#HealthFix: Simple Tips To Improve Your Health And Well-Being

Is Your Heart Angry?

Turn down your emotional thermostat to save your heart. Research done by Harvard School of Public Health found that within two hours of an angry outburst, a per­son’s risk of heart attack increased nearly five-fold and their risk of stroke rose nearly four-fold. The risks were highest in people who got angry more often and had existing risk factors, such as heart problems or high blood pressure. Why? Because getting angry changes our physiology: It increases heart rate and breathing and constricts blood vessels, raising blood pressure. It also makes blood clot more readily. When you do get angry, don’t smoulder. Take a walk, talk to a friend, take a few deep breaths and let it go.

Herbal Cure

Include ashwagandha in your daily diet (available at local pharmacies in powder or capsule form). This super-herb stimulates the activation of the immune system cells (lymphocytes), counteracts the effects of stress and promotes general wellness. It is particularly helpful for stress-related disorders such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, and premature ageing, and is also a powerful anti-inflammatory. It helps treat sciatica pain as well.

Steam the Beets

Raw beets are high in betanin, a powerful plant pigment and antioxidant that can halt free-radical damage and may even stop the growth of tumour cells in the stomach, colon, lungs and nervous system. Lightly steam beets to retain more of its cancer-fighting powers as betanin is highly sensitive to heat and intense cooking methods such as boiling or roasting destroy its benefits. Steam the beet, chop it, add onions, tomato, salt, green chilli and lemon, and you have a delicious salad in minutes.

Post-dinner Workout

The best time to strength-train is ... after dinner! A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that strength-training post evening meals is more effective at protecting your heart than if done earlier in the day. Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who did resistance exercises (calf raises, chest flies, leg curls, shoulder raises and crunches) 45 minutes after dinner had 12 per cent lower glucose levels and 92 per cent lower triglyceride (or blood fat) levels than when they exercised 75 minutes before dinner.

Bye Bye Blisters

A bad case of blisters can put a dent in your stride—and high heels aren’t the only culprits. Flats and workout sneakers can easily rub you the wrong way, too, if they don’t fit cor­rectly. Follow these preventive measures to stay on your feet comfortably.

• Find the right fit: Friction cre­ated by wearing the ill-fitting shoes—whether they’re too small or too large—is one way blisters get started.
• Wear the right socks: Instead of cotton socks that hold sweat and often bunch up, pick socks made from blends that wick away moisture.
• Grease up: Apply a lubricant (such as petroleum jelly or coconut oil) to blister-prone areas before walking.
• Trim ‘em: Cut nails so that they don’t rub against the tip of the shoe, or an adjacent toe.

Cavities Are Contagious!

Yes, you heard us. Researchers from the University of Helsinki, in Finland, found that oral bacteria that cause peri­odontitis, gingivitis and dental caries (aka cavities) can be passed between adults living in close contact with each other. Ick. So brush, floss, gargle after meals and schedule an appointment with a dentist every 6 months—and make sure your partner does the same.

Collated from articles previously published in Prevention magazine