We can make ourselves healthier by eating mild peppers. Research presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference showed that DCT - a chemical in a mild strain of chili pepper - increases metabolism. Researchers studied the before and after body weight and fat of 34 people on a low-calorie diet. After meals one third of them received placebos, one-third received 3 milligrams of DCT and one-third received 9 milligrams. Those receiving 9 milligrams experienced increased heat production and fat burning - increasing metabolism enough to help an average-sized woman burn 100 calories a day. DCT burns calories - not mouths.
Another way to make ourselves healthier is to laugh. In research also presented at the Experimental Biology conference, 14 volunteers had blood pressure and blood samples taken before and after 20 minutes of a violent movie and 20 minutes of a comedy. After the comedy - like after exercise - the hormones leptin (appetite-repressing) and ghrelin (appetite inducing) balanced. After 15 minutes of laughter - like after exercise - blood vessel diameter increased, increasing blood flow. Kids laugh as much as 300 times a day; adults laugh about 30 times. Because pretend laughter has identical benefits, we should "kid ourselves" more.
Many married couples make themselves healthier by talking to their pets. According to a 2010 Associated Press-Petside poll of 1,112 pet owners nationwide, 33% of married women said their pets are better listeners than their husbands. As for husbands, 18% said their pets listen better than their wives. When the poll was broken down into dog owners and cat owners, 25% of dog owners thought their canines were better listeners, while 14% of cat owners thought their felines listened better. It seems we should talk to our pets if we're feeling pettish, petty or petulant.
Finally, we can stay healthier by not moving to California. More than 50% of the U.S. population lives in air-polluted cities where it's unhealthy to breathe. According to the American Lung Association's "State of the Air 2010" report, California tops the most-polluted cities list. The report rates cities on ozone, short-term particle spikes and long-term particle averages. However, Pittsburgh tied with Bakersfield and Fresno, California for most particle pollution spikes; and Phoenix tied with Bakersfield and Los Angeles, California for average particulates. Although at least 20 of the most polluted cities improved last year, several California cities got worse - which is "breathtaking" information.
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