Tea for bedtime

Do you drink chamomile tea before bedtime? If you don't, this article might convince you to do so.

Main point: "...drinking chamomile tea can induce feelings of sleepiness and may help you fall asleep faster."

Video courtesy of Stocknation

Background: 

• "The plant extract contains apigenin, a chemical compound that induces sleepiness when it binds to the GABA receptors in the brain."
• "...when the apigenin in chamomile binds to GABA receptors, it has a sedative and relaxing effect."

Use the knowledge: "...drink one cup of chamomile tea about 45 minutes before bed."

Stick to it

A short article described a technique to help you stick to your exercise program. They call it the copy-paste method.

What is the method? "The copy-paste method involves identifying and trying out an acquaintance's goal-achievement strategy."

Other points:

• Researchers found among people " the ones who used the copy-paste method spent more time exercising than the others."
• "If you see a strategy from someone you admire, you're more likely to want to mimic it—especially if it's someone you know in real life."
• "It's also something you can customize, since you can copy the behaviors of friends who are into what you are (and who may share the same goals you do)."

The advice: "...if you've been struggling with figuring out how to stick to a workout routine, just get some tips from a friend. Copying their routine and trying it out for yourself could be the missing puzzle piece you've been trying to find for years."

If you could eat only one food...

The writer of an article I found described the what could be the ideal food. 

Main points: 

• "While [healthy] diets consist of plenty of greens, whole grains, tubers, nuts, and very little animal products, beans are an unbeatable staple in all five areas."
• “If you’re eating about a cup of beans a day, it’s probably worth an extra four years of life expectancy.”

Other points:

• "...the longest-living people stick to that full cup opposed to the 1/2 cup recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines."
• "In a study from the Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, participants’ risk of mortality was decreased by 7 to 8 percent for every 20 grams of legumes they ate."
• "...experts recommend choosing either a dried or canned option."
• "If you choose canned, just be sure that it’s low-sodium."
• "Then, add them into anything and everything in order to get your daily cup in."

You certainly want to have a well-rounded diet, but beans may be a regular item you want to consider.