Making Your New Years Resolutions Stick

 

Year after year we make new year's resolutions that we are determined to stick to yet, it always seems like we lose focus of them come spring. Here are some great tips from the NIH that can help you stay on track and achieve your resolutions. Achieving your resolutions will most likely mean you have made a habit change that has turned into a lifestyle change - and that is a great achievement!

Making your New Year’s resolutions stick; How to create healthy habits

 

New Year’s resolutions—they’re easy to make but easier to break. Why is it so hard to make the healthy changes that we know can help us feel better and live longer? And why is it so hard to make them last? National Institutes of Health-funded scientists are learning more about how we can make healthy changes and, even more important, how we can sustain them.

“Change is always possible,” says Linda Nebeling, Ph.D., an expert in behavioral change and nutrition at NIH. You’re never too out-of-shape, too overweight or too old to make healthy changes.

Research suggests that some common strategies can boost your chance of making the change a habit, a part of your daily lifestyle.

Making healthy changes

• Set realistic goals. Write down the steps that will help you achieve them.
• Develop an action plan. How are you going to achieve your goal? 
• Plan for obstacles. Figure out how to overcome them. Don’t give up just because you’ve slipped.
• Track your progress. A journal or diary is one of the best tools for helping you stay focused and recover from slip-ups.
• Get help. Ask friends and family for support. Consider enrolling in a class or program.
• Reward yourself. Give yourself a healthy treat when you’ve achieved a small goal or milestone.
• Add variety. Keep things interesting by adding new activities or expanding your goals to make them more challenging.

WHAT HELPS YOU ACHIEVE YOUR RESOLUTIONS?  

Share your resolutions and your keys to achieving them in the comment box below. 

Read the full article here.

Source: NIH News in Health; http://www.ada.org/news/6656.aspx 

New Year, New You, Big Smile!

January is when we think about our new years resolutions, and we tend to hear the same ones…eat better, exercise more, and stop smoking. What we don’t hear often is “I’ll visit my dentist every six months,” or “brush twice everyday.” Very few people consider improving their oral health over the next year. However, according to the British Dental Health Foundation, people who make a resolution to adopt a good oral health routine in 2012 will benefit from more than just improved oral health. Adopting good oral health can contribute to avoiding potentially serious health conditions such as diabetes, strokes and heart disease. This year, make a new years resolution that’s attainable and is one you can smile about!

1. Brush your teeth twice daily and floss your teeth once daily every day. 

2. Use toothpaste with fluoride to help prevent decay.


3. Use a mouth rinse. An antimicrobial rinse can can provide extra help in controlling plaque. 


4. Replace your toothbrush every 3 months. Your mouth is a very germy place...and therefore, your toothbrush is pretty germy, too! It never hurts to replace it, especially after being sick.


5. Whitening your teeth. Just using an at-home whitening kit can whiten your smile after a few uses and will make you look and feel better.


6. Eat healthy meals and snacks. Maintaining a healthy diet plays a major role in maintaing good dental health. Avoid starchy foods, like crackers, as they can be worse for your teeth than some sweets. Keep lots of fruits and vegetables on your plate! 


7. Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups! Visiting the dentist regularly not only gives you a professional and thorough cleaning, but can prevent deeper dental issues from occurring, such as gum disease and oral cancer. You'll save money this way, too! 

8. SMILE MORE! The end result of great oral care will make you want to SMILE MORE! Using your smile reaps numerous other benefits, too. Smiling is contagious and is unique to you. Share your smile with family, friends, strangers, everyone! Smiling helps you stay positive, makes you more attractive and makes you seem more successful as you appear more confident when smiling. Smiling relieves stress, which helps to boost your immune system and it changes your mood by releasing endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin, which together make you feel good.

Cheers to a happy new year full of lots of love, happiness, and SMILES! 

Post credits: www.moorefamilydentist.com/8-dental-resolutions, http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/a/Newyear.htm