I realise, 2008 has been an informative year for my readers. Last year I wrote on non-medicinal factors and their effects on health, more than I did in last few years. Today I would like to share the top 10 of them. Here are my top recommendations:
1) Good friends – good health Bad friends – bad health!
Good friends may help our life last longer. Some studies have shown that having good friendships contributes to a stronger immune system and better self-care. On the contrary, be aware of bad friends they might not only get on your nerves at times, but they are also bigger risks than you realise.
2) Work smart, NOT hard!
It has been found in workplaces around the world sadness and depression are clear costs correlated with long work hours. Studies also found that excessive overtime produced stress and stress-related ailments. But it does not mean that there is a back door to success. The work smart philosophy says work intelligently and wisely. In that case, you need to be knowledgeable and sensible as well.
3) Prayer is a medicine!
Although people’s understanding of the relationship between health and prayer remains a mystery until today, doctors and scientists are observing overwhelming evidences that prayerfulness can help in healing sicknesses. Anyone can discover the benefits of prayer for healing throughout the day. May be one need to fine tune their prayers but the effect is powerful, restoring wellness and maintaining good health.
4) Never eat alone
People are usually more relaxed when eating in company. Their minds are less absorbed in their daily activities and are free of worries. However, theses gatherings are not only a time for strengthening relationships and keeping track of family members or relatives or neighbors, they can truly lead to better physical and mental health for all family members. But remember, do not shout and fight during eating — keep the mood light, relaxed and try not to instruct or criticise.
5) 10 best healthy foods we should not ignore
The healthy foods do have the power to heal, but unfortunately inadequate and imprecise information are the basic reasons behind our poor eating habits and illnesses. There are many healthy foods that can actually help us fight disease, so you may want to start eating a few.
Below there is a list of best healthy foods we are not giving importance-
(i) Cabbage is one of the healthiest vegetables It is rich in calcium, potassium and contains iodine, sodium, sulphur and phosphorus. It contains sulforaphane, which helps boost women’s immunity to breast cancer. Other than our traditional dishes – try to put fresh cabbage on sandwiches, burgers or eat it in salad.
(ii) Honey, the superstar of drinks is good for different diseases. It is found that a mixture of honey and cinnamon or honey and apple cider vinegar or sometimes honey and ginger cures lots of diseases. But, honey is not for everybody. It is not advisable for babies less than one year of age.
(iii) Black seed is still known as one of all-time greatest source of natural medicines.
(iv) Fatty fish and Omega-3 oils have been called the miracle food of the 21st century. In 2001 and again in 2004, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA issued consumer advisories recommending that pregnant and nursing women restrict their consumption of seafood due to concerns about mercury contamination.
(v) Garlic is native to Central Asia and has been cultivated for at least 5,000 years.
(vi) The beet offers us a rich source of folate, betaine as well as natural red pigments and one of the best items in this list.
(vii) Cinnamon: Small amounts of cinnamon (darchini in bangla) have been used for a long time. Please remember, health risk can not be ruled out during high takes of cinnamon daily.
(viii) Pomegranate or ‘Anar’ or ‘Bedana’ whatever the name is! It is a wonderful fruit. In fact, it is one of the most highly recommended juices to purchase in the USA .
(ix) Guava is a well known fruit in our country and certainly one of the best fruits to take.
(x) Pumpkin and its seeds are the last item of this list. They are a great source of natural minerals that our bodies need.
6. Cholesterol and cooking oil
It is very difficult to totally avoid oil in food even if diagnosed with fat related diseases. Any cooking oil is fat but some fats are better than others and having too much of any type is not a wise idea. There is evidence that mono-unsaturated fats (olive, peanut or canola oils) are preferable. Largely talked Omega 3 fatty acids also belong to this group. Sources of omega-6 and omega-3 fats include canola and soy oils and canola based margarines. Ideal cooking oil should contain higher amount of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and with minimal or no saturated fats.
7. May be more stressful than you realise
It has been found that a generous proportion of urban people are at risk of Noise Induce Hearing Loss (NIHL), a condition caused by prolonged exposure to noise levels higher than 75 db. But dangers are not restricted to the ears only, it can set off the body’s stress response and ultimately the body will deal with high levels of stress hormones(epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol). A study discovered that 28 percent suffered from hypertension due to traffic noises.
8. Less sleep may cost a lot
Chronic sleeplessness may have an effect on the immune system as lack of sleep is associated to an increase in cytokine molecules that control immune response. In the long run, changes in blood chemistry may be responsible for lot of diseases. Quality sleep serves as an indicator of quality life. In fact, the basics of good health are good diet, good exercise and good sleep.
9. Occasional fasting — an amazing prescription
Once Benjamin Franklin said, “The best of all medicines are rest and fasting”. In recent times, researchers have started saying about scientific reasons to go on occasional fast.
10. Deadly game of artificial sweetener
A lot of people are not aware of the sour tastes of artificial sweeteners. Some people switch from one dangerous artificial sweetener (aspartame) to another (e.g., sucralose or acesulfame-k). In fact, these sweeteners were not approved until early eighties. A lot of people want to know what other artificial sweeteners they can safely use. The best thing to do is avoid all artificial and chemical sweeteners and learn to adjust to the natural sugars as much as needed for your body.
Source: The Daily Star, January 03, 2008
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