The Nine Habits of Highly Healthy People

By Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS

For years, business and motivational gurus have known that there are basic habits that seem to predict professional success and excellence. Books like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by motivational speaker and business guru Stephen Covey, which has sold over 15 million copies alone, shows that people are hungry for the secrets of success.

We don't yet have the perfect formula for long life, happiness, and physical health, but a little careful distillation of the massive amount of research on health and longevity reveals that cultivating nine basic habits will significantly increase the odds of your living long, well, and happily -- in a robust, healthy, weight-appropriate body.

1. Eat your vegetables. No kidding --and I'm talking at least 9 servings a day. Unless you're following the most stringent first stage of the Atkins Diet, you should be able to consume 60-120 grams of carbs a day (depending on your weight and exercise level), and you'd have to eat a stockyard full of spinach to get to that amount. Every major study of long-lived, healthy people shows that they eat a ton of plant foods. Nothing delivers antioxidants, fiber, flavonoids, indoles, and the entire pharmacopeia of disease fighting phytochemicals like stuff that grows in rich soil.
   
   
2. Eat fish and/or take fish oil. The omega-3's found in cold-water fish like salmon deserve the title of "wellness molecule of the century." They lower the risk of heart disease, they lower blood pressure, they improve mood, and they're good for the brain. And if you're pregnant, they may make your kid smarter!
   
   
3. Connect. And I'm not talking about the internet. In virtually every study of people who are healthy and happy into their 9th and 10th decades, social connections are one of the "prime movers" in their life. Whether church, family, volunteer work, or community, finding something you care about that's bigger than you, that you can connect with and that involves other people (or animals) -- will extend your life, increase your energy, and make you happier -- always.
   
   
4. Get some sun. At least 10-15 minutes three times a week. Interestingly, a recent study showed that the four healthiest places on earth where the people were longest-lived, were in sunny climates.¹ Sun improves your mood and boosts levels of cancer-fighting, performance-enhancing, bone-strengthening vitamin D -- a vitamin most people don't get nearly enough of.
   
   
5. Sleep well. If you're low in energy, gaining weight, grumpy, and looking haggard, guess what? Chances are you're not sleeping long enough or well enough. By sleeping "well," I mean uninterrupted sleep, in the dark -- without the television on, in a relaxing environment. Nothing nourishes, replenishes, and restarts the system like 7-9 hours sleep. Hint: start by going to bed an hour early. And if you've got a computer in the bedroom, banish it!
   
   
6. Exercise every day. Forget this 20 minutes three times a week stuff. Long-lived people are doing things like farm chores at 4:30 in the morning! Our Paleolithic ancestors traveled an average of 20 miles per day. Our bodies were designed to move on a regular basis. New studies show that merely 30 minutes a day of walking not only reduces the risk of most serious diseases, but can even grow new brain cells!²
   
   
7. Practice gratitude. By making a list of things you're grateful for, you focus the brain on positive energy. Gratitude is incompatible with anger and stress. Practice using your under-utilized "right brain" and spread some love. Focusing on what you're grateful for -- even for five minutes a day -- has the added benefit of being one of the best stress-reduction techniques on the planet.
   
   
8. Drink red wine or eat grapes. The resveratrol in dark grapes is being studied for its effect on extending life, which it seems to do for almost every species studied. (So does eating about one third less food, by the way.) If you've got a problem with alcohol, you can get resveratrol from grapes, peanuts, or supplements. (And if you're a woman, and you choose the alcohol option, make sure you're getting folic acid every day.)
   
   
9. Get the sugar out. The number one enemy of vitality, health, and longevity is not fat, it's sugar. Sugar's effect on hormones, mood, immunity, weight, and possibly even cancer cells is enormous -- and it's all negative. To the extent that you can remove it from your diet, you will be adding years to your life and life to your years.

This list may not be perfect and it may not be complete, but it's a start. As my dear grandmother used to say, "Couldn't hurt." Not one of these "habits" will hurt you, all will benefit you, and some may make the difference between life and death.

And it's never too late to start cultivating them.

Enjoy the journey!

References

1. Buettner, D, The Blue Zones, National Geographic Books, 2008; ISBN 1426202741.
2. http://biomed.gerontologyjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/11/1166.

[Ed. note: Dr. Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health. He's a board certified nutrition specialist with a Master's degree in psychology and the author of five books including The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. His latest book is The Most Effective Cures on Earth.For more information, click here.

Nutrients & Health: The Green Tea Super Substance By Ray Sahelian, MD

EGCG. In the future you're going to see these initials quite often. EGCG is short for epigallocatechin gallate, a substance found in certain herbsand in high amountsin green tea. Many of the benefits of drinking green tea are ascribed directly to EGCG.

You can obtain EGCG from drinking green tea or taking a green tea extract supplement which lists the amount of EGCG per capsule. On average, a cup of green tea will have roughly 100 mg of EGCG per 8 ounces. The amount of EGCG present in green tea varies with different brands of the product, the region the green tea is grown, the amount of brewing time, and the age of the green tea leaves. A cup of green tea may have as much as 20 mg of caffeine. (As a comparison, the average cup of coffee has 100 mg of caffeine.)

Let's look at some of the published research to see if EGCG measures up to the claims you may have heard or read.

There have been few human studies directly evaluating EGCG. However, laboratory and animal studies are plentiful. In lab studies, EGCG has been found to be a potent antioxidant and to have anti-cancer abilities.¹ In animal studies, EGCG has been found to be potentially helpful in blood sugar control.² In human studies, EGCG has been shown to be helpful in reducing infection from HPV (human papilloma virus) in the cervix.³

Cancer Research

EGCG induces apoptosis in human cancer cell lines. Apoptosis means the death of a cell, and in the case of a cancer cell, apoptosis is a good thing. In test tubes, EGCG thwarts the growth of several cancer cells including prostate, breast, lungs, ovaries, and liver.^4-8

Cervical Dysplasia with the HPV Virus

EGCG, when given to women with cervical dysplasia at a dose of 200 mg per day for a period of 12 weeks, showed a positive response.3 EGCG may be a potential therapy regimen for patients with HPV infected cervical lesions.

Weight Loss

Research with EGCG and weight loss in humans is still quite early. At this time it appears that green tea and EGCG may help slightly with weight loss when used in high amounts.⁹ However, the long-term benefit versus potential risk of high EGCG consumption has yet to be determined.

Alzheimer's Disease

In rodent studies, EGCG is able to prevent the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in brain tissue.¹⁰ Beta-amyloid is the substance believed to damage neurons in the brains of people with Alzheimer's. Hence, it is possible that drinking green tea or taking an EGCG supplement could potentially reduce the risk for AD.

Summary

EGCG may have health benefits as a nutritional supplement for cancer, heart disease, certain viral infections, and neurodegenerative conditions, and perhaps weight loss. However, at this time we don't know the long term safety of taking a high dose EGCG supplement by itself. It is clear from published studies involving Japanese green tea drinkers that long term drinking of green tea is safe and healthy.

References

1. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 1999 Nov;125(11):589-97
2. J Herb Pharmacother. 2005;5(3):55-65.
3. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2003 Oct;12(5):383-90.
4. http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/nutrprod/greentea.html
5. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407114633.htm
6. http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/5/915
7. Int J Cancer, 112:465-469(2004).
8. J Biomed Sci. 2003 Mar-Apr;10(2):219-27
9. Br J Nutr. 2005 Sep;94(3):432-6.
10. Neurosci. 2005 Sep 21;25(38):8807-14.

[Ed. Note: Ray Sahelian, M.D. is a practicing physician and the best-selling author of Mind Boosters. He is a leading authority on natural supplements and nutrition. For the latest research on organic ways to improve your health and well-being, click here.]

Healthy Recipes: Cedar-Planked Salmon with Whole Grain Mustard Glaze By Kelley Herring

This is a fish dish you won't soon forget! Results from a recent Tufts University study found that getting 180 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) daily can cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 47%!^1-2This fish dish provides a hefty 1000 mg -- more than five times that amount.

Time to Table: 1 hour
Serves: 4

The Benefits
Excellent source of protein, thiamin, riboflavin, potassium, selenium, and omega-3
Good source of folate, iron, magnesium
Low-Carb

Ingredients
4 cedar planks
1/2 cup organic, whole grain mustard
2 tsp fresh, organic lemon zest
1 Tbsp organic tamari
1 Tbsp organic dry mustard
24 ounces wild Alaskan salmon (4-6 oz fillets)
3 Tbsp organic mayonnaise
2 tsp buckwheat honey

Preparation
Light a grill. Soak cedar planks for 30 minutes in water. Once coals get a light gray ash, push them to the opposite side of the grill and set a disposable drip pan in the center. Meanwhile, mix mustards, tamari, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon zest. Drain planks, pat dry. Place salmon, skin side down, on the planks. Spread sauce over salmon. Place the planks on the grate above the drip pan, away from coals. Cover and cook salmon until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition Information
359.43 kcal Calories, 5.8 g Carbohydrate, 92.4 mg Cholesterol, 21.14 g Total Fat, 1.51 g Fiber, 35.7 g Protein, 716.26 mg Sodium, 3.24 g Sugars, 2.95 g Saturated fat, 0 g trans Fat, 6.75 g Monounsaturated Fat, 9.71 g Polyunsaturated Fat

References

1. Schaefer, J. et al. Archives of Neurology, Vol. 63, November 2006, pp. 1545-50.
2. Morris, MC. Archives of Neurology, Vol. 63, November 2006, pp. 1527-28 (editorial).

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information, click here.]

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs [Issue 07-11-08] which offers alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/