HEALTHY CHRISTMAS IN 5 STEPS

The Christmas season is perhaps the hardest to stay healthy throughout. There are work parties, functions, family gatherings, and then Christmas day itself. But it doesn’t need to be a compromise between healthy living and enjoying yourself. You can do both! Here’s how you can enjoy yourself and have a healthy Christmas in 5 steps.

1. EAT LESS - NOT NONE!

We don’t mean eat less in general here — although that’s always good advice. No, what we mean here is don’t feel like you need to cut out all of the special foods that come out around Christmastime. Some people tell you to skip the pudding, others say you don’t need that special dessert. If you can completely abstain, that’s great, and more power to you.

But as we’ve discussed in other articles, sometimes the best cure for a craving is to indulge in small amounts. Have a smaller slice of pie than you normally would. Pour a little less gravy or special holiday sauce on your meal. Enjoy yourself, just don’t overdo it.

2. ENJOY THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

If you’re in the Northern hemisphere then you’ve got a beautiful winter wonderland to play in. If you’re below the equator, great, it’s summer time! Take advantage of the outdoors this holiday season.

Physical activity is part of a healthy life, and a key step to a healthy Christmas. Go skiing or ice-skating if you’ve got the ice to enjoy. Some places will even let you cut down your own Christmas tree — an excellent workout.

For those below the equator, take an early morning jog. Take advantage of that early sunrise and the longer days to go outside and play and move.

There’s always something to do and enjoy outdoors. Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean it’s time to get lazy!

3. CONCENTRATE ON ACTIVITIES, NOT FOOD

Christmas is about more than just huge family feasts. There are plenty of other holiday activities to enjoy. Put together a family photo album to show relatives. Make some presents, packages, cards, or decorations with the kids.

Engaging in festive activities with the family will help keep your mind off food. This in turn will make it a lot easier to not overindulge. Some of the activities might seem childish or twee, but it’s Christmas! And if doing something childish helps you have a healthy Christmas, isn’t that a present all in itself?

4. PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS

One of the reasons it’s so easy to lose track of healthy eating over the holidays is people are very busy. Outside of Christmas day there’s not a lot of time to set aside to make a proper meal. Junk food consumption goes up and bellies go out.

So during the hectic Christmas season, spend some time on the weekends to prepare some big, easy to make healthy meals you can store in the freezer. An entire week’s worth of lunches can be made out of a single meal if you plan it properly.

With a little forward thinking, you can prepare for the season’s rush and have a healthy Christmas time.

5. MEDITATE

It’s the end of the year. There are deadlines. Presents to buy. Things to do. It can be very easy to get overwhelmed during the holiday season. This overwhelm leads to stress, which in turn leads to overindulging in feel-good holiday foods. So we need something to beat the overwhelm and maintain our calm.

Enter meditation. We’ve got lots of articles on mindful meditation that you should look at. Meditating at home, on walks; anywhere, really! We cannot overstate how helpful it is to be able to clear your head, particularly during the busiest time of the year.

So whether you’re stuck in an office for days, or just feeling the pressure of needing to get everything organised for the big day, always take a few moments to take care of yourself. You’ll feel much better and have a healthy, happy, uplifting Christmas you won’t forget.

And there you have it. Five simple suggestions for a healthy Christmas. No strict diets, no cutting out food. Just take it easy, eat in moderation, keep yourself occupied and enjoy this wonderful time of year.

DIY ORGANIC PRODUCE IN 4 STEPS

The demand for organic produce is big and getting bigger. What’s not to love? Less pesticides, more natural nutrition. It also saves the environment! Millions around the world are adopting an all-natural organic food diet. Unfortunately organic farming requires more effort, and there’s an associated increased cost. So how do you eat organic without breaking the bank? DIY organic produce, of course!

Growing your own organic produce can actually be significantly cheaper in the long run than buying from a market or supermarket. There’ll be some ups and downs along the way. You’ll probably lose a few plants altogether to start with. But stick with it and learn from your mistakes and you’ll be on your way to growing your own organic produce in no time.

Here are four steps to DIY organic produce.

GET SOIL AND COMPOST READY

Organically conditioned soil contains a careful mixture of manure, leaf and grass clippings, and compost. This gives it all the nutrients your plants will need to survive and thrive without using chemicals that can seep into the plants.

Just like we need the right food, soil needs the right combination of nutrients. There are home testing kits available, or most cities will have testing facilities. Manure is widely available from any garden shop. Just specify you’re going for organic farming and they’ll send you in the right direction.

Compost can be easily made at home. It has a reputation for being smelly, but the reality is good compost shouldn’t smell much at all. If you have a garden, you can make a nice 1-meter-square pen or bin. Otherwise, there are many home kits available that range in size from a small tub to a large rotating barrel.

Compost should be composed of alternating brown, carbon rich material (leaves, garden trimmings) and green layers (food scraps, manure) separated by thin layers of soil. You should turn the heap every time you add a new layer. If you’re buying a home kit, go for a rotating option that makes alternating the different layers a breeze.

It’ll take a few months for compost to get ready — longer in colder months. While you’re waiting for your DIY compost, you won’t have any trouble finding pre-packaged organic compost in a garden shop to get you started.

With the soil and compost prepped, you’re on your way to DIY organic produce in no time! … kind of.

GET THE RIGHT PLANTS

Not all plants are made equal. Some need very precise conditions, others are more robust. When making your decision it’s best to consult with locals who know what they’re talking about. Garden centres, farmer markets, etc. You’ll find people who can tell you what grows best in your given conditions.

Beyond the hardiness of the plant there are a few things to take into account:

• Regional climate. What works for one end of your country might not work for the other. Find out what suits your exact location.


• The season. Most foods are seasonal — we’ve even done an article about autumn foods lately! Plants that thrive in the season you intend to grow them are obviously going to be a lot easier to grow. You could try to fake the season, but that sort of goes against the point of organic gardening.


• Available space. Some plants need a lot of space to themselves, others will take any available millimetre and run with it. Vines, like tomatoes, will happily grow in any space.


• Type of soil. Not all soil is equal. There are varying pH levels that will effect what plants will or won’t thrive in the soil you’ve made. Once you’ve tested your soil, you’ll know what you can plant in it. Or choose your plants, then tailor your soil — either or.

If you're still feeling a little stuck, here are some hardy all-rounder plants that'll grow in most conditions:

• lettuce


• tomatoes


• carrots


• green beans


• cucumber


• zucchini


• radishes

Everything you need to make a great salad.

PLAN YOUR SUN AND WATER SUPPLY

When it comes to DIY organic produce, sun and water can be two of the hardest things for people to get right.

A good rule of thumb is that plants need as much sunlight as possible. Plant your gardens in the sunniest spot of your yard, or on windowsills, or on a balcony. A little shade throughout the day is fine, but generally, get them as much sun as possible.

Water is a bit trickier. Genetically modified plants are often designed to be as water-efficient as possible. They’re also modified so that many types of plants need the same amount of water.

With organic plants, you’ve got to know how much water each plant needs. Some need more than others. Appropriate hydration and adequate drainage are vital. Plants don’t do any better with too much water than people do.

WEED AND PEST CONTROL

Proper pest management is the key to organic, and therefor DIY organic produce.

When it comes to keeping on top of weeds, there are many options. For starters, small gardens are not difficult to maintain. You won’t have many weeds in a meter-square garden. To limit the amount of manual weeding necessary, though, you can always use:

• Mulch, which also protects the soil.


• Burlap, landscape fabric, or other similar materials to prevent them growing.


• Straw, which is cheap but needs to be replaced often


• Wood chips, which can be costly unless you’ve got your own wood chipper.

As for pest control, it’s interesting to note that homeowners actually use more pesticide per plant than a farm does. If we’re going for organic, how can we avoid this?

First, understand that a pest infestation might be a sign of a problem with your plants. They might not be getting enough light, moisture, or nutrients.

Biodiversity can help a great deal. The more types of plants there are, the less of a single food source there are for individual creepy crawlies. Not all insects eat the same plants, so limiting the food source limits the predators.

Natural pest controls include such wonderful things as bats, spiders, lizards, frogs, toads, snakes, and predator insects. A nice sunning spot will attract reptiles which will eat pests. Certain plants like dill will attract predator insects. A watering dish will do a good job attracting everything else.

If you’re in an apartment, or not keen on having your garden swarming with arachnids and reptiles, there are other methods available. Hot pepper spray or humble garlic can work wonders. Certain bacteria will mess with the digestive systems of leaf-eating pets. There are also organic, non-chemical soaps and oils you can use.

After that, all you need to worry about is harvest and cleanup. Harvest and cleanup will change from plant to plant  so you’ll need to read up on the specific plants you grow. Some plants should be harvested at specific times, while some herbs need to be picked almost daily, and so on.

And there you have it: DIY organic produce. It’ll be a bit more work than driving to the market, but the ultimate reward is that you’ll save money and have peace of mind that you’re only eating the most natural food around. Enjoy!

HEALTHY LIVING TODAY IN 5 STEPS

There’s more to healthy living than having a slim, athletic body. Restrictive diets and big muscles don’t necessarily mean good health. Equally, eating meat and the occasional burger doesn’t necessarily mean poor health.

Healthy living is about taking care of yourself as a whole. What you eat and how much you exercise absolutely play an important part. But when it comes to healthy living there are other pillars that many people just don’t stop to consider. It’s entirely possible to be a sickly mess with the healthiest diet and the best exercise regime in the world. So here are our five tips for healthy living, from diet and exercise, through to your mental wellbeing.

STAY WELL HYDRATED

Obviously we need water to survive. We’ll die without it. And everyone’s heard that you need about eight glasses of water a day. But beyond “you’ll die if you don’t”, many people don’t understand the benefits of proper hydration. Aside from keeping you alive, being well hydrated:

Helps combat fatigue. Water helps your cells function and is one of many energy sources for your body. It’s even been shown that people who are well-hydrated before going to bed wake up easier in the morning. Find yourself consistently struggling to get out of bed? Keep some water next to you at night and sip when you wake during sleep.

Prevents histamine buildup that provokes asthma and allergies.

Helps your cardiovascular system. Well-hydrated blood is over 90% water, which helps keep your blood flowing and prevents high blood pressure.

Helps kidneys and liver function optimally.

Keeps your skin healthy and helps prevent skin conditions like acne.

Makes losing weight easier. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent you feeling hungry, so you don’t snack as much throughout the day. Replacing sugary beverages like soda with water is also a simple, but powerful, weightloss method.

To top it all off, you don’t actually need to drink 8 glasses of water. Fruits and vegetables with high water content also contribute to your daily water intake.

GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

How much sleep a person needs is fairly subjective. Whether you need 8 hours or not is up for some debate. Current thinking is that it’s closer to about 6 hours for most people. What’s not up for debate, though, is that a good night’s sleep is vitally important for healthy living.

Lack of good sleep has many negative consequences. Some of them are obvious, such as feeling fatigued throughout the day. Our ability to focus, concentrate, and retain information becomes seriously impaired. Loss of concentration or drowsiness can become particularly problematic when someone is driving.

But lack of sleep also has some wider-reaching consequences. It contributes to many major chronic cardiovascular issues. One night’s bad sleep can give people with hypertension elevated blood pressure for all of the following day. It makes us stressed and depressed, and kills our sex drive. It contributes to premature ageing of the skin.

People who get a good night’s sleep are generally more productive, less stressed, less depressed, and healthier overall.

MEDITATE

Not everybody goes for spirituality. Many are quick to dismiss meditation as nonsense. But when it comes to healthy living, particularly in this day and age, meditation can be very important.

The key benefit of meditation is to calm yourself. Stress and anxiety can majorly impact your wellbeing. Depressed people live shorter lives than non-depressed people. Meditation helps clear stress and anxiety from our minds. It helps us achieve that good night’s sleep, or prepare ourselves for a busy day ahead.

Even if you don’t believe in meditation, simply finding something every day that calms you is of great benefit. It’s important to not be emotionally and psychologically overwhelmed. Alcohol and drugs are not good methods, as they can lead to addiction and further problems. Whether it’s reading a book, drawing a picture, or watching a favourite film, find something in your life that takes your mind away from vague anxieties and puts it in the present.

YES, EAT A BALANCED DIET

There is more to healthy living than eating well and exercise, yes … but these are still vitally important. The important part here, though, is the word “balanced”. Eat junk food every now and then, but sparingly. Use it as a treat. Many people swing completely the other way and opt for a raw vegan diet. This isn’t particularly healthy either unless very carefully controlled.

Fat, carbs, and sugars are all necessary for life. Meat in moderation is very good for you. Even things like alcohol can be beneficial. The trick for healthy living is to eat foods in the right proportions. We’ve covered this in other articles and we encourage you to read further!

FINALLY, YOU CAN’T ESCAPE IT: EXERCISE

Anyone who tells you that you can live a healthy life with no exercise is lying! We don’t mean intense cardio or heavy weights, just be active. Move around as much as possible during the day. The optimum exercise for optimal health, it was found, was about 10 minutes of intense workout a few times a week. A quick run or a bike ride, and that’s it. You don’t need to torture yourself, just get the blood pumping for ten minutes every few days.

Again, we’ve got a longer article on exercise that you can read and we recommend you go have a browse. It’ll give you a better insight and some good ideas.

But that’s it! The five pillars of healthy living: hydration, sleep, relaxation, good food and a bit of sweat. It doesn’t take much. It doesn’t take the world. But it does take a little care and effort. Luckily, the payoff far outweighs the cost. Happy, healthy living!

Healthy Life

How to Live an Extraordinary, Engaging, and more important a Healthy Life that Energizes You Every Day

All people strive to live that exciting and healthy lifestyle that we see so many celebrities, or even friends, live on a daily basis. We are constantly bombarded with examples of lifestyle perfection, whether it be through tabloid media in the grocery store line or walking by a group spin class that just let out the door. What do these individuals have that we do not? How can we motivate ourselves to get to the point where we are living a truly healthy and energetic lifestyle? The answer to an achievable overall healthy lifestyle, in our opinion, is by finding a balanced diet, routinely exercising, and achieving a focused mindset.

Why is eating a Balanced Diet is Important?

A balanced diet is exceptionally important for a long and Healthy Life. If you have ever heard that phrase “you are what you eat”, what goes into your body truly has either a positive or negative impact on your overall health and how you generally feel. Maintaining good nutrition, combined with physical activity, will help improve your overall health. A balanced healthy diet is a key to your success because eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and proteins can help you obtain important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

What are some foods we look for in order to maintain a balanced diet? It is all about maintaining a balance of healthy fats and proteins within your diet. Healthy and balanced diets should consist of lean proteins, such as poultry, fish, beans, nuts, and eggs. These foods are generally high sources of iron and fiber and can provide excellent sources of vitamins. It’s also very important to avoid sugary or fatty foods, as well as processed foods and drinks like frozen dinner meals and sodas. If you eat lean protein foods and kick processed foods and drinks out of your body, you will start to notice your body will feel much better overall.

In addition to proteins, it’s also important to eat a balance of fruits and vegetables. The juicing craze in today’s world is enormous and fun, and you can make your own fruit smoothies at home with a variety of recipes available on the internet. Smoothies are also an excellent way to get some nutrients if you are in a rush, such as on your way to work in the morning. An excellent tip is to overpower the taste of vegetables in your smoothie by adding more fruits.

How Consistent Exercise Helps You to Achieve an Extraordinary and Healthy Life

We all say that we should exercise more, and with competing life priorities, finding a balanced exercise routine tends to be something that falls by the wayside. Routine exercise is beneficial to both the body and the mind, giving us the energy to live a healthier life. This, combined with a healthy diet, will increase your chances of a balanced healthy life.

The most common complaint from people is that they do not have enough time to work out. However, a common misconception is that you need to exercise for long periods of time, almost 2 hours, in order to see any results. This is simply not true. If you do not exercise often, it’s important that you develop a routine exercise schedule. For example, if you work fulltime and have a family, you may only find it possible to exercise in the mornings before you go to work and your children wake up. If this is the case, focus on going to sleep earlier so that you can get up earlier to exercise. If you can incorporate exercise for 30 minutes a day 3-4 days per week, you will start to notice results in how you feel and how your body looks in only a few weeks.

Constant improvement of your general wellbeing can help maintain a healthy Heart    

The most important step we can take to achieve a healthy living is to first maintain a healthy heart. The heart is the organ that pumps blood to the body through the veins and arteries. Its work in the body is peculiar to balancing the flow of blood in the circulatory system. Blood moves oxygen and nourishments to other parts of the body, which strengthens other organs to function effectively; thereby removing carbon dioxide and other waste products.

Remember, our hearts work hard 24/7 on a non-stop basis; throughout a lifetime. It will be necessary to cultivate those habits that will make our hearts remain healthy.



A HEALTHY LIVING

A healthy living is not all about losing weight or building muscle. Healthy lifestyle cannot be made complete without any of the three activities highlighted below;

• Cardiovascular exercise,


• Strength exercise, and


• Balanced diet

1 Cardiovascular exercise

There are multiplicities of gains that cardiovascular exercise brings to our health. It comprises a healthy heart, improved muscle strength and good sleep, and the likes.

Research has revealed that some 180 calories can be burnt within 30 minutes of constant walking exercise; while aerobics with high intensity burns up to 450 calories at the same time. These Cardiovascular exercises are good; they include riding a bike, playing tennis, Swimming, Running, etc

2. Strength exercise

Strength exercise develops muscles and strengthens the bones, ligaments, and tendons. This is not a muscle building training. In this case, your muscles have the ability to burn calories while you are resting. It will make you look slimmer and healthier. It makes you feel better about your personality.

3. Healthy eating

Eating balanced diet is as important as the exercise.

Poor diet won't help you to achieve your health goals, lose weight or keep a healthy lifestyle. A healthy and balanced diet is important at all time in order to compliment the efforts of the exercise. There should be a small intake of saturated fats, sugar, and salt. The body also needs small unsaturated fat to be healthy. A good diet should include lean meat and fish, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains.

In a week you can lose a pound of weight, and burn more than 350 calories. Yes. You Can! It is possible to burn 500 per day. This can be achieved only through strength training, engaging in cardiovascular exercise and eating a balanced diet.

A Healthy life protects us from the detriments of unhealthy lifestyles which include diabetes, heart disease, obesity, stroke and a shortened life span. We can lose weight naturally when we engage in strength exercise, cardio training and eating a balanced diet.