Feel like healthy living is too complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Some small tweaks and self-check-ins can go a long way toward helping you feel better now and avoid bigger problems down the road. These are some of the best health hacks of 2022 to make staying healthy in 2023 even easier.
- Do the skin pinch test to see if you’re dehydrated - Find out if you’re losing more fluids than you’re taking in by doing the skin pinch test. Just squeeze the skin on one of your finger knuckles for three seconds, then let go. If you’re well hydrated, the skin will go back to the original position in a few seconds. If you’re dehydrated, it will lose elasticity and stay in the pinched position for longer.
- Take a quick walk after a meal to keep blood sugar levels steady - Walking for as little as two to five minutes after eating can help you avoid a big blood sugar spike, new research shows. Even just standing up helps, but light-intensity walking is better.
- Walk 10-thousand steps a day to lower the risk of dementia - Hitting those 10-thousand daily steps can cut the risk of dementia in half. And getting 4-thousand steps can reduce the risk by a quarter.
- Lose weight by getting enough sleep - This year research gave us another reason to get sufficient sleep when it found those who do eat about 270 fewer calories a day than those who are chronically sleep deprived. Over three years, that could add up to a 26-pound weight loss, just from snoozing enough.
- Read fiction to keep your memory sharp - Think you’re too young to worry about this? Memory starts to decline in your 30s, according to neurologist Dr. Richard Restak. But he says reading novels helps to challenge the brain because you have to remember things and read from beginning to end. Non-fiction books don’t do the trick because you can jump around, but following recipes is also a good workout for your memory.
- The “internal shower” drink helps with constipation - TikTok taught us about this drink, which is made with two tablespoons of chia seeds, the juice of half a lemon and a cup of water. Mix them together and let sit for five minutes, until the chia seeds start to form a gel, then drink. The combo gives you fiber and water, and dietitians say the drink helps get things going.
Source: Today