The sandwich that rejuvenates your memory!
Wouldn't you love to be slimmer, calmer and free of aches and ills—if only it didn’t require so much time and effort to make all that happen? Happy news! It only takes a couple of days—or hours, even minutes each week—for you to enjoy a happier and health
1 Beat the diet blues by cutting calories two days a week!
Been trying to lose weight on treat-denying, tiny-portion plans? Scale back on calories and carbs (like pasta and bread) two days a week— eating sensibly the other days—and you’ll lose nearly twice as much as you would on a low-cal diet that includes carbs every day! ✤ It works! Women on this two-day routine lost nine pounds within four months while those who stuck to a week-long diet plan shed just five pounds, reports the British Journal of Nutrition. Cutting carbs for just 48 hours lowers insulin, prompting greater weight loss. And you only have to be “good” for two days, so it’s easy to stick with it!
And hop on the scale!
Weighing yourself at least once a week wards off weight gain—and helps you shed pounds faster—than weighing yourself less often or not at all. According to an international study, paying attention to the numbers tells you what’s working and what’s not working, so it’s easy to make changes to your eating habits that’ll speed you to your goal!
2 Beat brain drain with Facebook!
Think you need to spend hours doing special brain exercises to stave off brain aging? Not so! All you have to do is spend a few hours once a week online! ✤ It works! Mayo Clinic research shows that older adults who regularly posted to Facebook, played online games or used the computer in other fun ways were 42% less likely to develop memory and thinking problems than online abstainers! Enjoying time online gives neurons the mental workout they need to stay healthy! Have tuna weekly, too! Fitting in a serving of neuron-nourishing fatty fish (such as tuna) once a week helps keep verbal memory and perceptual speed in tiptop shape, reports the journal Neurology.
3 Keep the doctor away with one brisk walk!
How many times have you heard that you should spend 30 minutes most days walking briskly or doing another moderate-intensity exercise to stay healthy—and how many times have you felt guilty for not doing it? No more! Just carve out one hour and 15 minutes a week to vigorously exercise (such as biking or dancing) and you’ll reap dramatic, guiltfree benefits! ✤ It works! One longer bout of intense exercise each week is enough to lower your risk of heart disease 41%, cancer risk 18% and other serious ailments 30%, reveals new research in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine.
And join a club!
Being an active member of a book club, knitting circle or other social group is an effective way to rein in blood sugar (cutting your Type 2 diabetes risk) and “bad” cholesterol (protecting your heart), reports the journal Health Communication.
4 Send stress packing by doing nothing!
Several studies prove that simply sitting comfortably for 15 minutes and focusing on slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth delivers soothing calm whenever you need it! Tip: Make sure to keep your back straight and let your shoulders drop to release tension there. ✤ It works! Slow deep breathing tames your reaction to stressors, reducing your output of cortisol. As a result, your heart beats slower, your blood pressure drops and stressrelated tummy upsets disappear.
Or inhale lavender!
Tense, and you don’t have even 15 minutes to spare? Carry a lavender sachet in your purse so that when stress mounts you can take it out and inhale its sweet aroma! Natural compounds in the aroma have an immediate relaxing effect on your brain and body, report researchers from Oregon Health & Science University.
5 Enjoy life more with every-other-day thank-yous!
Taking a few minutes every other day to think about things you are thankful for—and then jotting down your favorite reason— triggers a spike in happiness within three weeks, reports the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. ✤ It works! Remembering what you’re grateful for shifts you from a pessimistic to optimistic mindset that makes you more resilient to any challenges that might arise, so they’re less apt to bring you down!
Or listen to a happy song!
Just listening to one song that lifts you up (such as “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys, “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night or “Happy” by Pharrell Williams) triggers memories of happy events from your past, making you more upbeat, Mcgill University research reveals.