Our New Years Resolutions: A Healthy Change for 2014!

New Year’s resolutions are great ways to motivate us to have healthier, happier lives. Health is so important and it’s something that everyone has room to improve on. That said it is no coincidence that the prevalent theme of New Year’s resolutions is health and fitness. Many people want to cut back on fatty foods and find fun ways to workout so they can drop a few pounds (or more than a few!).  If you are looking for some great health inspired resolutions here are a few that have made a big difference in my life: 

• Create healthy habits – instead of a resolution that focuses on an outcome (losing 10 lbs.) set a goal to change a behavior. If you take 4 or 5 fewer bites at each meal by the end of the year you can drop 8-9 lbs.! You can also add a piece of fruit to each meal of your day.  Repetition of this new behavior will soon turn into a healthy habit! 

• Add some physical activity into your day - Research shows that if you can add just an extra thirty minutes of moderate activity to your everyday routines, you'll get a significant health payoff. So park a few blocks away from the office and walk in. Jog a bit with the dog. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or ride an exercise bike while you watch your favorite TV show.

• Get a good night’s rest!  - Sleep is a major pillar of health yet so many people sacrifice their sleep when life’s responsibilities take over (I know first hand after waking up at 3:45 in the morning on for almost two decades). For this reason I’ve made it my mission to give my mind and body the rest it needs and so should you! I have my own sleep solutions line called Awaken by Joan Lunden and have been learning a lot about sleep from my friends at The Bedtime Network. An article by Lisa Mercurio at the Bedtime Network called Sleep. It takes out the brain's trash. says that not only can lack of sleep lead to weight gain, high blood pressure and mood disruptions, but without sleep your brain can’t function properly. So jump into the New Year with a fresh rested brain that will help you conquer your 2014 goals.

I know it’s not always easy to follow through with your resolutions so a great way to stay on track is to gather your friends and create an encouraging team. Here at the Joan Lunden Productions office we have shared our resolutions and will support and encourage each other to follow through with our goals. 

Don't forget to floss!

My personal resolution for the New Year is to floss my teeth as religiously as I brush my teeth.  I start and end each day by brushing my teeth and I floss often, but but all the research tells me that AM/PM flossing is just as important. It may sound strange, but it’s the simplest behavior that can add years to your life. The bacteria in your mouth can cause inflammation, which leads to the narrowing of the arteries and may result in heart disease. Heart disease is one of the major causes of premature death so if you want to prolong your life, the experts say to make it a habit to floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits. Here are a few more resolutions from the JLP staff:

Lindsay - Stop multi-tasking and slow down! 

My new years resolution has to do with my stress level and productivity.  When life gets super busy with work, family, personal needs, social life and all of that great stuff – I tend to feel overwhelmed. I add too much to my plate, try to multi-task too much, and don’t say “no” enough, which leads to higher stress and lower productivity. Studies show that multi-tasking doesn’t actually lead to getting more done; it actually leads to less efficiency and lower quality of work outcome.  My resolution is to realistically schedule my tasks and do one thing at a time, crossing it off my list and moving on to the next.  Life is too great to be stressed out, especially over the little things. 

Elaine – Wear my seatbelt - safety first!

Along with eating healthier I’ve decided to focus on an even bigger picture, staying alive! My New Year’s resolution is to always wear a seatbelt in the backseat. I always wear a seatbelt when I’m driving or am in the passenger seat, but for some reason like so many other adults I don’t ALWAYS wear one in the back seat. Not only can this save my life, but also my friends in the front seats will be safer as many deaths and injuries of front seat passengers are due to unrestrained backseat riders.  

Ali –Learn every day! 

It’s never too soon to start working on keeping your brain in shape so my resolution is to learn something new everyday and to read more books! I recently discovered a new app called QuizUp that I love! It’s a trivia game that lets you compete against friends and online players. It's fun and I learn something every time I play.

What are your New Years Resolutions?

Happy New Year to you all, I wish you healthy and safe 2014!