The new year is a great time to check-in with yourself and your health goals, but you don’t have to wait until 2021 to start healthy habits. Don’t wait, start today! Choose at least one item from each category below to end 2020 on a high note and start 2021 with confidence!

General Wellness

☐	Wash Your Hands-A lot of us learned how to wash our hands this year, let’s keep this up in 2021!
☐	Schedule Your Annual Exams-Check-in with your health care provider to see what they recommend for you during the pandemic. Consider virtual appointments, if available. If you have a chronic condition consider check-ins with your health care provider every six months vs. every year.
☐	Get those ZZZ’s-Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Good sleep helps our bodies and mind function properly. Many things can impact good sleep including: uncomfortable pillows, temperature, alcohol, and medications. Check in with your doctor or pharmacist if you think your sleep is affected by medications.
☐	Practice Gratitude-Expressing our gratitude can give us many benefits including improving sleep and our immune system. Take some time to acknowledge at least one good thing in your life or thank someone who has brought good into your world.

Healthy Eating

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Eat from a Smaller Plate-As plate sizes and portion sizes (the amount of food you eat at one time) have gotten larger, so have our waistlines. Eating large portions not only contributes to weight gain but can also cause indigestion and too much glucose (sugar) to be in your blood. Having too much glucose in your blood may put you at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes. Aim to eat off a 9-inch plate to manage your portions!

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Shrink the Added Sugars- Did you know that one can of regular soda has 32-grams of added sugar? The American Heart Association recommends men only eat about 9 teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugar and women only eat about 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day. Check the nutrition facts label on any packaged items and aim to cut down on your added sugar!

Physical and Mental Activity

☐	Check with Your Doctor-Before you do any physical activity, be sure to talk to your doctor to make sure it is safe for you to participate in physical activity.
☐	Move 30 Minutes, Five Days a Week– Moving your body helps maintain your muscle mass and helps lower your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
☐	Stretch-People tend to overlook stretching, but stretching offers your body many benefits including improving flexibility and relaxing your mind. Aim to stretch a few times a week for at least 10 minutes. Hold stretches for 10-15 seconds and repeat stretches two to three times.
☐	Mind Games-Training your mind is also overlooked. Read a good book, do a crossword puzzle, or try your hand at chess!