Little Shifts, Big Results

12 LIFE-CHANGING TIPS FOR A TOTAL TRANSFORMATION

- LISA TURNER

Every new year, we make lists of resolutions with big, ambitious plans for diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes—and by February, most of us are back on the couch with a bag of chips and the latest Netflix binge opportunity. Can you relate? Try a more manageable approach. We asked Mark Hyman, MD, bestselling author and founder and director of The UltraWellness Center, for a dozen simple, specific, science-based changes to make. You don’t have to make all of these changes at once! Implement over the course of the year. By the time everyone else is breaking their 2021 resolutions, you’ll have created lasting habits—and a total health transformation.

1 Be less refined. One of the best things you can do for your health: dramatically reduce or eliminate refined sugars and flours, and limit all things sweet. “Sugar and flour aren’t doing our health any favors, especially considering how they wreak havoc on our blood sugar—blood glucose is one major predictor of longevity,” says Hyman. Studies have linked blood sugar levels to increased longevity, and a high sugar diet may increase the risk of heart disease, even in healthy people. [Editor’s note: read more about this on p. 28]

While certain sweeteners are safer than others (like maple syrup instead of aspartame), your body still produces insulin in response—so save the sweet treats for special occasions. For everyday desserts, ditch the cookies and pastries for berries, pomegranates, pears, and other high-fiber fruits: they’re linked with a reduced risk of heart disease.