Diet, workout plans, new year lifestyle

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — We have officially entered a new year, which means new chapters and new goals.

For some, the focus of the new year is getting a raise, for others, it is saving money, and for about 79% of Americans, it’s getting healthy.

In recent years, health scientists, dietitians and biologists have studied the healthiest food, exercise and lifestyle choices for people to adopt. After many years of continuous research, several have come back with a narrowed-down list of the best diets and lifestyles.

So, if you’re wanting to change your life in 2025, here’s what some of these experts have reported:

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is one of the highest-ranked and most nutritious diets in the world, according to U.S. News and World Report.

It prioritizes and emphasizes a well-balanced plate, with most meals containing a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, fish, beans, nuts and poultry.

Benefits:

• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Improves brain health and may prevent cognitive decline and dementia
• Decreases inflammation, including arthritis
• May prevent Type 2 diabetes
• May help with autoimmune conditions
• May ease feelings of depression

The best part about this diet is that it doesn’t revolve around restriction, like most fleeting diet trends.

It is extremely sustainable and allows you to adapt and mix and match different cuisines to have a more well-rounded and balanced diet.

Even though most qualities of this diet are beneficial to the human body, like most good things, there is always something to be mindful of.

There aren’t many risks associated with the Mediterranean Diet; however, due to the lack of emphasis on restriction, people may find themselves binge eating meals and thinking it won’t hurt them because the food is healthy. This is entirely wrong.

Like all food, moderation is key. There is a Japanese term based solely on this philosophy. It is, “Hara hachi bu,” which means, “Eat until you’re 80% full.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this term originated in the city of Okinawa, which is known for having one of the longest life expectancies and lowest rates of illness in the world, including heart disease, cancer and strokes.

Here are some of the key ingredients found in a Mediterranean Diet:

And if you’re looking for a meal plan, the Cleveland Clinic has you covered:

Breakfast

• Steel-cut oats with fresh berries and ground flaxseed
• Whole-grain toast with nut butter and smoothie
• Greek yogurt topped with fruit and walnuts
• Egg white omelet with fresh, seasonal veggies

Lunch

Dinner

Sides

Snacks

• Handful of nuts and seeds (low salt or no salt added).
• Fresh fruit, ideally local and in-season
• Nonfat Greek yogurt and/or small piece of dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao).
• Whole-grain crackers with hummus
• Raw veggies with nonfat Greek yogurt dip

On top of a healthy diet, making sure you drink enough water daily is incredibly important. It is said that almost half of all Americans, 47%, do not drink the recommended amount of water daily, CivicScience.com reported.

The daily intake, according to the Mayo Clinic, is about 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women. This helps the body regulate temperature, ease the pain of your joints, protect your sensitive tissues, and of course, get rid of any toxic wastes.

Many of these nutrition-related habits can be found in Blue Zones around the world, like Okinawa. The Blue Zone lifestyle is described in greater detail below.

Although diet is crucial to your physical health, so is exercise.

Exercise doesn’t just positively impact your physical health, but your mental health too.

According to Brown Health University, daily and regular physical activity can help increase your lifespan. Specifically, moving your body in general is key to a healthy lifestyle, especially for people living in Blue Zones — regions around the world where populations live longer than the average human.

The type of exercise you choose isn’t the most important part of this, though. Just doing some sort of exercise that involves breathing rapidly or sweating for about five to 10 hours a week aligns with these regions.

But if you are looking for some workout inspiration, BlueZones.com has all the info you could ever need. Here’s what it said:

1. Walk fast for an hour every day
   • Find a treadmill or a specific walking route near you and just walk… that’s all you have to do! Listen to an audiobook, a new podcast, or your favorite playlist, and unwind while getting in some crucial physical activity.
2. Ride, run, or swim for about 30 to 40 minutes (including two extra hours on the weekends)
3. Stop taking the easy way out, if you can avoid it
   • Instead of taking the elevator or escalator, take the stairs. Instead of driving to the local coffee shop, walk to it (only if this is possible for you). Instead of hiring someone to fix something, do it yourself.
   • Doing basic manual labor and tasks around the home can be the challenge your body needs to stay healthy and fit.

It can easily be argued that changing your diet and workout routine is a “lifestyle” choice. But “lifestyle,” in this context, means finding a sense of purpose, happiness and meaning in the world.

As stated previously, there are many key things people do in Blue Zones to extend their lifespans and improve their quality of life. One of these is engaging in social atmospheres.

Finding community, spending time with your family and friends, volunteering for local events, relaxing after a long day, and finding things that fulfill you are very important when improving your overall mental, physical and emotional health.

Even though finding ways to feel “fulfilled” is something that is very personal and should be evaluated on an individual basis, BlueZones.com lists about 20 lifestyle choices and ideas that you can implement into your life.

Here’s what the website says:

1. Get a dog
2. Enjoy wine at 5
3. Find a hobby or join a group
4. Sit down to eat meals with family and friends
5. Get at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night
6. Get outside every day
7. Nurture your religion and spirituality
8. Get involved in your community
9. Volunteer more
10. Make new friends
11. Enjoy your meals before you’re stuff
12. Sign up to be an organ donor

Regardless of this information, your health journey is entirely up to you and should be tailored to your lifestyle. If you base it simply on a list or someone else’s life, you will find that it is not easily sustained.

But, if you do plan to use these tips, consider this a guideline or a supplement.

Tack it on to your daily mental, physical and emotional health journey where you see fit. The most important thing at the end of the day is that you feel happy, healthy and proud of the life you are living.

Good luck and happy 2025!