Featured

Spend More Time Outdoors In Spring


Believe it or not, Spring is coming! Perhaps you can already see the changes in your neighborhood. Some of us aren’t as lucky. However, all of us can start making our Spring plans now. We can spend more time outdoors in Spring and experience life-changing rewards. 


Healthy Sunshine 


Go ahead: do nothing. Just sit outside and absorb the sunshine. Your body will create healthy vitamins to build immunity and improve mood. So if you feel as if sitting still is somehow lazy, just remind yourself that you are creating good physical health as well as a sense of calmness and peace for your day. Meditate. Read a book. Take things slowly for a few minutes (or longer). Be good to yourself. The other stuff in your life can usually wait for a little while. 

Read a book…take things slowly…


Energizing Exercise 


Spring is a time to get out and get moving. Walking will shake out some of those tense muscles you’ve developed while hibernating on the couch during snowstorms and flu season. Running will get you breathing deeply as you build cardiovascular endurance. Swinging on a swing will let you feel like a kid again. Go to the park, go fishing, or go out with a friend; it all works. Fresh air improves sleep habits. A change of real-life scenery rescues us from those online virtual worlds we sometimes spend too much time in. 


The Joy Of Gardening 


Springtime is the time to plant seeds that will bring results later. You can have a home garden and grow your favorite vegetables. You can start some herbs in planters and move them to the porch when the weather warms up. Have you ever carved your own pumpkin for Halloween? Have you tasted fresh peas from your garden? Planting seeds in the ground can mean planting possibilities in your life. Enjoy the seed catalogs, pick your produce, teach the kids, and build self-reliance. Spring is the time for growth, and this can involve changes within you as well. 

Enjoying the garden…..


The Abundant Life 


Living a life rich with a variety of outdoor experiences is worth the effort. It doesn’t necessarily require extensive travel, although it can if you want it to. It might include an impromptu luncheon on a friend’s porch. It might include a community class on local landmarks. Perhaps a road trip or even a cruise is in order. The goal is to get outside, connect with others, and enjoy new experiences. What you do is up to you. Spring just makes it that much easier to spend more time outdoors.

Featured

Spring Into Good Health

Reset Your Body This Spring

The winter months make most people feel more tired than normal. The cold winter season often makes the days seem longer, making people feel low in energy. When spring comes, the difference is very noticeable as energy begins to be restored. However, many find themselves looking back and seeing how those cold months of slowed activities. Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations have impacted their physical body. Weight gain around this time of year is incredibly common. Fortunately, there are several ways to help our bodies Spring into good health

Salt Water Flush 

A salt water flush is an excellent way to give the body a good startup. Many people may notice that their body is not functioning at its optimal level. This could be because the body isn’t getting rid of waste properly. The Saltwater flush ensures that the bowel is flushed of any toxins that the body is holding onto. This flush will really improve your digestion and help to get rid of any bloating you may have and you will start to feel more healthy.

Ingredients: 

2 tsps. Himalayan pink salt

32 oz. Water

1 tsp. Lemon juice

Find a glass jar with a screw top lid and add the water(should be quite hot) the salt and some fresh lemon juice. Shake it all well to fully dissolve the salt. No granules should be visible. They will ie in the bottom of the jar if they don’t dissolve.

Drink the mixture very quickly, within a few minutes. Since it really doesn’t taste that great!

After half an hour you will probably need to go to the toilet and so the flushing out effect begins. When your bowel is completely cleansed it is always a good idea to take probiotics for a while to help replace some of the good bacteria.

Juice Fasting for Good Health

Juicing fruits and vegetables can help give you any minerals and nutrients you might have missed out on during winter. Juicing your fruits and vegetables allows for those nutrients to be distributed throughout your body much faster. Another benefit of juicing is that it gives your digestive system a little break. Juice fasting isn’t necessarily meant for long term use as it entails a lack of fiber to the body, but it’s great to use for a kick start for few days at a time. Below is a juice recipe that is sure to boost your energy levels. 

Ingredients: 
• 1/2 pineapple chopped 
• 3 -4 mint leaves 
• 1 apple diced 
• 4 medium carrots 

More HIIT 

HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training and involves alternating between intervals of high cardio and low-intermediate exercise.The idea is that HIIT makes sure the body burns more calories and fat even after the workout as your metabolism is gradually accelerating. There are so many innovative ways to incorporate some HIIT into your workout routine. For example, if you regularly go for hikes, try to structure in some HIIT by sprinting a portion of the hike and then walking another portion. A more specific HIIT routine would be as follows: 

Instructions: 
1) Sprint as fast as you can for 30 seconds. 
2) Walk slowly for 30 seconds. 
3) Repeat for 30 minutes to complete routine. 

The transition from winter to spring can be difficult for many people, but it doesn’t have to be. There are several ways to good health and to reset the body for the new spring season.

How To Heal Your Anal Fissure Quickly.

Find out today how to heal your anal fissure through my own personal and painful experience.

What Is An Anal Fissure

If you feel like you are passing glass when you go to the toilet and if you are still sore a few hours later it is highly likely you are suffering from an anal fissure.

An anal fissure usually isn’t a serious condition. It can affect people of all ages. It is often seen in infants and young children, since constipation is a common problem in these age groups.

In most cases, the tear heals on its own within four to six weeks. In cases where the anal fissure persists beyond eight weeks, it’s considered chronic.

An anal fissure is a tiny paper thin break in the skin of the anus which may be superficial or deep depending on how long you have had it. Very often it can be difficult to actually see. For something usually so tiny it causes terrible pain probably the worst type of pain I have ever experienced. Read on if you want to discover how I finally healed my anal fissure quickly.

What causes an anal fissure?

Anal fissures are caused by injury or trauma to the anal canal. This can happen when:

  • You pass a large stool.
  • You are constipated and try to pass a hard stool.
  • You have repeated diarrhoea.
  • Giving birth can cause injury to the anal canal.

Fissures can also be caused by a rectal exam, anal intercourse, or a foreign object. In some cases, a fissure may be caused by Crohn’s disease.

Many physicians believe that extra tension in the two muscular rings controlling the anus may also be a cause of fissures.

Symptoms Of An Anal Fissure.

An anal fissure may cause one or more of the following symptoms:

  • sharp pain in the anal area during bowel movements.
  • streaks of blood on stools or on toilet after wiping.
  • burning or Itching in the anal area.
  • a visible tear in the skin around your anus.
  • Pain for two to 3 hours or more after using the toilet.
  • A skin tag or small lump of skin next to the tear.

The Daily Routine That Helped Heal My Anal Fissure.

You can start this routine in the evening because usually the pain will have subsided from your morning bowel movement. This routine came as a result of much trial and error, online research and help from others who experienced this same painful condition. Thankfully many people are able to finally heal their anal fissure quickly.

  1. Before you go to bed take a desertspoonful of olive oil 2 dried apricots, DulcoEase Stool Softener, 30 Soft Gel Capsules” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>a Dulco Ease tablet (this softens your poo and makes it easier to pass) and a large glass of water and go and have a good nights sleep.
  2. When you wake up take a glass of warm water and ibuprofen tabs before you go to the toilet. Only go if you feel the urge. My GI Doctor said don’t sit longer than 3 mins. If it doesn’t come go and do something and come back again when it will come more easily.
  3. When it does finally come there are various things you can do to make it less painful. This next tiny little thing I did made a major improvement in my healing time. Before going to the toilet apply a tiny bit of Vaseline Original Petroleum Jelly 100g” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Vaseline pure petroleum jelly on the anal area and inside a little as well. This will help the poo to slide out more easily.
  4. When the pain is still severe at the beginning have a warm bath running that you can step into immediately to get rapid pain relief.
  5. I also invested in a Homecraft Portable Bidet for Standard Toilet, Personal Hygiene Solution, Personal Care Washing Bowl Toilet with Soap Dish, Ideal for Travel, Easy to Clean and Empty, Fits Standard Toilet Seats” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>sitz bath that sat on the toilet. I could fill it with warm water and sit on it for 10mins after a bowel movement. Some people find it easier to poo while sitting in the warm water…as the heat relaxes the anal muscle. This relieves pain but is also good for cleaning the area. It is important the area is kept very clean so that healing can take place.
  6. When the pain has decreased, continue on with your day as normal.

Other Things That Helped Heal

My Anal Fissure.

  1. Throughout the healing process I drank loads of water to soften my stools and prevent constipation.
  2. While I was at the healing stage I very often just ate greens, stewed apples and drank loads of water.
  3. I also fasted for two days to give my digestive system a rest and give my anal area a head start on the healing process.
  4. It is also important to keep moving. If your job entails a lot of sittting at a desk get up every hour and have a short walk.This improves the blood flow to the area and promotes healing.
  5. At night time go through the same process as above again.Within a few weeks i noticed a great reduction in my pain levels and within 4 weeks there was very little pain.
  6. However if I deviated from the regime and my stools were not soft the anal fissure opened again as it takes months for the skin in that area to become strong again.

Preventing your anal fissure recurring.

It is most important you follow a few simple rules and you will never have this pain again.

1.NEVER STRAIN.

2 DONT SIT LONGER THAN 3 MINUTES.

3 KEEP POO SOFT.

4 DRINK LOTS OF WATER.

5 KEEP AREA CLEAN.

6.USE A LITTLE VASELINE BEFORE BOWEL MOVEMENTS

7 WHEN TRAVELLING ALWAYS CARRY TOILET WIPES.

Foods That Keep Stools Soft.

  • Yogurt and kefir.
  • Probiotics may help to improve gut health. …
  • Pulses. …
  • Clear soups. …
  • Prunes. …
  • Wheat bran. …
  • Broccoli. …
  • Apples and pears.
  • Drinking loads of water.
If you keep your poo the consistency of toothpaste this will help keep it easier to pass and so help to promote healing. Any straining and pushing from hard bowel movements will only risk the fissure opening again and back to more pain.

Please comment below if you have any further advice advice about treating an anal fissure.

The Dangers Of High Blood Pressure…symptoms and treatments.

High Blood pressure is often called the silent killer. Symptoms are often not obvious. Exercising and changing your diet are the first ways of starting to reduce your blood pressure.

The Dangers Of High Blood Pressure……symptoms and management.

High blood pressure is a condition in a person when the pressure  of the blood within your blood vessels is higher than normal.. There are several causes of this condition.The symptoms of high blood pressure may not be physically noticeable unless a person goes for a check up to their Doctor. High blood pressure is also known as the silent killer because of the subtlety of its symptoms.It often takes years for this condition to become obvious.

 

 

Possible Symptoms Of High Blood pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension is a condition in which a person’s heart rate is elevated compared to the normal blood pressure range of most people. This condition can be fatal in many people especially those who are not aware that they have this condition. The symptoms of high blood pressure are usually very vague and non specific.This is why the condition is often overlooked if the person does not have any idea that they might have high blood pressure.

 

Non Specific Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

 

One of the vague possible symptoms of high blood pressure is a headache.Although there is little evidence that these are the specific symptoms of high blood pressure many people with high blood pressure often report these symptoms are especially when their heart rate accelerates. Being dizzy is also another of the more subtle symptoms of high blood pressure. Accompanying the dizziness is a feeling of nausea that does not happen often to the person who may have high blood pressure.

Yet another of the subtle or non specific types of symptoms of high blood pressure is blurry vision. This symptom is the one that may cause a person to panic since it is not actually a common thing to have. Some of these symptoms may prompt a person to see their doctor or have a check up.

 

Implications Of High Blood Pressure

There are several things that are affected by having high blood pressure. One of the first things affected by having this condition is the size of a person’s heart. Since high blood pressure means that the heart is working harder to pump the blood around the body it  tends to grow bigger than normal size. While it may seem ideal to have a larger heart, it also means that the tissues are expanded beyond what they are capable of. Eventually, the heart will wear out faster than a normal sized heart. This is due to the double effort it makes to meet the demands of the body of a person with high blood pressure.   

The arteries and other blood vessels may also suffer as a result of the high pressure. This condition speeds up the hardening of the arteries due to over exertion to bring the blood to the various parts of the body. Hardened arteries will be unable to keep up a steady flow of blood to vital organs which can lead to a stroke, heart attack and kidney failure among other things. People with high blood pressure run a high risk of dying from a stroke much more than those with normal blood pressure.

 

Treatment and Management of blood pressure.

Treating high blood pressure is very important and needs some lifestyle changes and may need the aid of medications. Limiting or eliminating fatty and greasy foods in one’s daily diet is one thing that needs to be done since these contribute to deposits in the arteries which make them narrower. Reducing sugar intake has been proven to reduce blood pressure significantly.

Stopping smoking can also help to control high blood pressure as well as the reduction of alcohol consumption.

Avoiding warm or hot places is also helpful for those with high blood pressure since extreme heat can accelerate the heart rate In its efforts to cool the body down. Staying too long in a hot tub or a heated pool can  be very dangerous for a person with high blood pressure.

Regular exercise has been proven to reduce blood pressure. At the very least a brisk 30min walk every day will soon start to help bring your blood pressure down.

 

 

It is best to have a yearly check of your physical health including your blood pressure.

In between visits to your Doctor it is a good idea to invest in your own blood pressure monitor so you keep a close check on your blood pressure yourself.

Causes Of High Blood Pressure

 

Causes Of High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the measurement of the intensity of the blood pumping through the blood vessels of the human body to and from the heart. High blood pressure as well as low blood pressure is not ideal for any person to have. There is actually a normal range of blood pressure on which each person’s measurement is based. This is usually dependant on age and the current health of the person. Usually it is measured in certain sites in the body. An instrument called a sphygmomanometer is used to measure blood pressure.


High blood pressure is something that usually alarms doctors because there are certain conditions and disease which are associated with it. The health of the individual is usually affected by the amount of pressure there is in the blood vessels. The pressure is measured with a monitor in systolic and diastolic pressure in accordance to a person’s heart beat.

Cause Of High Blood Pressure

Family History

The root cause of most cases of elevated blood pressure is unknown in an individual. There are factors that make a person more prone to this condition. However why this condition is present in some people is not known. There are a few cases in which high blood pressure is due to problems with the kidneys. Narrowing of arteries and a physical abnormality of the aorta may also be a cause. Genes are also a culprit in a person’s susceptibility to elevated blood pressure. Families with a history of this condition should be aware of the contributing factors of the condition to be able to prevent it from negatively affecting their lives.

 

 

Anxiety and stress

Many doctors often associate a rise in blood pressure to the mood of a person. Anger and agitation often cause high blood pressure. This is why many doctors advise a calm and non stressful life for those who have this condition.

On the other hand, a rise in the blood pressure of a person who already has this condition may result in a headache and other strange feelings.Very often however there are no symptoms with high blood pressure. This is why it is important to keep a check on your blood pressure regularly.

 

 

High Fat diet

A person’s diet may also contribute to high blood pressure as well as a person’s lifestyle and daily habits. Eating food high in cholesterol content as well as fatty foods can lead to plaque build up in the arteries resulting in the heart trying to pump more to get the blood  through the narrowed arteries.

Smoking is also a leading factor that causes high blood pressure.It causes hardening of the arteries and blood vessels which makes the pumping motion of the blood stream less efficient. 

 

 

High sugar and carbohydrate in diet

Sugar and too much carbohydrate in your diet have also been discovered to be a common cause of  high blood pressure. When the body produces too much insulin and leptin in response to a higher-carb high sugar diet, it causes blood pressure to increase.

 

Hyperinsulinemia raises blood pressure, by decreasing the sodium and water excretion from the kidneys, and as a result causing blood vessels to constrict and affect our blood pressure.

Natural Remedies For Snoring

Natural remedies for snoring

 

This post may contain affiliate links, please read my disclaimer for more information.

Are you a noisy sleeper? There are many people who have issues with snoring. For some, it’s not a major inconvenience, but if you have a partner, it might be something that causes some frequent teasing. However the reality is that snoring can be the beginning of much more serious issues. Sleep makes up a large portion of most peoples lives,so it’s important to consider addressing these issues before they affect your relationships. In the next few pages, you will find some great information on natural remedies for snoring.

 

Why Snoring Should Matter To You

 If you’re like most people, you probably cringed a little at the idea that snoring can end up becoming a serious problem, but it’s an important physical symptom that you should keep a check on.Snoring can disrupt your sleep and make it harder for you to reach deeper sleep levels. The deep sleep periods are important for healing your mind and giving it the rest that it needs. If your sleep is disrupted too much, you can become ill overtime from the lack of rest. As you sleep your breathing passage may also become obstructed, which will cause you to jolt out of sleep suddenly and can cause you to actually stop breathing. This condition is known as sleep apnoea.

 

 

The dangers of sleep Apnoea

 The real danger with sleep apnoea is hat your body doesn’t get enough rest. As a result the body systems that usually wake you up in an emergency can begin to malfunction. If your body doesn’t wake up when you stop breathing, then this can lead to a very serious situation. If you’re a person with a significant other, this can be tremendously stressful for them as well. Sudden jerking out of sleep can place a massive strain on both your physical health and your relationship.If this is a normal feature of your life you need to take serious action to raise your sleep quality.

 

Now that you’re aware of the dangers of snoring becoming a frequent part of your sleep patterns you can look at a list of things you can do to try to reduce or eliminate the snoring habit. You might also want to consider employing a few of these methods at once, since the snoring might be a result of more than one issue. It’s always a good idea to know as much information as you can about these methods so they can be as effective as necessary.

 

 1. Make Sure the Air is Clean

 When was the last time you got checked for allergies? As seasons change, they can bring an army of pollen varieties to irritate your nasal cavity. Reducing the amount of dust and pollen in the air within your home can help you to reduce breathing issues.This will then reduce the amount of snoring.

 Start by keeping your home and linens and clean as possible. This is going to reduce indoor allergens and especially dust mites, which are really bad for people who snore.This means keeping your floors clean and dusting regularly. Also washing your sheets,bedding, pillows,pillowcases, throw blankets, and any other linens the person comes in regular contact with.

 

2. Use Air-Purifying Plants

You can try using various types of ionizers and indoor plants that can help with the air quality in the home. Some plants like the Ficus Alii, and the Philodendron can clean various types of molds and other impurities from the air in your home. The great thing about plants is that all you need to do is make sure they get the proper amount of water and light. You don’t need to do much else. The plants  will continue doing their job in helping to clean the air in your home and are a good natural remedy for snoring.

 

 3.Install a Dehumidifier to help reduce snoring.

It is also important to be careful about how much humidity there is in your home. Dust mites are often in the air without you realizing it, which can be disastrous for anyone in your home with allergies. This can lead to bad allergy attacks and snoring at night. While you can’t always control what the weather and climate does, you can have a better balance of humidity inside your home. Start to control the dust mites by using a dehumidifier.


2. Improve Your Daily and Nighttime Habits

 It is also imperative that you improve your sleep hygiene – which includes the daily habits you have that improve your sleep. If you don’t have good sleep hygiene, this could lead to an increase in snoring.Since you aren’t using the right bedding, you have a lot of dust mites, and you just aren’t getting adequate sleep.

Clean and Upgrade Your Bedding

 

This is one of the most overlooked things in the chain of respiratory health. Bedding can easily accumulate dust and skin particles that are the primary source of food for tiny creatures called dust mites.

 When the skin particles collect over a long period of time, the populations of your little roommates can grow to a larger than normal number. This will result in a large amount of waste that is produced by their colonies. The waste matter gets into the air around your bed, so when you lie down at night, you are breathing enormous amounts of mite fecal material. This can cause irritation to your throat and lungs. If you always feel better when you leave for work or school, that could be a potential reason.

 

For good sleep hygiene, you also want to have quality bedding and a quality mattress. This improves your sleep, and can help reduce snoring when you have a pillow that is a good thickness and height for your head and neck to have proper support.

In fact there are anti snoring pillows that many people are currently using to help them stop snoring and they really do work.
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 Stop Smoking

 There are many bad daily habits that can also negatively affect your sleep, both for sleep hygiene purposes, and general health. One of the major ones is smoking cigarettes.

 

If you are a smoker, then there’s a possibility that it could be contributing to your snoring massively. When the smoke you inhale hits the sensitive tissues in your respiratory system, the irritation can cause all sorts of issues that cause your breathing passages to close up.

 

While it isn’t easy, you can begin to take steps to cut back on the amount of cigarettes that you smoke in a day. There are a number of programs and patches that are available to the public to help with the urge to smoke.

 

Reduce Your alcohol intake

 

How often do you drink? If you’re a person who drinks on a daily basis, your alcohol intake can be a contributing factor to your snoring. This happens because alcohol has the ability to relax the muscles and other tissues in your throat. When you’re lying down, these relaxed tissues can become compressed quite easily. Thererestrict your breathing which can aggravate your snoring and cause it to be even more pronounced. Try skipping the night cap, and you’ll probably get a better rest.

 

If you find it difficult to cut back on your drinking, it might be a good time to talk to your doctor about it. They can help you on the path to dealing with this issue if it is more of a problem than just affecting your sleep.

 

 

Avoid Sleep medication.

 

Sleeping issues are fairly common among adults due to the stresses of life, but if you have a habit of taking sleeping pills or sedatives, it could be making your sleep time a noisy affair.

 

Like alcohol, sedatives can cause your breathing passages to become more relaxed than is normally desirable. They can also make it difficult to get out of bed without massive doses of caffeine when it’s time to get up in the morning.

 

What’s even more of an issue, is that it could prevent your body from being able to wake you up. That spells danger if you’re possibly dealing with sleep apnea. Try using natural methods like drinking chamomile or valerian root teas. Lemon balm and lavender are also great teas for bedtime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brain Boosting Activities….sharpen your memory

Brain-Boosting Activities

 In recent years, there have been a few interesting developments that have taken place online which attempt to help people to increase the speed of their brain function. Many software developers have created apps that are Brain Boosting Activities and promise to make people smarter. However by using old fashion knowledge, then you’ll be interested to find in this article ways to use brain boosting activities that will also help sharpen your memory and increase your focus and attention

Challenge and Stimulate Your Mind with Games

Mind games have become pretty popular and mainstream in the last 10 years. If you’re interesting in improving your brain function then you might want to check out some of the offerings that have been popular over the years. Studies have shown that the brain can become sharper through the use of this type of training. It has been found to improve several areas of development including memory and global cognition.It has even been shown to slow the effect of cognitive impairment brought on by disease.

Get into Strategy Games

 Have you ever been interested in strategy games? There are a lot of different types of strategy games available for free online. These help you to give your reasoning and ability a good workout, which can help with all sort of problems solving. That’s because this requires you to come up with a successful and probable solution to an obstacle posed by an opponent. Plus, they are just  plain fun.

Here are 7 strategy games to get started with boosting your brain and help sharpen your memory.

  • Chess: King of games. …
  • Nine Men’s Morris: Mill’s the game.
  • Go: Made in Asia. …
  • Shogi: Japanese chess. …
  • ‘Connect Four’: The vertical board
  • Checkers: Jump and steal. ..
  • Tic-tac-toe: Circle or square? ..

Reading

Reading is great way to stimulate many areas of your brain.Scientists have been able to measure and track improvements in people who start to take time to read. These people seem to be able to develop complex social skills more quickly than people who read less. Reading a solidly descriptive book also engages your imagination so that you don’t need to be shown things in order to conceive of them. These days you can find books online at a reasonable price.

Get Exercise

 Over the course of a person’s life, the amount of exercise they do can play a role in how their brain develops. When scientists study the brains of athletes after performing, they found out that scans clearly expressed an increased connectivity in the frontal cortex of their brains. That part of the brain is how you are able to make plans for the future, make choices, and perform similar tasks each day.

Walking is an exercise that most people are able to do.

Outdoor walking allows you to clear your mind and gives your brain a boost through increasing oxygen levels as you walk.

Researchers in the US found that a simple walk in the park may provide brain boosting benefits. This was shown  by an increase in attention and working memory after the walk.

Walking boosts oxygen levels to your brain.

Meditate

 Taking time to meditate is a great way to increase your IQ because it gives you a chance to actually organize your thoughts. If you spend a small amount of time putting things in a list to be considered for the day, you’ll find that you get more done, and are able to think more clearly.

Music

Listening to good quality music has been used in the past number of years to help children with learning difficulties. Studies have shown by listening through headphones on a regular basis the music helps create new connections and neural pathways in the brain.

Researchers have discovered that the processing of musical pulse uses motor areas in the brain. This shows that music and movement are closely linked.

The areas of the brain, known to be associated with emotions, were also found to be involved in rhythm and tonal processing.

Such findings would support the use of music to stimulate and boost areas of our brains.

 

How to Sharpen Your Memory

 How well do you remember information that you encounter each day and also from the past. Memory is a massive part of how people see their lives, because however they remember events leaves a lasting impression on later events.  One thing that people seem to forget quite often is that the human brain is an amazing and trainable part of the body and you can through mental and physical exercise create new connections in your brain.This is possible even as you grow older and not just in young children. Can you imagine what it would be like if people had gyms for the brain? In the next few paragraphs you’ll see a few tips and ideas on how to sharpen your memory and help stimulate your brain to create new connections.

 

Eat a Balanced Breakfast

 Even though people are constantly saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, a lot of people don’t take that seriously. Breakfast is the first thing that you eat in a day, so those nutrients are really important. When you eat breakfast the nutrients you absorb from the food you eat help to start all the metabolic functions in your body. If you skip this meal, you’re basically telling your body to try and function at full power without any fuel. Even if it’s a small snack, consider something easy to eat before you start.  An easy and healthy breakfast like a smoothie will boost your brain at the beginning of a busy day.

Pop all your fruit and veg in a processor and you are good to go!

 

 Drawing and painting

 Doing some form of art can increase your ability to hold information in your memory. Studies using art have discovered that the people in groups who made pictures of the things that they were supposed to remember had twice the success rate of the people who didn’t. That’s likely because they used multiple parts of their brain to recall and produce the information.

 

 Get More Sleep

 You might be a huge fan of staying up late and binge watching tv and all kinds of shows. Researchers have been warning people about the dangers of staying up  late and not getting enough sleep. Lack of quality sleep can lower your immune system, and damage your memory. Instead try going to bed early most days especially when you are working and save the late nights for the days you don’t have to get up early. Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells communicate with each other. In fact, your brain and body stay extremely active while you sleep. Recent studies suggest that while you sleep various toxins are removed from your brain that gather while you are awake. Good quality sleep is most important for good brain function and also helping to sharpen your memory.

Deep breathing improves brain function.

 If you grew up in the 80’s and 90’s you probably remember a lot of humor surrounding methods of dealing with stress. One of those mentioned would usually be deep breathing exercises, and it turns out that deep breathing is actually truly beneficial for your brain and function of your body and mind.This is because the blood that goes to your brain needs to be filled with oxygen and nutrients so that your brain can work at an optimal level. Researchers even say that 10 minutes of breathing exercise can make a substantial difference in your cognitive abilities and in turn improve your brain health.

Risks To Brain Health

Common Risks to Your Brain Health

Brain health is a huge topic with lots of factors to consider. Issues of weight loss, heart disease and cancer are among the most researched and most deadly causes of early death in people, but for people who aren’t immediately in danger of those things, there are always possibilities of other factors becoming an issue. As people go through life, the choices they make can have lasting and unforeseen effects on your internal organs, and one of the few parts of the body that is completely necessary and grossly overlooked is the brain.

 How Medication can affect brain health

While people place their trust in medical professionals, humans are not infallible, and mistakes do happen. A large number of people who are on various types of medication have been found to have experienced some kind of negative effects from a reaction brought on by mixing medication that shouldn’t be taken together. It’s important to always do your research and know what you are taking instead of just accepting what you are told. A small mistake can have grave, life changing consequences and may affect your brain health

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Brain Injury affects Brain Health

A lot of people live their life as if their mortality was just a far off dream. They forget that they take their lives into their hands whenever they do anything that puts them in line with a possible accident. Falling from 3 – 8 feet around your home and vehicular accidents account for a large number of brain injuries that people have sustained. Unfortunately, a large portion of these accidents leave people with a permanently damaged brain. When considering your brain healthremember to think safety in all your daily activities and make sure to wear protection on your head to protect your skull and brain.

 Isolation can cause brain deterioration

When people don’t have a healthy network of people around them, they’re more likely to give into to delusions. This is because they don’t have anyone to check themselves against. It also causes them to be more self focused, because they don’t concern themselves with the issues of others. Without engaging some of those centers of the mind, brain deterioration becomes a possibility.

A good social network is good for your brain health. Try joining groups, chatting to neighbours and getting involved in helping others with their problems.

This will help in improving your brain health and will even help to develop new connections in your brain.

 Lack Of Exercise and brain health

Being indoors can be great when it’s cold outside, but if you’re inside all the year round and not getting enough exercise, your body isn’t going to function well. It will become used to never needing to create energy. That  can cause lethargy, and the decreased blood flow in the body will decrease the blood flow to your brain. Getting out and moving around can help keep your mind feeling fresh and ready for work. A good daily habit to increase your brain health is to have a brisk 30 min walk at some point in each day.

Health Problems affecting brain health.

Many health conditions can affect your brain health and affect its daily function.

  • High Blood pressure can cause changes in your blood vessels that can lead to a stroke or small bleeds in your brain. This can also lead to some forms of dementia.
  • Depression can affect our brains by disrupting our daily functioning and many studies have even linked it to dementia
  • Diabetes causes damage to our blood vessels in our body, including our brain. This increases the risk for a stroke and heart attack; and increases our risk for Alzheimer’s disease

It’s very important to first of all take measures to prevent these diseases through exercise and good diet. If you need to don’t hesitate to seek treatment for these health problems. Prompt treatment can stop these conditions affecting your brain health.

Poor diet

Various studies have pointed very strongly to the fact that diet is linked to brain health.

The foods we eat can have a big impact on our brain health.

Our brains need  good energy producing foods These will act as fuel to help your brain function and maintain concentration throughout the day.

Your brain also needs certain nutrients to stay healthy. Omega-3 fatty acids, help build and repair your brain cells, and antioxidents reduce cellular stress and inflammation which are linked to brain aging and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Sleep problems.

Good sleep patterns are very important for your brain health.

After a sleepless night, you often feel very sluggish the next morning, and a new study suggests why: Your brain cells will feel sluggish too. When brain cells are tired, you might be more likely to forget and get easily distracted.

The study found that lack of sleep makes it difficult for our brain cells to communicate effectively, which then can affect your eyesight your memory and your overall mental function.

We can see from this study that lack of sleep can badly affect our brain health

Genetic factors

There may be some family genetic factors that affect our brain health.

However by taking all the other measures mentioned above including most importantly good diet and exercise and also Brain supplements specially designed to improve Brain health can greatly reduce our risks to our brain health and therefore increase our chances of living a long healthy life with good brain function.

 

Lower Back Pain

The Problems Of Lower Back Pain

If you have ever woken up with sudden back pain, or made a twist  that left you practically immobile and in agony for hours you know how this situation can basically bring life to a sudden halt. Back pain is one of the most common health problems and accounts for many of the work absences in recent years.

Many people will lose hours of work, and for some people, the problems can seen impossible to overcome. Even though it might seem bleak for some, there are a few things that you can do to help reduce the chances of your sustaining certain types of injuries. There are also a few different types of exercise and therapy that you can try. If you keep reading this article, you’ll find a few tips for managing lower back pain and also greatly reducing the pain.

How Pain in the Lower Back Affects Your Mobility

Your lower back and its health can impact your mobility in ways that you’ll never think of until you experience it. This is because that part of your back supports a large portion of your weight, and it’s full of complex organs and tissues.

A sensitive part of your nervous system also resides in your back. Your spine is like a fibrous highway that is constantly sending information up and down the line. Any damages to that area can be life-changing. Being able to properly bend and twist is extremely important, and you might have to train yourself you be more careful than you are used to being in certain situations.

Your spine is constantly relaying information to different parts of your body

1. Symptoms

Although some things about back pain tend to be self-explanatory, it’s always a good idea to think about further specifics to help narrow down the amount of things that could be causing the pain. The following are specific symptoms to consider.

● You have muscle soreness

● You have sudden shooting pains

● You have pain that spreads to your legs

● You have pain that gets worse when you’re doing any kind of activity

● You have pain that goes away when you lean back

If you are experiencing any or all of these symptoms, then the following information most likely applies to you.

2. Causes

Back pain can be caused by a variety of things, but the most common factors will be discussed here. In most cases a doctor will have the ability to find out where the site of the injury might be, and ask you questions to determine what the original cause might have been. A few of the causes might be:

You pulled a muscle or ligament.If you make sudden movements that aren’t balanced, or you are repeating certain movements, you could be exposing yourself to the possibility of injury. Being out of shape can make these kinds of injures more difficult to heal from because of the constant strain that is being placed on your fragile spinal tissues. A wrong move can send extremely unpleasant sensations tearing through your body.

Your vertebrae or the soft tissues between them are damaged. As people get older, the soft tissues often referred to as disks can become damaged. When this happens, the weight of you upper body can press down onto the bones and cause them to grind into each other. Obviously, that’s something that would be extremely painful, so it’s important to get that looked at immediately.

Arthritis. Arthritis is one of the most common causes of back pain. When it sets into the back, it can shrink some of the pathways that are needed for a healthy functioning back.

Skeletal malformations. There are various types of growth issues that can affect your spine. Is you develop a curvature to your spine, it can easily cause pain that disrupts your life.

Osteoporosis. This can cause your spine to develop tiny breaks and hairline fractures that can cause you pain.

3. Diagnosis

Whether or not you have figured out exactly where your back pain is coming from, it is important to get proper diagnosis from a doctor. This can help to rule out other potential causes, and start working on managing the pain. They will have a few methods that allow them to make determinations about where you are injured as well. A few of them are:  

X-ray. This method has always been a good one for these types of injuries because it can allow the doctor to see your skeletal structure and if there is damage that has taken place recently. This can also help them to find issues that you might not have been aware of yet.

Doctors can view your spine with x rays and other scans.

MRI Scans. An MRI can help to create an image of what’s going on inside your body and are more detailed than x-rays. They can even look at nerve endings and blood vessels to see if the issues are related to those tiny parts of your body.

Electromyography (EMG). EMG measures the electrical signals created by your nerves and can keep track of how your muscles are being affected. These kinds of tests are important for catching different types of damage that are caused by nerve issues. They can also reveal when your disks have been compressed.

Treatments for lower back pain

Just because you are experiencing pain doesn’t mean that you have to live with it. There are a number of ways that you can get some relief, and in some cases it might be completely necessary for healing. You doctor may help you find a treatment that helps your lower back pain and some of the things he may suggest are as follows…

Medication

Narcotics. Drugs that are relatively powerful might be useful for a short time. If you are prescribed Opioids, then it will be overseen by a medical professional due to the addictive nature of the medication.

Over-the-counter pain relief. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like as ibuprofen are some of the most common ways that people use to deal with pain of this type. Although it has less danger associated with it than narcotics, taking too many of them can seriously affect your health. Be sure to keep the doses to their approved amounts.

Topical pain relievers. Creams that limit pain are the second most popular method of reducing back pain. These are used by rubbing directly onto the site of the pain.

Natural Remedies

Improve Your Posture

Poor posture is one of the leading causes of back pain as well. If you sit incorrectly for long periods of time, you can strain the muscles that are connected to your spine. If you’re not balanced on both sides properly and you get up too fast, there is a high risk of something being pulled. Sit upright when you’re reading or doing any kind of focused activity.

Core Exercise

One of the most criminally overlooked parts of back health is core exercise. When you have a strong core, your muscles wrap and protect things. They also help to keep your organs and tissues in place so they are less able to be shocked, crushed or pinched in between bones.  

Get a Massage

Massage is an ancient art that helps to improve your muscle and circulatory health. Studies have shown that even one massage per week can greatly reduce pain in your body. You can even find people who are specially trained to correct spinal malformations through manipulation. Many patients have reported increased mobility after spinal manipulation sessions.

A Massage can reduce back pain..

Get Better Sleep

Sleep is an important part of your back health as well. It takes time to find a proper sleep position that will work for you, but lying on your side is one of the best ways to sleep. Be aware of where the pressure is located when you get in bed, and be sure to correct anything that is causing it.

If you have been diagnosed with or think you may have a type of lower back pain called Sciatica find out below how you can get rid of this pain and start to live your life pain free again.

How to get rid of your Sciatica pain quickly.

Breathing Exercises For Reducing Panic Attacks

Breathing Exercises for Mental Health

If you are looking for easy ways to improve your mental health, such as anxiety, stress or depression, there are many basic strategies you can use. One of them is breathing exercises, which you not only can do anywhere when you need to, but can incorporate them into your workout routine.

Benefits of Breathing Exercises

When you start looking for natural ways to help with your anxiety or panic attacks, relieve your stress, or just find emotional wellness, the topic of breathing exercises will probably come up. But how exactly can this help you? Here is how to do calming breathing exercises some benefits of incorporating these exercises into your daily routine:

Practise breathing exercises in your daily routine.

How To Perform Breathing Excercises

1 Take a long, slow breath in through your nose, first
filling your lower lungs, then your upper lungs.
2 Hold your breath to the count of “three.”
3 Exhale slowly through pursed lips, while you relax the muscles in your face, jaw, shoulders, and stomach.

Practice this Calm Breathing at least ten times a day for a few  Use it during times of stress, or when you want to let go of tension and you will begin to experience a sense of calmness. This will help you become comfortable with the process. Use it any time you begin to feel anxiety or panic beginning. When you need help to calm down during panic, you will familiar with and able to use this process.

You can do them anywhere, at any time– Another big benefit of breathing exercises is that there are no tools needed. You can do them during workouts, at home, while walking or showering, at work, even while driving as long as you pay attention to the road.

They often help you learn how to meditate –Meditation can be used in conjunction with breathing exercises, but if you learn breathing techniques first, it makes it easier for you to learn meditation later down the road.

Slow intententional breathing will also help reduce your blood pressure which in turn is better for your health.

You can also incorporate what is known as belly breathing, where you hold a hand on your stomach and focus on the sensations as you inhale and exhale.

Breathing During Exercises

For people who are exercising for their mental health, they have a unique advantage for adding in breathing techniques. Combining both can really get you to a place of relaxation and start improving your stress or anxiety. It is best done during workouts like yoga, Pilates, hiking, and walking. If you are just starting out, try beginner’s yoga, which focuses on gentle movement and various breathing techniques.

Supplements To Help Anxiety

As well as using breathing exercises to relieve stress and anxiety there are also very good supplements that will help calm your mind naturally and help to prevent panic attacks.

Anti-Anxiety Plus is a natural supplement aimed at targeting and preventing the symptoms of anxiety and reducing panic attacks.The special blend of ingredients helps promote a sense of inner balance, increased focus and reduced anxiety. 

The ingredients inside Anti-Anxiety Plus help reduce stress, which can be a precursor to many negative effects such as:

  • Panic Attacks
  • Behavioral Changes
  • Central Nervous System Deficiency
  • Immune System Deficiency
  • Cardiovascular Changes
  • Irritable Digestive Systems.


The Benefits Of Group Exercises.

We have all heard about the benefits of exercise for years now. Exercise leads to an increased overall sense of mental wellbeing, decreased stress levels, a stronger heart, and much more. Even though most of us are well aware of these benefits, many still find it difficult to engage in a consistent physical fitness program that leads to lasting results. It could be because of a perceived lack of time, no motivation, or any of a number of other reasons that keep us from exercising as we should. 

Exercise with friends and family and build up relationships…

This is where group exercise can become so beneficial. Many people are finding that this form of fitness program provides numerous advantages over that of exercising alone. Consider the following four benefits of group exercise and look towards joining a program in your area very soon. 


Low-Pressure Social Activity

We have enough stress in our life already. Exercise does not need to become a burden. You know that it is necessary to a healthy body, but engaging in a fitness program on your own might increase your anxiety rather than reduce it. However, participating in group exercise allows you to engage in a social activity with very little pressure involved. You will feel better as a result, and this will bring about numerous benefits as a result. 


Get More Involved with Family and Friends

If you are finding that you have less and less time to spend with family and friends, group exercise is a way to change that. You will find that you look forward to each session. You can catch up with one another, laugh, and exchange stories all while getting the benefit of physical activity at the same time. This is a great way to enhance your overall sense of wellbeing. 


Have Others Help Keep You Accountable

When it comes to exercise, it is recommended that we have a plan for accountability. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to have others in a group setting that are depending on us being there. As a result, you will be less likely to miss any given session because you know that others will be wondering what happened to you. Likewise, you will also help to keep others accountable. This is a win-win situation for everyone involved. 


Avoid Isolation

If you are already feeling a bit beat up emotionally, you do not want to exercise alone. That just isolates you with your thoughts. Instead, you want to be with others who will uplift and encourage you. That is what you will get with group exercise. 

So, there you have it. If you are looking for ways to improve your mental wellbeing through fitness, then group exercise may just be the solution that you have been looking for. You can effectively lower your stress levels, decrease anxiety, and minimize the effects of depression as you break a sweat with others. Get out there and give it a try today.

Group exercise will uplift and encourage you..

Choosing Exercise For A Relaxed Mind.

Exercise relaxes our mind…

Choosing Exercise for a Relaxed Mind

Exercise is a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. The mind and body benefit in many ways from simple daily exercises. It is well known that exercise can lead to an improved physique. However, exercises can also improve the function of the brain as well. 

Exercises release endorphins. These are neurotransmitters that create a sense of euphoria and alertness. The production of stress-hormones like cortisol also decreases with exercise. So we find choosing exercise for a relaxed mind can help to regain control over life. 

Equipment or gym memberships are not required. Everyday activities are enough to live a healthier life. Every exercise should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the mind and body. 


Walking Outside 

Walking is the simplest form of exercise there is. There is little thought that goes into walking and the activity does not feel like a chore. A walk outside every day can alleviate stress and add years to life. 

A walk outside promotes more neural activity in the brain. It is believed that blue skies help to relax the brain. The fresh air that the brain receives from outside promotes circulation. Improved circulation can increase cognitive abilities. 


Hiking 

Hiking offers an opportunity to get in touch with nature. There is a strong connection between the human body and a natural environment. 

The human body is supposed to be neutrally charged. However, contact with any surface besides the bare ground creates a negative charge. This charge accumulates over a lifetime and does not leave the body until it encounters an opposing charge. 

A hike can help to relieve those charges. When you walk on the ground with your bare feet, this displaces the negative charge. As a result, the sinuses clear up, energy increases, and immunity improves. The body must be neutrally charged to maintain optimal health. 

Yoga can help alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety.


Yoga 

Yoga and meditation are commonly practiced around the world. They are best known for their healing and relaxing effects on the body. Yoga uses a variety of techniques to improve breathing. 

In fact, many of the symptoms related to stress and anxiety can be alleviated with improvements in breathing. Anytime the body releases stress hormones, the parasympathetic nervous systems activates. This results in rapid breathing. If breathing can be controlled, then feelings of stress and anxiety become more manageable. 

Another benefit of yoga is increased confidence. Yoga focuses on the development of the core muscles. Improvement of these muscles can lead to a better posture. There are many reports that correlate a strong posture with confidence 


Weight lifting 

Weight lifting can increase the production of testosterone. This hormone is known to inhibit the production of cortisol and regulate hormonal levels. The body also releases a surge of endorphins during a vigorous exercise. 

Weight lifting improves physique. This can help to create a greater sense of self-esteem for some people. 

Discipline is a key aspect of weight lifting. The discipline that is gained from weight lifting can make other tasks much easier. Thus, the benefits of weight lifting can transfer to any aspect of life and is just another exercise to help relax your mind