Smart ways to stay well, eat right, get fit
Reveling in feel-good or proud moments may help you stock to
get-healthy vows. In three new studies, patients agreed to make lifestyle changes
and received encouragement. Half also got instructions like these: each
morning, think of something that makes you feel good (a rainbow, a loved one),
and take pills, say, or not wanting to go for a walk if it’s raining – recall
moments of pride, like a graduation. After a year, those who did the
affirmations burnt more kilojoules exercising, walked about 5,5 km more weekly
and were better at taking medication than control group. ‘Recalling
accomplishments empowers you to confront challenges’, explains senior author Dr
Mary Charlson of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York in the US, ‘while
positive feelings help you make long-term changes’.
Remember the good
times
Good to know
A daily portion of cooked beetroot or a glass of its juice
can help reduce blood pressure and its associated risks. Whether cooked or raw,
beetroot produces nitric oxide, which widens blood vessels and arteries.
Reduce your risk of getting a cold sore with t’ai chi. The
gentle exercise apparently boosts immune-cell numbers, lowering the risk of the
herpes virus, which is responsible for cold sores.
Relieve back pain
Recent studies from the Group Health Research Institute in
Seattle in the US found that massage and yoga greatly relieved chronic back
pain. After 10 treatments, more than 35% of those in the massage study reported
their pain was ‘gone’ or ‘much better’, compared with 4% of those who continued
with their usual care. In another study, yoga helped, with 60% of patients
reporting major improvement.
Relieve back pain
31% of cancer could be prevented if women ate more fruit and
vegetables, avoided excess sun and infections such as HPV, and didn’t smoke,
gain weight or drink to excess, according to a mega British study.
31% of cancer
could be prevented if women ate more fruit and vegetables
