Wake Up, Little Snoozy

There is so much helpful information on Men's Health's website that it's hard to read just one article and get back to work. I found this list of suggestions quite informative on reasons for sluggishness throughout the day along with ways to combat it.

In the morning, have some oatmeal.

For lunch, go easy on the carbs because they cause an insulin spike that tires you out.

In the afternoon, have some fruit as a snack.

Before your evening workout, drink Gatorade.

Don't lie down when watching TV and don't read in bed.

The suggestions all support the point that you need to develop a rhythm to your sleep and eating patterns to keep your energy levels up. Please read the full article here. I find it a little patronizing that Men's Health feels the need to publish so many articles as lists, but I guess that's what's happened to our collective attention span.

Lucky, I Guess

Today's WSJ has an article called Secrets of the "Wellderly" (thanks Dad) in which the author profiles a bunch of centenarians and describes the unhealthy lifestyle choices many of them have made during their unusually long lives.

It turns out there are some lucky people out there who can do whatever they want and get away with it. There is a Brazilian woman who is 106 and has been smoking for 91 years. Many of them had periods of obesity and none was a vegetarian.

[Of course, I don't think vegetarianism is healthy, as I tell many people. As an exercise, think of the people you know who are vegetarians. Are they robust, healthy people? Are they fit? Conversely, think of the really healthy, strong people you know. Do they eat meat?]

So, some people just have better genes than others and researchers are looking for ways to alter genes to increase longevity in humans. It's probably really easy to do.

The article does point out, however, that even if you're unlikely to make it to 100, whether you have healthy habits or not, you do stand to significantly lengthen your life expectancy by doing certain things -

"Earlier this year, researchers at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge and the Medical Research Council reported that people who exercise regularly, don't smoke, limit their alcohol intake and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day live, on average, 14 years longer than people who didn't."

Don't Call It a Comeback (It's Been Here for Years)

Though people are smoking less these days than before, young adults are the most likely people to smoke. That might surprise you, or it might not.

From today's article on WSJ.com, "The Twentysomething Paradox: We Smoke but We're Not Smokers"-

"According to the CDC, 28% of men and 20.7% of women between ages 18 and 24 reported smoking every day or some days in 2005 -- the highest smoking rate of all age groups. The vast majority of these young adults say they plan to quit in 10 years, according to a CDC survey."

Does the preceding quote apply to your or a friend? Consider this-

"Smokers today smoke fewer cigarettes, says Dr. Matthew McKenna, the director of the office on smoking and health at the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. 'You're going to have many more of these types of folks who smoke on an intermittent basis. The phenomenon has increased between 20% to 25% over the past 10 years. In the past, people were much more likely to say they smoked every day, and that has decreased.' He attributes the difference to changing social norms about smoking, the increased cost of cigarettes and the proliferation of smoking bans in public places."

I found this surprising (and I'm actually a bit skeptical of the point)-

"Whether a person smokes one cigarette a day or seven on Saturday night makes no difference, according to Dr. McKenna, who says the risks of heart and lung disease correlate to the number of cigarettes a person has smoked -- total."

I don't think there are many people who smoke one cigarette every day. I think if you're smoking every day of the week, you're probably smoking a lot more than someone who smokes just when he or she goes out drinking. I also think that your body can probably more easily cope with the toxins when spread out over a longer period than all at one time (like binge drinking versus moderate, regular alcohol consumption). The point, of course, is that you shouldn't smoke at all, so that's what we're supposed to take away from this article.

Think Again

This one's for my brother, Brendan, and John Stossel. Those guys love this kind of myth-debunking.

MSN Health has a list of things that you probably think are healthy habits, and reasons why they are not. A conspicuous item on the list is the very first; anti-bacterial soap. It kills the weak bacteria and makes strong ones stronger.

Read the entire list here.

Lucky Number 13

WedMD has "13 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Life". You should read them, in detail, but here's the list:

1. Eat Breakfast Every Morning
2. Add Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids to Your Diet
3. Get Enough Sleep
4. Make Social Connections
5. Exercise for Better Health
6. Practice Good Dental Hygiene
7. Take Up a Hobby
8. Protect Your Skin
9. Snack the Healthy Way
10. Drink Water and Eat Dairy
11. Drink Tea
12. Take a Daily Walk
13. Plan