Category: Health

Categories
Food Health

3 Tips for a Healthy Heart

Of all the muscles in the human body, the heart is the hardest working. Suppose someone gets lucky to live 100 years, the heart shall have beat at least 3 billion times. Despite being very strong, the heart is highly susceptible to infections. Some of these infections are caused by diet, lifestyle choices, and genetics. That said, here are three tips for a healthy heart.

1. Control The Amount of Food You Eat

Besides what a person eats, it is also vital to consider how much they eat. Filling a plate and eating faster until the stomach is fully packed might cause people to consume too many calories. The amount of food served in restaurants is always more than your body needs. Andrew Napolitano makes it a point to always watch for portion size.

 To control the portions of food people consume, consider using a small plate or bowl. It is okay to eat lots of food with low levels of calories. Try to consume a lot of vegetables and fruits, and make a daily routine.

People should make sure they are careful with the number of servings they take each day. Each food group has a different recommended number of servings that everyone needs to stick to. If there isn’t clear information about this, people can either contact their nutritionist or try to find the details on the internet.

2. Consume More Fruits and Vegetables

A heart needs a lot of minerals and vitamins, and they should come from fruits and vegetables. Note that if the minerals and vitamins come from strange sources, like processed ones, then it exposes the heart to serious complications.

Vegetables and fruits, just like other plant-based foods, don’t contain excess calories and are, therefore, safe to consume. They are also rich in dietary fiber, which is great for enhanced heart health.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in substances that might protect someone from various cardiovascular infections. Some people try to avoid too much consumption of calories by eating a lot of fruits and vegetables.

It is easy to add fruits and vegetables to any diet. However, since these are naturally sourced foods, people want to ensure that they are fresh and clean before eating them. The refrigerator can be a good store for excess fruits and vegetables in the house.

3. Avoid Too Much Sodium in Your Food

Sodium is one of the main causes of high blood pressure. This is a risk factor for heart infections. Therefore, to stick to a healthy diet, try to consume low sodium. As an adult, be aware and never go beyond 2,300 milligrams of sodium in a single day. However, it has been found that most adults are unable to do more than 1,500 milligrams of salt per day. Most canned and processed foods have high levels of salt and should, therefore, be avoided.

Final Thoughts

If people succeed in incorporating the three tips into their life, the chances are that their heart will remain healthy. The transition might be hard, but just take it slow, and before we know it, our lifestyle has changed for the better. Always have your heart in mind when eating and preparing food in the kitchen. The tips shared also act as the reasons the likes of Judge Napolitano should watch their heart health.

Categories
Health

The Best Reasons To Take Up Yoga

Yoga has been practised by humans for thousands of years while this particular form of exercise consists of a variety of poses and stretches that can help you to improve your level of flexibility. Indeed, yoga has become increasingly popular over the last few years while more people than ever are taking up this particular practice. In addition, you should be aware that yoga can provide you with a number of health benefits, while you should also understand that this particular practice can be undertaken by anyone, regardless of their fitness level or their age. Furthermore, it is important to understand that yoga was developed as a way to unite the body and the mind while you should also note that there are a variety of different poses and stretches that you can carry out. However, it is also important to understand that when you are undertaking yoga you should use the right equipment and apparel to ensure you have the best experience possible. For more information about the various types of yoga equipment and yoga pants that are available on the market, you should think about consulting an online business directory as you will be able to find a variety of suppliers that you can contact.

A.           Enjoy numerous health benefits

One of the main reasons that you should think about taking up yoga is that you can enjoy a variety of different health benefits. Indeed, yoga can help to increase your flexibility, as well as your level of strength. However, you should also be aware that if you are looking to carry out this particular practice, you should think about purchasing Decathlon’s yoga pants as soon as possible.

B.           Feel great and function better

Furthermore, you should also be aware that undertaking yoga on a regular basis can help to alleviate problems with poor blood circulation, or even reduce high blood pressure while you should also be aware that you can increase your level of mobility and flexibility as a result of carrying out this ancient practice. Yoga can provide you with several mental and physical health benefits meaning you should start this ancient form of exercise as soon as possible.

C.           Relieve stress

Finally, it is important to understand that yoga has become especially popular as it is able to provide you with a way to relieve your level of stress. Furthermore, if you have problems with your breathing or even depression, then you should be aware that yoga can provide you with a challenging way to undertake a form of exercise. This is especially pertinent if you are looking to implement a health regime in the New Year as taking up yoga can provide you with the ideal opportunity to get more exercise.

  • Enjoy several health benefits as a result of doing yoga
  • Feel great and improve your flexibility
  • Reduce your level of stress

Therefore, in conclusion, if you are thinking about improving your level of personal health and you want to reduce your level of stress, yoga may be just the type of exercise regime that you are looking for.

Categories
Blog Health

Common Food Safety Mistakes

We feel safe in our modern kitchens, surrounded by the latest technologies and convenience and we all had drawers full of cleaners and we do our best to keep a sanitary space to cook in. However, food borne illnesses are still a thing, and serious food poisoning is no joke. It can lead to permanent issues and even death. Some of the things people do wrong, happen during the cooking process itself and have nothing to do with the cleanliness of your kitchen. Here is a list of some of the bad habits that can end up making you sick.

  • Thawing meat: Frozen food is something that revolutionized how we eat, and the things that are available to us year-round. They also help keep food items safe from spoiling for long periods of time, until you are ready to make them into a meal. But things can go wrong when you thaw things out, particularly meat. If you do suspect food poisoning you can contact Instant Consult for a quick assessment of symptoms.  If meat is thawed on the counter, or in water, it should be cooked right away. If you thaw it in your refrigerator it will be a lot safer and it will be okay for a couple of days if you keep it covered.
  • Reusing Surfaces: A common vector for food contamination is the reusing of surfaces, like cutting boards and serving trays. Especially when you are dealing with raw meat. It is easy to get careless when you have a lot going on, like a big barbeque party with lots of hungry guests. If you are cutting up meat you must at least wipe down that surface, and the knife as well. There are often dangerous bacteria lurking on the surfaces of the meat. This bacterium will be destroyed when you cook the meat, but other food items, like salad, will not be heated, and the bacteria will be transferred to your guests.
  • Fridge Contamination: You might think that everything is safe in your fridge, that once things are put away there are in a germfree zone and you don’t have to think about it. But the refrigerator only inhibits bacteria, and it doesn’t kill it. You can witness this when you see things going bad. The items in your refrigerator that are at risk are the items that will not be cooked. It is important to keep these items above the items that will be cooked. That way there won’t be bits of infected food dropping down into the things you would like to eat fresh.

It is not difficult to keep things safe, you just need to be aware of how contaminants can spread around. Cleaning is often a big help, especially your hands, before and after you handle food. It can seem inconvenient, but if you have ever had to watch someone go through a struggle with e coli, or giardia, you will know why it is best to play it safe. It is also a good idea to teach your children to have good habits in the kitchen, so you won’t have to worry about them when they are cooking on their own.

Categories
Blog Health

Beat the Covid Lockdown with These Tips

Who would have thought that 2020 would have been a year with global lockdowns, as the Covid-19 pandemic raged across the world and more than one million people lost their lives. Staying at home might be fine for a few days, but when it stretches into weeks then months, it can become very stressful for some. If you are currently under lockdown, here are a few tips to help you handle the confinement.

  • Take Up Yoga – Yoga would ensure that all your muscle groups are exercised and with virtual online yoga classes, you can practice with others using Zoom. For the best yoga wear, get some Divine Goddess yoga pants, a sports tank top and a yoga mat and you’re good to go. There is a meditation side to yoga and that will certainly help to relieve stress, as being with oneself is very beneficial, both mentally and spiritually, and by setting aside 30 minutes at the start of the day, you can prepare mentally for the coming experience.
  • Social Interaction – Imagine being unable to leave your home before the days of the Internet! Luckily, we can chat to all out friends with a video call and check out their Facebook feeds to keep abreast of what they are doing. While we cannot get the social interaction we need when out and about, we can still communicate with people, using the Internet, so do make a point of calling friends now and then. Here are a few health and wealth predictions for 2021, which makes for an interesting read.
  • Change your Schedule – While we mostly have a daily routine when at home, this can become very tedious day after day, so change the order that you normally do things, just to add a little variation to your daily life. Taking a walk in the afternoon should take care of your physical exercise needs and if you are fit and healthy, compile a short weight training session that you can do every day.
  • Balanced Diet – People can be quite lazy when it comes to preparing food when at home and with online suppliers of organic fresh fruit and vegetables, you can have fresh produce delivered to your door once a week, which you can keep in the fridge. If you shop at the online health food store, you can make sure that you are eating a balanced diet and taking a daily vitamin and mineral supplement is advised for the over 40s.
  • Daily Exercise – This must be a priority, which can be carried out either at home or outside, with a program that is suitable for your age and physical condition. Bike riding is great for all ages, or even a brisk walk early in the mornings, as long as you get the required amount of exercise. Click here for Australian Covid-19 updates.

It is worth noting that the Internet is a wonderful source of information and can be used to learn, to keep abreast with current news and even to source entertainment, so make sure that you spend at least one hour per day doing what you love and that should keep your spirits up.

Categories
Blog Health

Mental Health Issues: Online Solutions to Beat Covid-19

Australia has been hit very hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with lockdowns and stay-at-home directives, which can be very stressful for some people and due to the medical services being overwhelmed, many people who have mental health issues are not getting the treatment they need. As we all know, talking to someone is very beneficial when we experience stress and there are organisations that offer virtual therapy using VoIP platforms such as Zoom.

Virtual Therapy

Fortunately, there are online organisations that offer virtual therapy for things like:

  • PSTD
  • Anger management
  • Addiction
  • Mood swings
  • Domestic abuse
  • Social anxiety
  • Grief & loss

One such organisation, is Peaceful Mind Psychology, who offer virtual therapy on a wide range of issues and they help many people to deal with stressful situations and are always happy to help in any way they can.

Video Consultations

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, you are advised to take some video therapy sessions with your psychologist and as you can interact together much like you would if you were in the same room, there is nothing lost when the therapy is via a video call.

Matching a Psychologist to Suit your Personality

It really does make a difference if you like your psychologist and some health providers will match the psychologist with your personality, which maximises the benefits you will receive from the therapy sessions. Research tells us that when a patient strikes up a positive relationship with their therapist, they gain a lot more from the sessions and when you have the opportunity for a psychologist match-up, this is good news. It is important to have adequate sleep and if this is an issue, try to do something about it, as lack of sleep can have health consequences.

GP Referral

While you do not have to be referred to a psychologist by your GP, if you do this, you are entitled to rebates on the cost of the treatment. If you make an appointment with your GP, simply explain that you wish to have some therapy sessions with a qualified psychologist and he or she would refer you to a local practice.

The Pandemic

Having to stay at home for long periods of time can be very stressful for some people and if you are showing signs of stress, perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to a psychologist, a professional who is trained to discover what the issues are, while also helping the patient to overcome their obstacles. As we are all unique in our own ways, some people respond to stress better than others and it can lead to heavy drink or drug use, or binge eating, which is a source of comfort for some. If you, or someone you know is showing signs of extreme stress and anxiety, talking to a qualified psychologist is the best solution. Click here for Australian government information about mental health and well-being.

We are often in need of professional help during times of stress and if the lockdown has caused you to be out of work and you need someone to talk to, remember there are qualified psychologists who can give you virtual therapy and they are only a Google search away.