FAST HEALTH FIXES
Adopt these effective but easy-to-fit-into-yourlife health habits and feel instantly better
Effective, easy-to-do changes that really make a difference
Wear happy clothes
Fashion psychologist Karen Pine, author of Mind What You Wear, found in a 2013 study that when women felt down, they chose different clothes to wear than when they were happy. She advises opting for clothes we associate with happiness, even if we feel low. You know that favourite dress? Don’t save it for best – wear it when you’re feeling flat and see how your mood lifts.
EAT FERMENTED FOODS
“These foods contain live microbes that can augment the bugs in your gut and may be one reason why the Japanese and Koreans live so much longer than we do,” says Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and author of The Diet Myth. “Any kind of fermented foods will do – naturally produced cheese, full-fat plain yoghurt, tofu, sauerkraut, kefir, kimchi, tempeh – just make sure they are produced naturally rather than using vinegar.”
Fight fatigue with ginseng
In Chinese medicine, ginseng is known to improve memory and mood. Panax ginseng specifically is effective in boosting energy. Netdoctor’s in-house pharmacist Rita Ghelani says: “Ginseng is well recognised as a supplement to help with cognitive performance and reducing fatigue. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to increase their energy levels.”
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GO FOR THE AWESOME 30. THAT’S 30 MINUTES OF BRISK WALKING A DAY, WHICH CAN REDUCE SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION BY 36%, REDUCE THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE BY 19% AND REDUCE YOUR RISK OF STROKE BY UP TO 27%.
SAY OMMM...
...it may turn back your biological clock. In a recent study from Harvard Medical School, researchers found that people who meditated daily for four years not only had greater blood flow in the brain, they also had longer telomeres, the protective DNA caps on the end of chromosomes linked to ageing. Meditation too much? “Just being aware of your breath, of its sound, its coolness as it comes in and its warmness as it goes out, will put you in a meditative state,” says Triyoga teacher Bridget Woods Kramer.
Down a cherry juice night cap
US researchers have found a daily shot (240mls) of tart Montmorency cherry juice can help increase how long you sleep by almost an hour and a half per night. Blood tests also showed volunteers had lower levels of the amino acid kynurenine, which has been linked to disturbed sleep.
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START SQUATTING. SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED SQUATS AND LUNGES DON’T JUST STRENGTHEN LEGS, BUT COULD ALSO KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG.
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TAKE VITAMIN D. KNOWN AS THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN, IT'S VITAL FOR IMMUNITY AND HEALTHY BONES. WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF UNABLE TO GET 15 MINUTES OUTSIDE IN THE SUN, HAVE A DAILY 10MCG VITAMIN D DOSE
GET CLOSE TO NATURE. A DAY IN THE WOODS CAN BOOST YOUR IMMUNE FUNCTION AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ANTI-CANCER PROTEINS FOR A WEEK.
10 WAKE UP YOUR CORE
One way to do this is by “tightrope” walking at home, says fitness expert Laura Williams – the heel-to toe movement is a great balance challenge. Position your right heel directly in front of your left toes, then continue walking forward by placing your left heel in front of your right toes. Keep looking straight ahead, arms stretched out to your sides, and aim for 30 seconds.
Enjoy dark chocolate and wine
They are two of a new group of foods known as Sirtfoods that enhance the activity of sirtuins, proteins that control your body’s ability to burn fat, boost muscle and reduce inflammation. They also help protect heart, brain and bone health.
12 FILL YOUR HOME WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS
A 2014 study measured the mood and heart rate of volunteers when shown objects either beautiful, functional or both. The latter made them happy, purely beautiful ones made them calm, while functional items made them 25% more likely to feel gloomy.