Be Healthier NOW!

Here are 25 things to help your HEALTH (*almost) INSTANTLY!

25. Check your Pee! (*it takes a Glance!)
Most people walk around dehydrated. “You should drink enough water that your urine looks like pale lemonade,”  Chris Mohr, PhD, RD (Nutrition Consult for Cincinnati Bengals)

24. Drink More Water! (*you KNEW that one was coming next... Cmon,SON!)
(Re)Hydrating, stops unnecessary hunger, makes the skin more supple... dehydration reduces energy level, fitness, and hinders good digestion.

23. Feel a migraine coming on? (*Drink some water, and then) Smell / Eat a GrannySmith apple.
In a study done by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, found that the smell of green apple actually reduces muscle contractions in the head and neck, reducing headache pain & anxiety.

22. Spice up your Life! With Cinnamon & Cayenne, that is.
These antioxidant-rich spices, studies show, may reduce blood pressure and lower stress. As well as having thermogenic (Metabolism-increasing) properties.

21. Seventy Minute Stretch!
Stuck at the desk all day? (*blech!) Every hour or so, get up, walk around & STRETCH those legs, arms, knees - bend & flex! Get those joints greased up!

20. Feeling down? Get bubbly!
Club soda, with a little ginger & citrus, are an even better way to perk up during the 2pm slump than sugar-laden sodas, or caffeine-laden coffee.

19. Think about what you ate ALREADY, not what you're craving.
Researchers say that taking a few seconds focusing on what you've already consumed, you're less likely to binge on snacks, later in the day by enhancing awareness of how satiating the food was.

18. Slow Down, Mon! (*the ONLY & LAST cheesy, Jamaican reference I will EVER make - promise!)
Calm anxiety-induced heart racing by cuing up some classic reggae, like Bob Marley on your iPod. The beat of a typical reggae tune is 60bpm, about the rate of a normal resting heartbeat.

17.  Be an EYE-SPY with this 10-Second Health Check
Before putting on long-wear contacts, check them quickly for any cloudy spots. A diet full of fat, protein, or alcohol weakens your tears' ability to block cholesterol from adhering to the lenses. If your diet is clouding your vitreous fluid, just imagine what it's doing to your arteries.

16. Save Big, by Going Smaller!
Studies show that people are programmed to load up food when they use large dinner plates. You can reduce the amount of food you eat, and subconsciously increase your perception how much food you have eaten, if you use a salad or dessert plate when you head to the buffet.

15. Make your Good Food Taste BETTER!
90% of taste is SMELL, so take a WHIFF *sniiiiiiiiff* before you take in IN. “The more odor molecules hit receptors in your nose, the more robust your sense of taste” says Alan Hirsch, MD, founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago

14. Don't Forget your AlphaBet!
Find a Multivitamin with A, B1-12, C, D & E; Take a FishOil supplement for Omegas & DHA-3 & get some Garlic in your daily uptake!!

13. Go Bananas!
Rich Fiber & Potassium to help keep your Blood Pressure down, and Simple (clean) Carbs its a for perfect midday snack to keep regulated!

12. Remember the 30-30-30 Rule for your work week!
30 Hours of sleep (minimum) Sunday-Thurs nights.
30 Minutes (minimum) of focused, purposeful, movement (that causes a sweat) daily.
30 Seconds (minimum) of water intake every 90mins.
- Should give you just enough time for that 8-12oz, you're supposed to be having...

11. HEAD > Headaches
Graphic, yes! But it's true! The rush of endorphins released during sexual "release" are known remedies for mild headaches. Hangover head-banging? Bang your.. you get the idea ;)

10. Slow that Sugar rush!
Put some Vinegar on your sandwich, or start a pasta meal with a salad dressed with vinegrette. Nutritionists at Arizona State University say that the acetic acid interferes with enzymes that break down carbohydrates, keeping blood sugar levels from rising as quickly.

9. 20:20 for 20:20!
To avoid eye-strain, remember the 20:20 rule! For every 20minutes in close-proximity in front of your LED/HD screen (Computer/Phone/TV) look away at a distant, dull object for 20seconds.

8. Life Gives you Lemons... add it to your tea!
Food Chemistry Journal shows that acidity in citrus increase the antioxidant uptake from tea by 20%.

7. Gratitude IS the Attitude!
Improve your attitude with a dose of gratitude daily. Studies have shown that 90% of people say expressing gratitude made them happier people and more than 75% said it reduced stress and depression and gave them more energy. Be Grateful!

6. Grab a Mint!
Eat a mint candy, chew some gum, steep some tea, light a candle. The smell of mint has soothing, stress-relieving effects on us. Studies showed that when participants were asked to smell peppermint oil they performed repetitive exercises longer then those who hadn't.

5. Steam Your Veggies
Steaming green veggies increase its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30 percent. (*whereas boiling actually lowers the concentration)

4. WRITE!
Writing things down is good for both Accountability to your goals, as well as releasing brain-cell squeezing thoughts! (*not in the same books!)
Keeping a food journal is the number ONE tool for successful adhesion to new diet plans.
Stressed at work, head spinning, can't sleep? Write your thoughts down in the order they come up, close the book and say you will look at them the next day. This symbolic action allows your mind to release the thought from Active short-term memory.

3. BREATHE.
Try this 30-second breathing exercise. Inhale, allowing your belly to rise before your chest. When your lungs feel naturally full, take in even more air. Hold briefly, then exhale. When you feel your lungs are empty, push out even more air to a count of 10 until you have made your lungs as empty as possible. Repeat at least two more times

2. SMILE!!
Yup! Simple! 30-seconds of "forced" smiling increases your mood, almost instantly. Need more reasons? It also improves elasticity in the facial fascia by removing the strain that frowning causes!

1. LAUGH!
Ok so the forced smile didn't work? Check Youtube, Phone a friend, Find a DoubleBubble! Get a Joke - Literally! Research suggests that a moment of mirth increases the body's secretion of immune-boosting growth hormones and endorphins.


Now - DO THEM!!

Be Amazing!
Mia xo