Kickstart 2026 with these 10 doctor-recommended healthy habits. Simple lifestyle changes to boost your overall well-being, energy, and happiness this New Year.
Written by Muskan Gupta |Published : December 30, 2025 5:26 PM IST
Most people make grand health plans to start the new year on a positive note. Most people do not realise that the start begins with small steps that add up to significant changes over time. If you are one of the many looking for a healthy way to start the new year, scroll down and read below to gain more insights.
10 Simple Habits Doctors Recommend for a Healthy Life
According to Dr Aakaar Kapoor, Founder & Designated Partner, City Imaging & Clinical Labs, here are seven simple and healthy habits that can make a huge difference in your life in 2026:
1. Start your day with gratitude, not your phone
Dr Aakaar said, “The stress hormone cortisol is already at its peak in the morning and it rises more when you pick up your phone right after you get up. Practising gratitude calms the system and supports digestion throughout the day.”
2. Get 10 minutes of morning sunlight
Morning light has many benefits – it resets your body clock, increases vitamin D and improves mood. Morning light keeps your gut clock aligned and also helps people with conditions such, as diabetes and heart disease.
3. Walk 10 minutes after meals
One of the best but often missed ways to keep health in check is a ten-minute walk after meals. A ten-minute walk after meals improves digestion keeps blood sugar steady and stops the post-meal slump. A ten-minute walk after meals may also help with weight management.
4. Add fermented foods to your diet
Add yoghurt, kefir, kimchi or kanji to the diet three times a week. These foods feed the microbiome naturally and remove the need, for supplements, which have become a trend.
5. Add more herbs and spices to food and drinks
Spices such, as turmeric, ginger, curcumin, fennel and black pepper improve digestion, lower inflammation and support gut microbes
6. Follow a 12-hour eating window
Eating at proper times helps in many ways. Your gut repairs and detoxes best when your gut rests overnight. Time-restricted eating also boosts metabolism. Time-restricted eating improves health. Aligns eating with the natural body rhythms.
7. Include berries in your diet
Berries have many health benefits. They feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. Berries lower stress. Berries protect liver cells.
8. Prioritise 7-8 hours of quality sleep
Rest helps you recover. Late nights lead to digestive problems; cause sugar cravings the next day. Your gut microbiome heals at night. Sleep also makes you more focused, more alert and more productive.
9. Schedule health check-ups
Preventive health check-ups help you find problems early often before symptoms appear. Regular screenings help you catch issues early when you can treat them more easily. Regular screenings keep you ahead of any bigger health problems that may come up over time.
10. Stay hydrated through the day
Make sure you take adequate water through the day, for proper digestion, circulation, kidney function and, for the energy levels. Fatigue and headaches often are signs of dehydration.
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