Greet your NY with small changes

I got this from Oprah’s The “O” Magazine and since New Year has just begun, why not commit to these small changes for bigger results?

1. Eat an Apple...Less calories intake

New research from Pennsylvania State University found that people who ate an apple before lunch consumed nearly 190 fewer calories at the meal than those who'd taken in the same number of calories (125) in the form of applesauce, fiber-fortified apple juice, and plain apple juice. "All calories are not created equal," says Mark Hyman, MD, author of Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. "A whole apple feels like more. It has more fiber and nutrients, and makes you feel full longer."

p.s. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. How true! I was told by my colleague, who suffer from quite a chronic acid reflux, that Washington red Apple is the best and a cure too because it is not as acidic as other types of apple. Somehow, it is quite difficult to find it nowadays. Perhaps, this could explain why many more people are getting acid reflux?

2. Brush Your Teeth with Your Other Hand…Improve your mood and memory

Using your non-dominant hand to do simple chores can improve your mood and your memory; that's because the action stimulates the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that encourages the growth of neurons linked to long-term memory and mood. "When you're depressed or under stress, your brain's production of BDNF plummets," says Moses Chao, PhD, professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine. (One of the lesser-known effects of antidepressants, he says, is to raise the levels of BDNF.) Anything unexpected—smelling rosemary first thing in the morning, for example—can activate BDNF.

p.s. I love writing with my left hand with my nephew’s drawing board and that’s one of the happiest moments.

3. Drink Filtered Coffee…Lower your LDL and cholesterol

A growing body of evidence is linking unfiltered coffee to higher levels of both LDL and total cholesterol. The reason, scientists suspect, has to do with terpenes—compounds found in the oil from coffee beans. Unfiltered coffees such as those made in an espresso machine or with a French press or a percolator have more terpenes, which interfere with cholesterol metabolism. "Filters catch surface oils," says Nancy Snyderman, MD, chief medical editor at NBC News and author of Medical Myths That Can Kill You: And the 101 Truths That Will Save, Extend, and Improve Your Life. "I learned the hard way that gold filters do very little. Paper filters are far more effective."

p.s. Wow, that easy aye?

4. Power Up Your Walk…Healthy body

If you've been anywhere near a gym lately, you've probably heard the word "core". Targeting the abs and back, core work develops supple muscles and decreases the risk of injuries. It also improves athletic performance and eases lower back pain, according to a 2008 review from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. You can easily slip in a little core conditioning while you're walking, says Michelle Demus, program director at New York's Pure Yoga studio. Take a deep inhalation, then, with a strong exhalation, pull in your navel toward your spine; hold for a count of five, and release. Do this 10 times while you're walking, take a short rest, and do two more sets. Another way to add core conditioning to your walk is to throw in a few lunges: Keeping the spine long and abdominals engaged, step about 3 feet forward with the right foot—the knee must stay directly above the ankle—and draw the left foot up, so you're balancing on the right leg for a moment. Repeat with the other foot.

p.s. Oh yes I fully agree on this because I never get myself to the gym or jog around KLCC park, so I do these while walking to and fro the office every single working day. It is simple to do because you pur more purpose to your activities…try them ok? :)

5. Have a Few Walnuts…Save your precious liver

If you're dragging, consider an unusual suspect: your liver. Thanks to the fatty, carb-heavy American diet, millions of adults are "increasing their odds of liver inflammation and putting themselves on the path toward cirrhosis—and they might never have touched a drink," says Jan Garavaglia, MD, host of the Discovery Health Channel's Dr. G: Medical Examiner and author of How Not to Die: Surprising Lessons on Living Longer, Safer, and Healthier from America's Favorite Medical Examiner. Fatigue and malaise are early symptoms of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; to help prevent or reverse it, try eating an ounce of walnuts daily; they contain liver-healthy omega-3s. In general, try to replace junk food with fruit, vegetables, fish, and whole grains.

p.s. I always suspect that my liver isn’t functioning properly or being ‘ overloaded’ with too many functions…kesian dia…an ounce of walnuts won’t burn your pocket right?

6. Pick Your Beat…Get motivated to excercise

Tempo can be a powerful motivator, according to Costas Karageorghis, PhD, associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England, who studies how music affects people. Recently he reported in the International Journal of Sports Medicine that when musical beats per minute (bpm) roughly correspond to a person's heart rate during exercise, motivation dramatically improves. Costas suggests experimenting with music of different tempos to see what coaxes you into a more positive frame of mind. To get you started, he's created playlists for different activities with bpm guidelines. (You can determine a song's beats per minute by Googling the title with "bpm," or try sites like EZ-Tracks.com and JamGlue.com.)

Meditation and yoga (50 to 76 bpm): "Albatross," Fleetwood Mac (66 bpm); "Evenstar," London Philharmonic (50 bpm); "Terrapin," Bonobo (76 bpm).

Walking (95 to 120 bpm): "Let's Get It Started," Black Eyed Peas (105 bpm); "Pon De Replay," Rihanna (100 bpm); "This Is How We Do It," Montell Jordan (104 bpm).

Running; elliptical machine (125 to 160 bpm): "Push It," Salt-N-Pepa (124 bpm); "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit," Fedde Le Grand (129 bpm); "Run to You," Bryan Adams (135 bpm).

p.s. I listen to music most of the time. Instead of making the music answerable to my moods, I make sure I select the right ones to get me into the desired mood. Like laughter, music soothes your soul! Ops…I don’t exercise but the music does make tapping my feet and wriggling my bums. Mr PT MACAM BAGUS, can they be considered a form of exercise? Oh, i listen to FlyFM nowadays coz it so HIP!

7. Time Major Decisions…Follow your hormones (Yikes!) for better YOU

During the week before ovulation, both estrogen and testosterone increase in order to help prepare the egg," says Rebecca Booth, MD, author of The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle…at Any Age. "Estrogen is going to make you more creative and emotional, while testosterone will raise your assertiveness and your self-confidence." So the week and a half after your period is the ideal time to work on projects that require insight and out-of-the-box thinking, or to tackle something you need courage for, like asking for a promotion. However, she cautions against making relationship decisions during this time. "The estrogen will make you sappy, and the testosterone can make you rash," says Booth. "So if you feel like doing something big and sweeping, give yourself a few days to think it over."

p.s. Men and women have both hormones, of course at different level. As a biochemistry-trained banker, trust me, your hormones affect many things that we do or say. Even to the extent of falling in love – remember pheromones?

8. When You Learn Something, Say It Out Loud…The smarter you are

The more actively you engage your brain in the process of learning, the more likely you are to retain knowledge, says Janet Sherman, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School. In fact, researchers have found that repeating information—the name of a person, a phone number, anything you're trying to absorb—in different ways increases retention. You might try phrases like "So you're saying…" as an opportunity to go over the fresh information and build on it. Or when you hear a story, tell it to someone new; just thinking about it in a different situation will help your mind store the details.

p.s. Indeed, this method works effectively. If you have watched “China – Mad about English” on NatGeo, you know it works!

9. Wake Up with a Plan…Wake up for a Purpose

If you overuse the snooze button, try this: When the alarm goes off, get out of bed and into the shower. And while you're there, try to remember yesterday's headlines. The one-two punch of physical and mental activity will activate your brain, says Zac Unger, author of Working Fire: The Making of a Fireman. (This Ivy Leaguer learned a lot about waking up quickly when he started fighting fires.) He also suggests that rather than dwell on how awful you're feeling, you make a goal you want to achieve before lunch.

p.s. Like a love song that say “ you are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning”, I do think we should be thankful that we are still alive to achieve our goals in this life, for us and our loved ones. If you guys have read the late Professor Randy Pausch book “ The Last Lecture”, you will know every second counts to live life to the fullest…

10. Practice the Phrase "I Forgive You"…Be in control

It's easier said than done, but after an argument, try thinking about forgiveness. "Choosing to forgive helps us see a situation through understanding and compassion," says Eileen Borris, director of training at the Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy and author of Finding Forgiveness: A 7-Step Program for Letting Go of Anger and Bitterness. "By making a problem yours to forgive, regardless of the behavior of the other person, you're giving yourself a profound degree of control."

p.s . I practise this and I can say I’m ever cheerful – people think I have no problems with anyone or having any problems – by putting the beyond-control-matters to rest.

11. Chew Gum…Get smarter (again)

The jury is still out on whether gum stimulates the appetite, but it seems to improve the thinking process. Researchers recently reported in the journal Neuroscience Letters that chewing gum activates areas of the brain that improve both concentration and memory.

p.s. I chew gums if I can’t brush my teeth after meals. Wow, no wonder I’m so smart…hehehehheh

12. Purge Toxic Possessions…The happier you are

Dwelling on regrets and negative memories fuels depression, which is why clearing out the tangible reminders can give you a lift, says Peter Walsh, the organizer on TLC's Clean Sweep and author of Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More. For example, if a certain dress played a critical part in a former relationship, get rid of it, no matter how beautiful it may be; each time you look at it, you're emotionally drawn back to that time. Likewise the year's worth of old New Yorker magazines you'll never have time to read, the photo of a friend who incessantly puts you down—toss!

p.s. I am so good at this and I do this semi-annually. Some may call me forgetful but I don’t ‘store’ any facts or memories unnecessary.

13. Stand on the Balls of Your Feet…You will be in touch with the reality

Simply shifting your weight to the balls of your feet will help you feel more grounded—whether you're having a tough conversation with a spouse or giving a presentation at work or a speech in front of an audience. Other tricks of the trade, according to Bill McGowan, CEO of the Clarity Media Group in New York City: "Pause to collect yourself before you start speaking. The wait will actually make you seem more sure of yourself," he says. Keep your pace even as you build to your point. And maintain eye contact. If that feels uncomfortable, look at an earring or a sideburn—the effect will be the same

p.s. Next time you watch people walking by, you will notice certain not-so-good character of those who sort of jump when they walk i.e. the balls of their feet hardly touching the ground…

14. Add Umami to Your Diet…Feel full, faster

Most kids can reel off the four basic flavors: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. But in 2000, a receptor for a fifth taste was identified: umami, which is loosely defined as a savory, meaty flavor derived from the amino acid glutamate. Umami is present in meat, fish, cheese, soy sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and green tea. And new research is showing that eating nonfattening—yet hearty-tasting—umami-flavored foods can trick your body into feeling full. The journal Physiology & Behavior reported this year that male rats that drank umami-flavored water ate less and gained less weight than those that were fed the same amount but without umami flavoring.

p.s. no wonder most japanese people are able to keep their figure in shape because they eat a lot of fishy stuffs. Hmmm I miss SY@SG…..

15. Take 10 minutes for Daydreaming…Be Brilliant

Science is now supporting what many brilliant people already do: When you're stumped on a problem, the best way to solve it is to let your mind wander. "The right hemisphere—the sensory part of the brain that's activated when you daydream—has more and wider-reaching branches, so it has the power to make the less obvious associations," says Mark Jung-Beeman, PhD, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University. One effective way to daydream, according to Jung-Beeman, is to go somewhere with as little outside stimuli as possible and think pleasant thoughts. Even if you don't solve the problem, you'll be calmer and more clearheaded.

p.s. This is my favourite pastime. Cool!