9 tips to future proof your body

Protect yourself from stress, disease and injury in later life by following these health hacks that you can start today

Tiktok star and Nigerian prince Dr Emeka Okorocha – aka the “hot TV doctor” – works in A&E. He says his experience of witnessing people suffering from “pain and distress” has opened his eyes “to what can manifest if you don’t take care of your health and your body”.

Here, he recommends simple, everyday tips to follow so that you can enjoy the resulting health benefits in the long-term...

Learn about ‘Fat Deficiency’

Vitamins like A, D, E and K are fatsoluble; the body can only absorb them in the presence of fat. So a lack of fat can cause deficiencies in these vitamins. Signs you may be fat-deficient include difficulty adjusting vision at night, swollen gums, infertility, muscle pain, depression, easy bruising, dry hair, dermatitis, frequent sickness and poor wound healing.

Go easy on the protein

Consuming too much protein can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis, a disease that causes your bones to be brittle, placing you at higher risk of a fracture. It can worsen kidney problems, too. It’s important to know where your protein is coming from and that

it’s combined with carbohydrates, natural sugars and good fats throughout the day.

Know what meds don’t mix with booze

A simple cold pill that makes you drowsy can make you unconscious if taken with too much alcohol. There are also drugs used to help relieve anxiety and panic attacks that can cause lifethreatening symptoms if taken with enough alcohol. And there are certain antibiotics that doctors advise definitely not to drink with: one is metronidazole, which is used for vaginal, dental and some abdominal infections.

You could vomit, have abdominal pain, headaches or drowsiness.

Get clever with mealtimes

Studies show that shortening the time between breakfast and dinner, therefore lengthening the fast between dinner and breakfast, can potentially reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and fat. This is because increasing the fasting period burns more fat. So eating breakfast slightly later and eating dinner slightly earlier can help maintain a healthy weight.

4 Work out wisely

Get the five elements of an effective fitness programme done, and you’ll get a good workout.

You need to do:

1. A warm up.

2. Cardiovascular exercise of some sort.

3. Resistance and strength-building.

4. A flexibility and stretching session.

5. A cool down. Beginners should aim for 30 minutes of cardio and 20–30 minutes of strength training three times a week. Build up once you’re more confident.

Be asthma aware

Did you know pregnancy and menopause can make asthma symptoms worse? Also, women’s lungs are smaller than men’s, which means they’re more sensitive to asthma triggers and it’s harder for women to breathe when they’re having an asthma attack. If you get breathless and it’s not relieved by 10 puffs of your inhaler, you should call the emergency services immediately.

8

Do lion breathing – RAHHHH!

De-stress with this exercise. Imagine that you’re the king of the jungle. Yes, that’s you, Simba!

1. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply in through your nose, filling your belly up with as much air as possible.

2. When you can’t breathe in any more, open your mouth wide and stick out your tongue, then breathe out making a loud “haaa” sound.

3. Repeat several times until you feel less anxious or stressed and more relaxed and calm.

Beat insomnia

Struggling to sleep? Try listening to binaural beats on Youtube. They’re an auditory illusion created by your brain when two tones with different frequencies are played separately. Research shows they can reduce stress and anxiety, helping combat insomnia. Listening to two beat sounds at slightly different frequencies causes the brain to generate an additional beat. This affects brainwave activity, prolonging deep sleep and improving quality of sleep.

Create morning rituals

Stretch when you wake up. This can safeguard against injuries and prevent chronic joint and muscle disease. Then ask yourself a question profound enough to make you think, “What am I actually going to do today and how will it help me get where I need to be?” For example, “How can I be better than yesterday?” and “How am I going to impact someone’s life today?” Take away any positives or lessons from the previous day, then acknowledge that it’s in the past. If it’s a Monday morning, treat it as an opportunity to be better at your craft than you were last week. You’ll maximise your potential in no time.