Hello and happy New Year, Yahoo Life readers. My name is Kaitlin Reilly, and nearly every week throughout 2024 I’ve rounded up the internet’s latest health and wellness tips. This is our last Sunday edition of the year and it’s been a pleasure helping you improve your life in big and small ways.
With New Year’s Eve just days away, you may be considering the resolutions you’re setting for 2025. While the obvious choice for many may be to hit the gym more often (as so many of us will do come Jan. 2), one pro-health goal you may not have considered is getting better sleep.
There’s a good reason why you should: Getting quality shut-eye (aka “sleepmaxxing,” as social media has coined it) can improve your overall wellness, from boosting your immune system to enhancing memory and brain function. Plus, doing so may give you more energy to exercise and stop you from reaching for less nutritious foods as a pick-me-up (like, say, a Snickers bar from the vending machine when you hit that afternoon slump). Want some tips to get started? Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine and limiting screen time before bed can be your gateway to better rest in 2025.
In the meantime, check the weather in your area and, if you are so inclined, your horoscope. Then read up on these wellness tips.
🍾 Stay safe on New Year’s Eve
Celebrating New Year’s Eve can be a fun and festive way to start 2025, but it’s important to keep a few safety tips in mind. More than 50% of crashes on New Year’s involve drivers with high blood alcohol content, per American Safety Council, so if you are planning on going out, make sure you designate a sober driver, plan for public transportation in advance or call an Uber or other ride-share service.
And speaking of alcohol — there’s also a risk of injury when popping that bubbly beverage, as many people do at midnight. To avoid shooting that cork into someone’s eye, make sure to chill the champagne to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which will make it less likely to go rogue. Then, hold the bottle with one hand and use the other to twist the cork, nudging it gently out of the bottle and controlling the release of air. After a minute, the cork should come free.
🎆 Skip the fireworks and sparklers
Fireworks and sparklers may seem like a fun way to ring in the new year, but experts warn that playing with them can be dangerous, especially when children are in the mix. In 2023, fireworks led to 9,700 emergency room visits and eight deaths, per the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Sparklers, which can get up to 3,000 degrees, can also be risky — 700 injuries were caused by sparklers in 2023 alone.
If you do want to see some fireworks on New Year’s Eve, find a viewing of professional ones in your area — and keep children at least 500 feet away from where the fireworks will be set off in order to mitigate accident risk, as well as dampen noise. Pop noise-cancelling headphones on to protect you and/or your little one’s ears from intense sound, which can damage your hearing.
☕ Drink coffee and tea to help prevent cancer
A September report found that coffee consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke — and now there’s another reason to pour yourself a cup of java. A review of 14 prior studies by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium revealed that drinking four cups of caffeinated coffee daily could reduce the likelihood of developing head or neck cancer by up to 17%. Tea too may reduce head and neck cancer risk, according to some of the study interpretations. The theory is that coffee and tea contain powerful anticancer and anti-inflammatory compounds that could protect against the harmful effects of carcinogens.
Other warm beverages have some health benefits as well. The cocoa in hot chocolate, for example, may improve blood pressure as well as cholesterol and blood glucose levels. The spices in chai, like cinnamon, can also help fight inflammation and control blood sugar.
🥬 Eat leafy greens for heart health
Experts spoke to HuffPost about what veggies you should eat to improve different health factors. Dietitian Lena Bakovic said that those who want to improve their cardiovascular health should eat more leafy greens, which contain heart-healthy compounds like nitrates, which keep blood vessels open. Given that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, it’s a great reason to pile your plate with Swiss chard, spinach, kale and collard greens.
🫀 Avoid heartburn while you sleep
If you often struggle with an uncomfortable burning sensation in your chest, known as heartburn, you know how important it is to find relief, especially if it interrupts your sleep. While popping antacids may quickly resolve the issue, doing so long-term can lead your body to produce more acid as a rebound effect — leading to more annoying symptoms over time.
Instead, experts told Yahoo Life to try sleeping at a slight elevation, such as with a wedge pillow, which can help keep stomach acid from flowing back into your esophagus. Another tip? Stop eating 90 minutes before lying down; that gives your body more time to digest food and reduces the likelihood of experiencing heartburn.
🐟 Dip into caviar
Caviar, which is made from sturgeon eggs, may be way too pricey to make a regular part of your grocery list, even as the high-low food trend spreads and people are putting the pricey delicacy on everything from potato chips to mozzarella sticks. If you do see it at your next party, however, or just feel like splurging on a fancy treat, dietitians give this fishy food the seal of approval, thanks to the fact that it is rich in protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and iron. Just be cautious about how you consume it: While it may taste delicious with a dollop of crème fraîche, you could be getting more fat and calories than you’d like.
🥑 Eat these foods for longevity
Dr. Michael Roizen, a 78-year-old anesthesiologist, internist and longevity expert, claims he reversed his biological age by 20 years. One tip he gave Insider for how he did it? Eating lots of salmon, avocado and olive oil — all foods that are rich in healthy fats, which support heart health, reduce inflammation and promote cell repair. These are all foods included in the much-celebrated Mediterranean diet, which is plant-focused and high in omega-3s. Want to follow his lead? Try adding a salmon salad to your lunchtime routine.
🚶 Go for a big walk
Many in the U.K. take Christmas week walks, but going for a long stroll, especially after a meal, is a great idea no matter the day. Experts told Yahoo Life that these walks can help regulate your blood sugar, improve digestion and prevent post-meal energy dips.
Walking in a winter wonderland? Just make sure to stay hydrated, wear layers and shoes with proper tread, and keep a charged cellphone on hand in case you need assistance.
📖 Read a book
An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 people found that 46% of Americans didn’t finish a single book last year — and only 5% finished one, continuing a data trend of Americans reading fewer books overall. That’s unfortunate, given that research has shown there are many health benefits to doing so. Reading books lowers your heart rate, reduces stress, improves your cognition over time and may help you sleep better.
Want to get into a reading habit? Schedule a manageable amount of time to sneak in some pages — like, say, 20 pages per day right when you wake up in the morning, as Atomic Habits author James Clear does. Not into morning reading? Grab a book on your lunch hour, or swap out a TV show with a few chapters before bed.
❄️ Use wintertime to create SMART goals
You may have heard of the “Winter Arc,” which is a TikTok-fueled trend that has people committing to transforming their lives during the colder months by adopting intense fitness, productivity or self-improvement routines. Sam Hopes, a personal trainer, doesn’t think a total rehaul of your life this season is effective long-term, however. Instead, writing for Tom’s Guide, Hopes said to stick to SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based objectives. So instead of saying, “I’m going to walk more in 2025,” pick a reasonable goal — like walking 7,000 steps each day. You’ll be more likely to track your progress, which can help you stick to it over time.
🥗 Choose omega-3-rich foods
We all need both omega-3- and omega-6-rich foods in our diets, but the imbalance of them may lead to increased inflammation, which is linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis. While most Americans tend to get more than enough omega-6-rich foods — which include vegetable oils, common in processed foods — many more are falling behind on omega-3s. A solution? Pile your plate with omega-3 foods like salmon, mackerel, chia seeds and spinach.
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