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. Studies 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-fibre
breakfast cereal, low-fat milk or yoghurt, wholewheat toast, and a
boiled egg.
3. Brush up on hygiene. Many people don’t know how
to brush their teethproperly. 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?
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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 favour. Hot, spicy foods containing
chillies 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 Wort 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.
The British Thoracic Society says that tomatoes and apples can reduce
your risk of asthmaand 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 mums and people with a low immunity to
disease. Folic acid prevents spina 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.
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symptoms of bronchitis
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.
Really concentrate on sensations and experiences again: observe the
rough texture of a strawberry’s skin as you touch it, and taste the
sweet-sour juice as you bite into the fruit; when your partner strokes
your hand, pay careful attention to the sensation on your skin; and
learn to really focus on simple tasks while doing them, whether it’s
flowering plants or ironing your clothes.
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 programme, 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
flavoured 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 ain’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 moisturiser 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 moisturised 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 nooky 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.
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