RESOLUTION REVELATION
Lofty ambitions ditched
NEW Year’s resolutions are less lofty than usual due to the pandemic – with people saying they plan to shop local, lose weight and travel.
Eating more healthily was the top resolution for over a third of 2,000 people polled.
Others pledged to do more to make a positive contribution closer to home
– with nearly a fifth vowing to support local businesses.
After nine months of Covid-19 restrictions, many say they want to meet up with family and friends in person, visit pubs and restaurants more and attend a concert. More than a quarter plan to travel as soon as the restrictions are lifted, the study for gifting businesses owner Appreciate Group found.
Around one in four are aiming for a thrifty new year by saving more, a fifth hope to read more and almost a fifth intend to perform a random act of kindness.
Appreciate Group said: “Our priorities have changed as a nation. While this year has been a real challenge, it’s clear that it’s also brought us a new appreciation of things we took for granted.”
‘I’ll start the day with water’
Leave a glass on your bedside table and down it before you get out of bed in the morning. Doing this habitually will wake you up and replace the fluids lost while sleeping.
Researchers at Loughborough University found that being dehydrated whilst performing everyday tasks like driving could lead to twice as many mistakes.
‘I’ll spice things up’
Whether you sprinkle a little cinnamon on your porridge or grate nutmeg onto your cauliflower cheese, simply adding spice can boost your health. The antibacterial properties of cinnamon help fight viruses, while the antioxidants in chilli aid immunity.
Michele O’Connor has simple suggestions for a healthier 2021
‘I’ll piggyback’
Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of Feel Better In Five: Your Daily Plan to Feel Great for Life (£16.99, Penguin Life), says timing a new activity to fit with a regular commitment works wonders.
“For example, I make a cafetiere of coffee every morning. I brew the coffee for four minutes, so during those minutes I do a strength workout.
“For three years, I’ve never missed a strength workout in the morning because I never miss my morning coffee. That’s how you create a habit.”
‘I’ll go lower’
If you’ve overdone it during lockdown and the festive season but can’t face Dry January, trick yourself into cutting down your alcohol intake by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength.
The label will show a percentage, followed by ‘ABV’ which is short for alcohol by volume. So if the label on a bottle says 12% ABV, it means that the content contains 12% pure alcohol.
It can be an eye opener to see how strong your favourite tipple is and switching a 14.5% ABV Malbec for a 12.5% Beaujolais will make a significant difference to how you feel the next day.
‘I’ll walk for an extra 10 minutes each day’
It doesn’t sound much but it’s manageable and was linked to better health and a longer life in a study of 88,000 adults published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
‘I’m going to get a grip’
The best way to tell how strong we are, overall, say sport scientists, is to measure our grip strength.
Studies show that those with a strong grip have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, and a report from University of Bristol and Eastern
Finland University discovered a link between handgrip strength and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.
A simple way to improve grip strength is to a weave an elastic band around each of your fingers and practise opening and closing your hands as
many times as you can.
‘I’ll buy the right white stuff’
If you buy just one organic thing, make it milk, suggests Graham Lawton, author of This Book Could Save Your Life: The Science of Living Longer Better ( John Murray, £14.99). He says: “Recent UK and US studies found that organic milk from cows reared outside contained higher amounts of antioxidants and omega-3s, thanks to the animals’ diet and access to grass.” It’s also better for the planet and farming.
‘I’ll keep it clean’
We check our phones constantly and, Covid-19 aside, if you’ve taken yours into the loo it could carry about 10 times as much bacteria as most toilet seats, according to microbiologists.
Clean your phone every day using a 70% alcohol wipe (turn your phone off first) on all the exterior surfaces of the handset such as the display and rear casing. Be careful to avoid any openings on the phone (headphone ports, speakers, etc).
‘I’ll take movement snacks’
This involves fitting short bursts of movement into each day to get your heart pumping, says Dr Chatterjee.
“Adults spend an average of 70% of their day in a seat and with physical inactivity being one of the biggest causes of premature death, it’s time for us to design our lives around movement. I do 20 squats with my kids in the time it takes for spinach to steam,” he says.
Research suggests that regular short periods of everyday activity really add up and can offer similar benefits to longer bouts of exercise.
‘I’ll go green at breakfast’
One reason most of us struggle to reach our five-a-day target is because we consider veg as a side dish to dinner. Try topping your toast with mashed avocado or adding a handful of spinach leaves to your scrambled eggs.
‘I’ll take a lunch break’
Whether you’re working from home or from an office, hospital, shop or vehicle, taking a proper break in the middle of your shift has numerous benefits. As well as allowing you to refuel effectively, it boosts your mood and productivity.
A recent survey conducted by global workplace hygiene brand Tork found that workers who take daily lunch breaks (away from their desks) report higher job satisfaction.
When the alarm sounds power down all e-devices so you wind down for bed
‘I’ll set an alarm – to wind down’
“Make your alarm a signal that the wind-down for bed must begin and set it for 90 minutes before lights out,” suggests Dr Chatterjee. “As soon as it sounds, that’s when your ‘No-Tech 90’ begins. Power down all e-devices, including computers.”
‘I’ll sign up for a veg box’
This helps you to eat with the seasons, maximising the nutrients and antioxidants. Some boxes use ‘wonky’ fruit and veg, which helps to cut food waste – and having your produce selected for you forces you to experiment with new recipes.