Did you know? 5 surprising facts about healthy living

1. Chewing-gum can make you feel more alert:

Research conducted at Coventry University has found that chewing mint flavoured chewing gum could significantly reduce feelings of tiredness. Separate research shows that chewing gum can improve memory by 35%. So, next time you head to the cafe for your morning hit of caffeine, try popping a piece of chewing gum in your mouth instead. As well as being much healthier than coffee, sugar-free chewing gum is known to be good for the teeth.

2. Exercising without dieting won’t make you thin:

It’s hard to say goodbye to that 3pm teacake, or that Saturday night curry and beer, even when you know you need to lose weight. Instead of exchanging chocolate for fruit or the hot chocolate for green tea, many of us choose to hit the gym. However, a number of different studies show that exercising alone will not help weight loss. A study published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine found that when obese people completed 12 weeks of supervised cardio workouts without changing their eating habits, most of them experienced little to no weight loss. In order to succeed in losing weight, it is essential to eat a healthy, balanced diet and to burn more calories than you consume in a day. However, it is also important to note that whether it helps you lose weight or not, exercising regularly is essential for good health.

3. Sugar can be as bad for you as alcohol and cigarettes:

Whereas ‘smokers’ and ‘drinkers’ have a pretty bad reputation for leading unhealthy lifestyles, people who eat sugar (who doesn’t?) rarely meet the same kind of stigma. However, according to a team of researchers at the University of California, consuming sugar is just as damaging as smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. Now experts are calling for sugar intake to be monitored and in some cases restricted. Many of us eat far more sugar than we need. Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. If you get sweet cravings, try eating honey and fruit instead of refined sugar.

4. Optimists live longer:

There is evidence to suggest that the ‘glass half full’ among us are more likely to live longer than our gloomier peers. According to findings published in the European Heart Journal, optimistic people are at less risk of heart disease than negative people. Similarly, a study carried out at Duke University Medical Centre found that heart patients who remained positive about their treatment were more likely to survive than those who didn’t.

5. Women more likely to suffer from a broken heart:

Love and loss can be difficult, we all know this. However, now researchers are learning that the metaphorical ‘broken heart’ of all classic literature and contemporary pop songs may in fact be a real illness. ‘Broken heart syndrome’ is a condition where the release of adrenaline caused by shock leads to heart failure and often death. Other research has shown that women are up to nine times more likely than men to suffer from this condition. 

Life is full of surprises. If you would like to find out more about living life to the full, a life coach may be able to help. A life coach can help you to plan ahead and optimize your potential in work, in relationships and in the home. So whether you’d finally like to get round to that round-the-world trip, or if you need help developing your career, life coaching could be your first port of call. 

Visit life coaching areas to find out more about how life coaches work.

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