Tag: Lifestyle

Health Benefits and Good Reasons to Stopping Smoking

Scary warnings about the risks of smoking all over every pack you buy clearly warn of the dangers involved in lighting up, and every year more and more people try to quit. Breaking an addiction can be a challenge of course, but the many health benefits stopping smoking brings can be enough to provide the incentive needed to finally stub out the habit for good.

 

This article was provided by Smoke Guru, they offer a wide range of content on smoking and e-cigarettes within the UK.

Healing kicks in after just one hour!

There are both short and long term improvements to health after stopping smoking, but the human body actually begins the recovery and repair process immediately; as within just 20 minutes blood pressure and heart rate drop back into normal ranges.

 

Better breathing

The lungs start to heal quickly too, reducing the typical gasping, wheezing and coughing smokers experience. Within a year lung capacity improves and exercise becomes easier now, improving general health. The chance of lung cancer is slashed in half after ten years of not smoking, and after 20 it falls to the same as a lifelong non-smoker. It goes without saying that conditions like asthma are easier to manage when smoking isn’t an issue anymore.

 

More energy

Within a day of quitting the body’s carbon monoxide levels drop to normal, restoring the oxygen levels to normal and boosting blood flow around the body. [This also improves sexual health as more blood means stronger erections for the guys, and more sensation where it matters for the gals.]

 

Boosted fertility

Male smokers have weaker and less healthy sperm, so quitting will definitely make starting or adding to a family easier. Women benefit too, as the positions in cigarettes affect the lining of their womb, making pregnancies less stable.

 

Less sniffles

Smoking stops the immune system working properly, so once you quit it’s easier to avoid colds and the flu. More importantly, serious life threatening conditions like pneumonia are also less likely.

 

Nicer teeth

Smokers generally suffer higher levels of gum disease, tooth decay and bad breath. Further damage can be avoided by taking cigarettes are off the menu. As a bonus, expensive dental procedures like implants are more successful for non smokers.

A healthier heart

The risk of a heart attack is much higher for smokers, and this starts to drop from the first day without tobacco, however the most amazing benefits take a little time to show themselves. In a pretty amazing feat, once the 5 year smoke free mark is passed important arteries and blood vessels are able to reverse the narrowing smoking caused. Get to 15 years off the tabs and your chance of heart problems is level with those who have never smoked.

 

There have been many indications that drugs such as marijuana can also affect your heart rate. There are many reasons to quit weed or cigarettes. Many doctors and sources advise to keep away from any types of smoking as they artificially control organs such as the heart within the body.

 

Giving up smoking is not always easy, but the health related rewards for kicking cigarettes into touch make it worth it. From the almost instant benefits, through to the longer term pay offs, it’s never too late to make the decision to live a smoke free life.

 

 

Simple, effective strategies to immediately boost your self-esteem

We hear the words “self-esteem” a lot. From the time we’re young, we’re told that we need have a good sense of self-esteem, and that if we don’t, we may have problems.

But this can lead to confusion. What exactly is self-esteem? How can you know if you have low self-esteem? And if you do have low self-esteem, how can you change?

Maxwell Maltz (1889-1975), author of “Psycho-Cybernetics” said, “Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand-break on.”

How can you be sure you’re not living your life with the “hand-break” on?

Here, we walk you through the how, what and why of self-esteem. We’re going to help you determine whether you have low self-esteem and give you suggestions for improving it.

Read the full post here

Improving Well-Being, Not Temporarily Feeling Better About Yourself

It’s easy to think about how many things we have wrong with ourselves. Both due to our own insecurities or worries, as well as ones pushed onto us by the mass media. Not having the latest sports car, not having the latest iPhone or another flavour of the months smart device like a phablet or iWatch. Not earning enough money, not being able to afford fancy expensive hotels while on holidays, getting old, not being “sexy” anymore, not being able to follow the latest fads and trends. The list goes on and on, and while you could sit there and be stuck in a cycle of perpetual worry and self-doubt, you could take a step back, and think about things that actually matter in life. Not even in the sense of “get over yourself there are more important things at hand”, anyone can tell you that, and as valid as that may be it is not “advice” which works on everyone. So let’s look at how you should get back to basics, and look after yourself in ways in actually help your well being, rather than just helping you feel better about yourself for having the latest smartphone.

Image source: Pexels

Sleeping habits

Sleep is possibly one of the most important parts of your day, you may not feel like it sometimes, but your body certainly does feel like it. If you find yourself constantly weary and tired during everyday life, having problems with coordination, maybe you tend to get irritated quickly or lose your temper, these are all common symptoms of bad sleeping habits. The amount of things which get affected by poor sleeping, span from hair loss to even lack of appetite or sex drive. Now while ordering some mens hair thinning treatments and some viagra might be a good start or quick-fix solution, the ideal scenario would be to get yourself back on track to the point where you don’t need them.

Everyone is different, and while there are recommended sleeping hours for age groups, they do not always tend to fit everyone perfectly. Some people prefer less sleeping time, some a bit more, and some prefer to take naps every now and again rather than getting a “proper” night’s sleep. Of course, what is best for you is absolutely up to you to decide, but the guidelines for age groups are as follows:

Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours

Young adults (18-25): 7-9 hours

Adults (26-64): Once again, 7-9 hours

Older adults (65+): 7-8 hours

As you can see, the trend tends to be that the older you get, the less sleep you need, but as mentioned above, these are guidelines. Some people even adapt a whole new way of sleeping, called polyphasic sleep, which consists of sleeping very few hours at night, usually from around as little as 3 to sometimes 5 hours a night. After that, people have two 15 to 20-minute naps during the day to keep themselves fresh. It might seem like a strange concept, but it has shown to boost productivity amongst people as well as overall better wellbeing.

Make Money From Your Craft

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When you pick up a camera for the first time, one of the last things you’re probably thinking about is making money. Photography is an artistic passion that comes from within and is driven by beauty and attraction, not what kind of income you may be able to make.

Having said that, if your passion takes over your life and consumes you, then it may be wise to see how you can earn professionally from it so you can still get by, doing exactly what you love.

 

Do photo shoots for clients

When going in this direction, ideally you have your own studio as that adds to the profession of the job, because clients would expect to be shot there. Although a lot of the time, shoots can take place outdoors, but it’s always good to have the option. This does cost a bit of money for the necessary equipment as well as the space, so you may want to consider looking at some quick personal loans online so you can afford this, unless of course you already have some savings to tap into.

People will always be looking for a top photographer to capture special moments, whether that be a special time in someone’s life, or an event that needs remembering – so there is always work. All you need to do is build up a decent portfolio to show how capable you are, and then spread the word.

 

Start your own blog or vlog

If you think you have something to offer the world in terms of the kind of content you like to speak about, or show in the photos you take – you may want to start your own blog lead by skilled writing or even just your images that create a story in themselves. But if that’s not your thing, then try vlogging instead. Essentially this is the same thing, but in video form, so rather than writing, you can just talk on camera. YouTube is a great platform for this, and you may just find that your content is drawing in a lot of attention and you can start to build up a good following. This can open many doors for being sponsored to review products, as well as being taken on adventures to explore new things in the industry that you are now in.

 

Sell your prints

It could even be as simple as blowing up your images and trying to sell them. You can do this by making your own websites and advertising them on there, as well as social media like Instagram. Or you can even go into your local shops and ask if they’d be interested in selling some of your work there. If you have a lot of small prints, you could try and sell them to a shop for a set price, and then they can sell them individually – being a win-win for the both of you.

 

So there are many different options that you have, it just depends on the direction you’d like to go in. Get creative. At the end of the day it’s your passion, so take it wherever you want to.

 

Do Well By Doing Good: Perfect Careers For Those Who Want To Help People

There are few things worse than feeling like you’re stuck in a rut working a job that you simply don’t care about, and that doesn’t offer you any real satisfaction. Sadly this is the case for more people than it should be. Every single day people are getting up and going to work doing things that they simply aren’t interested in, feeling as though the work they do every day makes no real difference in the world. Well, what if you wanted to change that? What if you wanted to do something a little bit more impactful with your time? Well, if that’s the case for you, you’re in luck. There are plenty of career options out there for people who want to find a way to make the world a better place and help those around you. With that in mind, here are just a few career options for anyone who wants to do well by doing good.

Medicine

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When they think about helping people, most people’s minds jump pretty quickly to those working in the medical field. After all, what could be more worthwhile than saving lives every single day? And that’s absolutely true! However, a lot of people tend to make the mistake of assuming that becoming a doctor is the only way to make a difference in the medical professions and that simply isn’t the case. Sure, becoming a doctor is incredibly rewarding but it’s also something that requires a huge time investment and a pretty serious financial one too. If you’re prepared to go through the near decade’s worth of training involved, then that’s great! But it’s not the only option. There are careers in nursing that can be incredibly rewarding for those who want to work alongside patients. Or perhaps something in a more administrative capacity would be right for you? If that’s the case then getting a healthcare administration MBA and working that kind of role in a hospital can be incredibly fulfilling. No matter what role you take on in the medical field, you can be sure that you’re doing something worthwhile with your time.

 

Education

 

Sometimes doing good involves saving lives, other times it involves helping young lives develop and thrive. There are few careers more satisfying and fulfilling than being able to help the next generation learn and prepare for what comes next. There are so many options for working in education that a lot of people tend to forget. Of course, the obvious one is working as a teacher, but that’s far from the only option available to you. There’s also working as a teaching assistant, administrative roles, even private tuition. No matter where your skills lie if you’re interested in helping to support and nurture the minds of the next generation, there’s something out there for you.

 

Charity

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There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of non-profit organizations out there and most of them are seriously understaffed. Now, no-one is telling you that in order to be fulfilled in life you have to start volunteering and give up your income. However, there are plenty of paid roles within non-profit organizations that allow you do some incredible work helping people both locally and all over the world. The kind of charity organizations that you want to work with is going to be an incredibly personal decision, but you can be sure that no matter what kind of charity you work with, you’re going to be doing something that really helps people. Sure, the work can often be tough and thankless with long hours, but the fact that you’re doing something to really improve people’s lives can often be reward enough to make all of that worth it.

Home care

If there’s one thing that almost every western society could, and should, be doing better, it’s looking after older people. It’s a genuine tragedy that people who have dedicated their lives to working hard and serving society end up getting abandoned and forgotten about in their later years. That’s why home care assistants are so important. They help to provide the kind of care and support that many older people need without taking away their sense of independence. You can help older people stay in their home while making their lives much simpler and easier on a daily basis. Not only that but you often end up forming some incredibly strong bonds with the people that you care for since you’ll be spending a huge amount of time working one-on-one with them.

Social worker

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There is a great deal of injustice in the world and if you’re the kind of person who simply cannot sit by and watch someone else suffer or be mistreated then social work might just be your calling. Being able to work with people and families to make sure that no one is treated unfairly and that people’s, particularly young people’s human rights are being respected at all times. In this kind of career, you’ll often see some truly shocking and upsetting things, but if that’s something that you think you can handle, it can be an incredibly satisfying and fulfilling career path for anyone who wants to be able to help others in a very direct way.

Now, there’s no reason why you need to work a career that is built around helping people. After all, many of these career options are seriously challenging and aren’t necessarily the kinds of things that anyone or everyone can do. However, there really is nothing like the satisfaction of going home at the end of the day knowing that the work you did that day has genuinely helped to make the world a slightly better place. If you spend your life feeling as though the time that you spend at work is little more than wasted hours you could be doing something else with, one of these career options might well be perfect for you. Remember that it’s never too late to decide to do something just a little bit more meaningful with your life.

Tech Gifts for the Whole Family

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Do you have a family full of tech addicts? Are you not sure what gift to get them to bring joy to their faces come Christmas morning? Check out this great guide to tech gifts for the whole family:

 

An iPhone X for Mom

 

Does your mom love keeping tabs on the rest of the family? Does she love being able to keep in touch with all of you at the touch of a button? How about embarrassing you on Facebook? If so, then you can bet she’d love to receive a brand new iPhone X, which will allow here to do that and a whole lot more in style.

 

A Segway for the Teenage Boy

 

When it comes to teenage boys, there are a whole lot of options, from games consoles to iPads that are sure to impress., but if you want to really blow them away on Christmas morn’, then go for the less obvious – give them the gift of a Segway. You might be thinking at this point that Segways are for tourists only and they aren’t exactly cool, but if you get more info on them here, you’ll see that Segways are the new hoverboards. They’re cool, unique and great for lazy young lads!

 

The Fuji Instax for Your Teenage Girl

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If the teenage girl in your life loves taking selfies or artful pictures of the world around here, giver her a taste of old-school photography by purchasing her there Fuji Instax, which as well as being a fun little camera, also comes in pretty pastel colors. She’ll love it.

 

A Drone for Dad

 

He Might be all grown up, but if you know at heart, your dad is just a big kid, if he enjoys watching airplane documentaries and if he’s into gadgets, you can’t go wrong with one of the newer drones on the market, which will awaken his inner kid and ensure he has fun on Christmas Day.

 

The LeapPad3 for the Little One

 

The LeapPad3, which you can learn more about here is a great little gadget for little ones who are already showing an interest in tech. It’s a device that is totally safe for them to use and which gives them access to over 1200 games, ebooks and apps to keep them happy for the foreseeable future. Plus, you won’t have to keep handing over your own iPad for them to play with!

 

An iPad for the Grandparents

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If your grandparents aren’t already online, then it’s time to change that by gifting them an iPad or whichever tablet you prefer, so that they can learn how to surf the web, enrich their lives and yes, facetime with you and the rest of the family. It’s becoming increasingly important to be able to access the internet effectively, so do this for them now. Even better, buy them an iPad and spend the time showing them how to use it and letting them now all of the functions it can perform.

It’s going to be an amazing Christmas with these gifts in your family’s stockings!

New Year Party Planning Perfection

Why is it that New Year’s Eve has the reputation of being the biggest anticlimactic celebration of the entire year? Most people are feeling groggy and tired after overindulging at Christmas time, so partying the night away doesn’t often seem too appealing. Let’s ditch the old notion that New Year is boring and overrated and attempt to celebrate in style. There are a number of different ways you can party the night away, so let’s explore a few key things that you can tick off your to-do list right away.

Food For Thought

Planning a New Year’s Eve party has to involve delicious food. It’s your job to supply enough sustenance for the people who might be enjoying a tipple or two, Getting hungry at a party it’s the worst feeling in the world. Everybody would be miserable if they were trying to dance the night away with empty bellies. However, don’t forget that people will have been eating leftover turkey for the past week in an attempt to finish off the festive leftovers. Keep the food light and fresh and avoid the heavy, stodgy food that you’ve already eaten. Light fish, salads, hummus and dips are the perfect dish for a glamorous do. Celebrating is thirsty work, so read up on some classic cocktail recipes. Brush up on your cocktail making skills and try out some new fruity favourites, which are sure to be a hit!

Image By: Burst

Dress to Impress

If you’re hosting a big party you obviously want to look your best. Try out a new style or choose a quirky dress-code. Parties are much more fun when there is a theme. Everybody always has a meltdown before a big occasion and insists that they don’t have anything to wear. Make it easy for them and dish out some inspiration with your invitations, you’ll be everybody’s best friend if you make all the difficult decisions for them.

Vivacious Venues

Whether it’s an intimate dinner party or a big blow-out, you need to find the perfect venue. If you fancy getting away from your house (and avoiding the mammoth next-morning clean up!) then consider places like http://coralgablescountryclub.com. Many companies offer great deals on special occasions like New Year so it’s worth having a browse around to see what they can offer you. Ask them if you can bring your own food and drink and save on some of the costs!

 

If you fancy keeping it simple, there’s nothing wrong with a homely, cosy gathering to make merry. You can go minimal with decorations and ask everybody to bring one of their favourite foods. If you’re on a budget this would be the perfect idea. A ready-made buffet sounds like perfection!

 

Resounding Resolutions

It wouldn’t be New Year without setting some achievable resolutions for next year. Have a think about what your passions are in life and use new start as an excuse to get to where you want to be. You can start small and then build upon each goal every month. One of the best ways to accomplish your goals is to take small steps. You’ll be strolling your way to success and happiness in no time!

Your Pledge In Pictures

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Photographs can be incredible things. With the ability to store a moment in time, this sort of tool has had a massive impact on the way that people choose to live. At an important event, like your wedding, they become even more invaluable, and this is when it call gets really interesting. To help you to arrange the photos for your big day, this post will be exploring exactly how to get the best ones. So, now, you just have to sit back, relax, and enjoy your marriage.

 

Why Get Photos? When on holiday or at smaller family events, a lot of people refuse to take pictures, worried it would take away from the event itself if they are set behind a camera for it. Of course, though, at your wedding, you won’t be taking them yourself; you’ll pay someone else. Companies like Casa Loma have all of the resources you could need to create a great shoot when you tie the knot. Having photos of your event will make it a lot easier to remember going into the future.

A Touch Of Video: When you’re choosing to use a professional company, you open the doors to options which you may have never considered. Video is a lot better than photos when you’re trying to keep memories alive. There are loads of businesses out there which can record, edit, and publish the videos you’d like from your wedding. As an additional feature, this will often cost some money, but it will be worth it once you’re able to choose to relive your special day. This is a very modern approach.

Doing Something Different: Of course, using video isn’t the only way to make your wedding memories interesting, and photos can often give you everything you need. Having a shared Instagram hashtag, for example, would enable all of your guests to submit their own photos of the big day. This sort of option is great if you’d like to avoid having a professional. But, even if you do, it can still be worth grabbing one or two snaps yourself.

Finding A Company: Choosing the business which will be entrusted with your wedding photography will take some work. Reviews on websites like Google will be a great start, but it could also be worth doing some of your own comparisons. Along with this, you should be working hard to find all of the portfolios you can, as this sort of evidence is some of the best you’ll find for this sort of professional.

 

Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start looking for the right photographer for your wedding. This sort of job is a lot easier than you might think. But, of course, the approach you take will make all the difference in the end. It’s never worth trying to take the pictures for your own wedding. This will make the day stressful, and you won’t be able to focus on the right things. Instead, you need someone to do it for you, and there are loads of great candidates out there.

Keeping Your Elderly Relatives Feeling Young At Heart

Your parents and grandparents (and even great-grandparents for those lucky enough) will have contributed to who you are today, and will have sacrificed things throughout their life to ensure that you were looked after. Often, our elderly relatives are very special members of a family, and everyone gains a lot of knowledge, advice, and wisdom from them over the years. However, like everyone, the aging process can take it’s toll on people physically, even if they are still sharp and sound of mind. Nobody enjoys getting older, especially when they cannot do all the things that they used to, and end up missing what they enjoyed so much.

Therefore, it’s vital that you do all you can to keep the older family members feeling as young and free as possible. You can assist them in making them feel happy and ensuring their life is fulfilled whenever possible. Looking after the health and wellbeing of your loved ones will ensure that they’re able to remain active and as witty as always. The following are some ideas, tips, and inspiration for those who want to keep their elderly relatives feeling young at heart for the years ahead so that they continue spending enjoyable and quality time with them.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/old-photos-in-the-wooden-box-5842/

Make Time

Making an effort to pick up the phone and calling your loved one could turn their day around from a lonely and boring one to a happy and cheery one in a matter of minutes. Just knowing that they’re worth your time and efforts will lift a person’s mood and give them the boost they need to get through the rest of the day or week ahead. It’s worth encouraging other family members to do the same, and better yet; go and visit your elderly loved ones in person, as a group or individually. You can reminisce together, and they’ll be able to laugh and enjoy the conversation and contact, keeping them feeling young and alert.

Get Help

When your elderly relatives are unable to do certain tasks due to health and mobility issues; it can be an upsetting time and make them feel low. Therefore, it’s worth looking into sites like https://seniorsforseniors.ca/services and finding a service that can help your loved one do all they desire to, but with a little added help, care, and assistance. Ensuring that your family member’s lifestyle is still of high quality is a great way to keep them smiling and young at heart.

Always Include

You might have to make allowances and adjustments; however, it’s important to include your elderly relatives in family get-togethers and trips. Being included will ensure they feel worthwhile and will have something to look forward to; their week may not be as busy as yours, so it’s always good to have a focus to prepare for and enjoy. Sites like https://myageingparent.com/life/keeping-busy/ideas-for-great-days-out/ are a great source of ideas, so check them out and start spending more time with your parents and grandparents; you won’t regret it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yerba Mate Tea Comes to India…!!

The Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM) has come to India with the agenda of opening its route to the Indian tea market by means of popularizing the benefits and scientific significance of the Argentine tea. The Residence of the Embassy of Argentina, Delhi recently hosted a high tea event in the honorary presence of Instituto Nacional de la Yerba Mate (INYM) along with the esteemed participation of tea sommeliers, Tea Trails, Food Halls and distributors.

INYM recognizes the fact that like the people in Argentina, households in India have immense love for Tea and endorsesthe therapeutic effects of the tea, also dubbed as the drink of the Guarani Indians. Describing the beneficial qualities of Yerba Mate, ‘Jerónimo Lagier, Director, INYM said, “With a higher count of antioxidants, it is a greener version of the healthy Green Tea, which increases one’s immunity and also satisfies the taste buds – with the Indian blends such as Ginger, Cardamom, Tulsi, Ginger, Honey and Green Tea. Our purpose in India is to cement our relationship through this drink as we know that India also consists of a large demographic of tea drinkers.

The event marked the launch of Argentina’s National drink ‘Yerba Mate Tea’ in India. It was organized in a bid to commemorate Indian herbs and Yerba Mate Tea for its health-giving effects. Yerba Mate Tea is not only a delicious drink but also has ingredients that boost the body’s defences. The main event was followed by an elaborate tango performance and interaction session between the launch team and guests. Distributors and manufacturers of various other tea brands graced the event with their presence in obligation to partner with the Argentinian tea manufacturers.

The guest list for the evening tea included renowned food bloggers from Delhi , who imparted their expert advice on global tea culture and variety of teas as well as shared their valuable feedback on Yerba Mate Tea. Ace tea sommelier, Anamika Singh, enriched the occasion with her special blends followed by a session on the world of brewing. The event had a bright attendance of tea enthusiasts who collectively praised the tea for its taste and nourishing effects.

Often considered as a ‘Greener Green Tea’, Yerba Mateis traced back to the late 14th century and is known as ‘The Gift of the Gods.’Yerba mate contains life sustaining vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll that is directly assimilated by the human body which, when combined provides with essential elements for good nutrition and shields againstailments such as Cancer, Diabetes and High Blood Pressures. Launch concluded on a high note with the traditional ‘Gourds’ which involves drinking Yerba Mate through a Bombilla Straw as customarily used by Argentine people.

I tried a variety of blends, Paradise and Beauty were the ones I liked the most. Yerba Mate is surely gonna be one of my preferred beverages now as I loved the aroma and taste.