Health Tips 12

Getting Healthier: It's Partly in Your Head

This has got to be the easiest way to boost the benefits of your workout: Just think about them.

Sounds crazy, right? But it was true in a study of hotel workers. Just 4 weeks after the room cleaners were educated on how their duties counted toward their exercise needs, they saw a drop in weight and blood pressure -- despite no changes in overall activity levels.

Placebo Effect at Work
Changing bed linens, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing the bathroom floor -- it's not spin class, but it is physical activity. And if you do physically active things with the right mind-set (namely, think "This is good for me."), it could translate into greater health gains. Just chalk it up to that mind-body connection to which so many other health benefits (like the placebo effect) have been traced. (Read this article on how the mind-body connection can ease pain.)

Think About It
You need only about 30 minutes of exercise daily to meet the surgeon general's physical activity recommendations. And keep in mind that things like pulling weeds, painting the garage door, and folding laundry count toward that total. And we mean literally keep it in mind. Couldn't hurt, right? (Find out what it would take to burn off your favorite comfort food.)


Use Your Computer to Fight Flab

Clearly, too many hours sitting at the computer can be a recipe for jiggly hips and thighs.

But here's a computer pastime that fights desk-chair flab: interactive exercise programs. In a study, people who enrolled in a personalized Internet-based exercise program reported a significant bump in their activity levels at the end of a year.

Fitness at Your Fingertips
There are lots of free online options for exercise tracking, so get Googling! Here's what you want in an online exercise program: educational and motivational materials (think fitness how-to's and success stories), goal-setting options, a physical activity log where you can track your workouts, and an occasional e-mail that prompts you to use the program. People who joined an online group with these elements reported 90 minutes of physical activity per week at the 1-year mark.

3 Fall Veggies That Help Make You Younger

It's that time of year when not only leaves turn orange, but the offerings on your dinner plate do, too.

And that's a good thing, because yellow-orange veggies like carrots, sweet potatoes, and winter squash are chock-full of carotenoids. Why care about carotenoids? These good-for-you nutrients fight the DNA damage that can make your body old (or sick) before its time.

The Way of DNA
Over the course of your lifetime, your DNA accumulates damage every time it gets copied to create a new cell. It's like when you make a copy of a copy of a copy on the Xerox machine. Little flaws and imperfections start to show up. Same thing can happen with your DNA. And that's not such a great thing, because it can lead to that ultimate cell-replication error: cancer. (Read this article for a breakdown on nutrients that fight cancer.)

Cell-Protecting Carotenoids
Researchers suspect that carotenoids -- those plant pigments that give carrots, pumpkins, and cantaloupes their rich orange hues -- may help protect against the kind of DNA damage that happens with age, so you can go on making copies of your cells longer!

Moods That Age the Heart

When your emotions get the best of you, your body may suffer the consequences.

Researchers have discovered that depression could nudge heart attack or stroke risk higher. Which means there's no good reason to nurse a hurting heart on your own. Here's how to spot mood problems -- and plant a foot toward healthier days.

Depression/Artery Connection
In a study, people who reported mild-to-moderate depression symptoms -- specifically the physical symptoms of depression like loss of sleep and lack of appetite -- showed more signs of artery thickness compared to their more emotionally balanced peers. (Depression can be subtle. Answer these questions for a quick check of your emotional health.)

Getting Help
If your depression is mild, an increase in physical activity helps (read how), as do other healthy habits like getting enough sleep, eating right, avoiding alcohol, and reducing stress.

There's no quick fix or surefire way to get serious depression under control. But there are lots of good treatment options you can explore with your doctor. If you're feeling down for 2 weeks or longer, make an appointment.