by Krystle Crossman

Five servings a day of fruit as opposed to the standard nine servings will still lower your risk of stroke by 31%.

We all like to take shortcuts in life, but when dealing with your health you should certainly not take shortcuts, with only a few exceptions. Here is a list of shortcuts that are perfectly okay to take in regards to your health.

1. 7 hours of sleep instead of 8 is okay. You might not feel as energetic the next day, but that one hour lost will not do any damage to your health. To sleep more soundly, put a pair of socks on as the warmer your feet are, the better you sleep.

2. 17 minutes of cardio per day is acceptable for the standard of 30 minutes per day. Breaking up your exercise is okay too. Increments of 10 minutes with alternating intensities will give you the same benefits.

3. You can use 15 SPF instead of 30. It is better than nothing and still blocks 93% of the sun’s rays.

4. You are told that you should drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day. You can drink a glass of water with meals or when you are thirsty. You are still keeping hydrated and drinking something healthy.

5. Five servings a day of fruit as opposed to the standard nine servings will still lower your risk of stroke by 31%. You are still getting a lot of nutrients as well.

6. The only things that you really have to measure are grains and fats. Everything else you can eyeball and still get everything that you need out of the food you are eating.

7. Research has shown that those who lift weights once per week as opposed to 2-3 times per week gain just as much muscle. It took them a little longer, but the lean muscle was still there.

8. Washing your hands for 10 seconds and then rinsing still kills 90% of bacteria. To kill 99% wash for 20-30 seconds and then rinse.

9. Instead of trying to lose BMI points it is okay to aim to lose 5%-7% of your body weight instead. This is still a good amount and will help you to lower your BMI at the same time.

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Read this article in Healthy Black Woman

 

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