1. Copy your kitty: Learn to do stretching
exercises when you wake up. It boosts circulation
and digestion , and eases back pain.
2. Don’t skip breakfast. Studies show that eating
a proper breakfast is one of the most positive
things you can do if you are trying to lose weight.
Breakfast skippers tend to gain weight. A
balanced breakfast includes fresh fruit or fruit
juice, a high-fibre breakfast cereal, low-fat milk or
yoghurt, wholewheat toast, and a boiled egg.
3. Brush up on hygiene. Many people don't know
how to brush their teeth properly. Improper
brushing can cause as much damage to the teeth
and gums as not brushing at all. Lots of people
don’t brush for long enough, don’t floss and don’t
see a dentist regularly. Hold your toothbrush in
the same way that would hold a pencil, and brush
for at least two minutes. This includes brushing
the teeth, the junction of the teeth and gums, the
tongue and the roof of the mouth. And you don't
need a fancy, angled toothbrush – just a sturdy,
soft-bristled one that you replace each month.
4. 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.
5. Get what you give! Always giving and never
taking? This is the short road to compassion
fatigue. Give to yourself and receive from others,
otherwise you’ll get to a point where you have
nothing left to give. And hey, if you can’t receive
from others, how can you expect them to receive
from you?
6. Get spiritual. A study conducted by the
formidably sober and scientific Harvard University
found that patients who were prayed for recovered
quicker than those who weren’t, even if they
weren’t aware of the prayer.
7. Get smelly. Garlic, onions, spring onions and
leeks all contain stuff that’s good for you. A study
at the Child’s Health Institute in Cape Town
found that eating raw garlic helped fight serious
childhood infections. Heat destroys these
properties, so eat yours raw, wash it down with
fruit juice or, if you’re a sissy, have it in tablet
form.
8. Knock one back. A glass of red wine a day is
good for you. A number of studies have found
this, but a recent one found that the polyphenols
(a type of antioxidant) in green tea, red wine and
olives may also help protect you against breast
cancer. It’s thought that the antioxidants help
protect you from environmental carcinogens
such as passive tobacco smoke.
9. Bone up daily. Get your daily calcium by
popping a tab, chugging milk or eating yoghurt.
It’ll keep your bones strong. Remember that your
bone density declines after the age of 30. You
need at least 200 milligrams daily, which you
should combine with magnesium, or it simply
won’t be absorbed.
10. Berries for your belly. Blueberries,
strawberries and raspberries contain plant
nutrients known as anthocyanidins, which are
powerful antioxidants. Blueberries rival grapes in
concentrations of resveratrol – the antioxidant
compound found in red wine that has assumed
near mythological proportions. Resveratrol is
believed to help protect against heart disease and
cancer.
11. Curry favour. Hot, spicy foods containing
chillies or cayenne pepper trigger endorphins, the
feel-good hormones. Endorphins have a powerful,
almost narcotic, effect and make you feel good
after exercising. But go easy on the lamb, pork
and mutton and the high-fat, creamy dishes
served in many Indian restaurants.
12. Cut out herbs before ops. Some herbal
supplements – from the popular St John's Wort
and ginkgo biloba to garlic, ginger, ginseng and
feverfew – can cause increased bleeding during
surgery, warn surgeons. It may be wise to stop
taking all medication, including herbal
supplements, at least two weeks before surgery,
and inform your surgeon about your herbal use.
13. I say tomato. Tomato is a superstar in the
fruit and veggie pantheon. Tomatoes contain
lycopene, a powerful cancer fighter. They’re also
rich in vitamin C. The good news is that cooked
tomatoes are also nutritious, so use them in
pasta, soups and casseroles, as well as in salads.
The British Thoracic Society says that tomatoes
and apples can reduce your risk of asthma and
chronic lung diseases . Both contain the
antioxidant quercetin. To enjoy the benefits, eat
five apples a week or a tomato every other day.
14. Eat your stress away. Prevent low blood sugar
as it stresses you out. Eat regular and small
healthy meals and keep fruit and veggies handy.
Herbal teas will also soothe your frazzled nerves.
Eating unrefined carbohydrates, nuts and bananas
boosts the formation of serotonin, another feel-
good drug. Small amounts of protein containing
the amino acid tryptamine can give you a boost
when stress tires you out.
15. Load up on vitamin C. We need at least 90 mg
of vitamin C per day and the best way to get this
is by eating at least five servings of fresh fruit
and vegetables every day. So hit the oranges and
guavas!
16. No folly in folic acid. Folic acid should be
taken regularly by all pregnant mums and people
with a low immunity to disease. Folic acid
prevents spina bifida in unborn babies and can
play a role in cancer prevention. It is found in
green leafy vegetables, liver, fruit and bran.
17. A for Away. This vitamin, and beta carotene,
help to boost immunity against disease. It also
assists in the healing process of diseases such as
measles and is recommended by the WHO. Good
natural sources of vitamin A are kidneys, liver,
dairy products, green and yellow vegetables,
pawpaw, mangoes, chilli pepper, red sorrel and
red palm oil.
18. Pure water. Don’t have soft drinks or energy
drinks while you're exercising. Stay properly
hydrated by drinking enough water during your
workout (just don't overdo things, as drinking too
much water can also be dangerous). While you
might need energy drinks for long-distance
running, in shorter exercise sessions in the gym,
your body will burn the glucose from the soft
drink first, before starting to burn body fat. Same
goes for eating sweets.
19. GI, Jane. Carbohydrates with a high
glycaemic index , such as bread, sugar, honey
and grain-based food will give instant energy and
accelerate your metabolism. If you’re trying to
burn fat, stick to beans, rice, pasta, lentils, peas,
soya beans and oat bran, all of which have a low
GI count.
20. Mindful living. You've probably heard the old
adage that life's too short to stuff a mushroom.
But perhaps you should consider the opposite:
that life's simply too short NOT to focus on the
simple tasks. By slowing down and concentrating
on basic things, you'll clear your mind of
everything that worries you. Really concentrate on
sensations and experiences again: observe the
rough texture of a strawberry's skin as you touch
it, and taste the sweet-sour juice as you bite into
the fruit; when your partner strokes your hand,
pay careful attention to the sensation on your
skin; and learn to really focus on simple tasks
while doing them, whether it's flowering plants or
ironing your clothes.
21. The secret of stretching. When you stretch,
ease your body into position until you feel the
stretch and hold it for about 25 seconds. Breathe
deeply to help your body move oxygen-rich blood
to those sore muscles. Don't bounce or force
yourself into an uncomfortable position.
22. Do your weights workout first. Experts say
weight training should be done first, because it's
a higher intensity exercise compared to cardio.
Your body is better able to handle weight training
early in the workout because you're fresh and you
have the energy you need to work it. Conversely,
cardiovascular exercise should be the last thing
you do at the gym, because it helps your body
recover by increasing blood flow to the muscles,
and flushing out lactic acid, which builds up in the
muscles while you're weight training. It’s the
lactic acid that makes your muscles feel stiff and
sore.
23. Burn fat during intervals. To improve your
fitness quickly and lose weight , harness the
joys of interval training. Set the treadmill or step
machine on the interval programme, where your
speed and workload varies from minute to
minute. Build up gradually, every minute and
return to the starting speed. Repeat this routine.
Not only will it be less monotonous, but you can
train for a shorter time and achieve greater
results.
24. Your dirtiest foot forward. If your ankles,
knees, and hips ache from running on pavement,
head for the dirt. Soft trails or graded roads are a
lot easier on your joints than the hard stuff. Also,
dirt surfaces tend to be uneven, forcing you to
slow down a bit and focus on where to put your
feet – great for agility and concentration.
25. Burn the boredom, blast the lard. Rev up your
metabolism by alternating your speed and
intensity during aerobic workouts. Not only should
you alternate your routine to prevent burnout or
boredom, but to give your body a jolt. If you
normally walk at 6.5km/h on the treadmill or take
15 minutes to walk a km, up the pace by going at
8km/h for a minute or so during your workout. Do
this every five minutes or so. Each time you work
out, increase your bouts of speed in small
increments.
26. Cool off without a beer. Don’t eat
carbohydrates for at least an hour after exercise.
This will force your body to break down body fat,
rather than using the food you ingest. Stick to
fruit and fluids during that hour, but avoid beer.
27. ‘Okay, now do 100 of those’. Instead of
flailing away at gym, enlist the help – even
temporarily – of a personal trainer . Make sure
you learn to breathe properly and to do the
exercises the right way. You’ll get more of a
workout while spending less time at the gym.
28. Stop fuming. Don’t smoke and if you smoke
already, do everything in your power to quit. Don’t
buy into that my-granny-smoked-and-lived-to-
be-90 crud – not even the tobacco giants believe
it. Apart from the well-known risks of heart
disease and cancer, orthopaedic surgeons have
found that smoking accelerates bone density loss
and constricts blood flow. So you could live to be
a 90-year-old amputee who smells of stale
tobacco smoke. Unsexy.
29. Ask about Mad Aunt Edith. Find out your
family history. You need to know if there are any
inherited diseases prowling your gene pool.
According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, finding out
what your grandparents died of can provide useful
– even lifesaving – information about what’s in
store for you. And be candid, not coy: 25 percent
of the children of alcoholics become alcoholics
themselves.
30. Do self-checks. Do regular self-examinations
of your breasts. Most partners are more than
happy to help, not just because breast cancer is
the most common cancer among SA women. The
best time to examine your breasts is in the week
after your period.
31. My smear campaign. Have a pap smear once
a year. Not on our list of favourite things, but it’s
vital. Cervical cancer kills 200 000 women a year
and it’s the most prevalent form of cancer among
black women, affecting more than 30 percent. But
the chances of survival are nearly 100 percent if
it’s detected early. Be particularly careful if you
became sexually active at an early age, have had
multiple sex partners or smoke.
32. Understand hormones. Recent research
suggests that short-term (less than five years)
use of HRT is not associated with an increase in
the risk of breast cancer, but that using it for
more than ten years might be. Breast cancer is
detected earlier in women using HRT , as they
are more alert to the disease than other women.
32. Beat the sneezes. There are more than 240
allergens, some rare and others very common. If
you’re a sneezer due to pollen: close your car’s
windows while driving, rather switch on the
internal fan (drawing in air from the outside), and
avoid being outdoors between 5am and 10 am
when pollen counts are at their highest; stick to
holidays in areas with low pollen counts, such as
the seaside and stay away from freshly cut grass.
33. Doggone. If you’re allergic to your cat, dog,
budgie or pet piglet, stop suffering the ravages of
animal dander: Install an air filter in your home.
Keep your pet outside as much as possible and
brush him outside of the home to remove loose
hair and other allergens. Better yet, ask someone
else to do so.
34. Asthma-friendly sports. Swimming is the
most asthma-friendly sport of all, but cycling,
canoeing, fishing, sailing and walking are also
good, according to the experts. Asthma need not
hinder peak performance in sport. 11 percent of
the US Olympic team were asthmatics – and
between them they won 41 medals.
35. Deep heat. Sun rays can burn even through
thick glass, and under water. Up to 35 percent of
UVB rays and 85 percent of UVA rays penetrate
thick glass, while 50 percent of UVB rays and 77
percent of UVA rays penetrate a meter of water
and wet cotton clothing. Which means you’ll need
sunscreen while driving your car on holiday, and
water resistant block if you’re swimming.
36. Fragrant ageing. Stay away from perfumed or
flavoured suntan lotions which smell of coconut
oil or orange if you want your skin to stay young.
These lotions contain psoralen, which speeds up
the ageing process. Rather use a fake-tan lotion.
Avoid sun beds, which are as bad as the sun
itself.
37. Sunscreen can be a smokescreen. Sunscreen
is unlikely to stop you from being sunburned, or
to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.
That’s because most people don’t apply it
properly, and stay in the sun too long. The
solution? Slather on sunscreen daily and reapply
it often, especially if you’ve been in the water.
How much? At least enough to fill a shot glass.
38. Laugh and cry. Having a good sob is reputed
to be good for you. So is laughter, which has
been shown to help heal bodies, as well as
broken hearts. Studies in Japan indicate that
laughter boosts the immune system and helps the
body shake off allergic reactions .
39. It ain’t over till it’s over. End relationships
that no longer work for you, as you could be
spending time in a dead end. Rather head for
more meaningful things. You could be missing
opportunities while you’re stuck in a meaningless
rut, trying to breathe life into something that is
long gone.
40. Strong people go for help. Ask for assistance.
Gnashing your teeth in the dark will not get you
extra brownie points. It is a sign of strength to
ask for assistance and people will respect you for
it. If there is a relationship problem, the one who
refuses to go for help is usually the one with
whom the problem lies to begin with.
41. Save steamy scenes for the bedroom.
Showering or bathing in water that’s too hot will
dry out your skin and cause it to age prematurely.
Warm water is much better. Apply moisturiser
while your skin is still damp – it’ll be absorbed
more easily. Adding a little olive oil to your bath
with help keep your skin moisturised too.
42. Here’s the rub. Improve your circulation and
help your lymph glands to drain by the way you
towel off. Helping your lymph glands function can
help prevent them becoming infected. When
drying off your limbs and torso, brush towards the
groin on your legs and towards the armpits on
your upper body. You can do the same during
gentle massage with your partner.
43. Sugar-coated. More than three million South
Africans suffer from type 2 diabetes, and the
incidence is increasing – with new patients
getting younger. New studies show this type of
diabetes is often part of a metabolic syndrome (X
Syndrome), which includes high blood pressure
and other risk factors for heart disease. More than
80 percent of type 2 diabetics die of heart
disease , so make sure you control your glucose
levels, and watch your blood pressure and
cholesterol counts .
44. Relax, it’s only sex. Stress and sex make bad
bedfellows, it seems. A US survey showed that
stress, kids and work are main factors to dampen
libido. With the advent of technology that allows
us to work from home, the lines between our jobs
and our personal lives have become blurred.
People work longer hours, commutes are longer
and work pervades all aspects of our lives,
including our sexual relationships. Put nooky and
intimacy on the agenda, just like everything else.
45. Good night, sweetheart. Rest heals the body
and has been shown to lessen the risk of heart
trouble and psychological problems .
