I'm a wellness writer, and I get overwhelmed by health advice, too. Here is how I prioritize

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2 days ago

After a long day of work, I climb onto the couch to make plans for the rest of the week, and my mind buzzes with everything I could put on my priority list.
I should spend less time on social media, but it is also good to stay connected to long-distance friends. I need to drink water regularly, but does my tap water have endocrine-disrupting chemicals? Eating leftovers rather than restaurant meals is healthier, but I shouldn't store food in plastic because I need to reduce my exposure to microplastics. I hate running, but I should give it a try. Will that one carrot salad that influencers like really make a big difference in my nutrition?
What is a wellness writer to do?
If I am overwhelmed by all the ways to improve wellness — and it's my job — I am sure you could be, too. Here is what I have learned about finding the balance.
Wellness changes to make first
One of the most valuable pieces of advice I have received when it comes to wellness is 'first things first.'
It is tempting to look for ways to cut sugar and salt out of my diet when I read a study on their health impacts or to spend the whole day researching the chemicals used in my homewares to see whether I should replace them. But then I am reminded to focus on the most immediate things.
Am I eating enough? Am I sleeping well? Did I get some good movement in my day? Have I seen my friends and family?
If the answer to any of those things is no, or even a not really, then nothing else is important to me.
It is better that I make sure I am eating a meal that nourishes me than that I nitpick the calories or contents. It is better to sleep soundly and peacefully than to stress all night about microplastics. It is better to spend time laughing with people I care about than to sit in a room filled with red light panels.
These aren't just my personal priorities. Regular exercise, good sleep and a balanced, plant-based diet have consistently shown to be key in a healthy, long life. And more evidence is pointing to the quality of social connections being an important aspect of longevity as well. (My colleagues wrote those stories.)
Once those foundational bases are covered, then you and I can move on to fine-tuning the nutrition, exercise, products and wellness practices that make up our lives.
Find the easy swaps that make a big impact
Let's say you have those essential aspects of your life mostly managed, and you are ready to get more detailed in your wellness. Making changes often takes time, effort and money.
There is a lot of research that many of the products commonly found in homes contain potentially dangerous chemicals such as PFAS or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
The class of chemicals known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are sometimes called 'forever chemicals' because they don't fully break down in the environment and are commonly found in household products. They are endocrine-disrupting chemicals, according to the Endocrine Society.
Chemicals in PFAS categories have been linked with cancers, endocrine-related conditions and developmental delays in children.
It may not be realistic to get rid of everything in your home and start from scratch. Instead, find ways to make a reasonable change that can have a big impact.
For example, finding a good water filter is one step that can address endocrine-disrupting chemicals, PFAS and other potential contaminants.
The Environmental Working Group also has a tap water database so that people can search their drinking-water quality by ZIP code and use a water filtration guide to pick a system that is right for them. NSF, formerly the National Sanitation Foundation, also has a list of recommended filters.
If you are hoping to change some personal care or other home products, start with the things to which you aren't particularly attached, said Dr. Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist on the healthy living team at the Environmental Working Group, in an earlier article.
Friedman has curly hair, so she prefers a certain shampoo and conditioner, but she said there are other personal care products in which she might not notice as much of a loss if she were to switch to those with lower levels of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Plenty of reputable online databases are available to the public to search for safer personal care products, such as SkinSafeProducts.com, developed by allergists and dermatologists with the Mayo Clinic, and Skin Deep from the Environmental Working Group, said Dr. Michael Bloom, a professor of global and community health at George Mason University's College of Public Health in Fairfax, Virginia.
Make sustainable changes a little at a time
Nutrition and exercise are other wellness categories in which an abundance of good guidance also creates plenty of ways to make you feel overwhelmed.
How you eat. The Mediterranean diet, which focuses on plants, healthy fat sources, whole grains and lean proteins such as fish, nuts and legumes, has consistently ranked as one of the healthiest dietary patterns and has been linked to many health benefits.
Studies have also shown the importance of reducing sodium and sugar for longer lives with less risk of chronic disease.
How you move. Likewise, exercise has been linked to better mental health, lower risk of cognitive decline and reduction in chronic diseases.
Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity and two days of strength training a week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But if all you can do now is get a couple of thousand more steps in your day, 10 minutes of exercise or more beans in your diet, those are good places to start, experts say.
How to create a habit. The most sustainable way to alter diet and exercise habits is to do so in slow, manageable steps, according to a 2017 study.
Adding something into your day — exercise, nutrients or even more sleep — takes willpower, which you can wrestle into place in the short term but isn't a good strategy for long-term change, said Katy Milkman, the James G. Dinan Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
But good habits and a well-established routine can help you make the choices you are trying to stick to, Milkman pointed out earlier.
Try making small additions of health-promoting behaviors — even just one change a week to make it stick — to what you are already doing rather than scrapping all your habits and starting from scratch.
As for me, I am going to keep adding to my small exercise routine next week. And I promise to come back and keep sharing the little changes that can make a big difference so you can try next.
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