Avoid Tobacco
Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer, as well as cancers of the esophagus, larynx, mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach and cervix. Other tobacco products (such as smokeless tobacco, cigars and pipes) also increase cancer risk. Smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death in the U.S. and much of the world; 79,000 men and 56,000 women in the U.S. die annually from lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking. In addition, about 3,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer each year in the U.S. due to secondhand smoke. If you use tobacco, quitting is by far the most important step you can take to protect your health. It is never too late to quit.
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🍎 Health Hack ~Re-Charge Your Brain
Learn Something New
New skills help keep your brain healthy. Sign up for a dance class or a creative writing workshop. Better yet, master a new language. The mental work it takes can slow the signs of aging and may even delay the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
🍎 Health Hack ~ We Can Do This!
Get Up and Get Moving
Aim for a total of 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise (brisk walking, ballroom dancing, active yoga, leisurely biking) or 75 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity exercise (jogging, running, tennis, biking, swimming laps). If you’re not currently active, your doctor can help you plan reasonable starting goals, bearing in mind your general health. Keep in mind that even a little bit of daily physical activity, of any intensity, is better than none. And even very short bouts—less than 10 minutes, for instance—count toward your overall goal.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Fuel Up at Breakfast
Have Breakfast
It’s 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 ~ Eating Smart in 2020
Base your diet around vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and small portions of nuts. Limit your intake of meat (especially processed meats like bacon and hot dogs). Try your best to eliminate refined carbohydrates (pasta, white rice), sweets, sweetened beverages, and added salt. Fish and shellfish can be a healthy choice as long as you vary the kinds you eat to minimize exposure to contaminants from pollution. Avoid trans fats and replace saturated fat with mono- and polyunsaturated fats. A Mediterranean-style diet, the DASH eating plan, and a balanced vegetarian diet are all good options.
🍎 Health Hack ~Reducing the Risk for Cancer
Exercise may reduce the odds you’ll develop any of seven types of cancer — and a new study suggests the more you exercise, the lower your risk.
That’s the conclusion of researchers who pooled data from nine published studies that included more than 750,000 men and women.
“We found that the recommended amount of physical activity was in fact associated with significantly reduced risk for breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, liver, myeloma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma,” said lead researcher Charles Matthews, a senior investigator at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
U.S. guidelines recommend three to five hours a week of moderate activity for adults, or one to three hours a week of vigorous activity.
The study authors found that the harder you exercise for that recommended time, the more you reduce your cancer risk.
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🤗 Feel Good Hack ~ It Doesn’t Take Much
Just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise, such as a brisk walk or a swim, can help boost your mood and limit the effects of stress on your body. And if you do it outdoors in the sunshine, you may feel even better.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Stress Reduction Checklist
Peel Away Stress
- Set priorities. Focus on what’s important. Let the other stuff go.
- Identify tasks that you can share or delegate, then ask for help.
- Get organized. Disorder can make things confusing and hard to remember.
- Set short-term goals you can reach. Reward yourself for meeting them!
- Say no — gracefully — to taking on more obligations.
- Focus on the positive. Choose to look for the good in others and yourself.
- Laugh! Look for humor in your everyday life, or watch a funny video.
- Listen to music. Choose tunes that relax or revive you.
- Talk to a counselor or a friend.
- Remember, things don’t have to be perfect. Sometimes “good enough” is just fine.
- Take a time-out for yoga, meditation, or some deep breaths.
- Get regular exercise. Find something you like doing that you can work into your schedule.
- Set aside some time, even 5 to 10 minutes, for yourself each day.
🍎 Health Hack ~ Switch Out Snacks
Curb Snack Attacks With Protein
It’s hard to resist the junk food-filled vending machine when your stomach is growling at 3 p.m. But you don’t need to rely on willpower alone. The right food choices earlier in the day can set you up for success. Reach for protein: It fills you up and helps you feel satisfied longer than carbs do. Go for meals and snacks that include things like hardboiled eggs, Greek-style yogurt, peanut butter, and skinless chicken.
