10 Simple Ways To Fix Your Posture In 15 Minutes

Years ago a good friend of mine was a Navy rescue diver (AIRR – aviation rescue swimmer). He still maintains a military posture without even thinking about it. He has had people he doesn’t know come up and ask him what branch he served in. They can tell by his stance and posture that he was in the military. For years I have had this unscientific theory that if I keep my back straight and my head above my shoulders I won’t get a curved spine. I think we all know there are many reasons to maintain a good posture.

According to Livestrong.com, “Proper posture is important for a number of reasons, including that it places your body in an alignment where the stress on supporting ligaments, tendons and muscles is limited. Poor posture can lead to discomfort and injury.”

We all lead busy, active lives and are looking for ways to simplify wherever we can. Here are ten simple ways to fix your posture.

1. Look in the mirror

An article from Today Health & Wellness suggests looking in a mirror and seeing if your palms are facing your thighs with your thumbs pointing ahead. If so, this indicates good posture. Also, if you pull your head back and move your shoulders down and back, it might feel like you are sticking your chest out, but you are fixing your posture.

2. Strengthen your core

According to the article 6 Easy Workout Moves That Can Help Improve Your Posture, “Exercises that strengthen your core are especially important in encouraging good posture. These muscles move the torso by flexing, extending, or rotating your spine.”

You may already have your own favorite exercises to strengthen your core, but the next few points might offer new ideas for you.

3. Try Yoga

One of my favorite online instructors is Yoga with Adriene. Try this very effective, feel good, short yoga workout Yoga At Your Desk. It’s only six minutes and so beneficial. An added bonus is that the video is only instrumental with words written on the screen. So, hopefully you won’t be bothering any coworkers.

4. Get your squats in

Harvard Health Publications offers these steps on how to do squats correctly. 1) Knees, hips, and toes are pointed forward. 2) Buttocks stay above knee level. 3) Knees aren’t extending beyond toes. 4) Chest is lifted, and shoulders are down and back. 5) Back is neutral, not arched. 6) Feet and knees are pointing straight ahead. 7) Shoulders, hips, and knees are even. 8) Abdominal muscles are pulled in.

5. Do your planks

Sit ups and crunches are out and planks are in. The same article from Harvard Health Publications offers these instructions for effective planks. 1) Abdominal muscles are tight. 2) Shoulders are aligned directly over the elbows. 3) Body is properly aligned so that neck and spine are neutral. Gaze looking down at the floor. 4) Shoulders are down and back. 5) Only toes, forearms, and hands are touching the floor.

6. Give pilates a try

There are all kinds of videos and articles out there about pilates. I found this short video Beginner Pilates Exercises: Roll Up. It’s a good place to start.

7. Check your vertical line

Whether you are sitting or standing, check your body’s vertical line. Are your ears, shoulders, and hips aligned? Is your body in a vertical line? Check this every time you think of it, and your body will thank you.

8. Check in with your attitude

When we are in a good mood and feeling confident, we have a tendency to stand tall and proud. When we are having one of those days when things seem hard and are mental outlook isn’t so hot, we have a tendency to slump. Our hunched over shoulders tell the world our story, or at least what kind of day we are having.

9. The old balloon trick

Most of us probably remember being told this: Pretend there is a sting coming out of the middle of the top of your head with a balloon attached to it. Visualize it pulling your head up. This helps you stand up tall and correct your posture.

10. Get up and move

When we sit for any period of time, our bodies relax and are posture does too. Very quickly our shoulders can become slumped and our backs curved. Set a timer on your watch or get a fitness gadget. (I love my fitbit!) Get moving every 15-30 minutes. Moving will get your muscles in action and hopefully your mind as well, reminding you to employ one of the ideas listed above.

Good Luck!

Featured photo credit: Flannel Zen/Zach Dischner via flickr.com

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10 Reasons Why You Should Grow Mint At Home And How To Do It

Mint: it smells great, it grows fast, it tastes good and it has amazing benefits. Not to mention, growing it in your home will help keep pesky bugs like ants and flies outside. The health benefits of mint leaves are unbelievable!

1. Digestion

Mint is perfect for helping with indigestion. Mint leaves are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients that are really good for your stomach. The smell of mint alone helps activate the salivary glands that produce digestive enzymes, enzymes that are crucial to digestion. They relax stomach muscles which reduces the chance of stomach spasms and indigestion.

2. Relieves headaches

The refreshing aroma of mint is also a quick and effective remedy for nausea and headaches. It is a naturally soothing substance that can alleviate headaches simply by rubbing mint oil on your forehead and nose.

3. Decongestant

The strong smell from mint can also clear your nose, throat and lungs when you are congested. If you find you cough a lot, the soothing smell is great for clearing out throat, nose and other respiratory channels. Mint also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve inflammation along the respiratory tract. Drinking mint tea is perfect for helping you clear your congestion.

4. Fatigue

A whiff of mint might be all you need to get your brain functioning again because it is a natural stimulant. Smelling mint also helps you feel less stressed and depressed because it relaxes your body and calms your mind. The aroma from mint releases a small amount of serotonin in your brain. So, the next time your brain or mood needs a boost, draw a warm bath and sprinkle fresh mint leaves into the water.

5. Skin care

Not only can mint help with medical issues, it’s also great for clearing up pimples, soothing itchy skin and repelling bugs. You can use it to treat bug bites and stings from mosquitoes, gnats, hornets, wasps and bees. The strong scent also helps keep other bugs away from you.

Mint leaves are full of antioxidants which help give your skin a natural glow. The anti-inflammatroy and anti-bacterial properties found in mint leaves also helps clear up acne.

6. Weight loss

By adding mint to your diet you are helping your body lose weight faster because, as we know, mint is a stimulant that helps stimulate digestive enzymes. These digestive enzymes absorb nutrients from food, but also consume fat and turn it into usable energy, rather than storing fat for later.

7. Asthma

Since mint helps clear the respiratory tract, regular use is perfect for anyone who suffers from asthma. Mint also contains rosmarinic acid that acts as a powerful antioxidant, which helps to block allergy-producing leukotrienes.

8. Oral care

Because mint has a ton of anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it is great for your oral health because it stops harmful bacterial growth inside the mouth. It also makes your breath minty fresh! All you have to do is rub a mint leaf directly on your teeth and gums, or chew on the leaves for a few minutes.

9. Cancer

Recent research shows that mint can also prevent certain kinds of cancers because a phytochemical that can be found in mint leaves helps to cut off the blood supply to tumors.

How to grow it

Mint is one of the easiest herbs to grow. They grow on an interesting root systems called runners because they sprout new leaves and plants along their roots as they grow. Although mint plants can be pretty evasive, keeping them in a container away from other plants will help tame them.

To grow mint, all you need is a water-retaining container that is 12 to 16 inches wide, potting soil and, of course, the mint plant. You can grow mint by cutting a sprig off of an existing plant, or you can buy either a seedling or plant from the nursery. Either way is fine, but growing mint from seed is very difficult.

Place the potted mint plant somewhere it will get ample sunlight, preferably in the kitchen where you will have easy access to it when cooking. You will need to keep the soil damp, so water it frequently and keep it away from drying and heating elements.

When trimming your mint plant, trim from the top to help it grow more leaves on the sides. This will help you get more leaves from your plant. Also, make sure to trim the mint’s flower buds to keep your plant under control.

Once you start harvesting never take more than 1/3 of the leaves so that it doesn’t run out. To dry them out, either hang them from the stems, or lay them flat on a tray. Once the stems and leaves are brittle, you can store the leaves in an airtight container.

How to use it

via PicJumbo

You can use mint for any number of things. Mint tastes great cooked in dishes with chicken, fish, lamb and other proteins, or you can add it to salads, cooked vegetables and even potatoes. The most refreshing way to consume mint though, is in beverages such as mint tea, cocktails and even lemonade such as a delicious ginger, cucumber and mint lemonade.

As mentioned above, you can chew it to improve your oral health, sprinkle it in the tub or even rub it on itchy bug bites.

Featured photo credit: Debs via flickr.com

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8 Houseplants To Grow That Can Dramatically Improve Your Health

Anyone who’s ever shopped around for houseplants would probably admit to prioritizing the way they look and what their maintenance requirements are before deciding on one to bring home. Those are obvious things to keep in mind, but there’s one more important aspect we sometimes tend to forget about when looking for an ideal houseplant: their health benefits.

Good health depends on more than just diet and exercise. Without a doubt your environment affects your health too, and the right houseplant can actually make a big difference in your mood, your stress level, your sleep quality and even your breathing.

A nice looking plant is great, but a nice looking plant that quietly works its magic in the background on your health as you go about your regular routine is even better. Here are eight houseplants that can help solve a few common health-related problems.

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants are great for removing formaldehyde from the air in your home. This is the stuff that comes from all sorts of things you bring into your home including paper bags, waxed papers, facial tissues, paper towels, napkins, particle board, plywood panelling and synthetic fabrics. In addition to formaldehyde, snake plants target carbon monoxide and other toxic air impurities as well.

If you have poor indoor air quality and not much of a green thumb, a spider plant may be exactly what you need. It’s one of the easiest plants to care for and can be kept in less sunny places in your home since it typically doesn’t like to be placed under direct sunlight.

A spider plant can grow in any type of soil and only needs to be watered occasionally. If you can remember to water it often enough that its soil stays moist, then that’s all you really need to keep this plant alive and thriving.

2. Aloe Vera

Chances are you’ve probably heard of or used commercially sold medicinal creams or ointments that say they contain aloe vera on their labels. Despite a lack of scientific evidence that aloe vera has any substantial healing properties, it’s been used for thousands of years as a common natural remedy to soothe irritated skin.

The clear, gel-like substance found in the inner part of the leaf can be applied directly to the skin. According to WebMD, people typically use it to help treat burns, sunburn, frostbite, psoriasis and cold sores. Make sure you speak to your doctor first in case you have any allergies.

Aloe vera plants need to be deeply watered and their soil left to dry just slightly (about 1 to 2 inches deep) between watering. They do very well with lots of sun but can turn brown if they get too much of it, so keeping your aloe vera plant under indirect sunlight is best.

3. Lavender

Lavender is a flowering plant that has a very gentle and pleasant aroma. Best known for its stress-relieving mental benefits, the scent of lavender is often used in spa products like bath salts, skincare creams, soaps and candles.

You can place a lavender plant anywhere in your home, but putting it in your bedroom is especially helpful since it may help you sleep better. Catching a whiff of lavender may help soothe restlessness, nervousness, anxiety, depression and insomnia.

Lavender plants prefer well-drained soil and lots of sunlight. They also need deep watering, but be careful not to water them very often. Aim to water your lavender plant when the soil is nearly dry.

4. English Ivy

Nobody ever wants to think about the possibility of mold thriving in their home. If you’re worried about it, bringing an English ivy plant into your home can help you rest easy since it’s well-known to purify up to 94 percent of airborne mold particles that can trigger allergies.

Like the aloe vera plant, English ivy is another great plant to put in your bedroom. If you have asthma or difficulty breathing at night, it can help you breathe easier and get a restful night’s sleep.

Be aware that English ivy is poisonous, so it should be kept well out of reach from children and pets. The plant thrives under fluorescent light but not direct sun, so it’s the perfect houseplant for darker than normal bedrooms with artificial light. Soil should be kept most at all times, but not soggy.

5. Snake Plant

Another great houseplant for the bedroom, the snake plant (also known as the “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue”) is among one of the most popular choices for improving indoor air quality. It actually gets most of its job done at night, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen as you sleep.

Snake plants also remove all sorts of toxins from the air including trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, toluene, benzene and xylene. To optimize its air purifying power throughout your entire home, you’ll likely need more than one plant. Plan to get anywhere from 6 to 8 snake plants that are of waist-high height for optimal air purification.

Considered to be one of the easiest plants to care for, snake plants do great when placed under indirect sunlight. You really don’t have to water them much at all, and they’ll actually grow better if you let them dry out quite a bit between watering.

6. Rosemary

Rosemary is an herb that’s been used in folk medicine for centuries to help improve concentration and memory. It turns out that there may be some merit to this claim since a study conducted by Northumbria University found that people who were exposed to the scent of rosemary essential oil performed better on questionnaires compared to people who were exposed to no scent at all.

The memory-boosting component of rosemary is thought to be caused by a compound called 1,8-cineole, which may cause increases in a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Although you may be able to take advantage of a more potent scent by using rosemary essential oil with a diffuser in your home, it doesn’t hurt to keep a rosemary plant nearby in places like your home office or any other room where you could use a mental boost.

Rosemary can be planted in a pot and put in any spot where it has access to bright sunlight. It should be watered evenly throughout the growing season, but will need less water in the winter. Avoid over-watering and remember to trim your rosemary plant after it flowers.

7. Peace Lily

Peace lilies will really compliment your home decor in the summer when their beautiful white flowers are in full bloom, but that’s not all that they can do. This pretty and powerful houseplant is a master of air pollutant removal – working hard to absorb ammonia, benzene, xylene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene throughout your home.

Since this is a flowering houseplant, it will produce some pollen and a floral scent, which isn’t always suitable for people with plant and pollen-related allergies. With that in mind, peace lilies can make a gorgeous addition to any dining table, side table or entryway table.

Peace lilies should be planted in a pot with all-purpose soil and kept slightly most throughout the entire year (without overwatering). They can thrive in both low and bright light, but do best in shaded areas.

8. Boston Fern

If you live in a location where humidity tends to be a problem, the Boston fern may be the most ideal houseplant to bring into your home. Said to be a natural humidifier, Boston ferns are among the best air purifying plants that also combat formaldehyde, xylene and other unwanted toxins.

Place this type of fern in any air-conditioned room of your home. It may also indirectly benefit any dry skin you may suffer from, which can often be a side effect of highly air-conditioned indoor spaces.

Boston ferns are easy to grow and prefer indirect sunlight, but you should check the soil daily to make sure that it’s kept moist. They’re most efficient in rooms kept at a cool temperature with a humidity level of 50 to 80 percent.

Never discount the power of what a simple and innocent looking houseplant can do for your health. It’s worth doing some further research on the type of plant you choose and how to care for it if it means it will make a difference in how you feel.

Featured photo credits: Spider plant, aloe vera, lavender, English ivy, snake plant, rosemary, peace lily, Boston fern.

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15 Houseplants That Clean The Air And Are Almost Impossible To Kill

Back in elementary school most of us learned that plants help clean the air through a process called photosynthesis. Which is fanastic when we think of all the pollution outside, but believe it or not, the air inside of our homes is actually polluted, too.Toxic chemicals from cleaning supplies, bacteria, mold, mildew and outdoor pollution that makes its way in – it all gets trapped inside our homes.

The good news is we can use houseplants to help clean the air in our homes. And if you’re sitting there thinking about how you’ll just end up killing it, no worries, because these houseplants are nearly impossible to kill!

1. Spider Plant

via Flickr

Spider plants are the perfect houseplants for beginners because they’re super easy to grow. They need bright, indirect sunlight and water every few days, so if you forget to water them they’ll be fine for a while. And before you know it, your spider plant will send out shoots that eventually grow baby spider plants that you can propagate yourself.

2. Aloe Vera

via Flickr

Aloe vera is an amazing plant that people often use for burns on their skin, but it’s also good at removing formaldehyde from the air. These desert plants need well-drained soil with very light waterings and full sun.

3. Areca Palm

via Flickr

This leafy plant is one of the best air purifiers around, especially as it grows bigger. It needs well-drained soil, very little water and only partial sunlight.

4. Baby Rubber Plant

via Flickr

Rubber plants can get quite tall, but do an amazing job at emitting high oxygen content and removing chemicals from the air. It needs filtered light, infrequent watering and rich soil to flourish.

5. Bamboo Palm

via Flickr

The tall, narrow trunks of this little tree not only removes formaldehyde, but is also a natural humidifier, making it perfect for dry rooms. To help this guy grow keep it in bright, indirect light and with moist soil.

6. Garden Mum

via Flickr

These bright fall flowers are amazing at removing a ton of pollutants from the air including ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde and xylene. Although they’re a popular outdoor plant come autumn they also make great houseplants. Mums only need partial sun, but lots of water.

7. Ficus

via Flickr

If you like tall houseplants, ficus can grow anywhere between 2-10 feet tall, depending on the size of the pot you put it in. It’s also a great overall air purifier. To keep this plant thriving make sure to place it in indirect sunlight and water it occasionally.

8. Peace Lily

via Flickr

These gorgeous flowers are tougher than they look and are almost impossible to kill. Since they remove a variety of household cleaner chemicals, along with mold spores, they’re the perfect houseplant for bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms. Give it lots of water and bright, indirect sunlight to keep it happy.

9. Boston Fern

via Flickr

Another plant that will do well in the bathroom, the Boston fern needs to be in a cool room with high humidity and indirect light. It’s also one of the best air purifiers.

10. Snake Plant

via Flickr

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, this plant is nearly impossible to kill yet will do an excellent job at purifying the air in your home! It’s super low maintenance because it doesn’t need much light or water, which makes this sturdy plant perfect for those forgetful gardeners.

11. Chinese Evergreen

via Flickr

Chinese Evergreen removes a variety of chemicals from the air, and emits high oxygen content. You can keep it in full shade, but make sure to plant it in a well-draining pot.

12. English Ivy

via Flickr

If you, or any of your family members, have asthma or allergies, English ivy is fantastic at removing chemicals that can irritate those conditions. English ivy looks amazing when it hangs over the pot, so make sure to place it somewhere it can grow.

13. Gerbera Daisy

via Flickr

These large, pretty flowers do an amazing job at not only removing cancer-causing chemicals, but give off oxygen overnight which can help improve your sleep. Make sure to place it somewhere it can get bright light.

14. Goldon Pothos

via Flickr

The large leaves on goldon pothos are beautiful and do a great job at removing carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. This plant needs to be kept somewhere cool with partial sun, and doesn’t need very much water.

15. Moth Orchid

via Flickr

Orchids are considered one of the most beautiful flowers by many. They are perfect for removing volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde from paints, solvents and other synthetic materials. These flowering plants need high humidity, lots of light and thorough watering, but only after the soil has completely dried out.

Featured photo credit: F.D. Richards via flickr.com

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