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Top 5 Foods That Combat Stress

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Nothing can ever replace the damage caused by stress to your body. Busy schedules, work deadlines, and other environmental factors promote stress and reduce the natural defenses of the body. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to combat stress.

Healthy eating has a positive effect in reducing stress in a natural and effective way. Here are top foods that combat stress.

stress

1. Blueberries

Blueberries are a proven stress buster. It is crammed with antioxidants that revives and rejuvenates the damaged cells in the body and relieves stress. It neutralizes free radicals in the body and prevents cell damage. It also improves the body’s response to fight stress and anxiety. Besides, blueberries also improve immunity, which again, plays a vital role in reducing stress.

2. Dark chocolate

This could be an ultimate delight for chocolate lovers. Not all chocolates have the power to combat stress in an effective way, but the dark chocolate which has a relaxing effect on your body. Studies reveal that consumption of dark chocolate shows a reduction in cortisol- the stress hormone, thereby relieving stress. The cocoa has a high amount of antioxidant that lowers the blood pressure and relaxes the blood vessels. For a calming effect, go for chocolates that have over 70 % cocoa, says experts.

3. Avocados

If you are not trying to lose weight, avocados may prove to be beneficial for combating stress. The creamy fruit contains glutathione that blocks the absorption of fats responsible for the oxidative damage. The fruit also increases satiety and you feel more satisfied. This reduces stress and promotes a better health. Since it is high in fats, consider limiting your intake by adding just half an avocado in your lunch.

4. Cashews

Nuts have always been a great snack, but cashews have an added advantage. The crunchy nut is packed with proteins and omega-3s that reduce cravings and make you feel full. They are rich in zinc that helps in preventing stress. Zinc deficiency is one of the major causes of stress and anxiety. So, replenishing your zinc stores may help in preventing stress altogether. Having a few every day may seem beneficial for anyone. Besides, they can also be a great snack for those trying to lose weight due to its high protein content.

5. Salmon

Eating salmon has many heath benefits, the major being stress relief. The fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acid which is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. Studies show that it helps in reducing the stress hormone cortisol as well as adrenaline and induces a calming effect. People who consume salmon on a regular basis have shown a reduced level of stress as compared to those who do not. In addition to it, salmon is also a great food for your heart.

Weight Loss Spree on Shoestring Budget

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A good fitness training program, apart from providing health benefits, can also help individuals to reduce weight loss and get into a better shape. Moreover, it can also help them to save money and perhaps make more money. Now, it is possible to implement a comprehensive and effective workout program on a very low budget.

Research has proved that people who exercise regularly can save thousands of dollars on medical treatments over their life span. As workouts improve the immune system, people who exercise daily would experience minimal sickness and thus can save more on their medical bills. Exercising on daily basis would help to reduce chances of heart attacks, strokes and respiratory infections.

weight loss

In addition, fitness training programs aim to reduce fatigue, improve concentration and treat insomnia, thereby leading to more productivity and thus boost income for numerous people. Comprehensive fitness training programs comprise of two major components, aerobic and anaerobic. These two components work together to provide all the benefits you can get from a fitness exercise program.

Aerobic exercises refer to all those physical activities such as swimming, jogging, walking, cycling, rowing, stair climbing, aerobic dance, etc. The health benefits of such exercises are ample, including but not limited to increased metabolism, improved energy levels, normal blood pressure, and minimal occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.
Walking is the simplest and preferred of most exercisers, as it involves no expense. If you have access to swimming pool, or consider joining a gym, or even opt for having your own home gym, these can also be affordable options. If you are keen on buying exercise equipment, you can look for used exercise equipment that would come at half or even one-third the price of brand new equipment.

For the beginners, aerobic exercises can be quite helpful to increase the energy levels. These exercises should be preferably done in the morning. When we follow a strict workout routine, we can see all kinds of wonderful things happening, counting the fact that our metabolism improves.

Even though we should endeavor to exercise for about 40 minutes each day, even if we do for about just 15 minutes, it can be a lot better than not doing at all. We should get in the habit of exercising daily just as brushing our teeth or taking a bath.

Anaerobic exercise is the other facet of comprehensive fitness program, which includes resistance exercises such as weight training to strengthen and tone the muscles, loaded with other benefits. These exercises help to improve energy levels, burn excess body fat, enhance metabolism, and much more. Weight training programs can be done at home at low cost. If you are a beginner, you can start with small weights for an effective home fitness training program.

Most people buy latest exercising gadgets to shed excess fat and achieve their exercise goals. Truly, it is possible to get an effective, comprehensive workout program implemented on a shoestring budget. So get started!

Fitness Training Programs Designed to Suit Health Needs

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A healthy body and a strong mind is the essence of a good personality. If we have a healthy body, our mind remains joyful and radiant. We are able to concentrate in our work and perform better. Thus, physical fitness is the key to help us look and feel energetic and do our best. A good fitness program allows us to do our work with full vigor and keeps us active to perform tasks and spend quality time with our family and friends. Fitness training is the foundation of good health and overall well being.

Nowadays, people are badly affected by urbanized lifestyle and poor eating habits, which can lead to health problems. Moreover, hectic work schedules, stress and environment pollution also affect our health. Quite often, we are unable to spare time to go to a gym, or take out some time to relax and meditate. However, if we are concerned about our health, we should take the foremost step for fitness training.

fitness

Earlier, the concept of personal fitness training was thought to be a necessity only for athletes and muscle builders. These days, the concept is growing with leaps and bounds in several homes. Personal fitness program focuses on providing personal attention to your fitness goals by assessing your fitness progress regularly and making changes in the process if required.

Personal fitness instructors are certified fitness professionals to guide and design a well-tailored workout chart to help you accomplish your specific fitness aim. They are just like tutors that present you with constant motivation and support to achieve a fit and healthy body. A personal fitness instructor by knowing about your health and medical problems can suggest specific exercises which are right for you.

Home fitness instructors pay visit to your home and provide training on how to achieve a healthy body and get into a better shape through fitness workouts. Voyaging with an ‘exercise routine’ with the help of a personal fitness expert can help you to get into good shape, guided with balanced diet, and loads of motivation to a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness training programs are perfect way to pursue the fitness goals with lot of enthusiasm, zeal and fun through yoga, martial arts or dance. Yoga training can help to increase vitality and energy and improve overall health. It can also help to reduce stress and anxiety and achieve improved concentration and better posture.

How to Build a Home Gym That Suits Your Needs

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These days, people are more conscious of health and they are well informed about latest fitness trends, thanks to the new developments in communication technology. Nowadays, we are all aware of the effect of sedentary lifestyle. We are living in a world where we are always at high risk of possible heart attacks, cardio-vascular diseases, respiratory infections and much more.

Unfortunately, many of us are not able to spare time for daily exercise due to our busy work schedule. However, most of us consent to the fact that it would have been much better if we could somehow manage to spare time for exercise, without having to drive to the gym every morning. Convenience is exactly the essence of having a gym at home.

gym

A home gym should be designed keeping in mind the needs of all your family members. A fitness area at home allows you to exercise in the utmost privacy and comfort of your home, probably while watching your favorite television channel or tuning to your favorite music station. The best advantage of home gym is that you will be able to use your treadmill or stationary bike at any time of the day, and for as long as you want.

The thought of having a gym at home seems to be full of pledges. However, if you buy fitness equipment without proper planning, the whole thing may not come to practical use. So, prior to investing in your home gym, you should consider your requirements.

First of all, make sure that you have set your practical objectives, as to what you anticipate from exercising at home gym. If you desire to strengthen and tone muscles, it is best to look for more sophisticated machines than those which abet simple exercises.

A home gym with multipurpose equipment would require a bigger space, though you can design your home gym with a smaller space. You can opt for fold-able work stations to get the maximum utility of the floor area. The choice of home gym would largely depend on what fitness equipment you are going to use.

It is very crucial to plan out the space where large fitness equipment will be installed. You will be able to find different makes and models of home gym equipment that come in different dimensions. You should plan beforehand where to place your fitness equipment and make the purchase accordingly.

Next thing in deliberation is the budget. Building your home gym is a one-time investment, as opposed to fitness clubs where you have to pay monthly or annual membership fees. In return of the upfront investment, you get the continual services from home gym. However, it does not indicate that you have to go bankrupt in building your home gym. It is best to invest in basic fitness equipment and gradually make more purchases to make the workout area versatile.

According to professional health experts, equipment for cardiovascular exercises should be an essential piece of equipment in a home gym, though it happens to be the most expensive one. To cut down the budget, you can invest on inexpensive power training fitness machines, without compromising on the quality of the fitness equipment.

Primal Living Benefits Quick Guide

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Following the primal diet and choosing foods that are natural and organic is in fact the best approach towards optimum health. Going Primal means that you eat and exercise just the way our ancestors did before the agricultural dawn. This approach is indeed the best that we can do in 21st century where life has become so fast and we indulge in poor, unhealthy eating habits.

Agriculture has been there for about 10,000 years, which is just a small sliver of long existence of humanity. Before that an average the human spent most of the time gathering and hunting food, foraging fruits, plants, seeds and nuts.

primal

So, what does a primal follower actually consume? Well, they put emphasis on fruits, animals, oils, nuts, plants and seeds. Going deep in what you can eat on a primal diet include:

Plants

Vegetables of all sorts can be eaten

Animals

Meat of all sorts like chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs etc can be taken in large quantities in a primal diet

Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and others are good to eat in this diet

Nuts

Walnuts, almonds, macadamias are included. Peanuts are not allowed in primal living because they are legumes

Oils

Coconut oil, olive oil and fish oil are some options that can be chosen for primal meals

What’s not included?

The non primal foods include sugars, processed items, dairy products and grains of all sorts like rice, bread, pasta etc.

The benefits of a primal lifestyle are wide but let’s take a look at some of them including:

• Fat burning and weight loss
• Increased level of energy
• Slower pace of aging
• Less risk of facing heart disease and other problems

In all, this diet abstains from the foods that the metabolism was not actually made to eat or digest. Our modern day diet has changed considerably since the Cavemen times but the metabolism is still unaltered genetically coded mechanism of our ancestors.

Benefits

So, is the primal lifestyle worth the efforts and time? Surely, if you start eating the diet for some time, you will notice marked difference in your overall well-being and health. Your sleep pattern will improve, you will be more alert with better mental clarity and will have enhanced energy all through the day.

The benefits of primal living can be great. By eliminating unhealthy foods, increasing intake of healthy Omega 3 body fat as well by reducing the intake of high glycemic index sugar, you will be able to reduce pounds from your body in no time. Also, your cholesterol level will improve and you will face reduced risk of serious illnesses. Your resistance to diseases will also improve and you will face better performance of your body cells.

So, to conclude, it can be said that eating like our ancestors is a great way to remove modern meals and lead a healthy life. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and lead a primal life.

 

Tips to Maintain Healthy Eating When Eating Out

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Although it’s best to avoid eating out as much as possible when eating healthy, of course you’ll still be going out sometimes, whether it’s with friends or for a special occasion. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can enjoy your time at a restaurant without ruining your diet.

Here are some tips to maintain healthy eating when eating out:

eating

1. Pass on the Bread Basket

Limiting your carb intake is important for any diet plan, and the bread given to you at restaurants is nearly always simple carbs that are bad even for people that aren’t looking to lose weight. So, as long as everyone is in agreement, ask the waiter to leave your bread basket in the kitchen. If someone does want it, keep it as far away from you as possible to avoid temptation.

2. Just Drink Water

When it comes to your drink options, water is going to be the safest in terms of limiting your caloric intake. This is especially important when you’re getting free refills since you feel like you need to drink several glasses to get your money’s worth. Avoid alcoholic beverages as well, except maybe a glass of wine, since most beers and specialty drinks are packed with extra calories.

3. Check the Menu in Advance

If you know where you’re going to be going out to eat long enough in advance, take some time to find out what they have on their menu. Many restaurants post their menu with nutritional information online, so you can plan on what to order before you get there. This will help you be able to make a good decision that’s not influenced by the atmosphere or pictures in the menu.

4. Get a Box

Since most restaurants offer huge meals, you can limit how much you eat by asking for a take-home box as soon as your food arrives. Put up to half of your meal in the box then just eat what’s left on your plate. This will not only help keep you from eating the excessive portion sizes offered by most restaurants, but will also provide you with lunch for tomorrow!

5. Ask for Extra Vegetables

When your meal comes with a few vegetables on the side, ask them to pile them on for you. Most restaurants won’t charge you extra for more vegetables and it will help you fill up on these rather than the higher-calorie options on your plate. Just make sure these vegetables are raw, grilled, or sauteed in butter rather than fried since most oils used for frying are unhealthy.

6. Get it Your Way

Remember that you’re paying for this meal, so you have every right to order your food the way you want it. That might mean asking for a different type of dressing for your salad or different toppings on your burger. Just make sure you’re polite about it and give clear instructions to your waiter so you can get your food the way you need and want it to be.

How to Make a Smoothie for Sleep!

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A lot of people are starting to drink one smoothie or another,  because they’ve heard about their benefits online or from friends. The word is spreading fast that these amazing drinks not only taste great but also do wonders for our energy levels, our immune systems, our bones, our muscle and pretty much every other aspect of human health you can think of!

But what is less common is for people to be truly scientific in their formulation of their smoothies. Smoothies are good for you, yes, but it goes well beyond that. The way in which smoothies are good for you depend entirely on what you put in them and that means you can devise a smoothie with a specific goal once you know what all the ingredients do!

smoothie

To demonstrate this, here are a few ingredients that all have one particular benefit – they greatly enhance your sleep. You can combine a few of these with some other ingredients to make a generally healthy smoothie that will also boost your sleep

Cherries

Cherries are fantastic for enhancing sleep because they provide us with a natural source of melatonin. For those who don’t remember their high school biology, melatonin is the ‘sleep hormone’ that we produce in the brain when we’re ready for bed. The more of this you have, the sleepier you get and the deeper you sleep. Melatonin is what you get in a lot of the most powerful sleeping medications but by getting it from cherries, you can get it much more cheaply and without any of the unwanted side effects (like dependence!).

Milk

Milk is a great choice for your bed-time smoothie because it can make your sleep more restorative. That’s because milk contains healthy cholesterol and your body can use that to make testosterone. This is especially important for men because it helps with the formation of muscle – but for everyone it can be very helpful in healing. A lot of us also associate milk with bedtime from our youth and thus it can be very soothing.

Honey

Health and fitness guru Seth Rogen recommended honey for sleep based on his own observations and this trick quickly took the web by storm. The theory is that honey is a great choice because we need energy while we sleep, or else we wake up with low blood sugar and a headache to go along with it. Honey provides both fructose and sucrose – two sugars that are fast and slow acting. This means that you’ll get energy right at the start of your sleep and also later on when you’re deeper into it. Try adding a little honey to your milk smoothie and see!

Strawberries

Finally, strawberries are a good source of vitamin C and any source of vitamin C can greatly enhance your sleep. That’s because vitamin C is known to increase serotonin and your body converts serotonin into melatonin. Serotonin itself also happens to be good for your mood, meaning you can feel rested and de-stressed before you doze off!

How to Get Maximum Health Benefits From Your Protein Shake

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A protein shake is a drink that you can use to help you build muscle, improve your health or lose weight. The idea is that you’re providing yourself with a convenient way to increase your protein intake, which is useful because protein is what the body uses to make muscle, make neurotransmitters and also repair wounds.

But not all protein shake is made equal and if you’re going to get the best benefits from it, you need to choose it wisely. Read on and we’ll look at how you can go about getting the very most from your protein shake – by choosing the very best form of protein and then turning it into a delicious smoothie!

protein shake

 

Types of Protein

When you buy protein shake, you’ll have a ton of different options to pick from. You can choose whey protein, casein protein, egg protein or soy protein to name just a few!

Unless you are a vegan, the best option for your protein by far is whey protein. That’s because whey, which is a by-product of the cheese making process, is completely natural and healthy with the ability to be absorbed very easily into the body. Whey is more bio-available when compared to soy or casein and cheaper when compared to egg!

The only exception to this rule is that casein may be more useful when choosing a shake to have before bed. That’s because casein absorbs more slowly, providing a steady release of its amino acids that the body can use to build muscle throughout the night.

You’ll also find that protein shakes come in a variety of mixtures. They come in all manner of flavors and with a ton of different added ingredients like creatine.

For our purposes, the best thing to do is to find a protein shake is that pure whey with nothing extra. This will cost a lot less (and you can source things like creatine cheaply if you want to add them) but it will also mean you aren’t getting heaps of carbs, sugars and fats added to your drink – so you’ll be building more muscle and less fat!

And we’re then going to add it all to a nice smoothie!

Making Your Smoothie

A plain whey is not a very tasty drink but the good news is that you can fix that by adding it to a smoothie and including your own flavors in the form of bananas, strawberries and various other ingredients. The key here is to think about the flavor but also the health benefits that you want to get from your smoothie.

Add whole milk to improve absorption and testosterone production for example. Add strawberries for vitamin C and antioxidants, or add avocado for more healthy fats and a dose of extra protein. All this will go down much more smoothly, provide a ton of extra health benefits and also be cheaper and more delicious. Go with the basic stuff and make your own mix, it’s the only way to really make the most of your shake!

Lifestyle Choices: Learn to Overcome Emotional Overeating

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Overcoming emotional overeating can seem overwhelming, and setbacks can be expected. But the good news is, there are lifestyle choices that you can make to help overcome this problem.

The key word is choice – you can choose to follow a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes it helps to break things down into small, specific steps you can take (just trying to lead a “healthier lifestyle” is a bit vague!). Following are some of these specifics. And remember, setbacks and relapses are not unusual. Don’t beat yourself up; just start fresh tomorrow.

emotional overeating

Exercise

Experts are in general agreement that regular exercise three to five days a week is most beneficial. This exercise should consist of at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise (such as vigorous walking, jogging, biking, etc.) followed by some light toning or weight training. Committing to this regimen full-force is not necessarily the best way to go; if you can only exercise once or twice a week, that’s still better than nothing and will hopefully pave the way for more in the future.

Exercise is said to relieve emotional overeating in several ways. For one, exercise produces endorphins which are the body’s natural “feel good” hormones. For another, exercise prevents boredom and mindless eating, which is what you might be doing if you weren’t exercising! And finally, exercise will likely boost your self-image, helping to break the cycle of low self-esteem and poor self-image that “feeds” emotional overeating disorder.

Nature

Never underestimate the healing power of nature! For those with emotional overeating disorder, choosing to spend more time out in nature can be particularly beneficial. After all, in the natural realm there are no media messages to mess with your self-image, and being in nature connects you to your origins and the origins of food.

Some experts theorize that detachment from food and its natural source plays a role in emotional overeating disorder. Getting involved in nature and exploring and appreciating it can go a long way toward reconnecting with our biologically normal view of food. Maybe you can kill two birds with one stone and do your regular exercise outdoors!

Ten Tips For A Natural Immune System Boost

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Cold and flu season is upon us. The first line of natural defense is to wash your hands often, and keep your work area clean by wiping it down with an alcohol solution.

In addition, now is a great time to start boosting your immune system. A weakened immune system leaves your body susceptible to every cold and flu virus, especially during the holiday season when you are in close contact with others, often moving between time zones and changing climates.

natural

So, how exactly do you go about boosting your immune system? There are a number of great methods. Below are ten recommendations that will boost your body’s immune system naturally.

Vitamin C: You are probably already aware of this reliable supplement. Your body cannot store vitamin C so it is dependent on your dietary intake. To make sure you are getting enough it is recommended to take 1,000 mg a day to fight off infection.

Goldenseal : You will find this remedy very effective in not only preventing infection but also reducing inflammation after you have a cough or flu symptoms.

Turmeric: This herb is a member of the Ginger family and also known as Curcuma. We have a good article on the UHR site on Turmeric along with a chicken recipe that uses this exotic spice. Animal research has shown this herb to be beneficial as an immune stimulant. Recommended dosage is 200 mg per day to support immune health.

Maitake: These mushrooms enhance immunity, and are especially effective in helping the body to inhibit cancer growth. Maitake appears to activate the immune response by stimulating the T- cells that are the body’s defense against viruses and cancer cells. Recommended dosage is 3-7 g per day.

Aloe Vera: Supplementation with Aloe Vera has been shown to be extremely effective in bolstering and balancing the immune system. Recommended dosage is a quarter glass of juice each morning. Take twice a day when you feel a cold or flu coming on.

L-Arginine: Is a non-essential amino acid that promotes wound healing and improves the immune response against bacteria, viruses and tumor cells. Levels of L-Arginine drop during periods of increased stress. Recommended dosage is 3-6 g per day.

Astragalus: Used for nearly 4000 years in traditional Chinese medicine. Early Chinese writings refer to it as “the superior tonic”. Astragalus is a favorite immune system builder among the natural health community. It is good for colds, immune- deficiency- related disorders, including AIDS, cancer, and tumors.

Black Tea: You may be able to boost your fight against the flu with black tea. In a recent study, people who gargled with a black tea extract solution twice per day showed a higher immunity to flu virus compared to the people who did not gargle with black tea. Black tea represents probably the single biggest source of flavonoids–a natural class of antioxidants that are found in many natural plant- derived foods.

Olive leaf: Olive leaf extract is a powerful tool in the fight to kill viruses such as the cold, herpes, and Epstein-Barr. Its power also extends to helping wipe out sinusitis and bronchitis, as well as reducing hypertension and cholesterol levels. The most important element in olive leaf extract is a compound called oleuropein. When purchasing this supplement, look for capsules standardized to 6 percent oleurpein. The recommended dose is 500 mg daily to fight an existing bacterial or viral infection.

Liquorice: Scientific studies have shown that liquorice stimulates immunity. Its ability to fight flu viruses and bacteria allows using it not only for treatment, but also for flu prevention during epidemics. Liquorice root should not be used in cases of high blood pressure, water retention, pregnancy or if on medication.

It is best to start thinking about immune health before you become ill with the cold or flu virus. Now is a great time to start improving your diet, learning to cope with stress and taking an inventory of the gaps in your diet to help decide which supplements will be of most benefit to you.

Here’s to your health!

 

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