We've done
the leg-work for you and here they are: the 45 best health tips. Give yourself
a boosted body. We've done the legwork for you and here they are: the 45 best
health tips. Make that 46 - taking the time to read this tops the list.
1. Copy your
kitty: Learn to do stretching exercises when you wake up. It boosts circulation
and digestion, and eases back pain.
2. Don’t
skip breakfast. Researchers show that eating a proper breakfast is one of the
most positive things you can do if you are trying to lose weight. Breakfast
skippers tend to gain weight. A balanced breakfast includes fresh fruit or
fruit juice, a high-fiber breakfast cereal, low-fat milk or yoghurt, whole-wheat
toast, and a boiled egg.
3. Brush up
on hygiene. Many people don't know how to brush their teeth properly. Improper
brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth and gums as not brushing at all.
Lots of people don’t brush for long enough, don’t floss and don’t see a dentist
regularly. Hold your toothbrush in the same way that would hold a pencil, and
brush for at least two minutes.
This
includes brushing the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the tongue and
the roof of the mouth. And you don't need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a
sturdy, soft-bristled one that you replace each month.
4. Neurobics
for your mind. Get your brain fizzing with energy. American researchers coined
the term ‘neurobics’ for tasks which activate the brain's own biochemical
pathways and to bring new pathways online that can help to strengthen or
preserve brain circuits.
Brush your
teeth with your ‘other’ hand, take a new route to work or choose your clothes
based on sense of touch rather than sight. People with mental agility tend to
have lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and age-related mental decline.
5. Get what
you give! Always giving and never taking? This is the short road to compassion
fatigue. Give to yourself and receive from others, otherwise you’ll get to a
point where you have nothing left to give. And hey, if you can’t receive from
others, how can you expect them to receive from you?
6. Get
spiritual. A study conducted by the formidably sober and scientific Harvard
University found that patients who were prayed for recovered quicker than those
who weren’t, even if they weren’t aware of the prayer.
7. Get
smelly. Garlic, onions, spring onions and leeks all contain stuff that’s good
for you. A study at the Child’s Health Institute in Cape Town found that eating
raw garlic helped fight serious childhood infections. Heat destroys these
properties, so eat yours raw, wash it down with fruit juice or, if you’re a
sissy, have it in tablet form.
8. Knock one
back. A glass of red wine a day is good for you. A number of studies have found
this, but a recent one found that the polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in
green tea, red wine and olives may also help protect you against breast cancer.
It’s thought that the antioxidants help protect you from environmental
carcinogens such as passive tobacco smoke.
9. Bone up
daily. Get your daily calcium by popping a tab, chugging milk or eating
yoghurt. It’ll keep your bones strong. Remember that your bone density declines
after the age of 30. You need at least 200 milligrams daily, which you should
combine with magnesium, or it simply won’t be absorbed.
10. Berries
for your belly. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries contain plant
nutrients known as anthocyanidins, which are powerful antioxidants. Blueberries
rival grapes in concentrations of resveratrol – the antioxidant compound found
in red wine that has assumed near mythological proportions. Resveratrol is
believed to help protect against heart disease and cancer.
11. Curry favor.
Hot, spicy foods containing chilies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the
feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful, almost narcotic, effect and
make you feel good after exercising. But go easy on the lamb, pork and mutton
and the high-fat, creamy dishes served in many Indian restaurants.
12. Cut out
herbs before ops. Some herbal supplements – from the popular St John's Worth
and ginkgo biloba to garlic, ginger, ginseng and feverfew – can cause increased
bleeding during surgery, warn surgeons. It may be wise to stop taking all
medication, including herbal supplements, at least two weeks before surgery,
and inform your surgeon about your herbal use.
13. I say
tomato. Tomato is a superstar in the fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes
contain lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. They’re also rich in vitamin C.
The good news is that cooked tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in
pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads.
British
Thoracic Society says that tomatoes and apples can reduce your risk of asthma
and chronic lung diseases. Both contain the antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy the
benefits, eat five apples a week or a tomato every other day.
14. Eat your
stress away. Prevent low blood sugar as it stresses you out. Eat regular and
small healthy meals and keep fruit and veggies handy. Herbal teas will also
soothe your frazzled nerves.
Eating
unrefined carbohydrates, nuts and bananas boosts the formation of serotonin,
another feel-good drug. Small amounts of protein containing the amino acid
tryptamine can give you a boost when stress tires you out.
15. Load up
on vitamin C we need at least 90 mg of vitamin C per day and the best way to
get this is by eating at least five servings of fresh fruit and vegetables
every day. So hit the oranges and guavas!
16. No folly
in folic acid. Folic acid should be taken regularly by all pregnant mum and
people with a low immunity to disease. Folic acid prevents spine bifida in
unborn babies and can play a role in cancer prevention. It is found in green
leafy vegetables, liver, fruit and bran.
17. A for
Away. This vitamin, and beta carotene, help to boost immunity against disease.
It also assists in the healing process of diseases such as measles and is
recommended by the WHO. Good natural sources of vitamin A are kidneys, liver,
dairy products, green and yellow vegetables, pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper,
red sorrel and red palm oil.
18. Pure
water. Don’t have soft drinks or energy drinks while you're exercising. Stay
properly hydrated by drinking enough water during your workout (just don't
overdo things, as drinking too much water can also be dangerous).
While you
might need energy drinks for long-distance running, in shorter exercise
sessions in the gym, your body will burn the glucose from the soft drink first,
before starting to burn body fat. Same goes for eating sweets.
19. GI,
Jane. Carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index, such as bread, sugar, honey
and grain-based food will give instant energy and accelerate your metabolism.
If you’re trying to burn fat, stick to beans, rice, pasta, lentils, peas, soya
beans and oat bran, all of which have a low GI count.
20. Mindful
living. You've probably heard the old adage that life's too short to stuff a
mushroom. But perhaps you should consider the opposite: that life's simply too
short NOT to focus on the simple tasks. By slowing down and concentrating on
basic things, you'll clear your mind of everything that worries you.
21. The
secret of stretching. When you stretch, ease your body into position until you
feel the stretch and hold it for about 25 seconds. Breathe deeply to help your
body move oxygen-rich blood to those sore muscles. Don't bounce or force
yourself into an uncomfortable position.
22. Do your
weights workout first. Experts say weight training should be done first,
because it's a higher intensity exercise compared to cardio. Your body is
better able to handle weight training early in the workout because you're fresh
and you have the energy you need to work it.
Conversely,
cardiovascular exercise should be the last thing you do at the gym, because it
helps your body recover by increasing blood flow to the muscles, and flushing
out lactic acid, which builds up in the muscles while you're weight training.
It’s the lactic acid that makes your muscles feel stiff and sore.
23. Burn fat
during intervals. To improve your fitness quickly and lose weight, harness the
joys of interval training. Set the treadmill or step machine on the interval programmer, where your speed and workload varies from minute to minute. Build up
gradually, every minute and return to the starting speed. Repeat this routine.
Not only will it be less monotonous, but you can train for a shorter time and
achieve greater results.
24. Your
dirtiest foot forward. If your ankles, knees, and hips ache from running on
pavement, head for the dirt. Soft trails or graded roads are a lot easier on
your joints than the hard stuff. Also, dirt surfaces tend to be uneven, forcing
you to slow down a bit and focus on where to put your feet – great for agility
and concentration.
25. Burn the
boredom, blast the lard. Rev up your metabolism by alternating your speed and
intensity during aerobic workouts. Not only should you alternate your routine
to prevent burnout or boredom, but to give your body a jolt.
If you
normally walk at 6.5km/h on the treadmill or take 15 minutes to walk a km, up
the pace by going at 8km/h for a minute or so during your workout. Do this
every five minutes or so. Each time you work out, increase your bouts of speed
in small increments.
26. Cool off
without a beer. Don’t eat carbohydrates for at least an hour after exercise.
This will force your body to break down body fat, rather than using the food
you ingest. Stick to fruit and fluids during that hour, but avoid beer.
27. ‘Okay,
now do 100 of those’. Instead of flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even
temporarily – of a personal trainer. Make sure you learn to breathe properly
and to do the exercises the right way. You’ll get more of a workout while
spending less time at the gym.
28. Stop
fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke already, do everything in your power to
quit. Don’t buy into that my-granny-smoked-and-lived-to-be-90 crud – not even
the tobacco giants believe it. Apart from the well-known risks of heart disease
and cancer, orthopaedic surgeons have found that smoking accelerates bone
density loss and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be a 90-year-old
amputee who smells of stale tobacco smoke. Unsexy.
29. Ask
about Mad Aunt Edith. Find out your family history. You need to know if there
are any inherited diseases prowling your gene pool. According to the Mayo
Clinic, USA, finding out what your grandparents died of can provide useful –
even lifesaving – information about what’s in store for you. And be candid, not
coy: 25% of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics themselves.
30. Do
self-checks. Do regular self-examinations of your breasts. Most partners are
more than happy to help, not just because breast cancer is the most common
cancer among SA women. The best time to examine your breasts is in the week
after your period.
31. My smear
campaign. Have a pap smear once a year. Not on our list of favourite things,
but it’s vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year and it’s the most
prevalent form of cancer among black women, affecting more than 30 percent.
But the
chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if it’s detected early. Be
particularly careful if you became sexually active at an early age, have had
multiple sex partners or smoke.
32.
Understand hormones. Recent research suggests that short-term (less than five
years) use of HRT is not associated with an increase in the risk of breast
cancer, but that using it for more than ten years might be. Breast cancer is
detected earlier in women using HRT, as they are more alert to the disease than
other women.
32. Beat the
sneezes. There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common.
If you’re a sneezer due to pollen: close your car’s windows while driving,
rather switch on the internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and avoid
being outdoors between 5am and 10 am when pollen counts are at their highest;
stick to holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as the seaside and stay
away from freshly cut grass.
33. Doggone.
If you’re allergic to your cat, dog, budgie or pet piglet, stop suffering the
ravages of animal dander: Install an air filter in your home.
Keep your
pet outside as much as possible and brush him outside of the home to remove
loose hair and other allergens. Better yet, ask someone else to do so.
34.
Asthma-friendly sports. Swimming is the most asthma-friendly sport of all, but
cycling, canoeing, fishing, sailing and walking are also good, according to the
experts.
Asthma need
not hinder peak performance in sport. 1% of the US Olympic team were asthmatics
– and between them they won 41 medals.
35. Deep
heat. Sun rays can burn even through thick glass, and under water. Up to 35% of
UVB rays and 85% of UVA rays penetrate thick glass, while 50% of UVB rays and
75% of UVA rays penetrate a meter of water and wet cotton clothing.
Which means
you’ll need sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and water resistant
block if you’re swimming.
36. Fragrant
ageing. Stay away from perfumed or flavored suntan lotions which smell of
coconut oil or orange if you want your skin to stay young. These lotions
contain psoralen, which speeds up the ageing process. Rather use a fake-tan
lotion. Avoid sun beds, which are as bad as the sun itself.
37.
Sunscreen can be a smokescreen. Sunscreen is unlikely to stop you from being
sunburned, or to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. That’s because
most people don’t apply it properly, and stay in the sun too long.
The
solution? Slather on sunscreen daily and reapply it often, especially if you’ve
been in the water. How much? At least enough to fill a shot glass.
38. Laugh
and cry. Having a good sob is reputed to be good for you. So is laughter, which
has been shown to help heal bodies, as well as broken hearts. Studies in Japan
indicate that laughter boosts the immune system and helps the body shake off
allergic reactions.
39. It isn’t
over till it’s over. End relationships that no longer work for you, as you
could be spending time in a dead end. Rather head for more meaningful things.
You could be missing opportunities while you’re stuck in a meaningless rut,
trying to breathe life into something that is long gone.
40. Strong
people go for help. Ask for assistance. Gnashing your teeth in the dark will
not get you extra brownie points. It is a sign of strength to ask for
assistance and people will respect you for it. If there is a relationship
problem, the one who refuses to go for help is usually the one with whom the
problem lies to begin with.
41. Save
steamy scenes for the bedroom. Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot
will dry out your skin and cause it to age prematurely. Warm water is much better.
Apply moisturizer
while your skin is still damp – it’ll be absorbed more easily. Adding a little
olive oil to your bath with help keep your skin moisturized too.
42. Here’s
the rub. Improve your circulation and help your lymph glands to drain by the
way you towel off. Helping your lymph glands function can help prevent them
becoming infected.
When drying
off your limbs and torso, brush towards the groin on your legs and towards the
armpits on your upper body. You can do the same during gentle massage with your
partner.
43.
Sugar-coated. More than three million South Africans suffer from type 2
diabetes, and the incidence is increasing – with new patients getting younger.
New studies show this type of diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome (X
Syndrome), which includes high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart
disease.
More than
80% of type 2 diabetics die of heart disease, so make sure you control your
glucose levels, and watch your blood pressure and cholesterol counts.
44. Relax,
it’s only sex. Stress and sex make bad bedfellows, it seems. A US survey showed
that stress, kids and work are main factors to dampen libido. With the advent
of technology that allows us to work from home, the lines between our jobs and
our personal lives have become blurred.
People work
longer hours, commutes are longer and work pervades all aspects of our lives,
including our sexual relationships. Put nook and intimacy on the agenda, just
like everything else.
45. Good
night, sweetheart. Rest heals the body and has been shown to lessen the risk of
heart trouble and psychological problems.
46. It would
be happened when you read these helpful articles and practice what you think can be able.
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