Toss your expired sunscreen, walk at least 78 minutes a day and try Scandinavian sleeping — plus 8 more health tips to help you have a great week
Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Kaitlin Reilly, and I'm here to share the best wellness tips from around the internet.
Everybody wants to be healthy and fit. And, hey, maybe your summer vacation entails detoxing at a swanky wellness spa in the Alps. If it doesn't, that's OK too. Healthy living doesn't have to be a huge overhaul (which feels super-daunting); it can be making a series of simple, easily achievable changes that add up to major improvement. Like eating baby carrots three times a week or spending 30 minutes 'Japanese walking' before dinner.
One small thing you can start with: Change your popcorn order the next time you're catching a summer blockbuster at the cineplex. As dietitian Lauren Manaker recently wrote for Yahoo, it's easier than you think to make healthy snack choices at the movie theater. Instead of nachos with bright orange cheese dip or a slushie, go for chocolate-covered raisins (which, Manaker notes, 'provide natural sugars for energy along with small amounts of fiber and potassium'). And go ahead and enjoy that popcorn (it's got fiber!); just make it a small, and skip the butter. See? You're off to a healthy start already.
To see what the week has in store, take a look at your local weather forecast, and peek at your horoscope too, if you're inclined. Now pick your 'one small thing' that'll make a positive change to your well-being. A few ideas …
☀️ Toss that expired sunscreen
Want to declutter this summer? Start with your expired sunscreen, decluttering expert Marissa Hagmeyer tells Good Housekeeping. Expired sunscreen can lose its effectiveness over time, offering less protection against harmful UV rays and increasing your risk of sunburn and skin damage. 'Finish the summer off strong — sans sunburns — and clear space for products that actually work,' Hagmeyer says. Pick a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher, and use it daily. Don't forget to reapply!
🛌🏿 Try Scandinavian sleeping
Share a bed with a partner? If one of you is always hogging the sheets, consider the Scandinavian sleep method, which some people on social media are crediting with saving their marriage and their rest. As Apartment Therapy reports, the method is super-simple: Use two separate duvets (one per person) so that you can better control your sleep temperature and how much blanket you'd like to use throughout the night. No more midnight tug-of-war!
🚶Walk at least 78 minutes a day
The latest reason to lace up your sneakers: Avoiding back pain. As Science Alert reports, a recent Norwegian study published in JAMA Network Open found that people who walked between 78 and 100 minutes a day on average had a reduced risk of developing chronic low back pain when compared with people who walked less than 78 minutes. This remained true even for people who walked at a slow pace.
While 78 minutes may seem like a lot, you can break the minutes up across your day. Consider taking a half-hour stroll in the morning before work, going for a 20-minute walk after lunch (which is also great for your digestion) and wrapping the day with another 30 minutes of strolling in the evening. Too hot outside? Try a walking pad and do some 'cozy cardio' by watching your favorite shows as you get your steps in.
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👟 Size up your shoe
If your feet ache after a long run or hike, your shoes might be to blame — even if they're technically your correct size. Dr. Jeffrey Fleming, a sports medicine physician, tells HuffPost that it's 'normal' for feet to swell after a prolonged time standing, which can make snug shoes feel even tighter. That's why he and other experts recommend sizing up a half-size — or even opting for a wider shoe — if you notice post-workout tightness.
😋 Pick the right midnight snack
Yes, you had dinner. Yes, you're still hungry. And yes, it's time for bed. While midnight snacks can be dicey — sabotaging your sleep and, occasionally, your digestive system — there are safe options, says dietitian Katie Drakeford, a Yahoo contributor. Drakeford suggests going for a snack that supports your sleep, such as foods that contain snooze-inducing magnesium, zinc, tryptophan or melatonin. Consider a cup of Greek yogurt (which contains magnesium and zinc) and a small glass of tart cherry juice, or whip up a turkey and cheese sandwich. What you want to avoid is anything spicy, high in fat or acidic; these can be particularly harsh on your GI system and therefore keep you up.
🚿 Shower at the perfect time — for you
What's better — showering in the morning or at night? The answer depends on your health needs, Harvard sleep expert Shahab Haghayegh tells Time. When you shower at night (ideally for 10 minutes about an hour or two before bed), your body has to cool itself down, making you more ready to sleep. And you may also feel more creative as you suds up, as your brain feels calmer and more uninhibited as you wind down. Plus, Dr. Ranella Hirsch, a dermatologist, adds that it's ideal 'for cleaning the dirt of the day,' including sweat and allergens that can irritate your skin and leave your sheets 'filthy.'
But if you struggle to wake up in the morning, Haghayegh says, you can keep your AM routine, but try lowering your water temperature. Taking a cold shower means your body will become more alert as it warms up, and you can take that energy with you throughout your workday.
🫚 Take a ginger shot for an energy boost
Ginger shots aren't just trendy; they're good for you too, Prevention reports. Ginger contains gingerol, a bioactive anti-inflammatory and antioxidant property that may help with digestion, immunity, joint pain and even menstrual cramps. Plus, while ginger shots don't contain caffeine, the strong flavor of these can wake you up, Dr. Yoshua Quinones explains, calling them 'the best energy booster you'll ever make.'
🍋 Pickle your lemonade
Lemonade is a refreshing summertime beverage, but if you want to kick its hydrating abilities up a notch on a particularly hot day, consider this pickle lemonade recipe from Good Morning America. Dietitian Maura Donovan tells GMA that pickle juice helps maintain fluid balance in the body thanks to its sodium and potassium content. We know what you're thinking: Pickle juice? No thanks! That's where mixing it with lemonade comes in, making the drink sweeter and more palatable.
🫧 Hand-wash your plastic
It's tempting to toss every kitchen item into the dishwasher for easy cleaning, but you should rethink throwing your dirty plastic containers and utensils in with your load, experts said in a Prevention report that cited a study linking this to microplastic pollution. That's a problem because more and more research is coming out about how these tiny pieces of plastic can increase our risk of various health issues, from heart disease to reproductive problems.
If you've got plastic items, grab a sponge and wash them by hand (dishwashers are more abrasive and likely to degrade plastic). Or better yet, phase out the plastic stuff, and look for kitchen basics in materials like glass or bamboo.
📓 Write down your wins
Does it ever feel like you have a harsh inner critic who just won't quit? If you constantly dismiss compliments, feel crushed by even the gentlest feedback or compare yourself to everyone else's highlight reel, you might have an 'inferiority complex,' experts tell Self. One way to combat that? Therapist Charmaine Bryant says you should write down your wins. That way, when you have times of self-doubt, you have something tangible to go back to that will show your brain you're more than what you're struggling with in the moment. Start with a list in your Notes app that you can access throughout the day — like, say, after a stressful work meeting.
🍈 Eat more cantaloupe
Cantaloupe may seem like a fruit salad filler, but you shouldn't overlook it, experts tell USA Today. This summer fruit is loaded with nutrients that support hydration, immunity and digestion. Many of those benefits come from the very same thing that gives the melon its beautiful orange color: beta-carotene, dietitian Monica D'Agostino explains. Once in the body, beta-carotene converts to vitamin A, which promotes eye health and blood cell production and helps 'fight free radicals,' she notes. Plus, one cup of cantaloupe exceeds your daily vitamin A needs — and it has lots of fiber and water, which can aid your digestion.
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