Tackling the Muffin Top

After bingeing out and being lazy, I now have a muffin belly. What fitness regime and diet should I follow? - Tanisha Nigam, Mumbai, 31.

A: Abdominal fat is the most common problem related to weight gain and also the most difficult to get rid of. A 'muffin belly' may not only look ugly but is also associated with problems like type 2 diabetes and heart ailments. Abdominal weight gain is largely due to a high-calorie diet, lack of exercise, and high stress levels.

One has to attack the fat through a three-dimensional plan which includes nutrition, cardio and abdominal exercise.
Have smaller meals: Never skip a meal (especially not breakfast); eat smaller portions five to six times a day. Your diet should have low carbs, low fat and no starch and sugar. Avoid canned juices, aerated drinks and alcohol. Drink at least two to three litres of water daily.
Shed calories with cardio: Hydrate well before, during and after the cardio workout. Warm up before the exercise and cool down after.

Learn about the benefits of exercise on the intellect!

Cardio exercises like jogging, swimming, aerobics or dancing for upto an hour a day will help you burn excess calories. Doing crunches while lying on a mat or using a stability ball for 15-20 minutes a day helps tone the abdominal muscles. While the focus is on your abs, do not neglect your lower back. Some back-strengthening exercises are required as well to balance the muscular strength in and around the trunk area. Do these exercises under supervision as they need to be correctly executed.

Source: Yahoo!

Top 6 low-intensity workouts

Water workout

Taking to the water can provide a great workout and be ideal for people who are just starting out in fitness or working their way back after an injury. There are a variety of options, from a full aqua aerobic session to sessions consisting of walking on underwater treadmills – really it’s all about being active, but in the water.

The water supports your bodyweight (up to 85 per cent of it), minimizing the impact on your joints, making it suitable for people of any age, size or fitness level. The number of calories burnt is dependent on the depth of the water – the deeper the water, the more calories you will burn as more energy is required to push your body mass through water. On average, a half hour session in the water will burn around 200 calories – and even more should you add additional weights to your body.

Tai-Chi

At first sight, Tai Chi may not appear as the most taxing of workouts, yet the flowing

succession of slow and graceful movements can be a great calorie burner. Tai Chi is as low impact an exercise as you will find, yet a half hour session can burn on average 140 calories.

When done correctly, Tai-chi raises the heart rate significantly (to approximately 60 per cent of maximum) – enough to be classed as moderate exercise. In addition to the calorie burn, there are other benefits including improved strength, flexibility, concentration, and balance. And best thing of all is that Tai Chi can be done almost anywhere, anytime.

Get your skates on

In-line skating provides a great low impact workout which some studies have suggested provides the same level of aerobic activity as running or even riding a stationary bike. The calorie burn will depend on your size, the effort you put in, and the route you take, but it is estimated that half an hour skating could burn in excess of 200 calories.

Inline skating develops muscles in the entire upper leg, rear end and hip, as well as the lower back. Muscles in the upper arms and shoulders are also developed when arms are swung backwards and forwards while skating and you can increase your calorie burn just by swinging more vigorously.

Swimming

Swimming provides a great cardiovascular workout and is suitable for all due to the fact that it is non-load bearing with the water cushioning your joints as you swim. Breaststroke is the lowest intensity stroke and as such burns fewer calories – around 180 calories for a half hour session – but it’s a stroke that generally enables you to swim for longer and therefore burn more calories from a longer session.

Breaststroke expands the lungs, works the chest muscles and inner thigh, shoulders, triceps, legs and hamstrings – and some even swear it increases the size of your breasts! If you wish to swim other strokes to increase your calorie burn then half an hour of swimming burns the following: freestyle/front crawl – 300 calories; backstroke – 240 calories; and butterfly – 450 calories.

Yoga

Not only is yoga great for improving your strength, flexibility, muscle tone and reducing stress, it’s also a great calorie burner. Consisting of a series of deep-breathing exercises and ‘poses’ which are held for a set period of time, these can be adapted to suit  any fitness level. A typical half hour session will burn around 200 calories.

And the great thing is you can do a yoga workout with working up too much of a sweat which is great if you are really pushed for time. If you want try yoga of greater intensity to burn even more calories, then consider options like Bikram Hot Yoga, Power Yoga or Zero Gravity yoga.

Walking

Quite simply the easiest and most accessible form of workout is walking. Without the joint jarring that occurs when running, walking is a workout that can easily be fitted into your daily routine or added as a leisure pursuit during your free time. You can happily choose the intensity to work at which suits you.

If you are not used to a walking workout, then start with a short distance and walk at a pace that suits you. You can easily crank up your speed and distance for improved calorie burn count. The number of calories burned will depend not only on your size, but also the speed you walk and the route you take. As an example, an average sized woman walking on a flat route at around 3mph will burn around150 calories.

Note: calorie burn figures are approximate as they are dependent on bodyweight, the intensity of the workout, routines or routes followed and individual’s fitness level.

Source: Yahoo!

10 ways to be a better parent

Although there is no exact science to good parenting there are a few rules that you can apply to your parenting style that will improve your relationship with your children and enable them to grow up into the people you want them to be:

Make clear rules

Parents often have very different views about how they want to discipline their children and what behaviour warrants punishment. To overcome these issues, sit down with those that look after your child a lot. Write down key rules that you would like your child to follow; choose no more than 10. Together, you should then decide how you will punish each rule that is broken. Teamwork is essential when it comes to good discipline. Make sure you explain each rule to your child; you could even make a rule board and put it up in your house.

Listen

Between making breakfast, cleaning the house and getting your kids to brush their teeth it can be hard to find the time to listen. Try to prioritise though. Will your kids be thankful that they had perfectly neat and ironed clothes, or will they remember that time you sat down and really listened to what they had to say? Children often live in secretive worlds, so when they decide to share something, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, it can be a big deal to them. You could try to get into a routine of asking your kids questions about their day, their friends or a game they like playing.

Have fun

Although rules are important, your kids will respect you a lot more if you spend time having fun with them too. Choose to do an activity they enjoy – if they are young play an imaginary, creative game with them. You could pretend to be pirates or jungle explorers and go on an adventure around the house. If they are a little older do a one-on-one activity with just them. You could go skating, have a pamper afternoon or have an active day out. The activity you choose doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to interest them and be done on a regular basis.

Trust

Trust is something that doesn’t come easily to most parents. We worry that they won’t look to cross the road, that they might make the wrong friends or that they will get into trouble. However, trust is essential to make any relationship work and moreover it gives your kids the freedom to explore and learn about life for themselves. It is likely that at some point they will make mistakes, but they will also learn from those mistakes. Plus, trust gives you something to bargain with. They can have some freedom if they behave, and if they don’t then it’s taken away.

Be firm

A lot of parents find it hard to discipline their child even though, deep down, they know that the child needs to be punished. A horrible mix of guilt and despair makes discipline a difficult issue. However, by punishing them you are instilling good behaviour and strong morals.  Once you have decided what rules you would like your children to follow, make sure that every time one of those key rules is broken there is a consequence to their actions. It is essential to be firm and consistent. Giving your child an explanation about why you have certain rules also helps them understand your actions.

Five more tips to being a better parent>>

Get organised

Parenting is the biggest time squeeze. You get up earlier and earlier and go to bed later and later, yet still there is no time left. The only way you combat the time hoarder that is parenting is to get organised. Get charts, alarms and bright pens. Instil a strong routine and get your kids to do a few chores. Another way to massively cut down on your chore time is to cook big batches of meals at once. You could make large quantities of soups, chillies or stews and then freeze them. They’re like cost-effective, healthy ready meals.

Show you care

Being a parent is hard work, but the rewards can be huge too. If you find it difficult to find ways of showing your child that you care maybe you could write them a little letter explaining why you think they’re great. Or you could write down eight reasons why you love them and put them on post-it notes. Hide these notes all over the house and ask your child to hunt them down. Sometimes it can be easy to buy children gifts when you want to let them know you love them, but emotional attention is a much clearer, stronger message.

Stay calm

No-one in the world can wind you up more than your kids. They can drive you wild and after very little sleep it can be easy to blow up with anger. Showing you’re angry won’t help the situation though and your child will also learn to be angry. To stay calm, first find out why your child is acting up and address the causes of their behaviour. If you are too angry to deal with the situation try to work out a technique that calms you. You could leave the room, inhale deeply, visualise a relaxing environment or just sip some water.

Don’t compare

Every family is different as every child is different. Don’t get caught up in the competitive side of parenting for your child’s sake and yours. A healthy amount of encouragement is good and can have a positive impact upon your child’s development, but getting too pushy will drive your children away, make them unhappy and may cause resentment. If you want to give your kids drive then set some achievable targets, let them have a say in what they do and give them a break. Never blame them if they fail, but remind them they achieved something by giving it a go.

Keep them active

If kids are inactive they will get restless, bored and frustrated.  In Britain, nearly 2.4 million children are overweight or obese. Your child should be active for at least one hour a day. You can sign them up for a team sport or a dance class, but a lot of kids don’t like organised sport. Instead you could take them to a playground, play active games outside with them or go swimming. You can buy them active toys instead of computer games or DVDs, such as a bike or skates. Going for walks is also an easy way to get your child up and active.

Source: Yahoo!

Top 10 worst female health habits

Wearing heels

More and more of us are opting to wear heels on a daily basis, and this could be bad news for our health. High heels affect our posture, put pressure on joints, and can lead to a range of conditions including arthritis, hammer toes, back pain and tendon injuries – and that’s before you take into account any heel-related accidents! To minimize damage, limit your heels to 1.5 inchesfor daily wear, and wear insoles to help reduce the pressure on joints.

Carrying a heavy handbag

With the rising number of gadgets and accessories the majority of women haul around, many of us are carrying around several pounds of weight on our shoulders every day. As a result, lots of us are also putting our long term health at risk. While you may not feel the effects right now, lugging around a heavy handbag can lead to serious back problems and neck pain as well as poor posture. Don’t wait until the damage is done – do your health a favour and try clearing out all non-essential items and switching to a smaller bag.

Sleeping in makeup

Most of us have succumbed to the temptation to sleep in our post-party makeup at some point. However, leaving makeup on overnight – along with the dirt and oil that naturally accumulates on skin throughout the day –is a quick route to clogged pores, congested skin and spots. Sleeping with mascara and eye makeup on can also affect your health by causing eye irritation, bloodshot eyes or even infection.

Matching men drink for drink

From networking drinks to first dates and social events, there are many instances when women may feel compelled to keep up with the drinking habits of the opposite sex. However, women not only tend to weigh less than men but they have less body water to dilute the alcohol, which means they tend to get more drunk more quickly. To minimize the risks of alcohol on your health, try to keep within the recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption and alternate alcohol with soft drinks.

Wearing the wrong bra size

It is thought that more than 70 per cent of women are wearing the wrong bra size. However, wearing a badly fitted bra can not only affect the look of your clothes, but research suggests it can cause a range of health problems including back, neck and breast pain, breathing difficulties, poor posture, skin irritation, circulation problems and even irritable bowel syndrome. Rather than guessing your size, make sure you get measured to ensure you are getting the support you need.

Worrying and harboring regrets

Stress is damaging to both our physical and mental health, and women are twice as likely as men to suffer from stress-related disorders, as well as having higher rates of depression and anxiety. While it is thought there may be biological reasons for this, worrying about the future and dwelling on regrets can also add to our problems, with research suggesting that women are more than twice as likely as men to harbor regrets over lost loves and broken relationships.

Obsessing over appearance

While both genders suffer from body insecurity, many women tend to overly obsess over their idea of the “perfect” body. Research findings published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that 16 per cent of the normal or underweight women studied believed themselves to be overweight, while a study commissioned by Dove found that 90 per of women wanted to change at least one aspect of their appearance. Body insecurity not only affects our mental health, but it can also lead to physical damage caused by extreme diets, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders and cosmetic surgery.

Emotional eating

While comfort eating affects both genders, research has suggested that men are more likely to reinforce positive emotions with food, while women comfort eat when they’re sad. Women are also more likely to satisfy their cravings with sweet, high calorie foods. Rather than letting your waistline suffer next time you’re feeling blue, try distracting yourself from cravings by doing something you enjoy, or boost your endorphins and health with an uplifting workout.

Not getting enough sleep

Not only can lack of sleep make us look and feel at our worst, but insufficient shut-eye can also lead to increased accidents, calorie consumption and heart disease risk. Unluckily for women, statistics suggest that sleep problems affect more women than men, while a study by the University of Michigan found that women are more than twice as likely to give up sleep to care for others. Unfortunately, sleep has been found to affect women’s blood pressure and mood more than men’s, making it imperative that you do your best to get a good night’s sleep.

Putting themselves last

Not only are women more likely to compromise their sleeping habits to care for children and others, they are also prone to putting their own wants and needs at the bottom of a hectic to-do list of chores and obligations. To avoid running yourself into the ground, learn to sometimes say no to those requests and commitments that are less than essential, and make sure you set aside some “me” time each week to do something enjoyable just for you.

Source: Yahoo!

The best female health habits

Get to know your body

Although most men are more than familiar with their overall appearance, many are less than vigilant when it comes to looking out for signs of health changes and may pay less heed to their bodies’ signals than women. To keep your health in good condition it is important to pay attention to your skin (making note particularly of any changes in size, shape or color of moles) and perform self checks for signs of testicular cancer. By getting to know your body, you will start to become more intuitively aware of the state of your wellbeing.

Try a holistic exercise class

For a lot of men, exercise routines are focused exclusively on bulking up and improving body shape. However, you may be missing out on lots of the health benefits other more female-dominated forms of exercise can offer. To help boost your mental and emotional wellbeing , try supplementing your usual routine with a gentler holistic exercise such as Pilates, yoga or tai chi. As well as keeping you physically fit, these exercises have many great benefits such as improving posture; increasing energy levels; boosting flexibility, strength and stamina; improving concentration and reducing stress levels.

Get checked up

Just as it is important to track any changes in your body, it is equally as essential that you act on any possible symptoms by visiting your doctor about any concerns you may have. However, while women are generally good at getting regular check-ups, many men are guilty of ignoring their symptoms, possibly due to fear or denial of health risks. It is never worth taking a chance on your health, so put your mind at rest by giving your doctor a visit, no matter how small you think the risk may be.

Let yourself be vulnerable

While most women will happily let their guard down and communicate their troubles to their friends, many men are afraid of appearing vulnerable by opening up to others and showing how they really feel. However, not only will sharing your troubles help you gain support and bond with others, but crying can also help your body to release stress. So, next time you are feeling emotional, whether due to a bad day or a weepy movie, why not let those tears flow – your health will thank you for it!

Do more cardio

Many men centre their workouts around weight lifting and building up muscle, while women are more likely to opt for cardio exercise to help with weight loss. In fact, neither option is ideal as both types of exercise should make up a well-rounded fitness routine. Whether or not you want to lose weight, aerobic exercise is essential for heart health, so take a lesson from the girls and try swapping the occasional weight lifting session for a cardio workout to help improve your health and physique.

Indulge in some pampering

It’s a well known fact that most women like to be pampered and groomed, while men are a little more reticent to give grooming a go. Whether you care about your appearance or not, proper skin care (which includes using an SPF) is important for your health, as is looking after your nails to prevent fungal infections. If you want to go the whole hog and give your body a pampering treat, a massage can also do wonders for your health. With benefits including reduced back pain, detoxification and an increased sense of well-being, this is definitely not just a treat for the girls.

Source: Yahoo!

5 Healthy Habits to Copy From Your Dog

If you want to have optimal health and a happier life, some of your dog's habits are worth stealing. We're not talking about the shedding or the drooling--your pup can keep those--but we are talking about his or her love for the outdoors and sunny disposition. Here are five things your dog loves that are worth trying.

Getting daily exercise. Your dog adores getting outside for a nice long stroll, and so should you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (like brisk walking) every week for adults ages 18 to 64, and for adults 65-plus with no limiting health conditions. "If you can walk two miles in 30 minutes, that's a pretty good pace," says Raul Seballos, vice chair of preventive medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. The best way to mimic your pup? Bring her with you when you walk. That's because dog walkers are 34 percent more likely to meet federal benchmarks for (human) physical activity, a recent study found. If you'd rather swim, bike, or hit the gym, go for it, Seballos adds. Just do something you enjoy.
Learn More about the benefits of exercise

Having meals reliably prepared and served. When you feed your dog, you serve him using his special bowl--the same amount, every day. When you dine, you should control your own portions, too. "The last thing you want to do is put big serving dishes out," says Wayne Andersen, a Maryland-based physician and author of Dr. A's Habits for Health. That's because you'll likely keep eating (and overeating) from the dishes on the table just because they're there. A better solution? "Be aware of what you're eating and plan in advance," Andersen says. Follow the federal guidelines for portion sizes--half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables, for instance--and store serving dishes away from the table after you've made your plate. Then be mindful. "Ninety-five percent of your taste satisfaction comes in the first three bites," says Andersen. If you still crave a second helping, wait 20 minutes. It can take about that long for your brain to register that you're full.

Being forgiving. Your furry friend gets over it when you yell or accidentally step on her tail, so follow her example the next time someone annoys you. "People who forgive tend to be less angry, less stressed, less anxious, and tend to have lower blood pressure," than those who hold grudges, says Andersen. Being forgiving can also lower your risk for alcohol and substance abuse, according to the Mayo Clinic. So shake it off the next time your spouse is super annoying, or when your nosy coworker asks way too many questions. Your dog would--and usually does.

Getting restful sleep. When he's not eating or trying to snuggle, your pup is perfectly happy to snooze on the floor, lightly snoring. And he's onto something. Your pet sleeps when he's tired, and so should you. The average adult needs about seven to nine hours of sleep per day, but about most Americans say they don't get enough shut-eye during the week, reports the National Sleep Foundation. Something's got to give--and maybe it should be your obsession with late-night TV. "Sleep is not a luxury," says Andersen. "It's an important requirement of our bodies." So act like your dog, and rest up.
Reasons to catch up on your sleep
Bonding with loved ones. Your dog is crazy about being around other people, dogs, and even cats. (Well, maybe not cats.) In turn, you should hang out with supportive friends, call your cousins, or relax with your partner. You don't have to follow your loved ones around like Fido does with you, but maintaining close social relationships can help you manage stress and even live longer, according to a 2010 review of research published in the journal PLoS Medicine. "Socialization is really important for us as humans," says Andersen. "All of us want to be cared for [and] want to be loved." And, hey, if you want to hang out with your dog one-on-one, that's fine, too. Pets support your mental health, helping you feel less lonely and less fearful, and they increase your self-esteem, suggests recent research published by the American Psychological Association. That makes your dear dog not only a good health role model, but also a good friend.

Source: Yahoo!

7 ‘good’ habits that are bad for your health

Think you know what’s good for you? You may be surprised. Take a look at these seven seemingly good habits that can actually be bad for your health.

Drinking water
While we are probably all familiar with the advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, more recent research has suggested that there is actually no scientific evidence supporting this recommendation and that drinking excessive amounts of water can actually be dangerous by lowering the concentration of salt in your blood. Health-conscious water drinkers should also be wary of the trend for drinking bottled water, as studies have suggested that the chemicals (phthalates) from plastic bottles can leach into water and disrupt hormone levels.

Talking over your problems
Talking through your problems can be a great way to gain some perspective and get things off your chest. However, studies have suggested that, after a certain point, rehashing and dwelling on problems can actually be bad for your health. According to research, revisiting and analysing the same problems with friends (“co-rumination”) can lead to anxiety, stress disorders and depression. Next time a problem arises, by all means talk it over with a friend, but try to focus on problem-solving rather than simply dwelling on the issue.

Sipping on mocktails

Learn 5 good habits that everyone should be imbibe.
You may think that by swapping cocktails for mocktails you are doing your health a favour, but this may not actually be the case. While cutting down on alcohol is beneficial for your wellbeing, mocktails are often high in refined sugar which research suggests is just as damaging and addictive as alcohol. For a safer swap and a shot of nutrients, make sure you stick to mocktails made from pure fruit juices instead of those made from syrups.

Early morning workouts
While a daily workout is great for your health, studies suggest that getting up for early morning exercise may not be as ideal as it seems. A study by a researcher from Brunel University, Middlesex, found that heavy training sessions early in the morning can compromise the immune system and put athletes at increased risk of bacterial and viral infection. While a morning jog or gentle exercise session is unlikely to put you at risk, it may be better to save heavier workouts for later in the day.

Taking nutritional supplements
We all know that vitamins are good for us, but relying on nutritional supplements can actually be bad for your health. Separate studies have shown that high doses of vitamin supplements including iron, magnesium and vitamin B6 raise the death rate of older women, while taking vitamin E can increase men’s risk of prostate cancer. While certain people may be required to take vitamins (those with low levels of vitamin D, for example, or vegans who may be deficient in vitamin B12), for most people a better approach is to opt for a varied diet full of fruit and vegetables which will give you all the nutrients you need.

Slathering on sunscreen
Official advice for many years has warned about the dangers of skin cancer, causing many of us to take measures to cover up in the sun at all times. However, while it is extremely important to protect your skin, experts have more recently advised that little and frequent sun exposure is good for us, preventing vitamin D deficiency, which can lead to rickets, osteomalacia and depression. Official advice in the UK, where rickets has recently made a comeback, is to spend 10 minutes in the midday sun without sunblock each day before covering skin up.

Switching to low fat foods
When getting started in healthy eating, it is tempting to opt for low fat foods in order to help keep off excess pounds. However, cutting out ‘good’ fats such as omega-3 fatty acids could be detrimental to your health. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, walnuts and flaxseeds, not only help to keep skin supple and wrinkle-free, they are also essential for good brain and heart health and can help prevent arthritis.

Source: Yahoo!

Increase Your IQ

Many of us assume that IQ-related discussions and more particularly, those related to improving our IQ make sense for kids or young adults competing for a seat in popular colleges.

However, there is no age-defined parameter for improving orincreasing our IQ. Further, there are many ways in which a higher IQ can improve the quality of adult life too. Lets discuss some easy ways to improve our IQ:

1. Minimize Watching the Idiot Box, Start Reading

The TV, whether an LCD or plasma, was nicknamed ‘the Idiot Box’ for a very valid reason—this gadget tends to numb our sensibilities. Some people might argue that TV viewing can be rather enriching if the right channels are chosen. However, when watching TV, the human mind is pushed into a state of vegetation. Largely, its effect is entertaining and there might be short instances when it can stimulate our mind but overall, watching TV isn't the recommended way of unwinding if you want to increase your IQ. A much better medium is books, whether read physically or on the Kindle. This is because reading a book makes our mind to create mental images, decipher the plot and tests our vocabulary. This is a far more wholesome exercise for the mind.

2. Exercise Daily

Modern lifestyles result in physical and mental stagnation where our body isn't stimulated holistically. One way of ensuring that the mind is more capable of accumulating and processing thoughts/ideas throughout the day is to Exercise. This might seem a bit strange but exercising daily, particularly aerobic and low-impact workouts, help to regulate the blood’s circulation. The intake of fresh oxygen refreshes our senses, making use more attentive to various stimuli.

3. Challenge Yourself, Mentally

Challenge yourself mentally. This includes sporadically watching movies in foreign languages where you are left guessing the plot, reading novels from a higher reading level or solving crossword puzzles. Rather than reading or watching reviews of various gadgets/goods, try to locate such things in the market and evaluate them using your own resources.

Some very palpable advantages of increasing your IQ include:

1. Helps to Raise Performance at Work

Having a higher IQ means that you would be able to process the information/data handled at the office much faster. Chances of committing mistakes would decline significantly. You would constantly be a step ahead of your colleagues in terms of understanding new policies or updating your professional skills. Thus, a better IQ might be your passport to that elusive promotion.

2. Helps Managing Daily Activities

Most stressful situations are precipitated by our inability to divide time between professional responsibilities and personal life’s demands. Having a better IQ translates into the ability to save crucial minutes/hours every day, since you would be able to do things faster, manage them better and even, manipulate situations that reduce your workload!

3. Helps make a good Impression

Smarter, vigilant and more updated people are always able to make a better impression when socializing. This includes talking to a girl at a bar or trying to impress the Board of Directors. A higher IQ invariably means that you would be a more resourceful person—this trait is hard to ignore and instantly engages attention of others. 

Source: Yahoo!

5 foods that help you live longer

Brightly coloured fruit and vegetables

Research suggests that those who eat more fruit and vegetables tend to live longer than those who don’t, due to the nutrients they contain. While all fruit and veg is good for you, brightly coloured produce is particularly beneficial as the natural pigments which give them their color can also help prevent cancer. The Okinawans – who are reputed to have the world’s longest life expectancy and who have low rates of heart disease and cancer – have a diet that is rich in fruit and veg, especially dark green and yellow varieties. In particular, the Okinawan diet features large quantities of sweet potatoes, having replaced the traditional Japanese staple of rice with this vibrant veg.

 

Dark chocolate

Good news for chocoholics – chocolate can help you live longer!  Cocoa beans are packed with antioxidants which studies have found can help cut your risk of heart disease – the biggest killer in the Western world. This may be why Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived a grand total of 122 years and 164 days (the oldest verified age of any human being ever) put her good health down to her regular chocolate consumption. However, before you go stocking up on chocolate bars, it is worth bearing in mind that one square a day is enough to boost your health. Also, make sure you go for the over 70 per cent cocoa bars which contain more flavonoids and less sugar.

Oily fish

People in Japan have the longest life expectancy in the world, which may be down to their traditional diet which is high in fish. Not only does opting for fish over meat reduce your risk of many of the health problems associated with red meat, such as heart disease, but oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout are renowned for their health benefits. Oily fish are a good source of vitamins A and D which are good for the immune system. Furthermore, they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to a lowered risk of heart disease, brain damage and stroke.

Green tea

Another staple of the Japanese diet, green tea boasts an impressive array of health benefits, helping to improve cardiovascular health, regulate blood pressure, boost the immune system, and lower cholesterol. Studies have even suggested that drinking green tea – which is rich in health-boosting flavonoids – can help to lower your risk of cancer. Research findings published in the Journal of theAmerican Medical Association appear to back up these health claims, as the Japanese study of more than 40,000 participants found that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had a death rate that was 16 per cent lower than those who drank one cup, over the course of 11 years.

Olive oil

Many of us stay away from fats and oils in a bid to stay trim and healthy; however, ‘good’ monounsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, are actually essential for good health. Studies have found that regularly consuming olive oil can help cut your risk of stroke and heart disease, due to its high content of micronutrients called phenols which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The oil is also a staple of the healthy Mediterranean diet, which studies suggests can help you live longer. Research has found that those who follow this eating plan have a 20 per cent higher chance of living longer, gaining an estimated average of two to three years. 

Source: Yahoo!