5 New Year’s Resolutions to Lower
Cancer Risk and Boost Health
A new year is the perfect time for a fresh start! And if you’re like 79% of Americans who make New Year’s resolutions, better health is at the top of your list. As a physician, this is music to my ears because I’ve witnessed how small steps toward a healthier lifestyle can make tremendous strides in a cancer-free future. If you’re interested in reducing your cancer risk, consider adding these 5 goals to your 2025 resolutions!
Goal #1: Schedule Your Appointments
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your health! The first entry in your 2025 calendar should be a doctor’s appointment. This is critically important, even if you feel perfectly healthy. Unfortunately, “feeling bad” isn’t the first and only symptom of disease. During your visit, discuss with your doctor the tests and screenings appropriate for your age, gender, and family history. And then, most importantly, schedule those screenings immediately – before your calendar gets too full or you talk yourself out of them!
Goal #2: Add Before You Subtract
When it comes to getting healthy, we tend to fixate on what we need to cut out. Sure, there may very well be things you should subtract from your lifestyle, like smoking or drinking. But our brain’s stubborn neural pathways can cause us to rebel against anything that feels like deprivation. If you’ve ever fallen victim to self-sabotage, try this trick: add before you subtract!
Here are some examples: When preparing a meal or a snack, instead of thinking about what you shouldn’t eat, ask yourself what fruits or vegetables you can add to your plate. Before going cold turkey on sugary drinks, make it a priority to add more water. This can be as simple as drinking the entire glass of water when you take your morning vitamins or bringing a water bottle to work and seeing how many times you can refill it before heading home. When it comes to weight loss, instead of obsessing about how many inches you need to lose, think of ways to add physical activity. Park farther away from the store or walk your dog a little longer in the evening. You might not even notice all the extra steps you’re taking. But believe it or not, these small actions can really add up over time!
Goal #3: Install a “Turn Off” Button
Do you have a turn off button? If not, it’s time to install one! Chronic stress and poor sleep weaken your immune system and increase your risk for disease. Try as we might, our bodies are simply not equipped to run non-stop on the productivity hamster wheel. You need to make time to rest and reset! There are many ways to install a turn off button – mindfulness techniques, deep breathing, meditation, stretching, yoga, journaling, limiting screen time, or catching some morning sunlight to help reset your circadian rhythm. Do whatever works best for you!
Goal #4: Get to Know Your Family
Did you know that one of the most significant risk factors for all kinds of disease, including cancer, is your family history? Families share environments, lifestyles, habits, and, most importantly, genes – all of which provide critical insight into your future health. This year, make it a priority to gather and document as much information as you can about your family’s medical history. Then, share everything with your doctor, who can use the information to discover diagnostic clues for symptoms you may be experiencing or customize your screening timeline. Sometimes familial circumstances can make it difficult to get this information. In those situations, DNA testing might be the best solution to gain insight into your ancestry and genetic markers for disease.
Goal #5: Act Now
When faced with a task as daunting as overhauling our health, we can get stuck in neutral, otherwise known as “planning mode.” Overthinking and overplanning are just fancy words for procrastination. So, the last goal to add to your list is ultimately the most essential one. Act now. Don’t think too much about it – just do it! One day at a time. One step at a time. That’s the only way to move forward.
Gift of Life Can Support Your Health Goals
If you’d like support for your healthy journey, Gift of Life is here to help! On the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of every month, we meet at 8:00 AM for Walk with a Doc at Wuthering Heights Park in Beaumont (or, in the case of inclement weather, Parkdale Mall), where I lead a discussion on health-related topics, followed by a fun, communal walk that accommodates every fitness level. It’s a wonderful way to gain knowledge and tools while building a supportive, active community of friends who share and support your goals! Please join us! Check out our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram or call 409.833.3663 to learn more!
With positive thoughts for a healthier year,
Gwendolyn Lavalais, MD
Gift of Life Medical Director
