Do you want to improve your health? Use this surprisingly simple feel-good to-do list to extend and improve the quality of your life.
1. Tea off in the morning. Hot tea can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15%, according to a review in the International Journal of Cancer. Try pu-erh tea, which is better than green or blacktea at preventing DNA damage.
2. Sleep smarter. Too much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A study has found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.
3. Pop in your lenses postshower. Soaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.
4. Drink wine, stay lean. Polyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption according to an Israeli study. Red wine marinades work too.
5. . Lose the lint. Taking 2 seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the United States.
6. Check your neck. An American Journal of Medicine study has found that a mildly underactive thyroid can boost your heart disease risk by 65%. A quick blood test can assess your level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
7. Lean back. Parking your torso at a 90-degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-Z-Boy treatment, and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.
8. Scent your air safely. Some air fresheners contain phthalates, compounds that may disrupt hormone processes. Natural Resources Defense Council testing reveals. Stick with Febreze Air Effects and Renuzit Subtle Effects.
9. Boost your defenses. An Archives of Internal Medicinereview reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7%. Try Carlson Vitamin D.
10. Skip the spray. Using household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76%, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead.
11. Steam your broccoli. Italian researchers have discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30%. Boiling actually lowers the levels.
12. Stretch it out. Genes in your body linked to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity can be “turned on” if you sit for hours on end, reports a study in the journal Diabetes. Hit the “off” button by taking hourly laps during TV, book, and Web sessions.
13. Be wary of supersize cocktails. Researchers at the Alcohol Research Group found that self-poured spirit-based drinks were about 50% larger than a standard drink.
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