Six Simple Things You Can Do for Your Health

Timothy B. McCall, M.D.

We’ve all heard the advice for better health. Get more exercise, don’t smoke, eat less red meat and more fruit and veggies. Still, studies suggest most people aren’t doing it. As a society, we’re getting fatter and more sedentary all the time.

I suspect part of the problem is that we ask people to do too much, particularly considering how busy most people’s lives are. So this month, I’m going to mention several simple things that you can do to start living a little healthier:

1. Add Fruit to Your Morning Cereal. Regular readers of this column know that while I don’t oppose low-doses of anti-oxidant vitamin supplements (and in fact take them myself), I think their benefits tend to be greatly over-stated. But I’m a big fan of foods like fruits and vegetables that are rich in natural antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals. That said, how can you get more of them? One way is to add several fruits to a bowl of cereal or oatmeal in the morning. In season, for example, I often add half a banana, half a peach and a bunch of blueberries to my shredded wheat.
2. Take the Stairs. It’s not always easy to find the time to get the three or four weekly half-hour sessions of aerobic exercise that experts recommend. Recent evidence suggests, however, that shorter periods of exercise woven into everyday life may yield many of the same benefits. So take the stairs instead of the elevator, skip the golf cart and carry your bag or park your car a little farther from where you’re going and walk.
3. Drink Less Coffee and More Tea. Too much coffee and other caffeine-containing beverages can contribute to problems from intestinal ulcers to anxiety and insomnia. Tea also contains caffeine but at lower levels than coffee. In addition, black tea and especially green tea contain natural antioxidants which may help reduce inflammation and prevent a host of diseases from cancer to heart attacks.
4. Turn Off The TV. People often turn to television when they’re feeling bored or lonely or depressed. Studies suggest, however, that watching television actually increases those negative feelings. Since television is also a major medium of marketing, viewers may end up feeling they need more possessions to feel happy. If there are a few TV shows you want to watch, consider setting up a treadmill or an exercise bike in front of the set. That way at least you can make the experience a net positive.
5. Substitute Soy Products For Meat. Red meat in particular tends to be high in saturated fat and contributes to everything from heart disease to colon cancer. Substituting soy products like tofu or tempeh is clearly healthier but requires some effort to cook--and not everybody likes the taste. For people who don’t have the time or energy, however, a number of products can substitute. Health food stores and many supermarkets carry things like hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage made from soy protein. My favorite hamburger substitute: Boca Burgers.
6. Laugh About It. Having a sense of humor not only makes life more fun, it seems to be good for you, too. Norman Cousins in his book Anatomy of An Illness describes how “laughter therapy” allowed him to recover from a debilitating autoimmune illness. A recent study found that a sense of humor may help protect against heart disease. My suggestion is to read a amusing book or rent a Marx Brothers movie--or anything else tickles your funny bone.

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