how to boost energy
Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day. You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation. The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!
1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule. You can’t stay up late during the week-end and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed. If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.
2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster. Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning. The brain needs protein and the body does not store it. You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel.
3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch. Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon. This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over. Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments.
4) Drink more water and liquids. I know, everyone says to drink more fluids. But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine. This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder. Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times. Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.
5) Exercise regularly. This is easier said than done with a busy schedule. A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores. Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!
6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away. Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body. The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty laughs. Live alone? Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on tv. Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.
7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people. You know who they are. They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down. The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.
Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality. Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health. There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.
home remedies
Home remedies have been with us for centuries and just like most things their popularity ebbs and flows. Right now the popularity of all things natural is on the rise and many are on the look out to understand and gather some of the many home remedies that are out there. But just how do you go about finding home remedies for you that will work for you?
Your first step to finding home remedies for you that work is to start off with the most simple and straightforward remedies that you can find. If you have never seriously researched and investigated natural home remedies, then jumping in and trying to treat a major disease or condition without the advice and support of your conventional doctor is not advised and should be avoided.
Often times most people will use natural remedies for straightforward everyday injuries and conditions and that’s where you should start.
A toothache for instance, because of the way it often develops: out of nowhere, in the middle of the night when seeing a dentist is not possible, is an ideal ailment to attempt to treat via natural remedies.
Start by elevating the head if the toothache came on in the night when you were flat out asleep. By simply propping yourself up with some pillows you will ease the pressure in the head and sinus regions and this could be all that you need to ease the pain. If that isn’t sufficient, then you can place an ice cube on the painful tooth and this will numb the nerves and reduce inflammation. All great to buy you some time before you can get to the dentist.
Another of the home remedies for you that you might want to try is a remedy for Hay Fever. Hay Fever, that periodic burden on so many lives as the pollen rises, can be managed and kept at bay by following some simple steps.
Have you tried lining the insides of your nostrils with petroleum jelly? You should try it if you suffer with Hay Fever! What this does is to trap and stop the pollen from entering through your nose and setting off your allergies. For Hay Fever you can also add a tea spoon of local honey, along with a tea spoon of apple cider vinegar to some hot water and drink as an early morning tea.
So, as you can see finding yourself some home remedies for you does not have to be a huge undertaking of mixing complex potions and concoctions, all it takes is a little common sense and a little research and before you know it, you’ll be using these remedies without giving them a second thought.
gluten free diet recipes
There was a time when having to eat a gluten free diet, meant a severe limitation of tasty choices. However, because of the rise in awareness for the need of gluten free products, manufacturers are stepping up their efforts to produce gluten free products. In fact, there are more gluten free products available now then there ever have been. Manufacturers will probably increase the numbers further as time progresses. If you do have to go on a gluten free diet, you don’t have to worry too much about giving up your favorite foods. Chances are you’ll be able to find a gluten free substitute. If you can’t, there are a lot of quality gluten free recipes on the internet.
What is gluten?
Gluten is certain type of protein. Gluten is found in foods such as rye, wheat, and barley. Because most breads and cereals make use of these foods, they usually also contain gluten. Just because the food is a grain, doesn’t necessarily mean it contains gluten. For example, wild rice, corn, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, teff, soybeans and sunflower seeds don’t contain gluten.
There is some controversy surrounding oats. There is conflicting reports about oats. Many processed foods contain gluten, because it is used as a food additive by many food manufacturers.
Who should be on a gluten free diet?
If you suffer from an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine, called celiac disease, you will most likely be put on a gluten free diet. Celiac disease is often misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. Some people have the disease but don’t really show any outward symptoms. The most common symptoms of Celiac disease include: Chronic diarrhea, the inability to gain weight, unexplained iron-deficiency anemia, bone or joint pain, arthritis, depression or anxiety, tingling numbness in the hands and feet, seizures, canker sores, missed periods, itchy skin rash, and fatigue.
There are some people who suffer from fibromyalgia who claim a gluten free diet has helped alleviate some of their symptoms. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, you should discuss this option with your doctor. You may get some resistance from your doctor, because at this time, there hasn’t been any major research into the effects of a gluten free diet on firbromyalgia. If you really want to try it, ultimately, it will be your decision. You just have to make sure with your doctor that you have no health issues that would preclude you from going on a gluten free diet, clear it with your doctor first.
People with diabetes may benefit from a gluten free diet. You have to be careful about going on a gluten free diet if you have diabetes. A lot of gluten free products add extra sugar or extra fat to make them taste better. It is extremely important you talk about going on a gluten free diet with your doctor or nutritionist before you consider going on a gluten free diet.
If your doctor says you have to go on a gluten free diet, or you want to and your doctor says its okay, then you will have many food choices still available to you. You just have to look at labels carefully. Manufacturers are producing more and more gluten free foods. If you have a craving for something that isn’t gluten free, there are plenty of gluten free recipes on the internet. There are also many gluten free diet cook books available too.
vegetarian diet benefits
The latest food guide at MyPyramid.gov is still based on grain foods, but now it recommends from nine to thirteen servings of fruits and veggies a day along with more servings of legumes -; dried beans and peas, lentils and the like. It’s not an impossible task, not if you combine several items in a single dish.
For dinner, it’s easy to make a nutritious casserole with a grain and assorted vegetables. With the exception of soy foods, though, the protein of plant foods is incomplete. So, for good nutritional balance, many casseroles also include an animal protein food, such as eggs. In addition to providing the highest quality protein next to mother’s milk, eggs are nutrient-dense -; their nutrient total is high compared to their calorie count.
In Rice, Bean & Veggie Custard Bake, eggs bind together a short list of have-on-hand ingredients. You can layer the minimal-prep casserole in almost no time one evening, refrigerate it and pop it into the oven when you arrive home the next day. For the rice base, cook the instant variety or make good use of what’s left over from take-out. With handy bottled salsa -; any hotness level your family prefers -; and cans of beans and corn, all you need to do from scratch is chop some colorful peppers and simply beat the eggs with shredded cheese. To round out a no-fuss meal, add only a tossed green salad to the flavorful, hearty entree.
Rice, Bean & Veggie Custard Bake
6 servings
Cooking spray
6 eggs
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
3 cups cooked rice (1 cup raw)
1 jar (16 oz.) thick and chunky red salsa, divided
1 can (15 oz.) red kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup whole kernel corn (about 3 oz.)
1 cup chopped green, yellow and/or sweet red pepper (about 5 oz. or 1 medium)
Evenly coat 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking pan with spray. Set aside. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and cheese. Stir in rice. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth with back of spoon or gently shake pan to spread rice mixture evenly in pan. Gently spread 1 cup of the salsa over rice mixture. In medium bowl, stir together beans, corn and pepper. Evenly spoon bean mixture over salsa. Drizzle remaining 1 cup salsa over bean mixture.
Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven until custard is puffed and begins to pull away from sides of pan and knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
Nutritional information per serving of 1/6 recipe using kidney beans and red pepper: 334 calories, 10 gm total fat, 226 mg cholesterol, 815 mg sodium, 346 mg potassium, 42 gm carbohydrate, 19 gm protein and 10% or more of the RDI for vitamins A, B12 and C, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, dietary fiber.
weight loss nutrition
Are you one of those people struggling with weight loss? Nutrition is important, but one of the first things dieters try is some level of starvation. Unfortunately, starvation deprives the body of nutrition. Rather than triggering weight loss, starvation causes weight retention and weight gain.
How do you respond to your excess weight? Do you deprive yourself of food? Have you tried various fad diets or diet pills that claim to help you lose weight? Was exercise part of your weight loss plan?
If you have tried all these methods and you still haven’t lost weight, there is a good reason. There’s more to it than that.
Here are the elements you need to achieve weight loss:
- nutrition in sufficient quantities that do not include any fattening foods, junk food, sweet foods, and the like
- exercise to increase your body’s demands for energy
- breathing exercises to encourage weight loss
- consistency and persistence
You can’t expect to achieve weight loss if nutrition is not adequate. Junk food and other empty foods do nothing for you but add weight. While the energy they provide might make you feel good and help you to perform, they are short term solutions.
Let’s take a look at each aspect of weight loss.
Nutrition: You want to choose non-fattening foods that maintain the nutrient levels your body requires. If your body doesn’t get them, it will hold on to whatever food it gets as a survival tactic. Look for low and no-fat foods. Make sure you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat (preferably chicken or salmon rather than red meat), and calcium rich foods like cheese and skim milk.
Exercise: Develop a suitable workout for you and practice it at a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Make sure it’s an exercise you enjoy. Walking, swimming, cycling are all excellent exercises for weight loss. Nutritious snacks will provide you with appropriate energy that will quickly burn off during exercise.
Deep Breathing: Several times throughout the day, practice deep breathing for about 15 minutes each session. This will help your body to burn energy.
Consistency & Persistence: No weight loss, nutrition plan or exercise will help you to lose weight if you don’t follow through consistently and with persistence. You might lose weight after your first week or two, but if you start wavering or skimping on your plan, or worse, cheating on your meals, you’ll stop losing. In fact, you’ll probably gain weight.
One final tip, eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day rather than 3 big meals, and avoid eating within four hours of your bedtime. You might already know that eating before going to bed can disrupt your sleep. In some people, it causes indigestion because the body slows at night.
Eating at this late hour can cause you to get improper sleep and it can cause you to gain weight.
Follow these tips for weight loss: nutrition and exercise according to your weight loss plan, and you’ll soon see results.
menopause hair loss
As with all the other symptoms experienced during menopause hair loss is just one more. Thinning hair is, of course, due to decreased levels of estrogen and increased levels of testosterone in your body. Be reassured you can still strive to age gracefully and look your best.
When estrogen decreases to a level below the amount of testosterone in your body you may start to notice the beginnings of hair loss. You may notice more hair in your brush when you are done brushing your hair or more hair in the drain after your shower or just notice that you are shedding more hair than normal.
Several other factors can come into play when it comes to losing your hair like genetics, nutrition, thyroid problems, specifically hypothyroid, stress, and chemotherapy treatments. If you have none of these conditions and are still losing your hair, talk to your doctor about your hormones. They are probably the culprit.
When you do talk to your doctor, ask about supplements that will help with hair growth. He or she may prescribe the active ingredient in Rogaine, called minoxidil, to start to regrow some of your hair. It’s not just for men, ya know.
Natural supplements can also help improve the state of your head. The four most effective are, Biotin, Flaxseed oil, Evening Primrose oil, and Zinc.
Biotin helps strengthen hair and nails, is essential for metabolizing fats and amino acids and can help regulate blood sugar levels. When blood sugar levels are not within normal limits the body produces an excessive amount of the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT is the major factor in the destruction of hair follicles.
Flaxseed oil keeps hair and nails healthy and decreases the amount of oil secreted by the body and aids in healing.
Evening Primrose oil is rich in Omega 3, conditions your scalp and reduces the production and appearance of dandruff.
Zinc assists with thyroid function and reduces hair loss due to hypothyroidism. Taken with copper to maintain a proper mineral balance, zinc can affect the hormones responsible for genetic hair loss, called alopecia.
Always follow the recommended dosage on the supplement package or whatever dosage your doctor oks for you.
During perimenopause and menopause it may seem as if your body has turned against you and is staging a mutiny. But in reality this is a time for you to embrace the new you and learn to enjoy the newest phase of your life. The phrase – You’re not getting older, you’re getting better is so, so true.
The symptoms of menopause will eventually decrease in severity and allow you to live your life to the fullest without having to worry about when your next period is going to start and if you have enough feminine supplies to get you through.
If you happen to be one of the 30% of women who are affected by menopause hair loss, remember there are treatment options available to help you so you too can live a healthy, happy mid to late life. These are truly the best years of your life.
morning after pill
The Morning After Pill is designed to be a method to prevent pregnancy after sperm has been released into the woman’s body. While conception is not guaranteed at this point, there is a good chance that the woman will become pregnant.
The Morning After pill has been on the market in Europe for many years. Recently made it’s way to America. There has been some controversy over whether or not the morning After Pill should be available without a prescription.
What is the Morning After Pill? Well actually the Morning After Pill a sense f high dosage birth control pill that are ingested over a 12-hour period. Women that have had unprotected sex in the last twenty-four hours can take the Morning After Pill in an attempt to prevent Morning After Pill in an attempt to prevent pregnancy.
Morning After Pills contain estrogen and progesterone, as do regular birth control pills. The idea is that the high doses of these hormones will work to stop conception and the menstrual cycle will begin. Of course, the Morning After Pill is not a sure bet and it is meant to be used only on an emergency basis.
The Morning After Pill is a form of contraception. It is also referred to as emergency contraceptive pills. This large dosage of birth control pill works to stop ovulation or fertilization. The Morning After Pill may also prevent the implantation of the blastocyst after fertilization has already taken place.
Progesterone only Morning After Pills have progestin lenonorgetrel in 1.5 mg doses. Users can take the progestin only in one dose or two equal doses. The progestin only Morning After Pill is available in 44 countries around the world.
The Yuzpe, regiment of pills is a combination of estrogen and progestin. Two doses must be taken in 12-hour intervals and it is thought to be a little more effective than the progestin only regiment only Morning After Pill. Taking several birth control pills can mimic the Yuzpe regimen.
Mifepristine is a drug that is given as emergency contraception or as an abortifacient. In the US Mifepristone is not used as emergency contraception. However, in China, it is often used for this purpose. In the US, Mifepristone is not one of the emergency contraception measures that are approved.
The Morning After Pill is not the same as the Abortion Pill. Abortion Pills are taken after the baby has planted itself into the uterus. A pregnancy is already established whereas with the Morning After Pill, no pregnancy has been established yet.
Emergency contraception is frowned upon by Pro-Life groups that believe that life begins the moment the wheels of conception begin to turn. However, groups that support the usage of the Morning After Pill site that the process stops ovulation and the egg is not released. Therefore the Morning After Pill is along the same lines as birth control pills. The egg is not released and is not implanted in the lining of the uterus.
The Morning After Pill can now be purchased without a doctor’s prescription. The side affects that women may experience with Morning After Pills include nausea, vomiting, breast tenderness and blood clot formation. It is also important to note that the Morning After Pill provides not protection from any sexually transmitted diseases.
The Morning After pill should not be looked upon as contraception. This is an emergency measure that should not be abused. If you are having sex, then use contraception that will work to make pregnancy less likely and guard against STD’s. Practice responsible sexual behavior and protect yourself from undesirable results.
master cleanse
Are you ready to experience master cleanse? Do you think you have the discipline to stick with this regime for several days, up to a week? If so, than you’re going to be in for a great surprise since many people have not only lost weight doing the cleanse, they’ve also banished so many toxins from their bodies that they’ve found a lot of minor ailments just cleared up and went away.
It’s very common for people to report not only a fairly significant weight loss after a cleanse but also improved energy levels and overall health. Many common aches and pains seem to just disappear after doing a cleanse. This is likely due to the fact that you’ve flushed years of built up toxins out of your body.
Also, losing upwards of 20 lbs. has been reported by many people who have completed a cleanse. It’s important that you fully understand that not all of the weight you lose will be fat, some of it will be water weight and you will regain that after you go off the cleanse and return to a more normal type diet.
Of course sticking with a purely liquid diet for days on end can be a huge challenge. It’s just not easy to only drink your meals as anyone who has had to do a colonoscopy prep can testify to, but if you’re able to do it you’ll love the results.
The basic concept is this, you will drink only this lemonade mixture which will help clear all the buildup of toxins out of your body, for several days up to one week. You will need to prepare for the cleanse as well as take some special steps after the cleanse.
For example, before you do the cleanse pick a start date. Make sure you have all the ingredients for the cleanse. A few days before you’re going to start the cleanse, start easing off your food intake. Instead of eating your normal heavy meals start eating lighter. Eat more soups, salads, and fish or poultry. The point is you want to get your body used to having fewer calories since this will make it easier to stick to the cleanse.
When you begin the cleanse all you will drink is the lemonade recipe, some tea and water. No solid foods while you are on the cleanse. You can take an all natural laxative daily while on the cleanse.
If you have underlying health issues or you start to feel dizzy, sick to your stomach, or any other side effects talk to your doctor immediately. When you have finished the cleanse, you will want to slowly add solid foods to your diet. Take several days and only add juice and broth for the first day. Than some light salad or soup and then back to normal meals.
Don’t forget, normal meals doesn’t mean fast food or sweets. If you do that you’ll just gain back all the fat you’ve lost and that would be a waste of time to experience master cleanse.
