Stealth Health: Get
Healthy Without Really Trying
Living healthier doesn't have to be complicated or
time-consuming. You can incorporate these ‘Stealth Health’
habits into your daily life and get healthy without really
trying!
From your morning shower to the evening news, from your work
commute to your household chores, there are at least 2,400 ways
to sneak healthy activities into daily living.
"If you let yourself make small changes, they will add up to
meaningful changes in the quality of your diet, your physical
activity pattern, your capacity to deal with stress, and in your
sleep quality - and those four things comprise an enormously
powerful health promotion that can change your life," says David
Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University's Prevention Research
Center and of the Yale Preventive Medicine Center.
Katz is also co-author of the book Stealth Health: How to Sneak
Age-Defying, Disease-Fighting Habits into Your Life without
Really Trying.
Try the Stealth Health Approach
Tempted to give "Stealth Health" a try? Katz recommends picking
any three of the following 12 changes and incorporating them
into your life for four days. When you feel comfortable with
those changes, pick three others. Once you've incorporate all
dozen changes, you should start to feel a difference within a
couple of weeks, he says.
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To
Improve Nutrition: |
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1 |
Buy whole
foods - whether canned, frozen, or fresh from the farm -
and use them in place of processed foods whenever
possible. |
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2 |
Reject foods
and drinks made with corn syrup, a calorie-dense,
nutritionally empty sweetener that many believe is worse
for the body than sugar, says Katz. |
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3 |
Start each
dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help
reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also
will automatically add veggies to your meal. |
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To
Improve Physical Fitness: |
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1 |
Do a squat
every time you pick something up. Instead of bending
over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back,
bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your
leg muscles and will build strength. |
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2 |
Every time
you stop at a traffic light (or the bus does), tighten
your thighs and butt muscles and release as many times
as you can. (Don't worry, no one will see it!) This will
firm leg and buttock muscles, improve blood flow - and
keep you mildly amused! |
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3 |
Whenever
you're standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off
the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot,
ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help
firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes. |
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To
Improve Stress Control: |
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1 |
Give your
partner a hug every day before work. Studies show this
simple act can help you remain calm when chaos ensues
during your day, Katz says. |
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2 |
Have a good
cry. It can boost your immune system, reduce levels of
stress hormones, eliminate depression, and help you
think more clearly. |
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3 |
Twice a day,
breathe deeply for three to five minutes. |
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To Improve Sleep: |
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1 |
Sprinkle
just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water.
The scent has been shown in studies to promote
relaxation, which can lead to better sleep. |
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2 |
Buy a new
pillow. Katz says that studies show that pillows with an
indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and
reduce neck pain. Also, try a "cool" pillow - one
containing either all-natural fibers or a combination of
sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers that help keep your
head cool. |
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3 |
Eat a
handful of walnuts before bed. You'll be giving yourself
a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with
the amino acid tryptophan - a natural sleep-inducer.
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Source: WebMD
Weight Loss Clinic – Feature: Stealth Health: Get Healthy
Without Really Trying. By Colette Bouchez & Reviewed By Cynthia
Dennison Haines, MD.
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