On The Cover
8 Health Changes To Make Today
1
“Ask yourself, ‘Can I change it?’” advises Uxshely Chotai at The Food Psychology Clinic ( WWW.THEFOODPSYCHOLOGYCLINIC.CO.UK). “We often get really worked up about things we can do nothing about – like being stuck in traffic. If you can’t change the thing that’s causing the stress there’s no point in allowing yourself to worry about it.”
Try to focus on something else, such as listening to your favourite song or admiring the nature around you instead.
2
Get a buzz without beans. Just the suggestion of coffee can be enough to give us a boost, say Canadian researchers. The effect is called priming, where subtle cues can influence our thoughts and behaviour. It means just looking at something that reminds us of coffee triggers t neurotransmitters in the t brain, making us more alert and a attentive.
3
Stand on one foot while brushing your teeth, suggests Nuffield Health’s Professional Head of Physiology, Justin Jones. “The instability will engage your core muscles and give your abs a workout.” It will also improve your general mobility, keep you more agile and stable and help to prevent trips or falls. Use your toothbrush timer to stand on one leg for a minute then swap.
4
Make it hot! Rinse your toothbrush head regularly with boiling water or pop it on the top rack of the dishwasher. This helps kill the 10 million germs that nestle on the average brush head, say scientists. Studies also show washing clothes at low temperatures may not be enough to kill disease-causing bugs, says hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley ( WWW. THEHYGIENEDOCTOR.CO.UK). Hotter washes will also reduce mould and bacteria in your machine.
5
Get stuck into a good book. It doesn’t just keep the mind active, it can ease stress and even help you live longer, say researchers at Yale University. They tracked the health and habits of more than 3,500 people for up to 12 years and found regular readers were 20 per cent less likely to die during the course of the study. Meanwhile scientists from Kingston K University, London, found f that regular readers are kinder k and more empathetic.
6
“Eat the alphabet every month,” suggests Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of TheStressSolution (Penguin Life, £16.99). We tend to constantly eat the same vegetables but we need diversity in order to nourish a variety of gut bugs which send calm signals to the brain. “Aim to eat the rainbow (as many different coloured plant foods as possible) each day or to eat the alphabet every month – 26 plant foods.” Find his chart at DRCHATTERJEE.COM/ WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2018/12/ EAT-THE-ALPHABET-PDF.PDF
7
Make short journeys by foot. Lack of exercise kills twice as many people as obesity, say researchers. Adding just 30 minutes of walking into your daily routine five days a week can add three and a half years to your lifespan, irrespective of weight. “Count to four on your inhales and then to six on the exhales when you walk,” suggests yoga teacher Dani Binnington ( WWW.HEALTHYWHOLEME.COM). “This stops your mind dwelling on stresses and problems, unites body and mind, and leaves you calm and re-energised.”
8
Have an apple, some broccoli, a handful of blueberries, an orange and a cuppa – every day. This particular combination provides a good range of flavonoids – naturally-occurring healthprotecting compounds, say Australian researchers. On analysing the diets of more than 53,000 people over 23 years, they discovered those who regularly consumed “moderate to high” amounts of flavonoidrich foods were less likely to die from cancer or heart disease than others.