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sexta-feira, maio 13, 2016

This Is What Will Happen When You Eat Breakfast After An Hour Of Waking

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Eating breakfast within an hour of waking seems to be common sense, but some of us might do it after a commute to the office or even after arriving at the office.  Or we may be part of the 10-30% of people who skip breakfast entirely.

We all have our excuses why we don’t eat breakfast immediately after waking.  We may be pressed for time or we’re just not hungry.  But the benefits of eating breakfast within the first hour of waking are really great. If you can do so, every day it’d be a productive and happy one.

This is what will happen when you eat breakfast after an hour of waking:

1.  When you eat within one hour of waking your blood sugar and insulin levels become regulated and you kick-start your metabolism.

If you’re looking to lose weight or even maintain your weight eating breakfast within the first hour allows the body to immediately regulate insulin and blood sugar levels and kick-start your metabolism. When your blood sugar and insulin levels are regulated the body has the necessary energy resources to power you throughout your day.

When you sleep your metabolism naturally slows down because your body has fewer requirements. By eating breakfast within the first hour of waking you give your metabolism a jump start by initiating thermogenesis (the metabolic process of digesting and transporting food). To keep your metabolism running at full capacity you must eat frequent meals, beginning with eating breakfast within the first hour of waking.

2.  When you don’t eat breakfast within one hour of waking you may be more likely to eat low-nutrient, high-calorie foods out of hunger.

I’m sure you have experienced a time when you didn’t eat breakfast within the first hour of waking up and waited to eat until lunch time.  Most likely during lunch you consumed high-calorie and low-nutrient foods.  The benefit of eating breakfast within an hour of waking is that it helps you eat sensibly throughout your day.

When you eat breakfast within an hour of waking you ward off hunger pangs which in turn combats overeating throughout your day.

3.  Studies have found eating within one hour of waking improves your mood and cognition for the day.

Some research suggests eating within an hour of waking improves your mood by feeding your brain immediately.  Thus in turn, allows for improved clarity, memory and cognitive ability.

Think of skipping breakfast as running a car low on gas.  The car is low on energy and it doesn’t perform efficiently.  Food is fuel for your body. By fueling your body within an hour of waking it prevents you from feeling tired and irritable throughout your day.

Conclusion:

Eating within the first hour of waking can be hard. We may be strapped for time or not hungry at all.  But when you make the choice to eat breakfast within the first hour of waking you set your mind and body up for a successful and energetic day.

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Food Day 11

cranberries and carrots

Replenish your body’s nutrient stores with these two foods. Cranberry juice provides a low calorie way of obtaining essential vitamins and nutrients and carrots are an excellent source of fiber as well as vitamin A for a healthy colon.

Cranberry Juice

Methods

  1. We recommend 100% pure juice, rather than the sweetened packaged kinds consumed after diluting with water or the cocktail blends
  2. Make your own cranberry juice using a juicer. This guarantees freshness and purity.
  3. If pure cranberry juice is not present, any form of cranberry juice (frozen, powdered etc.) is also good. Just make sure to check the labels for any harmful additives.
  4. Serve at breakfast and consume with meals for maxiumum absoprtion
  5. Instead of sugary drinks or alcohol, drink cranberry juice
  6. Fruit juice should replace the consumption of fresh fruit

Benefits

  • Boosts immunity and helps prevents cancer. Cranberry juice is high in vitamin C, a vitamin that acts as an antioxidant while also assisting the immune system.
  • Possible antibacterial and anti dental plaque properties. Certain studies have shown that cranberry juice acts against the H. Pylori bacteria that causes dental plaque and peptic ulcers however further research is needed to confirm these results.
  • Low calorie. Unsweetened cranberry juice is relatively low calorie while being an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.

Carrots

  1. Can be bought fresh, frozen, canned or even pickled
  2. Eating carrots raw or steamed provides the most nutritional value.
  3. One serving (approximately ½ cup of carrots) size of carrots provides 25 calories, 6 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of sugars and 1 gram of protein.
  4. Get the most nutrition out of the carrots by cooking, grinding, juicing, or proper chewing. Cooking also kills any bacteria and virus that may have infected the carrots.
  5. To get the most nutrition out of the carrot, cook the carrot in oil because some fat is required to absorb the beta carotenoids found in carrots

Eating Methods

  1. Carrots should be peeled and washed before consuming
  2. You can shred the carrots to use in coleslaw, salads, wraps or in baked goods such as in carrot cakes or carrot muffins
  3. Carrots sticks make great snacks and are frequently used in vegetable trays. Serve carrots with dips or hummus.
  4. Carrot juice is very popular because of their sweet mild flavor

Storage

  • Carrots best stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag
  • remove green tops before storing to prevent the greens from drawing out moisture and nutrients from the roots

Benefits

  • Reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks. Carrots contain the antioxidant, beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A during digestion. Antioxidants neutralize cancer causing oxidants in the body.
  • Vision maintenance. Vitamin A is important in maintaining the sensory cells of your eye.
  • Healthy Skin. Carrots contain vitamin E which help promote health skin

Infection prevention. The vitamin C, present in carrots help maintain the immune system while also acting as an antioxidants

Promotes health digestion. This vegetable is high in fibre which helps maintain a health colon with regular digestive habits. Fibre also helps you feel full so that you consume less sugar.

Reminder

For another source of a fibre and vitamin C, add some russet potatoes to you day.

Russet Potatoes

Directions

  1. Peel the potatoes. In addition to potato leaves being poisonous, the outer skin of the potatoes contain defence mechanisms to protect the plant.
  2. Do not eat the green spots. These green spots contain solanin, a toxin that can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. If enough is eating, vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
  3. Russet potatoes can be boiled, roasted, or mashed. They are a great source of carbohydrates for lunch
  4. For the purpose of detox, avoid adding things like, cream, cheese, and oil.

Benefits

  • Healthy digestion caused by the high fiber content of potatoes
  • Antioxidants and lower blood pressure. Antioxidants remove toxins from your blood and a lower blood pressure is associated with less damage to arteries.

Bonus Tips

Troubleshooting

Read more

Alright. You’ve made it through the first ten days – reason enough for congratulations. Yet, many who make it this far feel far from celebratory. If you’re feeling fatigued, unmotivated, or worse, you might have a condition that we call the ‘carb flu.’ The carb flu is a normal part of many individuals’ 30-day experience. It often includes a period of headaches, fatigue, cravings, light-headedness and brain fog. Don’t worry, though: here’s what’s really going on in your body.

  • Old Habits Die Hard

“If your standard diet includes large quantities of sugar and processed foods, your body is used to using unhealthy fuel for its day-to-day activities. Now that you’re cutting back on cheap carbohydrates like those found in sugary soft drinks or fast food, your body is a bit confused: it needs to find a new energy source.

  • Time to Recalibrate

Your body is so used to a regular flow of processed sugars that its become dependent on it – you’re a bit of a sugar addict. With the transition to fruits and vegetables, you’ve got a wall to smash through: withdrawal. Your body needs to learn that it can function just fine (better, actually) without the sugar.

  • A New Fuel Source

Most people experiencing the ‘carb flu’ will feel out of sorts for about three or four days as their bodies search for a new energy source. Instead of burning cheap carbohydrates, your body will draw on fat instead. That way, you’ll be using the energy stored in fat, which reduces the amount of fat sitting inert on your body. The full transition period lasts a few weeks, but by Day 14, you’ll notice a big difference in your experience. Just remember: you’re trying to make a major change for the better, and your body has a lot of work to do along the way.

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Food Day 10

Sliced Ripe Green Pear Isolated on White Background

Green pears

A healthy diet does not have to mean low calorie. Pears provide a great source of natural calories as well as vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining an active lifestyle for detoxing.

Directions

  1. Chinese pear is known to have the most medicinal values but the other varieties are also good.
  2. Choose firm, deep colored pears. Let them sit for a few days, if necessary, until they dent a little when pressed lightly, like an avocado does.
  3. Before eating, wash the pears in clean running cold water before use to remove any surface dirt and pesticide/fungicide residues.
  4. Speed up the ripening process by putting the pear in a paper bag at room temperature
  5. We recommend eating the pear whole along with the skin because several of the vitamins and minerals are concentrated just underneath the skin.
  6. To get maximum health benefits do not add anything to the pears.
  7. You can also use pears to make juice, jam, pie, and fruit salad. Add pears as a juice mix with other fruits like pineapple, peaches, grapes…etc.
  8. Store pears away from strong-smelling foods as they tend to absorb odors
  9. Once ripe, store in the pears in a refrigerator where they can remain fresh for a few days. Over-ripe pears are mushy and are not suitable for juicing.
  10. Popular Asian varieties are Ichiban Nashi, Shinsui, Shinsieki, and Nijisseki but popular European types are Bartlett, and Comice

Benefits

High Fiber. Fiber is essential in maintaining a healthy colon free of toxins.

Low Allergy Risk. Pears are among the least allergenic of all fruits. For the same reason, they often recommended by health practitioners as a safe alternative in the preparation of food products in allergic persons.

Each pear provides 12% of daily vitamin C needs, 10% of vitamin K, 6% of potassium and smaller amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamin B-6 and folate. These nutrients are essential in maintaining an overall toxin free body.

High Fructose. Pears are high in fructose and provide a natural source of energy to move around and increase circulation.

Reminder

Fruit is just one part of a diet so don’t forget to drink enough water each day and eat salmon several times a week.

Water

Directions

  1. Men should drink 3 L of water daily and women should drink 2.2 L of water daily; Or drink approximately drink approximately 4% of your body weight in water. For someone who is a 150 lb., this is about 2.5 L.
  2. Space out your water drinking for maximum absorption.
  3. Drink water 30 minutes after waking up and drink 200 mL of water before eating a meal.
  4. Room temperature is the best temperature for drinking water.
  5. Sodium balance is important, so be sure to consume at least 2.3 g of salt a day which is about half a teaspoon.
  6. Consume snacks containing potassium such as bananas throughout the day coupled with light exercise to prevent swelling associated with sodium consumption.
  7. Drink water without chlorine and fluorine.
  8. Carry a reusable water bottle.

Benefits

  • Increased circulation. Water promotes toxin drainage by increasing circulation both in your blood stream and in your lymphatic system.
  • Clean intestine. Just like water cleans out the drainage pipes in your house, water also cleans out the drainage pipes in your body.

Salmon

Directions

  1. Fresh and whole salmon are the cheapest and healthiest form of salmon. Make sure that the store keeps the salmon on ice if not frozen and check for unusual smells.
  2. Use a freezer to store the salmon for as long as possible. It is best to consume salmon within 2-3 weeks.
  3. Cook the salmon until the inside is no longer translucent red.
  4. Cooking methods include broiling, baking, grilling or frying. The best method is broiling because it allows the fish to be cooked just enough so as not to lose too many nutrients.
  5. To reduce fat content, remove the skin of the salmon before cooking.
  6. Avoid losing nutrients by avoiding stir frying the salmon
  7. Low mercury salmon include Southeast Alaskan chum, sockeye, Coho, pink, and Chinook salmon, together with Kodiak Coho, pink, and chum salmon. Alaskan salmon carries the lowest risk in being contaminated,

Benefits

  • Anti-inflammatory. The ogega-3-fatty acids in the salmon decrease inflammation and increases circulation. Omega-3 fatty acids are also known for their ability to prevent heart diseases diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Stage 2: shopping list

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Food Day 9

Almonds

Almonds

Almonds are widely consumed throughout the world. Originally from the middle east, this food is now mainly produced in the United States. These nuts are a great source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin E which are all important to your health.

Directions

  1. We recommend that you eat about 23 almonds a day to incorporate many crucial nutrients into your diet.
  2. Space your almond eating throughout the day for efficient absorption and less gas.
  3. Pack some almonds with you in a plastic bag when you go out, they make for a great low calorie snack
  4. Almonds can also be consumed as milk (almond milk)
  5. Because the antioxidants in almonds are mostly concentrated in the brown outer layer of skin, blanched (skin removed) almonds are not recommended.
  6. Begin eating almonds a little bit at a time to see whether not you are allergic to them.

Raw vs. Roasted Almonds

  • Both raw and roasted almonds pack a high dose of nutrients and minerals.
  • Raw almonds contain phytic acid which can prevent the absorption of nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
  • Raw almonds can also harbour harmful bacteria and virus
  • Raw almonds have more naturally occurring beneficial fats, as some are lost in the roasting process.
  • Dry roasted almonds have the same amount of calories as raw almonds
  • Almonds roasted in oil contain slightly more calories.

How long do almonds last?

  • Unshelled almonds last 2-4 weeks in the pantry; 1 year in the refrigerator; and 2 years in the freezer.
  • Shelled almonds last 2-4 weeks in the pantry; 9 months in the refrigerator; and 1 year in the freezer.

Benefits

  • Rich in Vitamin E. This vitamin is a fat soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen species originating from fats.
  • High Fiber. Like all nuts, almonds are high in fiber which aids digestion to promote a clean colon.
  • Almonds are surprisingly also rich in calcium and are often used as a substitute for milk to maintain health bones.
  • According to the FDA, eating 1.5 ounces a day of most nuts, like almonds, may reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • High magnesium that helps prevent heart attacks and hypertension
  • Low in carbohydrates. This make almonds, ideal for diabetics who need to keep their blood sugar level low.

Reminder

It is important to have a well-balanced diet complete with different types of plant fiber. Try to incorporate ginger tea and cereal into your diet.

Ginger Tea

Directions

  1. Buying ginger in root form is the most cost effective method
  2. Avoid ginger that appears to be moldy or rotten
  3. Drink ginger tea early in the morning to prevent sleep loss from ginger
  4. You can put honey in ginger tea or even add lemon/apple to enhance flavour
  5. The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 2 grams of ginger for every kilogram of body weight each day. For a 155-pound (70 kg) person, this would amount to a limit of 140 grams of ginger each day.
  6. The following people should avoid drinking ginger tea: diabetics, those with blood disorders, those with hypertension, pregnant or breastfeeding mother, or those who have gallstones.

Basic Ginger Tea Instructions

  1. Peel and grate the ginger
  2. If you are using a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, then add the ginger. Cover and let the tea steep for 10 minutes
  3. If you are using a teapot, add ginger in the teapot and pour boiling water in it. Let it steep for about 10 minutes.
  4. If you used a saucepan, strain the water to remove the ginger.
  5. Serve and enjoy

Benefits

Anti-inflammatory Effects. Less inflammation increases blood circulation in your and makes it more likely that you will move around. The anti-inflammatory effects extends all the way to the digestive system where it helps reduce bloating.

Anti-oxidants. These chemicals are a crucial part in the maintenance of a health body. They react with cell destroying oxidants to neutralize them.

Stress Relief. Many people report decreased levels of stress when consuming ginger tea.

Vitamins and Minerals. Ginger also contains vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and magnesium

Cereal

Directions

  1. Eat wholegrain oats, barley, rye, brown rice and wheat. We recommend consuming multi grain cereal with at least 40-50% whole grains.
  2. Buying cereal in bulk is the most cost effective method.
  3. Breakfast is the best time to eat cereal.
  4. Avoid cereals with artificial sweeteners, added sugars, texture enhancing chemicals, or dangerous dyes.
  5. Increase nutritional intake by topping cereal with fruits, nuts, and seeds. This also adds to the crunchiness.
  6. Cashews and walnuts can also be added.
  7. Buy in bulk. This is the cheapest option because cereal keeps for a long time because it lacks moisture.

Benefits

  • Dietary fibre. Adds bulk to stool to help clean colon and expel stools at regular intervals. This prevents constipation.
  • Promotes a health gut. Prebiotics, like the ones found in cereals, are natural plant compounds that feed good bacteria in gut.
  • High in vitamins and dietary minerals especially magnesium potassium iron, phosphorus and vitamin B.
  • Low calorie. Calorie restriction has been shown to have positive effects on metabolism and aging.

Bonus Tips

Weight loss issue (2)

Read more

While your focus should remain on developing a healthy eating plan, there are some simple and natural adjustments you can make to lose weight more easily.

  1. One of the best tips for losing weight is to write down what you eat for at least one week. According to research those who keep food journals reduce their food intake by at least 15 percent. Especially jot down every food you consume on weekends. Most people are likely to consume more than 100 calories on a holiday.
  2. Watching television may not seem particularly hazardous to health, but scientific studies have revealed that spending time watching TV is linked to weight gains and a reduced lifespan. Though it may not be practical to cut out television completely from your routine, you can start by reducing an hour of TV time and replacing it with something more active like taking a walk.
  3. Did you know that sniffing fruits like bananas and apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry, may actually trick your brain into thinking you have already eaten it? The more frequently you sniff, the less hungry you get, and more the weight you are able to lose.
  4. If you are stuck at your desk all day, make an effort to take a short walk at least every two hours. This adds up to calories burned during your total walking time and it also serves the purpose of distracting you from reaching for some nibbles.
  5. Many people have the mistaken belief that drinking water will curb their hunger. This is not true since the body in fact has different mechanisms for processing thirst and hunger. Eating water-rich foods like cucumbers or tomatoes and consuming water-rich food preparations like soups and salads, during mealtimes, can bring down your overall calorie consumption.
  6. Whole milk, sugar and whipped cream in your coffee add several hundreds of calories to your cup of coffee. A regular cup of coffee brewed with good quality coffee beans and skim milk is a much better choice to lose some extra pounds.
  7. Eating fruits is a much better choice than drinking fruit juice as you can eat more numbers of filling fibre packed fruits for the same amount of calories in the juice.

Featured photo credit: https://www.nuts.com.au via nuts.com.au

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Food Day 8

Hazelnuts

These two foods are incredibly useful for the purpose of detox. Ginger tea helps keep down inflammation while hazelnuts are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Ginger Tea

Directions

  1. Buying ginger in root form is the most cost effective method
  2. Avoid ginger that appears to be moldy or rotten
  3. Drink ginger tea early in the morning to prevent sleep loss from ginger
  4. You can put honey in ginger tea or even add lemon/apple to enhance flavour
  5. The Food and Drug Administration recommends no more than 2 grams of ginger for every kilogram of body weight each day. For a 155-pound (70 kg) person, this would amount to a limit of 140 grams of ginger each day.
  6. The following people should avoid drinking ginger tea: diabetics, those with blood disorders, those with hypertension, pregnant or breastfeeding mother, or those who have gallstones.

Basic Ginger Tea Instructions

  1. Peel and grate the ginger
  2. If you are using a saucepan, bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, then add the ginger. Cover and let the tea steep for 10 minutes
  3. If you are using a teapot, add ginger in the teapot and pour boiling water in it. Let it steep for about 10 minutes.
  4. If you used a saucepan, strain the water to remove the ginger.
  5. Serve and enjoy

Benefits

Anti-inflammatory Effects. Less inflammation increases blood circulation in your and makes it more likely that you will move around. The anti-inflammatory effects extends all the way to the digestive system where it helps reduce bloating.

Anti-oxidants. These chemicals are a crucial part in the maintenance of a health body. They react with cell destroying oxidants to neutralize them.

Stress Relief. Many people report decreased levels of stress when consuming ginger tea.

Vitamins and Minerals. Ginger also contains vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and magnesium.

Hazelnuts

Directions

  1. According to the Food and Drug Administration, scientific evidence suggests eating 45 grams of nuts a day lower the risk of heart disease.
  2. Try to buy raw hazelnuts(with the outer shell) instead of processed nuts.
  3. Select plump hazelnuts without any sign of shriveling, and plan on using them within one month or freezing them.
  4. Look for smooth, glossy shells with no signs of cracks or holes, and shake them. The nuts should not rattle in the shell, as this indicates that they have lost moisture.
  5. Unopened packets of hazelnuts should be stored in a cool, dry place – they’ll last for up to 3 months. Once opened, they should be kept in an airtight container.
  6. Combine with other nuts, grains, and legumes to get the maximum protein intak
  7. Make sure that you are not allergic to hazelnuts
  8. Unopened packets of hazelnuts should be stored in a cool, dry place – they’ll last for up to 3 months. Once opened, they should be kept in an airtight container.
  9. We do not recommend that you buy hazelnuts in bulk. Shelled hazelnuts typically last for about four months in the refrigerator or freezer.
  10. You can eat hazelnuts raw as a snack (see Raw or Roasted), or add it to salads, yogurt, or muesli.

Raw or Roasted

  • Many cooks toast hazelnuts before using them to enhance their mild flavor.
  • In general, hazelnuts should always be roasted to destroy bacteria and viruses even though raw hazelnuts contain more nutrients
  • Raw nuts also contain phytic acid which can prevent the absorption of nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Benefits

Good source of energy. Hazelnuts contain a fat content of 60.5% which can help you build muscle to increase movement.

Lower Cholesterol. Hazelnuts are high in oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid to help lower cholesterol.

Antioxidants. These nuts are high in the antioxidant, vitamin A which reacts which neutralizes toxins in the body.

Folate. This compound decreases the risk of neural tube birth defects and reduces depression.

High in Fiber. Fiber is very important to digestive health. It adds bulk to stools to reduce the chances of constipation.

Reminder

Another great source of fiber is russet potatoes. They are also high in vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.

Russet Potatoes

Directions

  1. Peel the potatoes. In addition to potato leaves being poisonous, the outer skin of the potatoes contain defence mechanisms to protect the plant.
  2. Do not eat the green spots. These green spots contain solanin, a toxin that can irritate the gastrointestinal tract. If enough is eating, vomiting and diarrhea can occur.
  3. Russet potatoes can be boiled, roasted, or mashed. They are a great source of carbohydrates for lunch
  4. For the purpose of detox, avoid adding things like, cream, cheese, and oil.

Benefits

  • Healthy digestion caused by the high fiber content of potatoes
  • Antioxidants and lower blood pressure. Antioxidants remove toxins from your blood and a lower blood pressure is associated with less damage to arteries.

Bonus Tips

Weight loss issue (1)

Read more

There are people who complain that despite following the eating plan for a week or two they haven’t lost any weight. They protest the plan isn’t working.

  • Chuck that Scale

You may actually feel this is the hardest rule to follow on the program. One of the quickest ways to disrupt your eating program is to keep checking your weight on a daily or weekly basis. This is one rule you must adhere to. Your weight fluctuations are not an accurate depiction of your progress on the plan. For 30 days, enjoy the freedom of never weighing in.

The scale measures more than just your body fat. Fluid retention, muscle gain and much more causes your numbers to fluctuate wildly. You may see a difference of over five pounds at different times on the same day! The scale weight is not a measure of your overall health. Staying on the eating plan changes your emotional connection with food. It corrects hormonal imbalances, heals your gut and calms inflammations. None of these vital advances get reflected in the numbers on your scale.

  • Significant Health Benefits

With the scale, the numerical read out becomes your focus. If you remain fanatical about adding or losing half a pound, you will remain unaware of your health progress. Obsessing about the number on the scales is a sure way to self-sabotage your plan. Your energy levels may have increased, you are probably sleeping better, many food cravings may have subsided and many of your medical symptoms may have disappeared. Focusing on your health improvements are what motivate you to stay on the eating program.

The daily fluctuation of numbers on the scale will make most people feel disheartened. You find yourself giving in to temptations and cheat meals when you get depressed by the numbers on the scale.  For many, the morning weigh-ins sets the mood for the day. It’s psychologically damaging to allow the scale to control your self-esteem. There is so much more to this eating plan than just losing weight. Focus on your overall health instead.

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Food Day 7

grapefruit

Grapefruit

Sometimes it is difficult to lose weight while working. Thankfully grapefruit can help with that. Its high fiber content along with its vitamin levels make for a great food to help detox.

Directions

  1. Choose a grapefruit that is heavy for its size and has a little spring when squeezed.
  2. Grapefruits should be stored at room temperature, away from direct sunlight.
  3. Winter is the peak season to buy grapefruit, oranges and other citrus fruits.
  4. Because of its bitter taste, avoid eating grapefruit before something sweet.

Food Suggestions

  • Make a fruit salad with strawberries, pineapple, sliced grapefruit, mandarin oranges and grapes
  • Add some grapefruit slices to your salad at lunch or dinner. Compliment the oranges with walnuts or pecans, crumbled cheese and a light balsamic or citrus vinaigrette dressing
  • Keep a bowl on the kitchen table or counter stocked with fresh fruit from the season. Seeing the fruits readily available will likely cause you to choose them as a snack more often than raiding the cupboards for a less healthy snack.
  • Make your own juice! Nothing tastes better than freshly squeezed fruit juice in the morning. When you make your own, you can be sure there are no added preservatives or sweeteners
  • Grapefruit intake should be avoided when taking certain medications, because of its enzyme binding ability. Because the acidity of citrus fruits, grapefruit should also be avoided if you have gastro-esophageal reflux disease due to the possibility of heartburn and regurgitation.

Benefits

  • Helps manage diabetes. Grapefruits are low in calories but full of nutrients and an excellent source of vitamins A and C. It has a low glycemic index which suggests that it does not raise blood sugar levels significantly.
  • Aids digestion. Fiber is very important and comes from the rind of the grapefruit. The fruit fiver combined with its high water content helps food pass through the digestive system easily and completely.
  • Boosts the immune system. Vitamins C and K, which are found in grapefruits, are essential in making a strong immune system (vitamin C). They also support healthy bones, muscle mass, and the reduction of kidney stone formation.

Reminder

It is important to drink a healthy amount of water as well as eat salmon several times a week.

Water

Directions

  1. Men should drink 3 L of water daily and women should drink 2.2 L of water daily; Or drink approximately drink approximately 4% of your body weight in water. For someone who is a 150 lb., this is about 2.5 L.
  2. Space out your water drinking for maximum absorption.
  3. Drink water 30 minutes after waking up and drink 200 mL of water before eating a meal.
  4. Room temperature is the best temperature for drinking water.
  5. Sodium balance is important, so be sure to consume at least 2.3 g of salt a day which is about half a teaspoon.
  6. Consume snacks containing potassium such as bananas throughout the day coupled with light exercise to prevent swelling associated with sodium consumption.
  7. Drink water without chlorine and fluorine.
  8. Carry a reusable water bottle.

Benefits

  • Increased circulation. Water promotes toxin drainage by increasing circulation both in your blood stream and in your lymphatic system.
  • Clean intestine. Just like water cleans out the drainage pipes in your house, water also cleans out the drainage pipes in your body.

Salmon

Directions

  1. Fresh and whole salmon are the cheapest and healthiest form of salmon. Make sure that the store keeps the salmon on ice if not frozen and check for unusual smells.
  2. Use a freezer to store the salmon for as long as possible. It is best to consume salmon within 2-3 weeks.
  3. Cook the salmon until the inside is no longer translucent red.
  4. Cooking methods include broiling, baking, grilling or frying. The best method is broiling because it allows the fish to be cooked just enough so as not to lose too many nutrients.
  5. To reduce fat content, remove the skin of the salmon before cooking.
  6. Avoid losing nutrients by avoiding stir frying the salmon
  7. Low mercury salmon include Southeast Alaskan chum, sockeye, Coho, pink, and Chinook salmon, together with Kodiak Coho, pink, and chum salmon. Alaskan salmon carries the lowest risk in being contaminated,

Benefits

  • Anti-inflammatory. The ogega-3-fatty acids in the salmon decrease inflammation and increases circulation. Omega-3 fatty acids are also known for their ability to prevent heart diseases diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Bonus Tips

Travel Tips

Read more

Use these tips to stick to the eating plan while you are travelling, but it is most important that this doesn’t stress you out. Stress will lead to digestive distress and impair the food absorption and it may stress your immune system and trigger more food sensitivities.

  • How much food can you really pack and carry?

Consider the space available in your travel bags for the food items. Use zip-lock pouches as much as possible for packing the food. This adds to convenience and reduces the storage space required in comparison to plastic or steel containers. If you are unable to pack and bring the desired food items with you, ask yourself the next question.

  • What all foods do you really need to carry on your trip?

You don’t really have to pack any of the food items that can be picked up at the grocery stores near your hotel when you arrive at your destination. Make sure to stock up on big bottles of purified water. Carry a bottle of water with you to help resist temptations to buy soft drinks or other unhealthy choices when thirsty.

Are there restrictions on what you can take with you? If you are travelling by flight check the restrictions concerning the food items and their containers. You may not be able to take liquids with you when flying.

  • How can I store the perishable foods?

If possible book lodgings that have a mini refrigerator to store your stash of food. Remember to turn up the settings to the coldest as hotels generally keep it at the lowest settings. If refrigerators are not an option, see if you can take along a cooler for the perishable foods. Remember to pack airtight food containers to take the fresh food with you when you leave the hotel for long periods of time.

Another consideration for eating healthy while travelling is whether your lodging has a space for preparing your meals. If you have access to cooking your food, you can pack more raw materials. If not, keep your focus on healthy grab and go foods like boiled sweet potatoes and hard boiled eggs.

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How To Raise Smart Kids: Unmissable Secrets Of Parenting

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We all want our children to do well – to become something great and lead happy and healthy lives. Intelligence in a child has its advantages but having a truly smart kid isn’t all about getting good grades at school.

It’s becoming more and more clear that intelligence is no longer black and white. Using IQ tests to find out how intelligent someone is has been long thought of as a measure to how smart someone is academically and a score of over 100 is worn with a sense of pride. But many studies are fast showing that cognitive and emotional intelligence are just as varied and important – a brain surgeon and an artist can therefore ideally be looked at as being on the same level.

The way parents interact with their child has a huge influence on how a child develops and how smart they become. Allowing your children to be “life smart” and preparing them for their path into the independent world is one of the greatest achievements you can make as a parent.

The overall key as a parent is to focus on the process rather than the intelligence and talent that a child possesses. In other words, it’s all about the journey and sense of achievement that needs to be cultivated rather than praise once a child has completed something. This encourages a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset and will help your child understand the importance of the effort they’ve put in rather than the end goal. Psychiatrist Joe Brewster, believes that a child should be encouraged to see learning as the process of becoming better at something, instead of having a fixed mindset of his intelligence.

With that in mind, here are just a handful of ways to encourage your child to be more aware and, in turn, help you to raise smart kids.

1. How You Respond To Your Child

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The way in which you respond to your child through various situations largely determines how they assess their range of experiences. For example, if you react in an indifferent or restrictive way, this could discourage your child from wanting to try new things and cause them to learn to be too cautious and therefore limiting their personal experiences. Instead, encourage your child by asking open-ended questions creating, a space for them to think about actions and awareness of those around them. If they are misbehaving, then try to change their perspectives on the situation by getting them to think about how their actions have affected you and others involved.

Smart kids are those that get the chance to see another point of view and develop their sense of awareness.

2. Raise Smart Kids By Limiting The Amount Of Rules

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Think about the rules you put into place and whether any of them are really necessary. Research has found that the number of family rules affects kids’ creativity and those families that have, on average, six family rules have children of average performance at school.

Further studies have found that the most creative architects in the U.S. were encouraged by their parents to develop their own moral rules without any restrictive family rules being enforced. The idea is that a child can develop a sense of right and wrong from sources other than their parents. This allows them to develop more creative personalities and intelligence. The author of the study defines creativity as the following:

Personality characteristics of creative individuals includes broad intelligence, openness to experience, aesthetic sensitivity, autonomy in thought and action and the pursuit of new challenges and solutions, curious, self-assertive, high achiever, self-critical , self-sufficient, intuitive and empathic, emotional sensitivity, imagination, ambition and dominance, self-acceptance, dominance, self-confidence, acceptance of unusual views as their personality characteristics.

Enforcing too many rules curbs a child’s sense of creativity and overall development of intelligence. Making sure there are less rules gives your child more time to engage in open-end, free-flowing activities and stops them from being micromanaged and constantly corrected. Of course, children do need important rules but limiting the amount will benefit their long-term intellectual growth.

3. Allow Your Kids To Be Bored

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Boredom is usually seen as a negative thing, after all, surely you should be stimulating your child’s sense of creativity at every opportunity for them to be creative? Well, boredom isn’t all that bad – it actually helps a child encourage their ability to think. Quiet reflection is something that adds to a different perspective and gives the mind space to think up and create activities. Don’t always feel like you have to find them something to do in case you’re not doing enough to accommodate their learning. Boredom, in and of itself, is a time for their brains to develop and become more creative.

4. Let Your Kids See You Doing Smart Stuff

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Kids pick up on all sorts of things, especially your own actions. Learning from adult behaviour is one of the major ways a child picks up habits and makes sense of the world. If your child sees you engaged in reading, writing, or anything creative, it will cause them to imitate you and become smarter in the process.

It’s also important to let your children hear you talk about achievements from hard work. As I mentioned earlier focusing on intelligent achievements, both theirs and your own, will give a clear signal that will create a fixed mindset and a fixed mindset can lead to a fragile and defensive child in the long-run. Instead, when you speak, emphasise praise for hard work and focus rather than too much on the end result.

5. Encourage Your Kids To Take Risks And Fail

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Although we have a natural tendency to protect our children from feeling upset, allowing your child to take risks and failing will teach them fundamental life skills from an early age. Without experiencing failure early on, a child can develop low self-esteem and get discouraged from creating and learning for themselves. Fear is probably the number one emotion in our lives that can stop us from taking great actions. If we encourage our children to experience failure when they are small, the amount of fear they develop will lessen.

Teaching a child that failure is not actually a bad thing is a great life-skill that will allow them to make smart decisions and learn from life’s ups and downs. At the end of the day, children need to feel emotions to understand them and protecting your child from them will only stunt their ability to adapt and make sense of the world.

6. Make Reading And Music A Part Of Your Child’s Life

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Reading may be an obvious one to excel your child’s intelligence but not only does it help them to read but it also develops your child’s appetite for knowledge. It allows their brain to process situations, creating further perspective and sparks imagination that can benefit all areas of their life. Their thirst for knowledge will develop rapidly if exposed to different topics and ideas and again making connections to the world around them.

Music can pose so many amazing effects on a child’s brain. Many studies have shown that getting a child to listen to music not only boosts attention, motivation, learning and memory skills but also lowers stress. Stress can have a detrimental effect on how the young brain operates – not something you want at such a crucial time in development. Learning a musical instrument is also great as it targets the brain’s proportional thinking and spatial temporal reasoning so raise smart kids the creative way and pave for well-rounded, life-smart children.

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