Developing good habits is crucial to get anywhere in life. Even when it comes to your diet, good habits make all the difference between good health and a bad one. But research has shown that by slightly tweaking your old habits, you can make new one which are better and will benefit you more in the long run.
- Walks backwards: After conducting a through research, scientists now believe that walking backwards helps you do other complicated tasks with a lot of ease. As part of the research, it was found that people who walked just a few steps backward were far more focused and attentive than those who walked forward or sideways. The researchers reasoned that the body and mind are on higher alert when they're in "avoidance" mode of walking backwards. Of course, we are not suggesting you do this everyday on public roads as that may be dangerous. But a 15 minute walk on the treadmill (using rails for support) should work just fine.
- A caffeine nap: Do you face the problem of daytime drowsiness? If yes, then we have a rather unique solution for you. It is called a caffeine nap. Before you actually go for a nap, have a glass of coffee and then immediately close your eyes. It may sound odd, but here is how it works: It takes 20 minutes for caffeine to enter your blood stream, an ideal time for a short nap. As soon as the nap is over, the caffeine kicks in making you feel refreshed throughout the day.
- Wait after meals to brush your teeth: We all know how important dental care is to overall hygiene. But sometimes we immediately brush our teeth after a meal. That causes a big problem because the acids in the foods make your teeth more sensitive to the damage caused by aggressive brushing. Thus, before you head to the bathroom after a meal, take a small one hour break. Even better, rinse your mouth with unsweetened tea or water to dilute acid.
- Eat low glycemic carbs before hitting the gym: Eating refined food and sugary drinks may release energy instantaneously, but what you need before hitting the gym are low glycemic carbs. British researchers found that eating high fiber cereals and breads release energy slowly, allowing the body to burn up to 55 percent more fat. Low glycemic index (GI) foods also produce hormones that suppress hunger.
- Brew your tea for 5 minutes: The longer you brew your tea, the greater the quantity of health-boosting flavonoids you will find in it. And if you squeeze a lemon in your tea, you will manage to boost them to upto 80%. Always prefer black tea as milk can hinder the absorption of vital nutrients from the tea.
- Get colonoscopy in the morning: Tests reveal that rate of polyp detection is significantly higher when tests are done earlier in the day because the quality of bowel preparation is better in the morning. Hence always take an appointment in the morning.
They say habits make a man. But what do you do when you already have a lot of good habits? You make the existing ones better by modifying them appropriately. Use the above tips as a platform to start with and notice the change yourself!
A good article.