Health and Energy Tips – For Mind and Body
(part 2)
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by Christopher Guerriero
27. Most people don’t have the time to workout 30 minutes to an hour each day, so it is important to maximize your physical activity whenever and wherever you can. When you go out for groceries, dinner, or shopping, park your car far away from the entrance, this way, you have no choice but to walk.
28. Add more B’s to your diet. B vitamins protect nerve endings from being damaged and they can improve memory and mood. B vitamins like folic acid can reduce the possibility of cognitive decline by reducing the levels of certain substances that can lead to plaque build-up in the brain’s blood vessels.
29. Make bone nutrients and supplements like vitamin D and calcium a part of your diet. As we age, we start to lose bone strength and density, two factors which often lead to fractures.
30. Lower your salt intake. Salt can increase your blood pressure. High blood pressure means your heart is pumping more blood than normal, a factor which can increase the risk of a heart attack.
31. Couldn’t do it back in the 80’s? Now is your chance. To keep your mind sharp, try finally solving that Rubik’s Cube that has been sitting in your closet for the past two decades.
32. Stimulate your mind by reading a new book. Even better, join or start a book club and discuss what you just read with a group of close friends. Your local bookstore and even Oprah Winfrey have lists of great books to read each month.
33. Learn something new. Sign up for a class at your local community college, or take a dance class at your neighborhood gym. The new content is sure to keep you and your brain on your toes.
34. Help improve your logic and ability to reason with today’s most popular trend: Sudoku puzzles. These little brain stimulators can be found in every form, from electronic to old-fashioned paper.
35. Get creative and use the right side of your brain. Too many of use go through the day living in the logical left side of our brain, and we rarely access the artistic right side of the brain. Make some time to right a poem or even paint a picture, your right side will thank you for it.
36. Women, avoid the effects of iron-deficiency, which include chronic-fatigue, by taking an iron supplement. Low iron content can lead to a lack of energy.
37. Maintain your energy throughout the day by eating a healthy, protein-rich snack in between meals. Keep a handful of peanuts or a protein or energy bar close by. When you feel like your energy is gone, eat your snack. This little boost of energy can help keep your mind focused and motivated.
38. Prioritize. You have more energy at the beginning of the day than you do at the end. Take care of important tasks first, while you still have the energy to do so. Finish less important jobs as your day moves along.
39. Take a step back. If the activity, project, or assignment you are working on is starting to stress or tire you out, move on. Give yourself a few minutes to breathe, re-focus, maybe even get up and get a cup of water. Those few minutes away from the task can help you clear you mind, and recover some of that much needed energy.
40. Get there early. Whether you are going to a meeting, interview, or dentist appointment, showing up late often leads to the release of stress hormones which can make it difficult for you to concentrate and focus.
41. Get out of the city. Despite the idea that isolation can cause mental health issues, some recent studies have shown that individuals living in the country (or at least a significant distance from a major city) enjoy less stress and improved mental health in comparison to city-dwellers.
42. Write things down. A PDA or even a good old-fashioned planner can help keep your mind free from the clutter of having to remember every single task for the day. You’ve got enough on your mind as it is, right?
43. Avoid foods high in simple sugars. Yes, sugar does give you a boost of energy, but it is always short-lived. Eat foods with complex sugars and carbohydrates, as they tend to release energy slowly over the course of the day.
44. Take your dog for a walk. This can be a great way to build in some daily exercise and clear your mind. Not to mention it can benefit your dog too.
45. Join an exercise class at your local gym. Sometimes, people don’t exercise because they really don’t know how or where to start. Leave the development to the fitness expert while you go and enjoy the class.
46. The most important meal of the day is, has, and always will be: breakfast. Eating breakfast helps get your metabolism working early, but it also helps you maintain energy for a longer period of time, along with improving your concentration, memory, and thinking skills.
47. Gingko Biloba is not a character from a morning cartoon show. This herb has long been shown to have the ability to increase blood flow to the brain. It is relatively affordable, and available at most health food stores either in tea or capsule form.
48. Introduce new concepts and new points of view to your brain by learning a new language. Yes, most experts will tell you that after a certain age, learning a new language becomes extremely difficult. Still, the benefits of the simple effort to learn can go a long way towards keeping your brain fresh and young.
49. Something’s fishy. Eating fish can actually improve your concentration and even lower your overall risk of depression, not to mention what it can do for the rest of your body.
50. Eat your berries. Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries and blackberries are full of antioxidants that work to protect all of your cells, including brain cells, from the damage of free-radicals.
51. Let your brain play. Board games, poker, even a little computer solitaire can give your brain a boost by letting it think in a strategic manner.
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52. Ladies, have sex regularly. Studies at both Stanford and UCLA have found that regular sexual contact with a partner (regardless of orgasm) can actually increase your body’s levels of estrogen, a factor that can improve memory and overall brain function.
53. Some scents and odors have been found to stimulate your brain. The smell of lemons (or any citrus fruit really) along with mints can help wake up your brain when it’s feeling a little tired.
54. Cut back on the amount of television you watch. It’s interesting how parents and adults will caution kids about watching too much T.V., only to do the exact opposite themselves. T.V. viewing requires no work on the part of your brain. Why not try the original T.V.? It used to be called reading.
55. Fill your days with music. Experts have long known that in many cases, music can help decrease stress, boost your immune system, and more importantly, music can help improve your memory. Try having a little music in the background the next time you study and watch your grades soar.
56. Mediate… Besides allowing your body to relax, meditation can also stimulate and engage your brain to help it create a different mental state. What do you think about that?
57. Help your brain grow new cells and form new neural connections by doing daily tasks with your opposite hand. Simple things like brushing your teeth with your “off-hand” can actually help stimulate your brain.
58. Play games with your mind. Lists are important for maintaining order and organization. There are though, some situations where a list is not as important. These situations provide the perfect opportunity to challenge your memory skills. The best place to do this is the supermarket. The next time you go shopping, take your list with you but don’t refer to it unless you absolutely have to. Challenge yourself to remember as many items as you can from your list.
59. Give your brain a special memory and direction workout by taking a different route to work at least once a week.
60. Help improve your ability to learn by understanding your learning style or modality. Some individuals learn by listening, other by seeing, and still others learn by doing. Once you figure out which is your learning style, you will be better prepared to approach that next test or quiz.
61. Use mnemonic devices to help you remember names and lists of items. Some commonly used devices include acronyms (like PEMDAS) or rhymes. Even simple word association and “chunking” can help you with things that are difficult to remember.
62. Add a good dose of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet, as they have been shown to improve cognitive brain function. Salmon, tuna, and walnuts are all rich in omega-3’s.
63. Think positive. Believe it or not, thinking positive about getting older has actually been shown to add seven and a half years to your lifespan.
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64. Even better than red wine and tea, cocoa powder can provide more antioxidants that are helpful in preventing the stress that leads to Alzheimer’s.
65. Maintain your connections with your friends and loved ones. The easiest way to find yourself drifting off into old age is by isolating yourself from those who care about you. Friends are important sources of comfort and companionship for people as they age, and the true ones are usually there right when you need them.
66. When people are trying to get in shape or lose weight, they turn to a professional trainer. So when you are trying to get in shape mentally, consider talking to a professional. It doesn’t mean you’re going crazy, it just means you’re being smart about the health of your mind.
67. Develop or take up a hobby. Hobbies help balance your life both physically and mentally. Besides helping you reduce the pressures of everyday life, they also help keep your brain active.
68. Keep your fingernails and toenails properly trimmed. It’s a shame for someone to become incapacitated for something as small and easy-to-care-for as your nails, but it has been known to happen.
69. If you smoke, stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Do we really need to go into all the deadly details?
70. Here’s a great little tip to use when cooking: When sautéing your food, replace the oil and butter with broth (chicken or beef), wine, or even plain old water. We promise it tastes just as good, if not better.
71. Even pizza can be healthy. Instead of extra cheese or meat, choose extra mushrooms, peppers, or olives as your extra toppings.
72. Buy plain yogurt and add your own choice of fruits. Most fruit contained in yogurts has been processed to a point, so it has lost at least a portion of its nutritional value. By adding your own fruit, you control not only taste, but more importantly portion.
73. Be a little paranoid and wash your hands as much as you can. Avoid unwanted infections by washing your hands after using the restroom, before you eat, and anytime after you cough or sneeze. If possible, keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer with you wherever you go. You never know when you’re going to shake an important person’s hand.
74. Visit your dentist on a regularly scheduled basis. A healthy mouth is a sure sign of a healthy body.
75. Women, when you turn 18, it is extremely important that you begin getting regularly scheduled pelvic exams / pap smears. In many cases, this is the only way to screen and identify certain cancers or abnormal cellular growths.
76. Along with B vitamins and iron supplements, the most important supplement that women can take as they age is calcium. Calcium can prevent some of the symptoms of PMS, and in the long term, can help prevent osteoporosis.
77. “Hormone replacement therapy” may be a requirement for some women once they reach the age of thirty, as hormone levels can fluctuate and become imbalanced. But “junk food replacement therapy” will go farther to keep your hormones balanced than anything else on the market:-) .
78. Protect your skin from the damage caused by the Sun. Wear sunscreen or a hat anytime you find yourself outdoors for an extended period of time. Simple protection and prevention today, can keep you from developing skin cancer tomorrow.
79. Follow your doctor’s orders and advice. Going for a check-up or exam will do you no good if you ignore what your doctor has told you. Don’t change treatment recommendations. Your doctor went to medical school for a reason, right?
80. Improve your health while at work by taking the time to stretch, especially if you have a desk job. A few minutes now can save you a lot of tension, stress, and pain later.
81. During flu season, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as these are the three most common and easiest ways for viruses and germs to enter the body. While you’re at it, get yourself a flu vaccination.
82. Everyone needs a little sunshine in their lives. Exposure to a minimum of 10-20 minutes of sunlight each day is important since your body needs sunlight in order to produce vitamin D. This nutrient is important for bone health, especially growth and density.
83. Add weight training to your cardiovascular exercise routine. Weight training not only stimulates muscle growth,
and muscle
building but it can actually help you burn more calories than running several miles, not to mention those really nice biceps you’ll develop along the way.
84. Read the label. Take the time to read the nutritional value / content of the food you are purchasing and consuming. The knowledge you will gain will not only help you make better nutritional decisions for yourself, but the reading and calculating you will do is also good for stimulating the mind.
85. Park your bike (your stationary bike that is) in front of the television. Pedal during the show and take a break during the commercials (or the opposite if you’re just starting out). This is an easy way to enjoy your favorite show and still get your daily dose of exercise.
86. Okay, we waited this long to remind you, but make sure you drink plenty of water. Somewhere between six to eight glasses a day is optimal, although any amount helps. Remember, water is not just good for your skin and body, but it also keeps the brain nice and hydrated.
87. Don’t waste your energy on senseless arguments or fights. Let go of those grudges and learn to forgive others. Save your energy for more important things – like chasing after your kids when you get home.
88. Don’t let rumors and gossip sap your energy at work. Stay away from those who like to spread rumors, and don’t spread rumors yourself. Remember that you are there to work, and maybe have a little fun too.
89. Get a few friends together and form a sports team. Enter your team into a league or tournament, then donate any winnings to a non-profit or charitable organization. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul.
90. If you plan on traveling, choose to stay at a hotel that comes complete with a fitness or exercise center. There is really no excuse for not exercising, even when you are on vacation.
91. Maintain physical health by taking a swim. Swimming is one of the most popular forms of aerobic exercise around. Unlike other forms of exercise, swimming allows you to get a full-body (lower and upper) workout.
92. It’s an obvious one, but staying away from both drugs and alcohol can do wonders for your mental and physical health, not to mention your criminal record.
93. Avoid the dreaded food hangover by not eating foods high in salt, fat, and calories right before you go to sleep. Eating these types of foods at night can actually cause you to wake up tired and sluggish the next morning.
94. Just because it’s a smoothie does no mean it’s good for you. Most of the products available at your local supermarket are high in sugar, honey, and corn syrup. Your best bet is to either make the smoothie yourself with your own ingredients, or if you have to, buy a smoothie made with 100% juices and fat-free or soy milk.
95. Learn to deal with, and if possible, avoid stress and stressful situations. Do some breathing exercises, write in a journal, go for a walk – or do whatever you do to de-stress. Stress is one of the quickest ways to lower both your physical and mental health and energy.
96. Steal your kid’s Nintendo Gameboy system and get yourself a copy of the brain training game Brain Age. It is an excellent way of keeping your brain healthy, as it comes with everything from Sudoku puzzles to math questions.
97. Improving circulation can have benefits for both your brain and your body, as it increases blood and oxygen flow. Circulation can be improved with regular aerobic exercise, a warm bath, and even by eating a little cayenne pepper.
98. Scrabble anyone? A game – Scramble for example – can stimulate your mind, and your creative energies for work and family.
99. Get your day off to a good start by taking a short 10-15 minute jog in the morning. The oxygen uptake alone will be enough to wake your brain up and get it ready for the day at hand.
100. Set goals for yourself. Realize that the work you put into attaining and maintaining both physical and mental health and energy is truly going to benefit you today, tomorrow, and for as long as you live.
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