Year
after year we make resolutions to exercise regularly, eat well, and give up
smoking and other bad habits. Following such basic rules can cut heart disease
risk by 80 percent, diabetes risk by 90 percent and cancer risk by 50 percent,
according to the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study. But most of us fail to keep our
promises to ourselves. Some American experts have given the following tips for
practical ways to get – and stay – healthy.
1
.Wear a pedometer. New research suggests that routinely wearing a pedometer
encourages people to walk about an extra mile each day, lose weight, and lower
their blood pressure. Aim for at least 30 minutes of brisk walking and a total
of 10,000 steps per day.
2.
Don’t forget strength training, involving both the upper and lower body. Too
many people neglect resistance exercise, particularly women for whom it’s
crucial for preventing muscle and bone loss with age. Lift weights for at least
20 minutes, two- to three-times per week.
3.
Don’t pop too many vitamins. Enthusiasm for vitamin pills is high, but evidence
for their benefits is low. Try to get vitamins from foods and consider a
multivitamin for insurance. Any woman thinking about getting pregnant should
make sure to take a folic acid supplement. Women should get at least 1,000 mgs
of calcium per day (1,200 mgs/day if you’re past menopause) from food and/or
supplements. Everyone should also get 800 international units of Vitamin D per
day.
4.
Eat at least two fish meals per week. The evidence is strong that the oils in
darker types of fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and herring, are
beneficial for the heart and brain and may even lower risk of cancer.
5.
Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin for heart protection but don’t assume
that it’s right for you. A recent clinical trial suggested that healthy women
younger than age 65 don’t get heart protection from aspirin. Women who are the
best candidates for long-term aspirin are age 65 or older or have a history of
cardiovascular disease or diabetes. And be aware that aspirin has some serious
risks, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
6.
Drink water. No matter where you are, water should always be the first thing
you reach for when you’re thirsty. Water truly is essential.
7.
Sleep eight hours a night. A number of recent studies have confirmed that you
really do need at least eight hours a night. Among the many benefits: Adequate
sleep makes you feel better, decreases risk for cardiovascular disease, boosts
memory and reduces the likelihood of being in a car accident.
8.
Keep sugar and caffeine – the “legal evils” – to a minimum. It’s hard to
believe, but decreasing sugar actually increases people’s energy, by minimising
the highs and lows that sweet foods triggers. Different people react
differently to caffeine, but most of us are probably overstimulated already –
adding a stimulant just adds to things like road rage.
9.
Consider acupuncture and massage as valid therapies for chronic problems, such
as back pain and neuropathy. Seeing a good massage therapist for neck strain
may work better than taking extra strength Tylenol and/or Advil regularly.
10.
If you smoke, quit. There is nothing good about it. If you’re having trouble
quitting, start smoking less today – smoke only half a cigarette, and skip as
many of your usual smokes as you can – and get help right away. Get some
guidance about why it is you smoke to figure out how best to stop doing it.
Smoking cessation groups can be extremely helpful and supportive, and medications
like a nicotine patch can help decrease the cravings. Acupuncture may also be
useful.
11.
Don’t focus on dieting. Focus on eating. If you’re hungry, you’re more likely
to overeat, especially in the evening. Instead, of sacrificing all day and gorging
later, it’s better to eat enough during the day to avoid hunger pangs and
uncontrolled eating at night. Eat every four hours or so, and make sure to eat
a “second lunch” – think of it as another meal rather than a snack – in the
mid-afternoon to keep your energy up and make you less hungry in the evening.
12.
Budget your food as you do your money. A rough guideline for daily caloric
intake: Multiply your ideal body weight by ten (ie, 1,200 calories if you want
to weigh 120 pounds) and then add another 600 calories if you’re moderately
active, a few hundred more if you’re very active. Divide those calories out
across the day to keep yourself well fed.
13.
Eat three different foods at every meal. Don’t eat a scoop of tuna for lunch –
eat tuna on a roll with a salad.
14.
Eating won’t solve emotional problems. Many people eat to make themselves feel
better when they’re upset. It works in the short run; certain foods can
temporarily boost mood. But in the long run, you’ll have the same emotional
problems – plus the extra weight.
15.
Don’t drink too many calories. It’s easy to drink calories without noticing:
that latte may have nearly as many calories as a cheeseburger. It’s okay to
have one as an occasional treat, but consider it a meal, not a drink.
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