and could present a fire hazard in wet climates.

• Careless holiday decorating. According to data from the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission, more than 13,000 people per year are treated in emergency rooms due to injuries related to holiday decorating. If you are using ladders and tools when decorating, use caution and common sense to avoid falls, cuts and contusions.

• Candle fires. Seasonal-scented candles can add ambience to your home, but be careful where you place them. To avoid fires, keep candles away from flammable materials such as wrapping paper or trees, and remember to blow the candles out when you aren’t in the room with them. For a safer alternative to lit candles, use flameless candles, especially around young children or pets.

• Poisonous plants. You’ll want to keep mistletoe, holly berries, and Christmas cacti (all are poisonous if swallowed) out of harm’s way from children and pets.

• Risky winter sports activities. Everyone wants a white Christmas so that they can bring out the skis and sleds. But with over 35,000 sledding accidents and 165,000 skiing accidents happening every year, be careful where you go sledding and skiing. Be extra cautious if you’re skiing or sledding on hills that have a lot of trees. And no matter where you ski or sled, remember to wear a helmet for safety and protection.

• Treacherous tree fires. Each year, holiday-related fires kill over 400 Americans and cause more than $900 million in property damage. According to the National Fire Protection Association, Christmas trees are often the first things that get ignited. If you have a natural tree in your house, make sure that you keep it watered (dry trees ignite more easily) and that you keep it away from heat sources like fireplaces. If you are using an artificial tree, make certain it has a tag on it that says it’s "fire resistant."

Remember, most holiday mishaps are caused by careless mistakes that happen when we are on overload from all of the stress and frenetic activities. Although it can be a challenge during this fast-paced time, make sure to a little time for yourself—having a few stress-free moments of relaxation can help you focus better during the holidays. But just in case you do fall victim to an accident over the holidays, remember that Health Advocate is here to help you locate doctors, untangle medical bills, and more.