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Smart Ideas On How To Exercise And Eat Better Than The Average Person

Published

6 months ago

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Eating smart…

Nowadays people don’t seem to eat smart anymore. This applies to most people, but especially those who regularly exercise. When you’re more active than most people every single day, you’re not the average person. You’ve above it. And if you want to maintain your fitness routine and body weight, you really have to eat differently. You have to eat smarter than the average person to make the effects last long. 

Now I will discuss some ideas on how you can do this.

 

The correct timing…

What time of the day do you exercise? Have you ever thought that the timing is far more important than you think? Yes, it’s true. Depending on the type of exercise you participate in, it’s important that you know which exercises are right for which ever time of the day you want to do them. Not only that, but you also need to be aware of the foods to eat too. All of this needs to be taken in to consideration if you want the maximum benefits of physical activity every day. 

Good morning!

For most people, the morning is perfect to go out for an early morning walk or jog as it’s peaceful at this time, and it’s not too crowded because everyone would be still asleep. Whether you walk or do some other form of morning exercise, make sure you consider the following before you start your morning work out:

  • Carbohydrate rich foods such as bread, cereal or energy bars. These types of food get digested into the body really fast.
  • Drink plenty of water. This will enable your kidneys to get rid of extra fluid from your body.

As soon as you’ve finished your morning work out, try to eat foods that are satisfying and don’t make you feel hungry later in the morning, such as the following:

  • Avocado on toast. The avocado is packed with good fat and the toast (bread) with carbohydrates. This will easily fill you up, and give energy for the rest of your day.
  • Eggs. You can have eggs with toast as well. Eggs are packed with benefits such as iron, folic acid and protein, all of which lower risk of heart disease.
  • Yogurt and dates. This will give you stronger bones and can satisfy your sugar cravings

Good afternoon!

Many people that work out during lunch time/midday hours claim to feel hungry afterwards. Typically, the reason why is because their breakfast wasn’t as healthy as it should have been, e.g. it might have consisted of processed foods instead of something nutritious.

Consider the following a couple of hours before you start your midday work out:

  • Don’t comfort eat before you start working out. You need to allow enough time for your stomach to clear up.
  • Avoid eating junk foods. In other words, if for example you eat a piece of loaf served in a packet which has only carbohydrates and almost no vital vitamins and minerals, then this will create the feeling that your gut is stuffed with lead. It will not allow your work out to be effective.
  • Only eat foods that are easy to be digested, mainly foods that are rich in carbohydrates and low in fat.
Once your midday work out has been completed, you might not have allocated the time to have your lunch. Hence, it’s important that you prepare your meal in advance. Be smart about it. Opt for foods like cereal bars, protein shake, yogurt or sandwiches filled with sliced lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Drink lots of water too.

Good evening!

After a long and stressful day, most people would rather just call it a wrap and slop around until it’s time to go to sleep. However, if you feel that you work out better during the evening hours then consider the following:

  •  Avoid skipping breakfast. You need to feel like you’re full of enough energy to take part in evening physical activity. Ensure that your breakfast is nutritious and also eat around 400-500 calories worth of breakfast in the morning to keep you feeling full throughout the day.
  • Make your lunch your top priority of the day. Ensure that it’s filled with protein rich foods such as beans and vegetables. Again,  this will give you the necessary energy for the evening work out.
  • Have afternoon snacks to avoid feelings of hunger and starvation, such as protein/cereal bars and fruit salad.
After finishing your evening exercise, eat. It doesn’t matter what time it is, but always make sure that you eat after you finish exercising. The reason for this is because you need to allow your body to recover, so top yourself up with plenty of nutritious foods that are high in protein and carbohydrates.

Consider the following important points to make the most out of finishing your evening work out:
  •  Have vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli and green beans that are loaded with fiber and vitamins.
  • Have a healthy dessert of yogurt with a side of fresh berries. This is packed with many vitamins that are essential for burning fat.

It is not a crime to eat…

With all the above ideas in mind, it is still arguable that so many people are against the idea of eating before working out, but the truth is that more calories get burned when you eat before engaging in physical activity. This is because your body converts to muscle protein which is used as fuel when there aren’t enough carbohydrates stored to burn out. Not only that but you become more in the mood and spirits to go work out. You become motivated. By eating, you won’t use excuses such as “I’m lacking energy” or “I didn’t eat anything, I’m hungry”. Therefore it is important to note that eating smarter before all your work outs will provide you with exceptionally effective results. It’s just that most people don’t know about this, and that’s the problem nowadays…

What do you think?

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6 Ways To A Healthier Immune System

Published

5 months ago

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March 9, 2020

By

A healthy body…

A lack of caring for your body’s health will easily invite all sorts of diseases, which is why it is so important to ensure that you have a well functioning immune system. When your immune system is working well, your body is able to easily tackle and prevent any disease. In this blog post I will share some tips on how you can strengthen and improve your own immune system.

1) Control your stress levels

One of the main reasons for a weak immune system is too much stress. When you’re stressed out, your mood frequently changes, and sometimes this can lead you to mental illness such as depression, which affects the T and B cell function. If you don’t manage your stress levels, you can end up getting serious illness such as cancer or heart problems. Therefore, it is important to practice different ways to reduce your stress such as deep breathing techniques and meditation – these can have a calming effect on you and make you feel less loaded with baggage.

 

2) Stop pollution

Okay, you can’t completely stop pollution but you can definitely avoid it. Firstly you should be aware of the 3 different pollutants. One is radiation which arises from electricity cables, TV, mobile and computer screens and microwave appliances. Second one is chemicals which arises from pesticides, herbicides, industrial emissions, smoke and paint. The third one is biological and this arises from dust and mould. All of these pollutants can have a serious impact on your immune system by weakening it. Therefore you can minimize this by staying away from smokers, avoid smoking, regularly clean up your house to stop mould and damp from creeping in, and switch to organic products.

3) Stay away from toxic substances

This includes drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. All of these are a crucial risk factor for weak immunity and are closely linked with heart disease, liver damage, stroke, and other serious conditions because of their dangerous chemicals. But, simply put, toxic substances do not match well with a healthy immune system and so you need to avoid them as much as you can.

4) Be aware of your medication

When you get symptoms such as a flu, cough, cold or any type of allergic reactions, it is tempting to use medicinal remedies to reduce these symptoms. But little do you know, many drugs weaken the immune system’s function as well as cause damaging effects on it. Therefore, take your medication/treatment with extra caution and care – do not over dose or unnecessarily buy over the counter products without fully understanding them.

5) Be in control of your weight

If your weight gets out of hand then you can develop serious conditions such as obesity. This is closely linked with developing type 2 diabetes and can block different functions of the body, making it easier to be vulnerable to a greatly weakened immune system and cancer risks. Therefore it is important to be in control of your weight by moving more and eating right. Not only will this have a good impact on your body health, but it will also improve your mental health too.

6) Engage in physical activity

It has been conducted by a lot of research that regular physical activity/exercise can improve your immune system functioning and protect against fatal illnesses and diseases such as cancer and heart problems. Therefore, activities such as walking or cycling every day consistently, can optimize your overall health and fight against risks for your immune system.

Your immune system needs it…

With all the 6 above points in mind you cannot go wrong with supporting your own immune system. These things you can develop a habit of doing and gradually minimize any potential harm, because your health matters!

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7 Best Steps To Living Your Dream Life

Published

5 months ago

on

February 29, 2020

By

Steps towards change…

Do you ever feel like something is missing from your life? Like no matter how good things are, despite having a roof over your head and a caring family, you just feel that even though you’re content and happy, still you somehow feel a void? If this sounds like you then there is something deep inside you that’s not there, and you need to dig deep to find out what it is – your life’s purpose.

Most people sleep through their entire life not knowing why they exist. They tend to hide it by settling down for temporary pleasures and go down the wrong paths. All this is simply a waste of time because in the long run, what about their inner satisfaction? They won’t get that because they’re too busy keeping themselves ‘distracted’. Plus, why spend years putting up with things that don’t satisfy you or make you truly happy? It’s really stupid.

The good thing, however, is that when you come to realize this, it is never too late to make a change and live the life you were born to live by fulfilling your purpose. Below I will share 7 steps that will help you achieve your purpose.

 

1) Accept the signs

To know if you’re on the wrong path in your life, be aware of the following signs:

  •  You find yourself wishing that every day of the week would just quickly hurry up and end. And, in doing this, you never live in the moment. You never truly enjoy your time.
  • You spend too much money by shopping too much as you believe this helps you to distract yourself from feeling miserable, and it makes you feel better about your life.
  • Social media controls your life. You waste far too long on your phone chatting with your friends and stalking them to see what they’re always up to. And the reality is, they’re probably not even good friends if they keep distracting you like that.
  • You feel horrible about yourself when you see other people that are successful. You wish you were like them.
  • You wake up feeling tired and waste hours of your day in bed eating or being distracted by technology.
  • You play the victim by blaming your life circumstances on your parents, your country, your education, or just anything for simply not living the life you should be living.
  • You feel like nothing is under control; you feel like everything is out of hand and you don’t know what to do about it.

Let’s be real now, the majority of people are conditioned to follow the typical traits that have been formed by society. Once you leave school you’re expected to carry on with further education (at college/university) or get your first job, then you’re expected to save up some money, buy your first car or some other valuable possession, get married, buy a house, have children and deal with the stress that comes along with it all – the debts, the bills, tight schedules, the typical life – it’s a heavy responsibility to take, but this is the life of many people.

The real question, however, is that are people genuinely happy with their life? How many people are actually living the life of their dreams? Ask yourself, do you have the guts to go against these traditions and do something different? Yes, it’s a difficult path to take on but all that’s required is a determined soul with great energy and unstoppable passion.

2) Know what you want

Probably one of the most bravest act someone can take is to pursue their dreams regardless of how conditioned they are to the expectations and standards of society. You really need to know what you want, and what’s going to actually give you that inner satisfaction, pleasure, happiness and peace that you need. You don’t have to complete a degree just because your parents have always wanted you to do it. You don’t have to work just because you want to help contribute to your parents’ bills. These things are not your dreams. These are basically you living your life on your parents’ demands and expectations, which is not fair.

Your dreams are yours, and if you don’t go after them in fear of disappointing your parents’ wishes, then prepare to be disappointed with your own life somewhere ahead in to the future. But, don’t be like this. It’s time to be selfish and give yourself the life that you always dreamed of having – the life that you deserve.

3) Believe in your potential

Let go of all your beliefs that limit your chances of going after your dreams. Such beliefs may include:

  • “I’m not smart enough”
  • “I have a messed up past”
  • “I’m not a good person”
  • “I don’t deserve anything”
  • “I am not talented”
  • “Nothing ever goes my way”
  • “I feel like sadness is written in my soul”
  • “I’m too sick, I can’t do anything”

And many more! But now is the time to let go of those beliefs because you are worth much more than that. Instead, you should be thinking along these lines:

  • “I am capable of doing what I love”
  • “My future is still spotless, I have a chance”
  • “Everything that I have been through will shape me in to the great person that I am destined to become”
  • “I deserve what I will work hard for”
  • “I have my own unique talents that can make a difference to the world”
  • “Things will work out for me as soon as I start taking serious action and stay committed to my goals”
  • “Happy days are ahead of me”
  • “I can heal and overcome all the obstacles that get in my way”

Believe it or not, but positive thinking makes all the difference in the world. Try it more often.

4) Create a vision

The best way to achieve your dreams quicker is by imagining everything that you want. You can close your eyes and create powerful scenarios in your head which will motivate you. Or you can search up images of the lifestyle (fancy house, car, dream bedroom, etc) that you want and save it to your gallery. This way, whenever you lack motivation you can easily pull out the images and remind yourself why you’re pursuing your dreams.

5) Find out what makes you feel alive

The only way to achieve your dreams and fulfil your purpose is by doing what you’re naturally drawn to. This may also mean that you have to let go of all the things that are weighing you down and blocking you from investing in your dreams.

Think about your interests and hobbies. Perhaps you’re in to books, quotes and fashion because they express who you are as a person. Now think about how you can base your ideal career around your interests and make a living out of it. Maybe you’d like to become a blogger for writing and sharing fashion posts. Or you’d like to write your own book and publish it to the world. Whatever it is that you want to do, as long as it excites you and makes you look forward to waking up every day, then that is the only thing that matters.

6) Shift your perspective

This is a very important step. There is this one quote by Buddha which goes like this: “we are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves”. And it’s true. It has even been proved by Science that your reality is based on the daily thoughts and feelings that you create. This means that you are 100% responsible for all the outcomes in your life. By simply choosing to think positively about your dreams, you will force the universe to open up ways for you to get closer to achieving them.

7) Make it happen

Finally, this is the most important step. The way to make your dreams happen is by taking consistent action. You have to wake up every morning with your purpose in mind and use your entire day to be productive towards your goals. You have got to wake up with determination if you want to go to sleep with satisfaction every day of your life. And the only way to make that happen, is by living a life full of purpose, regardless of the failures and setbacks that may come along. 

You can defeat it all and win big. You have it in you to do so anyway. Always remember that!

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4 Profound Ways To Improve Your Self-Esteem

Published

5 months ago

on

February 27, 2020

By

It’s common…

Many people around the world suffer from low self-esteem issues. Perhaps you do too. Typically, self-esteem sufferers are unhappy with themselves or at least not satisfied with themselves – a part of them makes them feel like they’re not good enough.

In this article I will share 4 ways in which you can improve your self-esteem and feel better about yourself.

1) Think happy, feel happy

Usually, people with low self-esteem believe in upsetting thoughts about themselves, for example someone may call themselves a born loser when their luck with finance is a mess, instead of actually trying their best to find solutions or apply for jobs. But that’s their negative thinking which makes them feel this way. This also somehow makes them feel small and inferior, as if something is wrong with them. 

It’s these thoughts that make them feel so hopeless about these types of situations. However, if their thinking was something along the lines of “may be I need to work on my personal/communication skills to improve my chances of securing a job” then they would feel motivated and strive to work harder. The point is, you have power over the way you feel. Just by shifting your negative thinking to positive thinking, it really does make a world of a difference.

2) Undo your bad moods

Assume that you attended a job interview, you failed and came back home to break the news in front of your parents, and told them what happened. Assume that they are disappointed and criticize you by calling you a failure and complaining about how you keep failing at job interviews, and then this automatically puts you in the worst of moods and even knocks down your self-esteem. You might feel angry, fed up, worthless and frustrated. The way to deal with this bad mood is to accept that the job was not right for you, and your parents have nothing to do with it as they are not the ones who attended the interview. 

You may believe in criticism but when the negative thoughts start to kick in, just assume that they are illogical and distract your mind with something positive instead – such as “once I succeed, I will prove my parents wrong and they will regret putting me down so much”. See how that will make you feel so much more empowered. The main point here is to be aware that your mood is temporary and it does not finalize the outcome – only you can finalize it because you have the power to do that, not your mood.

 

3) Defeat the underlying issues

Whenever you feel like your self-esteem levels have dropped, always ask yourself what is the root cause of this problem in the first place. What leads you to feeling this way? Maybe criticism upsets you, other people’s disapproval makes you feel worthless, loneliness makes you feel unhappy or maybe you don’t know how to make yourself feel loved. Whatever the issue is, work on it step by step and know that there is a way out of it. It all just begins with you. Love yourself first.

4) Observe and repeat

Be aware of the moments/days when you feel great about yourself. You might have done something nice that day that made such a positive impact on your mood. Maybe you slept earlier and woke up early, put on a face mask and had a healthy breakfast which made you feel refreshed and confident about yourself. Make a note of all these little accomplishments and practice them daily.

But… at the end of all these 4 points, remember that it depends on your level of determination and willingness to fight for your self-esteem to go back up again. You just have to be cautious about the triggers and act upon them positively and consistently to overcome them successfully. And never forget that your self-esteem is under your control, not outside events or people. Only you can heal yourself out of it.

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