Friday, June 12, 2009

Stealth Health Approach


Tired of attempting so many health tips? Why not try the “Stealth Health Approach”?
David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center and of the Yale Preventive Medicine Center and the co-author of the book Stealth Health: How to Sneak Age-Defying, Disease-Fighting Habits into Your Life without Really Trying, suggests having any three of the following 12 changes and embodying them into your life for about four days. Meanwhile, having complacent with those changes, add another three. Within just a couple of weeks, you should start to feel some difference in yourself once you have incorporated all those changes, he says.


To Improve Nutrition:

1) Give thumbs down on foods and drinks with corn syrup, calorie-dense, nutritionally cheap sweetener which many believe was worse for the body than sugar, says Katz.
2) Bargain for whole foods ---- whether frozen, canned, or fresh from the farm ---- and whenever possible use them in replace of processed foods.
3) In order for you to reduce your appetite for more caloric foods and will automatically add veggies to your meal; begin each of your dinner with a mixed green salad.

To Improve Physical Fitness:

1) When picking something up, instead of bending over the usual way which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and do a squat. And this forces you to use your leg muscles and shall build strength.
2) Whenever you stop or rather the bus at a traffic light, tighten both your thighs and butt muscles. This will improve blood flow and will firm your leg and buttock muscles – and keep you mildly amaze!
3) Lift one foot a half – inch off the ground when you are standing on a line and switch every few minutes. The excess stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help your tone muscles firm.

To Improve Stress Control:

1) Share a hug to your partner every day before work. Study shows that this simple act will help you remain at peace when chaos ensues during your day.
2) Acquire a good cry. It will inspire your immune system, reduce levels of stress hormones, discharge depression, and help you think accurately.
3) For just twice a day, breathe deeply for three to five minutes.

To Improve Sleep:

1) With your just-washed sheets and pillowcases, sprinkle it with lavender water. It has been shown in studies that the scent promotes relaxation, which can lead to good sleep.
2) Purchase a new pillow or try a “cool” one – one with either all-natural fibers or a combination of sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers which help your head cool. Katz says that studies show that a pillow with an indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and reduce neck pain.
3) Before going to bed, eat a handful of walnuts. This will give you a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids with the amino acid tryptophan – a natural sleep-inducer.


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