JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE November issue 2015 | Page 42

referred to as the “forgotten
organ.”
These gut bugs are incredibly
important for all sorts of healthrelated aspects. A disruption in
the gut bacteria is linked to some
of the world’s most serious
chronic diseases, including
obesity (31, 32).
A good way to improve gut
health, is to eat probiotic foods
(like live yogurt and sauerkraut),
take probiotic supplements, and
eat plenty of fiber. Fiber
functions as fuel for the gut
bacteria (33, 34).
8. Drink Some Water,
Especially Before Meals
Drinking enough water can
have numerous benefits.
One important factor, is that it
can help boost the amount of
calories you burn.
According to 2 studies, it can
boost metabolism by 24-30%
over a period of 1-1.5 hours. This
can amount to 96 additional
calories burned if you drink 2
liters (67 oz) of water per
day (35, 36).
JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE

The best time to drink water is
half an hour before meals. One
study showed that half a liter of
water, 30 minutes before each
meal, increased weight loss by
44% (37).
9. Don’t Overcook or Burn
Your Meat
Meat can be a nutritious and
healthy part of the diet. It is
very high in protein, and contains
various important nutrients.
The problems occur when meat
is overcooked and burnt. This
can lead to the formation of
harmful compounds that raise the
risk of cancer (38).
So, eat your meat, just don’t
overcook or burn it.
10. Avoid Bright Lights Before
Sleep
When we’re exposed to bright
lights in the evening, this disrupts
production of the sleep
hormone melatonin (39, 40).
An interesting “hack” is to use a
pair of amber-tinted glasses
that block blue light from
entering your eyes in the
evening.