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10 Foods To Avoid If You Suffer From Constipation

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Constipated? Understanding the condition can help you fix it.

Constipation interrupts regular bowel movements, resulting in difficulty passing stool. Having fewer than three bowel movements a week or a significant decrease in the frequency of the typical number of bowel movements over that period meets the diagnosis criteria for constipation. Of course, the frequency of bowel movements can be highly subjective, as it can vary widely from person to person.

Physical complications that lead to constipation symptoms originate in the large intestine (colon). Food moves through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract during digestion, absorbing food and nutrients to be delivered throughout the body via the blood stream. When the colon absorbs too much water, waste moving through the colon doesn’t get the moisture it needs to pass effectively. As a result, it takes much longer for food to pass through the colon, resulting in dry, hard stool. Often, however, the stool is unable to be passed at all.

Constipation is a prevalent, typically acute condition, affecting nearly everyone at some point. Demographically, women, children, and adults over 65 tend to experience constipation more frequently than others. Per the National Health Service (UK), one in every seven adults and one in every three children have constipation at any given time.

Constipation is rarely serious, though the symptoms can be quite uncomfortable. Constipation can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).

“Constipation can occur in babies, children, and adults. It’s estimated that around 1 in every 7 adults and 1 in every 3 children has constipation at any one time.” – NHS Inform (source)

Causes

The leading causes of acute constipation include:

  • Lack of fiber in one’s diet
  • Change to one’s dietary habits
  • A sudden change in lifestyle
  • Mood disorders, particularly anxiety and depression
  • Not drinking enough water (dehydration)
  • Ignoring the need to defecate
  • Frequent exposure to stress
  • Side effects of medications such as beta-blockers and antidepressants

Chronic constipation frequently stems from a health issue affecting the colon and rectum. Pelvic muscle abnormalities or a hormonal imbalance may also serve as causes for this chronic issue. Neurological problems, including autonomic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury can damage nerves in the colon and rectum, resulting in chronic constipation.

The pelvic muscles also play a role in passing a bowel movement. Not being able to relax and contract these muscles, or muscle weakness in the pelvic area can cause chronic constipation. These conditions are known as anismus and dyssynergia, respectively.

Finally, hormonal complications from medical conditions (disease and non-disease) can lead to chronic constipation. These include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, and hypothyroidism.

yoga for constipation

Read ten reasons why you should try yoga when you’re constipated.

Risk factors

Some things increase the risk of developing constipation, including:

  • Anxiety, fear, or worry
  • Autoimmune disorders (e.g., lupus)
  • Childbirth
  • Cancer
  • Changes to bowel movements
  • Certain medications, including antidepressants, calcium channel blockers, and prescription pain relievers
  • Diabetes
  • Inadequate or unhealthy diet
  • Intestinal complications (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease)
  • Lack of exercise or physical movement
  • Lupus
  • Muscle disorders
  • Neurological disorders
  • Pregnancy

The Role of Food in Constipation

As you most likely know, food plays a significant role in developing and preventing constipation. Here are ten foods and food types that you should avoid if you’ve had constipation troubles (and what do):

  1. Alcohol

As mentioned, food and waste require water to move normally through our intestines. When lacking H2O, digestion in this area slows. Well, since alcohol consumption drastically increases the risk of dehydration, it is more likely that one will develop constipation.

What to do: If you must drink (and who doesn’t on occasion?) do yourself a favor and keep a water bottle handy (don’t forget actually to drink from it!) If you’re feeling superhero-ish, strongly restrict your drinking or abstain from the bottle altogether for a predetermined length of time.

  1. Dairy products

Milk, cheese, ice cream, and most other dairy products are both high in fat and low in fiber. This nutritional composition isn’t ideal for our tummies – and can lead to constipation. Lactose intolerance, a condition affecting up to 70 percent of us, may also cause constipation.

What to do: It’s best to look for dairy that is low in fat and sugar. Also, try to limit dairy products to a maximum of three servings daily.

  1. Frozen dinners

Frozen dinners are “Exhibit A” against the Western diet. Most frozen foods (not all) are packed with fat, salt, and empty calories. Fat increases feelings of satiety while sodium promotes dehydration. Both factors significantly increase the odds of developing constipation. Not to mention that frozen dinners are also loaded with additives and preservatives.

What to do: Frozen dinners are attractive because of their convenience, which is totally understandable. Just please keep in mind that there are plenty of healthier frozen dinner choices. Per WebMD, the following brands are the best bets:

  • Michelina’s Budget Gourmet
  • Lean Cuisine
  • Smart Ones
  • Healthy Choice

  1. Cookies and other pastries

Cookies – along with other pastries such as cakes – lack water content while they are also high in fat and low in fiber. Basically, these foods are some of the worst for overall health and digestion.

What to do: Pastries and baked goods are best consumed in strict moderation. Fresh fruits will also satisfy your sweet tooth and provide much less fat. The high fiber content of fruit also helps digestion.

  1. Fast/fried foods

Both fast and fried foods can cause constipation due to their high fat content, near-absence of fiber, and empty calories. The adverse effect of fried foods on digestion is compounded in that they effectively replace more nutritious foods. That is, lunch at a fast food place isn’t considered “lunch” by your body. The body needs a certain dose of nutrients of which it is being deprived.

What to do: Eat fast and fried foods on rare occasions. If you must eat out, choose a healthier option like a salad with low-fat dressing. Hold off on the soda and instead opt for water.

  1. Potato chips and other high-fat snacks

Foods that are high in fat, healthy or unhealthy, promote feels of fullness. People who eat too many high-fat snacks often do so are the expense of healthy fats and other digestion-aiding foods.

What to do: First, limit snacks to the rare occasion. Second, to benefit your overall health (and digestion!), eat snacks that are low in fat and, ideally, contain some fiber. Nuts and seeds are good examples.

  1. Refined (processed) grains

Refined grains – as with refined sugars – offer little to nothing in the way of nutritional value. The processing that these grains undergo removes the bran and the germ; the healthy parts of the grain, in other words. Oh, and the refinement process also eliminates the fiber, iron, and most B vitamins from the product.

What to do: Choose whole grains, every time. Stay away from “white” varieties of bread, flour, and rice. Brown rice and whole grain bread are healthier options that retain their nutritional value.

  1. Red meat

Western society’s insatiable craving for red meat, not necessarily the red meat itself, leads to constipation. Per nutritional experts, the Western diet effectively replaces healthy foods that help digestion (e.g. lettuce, other greens, and potatoes) with too much red meat.

What to do: Some of us occasionally like a nice steak, and that’s fine and dandy. The thing to remember is not to let meat consumption get out of control. If you love red meat, consuming no more than 1-2 servings weekly is best.

  1. Unripe bananas

While it pains the writer to include the word “bananas” on any “Don’t eat this!” list, unripe (read: green) bananas can cause a mean bout of constipation. The reason is that green bananas contain high amounts of starch, which the body finds it difficult to digest.

What to do: Eat ripe bananas packed with soluble fiber and great for digestion health. (Yes, it’s okay to go back to the grocery store and buy the yellow ‘nanas!)

  1. Gluten-rich foods

gluten-free

Gluten is a protein substance that makes up the elastic texture of the pre-prepared dough, most commonly in cereal grains such as wheat. Functionally, gluten gives some foods their shape, effectively acting as glue.

What to do: In addition to constipation, other signs of gluten intolerance include bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches, fatigue, skin problems, weight loss, and anemia. If you experience a combination of these symptoms, you may have some intolerance for gluten. It is advisable to stay away from food products containing it.

7 Signs of an Iodine Deficiency to Never Ignore

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What is Iodine?

Iodine is a chemical element and nutrient found in some foods. The human body requires iodine to produce thyroid hormones and other hormones.

In this article, we will discuss seven signs of iodine deficiency. Also, we’ll list some excellent sources of iodine, interesting iodine facts, and important health uses for the element.

Facts About Iodine

One day in 1811, some chemist was busy fiddling with seaweed ash when he found that adding sulfuric acid produced an “unusual purple vapor.” As with many other significant scientific and medical discoveries, iodine was pure luck!

The French chemist Bernard Courtois was one smart guy. We owe the advent of morphine to not only Courtois (and another French chemist Armand Seguin) but also the chemical isolation of iodine. (Most sadly, Mr. Courtois passed before patenting his discovery with the French government, leaving his wife and young son penniless.)

Here are a few other interesting facts about iodine:

  • 50 percent of the global supply of iodine is used for manufacturing medicine.
  • Iodine can be extracted from oil wells in the form of brine water.
  • Natural sources of iodine are found mainly in seawater and seaweed.

iodine deficiency

Health Uses of Iodine

As stated, half of the global supply of iodine is used in medication manufacturing. Along with medicines, there are many other health uses for iodine, including:

– Conjunctivitis (pinkeye):

Iodine-povidone solutions lower the risk of pinkeye in newborns. Iodine-povidone may also reduce the risk of bloodstream infections from catheter use.

– Ulcers:

Research shows that venous leg ulcer patients treated with the application of cadexomer iodine and compression heal faster than other groups. Iodine also helps treat diabetic ulcers.

– Iodine deficiency:

An iodine supplementation (including iodized salt) is effective for the prevention and treatment of iodine deficiency.

– Radiation exposure:

Oral administration of iodine has shown effective for protecting against radiation exposure to iodides in emergency situations.

– Thyroid problems:

Studies show that iodine supplementation improves the medical outcomes in patients with thyroid disorders – such as hyperthyroidism and storm thyroid.

– Water purification:

Water contamination in underdeveloped and developing countries is a leading cause of disease, death, and illness. Iodine eliminates bacteria, parasites, and viruses in water by altering the ionic balance contained within their cells.

Iodine Deficiencies and the Thyroid

“…many parts of the world do not have enough iodine available through their diet, and iodine deficiency continues to be an important public health problem globally. Approximately 40% of the world’s population remains at risk for iodine deficiency.” – American Thyroid Association (source)

In developed countries, the widespread use of iodized salt has eliminated iodine deficiency. However, in underdeveloped and developing countries, iodine deficiency is among the leading causes of disability, illness, and death.

Iodine is a critical element for thyroid function. The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped, ductless gland that sits just below your Adam’s apple and wraps around the neck’s windpipe. The thyroid contains two lobes connected by a “bridge” called the isthmus. Unless the thyroid gland is enlarged you can not feel or see it.

Among the vital functions of the thyroid hormones:

  • – Brain function: Thyroid hormones are essential for brain function and maturation, particularly during pregnancy. Iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of intellectual disabilities worldwide.
  • – Metabolism: Thyroid hormones increase our basal metabolic rate, affecting body temperature, heart rate, energy production, brain maturation, bone and muscle growth, and cognitive functions such as concentration and reflex actions.

7 Signs of Iodine Deficiency

  1. Swelling of the neck (goiter)

Swelling of the neck – or goiter – is the most common physical sign of iodine deficiency. Goiters develop from low levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the blood – in which iodine serves as a building block. When the body lacks iodine in the body, it also lacks TSH. The thyroid gland works harder to compensate for this shortage, causing cells to multiply. These excel cells accumulate and eventually lead to a goiter.

  1. Weight gain

As discussed, thyroid hormones play a vital role in regulating metabolism. Shortage of thyroid hormones essentially stunts the metabolic rate responsible for converting food into energy and heat. As a result of the slow basal metabolic rate, the body burns fewer calories at rest, meaning that more food is stored as fat.

  1. Fatigue

Over eight in ten people with low thyroid hormone count experience weakness and fatigue. This is because the thyroid hormones enable proper cellular energy function. Of course, low energy levels make the body feel sluggish, tired, and weak. In a study of 2,500, researchers found fatigue and weakness to be the most commonly reported symptom of moderately low to low thyroid hormone levels.

  1. Hair loss

Among its numerous other responsibilities, thyroid hormones enable the growth of hair follicles. For this reason, individuals with low hormone levels may experience hair loss. The research is somewhat opaque on this matter. However, some studies claim upwards of 30 percent of people report a loss of hair; other studies claim that such numbers apply to people with low iodine count and a family history of hair loss.

  1. Dry skin

Thyroid hormones are also involved in skin cell regeneration. As such, when hormone levels are low, dry and dead skin cells accumulate and produce appearance of flaky skin. Thyroid hormones also help to regulate sweat production while sweat works to hydrate your skin properly. Therefore, low thyroid hormone levels can further exacerbate dry skin issues by stunting rehydration.

  1. Heart rate fluctuation

Iodine deficiency can result in noticeable changes to heart rate (number of beats per second). Shortage of iodine may cause the heart rate to slow while excess iodine may cause it to beat too fast. The former may worsen fatigue, weakness, or sluggishness symptoms.

  1. Cognitive difficulties

Besides iodine deficiency being a leading cause of mental retardation in newborns (which is tragic), it turns out that nor getting enough of the element may also cause problems with learning and memory. Multiple studies show hippocampal abnormalities in people with low thyroid hormone counts, potentially explaining these cognitive anomalies. Underdevelopment of the brain doesn’t always produce clinically verifiable retardation but can still stunt normal cognitive progression.

Sources of Iodine

While iodine supplements may be convenient and helpful, many food sources contain high levels of the element. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of iodine is 150 micrograms (mcg). In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) established new iodine requirements for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding, explicitly recommending that “pregnant and lactating women cook with iodized salt and take a daily supplement with 150 mcg of iodine to reach a total of 290 mcg per day.”

Below are ten foods rich in iodine:

  1. Seaweed (Kombu Kelp, Wakame, Nori): 2000+ mcg per sheet (>2000% daily value)
  2. Cod: 60-99 mcg per 3 ounces (40-66% daily value)
  3. Dairy (Milk, Yogurt, Cottage cheese): 80-170 mcg per 8 ounces (60-110% daily value); Plain yogurt per cup: ~75 mcg (50% daily value); Cottage cheese per cup: 65 mcg (43% daily value)
  4. Iodized salt: 71 mcg per ¼ teaspoon (47% daily value; ½ teaspoon of iodized salt daily is sufficient daily intake, therefore, it is enough to prevent deficiency.)
  5. Shrimp: 35 mcg per 3 ounces (23% daily value)
  6. Tuna: 17 mcg per 3 ounces (11% daily value)
  7. Eggs: 24 mcg per one large egg (16% daily value)
  8. Prunes: 13 mcg per five dried prunes (9% daily value)
  9. Lima beans: 16 mcg per one cup (10% daily value)
  10. Non-organic bread: 15 mcg per slice (10% daily value)

7 Habits Soul Mates Have In Common

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Many people dream of meeting their soul mate, but it’s much easier said than done. That’s why so many people don’t believe in the idea of soul mates. Many believe it’s just a far-fetched fantasy and that there’s no such thing.

The truth is that soul mates do exist. They’re not as fancy or glorified as people make them out to be, but finding “the one” is completely possible. These are people who complement you, who you’d like to spend the rest of your life with, and who treat you right – all  while you do the same for them.

So let’s say you’re in a good relationship. How do you know that person truly is the one? How do you know you aren’t just caught up in the love bug and don’t realize you might not be entirely right for each other? What if you’re with your soul mate and just aren’t aware of it?

The good news is that there are signs that suggest your partner is more than just another romantic interest. There are ways true “twin flames” behave around each other that indicate their relationship runs deeper than the typical partnership. Here are some habits soul mates have in common.

Here Are 7 Habits Soul Mates Have In Common

soulmate

1.    They Respect Each Other’s Differences But Are Similar Where It Counts

A soul mate isn’t meant to be the other half to your whole. You’re meant to be two unique, individual people. This means that there are going to be some different opinions.

Instead of trying to change each other to be more like them, soul mates respect each other’s differences. Tolerating differences and accepting them is crucial to a true partnership, and it avoids many potentially bad arguments. You love each other for your differences, not in spite of them.

At the same time, soul mates will have similar values and traits where it matters, according to David Klow, who is an author and licensed family therapist. Most people have a list of non-negotiable things they desire in a partner. Some examples of reasonable non-negotiables that someone might have are:

  • Doesn’t smoke, drink, or do drugs
  • Wants children
  • Is for/against (insert political or social movement)
  • Has a good career plan

Choosing a life partner is an important task, so it makes sense that someone has some deal-breakers and makers. Soul mates meet each other’s “requirements” and don’t need to change themselves to fit them. This is a true sign of compatibility that isn’t forced and bodes well for the future.

2.    Their Communication Is On Point

Positive communication is one of the most important aspects of a relationship, and soul mates have this skill down pat. When they have concerns or disagreements, they know how to talk it out in a productive and efficient way. They don’t use unhealthy, emotionally twisting tactics, and they rarely bother dropping hints – they are straightforward and direct so everyone is on the same page.

This also means that both parties in the relationship are happy to listen to their partner, even about things they don’t necessarily understand or agree with. Their ears are open and they make their partner feel heard and valued because they truly want to know what that partner has to say.

  • Soul mates who communicate well also never have trouble starting conversations with each other.
  • They talk about anything and everything, listen to each other’s stories about their days, and are not afraid to bring up any topic.
  • At the same time, they understand the value of quietly hanging out together and enjoy many comfortable moments of silence!

3.    They Just “Get” Each Other

Couples can have an intuitive bond that allows them to know each other extremely well. This is very true for soul mates, and sometimes you might feel that yours knows you better than you know yourself.

As an example, your partner may know that a particular facial expression means you want to leave a party. They might know you’re having a bad day based on the movie you put on or the food you’re eating. They may be able to predict your reactions and even list out a number of unconscious habits you display – including ones you might not be aware of!

But it’s not just about recognizing quirky habits. It’s also about being able to pick up on your partner’s emotions. You might intuitively know when your partner is feeling down, needs comforting, or needs some quiet alone time. You’re able to step in to help when needed, and they’re able to do the same for you.

You might also just really feel like your soul mate understands you. They just get you, and it’s a wonderful feeling in a relationship.

4.    They Talk About Their Futures

A soul mate is in itfor the long haul. They will have no trouble discussing their future plans, and you’ll always be a part of their visions of their upcoming days. Someone who isn’t happy discussing the future likely doesn’t see themselves in yours, or you in theirs.

Soul mates will also likely find it easy to talk about difficult subjects regarding the future. They’re not afraid to discuss career goals, location possibilities, and building a family. They discuss fears and compromises, talk about contingency plans or game plans for troubling times, and are able to responsibly and maturely plan for a shared future.

Another reason this is important is that it indicates a mature relationship. It shows that, even if thinking about the future seems daunting, you are willing to discuss it and form some sort of plan. It means that both parties have ambition and goals, signifying their responsibility and mental maturity – something very important in any partnership.

  • You don’t have to build vision boards and exchange them.
  • All you have to do is be on the general same page when it comes to what direction your lives are going.
  • Most importantly, you know that no matter where life takes you, you’re both in it together.
  • That’s the kind of positive thinking that keeps a couple together!

5.    They’re Comfortable Around Each Other

People make jokes about how you know the romance has died if you’re so comfortable around each other when using the bathroom, lying around looking like a mess, or wearing your worst, ugliest clothes. But that doesn’t really mean the romance has died; it means that you’re comfortable with each other, and that’s a beautiful thing!

Think about it. If you can see each other at your absolute worst and still find the other person attractive and be more in love than ever, you’ve met your soul mate. Of course, some people take more time to feel comfortable than others, so don’t feel pressured to adapt too quickly. But this comfort is a big sign of intimacy – and it’s one of the many habits soul mates have in common.

This also means that soul mates are at peace being entirely themselves around each other. They don’t worry that being their true selves will make the other person love them less. They can be honest and open and hide nothing from the other. That’s what happens when two people truly become one family – or, more accurately, when two people realize they perfectly complement each other.

6.    They Approach Problems As A Team

Life is always going to have speed bumps. Hurdles will surely appear in the road ahead, no matter if you’re single or in a relationship. But knowing how to handle those hurdles makes all the difference.

When you and a soul mate fight, you recognize that there are ways to do so in a constructive way. You communicate your feelings effectively, refrain from personal attacks, and practice positive thinking. You recognize that it’s not one partner versus the other, it’s the relationship versus the problem.

The same goes for non-fight problems, such as losing a job, having issues with money, facing a natural disaster, or getting along poorly with a partner’s family member. Soul mates team up and challenge these struggles together, and they often emerge even stronger from them.

Even with individual struggles, such as personal problems, a soul mate is there to support you and you are there to support them. Those who aren’t soul mates may turn on each other, toss around blame, or become reserved and distant. Soul mates realize that there’s no one they’d rather have by their side through difficult times than their other half, and it’s a beautiful habit to behold.

7.    They Are Best Friends Who Respect Each Other

Above all else, soul mates don’t just love each other – they like each other. Their respect for each other runs deep, and they’re more than just romantic partners. They’re also the best of friends. After all, friendship is an incredibly strong foundation for longevity in a relationship. And what is it that best friends do? They respect one another.

soul mates

The positive strength of friendship is what you need to outlast bad times and thrive during good times. It’s what you need to accept each other, love each other, and challenge each other to be better people without forcing the other person to change who they are. You share a sense of humor, you get along all the time, and you love just hanging out and chatting.

  • This also means you’re not shutting out the rest of the world to be with a soul mate only.
  • You have your own friendships and have your own life outside of the relationship, and they do too.
  • Just because you like spending time with each other the most doesn’t mean you don’t have separate interests and social circles!
  • You’re your own unique people, and you love that about each other.

Final Thoughts On Habits Soul Mates Have In Common

Have you met your soul mate? Do you and your current partner share these 7 habits soul mates have in common? Finding your perfect match isn’t easy, but when you do, everything falls into place and you realize that you want to be with that person forever.

If you haven’t met your soul mate yet, don’t sweat it. Love isn’t something that can be rushed, and you can be rest assured that it will come just when the time is right – mark our words!

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The 5 Most Important Traits You’ll Need to Attract Your Soulmate

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The love of your life is waiting for you, but how will you find them? While you may think Tinder-ing your life away will bring your significant other your way, the truth is actually a bit more complex. In order for the universe to send your significant other to you, you must attract them.

Traits to Attract Your Soulmate

While you may think that “attracting” someone will require you to focus on your physical appearance, the reality is that you actually must look inwards. The following five traits will help you attract the love of your life:

1. Be Intentional

While you can’t conjure up a soulmate out of thin air, there is something to be said about being intentional in your pursuit of a soulmate.

Attracting a soulmate is as much about what you want from them as it is figuring out what you want from yourself. While we all get lonely in life, that cannot be the only reason that you want to fall in love.

If you truly hope to manifest your soulmate, you must first discover the true intentions behind your journey for love.

The type of person that you attract is directly correlated to the intentions that you set. If you set out to find someone to share a life with, you’re already on the right track to finding your ideal partner.

How to Become Intentional

Once your intentions are set, the challenge becomes figuring out how to translate them into your actual dating habits. Consider the following tips whether you are actively dating or waiting to meet “the One”:

  • Establish Your Purpose: If you’re looking for your life partner, it’s important that you are dating with this purpose in mind. Rather than creating an atmosphere of just “hanging out” or “testing the waters”, make it clear to the other person that you’re searching for something that will last a lifetime.
  • Be Clear: In relationships, it’s important that both people are on the same page. Even if you’ve just started showing interest in someone, it’s important to be clear about everything. While you needn’t lay all your cards on the table on the first date, don’t hide anything either. Eliminate the potential for confusion and focus on always communicating clearly.

2. Love Yourself

You’re looking for love but have you first looked inward? The search for your soulmate must start with the search for true love within yourself.

Our entire lives are really a journey to understand and accept ourselves fully and completely. We all have our own faults and strengths and we must learn to love both in order to evolve into the best version of ourselves.

Without this type of love, we will never be able to truly love anyone else, as we won’t understand how we deserve to be loved.

If you’re setting out to attract your soulmate, start by reflecting on how you can do better to love yourself. Look inside and see if there are any issues from your past that are still affecting your present so that you can work on them while waiting to meet the One.

Learning to Love Yourself

We never stop learning how to love ourselves. The more we get to know and love ourselves, the better prepared we will be to give and receive love. Practice self-love with these tips:

  • Start the Day with Affirmations: Don’t let the day start without you telling yourself how worthy you are. Spend your first morning minutes breathing in love. Focus on meditating on how incredible you are and how deserving you are of love.
  • Focus on Positivity: Fostering a sense of self-love is all about focusing on the positives in life. While you shouldn’t force yourself to be happy all the time, train your mind to think positive thoughts by catching yourself whenever something negative enters your mind.While this transformation won’t happen overnight, every step will help shift your thinking.
  • Focus on Personal Development: Always be willing to grow. Dedicating yourself to constant improvement is an important act of self-love. While none of us are perfect or will ever become perfect, we can always become better.

3. Prioritize Gratitude

Gratitude is a trait that is often overlooked these days. However, gratitude is essential if you hope to attract your soulmate.

Focusing on all the positive blessings in your life will help you feel fulfilled and complete even prior to finding your soulmate. This will help shape your positive outlook on life, ensuring that you keep attracting more positivity into your life.

Moreover, as you practice being grateful for what you already have, make a point to be thankful for what has yet to come.

Think about all the qualities that you want in a partner and start expressing gratitude for what will happen in your future. Whether it is tomorrow or it is later on down the road, this type of gratitude is an example of the law of attraction at work.

Learning How to Express Gratitude

Gratitude isn’t confined to the thank you’s we give to people after they’ve done something for us. True gratitude comes from understanding how beautiful it is to simply exist. Consider the following tips to learn how to better express gratitude:

  • Appreciate All the Little Things: It’s easy to complain about everything that goes wrong in our daily lives. However, making a habit of having gratitude will allow you to see that the universe is conspiring to give you good things in life. One of which will ultimately be the love of your life.
  • Write in a Gratitude Journal: As you meditate on all of the positives in your life, don’t forget to write these things down. This will help you remember all of these blessings, whether they’re big or small.
  • Volunteer Your Time: One way to express more gratitude in life is to give back more often. Volunteering your time in order to help others will increase your well-being and ultimately improve your capacity to experience gratitude.

4. Visualize to Attract Your Soulmate

The best is yet to come and if you really believe that, you’ll live life like this statement is absolutely true. By visualizing your desires, you will manifest their existence into your reality.

As you attempt to attract your soulmate, you must visualize them. When you firmly believe and actively imagine this meeting taking place, you are setting yourself up to meet the love of your life.

soulmate

While there is no way to know when this meeting will take place, you agreeing to visualize this reality already proves that you KNOW it will happen one day and when it does, you’ll be ready.

Tips for Visualizing

Finding true love through visualization isn’t only possible, it’s essential when trying to find your soulmate. Try these exercises as you work to strengthen your visualization skills:

  • Write Down Your Future Partner’s Ideal Attributes: Specificity is needed when working to attract your significant other. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, the universe won’t know what desires to answer.After you meditate on all of these attributes, destroy the list that you’ve written. Just as it is important to know what you want, it is also necessary for you to relinquish control.
  • Make Daily Steps Towards Your Goal: Visualization is as much about speaking your desire into existence as it is about making it happen. Do one thing each day that will bring your dream into reality.Whether that is practicing self-love or being open to the possibility of meeting new people, readying yourself to meet the love of your life will help you to prepare for when it does happen.
  • Keep Going: Being lonely isn’t a pleasant feeling. Instead of obsessing over these feelings, think about how this time is shaping you to better appreciate your future love when you do meet them.

5. Have Patience

Ever heard that the minute you stop looking for something you’ll find it? In the case of you and your true love, this statement couldn’t be truer.

You can hope to meet the One all you want, but if you aren’t ready to receive this love, you’ll never be able to make the love last.

Give the universe a chance by giving up all your anxious efforts to try to force a relationship to work.

Live your life to the fullest and be open to the possibility that love is all around you. One day, in the right moment, you’ll find what you’ve been looking for all along.

How to Trust the Universe

Trusting that the love of your life will one day come to you can take on many forms. If you’re ready to practice more patience with your love life, keep reading:

  • Stop Trying So Hard: Are you a regular on the most popular dating apps? Do you look at every new person you meet as a potential partner? While you may have good intentions, this type of mentality makes it difficult for real love to find you.Take a step back and focus on learning to be content with yourself. Once the time is right, the universe will send your true love to you.
  • Stay Focused: Hooking up with random people can be fun, but it can also be distracting. If your end goal is to fall in love with the One, now is not the time to become preoccupied with serial dating or one night stands.

Final Thought on Attracting The One

The One will find you when the time is right. As you work to attract the right person, focus on falling in love with yourself and your life.

Keep these five traits in mind as you grow in your understanding of what love is and what it looks like in your life. Whatever may happen in life, always keep the faith!

Nutritionist Explains: Is Breakfast Really Important?

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Science can be conflicting over whether you should partake in what many people tout as the most important meal of the day. Do you find yourself grabbing coffee or tea and skipping breakfast most days? Have you skipped believing you’ll lose weight by consuming fewer calories?

Mornings can be hectic for some families, so maybe skipping isn’t always intentional. You could be doing your body more harm than good though. Not eating a meal on a regular basis can have some adverse effects on your physical and mental health.

First, let’s look at where the saying received its start and the expertise behind the words.

Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day

We’ve all heard this saying. It isn’t a marketing scam put out by cereal companies; the saying is a quote from the best-selling nutrition author and renowned nutritionist Adelle Davis. She’s often called the Queen of Nutrition, and her books have redefined wellness for many.

Her books brought light to a growing concern during the Great Depression when many Americans didn’t have enough to eat. She highlighted the importance of nutrition, vitamin deficiency, and continued to do so in her books that followed.

Her actual saying covers all three of your main meals, assigning a hierarchy to your eating habits that tapers as your day progresses.

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner as a pauper.”

In simple terms, that first meal should be your heaviest meal. Keep in mind that she doesn’t give you free reign or suggest you should eat whatever or however much of any certain food. Adelle wasn’t a vegetarian or vegan, but she didn’t eat a fatty, traditional American breakfast either.

You will likely recognize many of her quotes on nutrition, and these are sayings we still repeat today. Pass them on to your children, grandchildren, or to the next generation. They will hold merit for many years to come.

Your Food’s Quality Matters

Another title she carries is the Queen of Optimal Eating. Her advice focuses on quality of food over quantity as well as proper nutrient balance. Her ideal morning meal isn’t a sugar-laden bowl of cereal or pastries masquerading as morning fare.

Adelle Davis ate how she preached. A normal morning for her included granola (she invented it), thin pancakes, or healthy wheat germ muffins with walnuts. She might have included her special Pep-up drink too.

What she ate gives us a deeper perspective of where her advice holds merit today. She didn’t believe in eating processed foods, chemicals created in a laboratory, or empty calorie beverages. Much of what Americans eat today falls into one of those three categories.

Still, should we skip if all we have to eat in our home is processed junk? Or should we redefine our breakfasts into healthy choices that fit Adelle’s ideals?

What Science Says about It

Quality matters in every meal or food we put into our bodies. Few people can argue that processed food is healthier than or as nutritious as real, fresh food. However, does this add scientific merit to your breakfast being the most important meal of your day?

Maybe. It depends. No. Yes.

Unhelpful advice, we know. The current response from the majority of the scientific community on breakfast benefits is mixed at best. The factors they talk about are your current health, including your weight and goals.

Benefits do exist on both sides for weight loss and health, but the scientific community isn’t ready to throw their support behind your morning meal being any more or less important than lunch and dinner.

Right now scientists are continuing to delve deeper into the types and quality of foods. Whether they change current opinions will depend on the outcome of the studies, but many nutritionists believe scientific views will alter the moment traditional morning fare goes up against real, healthy whole foods.

Let’s face it. It’s hard to say breakfast benefits anyone when it consists of huge amounts of saturated fat, little to no vegetables, even fewer good fats, and gobs of simple carbohydrates. If we take Adelle’s healthy approach instead, it’s harder to refute the importance of eating in the morning.

Should We Skip to Lose Weight and Save Calories?

While this seems like a pure logical yes, the truth reveals a hard, fast no. When you’re trying to lose weight, calories in and out matter, but it’s only part of the big picture. Studies show that people who skip their morning meal consume fewer calories, but they typically gain more weight and have higher BMI scales. (1)

On the other hand, a study that had people alter their morning habits showed little difference. However, people weren’t offered a healthy eating plan or guidelines in the study. More studies with stauncher food control, meal plans, and guidelines might paint a clearer picture. We don’t know what participants chose to eat on the study to determine the true breakfast benefits for weight loss and control. (2)

Does Skipping Benefit Your Overall Health?

This one is a flat no. You’re removing an entire meal that you could’ve packed full of healthy foods. Those foods contain the vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients your body requires to function. Why would you starve yourself of the basic building blocks your body requires to function?

Furthermore, scientific evidence shows you’re at a greater risk for certain diseases and metabolic conditions when you skip your morning meal.

Eating Breakfast Benefits (3, 4):

• Reduced type 2 diabetes risk
• Lower heart disease risk
• Lower risk of hypotension and hypoglycemia
• Improved metabolism
• Mood stability
• Enhanced cognitive function

The morning meal can enhance areas of your life science can’t measure, and this is especially true for families and couples. That togetherness can bring you closer and strengthen relationships. The mental boost this offers can go a long way to promoting overall well-being.

Speaking of mental well-being, did you know partaking in a morning meal could reduce anxiety and improve mental clarity? Most adults who skip the meal complain about physical sluggish feelings, being grumpy, and having an overall slowed thinking process. (5)

The 48% of the adults in the poll admit to skipping to their morning meal on a regular basis too. That leaves little room for thought. Why are they repeating the same mistake every morning and continuing to skip? Why not enjoy a small or to-go type breakfast?

Morning Meal Ideas

Your morning meal doesn’t need to be extravagant. You also can and should think outside the cereal box or standard bacon, sausage, toast, potatoes, and eggs.

Do you find it difficult to eat after waking? Grab a handful of nuts, seeds, or homemade trail mix instead of settling for coffee or tea. Also, if you work out in the morning, you will need to refuel your body with more than caffeine or water.

Quick, Healthy, and Easy Recipes

• Oatmeal
• Fresh fruit
• Yogurt
• Homemade granola or Muesli
• Low-sugar dry cereal with a plant-based milk
• Whole-wheat toast with 100% fruit preserves
• Overnight oats
• Chia pudding
• Avocado toast
• Soy-based scrambles
• Soy- or mushroom-based meat replacements

If you have more time, you might enjoy some healthier versions of classics, such as vegan French toast or a chickpea pancake found on our site. Many recipes are vegan, vegetarian, and friendly to a low-carb lifestyle.

breakfast

Need a portable option? Try making your own granola or protein bars. The majority of recipes make 12 servings, and you can store them in the fridge or freezer. If you don’t have time to bake, you can also pick up pre-made bars. Just be sure to read the labels and pick one without fillers or junk.

Foods to Limit in the Morning

• Sugary cereals
• Pastries, including the toaster variety
• Doughnuts
• Biscuits, unless homemade with whole grains
• Processed foods and meats
• Fruit juice
It’s okay to treat yourself on an occasion here and there, but you shouldn’t feed your body these foods on a daily basis.

Fruit juice might surprise you, but it’s mostly a fast-acting sugar that will spike and crash your system. It also lacks fiber. Choosing complex carbohydrates will gradually raise your blood glucose levels without the side effects. If you must drink juice, use a small serving and sip it.

Final Thoughts on Breakfast Benefits

Food should nourish your body, and your body needs fuel in the morning. Every meal you eat is important to your overall health. Skipping mealtimes has a large impact on your well-being today and later in life.

Eating in the morning fuels your body for the day. You don’t have sugar crashes that lead you to eating whatever is in your sights. It reduces your risks for diabetes, and it allows your body to reach nutritional recommendations of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.

Morning fare can be quick, easy, and nutritious. Even a handful of nuts and seeds or a piece of fruit is more beneficial than eating nothing at all.

Enough scientific and dietary evidence supports the importance of eating breakfast, especially if you’re eating whole foods. Keep up the good work if you’re already starting your morning off right.

Not eating breakfast yet? Start small with quality foods to fuel your body, mind, and soul.

Man Who Lost 220 Pounds Explains 7 Secrets to Lose Weight

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John Gabriel, a Wall Street broker, lost a whopping 220 pounds without extreme diets or exercise programs. His methods have assisted people in over 60 countries in losing unwanted weight and leading a healthier lifestyle. As opposed to traditional weight loss programs that tell people to practically starve themselves and sweat buckets to lose weight, Gabriel focuses more on the relationship between the mind and body. He helps clients correct hormonal imbalances and reduce stress to lose weight.

Because of his overwhelming success in shedding hundreds of pounds, we wanted to share his techniques with you if you want to start your own weight loss journey.

In 2001, Gabriel weighed 400 pounds. He had done diets and worked with nutrition experts, but he always gained the weight back eventually. Workouts helped his stamina, but not his weight loss efforts since extreme exercise just made him want to eat more.

After missing his flight that crashed into the Twin Towers on 9/11, John had a whole new outlook on life. Feeling like he’d been given a second chance, John wanted to get his health in order. He hated his job and felt stressed out all the time, so he decided to follow his passions by studying the human body so he could learn how to lose weight sustainably while helping others do the same. John researched how hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters in the brain affect weight loss.

After doing extensive research, John concluded that overeating doesn’t cause weight gain, but is a consequence of being overstressed or emotionally unstable. He says that creating a healthy environment in your gut and mind by eating nutrient-dense foods and limiting stress are the keys to keeping the weight off.

Here are a few important tips from John about how to lose weight:

1. He stopped dieting.

 

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Instead, he focused on eating mostly whole foods packed with nutrients, but didn’t beat himself up for having a few treats here and there. If you want to lose weight, you have to learn to go a little easy on yourself but not become too lax, either.

2. He fixed his gut health.

 

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John began to eat more fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, and other foods with healthy bacteria. He also started drinking bone broth since it contains collagen that helps to heal the intestinal lining. He found that when the body doesn’t have the right gut bacteria, this can create an imbalance and cause weight gain.

3. He focused on healing his emotional issues.

 

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“Approximately 65-70% of my clients use their weight as a certain form of protection. I call it emotional obesity,” John says.

He used powerful visualization techniques where he imagined a white light enveloping his body and shielding him from any pain. Once he stopped feeling like he needed his excess weight to protect him from the outside world, he started losing weight.

4. He made sleep a priority.

 

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John went to a doctor about his sleep apnea, which was causing him to lose out on necessary sleep. Once he corrected his sleeping problems, he felt well-rested and didn’t reach for unhealthy snacks anymore such as pizza or sweets. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more cortisol, which can make you crave fattening, sugary foods instead of healthy ones.

5. He worked on eliminating stress.

 

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Most people don’t realize that too much stress activates certain hormones in the body that make it difficult to lose weight. John started meditating and using visualization to lose unwanted pounds; of course, his problems haven’t disappeared from his life, but he feels like he can approach them with a better mindset now. Having too many stress hormones in the body causes your hunger drive to increase, and this becomes a vicious cycle if you don’t learn to manage this stress.

Yoga, meditation, or martial arts provide wonderful ways to manage stress and clear your mind.

Intermittent fasting

6. He adopted a lifestyle that he loved.

 

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John eliminated excess material items that weighed him down, moved to a cheaper house, and started growing his own fruits and vegetables. He used visualization techniques to curb his sweet tooth, imagining sugar as tiny pieces of glass. This helped him eliminate sugar from his diet and prompted him to come up with his own recipes that didn’t contain added sugar.

7. He fed his body the nutrients it needed.

 

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John admitted that the last 40 pounds didn’t come off very easily at first. To correct this problem, he started eating foods such as salad, greens, green juices, super greens, spirulina, chlorella, and sprouts. He also drank more water and added lemon to it. After doing all of this, he said the last 40 pounds just fell right off.

We hope these tips helped you with your weight loss journey. Remember not to beat yourself up if you get off track; just eat mostly whole foods and move your body! Also, engage in positive thinking and mindfulness, because stress can really hamper your weight loss efforts. Work on fixing your gut health and mental state, and you will see that losing weight doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems.

(C)Power of Positivity, LLC. All rights reserved

10 Reasons People Don’t Lose Weight (Even When They Exercise)

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Okay, so we all know that diet and exercise aren’t everything when it comes to helping us lose weight. But despite this knowledge, many (and perhaps most) of us fall far short of reaching our desired weight.

In this article, we’re going to discuss the factors that affect weight loss and weight gain, along with ten reasons why people don’t lose weight. We’ll also cover actionable steps you can take to increase the chances of shedding those stubborn pounds! Let’s do this!

10 Reasons People Don’t Lose Weight

“Our dreams of losing weight do not become a reality through magic; there are no magic diet pills; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” – Felicity Luckey

  1. They don’t get enough sleep

A definite relationship exists between the quantity and quality of one’s sleep and the tendency to gain (or lose) weight. Lack of sleep manifests physiologically as energy shortages and feelings of exhaustion. To compensate for this shortage, the body will insist on getting more food – a completely normal response – and the body has to get fuel from somewhere.

The problem is that, under such conditions, we’re more likely to reach for foods rich in carbohydrates or a drink loaded with sugar. Why? Because to the body they’re a much quicker means of providing the energy.

Fix: The Natural Sleep Foundation (NSF) is perhaps the foremost authority on sleep in the United States.

beta males

Per the NSF, here are the minimum sleep guidelines by age:

  • Newborns (less than 4 months) – 12 to 18 hours per day
  • Infants (4-11 months): 12 to 15 hours
  • Toddlers (1-2 years): 11 to 14 hours
  • Preschoolers (3-5 years): 10 to 13 hours
  • School-age children (6-13 years): 9 to 11 hours
  • Teenagers (14-17 years): 8 to 10 hours
  • Young adults (18-25 years): 7 to 9 hours
  • Adults (26-64 years): 7 to 9 hours
  • Older adults (65 years and over): 7 to 8 hours

If you experience difficulties falling and staying asleep, it is essential to speak with a healthcare professional.

  1. They’re experiencing a lot of stress

When we encounter a lot of pressure, our bodies release excess stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol may cause the body to resist insulin, thereby raising blood sugar and increasing fat storage. Weight gain resulting from stress probably has stronger roots in psychology than biology, however. Psychologically, “stress eating” is a genuine phenomenon, occurring when there’s a decrease in blood sugar levels. Sudden drops in blood sugar can stimulate appetite and lead to impulsive eating.

Fix: There are many ways to decrease stress levels. But first, it is vital to understand that stress is a normal part of life and that exposure to reasonable amounts of it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, when high levels of stress begin to interfere with things like sleeping and eating, it’s time to take a close look at the catalyst(s) and then minimize your exposure. Exercise, meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises are among the best ways to reduce immediate stress.

  1. They’re getting older.

You’re smart enough to know that getting older pumps the brakes on your metabolism, making it much easier to gain stubborn pounds. We’ve all heard the phrase “muscle weighs more than fat,” which is true. Unfortunately, as we age the body is less able to produce muscle. Adults who ignore these facts and continue to eat unhealthily will quickly notice fat accumulation, muscle loss, and weight gain.

Fix: Understand the physiological effects of aging and adjust your lifestyle accordingly. As it pertains to diet, make sure to take in more fruits and vegetables and less junk. Drink plenty of water (see below) and perform regular exercise within your physical capabilities.

  1. They’re not drinking enough water to lose weight.

H2O helps regulate our metabolism and digestion along with numerous other functions. Besides throwing a wrench into our metabolic and digestive systems, dehydration increases appetite. Too often, the body is signaling for more water – not food – but we mistakenly indulge in the latter nonetheless. This is a very bad unconscious habit to have when trying to maintain a healthy weight and body.

Fix: Know the minimum recommended daily intake of water and drink it. Remembering to “drink eight 8-ounce glasses” of water is easy – and is recommended by most health authorities. It is most beneficial to spread this water intake throughout the day.

  1. Their family history.

If overweightness or obesity runs in the family, you have a much higher chance of being overweight or obese. Genetics is believed to factor in up to 70 percent (!) of a person’s weight. Experts state that your ethnicity also affects your propensity for or against weight gain. For example, studies show that African-American females are more prone to high blood sugar caused by insulin resistance as well as a lower basal metabolic rate. Both are known contributors to weight gain.

Fix: There is no known “fix” for inherited genes that increase susceptibility for weight gain. However, following a regular diet and exercise regimen, and otherwise maintaining a healthy lifestyle, make it much easier to acquire and keep a healthy weight.

  1. They take certain prescription meds, which makes it hard to lose weight.

Many prescription medications are known to increase the likelihood of weight gain. Such drugs include beta-blockers (for hypertension and high blood pressure), antidepressants, anticonvulsants (for seizure disorders), antipsychotics, diabetes medicines (e.g. insulin), and steroids.

Fix: Certain medical conditions necessitate the use of prescription drugs. It may be worthwhile, however, to have a conversation with your doctor regarding side-effects, including weight gain. Depending on certain factors such as time on medication, and the type and degree of side effects, the physician may opt to place you on an alternative medication.

  1. They have an underlying medical condition.

Certain medical conditions also increase the likelihood of weight gain. Known conditions include bipolar disorder, Cushing’s syndrome, diabetes, fluid retention, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), prolactinoma, underactive thyroid, and many more.

Fix: Weight gain due to an unknown medical condition is quite common. The best approach when dealing with a potential health condition is just to see a doctor ASAP. Early diagnosis makes life much easier on the patient by enabling them to manage the situation better, perhaps leading to more favorable outcomes including a healthy weight.

exercise

Research reveals why your brain does not want you to exercise.

  1. They don’t lose weight because they have erratic eating habits.

Living in a society that encourages relentless “hustling and bustling,” it can be hard to set and stick to a regular and healthy eating schedule. Crash dieting also falls under this umbrella, as do trips to the local fast food joint. The former does nothing to solve weight problems in the long term; the latter is a sure means of getting fatter and otherwise unhealthier.

Fix: You don’t have to watch the second hand on a clock to have a healthy eating schedule. Merely having a flexible but non-negotiable time window to eat your meals is enough. If you work outside of the home, you can best accomplish this by learning how to cook and put together a few quick, healthy meals. Get some Tupperware and bring your food to work. If crunched for time, prepare a bit extra and have leftovers for dinner!

  1. They keep dieting.

Successful dieting, if defined as “losing weight and keeping it off,” has a horrendous track record. While the official number is probably less than the “95 percent” failure rate frequently cited by diet-haters, it’s bad nonetheless. While a diet may be helpful for an upcoming event or a trip to Hawaii, too often, positive dieting effects turn out to be cyclical and short-lived. If one has any hope of maintaining a healthy weight, they must adopt healthy eating habits over the long-term. While the phrase, “It’s a lifestyle,” when applied to health may be annoying and redundant, it remains valid.

Fix: Understand the nutritional requirements according to your age, gender, and weight. Implement a long-term goal of eating predominantly fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. And never pick up another diet book again! If you continue to struggle, it may be helpful to see a dietician or nutritionist about ways to lose weight and keep it off.

  1. They forget about “liquid sugar.”

sugar

We’ve known for some time now that sugar makes you fat. The reason sugar makes you fat is simple: high concentrations of blood sugar accelerate the storage of food as fat, not energy. Sugar and calorie-laden beverages and fruit juices are perhaps the most overlooked reason for unnecessary weight gain. Not only do these drinks drastically increase the odds of obesity of overweightness, but they are also terribly unhealthy.

Fix:  Abstain from sugary drinks and take in more water if you hope to lose weight. When you prioritize water consumption, the urge to drink soda and other unhealthy beverages disappear. If you must drink something other than H2O, drink a diet soda or low-sugar fruit juice or tea. Just don’t make it a habit.

Experts Explain 6 Ways To Burn Belly Fat Naturally At Home

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Belly fat will not only make you look bad, but it will also cause many health conditions. Having plenty of fat in the abdomen is related to diseases like heart conditions and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, burning tummy fat has numerous benefits to your health and can aid you in living longer.

The estimation of belly fat is done through the measurement of the waist circumference. You can simply do this at home with a tape measure. Anything more than 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men is referred to as abdominal obesity.

In case you have plenty of extra fat around the waistline, you require taking some measures to eliminate it. Luckily, there are a number of proven strategies that have been shown to target fat in the tummy area more than other body areas. Here, an expert shares the tips to burn belly fat naturally at home.

1. Track Your Meals

What you consume is crucial to the amount of tummy fat you have. But most people lack the knowledge of what they are consuming. People normally think they are consuming a low-carb, high protein, or some other healthy meal, but usually under- or overestimate.If you want to optimize your diet, it is critical that you track your foods for some time. However, this fails to mean that you measure and weigh everything for all your life. You can do it for a few days in a row so that you can determine where changes are crucial.

In case you want to increase the intake of protein to 30 percent of calories, merely consuming foods that are richer in protein will not suffice. You require measuring and fine-tuning to reach your objective. You can use online calorie calculators as well as online apps and tools to track what you are consuming.

Doing this every few months by weighing and measuring everything you eat will aid you in seeing your diet. In this way, you will know where to make adjustments that will help you in burning abdominal fat.

to lose belly fat

2. Work Out

Exercise is essential for many reasons. If you want to avoid conditions as well as live a healthy and prolonged life, you need to do exercises. While there is are a lot of benefits you can enjoy from doing exercises, minimizing belly fat is one of these amazing advantages.

But beware that exercise, in this case, does not refer to abdominal exercises. This is because losing fat in one place, also referred to as spot reduction is not possible. Hence, performing numerous ab workouts will not help you to burn belly fat.

According to research, participants performed abdominal exercises for 1.5 months, but there was no measurable effect on the amount of fat in the abdomen or waist circumference. However, there are some other types of exercises that can prove effective.

Studies have shown that aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, and running have helped in reducing significant amounts of tummy fat. A particular study discovered that exercises entirely prevented individuals from regaining tummy fat after losing weight, showing that exercises are especially critical in the maintenance of weight.

Exercises also result in minimized inflammation, reduced levels of blood sugar, and other improvements in all metabolic abnormalities related to excess tummy fat.

3. Eat Foods with High Fiber Levels

Dietary fiber is mostly plant matter that cannot be digested. Many people claim that consuming plenty of fiber can assist you to lose weight. While this is true, it is critical to remember that not all fiber is made equal.

The kinds of fiber that have an impact on your weight are viscous and soluble fibers. These fibers usually combine with water to create a thick gel that sits in your digestive system.

This gel slows the movement of food through your gut and reduces the speed of digestion and nutrient absorption. As a result, you will feel full for longer and have decreased appetite.

According to a study, an extra 14 grams of soluble fiber per day was linked to a 10 percent reduction in calorie intake and weight loss of 2 kg over 16 weeks. In a study that lasted for five years, consumption of 10 grams of soluble fiber daily was related to a 3.7 percent decrease in the amount of tummy fat.

The ideal way to consume more fiber is to eat plenty of plant foods such as fruits and vegetables. Legumes are also an excellent source, together with cereals such as whole oats.

Additionally, you could attempt eating a fiber supplement called glucomannan, which is one of the top viscous fibers. Several studies have shown its capacity to burn belly fat.

4. Avoid Carbs

Carb restriction is one of the most effective ways to lose body fat. Numerous studies have discovered that when people avoid carbs, they lose both appetite and weight. Research shows that low-carb diets result in 2-3 times more fat loss than low-fat diets.

This happens even when you consume as much as you want, as compared to those who avoid fats and calories as well as stay hungry for longer. Low-carb diets also result in a fast decrease in water weight, which offers people almost immediate results. A scale difference is usually noticed within 1-2 days.

Many studies reveal that diets low in carbohydrates mainly target the fat in the tummy, and around the liver and other organs. This means that tummy fat is hazardous and promotes diseases. Just keeping away from refined carbs such as white bread, sugar, and candy is enough, particularly if you consume a lot of protein.

But if you need fast weight loss results, you require reducing your daily carb intake to 50 grams. This will put your body into ketosis, kill your appetite, and make your body to start burning main fats for fuel. Low carb-diets will not only burn belly fat, but they will also prevent type 2 diabetes.

5. Eat More Proteins

Protein is an essential macronutrient during the process of losing weight. It has been proved to reduce cravings by 60 percent, improve metabolism by 80-100 calories per day, and aid you in consuming up to 441 calories every day.

If you want to burn belly fat, then increasing protein in your meals is the most effective adjustment to your diet. In addition to losing weight, proteins will aid you in weight maintenance in case you stop trying to lose weight.

According to research, the quality and amount of protein eaten were inversely associated with belly fat. This means that participants who consumed better and more proteins had less fat in the belly. Another research revealed that protein was related to a significantly decreased risk of tummy fat gain over 5 years.

The study also revealed that refined carbs, as well as oils, were related to high amounts of tummy fat, but vegetables and fruits were associated with minimal tummy fat. Most of these studies showed protein was effective when consumed at 25-30 percent of calories.

Therefore, try increasing your consumption of foods that are high in protein, like dairy products, meat, legumes, fish, nuts, seafood, and whole eggs. They are the best sources of protein. If you face a challenge in consuming sufficient protein, then take a quality protein supplement such as whey protein, which is a convenient and healthy way to increase your overall intake.

Additionally, consider cooking with coconut oil. Research shows that consuming two tablespoons daily affects the reduction of tummy fat.

6. Avoid Sugar and Sugar-Sweetened Drinks

One of the unhealthiest foods includes added sugar. Studies reveal that added sugar causes some harmful effects on your health. Sugar is 50 percent glucose, 50 percent fructose, and fructose can only undergo metabolism in the liver when the amounts are significant.

When plenty of sugars are consumed, there is an overload of fructose in the liver, which is forced to convert it into fats. Research has discovered that excess sugar, especially due to high amounts of fructose, can result in high amounts of belly fat and liver fat.

belly fat

Some researchers believe this is the central mechanism behind the harmful effects of sugar on your health. The high amounts of tummy fat and liver fat results in insulin resistance and other metabolic problems.

In this case, liquid sugar has worse effects. Solid sugars are registered by the brain differently from liquid sugar. Therefore, when you consume sugar-sweetened beverages, you consume more overall calories.

According to research, sugar-sweetened beverages are related to 60 percent increased risk of childhood obesity, for each serving per day. Ensure you reduce the quantities of sugar in your diet and entirely avoid sugary drinks. This includes sugary sodas, high-sugar sports drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fruit juices.

Remember that this does not apply to whole fruits, which are nutritious with a lot of fiber that controls the negative impacts of fructose. The quantity of fructose you consume from fruit is negligible as compared consumption of foods that are rich in refined sugar.

If you intend to reduce refined sugar, then you require reading labels. Even foods that are labeled health foods can have high amounts of sugar.

Conclusion

If you want to be healthy and have an appealing body, then you need to burn your belly fat with these scientifically proven strategies. They are not just effective, but they are also natural.

Whether it is avoiding carbs, doing exercises, increasing protein in the diet, avoiding sugars, increasing soluble fiber in your food, or tracking our meals, your belly fat will disappear in no time.

Scientists Explain 21 Benefits of Yoga For Your Health

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Our health and lifestyle matter more than you can imagine. Yoga for health, in particular, has been used for many generations. Despite the debates regarding its origin, there are several benefits of yoga that have shaped lives over time. If you happen to be active in yoga, you’ll likely agree that a long-term commitment has brought you various physical and mental changes.

This could include better quality and lengths of sleep, increased and controlled metabolism, and even increased flexibility. All in all, the benefits don’t come easy, and this is why you need to be committed to the activity. Here is how yoga can boost your overall health.

Benefits of Yoga

 

1. Builds Muscle Strength

Yoga for health is simply a life changer. Putting in work to do those stretches may seem weird and strange at first, but your muscle strength depends on it. Scientifically, stretching your muscles reduces tension and builds up muscle tissue. This is the reason why yoga for health lowers your risk of back pain and arthritis through muscle build-up. (1)

2. Spinal Protection

If you know one or two things about the spinal cord, you’ll agree that the spinal discs have a complex structure. Ideally, the arrangement of your spinal discs allows them to compress nerves when necessary, to absorb any sort of shock.

This means that your spinal discs require proper movement via stretching in order to remain robust and intact. These movements mostly include backward, forwards, and side bends as done in yoga.

3. Posture Perfection

The human body is created with complexity that you may not seem to comprehend. Consequently, our spinal cord is the central support system of the entire body, since it also directly supports the head. The neck and back muscles are strong enough to support your weight, but once you begin to lean on any direction for long, you’ll notice the strain. (2)

This is why yoga helps to improve posture by making sure that the spine is always straight.

4. Increased Flexibility

If you have been a yoga practitioner for a fairly long period of time, you will notice that improved flexibility is one of the main benefits of the activity. The first time you started off was probably harder than you could imagine. Being able to touch your toes can be hard the first few times, but with perseverance, you’ll notice that you were finally able to do the impossible.

5. Joint Breakdown and Cartilage Prevention

Among the many benefits of yoga, this is quite vital. All the times you fully stretch your joints, they’re able to go through a full range of motion that helps to squeeze out the fluids in between the cartilage. This allows for replacement, therefore allowing it to receive fresh nutrients.

6. Increases Your Heart Rate

So far, we have witnessed that the benefits of yoga are numerous. Either way, both vigorous and calm yoga can elevate your heart rate into an aerobic heartbeat range. This eventually lowers your levels of depression and the risk of heart attack.

7. The Increase of Blood Flow

Yoga exercise mostly entails the stretching of your joints and muscles. This movement involves contraction of muscles which helps to increase the rate of blood flow. The organs that benefit the most are your hands and feet, due to tension release and increased oxygen supply to the cells.

8. Better Bone Health

Scientifically, any exercise that involves bearing your own weight helps to prevent osteoporosis. Fortunately, yoga for health requires you to lift your own body weight through some stretches such as the “upward” and “downward facing dog.” This type of stretch helps to toughen your arm bone strength, which is considered vulnerable to osteoporosis.

9. Immunity Boost

One of the most underrated benefits of yoga is the upgrade it does to your immune health. Usually, stretching of joints and muscles leads to the release of lymph fluid, which has a high concentration of immune cells. This fluid facilitates the enhancement of the immune system.

10. Lifts Energy Levels

You’ve seen the way yoga positively alters several functions and conditions in your body. Just among the few that have been mentioned, the benefits such as increase in muscle strength, robust immune system, and better bone health collectively increase your body’s energy levels. Even so, this can leave you in high spirits, hence making you a happier individual.

11. Regulates Adrenaline

The thing about yoga for health is that it helps to regulate your adrenal glands. In the event of an acute crisis, your adrenal glands must emit cortisol that is important for the maintenance of your immune system. Therefore, if the cortisol levels remain high even after a crisis, your immune system remains uncompromised.

12. Drops Blood Pressure

Have you ever sat down for long hours and stood up to stretch? Yoga exercise is as healthy as any other exercise, and studies have shown that among the benefits of yoga, a decrease in hypertension is one of them.

This is because stretching your spine, joints, and muscles offer a relieving sensation. The “corpse” pose in yoga was recorded to have a 26-point drop in systolic blood pressure.

13. Lowers Blood Sugar

Science has already shown how yoga has helped to increase heart rate and decrease depression. In addition, yoga stretching has also been seen to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and enhance good blood sugar (HDL). This also leads to a drop in blood sugar.

Blood sugar has always been linked with diabetes, and this is why maintaining the right blood sugar levels is necessary for a diabetes-free life.

14. Upgrades Your Focus

You’ve probably experiences times when you’ve had a specific song or thought play constantly in your mind like a tape loop. These sort of patterns are associated with a drop in your brain’s focus. There are many mental benefits of yoga, one of them being an increase in focus.

Yoga involves deep meditation, which can help keep any sort of mental distractions far away.

15. Helps You Build A Healthier Lifestyle

Yoga is almost just like any other exercise, and this means that the proper diet ought to be followed in order for you to reap the full benefits. Moreover, yoga can prompt you to get rid of some habits such as smoking. This is because the activity creates both body and mind nourishment.

16. Betters Your Balance

Stretching in yoga involves the effort of several muscles in your body, such as the psoas muscle. Some of these muscles are quite crucial since they help to support overall body weight. This is why yoga helps you develop a better understanding of what your body is doing and where exactly it is in time and space.

This can have an overall positive effect on your balance which means that you could have fewer falls, if you tend to be uncoordinated or accident-prone.

17. Increases Quality of Sleep

Although the excitement and stimulation that your body receives from various activities is good for the brain, you should also keep in mind that excess could translate to adverse effects. Yoga stretching is considered a great escape from the physical and mental struggles that you go through daily.

Due to its effect on body-brain health, yoga helps you to experience deeper slumber that leaves you feeling refreshed in the morning.

18. Tension Release in The Limbs

There are probably many times when you lazily stare at your phone screen while holding it up for hours. You may even find yourself developing sedentary postures that can inflict lots of tension in-between your limbs. Yoga helps to get rid of the chronic tension, soreness, and muscle fatigue that may be caused by any sort of strenuous or repetitive activity.

Wherever your tension may be located, constant yoga practice can help you locate and relieve the affected areas.

19. Increases Lung Capacity

Yoga can involve heavy breath holds, similar to swimming, that help to increase your lung capacity. Yoga consists not only of stretching, but also meditation that requires you to hold in your breathe so as to become one with the environment around you. This ultimately increases your breath volume and boosts the efficiency of exhalation.

All the same, there are yoga techniques that are employed to simplify this process such as “complete breathing.”

20. Relaxes Your Mind

Yoga has always been used as a thought cleanser, and this is why you’re allowed to refer to it as the medicine of the mind. Yoga is a powerful tool used to boost mental energy. Meditation, being a major part of its process, helps relax your mind and take away distress.(3)

yoga for health

 

21. Self-Esteem Booster

Have you ever taken part in a weekly physical challenge or even a diet program? Developing a strict routine that allows you to practice yoga over a period of time can have an encouraging impact on your confidence and self-esteem. This is mainly because of the sensation and satisfaction obtained after a series of completed sessions.

This accomplishment will reflect both mental and physical upgrades which will boost your self-esteem.

Final Thoughts on Benefits of Yoga

Our health is one crucial aspect that requires the right attention on a regular basis. Therefore, yoga practice ought to be followed with a fixed mind in order for you to reap the best results possible.

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