Neurobics for your mind. Get your brain fizzing with energy. American researchers coined the term ‘neurobics’ for tasks which activate the brain’s own biochemical pathways and to bring new pathways online that can help to strengthen or preserve brain circuits. Brush your teeth with your ‘other’ hand, take a new route to work or choose your clothes based on sense of touch rather than sight. People with mental agility tend to have lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related mental decline.
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🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ Attitude Has a Lot to do with Health
Non Prescriptive Path to Better Health
Stay Optimistic
Life tests us in many ways. Loved ones die, layoffs happen, and health problems can mount. But positive thinking can be a powerful ally. When you choose to be optimistic and grateful, your mind and body respond in kind. People with a rosier outlook live longer and have fewer heart attacks and depression than more negative people. Positive emotions may even lower virus counts in people with HIV. You can learn to be optimistic. It just takes time and practice. Things you can do include:
- Smile, even fake smile. It can help lower stress.
- Reframe. Spin your thoughts to the good things instead of dwelling on the bad.
- Keep a gratitude journal.
- Do good things for others.
- Surround yourself with people who boost your spirits.
- Accept things you can’t change.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ Fiber Up!
Add Fiber
It’s an easy way to eat your way to better health with every meal and snack. Swap out your white bread for whole grain. Add kidney beans to your soup or apple slices to your salad. Fiber fills you up and for longer. It cuts your cholesterol levels and lowers your chance of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.
It also helps you avoid constipation, which is more common in older adults. After age 50, men should aim for 30 grams of fiber a day and women should get 21 grams a day.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~
4 strategies by the CDC to Avoid Food Borne Germs diseases
1. Clean using hot, soapy water: Wash your hands before and after preparing food, scrub kitchen surfaces often (like cutting boards and countertops) and clean utensils that came into contact with raw foods before reusing them. For fresh fruits and veggies, rinse thoroughly under running water.
2. Separate: To avoid cross-contamination between foods, separate them. Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs away from other foods in your cart while grocery shopping and in your fridge at home. Use different utensils, cutting boards and plates for raw meat, poultry and seafood.
3. Cook to the right temperature: Use a thermometer to cook foods to a safe internal temperature hot enough to kill disease-causing germs: 160°F for ground meats, 165°F for poultry and 145°F for fish.
4. Chill: Refrigerate perishable food within two hours at 40°F or below (if it’s warm outside, food shouldn’t be away from the fridge for more than an hour). When thawing frozen foods, defrost in the fridge, microwave or in cold water. Never thaw foods on the counter at room temperature (i.e. the danger zone) because bacteria will multiply quickly in this environment.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ Home Cooking, A Good Choice
Home Cooking Might Be The Right Prescription for Health
Ordering in after a late night at work might be convenient, but it’s not doing your waistline any favors. When researchers involved in a 2017 study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine studied the eating habits of different households, they found that home-cooked meals better complied with the federal guidelines for a healthy diet—and the more a family ate at home, the better their diet was. Seeing as one 2019 study published in The Lancet linked approximately 20 percent of deaths worldwide with a poor diet in 2017, it looks like cooking at home more might just be the key to living a longer, healthier, and happier life.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ Exercise Is More Important than Ever During COVID-19
Here’s What You Need to Know
Exercising is more important now than ever. Let’s talk moderate exercise first – a level of exercise equivalent to a brisk walk. Most of us live in an area where a brisk walk outside is still perfectly safe. Just maintain proper social distancing, keeping at least 6 feet between you and anyone else. Or hop on that treadmill that’s been serving as a clothes hanger for far too long.
With each walk, your immune system gets a little stronger. Activity of germ-fighting immune system cells increases – these “natural killer cells” are particularly adept at killing off dangerous invaders. With each workout, our immune systems also pump out natural antibodies and anti-inflammatory cytokines to help wipe out attackers. Over time, these temporary increases can permanently pump up our immune system and lower inflammation, so developing a consistent exercise habit is key!
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ 3 Healthy Choices for Snacks
Healthy Snacks To Keep You Going
- Cherry tomatoes are a delicious summer snack to keep on hand at all times. Five of these little gems contain a gram of fiber and less than 20 calories.
- Toss the yolks and fill your deviled eggs with hummus instead for a low fat, cholesterol-free alternative.
- Go nuts! Sure they’re high in fat, but they’re mostly good fats and a small amount goes a long way. A few almonds and an apple make a quick and portable snack choice.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ Eat Wisely & Healthy
Eating a healthy diet plays a critical role in supporting our immune system, which protects us from a wide array of disease-causing pathogens, including the deadly coronavirus. . . . Healthy eating habits are crucial to maintaining strong immunity, says Hannah Braye, a certified nutrition specialist. . . .” “Our immune system is on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It includes our skin, enzymes in our tears and the numerous immune cells circulating in our bloodstream. The immune system also includes the trillions of immune-modulating bacteria residing within our guts. We are constantly exposed to all kinds of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other potentially disease-causing microorganisms on a daily basis. As long as our immune system is functioning well, we are largely able to resist infection. Nutrition plays a critical role in determining immune health.”
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ 3 Ways for a Healthier You
3 Changes that Make a Healthy Difference
- Instead of frying in oil, turn that oven up to 400 °F (200 °C) and roast your meat, fish or poultry, along with some veggies. Baking, barbecuing, broiling, grilling, poaching and steaming all use minimal oil, too.
- Got the munchies? Plain, air-popped popcorn can be a rich source of fibre, which has been shown to reduce your risk of heart disease, obesity and certain types of cancer.
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When you buy cereal, look for whole grains and choose one with less than 6 grams of sugar and more than 4 grams of fibre per 1 cup (30 gram) serving.
🍎 Today’s Health Tip ~ 3 Cheers for Omega 3’s
The Good Fats Are Really, Really Good for your Health
Filling up on omega-3 fatty acids does a body good. These polyunsaturated fats, which play a crucial role in how your body’s cells function, have been shown to reduce harmful inflammation that could lead to heart disease, decrease triglyceride levels and blood pressure, and prevent fatal heart arrhythmias. Your body can’t produce omega-3s, though, so you’ve got to be diligent about making sure your diet provides them. The good news is the fatty acids hide in tons of foods, like beans, certain oils and veggies, and—as you probably know—seafood. Take a look at these favorite sources.
