Resiliency, Not Resolutions, in 2022

By Kelli LaPage, MS, ATC, FASNY Health and Wellness Committee

Every New Year, millions of people commit to that one thing that they believe will make their lives better in the upcoming year. “I will lose weight”… “I will spend more time with my family”… “I will make more money”…. “I will eat better”… While all of these proclamations are certainly positive, they lack clarity, they lack action and, quite frankly, they lack direction. This is exactly why they almost never stick. Our health/well-being is not the result of just one factor – or grand gesture. It is about many different variables that interact to move us closer to the best health condition that we can achieve.

I’ll repeat that: Health is not about one action or resolution. It requires action on multiple variables that all interact to move us closer to our optimal state of health. That means that we all have different plans. We also all have different potential outcomes. But in every instance, you can make your health better, and, therefore, how you feel and function, better than it was before.

I often have clients that express doubt that investing in their health can really make a difference. Just the other day, a middle-aged client shared that a friend of his who didn’t smoke, ran marathons and ate healthfully had a heart attack before the age of 55. It is true, health catastrophes can occur to “healthy people.” You can do everything “right.” You can eat well, not smoke, exercise, etc., and something can still happen.

A heart attack, a stroke, diabetes or an accident can all happen to “healthy people.” But, the power of investing in your health is not to guarantee that something bad will never happen. No one and no action can ever guarantee that. Investing in your health is not a guarantee that nothing bad could happen, but it is an assurance that, God forbid, something catastrophic does happen, you have given yourself every opportunity to not only survive but come out on the other side as yourself. That is why every investment, in every area, no matter how big or how small, contributes to your resiliency. And at the end of the day – resiliency is our best defense against health issues.

So, as we begin this New Year, let’s commit to improving our resiliency across all areas of our lives. The following are just some of the ways that you can invest in strategies to improve your own resiliency.

Address What You Know and Find Out What You Don’t Know
The first and foremost investment for resiliency is to understand and accept where there are discrepancies in your health, where you have risk factors, and where you are making choices/actions that contradict your goal for better health in the New Year. For many people, this can be difficult because it is easier to bury your head in the sand than to learn what could potentially be wrong. Every year I work with dozens of people – OK let’s be honest, it’s mostly men – who have not been to a doctor in five, 10, sometimes more than 20 years.

These are people that will share their health concerns with me, even work with me to improve areas of their health, but refuse to go in for a physical exam with a medical professional. Without exception, when probed about why, it is fear of learning that something is wrong. But, in every instance I remind them that if there is a risk to their health, it is there whether they know about it or not. But, the most danger comes to those who do not know what they do not know. If something is diagnosed – no matter how scary it may be – that diagnosis gives you the opportunity to directly confront it. To take action to reduce or even eliminate the risk. And it allows you to track your progress towards reducing that risk. Again, it is about arming yourself with every tool in the toolbox to allow the best possible outcome. And when it comes to your health, what you don’t know cannot only hurt you – it can kill you.

So, Resiliency Investment No. 1 is: Stay current with your annual physical and screenings.

Once you have committed to this investment, consider these follow-ups:

Remain an active and curious participant in that process. Go into your physical, or doctor’s appointments with questions and concerns. Write them down (because it is very easy to get distracted during an appointment and forget to bring up all of your questions) and jot down answers of steps recommended by your doctor to address those concerns. Don’t allow your questions or concerns to be dismissed or postponed. Advocate for yourself in the same way you would advocate for a loved one.

If something is discovered of concern, educate yourself. Ask the doctor for resources, but also recognize that the day-to-day investments in health are not typically the strong suit for your doctor. All too often, I have clients come back from a doctor’s appointment frustrated with incredibly vague instructions, or often even downright false information, when it comes specifically to nutrition and supplements. Do your own research, but be very wary of online, non-medical sources.

There is far more misinformation on the web about health than not, and many seemingly valid sites are actually just fronts for sales of non-regulated and non-proven products and services. While I may start some information hunts with a Google search, I always look in the reference sections of the articles for where the information is coming from. Look for recent references, and those coming from medical and scientific sources – not somebody’s blog or a product website.

Cross-reference articles and seek out information from support websites. These days almost every condition has not for profit support resources for people with, or who know someone with, that condition. These can be a great place to find legitimate, scientifically/ medically based information instead of fads and gimmicks.

Take an Honest Look at Your Nutrition Patterns
It cannot be understated: Your health is what you eat. Our nutrition patterns absolutely are the largest behavioral contributor to health discrepancies. And let me be clear: There is no one best way to eat.

What your diet should consist of is very dependent on the conditions you already have or are at risk for, whether you have food sensitivities or allergies, whether you have systemic inflammation or gastrointestinal issues, and (often overlooked) taking into account what you like/dislike and have access to. While there are far too many variables to address in this one article, the following are some areas that everyone should examine in their own diet:

Eat to minimize inflammation. While there are different foods that contribute to inflammation in different conditions and for different people, there are several categories that scientific studies have consistently reinforced contribute to not only systemic inflammation, but are direct correlators to several common disease states in our population.

Reduce your intake of sugar. This is incredibly important for several metabolic reasons. First, sugar is typically consumed with empty calories, so it absolutely is a contributor to obesity and misaligned body composition (having an unhealthy level of body fat and visceral fat). We also know that diets high in sugar contribute to metabolic syndrome and diabetes. But diets high in sugar have also been shown to be direct contributors to heart disease, high cholesterol and even certain forms of cancer. While everyone’s plan should take all of the factors listed above into account, a general rule of thumb is to aim to keep your total sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day (many healthcare professionals and nutritionists recommend under 30g). I take this a step further and recommend that that intake be limited to no more than 15g per meal. While added sugar is a great place to start, be aware of the high sugar content in natural foods/fruits that can quickly surpass your daily totals.

Minimize your consumption of inflammatory fats. This is one area of massive misinformation – especially through online sources. While moderating your consumption of fatty meats is a good idea, the most damaging fats come from plant-based sources. Scientific evidence shows that the inflammatory fats found in vegetable and seed oils are major contributors to systemic inflammation and disease states that are driven by it. Reduce your consumption of these inflammatory fats by minimizing processed foods, fried foods, baked goods and oil-based dressings and condiments. If it sounds like we are recommending not eating all the “good stuff,” consider these easy alternatives. Cook with olive oil (even using butter in moderation is far better for your health than using vegetable oils and margarine). Invest in a convection oven of air fryer which allows the benefits of “frying” for flavor and texture while removing the excessive inflammatory oil consumption. Also avoid “unnatural” replacement foods. Meat alternative/dairy alternative products have significantly more of these harmful inflammatory sources than their natural animal-based products. Again: There is no one size is right for all approach here, but avoid making changes that you believe are healthy based on marketing and health site fads, that actually put more strain on your health.

Drink water first thing in the morning – then all day, every day. Perhaps this is the simplest investment that you can make. Most people should drink half of their weight in ounces of water each day – and caffeinated or sugary beverages do not count towards that total (note: do not exceed 120 ounces without consulting with a medical professional, regardless of your weight). This one simple addition to your day will not only help you feel more energetic throughout the day, but often notably contributes to weight loss. Have your first glass of water before you start the coffee train, so that you start your day on the positive side of the hydration scale.

Fat-free is not better. Just a quick note here: Our grocery store shelves are full of products that scream fat-free or reduced-fat from the labels. Don’t fall for this. In almost every instance, removing the natural fat from an animal-based product (yogurt and dairy products in particular) means they are replacing it with unnatural products, fillers and very often with increased added sugar. Be a smart consumer: Compare labels and don’t choose something for one variable alone. Look for products that are lowest in sugar while offering a moderate to substantial protein and healthy fat amount. Again remember: All fats are not created equal, and healthy omega 3 and monounsaturated fats are an important part of your nutritional health.

There are so many other areas to discuss, but we will save those for another time. Please remember that, as a member of FASNY, you can request on-site or remote educational sessions with Kelli LaPage/ WellTrail to learn more about how nutrition affects you – and how to make simple, sustainable improvements to your firehouse nutritional plans that will keep everyone happy and more closely aligned to health.

Incorporate Healthy Movement Every Day
Notice I didn’t say exercise. Find time to put movement into every day. This can be dancing in your living room, chasing the kids around the yard, walking your dog … whatever fits your lifestyle today. Make sure that you incorporate strength training into that mix. I often recommend people pick three exercises – an upper body, lower body and core – and do them in 30-second intervals with a 30-second rest after each sequence of three … repeat five times and you have a 10-minute mini-HIIT (high intensity interval training) session. These can be built in anywhere, at any time, with no equipment at all.

Health Can Exist at Any Size – But, If You Are Making Healthy Investments, the Size Will Change
This is a great place to insert a very important reminder. You can be healthier (or even healthy) at any size. So do not make the size (or the weight) the goal. If you are making healthy investments that are right for your body, you will be improving your health regardless of how much you weigh. And at the end of the day, those investments will more than likely have a positive effect on your size as well. So, stop using the scale as your judge and listen to your body. How do you feel, what are you able to do? These are the important markers to follow.

Prioritize Sleep
This can be a real challenge for many people, but especially for our members at FASNY. There are already variables that affect our sleep patterns: kids, stress, offshift or long work hours. But, as a first responder, you likely have additional challenges that may keep you from consistently having a healthy night’s sleep. Like with all other variables we have talked about, there is no one size fits all. But, the recommendation is pretty standard: Aim for at least six to eight hours of sleep.

Most people truly need closer to eight. And just because your can function on less than that does not mean that is good for you. Lack of sleep affects every aspect of our health from mental health, judgment, concentration, coordination and mood to our ability to recover from injury – and even just our ability to fight off illness and disease.

Pay special attention to your pre-bedtime routine. Avoid caffeine and other stimulants (including sugar) within the hours before bedtime. Minimize exposure to stimulating environments (like blue light, TV, etc.) right before bed. Rather, seek to create a peaceful routine at least 20-30 minutes before you intend to go to sleep. Reading, meditation, breathing techniques are ideas that work for some people, but find what works best for you.

And consider a post-sleep journal if you are someone who lies awake with your mind racing at night. Jot down your to-do list, your worries, even a diary entry before going to sleep so that you can get your shuteye with a clear head. But, above all else: Find what works for you.

Seek Support and Make Meaningful Change in Addictive Behaviors
If this is a factor in your life, then you have likely already thought about (and maybe already attempted) a change in your habits. Whether your vice is tobacco, alcohol, gambling or drugs (of any kind), do not do this alone. The most important thing you can do is seek out and stay connected to a person, or network for support. Sometimes that is just an accountability partner: a coworker, friend or relative who will support you and call you out when need be. In other instances, you need a counselor, therapist or medical professional. But, start your journey by developing this support network, and build the right habit change steps for you with their support.

Find Moments to Rest
This cannot be stressed enough. We all need time to unwind, decompress and chill. For many first responders, this isn’t just a nice option, but a true necessity. You see things every day that can put additional strain on your mental health and wellbeing, not to mention the additional physical stressors that you may encounter.

The worst thing we can do is sweep them under the rug and push through everything with a forced smile. We all need to rest. We all need (and deserve) peace. If you do nothing else, I challenge you to make this commitment to yourself today. Every day, take a moment – even if it’s five minutes – to find your peace. It may be a moment of meditation. It may be a round on the punching bag. It may be writing in your gratitude journal. It may be talking with a counselor or spending time in nature.

Whatever you need to do to stay grounded and find your peace, start doing it today and every day, without fail, no matter what. You need it, you deserve it and this, above all else, is where your resiliency will thrive.

Take It One Step at a Time
There are, of course, many different variables that contribute to our resiliency, and while we can’t cover them all here – these are a place to start. And that’s what this journey is about. Just start. Take your first step. You don’t have to climb a mountain today. You just have to take a step. Then take another tomorrow.

But, keep moving. And each day you will be able to look back with pride on those first steps – and eventually how far you have really come – in improving every aspect of your health and well-being by consistently building your resiliency.


Kelli LaPage and WellTrail provide support services and training opportunities to FASNY and other organizations throughout New York. To learn more about training or speaking opportunities with your department, contact them at info@welltrail.com or visit welltrail.com to learn more.