13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

[Guest guest]

Great article! Had to share!

~~~

13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life

Disregard them, and you may well be taking a big gamble with your mental and

emotional well-being.

By Dulce Zamora

WebMD Feature Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

There are 13 ways to boost your chances of living a happy, healthy life. More

can be added to this list, but, for simplicity's sake, we'll stick with this

typically unlucky number.

Instead of bringing misfortune, however, the 13 habits promise a life of vigor

and vivacity. There are, of course, no guarantees, but many of the practices

mentioned here have been published in scientific journals. Disregard them, and

you may well be taking a big gamble with your mental and emotional well-being.

Healthy Habit No. 1: Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Breakfast eaters are champions of good health. Research shows people who have a

morning meal tend to take in more vitamins and minerals, and less fat and

cholesterol. The result is often a leaner body, lower cholesterol count, and

less chance of overeating.

" That one act [of eating breakfast] seems to make a difference in people's

overall weight, " says Melinda , RD, a spokeswoman for the American

Dietetic Association (ADA). She says breakfast can hold off hunger pangs until

lunchtime and make high-calorie vending machine options less enticing.

Not only that, researchers at the 2003 American Heart Association conference

reported that breakfast eaters are significantly less likely to be obese and get

diabetes compared with nonbreakfast eaters.

Another study in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition showed

that people who consumed breakfast cereal every day reported feeling better both

physically and mentally than those who rarely ate cereal in the morning.

For kids, breakfast appears to enhance alertness, attention, and performance on

standardized achievement tests, reports the ADA.

To get the full benefits of breakfast, the Mayo Clinic recommends a meal with

carbohydrates, protein, and a small amount of fat. They say that because no

single food gives you all of the nutrients you need, eating a variety of foods

is essential to good health.

Yet, even with so much scientific support that breakfast does the body good;

many people still make excuses not to eat in the morning. They include not

having enough time and not feeling hungry. For these people, suggests

tailoring breakfast to the day.

" When I'm getting ready in the morning, I don't really want to take the time to

eat breakfast because that would mean sacrificing sleep, " says . " So I

bring my breakfast with me, and I know I have an hour when I'm reading emails in

the office when I can eat it. By that time, I'm hungry because I've been up for

almost a couple of hours. "

Healthy Habit No. 2: Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet

The AHA recommends a 6-ounce serving of fish at least two times per week.

Besides being a good source of protein and a food relatively low in the bad type

of dietary fat called saturated fat, fish has omega-3 fatty acids -- which have

been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fatty fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and

salmon, are rich in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid

(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Foods such as tofu, soybeans, canola, walnuts, flaxseed, and their oils contain

alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), which convert to omega-3 in the body. Even though

the benefits of LNA are controversial, the AHA still recommends foods containing

it as part of a healthy diet.

In addition to their heart-health benefits, there is some evidence that omega-3

fatty acids may also soothe an overactive immune system, says . Even

though this benefit is still being studied, she says there appears to be a link

between getting more omega-3s in your diet and reducing allergies, asthma,

eczema, and autoimmune disorders.

Healthy Habit No. 3: Get Enough Sleep

" Your body has to have enough time to rest, " says Fleming, MD, president

of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Otherwise, he says you may

find yourself feeling cranky and tired.

This may sound like common sense, but according to the National Sleep Foundation

(NSF), more than two-thirds of older adults suffer from sleep problems and many

American adults don't get the minimum amount of shuteye needed to stay alert.

Sleep is vital to good health and to mental and emotional well-being. The NSF

reports that people who don't get enough slumber are more likely than others to

develop psychiatric problems and to use health care services. Plus, sleep

deprivation can negatively affect memory, learning, and logical reasoning.

Not enough ZZZs can also be hazardous. More than one-half of adult drivers --

some 100 million people -- say they have driven drowsy in the past year,

according to NSF polls. About one out of five of these drivers -- 32 million

people -- say they've fallen asleep while driving.

Each year drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 car crashes, 1,500 deaths, and

tens of thousands of injuries, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration. The NSF recommends taking a 15 to 20 minute nap. Because it

takes about 30 minutes for the caffeine to work, taking a nap while you wait for

the caffeine to kick in can help restore alertness.

To avoid the pitfalls of insufficient sleep, make sure to get at least seven to

10 hours of slumber each night. Kids need more sleep, depending on their age.

Healthy Habit No. 4: Make Social Connections

Volunteer. Go to church. Join a club. Whatever you do, do it with people.

Communal activities are good for your physical and mental health, according to a

study published in the March/April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Health

Behavior.

It makes sense, says *. , PhD, author of Building Better Health: A

Handbook of Behavioral Change. He says social ties have many benefits,

including:

a.. Providing information. You may think for instance your frequent

nosebleeds, coughing, and sneezing episodes are trivial, but when a close friend

or relative hears of it, he or she may encourage you to go to a doctor. If the

symptoms turn out to be a serious condition, the social tie could have saved

your life.

b.. Instrumental help. Friends and family can provide physical support in time

of need. They may help with cooking, cleaning, running errands, doing grocery

shopping, and driving to the doctor's office.

c.. Emotional support. Sharing a problem with a trusted person can help

alleviate an internal burden. " It's a load off your chest, " says .

d.. Offering a sense of belonging. This feeling not only helps reinforce a

person's identity, it also assists in preventing and overcoming depression and

anxiety.

Community ties also help improve mental functioning, says Fleming. Group

activities can help keep the mind active and maintain desirable levels of

serotonin -- the brain chemical associated with mood. " Lack of social

interaction will [decrease] serotonin levels, " says Fleming.

Healthy Habit No. 5: Exercise for Better Health

We already know that physical activity has a bounty of benefits, which makes it

so puzzling why so many people just don't do it. According to the CDC, more than

60% of Americans do not get regular exercise.

In case you needed an incentive, here is a review of the advantages of exercise,

per the National Cancer Institute:

a.. Helps control weight

b.. Maintains healthy bones, muscles, and joints

c.. Reduces risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes

d.. Promotes psychological well-being

e.. Reduces risk of death from heart disease

f.. Reduces risk of premature death

Studies have also shown a link between exercise and a reduced risk of certain

cancers.

Besides its long-term effects, moving your body has immediate benefits, says

Cedric , chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.

The short-term results of exercise include helping people to think and move

better, manage stress, improve mood, and get an energy boost.

The excuses that people often give to not exercise are the precise reasons to

exercise, says . People who say they are too tired or don't have time to

workout don't realize that exercise gives people more energy and allows them to

be more productive with the rest of their time.

Healthy Habit No. 6: Practice Good Dental Hygiene

Flossing your teeth every day could add 6.4 years to your life, according to

Roizen, MD, author of RealAge. In his book, Roizen lists flossing as one

of the most important daily activities -- along with exercise and quitting

smoking -- that could extend life span.

Roizen's calculation may raise some eyebrows, but the idea that oral health is

connected to overall health isn't far-fetched.

The mouth, after all, is an integral part of the body. " Teeth have a blood

supply, and that blood supply comes from the heart, " says Price, DMD,

consumer advisor for the American Dental Association (ADA).

Researchers suspect that the bacteria that produces dental plaque enters the

bloodstream. They say this bacteria is somehow associated with the inflammation

that occurs with plaque that blocks blood vessels and causes heart disease.

Other researchers have found links between oral bacteria and stroke, diabetes,

and the birth of preterm babies and those that have low birth weight.

In addition to preventing disease, flossing and brushing can help keep your

pearly whites intact for more than just cosmetic reasons. Teeth help you chew

food, speak properly, and smile -- which, according to Price, can help you keep

your dignity.

Healthy Habit No. 7: Take Up a Hobby

Look up the word " hobby " in the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and you

will find the definition as " a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged

in especially for relaxation. "

Since they are relaxing activities, hobbies are usually enjoyable. Some people

find joy in craftwork, bird watching, sports, going to flea markets, walking in

the park, or playing cards.

The joy may help people live healthier and recover better from illness. For one

thing, taking part in hobbies can burn calories, more so than just sitting in

front of the TV.

In a study of people who had undergone surgery, found that people who

were involved in hobbies before their operation had better recovery six months

later, compared with people who did not have hobbies.

The participants with hobbies tended to have more drive and interest in things

and other people, says . " It was a more active orientation to life. "

Healthy Habit No. 8: Protect Your Skin

Our skin starts to age as soon as we are born and, according to the American

Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the best way to protect it and look younger is to

stay out of the sun.

The sun has harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can cause wrinkles, dryness, and

age spots. Overexposure can cause sunburn, skin texture changes, dilated blood

vessels, and skin cancers.

Avoiding the sun, however, is not always ideal or practical. To reduce the risk

of skin damage, the AAD offers the following tips:

a.. Always wear sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.

b.. Don a hat with a brim and wear other protective clothing.

c.. Don't deliberately sunbathe.

d.. Try to avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Healthy Habit No. 9: Snack the Healthy Way

The ADA recommends five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day as part

of a healthy diet. These plant foods can do many things to boost good health,

including:

a.. Reduce the risk of some cancers

b.. Beat the signs of aging

c.. Improve memory

d.. Promote heart health

e.. Enhance the immune system

One way to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet is to have them as

snacks. " If you can do one thing [to improve your health], concentrate on

getting fruits and veggies, " says . " They are low in calories and high in

nutrients. "

She says baby carrots and cut-up produce make tasty, convenient munchies. Other

healthful snacks include low-fat yogurt and nuts (in moderation).

The best time to snack is when you are hungry between meals, says . But

beware: Cravings could easily be mistaken for hunger cues, especially for people

who are dieting.

Healthy Habit No. 10: Drink Water and Eat Dairy

Water and milk are essential fluids for good health, but they can also help with

shedding pounds.

The body needs water to keep properly hydrated and individuals vary widely in

how much water they need. Joints need it to stay in motion, and vital organs

such as the heart, brain, kidney, and liver need it to work properly.

If you don't get enough water, the body goes into emergency mode, and clings to

every single water molecule it can find, reports the University of Minnesota

Water Resources Center. The stored molecules appear as extra weight. The weight

is only released once the body gets enough water.

The calcium in dairy, on the other hand, is known to be important for strong

bones and teeth. Studies have also shown it can help prevent high blood

pressure, kidney stones, heart disease, and colon cancer.

In the weight loss arena, three 8-ounce glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk

appear to encourage body fat loss while maintaining muscle mass, according to

the ADA. The dairy consumption must be part of a balanced reduced-calorie meal

plan.

Healthy Habit No. 11: Drink Tea

" Decaffeinated tea is better, " says Fleming, noting that the caffeinated variety

can be dehydrating, and sugary drinks can lead to weight gain.

There is some evidence that tea may help in improving memory, and preventing

cavities, cancer, and heart disease. Fleming says, though, that the overall

research is still inconclusive.

" There may well be some beneficial effects of tea, particularly the potential

antioxidant effect, but we don't have great data on that right now that is that

specific. "

However, there's no doubt that a cool iced tea can be a refreshing treat during

hot days. Try flavoring your tea with juices, fruits, cinnamon sticks, ginger,

and other condiments.

Healthy Habit No. 12: Take a Daily Walk

We already mentioned the merits of exercise in habit No. 5. Now, here's a tip on

how to incorporate physical activity into your daily life: WALK.

We're not talking about taking the time out of your busy schedule to work out --

that's important, too -- but infusing life- and limb-saving movement into your

waking hours.

" Just move. Pace during phone calls, while you're brushing your teeth, while

watching your son's soccer game, " says , noting that every 20 steps a

person takes is 1 calorie burned.

An eight-year study of 13,000 people also showed that people who walked 30

minutes daily had a significantly reduced chance of premature death compared

with those who rarely exercised, reports the American Council on Exercise.

And there are plenty of opportunities to move those legs:

a.. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

b.. Walk to the store.

c.. Window shop at the mall.

d.. Leave your desk and visit your co-worker instead of sending him an email.

e.. Walk and talk with friends instead of meeting for a meal.

Healthy Habit No. 13: Plan

There is, perhaps, no better word in the English language to better illustrate

how you can incorporate healthy habits into your everyday life.

" A little planning goes a long way, " says . " Eating healthy never happens

by accident. "

For the most part, neither do good fitness, skin protection, healthy teeth,

weight loss, and social ties. Many of these habits take effort that need to be

scheduled into busy lives.

To eat healthy, for example, it would help to set aside time to draft a menu,

make a grocery list, go to the store, prepare meals, and pack breakfast and

lunch.