5 Hacks For A Healthier Week — Apr 19 2015

It’s true that deep breaths can calm you down. Did you know they can also help you sleep better? Patricia Gerbarg, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York Medical College, told Shape that “breathing can help calm your system down and shut off the worry centers.” You can use your breath to help you drift off to sleep by doubling the duration of your exhales. Try these other breathing exercises from Shape to improve any situation. Your eyes are much more revealing of your overall health than you may have thought. For example, clinical director at LensCrafters Mark Jacquot, OD, explains, "One of the easiest ways to detect hypertension or high blood pressure is through a routine eye exam." So, get scheduling. Look no further than this obstacle-course training workout from Self for a full-body fitness routine. These six moves will prep you for every obstacle life throws at you — and they'll help transform your body. Well+Good recommends stocking up on magnesium and vitamin C to ward off dreaded seasonal allergies. Weill-Cornell Medical College clinical assistant professor of medicine Mitchell Gaynor, MD, explains that magnesium “helps open up your airwaves,” and vitamin C can “lower the release of histamine” and relieve some of those sneezy symptoms. If you are trying to get into better nutrition habits, you can start by eating something every three hours. Christy Harrison, RN explains why: “A recent study...confirms that greater eating frequency is associated with better nutrition quality (as well as lower body-mass index)." She adds that people who had more than six mini-meals each day "consumed more fruits and vegetables, and less alcohol and red meat, than people who ate less than four times per day.”