11 Ways to be Healthier in 2011

11 Ways to be Healthier in 2011


By Nicole Gregory, Special to LifescriptPublished January 10, 2011Ready to be healthier this year – and for the rest of your life? It’s easier than you think. We have the latest research showing what to do... If you’ve made a resolution to get healthier this year, chances are you already know to eat better, exercise more and cut out bad habits.



So why aren’t you doing it? Too hard? Can’t stick with it? Luckily for you, researchers across the globe are working on ways to make that healthy lifestyle within reach. Read on for their insights and tips on making this year your healthiest ever.

1. Eat better, live longer.

A few dietary changes could reduce your risk of dying by 40%, according to a 2010 University of Maryland study.In research that examined 2,500 older adults over 10 years, those who ate the healthiest diet – with fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy, poultry, fish and vegetables – had much higher survival rates than those who ate poorly, with high amounts of cheese and other fatty foods.How do you change your eating habits? Gradually, says senior author Nadine R. Sahyoun, Ph.D., R.D.“Replace fried foods and sweets with grilled or baked foods,” she says. “Decide which vegetables you enjoy and then look for recipes that feature them. Make sure a salad is on the dinner table every day, and add different veggies, fruits and nuts for variety and taste.”



2. Eat less, grow younger.

Exercise and cutting calories together can actually reverse some signs of aging. The combination dramatically improved mental acuity and motor skills in animal research at Harvard’s Center for Brain Science.It also seems to rejuvenate connections between nerves and muscles, according to the 2010 study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Those results could translate to humans, says Derek M. Huffman, Ph.D., a researcher at the Institute of Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.“Past studies in people have shown that the combination may be beneficial,” he says.But caloric restriction doesn’t mean starving yourself, Huffman says. Just pick nutrient-dense foods.“Choose foods that make you full but don't pack many calories – like soups, salads, fresh fruits, lean chicken breast, beans, yogurt and low-calorie fiber bars,” he says.

3. Buy your way out of poor eating.

There’s a simple way to psych yourself into buying healthier foods: Pay with cash, not a credit or debit card, according to a 2010 Cornell University study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Researchers studied 1,000 families’ grocery trips over six months and found that their carts contained more unhealthful foods when they paid with plastic. That’s because cash makes shoppers more sensitive to their purchases, the researchers say.You can also cut back on those impulsive supermarket purchases by carrying a small notebook and jotting down each junk food item you put in your cart, suggests Lifescript nutrition expert Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E. Before you check out, make sure only a small percentage of your budget is going toward snacks.

4. Play with your food.

Dozens of new mobile-device apps that aid healthy eating sprang up in 2010 – and a new study shows they really work.In a study conducted by Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, a healthy-food game was tested by 12 adults for three weeks. They began eating healthier, discussing healthy eating with friends, and making better choices when they ate out. ”Our research shows the promise of using casual mobile games to encourage adults to live healthier lifestyles,” the investigators say.
To find the best game for you, check out 14 Best Fitness Apps for Women.

5. Keep friends close.

Social relationships are so healthful that frequent interactions with friends, family and colleagues decrease your risk of dying by 50% over 7.5 years. That’s the equivalent of a smoker kicking a habit or an alcoholic giving up drinking, according to researchers at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City who reviewed data from 148 studies.
Closeness counts too, according to psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Ph.D., who led the research.“Having close relationships helps us cope with stress, and provides meaning and purpose to our lives,” she says. When you’re connected to a group and feel responsible for others, you’re more motivated to take care of yourself, she adds.

6. Give in to peer pressure.

When your friends have healthy habits, you probably will too, according to a 2010 Australian study of 3,610 women published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.That’s not just because social support helps you eat better and get more exercise, says Kylie Ball, Ph.D., an associate professor in the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University in Victoria.“Simply observing or knowing others who engage in these behaviors increases the likelihood of doing so,” she says.

But that doesn’t mean you have to drop your coach-potato friends. Just go social with your health and fitness plan, notes Liz Neporent, coauthor of Fitness For Dummies: 4th Edition (Wiley) and senior vice president of Wellness 360, a New York-based consulting company.
“Join a walking, running or exercise group,” she suggests. “Or find a gym where you interact with others.”
Finding support on Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking sites can also be motivating, she says.

7. Catch more zzz’s.

Are you up past midnight most nights? Staying healthy – and looking young – requires an earlier bedtime.
People who sleep fewer than seven hours per night are more likely to gain excess weight, according to a 2008 study by Laval University in Canada. Plus, those who doze five hours or less don’t live as long, according to a 2010 study of 444 older women conducted by the UC-San Diego School of Medicine.

Still need more incentive to get enough shut-eye? It also makes you look better, according to a 2010 Swedish study published in the British Medical Journal. Women who were photographed after getting eight hours of sleep the previous night were rated as more attractive and healthier-looking than when they only slept five hours.Oversleeping isn’t healthy either, says psychiatrist Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., who headed the San Diego study. He suggests you aim for about 7-8 hours per night.

8. Make exercise an enjoyable habit.

People with a positive view of exercise are more physically active, according to a 2010 study at Penn State University.

Besides enjoying workouts more, they often take the stairs, not the elevator, or walk farther to a store entrance from the parking lot. Such small steps add up to a lot of activity.

“Find a strategy that reduces conscious goal-setting and monitoring,” says David Conroy, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology and human development at Penn State University. “If you associate exercise with drudgery, that’s what it will be,” Neporent adds.“But if associating each step with better-fitting clothes, weight loss or feeling better, then you’re on a mission to succeed.”

9. Time your workouts.

Exercising before breakfast is especially beneficial, and could even cancel out damage from less healthy habits, according to a 2010 Belgian study in The Journal of Physiology.

In that study, young men ate a high-calorie diet of 50% fat, along with a hefty, carb-rich breakfast. Some exercised intensely four times a week before breakfast, and the rest worked out at the same level after breakfast (and drank sports drinks throughout).

At the end of six weeks, those who ate breakfast before exercising had gained weight and developed symptoms of insulin resistance. But the pre-breakfast exercisers were fine.

Exercising on an empty stomach causes the body to burn a greater percentage of fat and increases levels of a muscle protein that helps transport blood sugar, the researchers note. Of course, the best time to work out is when you’ll actually do it, Neporent says.
“If it doesn’t feel good to exercise before eating, then don’t force yourself,” she advises.

10. Turn off the tube.

Watching too much TV doesn’t just kill brain cells – it could actually kill you, according to 2010 Australian research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

In a study of 8,800 adults, those who watched TV four hours or more per day had an 80% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and a 46% higher risk of death, than those who watched two hours or less.

That’s because “sedentary behavior changes your metabolism – you go into ‘energy storage’ mode,” says cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, M.D., chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

The less you sit, the better, Lloyd-Jones notes. At the very least, get up during commercials (but don’t head to the kitchen for unhealthy snacks). Or take 5- or 10-minute exercise breaks.
“The mantra is, if you’re doing nothing, do a little,” he says. “And if you’re doing a little, do more.”

11. Stay healthy for good.

Regular physical activity, following a healthy diet and not smoking reduce the risk of developing more than 20 conditions – including cancer, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia and depression – according to a 2010 review of 40 studies by University of East Anglia in England.

And a 20-year study Lloyd-Jones conducted at Northwestern found that those who follow the top five healthy habits (not smoking, little or no alcohol intake, controlling weight, getting physical activity and eating a healthy diet) maintain a low risk of cardiovascular disease as they enter middle age.

“Healthy behaviors can trump genetics,” Lloyd-Jones says. “The earlier you start making healthy choices, the more likely you are to maintain a low-risk profile.”

Are You Eating As Healthy As You Think?

Many people claim to eat healthy when they're actually doing their body a disservice with the food they consume. Take this quiz to find out if you're eating as healthy as you think.

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AMC's Crazy About The Duke

With his signature swagger and old school attitude, John Wayne epitomized Western machismo. His onscreen actions could serve as a user's guide for aspiring cowboys: Never let up, never back down, be honest, be fair, and fight for what's right. That much-mimicked drawl was never the main reason people were so crazy about him.

1. The Searchers (1956)

Every star needs a role that spotlights his dark side, and The Searchers did exactly that for The Duke. In this brilliant psychological portrait, Wayne took the standard Western hero (self-reliant, unyielding) and turned his positive qualities into something pathological. Wayne -- on a mission to find his kidnapped niece -- is not pleased to find the girl has gone native. Indeed, he now wants to kill her! This is Wayne at his most mesmerizing.

2. True Grit (1969)

He's drunk half the time and wears an eye patch, but that doesn't slow down crack shot Rooster Cogburn. The Duke's turn as the mercurial bounty hunter is a late-career high point, earning him his only Oscar. Here's a chance to see Wayne poking fun at his own tough-guy persona and to watch as he passes on the Western torch to then-newcomer Robert Duvall.

3. Rio Bravo (1959)

This fast-paced Western is as tight as a drum and explosive as a powder keg. The classic flick features the holy trinity of Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Wayne as a ragtag group of lawmen trying to defend a town from outlaws. Aside from its star power, Rio Bravo distinguishes itself with comic relief in the form of Stumpy -- an old coot who enjoys throwing a little dynamite when the occasion calls. Howard Hawks directed Rio Bravo, and liked it so much he remade it twice (El Dorado, Rio Lobo). Both times Wayne returned for the party.

4. Stagecoach (1939)

Love must be shown to Wayne's star-making role: the misunderstood Ringo Kid whose picked up by a covered wagon filled with whores, Holy Rollers, pregnant women, and gamblers trucking through Apache territory. Stagecoach has everything people have come to expect from a Western. And no wonder: With its old-fashioned storytelling under the direction of John Ford, the movie helped make the genre legitimate.

5. Red River (1948)

Generational conflict has rarely been as raw as the battle waged here between Wayne and Montgomery Clift. The pair are very different actors: Clift is quiet and sensitive; Wayne is brusque and direct. That polarity led to explosive chemistry as their characters work out their differences -- not to mention their Oedipal conflicts -- while driving a huge run of cattle across the frontier. This ain't no City Slickers! As tensions simmer and Indians attack, Wayne delivers an anguished performance to rival any method actor.

Honorable Mentions

1. The Shootist (1976): The parallels to Wayne's own life are hard to ignore in this, his last onscreen performance, as the Duke plays a dying gunfighter who goes out with both guns blazing -- literally.

2. Fort Apache (1948): The first film in John Ford's Cavalry trilogy, it remains the best of the lot thanks to Henry Fonda and Wayne battling it out as two officers with very different styles.

3. McLintock! (1963): This light comedy has Wayne pitched in the most fearsome conflict of all: the battle of the sexes. His opponent? None other than frequent collaborator (and friend) Maureen O'Hara.

4. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949): When people say "Send in the cavalry," they might as well be referring to Wayne's fearsome officer, who, despite advanced age, hasn't lost a bit of his nerve in this quiet, elegiac film.

5. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962): This swan song to the Western wouldn't be complete without Wayne's sturdy presence anchoring the movie as a rancher who leaves his own indelible mark on history.