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New Year’s Resolutions For 2020

A public opinion survey in Washington, DC shows that about a third of those asked made New Year’s Resolutions for 2020. About half of them made just one resolution and the others made several.

More than half making resolutions intend to improve their health. By some combination of eating better, losing weight and exercising more. Others intend to quit smoking, reduce alcohol and sleep better. Resolutions not related to health involved finances, social relations, skills, hobbies and sports.

Those not making New Year’s Resolutions either said they just don’t care, resolutions don’t work for them or they’re too busy.

Among those who made resolutions for 2019, about half said they succeeded. Those who failed said they simply lost motivation, were too busy or didn’t get the help they needed.

That means fewer than 10% every year make resolutions and succeed in improving their health. Most of us don’t even resolve to try!

Resolve To Enjoy The Rewards Of Good Health

Exercise improves enjoyment of life. The physical effects of exercise are well known. Studies have proven exercise brings improvements in strength, endurance and levels of performance. Exercise helps reduce weight, improve body composition, prevent chronic illness and prolong life. All worthwhile, but not why we exercise. The reason for regular exercise is it makes us feel good.

Exercise also prevents depression. Even small amounts of exercise improves mental health. As little as 15 minutes of running every day or 1 hour of brisk walking greatly decreases risk of depression.

Other benefits of exercise include better thinking, better sleep, more energy and less fatigue. Moderate intensity exercise training improves insulin sensitivity, quality of life, and depression status in T2DM patients.

A single bout of exercise increases insulin sensitivity for 2 to 3 days. The effects of a 12 week aerobic exercise training were studied in 13 men and women with T2DM. Their average age was 48 years.

All participated in a 12 week program. They were supervised in aerobic exercise of moderate intensity for 30 minutes three times each week. Effects on insulin sensitivity, quality of life, and depression status were studied over time during exercise training,

Insulin sensitivity increased gradually every 4 weeks and the levels of glucose decreased during oral glucose tolerance testing. As the duration of exercise training increased, quality of life and depression status improved significantly.

Weight reduction also increases enjoyment of life and improves mental health. Amount of improvement generally follows amount of weight reduction. Overweight and obesity affect Quality of Life. Success in reducing body weight improves physical health, emotional well-being, and psychosocial functioning. The relation between benefits and amount of weight reduction was studied in 161 men and women in the US.

Participants were recruited from a primary care clinic or a subspecialty endocrinology clinic. They were treated in regular meetings for 12 months with a registered dietitian who gave them individualized diets and exercise recommendations.

During the 12 month program, participants lost 17.6% of their weight. A total of 25 participants (15.5%) lost 10% of their weight, 39 (24.2%) lost 15%, 38 (23.6%) lost 20%, and 59 (36.6%) lost 20% or more.

All participants completed 31-item questionnaires in 5 areas: Physical Function (11 items), Self-Esteem (7 items), Sexual Function (4 items), Public Function (5 items), and Work Function (4 items). As shown in the Figure, changes in Quality of Life functions were strongly related to reductions in body weight.

Intermittent Metabolic Switching And Mental Health

Metabolic switching with exercise and prolonged overnight hours without eating greatly enhances mood and mental health. The switch occurs when skeletal muscle and other organs use up their stores of sugar and begin using stores of fat.

In early times of evolution, food was available during the day for only short periods of time. Sugar stored in skeletal muscles and liver was quickly available for 6 or 8 hours. When metabolism switched back to using fat, metabolic and hormonal factors triggered cellular mechanisms for growth and repair.

Feelings of well-being and mild euphoria also are increased by switching metabolism from sugar to fat. In addition, metabolic switching brings improvement in cognition, anxiety and mental health.

In modern times, food is consumed all day long, supplying sugar in excess of energy requirements for metabolism and physical work. In type 2 diabetes, levels of sugar in the blood never fall enough to switch back and forth between sugar and fat.

Damage to brain health results from a chronic oversupply of sugar. The result is increased risk of neurological disorders including neuralgia and dementia.

Summary

Exercise improves enjoyment of life and prevents depression.

Weight reduction also increases enjoyment of life and improves mental health.

Metabolic switching with exercise and prolonged overnight hours without eating greatly enhances mood and mental health.

Feelings of well-being and mild euphoria also are increased by daily switching metabolism from sugar to fat.

Resolve in 2020 to enjoy the rewards of good health.

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