17 healthiest New Year resolutions for 2017

(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

Make time to meet your friends even if that means letting your clothes go unwashed for a while, or driving through a jam for over an hour. There will always be commitments that will make you cancel coffee dates with your friends but don't forget that people with close friends are more capable to handle tough situations in life than those who are solitary.
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

While you should not beat yourself up over high calorie foods, you should also not feel guilty denying a high-calorie snack that will upset your health goals. In short, do not eat something just to please someone; however, a meal served with love could be an exception (Your mom's indulgent gajar ka halwa or saag for example).
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

When you are on a weight loss journey, it can get lonely. But you are not alone anymore. You have your smartphone, which brings you closer to a wide range of applications that help you stick to your goal. These applications include Healthify me and MyFitnessPal along with apps like FitBit which are connected to your fitness band to help you track your progress.(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

The worst thing that you could do to yourself while trying to lose weight is to stop eating all the things you like. No matter how unhealthy your favorite foods are, do not cut them out of your diet completely. Have a small portion of your favourite food once in a while. This way you can stay away from the temptation to indulge in it.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

We all know painkillers are not good for our body. Not only do they lead to physical dependence but there are also a number of unpleasant side effects associated with painkiller addiction, starting from mild ones like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, to dangerous ones like higher risk of a heart attack.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

We all have our helps to get through a busy day. Making one meal on your own not only makes it healthy (because you are aware of the quantities involved), but also helps you unwind. So choose any meal and fix it, it can be your snack as well.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

Maintaining a diary helps you to keep your health and fitness goal in check. Tracking your eating habits is difficult just based on your memory. Stick to the old rule of the written word, it helps!
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

Reading will help you sleep better because it puts your consciousness on another plane, which will induce sleep and also reading takes you to a fictional world that eases the tension and helps you relax better. We say specifically read from a book and not from your phone or tablet because the blue light emitted from the screen restrains the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep. Reduction in melatonin makes it harder to fall asleep.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

This is important if you have a desk job. Lift your legs straight up while sitting on the chair and stretch them for 30 seconds. Doing this reduces the risk of blood clots that can occur after prolonged sitting. Take occasional breaks from your laptop screen. This will help prevent dry eyes, headaches and blurry vision. Make sure you keep a distance of at least 50-60 cms between your eyes and the computer screen and there is adequate light in the room.
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

Most of us use sanitary napkins and they come in a large variety of shapes, sizes and absorbing levels. The reason we stay away from tampons or menstrual cups is the fear of putting something inside the body. But if you knew that not only are they an environmental hazard but are also extremely bad for your vaginal health, you would surely change your mind.

You know how important it is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day. The 3:4 ratio is a new approach to having your fruits and vegetables. This ratio requires one to have 3 different coloured vegetables, for example, Okra, tomatoes, and pumpkin along with a salad that consists 4 different colours like diakon, radish (mooli), cucumber, beetroot and carrots.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

Internet is bombarded with health tips, and one of the most common is to keep yourself well hydrated. But how many of you really take this tip seriously. Not many! So this new year, ensure that your water intake is adequate. They say, for every 20 kgs, your body requires one liter of water. So make sure you are having adequate water but not intoxicating yourself. Excess water can eliminate essential salt from your body, making you feel exhausted all the time. So if you are having liquids like juices, green tea etc, accordingly adjust your water intake. Water intake should start as soon as you wake up in the morning. After a long sleep, your body gets naturally dehydrated and to refill the tank, a glass of water is required. This will also nourish your cells, and boost your metabolism.
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

Working out daily for an hour may sound intimidating to some but walking while talking can take care of that. Next time when you get a call, stand up from your chair and walk while talking. A collague wants to chat, go out and walk the talk, literally. It is important to walk at least 10,000 steps every day and if you do most of your non-laptop activities walking, you will be able to cross the minimum walk goal easily.

Due to many factors, sleeping well may not completely be under your control but hitting the bed on time surely is. Decide a specific bedtime and don't wait for yourself to feel sleepy. Stick to the time and you will see a drastic change in your health. Sleep is vital for both physical and mental well-being as resting time is repairing time. Waking up groggy in the morning is a sign of bad sleep that may affect your health more than you think it would.
(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

Much opposite to what you are often told, having a warm glass of milk or a few nuts before bedtime actually keeps your blood sugar stable through the night, ensuring better quality of sleep. However, this holds true only for people who have their dinner before 7 in the evening. For those having dinner close to bedtime, this is a strict no! You are anyway putting extra burden on your digestive system, it surely doesn't need more.
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)

When all health experts are talking about the benefits of having green tea, then why not replace one cup of your normal tea or coffee with a cup of this goodness? Think a bit deeper; a cup of green tea is loaded with health benefits, and is worth trying!(Picture Courtesy: Pixabay)

There have been numerous studies that suggest helping others brings happiness and as we all know, happiness is good for your well-being. You can always use these positive emotions to lead a more active life. A stress-free brain is more productive than a pressurized one and helping one another only makes life simpler!
(Picture Courtesy: Shutterstock Images)