health – Page 8 – Personal Growth Cafe

November 5, 2017

I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

I have access to a vast library of knowledge about life, and with this knowledge I can neutralize bad habits with good food, exercise, and healthy living.

It may take courage to make a positive lifestyle change, but I am fully confident that I will see great success in my life.

I no longer want to live in fear of habitual distaste. I want to enjoy my life now and in the years to come.

The only way to do this is to make positive choices. I want to live a long and full life.

The world is addicted to things that are not good for them.

It may seem as though no one cares for the consequences, but I am not among that number. I am choosing change.

I hold no reservations about my decision because I know it will only make me stronger, healthy and better.

It is time to stop the bad habits and replace them with strong, positives ones.

I want to set an example for others. I want to be accountable for the actions that count.

I aim to be the person who speaks out against bad habits and addictions and I long to see others follow in my footsteps.

For too long, we have been a nation that looks for the quick way out. I won’t join in the long line of fast food or addition, but instead, I choose to continue to embrace my new life.

I have no regrets for the decision I have made. Rather, it has given me a renewed outlook on life that I so very much deserve.

What can you do to change your bad habits?

How will you use your new experience to help others?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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November 5, 2017

The groundwork of all happiness is health. – Leigh Hunt

October 25, 2017

Combating Mental Fatigue

Mental fatigue can definitely take its toll on a person’s well-being. It can actually be worse than physical fatigue because of a person’s inability to think clearly or express their feelings and frustrations.

Worse still, mental stress is known to cause physical fatigue and illness, too!

Mental fatigue or exhaustion may be a result of your work, family life, conflict, or even a lack of quality sleep.

If you have to make an important decision, mental stress can take its toll on you and can even lead to severe depression. This is all the more reason to avoid the consequences and implement strategies to overcome mental fatigue!

How to Relax your Mind and Boost your Energy

Relaxation is absolutely necessary to relieve mental stress and rejuvenate your body and mind. You’re probably thinking, “How am I going to do that?”

Well, it’s easy. Here are some tips to help you reduce mental exhaustion and start implementing a relaxation routine:

Take time out for yourself. Spend time in a quiet room where you can reflect and get in touch with your spiritual side. Everyone has a different way of self-reflection.Some pray or meditate, others write in a journal or diary, while others simply allow their thoughts to gently release into the darkness and quietness of the room.

Get plenty of sleep. Mental fatigue can exist no matter how much sleep you get, but sleep does help refresh your body and mind.Getting adequate sleep will eliminate a lot of your day-to-day stress. After all, the body will have a chance to repair itself and recharge.

Free your mind from the problems that swirl around you. Take your mind off of those things that are causing you stress by working on a puzzle or spending time with friends and family.Or perhaps you need to go out for a nice dinner or weekend getaway to free your mind.

Exercise regularly. Exercise causes your brain to release endorphins, which are known to make you feel happy. It’s like the body’s natural “high.” Even if all you can do is take a 15-minute walk, take it. That can be great alone time for you.

Try breathing exercises. When things get rough, take deep breaths in through your nose, hold it for 10 seconds, then release. You’ll notice that this will relieve tension.
Take a day in which you can do things by yourself. Take yourself out to a movie, go to a museum or art gallery, or do something you’ve always wanted to do but never made time for. In doing so, you’ll be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of being alone.

Implementing Your Own Strategies

These are just some of the strategies to combat mental fatigue. You may have some other methods that help you relax and find peace in your life.

Once you begin integrating these simple exercises into your day, you will begin to feel the weight lifted of your shoulders and before you know it, you’ll feel like a brand new person!

What is the best way for you to relax yourself?

How can fighting mental fatigue help you become more productive and efficient in your daily activities?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 25, 2017

Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn

October 17, 2017

Letting go cleanses my body, mind, and spirit.

Letting go is a freeing process to renew myself. The old me is buried when I release my inhibitions and awaken anew.

There are many things in my life of which I must let go in order to free myself for the blessings in store for me.

I let go of all anxiety and stress to cleanse my mind. When I let go of my worries, I enjoy peace of mind and serenity in my soul.

I am liberated when I surrender control because my mind is free from tension’s contamination.

I let go of the emotional wounds of my past so I may cleanse my spirit. No matter what is behind me, I move forward to a better day.

I block out evil thoughts and replace them with faith and trust. And I know my present and future holds the best days of my life.

In order to cleanse my body, I examine my diet and make adjustments where necessary. I cut out fatty and unhealthy foods and I eat vegetables and foods rich in vitamins and nutrients.

My body is free from drugs and other toxins. My lungs are free from smoke. I enjoy breathing fresh air.

Cleansing helps me enjoy my life to the fullest. I cleanse to fill myself with things of value. I add healthy habits to my life so I may improve my body.

I add clarity and perspective to improve my mind. I add peace of mind and strength to improve my spirit.

How can letting go improve your health?

How can you cleanse your body and mind?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 16, 2017

The Link Between Diet and Stress

Do you ever think about the fact that, if you ate differently, you might be better able to handle the stress in your life? Do you ever wonder how stress might affect what you eat?

No matter which way you look at it, stress and food are related. There are many things that you can do to help deal with your stress without resorting to food as your crutch.

How Your Diet and Stress Are Related

When you’re stressed out you’re more likely to either over-eat or under eat.When you do either of these things you are negatively impacting your blood glucose levels and your moods may swing violently, which will only create conflict and intensify your stress.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize how we can sabotage ourselves with food! Once you become aware of your stress response, you can make the choice to change it.

Food cannot cure stress, but it can help. When you eat nutritious foods you are giving your body what it needs to deal with your daily demands. In other words, when you eat the proper foods you are giving your body the fuel it needs to make it through common stressful situations.When you predominantly eat sugars and fats in your diet, your body doesn’t have all of the nutrients and energy supplies needed to deal with stress, so instead, you’re more likely to feel grouchy, tired, or anxious.

Stress breaks down the immune system, while the right foods can help support it.Time and time again, studies have proven that stress makes our immune system weaker, leaving us exposed to dangerous viruses, bacteria, and illnesses.
It has also been proven that when you eat the right foods you’re helping your body build and maintain a healthy immune system. The key here is simple: Eat right, feel great!

Your Stress and Your Diet

When you look at all of the ways that stress and diet are interwoven, it’s hard to deny the fact that the foods you eat affect how you think, feel, and react.

After all, an unhealthy diet not only stresses your body, but your mind as well. A good starting point is to evaluate your daily diet and make one change at a time to create that healthy lifestyle you deserve.

Not Just the Diet

A healthy and balanced diet can help you manage stress much more effectively, but simply eating right is not enough to help you deal with stress.

There are many different things you can do to help control and manage your stress such as:

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night
Making time to relax
Having a support system
Knowing your limits
Proactively planning and organizing
Being able to say no

These are just a few stress solutions that, in addition to healthy eating, will help you limit and control the stress in your life.

When you incorporate even just a few of these healthy living strategies into your life, you’ll find that overwhelming stress is a thing of the past; and the weight will be lifted off your shoulders (and thighs!)

How can you turn an unhealthy habit into a positive one?

What will you do about it today?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 17, 2017October 10, 2017

Constantly Improving Your Body and Mind

Even if you look and feel great, there are always steps you can take, every day, to improve your body and mind. It takes constant work to improve your life, even when you have achieved what you believe is your personal best.

So with that said, we all can use some healthy living tips to ensure that we are the best we can be every day.

Healthy Living Tips to Improve Your Body and Mind

It doesn’t matter if you are in perfect shape – or you have created your own unique “shape” over the years – there are always simple strategies that will continue to improve how you look, feel and think. After all, without constantly improving your body and mind, you won’t be able to reach greater heights and experience new things.

The most essential mental and physical health tip is to enjoy quality sleep. Getting enough sleep will boost your health and productivity, and it will rejuvenate your body and mind.

Some people may believe that sleep is overrated, but study after study has shown that those who get at least eight hours of sleep look and feel better than those who don’t. It can be tempting to skimp on the number of hours of sleep you get, but it isn’t worth it.

Skipping sleep takes a toll on your brain’s ability to function, your appearance, and on your overall long-term health. So do yourself a favor and skip the late night talk shows and midnight snacks tonight!

There’s another easier-said-than-done tip that I’m sure you’ve heard many times before. Any guesses? Exercise, of course! Whether you are trying to lose weight or you’re at your target weight, it can be tempting to skip exercise.

No matter how you slice it, it’s not going to do you any good. Not only does exercise help you look good, but it also helps you feel good. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good from top to bottom and stress literally drips off you!

It can be difficult to incorporate these healthy living tips into your life, but there is one tool that ties everything together: the power of positive self-talk. You can use positive affirmations to help remind you of your healthy living goals.

Affirmations are short statements that encourage you to sharpen your mind and body while conquering your goals and improving on your weaknesses.

Affirmations can help you focus on creating and maintaining the healthy body and mind you desire because it gives you the motivation you need to focus on your most important asset – you!

Some examples of affirmations include, “It is okay for me to take care of myself first,” or, “I am healthy and deserve the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”

You can use these simple positive statements throughout the day to stay motivated and focused. After all, we all need some motivation from time to time.

When you implement these strategies in your life, you’ll begin to realize just how easy it can be to lead a healthy lifestyle, especially once you have gained the right set of tools in your self-improvement toolbox!

How does healthy living keep you active?

What can you do to live a healthy lifestyle?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 9, 2017September 26, 2017

Seven Low-Carb Hacks to Help You Feel Full All Day

One of the biggest concerns that you may have about the low-carb diet is staying full. Without a large quantity of carbohydrates to fill your meals, you may wonder if you will feel hungry.

Try these tips to avoid that low-carb hunger:

1. Ground almond flour. Instead of using regular flour, switch to ground almond flour for your meals.

This low-carb hack is filled with protein, and you’ll feel full while using it.

You can make a variety of items with almond flour, such as pancakes, muffins, or bread. Almond flour is versatile and filling, so you won’t miss regular flour.

2. Cauliflower rice. Did you know that you can use cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes?

Cauliflower is a healthier choice than regular potatoes and is considered a lower carbohydrate vegetable. You can grind up and mash cauliflower to make mashed flakes.

You can also use ground up cauliflower as rice and create a pizza crust from it. Top the pizza with your favorites.

3. Spiralized vegetables. A spiralizer is a simple kitchen tool that you can use to make vegetables into tiny strips that resemble noodles. If you don’t have one, then you can use a sharp knife to cut up the veggies into small strips.

This low-carb hack lets you make your own healthy pasta and noodles.

Zucchini tends to be the most popular vegetable to spiralize in the kitchen. However, you can also experiment with eggplant, peppers, and other veggies. The key is to pick a firm one that can be cut into little pieces with ease.

4. Lettuce wraps. One of the easiest low-carb hacks is to make wraps or tortillas with lettuce instead of flour items.

Wrap your favorites such as meat, vegetables, and salsa in a lettuce wrap to reduce the carbohydrates.

The wraps will still taste delicious, but they’ll have lower calories and more nutritional value. You don’t have to stick with iceberg lettuce and may want to try other varieties as you experiment in the kitchen. You can even use cabbage leaves to make the wraps.

5. Vegetable chips. Regular potato chips won’t work on a low-carb diet, but vegetable chips you make yourself at home are fine.

Bake your chips in the oven and serve them with sea salt, olive oil, or spices.

You can make vegetable chips from zucchini, eggplant, squash, and other foods. Pick your favorites and cut them into bite-size pieces. Kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes all taste delicious as baked chips.

6. Use citrus flavor. Lemons and limes make great low-carb substitutes for traditional salad dressings and sauces that may have too many calories. A squeeze of lemon or lime can add instant flavor to a salad, soup, casserole, or other dish.

You don’t have to worry about carbs with this flavor option. Experiment with it in the kitchen and try adding it to different dishes.

7. Be creative. The key to staying satisfied on a low-carb diet is to think of creative ways to use the healthy ingredients in your kitchen. A simple tomato and lettuce can turn into a fun meal with the right low-carb sauce.

Don’t be afraid to try new vegetables, nuts, or seeds on a low-carb diet.

A low-carb diet doesn’t have to be boring or unsatisfying. Use these tips every day to feel full and happy while eating low-carb.

How do you stay full when you are on a diet?

What do you do to satisfy your hunger?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 6, 2017September 26, 2017

Lose More Weight with Diet Strategies for Before and After Exercising

If you want to lose weight, it’s important to know what foods to eat, and when to eat them.

The meals and snacks you consume before and after exercising give you energy, prime your metabolism, and help you drop more pounds.

Study these tips before you head to the gym.

How to Eat Before You Work Out

Forget the myth about exercising on an empty stomach. You’re likely to wind up losing muscle, and your performance will suffer. Give your body what it needs to train hard.

1. Choose carbs and protein.

Gear up with a helping of complex carbohydrates and fast-digesting protein. Some good choices include Greek yogurt with fresh fruit or an egg with broccoli.

2. Drink water.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking 2 to 3 cups of water within 2 or 3 hours of your workout. You may want to drink a little more or less based on your body size and the weather.

3. Keep it light.

You want just enough calories to sustain you without weighing you down. Go easy on the fats. Wait at least 3 hours after any large meal before starting intense exercise.

4. Limit fiber.

While a high-fiber diet is great for many reasons, including lowering cholesterol and stabilizing blood sugar, save the bran for later. You can fill up after you’re done sweating.

5. Play it safe.

Midway through a dance class is an awkward time to discover how your body will react to unfamiliar foods. Stick to your regular fare and save the culinary experiments for your downtime.

How to Eat After You Work Out

Exercise uses up the glycogen stored in your muscles. In order for your body to recover and keep burning calories efficiently, you need to replace those stored carbohydrates. Here’s how to refuel.

1. Act fast.

Some studies suggest that your body’s ability to replenish glycogen peaks soon after your workout. Plan on eating right away or at least within 2 hours.

2. Balance it out.

It’s time to enjoy the same complex carbohydrates and proteins you ate before, but now you can add more healthy fats into the mix. Feast on baked salmon with your favorite vegetables or stir fry some tofu with bok choy and red peppers.

3. Control portions.

Of course, if you’re trying to reduce, you want to burn up more energy than you take in. Online calorie counters can help you calculate your individual needs so you can figure out effective serving sizes for each meal and snack.

4. Focus on quality.

At the same time, keep in mind that evidence is building that not all calories are the same. For the sake of your overall health and fitness, filling your plate with whole foods is preferable to eating the same amount of processed products.

5. Replace fluids.

Plain water is usually adequate for staying hydrated. Carry your water bottle with you so you can drink while you’re exercising and drink at least 8 ounces afterwards.

6. Restore potassium.

If you sweat heavily or work out for more than an hour, consider sports drinks to replace potassium and other electrolytes. Coconut water and various fruit and vegetables juices will work too.

Lose weight faster and more safely by putting the power of nutrition to work for you. Enjoying delicious and nutritious snacks and meals before and after exercise will give you the energy you need to lift weights or run for miles. You’ll slim down without having to go hungry when you combine physical activity and a balanced diet.

What routine do you follow before and after you exercise?

Which items above are included in your list?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 29, 2012July 3, 2012

Treat Your Sore Throat With Safe Home Remedies

Almost everyone suffers from a sore throat from time to time. Usually, the discomfort and trouble with swallowing or speaking will clear up on their own, but there are steps you can take to prevent sore throats and recover faster.

Basic Facts About Sore Throats

1. Recognize the most common cause. Most sore throats are caused by viral infections like the common cold or flu. They’ll usually go away within a week even without any treatment.

2. Get familiar with more unusual factors. Many other conditions can also affect your throat. If it’s a bacterial infection like strep, you probably will need to take antibiotics. Your doctor may also want to check you for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), allergies and other ailments.

3. Know when to see a doctor. It’s a good idea to make an appointment if your symptoms are severe or last more than a week. A physical exam and throat swab will help to identify what kind of treatment you need, especially if you have a fever, rash or difficulty with breathing.

Preventing and Treating Sore Throats

1. Stay hydrated. Beverages and foods with a high liquid content will help thin out mucus. Enjoy hot tea and soup in the winter or suck on a popsicle if it’s hot outside.

2. Gargle with salt water. Frequent gargling is an effective way to soothe your throat. Mix a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water and swish it around your mouth at least once an hour.

3. Use lozenges. Cough drops and over-the-counter lozenges that numb the throat often provide fast pain relief and suppress coughing so you can heal faster. Read the labels for directions and let them dissolve slowly in your mouth.

4. Breathe through your nose. If you usually breathe through your mouth, try to break the habit. Close your lips and focus on taking full breaths from your abdomen. Your nasal passages are designed to filter out pollutants and warm and humidify the air you take in.

5. Avoid tobacco and other irritants. Cigarettes and other tobacco products can irritate your mouth and throat. If you want to quit, talk with your doctor about the best method for you. Spicy foods and dust can also be triggers. Limit your time outdoors on days when you hear the air quality is code orange, red or purple.

6. Surround yourself with moist air. Buy a humidifier or mist the air in your house using the evaporation from a shallow pan of water. Whatever device you use, clean it regularly to keep mold and bacteria from building up.

7. Speak gently. Yelling or talking for a long time can put a strain on your throat and leave you feeling hoarse. Protect your vocal health by pausing often and breathing naturally. Rest your voice as much as possible. Consider speech training if you keep getting laryngitis over and over.

8. Wash your hands. Frequent and thorough hand washing is one of the most effective ways to avoid catching a cold and the accompanying sore throat. Rub your hands with soap and warm water for about 30 seconds and rinse. Use hand sanitizers when no sink is available.

9. Keep your immune system strong. A healthy immune system is also a great defense from any kind of infection. Get plenty of rest, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. Learn to manage daily stress with techniques like meditation or listening to instrumental music.

An occasional sore throat is usually just a minor symptom that comes along with the common cold. Keep your throat moist and avoid irritants to minimize the discomfort and see your doctor if it lasts longer than a week.