HEALTH TOP 20 TIPS

 

 

Take a teaspoon of garlic a day

Almost everything has been tried to slow down aging and prolong life, and most have been found wanting.  But garlic may actually work.  Researchers found that 5ml of garlic extract lowered levels of a disease-causing chemical by up to 48 percent.  As well as reducing brain aging, the researchers say that garlic may decrease the risk of or  prevent cancer, immune disorders and arthritis.  For good measure, it reduces the clogging of arteries and lowers cholesterol levels as well.

 

Get breathless more often

You don’t have to go to a gym or be an Olympic marathon runner.  Simply walking a mile a day, or taking reasonable exercise three times a week, will substantially reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as strengthening bones and keeping them strong.  If you walk, don’t dawdle. Make it a brisk pace.

 

Eat wholegrain foods

Make sure you have whole-grain bread, rice or pasta at least four times a week and you will reduce the chance of having cancer by 40 percent.

 

Learn to love fruit and vegetables

Have at least five portions of vegetables and fruit a day, especially tomatoes, red grapes and broccoli, to reduce the chances of stroke, heart disease, cancer and pulses can halve the risk of breast cancer, according to London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine researches.

 

Don’t take your backache to bed

Research shows that people who take to their beds with backache take the longest time to recover.  Those who avoid bed rest and continue normal activities as much as possible have less pain for shorter times and get back to work sooner.

 

Eat plenty of fish

Studies have found that those who regularly ate fish were up to one-third less likely to get heart disease than those who ate it less than once a month.  Researchers believe omega-3 fatty acids – found in high levels in salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel – make blood less likely to clot.  Fish oil also boosts the immune system.

 

Coffee is good for you

Researchers have found that two to four cups of coffee daily can lower the risk of colon cancer by 25 percent; gallstones by 45 percent; cirrhosis of the liver by 80 percent;  Parkinson’s disease by 50-80 percent; and asthma by 25 percent.  But research in Finland shows that the risk of rheumatoid arthritis increases with the number of daily cups, and those who drank 11 or more cups a day were almost 15 times as likely to have problems.  If you are pregnant or have high blood pressure, coffee is best minimised.

 

 

 

 

 

…And tea is even better

Being a heavy tea-drinker can almost halve the risk of dying after a heart attack.  The protective effects of tea increase with the amount drunk, and people who drink the most tea are the least likely to die during the three or four years after a heart attack.  A Harvard Medical School study found that among people who reported heavy tea consumption, the premature death rate was 44 percent lower.

 

Being overweight can kill.

Overweight people cut 20 weeks off their life for every excess kilogram, according to new research.  Check your height and weight on a chart to see if you are overweight for your height.  Your body mass index is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared: Preferably, your index should be below 25.  If you are overweight, try to lose the excess fat and you should lower your risk of a wide range of problems, from heart disease to cancer and arthritis.

 

Lower your cholesterol.

This can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke even when your level is not high.  Exercise to reduce weight, eat more foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and cut down high-fat ones.  The American Heart Association recommends a limit of 300mg of cholesterol a day.  A three-ounce portion of skinless chicken has 70-75mg of cholesterol; a similar portion of fish has 20-60mg.

 

Aspirin is a wonder drug.

That old standby for aches and pains also helps to reduce the risk of conditions such as heart disease and cancers, including of the colon, esophagus, stomach, rectum, prostate and pancreas.  It has been shown to lessen the risk of heart attacks by 44 percent.  Aspirin reduces the tendency of blood to clot, which lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke, and it is though to work against cancer by stopping the tumor from growing.  Consult your GP before taking aspirin daily.

 

Learn to relax.

Unwind, take up a hobby and start socializing.  Medicine is finally accepting that stress causes illness.  It plays an important role in the onset of mental illness, including schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and depression.  It makes people more vulnerable tp physical ill-health and inflammatory conditions, such as allergic, auto-immune, cardiovascular, infectious and rheumatologic illnesses.  Researchers have found that vigorous exercise three times a week can help with stress and depression.

 

Don’t smoke.

There has ever been so much help to quit.  Nicotine patches, gums or inhalers might work for some individuals, or other methods, from hypnosis to acupuncture.  If you can’t stop, try to cut back, because the more you smoke, the more likely you are to develop cancer or heart or respiratory disease.  Cut down to less than five cigarettes a day, with long smoke-free periods.

 

 

Bad breath is preventable.

Halitosis affects 96 percent of the population at some time, and is almost always caused by oral bacteria.  A tongue scraper may help, but dental work may be needed.  Mouth rinses are effective, as are flossing and brushing teeth twice a day.  Clean your mouth after eating, scrape the tongue once a day and clean between the teeth.  Eat fresh fibrous vegetables such as carrots, and don’t drink too much coffee.

 

 

Get the right amount of sleep.

Sleep primes the immune system.  Research shows that women sleep as average of seven-and-a-half hours daily, about 15 minutes longer than men.  There are exceptions.  Researchers from Pittsburg University found that people who were naturally short sleepers tended to suffer more from a form of mania whose symptoms can include a craze for seeing through ideas and achieving specific targets and goals.  It’s a myth that everyone needs eight hours sleep every day; some will need more, some less and it will vary from day to day.  Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night.  The right amount is when you wake up feeling well rested and ready to go, and do not feel sleepy during the day.

 

Take care of your skin.

Most people take better care of their clothes than their skin.  The message that the sun is bad for the skin (and can cause skin cancer) has hit home; always wear high-factor sun protection and avoid midday exposure.  Cold weather is a threat, too; heated air indoors can do more damage to the skin than the cold outside.   When the humidity drops, skin gets dry.  Moisturize, but don’t use too much lip balm.  Lips are meant to be dry, and too much balm can lead to inflammation.

 

Eat right for better teeth.

Cranberries reduce the risk of gum disease by preventing bacteria from sticking together to form plaque.  Eat apples, oranges, celery, carrots and high-fiber greens such as spinach, lettuce and broccoli; they require chewing, which minimizes stain-producing bacteria and keeps teeth white.  Snacks and sugary beverages increase the chance of tooth decay and gum disease, so keep a toothbrush at work.

 

Water can keep you healthy.

One study showed that women who drank more than five glasses of water a day halved the risk of colon cancer compared to those drinking two or fewer glasses a day. The average man needs 2.9 liters, or about 12 cups of water, a day, The average woman needs about 2.2 liters.  If your urine is dark yellow with a strong odor, increase your intake.

 

Friends are good for you.

Weekly socializing improves the memory, concentration and problem-solving skills.  Research on 3,000 people aged 65 and older found that social sessions not only improved cognitive abilities, but that the improvement persisted for two years.  The improvements were sizable, roughly counteractive the degree of cognitive decline that would be expected over a seven-to-14-year period among older adults without dementia.

 

Change your job.

If all else fails, consider becoming a salesperson.  It’s the healthiest job in the world.  Salespeople are least likely to have a work-related illness, research suggests.  Rates of asthma, accidents, hearing problems, leg trouble, backache and dermatitis are too low to record.  Ironically, the biggest health risk facing salespeople – often accused of twisting consumers’ arms – is upper-arm trouble!