Here’s your daily breakdown designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes.
Today’s health upgrade:
Is an app hurting your workouts?
Hangover cures
How to manage tough times
Social Media Kryptonite
Want to be instantly stronger? Stop checking social media before you sweat. Scientists looked at the impact of social media before a workout and found that scrolling saps your strength much more than you realize.
Looking at your feed might seem innocent, but when you do it before training, it can lead to a 29 percent decrease in workout performance. The sub-par workouts were the result of mental fatigue. It turns out that swiping and liking burn your self-confidence and also your mental energy.
A Real Hangover Cure
If any amount of alcohol seems to leave you spinning the next day, it might not be all your fault. That's because a gene (ALDH2) makes booze hit extra hard. For the rest of us, there are a few proven ways to take away the pain of a few too many drinks (other than abstaining completely). Researchers from Stanford University reviewed 21 studies and found that most over-the-counter solutions are a waste of money. Instead, you stand a better chance of feeling normal the next day by eating a combination of protein and fat before drinking (research suggests about 700 calories can do the trick) and downing water and electrolytes before bed.
If that doesn't do the trick, research suggests four supplements could help speed your recovery. They include Korean pear juice, red ginseng, Panax ginseng, and l-cysteine. If you want to do everything possible to kill your headache, have some caffeine and try consuming Vitamins B and C and zinc — all of which are depleted when you drink.
Podcast Recommendation: When Losing Is Winning
Good health isn't about perfection. Oftentimes, it's about not letting your struggles throw you off course. You want your plan to feel like bowling with bumpers. Because if you never fear falling in the gutter, it’s easier to stay in the game.
But changing your diet or making exercise a habit rarely feels that easy. This is why shifting your mindset and expectations about what success looks like can make all the difference.
Struggles are a part of most successes, so your goal is to not overreact when things aren’t going your way.
This podcast episode looks at the bigger picture of ensuring any “loss” never stings more than needed. If you don’t beat yourself up when you’re less than perfect, you stand a much better chance of achieving your goals.
