12 Instant Feelgood Fixes

Experts share their tips for better health – fast!

1. Give yourself a massage. “A sesame-oil massage is a traditional Ayurvedic tonic to boost energy,” says Ayuvrvedic practitioner Sebastian Pole. “Warm the oil and massage briskly all over the body. Sesame briskly all over the body. Sesame oil is rich in vitamins B and E, and calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.”

2. Sprinkle your food with cinnamon. This is a really easy way to balance blood-sugar levels and cut your risk of diabetes, says nutritionist Dr Sam Christie. “Keep blood-sugar levels healthy by adding cinnamon to porridge and puddings, try drinking it as tea or take a supplement. Studies have shown that the spice may help prevent type-2 diabetes by reducing sugar-bingeing tendencies and that adding a teaspoon a day to meals helps to reduce blood-sugar levels by 20 per cent.

3. Beat the bloat with dandelion tea. If you suffer from water retention, drink dandelion tea or take it as a supplement. “Dandelion is good if you’re feeling bloated, as it has gentle diuretic effect,” says natural-health practitioner Kate Butler. “It’s also rich in potassium and a good detoxifier generally, as it supports and strengthens livers and kidney function.”

4. Chew food 20 times. Chewing is essential for good digestion, says nutritionist Shona Wilkinson, so try to chew until your food is in liquid form. Most of us only chew food five or six times, but many health experts believe this isn’t nearly enough. Advocates of macrobiotics, for example, claim we should be chewing food a minimum of 20 times! “Chewing promotes the release of salivary enzymes, which break down 40 per cent of starches before food passes into the stomach, making it easier to digest. Good digestion is vital for good health – if you’re not digesting food properly, this may affect the absorption of nutrients. It can also make it harder for the body to eliminate toxins,” says Shona.

5. Lettuce to make you sleep. If you find it difficult to switch off at bedtime, eat some lettuce just before bed – it contains a natural sedative, lactucarium (the milky juice in the stems). Alternatively, steep four large lettuce leaves in half a pint of hot water for 15 minutes and drink before bed.

6. Visualise pain away. Next time you feel like reaching for a painkiller, Dr David Hamilton, author of How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body, advises using the powder of your mind first. “Imagine a dial,” he says. “What level is your pain on a scale of one to ten? Slowly turn the dial down and, as you do so, imagine the pain diminishing. It’s been scientifically proven that thoughts trigger different chemical reactions in the brain. For example, if you expect to have pain relief, the brain reacts by releasing natural pain-killing chemicals.”

7. Tune into nature. Even a few minutes’ sitting or walking in a leafy setting can make you feel good. “Just looking at natural landscapes promotes physiological changes that have a health-enhancing effect,” says Oxfordshire-based GP Dr William Bird. “Being in a green space can help lower the heart rate, alleviate muscle tension, calm brain waves and reduce stress.” What’s more, these feelgood effects are almost instantaneous. Research by US scientist RS Ulrich shows it only takes three minutes for your blood pressure to go down and temple muscles to relax when you’re in a natural environment.

8. Sip water through a straw. Next time you’re craving a snack, step away from the biscuit tin and try sipping water through a straw instead. “When you’re dehydrated, it’s easy to misinterpret thirst as a signal for hunger, which leads you to overeat,” says Shona Wilkinson. “But sipping water slowly  rather than gulping it down quickly slows the rate of absorption and gives your body a chance to respond to the right signals.”

9. Cook with saffron. Ground-breaking new research shows that the herb can help protect against age related macular degeneration – the most common form of blindness. Macular degeneration (gradual damage to cells on the retina at the back of the eye) affects half a million people n the US. Studies have also shown that saffron can help prevent eye damage from bright sunlight and boost eye health generally. Add it to rice dishes such as risottos and paella, or use it with chilli to marinade chiken.

10. Beat nausea with ginger. Keep some ginger in your storecupboard – it works a treat if you’re feeling nauseous. “Chew on a fresh piece of ginger and you’ll feel the benefits instantly,” says Shona. “You can also drink it as a tea – just add fresh ginger or a spoon of dried ginger to hot water”

11. Use magnesium oil for muscle pain. If you’re overdone it at the gym, magnesium oil works in minutes to soothe tight, aching muscles. It can be massaged in before, during and after exercise. “The use of topical magnesium oil can be massaged in before cellular levels of magnesium more effectively than oral supplements, which are poorly absorbed,” says Dr Mark Sircus, author of Transdermal Magnesium Therapy. Apply the oil directly to the affected area. Recent clinical trials show that gingerols and shogaol in ginger root may have an anti-nausea effect, reduce pain and have a soothing effect on the abdomen. Research also shows that ginger can help to alleviate morning sickness during pregnancy, and it can also prevent travel sickness.

12. Soothe a sore throat with honey. Hot water with honey and lemon not only tastes delicious, there are health benefits too. In clinical studies, manuka honey has been shown to reduce levels of harmful bacterial in the throat. But, for best results, use warm water rather than boiling. “Adding honey to boiling water destroys the compounds that have health benefits,” says John Rawcliffe of the Active Manuka Honey Association.

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