ON THE COVER 13 New Year Health Resolutions

Start 2018 as you mean to go on by dedicating yourself to one change that will boost your health and wellbeing

MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS

Loneliness has been shown to be as bad for health as smoking, and keeping company with people who criticise has been found to damage mental wellbeing. If your social life needs a spring clean, get out and about, and form some new friendships.

STOP JUDGING YOUR DIET

“We often judge ourselves by what we eat,” says nutritionist Kirsten Chick, connect with nutrition. co.uk. “For example, ‘I’ve eaten cake, I’m bad’. It’s easy to fall into yo-yo cycles of elation and self recrimination, which leads to comfort eating or over-restriction. Instead savour cake, and savour salad, and take the judgement out of it.”

BE KIND

Thinking kindly of others has been proven to produce happy brainwaves, reducing anxiety and depression. And US researchers have found that compassion is akin to a muscle being weight-trained. The more we think kindly, the more habitual that pattern of thought becomes, and the more likely we are to be actively kind in our behaviour. Make it your new resolution to think of others in a caring, nonjudgmental way.

ONLY DRINK AT WEEKENDS

Women over 55 can boost their heart health by drinking two glasses of wine a week. But, consuming even a small amount of alcohol increases our cancer risk, so consider reducing your intake, enjoying a drink at weekends only.

TAKE UP SWIMMING

A recent report by Swim England shows that those who swim regularly live for longer, and that swimming regularly enables older people to remain mentally and physically fit. So dig out your cossie and dive right in.

EAT MINDFULLY

Instead of checking your emails whilst you eat lunch, give your meals your full attention. “How you eat is just as important as what you eat,” says Kirsten Chick. “Focusing on what you’re eating improves digestion, and such focus is a form of mindfulness meditation, which has been shown to reduce stress.”

EAT MORE VEG

Whilst some fruits, such as berries, are full of nutritious antioxidants, overloading on fruit is not good for blood sugar levels. Vegetables are calming, full of nutrients, and give us a steady supply of energy, so try adding more of these to your diet instead.

HAVE A FITNESS GOAL

Research shows that working towards a target boosts our motivation. Set yourself something to work towards, such as a distance you aim to swim or run, or sign up for a sponsored hike or bike ride.

MEDITATE DAILY

“Meditating doesn’t have to be about sitting on the floor cross legged trying to make your mind go blank, the idea is simply to find some calm and get your brain to quieten down,” says Fearne Cotton in her new book Calm (£18.99, Orion Spring). “I sometimes repeat a mantra (such as ‘I’m good enough’) in my head while I’m meditating so that I have one simple focus, which helps me clear all the other thoughts whirling around my mind.”