Take a cold shower.
Sure, hot showers feel luxurious and will warm you up on a wintry day, but what else do they offer? Um, nothing. It’s cold showers that have an impressive array of benefits. And you need nothing other than a hefty dose of willpower to take advantage of them. One cold shower a day (lukewarm water won’t cut it) will improve circulation, increase metabolism, tighten pores, boost immunity and alertness, and speed recovery from a tough workout. To ease your way in, alternate between hot and cold water, a technique known as the “Scottish Shower.” Or switch over to cold water for the last couple of minutes, just like in the James Bond movies.
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healthy
🍎 Health Hack: A Great Day Begins with Breakfast
Breakfast is important for a bunch of reasons. It jump-starts your metabolism and stops you from overeating later. Plus, studies show that adults who have a healthy breakfast do better at work, and kids who eat a morning meal score higher on tests. If a big plateful first thing isn’t for you, keep it light with a granola bar or a piece of fruit. Just don’t skip it.
🍎 Health Hack: Bye Bye Stress
Chase Stress Away
Chase away stress with a good laugh. Even a simple, genuine smile has been shown to help offset tension and negative thoughts. Three ideas for bringing humor into your life:
Watch a funny movie or show, read humorous comics, or go to a comedy show or improv performance.
Spend time around pets, children, or entertaining people who are a part of your life.
Don’t take things too seriously and be willing to laugh at yourself.
🍎 Health Hack: Sugar Is Not Your Friend
Don’t Drink Sugar Calories
Sugary drinks are among the most fattening items you can put into your body. This is because your brain doesn’t measure calories from liquid sugar the same way it does for solid food. When you drink soda, you end up eating more total calories (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source). Sugary drinks are strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and many other health problems (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source). Keep in mind that certain fruit juices may be almost as bad as soda in this regard, as they sometimes contain just as much sugar. Their small amounts of antioxidants do not negate the sugar’s harmful effects (8Trusted Source).
🍎 Health Hack: Pass the Guacamole
Avocados – A Power Food
Many people avoid avocados because of their high fat content; they believe that avoiding all fats leads to better health and easier-to-control body weight – this is a myth. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, as well as B vitamins, vitamin K, and vitamin E and have a very high fiber content. Studies have shown that regular avocado consumption lowers blood cholesterol levels.
Avocado extracts are currently being studied in the laboratory to see whether they might be useful for treating diabetes or hypertension. Researchers from Ohio State University found that nutrients taken from avocados were able to stop oral cancer cells, and even destroy some of the pre-cancerous cells.
🍎 Health Hack: Avoiding Alzheimers
Practice NEURO
N is for Nutrition, and data from many studies have repeatedly supported a whole-food, plant-based diet as being protective for brain health in general, and Alzheimer’s and stroke in particular.
E is for Exercise. There is plenty of evidence that exercise protects the brain against Alzheimer’s. In a recent study, it was demonstrated that an intensive aerobic exercise regimen reduced one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 40%. Another study showed that a 6-month structured resistance-training program reversed cognitive impairment among 47% of patients with the beginning stages of dementia, i.e. they had normal scores on cognitive testing after participating in the exercise program.
U is for Unwind. This entails not only reducing ‘bad’, uncontrolled stress but also increasing ‘good’ (purpose-driven) stress. The concept of good stress stems from the fact that challenging and complex cognitive activities grow the brain and provide resilience, which confers protection and even if the brain is riddled with disease.
R is for Restorative Sleep. 7-8 hours of deep, restorative sleep is critical for continued brain health – it’s the ultimate brain cleanse and it’s during the deep stages of sleep that memories are formed and consolidated. Dysfunctional sleep or sleep apnea can increase one’s risk of dementia by as much as 70%.
O is for Optimizing Cognitive and Social Activity. One of our research studies, a meta-analysis on brain activities and Mild Cognitive Impairment indicated that complexity is central for building brain capacity at any age, which means that you won’t find brain vitality in contrived games, but rather in a complex, real life, and most importantly, in purpose-driven activities such as learning a musical instrument, learning a new language, leading a project, volunteering, or even things like playing cards and games with friends.
🍎 Health Hack ~ It’s Time to Relax
‘Relaxation may be just stepping away from something stressful for a few minutes or taking time away from your normal routines and thoughts.
Read a book or a magazine, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
Run yourself a bath, watch a film, play with a pet or try out a new recipe.
Spending time outside and in green spaces can be great for your physical and mental health.
Take a walk in the countryside or through a local park, taking time to notice trees, flowers, plants and animals you see on the way.
Take a walk, going at your own pace. You might choose to go for a longer walk, but even a few minutes of walking can help you feel relaxed.’
🍎 Health Hack ~ A Good Night’s Sleep
How to get the best quality sleep
Get sunlight in the early part of the day.
Practicing a relaxation technique during the day can improve sleep efficiency — you’ll fall asleep more quickly once you go to bed (Sleep 2009).
Getting the minimum recommended amount of exercise (150 minutes per week) improves sleep quality by 65% and reduces sleepiness during the day. (Oregon State University, 2011).
Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.
Sleep goes in cycles throughout the night and the body needs to go into a slower brainwave pattern in order to drift off. Stop productive activity at least 20–30 minutes before sleeping. The brain needs time to downshift from the faster brainwaves of wakefulness to the slower brainwaves of restful sleep.
Aim to go to bed and wake up at around the same time each day. A study of MIT students showed that sleep regularity was tied to greater reported alertness, energy, happiness, calmness, and health. (MIT Media Lab SNAPSHOT, 2016).
🍎 Health Hack: Simple Tip to Live Longer
People who move more tend to live longer. Staying physically active benefits your overall health and can help prevent many chronic diseases. Partner up with a friend or family member and get moving.
Pump up your heart: Aim for 10,000 steps a day or clock at least 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity five days a week or more. Breaking activity sessions into 10-minute intervals—like a brisk walk before, during, and after work—can add up to your 30 minutes for the day.
Stay strong: Try to do muscle strengthening activities two days a week or more, as well. Pushups, pull-ups, sit-ups, planks, squats, and lunges are equipment-free ways to work all you major muscle groups.
🍎 Health Hack: Be Kind to Yourself
A Meditative Path to Find your good
Start by being thankful for your own goodness, recalling some of the things you’ve done out of kindness. Then silently think about what you wish most deeply for yourself. You can use the following phrases, or create some that are meaningful to you. Relax and let the thoughts come gently from your heart:
May I live in safety.
May I have happiness (or peace, or joy).
May I have physical health.
May I live with ease.
