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The You Docs Tip of the Day: Lower your blood pressure without giving anything up

BY MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D., AND MEHMET OZ, M.D. - KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

Published: 01/08/09


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Don't stop now! Carry that spirit of helping others into the new year. Your blood pressure - and the rest of your health - may depend on it.

Research shows that older people who feel happy and hopeful, have a sense of self-worth and enjoy life - all feelings that can come from helping people - have lower blood pressure compared with their more pessimistic peers. Why? Good feelings can help reduce the effects of stress and prevent high blood pressure (and a whole cascade of other maladies).

If you weren't born with a glass-half-full outlook, you can cultivate one - even when the job market, your bank account and maybe even your spirits are a little bit (or a lot) down. Helping others is just one way. Try these, too:

Say thanks.

Once a week, think of someone who has had an effect on your life - big or small - and write him or her a note of gratitude. It not only makes the person feel connected and healthy; some research shows that 15 minutes of daily gratitude can dramatically decrease stress hormones in your body, too.

Create rituals.

One of the reasons why religious services or music can be so uplifting is that the weekly rituals reinforce a healthy sense of community (and, interestingly, the more connected we feel, the higher our degree of generosity and compassion). Rituals don't need to be religious to be effective; you might be uplifted by nature walks with a group in your neighborhood or by a nightly dinnertime routine where everyone in your family shares something great that happened to them that day.

The You Docs - Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz - are authors of the best-selling "You: The Owner's Manual" and "You: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com.

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