The New Year is a great opportunity to rethink course and adopt healthier habits. The problem is that most of us usually decide on an overall makeover – but fail at it before the holiday season is over. The right way to change habits and adopt a healthier lifestyle is to start small, with one truly feasible decision, one that you can meet. So this year we asked 8 people who understand our health to say what one healthy decision we should adopt in <>. Here are their answers:
1. Make sunscreen a routine
"Our country has sun almost all year round, so my recommendation for the new year is to introduce a sunscreen with broad activity and an SPF of at least 30 into your routine. This is easier to do when you regularly place a tube or bottle of sunscreen in a convenient and accessible place near the exit from the house and in various bags.
"If we accustom ourselves and our children to applying sunscreen without hesitation every time we go out in the sun (between 9:00 and 17:00), we will significantly prevent skin damage, including of course skin cancer. It is important to remember that our children have many years of sun exposure ahead of them, and the damage accumulates over the years and has long-term effects. In addition, sunburn at a young age is a particularly significant risk factor for skin cancer later in life. Having sunscreen regularly in strategic places in your home and bag (and using it generously, with repeated application every two hours or continued sun exposure) is a great New Year's resolution that will take care of the whole family's skin."
Dr. Yael Rennert Yuval, Senior Physician in the Dermatology Unit at Schneider Children's Medical Center / Schneider Children's Medical Center
2. Men, do not be ashamed, check yourself in the sensitive place
"There are more and more men being diagnosed with testicular cancer in recent years. It is the most common cancer among young men in their twenties and thirties. The treatments offered today allow recovery in the vast majority of cases, however early diagnosis allows easier treatment. Luckily, the location of the testicles allows for an easy and simple self-examination. So let's dedicate two minutes once a month to this review":
More in Walla!
Strategic location, spectacular views and luxurious apartments: the intriguing neighborhood being built in the center
In association with Aura Real Estate
- Self-examination of both testicles, standing, after a hot shower.
- It is totally okay that one of them is shorter than the other or that the two testicles are not equal in size.
- What you feel close to the testicle above and behind it is the pituitary testicle (epididymis), not to panic.
- If there is a lump, bump or irregular tissue on the testicle itself, or a change from a previous examination - consult a doctor.
Dr. Snir Declo, Director of Andrology, Ichilov/Lior Tzur, Ichilov Spokesperson's Office
3. Stop smoking and now. You know why
"I meet people on a daily basis who are dealing with the irreversible harms of smoking. These are people whose smoking for years, sometimes not heavy smoking, has led to the complete destruction of their lungs to the point where they depend on oxygen for every daily activity, and deal with an annoying cough and large amounts of phlegm, which fill the airways and make it difficult to breathe. What they all have in common is an enormous sense of regret accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame, since these are lung diseases that are a direct result of cigarette smoking, and undoubtedly preventable.
"As the new year approaches, I would like to take advantage of this stage and wish all smokers a moment of introspection in order to discover the desire and motivation to quit smoking. I am confident that from there the way to quit smoking will be simpler.
"What all the smokers I meet who have had lung diseases have in common is an enormous sense of regret accompanied by feelings of guilt and shame, since these are lung diseases that are a direct result of cigarette smoking, and undoubtedly preventable."
"Quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, blood vessels, cancer and more, and relieves the physical and mental dependence that smokers have on a cigarette, the need for an 'after-food cigarette' or a 'morning cigarette.' It also allows them to discover new, healthier pleasures. Quitting smoking exempts smokers from stigmas and negative social consequences, and even provides them with a sense of satisfaction in light of the significant achievement involved in quitting smoking. Although usually not mentioned, quitting smoking involves considerable financial savings. When I do a calculation together with my patients in an attempt to demonstrate to them how much money it is, we discover that it is equivalent to the cost of an apartment.
Studies indicate that a doctor's conversation with a patient about quitting smoking is an important factor on the way to quitting smoking. In addition, there are a variety of ways and means to help those interested in quitting smoking, including drug measures, workshops and more. These measures are partly funded by the health funds, so they are available to those who want to quit smoking."
Dr. Liran Levy, Director of the Lung Transplant Service at Sheba Medical Center / Sheba Medical Center
4. Drink mint tea for gas relief
Prof. Yishai Lechter, Senior Gastroenterologist, Meuhedet Northern District: "If the possibility of diseases is ruled out, gas suffering can be reduced gradually, safely and effectively. There are a number of foods that negatively affect the digestive system. The most common of them are: beans, onions, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, dairy products and carbonated drinks. It is recommended to minimize products that produce gases for us. Small meals should be consumed. Instead of 2-3 large meals, eat 4-6 small meals a day. Avoid chewing gum and hard candy, which can cause air swallowing, smoking also increases air swallowing.
"Drink tea with mint or mint. Peppermint oil relaxes muscles of the digestive system. A cup of hot mint tea can relieve gas and gas pain."
Tea with mint. You'd be surprised how well it will do for the digestive system/ShutterStock
5. Start walking every day, and don't have to take 10,<> steps
"No more excuses, from today we're all marching! Beyond the direct and obvious link of physical activity to weight loss and prevention of heart disease and mortality, daily physical activity has been shown to be a significant factor in improving cognition and improving mood. New studies show that about 4,000 steps a day is enough to reduce mortality and only 2,500 steps to reduce mortality from heart disease. No more excuses of not having the time or knowledge of what to do or money for gyms - make a decision and from today just start walking from place to place. You'll soon see that you're not only healthier, but happier."
Michal Laufer-Perl Director of Cardiac Clinics, Cardiology Department, Ichilov/Lior Tzur, Ichilov Spokesperson
6. Spend 6 Minutes a Day Maintaining Facial Skin
"My healthy decision for next year is to invest in myself, my body and my skin – a few minutes every day. Not to be lazy, not to say tomorrow, not to say first the children, and the career and the husband - but me.
"Invest in a minimal three-minute skincare routine in the evening and three minutes in the morning – cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen – and you'll not only take much better care of your skin, but also maintain the health of one of the most significant organs in your body."
Dr. Lavit Ackerman, Dermatology Specialist/Courtesy of the Subjects
7. Practice Pilates to prevent back pain
"Most of the population in Israel suffers or will suffer from back problems and pain. In recent years, Pilates instruments have begun to become popular and there is a special reason for this. A workout or two a week can help you strengthen your core muscles, especially those responsible for your back. The core muscles are what stabilize it, and Pilates has the ability to strengthen us from the inside out."
Dr. Or Bakshi, Family Medicine Specialist at Maccabi Health Services, Southern District/Courtesy of the subjects
8. Be forgiving of yourself
"As we approach the new year and Yom Kippur, my advice to anyone who wants to listen, but also to myself, is to learn to be a little more forgiving. towards ourselves.
"Yes, we are our own toughest and toughest judges. So often I see patients tormenting themselves in vain, accusing themselves of being weak, flawed, baselessly stating that they have no hope. What is interesting is that if a friend told them about how they were coping with exactly the same things, they would know how to support, to say a kind word, to ask for help, to say that vulnerability is not weakness, and that receiving help is not shame. But to ourselves? A different morality.
"So for the new year I wish myself and my patients: Let's allow ourselves to be both weak, vulnerable and exposed at times. And let's not hesitate to ask for help if needed. Let's apply the advice we lovingly give to others, including ourselves."
Dr. Oren Tene, Director of the Psychiatric Institute in Ichilov and Director of the Mentalix Institute of Mental Medicine / Courtesy of the subjects
9. Influence your child to start an activity - as early as possible
"When kids play sports, it's beautiful and exciting, but also incredibly healthy. Physical activity at a young age reduces the amount of body fat, the risk of obesity in the future, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, strengthens bone and reduces the risk of osteoporosis ("calcium incontinence") and fractures in old age, and improves brain function, concentration, grades, social relations, body image and self-image, mood, ability to accept authority and relationships with adults, and much more.
"To reap all these benefits, it is recommended that children and adolescents accumulate at least 60 minutes a day of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or higher, plus three times a week of more strenuous activity and strength and resistance training. But how do you do it?
"Physical activity at a young age reduces the amount of body fat, the risk of obesity in the future, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, strengthens bone and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in old age, improves brain function, concentration, grades, social relations, body image and self-image, mood
"The most important tip for kids: find your sport – and stick to it. Humanity has developed more than 8,000 different sports, and many of them are available in circles close to home: several types of ball games, a variety of types of gymnastics, swimming, various athletics and many types of martial arts are just a few examples. The type of activity that best suits the child physically, mentally, geographically, socially - is one that is more likely to persist and for many years, even as an adult.
"Therefore, children and youth should be exposed to the widest possible range of activities – in physical education classes, after-school classes and free activities – so that they will identify the industry that suits them. Want an example? As a teenager, I became attached to the gym and martial arts, and over the 35 years since, I've trained mainly in the Dennis Survival method, as well as Taekwondo (I was even the Israeli champion for my older age group) and karate and Thai boxing. This kind of activity improves countless physical abilities, strengthens the body and especially the mind, and it's already part of me.
"Highly recommended, so take the class booklet (or website) of the sports center or community center near you, and choose sports classes with the children, for a much better and healthier year"!
It began in childhood and continued into adulthood with the title of Israeli champion. Prof. Gal Gal Dubnov-Raz, Director of the Sheba National Institute of Sports Medicine who serves as Chairman of the Medical Committee of the Israeli Olympic Committee / Courtesy of the subjects
- More on the subject:
- Happy New Year
- New Year
- Exercise
- Sunscreen