IS THIS THE HEALTHIEST DAY YOU CAN EVER HAVE ?
From the Daily Mail (London), September 25, 2001, by Peta Bee
Put into practice the advice of top nutritionists, psychologists and other health experts and we should be healthier than ever - right? In a Good Health experiment, PETA BEE examined just how easy it is to live a day according to the health gurus.
According to chronobiologists (specialists in the study of the body's physiological rhythms), our internal alarm clocks are programmed to go off after seven to eight hours sleep, which means I, like most people, get a biological wakeup call at around 7am.
This is the best time for me to get up, though it is half an hour earlier than I usually drag myself from beneath the sheets.
Have a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon. According to Professor Jeremy Hamilton-Miller of the medical microbiology department of the Royal Free Hospital in London, this will help my liver to cleanse my system and leave me feeling energised. It is an acquired taste and rather different to my usual cup of coffee. But I do feel refreshed.
And floss my teeth. My brushing-technique is, apparently, not the best way to care for my teeth.
Like many people, I scrub too aggressively, which can lead to receding gums and other problems, says Dr Jacinta Yeo, spokesperson for the British Dental Association.
Hold your brush at an angle of 45 degrees against the top of the tooth where it meets your gum and use four to five short horizontal movements per surface,' she says. 'Work from the back right to the back left of your upper teeth before moving down.'
Take a shower. According to naturopath Jan Pleshette, author of Instant Energy Boosters, splashing cold water on my skin will set me up for the day. 'It speeds up your metabolism and stimulates circulation,' she says. 'Hot water, on the other hand, will exhaust you.' For an instant energiser, she suggests finishing my shower with a 30-second burst of cold water - ouch.
Eat a banana. Sports dietitians hail bananas as the ultimate energy food. The fruit contains complex carbohydrates that give a long-lasting boost that should be enough to see me through my hour-long yoga class to follow. It certainly stops the grumbling noise from my stomach, plus it will count towards my recommended five daily portions of fruit and veg.
Drink half a litre of water. 'If you live an active lifestyle, you should aim to consume at least two litres of liquid, not necessarily water, every day,' says Dr Wendy Doyle, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association. 'This will keep you well-hydrated, ensure your kidneys stay healthy and will help to prevent urinary infections.'
Yoga class. Researchers at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Centre in New York found that most people are generally most alert 1-2 hours after they wake up. But although your mind might be ready to work out, your body isn't ready for intense physical activity, so yoga is the best way to ease my muscles and joints into the day.
Drink quarter of a litre of water.
Already, I am running backwards and forwards to the loo.
Eat breakfast. Studies at the University of Leeds by Professor John Blundell have shown that people who eat a breakfast that is high in carbohydrate and low in fat are less likely to binge on high- calories foods later in the day. I eat the bowl of breakfast cereal with skimmed milk and orange juice recommended by Prof Blundell, but skip my usual three cups of freshly made coffee that he says, would inhibit the absorption of nutrients from my meal.
Take probiotic multivitamin supplement. This will boost my levels of friendly bacteria and help to maintain a healthy gut.
Start work. Professor Michael Hastings, of Cambridge-University, who specialises in the body's physical rhythms, says my brain power hits a peak before noon, so this is the ideal time to tackle any jobs that require extra cerebral effort.
Adjust my seat. According to the TUC, lower back pain and repetitive strain injury cause 10 million working days to be lost each year. Slouching and bad posture at desks is one reason why back, neck and shoulder problems are on the increase. 'Always ensure the height of the desk, chair and work surface are right for you and ensure that objects you use regularly, such as the mouse, are within easy reach,' says chiropractor Mark Blokland.
Take break from computer.
There is still debate among experts about whether computer screens actually damage your eyes, although it is agreed that staring at them for hours on end can result in temporary eyestrain. There is no legal requirement about the number of breaks away from the screen you should take, although guidance suggests five to ten minutes every hour.
Walk to a local cafe. A stroll at lunchtime could boost my brain power for the afternoon. Washington University researchers found that a brisk ten minute walk left subjects feeling more relaxed and energetic, while another study at Indiana University concluded that strolling at a reasonable pace for 20 minutes or longer was one of the easiest ways to boost mental health.
Take light lunch. The body's digestive processes reach top speed at around midday, so now is the time to stop for a light meal. I opt for smoked mackerel salad as recommended by Dr Wendy Doyle, who says I should eat more fish. 'It is the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils that are thought to make the Mediterranean diet more healthy and protect against heart disease and raised cholesterol levels,' she says.
Chew gum. Chewing sugar-free gum stimulates saliva flow, which helps to clean away food remains and also helps to ' remineralise' the mouth after an acid attack.
Good to know that not all of my usual habits have to fall by the wayside.
Back to work. Since brain power has a second surge and long-term memory skills are also at their peak, this is the best time to absorb information. It is no coincidence that many Olympic records are broken at around this time - in fact, very few have ever been set before noon. 'Studies show that muscle temperature and other physical parameters reach a peak in late afternoon, so your body is ready to exercise then,' says Professor Hastings.
I work out for 20 minutes at the gym, more than meeting the Government's recommendation of 30 minutes of cumulative activity a day to ward off obesity.
Evening meal.
Eating too much at this time of day can overload the digestive system. Dr Wendy Doyle suggests a light evening meal of pasta and a lowfat sauce, which will fill me up but not with fatty calories. For pudding, I reach my target five portions of fruit and veg with a fresh fruit salad.
Socialise and make phone calls. Professor Cary Cooper, an organisational psychologist at the University of Manchester and an expert on stress and its effects, says it is vital to make time for yourself at the end of the day.
'Make personal disposable time by spending time with friends and people you love is vital for stress reduction,' he says. So I pop into see a friend for chat and then spend half an hour on the phone to another.
Relax. At last, the end is in sight. Apparently, body temperature and levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, start to drop in the early evening and, as the night draws in and my brain will slowly produce more melatonin as I begin to unwind and relax, says Professor Haastings.
Blood pressure drops and my metabolism winds down so that my body produces a constant flow of sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin. I take a lukewarm bath with loads of scented candles and plenty of bubbles.
Bedtime. Between 10pm and 11pm is said to be the best time to go to bed.
As heart-rate falls slowly this is when my body releases a further surge of sleep hormones.
I feel completely exhausted and climb into bed after sprinkling some drops of lavender oil on to my pillow to help me drop off - as if I need them.
By midnight, I should be in a deep sleep, says Professor Hastings. My body temperature, levels of stress hormones and alertness will plummet to their lowest at 3am to 4am, just a few hours before I get my next internal wakeup call.
Tomorrow will be strictly a day of rest for me. Being this healthy is far too much like hard work.
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