10 Facts About Health and Wellness
Educate yourself by reading 10 interesting (and sometimes surprising!) health and wellness facts:
2. Your skin works hard. Not only is it the largest organ in the body, but it regulates your temperature and defends against disease and infection.
3. Always look on the bright side: being an optimist can help you live longer.
- Studies have found that optimism is beneficial for your overall health, even lowering your risk of dying from heart disease!
- Optimists often have lower blood pressure, which reduces the risk of coronary artery disease as found in a study by scientists at Harvard.
- People who are more optimistic also tend to have healthier behaviors — such as diet and exercise — that contribute to longevity.
5. Sitting and sleeping are great in moderation, but too much can increase your chances of an early death.
8. Between 2000 and 2015, the average global life expectancy increased by five years.
9. Less than 1% of Americans ride their bike to work, while 50% of Copenhagen residents bike to work or school.
10. The US spends almost three times more on healthcare than any other country in the world, but ranks last in life expectancy among the 12 wealthiest industrialized countries.
10 Healthy Food Facts
Our bodies need food to survive, but all foods were not created equal.
Read through these facts about food and vitamins that you can incorporate into your diet to boost your health.
1. Chocolate is good for your skin; its antioxidants improve blood flow and protect against UV damage.
2. Almonds, avocados and arugula (the three ‘A’s) can boost your sex drive and improve fertility.
3. Tea can lower risks of heart attack, certain cancers, type 2 Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Just make sure your tea isn’t too sweet!
Teas can also act as natural remedies for many different health conditions, for example there are a number of brews great for anxiety.
Menstrual cramps can also be eased with certain teas, with even chronic pain helped by choosing the right blend.
4. Eating oatmeal provides a serotonin boost to calm the brain and improve your mood.
5. Although it only takes you a few minutes to eat a meal, it takes your body hours to completely digest the food.
6. Women below the age of 50 need twice the amount of iron per day as men of the same age.
7. An apple a day does keep the doctor away. Apples can reduce high levels of cholesterol to keep your heart healthy.
- Packed with antioxidants, extra virgin olive oil contains compounds and anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce incidents of certain types of cancer.
- This oil is also packed with monounsaturated fats that can help lower cholesterol and control insulin levels.
- Not all olive oils were created equal though. Make sure to look for the extra virgin varieties, which are cold-pressed and aren’t diluted with other types of oil.
10. Vitamin D is as important as calcium in determining bone health, and most people don’t get enough of it.
12 Facts About Mental Health
It’s easy to forget how much our mental health contributes to our wellbeing.
Facts about exercise show that just like all muscles, the brain needs to be exercised and cared for to ensure you are performing and feeling your best.
1. Learning a new language or playing a musical instrument gives your brain a boost.
2. Feeling stressed? Read. Getting lost in a book can lower levels of cortisol, and other unhealthy stress hormones, by up to 68%.
3. Maintaining good relationships with your friends and family, reduces harmful levels of stress and boosts your immune system.
5. Smelling rosemary may increase alertness and improve memory so catch a whiff before a test or important meeting.
6. Swearing can make you feel better when you’re in pain.
In a study conducted by Keele University in the UK, participants were asked to submerge their hand into a bucket of cold water.
While swearing, participants reported less pain and were able to withstand the pain longer.
7. Writing in a journal can make you a happier person!
Journaling can actually boost your wellbeing in so many interesting and surprising ways!
Whether you want to express gratitude each day, learn to live more mindfully, or simply track your fitness journey, there are lots of ways to incorporate journaling into your everyday routine.
8. Chewing gum makes you more alert, relieves stress and reduces anxiety levels.
9. Yoga can boost your cognitive function and lower stress.
Think yoga is just great for improving your flexibility? Think again!
Yoga has incredible benefits, boosting your immune system, making you more productive and even improving your sex life.
No wonder it’s growing in popularity every year!
10. Walking outside – or spending time in green space – can reduce negative thoughts and boost self-esteem.
11. A lonely brain craves people like a hungry stomach craves food.
Researchers found that after a day of isolation, people’s brains showed increased responses to pictures of other humans.
They likened the response to the way a hungry brain reacts when it sees food.
6 Unknown Nutrition Facts
Think you know everything about maintaining a healthy diet? Think again!
Here are some unknown nutrition facts that might surprise you:
1. A troubled gut can send signals to the brain, just like a troubled brain can send signals to the gut.
Experts used to believe that conditions such as anxiety and depression caused digestion problems.
However more recent learnings revealed that the connection goes both ways.
2. Scientists have discovered 14 genes that cause obesity and three that prevent weight gain.
3. People with high blood sugar levels are more likely to experience cognitive decline.
5. Eating eggshell can help you increase your calcium intake.
Though you might discard them, eating an egg’s shell is actually good for your health!
One eggshell contains about 2.2 grams of calcium, so perfect if you’re trying to boost your calcium levels.
6. Cooking in a cast iron skillet can add significant amounts of iron to your food.
11 Health and Fitness Facts
For a healthy body and mind, general fitness and moderate exercise are crucial. We hope these interesting health facts encourage you to move!
1. There are five main components of fitness: the body’s ability to use oxygen, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition.
3. Sleeping naked can help you burn more calories.
That’s because research shows when you shed your bed clothes, your body stays cool which helps to speed up your metabolism.
Sleep problems are a real issue across the US, with many negative impacts on your health.
Luckily there are lots of ways to improve your sleep. These include going to bed earlier and even just simply sleeping next to someone you love!
4. Walking at a fast pace for three hours or more at least once a week, can reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 65%.
Being healthy and fit doesn’t necessarily equate to long hours at the gym, especially for older adults.
A study of adults over the age of 65 found that walking at least four hours a week reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease hospitalizations.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, while conducting a similar study, found that moderate intensity walking and vigorous intensity running has similar reductions in risk levels for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and even potentially coronary heart disease.
5. Even at rest, muscle is three times more efficient at burning calories than fat.
6. Regular activity can ease the severity and reduce the frequency of lower back pain.
7. Running is good for you. People who run 12-18 miles a week have a stronger immune system and can increase their bone mineral density.
8. Exercising regularly can increase your lifespan by keeping your DNA healthy and young.
10. Stretching increases the blood flow to your muscles and helps avoid injuries.
11. Practicing good posture can boost your energy levels.
Sitting up straight also has other health advantages including relieving chronic pain, improving your breathing and easing depressive symptoms.
10 Health and Hydration Facts
Water is the body’s natural elixir. Below we’ve compiled ten good reasons why keeping hydrated contributes to good health.
1. Drinking at least five glasses of water a day can reduce your chances of suffering from a heart attack by 40%.
2. Dehydration can have a negative impact on your mood and energy levels. Drink enough water to ensure you’re always at your best.
4. Repeatedly using a plastic water bottle can release chemicals into your water. Why not try a reusable bottle instead? It’s good for you and the planet.
5. The spinal disc core is comprised of a large volume of water therefore dehydration could lead to back pain.
6. Kidneys filter your blood up to 300 times a day and need water to function optimally.
7. Hydration is key for a good complexion. Drinking enough water also makes you less prone to wrinkles.
8. A lack of water can cause a range of problems, such as constipation, asthma, allergy and migraines.
9. Water can aid in weight loss because it helps to remove the by-products of fat and if consumed before a meal can make you more satisfied and eat less.
- Dieticians recommend drinking 16 ounces of water before every meal. When combined with cutting back portions, drinking more water can help you lose weight and keep it off for at least a year.
- Not only that, but a study by the Endocrine Society found that drinking 500ml of water increased the metabolic rate (in both men and women) by 30% within 10-40 minutes of drinking water.
10. Your muscles and joints require water in order to stay energized, lubricated and healthy.
10 Facts About Good Health and Wellbeing
Here are a few general hints and tips to keep you feeling healthy and to ensure you’re taking good care of your body.
1. Massage isn’t just beneficial for the muscles. It can help scars fade, and can be more beneficial than lotion or oil.
It might seem like an indulgence, but when you consider the many different ways a massage can improve your health, you’ll realise it’s a necessity!
There are plenty of different styles you can experiment with, including an energizing shiatsu massage.
2. Brushing teeth too soon after eating or drinking can soften the tooth enamel, especially if you’ve just been eating or drinking acidic foods.
Brushing teeth too soon after eating or drinking can soften the tooth enamel, especially if you’ve just been eating or drinking acidic foods.
The Academy of General Dentistry recommends waiting at least 30 to 60 minutes.
Could practicing meditation be your ticket to better health?
Increasing numbers of people are beginning to meditate thanks to the many health advantages, including better sleep, improved memory and a reduction in symptoms of anxiety.
We often hear how damaging outdoor air pollution can be. Considering how much time is spent indoors, the quality of indoor air is just as important.
Elements such as dust, mold or cleaning supplies can contaminate the air, resulting in poor indoor air quality.
As a result of this poor air quality or lack of ventilation, irritation to the eyes, nose and throat is common, with long-term exposure leading to some respiratory diseases.
- Working to remove sources of pollution, simply opening a window or door for more fresh air, or even getting plants that can filter air can counteract this problem.
5. SPF 50 allows only two percent of UVB rays to pass to your skin compared to seven percent when wearing only SPF 15.
- Exposure to any form of light suppresses the secretion of melatonin (a hormone that encourages the circadian rhythm), but blue light is especially powerful.
7. Feeling down? Plan a vacation. Not only will getting away make you feel better, but planning and anticipating the vacation will also give you a happiness boost.
9. Wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats and free-range eggs are simple ways to inject healthy changes to your diet without drastically altering what you eat.
10. Breathing deeply in moments of stress, or anytime during the day, brings many benefits such as better circulation, decreased anxiety and reduced blood pressure.
10 Fun and Random Health Facts
The next ten facts cover a broad spectrum, but you can use this intriguing information to impress your friends.
1. ‘Gymnasium’ comes from the Greek word ‘gymnasion’, meaning ‘to exercise naked’.
2. On average, there are more bacteria per square inch in a kitchen sink than the bathroom.
5. During an allergic reaction your immune system is responding to a false alarm that it perceives as a threat.
7. The eye muscles are the most active in the body, moving more than 100,000 times a day!
8. A human cough can travel as fast as 50mph. Sneezes can travel up to 100 mph — faster than the average car!
10. The soles of your feet contain more sweat glands and nerve endings per square inch than anywhere else on your body.
It’s not uncommon for your feet to be sore at the end of the day, especially if you spend a lot of time standing up or walking.
Foot pain, ranging from general soreness at the end of a long day, to a more serious condition, is common.
11 Must Know Medical Facts
Our body is full of surprises!
Prepare to be shocked and enthralled by the following surprising medical facts:
1. Smelling the head of a newborn baby decreases aggression in men. However it increases aggression in women.
Don’t be alarmed! This aggression manifests in women as a deep desire to protect their children, referred to as the “mama bear” instinct.
2. The microbe that causes anthrax can numb multiple types of pain in mice.
A toxin from the microbe targets pain-sensing cells to change signals and block pain.
Results offered hope to scientists looking for pain management options for their patients that don’t have the systematic effects of opioids and other painkillers.
3. Men who live alone for several years are prone to higher levels of inflammation.
4. Pupil size can be a marker of intelligence.
Scientists recently discovered that baseline pupil size is related to individual differences in intelligence.
Based on reasoning, attention and memory tests, the larger your pupils, the higher your intelligence!
5. People with a positive outlook are less likely to experience memory decline as they age.
If you’re looking for ways to develop a more positive outlook, then reading inspiring words and reflections could help.
Here at The Good Body we’re passionate about the power of positive affirmations, as they’re proven to boost your mood!
You can train yourself to practice alternate nostril breathing, a yogic practice that can help to quiet a busy mind.
10. According to a study from Harvard University, people who are always running late tend to be happier and live longer!
11. Got a kidney stone? Riding a rollercoaster can help!
Amazingly scientists found that riding a rollercoaster had nearly a 70% success rate in helping patients pass kidney stones!
Looking for more ways to stay in optimum health?
Is your mind now bursting with new information or are you desperate to learn more?
Take a look at our list of facts about fitness to get you moving!
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