Drink a cup of coffee and then take a 20 minute nap. I know, doesn't sound like it would work. But the fact is that at the end of a 20 minute nap the caffeine will kick in and you will feel more alert.
To eat less, eat more. If you grab a snack of cookies or pretzels, even the 100 calorie ones, it will probably make you hungrier. The small amount of carbs will spike your blood sugar and leave you craving more. If you grab some protein or fruit instead, the higher calories will make you feel full and stay full longer, so you end up eating less overall.
Skip the energy drinks. The energy drinks on the market have five times more caffeine than coffee. A can of one of these energy drinks usually contains up to 50 grams of sugar and high levels of taurine, a stimulant. Your blood sugar will spike and you will crash soon after. This will leave you tired and foggy and only make you reach for more to maintain the energy.
No more diet soda. If you want to lose weight the best thing to do is to delete soda from your diet completely. But don't fall for the diet soda gimmick. In a University of Texas study it was found that the diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference than non-drinkers over the course of about 10 years.
Don't be fooled by the Low Fat, Low-Sugar or Light labels. You would think it means fewer calories but that's not always true. Usually when the maker removes something they just add sugar or other additives to make it taste the same.
Believe it or not, you will cool off faster by drinking a hot beverage. In recent studies it was shown that in places where they drink hot tea, in hot weather, like India, there was a good reason. Your body notices the change in temp and makes you sweat. As the sweat evaporates you cool off naturally.
It's good for you to exercise even when you feel tired after a long day of work. I know, it's the last thing you want to do, but getting your sweat on will actually make you feel better. Depression, mood and even fatigue improve after 30 minutes of exercise. Our bodies need oxygen so exercising helps your body work more efficiently and also improves mental clarity.
If you want to remember something, write it down. When you handwrite something, not type it in, you process or learn the information. It's like taking notes in a class. Your brain sees it again and it reinforces the information you are processing.
Don't use antibacterial soap. Evidence has shown that antibacterial soaps are not effective than just plain old soap. Long term exposure to ingredients in these antibacterial soaps may pose bacterial resistance or hormonal effects.
When you feel bloated drink water. I know, this doesn't sound like the smart thing to do. But, drinking more water actually relieves bloating caused by dehydration as well as other things. High fiber diets can cause your body to need more water to process and work efficiently as well.
It's best not to brush your teeth right after you eat. Wait 30-60 minutes before brushing. Some foods that are acidic can soften your tooth enamel and brushing right away can cause the enamel to wear.
Just a few tips to think about. Some of these I have definitely not heard before but they make sense. Stay active, stay healthy and be safe!
Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network
