Face Your Fears, Change Your Life in 2005

Study Highlights Key Elements to a Happy, Healthy New Year

(ARA) - The new year is a natural time to think about the next 12 months, a time to set goals for the coming year. For many people, that includes taking control of their health by eating better, exercising more and perhaps losing weight. A new study confirms that while Americans are generally optimistic, they also worry about the state of their personal health. The Philips Index: Calibrating the Convergence of Healthcare, Lifestyle and Technology, is the first study to examine how Americans feel about the state of their health, lifestyle and relationship with technology, and the interplay between these sectors.

Designed by Philips Electronics to gain insight into the American psyche in an effort to develop more meaningful consumer technologies, the Philips Index measures the well being of the U.S. population, showing that almost two out of three Americans enjoy a positive state of health, contentment and openness to change.

However, the study also shows that despite this positive outlook, almost 90 percent of those surveyed expect to face a potentially serious health condition in the next five years. The top five health concerns, according to the survey, are arthritis/joint pain; obesity; high cholesterol; declining vision; and heart attack.

Despite the fact that most Americans believe that the state of their health is up to them, many are not doing everything they can to maximize their health, because they don’t know how. For example, only 28 percent of Americans feel they know what to eat for maximum health.

“Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated,” says Heidi Skolnik, a contributing editor to Men’s Health magazine and nutrition consultant to the New York Giants and School of American Ballet. She suggests that instead of thinking about foods that you shouldn’t eat, try focusing on putting foods that can help keep you healthy into your diet. Here are five simple tips from Skolnik to keep in mind as you strive for a healthier 2005:

• Eat breakfast - this helps you better manage your weight by reducing the risk of overeating later in the day.
• Eat your greens - the lutein found in fruits and vegetables-especially in spinach, collard greens, kale and broccoli-decrease risk of vision loss.
• Eat fish - omega-3 fatty acids found in fish serve as an anti-inflammatory that can ease joint pain, decrease risk of vision loss and reduce cholesterol and risk of heart attack.
• Eat one ounce of nuts four to five times a week - this can help maintain healthy blood pressure and reduce risk of vision loss.
• Eat foods high in vitamin C - anti-oxidant characteristics help prevent cellular damage.

In addition to better health, the study also found that Americans would also like more money; more energy; more travel; less stress; and more exercise. Skolnik recommends keeping a log of your activities to figure out where your time is going. This can help you determine how much you are watching television, surfing the Internet or doing other time-consuming activities. Using a log to track your time can help you figure out what activities you can scale back in order to carve out more time for exercise and rest, which in turn will give you more energy and reduce stress.

“The good news is that small, easy changes can have a big impact on quality of life and improved health,” says Skolnik. And as the Philips Index shows, taking control of their health is something Americans are willing and eager to do.

Courtesy of ARA Content