When it comes to our health, most of us make a fresh start
with the new year. But fall may be an even better time to focus on wellness:
You’re not mentally spent from the holidays, and with a bit of effort now, you
can go into the crazy season feeling energized and fit. To help you kick things
off, Parade dug into the latest
research to find 12 simple, proven ways to keep you and your family healthy.
Start today, next week, or even next month—and reap the benefits by New Year’s.
Things to do today ~
Eat breakfast.
The evidence linking a hearty breakfast and a healthy weight keeps getting more convincing: Earlier this year, Israeli scientists put 93 overweight or obese women on a 1,400-calorie-a-day diet and told one group to eat half of those calories at breakfast and the other to eat half at dinner.
Those who ate the big breakfasts lost 10 pounds more after 12 weeks than those who ate the big dinners; they also had lower levels of fats in their blood and better blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes. One study suggests that half-carb, half-protein breakfasts are the most effective for weight loss—think scrambled eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast.
Ease stress with sound.
And make it the right kind of sound: In one 2013 study, researchers played either classical choral music, sounds of rippling water, or nothing at all for three groups of subjects before making them speak and do arithmetic in front of an audience. Those who listened to the water before performing stayed the calmest, producing the lowest amount of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Don’t live near a stream?
Download a free running water app, such as Fluid Free Live Wallpaper or Koi Pond, on your smartphone.
Cut down on salt.
(But not as much as you think.) In May, theInstitute of Medicine
The best way to lower your intake? Skip processed foods like bread, cold cuts, and pizza—salt added at the table or during cooking contributes very little overall.
Things to do Next Week ~
Stick to an exercise schedule.
Last November, scientists at the National Cancer Institute and other institutions analyzed data from more than 650,000 people and found that those who exercised moderately at least 2.5 hours a week lived nearly three and a half years longer than those who never worked out. Interestingly, weight didn’t factor in: Slender but sedentary people died three years younger than obese folks who made time for physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that ages 18 - 64 engage in at lest 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week, along with two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises, such as Pilates, Zumba or weight lifting.
Use a dental irrigator.
We all know that regular flossing is important—it’s a tried-and-true way to prevent gingivitis.
But consider adding an irrigator—which uses a stream of pulsating water to remove plaque from between teeth—to your oral hygiene routine. Irrigators are both effective at fighting plaque buildup and cavities and well suited for people with orthodontic devices or dental implants. **if you are in need of a
dental irrigator our office recommend the Water Flosser by Water Pik. These can be purchased at our office, or at your local retailer. We do recommend making the purchase through a dental office, as this extends your warranty period and most often there are rebates available through Water Pik that are only offered to dental offices.
Buy more houseplants.
The inside of your home is often more polluted than the outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s because we generate toxic fumes when we cook and clean. But researchers at NASA and other institutions have shown that certain houseplants effectively reduce home levels of pollutants—even cancer-causing ones such as formaldehyde and benzene. Two great choices, they found, were gerbera daisies and ficuses.
Reference:
Grand Rapids Press - Parade
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
Eat breakfast.
The evidence linking a hearty breakfast and a healthy weight keeps getting more convincing: Earlier this year, Israeli scientists put 93 overweight or obese women on a 1,400-calorie-a-day diet and told one group to eat half of those calories at breakfast and the other to eat half at dinner.
Those who ate the big breakfasts lost 10 pounds more after 12 weeks than those who ate the big dinners; they also had lower levels of fats in their blood and better blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes. One study suggests that half-carb, half-protein breakfasts are the most effective for weight loss—think scrambled eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast.
Ease stress with sound.
And make it the right kind of sound: In one 2013 study, researchers played either classical choral music, sounds of rippling water, or nothing at all for three groups of subjects before making them speak and do arithmetic in front of an audience. Those who listened to the water before performing stayed the calmest, producing the lowest amount of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Don’t live near a stream?
Download a free running water app, such as Fluid Free Live Wallpaper or Koi Pond, on your smartphone.
Cut down on salt.
(But not as much as you think.) In May, the
The best way to lower your intake? Skip processed foods like bread, cold cuts, and pizza—salt added at the table or during cooking contributes very little overall.
Things to do Next Week ~
Last November, scientists at the National Cancer Institute and other institutions analyzed data from more than 650,000 people and found that those who exercised moderately at least 2.5 hours a week lived nearly three and a half years longer than those who never worked out. Interestingly, weight didn’t factor in: Slender but sedentary people died three years younger than obese folks who made time for physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that ages 18 - 64 engage in at lest 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week, along with two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises, such as Pilates, Zumba or weight lifting.
Use a dental irrigator.
We all know that regular flossing is important—it’s a tried-and-true way to prevent gingivitis.
But consider adding an irrigator—which uses a stream of pulsating water to remove plaque from between teeth—to your oral hygiene routine. Irrigators are both effective at fighting plaque buildup and cavities and well suited for people with orthodontic devices or dental implants. **if you are in need of a
Things to do by the end of the Year ~
Volunteer.
Philanthropy is all about helping others, but who says you can't get something out of it, too? A meta-analysis of five long term studies published in August reported that people who volunteered were, on average, 22% less likely to die over a period of four - seven years than similar people who didn't volunteer. "Helping others may lower some well-known cardiovascular risk markers," says study author Hannah Schreier, PhD, A post doctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Buy more houseplants.
The inside of your home is often more polluted than the outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s because we generate toxic fumes when we cook and clean. But researchers at NASA and other institutions have shown that certain houseplants effectively reduce home levels of pollutants—even cancer-causing ones such as formaldehyde and benzene. Two great choices, they found, were gerbera daisies and ficuses.
Reference:
Grand Rapids Press - Parade
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
