Relax & Sleep Well the Natural Way

Pressures of a busy and emotionally demanding life can take its toll on our health. This can affect how much energy we have, how we react (our mind and mood) and well we can cope with stresses and strains. For many, ‘good’ sleep is one of the initial areas to be diminished by a demanding life and a good proportion of people will say they rarely experience a good night’s sleep when under personal and professional pressure. For some, there is the time for the potential of 8 hours of slumber but they experience challenges such as: -

- feeling too awake before bedtime

- an over-active mind preventing them from falling asleep,

- trouble staying asleep (waking in the night)

- lack of deep peaceful sleep (sleep feels too light).

Worry can set in long term for those who persistently find the sleep subject a real issue – and this often just compounds the problem further.

Sleeping better lifestyle tips:
Avoid caffeine after 3 or 4pm and avoid sugary foods late in the evening.
Avoid using computers or laptops two hours before bed, as the blue light that they emit disrupts a sleep-inducing hormone called melatonin.
If your mind races with thoughts, write down what is bothering you on a note pad and decide to deal with it the next day (do the same if you wake up in the night). Most problems cannot be fixed while you are lying in bed so you may as well ‘park them’ till the new day.
Invest in black out curtains and use eye masks.

1. Manage the effects of a demanding life on your body

Perhaps surprisingly, what we eat can affect how easily we manage demanding days. Supporting the adrenal glands, which are partly responsible for our energy and stress hormone production, will have a good knock on effect to support better sleep in the evening. Eat plenty of dark green vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs, beans and lentils, and whole grains for the magnesium.

Tip: take a good dose of a magnesium supplement during the day as well as 2-3 hours before bed

2. Switch off your thoughts and brain

It’s common to find it hard to get to sleep because we can’t wind down from a busy day -particularly if work or other activities took us later into the evening, keeping our mind active and alert and preventing us from feeling tired enough to go to bed. People may choose to drink alcohol in the evening, but this should also be kept to a minimum: although it has sedating effects and can make us feel more relaxed, it also has some stimulating effects, and can deplete nutrients such as the B vitamins that help us to cope with a demanding lifestyle.

Tip: instead of alcohol trying using the traditional herbal medicine – valerian. This is used to aid sleeping by gently sedating and relaxing the body, based on traditional use.

3. Stop worrying

Concerns about keeping life’s spinning plates from dropping (metaphorically) can leave us feeling anxious during the day as well as into bedtime. Many will say they try to get to sleep but they are distracted by worries, which get in the way of feeling relaxed and naturally falling asleep.

Tip: As well as using vitamin B5 in the day time to support the nervous system, we also recommend using the herb – passion flower. Passion flower is for feelings of mild anxiety (so can be used in the daytime) as well as a sleep aid for night time, based on traditional use.

Mini-relaxations to ease holiday stress

Deep breathing, meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization can evoke a state of rest and release. Doing them can slow your heartbeat, calm your breathing, lower your blood pressure, and help you chill out.

You can’t necessarily eliminate the seasonal stressors. But you can counter them using the mini-relaxation exercises described below, adapted from Stress Management, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

When you’ve got 1 minute

Place your hand just beneath your navel so you can feel the gentle rise and fall of your belly as you breathe. Breathe in slowly. Pause for a count of three. Breathe out. Pause for a count of three. Continue to breathe deeply for one minute, pausing for a count of three after each inhalation and exhalation.

Another one-minute relaxation technique is to sit comfortably and take slow, deep breaths. Each time you breathe in, say to yourself “I am.” As you breathe out, say “At peace.” Repeat this several times. Feel your entire body relax into the support of the chair.

When you’ve got 2 minutes

Count down slowly from 10 to zero. With each number, take one complete breath, inhaling and exhaling. For example, breathe in deeply saying “10” to yourself. Breathe out slowly. On your next breath, say “nine,” and so on. If you feel lightheaded, count down more slowly to space your breaths further apart. When you reach zero, you should feel more relaxed. If not, go through the exercise again.

When you’ve got 3 minutes

Sit down and take a break from whatever you’re doing. Relax your facial muscles and allow your jaw to fall open slightly. Let your shoulders drop. Let your arms fall to your sides. Allow your hands to loosen so that there are spaces between your fingers. Uncross your legs or ankles. Feel your thighs sink into your chair, letting your legs fall comfortably apart. Feel your shins and calves become heavier and your feet grow roots into the floor. Now breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly. Each time you breathe out, relax even more.

When you’ve got 5 minutes

Try self-massage. A combination of strokes works well to relieve muscle tension. Try gentle chops with the edge of your hands or tapping with fingers or cupped palms. Put fingertip pressure on muscle knots. Knead across muscles, and try long, light, gliding strokes. You can apply these strokes to any part of the body that falls easily within your reach. For a short session like this, try focusing on your neck and head.
Start by kneading the muscles at the back of your neck and shoulders. Make a loose fist and drum swiftly up and down the sides and back of your neck. Use your thumbs to work tiny circles around the base of your skull. Slowly massage the rest of your scalp with your fingertips. Then tap your fingers against your scalp, moving from the front to the back and then over the sides.
Massage your face. Make a series of tiny circles with your thumbs or fingertips. Pay particular attention to your temples, forehead, and jaw muscles. Use your middle fingers to massage the bridge of your nose and work outward over your eyebrows to your temples.

When you’ve got 10 minutes

Try imagining yourself away from stress. Start by sitting comfortably in a quiet room. Breathe deeply for a few minutes. Now picture yourself in a place that conjures up good memories. What do you smell — the heavy scent of roses on a hot day, crisp fall air, the wholesome smell of baking bread? What do you hear? Drink in the colors and shapes that surround you. Focus on sensory pleasures: the swoosh of a gentle wind; soft, cool grass tickling your feet; the salty smell and rhythmic beat of the ocean. Passively observe intrusive thoughts, and then gently disengage from them to return to the world you’ve created.

The Benefits of Ordering Takeaway Food Online

Ordering a takeaway food online is one of the easiest and simplest methods for purchasers because it has a lot of advantages. Virtually everybody in today’s world is busy with daily activities and most of the older members of a family are job holders or businessmen. It becomes quite tough to cook a healthy meal at times after a day of hectic job. Therefore, we are able to currently look to order takeaway food from the net through numerous websites. It is a solution to prevailing problems of not having time to cook.

Ordering takeaway food online can decrease the amount of time spent on recipes. These days, most of the individuals attend restaurants and takeaways for consumption and a number of the explanations why ordering takeaway food online is fashionable include:

People are too busy to Cook

Man is becoming more engaged with the advancement in technology. To fend for the need of the family, every member of the family is supporting the family budget. So, everyone is occupied and busy.

People love the delicious and totally different style of dish

Food is not only meant to satisfy the stomach, it is also designed to satisfy the appetite. Online takeaway food appeals to the appetite. It is delicious and it is prepared in such a way to make it irresistible to man’s appetite

Price is worthy for the food

Preparing delicious foods at home may be costly. Many people are looking for ways to cut cost. Ordering food online saves cost and the food is worth every penny that is paid for it.

It is tough to organize sure sophisticated recipes reception

Mastering complex recipes is always a Herculean task. The only escape route to having great delicacies without being a good cook is by ordering takeaway food online. The food will be excellently prepared by outstanding cooks and chefs.

Fast food is prepared inside minutes and might help you save valuable time

The food that is ordered online can be prepared within minutes saving one a lot of time. Valuable time is spared to attend to other things that are more important.

Ordering takeaway food online is the best choice for highly engaged individuals. The recent system of ordering the food by calling restaurant is one of the best happenings in this jet age. The whole process may be completed in minutes and permits you to have your fancy food on your doorstep in a matter of minutes.

People of recent, are searching for convenience and therefore the whole system is simple, fast and most of all, each order is taken entirely like creating the order within the takeaway itself. You get what you wish, and the way you wish it, while the human errors are eliminated completely.

Many will assume ordering takeaway food online isn’t safe, well that’s not true any longer. There are many secure payment choices among that PayPal is most popular by most. You can pay securely for your order without leaving the comfort of your home. If you are using the net and haven’t yet ordered a takeaway food online, you’re undoubtedly missing a lot. Why not give it an attempt soon.

If you’re an owner of a takeaway, and don’t have an Internet ordering system however, you’re undoubtedly missing so much and leaving a lot of money on the table. Online presence gives room for flexibility and completing orders with ease. There are numerous advantages that come with this beautiful approach that comes with getting your food on time at the comfort of your home.

4 Ways to Make Fit Happen—Every Day

A funny thing happens when you fill a room with endorphins, ambition, and fitness buffs: you become majorly motivated. That's how we felt after #FitBlogNYC Meet & Tweet, an annual event where we unite the best in the fitness biz to talk exercise, food, and more. Here are some fitspiring highlights from the day.

Make Time for Fitness (It's Easier Than You Think)
Short on time? #BeenThere. Consider what's going to give you the most bang for your exercise buck. "Work out smarter, not longer," says celebrity trainer Holly Rilinger, who recommends resistance training with minimal rest in between sets, even if you only have 20 minutes. We suggest these strength-building workouts.

Forget the Haters

Oh, you love marathons, but your husband thinks distance running is a waste of time? Then, he doesn't need to run one. Whether it's CrossFit, yoga, or weight lifting, the best form of exercise is the one you stick with. "There are a million ways to work out—find something that has passion behind it," says Rilinger.

Don't Overdo It

While a certain degree of muscle soreness is normal the day after an intense workout, it shouldn't prevent you from sticking to your normal routine. "If you can't walk up the stairs, it might be too much," says Marci Goolsby, MD, assistant attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in the Women's Sports Medicine Center in New York City. "The important thing is to stay mobile."

Do What You Love

"If you want to do something, you do a good job," says Carla Hall, co-host of ABC's The Chew and owner of Petite Cookies. This applies to your workouts, your career, and your cooking: find something you love, go all-in, and do it right.

Why Breakfast is Important

If you were to go 6 to 9 hours during the day without eating you would be feeling very hungry but if you think about it, this is what you do during the night. If you don’t have breakfast then this ‘fast’ may continue for several hours longer.

Although this rest from food gives your digestion a well-deserved rest, delaying food for so long may lead to overeating when you do decide to eat and cause you to choose sugary foods instead of more balanced options to give you that instant energy hit.

You may also find you play ‘catch up’ with your calories leaving you eating far more than you should late at night, when it is more likely to be stored as fat then used for energy.

Remember – research shows that people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight than those that don’t.

* Low blood sugar levels that may accompany bouts of fasting can cause symptoms of:
Paleness.

* Shakiness and trembling.

* Lack of energy, as a result you will feel fatigue, weakness, and have poor coordination.
* Increased hunger

* Irritability, anxiety, agitation

* You may also have excessive sweating /perspiration.

* Problem in concentrating

* Confusion

The brain in particular may perform better with the instant source of energy it gets from food (eating), so if you want to be working at your full potential then eat breakfast!

Breakfast ideas – for when you have NO time in the morning

Eat your fruits/vegetables nuts and seeds and still get to the office on time!

If you are too busy to make breakfast in the mornings buy a blender that is very easy to use and clean such as the Nutri Bullet.

The great thing about this type of blender is its design. The blender’s container is removable and doubles up as the cup you drink your smoothies from. The blender’s blade is also removable which makes it super easy to clean as there are no ‘hard to reach’ bits.

Why blending rather than juicing can be quicker and healthier:

* You are able to blend whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds and so retain all the fibre

* When you juice you have to clean up the pulp (extracted fibre) which is fiddly and messy
When you juice you have to ‘feed’ through the produce which takes longer than blending it
* The Nutri Bullet can be blended with water, not fruit juice, making the smoothies much lower in fructose than smoothies made with fruit juice or juice by itself

*You can add nutrients rich foods such as spirulina, maca and barley grass when you blend and nuts and seeds which will give you essential fats

So you now you have some great ideas to get you started, if your still not convinced then why not try eating Breakfast for one week and see how you feel.