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A: Getting fit is an excellent New Year’s Resolution. Many common diseases are linked to being overweight such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

Making this your New Year’s Resolution is a great first step toward achieving success. But, it’s important to look at weight loss goals more in terms of getting fit and healthy rather than “losing weight.” Good body composition (how much lean muscle versus fat mass you have) is much more important than shedding pounds. Muscle actually weighs more than fat, and losing muscle can easily occur if a weight loss program is done improperly. Increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat helps reduce the risk of many health problems. So, not only will you look better with improved body composition, you will be healthier too. We all want to live long, full lives, free of illness, so when you embark on your new program, be sure you are evaluating your body composition rather than what the scale tells you.

It is always a good idea to have a full work up (physical exam and blood work) before starting a new program. That said, the best way to get fit is with a good combination of nutrition, exercise and stress management. For a successful supervised program, look for a health practitioner or fitness facility that offers programs that include all of these components and monitors your progress with periodic body composition testing. A customized diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise program can be determined by an initial assessment.

Tips to successfully reaching your goals:
1. Recognize we make healthy lifestyle choices because good health is something we value and want to have our entire life, and the lifestyle choices we make today will lead us to the health we will have in the future. This will help you stay on your program and incorporate long-term changes.
2. Studies indicate that it takes about 45 days to actually make something a habit. That means you have to practice these new lifestyle changes (diet, exercise and stress management) for at least 45 days before they start to stick.
3. Make a commitment to yourself – try writing a contract that specifies your commitment to your goals. Lay out clearly what your short-term (daily or weekly) and long-term (for the month or year) goals are. And reward yourself for each milestone so you’ll have incentives for sticking to your program.
4. Keep a journal to help you stay on track and measure your progress. Include your short-term and long-term goals and your daily successes and challenges. Be sure you keep it positive and not dwell on set backs.
5. Visualize yourself achieving your goals. This will help you follow through with the behavior you visualize.

Congratulations on choosing the resolution to get fit and optimize your health. You’re on the way to a healthier you!

A: Drinking water on the go is a healthy idea, but recent research has been questioning the safety of plastic water bottles.

Most disposable water bottles are made from plastic derived from crude oil, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Reusing plastic water bottles helps reduce waste, but the bacteria levels increase as they are re-used. Washing PET/PETE (#1) bottles may cause them to start breaking down and cause leaching of chemicals into the water such as DEHA, a carcinogen, and benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), a potential hormone disrupter.

Searching for a healthier choice, many people turned to using the harder plastic water bottles made from polycarbonate plastic (often marked #7). However, this does not appear to be a safer alternative since polycarbonate plastic leaches bisphenol-A (BPA) into food and liquids. BPA is a chemical that has been linked to hormone-disrupting effects and several types of cancer. Normal wear and tear, cleaning, scratches, and heating accelerate the leaching. In addition to water bottles, plastic baby bottles, toddler sippy cups, hard plastic containers, food and beverage can linings (including infant formula cans), and dental sealants often contain BPA. Although some skeptics claim BPA does not pose human health risks, it is best to be safe and choose an alternative.

The safest options are reusable glass and stainless steel water bottles. Avoid metal water bottles that have a plastic lining since these may contain BPA. Glass and stainless steel containers do not seem to leach any chemicals into the water and handle frequent washing. These options are particularly important for babies and children since they may be more susceptible to the potential harm from BPA and other chemicals. Look for glass baby bottles and stainless steel sippy cups. Even with these safer alternatives, it’s important to wash reusable containers to avoid accumulation of bacteria.

You don’t need to give up your water-on-the-go. Drinking plenty of pure water is important for good health, but be sure to store it in reusable non-leaching containers such as glass or stainless steel.