We know that hitting the gym or eating salads are beneficial for our health. We know that the incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases and obesity are on the rise. We know that we need to exercise for around 30 minutes daily. We know that we need to get a good night's sleep for 7 to 8 hours. We know that we need to stay healthy. This is all we know! But knowing or thinking about something and implementing the same are two different concepts. Some "baby-ideas" die soon after you conceive!
There is not much time that you will need to invest if you try to incorporate certain healthy practices in your daily routine. This is what you can do:
- Take the Peel: Experts have found that eating the peels or skin of apples helps in fighting cancers especially of the breast, liver and colon. Prefer having the organic ones as they are pesticide free.
- Take Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements: Daily consumption of vitamin and calcium supplements reduces the risk of cancer remarkably. A Creighton University study found that the intake of this combo reduced cancer risk in women by 77 percent. According to researchers, Vitamin D works by boosting your immune system and this is the way the body protects itself from cancer.
- Smell Lavender or Rosemary: Sniffing lavender can give you a good night's sleep while offering other some other forms of goodness during the daytime as well. In a study, the volunteers inhaled the essential oils of lavender for 5 minutes. A fall in the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, by almost 24 percent was observed. And this a great effect because cortisol raises the blood pressure and represses the functioning of the immune system. Additionally, the subjects who sniffed low concentrations of lavender or high concentrations of rosemary were able to destroy the free radicals to a greater extent.
- Add Pistachios to Salads: Pistachios come with high contents of plant sterols, the compounds known for their cholesterol absorption reduction qualities. Researchers at the Pennsylvania State University found that those subjects, who chomped the nuts, observed a reduction in their total cholesterol by 6.7% on an average and their LDL ("bad") cholesterol by 11.6%. Please note, one ounce (around 28 grams - a little less than a handful) contains about 160 calories. So use it wisely on your salads.
- Use Buckwheat Honey as a Sugar Substitute: Various studies have found that honey slows the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and it is this process which causes plaque deposition in blood vessels. Buckwheat honey has been found to be the best variety which contributes to this result.
- Breathe Deeply: According to some studies, deep abdominal breathing can diminish the occurrence of hot flashes by almost fifty percent. Hot flashes are believed to be caused by estrogen withdrawal while researchers opine that stress also has a role to play. Breathe deeply to enroll the parasympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, will stimulate your system's relaxation response. Deep breathing works by slowing your heart rate, relaxing your muscles and by lowering your blood pressure.
- Take an Egg Every Day: Several studies have shown that eggs are rich sources of carotenoids, the antioxidants known for preserving eye health. The carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, support vision.
- Include Whole Grain Cereals in Your Meals: A 15 year old Iowa Women's Health study conducted on 42,000 postmenopausal women reported that women who consumed 11 or more servings of whole grains every week were at a one-third lesser risk of contracting inflammatory disorders such as diabetes, asthma or heart problems in comparison to those who consumed lesser whole grains. You have a number of options available in the form of oatmeal, brown rice, dark bread, pop corn, breakfast cereals and all types of bran.
- Stretch Your Leg: For those who have tight leg muscles, flexibility can be improved upon by stretching. Stretching also helps to strengthen the muscles.
- Have Avocados: In an Ohio State University study, the subjects were asked to take a salad with and without avocado slices. Blood tests depicted that the subjects who consumed the avocado got much higher amounts of lutein, alpha-carotene and beta-carotene in comparison to those who consumed the salads without this fruit.
- Munch Some Dry Fruits: A University of Scranton research showed that figs and dried plums (prunes) had the best nutritional value. In this study, the antioxidant power of the body was found to witness an increase by 9 percent due to the intake of 1.5 ounces (around 42 grams - a handful) of dried figs.
- Snack on Fruit Salad: Eating an assortment of oranges, grapes, apples and blueberries is likely to enhance the antioxidant power of the combo by five times. In other words, it will give you more benefits than what you could have expected from eating each fruit individually. Make your salad more wholesome by including choices like cranberries, strawberries, oranges, red grapes, peaches, pineapples, peaches, apples and pears.
- Love Your Partner: Loving and kissing your partner can go a long way to de-stress you and to keep you motivated throughout the day.
- Let Your Fridge to Operate at a Low Temperature: Turning down the fridge temperature will ensure the protection of your stomach against bugs. Every year, food contamination causes illness in over 75 million people in the United States. The death rate on account of such infections stands at 5,000 a year. Use an appliance thermometer to monitor the temperature of the refrigerator.
- Keep Your Head Straight: When your neck overhangs forward, you need to lean your head up to see and this may lead to the compression of the nerves and muscles located at the skull base. This may cause headaches. Just imagine that a cord is tied up with the top of your head and that this cord is making you to look at the ceiling. This will help to keep your head straight. You should also check to see if your ear is properly aligned with your shoulder.
- Drink Green Tea Everyday: Studies have proved that green tea controls blood cholesterol levels while lowering the risk of cancer. Nowadays, researchers are also claiming that the drink may also aid in the maintenance of your cognitive functions.
As you can see now that these tips are the commonplace activities of the everyday life. Adding pistachios to your salads or including wholegrain foods to your diet have nothing so "special" in them and you do not need to do something very "great" or "extra" to incorporate these changes. The actual "greatness" will be felt in the effects!
