Photo Credit: Harvard, InBody, Grail, Oura
In my first post of 2025, I launched the Health Resolution Challenge. We just finished week 1 of the 28 day challenge and there have been many fascinating learnings and observations for me already. It was also very exciting to see the number of people who signed up for the Challenge (we had to start a wait list for the next installment of the program, which you can join if interested). Building healthy habits in a sustainable manner needs to be easy to get started with and requires an understanding of how and why they matter; that is the essence of the Challenge as well as of today’s post. In #40, the focus is on a few easy habits one can easily incorporate into their daily lives, that provide the biggest bang for the buck, along with suggestions of a set of tests / measurements that will help early detection of anything that is off-track. Following even a subset of any of these recommendations should demonstrate a very meaningful impact to your health parameters and how you feel every day. Pick the ones you think you can follow sustainably through 2025 and make them your new year’s resolutions.
The Six Fix
Let’s start with the 6 habits I term the Six Fix because I find them to be relatively easy to implement while still providing outsized health benefits. They are not in any particular order of priority so follow as many of them that you think you can incorporate into your daily routine. A good approach may be to start with one or two and then add the others as the first ones become more deeply ingrained.
Habit #1: Walk for 2 minutes to 20 minutes after each meal
It is amazing to see in real time on a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) how glucose spikes, that usually occur post meal, immediately start flattening and then dropping when one starts walking, due to our muscles drawing on the glucose in the blood stream to power the walk. This flattening of the spike translates to both short-term benefits (you won’t feel sluggish, low energy, and sleepy that one typically experiences post meal) and long-term impact (lower triglycerides and lower HbA1c → reduced chances of type 2 diabetes and heart disease). Start with even a 2 minute walk if you find anything longer challenging to get started with, and then over the next few months, build it up to as high as 20 minutes, if possible. One factor I keep in mind when prioritizing the duration of my walk is to determine how carb-heavy my meal was; the heavier the carb content and/or larger the meal, the longer the duration of the walk. The things I highly recommend doing to make this habit less boring is to listen to your favorite podcasts or schedule a work call or a call / chat with a friend / family member. Make sure to do the walk within 1 hour of finishing the meal, and preferably within 30 minutes of the meal. You don’t need to walk at a brisk pace; you should be able to have a conversation without feeling winded. There are times you have to work at your desk or be in a physical meeting post a meal where you can’t walk. In those circumstances, do the heel raise - keep your toes on the ground and only raise your heels in a continuous up and down motion for 2 to 10 minutes - while you sit on your chair. A 2022 paper from the University of Houston showed compelling results for this exercise as an alternative to a post-meal walk.
Habit #2: Consume a bowl of salad or veggies before a meal
Having a source of fiber, such as a bowl of salad or a bowl of vegetables, as the starter before a meal, has shown tremendous health benefits in two ways. First, it inhibits alpha-amylase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down starch into glucose, thus slowing carbohydrate digestion and absorption. This leads to a steadier rise in blood sugar and better overall glycemic control. Second, fiber supports the gut microbiome by acting as a prebiotic, providing food for beneficial bacteria. When these bacteria ferment fiber, they produce compounds that strengthen the gut barrier function, reduce inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity. The suggested amount of daily fiber intake is about 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. To put things in perspective, a bowl of mixed green salad with some veggies is only about 5 g of fiber, while the top five high-fiber foods are chia seeds (~10 g/2 tbsp), avocado (~10 g/medium avocado), most berries (~8 g/cup), black beans (~15 g/cooked cup), and lentils (~15 g/cooked cup). These foods not only provide substantial fiber for digestion and metabolic health but also offer additional benefits like antioxidants, healthy fats, and plant-based protein. It is important to drink enough water when consuming fiber.
While most folks don’t get enough fiber in the day, there is such a thing as having too much fiber (70 grams), which could cause bloating, gas, cramping, or diarrhea and may hinder the absorption of nutrients like calcium, iron, and zinc. People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) should be careful about their fiber intake.
Habit #3: Hydrate well
Most of us don’t drink enough water throughout the day. However, the impact of being well hydrated is multifold: Staying well-hydrated throughout the day supports efficient blood circulation, helps regulate body temperature, and aids in nutrient transport and waste elimination. It also improves energy levels, cognitive function, and mood, while reducing the risk of headaches, fatigue, and kidney stones. Additionally, adequate water intake promotes skin health, digestion, and the effectiveness of metabolic processes. The recommended water intake is 30 ml per kg of body weight plus 500 ml per hour of physical activity; this translates to drinking about 2 liters of water daily for a 60 kg person who exercises about 30 minutes a day. If you are having meals rich in fiber or you drink a protein shake with creatine, err on the side of drinking more water rather than less. When consuming alcohol, I highly recommend drinking a glass of water just before you take your first sip of alcohol. It is useful to spread the consumption of water evenly throughout the day rather than concentrating it all at one time. Avoid drinking water for 2 hours before bed time, if possible. Always use the urine color test as feedback on your water consumption - your pee should be a very pale yellow color with neither colorless (over-hydrated) nor dark yellow (dehydrated) being a good sign. Stick to water as your primary source of hydration, rather than any and all forms of liquid, which usually place a burden on your kidneys.
Habit #4: Strength training 3 times a week
The benefits of strength training are many: Strength training improves muscle mass, and bone density, both of which we tend to lose after the age of 35 or so. We lose muscle mass at the rate of 3% - 5% per decade after 35-40 and then 1% - 2% per year post the age of 60. . With women, this loss is further exacerbated during perimenopause and onwards. Strength training also enhances metabolic health by increasing insulin sensitivity, improving blood sugar control, and boosting resting metabolic rate. Additionally, strength training supports mental well-being by reducing stress, improving mood, and promoting cognitive function. It is therefore critical to focus on strength training for everyone but I would recommend women in their forties prioritize this even higher.
For most folks, this may be the hardest one to want to do, if you haven’t done it before; I know it was the one I most resisted getting started on. I suggest a few steps that may help you get started. First off, seek out that friend who has been getting on your nerves the last few years about the importance of strength training, and have them guide you on how to get started. They will be thrilled that they were able to convince you to finally take the plunge and you will have someone who will (hopefully) be patient at introducing you to the intimidating sounding world of lat pull-overs, weighted dips and Helms rows. If you can’t find a buddy, get a trainer, who spends 30 minutes a week for about 2 to 3 months, to show you the correct form. Again, this will be less intimidating than trying to figure this out on your own, and will reduce your chances of injuries significantly. Secondly, strength training can be done using your own body weight, bands, free weights, or gym equipment. You don’t need to have access to a full blown gym to get started. An experienced buddy or trainer can help match you to what you will find doable. Finally, it is critical to start with lower weights even if it feels easy; build it up gradually rather than moving quickly and getting injured. You absolutely don’t want to get injured because not only does it take time to recover from injuries as you get older, your chances of wanting to return to it will drop dramatically.
Habit #5: Manage your protein and saturated vs. unsaturated fat intake
While sugars, ultra processed foods, alcohol, and carbs in general are fair targets to avoid consuming, I have found that most people have a hard time getting started on eliminating these because they are the hardest to give up. I recommend a different approach to tackling this problem. I suggest focusing on managing one’s protein and fat intake, and then, once you have momentum, you can revisit the above.
Let’s start with protein: the recommended intake of protein is 1 to 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight, with the higher end of the range being for individuals who tend to do intense weight training and the lower end for those who do very little, if any. For a person who weighs 70 kg and does a standard level of strength training 3x a week, the recommended protein consumption is about 100 grams of protein. Most vegetarians, and some non-vegetarians who avoid consuming red meat, tend to not get enough protein through their diet. For perspective, a meal with a cup of lentils, two eggs, a cup of yoghurt and 2 slices of bread will be about 40 grams of protein. For such individuals, it is recommended to consume a protein shake that contributes 20 grams of protein. One thing to keep in mind is that for those folks who have high uric acid levels, they should be careful about consuming protein sources that are heavy in purines because that can lead to gout (red meats, sardines, anchovies are heavy in purines while lentils and beans have moderate levels of purines). Protein rich foods have an additional benefit of providing a feeling of satiety or fullness that automatically ensures that fewer calories are consumed, thereby effectively limiting the consumption of as many carb-driven calories.
Within dietary fats, saturated fats provide a quick and efficient source of energy, play a role in the production of hormones like testosterone, are essential for maintaining the integrity of our cell membranes, and play a role in bone health and nutrient absorption. Unsaturated fats on the other hand help reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels, act as a sustained energy source, help with cognitive function, skin, and hair health, and have been positively linked to longevity.
Sources of saturated fats are coconut oil and coconut milk (~87% saturated fat), palm oil (~50% saturated fat), ghee (clarified butter) and butter, cheese and full-fat dairy products, animal fats (e.g., lard, tallow), and fatty cuts of meat like pork and beef. Sources of unsaturated fats are olive oil, avocado, nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews), flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, oils like canola, safflower, and soybean, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, Omega-3-rich fish (e.g., sardines, herring) and fish oil.
The combination of saturated and unsaturated fats should usually make up about 30% to 35% of total calories. Within them, the ratio between saturated fats and unsaturated fats should be 30% to 70% of total fat consumption. For a typical 2,000 calorie day, less than 20 grams should be from saturated fats and about 50 grams should be from unsaturated fat sources. Absolutely avoid trans fats and avoid engaging in either high fat diets (especially those with poor lipid profiles, gallbladder issues, and those with genetic disorders such as hypercholesterolemia) as well as avoid engaging in low fat diets (especially athletes who need sustained energy and recovery, those with hormonal imbalances, and pregnant and lactating women)
Habit #6: Optimize for sleep schedule
Sleeping well is one of the trickier pieces of advice to practically follow because even though most people would like to sleep better, they don’t seem to be successful at it. The reason for that is because it is hard to control the duration of sleep and the quality of the sleep stages. However, recent studies have shown that, while getting all three aspects - sleep timing, sleep duration and sleep stages - right would be ideal, if you had to pick one to prioritize, it would be sleep schedule. This is good news because of the three, sleep timing (what time you go to bed) is the most under our control.
Therefore, my recommendation on how to more effectively build this sleep habit is to define a 1-hour window during which you want to go to bed, and accordingly create a specific pre-sleep routine. E.g. I have decided that I would like to go to bed most days between 930 pm and 1030 pm. In order to achieve that, I work backwards on my pre-sleep routine elements: start dinner by 7 pm to get as close to a 3 hour gap between my last meal and bed time, do something relaxing in the last hour before bed time, such as watching a fun stand-up gig or a TV show, and put the phone in sleep mode about 15 to 30 minutes before I go to bed. What I found is that my sleep duration and sleep quality both automatically improved the more consistent I kept my sleep timing. While it is practically impossible to follow anything 100%, the more days you can do it, the better.
Recommended Tests
Below I have recommended 4 tests, three of which I have been doing myself over the last 9 years and one that I am contemplating doing in 2025. They are done at different frequencies to provide a holistic picture of how my body is evolving. While I do many other tests not mentioned below, I am only highlighting those that I would prioritize higher for those that want to do the bare minimum.
Measurement #1: Comprehensive Blood Testing Panels
I have written previously about all the parameters I would like to see measured, which include metabolic health, advanced lipid profiling, inflammation, kidney and liver function, thyroid health, hormonal health, nutrient and vitamin levels, cardiovascular risk, bone health, and immune function panels. As importantly, make sure to review the trends of each of the parameters over time rather than only focusing on the latest measurement. It is good to keep in mind that the ranges used for each parameter are rarely for optimal health, and therefore I suggest you focus on both parameters that are highlighted as well as any parameter that are moving in the wrong direction over time. E.g. While LDL-cholesterol may have an upper limit of 130 mg/dL, if you see it go from 80 to 90 to 100 over 3 successive tests, it should already be a call to action to do something. I will be releasing a tool for you to do this very easily in the next month and would love to get your feedback on it. Please do reach out if you are interested in trying it out.
I do my blood tests every 3 months because I have heart disease and want to detect any changes sooner rather than later. For those without diabetes, heart disease or any serious health concerns, I recommend doing your tests once every 6 months if you are aware of a parameter whose trend you are concerned about, or once every 12 months if all the key parameters seem to be stable.
Measurement #2: Body Composition Analysis (BCA)
I use the relatively accurate InBody scan for my BCA measurements of visceral fat, body fat and muscle mass primarily. The value of these parameters, as I have written in previous posts, is very significant in terms of providing feedback on one’s lifestyle and are great predictors of healthspan and lifespan. You can use the DexaScan although that ends up being quite expensive or you can use the cheaper Renpho or Withings scales, which are cheaper but not as accurate. I use the Renpho / Withings on a weekly basis, more to get a sense for the trends, and I do the InBody scan on a quarterly basis. I recommend doing the InBody scan type measurement at least once a year because the loss of muscle mass can happen very rapidly after the age of 35, as can the gain of visceral fat; both of which need to be avoided.
Measurement #3: Calcium CT Scan
This one is going to be controversial since most healthcare systems do not recommend doing a calcium CT scan unless there are any symptoms or significant issues with one’s lipid parameters. However, I would definitely have been an unfortunate statistic had I followed this protocol. And I know at least ten other followers of this blog that have mentioned the same. The downside of doing this scan is a low dose of radiation exposure (1 - 3 mSv) which is the equivalent of radiation that we experience over a year from the environment; not a big deal. It is important to note that a Calcium CT Scan does not detect soft plaque (earlier stages of the calcification process) but rather only hardened or calcified plaque (later stage of evolution of the plaque). This means that not getting a poor score may not be an indicator that there is no issue but getting a poor score is definitely a sign that one needs to do something about it. As context, when I did my scan 9 years back, my score should have been 0 but it was 266!
I recommend doing the Calcium CT Scan once in your 30s, especially if you are South Asian given the high rates of heart disease at younger ages, and then twice every decade from your 40s onwards. If you have already been diagnosed with significant calcification, there is no need to keep doing it but instead do your annual check ups with your cardiologist to ensure they catch any building blockages early.
Measurement #4: Cancer Screening
This is one test I have not done as yet, but I plan on revisiting this in 2025, as I have written extensively about in a previous blog post. The rates of false positives and negatives are what have kept me away from doing this test but that is improving significantly with every passing year, and I am hopeful it will be good enough for me to do this as a matter of routine every year. If any of you have done it and have any observations, I would love to hear about them in the comments section or as a direct message.
So that’s about it. I hope you will consider making one or more of these habits or measurements part of your 2025 new year resolutions. I can say with high confidence that you will be doing yourself and your loved ones a huge favor by doing so. I guarantee it. If you do decide to adopt any of them as your resolution, it would absolutely make my day if you share it in the comments section. I will leave you with one final thought from James Clear (author of “Atomic Habits”)
As always, leave your comments on whether you find this helpful, anything you think I can do better, and any topics that I should be covering. Until next time …
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