The Sentinel

10 Health recommendations for the new year

Ready to quit smoking in 2025? Ask your doctor for resources and guidance for quitting tobacco and nicotine.

Photo: Lil Artsy/PEXELS

StatePoint - Looking to improve your health in 2025 and beyond? Check out these recommendations from the American Medical Association:

Make nutritional tweaks: Reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and processed foods, especially those with added sodium and sugar. Drinking sugary beverages, even 100% fruit juices, is associated with a higher mortality risk, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Drink water and choose nutritious, whole foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, low-fat dairy products, and lean meats and poultry.

Get active: A recent study published in JAMA found that putting down the TV remote and going for a walk can improve healthy aging—highlighting the importance of small everyday habits. Adults should get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity activity.

Get up-to-date: Get your vaccines in advance of respiratory virus season—including the annual flu vaccine and the updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine for everyone six months and older, as well as pregnant people. People 65 and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months later.

RSV can be dangerous for older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend those 75 and older, and 60 and older at high risk for severe RSV, get vaccinated. Immunizations are also available to protect babies from getting very sick from RSV. This is important because RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization nationwide.

If you have questions, speak with your physician and review trusted resources, including GetMyFluShot.org. You can also reduce the spread of respiratory viruses by covering coughs and sneezes, frequently washing your hands, wearing masks, improving air quality, and staying home if you are sick.

Get screened: Make an appointment for preventive care, tests and screenings to help your doctor spot certain conditions before they become more serious.

Know your blood pressure numbers: Visit ManageYourBP.org to understand your blood pressure numbers and take necessary steps to get hypertension under control. Doing so will reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. If checking your blood pressure at home, visit ValidateBP.org to see if your device has been tested for accuracy.

Learn your type 2 diabetes risk: Take a 2-minute self-screening test at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. Steps you take now can help prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, which carries a higher risk of heart disease, kidney disease and vision loss.

Drink only in moderation: If consuming alcohol, do so in moderation as defined by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans—up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men, and only by adults of legal drinking age.

Quit tobacco and nicotine: Ask your doctor for resources and guidance for quitting tobacco and nicotine. Declare your home and car smoke-free to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure.

Follow dosage instructions: When taking prescription opioids or other medications, store them safely to prevent diversion or misuse, and properly dispose of any leftover medication. If you’re prescribed antibiotics, take the full course to prevent antibiotic resistance—a serious public health problem.

Manage stress: Good mental health is part of good overall health. Get sufficient sleep (at least 7.5 hours per night), exercise and ask for help from a mental health professional when you need it.

More health resources and tips can be found by visiting ama-assn.org.

“The best way to address the post-holiday doldrums is to do something good for your health,” said Bruce A. Scott, M.D., president of the AMA. “Even small, positive choices you make now can have a big impact on your long-term wellbeing.”

Leadership Summit aims to equip local business leaders with tools for success

ST. JOSEPH - Kevin Martlage, the president of Nextier Advisors, is set to host a one-day Leadership Summit in St. Joseph on Jan. 22. Designed for both seasoned and emerging leaders, the event promises a full day of professional development, networking, and strategic collaboration with peers from across the region.

The summit will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., offering a streamlined schedule that balances intensive learning with respect for attendees’ work-life priorities.

“We designed the summit timeline so that it will allow leaders to attend while also being conscious of the all-important work-life balance,” Martlage said.

A veteran of corporate giants Xerox and FedEx, Martlage brings a wealth of experience in organizational leadership. During his tenure at both companies, he worked alongside top executives and received extensive training in management and leadership strategies. Yet, he acknowledges that his early career approach to leadership lacked alignment with his teams.

“Sure, I would attempt to utilize some of the concepts and theories, but I never seemed to be fully on the same page as those I was leading and those I reported to,” he said.

It was a shift to the nonprofit sector that transformed Martlage’s perspective. As director of certification at the International Society of Arboriculture, he discovered the critical importance of awareness, perception, and alignment in leadership. By tailoring his approach to the unique communication styles and decision-making processes of his team, Martlage fostered a culture of cohesion and high performance.

Participants will explore strategies for building trust, managing conflict, and addressing disruptive workplace behaviors—critical skills for leaders striving to cultivate a productive and harmonious work environment.

“I began to focus more on the reactions that I received and the business relationships instead of the output or the goals,” he explained. “I focused on understanding my team and how they liked to interact, receive information, make decisions, and work toward goals, which allowed me to adjust my approach to better support them in their career journey.”

The results, he said, were undeniable: a unified team that achieved milestones once thought out of reach.

Today, Martlage leads Nextier Advisors, a consultancy specializing in leadership development, executive coaching, and organizational strategy. Through his work, he has helped dozens of businesses and leaders achieve measurable success, and the upcoming Leadership Summit marks the launch of a new chapter in his mission to empower others.

The summit’s agenda is ambitious. Participants will explore strategies for building trust, managing conflict, and addressing disruptive workplace behaviors—critical skills for leaders striving to cultivate a productive and harmonious work environment.

“We are going to focus on a concept I call Mischief™, which is all about how to identify and address potentially disruptive behaviors in the workplace as you continue to build a cohesive and supportive work environment,” Martlage said.

Attendees will leave the summit armed with practical tools, including a personalized leadership development action plan and frameworks designed to enhance team dynamics.

“My hope with this summit is to provide impactful and affordable training right here in Central Illinois using the key leadership development concepts I provide to my clients across the country,” he said.

Martlage emphasized that the summit’s interactive format will set it apart. Participants can expect group exercises, dynamic discussions, and opportunities to connect with fellow leaders. Coffee and donuts, along with a catered lunch, will be provided, and an optional happy hour from 4 to 5:30 p.m. will offer additional networking opportunities.

The cost of registration is $249 per person, with details and online sign-up available at www.nextieradvisors.com.

For Martlage, the event is more than a workshop—it’s a chance to help leaders unlock their potential and redefine their impact.

“I use the analogy of flashlights and mirrors a lot,” he said. “As a leader and coach, it is my job to help shine the flashlight on areas of opportunity for someone to consider when it comes to the impact they wish to make, while also holding up the mirror so they can reflect on what they may need to adjust or be aware of to help lead their organization and team.”

With a career spanning both corporate and nonprofit sectors, Martlage has provided consulting services to organizations ranging from municipal leadership teams in southern Indiana to boards of directors and executive teams across North America. His guiding principle, he said, is simple: “Awareness grants you choice.”

Whether the summit becomes an annual fixture or inspires new initiatives, Martlage is confident that its impact will resonate long after Jan. 22.

“The success and impact this approach has had on my current and past clients is something that I feel is unique,” he said. “The key to the impact and success the training and information provide my clients is the power of awareness.”

For more information about the upcoming Nextier Advisors Leadership Summit contact Kevin Martlage at kmartlage1@gmail.com