Easy health hacks to make you Feel younger and healthier!
Wish you could feel stronger, healthier, peppier and younger without having to make any changes to your routine? You can! In fact, tweaking your routine just a little is the best route to lasting results! That’s because when the tweaks are barely noticeab
1 Safeguard your smarts with spinach!
You’ve spent years learning skills and honing talents—and you won’t have to worry about losing them to age if you eat more egg yolks, spinach, broccoli and peas, all high in lutein! A new study in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that adults who took in the most lutein from foods performed the best on tests measuring their “crystallized intelligence”—abilities and knowledge acquired over the years! ✤ It works! MRI scans reveal that lutein thickens the brain area that preserves recall of lifelong knowledge, possibly because its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects block the deterioration of neurons there.
Boost your memory with music!
Listen to favorite songs for 12 minutes a day, paying careful attention to the lyrics and the sounds of the instruments, and your memory will be stronger within 90 days! Closely listening to music curbs stress, ups mood and sleep and engages many parts of the brain, all of which help it function at its best!
2 Dodge middle-aged spread with omelets and burgers!
Ever wonder why most of us put on a little more weight year after year? Scientists have uncovered a key reason: Our bodies produce less of the muscle that burns calories! The easy fix: Double your intake of foods high in protein, such as lean beef and eggs, and you’ll start building more calorie-gobbling muscle within four days, reports research in the American Journal of Physiology-endocrinology and Metabolism. ✤ It works! As you age, your body becomes less efficient at using protein from food to make muscle—and simply eating more protein solves this problem!
Stop weight gain with whole milk!
Women who eat full-fat dairy foods are less apt to gain weight over time than those who eat fatfree dairy or none at all! The calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and other nutrients in dairy rev metabolism, while the fat keeps you satisfied longer!
3 Smooth your skin with rutin!
Wish there were a way to erase existing fine lines and wrinkles without turning to pricey chemical peels or Botox? Use a facial cream infused with the bioflavonoid rutin (such as Cosmesis Bioflavonoid Cream, $31.05, Lef.com/ww) daily, and you’ll see smoother skin within two weeks, reports the International Journal of Molecular Medicine. ✤ It works! Rutin—a plant pigment found in buckwheat, apple peels, black tea, citrus and figs— thickens skin and improves elasticity by increasing skin-plumping collagen and decreasing the oxidative stress that leads to skin aging! Fight lines from the inside, too!
A daily 150-mg. dose of coenzyme Q10 (coq10) nixes cell-damaging free radicals and inflammation, reducing wrinkles around the mouth, eyes and lips within 12 weeks, reports the journal Biofactors.
4 Keep the pep in your step with a brighter bulb!
If you’re losing steam by the late afternoon or early evening, forget downing coffee— late-day caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep! Just turn on an extra nearby lamp or use a brighter light bulb, and your alertness and energy will soar without inferring with your Zzzs, say scientists. ✤ It works! We tend to tire earlier after age 40 because of shifts in our sleep-wake cycle that release the drowsy-making hormone melatonin too early. Exposure to bright light in the late afternoon and early evening delays melatonin’s release!
Take curcumin, too!
Stay focused all day by taking 400 mg. of high-absorption curcumin (such as NOW Foods Curcubrain, $20, Amazon.com). It’s shown to up production of mood- and alertness-lifting hormones within a month.
5 Keep the doctor away with a multivitamin!
Why spend any time stuck on the sidelines battling a virus, when taking a daily multivitamin can maximize your immunity, helping you ward off illnesses at any age with ease! ✤ It works! A study in the journal Cell Reports shows that you can protect your thymus—a small organ in your chest that produces the T-cells that ward off infection— from slowing down simply by ensuring it’s nourished by the antioxidants in multis (such as betacarotene and vitamins C and E)! Boost the benefit with an essential mineral—zinc! Taking a daily multi that contains the recommended 8 mg. of zinc increases the number and effectiveness of your T-cells within 12 weeks, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.