What was your New Year’s resolution this year? 

Surveys show that choosing to live a healthier lifestyle is one of the top resolutions each year.[1,2] While deciding on a New Year’s resolution can be hard, sticking with them can be even harder—especially when it comes to health. There is so much information out there and so many products stating they can help transform your health. Where is one to begin?

We want to help you keep your resolution this year! If your goal is to transform your health in 2023, check out these 7 hacks.

Help Your Body Boost Its Immune System

Focusing on keeping your immune system strong plays a big role in impacting your health. 

Your body should be well-equipped to ward off free radicals and toxins, but sometimes it could use a little help. To boost your immune health, practice the hacks we list in the remainder of this blog. Additionally, you could try getting the proper immune-supporting vitamins and minerals through natural supplements. Find supplements that include key essentials like vitamins C, B6, D3, and E, as well as zinc. Our Multivitamin provides all of those, plus a few extras to help keep you in tip-top shape.

Additionally, focus on your gut health. Many don’t know that your gut health is directly linked to your immunity.[3] So helping one can help out the other. If you want to help boost your gut health, try adding a Probiotic to your daily regimen. 

Check with your physician first before implementing any supplements into your diet.

Build Healthy Habits

Easier said than done most times, but building healthy habits can benefit your entire day. And once you get into a routine, it’ll become second nature to you. Here are a few options you can work on:

Drink More Water

Active or not, you could probably benefit from drinking more water on a daily basis. Being slightly dehydrated can impact your health and your day, from being slightly sluggish to impairing your mental function or even a risk of constipation.[4,5] Upping your water intake can have huge benefits for your overall health, including bettering your skin and boosting energy levels.[6,7]

The daily recommended water intake is about 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women.[8] So to help you get there, keep water by you at all times. If you always have water around, you’ll be surprised by how much water you actually sip from it. Instead of drinking that extra can of soda, opt for a glass of water. Want to hold yourself accountable or keep an eye on how much you’re drinking? Try tracking your water intake. Seeing is believing in some cases.

Plan & Cook Your Meals

Instead of ordering takeout all the time, try cooking at home more often. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be time-consuming, expensive, or complicated. Plan your meals and have a day dedicated to meal prepping.

Besides cooking fresh, nutritious meals better your health, cooking is good for your mental health, too. It’s relaxing, you can take your time, and you can really enjoy the process. Find new meals, experiment with new recipes, and know what you’re putting into your for added peace of mind.

Give Yourself a Bedtime

It may be obvious, but a great health hack is getting more sleep. Your sleep changes with the seasons, and it is important to know how that affects your natural circadian rhythms and how that plays out in your health needs. Most sleep should last at least seven hours.[9] So how do you get yourself enough sleep?

Download a sleep monitoring app to see where you stand and where you need to be. Make lifestyle changes, like turning off the television half an hour before bed. Use a white noise machine or try out a sleep mask. This one might be trial and error figuring out what works for you, but once you figured it out, you’ll be amazed at how big of a difference better sleep makes.

Practice Mindfulness

Building on health habits—one of those habits needs to be focusing on you. Add designated time into your day to check in with yourself and do something that makes you feel relaxed and at peace. This could be anything like journaling, meditating, staying off electronics and social media for a certain amount of time a day, or anything else that makes you happy.

Want some extra support? Try supplementing with Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha has been used for centuries as a natural mood enhancer and can help ease stress and reduce anxiety. Studies show when your mind is calm, your sleep quality can improve and you can feel more rejuvenated in the morning.[10,11,12]

Get Moving

You don’t need a gym membership or expensive at-home workout equipment for this one. Getting your body moving can be as easy as a simple walking regimen. It is amazing what just 30 minutes of walking can do for you. But remember, consistency is key to seeing results. 

If your job allows, stand and work or take a quick lap around the office to get you up and moving. Whatever you need to do and can do to give your body a break from sitting all day is beneficial for your health. 

If you want to get moving, but you have some issues with your joint health or feel stiff, try supplementing with Turmeric Curcumin. Turmeric Curcumin has been shown to help alleviate symptoms of sore joints and help reduce inflammation.[13,14]

Give Your Brain a Workout

Did you know that by the time you reach 45 years of age, your brain will be losing around 50,000 cells a day from the cerebral cortex? Keeping your mind stimulated is key to preserving your cognitive function. Keeping your mind sharp and active is an important part of your health and well-being.[15] 

Give your brain some fresh and fun challenges. These could include:

• Sudoku puzzles
• Memory games
• Fun quizzes and trivia
• Learning a new language

Look & Feel Your Best

When you look good, you feel good. If your hair or skin could use a little boost, try adding collagen to your health routine. Collagen has been shown to increase skin elasticity and smoothness, as well as maintain healthy keratin which boosts your hair and nail growth.[16] 

This hack is super simple. Here’s why: collagen supplements, such as our Collagen Peptides Powder, dissolve easily and are tasteless. Therefore, you can add it to your daily morning coffee or smoothie, or even some of your favorite recipes. 

Take Your Supplements

Throughout this list, we’ve touched on a few supplements that can help transform your health. But, like most things, keeping up with your supplements may be easier said than done. Life gets busy and it is easy to miss out on key nutrients or stick with a routine. 

Adding quality supplements to your daily routine can give your body the boost it needs, prevent effects caused by deficiencies, and give you a slight safety net if you’re not keeping up with nutritional meals.[17,18] 

But remember, what supplements one person needs may not be what you need. That’s why we always recommend double-checking with your physician before starting a new supplement routine to make sure it is right for you and your needs. 

We believe that keeping your mind and body feeling their best shouldn’t be hard; it should be as easy as it is natural. Pattern Wellness offers a variety of supplements that can help transform your health using the purest ingredients to support your overall health. 

Ready to get going on transforming your health? Click here to see all that Pattern Wellness has to offer and get going on your health journey.

What are some health hacks you follow or plan to implement this year? Tell us in the comments!

Resources:

1. Armstrong, M., & Richter, F. (2022, January 11). Infographic: Top U.S. new year's resolutions for 2022. Top U.S. New Year's Resolutions for 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/chart/26577/us-new-years-resolutions-gcs/ 
2. Habits), J. (D. H. (2022, August 22). New Year's Resolution Statistics (2022 updated). Discover Happy Habits. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://discoverhappyhabits.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/#:~:text=Only%2023%25%20of%20survey%20participants,and%20losing%20weight%20(20%25) 
3. Wu HJ, Wu E. The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity. Gut Microbes. 2012 Jan-Feb;3(1):4-14. doi: 10.4161/gmic.19320. Epub 2012 Jan 1. PMID: 22356853; PMCID: PMC3337124. 
4. De Giorgio R, Ruggeri E, Stanghellini V, Eusebi LH, Bazzoli F, Chiarioni G. Chronic constipation in the elderly: a primer for the gastroenterologist. BMC Gastroenterol. 2015 Oct 14;15:130. doi: 10.1186/s12876-015-0366-3. PMID: 26467668; PMCID: PMC4604730.
5. Schuster BG, Kosar L, Kamrul R. Constipation in older adults: stepwise approach to keep things moving. Can Fam Physician. 2015 Feb;61(2):152-8. PMID: 25676646; PMCID: PMC4325863.
6.  Daniels MC, Popkin BM. Impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2010 Sep;68(9):505-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00311.x. PMID: 20796216; PMCID: PMC2929932.
7. Palma L, Marques LT, Bujan J, Rodrigues LM. Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2015 Aug 3;8:413-21. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S86822. PMID: 26345226; PMCID: PMC4529263.
8. National Academy of Sciences. (2004, February 11). Report Sets Dietary Intake Levels for Water, Salt, and Potassium To Maintain Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Risk. Nationalacademies.org. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2004/02/report-sets-dietary-intake-levels-for-water-salt-and-potassium-to-maintain-health-and-reduce-chronic-disease-risk 
9. Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangwisch J, Grandner MA, Kushida C, Malhotra RK, Martin JL, Patel SR, Quan SF, Tasali E. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. J Clin Sleep Med 2015;11(6):591–592.
10. Chandrasekhar, K., Kapoor, J., & Anishetty, S. (2012). A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 34(3), 255–262. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.106022 
11. Langade, D., Kanchi, S., Salve, J., Debnath, K., & Ambegaokar, D. (2019). Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Study. Cureus, 11(9), e5797. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.5797 
12. Deshpande, A., Irani, N., Balkrishnan, R., & Benny, I. R. (2020). A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep quality in healthy adults. Sleep medicine, 72, 28–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2020.03.012 
13. S;, Daily JW;Yang M;Park. “Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.” Journal of Medicinal Food, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 19 Aug. 2016, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27533649/.
14.  SC;, Aggarwal BB;Yuan W;Li S;Gupta. “Curcumin-Free Turmeric Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities: Identification of Novel Components of Turmeric.” Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12 July 2013, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23847105/.
15. Triebel, K. L., Martin, R., Griffith, H. R., Marceaux, J., Okonkwo, O. C., Harrell, L., … Marson, D. C. (2009). Declining financial capacity in mild cognitive impairment: a 1-year longitudinal study. Neurology, 73, 928–934.
16. Proksch, E et al. “Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.” Skin pharmacology and physiology vol. 27,1 (2014): 47-55. doi:10.1159/000351376 
17. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, January 2). Vitamins and minerals for older adults. National Institute on Aging. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/vitamins-and-minerals-older-adults#:~:text=Some%20vitamins%20help%20you%20resist,also%20help%20your%20body%20function 
18. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020, September 3). Office of dietary supplements - dietary supplements: What you need to know. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/WYNTK-Consumer/