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Ezine - December 2004
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10 Great Health Tips
By Fiona Gordon
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1. Shake your Body!
Every day find new ways to move your body. Use the stairs
rather than an escalator or elevator. Walk your dog (or a
neighbours' dog if you don't have one!), chase your kids,
play ball with friends, mow the lawn.
Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool,
it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of
time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a
45-minute cardiovascular class or body pump or kickboxing.
Move more and feel better!
2. Cut the Fat
Don't eat the obvious fat in your diet such as fried foods,
burgers and
other fatty meats. Eat dairy products like cheese, cottage
cheese, milk
and cream low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats,
mayonnaise,
margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited
amounts and even
then in their low fat versions. Most are available in lower
fat versions.
3. Reduce Stress
Stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques
recommended by experts
are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing
something you
like. (i.e., go back to number one above!, exercise is a
great stress
reducer, Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park;
read a good
book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing
music; watch
a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut.
Meditate. Count to
ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid
difficult
people when possible.
4. Stop Smoking
All the experts agree on this one. Ever since 1960 when it
was announced
that smoking was harmful to your health, people have been
reducing their
use of tobacco products. Just recently, we've seen a surge
in smoking in
adolescents and teens. Warn your children of the false
romance or 'tough
guy' image of smokers. Find ways to quit smoking hypnosis,
support groups
and even prescription medicine such as Zyban is available to
help you.
5. Reduce your exposure to Pollution
Not everyone can live in a smog-free environment, but we can
all avoid
smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway
fumes and
exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when
the smog rating
is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning where air
quality is good.
Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution
deterrent. If
you ride a bicycle in the traffic, wear a small pollution
mask over your
mouth and nose.
6. Click Clack, Front and Back
Statistics show that the wearing of seat belts add to
longevity and help
alleviate potential injuries in car crashes.
7. Don't Drink Too Much Alcohol
Whilst it is true that a glass of wine or one drink a day
(two for men)
can help protect against heart disease, more alcohol than
that, or binge
drinking on a night out, can cause other serious health
problems such as
liver and kidney disease and cancer.
8. Floss Your Teeth
Harvard Medical School studied longevity and found one of
the most
important contributing factors was daily flossing! Flossing
and brushing
your teeth daily can make your real age as much as 6.4 years
younger.
These studies make a direct connection between longevity and
teeth
flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because
people who floss
tend to be more health conscious than people who don't?
9. Maintain a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and
healthily and
having a cheerful outlook on life. Yes, keep on smiling and
laughing!
10. Pick Your Parents Well!
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. You
can't pick
your parents, but just because one or both of your parents
died young in
ill health doesn't mean you can't counteract the genetic
pool handed you.
So follow the first 9 tips above
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| Fiona Gordon is a Business Manager and
National Educator for Vincent Davianny in Australia and New
Zealand. Fiona has many years experience in the beauty
industry, as an owner of salons, and with international
training and experience. She brings to our industry a wealth
of resources on health and wellbeing, and also on salon
management. Fiona can be contacted at
www.vincentdavianny.com.au |
