Eat a dollop of yoghurt, stand on one leg: 10 healthy habits to kickstart your new year

These low-cost steps will improve your wellbeing and deliver impressive benefits

We are drowning in advice about how to stay fit, healthy and well - which strategies should we stick to?

There is never a better time to form new healthy habits than in January. But when we are drowning in advice about how to stay fit, healthy and well, which strategies should we stick to? Here’s a guide to 10 habits that will see you through the year ahead in the best shape of your lives:

1. Stand on one leg every day

Aim to stand barefoot with your eyes open and raise one leg off the floor by bending at the knee. Picture: Pexels

Balance diminishes quickly from the mid-50s onwards and the less stable we become, the greater the risk for falls and fractures. 

According to the HSE, 10% of all older people need treatment following an injury and falls cause 75% of these injuries.

Japanese researchers used MRI scans to measure brain abnormalities in a group of otherwise healthy people in their 60s asked and found those who struggled to balance on one leg for 20 seconds or longer were at increased risk for minor blood vessel damage in the brain, stroke and reduced cognitive function.

Aim to stand barefoot with your eyes open and raise one leg off the floor by bending at the knee daily. Build up to 60 seconds on each leg if you can — balancing on each leg for that long three times daily can also improve the hip bone density of older people.

2. Take more daily steps

According to the HSE, most of us walk 3,000-5,000 daily steps and should aim higher.

It’s not just your waistline that will benefit. In 2020, researchers reported in the journal JAMA Network that in their study of approximately 4,800 middle-aged people, those who totted up 12,000 steps a day were at a 65% lower risk of all-cause mortality over the next decade or so compared with those taking 4,000 steps.

3. Increase your walking speed

Experts suggest aiming for a pace of 100- 140 steps per minute for brisk walking and the many benefits it brings on at least some of your walk outings. Picture: iStock

The Central Statistics Office says nearly four in 10 people take a journey by foot at least once a week — but are you walking fast enough to improve health and fitness? Experts suggest aiming for a pace of 100- 140 steps per minute for brisk walking and the many benefits it brings on at least some of your walk outings.

According to the American Thoracic Society, your cardiovascular function is poor if you don’t get farther than 350 metres in six minutes on a flat, measured route. The more you walk, the more efficient at it you will become and it is recommended the test is repeated every six months to check progress.

4. Take vitamin D every day

Vitamin D is a hormone and the primary source is the action of sunlight on the skin. Living in Ireland means that even if you eat lots of foods containing vitamin D you will not be able to sustain healthy levels over the dark winter months, which is why a report by the Oireachtas Health Committee last year showed that 47% of people aged 18-39 and 35% of 50-59-year-olds are deficient in the vitamin. Studies show that those with consistently low levels are more likely to sustain injury and get ill. The Committee’s report recommended vitamin D supplementation of 20-25 micrograms per day for the entire adult population.

5. Eat more fibre

Daily high-fibre dark fruit and veg is recommended. 

Consuming this amount of high-fibre wholegrains — equivalent to two slices of rye bread and one small bowl of wholegrain cereal plus some whole grain rice – every day is recommended in studies by Lars Fadnes, professor of global public health at the University of Bergen for improved longevity. Irish adults consume a worrying 27-29g a day of wholegrains.

There’s little doubt that eating more spelt, rye, barley, millet, oats, buckwheat and quinoa, as well as products made using these grains, helps to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure and to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and certain types of cancer.

6. Spend more time in nature

We live on an island renowned for its greenery, but do we take advantage of it? Immersing ourselves in nature — parks, countryside and trails — has potent benefits for mood and mind. Researchers think the effect is partly down to the soothing benefits of fractal shapes, patterns that repeat at increasingly fine magnifications. Think of a tree with big branches growing from the trunk and smaller versions growing out of each big branch. As you zoom in, finer and finer branches appear, all the way down to the smallest twigs. “The human eye seems to be particularly attuned to nature’s fractals and research has shown they induce alpha brainwaves when we study them, evoking a more relaxed state of mind,” says psychologist Dr Katie Cooper, author of Plant Therapy.

7. Eat four portions of dark berries a week

Participants given 150 grams, a medium bowl, of blueberries daily showed improvements in vascular function producing enough of a difference to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by 12-15%

Aedin Cassidy, professor in nutrition and preventative medicine at Queens University Belfast, says there is substantial evidence that “people who eat at least three to four portions of blueberries, blackberries and blackcurrants per week are at a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, dementia and other conditions such as Type 2 diabetes”.

Participants given 150 grams, a medium bowl, of blueberries daily showed “improvements in vascular function producing enough of a difference to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease by 12-15%”, says Cassidy.

8. Drink plenty of fluids

The European Food Safety Authority recommends a daily intake is 1.6 litres for women and 2 litres for men. A typical mug or glass is about 200ml so aim for eight to 10 drinks daily. 

Along with plain water, almost all beverages, including tea and coffee, count towards our fluid needs, as do foods with high water content, such as tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber and soups.

9. Eat a dollop of plain yoghurt

It deservedly has a reputation as the go-to food for your gut health thanks to the beneficial bacteria it contains, plain yoghurt every day could improve your health in other ways. 

A study at the University of South Australia showed that the live bacteria in 150g plain yoghurt help to promote the release of proteins that work in conjunction with micronutrients, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, to boost bone strength. 

The bacteria also regulate blood pressure, and eating yoghurt daily helps lower blood pressure in middle-aged adults with hypertension. Since about half of people over 65, and about one in four middle-aged adults, have high blood pressure, it could make a big difference to your health.

10. Lift weights two to three times a week

Lift weights to build muscle and bone strength

Adding resistance training to your workouts a few times a week is recommended for all adults. Lifting weights (or your own body weight) builds bone strength and muscle mass, and, as a metabolically active form of tissue, muscle then burns more calories and raises our metabolic rate. People who stick diligently to resistance training each week are up to 30% less likely to become overweight or obese over time than people who do not, regardless of the other exercise they do.