The holidays are an opportunity to focus on what matters. It can also be a sobering reminder that we’ve shifted from a healthy lifestyle.
Dr. Saka Kazeem is a skilled endocrinologist who takes great pride in helping those in his care set and achieve new health goals. If you’re looking to enhance your health and wellness this holiday season, the team here at Elk Medical in New York City can help.
Here, we provide some tips to help you get started.
The best way to create a plan to get healthier is to establish your baseline. That means seeing your primary care practitioner for a comprehensive physical exam and blood testing. This visit provides an overview of your health.
Your blood testing provides insight into your heart health, kidney health, thyroid function, blood glucose, and much more. These readings go into your personal medical history, helping you track your progress over time.
Next, discuss your goals with Dr. Kazeem and receive guidance and advice from a highly skilled health professional. Ask questions and express concerns as they arise.
There’s no denying that food nourishes more than just our bodies. A delicious meal can be soul-satisfying, and food shapes our experiences and memories.
But at the root level, food is how we fuel the cells, organs, and systems that support our day-to-day lives. Without adequate nutrition, we can suffer a number of poor outcomes. Choosing nutritionally void or harmful foods can cause even more distress.
When you think of food as an essential fuel and a possible treatment for what ails you, it may become easier to make healthy choices. In general, a great place to start is by replacing highly processed foods with more lean proteins, healthy fats, fruit, vegetables, and nuts.
The holidays can be stressful, so adequate, high-quality rest is essential. Take a close look at your bedtime routines and find ways to make improvements.
For some, that might mean setting strict times to go to bed at night and get up in the morning. Others might change their sleep environment. Lowering the temperature, finding the perfect pillow, and trying things like a sleep mask or white noise app are all worth the effort.
If the holidays stress you out, it might be time to think about what is and isn’t necessary.
Perhaps this is the year you say no to holiday gatherings where strife is expected. Maybe you let go of your goal of having the perfect holiday experience, and instead restructure your plans to align with what truly brings joy.
Extend these changes into your everyday life in the coming year. Far too many people engage in stressful interactions because that’s what they’re used to. But you have every right to spend time with people who add happiness to your life, and avoid those who create chaos.
When you’re ready to start on a path toward healthier tomorrows, we’re here to help. When you come in for chronic health management visits, we can focus on ways to incorporate meaningful, sustainable lifestyle changes that deliver impressive results.
To schedule your appointment, call the Elk Medical office in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn today.
