Making tiny changes to your diet can have a dramatic impact on your health, experts from Oxford and Liverpool universities have found. It is estimated 20,000 lives a year could be saved if Britons ate one gram of salt fewer a day, an extra piece of fruit and less saturated fat. Top experts were asked for simple tweaks to boost your health…
DON’T LIE IN
Don’t lie in on days off, says Dr Andrew Dowson, clinical director of the East Kent Headache PCT Service. ‘Migraines used to be referred to as “weekend headaches” because they’d often hit on weekend mornings.
‘Changing your sleep pattern suddenly has a dramatic effect on the hypothalamus part of your brain, responsible for balancing hormones which can trigger headaches. You’re also likely to suffer caffeine withdrawal after sleeping through your normal early morning cup of tea or coffee. Always try to stick as close to the same schedule as possible. If you’re tired, have a nap later in the day.’
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EAT FOOD ALL COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW
Adam Mead, dietitian at Kingston Hospital in London, says: ‘The mantra “five a day” refers to variety as much as quantity – in particular you need to buy as varied colours as possible, each colour representing different health-boosting antioxidants and nutrients that work in synergy with each other.
‘For instance, vitamin C in fruit boosts the absorption of iron from any green leafy vegetables such as spinach, or even red meat.
‘Make sure you’re getting the full spectrum of colours in your basket – think of traffic lights: something green, something orange and something red.’
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STAND ON ONE LEG WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH
‘Stand on one leg when you’re brushing your teeth to work the deep core muscles in your abdomen which protect your back,’ says Tim Hutchful, chiropractic and ergonomic consultant in Leicester.
‘Far too many people never work these deep muscles, and this is the perfect opportunity to give them a short but effective workout by creating a degree of instability – it’s like sitting on an exercise ball at your desk.
‘Try brushing with one hand and standing on the opposite leg for one minute, then reverse – the more variation you put in, the better the results.
AVOID TALKING ABOUT PROBLEMS IN THE PUB
‘Don’t deal with problems over a drink. Going to the pub is the single worst thing to de-stress from a hard day and talk through problems,’ says Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancester University.
‘You feel like you’re doing something about the problem, but actually it’s just an avoidance activity that gets you nowhere.
‘You either get so inebriated you don’t talk about anything useful, or the alcohol – and the likely hangover – gives you an excuse not to deal with the consequences of your conversation the next morning.
‘A coffee or a walk with a good friend is the single best de-stressing strategy we should all follow.’
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ALWAYS WEAR HEELS
‘I practise what I preach and wear a small, wide heel whenever possible,’ says Simon Costain, of the Gait & Posture Centre in London.
‘Many people’s foot, leg and back problems are caused by wearing flat or no shoes at all.
‘A ½in to ¾in heel lifts, softens and takes the stress out of your knees and tendons, encouraging you to stand with straighter legs. Flip flops and flats induce a knock-kneed gait and transfer stress up your spine.’
DON’T USE VERY HIGH SUN PROTECTION CREAMS
‘Sunblock isn’t just for summer and sunshine – slapping it on then is like watching what you eat only when you go to McDonald’s,’ says Nick Lowe, consultant dermatologist and senior lecturer at University College Hospital, London.
‘It’s UVA that’s the silent skin ager, which is present year-round and can penetrate clouds and glass. Every day of the year I put on a day cream with SPF 15 with specific UVA protection, rising to SPF 30 on summer days.
‘Don’t bother with anything higher than this – SPF 50 offers only an extra 0.5 per cent protection over 30 and is much greasier and stickier, so you’re less likely to use it.
‘I even advise my grandchildren never to go above 30, but obviously also to cover up in the sun between 10am and 3pm.’
BUY SHOES AT THE END OF THE DAY
Nick Masucci, podiatric surgeon at New Victoria Hospital, in Kingston upon Thames, says: ‘Only ever shop for shoes at the end of the day. Feet swell continuously from the moment you wake due to heat and blood pooling with gravity, so buying them later means you’re trying on shoes when your feet are biggest.’
April 23, 2010
