Do you have any New Year’s aspirations? If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of the trial-and-error things I’ve incorporated into my life that you can undertake to ensure a healthier and happier 2022. ..
Try the ketogenic diet
A 2021 study by British public health revealed that during a pandemic, nearly half of us wore about half the stones (a little over 3 kg).
So how do you get rid of these Covid kilos? During the fall months, I wore a few pounds and sneaked into the overweight category (my BMI was around 24 years, but 25).
I tried a new approach to slimming down for Christmas. It is a short-term “keto” diet. Eat plenty of healthy fats such as olive oil, oily fish, and nuts while reducing your carbohydrate consumption to less than 50g per day. , Plus a lot of vegetables. It forms the basis of my just-published book, The Fast 800 Keto.
A 2021 study by British public health revealed that during a pandemic, nearly half of us wore about half the stones (a little over 3 kg).
When you significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake, your body converts fat stores into ketones and begins burning fat, which you use as fuel.
One of the great benefits of this is that ketones reduce the feeling of hunger. In fact, a study published last April by Norwegian researchers found that the more ketones your body produces, the lower your levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin in your system and the less hungry you feel.
During the 12 days of running until Christmas, I stuck to a low-calorie ketogenic diet and lost 9 pounds (4 kg) — reduced my BMI to 24 and 1 inch away from my waist.
Set an exercise alarm
If you’re struggling to find time and trends in long training sessions, like me, why not try “Exercise Snacks”? Instead of spending hours in the gym, the idea is to incorporate more moments of activity into your life.
According to a study published last year in the Journal Of Applied Physiology, every 30 minutes you get up from your chair, do a few squats, and just walk vigorously, do push-ups, and even walk up and down stairs a few times. A day, it may be enough to have a positive impact on your health.
I spend a lot of time on my computer, so I set an alarm every 30 minutes to encourage me to move.
We also go out for a couple of active walks daily and do a 7-minute workout most mornings. It’s a free app that combines resistance exercises (to build muscle) and aerobic exercises (to strengthen your lungs), combining activities such as push-ups, lungs, and triceps.
Rewire the brain
There are real benefits to seeing the bright side. In a 2019 study by Boston University School of Medicine, researchers found that optimistic people live an average of seven years longer than their more pessimistic friends. And they are more likely to achieve “extraordinary longevity,” that is, living up to the age of 85.
Another 2019 study by the University of Illinois found that optimistic people also tend to sleep better. It may be because they usually look for answers to their problems rather than worrying about things that interfere with sleep.
One way to foster a more optimistic mindset is to stop listening to the inner critics and focus on success instead. Studies show that this can rewire your brain.
Buy foliage plants
If you like the great outdoors, you know that walking in the woods and fields can make you feel calm. A 2019 study at the University of Exeter reported that more than 20,000 people participated and those who spend more than two hours a week in nature have better physical and mental health than those who do not.
Not only does looking at trees reduce stress, lower blood pressure and make you feel better, but plants also produce a chemical called phytoncide that strengthens your immune system.
If you can’t get out too much, it’s a good idea to buy some houseplants and bring nature home. Studies show that they not only calm the mood, but can also help remove toxins from the air.
If you can’t go out too much, it’s a good idea to buy a houseplant and bring nature home.
Stop laziness
If you’re a leaning person like me, one surefire way to look younger and feel better is to pull your shoulders back and stand straight. When crouching, it looks old and contributes to back pain.
The first way to improve your posture is to change your sitting style. Avoid leaning on the back of the chair (you can also buy a chair without a back, which makes it harder for the muscles in the main postures of your back to work).
You can also buy posture braces, a series of straps that you will meet with a belt around your stomach over your shoulders.
When I lean forward, it bites into my shoulders and reminds me to pull them back.
Say in a song
Whether you’re singing in a choir or singing alone in the shower, there is evidence that belting a song can reduce stress, improve blood pressure, and reduce chronic pain.
Singing gives us a “high” because it raises the levels of endogenous cannabinoids, which are naturally occurring cannabis-like chemicals in your body.
A study that helped me set up at the University of Nottingham in 2018 showed that singing increased the level of this pleasing chemical by 48%. I can do it.
Cut out the junk food
Junk food is bad for our waistline and our brain. It causes chronic inflammation, which contributes to heart disease and cancer, as well as depression, anxiety, and potentially memory loss.
A study from The Ohio State University, published in October, showed that rats were given junk food for four weeks with signs of an inflammatory response in the brain and premature memory loss.
Junk food is bad for our waistline and our brain.It causes heart disease and cancer, as well as chronic inflammation that contributes to depression, anxiety, and potentially memory loss.
Stand on one leg
Having a sense of balance is very important, especially as we grow older. Falling is the most common cause of accidental death in the world after a road accident. I found that standing with one foot brushing my teeth improved my balance. Stand with your left foot for 30 seconds, then with your right foot and repeat.
It also means that I clean my teeth thoroughly!
Embrace more
One of the things I’ve struggled with over the last two years has been that I’ve been vigilant about hugging my friends and family. When I go to hug my mother, I fear I might give her a Covid. It’s unlikely because we’re both triple jabs and neither of us visits bars or clubs on a regular basis.
Still, I know that a nice and long hug is good for both of us. Studies show that regular 20-second hugs can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and at the same time increase levels of the “hug hormone” oxytocin.
According to a 2019 survey, hugging a dog also increases oxytocin in the owner and dog.
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