A Holistic Approach to Creating Healthy Habits

3/15/2022

PALMER – If your plans to be healthier in 2022 got sidetracked, there’s still time to make a course correction and dust off those New Year’s resolutions. Simple actions can make a big impact on your health over time, according to Austin Bills, D.O., a primary care physician with Mat-Su Medical Group.

Bills, who enjoys the full spectrum of family medicine and treats patients of all ages, encourages a holistic approach when planning your wellness goals.

Connect with others
Spend time with friends, family and those you care about. Connecting with others benefits your mental well-being and your physical health. Studies show that people who have close friends and family are healthier and live much longer than those who do not.

Get your ZZZs
Set a consistent bed time and wake-up schedule to ensure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance. It is also one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain and obesity.

“Sleep is vital for repairing tissue, fighting infections and boosting the immune system,” said Bills. “When we’re overly busy or stressed, sleep is one of the areas we tend to neglect. Chronic lack of sleep can lead to a multitude of health issues.”

Minimize stress
Practice mindful breathing or meditation to bring moments of calm to your day. Stress has a negative effect on your health, impacting blood sugar levels, food choices, susceptibility to sickness, weight, fat distribution, and more. Recognizing stress triggers and using calming techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation or listening to relaxing music can help reduce its impact on your health.

Move more
Walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week and do muscle strengthening, like carrying groceries, at least two days a week. Walk with a partner for social connection and accountability. Movement can help you prevent, delay and manage chronic diseases, improve balance and stamina, reduce the risk of falls and improve your brain health.

“Many of my patients don’t know where to start,” Bills said. “I often times refer patients online to YouTube which has hundreds of free videos about home yoga, meditation, mindfulness exercises and body workouts that don’t require any expensive equipment.

Go outside
Hiking, gardening, outdoor sports and spending time in nature gives the benefit of vitamin D from the sun and helps with depression, exercise and even creativity.

Create a colorful plate
Colorful whole fruits and vegetables look great, are naturally more filling and better for you overall. A balanced diet with appropriate portions of produce, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products helps prevent, delay and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

“Two of my favorite dietary approaches include the Mediterranean Diet or the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which can help combat high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity,” Bills said.

“Healthy eating habits, along with plenty of physical activity and adequate sleep are the cornerstones of good health,” Bills said. Annual physical exams with your primary care provider are also valuable for tracking your health. “Wellness exams help us identify potential health issues in their early stages. That’s why screenings are so crucial. The earlier we see a change developing, the more time we have to take corrective action,” said Bills.

Visit your doctor
Go ahead and schedule your primary care physician and any specialists such as allergist, dermatologist, orthopedist or cardiologist. Put screenings on the calendar too, such as prostate exam, mammogram, bone density, and colonoscopy. Regular visits and screenings help you keep your health on track – identifying risk factors or issues early and managing chronic conditions like diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure.

For an appointment with Dr. Bills, call Mat-Su Medical Group at (907) 861-1400 or request an appointment at MatSuMedicalGroup.com.

Mat-Su Regional Medical Center offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox from a trusted medical source. Visit https://www.matsuregional.com/enewsletter-sign-up to subscribe.

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