If you think you’re having a heart attack, cough vigorously. Coughing creates a pumping action that can push the blood through the body to the brain, which can keep you going until medical help arrives, says the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. However, when and how you cough is important. It should start with a single cough every one to two seconds in bouts of five coughs.
Pretty much everything we do affects our lifespan, and here are some simple things we can do every day to lead a longer and healthier lives.
Drink tea: Every cup of tea is packed with antioxidants, meaning a longer life. Studies on people who had heart attacks found their risk of having another one in the next three years was cut by 44 percent if they drank two of tea a day.
Eat chocolate: The reason is probably the chocolate’s high antioxidant count. It contains even more of these vital nutrients than fruit! Jean Calment, who at 122 was the world’s oldest living woman, attributed her longevity to eating chocolate every day.
Eat a banana a day: Bananas, raisins and potatoes are all high-potassium foods. Potassium lowers blood pressure and this dramatically increases life expectancy.
Practice ‘hara hachi bu’ :No, not a martial art, but a tip from the Japanese island Okinawa. It means stop eating when you are 80 percent full. Not only does this cut calories, it also reduces stress on the kidneys and liver.
Control your cholesterol:Studies of Japanese centenarians have found that these people tend to be those with the lowest cholesterol. Cutting fat down to under 40 percent of your daily calories helps reduce cholesterol.
Eat fewer calories: A diet of 900 to 1100 calories a day can extend life by up to 15 years, according to the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Animals on this diet developed fewer cataracts, had fewer cancers, and their fur didn’t turn grey.
Get up every hour: Sitting could kill you. According to studies, people who sit for 4 hours a day outside work have a 50% greater risk of dying than those who sit less than 2 hours a day. The average person should take roughly 10,000 steps a day. Taking fewer than that could have an impact on your risk of death.
Be positive: Think positive and happy thoughts. People with positive outlook are usually less stressed and better able to deal with challenges. Having a positive outlook has been link to decreased mortality risk. Optimistic people live about 12 years longer than pessimists.
Some handy kitchen tips that will help save you time and energy when you are in a hurry.
1. To make uniform-sized muffins in a hurry, use an ice-cream scoop to fill the cups. Quick and neat.
2. If you want sweet potatoes that are easy to peel, rub the skin with vegetable oil before baking and the skins will come right off.
3. Does it take forever to clean your crock pot? To speed up the process, line your slow-cooker with foil before adding in ingredients so cleaning up later will be a snap.
4. When a recipe says to cover with aluminium foil while baking, just turn a cookie sheet upside down over the dish. This saves time and foil.
To get the most pleasure from your bouquets, follow these blossoming guidelines:
1. Fill your vase with lukewarm, not cold water. Warm water contains fewer air bubbles that can block water up in the stems. It also encourages buds to open. (Bulb flowers such as daffodils, however prefer cold water).
2. Cut stems at an angle with a sharp knife or scissors to provide a larger area of water intake. Re-cut every few days to remove air locks.
3. Remove all foliage below the waistline.
4. To avoid dehydration, place flowers away from heat sources, including direct sunlight, large appliances and cooling vents.
5. Dethorning roses may shorten their life. If you must do it, use a sharp knife and work from the top of the stem downwards.
Go green with these non-toxic ways to clean your home:-
Surface:
Mix some baking soda with liquid soap to make a paste. Use this to scrub delicate surfaces clean. Only make what you need because this paste dries quickly.
Streak-free Glass:
Mix 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 quart of warm water. Place the mixture in a spray bottle to spritz onto glass or windows. Use newspaper to clean the glass to get streak-free results.
Oven:
Mix 1 part vinegar with 4 parts water. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and spritz onto a cool oven surface. Use a sponge to scrub the oven clean. For stubborn stain, use baking soda or citrus-based cleaners.
Toilet bowl:
Sprinkle borax around the toilet bowl then drizzle with white vinegar. Leave for several hours before scrubbing with a toilet brush to remove stains.
It is good to eat healthy but unless food is handled properly, you could be washing away those healthy nutrients. Here are some tips on how to keep healthy foods nutritious:-
1. A well-dressed salad is healthy
Studies have shown that a salad with fat-free or no dressing is not as rich in vitamins as a salad served with a little olive oil. The oil helps us absorb the disease-fighting qualities found in the salad leaves.
2. Avoid over-rinsing
Although it is common practice to wash rice before cooking, over-rinsing it could wash away its vitamin B1 content. One wash and then it is ready to cook.
3. Tear rather than chop
When preparing leafy vegetables such as spinach or lettuce, tear the leaves rather than chop them. This is because when we tear the leaves, it does not disrupt its cellular structure, which helps minimise the release of enzymes that destroy the vitamin C content.
4. Defrost right
Try not to thaw food by leaving it out on the kitchen bench. This is because once it reaches room temperature, bacteria starts to breed. It is best to defrost frozen food in the microwave or to let it thaw in the fridge to prevent this from happening.
5. Store well
Never overload a fruit bowl because it could cause dark patches on the fruit as well as reduce its vitamin C content. Food stored in the fridge should be put in a container or covered in cling wrap.
Litter itself is enough to raise the ire of those who respect the environment, but the message behind littering is even more disturbing. It says “I don’t care about this place or anyone who lives here.”
If you’re in the habit of tossing your trash out the window or dumping your junk at the end of a rural road, you have been living by the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind”. Your actions may be saying things your mind never intended. Mend your ways. Failing to respect the environment and disrespecting the well-being of others will ultimately cause you to lose respect for yourself. It’s never too late to turn over a new leaf if you really want to make a difference.
“Litter, and it will hurt. It hurts the community, and the fines will hurt when you get caught. Half of the litter is accidental, from things blown off trucks and such, but the other half doesn’t reflect positively on the community.” Walt Thompson
Here’s the good news – It is possible to increase your body’s natural fat-burning process by simply changing your lifestyle in little ways. So, keep these points in mind to help you achieve your ideal figure without the pain!
1. Eat early
Eat the majority of your food earlier in the day. Dinner should be your lightest meal and try not to eat anything after 8pm or any later than three to four hours before bedtime. This helps your body process and burn the food when you are awake and moving around and burning more calories per hour.
2. Three times isn’t enough
The good news is that eating five to six small meals daily help keep your metabolism high all day. The effects are greatest when you do not allow more than four hours to lapse between meals. The key is not to eat more but to eat the same meal over longer periods of the day.
3. Count on calcium
Studies show women who drank at least three glasses of milk per day experienced weight loss of 70 percent more than those who didn’t. Calcium intake appears to increase fat burning and discourages fat from being stored in your cells.
4. Squeeze in more sleep
When you lose sleep, it also increases your insulin resistance and creates a hormonal imbalance that can slow your metabolism and increase your appetite.
5. Drink lots of water
Just by increasing your current water intake by 1.5 liters a day can help burn an extra 17,400 calories a year resulting in about a five pound weight loss. Drinking water also prevents overeating by filling you up. Iced cold water also makes the body burn extra calories to warm the water to body temperature.
6. Protein power
Lean protein sources such as non fat yoghurt, fish, cottage cheese, peanut butter and eggs help ward off hunger between meals. Adding some protein to each meal also helps by giving you an added metabolic boost.
7. Red hot chilli
Due to its unique thermal heat action, chilli increases metabolic activity promoting natural weight loss, increasing circulation and decreasing appetite. Among others, celebs Paris Hilton and Angelina Jolie have credited a drink made of water, lemon juice, maple syrup and chilli powder as the secret to their perfect figures.
8. Low fat isn’t no fat
Fat makes food taste better and makes you feel fuller faster and longer. So, at the end of the day, fewer calories are consumed. That is why eating a low-fat meal often leaves you hungry, unsatisfied and more likely to overeat. The key is in eating good fats such as monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-3 fats. The fats to avoid are saturated and trans fats found in meat, dairy foods, coconut, chocolate and bake goods.
9. Go veggie once a week
Vegetarian meals tend to be low in fat and high in fiber, so they are the perfect option for calorie counters.
10. Relax and lose the excess
Being stresses increases your body’s production of cortisol, a hormone that increases fat accumulation and causes the body to deposit more fat in you abdomen, and increasing your appetite for sweet, fatty comfort foods. Instead of heading for the fridge, try going for a walk, playing with your kids or having a long soak in the tub.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to clean your fridge:-
Things you’ll need:
* Lukewarm water in a basin
* Juice of one lemon (mixed with lukewarm water)
* Non-scratch cleaning cloth
Directions:
1. Turn off the main power to the fridge.
2. Move perishables like dairy items and fresh foods from the chiller to the freezer. Leave the non-perishables like jam at room temperature.
3. Remove the drawers and racks to wash and dry.
4. Wipe the chiller and the inside door with the cloth dampened with the lemon mixture. Clean the condiment bottles. When that is done, return the racks and food back to the chiller.
5. Then, transfer fruits and vegetables to the freezer and clean the crisper.
6. Work on the freezer next. Storing the items in the chiller temporarily.
7. Give the fridge exterior a good wipe-down before turning the power back on.
Try soaking some sun, according to research 10 – 15 minutes of afternoon sun can result in the production of over 10,000 I.U.s of vitamin D, which is essential for your calcium absorption. But wait, there’s another benefit – UV-B rays from the sun on the ski convert cholesterol into this ‘sunshine vitamin’, which researchers are finding to be a strong anti-cancer agent.
New Bloggy Cat [NBC] 