By JULIE DEARDORFF
Chicago Tribune
If you're ready to take control of your health, start by washing your hands for 15 to 20 seconds, about as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Doing this simple act, while avoiding certain behaviors--smoking, excessive drinking and eating too much--can dramatically improve your health, said internist William Meller, who specializes in evolutionary medicine in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Prevention goes well beyond the mammograms, prostate screenings or blood tests that we can get at the doctor's office. It's the little steps you take that can keep you healthy.
"Ideally, prevention should also emphasize healthy lifestyles, a practice that isn't only health-conscious, but [is] inexpensive," said James Pivarnik, president of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Here are 10 easy ways to get started:
1. TAKE A WALK.
Humans are designed to be on the move, Meller said. "Walking triggers all of our bodily systems: digestion, stress relief, thinking and preparation for sleep." It's easy, simple, free and confers the benefits of exercise without the risk of damage from more energetic pursuits, Muller said.
2. KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL.
Writing down everything you eat can double your weight loss, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
"The more food records people kept, the more weight they lost," said lead author Jack Hollis, a researcher at Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research.
Why? "It's the process of reflecting on what you eat that helps us become aware of our habits, and hopefully change our behavior," said Dr. Keith Bachman, of Kaiser.
3. STOP DRINKING SODA.
Soda and other high-calorie, sugar-sweetened beverages have contributed to skyrocketing rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. There's also evidence that drinking diet soda leads to weight gain. Researchers suspect that tricking the brain--getting sweetness without the calories--makes you crave more sugar than ever.
Your best bet is to stop drinking calories altogether, said obesity specialist Dr. Yoni Freedhoff. His most confused patients seem to be doing everything right but may have two glasses of milk, one glass of juice and one glass of wine a day.
"That's roughly 40 pounds of liquid calories per year," he wrote on his blog, Weighty Matters.
4. BUILD YOUR MUSCLES.
If you want to keep your muscles from weakening as you age, start strength training. It's "the only style of exercise that maintains and increases lean muscle tissue and burns between 22 and 36 calories per day," said personal trainer Jim Karas. He suggests starting with push-ups for the upper body and lunges and squats for the lower body.
5. CHILL OUT.
Stressed-out people are more vulnerable to colds and other viruses, take longer to recover from illness and gain more weight than their relaxed counterparts, research has shown.
We also know that "the inability to feel in control of stress, rather than the stressful event itself, is the most damaging to immunity," wrote Joan Borysenko in "Mending the Body, Mending the Mind."
In addition to exercise, deep-breathing techniques, meditation, tai chi and yoga are proven stress relievers.
6. EAT OUT LESS.
"When restaurant salads can have more calories and fat than a Big Mac, you know you're putting your health at risk," said Freedhoff, the obesity specialist. "You'll save more than your money by eating meals in. You might even save your life."
7. BE A SOCIAL BUTTERFLY.
Research has shown that joining a club or sports team, belonging to a church group or keeping in contact with friends creates a sense of social identity that can help significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke, dementia and even the common cold. "We do not outgrow our need for others," according to the MacArthur Foundation Study of Aging in America. "Loneliness breeds both illness and early death."
8. GET YOUR ZZZ's.
Sleeping well is the single-most-overlooked factor critical to good health, especially during the flu season, said sleep specialist Dr. Rubin Naiman, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona's Center for Integrative Medicine.
Naiman suggests relaxing before bed, perhaps by watching comedy on television. "Too often sleep is approached with an anxious mind and heavy heart," he said. "Laughter is good medicine--and good sleep medicine. I recommend it over sleeping pills."
9. EAT WHOLE FOODS.
Whole foods--fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs and whole grains--are unprocessed and unrefined and typically don't have added sugar, salt or fat. They often have a low glycemic index, which means they don't raise blood sugar and insulin levels as quickly as processed foods.
10. FIND YOUR PASSION.
Do things that bring meaning to your days, said Patricia Boyle, a neuropsychologist in the Alzheimer's Disease Center at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Her research has shown that having a higher purpose can reduce the risk of death among older adults.