Jennifer, a teenage girl, fainted at school after    1    (skip) meals. She    2    (send) to hospital immediately for treatment due to dangerously low blood sugar levels.    3     (fortunate), she is now out of danger. Her doctor says she will make a full     4    (recover) in a day or two. 

Her classmates hope to see her back at school soon. They say that she    5    (struggle) with eating problems for a long time. “Jennifer thought dieting would be a simple way    6    (reach) her target weight,” a friend reported. 

    7    is often the case with teenagers, they would adopt    8    (proper) weight-loss behaviours under peer pressure despite (尽管) health experts repeated warnings    9    such extreme methods. 

Experts maintain it’s important for teenagers to have    10    healthy balanced diet since they are still growing and their bodies need a lot of nutrition to function well. Teenagers should keep regular hours and get plenty of exercise to get into shape.

3 . Our latest study has shown that eating more fermented foods (发酵食物) (such as yogurt and raw cheese) and fiber daily for just four weeks has a significant effect on lowering stress levels.

While previous research has shown stress and behavior are also linked to our microbiome (微生物组), it has been unclear until now whether changing diets (and therefore our microbiome)could have a clearly noticeable effect on stress levels. This is what our study set out to do.

We found 45 healthy people with relatively low-fiber diets, aged between 18 and 59. More than half were women. They were divided into two groups and randomly given a diet to follow for the four-week duration of the study. Around half were assigned a diet which would increase the amount of fermented foods they ate. This was known as a “psychobiotic” diet, as it included foods that have been linked to better mental health. At both the start and halfway through the study, people in this group were told they should aim to include 6-8 servings daily of fruits and vegetables high in fiber (such as onions, cabbage, apples and bananas), and 2-3 servings of fermented foods daily. Participants on the control diet only received general dietary advice.

Finally, those who followed the psychobiotic diet reported they felt less stressed compared with those who followed the control diet. There was also a direct link between how strictly participants followed the diet and their stress levels, with those who ate more psychobiotic foods during the four week period reporting greater reduction in stress levels. Interestingly, the quality of sleep improved in both groups — though those on the psychobiotic diet reported greater improvements.

Our results suggest specific diets can be used to reduce stress levels. So the next time you’re feeling particularly stressed, perhaps you’ll want to think more carefully about what you plan on eating for lunch or dinner. Including more fermented foods and fiber for a few weeks may just help you feel a little less stressed out.

4 . How to improve your immune(免疫) health

As the temperatures drop and flu and cold season approaches, we need to start thinking about looking after our immune health.     1    . These foods are rich in micronutrients such as Vitamin C and zinc, which support healthy immune function. Some ways plant-based nutrition can improve your immune system.

    2    

The relationship between smoking and/or excessive alcohol consumption and harmful immune-related health effects is well documented. Avoid breathing in any material that might be harm to the lungs, including vaping(电子烟). Try to reduce risky materials such as alcohol as these have a negative impact on immune health.

Get seven to nine hours restorative sleep every day

There is strong evidence that sleep improves immune defence. Try to aim for between seven and nine hours of good quality, restorative sleep every night. Improving sleep often starts by focusing on your daily habits, routines and bedroom environment.     3    .

Stress less and spend more time with others

Stress promotes inflammation(炎症) and reduces your defence against infection. Meditation, a gratitude practice, yoga or breathwork can all help lower levels of cortisol, the main stress hormone.     4    , whether it is volunteering in the community, picking up the shopping for an elderly neighbour, nurturing your friendships or making quality time for your friends and family.

Be physically active every day

    5    . Besides, it can help maintain healthy body weight and protect against a variety of diseases including viral and bacterial infections. Aim to be physically active every day for 30-60 minutes per day. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity each week to acquire the most health benefits from physical activity.

6 . How to Improve Your Mental Health

Your mental health is an important aspect of your overall health. No matter what your situation is, you can take steps to improve your mental health.

Take a self-assessment(评估). Everyone has what is known as “emotional intelligence” or EQ. EQ refers to how well you understand your emotions and actions. Figuring out your EQ is important if you want to improve your mental well-being.     1     A mental health expert can also help you determine your EQ.

Set goals. After you have completed your self-assessment, you can clearly identify the areas you would like to focus on improving. Take time to set some clear and achievable goals. These can be both long term and short term goals. Write down your goals.     2    

Handle your emotions. An important part of improving your mental well-being is learning to admit your emotions.     3     However, it is important to handle your emotions. Handling your emotions is a multi-step process. It includes sensing, naming, attributing, evaluating and acting.

Learn how to identify and deal with your triggers (诱因) . Everyone has different triggers.     4     To deal with your triggers, take some time to figure out what they are and develop plans for how to deal with them.

Gather information. Avoid the bad name that mental health issues are somehow not “real” problems. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Take some time to learn about the importance of your mental health.     5     For example, you might visit a yoga studio to ask them about the mental benefits of practicing yoga.