Vietnamese Health Tip #7: Nix the New Years Health Tips

It's that time of the year - time for New Years Resolutions! We've all got that one - that one about getting healthy, losing weight, eating better, going to the gym. etc. There are endless "how to" articles on the subject. Just this morning, I had three in a row in my newsfeed - one about eating less sugar, another about revamping my morning routine, and the other about portion control or something. I love health-related articles, especially listicals, and many of these articles have their merit. But then it dawned on me, health listicals are generally a Western phenomenon, are generally unnatural, and are generally unrealisitc.

Trying to incorporate five or ten or twenty new habits off of a list to improve health - it's just not human nature, and even if you successfully started and maintained all of those new habits, all twenty of them will not work for every single person. Our bodies are different and respond differently.

So what to do? As someone who has struggled with nutrition and exercise, has lost nearly 50 lbs, who exercises 5-6 days/week, and who loves food, here is what I've learned:

In true listical-addict form, here's a 2016 plan-of-action:

1. What is your health goal? Start with one for now. Write it on a piece of paper and post it somewhere where you'll see it every day. Right now. Do it. You owe it to yourself. My 2016 health goal is to re-gain and maintain a positive relationship with food. Other examples might be one of these:

• Build endurance or strength

• Mitigate anxiety

• Boost energy/happiness/sense of purpose

• Sleep better

• Improve health of heart, liver, kidney, bones, etc.

• Lose weight

​2. What are you currently doing? Write it all down. You don't have to calorie count (unless that works for you), but for one week, write down every single thing you eat, do, and most importantly, think. Listical format is just fine :).

3. Pick one thing to do differently. Just one for now, and make it very specific. If it's a limitation, make sure you associate some "addition" with it. For example, to achieve my goal of re-establishing a positive relationship with food, my one thing to do differently is to

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- Limit binge-eating on the weekends.

Instead of 4 alcoholic drinks and 2 desserts per weekend day, cutting back to 1 or 2 drinks and 1/2 dessert per weekend day.

+ Gain and improve relationships.

Instead of having that third drink, or finishing one dessert by myself, I'll put my glass/fork down, and learn something new about the people around me.

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Need some other ideas? Try one of these (consult with a medical professional beforehand).

4. Then, change one more thing. Master that first thing, stick with it for at least two weeks, then change one more thing. That thing not working for you? That's okay. Try something else.

5. Then, change one more thing. Master those first and second things, stick with them for at least four weeks, then change one more thing. Not seeing any changes? Not feeling better? Or feeling worse? That's okay! This whole "getting healthy, feeling great" thing - it's a puzzle. Have fun with trying different combinations of things to see what works for you.

Okay, do what works for you, and do it in baby steps. Now what?

DO IT WITH SELF LOVE and SELFLESS LOVE - What does this mean? Don't let health goals or articles consume your mind or get you down. This is where the Vietnamese culture has struck me like a Cupid arrow - Life is more than health listicals and goals. Life is family. Life is love. Life is serving others. Life is putting food on the table. Life is bigger than this moment. Life is bigger than myself. So give yourself a break, have fun with all this health stuff, and hey, go get some delicious 'nomnomnom with the people you love.

Happy 2016, everybody. Cheers!

#HealthTip #NewYearsResolutions