Healthy Lifestyle: Three Important Steps to Follow

Everyone cares about having a healthy lifestyle, but with our crazy busy lives it gets so hard to stick with it sometimes.
We typically grab a hamburger and a bunch of fries on the go, just to fill up our growling stomachs and rush to run a bunch of errands and take care of kids and household and...
The list never ends...
Who has the time for planning healthy meals and walks and yoga lessons?
If only we had that personal chef to prepare fresh organic meals for us, and a trainer to tone our abs, and someone to help us get more than 6 hours of sleep every night?
Would not that be fantastic?
Would not be nice to have unlimited funds to help us have a healthy lifestyle we deserve?
However, we simply need to know what little changes to make that can add up to big health rewards.

These three easy tricks can help you get healthier right now.
1. Do not Skip Breakfast
Many people do not realize the fact that having breakfast every morning is the secret to staying healthy.
Breakfast is called the most important meal of the day, because it helps to balance our energy levels and curb our midday hunger pangs - thus preventing weight gain.
It is not just a great source of fiber, but also folic acid and vitamin B12.
One cup of fortified whole-grain breakfast cereal has about 400 mcg of folate and 100 mcg of B12 per day, the amount recommended to fight off cold sores.
2. Steam Your Vegetables
Steaming crunchy vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower etc. instead of boiling or roasting them - optimizes the amount of cancer-fighting protective chemicals.
The scientists also say that fresh veggies are better than frozen ones, and they may be helpful in reducing breast cancer as well as liver, colon, stomach and other kinds of cancers.
For the most protection we should eat at least half a cup of steamed or fresh greens a day.
3. Get a Little Sun
Every time we think of people with a healthy lifestyle, we imagine fit and tanned people walking on the beach.
Is not that right?
In fact, it is very beneficial to take a 15 minute brisk walk outside without a sunscreen three times a week.
That is because the sunlight helps our body to produce vitamin D which helps to cut your chances of:

1) developing inflammatory bowel disease and other digestive illnesses
2) Crohn's desease
3) osteoporosis
4) and helps to keep your blood pressure in check
Take advantage of the sun benefits early in the morning or after 3 pm in the afternoon when you are less likely to burn.
Just remember that taking vitamins or dietary supplements is not the same as producing vitamins naturally from exposure to sunlight and eating healthy foods.
I really like this quotation of Adelle Davis: "We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than we are."
Just by following these three simple rules, you will see the changes in your overall health and healthy lifestyle will become your second nature.

 Source:

Sleeping on Floor is Better than Mattress

7 Reasons Why You Need to Do Planks Every Day

4 Tricks to Sleep All Night Like a Baby

Top 20 Genius & Simple Health Tips You Should Know

Do Fidget Spinners Help With Stress?

How To Make Yourself Go To Sleep Fast

Sleep and Loss of Muscle Mass in Weight Loss

Having the ability to build muscle mass is an asset in this world of worship and beauty that is that of our society. Whether you want to have the appearance of Brad Pitt or Megan Fox, good muscle mass is essential for an impeccable appearance. Many people, not to target women, do not understand, or just do not want to understand, that more importantly in proportion is your lean mass ("muscle"), the lower your percentage of fat.

Low% fat = beautiful body composition = "Nice shape"

So muscle hypertrophy (increase) = decrease in fat% = "Nice shape"

And yes, even for women! And you will not look like HULK, do not worry.

It goes without saying that to maintain our muscle mass is excessively important. This is what raised a very interesting question in me:

Does sleep have an impact on muscle mass?

In recent years, we have seen a decrease in sleep time and an increase in obesity in North America. A link has indeed been drawn between these two variables. However, we can say that lack of sleep creates, as it were, a loss of muscle mass. Of course not. This is only a correlation link.

However, a very recent study has shown that a lack of sleep has a considerable impact on the loss of muscle mass and on the reduction of fat oxidation. This study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (October 2010) compared two groups to assess the impact of a decrease in sleep time (8.5 hours vs. 5.5 hours) on body composition.

"We examine the effect of sleep restriction, designed to approximate the short sleep times of a society, and may compromise the effect of reduced-calorie diets on excess adiposity [... ]. The combination of energy and sleep restriction in overweight adults resulted in a modified state of negative energy balance by a decreased loss of fat and considerably increased loss of fat-free body mass. Our experimental data show that sleep plays an important role in the preservation of human fat-free body mass during periods of reduced caloric intake."

The scientific community has clearly demonstrated the correlation between sleep deprivation and weight loss. A lack of sleep makes weight loss very difficult to achieve, since it has a direct impact on two hormones related to the regulation of appetite. In the occurrence leptin and ghrelin. (If you would like to have more information on the subject, please let me know in the comment section that follows the article).

What makes the study so interesting is that it demonstrates a direct link between lack of sleep and loss of lean mass in a caloric restriction situation.

Thus, it would seem that during a period of caloric restriction, a lack of sleep would cause a metabolic, neuro-endocrine and behavioral reaction that would make your attempts at weight loss excessively difficult.

In clearer terms:

A lack of sleep makes weight loss difficult.

But a lack of sleep during periods of caloric restriction makes a loss EXCESSIVELY difficult.

So keep in mind that it's not all about numbers. It is not so simple to lose weight that you spend more calories than you ingest. Several variables have a very important impact on the possibility of oxidizing as much fat as possible. That's fine weight loss, but what we're aiming for is no more a loss of fat in order to get a body composition worthy of your dreams.

For this you need your MUSCLE MASS.

That's why your healthcare professionals such as your kinesiologist, nutritionist or doctor are constantly talking about having a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some factors that will have similar effects to lack of sleep:

1. Stress

2. Poor nutrition (quality)

3. Lack of recovery from your workouts

 Source:

Yoga For Glowing Skin

KISS Diet: The Only Diet You'll Ever Need

So here is the problem. You like millions of other people enjoyed the holidays and what with all the rich calorie laden meals, cookies, cakes and candy canes you put on a few pounds. You probably resolved that as soon as January second rolled around you would lose some weight. Well the second of January has come and gone. You gave dieting a try but after a few days you quit and you gain back the two or three pounds you did lose.

You have tried every weight lost plan there is and never really got any lasting results. You have seen the ads on TV and the internet. You read magazine articles about losing weight and watched celebrities strut their stuff. Weight reduction plans run the gamut from fast, cleansing, detox to Paleo, high carbs and low carbs. What is a person to do? Why can't I lose weight? If only I could find a diet I could live with and actually enjoy eating the meals.

Well there is such a diet! I call it the K.I.S.S. Diet or the Keep It Simple Silly Diet. You see most every diet out there is doomed to failure. Why? Because in order to lose weight and keep it off you need an eating plan that is easy to follow, easy to prepare, uses common everyday ingredients, one that will not break your food budget and that you will enjoy eating.

Most diets out there call for expensive and unfamiliar food items and/or require long prep times. Using exotic spices with unfamiliar tastes may be okay when you are feeling adventurous but not as a regular addition to your meals. The K.I.S.S. Diet uses everyday familiar foods, comfort foods if you will and a few simple principles.

Now I am not a doctor or dietician I am just a regular guy, who with his wife has tried nearly everything under the sun to lose weight and failed! Finally a few years ago I looked at all the highest rated weight lost programs and took the common elements they shared and developed my own system that has worked for my family. This is not a problem you can buy. I do not have a book, DVD or meal plan to sell you. As I said this is a Keep It Simple Silly plan that I freely share. So without further ado here are the key points.

1. Start each day with a lean protein breakfast. It can be eggs. I like mine poached. But a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter, non fat free plain yogurt with fruit or a smoothie.
2. Lunch is a salad or vegetable laden soup.
3. Dinner lean protein either meat or vegetarian.
4. Snacks: Fruit, low fat cheese, handful of nuts, non fat plain yogurt, olives, Hummus, etc
5. Drink plenty of water.
6. Avoid sugar in all its forms.
7. Do not eat any food that is white.
8. Eliminate processed foods from your diet.
9. Move! Walk, walk, walk! Insert five or ten minutes of some kind of exercise every day.
10. Get enough sleep!

Now I admit there is nothing new in this plan. In fact you probably knew all this before you read this article. But sometimes with all the hype out there regarding weight lost and new diets we forget the simple truth about eating. This truth is "Everything in moderation." You probably remember your Momma saying this, right?

My point in trying to grab your attention with my diet was to help refocus you and remind you that you don't need to spend buckets of money, drive all over town searching for strange foods or spending hours in the kitchen preparing unfamiliar meals. The solution was always right in front of you in your refrigerator and pantry. So relax use the simple principles above and rest assure that over time you will lose weight and keep it off for good!

Living a vital, vigorous life is possible. Your journey starts with the first step. Take that step now and start living! Lose Weight I hope this article was healthful and aids you in living a healthy and active life.

 Source: 

This Is Why You Should Sleep on Your Left Side

10 Everyday Things You're Doing Wrong in the Shower

How To Yoga Stretches for Low Back Pain & Sciatica Relief by Jen Hilman

Tips for Using a Sauna

The First Sauna

If you are about to embark on your first sauna experience you are in for a real treat. There are many things about taking a sauna which can easily be absorbed and understood. It is in no way a mystery. It is a very old thing that has come down through the years. However it is only recently that it has become more popular and used by a lot of people from all sorts of countries and cultures.

So if you are going to take a sauna get ready for a great and rewarding time. A few tips about how you approach it may help you receive maximum benefit.

Sauna With Close Friends Or Family

Until you become a sauna veteran you will find the comfort of being with close friends and/or family will make some adjustments much easier. In the first place you can talk freely and discuss how you feel and what you are thinking about doing next.

If you are with friends you will likely be with someone who is a regular sauna taker. This will furnish you with immediate answers to your questions. Also one of the most important things about taking a sauna is to relax and free yourself of as much stress as possible. Being with friends or family will make this a very fun and easy thing.

What To Wear In The Sauna

Often people are shy about taking a sauna because they feel they will have to disrobe and throw their modesty out the window. This just is not true. There are places where a bathing suit is required. Usually this is at a gym where the sauna is coed or sometimes in a hotel where the sauna is mixed and strangers will possibly arrive.

Personally I don't like wearing a bathing suit because I find that sweating in clothes is uncomfortable. My personal preference is the naturist sauna. However, if I am in a sauna which requires being covered up I always just use a towel. Most saunas accept you wrapped in a towel as sufficient clothing.

Duration

The accepted time to say in a sauna is no more than 15 minutes at a time. If the sauna is heated to the right temperature 15 minutes is quite sufficient. If, however, you feel uncomfortable before you reach 15 minutes by all means leave. As you become more accustomed to having a sauna you will find that you can stay longer than in the beginning.

Personally I let my heart tell me what to do. If I feel my heart change tempo then I get out and take my plunge in the cold water, cool down before going back in. Your heart will beat faster as you get hotter, but this is natural and nothing to be concerned about. It is good exercise for your heart because it is a muscle and speeding it up and letting it return to rest is good for it. This is what happens when you work out in the gym and the same thing can happen in a sauna.

Frequency

There is no right and wrong or hard and fast rule about how often you should take a sauna. Some do it every day and others once a week. You will find what suits you best quite quickly.

Conclusion

Just enjoy your sauna experience and know there is no such thing as right and wrong. Make your trip to the sauna exactly what pleases you, relaxes you and makes you feel clean, happy and ready to take on the world. I look forward to seeing you in the sauna soon.

 Source:

How to de-Stress ♥

Basic Yoga Poses For Beginners

If you're not already doing yoga, seeing some of the more complicated yoga poses can be downright intimidating. Before you dismiss yoga as something you can't do, however, remember that anyone can do yoga. From little kids to older folks, yoga benefits everyone. It is an age-old practice that incorporates physical poses, soothing breathing exercises and deep meditation sessions to unite the mind, body and spirit as one.
Many practitioners of yoga develop a very deep sense of awareness about themselves and the universe. Yoga can seem pretty far out to the untrained person, but if you give these poses a try, you'll find yoga to be a very enjoyable and restorative activity to incorporate into your health regimen.
Here are some beginner's poses to get you started on your journey in yoga.

Dog and Cat Pose
The Dog Pose is beneficial for a healthy spine. It is good for beginners because it is low-impact and not as physically demanding as other yoga poses. Start by standing on your hands and your knees. Place your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Breathe in slowly and move your tailbone and pelvis upward. To do this correctly, your head should lift, stomach drop and spine curved downward. Stretch this pose as long as you can without feeling difficulty. Move into the Cat Pose by exhaling and reverse the position by bending your spine upward and your tailbone downward. Repeat these poses as often as desired.
Forward Bends
These yoga poses help strengthen and improve flexibility in the arms and legs. Stand straight with your hands touching in front of your heart (Mountain Pose). As you inhale, raise your arms high above your head. On the exhale, bend at the hips and bring your arms to the floor. Bend your knees if necessary to ensure that your hands touch the floor. Slowly rise upward on your next inhale, and repeat on the exhale. Do about four or five repetitions of this to feel its effects.
Cobra Pose
This is a perfect pose to stretch your back and arms. Begin the pose by lying flat on your stomach with your arms at your side yet near your chest and feet firmly together. Try to raise your head and chest as high as you can while maintaining a steady and slow breathing pattern. Support your body with your hands and flex your buttocks to support your back. Hold this pose for about 30 seconds and go back down on the exhale. Go back up on your next inhale and hold the pose again. The Cobra Pose helps your back muscles become stronger and more flexible.

Corpse Pose
Usually the pose to end all yoga sessions, the Corpse Pose is a great way to relax after a workout and it feels great. Start by lying flat on your back with your feet slightly apart, and your arms at your sides, palms facing upward. Breathe several deep breaths. Envision yourself sinking into the floor, and as you do that, be aware of the tensions in your body and try to relax. Clear your mind of any distractions, focusing only on relaxing. Keep this pose for about ten minutes to feel deeply relaxed and refreshed after your yoga practice.

Source: