Ok, here we go:

1. Don’t smoke. Ever.
2. Avoid being exposed to passive smoking.
3. Don’t use chewing tobacco.
4. Eat fruits, especially fruits with strong colors.
5. Eat lots of berries.
6. Eat more vegetables.
7. Eat more nuts.
8. Eat beans.
9. Eat onions. If possible, uncooked.
10. Eat whole grains.
11. Add garlic to as many meals as you can.
12. Eat less sugar.
13. Eat less processed foods.
14. Go easy on the salt.
15. Increase your consumption of dietary fiber.
16. Drink more water.
17. Drink tea. Lots of tea. Especially green tea. Don’t use milk.
18. Drink coffee.
19. Drink wine (in moderation).
20. Limint your alcohol consumption.
21. Avoid over-exposure to sunlight.
22. Use sunscreen.
23. Avoid being exposed to chemicals in your work environment.
24. Check your home and work for sources of harmful radiation.
25. Don’t microwave your food.
26. Eat steamed vegetables rather than boiled.
27. Use lots of spices when cooking.
28. Pre-cook your meat before putting it on the grill.
29. Coat barbecue meat with sauce to avoid direct contact with flames.
30. Cut out hig-fat animal protein.
31. Eat four or more servings of fish a week.
32. Switch from fried potatoes to mashed or boiled.
33. Strive to be emotionally balanced.
34. Get a screening.
35. Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
36. Use condoms.
37. Avoid deodorants and sunscreen containing paraben.

If you enjoy this post, feel free to subscribe by RSS or Email.

No related posts.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.  ~ Irish Proverb

Tight schedules. Stress. Artificial light. It’s harder than ever to get a good night’s sleep.

Truth is, however, that a lot of sleep won’t necessarily equal to a long life – the risk of death actually increases with both too little and too much sleep.

One study found that the average person’s risk of death increased if they slept more than eight hours a night or less than seven. The optimal amount of sleep one should get should therefore be around 7 hours and 30 minutes – that is, if you get quality sleep. There are a number of factors that can reduce the quality of your sleep:

• Artificial light
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Lack of exercise
• Stress

These factors are often interwoven, and it might be hard to give advice on how to prevent single factors from disturbing that precious beauty sleep of yours.

The major sleeping problem today is lack of sleep rather than getting too much sleep. What then are the downsides of sleeping too much? The main disadvantage is actually a reduction in the quality of your sleep, resulting in lower energy levels. Since sleeping too much also reduces the time you are awake, you’re more likely to get stressed, which in turn may lead to heart problems.

Also watch

Human Longevity Secrets: Sleep — powered by eHow.com

Read more

• Experts claim sleep to be the best indicator of longevity – Pravda

• Sleep Duration and Longevity – About.com: Longevity

Related posts:

1. The 8 Most Important Steps We Can Take to Live a Longer Life
2. Getting Rid of Insomnia Once and For All

Few ever lived to a great age, and fewer still ever became distinguished;
who were not in the habit of early using.
- John Todd

Some people claim to be morning people and others claim to be evening people. They make it sound as if it were all about genes, but hey – it’s not. Thruth is that we can teach ourselves – that is, our minds and our bodies – to wake up very early every morning without feeling tired at all. It’s just a matter of habit.

If you’re into the whole online personal development movement, you’ve probably come across the concept of early rising before. However, most of the people writing blog posts about it seems to focus on the productivity, stress-recuding and time-saving benefits of it. As the health blog this is, I thoguht we should try seeing it from a different perspective: how it directly or indirectly affects our physical health.

1. Get more rest in less time

It’s said that the hours before midnight gives five quarters of sleep per hour – that is, your body will benefit more from the sleep you gain those hours than the hours later in the night. If this is the case, sleeping between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. should have the same effect as sleeping between midnight and 7:30 a.m., even though you actually sleep half an hour less if you go to sleep at 10 p.m.

This means two things: either you can reduce your amount of sleep but still become as rested as earlier (hey – now you finally got time to exercise), or you can sleep as much as earlier but become more rested and have more energy throughout the day.

2. Eat breakfast

It’s said that the breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that 50 % of Americans do not eat proper breakfast. This is bad thing.

If you wake up early you will have more time to prepare and eat a good and healthy meal.

3. Exercise

Mornings are great for breakfast, both because you don’t have to do a lot of other things, and because it’s a very good time of the day to burn fat. When exercising before breakfast your body don’t have any food to take energy from, so it have to use fat as its source of energy.

Beware, though, because your body can also use muscle tissue as a source of energy. To prevent this, eat some protein before hitting the running track. Good sources of protein without much carbs of fat are egg whites, lean meat such as turkey or chicken and protein shakes.

It might take a few days or weeks to teach your body to use fat as its only source of energy, so take it easy in the beginning. If you find it hard to run, take a walk instead.

How to start doing it

The probably best way to start waking up early is using Steve Pavlina’s method. He promotes that we should go to bed when we feel tired (since we do not need the same amount of sleep every night), and go up at the same time every morning (weekends included). If we get too little sleep one night, we will be more tired the next evening and then we can go to sleep earlier that day instead to compensate it.

If you do this for a few weeks you will soon wake up this time by yourself, without the need for an alarm clock.

Recommended articles and sites

10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do It – Zen Habits

How to Become an Early Riser – Steve Pavlina

How to wake up early

Related posts:

1. Getting Rid of Insomnia Once and For All

Ever dreamt of aging slower? Ever wanting to see your grandchildren grow up? Ever dream of living a few years longer?

In the long run, we’ll all die. The question is not if, but rather when. But, let’s face it. How long you’ll live is partly controlled by your genes, and therefore different people can expect to reach different ages. However, your lifestyle and your habits may buy you a few more years to live. Here are a few actions and habits that are proven to make people live longer:

1. Get a move on.

Why?

Physical activity has proven to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, hip fracture, high blood pressure and overweight. A study claims that a person at the age of 65 may expect to live 12,7 years longer if he or she is exercising regularity.

How?

Find a kind of activity that you really enjoy. Keep motivating yourself. Do everyday exercising, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Take a walk with your dog, do some yard-work or go play tennis. The important thing is to exercise frequently. If possible, try to find some time to work out every day.

2. Have sex.

Why?

No complains here, right? Having sex every now and then may increase your life with 3-8 years. The chemicals released by orgasms may reduce stress and help you relax more.

How?

I’ll leave this one for you to figure out.

3. Get married.

Why?

In a study conducted in the US, bachelors aged between 19 and 44 were more than twice as likely to die as people on the same age who were married. People who were divorced were also more likely to die younger than people who lived their whole life with the same partner.

How?

Find a partner who you know for sure you can share your whole life with.

4. Watch your weight.

Why?

Researches have found that being overweight increases the risk of getting heart disease, vascular disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, lung disease and cancer.

How?

Find a diet that works for you. Personally, I’d lower my consumption of carbohydrates, especially fast ones such as sugar, and increase my consumption of protein, as protein stimulates the burning of fat and creates a feeling of fullness.

5. Stay optimistic.

Why?

Studies have show that among people aged 65 to 85, optimistic ones had a 55 % lower risk of dying within eight years.

How?

Make an effort to keep a positive view on life. Take chances. Accept that everything may not work out as expected. Learn from your mistakes instead of getting beaten down.

6. Quit smoking.

Why?

A study showed that people who quit smoking reduced the risk of death by 13 % within five years. Within 20 years, the ex-smokers had about the same risk of dying as people who had never smoked.

How?

When it comes to quitting smoking, the hard part is always motivation. Why do you want to live longer in the first place? Make a list of all the reasons you can come up with.

7. Get your antioxidants.

Why?

A diet rich in antioxidants boost your immune system, prevents cancer and heart disease and may make your body age slower. However, this is only the case for antioxidants from food, as antioxidants from dietary supplements may have no noticeable or even harmful effects.

How?

Eat lots of fruits, veggies and legumes, especially colourful ones, as many antioxidants give plants their specific colours. Eats lots of berries, as these contain huge amounts of antioxidants in relation to their calorie content. Drink tea, especially green tea, without milk. Consume moderate amounts of dark chocolate, coffee and red wine.

8. De-stress.

Why?

Researches have found that too much stress increases your risk of heart disease.

How?

Find time for yourself, or time to spend with your loved ones. Meditate. Take a warm bath. Exercise. Learn to separate your work life and your private life. Participate in social activities.

Enjoy your new long and happy life!

Related posts:

1. How Sleep Affects Longevity
2. 41 Benefits of Quitting Smoking

Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.

- Thomas Dekker

A lot of people seem to have trouble sleeping these days. However, most people I know who suffer from insomnia are young or mid-age people who have grown up in ricer countries. It seems almost as if lack of sleep is a problem that could be associated with our modern western lifestyle.

Personally I never wake up in the middle of the night, but occasionally I find it difficult to fall asleep in the first place. Since I have to get up at the same time every morning, an additional hour awake in bed equals an hour less of sleep, making me drowsy during the days. However, I’ve been reading some on the subject and eventually I’ve created a few habits that have helped me cure my insomnia.

1. Avoid caffeine. This one is obvious – caffeine restores alertness and fights sleepiness, making it a bad thing to consume in evenings and nights. In average caffeine has a half-life of 4,9 hours, and it can have effects on your wakefulness up to 8 hours after consumption. It may therefore be a good idea to stop consuming beverages containing caffeine 8 hours before going to sleep. I go to sleep about 11 PM and therefore I avoid caffeine after 3 PM. Beverages containing high amounts of caffeine includes coffee (duh), black tea, soft drinks and energy drinks. Green tea contains caffeine too, but not as much. Herbal tea is free from caffeine.
2. Exercise. Exercising may affect your sleep in a good way. People who regularly exercise have a higher sleep quality and find it easier to fall asleep. It might however be a good idea to avoid exercising late at night, since your body may need some time to relax and cool down. Lift some weights, go running, play with your kids or do some yard-work – how you exercise doesn’t really matter, as long as you do it.
3. Avoid late-night snacks. Eating big mounts of food jumpstarts your digesting system, making it harder for your body to relax. I avoid eating 30 minutes before going to bed, or 60 minutes if it’s a bigger meal.
4. Get up at the same time every morning. One important key to good sleep is to have routines. If you go to bed late and get up late at the weekends you’ll mess up your current sleeping pattern. The key to solve this may be to get up the same time every day, and to let your body control the rest – if you’ve slept very little one night your body will respond by making you tired the next night. Simply got to bed when you’re tired.
5. Get out in the sunshine. Exposure to sunshine during the day makes your body produce more melatonin at night, a hormone that controls your sleep. Many modern sleeping pills contain melatonin due to its soporific effects. If you work indoors, try to sit as close to a window as possible. Use your breaks to go outside for a few minutes.
6. Turn off that screen. Exposure to light during the day may make it easier to fall asleep when it’s dark at night, but during the exposure of light you become more alert and wakeful. If you stay up watching TV or spend time in front of your computer you will be exposed to a lot of light and your body’s production of melatonin therefore decreases, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Stay away from your computer and TV for 30 minutes or more before going to sleep. If you have to use your computer, lower your screen’s brightness.
7. Don’t read in bed. This may not apply to everybody, but it does make a difference for some people. Reading in bed will make your brain associate the bed with brain activity and wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep. It’s usually better to read somewhere else – e.g. in a comfy chair or a couch. The same concept applies to lying awake too long in bed, as your body will associate lying in bed with being wakeful. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and do something else (e.g. find a comfy chair and read) until you’re tired again.

If you can’t follow all of these tips, then at least follow number 1, 5 and 6. These are the ones that have helped me the most, as well as the ones that are backed up by the most scientific research.

Do you have any other tips that have helped you improve your sleep?

Photo: dotbenjamin

Further reading on insomnia

• How to solve 9 sleep problems (CNN)
• Six Simple Steps to Successful Sleep (Dumb Little Man)
• Conquer Restless Nights With This Simple Sleep Cure (Mark’s Daily Apple)

No related posts.

One should eat to live, not live to eat.  – Cicero

Being healthy and fit has a huge impact on your immune system, your energy levels, your mood and your confidence. By getting in shape you can change not only your looks, but your wellbeing as a whole.

1. Skip that juice. Juice is more or less fruit without all the fibres. What’s left is mainly sugar and water. Many kinds of juice even contain added sugar. Eat real fruits instead.
2. Change your diet slowly. What foods or drinks could you add to your diet? What foods or drinks could you cut out? Start slow and don’t rush it. Changing your whole diet at once is hard, making you more likely to go back to bad habits. Replacing one food per week or even month is easy.
3. Eat more often, but less. Eating five or six small meals instead of three big ones makes you feel fuller and keep your energy levels on top. People who eat more often also automatically consume less calories.
4. Avoid red, orange and yellow. These colours encourages eating. (Think of a certain hamburger chain. Sneaky, eh?) Therefore, avoid decorating you dining area with these colours. Instead, use as much blue as possible.
5. Drink ordinary coffee. Coffee drinks often contain lots of milk, cream or sugar. Cut that out and you’ll cut down on calories.
6. Eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to feel full. Eat more slowly and you’ll automatically eat less.
7. Take the stairs. Instead of using the elevator, use the stairs. If you walk up and down stairs for 10 minutes a day, you may shed up to 10 pounds a year.
8. Drink tea. Drinking warm drinks makes you less hungry, resulting in that you’ll automatically consume less food.
9. Drink water. Drinking enough water may reduce feelings of hunger and make your body metabolize fat more efficiently.
10. Use smaller plates. Using smaller plates makes you get the impression of eating more than you actually do. It may also make you eat slower.

Got other tips for easy weight loss? Share your wisdom below.

Photo: alancleaver_2000

Related posts:

1. How to Never Get Hungry While Being On a Diet

To cease smoking is the easiest thing I ever did.  I ought to know because I’ve done it a thousand times.  – Mark Twain

The benefits of quitting smoking are almost unlimited. When you quit, you will notice your health improve in not just a few ways, but in almost every way possible. You will get more energy, you will be sick less and you will be more alive than ever.

Have you ever wanted to stop smoking, but haven’t been able to? Sadly, it’s a very common problem. However, if you’re serious about quitting, these are some of the benefits you can expect to gain.

When you quit smoking, you will get…

1. Better blood circulation, and therefore warmer hands and feet.
2. Higher energy levels.
3. Increased stamina.
4. Improved sense of taste.
5. Improved sense of smell.
6. Less feelings of thirst.
7. Less dry lips and mouth
8. Lower blood pressure.
9. Better pulse rates.
10. Lower risk of gum diseases.
11. Lower risk of cancer.
12. Lower risk of heart attack.
13. Lower risk of stroke.
14. Lower risk of blindness.
15. Lower risk of impotence.
16. Lower risk of miscarriage.
17. Lower risk of having to amputate limbs.
18. Higher levels of antioxidants.
19. Strengthened immune system.
20. Higher blood oxygen levels.
21. Increased lung capacity.
22. Increased capacity to build muscles.
23. Less nausea from smoking too much.
24. Less coughing.
25. Less trembling hands.
26. Improved vision.
27. Less wrinkles and more beautiful skin.
28. Less yellow skin on fingers.
29. Less yellow nails.
30. Whiter teeth.
31. Less smelly clothes and hair.
32. Less feelings of guilt.
33. Possible improved self-image.
34. Decreased levels of stress hormones.
35. Increased sense of wellbeing.
36. Improved self-control.
37. Improved health of the people around you.
38. More cash and a better economy.
39. Lower life insurance premiums.
40. More available time for your loved ones.
41. A longer life.

If you’re a smoker, make your own list of benefits of not quitting. How many things can you come up with? It’s unlikely the list would be very long. Creating lists of pros and cons is a great way to give you motivation to change any habit.

Smoking cessation is not easy, but you can succeed if you put all your effort into it. Keep reminding yourself of the benefits you can gain. Visualize yourself as a happy non-smoker. Believe in your ability to succeed.

You have the ability to do it, right here and right now.

Photo: meddygarnet

No related posts.