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4 Alternative Vegan Diets You Can Try

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Adopting a vegan diet is one of the healthiest things you can ever do when it comes to looking out for your body. The over-consumption of meat and animal products has been linked to many serious and degenerative diseases, so regulating your daily consumption of such foodstuffs can certainly help in preventing those health conditions from compromising your health. Besides this, sticking with a vegan diet will also do wonders for you when it comes to helping you lose weight and feel much better overall.

However, for those of us who have grown up with having a large amount of meat in our daily diets, giving up meat entirely can prove to be very challenging, or even outright impossible. Thankfully, there are alternative vegan diets you can try out that can start you off on the healthy and virtuous path of complete and total veganism. Here are some of them.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarian

This is the most common type of diet that many aspiring vegans would adopt at the start of their zero-meat intake journey, often sticking with it for long periods of time until they either convert back to a carnivorous diet or graduate into full veganism. As its name suggests, the lacto-ovo vegetarian diet consists of a healthy amount of greens, dairy, and eggs. Meat is naturally left out of the equation.

But what about those who suffer from lactose intolerance, but still wish to pursue this particular vegan starter diet? We recommend you drink milked nuts as a dietary alternative—i.e. almond milk, peanut milk, and so on—instead of regular dairy. This way, you get just as much protein with the same creamy deliciousness, but without the added calories, cholesterol, and other potentially harmful stuff that comes with the regular consumption of animal-derived dairy products.

Other versions of this diet include Lacto vegetarian and Ovo vegetarian, which focuses on supplementing their vegetable diet with either milk or eggs respectively.

Pollotarian

If eggs and dairy products aren’t quite enough for you to subsist on alongside your leafy greens, then you might want to ratchet the difficulty factor for yourself down a few more notches and go with the pollotarian diet instead. This vegan alternative eating style forbids red meat of any kind, along with all types of seafood. Meat and other food products derived from poultry and fowl are allowed. Dairy is considered included in the diet as well, although some pollotarians choose to exclude such food sources.

As this diet forbids red meat along with seafood, it helps health-conscious dieters and foodie lovers slowly wean themselves off of meat products while still allowing them to partake on healthier and leaner meat choices. Of course, those who decide to go pollotarian should take heed to only cook their allowed meat products in healthy ways to fully enjoy the benefits of their diet.

Pescatarian

Somewhat the opposite of the pollotarian diet, going pescatarian means avoiding all meat except for aquatic sources, such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and other types of seafood. Dairy, like pollotarians, are also considered as an optional source of nutrition.

The pescatarian diet is a bit easier to handle than the other vegan diet alternatives, simply due to the fact that seafood consists of so many textures, flavors, and cuisine types. In contrast, the pollotarian only has one single type of meat to enjoy, and in a limited number of ways at that. Finally, the consumption of fatty types of seafood, such as tuna and mackerel, bestows a lot of important health benefits to the dieter.

Flexitarian

If you’re really finding it hard to commit to the vegan lifestyle but still want to give it an honest shot, then this alternative diet might be for you. The flexitarian dieter seeks to keep to a wholly plant-based diet while also enjoying the meat dish. How occasionally the meat comes up is completely up to the flexitarian, of course, but some choose to indulge once a week, or once a month.

Of all the vegan alternative diets, this may be the easiest to handle since the dieter is able to enjoy their favorite meat dish while still increasing their vegetable intake by a considerably high amount. However, the fact that there is no limit to the type of meat allowed in their indulgent periods means that they are still being exposed to the potential health consequences of meat consumption. The frequency of their “meat breaks” may also have a detrimental effect on the health benefits of their majorly plant-based diet.

Conclusion

Adopting a wholly plant-based diet can really improve your health as well as the quality of life you’re enjoying. However, you don’t have to go cold turkey right away when it comes to eating meat. By taking up these alternative vegan diets, you can slowly ease yourself into this healthier and more rewarding lifestyle.

 

Can Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Help Treat Anxiety Disorder

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Have you ever undergone severe panic attacks, compulsive thoughts, or inescapable tensions? Though it isn’t yet proved that the listed symptoms are observed in the patients suffering from anxiety disorders, the risk to develop the same is high among the people suffering from intolerable phobia or worries.

 

There exist a plethora of medication and treatment that can help you tackle anxiety, however, counseling and therapy are often considered to be the best possible measure to begin your treatment with. Some specific kind of therapies such as exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy direct the patient on how to diminish your anxiety disorder, get rid of troublesome thoughts, and overcome your phobia. Here’s how you can treat anxiety disorders with effective therapy:

 

Get rid of Anxiety disorders with appropriate therapy

 

As per the recent studies, therapy is termed to be the best possible technique and alternative to medication to treat even extreme anxiety disorder. Not only does it evaluate the reasons behind this disorder but it helps you to create an effective coping ability.

 

It is worth noting that there are diverse sorts of anxiety disorders, hence, an appropriate therapy is executed taking into the account your symptoms and problems. For instance, a patient experiencing compulsive thought related problems would be provided with a completely different therapy than the one who suffers from regular panic attacks. Though the span of counseling is more or less short-term, the duration of the procedure mainly relies on the symptoms and severity of the disease and can take up to 7-10 sessions to get full recovery. Let’s learn the major therapies for an anxiety disorder:

 

Cognitive behavioral therapy

 

Apart from aiding the patient to recover from panic attacks, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) has proven to be effective enough in eliminating phobias, obsessive thoughts, depression, and worries, social as well as comprehensive anxiety disorder, and the list goes on. The therapy is categorized into two major parts i.e., cognitive therapy and Behavioral therapy.

While the contribution of off-putting thoughts to your disorder is determined in the former case, the later identifies how the sufferer response to the worrisome situations. As said ‘improving the way you take on the situations would help you feel better while encountering them’, the foremost measure the therapy focuses on is to change your thinking. Here’s how it happens:

 

  • Determining the negative thoughts: One of the major challenges faced by the patient suffering from an anxiety disorder is that they tend to consider the situation more hazardous than they actually are. For instance, for a person dealing with germ phobia, touching another person would be as dangerous as killing themselves. Though it might appear a ridiculous fear, determining your very own illogical fears isn’t an easy task. And that’s when a therapist comes into the play. He/she helps you identify your phobia, fear, worries, and negativities that have made you suffer from anxiety disorder.

 

  • Getting rid of negative mindset: While finding out the issues seems quite effortless, overcoming the same can turn out to be the major challenge of your life. In this phase, your counselor would instruct you on how to analyze the harmful thoughts. This stage includes: evaluating useless thinking, checking out the accurateness of the anticipated negative concerns, performing multiple experiments, guiding you on how to avoid the things you’re scared of, and analyzing the probability that what the patient is worrying would in reality happen.

 

  • Changing negative concerns into practical thoughts: Once you’ve got an idea of the concerns that are affecting your lifestyle, you could change the same with more sensible and rational thoughts. In this phase, your counselor would assist you to be more practical. He/she will also make necessary statements that work as an evidence of virtual reality.

 

Apart from the mentioned phases, cognitive behavioral therapy helps you ascertain the causes behind your intense anxiety disorder, learn problem-solving skills, and challenge your phobia.

 

Final Verdict

 

Is anxiety disorder negatively affecting your daily life? Get cognitive behavioral therapy and get the positive results within a few sessions. Furthermore, you should aim to boost your relation with your friends, colleagues, family, and other beloved people, adopt a healthy lifestyle and opt for regular exercise to get rid of the issue with ease. Good Luck!

 

Author Bio

Hello Readers !! Natalie and Caitlyn Bell are the founders of Healtholine, They started Healtholine to provide a platform where they could share informative articles related to health, fitness, beauty, weight loss etc Natalie is a featured author at various authoritative blogs in the health and fitness industry. Connect with both sisters to know more.

 

Should You Get Two Teeth Cleanings a Year from a Dentist?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The importance of visiting the dentist to get your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year should not be overlooked. By receiving two cleaning per year or one every six months, you can ensure optimal oral health while preventing conditions such as cavities and gum disease. Here are several other reasons bi-annual teeth cleanings are so vital:

Source

Whiter Teeth

You likely eat or drink food and beverages that stain your teeth. A professional tooth cleaning at the dentist can remove these stains and help your teeth appear whiter. If you are particularly concerned about the stains and/or discoloration on your teeth, you may opt for professional teeth whitening services.

Also Read– Tips for Getting Whiter Teeth, Naturally

Early Oral Cancer Detection

During teeth cleanings, a dentist will examine your mouth to search for signs of oral cancer. In the event a dentist notices a sign of oral cancer, you may undergo a test to determine whether it is present. Oral cancer screenings are essential as they can detect oral cancer in its early stages when it’s most treatable.

Are You Doing Everything For Your Teeth- Read Here

Reduced Risk of Teeth Loss

In addition to reducing your risk of developing cavities and gum disease, professional tooth cleanings twice a year can lower your chances of tooth loss. Tooth loss can hinder the way you speak and chew and can also lead to bone loss. Although you can replace missing teeth with bridges, dentures, and implants, natural teeth are always preferred.

5 Common Mistakes When Looking After Teeth- Read More

If you’re searching for a highly skilled and experienced dentist in Raleigh, North Carolina, contact Lane & Associates. We’ll be happy to clean your teeth twice a year and help you achieve optimal oral health.

11 Great Reasons To Drink More Water

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Every day, you hear that it’s important to drink more water. But why? You feel fine, so why should you increase the amount of water you drink? It turns out that there are a wide variety of reasons to drink more water.

The traditional wisdom is that you should drink eight 8-oz glasses of water every day. Is that accurate? It sounds like a lot, but that’s actually not enough. According to the Mayo Clinic, men should drink about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of water every day, and women should drink 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) every day. How much does that look like?

Picture a 2-liter bottle of soda. Men should aim to drink one and three quarters 2-liter bottles full of water every day, while women should aim for one and a quarter of 2-liter bottles.

Better yet, get a 24-ounce water bottle. Men should aim to drink five full water bottles every day. Women should aim to drink nearly four full water bottles every day.

Without making this list long enough to bore you, here are 11 great reasons to drink more water.

 

1.      You’re constantly losing water

 

According to Kaiser Permanente nephrologist Steven Guest, MD, “Fluid losses occur continuously, from skin evaporation, breathing, urine, and stool, and these losses must be replaced daily for good health.”

 

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more water than you consume. Are you drinking enough water to compensate for how much your body is getting rid of? Are you sure?

 

2.      Your body is 60% water

 

Your body requires water for a surprising number of functions including digestion, absorption of nutrients, blood circulation, the creation of saliva, transporting nutrients, and maintaining steady body temperature.

 

Failing to drink enough water can slow down all these processes. If you don’t feel right, drinking more water may help you feel better if your body isn’t doing what it needs to due to lack of hydration.

 

3.      Water reduces your heart attack risk

 

A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that drinking more water decreased the risk of developing coronary heart disease while drinking other liquids increased that risk.

 

This is because drinking water helps prevent a buildup of plaque that can lead to a heart attack. Drinking more water seems like a fairly simple way to reduce your risk of having a heart attack.

 

4.      Drinking water can improve physical performance

 

While you can start to feel the effects of dehydration after losing only 2% of your body’s water content, athletes can lose 6-10% of their water weight from sweating. This can lead to symptoms like reduced ability to maintain the temperature of your body, reduced motivation, and increased fatigue, which can make exercise feel physically and mentally harder.

 

When you’re in the middle of an intense workout, you may not want to stop and drink water, but you’ll have a better, easier workout if you do.

 

5.      Dehydration can impact your mood and memory

 

Studies have shown that only 1.36% water loss has a negative effect on the mood and concentration of women while increasing their reported rate of headaches. At the same time, losing 1.59% of their water weight caused men to suffer from increased anxiety and fatigue while experiencing a reduced function in their working memory. If you’re feeling rotten or foggy, try drinking water to positively affect your mood and memory.

 

6.      Water helps you lose weight

 

According to Penn State researcher Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan, “What works with weight loss is if you choose water or a non-caloric beverage over a caloric beverage and/or eat a diet higher in water-rich foods that are healthier, more filling, and help you trim calorie intake.”

 

The next time you think you’re hungry, try drinking a glass of water instead of reaching for a snack. Most likely, your body is actually thirsty instead of hungry, so water can help you feel full better than a small snack.

 

7.      Your skin will look better

 

Hydrating your skin by adding a moisturizer to its surface will only do so much. You can hydrate your skin more effectively from the inside by drinking plenty of water. If your skin seems dry, try drinking more water. That’s a much cheaper solution than buying progressively more expensive moisturizers.

 

8.      Drinking water reduces your odds of developing kidney stones

 

Studies have shown that increasing the amount of water you drink can reduce your odds of developing kidney stones if you’ve suffered from them in the past.

 

Since increasing the amount of water you drink also means you’re increasing the amount of fluid passing through your kidneys, the minerals that cause stones to form don’t have as much of an opportunity to crystallize into painful clumps.  

 

9.      It prevents constipation

 

A certain amount of water is required to move everything smoothly along your digestive tract, so it’s only natural that failing to get enough water through your diet can lead to constipation. In fact, drinking plenty of water can help make up for lack of fiber in the diet when it comes to digestive regularity. Don’t put away the prunes just yet, but try drinking more water to see if you get symptom relief.

 

10. Water prevents hangovers

 

Since alcohol makes you lose more water than you take in, drinking plenty of water during and after consuming alcohol can reduce the terrible morning after effects of indulging in a good time. For best results, drink a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink and a large glass of water right before going to bed. No more cottonmouth!

 

11. Your joints will feel better

 

Your joints contain synovial fluid to keep them lubricated and moving smoothly. Without enough water, the bones in your joints will rub together more, causing a lot of pain and inflammation.

 

Maybe it’s time to stop reading and grab a nice large glass of ice-cold water. What do you say? Not many things can bring you quite as many benefits as drinking plenty of water.

 

 

About Dr. Brent Wells

Dr. Brent Wells is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his bachelor’s of science degree before moving on to complete his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. He founded Better Health Alaska Chiropractors in 1998.

 

He became passionate about being in the chiropractic field after his own experiences with hurried, unprofessional healthcare providers. The goal for Dr. Wells is to treat his patients with care and compassion while providing them with a better quality of life through his professional treatment.

Dr. Wells is a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians.

 

 

 

Time Out: Why A Getaway Could Be Just What The Doctor Ordered

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

If you’ve got a busy career and family life, it can be a challenge to find the time to switch off and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to achieve. However, more people are having to take leave from their jobs due to stress and fatigue, because they weren’t making themselves a priority. Therefore, it’s crucial to the success of your future lifestyle, to know when it’s time for a breather and to get some much-needed, healthy headspace. Whether it’s a couple of days and nights away or a regular vacation with your loved ones; a getaway and break are just what you’ll need to recharge, refocus, and give yourself a boost for whatever comes next.

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/women-view-looking-thinking-50630/

 

Prepare And Plan

 

Your calendar and diary might be heaving, but there’s no time like the present to schedule in some you time and work around the moments you’ll be spending away alone, with your partner, or with your family. Now is the time to think about those place where you feel most at ease, and know that you’ll be able to benefit from some fresh air and relaxation time to read a book or partake in your favorite activities. It’s not necessarily about lying back for the whole of your getaway and doing nothing, but more about a change of scenery, and taking your mind away from the craziness of everyday life. Ensure that you have all you need before traveling anywhere, and head to sites like https://www.saveritemedical.com/ so that you’re fully stocked up on essentials, and won’t need to worry about getting to a pharmacy when you’re meant to be enjoying your log cabin.

 

 

Eat Well And Feel Better

 

It’s likely that you’ve probably got yourself into a routine of a quick coffee for breakfast, whatever fast food you can grab for lunch, and late dinners. Therefore, you should be making the most of fresh local produce during your time away; cooking from scratch with quality ingredients is another way to concentrate on something simple, and your body will reap the rewards when it’s time to serve up. Book somewhere with a BBQ, and take some simple recipe ideas along to fuel your time away. You’ll return feeling refreshed and keen to book your next mindful getaway.

 

Enjoy The Fresh Air And Water

 

Jobs in business and offices don’t tend to leave much time or room to spend some quality moments enjoying the open water and the open air. Therefore, it’s worth thinking about booking a getaway somewhere you can enjoy an open expanse of H20. Check out a lakeside retreat, and think about booking in some water sports sessions for yourself, or you and a loved one. You can look forward to hours of mindful activities and relax on the water ahead. Or, hire a boat on arrival for some sailing or fishing; whatever you decide to do, maker the most of the environment around you, breathe in and out, and blow out those cobwebs for clarity and a clear head.

 

Things That Can Happen To Your Body When Flying

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Image 

As humans, flying isn’t a part of our lives which is natural. We have always wanted to explore other parts of the world, and in the last 100 years pioneers have allowed us to take to the sky easily and without any issues at all. However, being on a plane can still have weird effects on our body, and here are just some of the issues you might face in a plane this year.

You’ll be thirsty

As we gain altitude in the air when we get on a plane, the humidity in the air will start to change. Where you are normally surrounded by a decent amount of water vapour, there will be a lot less when you get high in the sky. You can, therefore, benefit from keeping a bottle of water with you for your flight and make sure that you are able to stay hydrated on the trip.

 Toxic water supply

The main thing which is gross about being on a plane is the sheer number of people who are in the same space using the same facilities. If you want to avoid issues with your stomach, avoid any water which isn’t bottled. Plane water can often contain E.Coli and this is a nasty bug which is usually found in faecal matter. Enough said.

 It’ll hurt your ears

If you have sensitive ears already, you might struggle with the change in pressure when you enter a plane and get up into the air. You can use different types of hearing protection to keep your ears happy throughout the flight and it will hopefully stop you from struggling too much with your hearing on the flight.  

Breathing issues

When you start to travel up and to a higher altitude, you will notice that the levels of oxygen in the air are a lot lower than they are at ground level. The main issue that this can create is for those with breathing problems such as asthma or emphysema. If you believe that you are really going to struggle to breathe during the flight make sure you bring some travel oxygen with you and maybe even your inhalers.  

You might swell

The pressure on a plane is a lot less than the pressure you feel when on the ground and this can cause your body to swell up and do some weird things. Make sure that you wear loose fitting clothes and also loose shoes on the plane because your feet are likely to swell up and it will hurt you if you are wearing tight shoes. Make sure you are comfortable on the plane and make sure that you leave room for your body to grow if it needs to!

Planes can have some odd effects on the body and you can end up feeling a bit odd when you reach the ground again. But remember that you can always recover from their effect in a few hours once you land so they won’t last too long. Enjoy your flight, be aware of the weird body changes and have fun on your summer holiday.

7 Tips to keep your bowels healthy

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

When it comes to keeping your bowels healthy, your lifestyle and the choice of different foods plays a crucial role. Simply put, what you like to eat can also substantially affect the way that your body digests food.

The more important things that can help you maintain a healthy digestive tract include drinking lots of water and adding a substantial amount of fiber into your daily diet. Besides dietary changes, regular exercise can also contribute to the wellbeing of your digestive tract too.  Let us check out a few tips that can keep your bowels healthy.

o  Eating a diet rich in fiber content

According to leading nutrition consultants across the globe, eating food items with high fiber content can substantially improve your overall digestive health. This includes the different whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.

Just about any kind of high-fiber diet can help your body’s digestive system to keep the food ‘moving’ throughout your digestive tract. In the long run, this will also make you markedly less likely to become overly constipated. In fact, a high-fiber diet can also help you prevent and treat a myriad of different digestive problems and conditions, such as hemorrhoids, Diverticulosis, and the annoying irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). And there is a bonus as well here. Once you start consuming foods rich in fiber, you can achieve and maintain your dream weight in the long run.

o  Try to include both insoluble and soluble fiber in your daily diet

One should consume both types of fiber because they help improve your digestive system in a variety of different ways. For example, the most common types of “Insoluble fibers” colloquially known as roughage cannot be digested by the human body. They help add a substantial amount of bulk to the stool.

On the other hand, the different types of the highly soluble fiber draw in lots of water and thereby help prevent watery stools at the same time.  Good sources of insoluble fiber include different vegetables, wheat bran, and whole grains. Besides these choices, you can get highly soluble fiber from nuts, seeds, oat bran, and even legumes.

  • Always try to limit those foods that are way too high in fat content

This is because fatty foods slow down the whole digestive process completely. Foods with high-fat content make a man (or even a woman for that matter) prone to periodic bouts of high constipation. Remember that it is equally important to add at least some amount of fat in your daily diet. And there is a certain way of going about doing it.

For instance, pairing the fat-rich foods with high-fiber foods items can make them a lot easier to pass through your entire digestive system.

o  Lean meats are the way to go!

When you prepare a meal, always keep in mind that protein is an essential part of just about any healthy diet. But, you should be careful to understand that fatty cuts of meat that you consume can also lead to uncomfortable digestion. This is why, whenever you consume a lot of meat, always go to the meat shop and only select the lean cuts, such as skinless poultry, or sirloin steaks.

o  Maintain a schedule if you can

Meal times have been an integral part of our collective lifestyle since time immemorial. Our bodies are attuned to eating at certain times of the day and night. This is why making a schedule and keeping to it, more or less rigidly can also help your digestive system with reference to your bowel movements. After all, it stands to reason that the more regular your meals, the steadier will be those bowel movements as well. If you really want clean and healthy bowels, then maybe you should consider sitting down at roughly the same time periods for all your major (and also minor) meals of the day, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and a light supper, before going to bed.

o  The seminal importance of drinking water

As mentioned earlier, staying well hydrated is important. The thing is that drinking plenty of fresh water is really good for your overall digestive health. And when you mix your hydration plans with a high-fiber diet, then all that fiber will pull in the water and help you pass your stools easily.

o  Skip all those the bad habit if you can and also exercise regularly

Ok here is the thing. Excessive smoking, excessive caffeine, and alcoholic beverage consumption is terrible news for your digestive tract. In fact, hard liquor, coffee, and even cigarette smoking can easily throw a spanner in the works when it comes to the effective functioning of your entire digestive system. And it is not just your bowels that will be affected, but rather other parts of your digestive system such as stomach (ulcers) and heartburn (Esophagus reflux).

Apart from the above, exercise also goes a long way in taking care of your bowel movements. And the good news is that it doesn’t have to be a high-intensity workout. Even a simple cardio workout at homeis effective. To get into the mood for an awesome workout, invest in trendy active wear and stylish accessories such as sports bra and butt lifterpanties.

o  Conclusion

In the light of the above, it can easily be seen that taking care of your bowels is really not that hard, provided you follow these simple tips.

Author Bio:

Judy Robinson is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger. She loves to write on healthy lifestyle, fitness 101 and DIY related topics. Follow @judyrobinsonfor more updates.

 

3 Natural Health Resets That Might Change Your Life

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

 

Image via Pixabay

A lot gets said about the best tactics for enhancing your overall health, ranging from all kinds of dramatic dietary recommendations, to adverts for particular exercise routines whose advocates are convinced can solve all the problems experienced by mankind, in short order.

But for all the fine-tuning you can do to try and get your body and mind performing to their optimal standards, there are also a wide range of more straightforward, holistic, and big-picture changes you can make, which can have a disproportionately large impact on your health and well-being as a whole.

Author Charles Duhigg writes in his book, “The Power of Habit”, about “keystone habits” — habits which set off a cascade of positive change, and lead to numerous positive habits, in and of themselves.

Here are some “keystone” approaches, strategies, and techniques, for improving your health.

Go camping

There are many benefits to camping, from getting more fresh air, to spending a larger proportion of your day being physically active, and even just benefiting from the apparently innate healing benefit of trees.

Researchers have, in the past, found evidence that patients in hospital rooms with windows facing trees, experience better health in a shorter timeframe than others.

Other research has suggested that people who live in more rural environments and spend more time in nature tend to be happier and healthier than those who don’t.

Researchers have also suggested that continuous bouts of low-level physical activity throughout the day — such as walking — have a profound impact on health; considerably more than a daily hour in the gym.

Research has also found that chronic insomniacs, when taken camping, quickly have their circadian rhythms rebalanced and are able to fall asleep, probably due to the natural cycles of light and dark. If you need to optimize your circadian rhythm, a few days spent in the great outdoors, without digital devices, may be the key.

Quit caffeine

Caffeine is a ubiquitous substance in today’s world — it’s pretty much everywhere, and it’s in virtually everything. Chocolate bars contain caffeine due to their cocoa content, coffee and energy drinks obviously contain it, but even other soft-drinks you wouldn’t expect — such as Lucozade — contain added caffeine.

Over time, however, constant caffeine use can lead to burnout and adrenal fatigue, as stress hormones are kept constantly high.

Quit caffeine and deal with the withdrawals (which can take a few months) and you’ll likely find that you have much more consistent energy levels as a result. 

Eat as much as you need to feel satisfied

Many dieters who think they’re being healthy end up causing themselves severe health problems due to being restrictive eating patterns.

Eating at a caloric deficit — even one deemed “moderate” by modern diet gurus — can lead to major hormonal issues, including the shut-down of the thyroid — as evidenced by the Minnesota Starvation Experiment and similar studies.

There’s also evidence that yo-yo dieting causes the body to gain fat more easily in future.

To avoid these catastrophic outcomes, eat as much as you need, as often as you need it, in order to feel satisfied. Just stick to whole foods and whole-cooked meals, and limit processed food intake to every once in a while for special occasions.

Spinach Soup with Mixed Veggies

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

So now as I am on a health roll, soups and salads make a very important part of my diet. I keep experimenting with different favours of soups and keep trying mixing and matching the ingredients.

Here is a recipe I tried over the weekend and turned out really good, simple, flavourful and full of goodness.

Spinach Soup with Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients that you will need:

  • Spinach- 250 gms
  • Garlic Cloves- 3-4
  • Olive Oil- 2 Table Spoons
  • Chopped Mix Veggetables- 150 gms( cabbage, carrots, beans, capsicum, corn, peas, cauliflower florets, mushrooms)
  • Vegetable Stalk- 1 litre
  • Corn Starch- 1 Table Spoon
  • Mixed Herbs- 1 Tea Spoon
  • Paprika- 1/2 Tea Spoon
  • Salt to Taste
  • Grated Cheese to Garnish

These ingredients are good enough for 2 large serves

Method

  • Heat 1 table spoon olive oil in a pan and add chopped garlic to it.
  • Saute the garlic for about 2 minutes.
  • Roughly chop the spinach, wash it and then add to the pan.
  • Saute, garlic and spinach, for about 8 minutes, the spinach would be more or less cooked by now. Turn off the gas, and empty the spinach in a bowl and let it cool down.
  • Put the gas again on heat and add 1 table spoon olive oil, take all chopped vegetables and cook them for about 10 minutes on low heat. Cover the pan, and cook for another five minutes.
  • Once the spinach cools down a bit, blend it to a smooth paste with the help of a blender/mixer.
  • Add this spinach paste to the cooked vegetables and stir it for about 2 minutes.
  • Add vegetable stalk, or incase you dont have a stalk ready, add normal water. Bring the soup to a boil.
  • Add spices, and then mix the cornstarch in 2 spoons of water and add to the soup. This will get the soup to a thicker consistency.
  • Let it simmer for another couple of minutes and serve hot garnished with grated cheese.

Do share your feedback in the comments 🙂

7 Reasons Camping Is Beneficial for Your Health

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

If you want to make the most of your time with friends or family, then you should look into camping. There are many activities to indulge in, ranging from fishing, campfires to hiking and biking. But there is a lot more to camping than meets the eye.

Camping interestingly has numerous health benefits. In fact, spending time outdoors camping can add years to your life. Not sure how? Here are 7 reasons for you to consider.

1.   Exercise

When you are camping, you get a great deal of exercise. You get to partake in different activities, like the ones mentioned above, which in turn allow you to burn those extra calories in no time. Additionally, exercising outdoors and doing as many activities as you can also benefit your heart and lungs greatly.

2.   Healthy Food

During your camping trip, your options are limited when it comes to the food you can actually consume. Basically, you have to make do with meals that can be grilled or cooked on a campfire.

If you choose foods that require preparation, your digestive system will get a break from all the fast food you have had previously. Also, rather than taking pies and candies, promote healthy eating by taking fruits, nuts and granola bars instead.

3.   Sufficient Sleep

The best part about camping is that you can sleep in for as long as you like. The environment and quiet nature will do wonders for you when it comes to getting proper sleep. After a tiring day of activities, you will find it incredibly easy to doze off under the starry sky. Rest assured, with sufficient sleep, your body will function more effectively than ever before. Surprisingly your sleep cycle will improve by leaps and bounds.

4.   Decreases Anxiety and Depression

Based on research carried out, green spaces are known for decreasing depression and anxiety. By camping, you will break away from your hectic lifestyle. It is here where you can develop clarity to better understand yourself.

5.   Socialization

Tired of your everyday routine? Well, that is where camping comes into the picture to give you the much-needed break you need from your place of employment and otherwise. Since you will get time with your friends or family, you can socialize and learn more about them, without any distractions of course. Socialization, according to the American Journal of Public Health, can increase your lifespan and defeat memory problems.

6.   Fresh Air

Once you have set up camp, you can finally take a deep breath of fresh air, which alone will make you feel refreshed. The feeling of excitement is not because of the long vacation, but because of all the surrounding greenery. Said greenery gives off high-quality oxygen, which improves brain functionality, all the while making you feeling happier and decreasing stress levels as well.

7.   Sunshine

Whether you are camping in your RV or sleeping outdoors, it really does not matter. The bottom line is that spending time outside will have a positive impact on your health. Apart from that tan you always wanted, the sun gives your body the Vitamin D it needs to absorb phosphorus and calcium so that your teeth and bones stay strong.

Now that you know of the health benefits that lie in store for you on your next camping trip, pack your Canvas tentASAP. Remember, the more you stay outdoors, especially with your friends or family, the better you will benefit in more ways than you can imagine.

Author Bio:

Judy Robinson is a passionate health and lifestyle blogger. She loves to write on healthy lifestyle, travel,  fitness 101 and DIY related topics. Follow @judyrobinsonfor more updates.

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