Science proves it’s true – along with 11 other surprising health tips!
Some methods to improve your health just don’t seem to make sense. The following 12 tips really do work — but they may leave you scratching your head!
1. Drink coffee to have a better nap.
Scientists say if you drink a cup of coffee and lie down for 20 minutes, the nap ends just as the caffeine kicks in and clears the brain of a molecule called adenosine, maximizing alertness. Who knew?
2. For healthy teeth, don’t brush after eating.
Acidic foods can soften tooth enamel and brushing when your enamel is soft can cause more harm than good. They say to wait 30-60 minutes before brushing. Hmm… good to know.
3. To wear a smaller size, gain weight.
Muscle weight, of course. Although a pound of fat weighs the same as a pound of muscle, muscle takes up less space, so if you cut back on calories and add weight to your workout, you will lose inches.
4. To eat less, eat more.
Grabbing a 100-calorie snack pack of cookies or pretzels may seem virtuous, but it’s more likely to make you hungrier than if you ate something more substantial, like an apple with peanut butter. This one makes sense to me.
5. Skip energy drinks when you’re tired.
Energy drinks contain up to five times more caffeine than coffee, but the boost they provide is fleeting and comes with unpleasant side effects. The sweet stuff spikes blood sugar temporarily, only to crash soon after, leaving you sluggish and foggy-headed. Been there, done that – it’s no fun!
6. Drink water when you’re bloated.
When you’re dehydrated, your body clings to the water your body already has, causing you to puff up. So when you puff, drink the clear stuff.
7. Ditch diet soda to lose weight.
Studies have shown that overweight and obese adults who drink diet beverages eat
more calories from food than those who drink regular soda. They have also found that diet soda drinkers end up with a 70% greater waist circumference than non-drinkers after 10 years. Yikes. Glad I stopped drinking soda a while back!
8. Drink a hot beverage to cool off.
When you sip a hot beverage, your body senses the change in temperature and
increases your sweat production. Then, as the sweat evaporates from your skin, you
cool off naturally. Sounds interesting… I’ll have to try this one.
9. Exercise when you’re tired.
Sounds awful – I know – but I’ve definitely found this one to be true. Everything we do uses oxygen, so when you exercise it helps you work more efficiently and you don’t tire as easily. You also function better mentally.
10. Hand write notes to boost your brain power.
To learn something means you have processed it, and when you take handwritten notes you process, learn, or remember more information. No wonder I have so many post-its all over my workspace!
11. To improve your relationship, spend less time together.
Spending time alone allows you to process your thoughts rather than act impulsively and, as a result, you get to know yourself better. Alone time enables you to be more in touch with yourself and you can better give and receive. Makes sense.
12. Ditch antibacterial soap to prevent illness.
I’ve always been a bit wary about antibacterial products, and now studies are saying there is no evidence that antibacterial soaps are more effective at reducing your risk of sickness than regular ones. Also, the FDA says long-term exposure to some ingredients in these antibacterial products may pose health risks like bacterial resistance or hormonal effects. EEK – I think I’ll just stick with my all-natural soap.
There you have it. All these tips seem a bit counterintuitive but scientific research and studies have proven they work. Try some of them yourself – what do you have to lose? Then when you’re feeling more energetic, cooled down, well rested, and more focused, check out our featured products page and let us know how we can help you stock your lab!
For more details about these 12 Strange-But-True Health Tips, read the full article from Linda Melone here:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20857218,00.html