From humming to sniffing oils: Top wellness expert shares 5 unusual health tricks that actually work

In the era of contemporary wellness, there are plenty of tips that promise to provide smart shortcuts and cures for a better and healthier lifestyle. Though most trends amount to mere fads, some novel tricks for good health have won the favor of research and seasoned practitioners alike. These are the sort of solutions which typically sound strange, forest bathing, humming while exhaling, or sleeping with socks, but reliably bring real gain to body and mind. Instead of depending simply on clinical treatments or the latest high-tech device, these everyday habits restore balance by using the body's own processes and the healing secrets of nature. The following are five such "weird" health tips endorsed by wellness expert Dr.Eric Berg, along with the science behind why they are effective.

Inhaling essential oils instead of ingesting them, can have a rapid and noticeable impact on mood and brain function. Such as rosemary is best known to boost memory and mental clarity, while lavender calms the mind, reduces stress and promotes a good night's sleep. Similarly, peppermint enhances focus and can relieve headaches, eucalyptus supports clear breathing and frankincense helps lower the stress and inflammation in the brain. When inhaled, the active compounds enter through the nasal passages, directly influencing brain chemistry and emotional balance for quick effects.

Forest bathing, or shinrin yoku as it is called in Japan, is more than just a walk in the woods, it is a mindful immersion with nature that has measurable benefits for body and mind alike. Just spending 20-30 minutes surrounded by trees and greenery has shown impressive results for the immune system, by increasing the activity and number of natural killer (NK) cells, which help fight viruses. Forest bathing is known to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, which leads to profound implications on the body as well as the mind. But, it goes beyond just physical health, regular forest exposure improves mood, sharpens mental clarity and helps to regulate blood pressure.

A surprisingly simple way to boost brain power is just by standing on one leg for about 30 seconds, while doing our everyday tasks, such as brushing our teeth. According to Dr. Berg, research shows that this small challenge can actually increase the gray matter in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is responsible for learning and memory. Not only does this enhance cognitive function but it also improves balance and coordination, making it particularly valuable for elderly people or anyone who wants to enhance mental capacity.

As Dr. Eric Berg says, humming on exhalation is a natural treatment that boosts nitric oxide in the sinuses. Being a vasodilator, nitric oxide helps relax tension in the blood vessels, thereby easing sinus inflammation. This method may make you breathe easier, decrease blood pressure, and even calm your entire nervous system. The proper method is to inhale slowly and then gently hum when you exhale, doing so for a few minutes a few times a day for maximum effect.

Wearing warm socks to bed can help one to sleep more quickly and enhance the quality of your sleep, gaining you 32 additional minutes of sleep per night. The effect of wearing socks to bed serves to dilate the blood vessels in your feet, a process called vasodilation, which sends a signal to the brain that it's time for sleep. It's an odd but effective solution for those prone to cold feet or broken sleep patterns, says Dr. Berg.