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?

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