It might sound counterintuitive, but drinking coffee (or another caffeinated beverage) right before a nap can actually make it more effective. This combines the rest of the nap with the time needed for the caffeine to kick in. There are all sorts of similar facts and hacks that ultimately most folks don’t know but which would be pretty useful to implement.
Someone asked “What is a crazy body life hack everyone should know?” and people shared their best ideas. So get comfortable as you read through, maybe take some notes and be sure to add your own ideas and thoughts in the comments below.
#1
If you think it would be at all challenging (a simple rule would be anyone over age 50), get fully on the floor and back up again every single day.
You really don't want to fall and then realize that you can't get yourself back up and to your phone for help. Practicing so that it isn't terribly difficult ensures that you will still be able to do it even if you have a mild injury from the fall.
You really don't want to fall and then realize that you can't get yourself back up and to your phone for help. Practicing so that it isn't terribly difficult ensures that you will still be able to do it even if you have a mild injury from the fall.
162points
#2
Idk if it’s “crazy” but everyone should know you can change your palate.
Your palate is the kinds of foods you like. Many people can find themselves unhealthy because of a bad diet that comes from disliking vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, herbs, and other healthy unprocessed foods.
If you only ever eat spaghetti-Os, Goldfish crackers, chicken tenders and sweets as a kid (and as an adult), you might have a hard time eating healthy when you need to worry about it.
You are not stuck with the palate you’re born with. You can train it to like healthier things. Also you can train your kids’ palates, or at least try.
One way to get into healthier food is to order it at a sit-down restaurant, if you get a chance to. They can make salads and vegetable-based meals taste much better than you’d think they’d taste. It can teach you simple combinations that go together for you to imitate, like finding out that basil and tomatoes and olive oil go together.
Another gateway is to find one or two vegetables you hate less than all the others and start adding them in when you make food you like. Like putting broccoli in macaroni and cheese or getting mushrooms on your pizza. Or dipping pretzels in hummus, and hot Cheetos in plain yogurt. Don’t worry that it’s not any different calorie-wise. The point is to train yourself to be ok with unfamiliar tastes and textures. The calories take care of themselves if you get healthy foods to be part of what you like.
Don’t underestimate the power of ranch dressing to make things taste good.
Maybe you have sensory issues about food. So experiment with ways to cut things up. When I was trying to eat better, I learned that I didn’t hate onions when they were diced really small, and not too many were used. But long pieces or rings I just couldn’t do. Until years later I could, because eating them in a way that was comfortable for me gradually turned into me liking them.
Take it slow and be near a bathroom. It’s normal for healthy foods to make your digestion weird at first if you don’t normally eat like that.
Your palate is the kinds of foods you like. Many people can find themselves unhealthy because of a bad diet that comes from disliking vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, herbs, and other healthy unprocessed foods.
If you only ever eat spaghetti-Os, Goldfish crackers, chicken tenders and sweets as a kid (and as an adult), you might have a hard time eating healthy when you need to worry about it.
You are not stuck with the palate you’re born with. You can train it to like healthier things. Also you can train your kids’ palates, or at least try.
One way to get into healthier food is to order it at a sit-down restaurant, if you get a chance to. They can make salads and vegetable-based meals taste much better than you’d think they’d taste. It can teach you simple combinations that go together for you to imitate, like finding out that basil and tomatoes and olive oil go together.
Another gateway is to find one or two vegetables you hate less than all the others and start adding them in when you make food you like. Like putting broccoli in macaroni and cheese or getting mushrooms on your pizza. Or dipping pretzels in hummus, and hot Cheetos in plain yogurt. Don’t worry that it’s not any different calorie-wise. The point is to train yourself to be ok with unfamiliar tastes and textures. The calories take care of themselves if you get healthy foods to be part of what you like.
Don’t underestimate the power of ranch dressing to make things taste good.
Maybe you have sensory issues about food. So experiment with ways to cut things up. When I was trying to eat better, I learned that I didn’t hate onions when they were diced really small, and not too many were used. But long pieces or rings I just couldn’t do. Until years later I could, because eating them in a way that was comfortable for me gradually turned into me liking them.
Take it slow and be near a bathroom. It’s normal for healthy foods to make your digestion weird at first if you don’t normally eat like that.
110points
#3
Pro tip: the older you get, the less you can trust a fart.
103points
#4
If you have a back injury or a broken rib and have to sneeze, LOOK UP, it will hurt way less than hunching down to sneeze.
I've had back surgery and my dad had a cracked rib. Confirmed.
I've had back surgery and my dad had a cracked rib. Confirmed.
96points
#5
Placing an ice pack on your chest can almost immediately relieve the need to throw up in some circumstances (maybe not for food poisoning or stomach virus, but things like motion sickness, panic attack, or medication nausea). The reason this works is it stimulates your vagus nerve. Learned this firsthand when I was about to vomit in a hospital and the nurse placed a cold pack on my chest. Instantly felt fine again.
89points
#6
Water is a better home remedy for a lot of stuff that "isn't quite at the point where I need medicine".
79points
#7
Brush your teeth daily! Floss your teeth daily!
Less or no cavities. Less/No expensive root canals. Less/ni extractions.
It saves you money, pain, and your looks.
Dentures f*****g suck.
Less or no cavities. Less/No expensive root canals. Less/ni extractions.
It saves you money, pain, and your looks.
Dentures f*****g suck.
74points
#8
Calcium and magnesium can do wonders for anxiety and sleep.
63points
#9
Measure the distance from your thumb to pinky when spread out and remember the distance. You can now measure things with relative accuracy.
56points
#10
You can make 'shocking and crazy' improvements to how you feel by doing three simple things.
1. Drink enough water to stay hydrated - this isn't 'carry a bottle around', this is more like 'your pee should be a little bit yellow and very clear'.
2. Sleep. For best practice, sleep with no stimulus - no noise in the background, no lights, mobile phone, etc.
3. Get some intentional exercise in daily.
A fourth is avoiding processed foods, but that is usually more difficult than the first three.
1. Drink enough water to stay hydrated - this isn't 'carry a bottle around', this is more like 'your pee should be a little bit yellow and very clear'.
2. Sleep. For best practice, sleep with no stimulus - no noise in the background, no lights, mobile phone, etc.
3. Get some intentional exercise in daily.
A fourth is avoiding processed foods, but that is usually more difficult than the first three.
52points
#11
If your heart is racing and you can't calm down, stick your head in cold water. It will stimulate a vagal response via the mammalian dive reflex and lower your heart rate.
(and obviously go to the doctor to get checked out after).
(and obviously go to the doctor to get checked out after).
50points
#12
You can’t out train a bad diet.
45points
#13
Planking for a minute a day will help with lower back pain.
43points
#14
If you have lower back pain or sciatica try gluteus medius burnouts. Use a chair or table to steady yourself and raise one leg straight out to the side as high as you can and hold that until it feels like your hip is on fire and trying to cramp. Repeat on the other side. It sounds crazy but it can eliminate lower back pain instantly.
43points
#15
Mental health improves when you don’t spend time in spaces where the owner is treating you as the product or commodity being sold.
Report
40points
#16
An easy way to cool off is putting something cold against your wrists. The arteries there will cool spread that throughout your body
Edit: I may have the science behind it wrong but I have found it to work well working on those hot days.
Edit: I may have the science behind it wrong but I have found it to work well working on those hot days.
40points
#17
Stress k*lls, let go of what is out of your control.
38points
#18
If you start eating at set times each day, pretty soon you won’t feel hungry except at those times. Your stomach and gut biome produces the hormone ghrelin, which causes you to feel hungry, and the production of it becomes entrained to the times when you usually eat. For instance, if you think that you can’t go to bed without eating a snack before (which is actually not a good idea), if you can just tough it out for a few days, the urge (“need” lol) to eat before bed will pretty much just disappear. Doing this also makes it much much easier to resist mindless snacking and is much healthier for your body for a bunch of reasons, blood sugar spikes being a big one.
37points
#19
Licking doorknobs isn’t a good way to boost your immunity.
35points
#20
I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis and my PT literally has me just stretching my calfs and it's working. If your feet hurt, try stretching your calfs.
33points