Resolution for a year of health

New Year's resolutions seem to be a tradition in America, and it's the time of year to figure out what you want to accomplish — in terms of goals — in 2008.

There are resolutions you hear about every year. Some of them are: to quit smoking… going on a diet (or lose weight)… having a balanced diet… exercising (on a regular basis)… spending more time with your family… to stop using credit cards (good luck)… getting out of debt.

Some resolutions will result in a pass/fail. What is most important is the time context. How long are you going to go without smoking? For how many months (or weeks) are you going to exercise regularly? If it's not for the long term, it does you little good.

Health-related resolutions are, in my mind, some of the most important. They can be life changing, if you keep your resolution for the entire year (and even beyond). Or even life saving.

Personally, I don't make resolutions. But I will be concentrating on taking care of my body in 2008. That pledge has already begun.

Information passed on by way of an accupressure specialist says that a key to health is drinking water. Distilled water. From what I heard, when distilled water is ingested it does a better job of picking up impurities and allows many of them to be excreted through the normal process. That kind of reminds me of the detoxification treatment I had late in 2006. No, not for drugs. You take off your shoes and socks and place your feet in a special "foot bath" that is ion-charged. It's amazing what impurities come out of the body. The water starts clear and by the end of the 30-minute detox, the water is dark gray or black — depending on how many toxins or other impurities are removed. It's a wake-up call as to what's floating around in your body.

Back to drinking distilled water. You can buy it by the gallon (or smaller containers) in grocery and super stores. Water distillers and reverse osmosis machines are becoming more popular in homes, especially in areas where the tap water has an unacceptable taste or odor.

Whether you drink tap, filtered or distilled water, proper hydration is the key. Just ask athletes and other people who exercise. Experts say it's important to drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Many people don't believe it, but drinking lots of water can help curb your appetite and you're likely to eat less. And that can help with a resolution like wanting to lose weight. Don't forget that exercise is also important as well as being selective as to what you eat.

Baby boomers like me are now in their 50's and early 60's. For many of us, metabolism has changed dramatically since we were in our 20's and 30's. If we eat like many of us did when we were younger, our weight could be out of control. So we make adjustments, like it or not.

I don't mean to preach about taking care of your body, but an old television commercial comes to mind. I don't remember what was being advertised but I sure remember the jingle. You might remember the ad by singing along with me — "Take… good… care of yourself… you belong to me." It must have been a commercial promoting good health and the jingle can mean a couple of different things. One angle is that you should take care of yourself for the sake of your loved ones, those close to you. Another: Your body is telling you that this is the only body you have, so treat it well.

In wrapping up my take on preventive health, I want to mention that since I hadn't had a physical for more than a year I took part in the Life Line Screening program in Columbia Falls in mid-October. It was a bank of four simple but tell-tale tests. My cholesterol and triglyceride counts has been high for many years — although I've regulated my fat intake fairly well for years. The high level could be partially hereditary.

The tests — with a nominal cost — were screening for carotid artery/stroke, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial disease, and an osteoporosis risk analysis. I'm sure you're aware of the impact of a stroke or aneurysm. There can be no warning. If you feel you could be at risk for these health problems, do the screening. It could save your life.

With all that said, I wish you a happy and healthy year in 2008.

Joe Sova is managing editor of the Hungry Horse News.