Health & Fitness

10 Health Facts You Should Know

Get the essentials on nutrition, sleep, stress, posture and other factors that affect your well-being

By Wellness Matters /

Credit: greg westfall

A morning walk can improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep

Essential info for your well being.

Did you know?

  1. Morning exercise can improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep by 70 per cent, because it seems to adjust the internal clock that governs the sleep-wake cycle.
  2. Exercise (even a short walk) has proved to be effective in helping to reduce cravings in people who are quitting smoking.
  3. Applying DEET (insect repellant) and sunscreen together may diminish the effectiveness of the sunscreen, so apply extra sunscreen often.
  4. Extra-virgin olive oil (derived from the first pressing of the olives) contains the highest levels of antioxidants because it is less processed.
  5. Just one-half cup (125 mL) of 100 per cent bran cereal contains about one quarter of a man’s daily requirement for fibre (one-third of a woman’s daily requirement).
  6. Good posture and regular exercise to build strong abdominal muscles are your best defence against developing back problems.
  7. Chronic stress affects the body’s delicate hormone levels and may play a role in accelerating the aging process.
  8. You can dramatically cut the calories and fat content of your favourite coffee selection by ordering it with 1% or non-fat milk.
  9. It’s believed that a buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood helps stop hiccups. That explains why holding your breath is an effective treatment.
  10. People who wash their hands frequently (eight or more times a day) catch 40 per cent fewer colds.

Originally published in Wellness Matters, Canada Wide Media’s quarterly newsletter on health and wellness.