HEALTH & FITNESS
THE MIRACLE OF SWIMMING
How many of you have watched the Summer Olympics? Thousands of athletes from hundreds of countries compete every four years in athletics, rowing, boxing, and gymnastics, to name a few sporting events that have glued viewers’ eyes to the television for generations.
In recent decades, Michael Phelps reached new heights of fame after becoming the most decorated athlete in the games’ history. The beloved American swimmer has competed in five Olympic Games between 2000 and 2016 and received a record-setting 28 medals, including 23 gold medals, more than any athlete. As we have all seen with Michael Phelps, swimming can make you famous, and it can make you rich, but can swimming make you healthy as well?
Recent studies have shown that swimming works with the entire body. While increasing heart rate, swimming helps tone muscles. The gentle resistance of the water strengthens the muscles while you are moving through water. Swimming also helps people who have arthritis and other injuries. For permanently disabled people, swimming helps ease their pain and reduce recovery time by a significant amount of time. Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis have felt a decrease in joint pain and stiffness and increases in daily activities. Swimming is also the go-to physical activity for older people, who may avoid other strenuous physical activities that might injure them.
Working miracles on the cardiovascular system, swimming helps fortify the heart and lungs. Some researchers even found that swimming can reduce the risk of death by half by helping to lower blood pressure.
Asthma patients have noticed a decrease in symptoms while exercising in indoor chemical-free pools. The humidity of the indoor environment has made a positive impact on the patient’s lung capacity. While studies have shown that swimming and holding your breath helps patients with asthma, the medical association advises asthmatic people to look for chemical-free pools, particularly since chlorine – a chemical used to clean the pool – can exacerbate the symptoms of asthma.
The benefits of swimming for people suffering from MS are immense. Water makes the limbs stay afloat and provides gentle resistance while alleviating symptoms like fatigue and depression. In a study by Source Global Research, patients with MS saw a significant reduction in pain after five months of swimming.
Swimming also burns a lot of calories. A 160-pound person may burn around 423 calories an hour while swimming at a moderate pace. The same individual can burn 715 calories an hour while swimming at a faster pace. A 200-pound swimmer can burn between 528 and 900 calories an hour, while a 240-pound person can simultaneously burn well over 1,000 calories. In comparison, a one-hour walk may only burn 300 calories, while yoga burns around only 180 calories per hour.
Did you know swimming helps you sleep? A study on people with insomnia shows that 50% of the participants have seen improvements in patients sleeping patterns. People woke up less during the night; and slept better after introducing swimming in their exercise routine.
During a 12-week researcher study on people with dementia, scientists found a massive mood improvement pattern in most patients engaged in aquatic activities. In their case, swimming has boosted their mood and made them more engaged in their daily activities.
Studies have shown that swimming is a powerful way to get rid of stress. Studying stress management at a YMCA in Taipei City, Taiwan, researchers surveyed 101 people. Of the 44 people that suffered high-stress levels, only eight individuals didn’t feel relaxed after a few laps in the pool.
On the last note, pregnant women have seen benefits both for themselves and for their babies. Women who swim during their early and mid-pregnancy stage were at a lower risk of preterm labor and congenital disabilities.
How dancing helps your body and your overall health
SHALL WE DANCE – THE WONDERFUL BENEFITS OF DANCING
Who doesn’t like to dance? Imagine when you hear your favorite song, how you want just to jump up and dance. Just go crazy no matter who is around or who is watching. Besides being fun, dancing also contributes to the well-being of our bodies. Moving to the rhythm of the music strengthens muscles and bones, helping the body avoid osteoporosis later in life. As you move, the body helps in fighting diseases such as diabetes and regulates blood pressure.
Movement boosts memory. Since dancing requires to remember various movements and steps, the chemicals in the brain produce cell growth. Remembering steps improves memory, not to mention engaging the brain on many levels, decreasing the chances of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Moving to the rhythm of the beat will help stretch muscles and increase flexibility. Dancing will also improve the body’s ability to walk, reach, carry objects, climb steps, and run, to name just a few. The movement of the dance improves body balance. Going from one motion to the next will help you strengthen your center of gravity, increase flexibility, maintain good posture, strengthen muscles, and help people who suffer from disabilities and age deterioration.
Dancing works wonders on the cardiovascular system. Movements increase stamina, which in turn regulates heart rate and blood pressure. Also, the oxygen intake will rejuvenate the lungs, the heart; and will eliminate the feeling of being out of breath while at the same time working wonders on the body.
While the dancers focus on movement and music, they let go of their daily worries. Forgetting your life’s problems just for an hour or two a day reduces stress, especially in the company of friends or a loved one. Being around people eliminates worries and anxiety. People who suffer from depression have seen their mood improve after dancing. Movement and music provide an outlet from negative thinking, making the dancer increase their confidence and self-esteem.
On the weight loss field, dancing works wonders. Consistent movements provide the same weight loss benefits as jogging or cycling. Dancing burns between 330 and 530 calories an hour, depending on the intensity of the rhythm. People who dance on a daily or weekly basis have changed their eating habits and saw their weight loss target within their reach.
As far as social benefits are concerned, dancing improves social skills, especially for a shy personality. People who dance enjoy others’ company in a fun-loving environment, meeting others who share the same passion as them. While some make long-lasting friendships, others even meet their significant other on the dance floor.
Not just a fun activity, dancing has shown to be beneficial on so many levels, ranging from a physical level by exercising muscles and strengthening bones to a more psychological and social level, by boosting the mood, decreasing depression and anxiety as well as making long-lasting friendships and relationships with others. At the end of a long busy day, turn on some music, put your dancing shoes on, and let the rhythm do the rest.
Health benefits of cycling
THE PASSION OF CYCLING
When it comes to cycling there is nothing out there to compare. While many exercises and sports can boost your mood, cycling releases adrenalin and endorphins helping people achieve a partnership through sports with others who share the same love for the open road. Many people who suffered from depression or the anxiety of being surrounded by four walls all day long, found a release in cycling and it’s adventures.
Cycling strengthens the immune system, in a 1000-person study at the Appalachian State University, doctors found that cycling improves the upper respiratory system and reduces the risk of the common cold. People who rode their bikes daily were 40% less likely to catch the flu.
Cycling boosts the immune system and increases the proteins that nourish white blood cells. Studies found that people who ride their bikes are less likely to catch viruses than the ones who use common methods of transportation. Because you bike alone the chance of catching a virus from another individual is slim to nil.
On the weight loss field, people who ride their bicycles burn anywhere between 400 and 1000 calories per hour depending on their level of exercise. As you lose calories you also improve the quality of sleep. Many people who cycle daily especially in the outdoors have improved and increase their oxygen intake, making them sleep better and longer during the night.
While you ride your bike, you exercise your leg muscles. Cycling not only burns fat but also works your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. As you work these muscles you also burn the fat around them, strengthening only the muscles.
Cyclists are famous for their lung capacity. While you are riding your bike, you inhale more oxygen than people who jog or engage in other activities. Even when you ride your bike through traffic. A study in London found out that cyclists, inhale five times less pollution than drivers, three times less pollution than the average walker, and two times less pollution than the average bus user.
Cycling raises the heart rate and gets the blood flowing through the whole body at a faster pace. It is one of the best exercises to engage in if you want to lower your risk for heart disease or cancer. In a 200,000 people study at the University of Glasgow, scientists found that cyclists cut the risk of developing heart disease or cancer by half.
Cycling is a low impact way to exercise. While the injury rate of running is high due to its weight-bearing quality, cycling is not a weight-bearing sport, decreasing the risk of injury. A recent study found that runners suffered 130% more muscle damage and 250% more inflammation than cyclists.
One of the few exercises that improve your navigational skills, cycling teaches you how to find your bearings when you travel through a town or a city. While on your bike getting to work, shopping, or exercising, cycling teaches you how to get oriented and use your city landmarks to find your way to where you need to get to.
Many people found out that they can sleep better during the night after a bike ride. Researchers discovered while studying men and women over the age of 20, that people who enjoy a daily bike ride sleep better during the night, woke up rested, and slept throughout the night. Also, people who engaged in cycling lost weight and stressed less, which overall improved the quality of their sleep.
Cycling also increases brainpower. Studies show that elderly people who ride their bikes are less vulnerable to dementia. A 2013 study found that cyclists can increase the blood flow to their brain from 28% to 70%, and in some cases, hours after cycling their blood flow remains well above the 40% mark. An increase in blood flow works wonders for the body, especially when ridding your bike for about an hour per day, four times a week.
Ridding the bike improves the coordination needed for other activities like driving or operating machinery. Cycling isn’t only about raising our heart rates but also about using and moving our bodies while we climb or descent, two instances in which we use our core and equilibrium. People who suffer from balance deprivation due to accidents or old age see a major improvement in equilibrium after riding their bikes for a short period.
Cycling is about having fun. Riding a bike is about sharing a few moments with your loved ones in the outdoors, by the beach, or on a country road. Just you, the people you love, the wind in your hair, and the tranquility of the world that surrounds you.
Why fruit is good for you
THE MAGIC OF FRUIT
How many people go to eat fruit as a snack? Or take fruit on a trip? Or even make a delicious smoothie in the morning. But what are the healthiest fruits out there, and what vitamins and nutrients do they have?
Grapefruit, for example, is a good source of vitamin C. In a recent study of 100 people, participants who consumed Grapefruit daily lost an average of 3lbs more than people who did not. The same study found that the participants who had low insulin resistance and low cholesterol levels also consumed Grapefruit. Grapefruit reduces the probability of preventing kidney stones.
One cup of Pineapple provides you with 130% of the daily intake of vitamin C and 75% of magnesium. Pineapple has enzymes that help the body with digestion and anti-inflammatory properties. Pineapple also contains cancer-fighting attributes.
Avocados’ healthy fats help reduce inflammation in the body and regulates heart health. Full of fiber, magnesium, and potassium, avocados prevent stroke and lowers blood pressure.
Blueberries are high in Vitamins C, K, and magnesium. This tiny, delicious fruit is rich in antioxidants, which in part help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Blueberries fortify the immune system, lowers stress levels, prevent the cold, and fight the flu. Blueberries also improve the memory of the elderly.
One apple a day keeps the doctor away; that is particularly true since this fruit contains fiber, potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, and an array of B vitamins. On the diseases fighting front, apples help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer; and support the good bacteria in the stomach.
One of the healthiest fruits out there, the disease-fighting Pomegranate, has three times more antioxidants than red wine and green tea. A cancer-fighting fruit, pomegranates also help reduce inflammation.
Not only a good source of vitamin C, but Mango fruit also contains fibers. Rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, the consumption of Mango reduces the risk of diabetes.
Strawberries, rich in folate, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, helps rejuvenate the body. Strawberries are high in antioxidants and help reduce the risk of chronic disease and prevent tumors and cancer. They also contain less sugar than most fruits.
Cranberries, rich in vitamins C, E, K1, also provides the body with minerals such as manganese and copper. Not only a good source of antioxidants, but cranberries also prevents urinary tract infections.
Lemons contain a high level of vitamin C. Some studies show that vitamin C in lemons helps prevent weight gain, kidney stones and boosts the immune system, especially during the flu season.
Sometimes called the king of all fruits, Durian is rich in vitamin C, Magnesium, copper, folate, and B vitamins. If you look for a fruit that has everything under the sun, Durian is for you.
Watermelon, rich in vitamin A and vitamin C, has anti-cancer attributes and helps reduce the risks of stomach cancer and stomach ulcers. Rich with lycopene, Watermelon promotes a healthy heart and lowers cholesterol. Helping regulate blood pressure. Made up of 90% water, Watermelon hydrates the body and helps the stomach feel full, making the fruit suitable for people who diet.
Rich with vitamin E, Iron, Copper, and Calcium, olive oil helps prevent liver damage and heart disease. Olives also have anti-inflammatory attributes like oleic acid. Oleic acid has various benefits that aid in heart vitality, prevent cancer, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
The vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants found in blackberries together with the impressive amount of vitamin K, vitamin C, and manganese reduce inflammation and revitalize the aging of arteries. The minerals and vitamins found in blackberries protect against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illness.
A typical fruit throughout the world, oranges provide the vital amount of daily vitamin C and potassium needed for iron absorption. The richness and abundance of the vitamin B complex in oranges, folate, carotenoids, citric acids, and flavonoids reduce the risk of kidney stones and anemia.
Bananas, a well-known source of potassium and pectin, improves blood sugar control and gut health. As a good food snack before physical exercise, bananas give you an energy boost, and a quick pick me up anytime you need one.
Grapes, high in antioxidants, reduces inflammation in the body. Other nutrients found in grapes fortify the heart, improve vision, lubricate joints, and help with memory and other brain function.
Rich in vitamin C and A, Guava is also an excellent folate source, potassium, copper, manganese, and fiber. A great pectin source, Guava fruit prevents colon cancer, reduces inflammation, and helps the digestive track eliminate body waste.
Another high source of vitamin C and A, Papaya, gives you a high dose of potassium and folate. Besides its cancer-fighting attributes found in lycopene, papaya also helps absorb cancer-fighting nutrients found in other fruits and vegetables. The richness of nutrients found in papaya improves digestion and helps the body eliminate unwanted waste
Sweet and sour red cherries are rich in vitamin C and potassium. Cherries provide the antioxidants needed to reduce inflammation and prevent many diseases. Cherries also provide the body with Melatonin. In turn, Melatonin helps the body go to sleep at night. Patients who have insomnia and other sleep disorders have seen improvement after consuming tart juice. Melatonin helps the body fall asleep quicker and keeps the body from waking up in the middle of the night.
Benefits of jogging on your body
THE POWER OF JOGGING
How many times you just wanted to escape? Just put on the most comfortable pair of running shoes and see how far the road takes you. How many times you just wanted to run away, leaving all your troubles behind you. Recent studies show that jogging at a slow pace of only six miles per hour works miracles on your body. When it comes to jogging, everybody can do it. While most people jog early in the morning, a big chunk of the population prefers to run at sundown. There isn’t any concrete evidence at which time is better to run. The point is: jog when you want to.
Frequency also impacts your health. People who have been into jogging for a long time do this almost every day, while people who just started running run 2-3 times a week. It is unnecessary and quite dangerous to push yourself every day for an extended period of time. Recent studies found that people who take a day or two rest each week have seen more benefits than people who push their bodies daily, week after week without any rest whatsoever. Usually, joggers who push their bodies too much injure themselves and must give up jogging until their body recuperates; due to injuries, some even give up running altogether. That is why it is essential to rest your body once in a while.
When it comes to fitness, try to push your body only a little at a time. Start jogging one or two times a week for a few months, then increase the frequency to 3 or 4 times a week. The number one benefit jogging has on the body is improving the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Aiding the cardiovascular system reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other heart-related ailments. While the body is in constant motion, the rapid running heart pumps blood to all extremities rejuvenating tissues and muscles with oxygen-rich blood, giving the body energy while at the same time flushing carbon dioxide out.
The body is in motion while jogging. As the body moves, the muscles in your legs, such as quads, hamstrings, and glutes, responsible for action are in overdrive. Jogging often strengthens these muscles pumping them full of blood and oxygen; this significantly impacts daily walking, climbing stairs, and even carrying grocery bags. The rejuvenation of muscle and tissue in the legs also prevents injuries, improves equilibrium, muscle endurance, and life quality. Simultaneously, jogging increases Mitochondria in muscle cells, which generates energy in the body and enhances glucose utilization throughout the muscular system.
Jogging builds strong bones. While the body is in motion and the legs strike the ground under them, calcium and minerals get attached to the bone-strengthening the legs and reducing the possibility of developing osteoporosis. While exercising, the jogger increases bone density and decreases the chance of bone disease. On the weight loss field, jogging is essential. The key to burning fat cells is energy. When the body keeps a negative energy balance, it starts burning fat cells. The higher the rate of fat-burning cells, the faster the person loses weight.
The immune system is very receptive to exercise. Exercise raises the production of lymphocytes and macrophages, which prevents illnesses and protects against viruses. Having a healthy immune system will not only keep you from catching any viral diseases like the flu or the common cold, but it will also help the body recuperate faster if you get sick. People who exercise daily have experienced the milder version of the flu and the common cold compared to those who don’t participate in any physical activities.
Finally, jogging improves mental health and helps people with anxiety, depression, and other conditions. Running helps people escape the problems of their daily lives, clears their minds, and eliminates negative thoughts.
The smoothie pick me up
POWER SMOOTHIE
Have you ever been in the mood for a power smoothie? Have you ever woken up from eight hours of sleep more tired than ever? In that case, you need a power smoothie. Recent studies found that bananas, rich in fibers, give the body extra energy. Avocados, a good energy source, contain nutrients, proteins, and fibers, helping the body build stamina throughout the day. Anti-aging nutrients and antioxidants can be found in a magic fruit called goji berries that boost energy. The Phenols found in strawberries give the body the boost needed for a quick pick-me-up in the morning; this magic berry is also an excellent foliate source, Vitamin C, and minerals. Sweet oranges give the body the Vitamin C boost needed to reduce fatigue and stress. Finally, the antioxidants in dark berries such as blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries reduce inflammation and fatigue in the body, helping the body rejuvenate and have energy. There are many ingredients to choose from when making your morning smoothie. Try fruits rich in vitamins and nutrients such as berries, peaches, apples, cherries, and melons. Or you can go to the exotic road with mangos, pineapples, bananas. Other ingredients vital to your health are vegetables. You can make a straight vegetable smoothie with carrots, pumpkin, kale, cauliflower, cucumber, spinach, or avocados, or mix some vegetables with a couple of fruits to sweeten the taste. On top of your vegetable or fruit smoothie, you can boost the flavor and the nutritional value of your smoothie with cocoa powder, coconut water, chia, and flaxseeds and spiced to add a delicious flavor to your morning pick me up. Other ingredients for your delightful smoothie that are often neglected are yogurt, ice crème, kefir, whipped crème, syrup (chocolate or fruit), sorbet, and sherbet. Whatever your taste in smoothies is, a rule of thumb is to be creative and enjoy your delicious morning pick me up.
How to get a good night's rest
SWEET DREAMS – THE SECRET TO A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP
When it comes to sleep, people always have problems. But what is the secret to a good night’s sleep? How can you go to bed, close your eyes, and dream of kitties and bunny rabbits all night long without tossing and turning?
The human body runs on a clock that affects the brain, hormones, and overall well-being. This body clock turns on the moment you wake up and shuts down when you go to bed. This rhythm of the body is directly affected by sunlight. Natural sunlight improves your daily energy and cuts the time it takes to fall asleep by half. People who are active and outdoors during the day fall asleep quicker and stay asleep than those who stay indoors for most of the day. Studies show that people with insomnia are less likely to suffer from sleep deprivation after being exposed to an average of two hours of sunlight daily.
Electronic devices hinder our sleep. Studies show that people who use tablets and cell phones before bedtime have a hard time falling asleep because of blue light exposure. If you can’t reduce exposure to electronic devices at least two hours before bedtime, try to install an app like f.lux on your cellphone or tablet. This app reduces your exposure to blue light, increasing the chances of falling asleep quicker.
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, too many cups of coffee a day keep sleep away. Coffee is a double edge sword. While it keeps you awake during the day, it may prevent your body from falling asleep if you drink too much of it. Because caffeine stays in your body anywhere from 6 hours up to 8 hours, don’t drink coffee after 4 pm, especially if you have trouble falling asleep.
While a short nap during the day is highly beneficial, a long rest is not. Sleeping for hours during the daytime has been shown to confuse the nervous system’s internal sleep cycle, the same sleep cycle that helps fall asleep at night. One study concluded that participants who nap more than 30 minutes during the day had problems falling asleep in the evening; simultaneously, participants who were sleeping between 20-30 minutes have fallen asleep quicker in the evening.
An essential aspect of sleep is consistency. Old studies have shown that if you go to bed before 10 pm, you rest better. However, recent studies have proven this to be false. These studies have shown that the key to a goodnight’s sleep is going to bed at the same time. If you go to bed at 10 pm, go to bed at 10 pm – even on your days off. If you go to bed at 4 am after working nights, go to bed at 4 am on your days off as well.
Alcohol usage has a negative aspect on hormones and sleep. While alcohol can put you to sleep rather quickly, alcohol also causes sleep apnea, snoring, and therefore disrupts sleep patterns. Alcohol also hinders the production of Melatonin, which is vital to sleep. People who consume too much alcohol wake up frequently during the night, snore, have trouble breathing, and wake up with intense migraines and nausea the next day.
A key ingredient for a good night’s sleep is the environment. It is not always important how much you sleep, but where you sleep. Noise levels, the amount of light in the room, and even furniture arrangements can hinder sleep. People who have the best night’s sleep live far away from traffic and sleep in a dark environment with minimum light and noise. Relaxing music such as jazz or new age singers like Enya relaxes the body, calms the mind, and improves sleep quality. Room temperature is also vital. The ideal room temperature for a good night’s sleep should be 70°F.
Late eating is detrimental to healthy sleep. Eating late is negatively linked to the release of Melatonin and HGH. Studies suggest that the last meal of the day should be four hours before you go to bed. Leaving time between dinner and bedtime helps the body digest properly and eliminate any waste before falling asleep. Do not drink too many fluids before bedtime. While water is vital to the body, avoid liquids 1-2 hours before bedtime; this will stop using the restroom during the night.
Relaxation, especially in the evening, has been shown to improve sleep quality during the night. Some relaxation techniques that enhance sleep include listening to calm music, intimacy with a significant other, reading, meditation, deep breathing, and relaxing in warm bath 90 minutes before bedtime.
A comfortable bed and the right pillow are essential to a good night’s sleep. A study showed that 57% of the people who bought a new mattress significantly reduced back pain after a month. The same people noticed a 60% reduction in shoulder pain and stiffness.
Finally, exercising reduces insomnia symptoms, increases sleep duration, and reduces the dependency on drugs, especially sleeping aids. People who exercise daily rest better. The only question is when you exercise; if you exercise too late in the evening, you might have problems sleeping. If you get your body a little tired during the day but not too tired to the point of exhaustion, you will sleep better. Sweet Dreams.
Why yoga is vital to a healthy lifestyle
THE SECRETS OF YOGA
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine yourself in the tranquility of a forest, with all those songbirds chirping in the trees, the smell of pinewood entering the body, and all your troubles disappearing. If just you did that, you did yoga.
Yoga builds self-esteem. Studies show that people who practice yoga daily are happier, more patients, empathetic, and less agitated. People feel better about themselves, about their life and the world around them. According to many studies: mood is correlated with how the body feels. A person who practices yoga is less likely to suffer from chronic pain.
A combination of asana and meditation overtime reduces pain in people who suffer from pain, carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, and other chronic illnesses. Another key to the reduction of pain is the mind-over-matter aspect. After a few weeks of practicing yoga, people are better motivated and more optimistic about their recovery outcome. Yoga helps people get off their medications. Patients who suffer from high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, and OCD have decreased their medication dosage after practicing yoga for a few weeks.
People who suffer from addictions such as smoking, drugs, drinking, and other dysfunctional habits have seen their addictions dimmish day by day. After a few weeks of yoga, people drink less and even quit smoking. Exercises make these cravings go away. Many choose to go down a destructive path because of loneliness, loss of a job, loss of a loved one; while yoga can’t give you back what you have lost, it can give you a way to look forward instead of focusing on the past. Many people who practice yoga in groups have seen a radical change in their social aspect. They find people with similar issues, create support groups, and even find their significant other.
People who practice yoga are less angry and less hostile. Yoga boosts mood and self-esteem, flushing the nervous system with positive feelings like empathy, compassion, and interconnection. Simultaneously, anger and frustration increase the need to use destructive substances like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs by boosting self-control. People abandon self-destructive habits, especially after starting yoga, and find a safe way to alleviate and even eliminate all the psychological problems caused by substance abuse.
Relationship wise “love will conquer all,” as they say. People who practice yoga see an improvement in their relationships with others. Yoga helps develop friendliness, equality, and compassion. Yoga teaches people to be truthful and empathetic towards others.
Many yoga exercises and chants – like those that make the sound “OM” – have shown to clear the sinus and help people who suffer from breathing problems. While chanting “OM,” the vocal cords’ vibrations clean the sinus passages and facilitate mucus drainage. Humming: “OM” is vital to people who fight the cold, the flu, or seasonal allergies.
The nasal passage can also be cleansed with rapid breathing exercises and sinus flushes, especially with saltwater. Cleaning your nasal passage daily with saltwater removes pollen and viruses from your nose, alleviates mucus build-up, and helps drain the sinuses.
A practice in yoga called Karma Yoga teaches people how to help each other by volunteering their time. Helping others can increase a person’s lifespan by seven years. Helping others and being around people helps with depression and improves mood. People who volunteer their time helping their fellow human beings have shown to be more energetic, happy and grow their self-esteem.
Yoga teaches you how to take care of your own body. In many cases, people who practice yoga have been more involved in their care, have found out that they can cope with change better, and are more hopeful for a better future.
When you change your posture, you change the way you breathe. When you change the way you breathe, you change your nervous system; you change your nervous system, you change your mood; this domino effect is called the “interconnectivity of yoga.” People who practice yoga can multiply their benefits everywhere in his or her’ own body. Practitioners found that while they participate in yoga for one reason: they see positive results in other areas.
Cont.
Yoga helps the body heal
THE SECRETS OF YOGA 2
Yoga burns calories. The average practitioner burns between 180 and 460 calories per session, depending on their intensity level. Yoga also lowers blood sugar levels and eliminates the bad cholesterol while at the same time, boost good cholesterol. People who have diabetes found that yoga reduces the cortisol and adrenaline level in the body while at the same time, encourage weight loss and sensitivity to insulin.
Yoga helps you focus. Practitioners of yoga have noticed an increase in their attentiveness, improved coordination, reaction time, and memory. People who practice yoga have seen an increase in IQ and the ability to solve problems quicker. Memory acuity also improves; people who are into yoga can focus better and don’t get distracted by negative thoughts.
Yoga relaxes the nervous system. Many yoga practices help regulate breathing and focus on the now. Relaxing the nervous system, the patient becomes calmer, eliminates anxiety, lowers blood pressure, and increases blood flow to organs.
Yoga helps with body balance. People with poor balance and dysfunctional movements can blame their condition on knee problems and back pain. While yoga improves balance and mobility, patients – especially the elderly – have seen a significant improvement in how they walk, how they stand, and how they move; this is good, especially for the elderly independence, keeping them out of nursing homes or assisting living.
The most advanced yoga practitioners can make their hearts stop beating. While this practice is hazardous, and 99% of the people who practice yoga will never get to that level, nonetheless, by doing yoga and focusing on breathing, the person calms his or her nervous system down, stop panic attacks and eliminate stress.
Daily activities like typing, holding the cellphone for long periods, or doing the same tasks over-and-over can lead to chronic tension, muscle fatigue, stiffness, and carpal tunnel syndrome. By practicing yoga and relaxing the body, in due time, these symptoms will diminish.
Tossing and turning during the night? Specific forms of meditation relax the body and eliminate stress and worries, which helps the sleep cycles. Having a good night’s rest is vital to a healthy body. Resting the mind at night gives more energy the next day and can help the person stay focus and alert when working with machinery, driving, or working with sharp objects.
The immune system protects the body from diseases. Meditation and exercises show to boost the immune system and minimize the body’s vulnerability to illness. Yoga increases antibodies’ levels in the body when a foreign virus attacks and lowers antibodies’ levels when an autoimmune disease like psoriasis attacks the body.
Yogis are especially good at taking fewer breaths than the average person. In a 1998 study published in The Lancet, scientists found that people who control their breathing are less likely to develop lung, chest, and heart problems. They also exercise more, raise their lung capacity, and breathe better at high altitudes. Yoga also teaches how to breathe through the nose filtering the air, removing allergens, pollen, dust, and other impurities.
As a great aid to the digestive system, yoga stops the formation of ulcers, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome, all being caused more-or-less by stress. Yoga eases constipation, prevents colon cancer, and pushes waste out of the body with ease.
Cont.
Physical benefits of practicing yoga
THE SECRETS OF YOGA 3
Yoga. A practice that has been on this planet for thousands of years has impacted the lives of millions of people. Whether people practice for religious purposes or fitness, yoga has been the go-to activity for a multitude of purposes. In recent years yoga has been used to cure illnesses, tone the body, and even relax the mind after a busy day. The health purposes of yoga are immense. Yoga is known to improve flexibility. While your body will be stiff and sore the first day or so, yoga practitioners have seen a major improvement in the flexibility of the spinal cord, hamstrings, and posture. Working the body’s muscles, people have noticed a major improvement in body flexibility. People who suffer from body aches have noticed their aches and muscle stiffness starting to diminish after only a few yoga sessions.
Yoga builds muscle strength. While working the whole-body yoga protects us from ailments like arthritis and back pain, and even builds balance and mobility. Elderly people have seen an improvement in mobility, equilibrium, and have experienced fewer falls than people who do not practice yoga.
The fatigue factor of the day by day life harms the body. Whether you are a security guard that has to stand on his feet for eight or even twelve hours a day or you work in an office setting where you have to sit on your desk for eight hours a day, yoga is for you. Bad posture for long periods causes havoc on the neck, back, muscle, and joints. Unfortunately, if you don’t address these problems in time, your spine, ribs, and ultimately your whole body can suffer for it, sentencing you to years of pain, medication, and on rare occasions surgery. Yoga can prevent the body from deteriorating and keeps muscles, bones, and joints away from problems.
Imagine your body is this machinery, and just like the nuts and bolts that hold a car together, cartilages and joints hold your body together. Yoga protects cartilages, giving them the full range of motion they need, preventing the body from developing arthritis. Without proper exercise, these tiny cartilages and joins may brake causing you a lifetime of suffering and years wasted on surgeries and recuperation.
The spine makes the body move. Every bone, in one way, is connected to the spine. If you sit for longer periods of time the ribs can herniate and compress the nerves giving your body a hell of a bad time. The bends, the stretches, and the twists of the body that yoga provides give your ribs motion, relieves pressure, and keeps your body refreshed and in shape.
Yoga takes care of your bones. People who practice yoga daily are at much lower risk of getting osteoporosis and bone fractures. Certain poses like Downward Dog have shown to strengthen the arms and increase bone strength.
The relaxation part of yoga improves blood circulation. Through movement, oxygen travels through the body to all extremities rejuvenating cells. Twisting poses allow cells to release toxins while invert poses oxygenate most organs, especially the heart and lungs. The flow of oxygen through the body helps reduce swelling in arms and legs boosting the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells. When the oxygen created travels through the body every limb body gets rejuvenated; clot-promoting proteins dissolve, lowering the chances of stroke.
While exercising the organs, and stretching muscles, the body increases the drainage of lymph, helping the body fight infections, eliminating cancerous cells, and overall getting rid of toxins.
While lowering the risk of a heart attack, and relieving depression, yoga is good for boosting your heart rate as well. Using the heart muscles, yoga decreases the resting heart rate, raises the endurance level of the body, and maximizes oxygen intake. Minimizing the risk of a heart attack, yoga also balances blood pressure. People who used the Corpse Pose have noticed a 26-point drop in blood pressure compared to the people who do not engage in yoga.
Yoga lowers the cortisol level in the body. Unknown by many, cortisol weakens the immune system leaving the body vulnerable to viruses and illnesses. High cortisol levels also have shown to cause depression, raise blood pressure, and make the body insulin resistant. High cortisol level has also been linked to binge eating giving the body cravings. The body takes calories from food and stores them as fat, raising the risk of heart attack and diabetes.
Yoga gives the body the endorphins necessary to increase mood. Yoga decreases the levels of monoamine oxide, an enzyme that hinders neurotransmitters. Studies show that meditation increases levels of happiness and improves immune function.
In the words of Aadil Palkhivala: ”True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn’t care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is designed for a vast and profound purpose, and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied.”
End of part 3 of 3
The importance of Salt
A SPOON FULL OF... SALT?
Do you remember Merry Poppins and her song “A spoon full of salt makes the medicine go down,” or was it about a spoon full of sugar? Whatever the beloved Disney song is about, salt has magical attributes. Since the beginning of time, merchants have used salt to store and keep food from spoiling. Recent studies believe that salt is a magic ingredient in the beauty industry that works miracles on your skin.
As a natural exfoliate, the minerals found in salt get rid of dry skin. Mix a whole cup of sea salt with an a-half-of cup of oil, and rub this mixture on your legs, feet, and arms to get rid of dead skin.
Cleanse your facial pores with salt. Take a teaspoon of salt and put it in a warm cup of water. Dip a cotton ball in the solution that you just made and gently tap your face with it. You can use the mixture on your entire face but try to avoid your eyes and the area surrounding it.
If you walked or stood on your feet all day long, give your feet a rest. Soak your troubles away by keeping your feet for 15 minutes in a mixture of warm water and salt.
As a natural remedy for your fingernails, salt makes your nails brighter just by soaking them for about 10 minutes in warm water. Add one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of baking soda, and lemon juice and stir the solution in half of a warm water cup. Soak your nails in. After you take your nails out of the salt water mixture, gently scrub your nails with a small brush, maybe even a toothbrush, to make them softer and brighter.
The natural minerals found in salt work magic on your hair. Add a pinch of salt to your hair oil, apply it gently to your scalp and your hair strands. After waiting for about 20-25 minutes, the mixture will make your hair shinier, bouncier, and more voluminous. On a similar note, salt also gets rid of dandruff.
Throw your toothpaste away because salt has you covered. Mix two teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of salt with a little bit of water, and using a soft toothbrush, brush your teeth daily with this mixture to brighten your smile.
Are you having trouble sleeping? Mix a quarter of a teaspoon of sea salt in a glass of water and drink before bedtime or add salt to a small salad and eat it before bedtime. Studies have shown that salt helps lower the stress level and raises oxytocin levels – an anti-stress hormone.
Suppose you suffer from skin inflammation or acne mix two teaspoons of salt with four teaspoons of raw honey and apply it to your skin. After waiting for 15 minutes, take a washcloth soaked in warm water and keep it on your face for 30 seconds. Afterward, massage your skin with your fingers in a circular motion to exfoliate and rinse.
Seawater also helps you cleanse your pores and reduce water retention. To do this, take a sea-salt bath by adding 1/3 cup of sea salt to a tub filled with warm water, soak in the tub for 20-30 minutes and, you will feel right as rain.
Health benefits of one of the oldest exercise
THE SECRETS OF QI GONG
A few years back, I believed I was about to go insane, mainly because I spend too much time reading violent books, watching horror movies, and listening to the news. As you know well, nothing good ever comes out from watching the news. I was suffering from the worst panic attacks imaginable. It was my first time having panic attacks, and I didn’t know what they were and how to stop them. At first, I believed that I was about to have a heart attack; that is how hard my heart was pounding in my chest. It felt like my heart was about to be pulverized into a million pieces. That is when I discovered Qi Gong.
Going back more than a thousand years, Qi Gong is a complex system of coordinating movements and sounds with one purpose in mind – to heal the body. To let go of all the illnesses, worries, and frustrations gathered in our body and mind to harm us ultimately. Qi Gong is a way to balance the body to help it heal both physically and emotionally. People who practice Qi Gong believe worries, stress, and other problems in our daily lives diminish the flow of energy in our body, causing us illness, anxiety, and worry.
Qi Gong is by no means religion, and even though many practitioners are Buddhists. Every religious person or non-religious person for that matter can practice Qi Gong. Think about this; Qi Gong is a way to exercise the body, just like riding a bicycle. If you have two bikes, one made in India and one made in Germany, does it mean that one bicycle is Christian and the other bicycle is Hindu? Both are made from plastic, steel, and rubber, just like every bicycle on earth, and has the same purpose as any other bicycle.
What does Qi Gong have to do with fashion? Both can give you a sense of fulfillment, calmness, and joy. Imagine what people call “shopping-therapy,” and I can relate because I am one of those people who engage in shopping-therapy. To me, shopping is more than just buying stuff; it is about losing yourself in an infinite world of colors and smells that can turn a bad day into a good one with just a whiff. Like Holly Golightly, played by the incredibly talented Audrey Hepburn, used to say in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, “Well, when I get it, the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany’s. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that’d make me feel like Tiffany’s…”
Fashion is like that. It is almost a religious experience when you go through thousands and thousands of racks and find the right blouse that whispers to you to take it home and wear it every time you feel down or depressed because the blouse knows that she can brighten your day every time. Fashion is about healing the body, just like Qi Gong is also about healing the body. Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon in the 2001 comedy Legally Blonde, said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands; they just don’t” No, Elle, they don’t. Exercises like Qi Gong make people happy; they heal you, just like a whole day at the mall.
Qi Gong helps you build muscles, strengthens organs, helps joints and bones, releases stress, improves emotional health, and profoundly impacts the immune system. In many hospitals across China, Qi Gong is practiced by patients to quicken the recovery time of certain illnesses. It is proven in the oriental medicine world that Qi Gong is one of the most fundamental building blocks of a healthy life. As for us, here in America, YouTube gives you a multitude of videos about this ancient practice, plus you can find visual and reading materials as well across the internet. Qi Gong is a new world yet to be discovered by the west, a whole world full of exercises that will improve your quality of life.
I am by no means an expert or licensed physicians and my views are my own, please talk to you doctor before your start any exercises described on this website.