Tag Health | resveralife

May 1, 2016 by Mayank

Four Components of a Healthy Lifestyle

The word “healthy” gets tossed around a lot, and carries connotations of salads, treadmills, and so-called “health foods” or “superfoods” (many of which are called such by rather spurious allegations). But what does it actually mean?

Merriam Webster defines the word “healthy” as “good for your health,” but that’s also pretty vague. What’s generally meant in common parlance when something is called “healthy” is that it will be conducive to your body functioning efficiently and as it was meant to. Things that are healthy are part of a greater picture of being healthy, which means keeping your body running smoothly with few problems or complications, and in the long term, means keeping your body going for a long, happy life.

But how to accomplish this? There’s so much information, misinformation, conflicting information, good information, bad information, spurious information, questionable but maybe good information…you get the idea. There are a lot of ideas out there on what is and isn’t healthy, but rest easy, because it’s actually a lot simpler than you might think. In fact, there are four habits in particular that, if cultivated, will have you living and feeling healthy, and they’re not that hard.

Woman smoking

First, Don’t Smoke
Or, if you’re currently a smoker, quit. Seriously, you need to quit. Don’t just move to e-cigarettes, stop consuming anything with nicotine in it entirely (using an e-cigarette to vape nicotine-free flavored water is okay). Cigarettes are of course the worst offender because you get awful things like tar and fiberglass in your lungs in addition to nicotine, but even though e-cigarettes dispose of those additives, nicotine is still really harmful to your health. If you want to live a long, healthy life without serious complications, and to have nice skin, you need to work on quitting. We know it’s hard, but you can do it.

Next, Eat Well
An ideal and healthful diet includes lots of dark, leafy greens, some fruits, a good source of protein, but not too much, never too much meat (a little is okay), and plenty of fiber, among other things. A daily multivitamin is also recommended. Minimize junk foods high in saturated fats, and avoid trans fats like the plague, except as a VERY occasional treat, at most. Limit sugar consumption and don’t overdo it on caffeine (some caffeine is okay, but don’t exceed about 400 mg, which translates to 3-5 cups of coffee a day, depending on the variety).

Woman exercising

Third, Exercise Moderately
You don’t want to overdo it, as that can have its own negative repercussions, but a vigorous cardiovascular activity that raises your heart rate substantially for around a half-hour a day is ideal. Strength training is fine (but be careful!) if you want to, but not necessary for good health.

Finally, Keep Your Body Fat Percentage in Check
This is one to talk to your doctor about to get more specifics and advice. Generally, if you’re following the above three rules, you’re probably fine, but it’s good to check just to be sure. Body fat percentage is a much more reliable measure of overall physical health than BMI, because its measures how much of your body is fat, as opposed to a highly fallible ratio of height to weight. If your BMI is too high or too low, ask your doctor about ways to get it back on track.

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April 28, 2016 by Mayank

Exercise and Anti-Aging

It’s pretty much a given that exercise is good for you. It’s one of those ubiquitous pieces of common knowledge that’s been proven so thoroughly it’s rightfully accepted as fact. But did you know that not only is regular exercise beneficial to general health and well-being, but it can also help you to ensure that you age well and live a long, healthy, happy life.

Exercise Fights Disease
Well, not directly, but it can reduce your chances of contracting them. Regular cardiovascular activity strengthens your heart, so it doesn’t have to work as hard keeping your body running smoothly, so to speak, reducing the risk of heart-related diseases. It also, of course, burns calories which can help keep you at a healthy weight, which helps to prevent conditions like diabetes, back pain, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and much more. Exercising regularly also boosts your mood, so you’re less likely to get depressed or be overly anxious. All of these things, of course, can potentially increase both quality and length of life.

Exercise is the Ultimate Anti-Inflammatory
One of the worst aspects of aging is inflammation. Inflammation becomes more and more of a problem with age and contributes to a lot of the symptoms of old age. Exercise, in the right amount at the right frequency, can actually reduce inflammation and therefore help to forestall many effect of aging.

For the best effect, you need to try for 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. That may sound like a big number, but think about it, it’s only 2 and a half hours…in a whole week! You can accomplish this with 30 minute sessions, once a day, for five days, and then two days off, or with 20 minutes every day, with no days off (unlike strength training, which you should absolutely not do every day or you’ll tear up your muscles, cardiovascular exercise is fine to do every single day).

The other thing to remember is never to overdo it. Studies suggest that regular exercise for more than 30 minutes in a session or expending more than 70% of your maximum effort will actually increase inflammation, the opposite of what you need to age well.

And finally, just remember that if it’s difficult at first, you can and should build up to things gradually. If 20-30 minutes is too much at first, start with 10 a day, and add 5 minutes every week until you get to your goal. You’ll find that what once seemed impossible will be easily doable if you commit to it long term and build up gradually.

Remember that Exercise is Only Half the Equation
Exercise is incredibly important, but you also have to remember to eat right and take care of your body in other ways. So after that workout, don’t forget to shower and re-do your skincare routine! And eat a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, with very little meat and a lot of leafy greens. And don’t forget to pamper yourself every once in awhile! Feeling good about yourself is just as important to a long, happy life as the physical aspects are.

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April 26, 2016 by Mayank

Lifespan Gains Research

The one fact of life that unites us all is that we will all age, and we will all die eventually. There doesn’t seem to be any getting around that fact. While you can (and certainly should if it makes you happy) definitely ameliorate the effect of aging and preserve a healthy, happy, beautiful appearance—because mature skin, even with some wrinkles, is pretty too—by taking good care of yourself and using anti-aging skincare products, among other things, there is as of yet no way for homo sapiens sapiens (i.e. human beings) to achieve immortality or eternal youth.

Of course, that doesn’t stop people from trying. Scientists have long sought after immortality, and bioethicists continually debate whether or not it would be desirable or moral to seek it, or to make it available if it were achieved. Progress is slow but steady, and who knows, you might see the average human lifespan extend even further than it already has within your lifetime.

Theories of Aging
Of course, if we’re going to talk about research on aging, it’s necessarily beneficial to discuss the current theories on the how and why of aging, scientifically known as “senescence.” Senescence refers to the phenomenon whereby many (though not all!) cellular organisms—including humans—gradually deteriorate over time, or age. There are multiple theories as to why senescence exists as a phenomenon, and the scientific community has yet to come to a definite consensus as to which are or are not consistent with reality. That said, it is valuable to know the most prominent theories and how you might be able to use the information to make informed choices about how you live your life and treat your body. As such, we’ll review a couple of the most prominent ones below (note: there are many theories of aging, but these two are some of the more prominent and applicable ones).

Genetic Damage
The genetic damage model of aging dictates that senescence occurs because of accumulated damage to cells’ genetic code over time. Every human cell (and indeed, every cell in every cellular organism) has a complete copy of a person’s genetic code in the form of tightly packed DNA strands in the nucleus of the cell. Because one’s genetic code is encoded in a physical form—chromatin/DNA strands—it can be damaged over time, and repeated mitosis (multiplication of cells) can cause errors in the code, which can build up over time. The genetic damage model of senescence dictates that it is this gradually accumulated deterioration of one’s DNA-encoded genome that causes the effect of aging.

While you can’t stop your cells from dividing or accumulating errors in genetic code, you can forestall this process some simply by avoiding sources of damage. Never tan. Ever. In beds or outside (if you want the aesthetic of tanned skin, use a quality tanning lotion, spray tan, etc). Further, always wear SPF 30 or higher broad-spectrum sunscreen. This will prevent UV radiating from further advancing genetic damage.

Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress refers to the phenomenon of free radicals being released in oxidation reactions and damaging cells. The oxidative stress model of senescence, in effect, dictates that an accumulation of cellular damage by free radicals, over time, causes deterioration of cellular structures and function, and ultimately causes many symptoms of aging.

While it can’t be stopped completely, oxidative stress can be managed and ameliorated by including lots of antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. These include red wine, pomegranates, blackberries, dark, leafy greens, and many other. In general, just eat a varied, healthy diet with more vegetables than meat, exercise regularly, and enjoy a single glass of red wine and/or antioxidant-rich fruit juice (like pomegranate) every night, and your body will thank you.

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April 17, 2016 by Mayank

Carpal Tunnel & Golfer's Elbow

In order to determine where the carpal tunnel is, you should take a look at your wrist with your palm facing up and as you flex the wrist towards you, the area underneath the wrinkles is where the carpal tunnel is located. The carpal tunnel contains blood vessels, nerves and tendons which are the outer layers of muscles. Golfer’s elbow, also called medial epicondylitis, causes inflammation and pain in the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. Pain generally is focused on the bony area on the inside of the elbow but may also radiate outwards to the forearm. The best thing you can do is you develop golfer’s elbow is really just rest.

What Causes Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow and carpal tunnel are usually caused by the overuse of forearm muscles that involve gripping, rotation of the arms as well as flexing the wrists. Repeating these actions continuously often causes tiny tears in the tendons. Although the condition is called ‘golfer’s elbow’, it does not just affect golfers. Other activities that can lead to the condition are baseball (sometimes called pitcher’s elbow), tennis and bowling. Additionally, individuals can also develop the condition from overusing or incorrectly using tools like hammers, screwdrivers or while painting or raking. Many people will have heard the term ‘tennis elbow’ – both are forms of tendinitis, however, the difference is that golfer’s elbow is usually caused by tendons on the inside while tennis elbow is a result of damage to the tendons on the outside. Golfer’s elbow is also generally less common than tennis elbow.

Treatment of Golfer’s Elbow
The best thing you can do to treat your golfer’s elbow immediately is to apply ice to the affected area for around 20 minutes, anywhere from three to five times a day. You should also ensure to rest the injured elbow and refrain from any activities that may aggravate the condition. Pain medications should also be considered and doctors will often recommend an anti-inflammatory such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin to help reduce the swelling.

Additionally, physical therapy can help relieve pain and hasten the recovery process. There are numerous prescribed exercises which can help and reduce stress to the elbow which in turn can minimize the chance of the condition re-occurring.

There have been numerous innovations in recent years which in more serious cases of golfer’s elbow involve using plasma rich protein injections to accelerate recovery. For individuals who still experience pain after three months or more, surgery may be required. These procedures will often remove damaged parts of tendons in order to promote the healing process. Some individuals may take up to 6 months to recover from a serious case of golfer’s elbow.

Preventing Golfer’s Elbow
The only thing you really can do to prevent golfer’s elbow is to avoid overusing the joint. If you feel pain during any activity or sport you should stop immediately before the condition worsens.

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April 12, 2016 by Mayank

Upper Body Golf Workout

As much as improving your golf game is about practicing more often and learning how to optimize and adjust your bodily position, it is also about improving strength and balance in your upper body which in turn will make hitting with accuracy much easier. Golf swing technique problems have been attributed to inadequate core strength and stability, lack of shoulder and hip flexibility and insufficient abdominal strength. If you perform certain exercises regularly you will be able to enhance your golf game and become more flexible and stronger throughout your entire swing.

Golf Twist
Stand in the position as if you were about to tee off with feet just over should-width apart and the weight on the inside of each heel. Use both hands to hold a 5 pound or 2kg dumbbell or weight at the centre of your chest. Elbows should be extended outwards. Keeping your feet flat and head still bring the weight through the motion of a backswing until your right shoulder is underneath your chin. Return to the starting position and repeat through to a downswing. This exercise increases your flexibility and range of motion in the shoulders and ultimately helps you generate more power when you swing for real.

Pilates Rolldown and Oblique Twist
Sit down with your knees bent at 90 degrees in front of you. Squeezing a ball between your hands, slowly lie back until your bottom rib touches the floor. Exhale and roll back up to your starting position. Repeat this up to twenty times. If you find this too easy, roll back until you find your abdominal muscles tensing and then bring the ball to the right and left. This exercise works out the muscles on the front and sides of your abdominal wall which is important for back strength. It ensures that you generate more power when hitting the golf ball through your hips.

Core crunch

Core Crunch
With your knees bent and a towel or ball placed between them, lie on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and neck and on the exhale lift your shoulders off the floor (or crunch). Repeat as much as you can or until you have muscle fatigue. For more of a challenge and a stronger workout bring your knees towards you as you crunch. This exercise works the abdominal muscles and is integral for core stabilization when you swing.

Power Rotation
Similar to the golf twist, this exercise does not use any weights. Stand in your teeing off position, palms together aimed at the ground. Raise your right arm in a backswing motion until both arms form a vertical line then swing it back down clapping it with your left. Repeat with your left arm. Finally, rotate both your arms so as your right arm reaches over your head, your left will be down to the ground and vice versa. This exercise is known to help increase the power you can generate from the shoulders. When you bring your right arm down to clap your left hand, imagine your arm is the club hitting the ball.

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April 8, 2016 by Mayank

One a Day for Health

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” We have all heard the phrase, and we know it’s about more than just apples! Making healthy choices every day can be hard, but consistently doing things each day to make healthy habits is the best thing you can do for your physical and mental health. There are all kinds of little things you can do each day to help you lead a healthier lifestyle!

Woman drinking water

Drink Water!
Whether you think 8 cups, a gallon, or some other amount is best, drinking one glass of water in the morning is a perfectly simple way to get ahead for the day. Whatever your goal is, starting your day with one glass of water down is going to make it so much easy to reach it!

Start Your Day with Green Tea
Green tea has caffeine, so it is a great choice for a morning pick-me-up. Unlike coffee, green tea can actually help you stay hydrated, as well as give you a boost of energy. Green tea also jump starts your metabolism and is rich in antioxidants- who wouldn’t want to add this stuff in their routine?

Woman exercising

Do Something Active for At Least 30 Minutes
This can be anything! Even going for a short walk can boost your energy and metabolism. Doing yoga, going for a bike ride, exploring your neighborhood, or taking a spin class are also great ways to be more active every day. Mix it up and try new things so you stay motivated and excited to get your 30 minutes (or more) of activity every day!

Replace One Unhealthy Food with a Healthy One
Dieting is hard. It’s certainly not fun to always be thinking about what you eat, more specifically what you can’t eat. A simple way to ease into making better diet choices is to simply replace one unhealthy food with something more nutritious each day, and working up from there if you choose. This could be as simple as choosing a good old-fashioned coffee instead of a sugary coffee drink, or skipping the pop tart and opting for a smoothie in the morning. This method keeps dieting from getting overwhelming and breaks it down to each meal or snack. Creating good habits that are satisfying and manageable is really the only way to turn a diet into a lifestyle change.

Woman drinking wine

Drink a Glass of Wine!
This one is our favorite. It is no secret now, after new studies have shown all of the possible benefits of resveratrol, that drinking wine can actually be healthy. This antioxidant just so happens to be found in the skins of red grapes, so when we drink wine, we are getting a healthy dose of resveratrol, which can improve heart health, protect your cells from damaging free radicals, and prevent muscle fatigue!

Making an effort to add healthy habits to your daily routine can work wonders when it comes to improving your overall health. The best part is, as you can tell by this list, not every healthy habit is going to be difficult or unpleasant! Some are downright fun (thank you resveratrol)! So don’t ditch the apples, but there are tons of other little things you can do each day for your health!

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April 2, 2016 by Mayank

Cardiovascular Benefits of Exercise and Wine

What do wine and exercise have in common? Well, on the surface, not much. Wine is associated with relaxation, while exercise is associated with activity. But studies have emerged that both can be beneficial to cardiovascular health, especially when combined. Find out how this combination can be beneficial to your heart health.

The benefits of wine and exercise were discovered in a study ran by The European Society of Cardiology. Lead researcher Milos Taborsky, head of cardiology at the Palacky University Hospital in the Czech Republic says, “We found that moderate wine drinking was only protective in people who exercised. Red and white wine produced the same results.”

The study looked at people who consumed alcohol moderately at least 5 days a week. The researchers then separated the people into those that only drank and those that drank and exercised. The ones that only drank showed no considerable effect on their blood glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, or levels of inflammatory markers. However, those who worked out infrequently, such as twice a week, showed a dramatic impact on lowering cholesterol levels, which can result in a lower chance of cardiovascular disease.

Other studies that champion the combination of wine and exercise come from research done at the University of Florida and the University of Nebraska. These studies showed that ellagic acid, which is found in grapes, drastically slows the growth of existing fat cells and the formation of new ones, boosting metabolism of fatty acids in the liver. But drinking wine alone isn’t enough since the ellagic acid will slow fat growth, but not burn the fat. That’s where the exercise comes in. It allows you to shed some pounds in the first place and a moderate amount of red wine can help you keep it off. Reduced fat will also result in improved cardiovascular health.

Wine and beer can also encourage us to exercise in a beneficial cycle. Researchers have shown that wine and beer release endorphins in our brain that we use as a reward and motivation for working out. When the endorphins from exercising and the ones from drinking are combined, i.e. when we drink a glass of beer or wine shortly after a workout, they create a reaction in our body that our body wants to replicate over and over again. The result is that we subconsciously encourage ourselves to hit the gym the next day in order to replicate that feeling. This is a rare positive addiction that can result in stimulating the heart and blood flow.

Another more inconclusive study shows that a compound found in wine, resveratrol, can improve heart function, physical performance and muscle strength, mimicking exercise in the body and boosting workout performance. The setback in research here shows that it would take so much resveratrol to see the benefit, that humans could never consume that amount of wine and exercise safety. While you can supplement with resveratrol, the real thing is always more effective.

Do you exercise and drink wine? Do you find the combination beneficial? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section.

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Group of people exercising in aerobics class

March 27, 2016 by Mayank

Get Your Heart Rate Up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. Exercising daily does far more than burn calories and help you lose weight, it provides so many other health benefits one of which is improving the health of your heart. When you want to get your heart rate up, consider the following methods to keep your heart healthy.

Women warming up before exercise

Warm Up
Stretching before exercising is always a good idea, but in this case, we actually mean warming up your temperature. Environmental temperature can have a significant impact on your heart rate; the American Heart Association says that spending some time in warm air can increase your heart rate by anywhere from five to 10 beats per minute. While this may sound like a minuscule increase, it can actually have some pretty significant impacts on your heart when exercising. If you are exercising aggressively in high heat, you may run the risk of getting your heart rate up too high. If you ever experience light-headedness, dizziness or odd sensations in your chest, safely take yourself to a cooler location.

Aerobic Exercise
You probably know that if you want to get your heart rate up, cardiovascular exercise is one of the absolute best ways that you can do this. Taking a brisk walk around the block, spending some time on your bike or sweating it out in an aerobics class are all great ways to get your heart pumping faster. Your goal is to meet your target heart rate. If you aren’t sure what that number is, subtract your current age from 220 and then increase this number anywhere from 50 to 85 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Meeting your target heart rate is an important way to improve your overall heart health.

Strength and resistance training

Strength and Resistance Training
If you don’t immediately equate strength and resistance training with a raised heart rate you aren’t alone, but you do want to reconsider. Aerobic exercise is imperative for a healthy heart, but a truly effective workout includes strength and resistance training in addition to your cardio. Performing bodyweight exercises, lifting weights and other resistance exercises provide a workout for your muscles. When you work out your muscles, they require more oxygenated blood, which will, in turn, lead to a higher heart rate.

Cardiovascular, or aerobic exercise, is perhaps the most well-known method for getting your heart rate up, but it is far from the only method. Any burst of activity like a vigorous home cleaning session, working in your garden or carrying boxes up and down stairs all will raise your heart rate. Strength training is also an important component in increasing your heart rate, and maintaining a strong and healthy body. Aim for 30 minutes per day of exercise, and if you are just starting out, be sure to clear your routine with your doctor and start low then increase the difficulty level of your workouts.

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March 26, 2016 by Mayank

10 Ways to Meet Your 10K Step Goal

Whether you’ve just gotten a fitness tracker or you’ve had one for a while, this device can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Fitness trackers come programmed with a daily goal of 10,000 steps, which can be a breeze to accomplish on days when you’re super active or hitting the gym, but on other days this can seem like torture. Fortunately, there are some small changes that you can make to your daily routine in order to meet your daily goal of 10,000 steps.

Kill Some Time
Waiting for your child’s piano or dance lesson to end? Take a walk around the block to get some extra movement. If you find yourself waiting other places, like your doctor’s office, consider walking around the waiting room a few times to get steps.

Get Up and Move
Sitting at your desk all day isn’t good for your health or your productivity, so take a break every hour or so to get up and move around. “Take a break during your day, and go walk up and down a flight of stairs. It only takes a few minutes, but the benefits are huge,” says Lee Jordan. Not only do you boost your productivity and burn calories, you also increase your step count.

Woman walking to work

Walk to Work
Not everybody can use this tip, but if it is possible for you to walk to work, then do it. Walking to work can help you reach 10,000 steps super quickly and it’s great for the environment, so walk to work when you can. If you live in a rural or suburban area, simply park farther away from your destination or get off the bus one stop earlier than you need to.

Make it a Family Affair
Get in the habit of taking a walk with your family every evening after you eat supper. If you don’t have a spouse or kids, take your dog for a walk or just spend some time outside in nature by yourself.

Use a Different Bathroom
Using the bathroom right down the hallway gives you a few steps, but you can increase the number of steps you take during your bathroom break by going to one farther away or on a different level of your building.

Don’t So it All at Once
Meeting your goal of 10,000 steps can be overwhelming, and it becomes more so if you think of it as an all-or-nothing experience. Break your steps up into manageable numbers so that you can meet multiple goals during the day. Chris Jordan, the author of The 7 Minute Workout, suggests that you “aim for 2,000 steps before work, 2,000 mid-morning, 2,000 at lunch, 2,000 mid-afternoon and 2,000 in the evening. It will make hitting your goal much easier.”

Officegoers climbing stairs

Skip the Elevators / Escalators
Taking the stairs anytime you are able during the day, even just going up and down them a few times during a lunch break, can quickly help you reach 10,000 steps. Not only will it help you get your steps in, but Lee Jordan an American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer, says it can help you in your fitness goals and in getting out the door faster. “Most people at the office use an elevator, so the steps are usually empty. People underestimate how good a workout step climbing is.”

Get Face-to-Face
Many of us are in the habit of simply sending an e-mail or making a quick call to a co-worker, but if you want to hit your 10,000 step goal, get up and walk to your co-worker to discuss what you need to.

Hang Out With Friends
Spend some time with your friends while working towards your 10,000 step goal. Take a walk around the neighborhood or head downtown and do some serious window (or actual) shopping and use this social time as a way to be more active.

Try to be Inefficient
You probably spend all day trying to be as efficient as possible; carrying in all the grocery bags at once, hauling all the laundry down the steps at one time or putting away as many items as possible in one fell swoop. Rather than be efficient, get extra steps by being really inefficient. Carry the grocery bags one or two a time, take smaller loads of laundry to the washing machine and put one item away before grabbing another to help meet your 10,000 step goal.

The American Heart Association endorses the 10,000 steps per day guideline, and it really can increase your health. Don’t let the number scare you, just use the above tips to help you meet your 10,000 step goal every day.

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March 22, 2016 by Mayank

Lifestyle Habits for a Healthy Body

A healthy body is the result of a healthy lifestyle and intentional actions.The decision to work towards a healthy body can be a little bit overwhelming because it may feel like you have to overhaul every aspect of your life. When adopting new lifestyle habits, it’s best to start slow and to add new habits gradually. The following five lifestyle habits are among the most important when it comes to getting, and maintaining, a healthy body.

Woman having a salad

Eat Well
Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables, reduce the amount of sodium you eat and eliminate refined or processed ingredients as much as possible for a healthy body. Doctors and health experts suggest adopting a “meatless Monday” mentality and prepare at least one entirely meatless meal every week. Your diet should include plenty of dark leafy greens, complex carbohydrates like brown rice or whole grains and healthy fats like avocados or olive oil.

Woman exercising

Physical Activity
Getting your body moving is so important to achieving a healthy body, both mentally and physically. If you’re a busy individual (and who isn’t?), you might stress about when you can find time to get to the gym or how you can fit 45 minutes of exercise into your nightly routine, but physical activity does not have to be an all or nothing thing. Making small changes to the way you live your daily life can result in some serious health benefits. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine showed that taking short walks after eating a hearty meal reduced the amount of fat and triglycerides more effectively than long exercise sessions. Taking the stairs, taking stretching breaks every hour and parking your car further away are ways you can increase your physical activity without needing tons of time.

Woman reading labels

Read Labels
One habit that super healthy people always practice is to read the labels of everything they purchase. You might already read the ingredients list on the foods you buy, but what about the dish soap you use or your favorite shampoo? In order to treat your body well, you have to offer it the healthiest and most beneficial ingredients, which means that you need to be fully informed of what you’re putting into and onto your body. Always read labels on any product that goes in your body or on your body and avoid things like sulfates and parabens.

Woman meditating

Reduce Stress
With the busy lives most of us live, it’s no wonder that high stress levels are rampant. Unfortunately, stress has more serious effects on your body than simply making you a bit cranky or grumpy. The American Psychological Association states that stress has negative effects on your respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems. Stress is commonly associated with tension-type headaches or migraines, it increases your risk of long-term heart disease and a higher risk of developing diabetes. Luckily, you can help to reverse these negative effects: “Relaxation techniques have been shown to effectively reduce muscle tension, decrease the incidence of certain stress-related disorders, such as headache, and increase a sense of well-being,” according to the American Psychological Association. Practice breathing exercises or meditation to help get your stress under control.

Woman washing hands

Wash Your Hands
Washing your hands is one of the most important things you can do to keep your body free from illnesses and infections. For the most effective clean, wet your hands with warm or cold water, then apply soap. Work soap into a lather for at least 20 seconds, making sure to clean the fronts and backs of your hands, in between your fingers and under your fingernails. Rinse your hands with warm or cold water and pat dry with a towel.

Achieving a healthy body is absolutely in your reach if you practice lifestyle habits that focus on all areas of your health. In addition to the above, drink plenty of water and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Lifestyle habits for a healthier body improve both your physical and mental health, and lead to a happier life overall.

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