New Habits with a New Year

When stepping into a new year, many take it as an opportunity to leave undesirable habits behind and start on a fresh note. Habits centering around a person’s health tend to be the most popular, and we understand why.

We have a few suggestions for new habits you can take with you into the New Year, and ways for you to receive the support you need to keep them up.

Improving Your Diet

“Proper nutrition helps to support healthy aging while also reducing risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and several cancers,” said Peyton Player, a Dietetic Intern working with the Georgia Cancer Center’s dietitian team.

As a first step towards improving your diet, take stock of what you typically eat in a day, when you eat, and how much you eat. Taking the time to evaluate your diet is critical to improving it and recognizing any weak spots you have.

For example, you are usually rushing out the door to get to work and do not often have time for breakfast, so you grab something out of the vending machine at work. This is a weak spot, but there are multiple ways to combat this. You can wake up earlier, meal prep easy to eat on the go meals, such as egg bites, or you can use a meal replacement drink as your breakfast to prevent starting the day on an empty stomach.

At each meal, a good question to ask yourself is ‘can I make this healthier?’. An easy way to do that is to add a serving of vegetables or fruit to your meals, or pack healthier snacks like carrots and dip instead of a bag of chips.

Small steps can lead to big changes, and it is important to build healthy habits at your own pace. The American Heart Association has many resources to help get into the healthy eating movement. However, before you make any drastic changes or start the new fad diet, you should speak to your doctor.

“Nutritional needs vary widely by many factors, such as age, genetics, and specific health conditions. It is a good idea to speak to your doctor about diet changes, as they can provide some general nutritional advice or refer you to a dietitian who can give advice that is more catered to your specific needs and health concerns,” said Rachel Johanek, a clinical dietitian at the Georgia Cancer Center.

This is especially true for those who have health conditions, such as cancer, as they have unique nutritional needs. Malnutrition is common amongst cancer patients ,and a change in diet can worsen their condition.

“A registered dietitian who specializes in oncology can help patients modify their diets to support their treatment and manage nutrition-related side effects. If you are a patient, I encourage you to speak to your doctor about making an appointment with a registered dietitian. We want you to be the strongest you can be,” said Johanek.

Quitting Smoking (Yes, including vaping)

Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of adult smokers said that they wanted to quit smoking and had made attempts to quit. Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most used tobacco product among young people.

These are statistics that many know, but that does not always make quitting easier. The road to tobacco cessation is challenging, and no one knows that better than the Tobacco Cessation Team at the GCC.

“We know nicotine addiction is a battle. It is difficult to do alone, but we want our community to know that we are here for them. We will be right beside them every step of the way,” said Fonda Doby, the program director.

The Tobacco Cessation program at the GCC uses an evidence-based two-prong approach, meaning they use both biological support and behavioral therapy for their patients. While the therapy is enough for some, medications are also available to give patients an extra boost to kick their nicotine addiction.

“Talk to your doctor about joining our program, or any tobacco cessation program. Rely on your family and friends to support you on this journey and have faith in yourself that you can overcome this.”

If you or someone you love struggles with quitting tobacco, please reach out to stoptobacco@augusta.edu or call 706-721-0456 to make an appointment with the tobacco cessation team. The team also has a school campaign, No Smoke, No Joke, where they speak to students about the dangers of vaping. If you would like them to visit your school and help your students make their own healthy choices, please email the team.

Exercise Your Body and Mind

A person’s physical health is a key factor in many aspects of their overall health, as obesity has been linked to at least 13 types of cancer, along with other health conditions. What one might not realize is that your emotional and mental health play a large role in your overall health.

“You can definitely have more complications, infections, and other health issues that arise because your immune system is weakened due to high cortisol levels from stress,” said Alicia Arnold, DO, an associate professor of surgery and the Breast Cancer Program director here at the Georgia Cancer Center.

Cortisol is often called the ‘stress hormone’ as it helps regulate your body’s response to stress. However, it also plays a role in your metabolism, suppression of inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar, and your sleep-wake cycle. Having high levels of cortisol creates many health challenges, so care must be taken to keep it regulated.

Regulation can come in many forms, including hobbies. Taking a 30-minute daily walk, gardening, spending time with friends, volunteering, and reading are all ways to exercise your physical, emotional, and mental health.

If you need a place to start with reading, Angela Maskey, Guest Relations Coordinator at the GCC, has compiled a list of book recommendations from many of our healthcare professionals here at the GCC. You can find the list here.

A great resource for trying out new hobbies is your local library. While many believe the events are just for children, they often have adult-themed activities, ranging from craft classes to social clubs, with many of them being free to attend.

Regardless of what habits you choose to take with you into the new year, remember that even small steps are still steps.