16 Steps to a New You in the New Year

Make Small Weight-Loss Goals, Achieve Big Results

Losing just 10 pounds can do a whole lot more for you than helping you look better in your favorite jeans – though that’s plenty important. It can also lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk for a stroke, ward off dementia, lower your risk for uterine and breast cancer, and lower your cholesterol up to 10%. Take Dr. Oz’s Just 10 Challenge now.

Fight Cancer With Your Morning Smoothie

“It’s incredible how much benefit you can get from just one glass of this green smoothie nutritional wonder! Kale, a cruciferous veggie help fight off those nasty free radicals and, thus, lowers your risk for certain cancers. The cancer-fighting fruits in this smoothie will provide a sweet taste without adding sugars that age you.” - Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD.

Get the smoothie recipe now!

Drop a Decade From Your Face

Vitamin C is critical for your body and plays an important role in maintaining healthy, resilient skin. While young skin is full of vitamin C, aging skin naturally loses this nutrient over time. Other factors like exposure to UV light, pollutants and cigarette smoke compound the decline of vitamin C, contributing to signs of aging. You can fight back by replenishing your skin’s vitamin C levels to help to combat and even reverse time’s effect on your face.

Rethink Seasonal Foods

“Sweet potatoes aren’t only appropriate for a holiday meal. Sweet potatoes are one of the most naturally sweet, nutrient-rich starchy vegetables there is. I also love it because it’s one of the most affordable foods in the grocery store. One medium sweet potato is a rich source of fiber, potassium, and beta-carotene – a powerful antioxidant and precursor to vitamin A.” - Kate Geagan MS, RD

Learn about the other seasonal superfoods you should be eating all year long.

Breathe to Reduce Stress

“The breath has a direct connection to the mind and is one of the fastest ways to settle the mind down during moments of excess stress. A simple yogic breathing technique, pranayama, takes advantage of this connection between the breath and the mind. Slow, deep breathing shifts the body’s chemistry from a fight-or-flight response to a rest-and-relax state. The best part is you can do this breathing exercise anywhere and at any time.” - Kulreet Chaudhary, MD

Get step-by-step directions to this breathing exercise.

Cut the Excuses and Get Fit Now!

You don't need expensive exercise equipment to get in shape. Leading an inactive lifestyle can lead to pain in your body, and put a damper on your mental and emotional state. Stop the excuses and get moving today! Try the No Excuse workout series, instructed by Dr. Oz's personal trainer Donovan Green, now!

Protect Your Heart With Antioxidants

“Tomatoes are full of the antioxidant vitamin C and high concentrations of beta-carotene. Just one cup of fresh tomato will give you nearly 58% of the daily value for vitamin C, 22% of the daily value for vitamin A, and almost 8% of the daily value for fiber. Tomatoes are also rich in potassium, niacin, B6, and folate. A study in the Journal of Nutrition, found that women with the highest intake of lycopene-rich tomato-based foods had a significantly reduced risk of heart disease. It was found that as the women’s blood levels of lycopene increased, their risk for cardiovascular disease dropped.”
- Mao Shing Ni, PhD, D.O.M., Dipl. ABAAHP

Know Your Lifesaving Numbers

To begin taking charge of your own health, there are five crucial numbers Dr. Oz wants you to know:
•Blood pressure
•Waist size
•Weight
•Cholesterol
•Fasting blood sugar

Make knowing them your mantra, and you’ll be on the road to a healthier, longer life.

Detox the Right Way

A safe cleanse is one which doesn’t make you starve yourself or take fancy pills, potions or expensive drinks. Eliminate harmful toxins, restore your system, and reset your body with this 3-day detox cleanse.

Don’t Neglect Your State of Mind

“Depression is a problem that is not to be ignored. If you or a family member is suffering from depression, seek the help of a medical professional. Here are some things you can do to improve your mental health, help your heart and lengthen your lifespan:

Stretch it out! Exercises like yoga raises levels of endorphins, which relieves stress and gives your brain the feeling of pleasure.

Take your omega-3s! In addition to helping the heart, omega-3s also help with depression and low mood. Many psychiatrists recommend it for their patients for depression. You can increase your omega-3’s with a supplement or in your diet by eating more salmon, flaxseeds and walnuts.

Get more sunshine! Inadequate sunlight is a common cause of depression (called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD), If you suspect a connection between depression and the time of year, you may benefit from a sun lamp. Talk to your doctor about this.”
- Mehmet Oz, MD

Feast – on the Right Foods!

By feasting on nutrient-dense foods, you can lose weight faster and more efficiently. Nutrient-dense foods – rich in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants – are low in calories. Many of the superfoods you are familiar with fall under the nutrient-dense category. G-BOMBS (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds) are the foods with the most powerful anti-fat storage effects – and they also help to protect against cancer, too. Learn more about improving your health with G-BOMBS.

Go With the Yoga Flow

You don't have to practice like a guru to benefit from yoga. Just 10 minutes a day can improve your balance, breathing and flexibility. Yoga is an integral part of Dr. Oz's daily routine. He begins every day with a quick yoga flow routine. Yoga is a perfect way to reboot or unwind, depending on what you want it to do for you. Try these Oz-approved yoga routines now.

Supplement the Smart Way

In an ideal world, where everyone would have enough time to prepare their own meals, and make sure they met their daily requirements for fruits and vegetables, you’d get all the nutrients your body needs directly from your food. For most of us, this is a goal we’d all like to reach, but unfortunately, it’s far from reality. What’s the solution? Behold, the mighty multivitamin. Consider it your insurance policy for getting all the nutrients your needs to run optimally. When your meals fall short of the nutritional gold standard, make sure you take your daily multivitamin.

The typical multivitamin contains about 10 vitamins and 10 minerals including vitamins A, C, D, E, K and minerals such as potassium and zinc. Make sure your multi contains iodine, a mineral that is sometimes omitted by certain manufacturers and is important for your heart, thyroid, brain and other vital organs.

Know Your Metabolism Type – and Nourish It

Whether you crave salty foods, sweet foods or a mixture of both, you have a unique metabolism type that impacts both your waistline and your personality. Determine your metabolic type with Dr. Oz’s quiz. You’ll look better, feel better, and learn how to eat to stay healthy and lean.

Lose 100 Calories from Your Day

Sounds pretty easy, right? It is, and the benefits will blow your mind. By shaving 100 calories from your day, you can lose 12 pounds in a year. Easy ways to cut these extra calories are to eliminate soda, ditch that 100-calorie snack pack, or give up 2 cookies. Discover more ways to move toward a healthier body weight by effortlessly shaving 100 calories off of your meals and snacks.

Absolutely, Positively Get More Sleep!

Sleep helps heal, restore and protect our many intricate systems and vital organ functions. However, as many as 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder, and sleep problems are one of the most common complaints patients have. Insomniacs often experience weight gain, detrimental effects to their long-term memory, and increased blood pressure – the #1 cause of aging. If you’re part of the American majority not getting the mandatory 7-8 hours of sleep, you’ve got some resting to do! Get started tonight! Take Dr. Oz’s Sleep Challenge.