In tribute to Dr Michael Mosley, the health presenter and author I have listed his top 10 tips on living a healthier life. Rest in peace Michael and thank you for the work you did to help others.
Embrace the cold to lower stress levels
Dr Mosley spoke about the health benefits of embracing the cold. You can listen to his podcast here on how taking a cold shower can make you happier. He also advocated cold water swimming: “There is growing evidence that cold water swimming, on a regular basis, can boost your mood, lower stress, improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your immune system,” he said.
2. Fill your house with plants to fight fatigue
He said that plants can improve your mood, fight fatigue, boost your brain power and your air quality. He was a fan of gardening to improve your microbiome, lift your mood and is a great form of exercise.
3. Practice yoga to reverse the signs of ageing
Mosley advised that practising yoga for just 25 minutes a day could lower your stress, boost your brain and even reverse signs of ageing at the cellular level.
4. Swim to increase mental speed
Swimming can have significant benefits for your blood vessels, mental speed and longevity, Mosley advised. Going three times a week for about 20 to 30 minutes each time works best, he found.
5. Slow down your breathing to sleep better
Mosley revealed how just by slowing your breathing when settling into bed, you can drift off more easily and enjoy better-quality sleep. “A recent study showed that simply slowing their breathing … enabled participants to nod off around 20 minutes sooner,” he explained. “Not only that, they slept better, for longer and woke up less often during the night.
6. Stand on one leg to improve balance
“Practising standing on one leg and then switching to another after 30 seconds or so is a simple way to improve your balance,” he added.“Better balance means better posture and fewer injuries from falling, which according to the World Health Organization is the second commonest cause of accidental death worldwide.”
7. Read fiction to supersize your brain power
Losing yourself in a novel for a short time each day could boost your brain power, improve social bonds and even help you live longer, Mosley said. “When researchers at Stanford University scanned the brains of people reading Jane Austen, they found a dramatic and unexpected increase in blood flow across the entire brain,” he explained. “Reading can also increase the connectivity in your brain and create new neural pathways.”
8. Walk backwards to ward off back pain
It might look a bit odd, Mosley said, but surprising research reveals several benefits of backwards walking.
They include reducing back pain and boosting your memory.
9. Cook tomatoes to experience more benefits
Cooking tomatoes could help your heart, reduce your risk of cancer and even benefit your skin, Mosley said. Tomatoes contain an antioxidant called lycopene that helps the body fight off free radicals. These are chemicals that harm cells in the body. But lycopene is even more effective when tomatoes are cooked because the heat breaks down the skin and makes lycopene more accessible to the body, Mosley explained. “That means tomato sauce from fresh or tinned tomatoes, and even ketchup can actually provide more lycopene than fresh tomatoes.”
10. Volunteer to live a longer, healthier life
Helping others could help you too, Mosley said. By giving volunteering a go, you could boost your mental health, lower your cholesterol, and live longer and healthier. It could even help you lose weight.
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