Tips For Losing Weight after Pregnancy

Tips For Losing Weight after Pregnancy

Have you had a baby in the recent times? Pregnancy and motherhood are excellent but there are a lot of hassles associated with them. The most depressing thing about pregnancy is the fact that after the baby is born; you have to undergo a lot of weight gain. There are certain scientific explanations which justify why the mother gains so much weight after pregnancy.

As the mother has to take care of two lives at once, it becomes very difficult for the body to make sure that both are receiving good nutrition. After the baby is born, the body continues to extract the maximum number of nutrients from the food products ingested by the mother, thereby leading to a lot of weight gain. In addition, since the mother is asked to rest after childbirth, she does not get any exercise and hence gets fat faster.

But there are simple ways by which you can lose weight fast. Indeed, it is very important that you make sure to lose all the extra kilos that you have gained over a period of nine months. Even though it may sound difficult, all you need is a dedicated schedule towards making sure that you lose weight within a stipulated period of time. The best thing to do is to indulge in some physical activity. Although, you must make sure that whatever you indulge into should not be very hardcore and you must not strain yourself since your body is very delicate.

If you detest the idea of having to work out and want to rest until you get better, utilise the time by resorting to a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables. Make sure that you include a lot of fibrous fruits and vegetables in you r daily diet to make sure that they are able to clean your system. Whatever you eat, make sure that it does not have a lot of calorie content. The body is in a save-all mode at this point of time and wants to absorb all the nutrients it gets.

Another way to make sure that you keep off high calorie foods is to eat lesser quantities of food more number of times in a day. This will quench your urge to eat something and also keep you off unhealthy foods. Also make sure that you eat only when you are hungry. This helps in preventing the unwanted incorporation of unhealthy fats and calories in your body and you tend to lose weight much faster than you think.

7 Benifit to use carrot

Among other types of vegetables, including carrots vegetables the most popular. Sweet flavor and crunchy texture. Made perfect healthy snack. If you do not like this bunny's favorite vegetables, you are the losers in the group. Because, you lose a lot of benefits provided to health carrots. Want to continue losing money? Of course not. Immediately began to like this one vegetable. Well, to gain maximum benefit carrot that must be considered is to choose the carrot jelly. Select a color carrots rather young and bright. This indicates that the carrot is still young and fresh. Here is a list of the benefits of carrots you need to know. Who knew there was a recipe that you need.


1. Overcoming Hypertension
Take 500 g carrots washed and cut into pieces, put some boiled water, then blend. Strain, and drink immediately. Try to drink water routine these carrots 3 times a day.

2. Overcoming fever in children
Take a carrot and 200 grams of clean laundry. Grated and juice squeezed right out. Feelings boiled water, drink while warm.

3. Overcoming burns
Mashed carrots until smooth and spread on burns. Do it as often as possible until the skin is not hot.

4. Cough cure
Take a carrot and then cleaned and grated. Give a few tablespoons of hot water wring clan. Add a little palm sugar, stir until smooth. Drink 2 times a day.

5. Overcoming menstrual pain
250 gr carrots washed and cut into pieces. Add a little water, then blend. Try to drink this potion at least 2 times a day.

6. Overcoming constipation
Take 2 young carrots and wash and grate. Add 2 tablespoons of boiled water and a little salt, then wring it out. Drinking water 2 times a day.

7. Smoothing facial
Take 2 to 3 carrots peeled clean, then wash and grate. Then apply directly to the face as a mask. Wait until dry, then rinse with water.

Want To Lose Weight? Eat a Bigger Breakfast.

When I first heard about this weight loss method I was far from convinced. After all when you think about losing weight, you automatically associate diet with eating less not more.

If you have ever tried to diet before you will know about the food cravings and those feelings of constant hunger that always make you reach for the biscuit tin, but the theory behind eating a bigger breakfast will put an end to all of that.

I have tried this myself with great success so I can put my hand on my heart and honestly say that this does works.

Try to consume around 500 to 700 calories for breakfast every morning, but do it healthily, this is not an excuse to open that bacon packet or grab a couple of sausages! A good breakfast that fits into this calorie count will consist of a bowl of cereal, two slices of toast with a thin spreading of your favorite jam, a yogurt and a glass of fresh orange juice.

Eating this much for breakfast will stop your mid morning hunger pangs and sweet cravings, carrying you through until lunchtime and giving you more energy in the afternoons when you most need it.

If you think about it, eating a bigger breakfast really makes sense. Consuming more calories in the morning gives you more time to burn them off during the day, rather than saving them up for your evening meal before you go to bed where any unused carbohydrates turn into sugar.

So if you are like the many millions of people out there (me included) trying to lose some excess weight, then try eating a bigger breakfast and see your healthy eating plan can become much more appealing.

What Causes High Blood Pressure?

When we think of someone having high blood pressure, we usually consider them to be anxious, tense or hyperactive.

The truth is that high blood pressure, or hypertension, can affect just about anybody and you don't need to have high stress levels to have this medical condition.

So what does cause high blood pressure? In most cases scientists cannot be sure what causes it. Initially it causes no obvious symptoms but can produce some serious and long term complications. Many people can have high blood pressure and not even know it, but more alarmingly, they are more prone to complications such as heart disease and heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.

Blood pressure does have a tendency to rise with age, however certain pre existing medical conditions can cause hypertension. Chronic kidney disease, sleep apnea and thyroid disease can all cause a rise in blood pressure as can some asthma medications, cold relief products and the contraceptive pill.

I have already stated that most people will not even know they have high blood pressure, but there are a few symptoms that you can watch out for:

- Persistent / frequent headaches
- Nausea
- Vomiting (very rare)
- Dizziness, becoming lightheaded and suffering with Vertigo
- Blurred vision
- Nosebleeds
- Palpitations
-Shortness of breath

Even though there is no one direct cause of high blood pressure, a few other factors can determine whether or not you are more prone to the condition.

If you have a family history of high blood pressure, you are overweight, rarely exercise, consume more than the RDA of alcohol, have a high salt intake or have a high fat diet, then you are more likely to suffer with hypertension.

Studies at the Tulane Center For Cardiovascular Health (USA) have also shown that those who were born with a low birth weight are likely to develop the condition as they get older.

The good news is that the condition can be medicated, but with a few simple lifestyle changes, high blood pressure can even be prevented.

Just remember that prevention is better than cure, particularly if you find you have a family history of the condition so start looking after yourself today for a better you!

How To Perform A Breast Self Examination

Wednesday 21st October 2009

Although doctors recommend that women begin practicing breast self-exams (BSE) at age 20, many are still unaware of how important this procedure is to their heath. As 1 in 9 women will develop breast cancer, early detection is the best way to fight the disease. The key is to notice tumors before they grow to be potentially deadly; a BSE carefully searches the breasts for signs of these tumors.

A special advisory group of doctors created standard procedures for a BSE to assist women in becoming 'breast aware.' This awareness refers to knowing your normal breast fully, and being more likely to notice a change that could be cancerous. Naturally, the breasts will change overtime, and regular self-examinations can help decide what is normal and what is a concern.

While there is no definition for a normal breast, you should know the symptoms that a BSE searches for.

• A lump or bumpy area in the breast or armpit
• A noticeable change in outline or shape of the breast
• A non-milky nipple discharge, or an inverted nipple
• A dimpling, scaling or discolouration of the skin around the breast

A breast self-exam is recommended every month a few days after your period ends. By searching improperly, you may miss a tumor! Not every cancer can be located in this way, but a BSE is a critical step for becoming 'breast aware.' The earlier you begin regular exams, abnormalities will be less difficult to discover. For women who find tumors in their early stages, 80% will survive.

First, examine your breasts in a mirror with the arms both lowered and raised; search for the visible symptoms described above. Next, feel your breasts while lying down. Using a firm and smooth touch cover the entire breast from the collarbone to the top of the abdomen, and from the armpit to cleavage. Breasts often have different zones where tumors can occur ...be sure to examine them all.

If you find a lump or one of the other named symptoms, consult your GP as soon as possible. Remember, early discovery is the best way to combat breast cancer.

In this video Dr Chris shows you how to check your breasts for any possible signs of growths or other symptoms.

Be aware that this video does contain scene of partial nudity for educational purposes.




Credits: Photograph courtesy of www.femalefirst.co.uk

The Secret To Losing Weight

The Secret To Losing Weight – Maintaining a Journal

It has been proven time after time, that those people, who write down everything they eat and drink and make a record of all of their activities, have a far better chance for success at losing weight than those who do not.

Did you ever keep a diary or a journal? Sometimes just writing down your day’s events can help relieve stress and put things in a different perspective. The same goes for keeping a diet and exercise journal. By writing down everything you eat and drink, you come face to face with what works and what doesn’t.

By writing down everything you eat and drink you are taking responsibility for what you are eating. Maintaining the journal gives you a clear and concise evaluation of which foods work for you. Recording your activities helps to chart your progress as you improve flexibility, build strength and increase stamina.

You see, in order to be successful at anything, you have to master the task in your mind first. You have to make a plan to succeed. When you put the plan into writing, you give yourself proof of your commitment to achieve the goal.

Losing weight is not easy. It takes courage, commitment, inspiration, motivation and a great amount of faith. Keeping a journal will help to keep you on track, keep you inspired and motivated and will remind you of the commitment you have made to yourself.

When you begin your journey to achieve your desired weight, you should record your present weight and all of your measurements. As you progress through your weight loss goals, it will be fun to look back and see how far you have come.

Remember to write down everything you eat and drink; that should include all of your snacks that you consume too. Pay special attention to the amount that you are eating as well as any sauces that you add to your foods.

The journal is such a simple tool that brings about a tremendous amount of success. I strongly urge anyone who wants to lose weight and get in shape to keep a journal. It is truly a guaranteed way to keep you accountable and help you to become the woman you are meant to be.

Skin Structure

Skin Structure


The skin is made up of four layers; the horny outer layer, which consists of dead cells; the epidermis; the dermis; and the subcutaneous layer of fat. The skin is designed to be waterproof, and nothing that is put on the skin, such as moisturizers, cellular renewal creams or anti-ageing creams, can penetrate any deeper than the outermost layers of the epidermis.



Skin grows from within outwards. This occurs at the basal cell layer, which separates the dermis from the epidermis. These cells are continuously reproducing and moving forward towards the skin's surface. When these cells die, they form the horny layer that acts as a safety barrier and protects the fresh cells underneath. At the surface these cells form keratin, a layer of tough material that is thickest in body areas subject to the most wear and tear, such as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. The surface layer is in a constant state of renewal as the dead cells are sloughed off and replaced by other cells. Exfoliation removes this surface layer, leaving the skin smooth.



Collagen, the elastic tissue in the dermis layer, give the skin its suppleness, smoothness, and plumpness. As you age, the collagen tissues break down, which causes skin to sag, wrinkle, and thin. Nothing short of cosmetic surgery can prevent these signs of ageing. The rate at which your skin ages is inherited, so if your parents have young-looking skin, chances are you will too.

100 Life Saving Health Food Tips

Stop Smoking Programs…what are my options?

Stop Smoking Programs…what are my options?

In today’s society there are many different options that are out there to quit smoking. There are many different smoking cessation aids and tools that are available for your journey to quit smoking. Stops Smoking Programs come in many shapes and sizes. With all of the available programs that are available for you the trick is to find the one that will best fit your needs.

Hypnosis to stop smoking – You can use hypnosis as a stop smoking program. There are many options that are available on the market. They come in two flavors you can buy self hypnosis audio programs that will guide you in the progress of stop smoking, and will help increase your will power. You can also see a specialist in your local area, where you will go into their clinic to get hypnotized. Hypnosis has had high success rates with people that truly want to quit.

Planned programs to stop smoking – There are many programs that will take you on a day by day list of things to do to quit smoking. You will have to follow all the steps in the program, but it is possible to quit using these programs. My personal favorite program is “Quit Smoking Today”. This program is very well planned out and made for all different types of quitters. Many people who have used this program have had success with stop smoking and smoking abstinence.

Counseling to stop smoking – There are many options provided by many local, state, and federal programs that will help guide you through the stop smoking process. Counseling Stop smoking programs are designed to be used as a support system to help aide you when you need it. Many of the programs offer weekly counseling sessions, and phone/chat lines to help you get through those “moments of weakness.”

Laser Treatments to stop smoking – There is a new and fairly contraversal method that is new to the market, which is laser treatment therapy. These methods utilize lower levels of light the hit trigger points on your body that will aide in calming ones nerves and anxiety. This is new and promising, but does not have a lot of data proving that it is a truly effective method. If you are one those “be ahead of the game types”, then this might be a great solution for you.

NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) to stop smoking – Nicotine Replacement therapy stop smoking programs are nothing new. The most popular programs are Nicoderm CQ and Nicorette. Both of these methods use a patch you apply on your skin or a gum that will release small doses of nicotine into your body. The idea is that you ween yourself off the nicotine slowly, and you will fell less discomfort while doing so by following this method.

Detox Centers to stop smoking – There are detox centers and support groups that your can find in any major city to help you quit smoking. These program are intensive, timely and costly. They are known to have very high success rate. They are just like detox centers for drug users, but they keep you from quitting in a control environment. You can look them up for most major cities. Please be aware this method is very expensive.

Cold Turkey to stop smoking – This is where you simply set down your cigarettes and never pick them up again. This is a very difficult method to do, because you will experience most of the withdrawal symptoms. Most people will use gum, toothpicks, or mints to replace the cigarette. This is not an easy method, but it is possible to achieve.

6 simple tips to lose weight

Tips from Reader’s Digest :

Chew Gum
Volunteers who chewed gum for 15 minutes each hour between lunch and a snack consumed 60 fewer calories from sweets than when they went gum-free.

Vegetable Juice
Here's a surprising way to supercharge any diet--and your health: Chug a glass of low-sodium vegetable juice every day. In a study of 81 overweight adults at risk for heart disease and diabetes, those who drank at least a cup of low-sodium V8 daily lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those on the same reduced-fat diet who drank no juice lost one pound.

Drop Sugary Drinks
Calories from solid foods and liquids both add up, of course. But in a recent multicenter study, the only menu change that had a significant payoff for dieters was cutting back on sugary beverages, says lead author Benjamin Caballero, MD. Reducing intake by just one serving a day took a pound off after six months, enough to add up for people with a soda or fruit-drink habit.

Green Tea
Overweight or obese exercisers burned off three more pounds and 7 percent more belly fat when they drank green tea instead of another beverage with the same calories, according to a new multicenter study.

More Sleep
A study of 32 summer students at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas over three weeks showed that those who slept an extra two hours ate nearly 300 calories less.

Mushrooms
When ground beef was swapped out for mushrooms in lasagna, sloppy joes, and chili, adults consumed 400 fewer calories per day, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study. Researchers estimate that if you sub mushrooms for ground meat in one meal every week, you can lose five pounds in a year.

Tell your friends to remind you of your bad posture

I have a big problem with my posture. I've had it since age 14 and I think there haven't been a single day since then when I have not thought of my bad posture.Recently I've come to terms that my back "problem" is psychological rather than physical because when I'm at home or when I am outside when it's dark with few people around I can easliy walk with a straight back with no problems at all. But when I'm in a city centre full of people it feels like something litterally weighs down my shoulders, making it hard to walk with a straigh back.I have figured out that my back problem maybe has to do with low self esteem, or likely, though I, in general, do feel confident, so it's a bit contradicting.Like I wrote in the beginning of this post, I do think of my bad posture and to "stand straight" and likely on a daily basis. I usually manage to have a good posture for a minute or two when I suddenly find myself with a bad posture again.

I have thought of some "solutions" that helps a bit regarding this:First one is to let everyone around you know about your problem. I'm talking about those who you feel confident to share it with, of course. To me, my family and some of my closests friends. Tell them to remind you of your bad posture when they see it.Second one is to always think positive when you are thinking about your posture. Always think sentences like "I will walk with a straight back" or "Improving my posture" instead of the negative ones like "Damn, I'm having a bad posture right now".Think the law of attraction. Use only positive words in your head.Third is to start going to the gym. Working out those back muscles do help a lot with the posture.

Apply vitamin E oil to your skin as your anti-aging cream

Vitamin E is known for protecting cells in the skin from damaging through oxidation. This means you can use a vitamin E oil as a natural anti-aging oil because it counteract the aging of skin and stimulate the circulation of the blood.While i don't need to worry about my skin getting older, I do use a vitamin E oil called "E-Vita" (with an added smell of lavender) in my face because it makes my skin softer and I don't get dry skin. I feel applying it in the shower is the optimal.In food you can find high levels of vitamin E in green leafy vegetables and nuts.

Organic salmon-potato soup with haricots, carrots and broccoli

This fall I've started experimenting with making new dishes and this salmon-potato soup with vegetables is one of them.

The ingredients you see in the picture are:

Main ingredients

- Salmon filet (organic)

- Potatoes- Haricots

- Carrots (organic)

- Broccoli (organic)

Herbs

- Tumeric (organic)

- Thyme (organic)

- Oregano (organic)

Flavor enhancer

- Tamari soy sauce (organic)

- Himalayan salt

The easiest (and laziest!) way to do this soup is to boil everything at once in a big, big saucepan for about 20-30 mins. The haricots and broccoli can be added the last 5-10 minutes so they won't get too boiled.And that's bascially it! Kind of easy, do you agree?As you can see, almost every ingredient is organic. When I'm at home that's what I'm aiming for. I find my organic herbs, Tamari and Himalayan salt in the health food store, the rest of the ingredients comes from the supermarket.I hope this blog post will inspire you and give you an idea or two next time you cook!

Eat lemon to fix your bad breath

Suffering from bad breath?I picked up this in a health magazine recently. A temporary fix of bad breath is to eat lemon. The way it works is that the sour taste of the lemon makes the mouth produce more saliva, which is good when you have bad breath. Simple and plain!Remember though that this is a short-term solution*, and that there are other ways to cure a bad breath in the long run.

Stop your sugar cravings by brushing your teeth

Here's a tip for people with sugar addiction!Whenever you get that strong sugar craving of yours, just go brush your teeth.I've tried it myself and for me it does work. We all know how food tastes just after brushing your teeth - the same thing applies to candy and other unhealthy snacks!Short term solution? Yes.Better than any solution? YES!

Rub an apple on your sunburned skin to prevent it from blistering

I got this health tip from a T-Mobile ad in People Magazine(!) during a train ride in Holland.It's very short and to the point. All you have to do is to cut an appple in two and then rub the area of your sunburned skin with it for a couple of minutes. The acid of the apple is supposed to help your skin heal again faster, which is a very cheap and natural cure!A Google search confirms it.I guess right now (November 2008), this tip is suitable for people south of the equator. Hope you guys are enjoying the sun and the coming summer!

Drink lots of water during the night you're drinking alcohol to avoid headache

A well known tip, but something that you actually DO?

Last night when I partied, I drank more alcohol than usual and I expected a huge headache the day after (although I did drink more water in between drinks than usual as well).To my surprise I felt great when I woke up the day after and I didn't feel anything from the night before.

Eat only the unpolished whole grain rice that takes 40-45 min to cook

There are a lot of different types of rices out there and it can be hard to choose which one to eat if you wanna be healthy.In general, the longer the cooking time is for rice, the more nutrition the rice contains because the more of the actual rice still exists. White rice - compared to whole grain rice - has its husk, bran and germ (the "heart" of the seed) removed which all contains good nutrition among omegas, protein, vitamins and minerals.It's not very common for smaller food stores to have unpolished whole grain rice, but health food stores usually have. Go there to find the rice that takes 40-45 minutes to cook.

Use coconut oil in your food to lose weight faster

"The oils you mention are good for you, yes (make sure canola is ge free) but on heating it causes a chemical reaction which actually creates trans fats. Coconut oil is the only oil which is not altered by heat."I became curious about this because I know a friend of mine uses coconut oil (Cocosa - Pure Coconut Oil). He doesn't use it to fry foods though (as he never eat fried things because "it's not healthy"), but to enhance the flavor of foods, for example rice, vegetables and beans.I've tried it and it's actually very tasty to use in food (if you use the one where they have stripped away the taste of the actual coconut).I made a search online and I found out a lot of positive things about coconut oil. The best one is that it helps you to lose weight because it stimulates the metabolism so you burn more calories!I have yet to found another cooking oil that posess this quality...

Soak dried beans over the night instead of cooking canned beans

Here's something I started doing recently. A few times of the week I soak dried beans over the night and cook them the day after. I like to experiment and try new things; so far I've tried kidney beans, aduki beans and mung beans (picture). (And yes, they are all tasty!)The back of the boxes usually say some specific amount of hours the beans should be soaked (usually between 6-10 hours), though I do it over the night so I don't have to count the hours.The reason you should eat dried (organic) beans that you soak yourself instead of canned beans is because there usually is an unnecessary color preservative added, and a thick, salty liquid that the beans swims in...Always try to go as natural as possible when cooking food.I have to admit that it was hard in the beginning to soak all these dried beans the night before because I wasn't used to do it. At times I even forgot to do it, even if I planned it in advance.Like I've mentioned in a lot of health tips on this blog before - I think it's all about making "healthy" a habit. It will be hard in the beginning, yes, but after time, it will get easier and after a while it will come naturally for you.

Buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh vegetables for more nutrition

Yes, this might sound weird.How can frozen vegetables contain more nutrition than fresh vegetables?The answer applies to the vegetables that you buy that has been imported from abroad...It usually takes 2-3 days from the time that the vegetable is still growing in the soil to when it actually hits the store. In order for the vegetable to not grow old during this time, they harvest it 2-3 days before it's 100% ripe. The vegetable ripen during the transportation, however, since the plant is litterally "in the dark", it doesn't get the final benefits from the sun that allows more nutrition to develop.

When it comes to frozen vegetables, they get harvested when they are 100% ripe and are therefore more nutritious when you buy those over fresh ones.But keep in mind that this usually isn't the case when you buy vegetables that has been grown locally, or vegetables that has been added with preservatives or additives.The organic vegetables - frozen or fresh - are always the better option (like broccoli!).And yes, this goes for fruits and berries too...

Boil your food instead of fry it to be healthier

If you have a choice of boiling the food you're gonna cook or to fry it, go for boiling it.Now I'm not talking about fries or hambugers (which doesn't taste very good boiled!) but instead of fish filets and chicken filets (and likes). Frying food always changes the molecules in food to the worse - just like microwave owens does - even if you fry it lightly or heavily. Nutrition gets lost, or the food becomes unnatural (as to what it was "designed"). I always boil my organic chicken filets (20-25 minutes) that I'm eating and they can be quite tasty when the right herbs and spices are used. Boiled chicken filets are also perfect for salads!

Buy organic salmon because...

...organic salmon doesn't contain chemical coloring agents that makes them look more reddish and "tastier".
Enough said!

Enjoy your workout fully by moving your body to the pace of your music

Here's something I do when I'm either powerwalking, running in the forest or running on the treadmill at the gym. I usually run at the same pace of the song that I'm listening to, and when the song changes, I adjust the pace I'm running at to match it up. This makes the exercise more fun and it helps motivating me to continue exercising.
Right now, due to the beat, one of my favorite songs when I'm working out is "Outta My Head" by Ashlee Simpson (ft. Timbaland).

Easier to lose weight if you take a walk right after waking up in the morning

The metabolism is at its best during mornings just when you have woken up and just before you have eaten breakfast. This means it will be easier to lose weight if you take a walk just after waking up.My suggestion is to start with 20 minutes, then increase it to 30 minutes after a couple of days.At times I take walks, or powerwalks, right after waking up. It really wakes me up and gives me energy, especially now when it's winter here up north...I think it's a good way to start the day, if not the perfect way!

The easiest way to lose weight is by walking

Are you one of those who doesn't do any workout at all? Maybe you don't want to, because of laziness or because time for it simply doesn't exist.Well, the easiest way ever to lose weight is to start walking more.If the car ride is only 5-10 minutes - walk instead!If you jump off at the bus station that lies 10 metres from your home - jump off at the station before!Does it take 25 minutes for you to walk from your home to your office - then WALK.You burn lots of more calories by walking than people actually think. Sure, the burning is faster if you run the treadmill - but that doens't mean you don't burn any calories at all when you are walking. The only difference is that you have to put more time into it. Which is the trick - to try to include daily walks in the daily life. "Hidden" walks, as I would like to call it.It's all about changing the habit of hardly walking at all to walking more often in order to accomplish the simpliest way to lose weight.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator

Yes... You've heard it before. That you should take the stairs instead of the elevator because, blah blah... We all know why.So why don't you?...I'll ask again. Why don't you?When I moved into my new apartment one year ago I found myself living on the 6th floor for the first time in my life. I had always lived "at the bottom" of any type of building.In the beginning I took the elevator every day... I didn't really think of it, or question it.One day this question popped up in my head out of the blue: "So why don't I take the stairs instead?"For some reason it got stuck in my head. The only answer I could come up with was "because everyone else is taking the elevator".

And just like that I decided to never take the elevator again.And I haven't. For almost a year now.I calculate that I take the stairs approximately six times a day, and I can litterally feel it in my legs - the exercise I get. The FREE exercise I get. Not to mention the small boosts my energy level gets aswell!I must admit that the first few weeks was a bit exhausting, but I got used to it, and now I wish I lived on the 10th floor!

Cook less and you will eat less

When I cook food I always cook one meal for myself. I have noticed that if I cook more than I usually cook - I eat it. And if I cook less than I usually cook - I eat it.There seems to be no difference really. I don't crave more food when I've eaten less.So if you are trying to lose weight my tip for you would be to cook one meal at a time and don't cook so you store up in the fridge. It's more likely you will eat more food if you cook more than if you cook less.Remember, eating smaller portions - ingesting lesser calories - is a key factor in losing weight.

Clear your kitchen cabinets of outdated food to prevent accidental sickness

My brother gave me the mission to clean and clear up his kitchen cabinets today.And what was the results ??I found that almost 40% of the food he had in his cabinets were outdated - ready to be tossed away months ago.Even most of his herbs and spices were outdated!After I was done I decided to go back to my place and do the same, and I got the result of having 5% of outdated food. A number that should be zero.

Eating outdated food can cause serious illnesses, as everyone knows. You should never eat outdated food. Never.I was really surprised by the results of my cleaning and I am guessing that more people than me and my brother has bad food stored up that they are not even aware of.I hope to make you aware of this so you won't accidentally eat any bad food and get sick...

Eat oranges as fast as you can to get rid of your cold

Today I woke up with cold symptoms. I feel it in my throat and nose that I'm about to get sick. Last time this happened was about half a year ago.I remember how I got "cured" after just 24 hours.I bought a bunch of oranges and clementines that I ate throughout the whole day.And that was it!I was very surprised that I felt 100% well and healthy the day after, leaving me zero cold symptoms.Everyone knows oranges contains Vitamin C which is good for you when you are sick, but maybe the trick is to eat more than "a few" whenever you feel you're getting a cold and to eat them right away. It worked for me! And I'm hoping today's cold will be fixed very quick too.Time will tell!

Never rinse your contact lens case with tap water

When I bought my contact lenses a couple of years ago I clearly read through the instructions for using them.I remember the information about the special liquid you put your contact lenses in. It said you should only use this particular liquid to rinse the contact lens case with, and to not use tap water, as it is never as sterile as the liquid.

I'm writing this tip because I know of people that do rinse their contact lens case in regular water.Just be aware that this can lead to having a bigger chance of getting an eye infection.

Open your windows for a couple of minutes before going to bed for better sleep

This is widely known and a helpful tip if you have troubles falling asleep or have insomnia.Before you are going to bed, just open your bedroom windows for 5-10 minutes to let in fresh and cool air. The usual room temperature of a room is around 24 Celsius/75.2 Fahrenheit degrees which is a little too warm for the body when you're about to go to bed.The perfect room temperature when falling asleep is 18 Celsius/64.4 Fahrenheit degrees which is achievable if you open your windows.I wouldn't recommend having your windows open all night though, as for me I always wake up in the middle of the night because it's too cold...

Place your apples and tomatoes far from each other in the fridge for freshness

Quick tip.Apples gives out a scent, a gas, that shortens the freshness of tomatoes. So in order to keep the tomatoes fresh the longest possible - keep these two fruits and vegetables far apart in the fridge, preferably having the tomatoes in plastic bags or likely.

Hard to breathe through your nose at night is a sign of unhealthy eating

Every now and then - do you have a hard time to breathe through your nose at night? Feeling that it is stuffed but you can not do anything about it?Besides the possibility of having an allergy, it probably means that you eat more unhealthy food than you actually think.One of the side-effects of bad food is that it makes the body produce more slime and this is what can be clogged up your nose those nights it's hard for you to breathe.What's good or bad food can be discussed, but even a thing like cheese can increase the produce of slime.There is a solution though. You can use a nasal cleanser which you fill up with salty water and rinse your nose with. It's actually the sinus, which is situated at the bottom of your forehead, the water "cleanse" and not your nose.In my opinion this should just be a temporarily solution. A nasal cleanser gets rids of the symptons - but it doesn't cure the cause of the problem. Which in your case might be unhealthy eating, an allergy, or something else.

Do as I do, see the hard-to-breathe-nights as punishments from your own body. That it is telling you to be more aware of your health!

Buy a plant to prevent illness

The indoor air can be up to 10-15 times more polluted than outdoor air.Why?Because of paint, wallpaper, furniture, carpets...well, almost anything. A plant can clean this air significantly, thus resulting in an overall better health.Studies shows that people recover faster from sickness if they have plants in their surroundings, and that people who has plants at their desks at work feel better while working than others.The more plants - the cleaner the air.

Cracked lips tells you if you're being unhealthy

Haven't you ever been frustrated that your lip balm doesn't work at times when you have cracked lips?Well, that's not your lip balms fault. Often it's your own fault.If you eat unhealthy your body reacts on it in different ways. One of the most visible ones is cracked lips.Now you might say that you eat healthy, but still get cracked lips. Sure, you might have some affliction that 's behind this, but your body might also be telling you that you are not eating as healhty as you think.See it as a sign to become healthier - to eat healthier.

Mashed potatoes with coconut oil

When you normally do mashed potatoes you add some fat to it, like butter.I tried adding coconut oil instead of butter and voilá - the mashed potatoes turned out delicious!I used some garlic pepper aswell, but I really didn't need it. The flavor of the coconut made it taste so exotic. And since this was the only ingredient I added - this type of mashed potatoes is much healthier than regular ones.

Drinking water

Drinking water

Drinking water or other beverage should be done between meals, and not during them. Having liquid in your stomach at the same time as you have food makes it harder for the stomach to digest the food and can cause problems such as gas and/or other stomach troubles.

30 minutes before a meal and two hours after one is what's most optimal. If your stomach is empty and you drink water, it passes through after half an hour. For food it takes two hours.

I stopped drinking water during meals last year. I did it to see if I felt any difference, and I did. Got a "better"overall stomach feeling.The first weeks or so was hard to not drink because you're used to do it, but now I'm used to not drink during meals.It's all about changing ones habits.

Add some apple flavor to your boring water

Think drinking water is boring?Then make it different!It's easy. Just add some slices of apple in a pitcher full of water.Yes... Slices... in a pitcher...

Don't eat after 7 pm if you want to lose weight

To not eat after 7 pm is a common tip among people who wants to lose weight.

But I don't think it only applies to those. Even those who has normal weight should go after this rule too in order to stay fit

It's after 7 pm the metabolism is at its lowest, which means it's harder for the body to burn the calories you eat at these hours. If you do need to eat at night, make a fruit salad or something likely.

Tips for mobile

I see a lot of people in public that talks on their cellphone without a handsfree. It's really cheap, considering the price you might pay in 20 years or so from now - cancer.

Tip For Teeth

A friend of mine told me a dentist of his claimed that if you don't have toothpaste around when you want to brush your teeth you should eat an apple as the acids from the apple get stuck on your teeth and protects them

Eat Less Salt

I'm sure you've heard you should eat less salt to lower a high blood pressure. Most of you who reads this probably don't have a high blood pressure - but eating lots of salt can cause this, plus getting a stroke, heart disease or even stomach cancer. The average person eats much, much more salt on a day than he should.

In most dishes there is already salt added - especially in restaurants - this is more than enough. I know salt makes the food tastier - but if you try without it a couple of times you can get use to use less or not at all.

didn't use extra salt in my food until I reached the age of 17 or so. My brother introduced me to this "health" salt... I wish he wouldn't... These days I use it very little, mostly not at all. Just like I got used to the taste with salt, I am getting used again to eat food without salt.Keep in mind that the consequences of adding extra salt every now and then might not show up tomorrow, or next year or in five years. But it probably will in 10 or 20 years from now.

Tips for health

What's healthier than water?But do you drink it as often as you should?You should drink water throughout the whole day. If you can afford, choose bottled mineral water without carbonate over tap water. But keep in mind that tap water is better than mineral water with carbonate as carbonate can thicken arteries, not to mention making your overall pH level in your body sour.A tip would be that the first thing you do in the morning is to drink half a glass of water. This helps the stomach to get started for breakfast.I recently read "The Hidden Messages in Water" by Masaru Emoto. It mixes science with belief and in it are photographs of water chrystals exposed to different type of things. It turns out that water chrystals that are exposed to positive words such as Love and Thank You are formed beautifully, while water that was exposed to negative words such as Idiot made the chrystals deformed or not formed at all.
The water chrystal to the right in the first picture was exposed to Beethoven. The one below it to heavy metal music.