10 Wellness Tips you can USE

1. 10 Wellness Tips you can USE

2. 1. Drink more coffee

3. Drinking at least 1 cup daily lowers a women’s risk of stroke by up to 25% • 2 cups reduces a woman’s chances of becoming depressed by up to 20% • More than 6 cups a day cuts a man’s risk of dying from prostate cancer by 60% • Several studies show that caffeine can increase fat burning in the body and boost the metabolic rate. • Several studies show that coffee drinkers live longer and have a lower risk of premature death. • Liver and colorectal cancer are the 3rd and 4th leading causes of cancer death worldwide. Coffee drinkers have a lower risk of both.

4. 2. Boost up your protein intake in the A.M.

5. Protein persuades your brain and stomach that you are satisfied • Having protein with breakfast can optimize your brain's ability to send messages to the rest of your body, helping you wake up • Studies show that including protein in your morning diet will lower the need for more snacking • Protein option ideas • Eggs • Greek Yogurt • Chia seeds • Milk, cheese • Cottage cheese • Some cereals (read label) • Peanut butter on toast • Apple Walnut Oatmeal • Smoothie (yogurt, berries, skim milk, protein powder)

6. 3. Early to bed

7. Being a night owl might increase your waistline • Slight sleepers tend to eat more calories after 8PM than do normal sleepers • The more that is eaten after 8PM, the higher the body-mass index tends to be • When you are sleepy, certain hormones go up in your blood, and those same hormones drive appetite • Your body is much more efficient when you go to bed and wake at the same time each day • Night owls also tend to have more trouble falling asleep and staying asleep • A Japanese study showed participants who went to bed after midnight were found to have significantly more arterial stiffening (an early sign of heart disease) than those who climbed into bed at a more reasonable hour. • Sleep services all aspects of our body in one way or another: molecular, energy balance, as well as intellectual function, alertness and mood

8. 4. The 20-second rule

9. 20 Seconds – the difference between having a goal and accomplishing it! • An easier way of starting good habits and getting rid of bad ones • Research shows that if we can shave off 20 seconds off of the startup time required for a task, we are much more likely to follow through with it • OR…take 20 seconds to think about something that could be bad for you • It's been proven that we will do something less satisfying than something else solely because it's easier to get going • How can I apply this to my life? • Place your workout shoes and clothes next to your bed • Keep a notepad by your refrigerator to write down grocery needs • Keep healthy snacks available and ready to go • Take a moment and think about that candy bar before you eat it • Don’t allow your computer to alert you to a new email • Have the “one touch” approach to your filing

10. 5. Chocolate is NOT the enemy…dark chocolate that is!

11. Full of antioxidants –natural components found in some food that helps neutralize free radicals in our bodies • Offer a number of health benefits • Have been touted as a possible preventative of diseases, ranging fromCancer to Alzheimer's. • Research suggests that antioxidants can indeed be effective in preventing a number of age-related diseases. • Can lift your mood • A square of dark chocolate has just the right amount of Theo bromine which is a cousin to caffeine – it can wake you up without bringing on the crash later • Dark chocolate improves blood flow and may help prevent the formation of blood clots • Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain as well as to the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function • Dark chocolate also contains several chemical compounds that have a positive effect on your mood and cognitive health

12. 6. Drink Green Tea

13. Full of Antioxidants • Green tea increases the metabolism • Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating • Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol • Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities • It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells

14. 7. Being optimistic can save your life

15. Optimistic people are less likely to suffer from heart disease • A 2013 study from the Harvard School of Public Health, published in The American Journal of Cardiology, found that middle-aged study participants who scored as optimistic on a test have higher levels of "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) • With protective effects against so many serious health concerns, it is no surprise thatoptimism has been linked to a longer life in general • Positive emotions can undo the effects of a stressful negative experience

16. 8. Shorten your cold

17. Hydrate - Drink a tall glass of water, tea or broth every few hours Take a hot shower to help open nasal passages Gargle salt water – to relieve a scratchy throat Do like mom always said -Eat Chicken Soup – for hydration and easy digestion Don’t take an antibiotic, but do take over the counter cold medicines - your cold is a VIRUS which cannot be fixed with an antibiotic Exercise – if you are up for it; light exercise will make you feel better; don’t push it

18. 9. Take a walk for better memory

19. A region of your brain called the hippocampus shrinks by 1-2% each year after the age of 50 The hippocampus is the main brain structure involved in memory Research shows that adults who walked briskly for 45 minutes 3x a week had about a 2% growth in the hippocampus over a year It can also increase your short term memory and focusing ability It increases blood flow to the brain which brings oxygen and nutrients Walking will keep you both physically and mentally fit! It is NEVER too late to begin a walking routine and you are NEVER too old to start exercising

20. 10. Sitting is the new smoking

21. Sitting for an extended period of time causes your body to shut down at the metabolic level which slows down your circulation. • When you sit you use less of your blood sugar and you burn less fat, which increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. • A study of 3,757 women found that for every two hours they sat in a given work day, their risk for developing diabetes went up 7%, which means their risk is 56 % higher on days they sit for eight hours • A man who sits more than six hours a day has an 18% increased risk of dying from heart disease and a 7.8% increased chance of dying from diabetes compared with someone who sits for three hours or less a day. • In a 12-year study of more than 17,000 Canadians, researchers found that the more time people spent sitting, the earlier they died—regardless of age, body weight, or how much they exercised.

22. Tell me more…. • Researchers at Northwestern University say that for people 60 and older, each additional hour a day spent sitting increases the risk of becoming physically disabled by about 50 percent — no matter how much exercise they get. • People who spent more time sitting were more likely to become disabled when compared with people with similar health and exercise habits who sat less. • Each daily hour spent sitting increased the odds of problems with activities of daily living by 46 percent. Doing more exercise didn't erase that risk. • Bottom line – the most you sit, the poorer your health, the earlier you die…not matter how much you exercise • Just like smoking is bad for you – no matter how much you exercise – so is sitting! • So --- GET UP AND MOVE!