#1 Consume Red
No, not the anger but to eat something in this colour like red pepper which contains more vitamin C than an orange; red grapes which are rich in resveratrol – a substance that has anti-inflammatory, cancer-preventing and cholesterol-lowering properties; and tomatoes which are packed with lycopene – a powerful antioxidants. You will essentially be upping your body’s defences against cancer, heart disease and other health problems.
#2 Go Bananas
Well, not literally but when you increase your intake of potassium-rich foods such as bananas, fruit juice and dried fruit, you are helping to reduce your blood pressure and risk of strokes and heart disease. Potassium has been found to help work against the damaging effects of excess salt in diet.
#3 Squatastic
This is one of the easiest way to improve your health. Practice squatting by lowering yourself as if to sit on a chair, hover for a few seconds and then stand upright again. It is one of the most effective muscle-strengthening exercise and near-enough full-body exercise. You’d want to keep yourself agile so that you can get out of that chair in old age and to prevent falls.
#4 Sleep An Hour Earlier
A study found that just one extra hour in bed is good enough to lower your blood pressure in as little as six weeks. The research by Harvard Business School discovered that when people who slept for seven hours or less a night, go to bed an hour earlier, there was a significant drop in blood pressure. This in turn reduces the risk of heart attack and strokes. Read here on secrets of a good sleep.
#5 Floss Well
No, this is not a trick to get you to practice better dental hygiene more often, though that should be the way forward. Flossing nightly can make a significant difference to how fast you age by as much as 6.4 years, according to Dr Michael Roizen, a leading US anti-ageing expert. It is believed that bacteria that cause tooth decay can trigger inflammation and thus puts you on a fast track of heart disease when it gets to your arteries. Flossing can also help protect against diabetes and dementia.
#6 Read Upside Down
The idea here is to consciously get out of your comfort zone every day. An activity like reading upside down, will put the brain under mild stress and while it may damage the cells, you are actually encouraging your body to repair the damage along with any other age-related damage as well. You can also try to write with your non-dominant hand or even listening to music you can’t stand.
#7 Just Breathe
The correct breathing technique can be of many benefits to your health such as to help lower your blood pressure and stress levels. Try this exercise – take deep, long breaths through a straw for a few minutes every day. This simple practice encourages you to breathe more deeply, improve lung function, slow your heart rate and lower blood pressure.
#8 Walk The Walk
There are many benefits to walking and research has shown that a short walk can help boost your brain functions and slow down memory decline. A possible theory is that a good walk helps trigger new brain cells, new blood vessels and improve the connections between the brain cells.
#9 Health-Conscious Friends
The idea is to spend time with healthy people. Get together with friends who are mindful of their well-being as these mates have been shown to have a huge, although unconscious, influence over our behaviours. People are most likely to become obese if they have a close friend who is obese even if they are far away, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
#10 Smile Often
The wider your smile, the longer you’ll live. We’re not making this up. A study by the Wayne State University in Michigan showed that smiling reflects positive emotion. So smiling actually triggers the release of chemicals that can make you feel happier, even if you’re faking the grin. This leads to better physical and mental well-being.
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