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quinta-feira, abril 07, 2016

Setouchi AonagiA striking Japanese retreat on the island of...





















Setouchi Aonagi

A striking Japanese retreat on the island of Shikoku, near Matsuyama, Setouchi Aonagi boasts elegant spa facilities, a striking outdoor lap pool with majestic views of the sea, and a spotless restaurant serving fresh, locally sourced seafood.

Designed by award-winning architect Tadao Ando, the 7-suite hotel is an architectural marvel with clean lines, large expanses of polished concrete, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. Fitted out with blonde-wood furniture, glorious balconies, and contemporary technology, its rooms are defined by a serene, minimalist aesthetic.

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11 Things That Happen After You Turn 30

Woman in dress enjoying life

When you were 20, there were probably a lot of things you wanted to do by the time you turn 30, and you likely thought that people over this age were actually quite old. However, the truth is that you don’t feel like you are 30 years old when that birthday hits you, but some things do change.

1. Hangovers become a real thing.

When you were twenty-something years old, you bragged about not having hangovers. You could even continue to drink the next day. Say goodbye to those days, because hangovers will soon become real torture that lasts 2 days. The torture includes nausea, headaches, and the famous quote “I am too old for this s**t.”

However, the bright side is that you finally learn to enjoy drinks, especially wine, and learn to get just a little drunk — which will make you happy rather than regretting your whole life.

2. Wild nightlife becomes a night in.

As you learn to enjoy good wine, and have the money to buy expensive drinks instead of cheap ones, you stop tolerating people who yell, drink a lot, and party till the morning. Crowded places, where the biggest challenge is getting to the bar and ordering drinks, are replaced with a night in with your partner or friends, drinking wine, having dinner, and watching films.

Some Saturdays also mean spending time with a good movie or a book and just lying in a comfy bed.

3. You can’t eat everything anymore.

Before, you could eat any time of day, whatever you wanted, and not gain a pound. Now, everything you put in your body will show. Gaining weight becomes easier, as well as getting cellulite. So, you need to start exercising and eating healthier — which does not mean eating a cheeseburger at 2 AM.

Your metabolism and digestive system may have failed you, but eating healthy food and exercising will pay off.

4. Wrinkles, wrinkles everywhere.

You never cared about wrinkles until you saw your first ones. They don’t make you ugly, nor can everyone see them. The main problem with wrinkles is that you actually realize you are getting old and you cannot stop time.

Real wrinkles come later, but when they occur you won’t care and they won’t be important. However, wrinkles are the first sign of becoming an adult, and there’s no reason to be sad and scared, because it’s much better than you think.

5. Grey hair starts to appear.

In your twenties, there were some grey hairs, but you could just pluck them and the problem was solved. However, when you turn 30, those grey hairs get to work on taking over your whole head — plucking isn’t an option anymore.

Since you have a job, you can afford an expensive and professional hair dresser who will create the perfect red carpet hairstyle for you — and make sure that your hair color is spot on.

6. You’ll actually start organizing events in advance.

Till recently, your motto regarding events was “go with the flow,” and planning was basically tweeting or posting an update about the event. The formula used to be: buy drinks, some food, the place doesn’t matter, nor does who shows up. However, those days are long gone.

Now if you want to organize something, you do a lot of careful planning and make sure there are various drinks, extraordinary meals, and instead of tweets, you actually send invitations. When you were young, you couldn’t understand why people made such a big fuss about planning a wedding. Now, you aren’t just planning every little detail of your wedding, but also going through a pile of magazines and websites on the daily.

7. Your newsfeed is full of baby photos… and you like it.

You probably can’t tell exactly when the photos appearing in your newsfeed changed from wild parties to babies, but you actually don’t mind it at all. You may be complaining about them or making sarcastic comments, but deep inside you know that you like those cute baby pictures.

8. You don’t get easily offended

You were always confident, but you were a bit lost in the chaotic life — and the whole process of finding a job that you liked and figuring out who and where you want to be. By the time you turn 30, you still won’t have figured things out, but at least you’ll know what you want and how to get it.

When you were in your twenties, you were shaken and angry by a single comment on social media, but now you really don’t care about those things. You don’t have time for unimportant negative things. That’s why you don’t get easily offended, and you know how to stand up for yourself.

9. You have a small circle of real friends.

Going out with 10 friends is a thing of the past, and you don’t tolerate random people that annoy you. You will finally learn to appreciate those few real friends that you have and love them unconditionally. Real happiness is having a few friends with whom you can share everything, instead of wasting time on toxic people or those that only drain your energy and give nothing back. Your best friends are the people you want to be with for the rest of your life.

10. You travel better.

No more cheap hotels and cramped hostel rooms, and say goodbye to sleeping in a car because you went on an unplanned vacation. In your thirties, you can afford nice rooms, eating in restaurants, and traveling with style.

Moreover, travelling has expanded beyond trips to top destinations. Traveling now includes short weekend trips to the countryside where you will recharge your batteries.

11. Love and sex are better.

You may have found the one or you might still be searching, but one thing is certain: you will find the person who truly makes you happy. Love becomes the only thing that keeps you going and inspires you to do more. Of course, your sex life also becomes better as your thirties are the time when you finally start loving your body, which makes you more confident around your partner.

After all, if we put some changes aside, being 30 is awesome. There is no better time to experience life. Don’t be afraid —  things will only get better.

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The Reason Why You’re Always Tired Even If You’ve Got Enough Sleep

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Tiredness can be a symptom of modern times. Working long hours and juggling responsibilities can stop us from getting our recommended 8 hours of sleep a night and can lead us to feeling fatigued and tired. But what if you are getting enough sleep each night yet still spending the day lacking energy, feeling drained and generally exhausted? It can seem frustrating when you make the effort to get your full forty winks but still feel continuously run down during the day. The problem could lie in the quality of sleep rather than the amount. There are many factors that can affect how well we sleep at night so even though you think you have slept well, if you’re still tired during the day, chances are that you haven’t.

Many studies have been conducted to show how quality of sleep affects our well-being. Feeling tired all the time can considerably lower our quality of life, stopping us from enjoying day-to-day moments and resulting in feeling moody and irritable. If you’re wondering why you are still suffering from tiredness despite getting a full-night’s sleep then here are some possible reasons that could explain it.

Not Enough Exercise

We spend a lot of time at our jobs and if that means sitting at a desk for nearly 8 hours that’s a lot of time sitting down. Having a sedentary lifestyle can affect our body and mind in more ways than we imagine. It’s not just unhealthy in terms of putting on weight but being sedentary causes you to actually feel more tired and sluggish. It can also affect your sleep because your body hasn’t expelled enough energy to produce the quality sleep you need.

You may think establishing an exercise routine will just add tiredness and fatigue to your day but taking up some form of exercise rejuvenates the body promoting better quality sleep. Whether it’s in the morning, during your lunch break or in the evening, a good daily workout will increase your body’s need for sleep in a productive and natural way.

Make sure you take walking breaks throughout the day so that you break up the amount of time you sit down. Getting your body moving will increase the chances of your sleep quality improving.

Dehydration

How much water do you drink a day? Dehydration contributes greatly to feeling tired. Many people are unaware of how little water they drink throughout the day because they spend their liquid intake on sugared drinks and caffeine that aren’t as beneficial as water. Dehydration has a detrimental effect on our body. Our organs don’t work as efficiently due to the heart sending oxygen at a much slower pace resulting in tiredness and feelings of exhaustion. Make sure you drink 8-10 glasses a day avoiding sugary drinks as these can cause unneeded energy dips.

Since our brain is made up of 85% water, it goes to show just how essential maintaining hydration is for optimum sleep quality. Increasing your daily intake should help keep your energy up for longer during the day and allow your brain to work at its best during the night so your tiredness is lessened all-round.

Having A Poor Diet

Having a poor diet can really affect how you feel throughout the day. If you find yourself reaching for the high-fat or high-carb foods then these could be causing you to feel more tired than you should. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can make a huge difference to our mind and body and using nutrition to combat exhaustion could be the key. There have been many studies that shows the effect that our diets have on the duration and quality of our sleep so it’s extremely important to consider your diet if you suffer from fatigue.

There are many foods that promote long, lasting energy including iron-rich red meat, whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables and dried fruit. It’s important to get a varied diet that’s low in sugar and high in fibre and good-energy nutrients.

Eating a healthy breakfast to start the day is essential to combat tiredness. Without breakfast our body goes through a long period of starvation and causes the body to use up its energy resources all the more quickly. So make time for a healthy, energy-rich breakfast like porridge, eggs, wholemeal toast or sugar-free cereals to give yourself a boost. Eating at regular intervals throughout the day will prevent further dips in energy so sensible eating is important in maintaining an optimum level of needed energy.

Depression Or Stress

Another cause for tiredness could be depression or underlying stress. Sometimes we don’t always realise that we are suffering from these conditions and we only see the signs as feeling fatigued and lack-lustred and therefore low motivation. Maybe consider if there is something underlying that may be causing you to feel this way. Is there something that’s causing you more stress than you realize? Have you been feeling low and emotional? They could all be perfectly normal but if these feelings are prolonged then it might be wise to consider speaking to someone.

Taking up exercise and adjusting your diet can help with both stress and depression as well as relaxation methods such as mediation. It’s really important to take care of your mind together with your body as emotional stress can affect both equally.

Blood Sugar Imbalance

Leading on from the type of diet you have, a blood sugar imbalance could be a cause of your lack of energy. Blood sugar levels can become imbalanced over time due to the type of diet you have. If you are eating a lot of processed foods or foods high in sugar then you may experience regular sugar crashes throughout the day. If this is the case then it’s important to decrease the amount of refined sugar in your diet to level out your blood sugar. This may mean eliminating refined sugar altogether – sugar from fruit is a lot healthier so avoiding these isn’t as necessary but if you feel you have a tendency to have a sweet-tooth then consider laying off the sugar for a while to see if it makes a difference.

Underlying Medical Problems

If you think that your diet is healthy, you drink plenty of water, you have no real causes of stress and you exercise regularly but still suffer from tiredness then there could be an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed.

There are many different causes of extreme fatigue such as anaemia where your red blood cells have trouble making hemoglobin which is responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. Other conditions could be chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnoea, an underactive thyroid, glandular fever and many more. You mustn’t ever self-diagnose yourself so it’s important to go and see your doctor to discuss any worries that you may have.

So remember that although you are getting the right amount of sleeping hours, it’s the quality of these hours that are key to eliminating fatigue and exhaustion during the day. Adjusting your lifestyle can benefit you greatly so try making a few changes and see how much of a difference it makes over the next few weeks.

Featured photo credit: Unsplash via pixabay.com

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How You Deal With A Problem Largely Reflects Who You Are

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In life, problems occur every day. Some problems are easy to solve, such as a simple math problem while others are big, such as a failing relationship. The ability to effectively solve problems leads to success in life and in business. Problem solving affects who we are and how others perceive us in our daily lives.

How you deal with problems largely reflects who you are, what you’ve learned in life, and it also reveals insights about your true personality. Below you’ll find common ways that people deal with problems and what these behaviors reveal about your true personality.

If you blame others for problems, it reveals that you’re a manipulator

Those who blame others for problems are simply shifting responsibility of a problem to a target and effectively wiping their hands of it. If you’ve ever been the target of blame at home or the workplace, you understand that it’s uncomfortable and not an effective problem-solving technique. Thus, finger pointing negatively affects personal and professional relationships. Blame-shifting is a common personality trait of those who are manipulators. If you find that you’re never a source of a problem and you shift the blame and problem solving to others, it might be time to look at your situation and problems with more objectiveness.

If you assume responsibility for problems, it reveals you’re a leader that takes charge

When you assume responsibility for a problem, you’re admitting that you might be involved in the creation of the issue. Or, you’re a leader for a group that created a problem, and you understand that you must take the lead to help resolve it. This is a mature approach to problem solving, and is one of the first steps in making the right moves to getting the issue resolved. If you’re someone who takes responsibility for issues and tackles them head on, congratulations. You’ve learned that problems occur every day, and you know how to define problems and build a plan to ensure they’re solved. You’ve reached a higher level of leadership that many aspire to possess.

If you deny that a problem exists, it reveals that you oppose the solution

If you deny that a problem exists, it reveals that you simply want to avoid the steps that are necessary to solve the problem and this might be due to strong political, religious or other beliefs and core values. As an example, perhaps your spouse has been unfaithful, but you deny the problem exists because you strongly oppose the solution of divorce because of your past experience with a breakup of your family or religious beliefs. It’s an admirable trait to have strong beliefs; however, you must look at situations objectively in order to devise an appropriate plan. In this example, you might continue to deny that the indiscretions exist and become blocked from finding an appropriate solution that matches your beliefs, such as marriage counseling.

A study by Duke University confirms that denial occurs when we’re not satisfied with the prospective solutions to problems. In the study, researchers studied three serious problem areas — climate change, crime and air pollution. They examined why some republicans denied the existence of climate change. The researchers found that the republicans who denied climate change were adverse to the proposed solution, which was increased government regulation. Hence, we can conclude that those with strong beliefs that lead them to oppose a solution, might deny that the problems exists altogether.

If you ignore problems, it reveals that you are overly busy or emotionally sensitive

Ignoring problems could signal that you’re highly sensitive and controlling negative emotions might be difficult for you. Perhaps in the past, you were criticized by the way you solved a problem. As a result, you harbor fear of rejection, failure and criticism. Fear and other negative emotions can block you from moving forward and finding logical solutions to problems.

If you find solutions for problems, it reveals that you think logically, objectively and creatively

When you think objectively, you solve problems based on facts and logic. Your personal biases and emotions are removed from the picture. You can emotionally detach yourself from the situation and look at the problem from a different perspective. However, objectiveness is not the only personality trait that makes us successful at problem solving. Creativity also plays a part. One of the most famous stories of a creative solution to a complex problem is the legend of Alexander the Great untying the Gordian Knot. In this story, Alexander the Great was challenged with untying an impossible knot that was tied by King Gordias. Alexander sliced through the knot with his sword. Hence, to this day “cutting the Gordian knot” represents logical, out-of-the-box and creative problem solving.

Those who combine logic with objectivity, creativity and imagination have truly discovered and successfully utilized the art and science of problem solving. They use both sides of their brains and are experts at untying the Gordian knot.

How do you become a better problem solver?

As mentioned, we solve problems every day. They can be routine or they can be whoppers. If you’re ready to move past the easy solution of ignorance, denial or blame-shifting and you want to take responsibility to solve problems, check out this helpful article about problem solving on Lifehack.org.

The post How You Deal With A Problem Largely Reflects Who You Are appeared first on Lifehack.



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Painless, Pocket-Friendly Ways To Get Rid Of A Double Chin

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Having a double chin could be a sign of being over-weight, age or poor diet. The elasticity in the skin around the neck and chin area can be delicate with sagging beginning to start as early as our 20s. The two main muscles in the neck are the sternocleidomastoid and platysma which help tighten the neck and facial area preventing a double chin from forming. Regular exercise using these muscles can definitely help bring your chin back to its former glory but it’s often a myth that using facial exercises alone will get rid of a double chin altogether – a combination of diet, exercise and lifestyle can help reduce the amount of double chin you have.

General sagging due to age can be hard to reverse but there are ways you can prevent further sagging and give a helping hand to the elasticity of the skin. Going under the knife and paying for expensive surgery is one way of dealing with it but if you want a painless, natural way to rid your dreaded double chin then here are ten habits to incorporate into your daily life and help achieve results.

1. Optimizing Your Nutrition

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Nutrition is essential if you want to get rid of a double chin. Nutrient-rich foods will not only keep your skin healthy but a healthy, low calorie diet that avoids overly sugary or fatty foods will maintain your overall body fat. Excess fat can pile up around the face so making sure you have a good diet will eliminate and reduce the amount of fat you carry around this area including the chin.

Always make sure that you don’t crash diet as sudden weight loss can promote sagging of the skin even in the facial area. If your double chin is down to excess fat then make sure you lose weight gradually and healthily and give the skin good time to adapt.

2. Drinking Plenty Of Water

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Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated may not seem like a way to get rid of a double chin but not only is water great for overall skin health, it helps regulate our metabolism and burn unnecessary excess fat including that around the face and neck. Water is also essential to maintain elasticity in the skin which will prevent too much ageing and sagging. So make sure you keep yourself hydrated at all times to ensure you’re on the right track to losing that second chin.

3. Cardiovascular Exercise

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Along with your diet, exercise is a much-needed routine that will get rid of, and prevent a double chin from forming. Cardiovascular exercise is great at blasting fat from all areas of the body including your chin. Anything from running to cycling, swimming to aerobic workouts will promote weight loss around the whole body.

4. Weight Training

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A combination of cardiovascular exercise and weight training will really help reduce your double chin. While a cardiovascular routine will help reduce your overall body fat including your double chin, resistance training is key to tightening your muscles in the entire body and increasing metabolism. Incorporating weights into your exercise regime will tackle the reduction in that chin wobble as it’s all about preserving lean muscle mass even in the face and neck.

5. Correct Posture To Get Rid Of A Double Chin

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Creating and maintaining good posture is not only a benefit to your back but will help strengthen the jaw muscles which will prevent fat build-up around the chin. Of course, tightening your jaw muscles through good posture is brilliant at temporarily hiding your double chin. Keeping your shoulders back and head high over your shoulders while keeping a nice, straight back will do wonders. Make sure that you have an ergonomic chair if you’re sitting at a desk for long periods to encourage good posture throughout the day.

6. Moisturizing The Skin

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Taking care of your skin is essential when it comes to a double chin. Along with good nutrition, exercise and water, moisturising the area around your neck, face and chin will help prevent sagging and keep the health of your skin to an optimum. You can go out and purchase a good quality moisturising cream such as cocoa butter but coconut oil or wheat germ oil can be just as effective. Make sure you moisturise on a daily basis to promote good elasticity in the skin and prevent sagging or stretching from excess fat.

7. Vitamin E To Supplement Your Skin

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As well as moisturizing your skin, making sure you are getting enough Vitamin E is important in optimizing your skin health. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant which protects cell membranes. You should be able to get a good amount of Vitamin E from your diet such as consuming olive oil, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables such as spinach, along with avocado and fish. If you feel you aren’t getting enough in your diet you can take a good quality supplement making sure not to exceed 540mg a day.

8. Chewing Gum To Help Tone Muscles

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Chewing sugar-free gum can help give your jaw and facial muscles a workout. Although this alone will not get rid of a double chin, it will promote fat burn around the face through the constant movement of chewing. This will add another dimension to your overall double-chin blasting, lifestyle regime.

9. Using A Glycerin Face Mask

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Promoting the overall health of the skin, glycerin has been known to have a great hydration effect as well as healing skin complaints. Applying a face mask to your neck and chin area will help promote good skin condition. Here’s how to make your own homemade mask.

  • Mix 1 tablespoon of glycerin (purchased from a good pharmacy) with 1/2 tablespoon of Epsom salt and a few drops of wheat germ oil.
  • Apply the mixture to the neck and chin area with a cotton pad.
  • Leave it on the skin for a few minutes to allow it to soak in.
  • Wash off with warm water.
  • Repeat 3-5 times a week as a good skincare regime.

10. Facial Exercises To Get Rid Of A Double Chin

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Facial exercises that target the areas around the neck and chin can be part of your daily routine to banish a double chin. Stretching and strengthening the muscles will promote tightening but is not an overall solution to getting rid of a double chin altogether. As part of a good exercise and diet regime, the two muscles (sternocleidomastoid and platysma) can be stretched and strengthened through regular exercises.

Neck Rolls

This exercise can be done standing up or sitting down but it’s important to keep your back and spine straight while doing this exercise.

  • Start with moving your chin over to your right shoulder.
  • Keeping your head down, slowly move to a central position
  • Move your chin over to the left shoulder. You should feel the tension in your neck and chin.
  • Repeat 10-15 times.

Working the Platysma Muscle

This muscle connects from your jawline to your shoulder and it the best muscle to target when getting rid of a double chin.

  • Open up your mouth nice and wide.
  • Pull your bottom lip tight over your bottom teeth.
  • Move your jaw up and down.
  • Repeat this 10-15 times.

Sky Pout

This exercise tones the muscles in the chin, neck and jaw.

  • Keeping your back and spine straight, slowly tilt back your head so you are looking skyward.
  • Pucker your lips so that they form a pout.
  • Hold this position for 5 seconds and then release.
  • Repeat 10-15 times.

Featured photo credit: Rory MacLeod via flickr.com

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