Personally, 2023 was a year full of changes. It was an educational year and I learned a number of things that I want to use for my new year resolutions.
At a meetup about biohacking I learned that inflammation is a silent killer for the human body. I then started researching to improve my health. Now I have been planning to do this for some time, because I weigh over 100 kg and want to grow as old as possible. In short, my Body Mass Index (BMI) is too high and my health could be much better.
What I learned is that inflammation is harmful, similarly high cholesterol can be harmful and it can lead to health problems. Inflammation is a natural response to injury or disease. Chronic inflammation carries the risk of developing diseases or even premature death.
To reduce inflammation, it is important to consider a healthier lifestyle and eating habits. And for 2024, I want to stick to the following 7 lifestyle changes:
Nutrition: Eating more fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Eating healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and nuts.
Avoiding sugar: I try to avoid anything that contains refined carbohydrates throughout the day. Such as cookies, donuts, white bread and waffles etc.
As little trans fats and processed foods as possible. Such as margarine, fried foods and processed snacks, such as: cookies, pastries and chips etc.
No alcohol: I hardly drank any alcohol and now I don't drink it at all. Drinking alcoholic beverages is carcinogenic and therefore not good.
Sports: It's not really my thing. Still, I wanted to take an hour-long walk 3 times a week. In practice I find this difficult to maintain, but I will force myself to do it anyway because this is oh so important.
Stress: I am already very good at dealing with stress, but I still want to add it because I think it is very important. Step one is to recognize your stress and then you are already halfway there. You can do relaxation exercises by avoiding a certain situation or taking some distance from it with your thoughts. Putting a stressor into perspective is also something that helps. Chronic stress can make you very ill, so stress management is a really good skill to learn.
Structure and sufficient sleep: Structure and sufficient sleep keep your immune system up to standard, keep you fit during the day and help you sleep well. If you have difficulty sticking to a fixed structure, I know from experience that it is good to create an external responsibility or set an alarm when it is time to go to sleep.
I hope to improve my health through a nutritious diet, avoiding sugar and trans fats, managing stress, regular structure, adequate sleep and exercise. These changes may not be very drastic. Still, I hope it will help get my excess weight and health to a better level. In this way, sometimes invisible inflammation can be reduced. In addition to these changes, I want to have my DNA checked for mutations and sensitive factors for possible diseases. I want to know this because it will help me take action regarding my health to increase my chances of living a longer and healthier life.