| September 24, 2006
31 Days to a Healthier You
Women: The calendar below will set the course for your healthiest month ever.
USA WEEKEND joins Women's Health magazine to bring you the latest advice.
31-day calendar of health: Download (PDF) or see below.
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For all you women who struggle with diet, weight, exercise, getting and staying fit. We make it easy, with a pull-out October calendar to get you on the right track, no matter where you fall on the health and fitness scale.
USA WEEKEND Magazine teamed up with Women's Health, the newest major women's lifestyle magazine rooted in health and fitness, to make next month the healthiest 31 days of your life. On each day, you'll find a single, simple tip, based on the very latest and best information, that will bring you one step closer to being a healthier you.
With this calendar, we continue our commitment to bring our readers the most current, relevant health advice. In the past, we have teamed with a host of leading health experts to bring cutting-edge, practical advice that's geared specifically for women, men, children and seniors. And in November, stay tuned for our Special Health Report, which will bring you the biggest, best health advances of the last year.
But first, let's stick to October. Hang thison your fridge, and find out how to make each day a healthier one. Head to womenshealthmag.com for even more useful tips on health, fitness, nutrition, emotional well-being, sex and relationships, and beauty and style.
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Make October the Healthiest Month of Your Life
USA WEEKEND joins "Women's Health magazine to bring women of all ages the latest advice to improve their health, starting now (well, next weekend). Pull out this October calendar, tack it on the fridge and, by Halloween, you'll be frightfully fit!
Download (PDF).
31 Days to a Healthier You
1. It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Give yourself a self-exam in the shower today. Early detection is crucial.
2 Start the month right: Eat a red grapefruit regularly for breakfast and lower your cholesterol by as much as 15%.
3 Celebrate Drive Safely to Work Week. You can decrease road rage with a cup of peppermint tea, which can decrease frustration when inhaled.
4 Floss your teeth tonight. Flossing four to six times a week can add about three years to your life.
5 Eat some cherry pie for dessert tonight. Cherries may help fight inflammation associated with heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
6 Listen to a favorite song. It can provide drug-free help for stress and aches and pains.
7 Stock some yogurt in the fridge. Live cultures in yogurt help soothe an upset stomach and also may reduce the risk of colon cancer.
8 Switch from green to red. Red bell peppers have three times more vitamin C than green and are a great source of beta carotene.
9 Leave a few bites on your plate. Research shows that reducing your caloric intake by 20% has impressive anti-aging benefits.
10. Go for garlic to help lower your cholesterol.
11. Insoluble fiber in the skins of fruits and vegetables such as apples and green beans aids digestion.
12. Instead of pasta or potatoes, eat a chicken breast. Subbing protein leads to slimmer middles, new research finds.
13. Another benefit of protein, in addition to the tip on Oct. 12: Shifting as little as 10% of your calories away from carbs and to protein can lower blood pressure.
14. Pack a handful of almonds for an afternoon snack to combat heart disease, and add protein, fiber, calcium and iron to your diet.
15. Go ahead, enjoy a cup: Coffee is the No. 1 source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet.
16. Make time for two 15-minute walks. Short periods of exercise throughout the day may be better for your heart than one long workout.
17. If you're menopausal, sign up for yoga once a week. Researchers say that yoga's deep breathing reduces hot flashes by about 40%.
18. Before you brush your teeth this morning, weigh yourself. Your true weight is your morning weight, before food and liquid inflate the number.
19. Boost your spirits with trout or salmon. Their omega-3 fatty acids may alleviate mild to moderate depression.
20. Cuddle with your significant other tonight, if you have one. Intimate, but not sexual, touching releases oxytocin, the hormone associated with emotional closeness.
21. When you go to bed, try slow, deep breathing, counting to 10 as you inhale and again as you exhale. Ten to 15 minutes of this breathing daily can restore balance in your nervous system.
22. Don't forget to try some lemon balm tea. Steep 3 teaspoons in 3 cups of hot water. It can improve your memory!
23. Plan a getaway. Women who take two or more vacations a year are happier and have more energy than those who vacation less, says a recently published study of 1,500 women.
24. Turn your bedside clock away from you to sleep better. If you can't sleep, the constant reminder that you're running out of hours can make it harder.
25. Improve your social life: The best place to stand if you want to be seen at a party is the center of the room or the corner of the bar.
26. If your job is a pain in the neck, add an arm board to your desk. Try flat foam or silicone support in front of your keyboard to reduce upper-body pain.
27. To help reverse the effects of skin damage, use four key items on a daily basis: sunscreen, an exfoliant, an antioxidant and retinol.
28. Volunteer on USA WEEKEND's Make A Difference Day. Studies show that people who help others live longer.
29. Improve your sex life. Creams containing the amino acid L-arginine may increase your sex drive and intensify orgasms.
30. Eat a piece of dark chocolate. Recent studies show that it contains chemicals that fight tooth plaque buildup.
31. Work off that Halloween candy by maximizing your workout: Start out with a few low-intensity versions of your activity, and avoid pre-workout stretching, which reduces muscle strength endurance.
31-day calendar of health: Download (PDF).
For even more tips, go to womenshealthmag.com.
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