Yes, I’m a geek and I love numbers. So much so that when I first came up with a new diet, in 2012, I decided to call it The 5:2 Diet, which I was assured, at the time, was a terrible name.
Turns out that a geeky-sounding name made it memorable. So I thought it would be fun to share some of the numbers that I live my daily life by — and why!
1 cold showerThis has been a relatively recent addition to my daily habits. I don’t love cold water, but I was encouraged to give it a go after talking to Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology at Portsmouth University, who is also expert in the benefits of cold water — and I have stuck with it.
There is evidence that a cold shower every morning can boost your immune system and cut your risk of getting a cold
I start with a warm shower, then go fully cold and try to stay there for a minute. It certainly wakes me up and I love the tingly feeling afterwards.
There is evidence that a cold shower every morning can boost your immune system and cut your risk of getting a cold, so with winter fast approaching this may be something you want to try.
2 brisk walksI used to wear a fitness tracker and tried to hit 10,000 steps a day, but the strap broke and I lost the tracker, so now I aim for a couple of brisk walks a day instead, as that fits in with my life.
To get the biggest health benefits, a walk should be brisk, at least 100 paces a minute (120 paces is jogging speed).
3 cups of coffeeI love coffee for the taste and the mood lift it gives me but I have to ration myself, otherwise my blood pressure shoots up and I sleep badly.
The optimal dose seems to be around three cups a day. In one study of 50,000 women carried out by the Harvard School of Public Health in the U.S., researchers found that those drinking two to three cups of coffee per day were 15 per cent less likely to develop clinical depression over a ten-year period than those drinking one or less.
This could be because coffee is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals. Decaf had no impact.
I try to spend ten minutes a day practising mindful meditation. I use an app called Headspace
The European Food Safety Authority says men should be drinking 2.5 litres of fluid a day, women 2 litres, but personally I don’t find that helpful guidance.
Instead I try to drink a large glass of water with every meal, and at least one other at some point during the day, as well as coffee and tea. There is evidence that drinking water with your meal means you eat less and we also know that even mild dehydration can lead to loss of cognitive ability.
5-a-dayWe all know about five-a-day — the ideal seems to be three portions of veg and two portions of fruit, and try to make the fruit and veg varied in colours. I try to eat veg at every meal (I even add some to my morning omelette).
6 weesTo be honest, this is more a measure of how much water you’re drinking than a target to aim for: six to seven wees a day is normal and many people over 60 also go twice during the night.
If you’re going less you’re probably not drinking enough. If, however, you are one of those who goes to the loo before you leave the house ‘just in case’ then you might want to cut back, as that can lead to an overactive bladder, with frequent, sudden urges to urinate that may be difficult to control.
7-minute workoutsThis is one of my favourite ways to exercise, because you work so many muscles and it’s all over so fast. The programme was originally developed by an exercise physiologist from the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, in the U.S., who designed it to cram a good workout into just seven minutes.
You can find plenty of free seven-minute workout apps, which normally
