Life Hacks

How the speed of our eating determines our weight.  

According to the British Medical Journal, people who switched from wolfing down their food, to eating at a more relaxed pace, consistently lost weight. So how slow do you have to go? Aim for about 30 chews per mouthful. The average person chews their food only 15 times before swallowing. Or stretch your eating time from 11 minutes, which is the average time it takes to finish a meal, to at least 20 minutes. 

And here are a few other tricks for slowing down your eating from registered dietician Toby Smithson:

• Choose “active” snacks. That means snacks that take work to eat……Like shelling peanuts. Having to crack nuts creates a delay……and seeing the shells is a visual reminder of how much you’ve eaten, making you more mindful. 
• At meals, eat more vegetables. They’re harder to chew. But chewing more, until food is mushy in your mouth, allows the body to absorb more nutrients. So fill half your plate with vegetables.

Finally, give yourself a pausing point, by putting down your fork between each bite. And don’t pick it up again until you’ve chewed 30 times and swallowed.

Are you constantly misplacing things – like your keys or cellphone? 

Here’s how to find things faster: 

First: Memory expert Dr. Irene Kan suggests closing your eyes to block out your visual sense and thinking back to the last time you deviated from your typical routine. Because that’s when we’re more likely to misplace something. 

Another trick for finding lost items. Slowly and methodically look within an 18 inches of their usual location. Most lost items are in an 18-inch radius of where they should be. 

Also, we frequently look down for lost things, because we think they must have fallen. But numerous studies show we’re more likely to place things at eye level when we’re distracted.

Finally, repeat the name of whatever you’re looking for, like: “Keys, keys, keys.” 

Repeatedly saying what you’re missing boosts concentration, and increases the odds you’ll remember exactly where you left it!

Health Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Besides Weight Loss

We keep finding new health benefits being linked to intermittent fasting – besides weight loss. And the latest is that fasting is being hailed as an effective way to dramatically lower our risk for Alzheimer’s disease!

This comes from a new study in the journal Cell Reports, which involved mice that were put on a fasting diet routine for over a year. And since mice have brain systems similar to humans, the results were important. Researchers found that after a year, the fasting mice had lower levels of two key proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers say, normally, these two proteins build up in the brains of dementia patients, and damage neurons and disrupt brain function.   

But when mice fasted, there was less dangerous protein build up! Because fasting temporarily trains our cells to be more efficient, metabolically. 

That’s why, at a minimum, health experts recommend following the “10-14 method”…… where you eat all your meals within a 10-hour window, and fast the other 14. 

But, and  I’ve said this before…my routine is to finish eating by 7pm each evening and then I try not to eat again until 1pm the next day.  That’s 18 hours of fasting.  Basically a 6 hour window for eating.  It’s easiest to remember that you’re eating from 1pm to 7pm. And, listen,  if I can do this, I know you can too. Amen? 

How to Calm Down Quickly and Increase Energy

When you need to calm down or de-stress, you always hear people say “take a deep breath.” But a deep EXHALE may be more important than a deep INHALE.

Physical therapist Dr. Emily Kiberd says most people think, when it comes to deep breathing, it’s crucial to focus on taking more oxygen IN……But scientists have discovered that stress-relieving, energy-boosting oxygen doesn’t get transferred into the bloodstream until we breathe OUT. 

So, here’s a quick way to calm down and increase your energy: Inhale through your nose for a count of four……Hold it for another4 seconds……Then exhale for 8 seconds. So remember – in through your nose for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 8. That will not only calm your nervous system, but also give you energy at the same time.

What is Cold Water Therapy and Why is it Helpful

USC neuroscientists are now claiming that cold water therapy  can improve our mental health.

Cold water therapy refers to any process where you expose your body to chilled water – ideally at or below 58 degrees Fahrenheit, or 14 degrees Celsius. 

That can include everything from taking an ice-cold bath…… to swimming in the ocean during winter. I try to do this as often as I can stand it and it really does clear out the cobwebs in my brain. 

A lot of athletes and health experts swear by cold water therapy……And multiple studies show that exposure to cold temperatures lowers inflammation, relieves pain, speeds up the metabolism, and improves our immune system!

But there’s something ELSE cold water therapy can do……According to the USC neuroscientists, it can improve our mental health! 

The studies show cold water therapy improves mood, helps alleviate depression, and promotes better focus. Plus the research reveals that getting through a challenge like cold water exposure teaches you how to stay calm in the face of adversity and overcome internal resistance. People who try it say they  feel more confident in the face of ANY challenge.

Ready to give cold water therapy a try yourself? To start, most experts recommend ending your regular showers with a blast of cold water, for as long as you can stand it.