Tuesday, March 25, 2008

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Roger Simon/Stock4B/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Tea off in the morning

Hot tea can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15 percent, according to a review in the International Journal of Cancer. Try pu-erh tea, which is better than green or black tea at preventing DNA damage.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Hola Images/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Sleep smarter

Too much sleep, or not enough of it, can kill you. A British study found that getting more than 9 hours of sack time a night, or less than 6, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause. Aim for 7 to 8 hours a night.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Tom Grill/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Pop in your lenses post shower

Soaping up while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes, say University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Steve Lupton/Corbis

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Drink wine, stay lean

Polyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help your body block fat absorption, an Israeli study found. Red-wine marinades work, too.

Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Jim Arbogast/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Lose the lint

Taking 2 seconds to empty the lint trap in your clothes dryer can prevent you from being one of the 315 dryer-fire victims each year in the United States.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Bambu Productions/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Sit back and relax

Parking your torso at a 90-degree angle strains your spine, say Scottish and Canadian researchers. Instead, give your chair the La-Z-Boy treatment and recline the seat back slightly. The ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Corbis

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Boost your defenses

An Archives of Internal Medicine review reports that 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduces your risk of an early death by 7 percent.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Nichola Evans/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Skip the spray

Using household spray cleaners just once a week increases your risk of an asthma attack by 76 percent, say Spanish researchers. Use wipes instead.

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health// © Dorling Kindersley/Getty Images

9 Simple Ways to Boost Your Health

Steam your broccoli

Italian researchers recently discovered that steaming broccoli increases its concentration of glucosinolates (compounds found to fight cancer) by 30 percent. Boiling actually lowers the levels.



Courtesy MSNHealth

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