Christy's Healthy Living

There is no better gift you can give yourself than living a healthy lifestyle, Health they say is Wealth. In this hectic paced world that we live in, it is so easy to neglect your health through so much involvement in other life activities, work, family, social engagements takes lots of our time that the last thing on the list definitely will be health and wellness. At every point in time, it's necessary to pause, access, and take a good and realistic assessment concerning your state of health and make considerable changes where necessary. A healthy lifestyle will affect your life positively both physically and mentally. By taking care of your health, you could live, a long and healthy life.

 The following are easy and practical steps to stay healthy and live longer:



Go for a routine check-up: There is no better and practical way to start living a healthy lifestyle than first getting a full and true assessment of your current state of health. Most people wait until they are in their mid age or going true a serious health crisis before going for a checkup. For some those workout, but for others, it might end up being too late. It is better to have regular checkup so health issues arising could be quickly nipped in the bud. If you notice any anomalies, consult your physician immediately don't wait it out, doing so might end up fatal. Early, detection is crucial in healthcare and routine check-up is key to this.



Drink Enough Water:  Water is life. It is essentially necessary to drink at least 8 cups of water daily. This helps to flush out toxins and free radicals build up in the body. Free radicals cause various ailments and are also linked to cancer cells formation. It is a known fact that 60% of the human body mass is made up of water, and every day we lose a lot of water through perspiration, urine, and bowel movement been properly hydrated is important. Optimal hydration can be attained by consuming enough water. Drinking water helps your body fluid maintain its balance, this is necessary for good digestive health, the creation of saliva and maintaining body temperature. Dehydration has been known to trigger headaches and migraines in some individuals, being properly hydrated will prevent this from occurring. It is an absolute most to replenish your body daily by consuming enough beverage and water. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that Men should drink at least 13 cups of water daily and Women 9 cups daily.

There are lots of health benefits to drinking adequate water daily:

• flush out toxins
• improve your complexion
• Restore lost energy
• Regulates the body temperature
• Help prevent headaches and migraines
• Prevent and relieve constipation
• Prevent Backaches

Exercise: Exercise is one of the most effective ways of maintaining optimal health. It is also one proven way for keeping fit and in shape. As we age our bodily function starts to decline, so it is essential to stay active or else the aging process will be put in fast mode. Involving yourself in some form of physical activities at least 3 times in a week is good for your health. You don't necessarily have to join a gym(you could if you want to), if you're scared of the gym, the weightlifting and other kinds of stuff or you just simply don't have the time for going to the gym regularly,  there are many easy, and fun workouts that could be so beneficial for the body and time flexible. Walking, jogging, running, dancing, skipping rope, are some easy ways to introduce physical activities into your life and keep fit. Make sure to include cardiovascular workouts in your daily exercise. Aerobics is a great way to work the heart easily.




Healthy Diets: Balanced diets play a crucial role in your overall health. Eating healthy is important in attaining optimal health. Be sure to include all the major food groups in your diets, grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy, and meat. Individuals that eat food that is high in Fiber, Fruits, and Vegetable has been known to be more healthy and have a long lifespan. Introduce at least 30g of Fiber daily into your diets this will help reduce the risk of some diseases like Heart disease. When Eating for a healthier lifestyle, it is important to choose the right grain, fruits, vegetable that goes with your taste bud and one that you can keep eating for a long time. It is very easy to become bored when following a healthy diet, try different grains, fruits, and vegetable combination to keep your meal nutritious and interesting always.



Meditation:  Meditation is an excellent way to relax and relieve stress. Taking out 10 minutes daily to meditate can lead to a calm and peaceful mind and this will have a positive effect on your overall health. The American Heart Association in its report concludes that Meditation is an integral part of a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle. Meditation has the potential of reducing the risk of some heart-related diseases. Including meditation in your daily living will lead to improving sleep quality, less stress, lower blood pressure, alleviate anxiety and depression.

Living a healthy lifestyle is not rock science and might be easier than you think. Making small lifestyle changes here and there will lead to a better quality of life. Eat balanced diets, Drink enough water daily, Be active, and take time to meditate, this small changes if followed diligently will lead to a more healthy lifestyle and optimal health.

  Many people believe that to loss weight is not only a hard job but also a very painful one. To move those unshakable pounds, you should go hungry constantly. Many are reluctant to try and set a weight loss goal since they cannot stand the prospect of going hungry and the disappointments that it brings.

For many individuals it's simply preferable to be overweight, than to endure food cravings and who can blame them.
if the only realistic way to loss weight, or achieve your ideal weight goal is to go hungry all the time, not very many individuals would be at their optimal weight and by far most of us would be to a great degree overweight!

Our body is a unique device. It is truly astonishing. Its natural rhythm and internal workings notify us when we are hungry. It has a self protection mechanism, that lets you know when you need to stock up on fuel. Hunger is the one signal that the  body use in notifying you that you NEED to eat in order for you to maintain a healthy level of energy and have the reserves necessary for healing, repair and maintenance of your cells. Serious hunger pangs, are a strong self-preservation signal from the body that it is in dire need of food supply immediately to restore its balance. This signals should never be ignored!.

Starving yourself just doesn't work. It conflicts with nature, to believe that you can starve yourself and get in shape. Obviously there are exemptions when individuals just don't take in enough food to sustain themselves, however we all know the impacts of this kind of diets.

So, we know that starvation is not the answer, and you really do not want to spend all day in the gym trying to loss weight. So how do we lose weight then? Well the good news is you do not have to go hungry to lose weight. Nor do you need excessive amounts of exercise. The truth is, eating regular nutritional meals and allowing your body to fill itself to satisfaction, is the key to reaching and maintaining a healthy body and keeping in shape. By not allowing yourself go hungry you will in fact avoid overeating – which is the one essential and most important thing that usually happens when you break a starvation diet.

• Eat Small Meals: One method is to eat five or six, small and healthy meals divided up throughout your day. Instead of eating three large meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, divide the same quantity of food into 6 small meals instead, and have a healthy snacks in between. Endeavor to abstain from having the last dinner near sleep time,anything up to 2 hours before bed is good.

• Do not hesitate when you feel hungry.Eat as soon as you can. If you wait for a long period of time before you eat, your body will go into panic mode, thinking that you don't have enough resources to replenish it and this might lead to overeating later. Therefore, eating frequent yet smaller meals, will help keep your body satisfied and you will be less likely to over-indulge.

• Do not skip a meal in the hope that it will help burn off some extra calories. The general believe that skipping a meal  will save you from some calories or fat intake is really false, the opposite tends to happen. In addition, if you go for a long period without a meal you are much more likely to over-indulge when you get fed-up and can't take the starvation any more.

• Are you aware that by skipping meals you are actually slowing down your body metabolism? This is because when your body thinks there is a food shortage , it not only stores extra fat but it also slows down the amount of fat it burns. The body's natural survival instinct is triggered, and you end up putting  on extra weight and burning fewer calories and fat. As your body burns fat to convert into energy, you will soon find out that you become more lethargic and tired. Starving yourself just doesn't work!

• Apart from eating smaller, frequent meals, teach yourself to eat slower. Place your knife and fork down between every bite and chew for a few seconds longer than normal. When you eat at a fast pace, you tend to eat more before you have the time to recognize the" i am full "signal your body is sending to your brain. When you eat at a slower pace you tend to recognize these signals from your body ,and train yourself to identify them at an earlier stage.

• Add an additional 15minutes to your day daily, it might sound like a lot, but all you have to do is split it up throughout the day. Leave for work with an extra 5 minutes to spare and walk to a bus stop further away from your house or park the car 5 minutes further away than you normally do and walk. During lunch break, take a 5 minute stroll or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk to the local shop instead of driving. It is very easy to complete 15, 30 or even an hour's exercise everyday if you split it up like this. And remember starvation is not the answer, it just doesn't work.

There you have it, easy and healthy way to loss weight without starvation. if you like this article please share.

The secret to a  healthy and great looking skin might just be in your pantry. Forget all those chemical filled facial treatment,these 5 homemade mask will leave your face feeling fresh, smooth and beautiful without breaking the bank.

5 Homemade Facial Mask For Glowing Skin

• Banana Facial Mask: Having a beautiful and smooth face is more easier than you think. Mash up a Banana and splash it on your face for a beautiful glow.

      What you need:

• Small bowl

• Metal spoon for mashing

        Ingredients:
       1 ripe Banana

Method:
Break Banana into small pieces inside the mixing bowl. Mash thoroughly with the metal spoon.Apply the mixture on your face and leave it for 10 to 15minutes.
Rinse your face with warm water and pat dry with clean towel.

• Avocado Hydrating Mask: when your skin is all stressed out from being out all day, mash up Avocado and yogurt for a smooth stress free skin.

      What you need:

• Mixing bowl

• Spoon 

       Ingredients:

• 1/2 ripe Avocado
• 1 tablespoon plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon organic honey 

Method:
Mash the Avocado until its lump free, add the yogurt and honey and mix everything thoroughly together. Apply the mixture on your face and let it sit for at least 15 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water and pat dry.


Brown Sugar Facial Scrub:   Mix equal part Brown Sugar and coconut together and voila, you've got a great facial mask to keep your skin glowing always.

What you need

• Mixing bowl
• Spoon

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon coconut oil

Method:
Add the coconut oil to the brown sugar and mix all together. Apply mixture to face and rub gently in circular motion. Leave it on for 10 minutes. Wash off with warm water and pat dry.


Yogurt Facial Mask: Splashing plain yogurt on your face will not only cleanse your skin, but it will rejuvenate it in no time.

What you need:

• Mixing bowl
• spoon

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 tablespoon cooked oat
1 teaspoon honey

Method:
Mash all together to form a fine paste. Apply the mixture on your face and let it stand for 15minutes.
Wash off with lukewarm water



Egg Facial Mask: Pamper  yourself a little with this egg, lemon and honey facial mask mixture.

What you need:

• Mixing bowl
• Spoon

Ingredients:
1 egg( egg white only)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey

Method: 
In a clean bowl, crack the egg and remove the yolk( use only the egg white). Add the lemon juice and honey and whisk together. Apply on face and let it sit for 10minutes. Rinse off with warm water.


Pamper yourself with any of this simple and inexpensive homemade facial mask for glowing skin.