Stealth Health: Get Healthy Without Really Trying

How much do you know about what makes up a healthy lifestyle? Here’s a pop quiz.

1. How do you define working out?

a. Going to the gym.
b. Turning the jump-rope for the neighbor’s kid.
c. Playing Frisbee with your dog.

2. How do you define good nutrition?

a. Eating a vegetable at every meal.
b. Eating two vegetables at every meal.
c. Drinking a fruit smoothie for breakfast.

3. Which of these is a healthy activity?

a. Push-ups, sit-ups, or running the track.
b. Walking the dog after dinner.
c. Spending Saturday afternoon snoozing on the sofa.

Believe it or not, the correct answer to every question is A, B, and C — even that Saturday afternoon snooze! According to the growing “Stealth Health” movement, sneaking healthy habits into our daily living is easier than we think.

“You can infuse your life with the power of prevention incrementally and fairly painlessly, and yes, doing something, no matter how small, is infinitely better for you than doing nothing,” says David Katz, MD, MPH, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center and of the Yale Preventive Medicine Center. Katz is also co-author of the book Stealth Health: How to Sneak Age-Defying, Disease-Fighting Habits into Your Life without Really Trying.

From your morning shower to the evening news, from your work commute to your household chores, Katz says, there are at least 2,400 ways to sneak healthy activities into daily living.

“If you let yourself make small changes, they will add up to meaningful changes in the quality of your diet, your physical activity pattern, your capacity to deal with stress, and in your sleep quality — and those four things comprise an enormously powerful health promotion that can change your life,” says Katz.

And yes, he says, a nap on the couch can be a health-giving opportunity — particularly if you aren’t getting enough sleep at night.

Nutritionist and diabetes educator Fran Grossman, RD, CDE, agrees. “You don’t have to belong to a gym or live on wheat grass just to be healthy,” says Grossman, a nutrition counselor at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. “There are dozens of small things you can do every day that make a difference, and you don’t always have to do a lot to gain a lot.”

Do a Little, Get a Lot

The notion that good health can come in small tidbits is not really new. Research showing that making small changes can add up to a big difference has been quietly accumulating for a while.

For example, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2004 found that adding just 30 minutes of walking per day was enough to prevent weight gain and encourage moderate weight loss.

And if 30 minutes is still too big a bite? Another study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that three brisk 10-minute walks per day were as effective as a daily 30-minute walk in decreasing risk factors for heart disease.

“Just the act of going from sedentary to moderately active gives you the greatest reduction in your risks,” says Helene Glassberg, MD, director of the Preventive Cardiology and Lipid Center at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

But it’s not only in fitness where small changes can make a difference. The same principles apply at the kitchen table (and the office snack bar).

“Reducing fat intake, cutting down on sugar, eating a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar — over time, these things can make a difference,” says Grossman.

As long as the changes are moving you toward your goal — be it weight loss, a reduction in cholesterol or blood pressure, or better blood sugar control — you can get there by taking baby steps, she says.

Moreover, Grossman tells WebMD, making small changes can help give us the motivation to make bigger ones.

“A lot of bad eating habits are about not taking charge of your life, and that attitude is often reflected in other areas,” says Grossman. On the other hand, she says, when you make small changes at the kitchen table, the rewards may show up in other areas of your life.

“It’s the act of taking control that makes the difference in motivating you,” says Grossman. “An inner confidence and power begins to develop that can be seen in other areas of life.”

Tripping Over Baby Steps

Of course, not everyone is certain that baby steps can walk you all the way to good health. Marc Siegel, MD, a clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine, says that while doing something is certainly better than doing nothing, making such small changes is like using a Band-aid to stop a hemorrhage.

“It’s a small, gimmicky idea to target people with very unhealthy lifestyles, and for some it may be useful,” says Siegel, author of False Alarm: the Truth about the Epidemic of Fear. But he fears that for most people, it’s sending the wrong message.

“In some ways it’s a resignation, an admission that things can’t be changed — and that’s certainly not the long-term answer,” Siegel tells WebMD.

Katz concedes that the Stealth Health approach may not be right for everybody.

“There is a trade-off because if you try to make the pursuit of health easier for people, you run the risk of leading them to believe they don’t need to do very much — and that would be the wrong message,” he says.

At the same time, Katz believes that for those who find making health changes a daunting task, Stealth Health techniques can make a difference.

“If you want the really big gains, there has to be some pain,” says Katz. “But there is a lot to be said for the idea that you can make some gains with little or no pain, and that’s infinitely better than no gains.”

Try the Stealth Health Approach

Tempted to give “Stealth Health” a try? Katz recommends picking any three of the following 12 changes and incorporating them into your life for four days. When you feel comfortable with those changes, pick three others. Once you’ve incorporate all dozen changes, you should start to feel a difference within a couple of weeks, he says.

To Improve Nutrition:

1. Buy whole foods — whether canned, frozen, or fresh from the farm — and use them in place of processed foods whenever possible.
2. Reject foods and drinks made with corn syrup, a calorie-dense, nutritionally empty sweetener that many believe is worse for the body than sugar, says Katz.
3. Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.

To Improve Physical Fitness:

1. Do a squat every time you pick something up. Instead of bending over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your leg muscles and will build strength.
2. Every time you stop at a traffic light (or the bus does), tighten your thighs and butt muscles and release as many times as you can. (Don’t worry, no one will see it!) This will firm leg and buttock muscles, improve blood flow — and keep you mildly amused!
3. Whenever you’re standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.

To Improve Stress Control:

1. Give your partner a hug every day before work. Studies show this simple act can help you remain calm when chaos ensues during your day, Katz says.
2. Have a good cry. It can boost your immune system, reduce levels of stress hormones, eliminate depression, and help you think more clearly.
3. Twice a day, breathe deeply for three to five minutes

To Improve Sleep:

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water. The scent has been shown in studies to promote relaxation, which can lead to better sleep.
2. Buy a new pillow. Katz says that studies show that pillows with an indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and reduce neck pain. Also, try a “cool” pillow — one containing either all-natural fibers or a combination of sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers that help keep your head cool.
3. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. You’ll be giving yourself a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan — a natural sleep-inducer.

SOURCES: Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004; vol 164: pp 31-39. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, September 2002. David Katz, MD, MPH, director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University; co-author, Stealth Health: How to Sneak Age-Defying, Disease-Fighting Habits into Your Life without Really Trying. Fran Grossman, MS, RD, CDE, nutrition counselor, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York. Helene Glassberg, MD, director, Preventive Cardiology and Lipid Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia. Marc Siegel, MD, clinical associate professor, New York University School of Medicine; author, False Alarm, The Truth about the Epidemic of Fear.

Originally published September 9, 2005.
Medically updated September 2007.

How metabolism is regulated by a balanced diet

Metabolism is the result of processes anabolism and catabolism. While Anabolism results in the synthesis of protoplasm for growth and repair, Catabolism results in breaking down of food into simpler compounds to produce energy. It is these processes which help to distribute nutrients into the blood after digestion.

Your body’s metabolic rate is determined by the rate energy is burnt during physical activity and the rate at which energy is used during digestion. If you include the right kinds of food in your diet, you can lose weight by increasing the rate at which you body digests food.

So, what are the right foods to eat or what is essentially a balanced diet? A balanced diet is where you have the right quantities of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, salt and sugar intake and this intake should be done regularly. Balanced diet makes you fit, healthy and less prone to diseases.

How does balanced diet relate to you body’s metabolism? Well, since metabolism involves spending imagery fro digesting food, what you eat make a difference in your body’ metabolic rate. Foods such as fish, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, blueberries and other fruits, whole grains increase you body’s metabolism and this makes you lose weight, yet stay healthy because you are eating nutritious food or food that hold plenty of vitamins and minerals, as opposed to junk food. When your diet consist more of low fat foods, protein and vegetable, body’s metabolic rate is high and you lose weight. Your body gets the necessary vitamins and minerals that it requires, but it does not store fat.

Body metabolism is up in the morning, but slows off after noon, so you need to have a good breakfast and lunch, but have less to eat at dinner time. Since metabolism rate is low so what you eat won’t get burnt but stored as fat. In case you have lot of fat stored in your body, you metabolic rate is down and you need to kick it off with a balanced diet and regular exercising as this combination will help to burn fat and bring you to a normal weight level.

What are the ill effects of junk food?

Junk food is very tasty and no one goes by not noticing it and wanting to bite into it. Resisting junk food is difficult, but with age, taking in junk food is something to be desisted as they do not have a healthy effect on the body. How harmful can junk food be exactly on your body? … Here’s a look on why you need to cut down on junk food eating:

• Junk food is made using a lot of saturated fats. Such fats are unhealthy and on digestion can release a lot of toxins into your body. You body gets food but not healthy food.
• Junk food is sometime made using ingredients that are not very clean. This can in the long run spoil your stomach, liver and intestines.
• Junk food does not contain vitamins and minerals and much of the nutrients seen in properly cooked food and in raw food. The body is not getting the necessary vitamins and minerals necessary to have good health and immunity from diseases. Consequently, it makes the person having such food very prone to illnesses.
• Junk food makes you put on weight. People who have obesity or morbid obesity are those who have a preference for junk food and snacking.
• Eating junk food can make you prone to diabetes, because it contain too much of sugar. You cn also become susceptible to heart disease and blood pressure because of the salt and high fats found in this kind of food.
• Packed junk food contains preservatives and coloring, both of which contain carcinogenic substances.
• In the long run, junk food actually fastens the effects of aging. People show signs of old age faster because of continuously eating junk food. This is because continuous eating of junk food exposes the body to long periods of bad nutrition. The result is release of free radicals which are the chief factors responsible for aging effect.

The habit of taking in junk food is seen particularly with children, teenage and young adult and in the long run it can tell on their health. The main factor that attracts people to eat junk food is their taste. This taste must be substituted with food that is cooked well and delicious, but at the same time healthy for the body while intake eating salads and fruits must be take up and even increased.

Taking Control Of Your Life and Getting Healthy

Getting healthy is one of those things that everyone wants to do. If you’re unhealthy or just plain out of shape, you may want to get your health back in tip-top condition. If you’ve lived your life in the way that you don’t want to, it may be that time to turn it around and live much better than you ever have before.

A great way to do this is to take on a new diet to really combat your physical condition. But the only problem is that it may be hard to pick out a good diet for yourself since there are so many diets out there. One great place to find out Diet Reviews is the internet. You can find out which one’s work well and work best for you so that you can lose weight and flush out the bad stuff in your body and take control of your life.

One reccomended diet is the Nature Cleanse diet. This diet consists of taking a small supplement that will flush out toxins and control the way that your body handles the food you eat. Everything that you eat will be digested much better and you’ll then be able to properlly consume and process food. This will make sure you lose weight and keep weight off. It’s a great way to start but if you add exercise to your new dieting regime, then you’ll be greeted with even more weight loss and a healthier body and health.

There are so many diets and so many new ways to lose weight. In fact, new diets and weight loss plans come out every other day! It’s a new phenomenom that seems to catch the eye of many people. Since weight loss is such a challenging thing to do, it’s really up to yourself to make sure and take charge of your health. When you do this, you’ll live happier with a healthier life and notice great results in the future!

Take some time out of your busy day and understand which diets could work best for you. Research many Tips for Dieting to make certain you are doing the best things for your health and body. When you find that diet that works best for you, you’ll know because of the great health that you will then have!

How To Look Younger And Fit

It is a wish of everyone that he should not look old and the complete body should remain absolutely fine. It is not difficult to achieve that however it requires some discipline from your end to achieve this target. I would like to share some tips which would be beneficial for you to achieve good health and you can look younger with nice shape of your body. People are usually taking the help of various types of pills however you need to keep it in mind that these pills are extremely dangerous until and unless it is prescribed by your doctor.

The first tip would be the proper workout for your body. The proper movement of your body is required every day. With the help of exercise you are able to send the blood into the whole body with the help of your heart. This complete flow of blood does wonders for your skin. Your skin will shine and you will begin appearing younger. Now you should do at least one exercise daily which you really like to do. Remember exercise does not only mean that you have to lift heavy masses in gym and you have to hang around between various types of machines. It can be dancing. It can be martial art. I mean to say that only that particular type of exercise which you really like to do.

Now it is very necessary for you to take at least 8 hours of sleep. There should not be any type of distractions while you are sleeping. Use only those skin care products which are prescribed by your doctor. There are various types of skin care products in the market who claim to be a skin care product but actually they are damaging your skin. Some products can also give you skin cancer in long run.  So it would be advisable to use natural skin care products for your healthy skin and once again do not forget to take the advice of your doctor.

Eating out – choosing healthier options

Your weight Expert advice to help you maintain a healthy weight Dissatisfied with your weight? We’re bombarded with scare stories about weight, from size zero to the obesity ‘epidemic’. But a healthy weight is determined by different factors for each of us. Our expert advice is designed to help you achieve and maintain a healthy, life-enhancing weight. Overweight or underweight? Being the right weight has a positive effect on well being but also on our health, as being the wrong weight can cause a range of medical problems. More and more of us are eating out on a regular basis, whether it’s for a business lunch, a girls’ get together, or for a family meal. The 2006 Family Food Survey found that households where the head of the household was under 30 years old were spending more than 40 per cent of their food budget on eating out. Eating out usually means that we have little control over how the food is prepared or how large the portion is. Foods eaten out tend to be higher in fat and research has shown that those who eat out regularly generally have higher intakes of fat, salt and calories. Studies have also shown that eating with friends can tempt us to overeat. Meals with multiple courses eaten over longer periods and with alcohol are all associated with overindulgence. Large serving bowls and spoons increase the likelihood of piling more food on your plate than you usually eat. Unlike packaged food, foods bought from cafes, restaurants etc don’t have to carry nutritional information and so opting for the healthiest option might not always be obvious, or easy. However, with some knowledge and thought, eating out can be enjoyable and healthy! General tips If you’re unsure as to what something is, or what it contains – ask! If the waiter/waitress doesn’t know, then the chef will. Think ahead, if you know you’re eating out later and it could be a lavish affair, choose wisely earlier in the day to keep calories, fat, sugar and salt intakes under control. Don’t eat an extra course just to be polite. Only order a sweet after the main course, and only if still hungry. Opt for sorbets, or fruit dishes to balance out a heavy main course. Think about sharing a course with a companion if the portions look large. Speak up about how you’d like a dish prepared egg ask for no mayonnaise, dressing on the side. You’re more likely to overeat at an ‘all you can eat’ style buffet. Choose side orders of salad or vegetables to fill up on. Cut off any visible fat from meat to keep saturated fat intake down. Look out for smaller portions i.e a main meal option as a starter size. Opt for dishes which are grilled, baked, steamed, poached or cooked in own juice rather than fried. Check the menu for dressings on salads and ask for it to be served separately. An otherwise healthy and nutritious salad could be drowned in a high fat sauce, bumping up its calorie content. Avoid cheese, cream or butter-based sauces If you’re a cheese lover, think about sharing the cheese board option to keep saturated fat, salt and calorie intakes in check.

Healthy Benefits of Cranberries

Cranberries are a fruit that grows in low, creeping shrubs or vines. These vines can grow from a mere 2 meters to about 20 cm in height.

Cranberries are sold commercially in the United States and Canada, but this is not a fruit that has come out in value as a result of modern research. It was used since ancient times for its medicinal properties. It was considered so valuable that sailors would eat them to ward off scurvy, while Native American Indians used them to heal wounds.

Today eating cranberries is considered part of having healthy food and lifestyle. When eaten cranberries give off an acidic taste. However, they are an excellent source of polyphenol antioxidants and phytochemicals and as a result they are considered significantly beneficial to health. Here is a look at the health benefits in eating cranberries:

• They prevent ulcers by preventing certain types of bacteria from sticking to the stomach.
• They have significant anti-aging properties and can help to boost memory power and coordination, both of which are aspects that tend to decrease with age.
• It flavinoids prevent bad cholesterol from accumulating in the arteries, this preventing arteriosclerosis.
• There is an element in cranberries which prevents plaque from forming in teeth. It acts as a prophylaxis for gingivitis.
• The polyphenolic constituents have shown to be effective in preventing several types of cancers.
• They can reduce oxidation of bad cholesterol.
• Juice from cranberries has show effectiveness in preventing the formation of kidney stones. Cranberry juice has also shown ability to fight against bacterial infections in the urinary system because of their ability to flight of bacteria Helicobacter pylori and Escherichia coli.
• Cranberry seeds are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as vitamin E. all of these are helpful in counteracting the effects of aging. Oil taken from Cranberry seeds has the lowest amount of saturated fat and can be used in cooking.

Cranberries are available in the month of December. When buying them, you should s choose the really red ones which are firm to touch as these are the ones that are ripe for eating.

Teen Care

The clothes you wear, the color of your room, the food that you eat, friends you have, where you go are some of the things which have been under your parents control till you attain the teen age. Every kid will be so happy to answer all these questions but not when they reach the teen age. Often they tend to fight a lot with their parents which might not be a good sign to maintain the relationship.

A teen age is the one where one develops his/her own identity. They tend to have and form their opinions. The biological activities begin in their body. They prepare them for the adulthood. Most problems come when your parents try not to adjust with your new behavior. You know that you have become new “YOU”. But your parents still see you as a kid. Teens become angry that parents do not respect their privacy and opinions. Parents feel angry that children do not obey them anymore. They forget the fact that the children are no more children and have transformed into adults. Understanding is the shortest distance between two people.

Understanding each others thought is a long process. It may take several years. The whole new generation is techy very much and the older generation is not able to cope up with the speed. In most cases, parents must sacrifice as it is the children who are going to lead their life. Parents can be mentors but not a strict officer. If parents can behave as good friends to their children while they reach the teen age, there can be many problems avoided.

Parents must teach on how to differentiate between the good and bad. One must not scold if the children choose the wrong way for the first time. Parents must educate them and a friendly relation is the key solution for all such teen problems.

How to follow a healthy diet for children

A parent is always concerned about the health of the child. Children are always fussy when it comes to eating nutritious food. They like eating junk foods like burgers, chocolates, ice creams and chips etc. Eating junk food will not be beneficial to the health but on the contrary will create a bad impact on the health. Children force their parents to get junk food. Mostly the parents agree to buy junk food for the child just to see him happy. Parents try to fulfill the child’s demands without being concerned about the bad effects of eating junk food. Children may not know the consequences of eating junk food. It is the parent’s duty to alert them from such bad eating habits.

These days it is very common to see people who have wrong food habits. We can easily see the market filled with different types of junk food. Eating junk food has become a common lifestyle in today’s world. People, who rely on junk food, don’t posses a healthy life style and are thus victims of diseases. As the child is growing, it is essential to give him the right nutrients through right eating habits. If he lacks in nutrients through poor eating habits then this will act as an obstruction towards easy growth of the body. So parents should pay good attention to the child’s health by following the right food eating pattern.

Taking care of the child does not mean having a fat child or having an under weight child by reducing the required amount of diet in the child from fear of obesity. These are the two extreme cases of following a wrong health care pattern in a child. Essential nutrient’s, in the form of calcium etc should be given to the child in his growing period. To achieve this goal, they need to follow a diet health weight chart or nutrition chart plan. Your physician should be able to monitor your diet health plan schedule program. A pediatric will assist you by providing feedback towards your child’s eating habits and thus will prescribe a healthy diet which is needed for the child’s growth. Parents can certainly benefit from advice taken from a Pediatrician and nutritionists who play an important role in specifying a healthy meal plan for the child.

A dietician, strongly believes that by depriving a person from eating food, is not the right way to loose weight. When the person is back on its normal eating schedule, he is likely to eat more.

Parents can follow the below mentioned tips towards a healthy diet plan:

1. Do not bring junk food at home.
2. Replace chips with child crackers and peanut butter for children.
3. Instead of dry fruits, you can give fruit roll – up.
4. Develop a creative mind while preparing food. For example: You can mash the cauliflower or add cheese to broccoli and you can use ketchup with pinto beans.
5. You can replace fat cookies with vanilla wafers, animal crackers, graham crackers and fig cookies.
6. Instead of eating chips or crackers jack, you can use pretzels in your food.

Get Your 5 Servings a Day

It is often recommended to have 5 servings a day by the experts. It can be fulfilled by having more fruits and vegetables in our list. But most of us find it very difficult to include them in our meals. The world has now become the center stage for junk foods. All the junk foods are deep fried which is bad for health. They have high fat contents. They do not include any fruits or vegetables in them. There are no restrictions in having fruits and vegetables for a human being. But one should see to it that it is not dressed up with butter or oil. They may take away the goodness of the food. Here are some simple ways to get the 5 servings a day. They are

Starting with the breakfast: Try to include at least 2 fruits in your breakfast. Have a wide range of combination so that you will not get bored. Continue this habit of eating fruits and vegetables in lunch and dinner too.

Combination of nutrients: Carbohydrates are great source of energy. When combined with protein will give a better health. Hence choose your food item which is a perfect blond of all nutrients.

Doubling up the intake: There is no mistake found in doubling the quantities of having fruits and vegetables. Serve yourself with more fruits and juices. A 100% concentrated juice may be good for health. If you eat any other dish, try to join fruits with them. For example if you eat bread, try to add veggies to it. Chop up vegetables and have a good flavor. If you do not like the presence, grind them and have it as a paste.

Trying new eating habits: Every human being needs a variety. So prepare a list of variety of food items and follow it each week. A new variety every week helps in bringing new sort of nutrients to the body.

The ultimate goal of having 5 servings is to stay healthy. Eat healthy but do not over heat.