Healthy Eating Tips for a Busy Lifestyle

With deadlines to meet, after work cocktails, frequent dining out, late nights and early mornings, it’s easy to forget how simple it is to take control of your health. The following tips outline some simple ways to enhance your everyday health, boost your metabolism, maintain a healthy weight, increase brain function and start feeling powerful from the inside out.

1. Start Your Day Off Right, Eat Breakfast

Eating breakfast is important for sustaining energy levels and aiding in blood sugar management.

Choose a healthy breakfast that is:

high in complex carbohydrates (oatmeal, cereals, fruits, vegetables)
high in fiber (whole grain cereals and breads and ground flax)
rich in protein (nuts, seeds, soy milk, organic milk and yogurt, eggs, protein powders)

and provides good fats (nuts, seeds, healthy oils like extra virgin olive, flax and coconut)

2. Don’t Rely On Coffee!

Excess coffee overloads your liver, dehydrates you (coffee is a diuretic) and increases the risk of blood sugar irregularities (afternoon energy dips sound familiar?). Your liver is the body’s detoxifying organ and if overloaded, your chances for disease, sluggishness and weight gain will increase. Try to decrease coffee or eliminate it altogether. There are some great coffee alternatives on the market. You can also enjoy herbal teas: dandelion root (liver detox), ginseng (energy), oolong (weight loss), green tea (concentration), and peppermint (stomach ease).

3. Stay Hydrated

This step is as easy as carrying a stainless steel or glass water bottle with you. Count how many times you fill it up. At least eight glasses of water a day will keep your energy levels high, your hunger down, your digestion smooth and your concentration sharp. When we are dehydrated, our bodies often mistake this feeling for hunger. Make sure to not drink water before meals as this can hinder digestion. Drink 20 minutes before and 30 minutes after. Also, try and drink room temperature water because cold water increases gastrointestinal contraction and slows digestion down.

4. Decrease Packaged/Refined Goods

Most packaged goods are loaded with sugar, excess sodium, stabilizers, preservatives and Scary Seven ingredients like artificial colors and flavors. If you cannot pronounce even one ingredient, skip it! Another good rule of thumb is the fewer the ingredients the better.

5. Eat Local, Whole Foods

How did our ancestors eat 100 years ago? Fresh meats, fish, beans, grains, nuts, seeds and fruit and veggies is what our ancestors relied on. Whole foods are the key to good health. When you’re wondering what you can bring to snack on during the day, try bringing a nut bar, some fruit or sliced veggies.

6. Dine out the Smart Way

When ordering meat at a restaurant, look for words like steamed, baked, poached, roasted, broiled or grilled. Do your best to avoid foods with the words fried, au gratin, crispy, escalloped, pan-fried, sautéed or stuffed which are good indications that the foods are high in fat and calories. If an item calls for the one of these options, ask the food item to be grilled, steamed, or baked instead.

7. Limit Alcohol Intake

For every alcoholic drink you have, drink a glass of water. Alcohol dehydrates you, lowers inhibitions and increases your appetite. As a rule of thumb, men should have no more than two drinks daily and females no more than one. Healthier alternatives are light beer, virgin Caesar, white wine spritzer, sparkling water or just straight up water with lots of lemon and lime. No one needs to know your drink is non-alcoholic, just ask for it in a rocks glass.

8. Avoid Anything White

White rice, white bread, white pasta, and white sauces. White flour foods are all processed and the good fiber and nutrients are significantly reduced. Enjoy whole grain breads, pastas, brown rice and whole grains like quinoa, couscous or buckwheat instead. Go for a tomato or pesto sauce instead of white sauces which tend to be laden with saturated fat and sodium.

9. Carry Snacks With You

No matter how long you will be out for, always have a piece of fruit or a healthy protein or nut bar with you. Eating every three hours will help to keep your blood sugar steady and decrease overeating at meal times.
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Healthy Tips to Boost Your Immune System

A weak immune system leaves us susceptible to colds, flu viruses, and other more serious illnesses. Luckily, several natural substances exist to help strengthen and support immunity.

One caveat—balance is required. You may read or hear about a food or habit that boosts the immune system, but go overboard with your response.

Overdosing on anything, even if it is natural, throws the body-mind out of balance. Here are a couple of my favorite natural immune boosters, and how to get the right amount of them.
Exercise to Boost Your Immune System

Exercise has been shown to protect us from the cold and flu by boosting the immune system. Recent studies suggest that there are actual physiological changes in the immune system in response to exercise.

During moderate exercise, immune cells circulate through the body more quickly enabling them to better kill viruses and bacteria.

After exercise ends, the immune system response seems to return to normal after a few hours. However, consistent moderate exercise keeps the immune response working longer.

There is a caveat. Evidence suggests that too much intense exercise can have the opposite effect and reduce the immune response.

Research shows that more than 90 minutes of high intensity endurance exercise a day can leave individuals susceptible to illness for up to 72 hours. Because too much intense exercise can decrease in immune response, balance is required.

Zinc to Support Your Immune System

A student recently told me that when she feels a cold or flu coming on, she loads up on zinc. She's got the right idea.

Zinc is a mineral that strengthens and supports immunity, helps heal wounds, and supports normal growth.
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Health Benefits Of Dill

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Ayurvedic Solutions For Oily Skin

Are you troubled by oily skin and hair? Is summer already taking its toll on you? Summer is upon us, and along with the unforgiving sun, comes a wide array of dermatological issues. The most common amongst these are oily hair and skin problems. Here are some easy Ayurvedic remedies for oily skin, with ingredients you probably already have lying around at home. These are effective and don’t take time out of your busy schedule.
Ayurvedic Solutions For Oily Skin
1. Aloe Vera:
It would be prudent and useful to simply grow Aloe at home since this plant can cure nearly any dermatology-related issue. Otherwise, Aloe leaves are easily available at supermarkets. Aloe works as an anti-inflammatory agent. Cut the green layers off the leaf and you are left with a transparent, slimy, gel-like substance. In a bowl, mash this gel with your fingers as best as you can. Then apply this on your face and hair, and keep it on for about ten minutes or till it’s dry. Then, wash off. This can be the best ayurvedic face wash for oily skin.
2. Orange:
Orange concentrate has high levels of Vitamin C that is very good for the skin. Squeeze half an orange into a bowl and apply it on your face with the help of a cotton ball. Keep it on for about ten to fifteen minutes before washing off.
3. Sandalwood and Turmeric:
A paste made from sandalwood and turmeric can be used for both the head and the face. Mix sandalwood and turmeric powder, and add water (or lemon concentrate) to it. Then spread this paste on your face and head, and wait for about ten to fifteen minutes before washing off.
4. Milk:
The simple, healing properties of milk will take care of your oily skin problems. Simply soak a cotton ball in milk and wipe your face with it twice a day, at least once before going to sleep. If you feel you need a little extra cleansing, add a few drops of lemon concentrate to the cotton ball.
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Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Eating

It is important to eat healthy when eating out, but it is even more essential to a healthy lifestyle to eat nutritiously at home.

Maintaining a healthy diet should not have to be a challenge. Your food and physical activity choices each day affect your health – how you are feeling today, tomorrow, and in the future. Everyone knows the secrets of losing weight: Eat less and exercise more. Sounds simple enough, however in the context of real life and its demands, it may be anything but simple.

You have the power to feel your best. It starts with that which you put on your plate. Eating healthy foods gives you energy, strengthens your immune system and helps you maintain a healthy weight for life.

This section provides numerous tips for how to eat healthfully when dining out, a shopping list for keeping a well-stocked healthy kitchen, and choices for choosing low-calorie foods instead of higher calorie ones. Planning a healthy diet starts with the know-how of good nutrition and incorporation of the identical in everyday routine.
Drink More Water

If water were a food, it would be considered a superfood. It helps digestion, promotes clear skin, acts as an appetite suppressant, as well as prevents heart disease, among many other benefits. Some investigation has even shown that drinking water can accelerate metabolism and help you lose weight.
Eat seasonally

It’s more varied, cheaper and for you. Check out farmer’s markets where possible, or try Pick Your Own fruit and veg – it is good fun and really inexpensive.
Plan your meals for the week ahead

Write a shopping list and stay with it – and never shop when you are hungry, as this is a fatal error that inevitably leads you to definitely stuffing your shopping trolley full of junk!
Remember Pickles

Fermented foods are extremely often forgotten in the Standard American Diet, but they’re a great way to get all the nutritional benefits of vegetables along with a healthy dose of probiotics to boost your digestion and immune capacity.
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Tips to Eating Out Healthy

Dining at a restaurant can be daunting. Pictures of food are plastered all over the menu and other patrons are enjoying their meals as well. How do you know what to choose when you are eating out? Here are some things to look for when ordering a meal. However, keep in mind that options vary depending on the type of restaurant and cuisine you are eating.
First, do not be tempted by specials or the pictures in the menu. Most of these are entrees with large portions and more likely to have a high fat and/or caloric content. Always remember that the picture usually looks better than the actual food. If you are really interested in the special, see if you can have the server bring a to-go box so you can portion your meal prior to eating eat.
Second, always try to order just water. While fancy drink specials can be enticing, they usually have loads of calories and sugar, similar to sodas. Your other option is to opt for the single glass of red or white wine or unsweetened iced tea. Just remember to control the amount you take in- you want most of your calories from a meal to be from food instead of liquids.
As for choosing which meal is appropriate, definitely take your own cravings into account. A small portion of something you desire (even if it is unhealthy) can go a long way to avoid overeating at another time. Just remember that portion control is important and try to choose sides that include fresh grilled vegetables or whole grains.
Lean protein, such as chicken and fish, are probably the best choices for main dishes. Avoid fried foods, and choose entrees that include grilled, baked, or broiled in the description or name. Also, salads as a meal are a good choice, however, be careful about the dressing and the extras that are in the salad. For example, a chicken salad may have grilled chicken, but may also have full fat dressing, bacon, cheese, eggs, and croutons that add unnecessary extra protein and fat to the meal. Always ask for dressing on the side, even if it is a type of vinaigrette. A lot of vinaigrettes contain oils that can add up your daily calories as well.
If you go to a restaurant and find a sandwich as your main course, make sure to include sandwiches that have wheat or whole grain bread and lean meat (chicken, turkey, grilled fish). In addition, try to avoid the mayonnaise and use mustard instead. Check to see if you can have a salad or fresh fruit as a side instead of chips or French fries. Also, avoid sandwiches that indicate butter or oil was used to grill the bread; instead, see if they can lightly toast your sandwich, especially if you like it warm. Try to choose sandwiches that have more vegetables (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, peppers, etc) instead of those that are stuffed with only meat and cheese.
Perhaps the hardest menus to choose from are restaurants that offer free bread and butter or chips/salsa as an appetizer before you have even ordered. Try to choose foods that are lower in carbohydrates since you will be (most likely) meeting your carbohydrate by eating the free bread and chips. For example, choose pasta that has a tomato based sauce (rather than a creamy or milk based sauce), loaded with vegetables and protein (beans or lean meat). Another option is to choose a lean meat as a main course, and have pasta (with a tomato based sauce) and vegetables as a side dish. Also, foods with sauces and cheese add extra calories and fat; try to choose foods without sauces, or ask to have the sauce on the side.
A good rule of thumb is to follow the government recommended MyPlate where half your plate should be filled with fruit and vegetables (without any extra fat). Find entrees that have a balanced mix of carbohydrate, protein, and fruit/vegetables. Look for whole grains or whole wheat such as brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
In sum, remember that portion control is the most important. While we all enjoy a good deal, restaurant portions are usually too much for one person to eat. Share a meal with a family member or friend, or put half away in a to-go box to avoid overeating at mealtime. Choose entrees that primarily include vegetables and avoid foods with extra sauces or cheese. Also remember to enjoy yourself! You are eating out and it is supposed to be a fun treat; everything in moderation.
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Healthy Tips of using a laptop

Too often staring at a laptop screen can cause neck pain and damage your eyesight. The habit of using the laptop for long hours can also affect the overall health of the body. Well, here are some healthy ways to use the laptop, as reported by Lovepanky.

1. Big screen

Choosing a laptop that has a wider screen helps you avoid the stress of having to look at text or images on the screen that are too small. In addition, the laptop also has a wider keyboard that makes your fingers do not get tired or stiff. To avoid fatigue in the eye, when typing, you should enlarge the font size on the screen.

2. Laptop position

Position of the laptop should be aligned with your point of view to avoid muscle fatigue in the neck and eyes. Thus, you also do not need to bend or twist the head while staring at the screen.

3. Use the mouse

By using a separate mouse, you can move the wrist more easily. You can put the mouse on the right side of the keyboard. It can keep you from a wrist injury.

4. Take a short break

Take a break every two hours for a moment. To prevent the eyes from fatigue, avoid staring at the screen every half hour for one or two minutes. With rest, you can reduce the strain on the muscles and joints.

5. Lying straight

Lie down straight to relieve tension in the neck and back muscles. Your eyes also need a short break. So, do not force yourself. Let your body lay for a moment and relax your tense muscles.

Do these five things in order to avoid the complaints and Dangers of Using a Laptop Too Long.