Hello, Yahoo readers! My name is Rachel Grumman Bender, and I\u2019m here to share the best wellness tips to help you feel healthier and brighten up your week.<\/p>\n
Supersize portions have been the norm in the U.S. for so long that getting anything less than a heaping plate of food can feel like you\u2019re being shortchanged, especially when you\u2019re dining out. Yahoo contributor Mikaela Conley breaks down how food companies fueled this \u201cbigger is better\u201d trend<\/a> with value meals, combo deals and all-you-can-eat buffets \u2014 and what that\u2019s done to our health. Not surprisingly, oversize portions can contribute to weight gain and raise the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.<\/p>\n But the mega-meal era may be on its way out thanks to more awareness of healthy eating habits, rising food costs and millions of people on GLP-1 weight loss medications<\/a> that curb their appetites. Some restaurants are already scaling back on their portion sizes, but if you\u2019re looking to make some changes now, start here: Use smaller plates and cups (I\u2019ve used salad plates instead of giant dinner plates for years), begin your meal with a filling salad and ask for a to-go box at the start and pack part of your meal before digging in.<\/p>\n Daylight saving time ended today<\/a>, which means shorter days and earlier sunsets. Check your local forecast<\/a> before stepping outside. And if you\u2019re curious, look up your horoscope<\/a>. Then choose \u201cone small thing\u201d<\/a> to prioritize your health this week. Let\u2019s jump in.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udeb6\u200d\u2640\ufe0f Take a long walk<\/p>\n There are so many good reasons to step outside and go for a walk: It boosts your mood, reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, strengthens your muscles and bones \u2014 I could go on. While even a short walk has benefits, new research shows that longer ones are even better when it comes to protecting your heart health, reports NBC News<\/a>. More specifically, people who walked for 15 minutes or more, rather than taking short strolls throughout the day, were much less likely to develop heart disease or die prematurely within the next decade. \u201cLonger walks likely help by improving blood circulation, lowering blood pressure and supporting glucose control \u2014 all key for heart health,\u201d study author Dr. Borja del Pozo Cruz tells CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udebd Keep the toilet lid closed<\/p>\n If you and your partner have an ongoing argument about whether to leave the toilet lid open or closed, you\u2019ll want to read this: While you may already know it\u2019s a smart move to put down the lid when you flush, experts say it\u2019s best to keep it that way \u2014 even when the toilet isn\u2019t being used. That helps prevent the further spread of bacteria in the air. “When the toilet lid is left open, the escape of bioaerosols containing bacteria and viruses is maximal, resulting in widespread contamination of air and surfaces,\u201d Dr. Steven Goldberg, the chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx, tells Southern Living<\/a>. (We can save the debate about whether the toilet paper roll should be over or under for another day.)<\/p>\n \ud83d\ude34 Block out light at bedtime<\/p>\n Bright lights before bed can mess with your rest, but it turns out even dim light in your bedroom overnight could put your heart health at risk. Researchers measured people\u2019s exposure to light between midnight and 6 a.m. and found a link between those who got the most light at night and a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, heart attack, atrial fibrillation and stroke. One possible reason: Exposure to light at night disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm. (On the flipside, the study also found that those exposed to bright light during the day had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, reports Real Simple<\/a>.) Along with turning off bright screens at least an hour before bed, try wearing a sleep mask or using blackout curtains to block out any ambient light while you snooze.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf4c Eat these foods to prevent muscle cramps<\/p>\n Whenever I\u2019d get a charley horse, my dad would suggest eating a banana. Turns out, that\u2019s good advice (thanks, Dad!). Muscle cramps can happen for lots of reasons \u2014 sometimes it\u2019s because you pushed yourself too hard while exercising or didn\u2019t stretch enough. But EatingWell<\/a> reports that dehydration and low electrolyte levels can also be to blame. (Electrolytes help your muscles contract and relax.) The fix? Stay hydrated, especially before and after exercising, and get in more electrolytes<\/a> like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium. You don\u2019t need a sugary sports drink to do it, either. Bananas are full of potassium, while avocados and sweet potatoes both deliver potassium and magnesium.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac Share happy moments with your partner<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got good news, don\u2019t keep it to yourself. Spreading a little joy with someone you care about does more than improve your mood \u2014 it can also be good for your health<\/a>, according to a new study<\/a>. Researchers found that when older couples experience positive emotions together, their levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop. (This held true even if the couple wasn\u2019t particularly happy in the relationship overall.) And the benefits are long-lasting. \u201cWhen couples felt good together, their cortisol levels stayed lower later in the day,\u201d says lead author of the study Tomiko Yoneda of the University of California Davis. \u201cThis suggests that co-experiencing positive emotions might actually help the body stay calmer over time.\u201d While the study looked at older adults, these feel-good benefits can apply to anyone.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udedb Add more fiber to your diet<\/p>\n Fiber has a bunch of benefits<\/a>, from keeping you regular and improving digestion to stabilizing blood sugar levels and lowering LDL, aka \u201cbad,\u201d cholesterol. But most people don\u2019t get enough. I follow registered dietitian Dalina Soto, aka your.latina.nutritionst<\/a> on Instagram, and she recently shared some of her favorite ways to get in more fiber<\/a>, which include: flaxseed (1 tablespoon has 2 to 3 grams of fiber) and chia seeds (1 tablespoon has 4 to 6 grams of fiber) \u2014 both of which you can toss into overnight oats and smoothies \u2014 as well as sliced almonds (1\/4 cup has 4 grams of fiber) and green beans (1 cup has 2 to 3 grams of fiber). But one food in particular stood out: sweet garden peas, which can pack in 10 grams of fiber in 1 cup.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udd79 Spend a few minutes watching an inspiring video<\/p>\n Feeling down? Turn your mood around by putting on an inspiring video. In a new study<\/a>, people who spent three to five minutes watching \u201cunderdog narratives, in which a person overcomes adversity to succeed,\u201d felt more hopeful and less stressed after \u2014 and those positive feelings lasted over the next 10 days. One easy way to maintain a positive mindset is by curating your social media feed: “Make an effort that the first couple of things that you search for every day are things that are going to put you in a positive frame,” media researcher Allison Eden of Michigan State University tells NPR<\/a>. Try searching for uplifting content, like adorable baby Halloween costumes<\/a>, fun dance videos or feel-good news stories, to start your day on a brighter note.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc56 Declutter your closet<\/p>\n A cluttered closet can be overwhelming \u2014 and let\u2019s be honest, most of us are hanging onto clothes that never get worn or no longer fit. Streamlining your wardrobe can mean less stress and decision fatigue, while saving you precious time in the morning. But actually parting with certain pieces can be surprisingly hard. TikToker Aimee Reiff<\/a>, who is doing a series on decluttering your closet, offers an interesting explanation: the endowment effect, which she says is our \u201ctendency to overvalue what we own simply because we own it\u201d \u2014 even if we no longer need it. To make letting go easier, Reiff recommends asking yourself these questions: If you didn\u2019t already own this piece of clothing, would you buy it now? If you lost your luggage and this item was inside, would you miss it or repurchase it? If a friend were cleaning out their closet and offered you this item, would you be excited, or would you pass?<\/p>\n \u2668\ufe0f Warm up before exercising outdoors<\/p>\n If it\u2019s chilly outside, but you don\u2019t want to skip your outdoor nature walk or morning jog, try doing your pre-exercise warmup indoors, suggests the Independent<\/a>. Cold temperatures cause your blood vessels to constrict and leave your muscles feeling stiff \u2014 not exactly what you want before exercising. Doing a 10-minute warmup in your home, such as stretches (like bringing your knee to your chest or touching your toes), arm circles and jumping jacks, raises your body\u2019s core temperature and boosts blood flow to your muscles before you face the brisk outdoor air.<\/p>\n