The new year is a time when many try to start new good habits and commit to improving health and wellness.<\/p>\n
But resolutions, lofty as they may be, can turn daunting quickly with all the advice and sometimes contradicting information coming at you from news reports, advertisers, influencers, friends and even politicians. <\/p>\n
But they don\u2019t have to be. <\/p>\n
This year, The Associated Press got the downlow on all manner of health and wellness claims and fads. The good news is that the experts mostly say to keep it simple. <\/p>\n
As 2026 arrives, here\u2019s what you can skip, what you should pay attention to and how to get credible information when you are inevitably faced with more confusing claims next year.<\/p>\n
Protein and fiber are important, but you probably don\u2019t need to pay more<\/p>\n
When it comes to your diet, experts say most people can skip the upcharge. If you\u2019re eating enough, you\u2019re probably getting enough protein<\/a> and don\u2019t need products that promise some big boost. <\/p>\n And it\u2019s true that most people could use more fiber in their diets. But, please, ditch the \u201cfiber-maxxing\u201d trend<\/a>. Instead, eat whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.<\/p>\n A good skin care routine is not expensive or complicated<\/p>\n That 20-step skin care routine and $200 serum some TikToker sold you on? Dermatologists say<\/a> you really don\u2019t need it. Stay away from the beef tallow and slather on a good sunscreen instead (yes, even if you have darker skin<\/a> ), they say. <\/p>\n And the same rule for simplicity applies to that hourlong \u201ceverything shower.\u201d The best showers are simple and short, dermatologists say, no \u201cdouble cleansing\u201d required<\/a>.<\/p>\n This article is part of AP\u2019s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n There are many simple ways to get that workout in<\/p>\n If the gym and all its equipment feel intimidating, you can drop the illusion that a good workout requires either. This year, the comeback of calisthenics<\/a> put the focus back on no frills, bodyweight workouts you can do in the comfort of home. Research shows calisthenics helps with muscle strength and aerobic conditioning. You may eventually need weightlifting or other equipment, but it is a great place to start to build consistency and confidence.<\/p>\n Be wary of wellness fads and treatments \u2014 they are often too good to be true<\/p>\n Even if you imbibe too much this New Year\u2019s Eve, doctors say you can do without \u201c IV therapy<\/a> \u201d which have vitamins you can get more easily and cheaper in pill form \u2014 if you even need more, which is unlikely if you have a balanced diet. You\u2019re pretty much just paying for \u201cexpensive urine,\u201d one doctor said.<\/p>\n Same for \u201cwellness\u201d focused products like microbiome testing kits<\/a> that generate information that doctors can\u2019t actually act on. And if you don\u2019t have diabetes, there\u2019s scant evidence that you need a continuous glucose monitor<\/a>.<\/p>\n To improve your health, go back to the basics<\/p>\n The idea of a panacea pill, product or routine can be enticing. But science already knows a lot about how to improve mental and physical health, and they are tried and true:<\/p>\n These lifestyle changes don\u2019t just make you feel better in the moment. Research shows they impact your life for years to come, by lowering the risk of dementia<\/a> and many other health issues.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t know who to trust? Start with your doctor<\/p>\n It can be tough to know who to listen to about your health, faced with compelling personal stories on social media from people who swear something worked from them, or clever marketing and advertising from companies that scare you or promise an easy fix.<\/p>\n Doubts have been raised this year about established medicine, including the safety of food dyes<\/a>, fluoride dental treatments,<\/a>hepatitis B shot<\/a> for newborns, and hormone therapies<\/a> for menopause.<\/p>\n While the medical system is not perfect, your doctor remains the best person to talk to about prevention, health concerns and potential treatments.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t get to a human doctor and turn to Dr. Google instead, be sure to follow these tips and never use it to diagnose yourself<\/a>. When you do get that doctor\u2019s appointment, you can make the most of it<\/a> by bringing a list of written questions \u2014 and don\u2019t hesitate to ask for any clarification you need.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute\u2019s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The new year is a time when many try to start new good habits and commit to improving…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":478014,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[3384,57,210,1165,61,67,132,68,3149,1572],"class_list":{"0":"post-478013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-be-well","9":"tag-general-news","10":"tag-health","11":"tag-lifestyle","12":"tag-u-s-news","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us","16":"tag-wellness","17":"tag-year-in-review"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115803814836068660","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478013"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478013\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}