If you need a little extra motivation to stick to your New Year resolutions, try this: according to recent research, adults who quit smoking, ate more fruits and veggies, exercised a few hours a week and watched their weight significantly slashed their risk of cardiovascular disease (and of any disease-related death) in just 4 years.
It's never too late to clean up your act. Adopt the same behaviours, and your health will improve as dramatically, keep at it, and the benefits multiply. Here are four habits to start (or break) and how quickly you'll see the results of your efforts.
Quit smokingImproves health...In 1 day.
Within 20 minutes of finishing your last cigarette, your heart rate and blood pressure (revved by the nicotine in tobacco) start to drop. Within 12 hours, toxic carbon monoxide (CO), in your blood from the cigarette smoke decreases and oxygen levels increase, improving cell health and circulation. This is key because just a 1% rise of CO in your blood ups your risk of tobacco-related death by 22%.
Stay smoke free for about 2 months, and research shows, you can lower CO levels by up to 17%. Lung function also improves in about 2 weeks. The tiny brush-like structures in your lungs called cilia (which sweep away pollen and dust and keep your lungs clear) begin to repair themselves, reducing your risk of breathing problems and cell damage, explains Bill Blatt, MPH, director of tobacco programmes for the American Lung Association. Within 5 to 10 years, the risk of dying from respiratory disease is cut by 18%, from lung cancer, by 21%. Even if your lungs have been damaged, quitting helps. Among nearly 6,000 middle-aged smokers with mild lung disease, quitters had a 46% lower death rate over 14.5 years than those who kept lighting up, according to a 2005 study.
Get Started
"Most long-term smokers make four to five serious attempts at quitting," explains Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, director, Max Institute of Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare, New Delhi. "Under professional guidance (a combination of counselling and medication), it's possible to achieve successful abstinence in 65% of smokers at the end of a year-long period as compared to 5% successful cases when smokers try quitting on their own." So, get help from your doc today to breathe easy forever!
2. Cut saturated fat
Improves health...in 90-180 days.
It helps lower cholesterol, which not only reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke but also keeps your brain healthy. A recent 40-year study of nearly 10,000 people found that having high cholesterol increases your risk for Alzheimer's disease by 57%, borderline high levels raise vascular dementia risk by 50%. "Sat fat helps produce unhealthy LDL cholesterol," says Vincent Bufalino, MD, a Chicago-based cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association.
Too much LDL in your system leads to build up in the arteries that transport blood to your heart and brain. Over time, LDL cholesterol turns into plaque that hardens, narrowing arteries and making them less pliable.
Get Started
The more saturated fat you cut-regardless of age-the more your LDL drops, according to a study published in an American Heart Association journal. Limit saturated fat to 7% of your daily calories (about 112 calories for a 1,600-calorie day or 10 to 11 g of saturated fat) and you can lower LDL by about 10%. Dr Anil Mishra, medical director and senior consultant interventional cardiologist at Kolkata's BM Birla Heart Research Centre, suggests eating red meat no more than once a month, eggs (with yolk) just once a week and strictly avoiding butter, cream and ghee. "Switch to a healthier cooking oil, like rice bran, mustard or canola. Cut down calories too by baking or grilling food instead of frying. Have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, exercise regularly and stop smoking to boost HDL cholesterol," he adds.
3.Exercise 60 minutes every week
Improves health...in 90 days.
Older women who walked at a moderate pace for 20 minutes three times a week for three months improved their aerobic fitness by 12%, according to research conducted by Wayne Westcott, PhD, director of fitness research at Quincy College, Massachusetts. Participants also lowered their resting heart rate from 75 beats per minute to 68. Most people have resting heart rates between 60 and 80 BPM-the closer to 60, the healthier your heart.
You can achieve additional health benefits with a more taxing regimen: Australian scientists found that adults who did at least three 60-minute sessions of intensive activities (such as resistance training) every week for about a month saw a 16% improvement in aerobic fitness, which signifies better heart health and muscle endurance. They also lowered their cholesterol and blood glucose levels as well as weight, BMI and waist circumference and reported feeling more energetic, says Lynda Norton, PhD, lead author and research associate at Flinders University of South Australia. Also, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine found that one hour of vigorous walking or cycling five days a week can reverse age-related deterioration of your heart's function after seven months.
Get Started
"The best exercise is the one you'll do," says Steven Blair, PED, a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina. "Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, minimum five days a week. This could include household chores like dusting and mopping, walking the dog, taking the stairs wherever possible, etc. ," says Mumbai-based Reebok Master Trainer, Vinata Shetty. She adds that once remaining active through the day becomes a habit, one could start 15-20 minutes of brisk walking at least thrice a week. "Gradually increase the intensity, frequency and duration," she says. And if you want to track the benefits of your programme to your resting heart rate, lay a finger on your wrist to find your pulse, count the number of beats in 15 seconds, and then multiply it by four to get your resting rate per minute.
4.Increase intake of fruits and vegetables
Improves health...in 14 days.
Produce is loaded with nutrients that may lower BP, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, and anti-oxidants-that's why fruits and vegetables are the cornerstone of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) study. Researchers found that upping produce intake and switching to low-fat dairy products lowered systolic BP by nearly six points (the upper number in BP readings) and diastolic (the lower number) by three points in two weeks-almost as much as medication can achieve. Reducing sodium intake as well-to just 1,500 mg per day, or about 2/3 teaspoon-can shave another five and three points, respectively.
Hypertension forces the heart to work harder to circulate blood, says Daniel Jones, MD, a hypertension specialist and chancellor of the University of Mississippi. Over time, that causes damage to blood vessels and arteries, which may lead to kidney or heart disease. In fact, a published meta-analysis found that people who ate more than five servings of fruits and veggies per day had roughly a 20% lower risk of coronary heart disease, compared with people who ate less than three servings per day. According to the Nurses' Health Study, following a diet that lowers BP, maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly may help prevent 53% of new cases of hypertension in women at risk.
Get Started
To up your intake of fresh produce to five or more servings per day, try these simple strategies: Keep your favourite fruits visible, such as in a bowl on the kitchen counter-if you see them regularly, you'll be more likely to eat them. (One serving of fruit equates to one medium apple or banana.) Also, make sure half of your plate is filled with a vegetable at every meal. (One serving equals one cup of raw leafy vegetables or half a cup of another vegetable, such as baby carrots or corn.)
Title : Online Jobs , Part Time Jobs , Home Based Jobs
Description : Convert Your Spare Time into Money by simple online home based part time jobs, the job is very simple. Just you have to answer the surveys which is send to your Emails. Share your thought in your part time and generate income from your home . You can join at free of cost http://www.surveyspaysu.com?id=91325 .
via wonderwoman.intoday.in]
