You might not be feeling your healthiest as you read this – indulgence is the name of the game in December – but if you cast your mind back to the rest of 2023, you’ll recall the useful wellbeing lessons we have learned throughout the year. Understanding our physiology and harnessing easy ways to keep it balanced is a surefire method to help us look, feel and be happier and healthier.
Below, a reminder of 2023’s most noteworthy wellness lessons.
Enjoy a vegetable starter
It was the year of understanding our blood sugar and how it impacts mood, appetite, immunity, focus and even skin health. While eating a healthy, balanced diet – free of refined and sugar-rich foods – is key to maintaining balanced blood sugar levels, a great hack to prevent it spiking in the first place is to preface each meal by eating a vegetable starter. The fibre from the vegetables “coats the upper part of the intestines in a protective mesh, which prevents glucose molecules entering the blood stream, thereby preventing a spike in blood sugar”, Jessie Inchauspé, also known as Glucose Goddess, previously told Vogue.
The finger breathing sleep technique
Given so many of us suffer long, sleepless nights, one of the great tricks to come out of TikTok this year was the “finger breathing method”. Working on the body’s parasympathetic nervous system (also known as “rest and digest” mode), the idea is to enhance mindfulness by inhaling and exhaling, while watching and tracing around each finger. This multi-sensory method lulls the brain into relaxation, and then finally sleep creeps in.
Aim for 20 minutes of movement a day
A number of scientific studies emerged this year, indicating that the 20-minute mark is a good amount of time to aim for when working out. One recent study found that doing 20 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise can boost cognitive performance after a bad night’s sleep – goodbye brain fog – while another in October found that 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day can counteract the many negative health effects that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to. Any kind of movement each day has a positive effect on your mind and body, but it pays to aim for the magic 20.
See your friends!
The Mediterranean diet and lifestyle has long been heralded as the gold standard, but this year research found that that you can still enjoy its benefits in other countries – even good old Blighty. From taking a daily siesta to eating seasonally, one of the key parts of Mediterranean life is being part of a community, and engaging with it. That might be via your church, a run club or even just seeing your mates – making time for the people around you is scientifically proven to be good for you.
Eat 30 plants a week
Food is medicine – what we put into our body has an impact on our physical and mental health, so choosing it wisely is important. When Vogue spoke with Dr Michael Mosley this year, he explained that one of the easiest ways to improve your diet quickly is to fill a third of your plate with vegetables. Meanwhile, Professor Tim Spector encouraged us to eat 30 different plants a week to improve gut health, and by proxy, our overall wellbeing. That includes beans, legumes, spices, herbs, alongside the usual culprits, like fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds. The message is clear: the more plants we can eat, the better.