Wash your hands with soap and water, drink green tea and avoid red meat – plus 7 other health tips to help you have a good week

Hello, Yahoo Life readers! My name is Kaitlin Reilly and I’m here to share the best health and wellness tips on the internet this week.

Whether or not you were affected by the Los Angeles fires, you may be wondering exactly how to protect yourself in unhealthy weather conditions. The Air Quality Index, a tool used by the Environmental Protection Agency to report the status of outdoor air quality, can give you a general overview. But it is not always able to assess the impact of certain pollutants in a smaller area, for example in the event of a fire in your neighborhood.

If you are concerned about the air quality where you live, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Use a HEPA air filter indoors, seal windows and doors, and wear an N95 mask when you must venture outside.

Meanwhile, check your local weather and consult your horoscope to see what the stars have in store for you. So read the wellness tips below.

🧼 Use soap, not hand sanitizer

Washing your hands is essential as cases of norovirus continue to rise. The highly contagious virus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea, is spread by virus particles in stool and vomit, and a squirt of hand sanitizer isn’t enough to kill them. Rub your hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water and make sure to dry them thoroughly. Remember to go to the sink before preparing or eating food; after spending time in frequently touched areas; and after going to the toilet.

🫖 Drinking green tea for your brain

Green tea is known for its health benefits, including improving heart health, weight management, and reducing cancer risks thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Now, some evidence suggests it might be good for your brain, too.

A new study published in npj Food Science suggests that green tea consumption is linked to decreased white matter damage in the brain, which may offer some protection against dementia. Researchers analyzed data from 8,766 Japanese people over the age of 65 and found that those who drank three cups of green tea a day had 3% fewer lesions compared to those who drank one cup or less, while those who consumed seven to eight cups had a 6% reduction. The theory is that green tea’s cardiovascular benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, may play a role in these benefits, but more research needs to be done.

🥩 Reduce red meat

A large study published in Neurology found that people who eat more red meat – especially processed products like bacon and sausages – are at higher risk of developing dementia and cognitive decline. The researchers added that replacing red meat with healthier alternatives like nuts, fish and poultry could reduce the risk of these problems later in life. Want a burger? Opt for a salmon sandwich instead: you’ll get protein as well as a dose of healthy omega-3s.

🌾 Eat barley

Quinoa may have cornered the healthy whole grain market for years, but barley is a nutritional powerhouse in its own right. Consider its fiber content, which most Americans can’t get enough of. Just one cup of cooked hulled barley provides 6 grams of fiber, while the same amount of cooked pearl barley contains 3 grams of fiber. Barley also contains micronutrients such as thiamine, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and magnesium. Add it to your diet by throwing it into soups or salads, or using it in place of rice.

👵 Embrace your inner grandmother

Are you in your “grandmother” era? Social networks are full of young people who indulge in “grandmother’s” hobbies, such as knitting, cooking and embroidery. But it’s not just a passing trend: quiet hobbies can encourage mindfulness and act as a working meditation, which can reduce stress and even make you more creative. If cooking is your grandmother’s favorite pastime, you might also find yourself eating healthier home-cooked meals rather than takeout. Grandma’s hobbies are also a great way to reduce your screen time and keep you from getting caught up in doom scrolling.

📖 Be unproductive

If you struggle with perfectionism — which is linked to mental health issues like depression, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder — it can be difficult to let go of your inner critic who tells you you need to enjoy to the fullest of every moment. But Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, told CNN that daring to be unproductive can actually be beneficial for mental health.

An example in action: letting yourself read the books you prefer rather than giving in to the pressure to review nonfiction because it’s supposed to be more important and rewarding. “Personal improvement and development are important, as are pleasure, enjoyment, connection and expression,” explained Hendriksen.

😴 Sleep well to stay warm

The weather will likely stay cool in your area for at least a few weeks, which is a good reason to find ways to stay as warm as possible. An unexpected tip for staying warm, as Good Housekeeping recommends, is to make sure you sleep well: Lack of sleep can disrupt the hypothalamus, which affects body temperature regulation and immunity, giving you feeling cold and also increasing your risk of illness. .

Are you having trouble sleeping? Improve your sleep hygiene by maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, limiting screen time before bed, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

🍿 Eat popcorn

January 19 is National Popcorn Day. If you only eat popcorn at the movies, there are plenty of good reasons to add it to your regular snack rotation. A serving of air-popped popcorn contains 3 to 4 grams of fiber, which you need for healthy digestion and to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Plus, it’s naturally low in fat and sugar and even contains some micronutrients, like magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

Want to make popcorn healthier? Make it at home and don’t overdo it with liquid butter – the popcorn will absorb that stuff, making your snack much higher in fat and calories. If you want to flavor your popcorn, try sprinkling with cheese-like nutritional yeast (loaded with vitamin B12), adding a pinch of smoked paprika for a savory touch, or a pinch of cinnamon and cocoa powder for a sweet treat. You can also add popcorn with nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate chips for a makeshift trail mix that will fill you up.

🍹 Replace alcohol with a non-alcoholic cocktail

A draft report from the Department of Health and Human Services released this week says men and women have a 1 in 1,000 risk of dying from alcohol consumption if they consume more than seven drinks per day. week, with this risk rising to 1 in 100 for those who consume more than nine drinks per week. It’s just one more suggestion to reduce alcohol consumption, following outgoing U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s recent recommendation to include cancer risk warnings on alcohol containers.

If you’re rethinking your relationship with alcohol but still want to sip something special, there are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on the market, some of which claim to have mood-boosting effects without the alcohol.

🥦 Eat bitter or sulfuric foods

Your liver does a great job of detoxifying — but if you want to speed up the process, eat bitter or sulfur-containing foods, experts recently told Clean Plates. Foods rich in sulfur, such as broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts, help the body produce glutathione, an antioxidant that protects liver cells and helps eliminate toxins. Meanwhile, bitter foods like arugula, dandelion greens and chicory promote the production of bile, which helps digest fats and eliminate toxins. Try them all together in a big salad or use these vegetables as a topping for a produce-heavy pizza.

More wellness tips:

• Get calcium, whether through milk or other calcium-rich products, it can help you avoid colorectal cancer.

• Try caviar at your next party for a vitamin B12 boost.

• Replace TV time with reading – you could improve your brain health.