Body – Page 4

13 Reasons Your Brain Craves Coffee

We’ve given tips on how to quit coffee using meditation, but that doesn’t mean everyone should just give it up altogether. The key, as usual, is moderation, and if you love yourself a good cup of joe, there’s nothing wrong with that in my opinion.

In fact, studies have shown that coffee is good for your health – although we have to admit the results of these studies vacillate regularly. At the moment, though, the consensus is that coffee – in moderate amounts – is healthy. [Read more…] about 13 Reasons Your Brain Craves Coffee

Originally posted on April 24, 2017 @ 10:00 am

Foods To Eat When You’re Feeling Tired at Work

Body, Nutrition

Night shift workers share a common problem. They feel tired at work even after a full night’s sleep. Nurses and employees of IT companies and law enforcement agencies are prone to lethargic periods within their eight or 12-hour work shifts.

There are many reasons for the fatigue. Ruling out medical conditions, it could be lack of exercise or too much exercise, eating food rich in sugar or dealing with stress and anxiety. The food you eat during your working hours can affect your energy levels, so it’s good to know which ones make you doze off or keep you awake. Keep these snack items on hand for you to munch on and help stave off that sleepiness and fatigue.

Foods for When You’re Feeling Tired At Work

Fruits and nuts

Besides the antioxidants, vitamins and other nutritious benefits, fruits and nuts are two classic snacks that give you a boost of energy. Nuts in general contain unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamins and supplements that contribute to a healthy heart. For stamina, pecans are rich in Vitamin B3 (Niacin) which aids in converting the protein, carbohydrates and fats you eat into energy. Macadamia nuts have the same function and is rich in fiber and protein.

Keep in mind that nuts are high-calorie foods and you should eat only a handful. Eat them in raw or dry-roasted form as nuts coated with chocolates, salt or sugar defeat the purpose of healthy eating.

Fruits are a rich source of water, fiber, vitamins and minerals essential to energy production. All fruits are power boosters that keep you mentally sharp at work. Snack on bananas for potassium, apples for fiber, oranges for Vitamin C and folate, pineapples for Vitamin C and manganese and avocadoes for the good kind of fats.

Yogurt

Yogurt is an energy booster because of its protein, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. It can be eaten alone or mixed with other food. Choose the healthy option of food to eat with yogurt, like granola, fresh fruits and chia seeds. Greek yogurt has twice the protein and half the sugar content in plain yogurt. It is also widely available since it has become quite popular. Make sure to go for the low-fat or fat-free alternative as Greek yogurt has more fat content than the plain one.

Cheese, eggs

Cheese and eggs are protein-rich food that are not high in calories. A hard-boiled egg does away with the fats from frying oil. Pair it with unsalted crackers for a filling energy-giving snack. Another good source of protein is cheese which contains tyramine. Tyramine improves mental alertness and increases energy. Night shift workers can bring cheese sandwiches to eat during breaks for added vigor.

Soy and soy-based food

Like cheese, soy also contains energy-boosting and alertness-improving tyramine. Fortunately, there are many soy and soy-based food and snacks you can bring to work and have for break time. Soy milk, tofu with rice and cereals are just a few examples. Look for them in your grocery store.

Protein bars

These snacks are meals on-the-go that are perfect for fixing your lethargic mood during your work hours. They are protein-rich and have carbohydrates and fats as well. They come in various flavors and their ingredients come from different sources. Protein bars with plant-based protein and low sugar content are best for a healthy snack.

Night shift workers should take care of their health, especially nurses who are on their feet taking care of their patients. Taking these healthy snacks to boost energy will ensure optimum performance in the workplace.

4 Power Nap Mistakes That Kill Your Energy Buzz

Originally posted on April 9, 2017 @ 10:49 pm

Why You Can’t Sleep – and How to Fix It

Body

Are those dark circles around your eyes getting darker by the day? Are you starting to dread nighttime because you know you’re going to be tossing and turning, not getting that much-needed shuteye?

You’re not alone. According to the CDC, an estimated 50-70 million American adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder of some sort. [Read more…] about Why You Can’t Sleep – and How to Fix It

Originally posted on March 24, 2017 @ 8:30 am

How to Stay On Course When Going for your Health Goals

Body, Inspiration, Movement & Fitness, Nutrition

Most of us are aware of how healthy we are and while some of us achieve good health through looking after ourselves, many of us sometimes lack the motivation and confidence to stay focused when it comes to a specific goal or even a general lifestyle change. Often when summer is coming around, we feel the enthusiasm to lose weight and get fit and healthy, because we want to look good in the summer months. Many people start healthy regimes as a New Year’s resolution in January – which can be a somewhat thwarted promise to ourselves that this year we are going to get healthy! [Read more…] about How to Stay On Course When Going for your Health Goals

Originally posted on February 17, 2017 @ 4:30 am

Practice Mindfulness Meditation and Protect Yourself from Chronic Diseases

Body, Meditation, Mind, Mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation has been touted as an antidote to stress, anxiety and depression. And science has backed it up with evidence showing that people who practice meditation on a regular basis produce less of the stress hormone cortisol and more of the happy hormone serotonin in their bodies.

Mindfulness meditation brings us into a balanced state of mind. It accomplishes this balance by stimulating the whole brain to maximum performance. Our brains have right and left hemispheres. The left hemisphere is our logical, practical side while the right hemisphere takes care of creativity and intuition. One side usually dominates. That’s why we often say artists are right-brain persons and scientists are left-brain creatures. But ideally, both sides should be equally operating. With regular meditation, we can achieve whole brain function and enter into harmony. New neural pathways are created, blood flow improves and the mind is better able to deal with negative sensations like pain. When the mind is relaxed, it becomes a fertile ground for healthy cells to regenerate.

Here are three chronic diseases that we can prevent or halt the progress of, through mindfulness meditation:

Mindfulness meditation and heart disease

Meditation involves focus on deep breathing and silent contemplation. When the mind goes into this state, the neural activity of the prefrontal cortex of the brain decreases, thereby lowering stress levels. Many researches have attested to these findings and taken brain scans of subjects for further tests and evaluation. It also found that participants in the study had lowered risks for heart diseases compared to a group who did not do meditation.

Mindfulness meditation and obesity

Mindful eating makes us aware of the food we eat, their taste, texture and appearance. It also keeps our focus on our hunger and satiety, so that we don’t overeat. But meditation has more than a psychological effect on our appetites. Science says that when meditation makes us more calm and less stressed, our bodies produce endorphins, neurotransmitters and hormones that have positive and relaxing effects on our bodies and minds. Endorphins give us a feeling of happiness and satisfaction, driving away hunger and emotional eating. The neurotransmitter GABA decreases neural excitability and stabilizes our moods, preventing binge eating, and the hormones DHEA, serotonin and melatonin strengthen our immune systems, help keep depression away and regulate our circadian rhythms to give us a good night’s sleep.

It should be noted that not all cases of obesity can be resolved by meditation alone. Genetic, environmental and organic factors can add to the excess pounds. These and the need to lose weight fast for health reasons will benefit from medical intervention. Although the human growth hormone (HGH) is also produced by the body during meditation, a doctor-prescribed HGH dosage for weight loss will give greater results in a shorter time.

Mindfulness meditation and diabetes

Diabetes is a debilitating disease that has grave complications. Anyone diagnosed with it has to take medicines for a lifetime. People with this disease are prone to stress and depression, and for good reason since diabetes curtails pleasurable activities. Meditation helps in reversing insulin’s effect on the pancreas and reducing blood sugar levels by lowering the person’s stress. Stress triggers the body to produce the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn increases glucose in the blood, leading to or aggravating diabetes. When stress is relieved, sleep patterns become regular, which promotes healing of the pancreas.

The alleviation of stress and anxiety that comes from the practice of mindfulness meditation promotes the healing or halts the progress of chronic diseases. Aside from the most common conditions of heart disease, obesity and diabetes, other continuing illnesses are hypertension, cancer, diseases of the gut and many more.

Western medicine has embraced this ancient Eastern practice as an important component of any therapeutic regimen. But we need not wait to be ill to start practicing meditation.

5 Spiritual Tools for Addiction Recovery

Originally posted on January 23, 2017 @ 11:22 am

How Turmeric Helps In Effective Weight Loss

Body, Natural Medicine

Tumeric may not hog the attention for its medicinal value the way super plants like aloe vera, sage and garlic do, but it is a potent weight loss agent. Over the years, turmeric has been proven to actually help the body burn more fat and helping prevent diseases associated with high cholesterol levels. It has been used for centuries as a treatment for metabolic disorders and can boost your fat burning efforts. [Read more…] about How Turmeric Helps In Effective Weight Loss

Originally posted on January 16, 2017 @ 10:00 am