Ways on How To Be Healthy Every Day

Drink at least one glass of 1 percent or 2 percent milk everyday.
Whole milk gets 50 percent of its calories from fat, while 2 percent milk gets 35 percent and 1 percent milk gets 22 percent from fat. You’ll barely notice the change in taste when you switch from whole milk. You’ll get the great health benefits of added calcium and nutrients—great for men, women, and kids—without the calories of whole milk.
Know your “big five” numbers.
Find out what your numbers are for the big five: (1) weight, (2) blood pressure, (3) cholesterol, (4) heart rate, and (5) blood sugar. If your numbers fall outside your healthy range, work with your doctor on a plan to get them under control. Buy a home blood pressure monitor so you can take your blood pressure regularly and keep track of the results.
Learn CPR.
If someone you love experiences cardiac arrest, they are twice as likely to survive if you or someone else can begin CPR. CPR starts a “chain of survival” that delivers oxygen-rich blood to vital organs. CPR training will also teach you how to help a choking child or adult. Many free training classes are available. Check with your local hospital, city services, or Red Cross chapter.
Clean out your medicine cabinet.
Make sure you have a complete, up-to-date first aid kit. Check the expiration dates on all your medications and throw away the ones that have expired. Some become more potent and others
lose effectiveness, so don’t take any chances. Make sure all your medications are stored where children can’t reach them.
Check your salad dressing.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American woman aged nineteen to fifty gets more fat from salad dressing than from any other food. Eating salad is a great way to get fiber and add veggies to your diet. Don’t sabotage your efforts with a salad dressing high in fat or calories. Look for some of the new salad “spritzer” dressings. They can add great flavor while keeping your calories as low as 10 calories per serving!
Turn off your cell phone while driving.
You may be worried about the threat of cell phones and brain tumors (which has not been demonstrated by research), but the real threat from cell phones comes from using them while driving.
One study showed that people who use cell phones while driving are four times as likely to have an accident that causes them injury. Using a hands-free phone doesn’t decrease the risk and may even increase your chances of having an accident. So do yourself and others on the road a life-saving favor: when you get in the car—switch off your phone.
Lower your blood pressure.
Try these five tips to lower your blood pressure: (1) Add thirty minutes of physical activity to your day. (2) Cut back on your alcohol. (3) Stop putting salt on your food. (4) Sit quietly and focus on your breathing for ten minutes each day. (5) Eat a banana (high in potassium) every day.
Get a pneumonia vaccine.
This shot can protect you from the twenty-three strains of the pneumoccoccal bacteria that cause 88 percent of all cases of pneumonia in the United States. Getting the shot once gives you years of protection. People over sixty-five, who are most at risk of dying from pneumonia, and anyone who has a chronic condition or lower resistance to infection should talk with their doctor about getting vaccinated.
Carry aspirin.
If you have a heart attack, quickly chewing an aspirin can save your life (chewing sends the aspirin into your bloodstream to inhibit clotting twice as quickly as swallowing it). Other painkillers such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin (ibuprofen), and others don’t count—it must be aspirin. Buy some small travel packs and put one in your car, your purse, your gym bag, or your wallet—places you can get to quickly wherever you are.
Step down your caffeine.
Too much caffeine can cause heart irregularities, anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure, insomnia, and more. But cutting back suddenly on caffeine can cause withdrawal effects such as headaches, fatigue, and irritability. Lower your caffeine gradually by cutting out half a cup of coffee every few days, mixing regular coffee with decaffeinated, and reducing other sources little by little.
Practice safe sex no matter how old you are
Practicing safe sex is essential to your health, even when the risk of pregnancy is no longer an issue. Sixty-one percent of older single adults say they’re having unprotected sex. Newsweek reports that from 1990 to 2004, the number of AIDS cases in adults fifty and over grew sevenfold. Rates of gonorrhea and syphilis have increased by 55 percent as well. Older single adults are more sexually
active than ever and should be equally responsible about protecting both themselves and their partners.
Prevent colds.
During cold season, these four tips can keep you healthy: (1) Stay warm. Researchers now back up moms (finally) who have always known that getting a chill makes you more likely to get sick. (2) Wash your hands with soap and water. (3) Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth (that’s how the virus spreads). (4) Clean shared spaces like keyboards, phones, and office equipment.
Drink tap water to prevent cavities.
In the 1960s, cities in the United States began to add fluoride to their water supplies to prevent cavities. And it worked—cavities became almost nonexistent. But in the last ten years, cavities have made a comeback, as we drink more bottled water, most of which don’t have enough fluoride to prevent tooth decay. Get a reusable container and fill it from the tap rather than always resorting to bottled water, or buy bottled water that has added fluoride to protect those pearly whites.
Learn to do breast (women) or testicular (men) exams.
A monthly self-exam is one of the ways to detect both breast and testicular cancer in their earliest stages and can be done in the privacy of your home. Ask your doctor for instructions. Do the exam
once a month. If you feel anything unusual, talk to your doctor right away—often it’s nothing, but always get checked out.
Know your kids’ height and weight.
Medication doses for kids (even over-the-counter) should be based on their weight rather than age, so make sure you weigh and measure your child at least every three months—more often for infants. Convert their weight to kilograms and write it down in their medical records so that you always
have it handy in an emergency or when they’re being given medication.
Wear sunglasses
According to the American Optometric Association, the likelihood of developing eye diseases such as cataracts, light sensitivity, and nearsightedness significantly increases if you are in the sun for long hours without eye protection. Exposure to UV rays has also been linked to vision deterioration, growths on the surface of the eye, and cancer of the skin around the eyes and eyelids. And wearing sunglasses also has an effect on your appearance, reducing crow’s feet and wrinkles around the eyes.
Eat egg whites instead of whole eggs.
At only 15 calories per egg, egg whites are almost like a free food! Compared to about 80 calories for a whole egg, egg whites are an easy way to save calories and help cut your cholesterol.
Throw away your mercury thermometers.
Many of us still have old-fashioned glass thermometers, which contain mercury. Surprisingly, these simple devices can be a threat to your family’s health if they break. Mercury can cause tingling in the fingers and toes, numbness around the mouth, and tunnel vision. Long-term exposure can cause serious conditions. Buy an inexpensive mercury-free thermometer at any local drugstore and take your old mercury thermometers to a household hazardous waste-collection facility for disposal.
Leave the elevator and walk up the stairs.
This trick can burn an extra hundred calories for every ten minutes of stair walking (up) you do. (Walking down the stairs burns less calories and can be harder on your knees and joints.)
Add nutrition to your cooking.
Cooking with garlic, onions, basil, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, jalapeños (hot!), mustard, and cinnamon adds nutrients without extra calories.
Fight chronic pain.
If you have chronic pain, talk with your doctor—don’t just put up with it. These tips can also give you some relief: (1) Try to move as much as physically possible—muscle inactivity can worsen your pain (this does not apply to acute injuries). (2) Tune in to your body. Take five-minute breaks throughout your day to focus on breathing and relaxing. (3) Ask your doctor about doing nonimpact activities like swimming or bicycling, which can help circulation and help produce chemicals that aid in fighting pain.
Count calories for one week.
Research shows that we underestimate how many calories we eat by as much as 75 percent! Write down everything you eat in a food log for one week. Count up your calories for each day. Take your target weight and multiply it by 15 to get a general estimate of your daily calorie allowance to maintain that weight. To lose weight, subtract 1,000 calories a day, writing down calories each day.
Check your moles and skin.
Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer and one of the most deadly, yet over half of all adults never check their skin. The good news is that it is also one of the easiest to detect and treat. Don’t leave looking at your skin to the doc—you’re a much better judge of changes and irritations (and the fact is, most doctors don’t do it). Look for changes in color, size, or shape of moles and birthmarks or any sores that take more than a week or two to heal. For a detailed guide of what to check, visit www.tayloryourhealth.com/selfexams.html.
Remove the drawstrings from kids’ clothing.
Children can get seriously injured and even suffocate if the drawstrings on necklines and hoods of their clothing get snagged on playground slides, school bus handrails, or doors. Cut waist and bottom drawstrings to three inches or less.
Update your birth control.
Several new forms of birth control are available, from contraceptive rings, patches, and injections to new forms of the Pill. Talk to your doctor about your reproductive needs and personal preferences to see if there’s a new option you might prefer. Also, men, stay tuned: there’s lots of research being done on a male contraceptive! Remember, most birth control methods don’t protect against disease, so talk to your doctor about what works best.
Take a fish oil capsule every day.
Fish oil contains powerful omega-3 fatty acids that help lower bad cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends a daily fish oil capsule, especially if you tend to have high levels of triglycerides, which can put you at risk for having a sudden heart attack.
Go over your medications with your doctor.
Make a list of all the medications you take, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, and even vitamins. Review it with your doctor at your next visit (keep the list handy for emergencies, too). He can check for any possible interactions and evaluate how well the medications are working. Doctors will sometimes eliminate one or two drugs that you no longer need.
Update your tetanus booster.
Tetanus, commonly called lockjaw, is a completely preventable but potentially fatal disease. Tetanus bacteria are commonly found in dirt, soil, and manure—one-third of tetanus infections occur during gardening. You might think that shots are just for kids, but tetanus protection lasts only about ten years and 53 percent of Americans over twenty aren’t protected. Check when you had your last vaccine and get a booster if it’s been more than ten years.
Protect the privacy of your medical records.
You expect privacy when it comes to your health information, but that’s not always the case. Today any number of organizations have access to your most private information, which can be used inappropriately. Take these steps to protect your health information: (1) Don’t put personal health information online. (2) Ask your doctor whom he releases your information to and for what purposes. (3) Don’t sign blanket disclosure forms agreeing to the release of your medical records.
Beware of iguanas.
Ownership of reptile pets has increased more than twenty-eightfold since 1986 in the United States, with the majority being iguanas. While fun to watch, these creatures cause thousands of cases of salmonella poisoning each year and sometimes even death. Make sure you and any children who come into contact with iguanas, snakes, and other reptiles wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Experts recommend not keeping these pets if you have small children in your household.
Plant your family tree.
Make a family health tree listing relatives on both sides, including your mother, father, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. List any health conditions you’re aware of and the cause of death for relatives who are no longer living. Pay particular attention to relatives who passed away at a young age.
Review the list with your doctor at your next visit to help her figure out what tests or preventive measures you should have
Last call for alcohol.
Cutting back on the amount of alcohol you drink can have lots of benefits: improving your heart health, lowering your blood pressure, eliminating impotence (men), reducing your cancer risk, and reducing the risk of stroke, not to mention just generally making you feel better. A couple of drinks a day doesn’t
seem to have a bad effect on your health (and may even be beneficial in some ways), but moderation is the key. And be sure to always ask yourself, Am I drinking because I want to or because I need to?
Clean out your car.
Loose objects can become dangerous projectiles in your car if you stop suddenly or have an accident. Something as seemingly harmless as a cell phone can cause a skull fracture or other life threatening injury. If you have a cargo area, use a cargo net or tie down any items, and be sure everyone is belted in.
Get a diabetes test.
Millions of Americans have type 2 diabetes and don’t know it. Millions more have prediabetes—blood sugar levels above normal, but not in the diabetes range. The good news is that if you have type 2 diabetes and are diagnosed early enough, you can probably control your condition just with diet and exercise. If you are in the prediabetes range, now is the time to improve your habits to get your blood sugar levels down to normal.
Save money on prescription drugs.
The cost for drugs keeps taking a bigger bite out of your health care budget. These tips can save you money on prescription drugs: (1) Ask your doctor for free samples. (2) Shop around for the lowest price. Check different pharmacies, mail order, and online. (3) Look for patient-assistance programs offered by drug manufacturers.
Go to the dentist.
It’s best to visit your dentist every six months, but don’t go longer than a year without a checkup. It’s not just a beautiful smile—dental infections and gum disease can affect your health, even leading to heart disease. If you avoid the dentist, try these tactics to make you more comfortable: (1) Look for a dentist who practices “pain-free” dentistry. (2) Take an aspirin an hour before your visit to combat any discomfort. (3) Talk with your dentist before any procedure about the pain management techniques she will use. (4) Agree on a hand signal with the dentist or assistants that will let them know you are in pain and want the procedure to stop.
Drink more water.
Don’t just think about it, do it. Water is the best substance you can put into your body. Make a list of the eight times during the day you will drink a glass of water and check them off each day. (Sodas, coffee, and other drinks don’t count.)
Give your home a safety checkup.
A third of all injuries happen in the home. Give your home a safety checkup at least once a year. Some items to check: cords (tripping hazard), medication storage (away from children), rugs (for slipping and tripping), working smoke detectors, outlets (for electrical fire hazards), and space heaters (for fire hazard). Be sure that everyone knows how to get out of the house in case of a fire or emergency. To create a personalized home safety checklist, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.
Eat peanut butter.
High in vitamin E and antioxidants, peanut butter appears to protect against heart disease and helps to control weight. It offers a lot of nutrition for the calories, without containing a high level of saturated fats (the bad kind). The government requires all peanut butter to be made from 90 percent peanuts, so you don’t have to worry about additives or a lot of other ingredients. Always check for peanut allergies before eating or serving it.
Eat one new fruit or vegetable a day for a week.
There’s lots of fruits or vegetables out there that you probably haven’t tried. To spice up your diet, try a different one every day for a week. Add those you like to your diet on a permanent basis. You know you can’t go wrong adding more fruits and veggies to your daily diet.
Wear sunscreen on your lips.
Lip cancer is the most common form of oral cancer and is caused most often by unprotected sun exposure. So don’t forget those luscious lips when applying sunscreen. Check your lip balm to make sure it has SPF protection—use zinc oxide if you’re going to be in direct sunlight for a long time.
Count your steps.
Buy an inexpensive pedometer and wear it for a week to count your steps. Try to work up to 10,000 steps, about five miles, a day. Unless you have a walking-intensive job like a nurse or mail carrier, you’ll probably have to add a thirty-minute walk to your day to get up to that number.
Learn how to give yourself the Heimlich maneuver.
If you are alone and begin to choke, knowing how to give yourself the Heimlich maneuver can save your life. Press your upper abdomen (just below the ribs) forcefully against the back of a chair, a table, a sink, or a railing. Repeat until air is forced through your airway and the food you are choking on is
expelled.
Make a travel health kit.
One in four travelers experiences an illness or injury, so be prepared. Your kit should include: (1) a portable version of your critical health information (visit www.tayloryourhealth.com for info on Pocket Health Organizers), (2) enough medications to cover your trip, plus an extra week’s supply, (3) a list of doctors and hospitals in the areas you’re traveling through and to (especially important if you manage a chronic health condition), and (4) a mini first-aid kit containing pain relievers, anti diarrhea tablets, motion sickness pills, antibacterial cream, antiseptic, bandages, and other emergency supplies.
Keep your mind sharp.
When it comes to your brain, you truly use it or lose it. Try these tips to keep you on top of your game: (1) Eat brain foods, including fish, green veggies, grape juice, and beans. (2) Listen to music to stimulate various parts of your brain. (3) Be physically active. This will keep oxygen flowing to your brain. (4) Socialize. Meeting new people stimulates your memory and keeps you engaged. (5) Fall in love—with a person, a pet, a child, or a new hobby. Feelings of happiness and love release chemicals that stimulate the brain, so find yourself someone to love.
Drink tea, wonderful tea. Tea is being touted as a wonder drink, and it’s no wonder. Some doctors say it is the single best thing you can add to your diet to keep illness at bay, including preventing cancer and heart disease. In just one study (and there are lots), women age fifty-five or older who drank one cup of black tea a day were 54 percent less likely to have severely clogged arteries, which can lead to
heart attack and stroke. The more tea they drank, the more their risk went down. And since tea has very few calories, you’re getting all the benefits while watching your weight.
Get your eyes checked.
Children and everyone over forty should have their eyes checked every two years—every year if you’re over sixty-five. Eye problems can develop slowly, but if you wait until your vision is affected, it may be too late to get the best treatment. Get your eyes checked more frequently if you start having vision problems or experience headaches when reading or watching TV.
Round out your physical activity.
Make sure your activity plan includes the big three: aerobics (exercising your heart), strength (for muscles), and stretching (to keep you flexible). Find a variety of activities that fit into your everyday life that help you hit all the categories.
Learn the warning signs of a heart attack.
Thousands of people die each year because they did not get fast enough treatment for a heart attack. Learn to recognize the symptoms and get immediate treatment. Some of the signs can include chest pains or tightness and pain radiating down the arms (especially left), dizziness, nausea, trouble breathing, and sudden sweating. If you have had a heart attack before, it’s likely you will not have chest pain. If you have dizziness or difficulty catching your breath, call 9-1-1 or go to the closest ER.
Get the most from your insurance plan.
You’re paying for coverage, so make sure you understand your plan and what you’re eligible for. Understand your copayments, what your yearly deductible is (the amount you have to pay before benefits kick in), and what preventive health care the plan covers at a low cost or for free. Take advantage of these services to keep yourself healthy and your health care costs down.
See your doctor quarterly.
With the average doctor’s visit clocking in at eleven minutes, it’s nearly impossible for you and your doctor to cover all your health issues and questions, let alone develop a prevention plan, at a once-yearly visit. You could even schedule quarterly checkups to discuss different issues. For example, spring (heart health), summer (skin check), fall (cancer review), winter (diet and exercise). Your doctor will get to know you better, and you’ll stop feeling rushed at each visit.
Give yourself a break.
Take a break from your health. There may be habits that stuck and habits that stunk, but give yourself a pat on the back for all you’ve accomplished in the last fifty-two weeks and celebrate! Remember, the important thing is to make changes where you can. Your health is twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. You won’t always make healthy choices, but even a few changes will help you see a big difference. The best health tip I can give you is . . . Live, Laugh, Love.