There are a lot of myths and misinformation floating around about healthy lifestyle choices. Many of them can have a rather dramatic negative effect on our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Here are six unusual health tips that almost seem downright silly at first glance.
1. Eat more to lose weight.
Choosing a low-cal snack pack of pretzels or cookies may seem like a good idea, but studies show that these options tend to make us feel even hungrier than if you simply ate a more substantial meal. Foods high in protein, like string cheese or peanut butter with an apple, act as a natural appetite suppressant and can help us to burn off the excess weight.
2. Skip the diet soda.
Research by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that overweight individuals who drink diet soda tend to overcompensate by eating more calories throughout the day. A University of Texas study supports this theory, finding that diet soda drinkers of more than ten years have a 70% greater increase in their waist size than non-drinkers.
3. If you’re tired, exercise.
Hitting the gym or going for a walk is often the last thing that we want to do after a long, hard workday, but studies show that physical activity actually boosts our energy levels almost immediately. A short 30-minutes of moderate exercise helps fight chronic fatigue, moodiness, and depression, according to a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
4. If you’re tired, avoid the energy drinks.
Because most energy drinks contain almost five times more caffeine than coffee, the energy boost they provide is only temporary. They also tend to give us some rather unpleasant side effects, like rapid heartbeat, irritability, and nervousness. The sweeter drinks have also proven to spike blood sugar levels temporarily, which often leads to a “sugar crash” very soon after. As a result, we often feel overly fatigued and sluggish. So, we reach for another energy drink, and the negative cycle only continues.
5. Hot beverages make us feel cooler.
If you want to cool off on a hot summer’s day, which is better: Iced tea or hot? According to two recent medical studies, hot beverages are the better choice. In some cultures, like India for example, drinking hot tea during the summer is the norm. When we sip a hot beverage, our body immediately senses the change in temperature and responds by producing more perspiration. As the perspiration evaporates, our skin naturally begins to feel cooler.
6. Boost your brainpower by handwriting notes.
Typing might seem like a faster way to take notes, but studies from Indiana University show that we tend to remember the information longer if we handwrite the notes instead. In fact, handwriting initiates the learning process immediately whereas typing delays the process. If you want to boost your brainpower, use a pencil rather than a keyboard.
