Happy 2025! January blogs always elude me. Traditionally, the change of the calendar year inspires people to vow to better themselves or to improve the quality of their lives. But in reality, for those of us living in colder climates, the shorter days, brisker temperatures, and less exposure to sunshine impacts our moods, how we eat and sleep—and essentially how we function for four to five months of the year. So it’s hard to be inspired to make changes under such conditions. You wonder if Mother Nature’s message to us is to rest and take it easy at this time of the year?
No matter what time of the year, I have a few helpful tips for you to fodder. The three essentials to consider when making improvements in your health are: sleep, food, and exercise. I tell my patients to work on establishing daily routines for all of these —and learn how to balance them.
Sleep
This is probably one that resonates the most with us mammals during the winter season. Hence, the picture of the polar bear! And it’s one of the easier changes to enlist to help improve your health. As infants, and then into the teens, our bodies naturally respond to our innate circadian rhythm that sets a pattern for all our biological functions, including those long sleeping cycles.
Our sleep patterns begin to get skewed as we age and take liberties with ignoring our body’s cues telling us it’s time to go to bed. Caffeine and electronics, or social schedules can interfere with that sleep signal. Going to bed late means sleeping later or if you have to get up for work— it means you are depriving your body of recuperative sleep. Such external factors defy what our circadian rhythm was meant to do.
Getting into the habit of going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time each day sets a healthy sleep pattern. Sleep has a critical role in our health, especially in our immune system. New habits to create include getting off of electronics an hour before bedtime (let the hormone melatonin do its thing!) and read a (paper, not E) book in bed. You should be zonked out in 15 minutes and on your way to dreamland and better health!
Food
There’s a lot going on with the quality of our food industry and you will hear more about it in the months to come. I’ve discussed ultra-processed foods in great detail—the deleterious impact these foods especially have on our immune system and inflammatory processes. We will be hearing more about these types of foods this year as the latest version of America’s dietary guidelines will be published. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been under way for the past year. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have accumulated public and professional comments and are ready for viewing. The Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is now available online. Not light reading! I will review them at another time since they are not completed. For now, let’s hope that we see positive food production changes in the food industry. Europe has higher standards of quality for their foods. Sadly, in America we do not. Politics should not impact these revisions; they should be science based alone but sadly they are affected by lobbying powers.
Be aware of the impact your choices make internally and externally on your body. From the effects of high levels of sugar, refined carbohydrates, and the manufactured additives in ultra processed foods — as well as the toxins and synthetic ingredients in household items and cosmetics that penetrate the skin— all triggering inflammation in the body and impacting the efficiency of your immune system.
Exercise
I know-it's hard to pull yourself out of bed when it's 20° outside. But any kind of movement is going to count. Park a little farther in a parking lot, take the stairs up and down if you're in good shape to do that, or download an app that gives you a new exercise each day so you don't get bored. I still like the walk-in place videos that are on YouTube by Leslie Sansone.
People typically lose 3–8% of their muscle mass per decade after age 30. Reduced physical activity, less hormones, and a decrease in protein intake affect this decline. Muscles play a role in controlling inflammation in our bodies. They do this by producing small proteins known as cytokines. These substances regulate the growth and activity of our immune systems. When released, they send signals to the immune system to help control inflammation in the body. Strength training can help maintain and rebuild muscle mass while protein in our diets can help support muscle repair and growth.
In summary, my New Year message is simple (as always!). Be realistic and set goals that are manageable and well balanced. Feel free to check in with me if you need a nudge!
In Good Health,
Sophie
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