Category: Health

Like any other part of your home, it is also essential to pay attention to your bathroom. If it looks old and outdated, now is the time to make some changes. Most modern bathrooms nowadays have shower cabins installed to make it look more elegant and classy. There are numerous designs and styles for you to choose from. Shower cabins have become a popular choice for those who wish to give their bathroom a total makeover. If you are having second thought about installing one of these here are some of the most common benefits that you should know.

It’s convenient

If you are the type of person who doesn’t spend too much time cleaning the house, you would need fixtures that are low maintenance. What’s nice about shower enclosures is that it’s easy to clean and you can even do it while taking a bath. There is no need to worry about the presence of mould and mildew. You can use a simple glass cleaner that is readily available in your local supermarkets as your primary cleaning agent. If you want fewer watermarks or reduce glass stains, you can request for the manufacturer to add a thin layer of coating for extra protection. Cabin showers are also easier to clean, by yourself, or by a professional house cleaning service.

It’s great for tiny spaces

If you have a tiny bathroom space, it’s very challenging to make changes or upgrades because of certain restrictions. The good news is that installing a glass cabin has an effect that makes smaller spaces look more spacious than its actual size. There is no need to add walls to segregate your shower area from the sink or bowl because the glass enclosure is more than enough. Also, it’s the best replacement for old plastic shower curtains that makes your bathroom look tacky.

You can have it is personalized

If you happen to have a particular bathroom design in mind, you can have a customized shower cabin. It would be best to discuss your ideas with your interior designer and local contractor so they can find a way to accommodate all of your requests. Shower cabins are available in different shapes, sizes, colour and materials. You can take your time in choosing the best enclosure that will make your bathroom stand out.

It prevents you from slipping on wet floors

Walking on a wet bathroom floor increases your chances of slipping and obtaining a severe injury. Traditional open space bathrooms are quite risky, especially for kids and elders. Deciding to install a shower cabin eliminates the chances of accidents and gives you peace of mind. Also, most enclosures are made from thick, high-quality tempered glass that can withstand impact and high temperature, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Lastly, it’s always a great idea to upgrade your bathroom if you have plans of finding a new owner for your home. There are a lot of buyers that are quite picky, and it’s normal for them to judge your home based on its appearance. Aim for a better deal by working on your homes’ curb appeal. 

We live in a less than perfect world, and our environment is packed with toxic substances that can be detrimental to our health. Our bodies have a built-in detoxification system to help keep us healthy. But, with the excess of toxins that we encounter on a daily basis, its capabilities can sometimes be overstretched.

When this happens, we start to accumulate harmful substances in our bodies. If you’re feeling sluggish, weak, or just generally not at your best, it could be because your body is struggling to cleanse itself properly.

To help refresh your natural detox systems, according to AICA, try these home remedies to cleanse your body.

1. Be Sure to Drink Enough Water

Water is the foundation of life and is a crucial resource for all of your body’s systems. And it is especially necessary for detoxing your body.

Your kidneys, bowels, and even your skin all play crucial roles in cleansing your body, and all of them are reliant on an ample supply of water to function well. Exact needs vary depending on your body weight, but trying to drink at least a gallon a day is a good general goal to aim for.

2. Increase Your Fiber While You’re At It

Fiber is essential for moving food through the digestive tract. However, as many as 95% of Americans fail to eat enough of it regularly. And that is having a deleterious effect on our health.

A lack of fiber leads to stool staying in the colon for too long, allowing toxins to leech into the body. Fiber also feeds beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, aiding indigestion. So if you’re feeling generally sluggish and low-energy, a lack of fiber is a likely culprit.

3. Detox Your Diet

Certain foodstuffs like sugar, trans fats, and refined flours add to our overall toxin load and can cause inflammation and other forms of stress on the body. And that’s not even mentioning alcohol, which has its own array of harmful effects like peripheral neuropathy.

If you want to help your body reset, you’ve got to clean up your diet!

Prioritize foods like cruciferous vegetables and whole grains while avoiding sweetened and processed foods. And if you enjoy the occasional drink, minimizing our cutting out your intake altogether will do wonders to speed your detoxification.

4. Cleanse Your Lymph Nodes

Lymph nodes are a vital part of the immune system, producing white blood cells, and filtering out foreign particles. And while not strictly a part of your body’s detoxification system, they are vulnerable to harm from an excess of toxins in the body. When this happens, you become more susceptible to illness.

That’s why a lymph detox should be on your itinerary. In addition to cleansing your body, it’ll help your lymph nodes safeguard you from infection.

5. Add These Powerhouse Detoxifiers

In addition to making good diet choices as a matter of course, certain foods are absolute marvels for cleansing the body.

Turmeric, a staple in many cuisines, is a well-known anti-inflammatory agent that can also aid in cleansing your liver. Great if you’ve had too many happy hours of late according to Beyond the Nut.

Chlorella is another detoxifying powerhouse. It’s a freshwater alga native to Japan and Taiwan and is packed with phytonutrients, amino acids, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, potassium, phosphorous, biotin, magnesium and B vitamins. That dense nutritional profile will help fule your detoxifying systems and keep them running at peak performance.

Make Use of These Simple Home Remedies to Cleanse Your Body

Whether you’ve overdone it lately or you’re just not feeling quite as sharp as you used to, most of us could stand for detox from time-to-time. These home remedies to cleanse your body are a simple, cheap, and effective means to help you feel your best.

Check out our blog for more tips on feeling your absolute best every day.

Once upon a time drugs were something of a taboo subject. More recently, things have changed. We seem to be moving further away from the strict approaches that we once all knew, and to a more progressive culture.

Countries from all around the world deal with drugs in different ways. Today’s post takes a glimpse at five nations, and some resources which help to explain how they deal with the topic.

United States: Things are constantly changing

The sheer size of the United States means that drugs policies are always a difficult issue. In short, its policies are quite “standard” when compared to most other countries in the world. The link to the infographic we have featured perhaps highlights this the most, with the most renowned drugs controlled in some shape or form.

However, there have been some developments over more recent years. For example, in 2012 we saw Colorado and Washington legalize marijuana, and since then this has expanded to the likes of Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon. Other drugs have also been decriminalized, with the psilocybin and low-THC hemp falling into this category in certain regions.

Canada: It’s not as lucrative as you might think

As we all know, Canada has been in the news a lot over recent times due to its stance on cannabis. In 2018, it became only the second country in the world to formally legalize the drug – and this naturally created huge headlines.

The interesting part of this is that it hasn’t impacted society in the way that some may have initially anticipated. While the jury will still be out on the social impact, it’s the effect on businesses that we found the most interesting. Contrary to what most people may have thought, businesses aren’t really taking advantage. In actual fact, cannabis use has stagnated – meaning that many businesses who thought they would profit on the back of the new laws have been forced to close.

Dubai: One place where you certainly don’t want to hold drugs

A lot of the countries we are talking about today are quite accepting of drugs, but that can’t be said of this next nation. Out of everywhere in the world, Dubai has some of the strictest rules around and in some cases, will even sentence those caught with drugs to death.

Of course, not every case results in the death penalty, but this article is enough reason not to even consider drugs if you are planning a trip to the UAE.

Portugal: The big success story

As we’ve already seen, more and more countries are taking a more liberal approach to drugs. It would be fair to say that in a lot of these, the results are somewhat mixed. In the case of Portugal, this isn’t the case in the slightest.

Let’s remind ourselves that Portugal had an utterly terrible drugs record in the 90s. Then, in 2001, they changed everything. They decided to decriminalize all drugs, and the results speak for themselves. Instead of 1% of the population being supposedly addicted to drugs as they were previously, the country has turned on its head and has one of the best records in the world.

The Netherlands: The old classic

We don’t need to say much about the Netherlands’ policy on drugs; it has something of a reputation since it became the Netherlands-as-we-know-it back in the 70s. Over more recent times there have been some calls to have a more regressive approach to drugs, which have been condemned by many quarters. This article talks about some of these developments in more detail, to show some of the challenges what the Netherlands is facing when it comes to drugs.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to have the time (or energy) to prep and cook elaborate meals at home.

The key to eating healthy and staying healthy is making lifestyle changes that become good habits. Incorporating a few diet hacks into your routine now will lessen the time you spend planning nutritious meals later.

If you have limited time in the kitchen, or you don’t have time to waste on developing a weekly nutrition plan, use these tips to work towards a healthier you.

1. Prep Meals in Advance

Sure, making three meals a day — plus snacks — for seven days ALL at once sounds intimidating. It’s actually easier than you think. You’ll thank yourself when you’re late for work on Monday morning and can grab your lunch from the fridge and go.

Pick one day a week to plan your meals, go grocery shopping, and prep for success. Prepare several meals that you can easily heat back up throughout the week.

Take the time one night a week to portion out your snacks into individual baggies. Cut, raw vegetables are perfect as snacks. This way, they’re ready for you to grab so you won’t run out for fast food or opt for chips at the office instead.

2. Order Your Own Appetizer

When you go out to eat with friends, you probably split an appetizer and order your own entrée, right?

Surprise! You can eat healthier by having an appetizer all to yourself and splitting the entrée.

Most appetizers are more appropriate for one person than the gigantic entrees most restaurants serve. Unless you order the appetizer sampler — that doesn’t count.

When you’re with friends, you’re more likely to order an unhealthy app as a group. On your own, you can choose a salad or soup as a starter to fill you up before sharing the main course.

3. Sneak in Your Veggies

Blending veggies and sneaking them into recipes isn’t just for parents trying to trick their toddlers.

Whenever you can, sneak veggies into your meals by blending them with other ingredients. If you like smoothies in the morning, this is an easy decision. A handful of spinach will add a healthy dose of iron, magnesium, and calcium to your breakfast.

You can use this hack when dining out, too. Order a burger without meat, such as an Unbeetable Burger, to satisfy your cravings while cutting calories.

4. Roast Vegetables for the Week

If you like vegetables, try roasting a big batch of your favorites to munch on throughout the week.

Roasting veggies brings out their natural flavor and adds a slight sweetness that they don’t have when raw. Try lining a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and roast combinations of veggies light broccoli, kale, sweet potatoes, and red peppers.

As you prepare meals during the week, add these crisp veggies to lunch salads or into an omelet for breakfast. You can even serve them as a side dish.

5. Skip Frying and Bake or Grill

As much as you love adding oil or butter to the bottom of your pan to keep ingredients from sticking, know that it adds unnecessary calories to your meal.

If you grill foods, there is nothing for them to stick to. This is the same when baking foods with the indirect heat in your oven. In most cases, you’ll find that grilled or baked foods (meats especially) will be juicer, more tender, and more flavorful than when they’re fried.

6. Eat Protein First

If you usually eat larger portions than recommended, try eating your protein first to fill up before eating extra carbs and sugar.

Protein is super satisfying and will give you more energy than bread or pasta. Eat your main first, then move on to the sides if you’re still hungry.

7. Keep Healthy Snacks on Hand

You’re more likely to stop by the vending machine at work if you don’t prepare by bringing a snack from home or stock your office with healthy options.

Keep healthy single-serve snacks with you at all times. Preparing them doesn’t have to be a hassle. Choose convenient snacks such as trail mix, apples, clementines, nut butters, or popcorn.

Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and eggs are also nutritional snacks if you can keep them refrigerated throughout the day.

8. Stockpile Frozen Foods

Life is busy. It’s easy to buy produce and let it rot on your countertop or in your fridge and pick up takeout on the way home.

There’s nothing wrong with stocking up on frozen foods!

Most frozen foods are flash-frozen, meaning they are picked at the optimal ripeness and nutritional value is retained. Keep staples in your fridge such as edamame, cauliflower, corn, peas, and spinach.

You can also buy protein such as chicken, shrimp, and fish in bulk and freeze it. This will make cooking at home much easier.

9. Don’t Cut Out Sugar Entirely

When dieting, most people opt for an all-or-nothing approach to consuming sugar. This isn’t always the easiest plan to stick to, and you’re more likely to fail if you don’t give yourself a break.

The more sugar you eat, the more you will crave. As you lessen your intake, the cravings should subside. So, treat yourself every once in a while. Just don’t make it a habit.

10. Go for the Ice Cream

Speaking of sugar, most people believe that opting for a popsicle or sorbet is the smarter option over ice cream. Wrong.

Cream-based desserts have less sugar than sorbet per cup. So, indulge in an ice cream cone for that rewarding treat you’ve been waiting for.

Turn These Diet Hacks Into Healthy Habits

Which of these diet hacks will you work into your weekly routine to make eating healthy easier?

Making small changes to your cooking habits and food decisions will have a big impact on your daily nutrition. You’ll consume less sugar and empty carbs while increasing your intake of vital minerals and vitamins.

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