Every day you’re inundated with information about what you should do to live a healthier, longer, happier life. But if the physical and emotional benefits of living well aren’t enough motivation—if you’re still stuck in bad habits and just can’t seem to get out—maybe a little reverse psychology will help.

1. Every day you’re inundated with information about what you should do to live
a healthier, longer, happier life. But if the physical and emotional benefits of
living well aren’t enough motivation—if you’re still stuck in bad habits and just
can’t seem to get out—maybe a little reverse psychology will help.
1.) Gain Weight.
Eating a diet rich in saturated fat and skipping out on exercise
will pack on the pounds. So if that’s what you’re going for, by all
means—fry up that next pack of bacon.
Carrying extra weight can lead to all kinds of health issues, including:
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Stroke
• Liver and gallbladder disease
• Sleep apnea and respiratory
problems
• High blood pressure
• Arthritis
• Abnormal lipid levels
• Lower back pain
Gaining Just
10lbs.
can increase your risk for these serious health issues. (1)
2.) Start Smoking.
The adverse health effects from cigarette smoking account for
more than 440,000 deaths each year in the United States.
1 in 5
deaths in the US
are caused by smoking.
If nobody smoked:
1 in 3
cancer deaths in the US
would not happen.
Smoking causes an estimated
of lung cancer
deaths in men.
of lung cancer
deaths in women.
More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol
use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders COMBINED.
3.) Keep that stress bottled up.
Constant stress has far-reaching consequences on our physical
and mental health, including anxiety, high blood pressure, heart
disease, and addictive disorders, which can all have detrimental
effects on longevity. (4)
Stuffing stress:
• Ruins quality of sleep
• Weakens your immune system
• Shuts down your libido
• Makes you gain weight
• Causes you to age faster
4.) Pass on the fruit plate.
Eating fruit provides health benefits — people who eat more
fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely
to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide
nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
Enjoying a variety of fruit:
• Keeps your blood pressure down
• Keeps LDL (bad) cholesterol down
• Lowers risk of heart disease
• Lowers risk of cancer
• Improves immune system
• Improves artery health. (1)
5.) Forget the floss.
Flossing can add 6.4 years to your life, says Dr. Michael Roizen
in his book The RealAge Makeover. (3) Neglect your teeth, and
you risk serious problems.
Poor oral
hygiene
Gum
disease
( Gingivitis and periodontitis )
Cardiovascular
disease.
Narrowing
of arteries
By simply brushing and flossing daily, we rid our mouths of the bacteria that cause
inflammatory gum disease and save our heart a little bit of trouble (3).
6.) Take your cues from a camel.
Camels can lose 25% of their body weight to dehydration, We
humans can withstand only about 10% water loss before dying
of a heart attack (5).
If you attempt camel-like dehydration levels, you’ll experience:
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Chills
• Sunken eyes
• Muscle cramps
• Extreme fatigue
• Rapid pulse
• Impaired vision
• Eventual death
We use water to regulate
body temperature, protect
our joints and organs, and
to help transport oxygen
to cells.
Be sure to hydrate frequently, from various
sources, not just water, to
stay in the clear (3).
Percent of our
bodies is water.
7.) Plant your backside on the couch.
Sedentary living is a bona fide way to take years off your life
Sitting
too much
Less
Muscle
Slower
metabolism
Obesity
Higher risk
of death
Regular exercise:
• Strengthens your heart and blood vessels
• Enhances your immune system
• Protects you from stress and depression
• Boosts your brainpower.
• Benefits your joints (1).
You can reverse the effects of sitting too much. They key is fitting activity into your life:
• Walk to work
• Take the stairs
• Park farther away
• Don’t cart your groceries—carry them
• Hop on your treadmill, stair climber,
or whole body vibration machine
during commercials.
References
1.) http://www.sharecare.com
2.) http://www.time.com
3.) http://www.askmen.com/
4.) http://www.cdc.gov
5.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel
6.) http://www.forbes.com/
7.) http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/
au.hypervibe.com