Category 50 Ways to be Effortlessy Healthier

50 Ways to be Effortlessy Healthier Blog Project

22: Go Brown

Ashley Kahurangi Leave a comment

“Switch to wholemeal bread as the additional fiber content will make you feel full for longer and the grains offer slow-release, superior sources of energy. Also, white flour is often bleached using potassium bromate, benzoyl peroxide or chlorine dioxide gas – none of which is especially healthy for you.”

~ Magazine Excerpt

Well everyone knows that those “oxides” and “yl”s of the chemistry lab are not good for you. But also did you know that for the slow-release carbohydrates are not equal? Some like starches like in potatoes are best for those trying to put on muscle as they are slow-burning but also give high amount of fuel. when wholemeal grains are long-chain carbohydrates, that are slow-burning too but not supply the same amount of energy per carbohydrate molecule. So yes: sugar, carbohydrates, starches and fiber are all the same type of the molecules, the only difference is their size.

21: Use a Fat Pen

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Writing with a pen that has a fat barrel can place as much as 50 times less stress on the bones and ligaments at the base of your hand, according to research at Duke University. Changing to a chunkier pen can cut in half the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome as a result.
~Magazine Excerpt
When I was growing up I wrote by hand several novels, now I cant jot down more than a sentence without pain in my hand. Now i have some chunky pens (as in wider than your thumb) and now I can go without pain for at least a paragraph. If it can work for me it can work for you.

20: Stand Up

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Whenever you talk on the phone, get up off your backside. By Standing just one extra hour a day an average 80-kilo person will burn 377 kilojoules (90 calories) more, according to calculations in the Jornal of the American College of Sport Medicine.

~ Magazine Excerpt
Its those little things that all add up don’t they. Stand while talking on the phone, using a computer than a tv, walk to the dairy instead of driving to the supermarket. Over the course of your life you can burn off a huge volume of energy and making your waistline thinner.

19: Don’t Have Dressings.

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We know salads don’t taste as good as a juicy steak, so its tempting to put dressings on them. But dressings are where the calories are so skip the commercial dressings and try to make your own from vinegar or olive oil.
~Magazine Excerpt
The words “Light” or “Lite” DO NOT under any circumstances mean they are low in fat or calories. The words are used under law to describe the colour and not fat/calorie content. Try making your own dressings without using sugar, fat, or eggs. Try making a sweet basil and Italian herb dressing with olive oil. yummy

18: Get a New Toothbrush

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And make sure it comes with a tongue scraper on the reverse of the brush head. Your tounge has fissures that hold onto bacteria, so using a tongue scraper helps to remove it. You will probably gag when scraping but bacteria leads to bad breath. And get one with soft bristles; its better for your gums.
~ Magazine Excerpt.
Its been proven that the sensitivity and diversity of your taste (your palette) can improve by 200% from regular use to a tongue scraper. These bacteria sitting in those fissures block receptors to your sensitive taste buds. Clear out the goop and experience that roast your mother made in a whole new way.
Its also proven that soft bristles remove just as much bacteria as hard bristles (as long as you scrub just as frequent). The only difference is that hard bristles can micro-scar your gums by the repetitive scratching and bruise them, leading to early onset of a receding gum line.

17: Laugh with Them

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What to get over a fight with your partner/relatives? Laugh together. According to Psychology Today: “Laughter establishes or restores a positive climate and a sense of connection between people, who can literally take pleasure out of being in the company of each other” Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.

~Magazine Subscription
If you ever put yourself in the third-person view when you laugh you realise that laughter can literally take over the brain. you think of nothing but the feeling of laughing. and because its process in your brain is 100% identical of every other Homo Sapien you can connect with people in a unique and completely understanding way. Plan with your partner or relatives to watch comedies or when you talk over the phone, prepare a joke beforehand. They’ll actually look forward to your phone call or email if you have a new joke to share.

16: A Banana A Day

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“Reported to be the best selling fruit worldwide, the athletes favourite should be part of everyone’s diet. Benefits are too numerous to list here, but highlights include their ability to boost energy, improve mood, reduce the effects of heartburn and hangovers”
~ Magazine Except
This is quite a no-brainer. there were times in the past when I knew in advance that I needed the best brain power money can buy I go out and buy bananas. Due to their popularity this does mean they are a “sometimes” food for most people. One thing I want to point out is its alkinity (bananas are alkaline-based). When you eat Alkaline-based foods this improves the PH level in your body that those fatty fast foods are turning the other acidic way. Feeling sluggish but cant seem to shake it off? take a 3-day diet of 3 bananas a day for 3 days. (remember to eat other healthy foods too).

Triva: Bananas don’t boost your energy levels from its sugar content. Bananas contain several key elements and vitamins that boost the efficiency of your metabolism, making more energy out of the same amount of fuel. (these vitamins and minerals are easier to absorb than a multi-vitamin pill so less of the good stuff will be flushed down the loo)

15: Go Dark

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If your going to have chocolate then switch to dark chocolate with a high cocoa content as research has found it can lower blood pressure, high in antioxidants that reduce the risk of strokes, cancer, heart attacks.
~ Magazine Excerpt
An interesting thing to point out is upper-end dark chocolate has more tannins than cheaper brands so slightly counteracting the positive outcome of it benefits. So if you want the best nutrition balance of dark chocolate vs the taste and nutrition? Find the best brand you like and choose one two steps cheaper.

14: Switch Sugar To Honey

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White table sugar is the one thing you should keep to an absolute minimum. Its got far too many negative effects to list here, but natural honey is much better for you if you really feel the need to sweeten something.
~ Magazine Excerpt
Fructose sugars are very good for you, Glucose and Sucrose are not. Fructose sugars are found in honey, fruit and many other natural sources. A minority of soft drinks also use fructose sugar instead of table sugar (high sucrose) so if you want a soft drink, try to find one with a high % of sugar as fructose. three other points you need to remember.
  • Raw sugar (brown sugar) is just as unhealthy as it contains glucose as a main ingredient in the molasses colouring they place in many brands.
  • Icing sugar is the sweetest form of table sugar and if used as a replacement, you would need a lot less to have the same sweet intensity
  • Not all sugars are equal, Sucrose and glucose are very unhealthy, Fructose is one of the healthiest and only has 8 more molecules than sucrose.

13: Goji Berries

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Kilo for kilo they contain 500 times more Vitamin C than oranges, more beta-carotene than carrots and more iron than steak. They are also packed full of antioxidants so a small handful of these dried berries are a fine boost to start the day.
~ Magazine Excerpt
Goji Berries are part of a select group of antioxidants that actually increase in volume (antioxidant volume) when treated with heat, sunlight or dehydration. This includes Tomatoes, capsicums, carrots e.t.c (this does mean tomato sauce is healthier for you than raw tomatoes) so poping a few of them in every day is very close to taking a naturally grown mutlivitamin pill that tastes great and no chance of vitamin overdose.