Start your new year off with a few steps in the healthier direction. Here are some easy goals to work on that will pave the way to a happier, healthier you:
Avoid social smoking. A study done by Stella Daskalopoulou, a researcher at McGill University Health Centre in Canada, found that smoking even one cigarette increases the stiffness of the arteries in 18-to-30-year-olds by 25 percent. Stiff arteries can cause the heart to work harder, increasing the risk for heart disease or stroke. According to Daskalopoulou, this is especially bad for occasional smokers because you’re not used to the effects and it’s stressful to your system.
Getting a sun-kissed glow from a tanning bed may be killing you. According to the American Cancer Society, the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before the age of 30.
Late night snacking is a bad habit to get into. When you eat at the wrong time, your body takes calories and stores them as fat because you don’t need the calories for fuel at that time, says Deanna Arble, lead author of the Northwestern University study about timing and food intake. Even calories from vegetables late at night will be stored.
According to a recent study on relationships, a bad night’s sleep leads to conflict during the day, which can lead to more bad sleep the following night. Avoid confrontational discussions on a day after you or your significant other had a bad night’s sleep.
Floss your teeth more often. Researchers from New York University found that out of 51 sets of twins, the twin that did not floss had more bacteria.
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