*10 Best Tips for A Morning Routine Makeover*

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There comes a time in almost every diet plan where you find yourself sitting in a fast food establishment – or, as the case may be, frantically going through the drive-thru as you rush off to whatever else your day may bring.

As you do this, anxiety starts to build in your stomach. You’ve been doing so well on your diet and now you are about to ruin it in one fell swoop.

It’s no secret that most fast food menu items are loaded with fat, refined carbs, and calories, and are the opposite of what a healthy diet should be.

That said, if you are willing to put in a little extra effort, you can uncover hidden nutritional gems in a fast food restaurant that won’t cause too much damage to your diet plan.

Always remember, eating light when dining out is essential. You’re far better off going for a light meal now and then simply adding more to your next meal – which you can prepare yourself – to make up for it.

Let’s look at how to eat right when dining fast food at a few different types of establishments.

The Burger Place

burger joints

Perhaps the most commonly frequented fast food restaurants are burger joints. Be it McDonald’s, Harvey’s, Burger King or otherwise, one thing is certain and that is there is no shortage of high calorie options.

Most burgers easily come in at 500+ calories and if you plan to add a side of fries to that, tack on another 600 or more. This makes for a meal that, for many people, is well over half of your daily food intake.

The solution? Get smart. Most burger restaurants will have a grilled chicken burger option, so start there. Order your grilled chicken and then request it with no mayonnaise or ‘special sauce’ (Hint: Never trust the ‘special sauce’).

If you’re on a low carb diet, you might consider removing half the bun from this sandwich, or forgoing the bread altogether and getting that chicken on top of a salad (if they don’t have a chicken salad option in the first place).

If you feel like you need something that contains potato, avoid French fries at all costs. There’s simply no way to make these healthier.

Instead, opt for a baked potato (if they have one) and top it with some salsa rather than traditional high fat source cream or butter.

If you opt for these choices, you’ll be eating wisely.

The Taco Joint

The Taco Joint

Moving on, you might find yourself stopping at a taco or burrito place. While a bit less common than a burger place, these definitely have no shortage of locations as well.

Here, the first tip is to opt for one type of ‘shell’ only. Don’t do a soft shell in a hard shell. That’s just double the calories, double the carbs, and double the fats.

If you can, choose a softer shell. Hard shells have been fried and so, have more unwanted fats.

Next, opt for grilled chicken over beef or steak for your meat filling or, if you prefer, try some beans instead. Beans are a much lower fat option and will give you a good dose of fiber as well.

As you top that taco or burrito, keep the sour cream off. It’s high in saturated fat and provides no real nutrition. Instead, try guacamole if it’s offered. Request them to only put on a little, but feel good since it’s a healthier form of fat that your body needs.

Finally, be sure that you only eat one. Don’t go in for two or more, even if the price seems right. One is more than enough to fuel you until you can get to a healthier meal.

The Pizza House

Try choosing the vegetarian pizza

The next place you might find yourself stopping is the pizza house. The smell of freshly baked pizza is like none other, and you may be tempted to pick up the most delicious looking slice you can find.

Instead, try and seek out a thin crust pizza. This alone can save you at least a hundred calories per slice, if not more. The thinner the base, the better.

Then, watch your toppings. Try choosing the vegetarian pizza which will be lower in fat and calories than beef or pepperoni.

And, the more vegetables on your slice, the better.

Apart from these choices, you won’t be able to alter much else on your pizza as in the fast food restaurant, it’ll already be prepared and waiting for you.

If you find yourself in a sit-down pizza house, then you can request that they use much less cheese, which will reduce the fat and sodium content.

The Coffee Shop

Coffee Shop

The coffee shop is another place you may frequent. Whether it’s first thing in the morning or a quick stop-off as you go about your day, cafés and coffee shops are often our most convenient option when hunger strikes.

So, what will you order?

First, steer clear of anything baked or deep fried. Donuts, muffins, croissants – all bad news as far as your diet is concerned.

Also, ditch the bagels. Bagels are simply too high in carbohydrates to be considered a ‘light’ meal option. Unless you have an intense workout planned for later in the day, you just don’t need that many carbs.

Going in for a freshly prepared sandwich can be one option here and from there, you might consider only eating half of it at once. Choose one that comes on wholegrain bread and is light on mayonnaise to keep the fat content down. Turkey and chicken are both great sandwich options, but do steer clear of tuna or egg salad. These are also going to be prepared with plenty of high fat mayonnaise, so won’t do your diet proud.

As an alternative option to a sandwich, you might go in for a broth-based soup. These are often served at coffee shops and can be a great way to fill that hunger void for the time being.

Be it chicken noodle, vegetable or minestrone soup, all will provide just a few hundred calories.

Finally, a word must be mentioned about your coffee selection. If you are getting a drink, make it as simple as possible. Many of the gourmet coffee varieties today are nothing short of dessert in a cup and will pack in far too many calories, along with grams of sugar and fat.

Opt for a plain black coffee and add a little cinnamon and sweetner to it as desired. Herbal or green teas are also fantastic options. Being smart about how you hydrate is just as important as choosing the right foods to eat.

The Sub Stop

Sub sandwich

Sub sandwich’s pride themselves on being the healthier alternative to the burger and in most cases they are. You do, however, still need to be careful about how you order.

First, don’t go in for that foot-long sub. A half sub (typically a 6 inch) is more than enough for just about everyone.

Next, choose whole wheat bread. You will be taking in quite a bit of carbs at this meal, so the least you can do is make sure that it is going to provide some fiber as well.

Next, opt for some lean meats – chicken breast, turkey are all quite good options. Steer clear of meatball subs, steak and cheese subs, or any sort of mayo based salad sub. Those will all contain too many fat and calories to be considered healthy.

When choosing condiments, stick to mustard. It’s your best bet to keep the calorie intake down and ensure that you aren’t taking in any unwanted saturated fat.

Load that sub up with as many fresh vegetables as possible. One great thing about a sub restaurant is that they typically make it right in front of you, so you can easily request more vegetables than average.

So there you have some quick tips to remember as you find yourself in a fast food restaurant. There’s no question that it’s not the most ideal situation to be in if healthy eating is important to you, but this said, it doesn’t need to completely derail your diet and lead to weight gain.

You just need to be smart in your approach and practice moderation in serving size with whatever you choose to eat.

Source: shawacademy

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By the time we hit our 40s, our body starts to change. Muscle mass starts to deteriorate, the likelihood of putting on weight increases, the onset of menopause is nigh, and the risk of chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes begin to increase. And while it is always important to eat well, no matter your age, it becomes especially essential in our 40s. So, to ensure that you are getting key nutrients in your diet, these are the 7 essential vitamins you should be stocking up on in your 40s and beyond.

Vitamin B12

Essential for normal blood and brain function, Vitamin B12 should most definitely be on your radar once you’ve turned 40 (and more so after turning 50). Children and young adults, are likely to get the B12 they need from food (you can find it in meat and animal products including chicken, fish, dairy and eggs), however, it tends to be more poorly absorbed as the body ages, especially around 50, when stomach acid levels deplete. So, taking a supplement is generally advised. The current recommended dietary allowance is 2.4mg per day, but should you get more, there’s no need to worry about taking too much. Since it is a water-soluble vitamin, you pee out what you don’t need.

Calcium

Our bones absorb most of the calcium they need earlier in life (typically before age 30). Nevertheless, this nutrient does play an essential role in maintaining bone health later in life too. It is also needed for other basic body functions, like muscle contraction, nerve and heart functioning and other biochemical reactions. And, one other important factor to keep in mind is that if you’re not getting enough calcium from your diet, the body steals the nutrient from your bones, weakening them. So, while you still need calcium in your 40s and beyond, you need not go overboard. A well rounded diet with calcium-rich foods like dairy, tofu, sardines, broccoli, almonds and spinach ought to be enough.

Vitamin D

In your 40s and beyond, Vitamin D is essential as this nutrient helps protect against age-related changes that tend to arise at this time. Deficiencies in Vitamin D have been linked to diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and breast and colorectal cancers. Vitamin D is also essential for the absorption of calcium in the body. You can get it from dietary sources including fish, fortified dairy, grains and cereals – though Vitamin D in food tends to be poorly absorbed. One of the best sources is the sun, however since not everyone lives close enough to the equator to be exposed to its strong rays, the supplement Vitamin D3 (a type of Vitamin D closest to what you get from the sun) will suffice.

Magnesium

his nutrient is vital as it helps regulate blood pressure. It is especially important for women aged 40+, who are already at risk of high blood pressure due to normal aging. Heart disease, diabetes and inflammation have all been linked to a deficiency in magnesium. Getting enough is also essential as it helps the body absorb calcium. It also plays a role in muscle, nerve and heart function, as well as blood glucose control. If you think that you may be deficient and are in need of a supplement, your doctor can test your magnesium levels. But, you’ll likely get the levels you need if you eat a healthy balanced diet. It is found in dark leafy greens, beans, soy, nuts, seeds and avocados. Too much of this nutrient doesn’t pose a health risk, however, it may cause diarrhea, nausea or cramping.

Potassium

No matter your age, potassium keeps your blood pressure in check. In fact, research has found that among postmenopausal women, a higher intake of potassium-rich food has decreased risk of stroke. You can get the potassium you need from a well-balanced diet, making sure to include a variety of foods like bananas, sweet potatoes, chard, beans and lentils. Supplements should be taken with caution, and should be carefully monitored if prescribed by a doctor. Too much potassium can damage the gastrointestinal tract and the heart, causing potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias.

Omega 3

Though technically not a vitamin, omega-3 fatty acids deserve a place on this list due to their myriad health benefits. They also help counteract some of the negative changes that come with aging, such as increased heart disease risk and cognitive decline. The fatty acids found in Omega 3 help lower blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. They also play a key role in keeping memory and thinking sharp. In one study, it was found that people with higher levels of omega 3 in their blood, had larger brains and performed better on memory tests, planning activities and abstract thinking. You can get omega-3 from foods like fish, walnuts, flaxseeds and leafy vegetables. Taking a supplement, however, is a good way to ensure that you are getting enough.

Probiotics

Like omega 3 – probiotics are not technically vitamins or minerals, but they are an essential requirement, playing a key role in keeping the gut healthy and your weight down. Probiotics also lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Probiotics can be found in some dairy and fermented soy products like seitan, however, foods typically won’t contain as many strains as a supplement. See, each strain comes with its own benefit – some are used to help control weight, and others to prevent diarrhea. You also won’t be able to get them in foods that are cooked or heated.

Motivation

@ketanmsd7 wrote:

Motivation

When the going gets tough, I have found that positive affirmations have helped me push through and overcome the odds. After all, just like every muscle in the body, the mind needs to be exercised too. Positive affirmations remind us to believe in ourselves and move forward. They tell us exactly what we need to hear at the time we need it most. And if we train our mind with positive affirmations every day, soon enough, the right thoughts will spring to mind without needing to make the extra effort.

@BlueWater @Smarty

The Japanese have the longest life span in the world with 86 years for women and 79 years for men. All of this is thanks to what they eat thus making the islandnation with the lowest obesity rate (3%) in the developed world. “The Japanese diet is the iPod of food,” says Naomi Moriyama, a dietician, “it concentrates the magnificent energy of food into a compact and pleasurable size.”

​​1. Eat with your eyes
There’s a proverb in Japan that literally translates as “Not dressing up the meal with color is like sending someone out of the house without clothes.” Traditional Japanese meals use food items that are red, green, yellow, white and black in colour to give the food an aesthetic appeal and reflect the nature of the seasons. Compare a platter of sushi or a bento box to a hamburger and fries (although the latter is perceived as delicious and can be wolfed down) the former is a work of art that has to be appreciated like art. Go slow, take small bites, relish every flavour.

​​2. Smaller portions
Break down your meal into smaller portions, this way you can enjoy a greater variety of foods.
Scientists in the University Of Illinois found that people tend to eat up to 45% more when they are served bigger portions. They filled their plates according to it’s size. So bigger the plate, larger the portion size.
Lesson learnt: Use dessert and salad plates.

​​3. Fill your stomach up to only 80%
Or Hara hachi bunme as it is said in Japanese. The idea is to reinforce the eating of smaller portions. We have been raised to eat until we are absolutely full so that we don’t feel hungry later. However it’s better to not stuff ourselves and only eat until we feel adequately full.

​​4. Light dinner or supper
Following the 80% rule discussed above, a light dinner puts less pressure on your intestines and allows you to digest your food in your sleep. Heavy meals can sometimes make you wake up feeling full in the morning and this upsets your routine when you skip breakfast.

​​5. Rice is nice
Rice is a low fat complex carbohydrate that helps fill you up on lower calories (small bowl of rice has lesser calories than two slices of bread) This will not keep you hungry and craving for snacks right after your meal.
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Yoga and the Relaxation Response Powerfully Relieve Stress

Question: A friend is urging me to try yoga because I’m stressed out. I am suspicious of all these “touchy-feely” practices. Does yoga have scientifically proven benefits?

Answer: Yes, many studies have found that yoga can improve strength, flexibility and balance. It also is effective in relieving stress and anxiety. It has minimal side effects, although there are a few precautions I should mention.

Like any form of regular exercise, it should be begun gradually in older people. People with disease of the bones in their neck, and people with glaucoma, need to avoid certain yoga exercises. If you have those problems, talk to a yoga instructor before you begin.

Several years ago a reader asked me about yoga, and I mentioned my first experience with its stress reduction benefits. The story is worth retelling.

The first person I ever knew who regularly practiced yoga was an intense and ambitious young doctor. Any conversation with him was short and difficult; he completed your sentences for you and interrupted you at will. He was very smart and had a lot of valuable things to say, but that didn’t mean you looked forward to talking with him.

Then something odd happened. I had a conversation with him in which he didn’t interrupt me. A few weeks later, I had another. What was going on? I learned from his wife that she’d suggested, strongly, that he try yoga – and he loved it.

In addition to physical postures and exercises, traditional yoga incorporates breath control, deep relaxation, meditation, concentration and mindfulness. These mind-body practices counteract stress by evoking the relaxation response. The relaxation response can be practiced without doing yoga – although the physical benefits (strength, flexibility and balance) are not as great. Nevertheless, you are primarily asking about techniques to relieve stress.

The relaxation response is essentially the opposite of the stress response. It lowers heart rate and blood pressure and decreases the production of stress hormones. Practicing yoga leads to changes in the mind and body that promote feelings of tranquility and well-being.

My friend Dr. Herbert Benson, a famous meditation researcher here at Harvard Medical School, described the following exercises to elicit the relaxation response. Give them a try to see if they help you to feel more relaxed:

Select a word, mantra, prayer or thought. Focus your attention on it in a relaxed manner.
When other, everyday thoughts intrude, let them go. Refocus your attention on step one in a relaxed and patient manner without frustration or judgment.
Start by doing this for five minutes. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend on the exercises.

I’d urge you to try yoga, rather than just the relaxation response, because of its greater physical benefits. To learn more about the physical and mental benefits of yoga, you can read a short e-book called “Your Brain on Yoga” by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Sat Bir Khalsa, with Jodie Gould.

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Are you bored? 8 ways to banish boredom from your day

We’ve all been there, the daily grind, the same ol’ same ol’ of another day with young kids or the mountain of laundry which you swore you folded just yesterday (and you probably did!). The life of a mum can be rewarding, challenging but it can also be really, really boring. Whether you are at home with the kids fulltime or working, the daily care of children involves two things; routine and repetition. Under these circumstances it is easy for boredom to set in. And boredom make us unmotivated, unproductive and can even lead to depression if left unchecked.

Boredom is characterised by a general lack of interest and feeling which can make us feel disconnected from people. It is an unpleasant emotion that can leave us feeling restless, numb and even aggressive. When we are bored we can often seek to escape the unpleasant feeling by occupying ourselves with food, TV, surfing the internet, drugs and alcohol or sex. This kind of behaviour can be self-destructive and most definitely unproductive.

How to banish boredom

In order to deal with feelings of boredom you first need to recognise them. One of the ways to do this is to write down your boredom symptoms. For me it is surfing the net and overeating. When I find myself doing either of these things I am usually trying to outrun the uncomfortable feeling of boredom. When you recognise the symptoms of boredom, accept the feelings and just sit with it for a few minutes.

Once you know you are dealing with boredom you are in a position to do something about it. Try these tips:

Connect with people, call a friend, go chat to your local shopkeeper, even people-watching at your local café will help you feel connected again.
Get up and get moving. If you are boredom-watching TV or surfing the net, get up and do some laundry, even a quick walk around the living room will break the mindless cycle of boredom.
If boredom at work is a problem for you, try setting smaller goals which you can achieve with greater frequency which will help to keep you focused and motivated.
Create a “boredom list”, a list of fun things you enjoy doing and post it around the house wherever you tend to experience boredom symptoms most (for me that’s the computer and the fridge!). When you recognise boredom setting in, you won’t need to search too hard for inspiration.
Get out of your routine. Routines can be very useful but they can also lead to boredom. Change things up a little. Even something as simple as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand can be enough to wake you up.
Practice mindfulness and be present and focused on the here and now. When you are watching TV focus on all the sounds you hear or the clothes each character is wearing, focus on the sensations in your body.
Be careful of the company you keep. Boredom is contagious so make sure to hang with an active crowd.
Coach yourself! Ask some coaching questions when you notice boredom – what would make this interesting for me? Do I need to challenge myself to see how quickly I can fold the washing? Can I pack my groceries faster than the cashier can scan them? Can I bang out a blog post in under an hour (I may or may not be drawing from personal experience!).
How do you know when you are bored? What strategies do you find helpful? Let me know in the comments below.

laurenwillscoaching

Healing Power of Sunlight

Sunlight provides tremendous protection from all types of diseases. A healthy lifestyle is essential with a nutritious diet. The exposure to ultraviolet light is impressive and the ideal healing methods. Getting attracted to the sun is instinct to cleanse and heal through the sunlight power. Our cells get the required oxygen and glucose from the sun.

Recent studies also prove that exposing patients to sunlight in controlled amounts is helpful in reducing the elevated blood pressure, thereby decreasing the cholesterol in the blood stream. There are increased white blood cells and the blood sugar levels get stabilized such that they resist disease and infection.

Details of the Healing Power of Sunlight

The therapeutic role of sunlight in health improvement is related to the diseases and variety of illnesses.

Sunlight improves immunity by stimulating the immune system activity
Sunlight helps healing various skin ulcers and bed sores
Exposure of sunlight on chest or back helps in respiratory infections recovery such as pneumonia, bronchitis and tuberculosis.
Sunlight is a disinfectant. The sunlight ultraviolet rays kill bacteria and viruses. Exposure to sunlight and fresh air is helpful especially to people living in narrow, dark conditions.
Sunlight oxygenates and purifies the blood
Sunlight helps in breaking down and also in eliminating uric acid that the concentration is low in the blood and the gout symptoms is alleviated.
Sunlight helps in controlling blood sugar and blood pressure
Sunlight assists arthritis treatment and this includes rheumatoid arthritis
Sunbathing is appropriate in treating obesity and stimulates thyroid gland that regulates metabolism.

Sunlight helps cure peptic ulcers
Sunlight reverse plaque formation and the blood cholesterol levels are reduced. The formation of plaque in the arteries is reduced, eliminating the risk of a stroke.
Regular exposure to sunlight reduces the number of cancers in people and animals
Sunlight decreases free radicals formation that are associated to aging
Sun exposure to 15 minutes every day is recommended.
Health Benefits of Sun Light

Sunshine is different as it gives vitamin D. It influences the entire body and this vitamin D has a great impact on your bones to your brain. It can have an impact on diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple schlerosis.
Avert cancer by taking more of your Vitamin D available levels. The number of cancers that can be averted include breast, lung, pancreatic, colon, prostate and ovarian cancers.
Exposing to sunlight improves the vision of your eyes. You cannot look at the sun directly, but can see in the direction of the sun for a short time without sunglasses. The sunglasses block the energy from the sun, so it is recommended to see without contact lenses or sunglasses so that the vision is improved.
Promotes moods to a great extent. It raises our spirits in the long winter months or even on dreary days. This is the light therapy that is useful.
Sunlight is known for centuries to cure many ailments and is effective in healing in case of acne as it has the ultraviolet rays present. It has an anti-bacterial effect that is favorable in curing the blemishes. Artificial ultraviolet rays are not effective.

Tips to Increase Sun Exposure

You can benefit from the exposure to sun, but cannot be outdoors for a longer time. Here are some tips to increase sun exposure:

Having windows in glass so that it allows uv light to enter the room
Keep the curtains pushed so that there is maximum sun exposure
Many windows is the best to get sun exposure
Keep the windows open at most times, depending on the season
Install spectrum lights as much as possible.
People living in a moderate climate may regularly have sunbathed. It is ideal to avoid the sun during summer between 10.00 a.m. and 3.00 p.m., whereas in winter, spring, and fall, the time between 10 and 3pm is absolute. During winter, if you are in a wind protected place, you can sunbathe. You can build a sunbathing area facing the sun. The sidewalls may serve as a good windbreak, while the wall may face the sun at an angle inclined toward the sun. Lying on a blanket is recommended. Another practical way is to open a window when there is no breeze. In case, for some reason you are exposed to the sun, you may apply olive oil, coconut oil or Aloe Vera gel.

For best benefits take a shower before sunbathing. Expose your body only for few minutes initially and only with practice increase the time for a few more minutes such that you have sunlight exposure for 20-30 minutes. Per week walking for 40-60 minutes in the sunlight also ensures same benefits. Your body and mind will stay healthy with proper power of sunlight and will have effective healing advantages. It will incorporate the balanced diet, daily routine and proper lifestyle as it stores vitamin D in your body to some amount to last 4-6 weeks and is also good to recharge this vitamin whenever possible, but avoid direct sunlight exposure. Also keep away from tanning beds, sunlamps and tanning booths. The tanning bed increases the melanomas before age 35 and there is a link relating the skin cancer. Even the tanning equipments are not useful as they emit powerful electromagnetic fields that cause the growth of cancer. The UVA high concentration plays a vital role, yet anything done with caution mind or alertness is best and beneficial.

The sunrays offer an array of benefits for plants, animals, humans and other creatures. It has enormous therapeutic powers and hence is worshipped in many cultures. Nowadays, many avoid sun exposure fearing premature aging and skin cancer, but these happen when there is excess sun exposure. So, minimal sunlight or exposure to sun is a must. Taking sun exposure in average levels in the morning assures bundle of health advantages, right form regulating bodily processes to elevating moods and keeping in balance.