How to be a Better Eater

There’s a lot of information out there, just like the X-Files said. The truth is in hidden among the assumptions and theories, waiting for you to sort through the chaff and get there. Most of this information tells you how to be the “perfect” eater, an ideal person who eats just the right amount of everything and has the perfect body and works out the most.

However, when you think about your lifestyle from a practical point of view, perfection is impossible. What you can do however is look at improving your lifestyle, making adjustments that will benefit you in the long run. Ready? Here goes:

1. Prepare yourself mentally. If you can condition your brain into understanding that you can’t subsist on your diet of chips and cookies, it will help you.       Write down goals and pin them up on a wall, next to the picture of that person whose body you admire. Look at yourself in the mirror every day and say your goals out loud. The stronger your will, the easier this will be.

2. Add a portion of fruits or raw veggies to your daily meal. There HAS to be a fruit you like – papaya, avocado, apples, bananas – just pick one. Buy lots  and eat!

3. Diet food need not be unhealthy. There are cookbooks, cooking classes and websites willing to impart tons of wisdom on healthy eating. Time to use all that information for your personal gain.

4. Never forget the importance of water. Drink 8-10 glasses a day – important for better skin, better digestion, less chances of UTIs in women; the benefits are plenty.

5. Smaller portions – if you’re one of those who likes to eat till he/ she is too stuffed to move for EVERY meal, you need to start thinking of smaller portions. It takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it’s had enough, so eat slowly and enjoy your meal. Just enough food will also make you feel less lethargic after.

6. Eat every two hours – a piece of cheese, a handful of peanuts, plain popcorn. Keep those digestive systems running.

Eat better and slowly you’ll see the changes you’ve always hoped for. Less indigestion and acidity, weight loss, increase in stamina and energy – who wouldn’t want that?

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.

The importance of keeping good Personal hygiene

The man in the bus with smell that makes your nose cringe; your colleague who really stinks and you can’t escape, the really good looking girl with dirt under her fingernails or your boss who smells of cheese and onion with every breath he exhales- they all have somehow missed out on that essential point in their life called “Personal hygiene”. A practice that entails bathing regularly, keeping your hair clean, trimming fingernails and toenails, brushing your teeth and using deodorant; personal hygiene can enhance your self-confidence and improve your chances of success in many areas of your life.
A lack of it however can have immense social and health ramifications. To add bad hygiene practices can even make one suffer from life taking diseases!

Personal Hygiene and diseases

Did you know that your personal hygiene can affect other people adversely? Unwashed hands when in contact with food and shared, can pass infections or viruses on to other people. Unwashed and unclean hands when in contact with food can give rise to a number of food-borne illnesses like Jaundice and Food Poison. This holds particularly true for people who work directly with the public like restaurant workers, nurses, dentists or even your grocery store guy!

Personal hygiene and Social Effects

It’s true that people who are not properly groomed run the risk of being ridiculed. If your child has bad hygiene habits- he may get picked on! Problems such as body odors can cause lack of self confidence around one’s work atmosphere or even your loved ones. A person who is properly groomed and bathes regularly is more likely to exude confidence, which in turn will make her socially acceptable.

Personal Hygiene and Health Effects

A lack of personal hygiene is the root cause for many health problems. People who do not bathe regularly are susceptible to fungal infections such as jock itch, athlete’s feet or toenail fungus. Further, a lack of oral hygiene can cause fungal infections like oral thrush. Many fail to wash their hands regularly and in turn bring in a host of bacterias and viruses that cause infection. In fact you’d like to know that Bed bugs are the result of bad hygiene too which invades only when the bed has not been cleaned regularly.

What causes bad hygiene habits?

The cause for a bad hygiene is mainly psychological though for some, that is the very way of life. Whether depression, loss of loved ones, job problems or even cynicism can give rise to bad hygiene.

Be warned

Apart from small time diseases that can be easily cured, a lack of personal hygiene can also lead to a deadly infection called MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Resistant to most antibiotics, and an infection that mainly happen in the staf, failure to rid of MRSA can cause even cause fatal blood diseases and hence death.
It takes one very little to maintain a good hygiene habit and prevention is always better than cure. As little as bathing properly regularly and good oral habits can help you have a successful life, a good social reputation and a long, hassle free life.

© Text: healthy Times Blog.

The do’s and don’ts of workout

This generation is a conscious generation. Or maybe the word generation would be typecasting it all as today, from a budding 6 year old to the ones reaching the realm of 60’s- everyone wants to look good! But therein lies a very vital concern that one often overlooks- believe it or not, this very intent of looking good and not being healthy can be of immense threat!
A lot of us want to get rid of our body fats as soon as possible. While crash diets is the go-to option for most in the endeavor, some actually take to vigorous workouts- sadly with 80% dropout rate. What we do not understand is, it’s never a case of “this is not working out for me” as much as it being “you are doing it wrong”.
If you have been working out for quite sometime without any particular result, you’re probably making mistakes that prevent you from getting optimal results. Here are some exercise dos and don’ts from top fitness pros that’ll help you get the best of your workout.

Do’s of working out

Workout Everyday:Different people have different approaches in body training. But there is no denying the fact that one needs to workout everyday- seven straight, odd days. Make sure your workout routine has 30 minutes of cardio, strength training twice a week and toning- at a later stage.
Stay loose: If you are tightening your muscles while working out, it won’t work. Relax the muscles you are not working on and focus on the ones you are.

Warm up:Like cold dough, cold muscles won’t be as pliable! Warm up your muscles before leaping into a more rigorous workout.
Keep a bottle:Its always a good idea to keep a bottle of water with you while you are exercising and drink in between to avoid dehydration.

Don’ts of working out

Full stomach: Never work out on a full stomach. It can be fatal.
Get stuck on the treadmill: Just because you are comfortable with a certain exercise doesn’t mean you have become uber fit. It may be simply your body getting used to it! Try new exercises coupled with the ones, jog, walk, bicycle, you can do comfortably to keep your muscles worked. Cross training is very effective
Slouching:Posture is very important. It not only affects your mood but your performance as well. Be straight, loosen up and focus during your sweat session. The sloucher you are, the less you’ll receive in the way of benefits as slouching also keeps you from breathing deeply, which is necessary for delivering the oxygen your muscles need to work at full capacity.
Going Nuts With Food and Drink: If your workout lasts less than two hours, you possibly do not need energy bars or sports drinks. Plus, some bars are very high in calories which makes for the weight you have been trying to lose. Check the labels before buying the commercially promoted health drinks or stick to water and whole grain munchers.
With as little as this, you can get the best of your workout. Do the do’s and don’t the don’ts and be ready for a smooth workout habit that burns calories twice as fast and not your effort and energy!

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.

Yoga and its benefits

Believe it or not, Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and currently, 11 million Americans enjoy its health benefits. A technique for prevention, cure, healing and focus, Yoga involve “asanas” which enables you to develop flexibility, strength and balance and therefore a healthy body and mind. 
Here are some benefits of Yoga and the areas that you can benefit from it. 

Yoga and Flexibility: Why the first 2 days are the most difficult

Yoga do not preach or inculcate in you a gymnastic spirit. The popular notion about Yoga is that one needs to stretch and swing their body a lot which makes a lot of us worry about whether we are too old or unfit or “rigid” for it. Truth is, no age is too old to improve ones flexibility.
Yoga works through asanas which in turn work by stretching your muscles. When your muscles work more than usual, it produces lactic acid in them which accounts for the stiffness and fatigue- a reason why most of us do not carry on with Yoga. What one should understand is this is also the phase when lubrication in the joints are increased- the outcome is a sense of ease and fluidity throughout the body!
Yoga also stretches the soft tissues of your body that surrounds your muscle- participants had up to 35% improvement in flexibility after only eight weeks of yoga. Live through the first 2 days and the benefits would be quick! 

Yoga and Strength: Yes it makes you stronger

If you are looking at strengthening your body, ashtanga and power yoga are your best bet as they are more vigorous than others and involves a lot of muscle movements. If you are looking at something more toned down with regards to the intensity of exercises, Iyengar is a good style to opt for. A Yoga style that focuses on less movement and more precise alignment in poses, Iyengar or Hatha Yoga provide strength and endurance benefits and when practiced correctly, build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles. 

Yoga means concentration, relaxation and calm

We all suffer from “mind chatter” that can terribly affect our concentration. Certain styles of Yoga use specific meditation techniques that quiet the constant “mind chatter”. A condition arising out of dissatisfaction and stress, Yoga for concentration helps you calm your mind by reducing stress. Acting on biochemical responses, Yoga lowers the levels of hormone neurotransmitters — dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, thereby creating a feeling of calm. Some research also points to a boost in the hormone oxytocin- the so-called “trust” and “bonding” hormone that’s associated with feeling relaxed and connected to others

Yoga and the Heart

Perhaps one of the most talked about areas of the health benefits of yoga is its effect on heart and heart disease. A technique long been known to lower blood pressure; you’ll be surprised to know that Yoga was a key component to the heart disease program designed by Dean Ornish, MD. The first of its kind to partly reverse heart disease through lifestyle and diet rather than surgery; on a biochemical level, several studies suggests a possible anti-oxidant effect of yoga that decreases cholesteroland triglyceride levels. Other than the aforementioned, Yoga is also said to have a positive effect on learning and memory, slow the aging process, increase a person’s sense of self-acceptance, and improve energy levels. While gymming will involve a lifetime of gymming equipments, one can practice Yoga anywhere- but make sure you are well trained by your trainer to do so or the effects could be pretty adverse.

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

 

Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Having skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Straying from your healthier habits lately? Having trouble kicking off your weight loss? It might be time for a body detox.
Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.
"The body has its own natural healing system," says Peter Bennett, N.D., medical director of Helios Clinic in Victoria, B.C., and co-author with Stephen Barrie, N.D. and Sara Faye, of 7-Day Detox Miracle (Prima Health). "Detoxification enhances this system," he explains.

How does detoxification work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:
1) Resting the organs through fasting;
2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4) Improving circulation of the blood; and
5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

"Detoxification works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, the smallest units of human life," says Bennett.

How do you know if you need to detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. A short detoxifying program or whole body cleanse is generally safe; in fact, scientific studies show that a detox is beneficial for health. However, Bennett cautions against detoxifying for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., the author of Detoxification (Healthy Healing Publications). Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, sluggish elimination, irritated skin, allergies or low-grade infections; bags under the eyes; a distended stomach even if the rest of your body is thin; menstrual difficulties; or mental confusion.

Where do you begin?

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process. Also, minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

Another deterrent to good health is stress, which triggers your body to release stress hormones into your system. While these hormones can provide the "adrenaline rush" to win a race or meet a deadline, in large amounts they create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. So it's a good idea to detox stressful life situations along with detoxifying your body. Yoga, Qigong and meditation are simple and effective ways to relieve stress by resetting your physical and mental reactions to the inevitable stress life will bring.

Which detox program is best for you?

There are many detoxification programs and detox recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body some time to clean the blood." His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully-planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. He also advises supplements, herbs, exercise, and practices such as dry-skin brushing and hydrotherapy to enhance circulation.

Page recommends a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.
Other popular detoxing programs and natural body cleanses include:
• Cleansing supplement packages, which generally contain fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals. There are several safe products on the market, with easy-to-follow instructions.
• A routine of drinking only water one day each week — an ancient practice of many cultures.

10 ways to help your body detoxify

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.
2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.
3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
4. Drink at least two quarts of water daily.
5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.
6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.
7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.
8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
9. Dry-brush your skin or try detox foot spas/foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.
10. What is the most important way to detoxify? "Exercise," says Bennett. "Yoga or jump-roping are good. One hour every day." Also try Qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.

© Text: life.gaiam.com