4 Eat less easily by looking at “slim” art!
If it’s hard to curb your appetite at meals, try looking at paintings and other art featuring slim figures before sitting down to eat, and you’ll automatically eat less! A study in the journal Food Quality and Preference found that adults invited to eat as many chips as they wanted ate far fewer when sculptures of slim men and women were displayed nearby! ✤ The slimming science: Images of slim people subconsciously remind you of your long-term weight-loss goal, which heightens your awareness of when you’re full, so you effortlessly eat less!
And use red plates!
When we eat off red plates we consume significantly less than when we use dishes of other colors! The brain links red with stopping because of stop signs and traffic signals, subconsciously making you want to stop eating!
At least 70% of us struggle with back pain at some point—and as many as 50% of us are achy right now! Luckily, research reveals you can get proven, fast relief—and avoid future flareups—just by:
Getting immediate ✓
relief with heat!
Four studies prove that soaking in a hot bath for 20 minutes—or curling up with a heating pad or hot water bottle—provides 33% more and faster relief than any other remedy, including pain meds! Heat works its magic by boosting blood flow to sore muscles, which relaxes them, promotes healing and flushes out pain-triggering inflammation!
Loosening muscles ✓
with self-hypnosis!
“Hypnosis is a natural state of deep relaxation and concentration that helps quickly relax tight back muscles, preventing the muscle spasms that set off pain,” reveals Brian Alman, PH.D., author of Thin Meditations. No wonder SUNY Upstate Medical University researchers found that short daily sessions of self-hypnosis reduce even severe, chronic back pain as much as 80%! Check out the book How to Master Self-hypnosis in a Weekend, or try a free online video, such as “Hypnosis for Pain Relief” on Youtube.com.
Soothing nerves ✓
with B vitamins!
If you experience shooting pain in your back or neck, try taking a 50-mg. B complex supplement daily. B vitamins heal damaged nerves, easing those stabs of pain in 69% of patients who take them. Alternatively, if the pain is caused by back muscle spasms, try devil’s claw, an antiinf lammator y herb proven to help heal torn or hurt muscles and improve flexibility and mobility for 75% of patients. Concentrations vary, so follow the package directions for dosage. Important: Check with a doctor before taking any new supplement.
Koing inflammation ✓
with coconut oil
Consuming 3 Tbs. of coconut oil daily in place of other fats will trim five days off your recovery time if you’re achy right now—and cut your risk of future backaches in half, a report in the journal International Immunopharmacology suggests. Coconut oil inhibits the COX-2 enzyme known to trigger inflammation, swelling and pain, says study coauthor Gireesh Kumar, PH.D.
Speeding healing ✓
with produce!
Fruits and vegetables are packed with natural tissue-healing compounds called polyphenols, which are easily damaged by heat. That’s why Canadian scientists say you can get quicker relief from back injuries—plus cut your risk of future flareups 33%—by eating two heaping cups of uncooked produce (such as carrots, celery, salad greens, apples and avocados) daily!
Relaxing muscles ✓
with yoga!
Just taking one yoga class a week provides more back pain relief than physiotherapy and prescription drugs, say Boston University researchers. Even doing yoga stretches on your own at home for 10 minutes a day can cut chronic back pain 43%! How? By relaxing tense muscles and significantly improving your balance, flexibility and posture. Get started with a free online class at Doyogawithme.com, or borrow a beginner yoga DVD from the library.
Keeping your back ✓
healthy with onions!
Eating 1/3 cup of onions daily could cut your risk of future back problems 33% or more—plus help you heal 25% faster if you’re achy right now! Onions are one of nature’s richest sources of sulfur and quercetin, nutrients that strengthen cartilage and muscle tissue, reduce inflammation and speed healing of muscle strains, British studies show.