New Year, New You

From losing weight to looking younger to feeling fit, there are many reasons people set goals for the new year. Keeping resolutions can be a daunting task; however, Southwest Orlando Bulletin’s annual New Year, New You section provides a plethora of advice from local experts to help readers achieve and maintain their goals.

Care Guidelines for Diabetes

submitted by
Endocrine Associates of Florida
www.jmandry.com
407-480-4830

If you have diabetes, it is important to eat well to keep yourself healthy. Nutritional care should be personalized for each person based on his or her blood glucose (sugar) level, blood lipid (fat) levels, risk factors for heart disease and high blood pressure, exercise habits and food
preferences.

For most people, general guidelines for diabetes are as follows:

• Aim to maintain a healthy weight.

• Exercise moderately for about 30 minutes at least five times per week.

• Get your carbohydrates mainly from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat or skim dairy products.

• Limit saturated fats, trans fats and dietary cholesterol.

• Consider using sugar substitutes.

• Do not use low-carbohydrate diets to control diabetes.

A Year-Round Resolution

submitted by YMCA of Central Florida

ymcacf.org

Consistent, small steps can turn your New Year’s resolutions into year-round resolutions.

Step 1 — Determine a minimum number of days each week you will exercise. (Aim for at least three.)

Step 2 — Determine how much time you have to exercise. Strive for at least 30-60 minutes per session.

Step 3 — Schedule to meet with a coach or certified personal trainer. Usually, completing a series of two or three sessions can make a big
difference.

Step 4 — Be patient. Remember, change on the outside, such as weight loss, does not happen overnight. However, once you begin exercising, you start changing on the inside and how you feel almost immediately. This means less pain, lower blood pressure, improved cardiovascular ability, better sleep and improved management of stress — the list goes on and on.

Step 5 — Write down “why” you are committing to make exercise a part of your lifestyle, and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Reminders are key when we start to lose motivation.

So, this year, why not try a year-round resolution instead of just a New Year’s resolution? And, ask for help! Professionals are available to educate, guide, support and
motivate.

Enhancing the Beauty of Your Home

by Lucas Aguiar, owner Luke’s Hardscape
lukeshardscapes.com
407-267-7114

Whether your New Year’s resolution is to fix or upgrade your cracked concrete driveway/walkway, an old asphalt driveway/walkway, or a gravel driveway/walkway, pavers are definitely the way of the future.

There are many features and benefits that make pavers the best choice when considering a new driveway or walkway; however, one of the most important features is that they are absolutely beautiful, and they are the only paving surface that
actually adds value to your home.

Another reason why pavers add value to your property is that they last forever. It will be the last driveway you will ever need. All other options will break down over the years and will have to be resurfaced or replaced.

Maximize Your Weight Loss Efforts

by Corinthia Loblack, MSN,NP-C, CHC, FS
Triple 8 Spa & Wellness
triple8spa.com
407-704-7647

If your New Year’s resolution includes looking and feeling better in 2018, keep in mind that losing weight is 20 percent activity and 80 percent nutrition. Medical studies have shown the low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet to be the most efficient and natural weight loss method. To maximize your weight loss efforts, your diet must be low in fats, low in carbohydrates and rich in high quality, easily digestible proteins.

Be mindful that the body will always burn carbohydrates first, then fats and lastly proteins. The goal is to burn stored fat while preserving muscle mass. A ketogenic diet uses stored fat as its main source of energy, and the body is said to be in ketosis. During ketosis, the importance of including high quality protein supplements in the diet cannot be overemphasized.

A weight loss diet must continue to provide the proper balance of amino acids and nitrogen essential for the body to synthesize proteins for growth and maintenance. A deficiency of any one amino acid, despite the abundance of others, will restrict protein synthesis.

The Benefits of Gardening

submitted by Royal Landscape Nursery
www.royallandscapenursery.com
407-296-3042

The new year always brings new ideas on how to improve one’s life. Gardening can be a great benefit to your physical and mental health. If you are trying to stay active this year, getting out in the garden can help you maintain a more active
lifestyle while reducing stress levels.

Growing an edible garden and/or fruit trees can provide nutritious foods that help keep healthy meal options on your plate year-round. Living in Florida, there are a number of different fruit trees available. If you’re more interested in an aesthetically pleasing garden, there are many options for Florida-native flora and fauna that will bloom into a beautiful garden, one that you can enjoy right in your own
backyard.

So keep up with those New Year’s resolutions, and get out in the garden!

New Year, New Smile!

submitted by
Cadena Family Dentistry
www.cadenafamilydentistry.com
407-522-7989

Start the new year with a better smile. Routine visits to a dentist can help prevent major dental problems, such as cavities, gingivitis and gum disease. Making sure that you keep up with your dental health is one of the best New Year’s resolutions you can have. If you haven’t made an appointment for a routine cleaning, now is a great time to pick up the phone and set a time to get your teeth examined.

Preventative maintenance, including regular visits to a dentist, brushing multiple times per day, and flossing, are key ways to achieve a healthy smile and catch pesky dental problems before they get out of hand.

It’s a new year, and if you are setting out for a new you, start with a healthy smile!

Simple Ways to Get Healthy in 2018

by Kristen Frick, community outreach coordinator
Fitness CF
www.fitnesscfgyms.com

It’s a new year, and that means people are setting health and fitness goals. Unfortunately, most resolutions are forgotten within a few months. The following are a few tips to help keep you on track to reach your goals this year:

• Start small. Set and achieve one small goal at a time. If you try to make a complete overhaul, it may just be too much. For example, start with cutting out soda and try to get 15-20 minutes of activity each day.

• Drink more water. You need to flush the toxins out of your body. Try adding a lemon. There are many benefits to drinking lemon water.

• Don’t over think it. If you think too much about your workout, you will probably find a bunch of reasons why you shouldn’t do it. Don’t think about it, just get your shoes on and do it. Always try to remember how good you feel when you’re done.

• Find a workout buddy. It’s always more fun to work out with a friend, and you will keep each other accountable.

• If you can’t go to a gym, then do some exercises at home or in your office. Do squats, lunges, planks, chair dips and push-ups while you are watching TV, or, if you are at work, every hour get up and do a few of these.

• Working out can actually be fun. It doesn’t have to be boring. If you like to dance, find a Zumba class. If you don’t like to run on a treadmill, then don’t. Grab a jump rope, try the stair climber, hit that punching bag, take a swim; there are many different things you can do.

• When you are tempted to eat something that you know isn’t going to get you to that goal, like that brownie or cookie, take 10 seconds to think about it before you eat it. Think about whether or not you really need it. Is it helping you get to your goal or not? Is it really worth the short-term satisfaction or will you feel guilty after you eat it? Usually you will decide not to indulge.

• Change your attitude and mind set. Don’t focus on the scale. It’s about how you will feel — more energy, a better mood, less stress, and, in turn, you will start to see the changes on the outside. ♥