17 New Year’s Resolutions That Will Remake Your Health

There are small changes you can make that will totally support your health. January 1 is a good time to get these changes going.

Start with your mouth: You probably need a better toothbrush—or at least a new one. Ask your dentist or a friend what kind of toothbrush they recommend. If you haven't switched in a while, now is the time.

And flossing: Do whatever you can to start flossing daily. Yes, it takes a bit of time. But if you get those plastic flosser sticks, you can do it on the go. Don't think you have to floss at the end of the day—you can floss while you watch TV, while you're in bed, while dinner is cooking. Just get it done.

This year, you need to get all of your health checkups taken care of and a health profile wrapped up with your doctor. Ask what kind of test and blood work she recommends, and start making appointments. Be sure to get your teeth and eyes checked, too.

Invest in a fitness tracker and use the first week's numbers as a baseline. Increase the number of steps you take or miles walked a little every week. Find ways to pack in more movement in your day, especially if you have an office job. You don't have to go to a gym or even wear workout clothes. Just move!

You might need a car to get to work or to go see your mom who needs your help. But figure out ways to use your car less, and bike or walk more.

Dieting is the best way to gain weight. Ask anyone who has ever been on a diet, successful or otherwise. Instead, this year make a resolution to change the way you eat—for life. Consider approaching food without a sense of deprivation. Instead, eat fats, which make you feel full, and cut back on sugar, which spikes your insulin and makes you feel hungry.

Sugar has the strange effect of not filling us up and making us hungrier than we were to start with. Being mindful of carbs intake is a big step toward changing the way you eat. If you love bread and sweets, make sure you're not reducing them to the point of feeling deprived. But moderation, or even less than moderation, might be what you need to meet the health goals you have.

Fats are back! After 40 years of stripping them from our eating routines, fats are the new golden child of eating for weight loss, hair and nail growth, and general health. This doesn't mean an all-fried-foods menu. But it means not being afraid of bacon (in moderation) and eating cheeseburgers (as long as the bun is lettuce).

Apple cider vinegar is having a moment and it might be the new health habit you need to boost your metabolism and reach your goals. Folks recommend a few tablespoons with water in the morning for curbing appetite and aiding digestion. Plus, it has a probiotic kick!

It's a little late for flu shots, although they're still better than nothing for flu season. If you haven't gotten one yet, check it off your New Year's health habits list and go get one. Then set a reminder for next October to get one again.

Just because you're not a kid, it doesn't mean you don't need vaccines and boosters. New ones are being developed all the time, and are especially important for people who spend time with kids. New STD vaccines are also available—you should talk to your doctor about risks and whether you should get them.

Look, you know what habits of yours aren't healthy. Make this the year you get real about them. Whether it's quitting smoking, quitting or cutting back on drinking, exercising more or eating better for your health, decide what you want to do about it, and then find someone or a program that can help you achieve it.

They're gorgeous and they make your legs look endless. Also? They're killing your feet. The damage they do is irreversible and the only thing you can do is prevent it from getting worse. Make this the year that foot health takes priority over presentation.

The benefits of meditation are well-known: it lowers stress, improves concentration, helps you sleep better and makes you feel good in general. Find an app to get started or join other beginners in meditation class.

Most American adults aren't getting the eight hours of sleep that are recommended. We go to bed too late, have to get up too early and live nonstop lives that are exhausting us. Take a hard look at your schedule and see what you can cut out in order to get into bed at a time that will get you closer to eight hours of sleep. If insomnia is a problem and over-the-counter supplements don't help, see a professional.

Health isn't just from the neck down, it's also in your brain. Learning new things, challenging your brain or solving complex problems is the exercise it needs. Make a commitment this year to learn more, through reading, classes, online studies or meeting with others regularly. Start a game night or puzzle-making group. Do a nightly crossword or Sudoku. Try lots of different things, even ones you think don't interest you. (Your interests and curiosity might have changed since you took high school calculus).

If all else fails, if no other resolution sticks this year, be committed to getting together with friends more often. Solid relationships are what make us happy, healthy and longer-lived. It doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate, you just need to hear each other's voices and see each other's faces. And be present for each other. It's the healthiest thing you can do.