A Comprehensive Guide to Different Types of Wounds and Their Care

Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

In our daily lives, wounds, whether minor or severe, are inevitable. They could result from a simple kitchen mishap, a tumble on the playground, or a more serious accident. Knowing how to correctly identify and treat different types of wounds is an invaluable skill, potentially preventing minor injuries from becoming serious and helping serious wounds to heal more effectively. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive overview of various types of wounds and their appropriate care.

Classification of Wounds

Wounds can be categorized in several ways, including by cause, depth, and whether they're clean or infected. Here are some common types:

1. Incisions or Cuts: These are wounds caused by sharp objects such as knives. If shallow, they often heal well with minimal care, but deep incisions might require medical attention to prevent damage to nerves, tendons, or muscles.
2. Lacerations: Caused by a tear or blunt force, these wounds often have jagged edges, and they can be deep, affecting not just the skin but also the underlying tissues.
3. Punctures: These are typically caused by a pointed object piercing the skin. They can be superficial or deep, with a risk of introducing bacteria into the body, leading to infection.
4. Abrasions: Commonly known as scrapes, these wounds occur when the skin rubs or scrapes against a rough surface. They usually involve just the outer skin layers.

Basic Wound Care Steps

Regardless of the type of wound, the first steps to wound care remain the same - clean the wound, stop the bleeding, and protect the wound.

1. Cleaning: Use warm water and mild soap to gently clean around the wound. Avoid getting soap in the wound as it can cause irritation.
2. Bleeding Control: Apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth or bandage until the bleeding stops.
3. Protection: Cover the wound with a sterile bandage or dressing to protect it from bacteria and prevent infection.

Wound Care Products

Once the wound is cleaned and protected, using suitable wound care products can promote faster healing and reduce the risk of complications. There are various products on the market, including antibiotic creams, adhesive bandages, gauze, and specialized dressings. Your choice depends on the wound type and severity. For instance, for deeper, more serious wounds, hydrogel or alginate dressings may be appropriate as they maintain a moist environment conducive to healing.

Professional Wound Care

While many minor wounds can be managed at home, some situations require professional help. Deep wounds that don't stop bleeding, wounds with embedded debris, animal or human bites, or wounds showing signs of infection (redness, swelling, warmth, or pus) should be evaluated by a healthcare professional. Also, anyone with a severe wound or a wound caused by a major trauma should seek immediate medical help.

Conclusion

Understanding the different types of wounds and their appropriate care is crucial for effective wound management. From cleaning to bandaging, and selecting suitable wound care products, these steps can facilitate the healing process and minimize complications. However, never hesitate to seek professional help when a wound is severe or shows signs of infection. Your health and well-being are always worth it.

Making A Mess Can Be So Relaxing

Life has been getting hectic for a long time. But this year is the first time it affects us at a global level. The coronavirus pandemic is forcing everyone to adapt. With no time to prepare, most of us have turned the home into an office, a childcare centre, a classroom, and many more. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions and packing all your lifestyle activities into a confined space doesn’t make things easier. In a word, it’s not just been stressful; it’s been stressful for everyone at the same time. And that’s quite an achievement in its own right.

Now more than ever, we need to learn how to relax. The first and most important action you can take for yourself is to stop bottling your emotions up. It isn’t a healthy answer to a lasting and global situation. You need to take the time to talk about it and allow yourself to vocalise how you feel. Surprisingly, you’ll find that a lot of stress-coping mechanisms encourage discipline and order, from removing the emotional clutter in your life to building a positive routine. These are all effective. But ask yourself: Why use discipline, when mess and chaos are the quickest way to let go of negativity?

Photo from Unsplash

Finger painting on the canvas

Painting can be daunting if you’re not educated in this complex art. It’s odd to hear about artists explaining how liberating they find the process of creation when most amateur painters start their journeys with a numbered canvas and a selection of brushes in different sizes. Liberating? There’s way too much discipline to unleash your emotions at this stage! So, remove the brush and simplify your connection with the canvas. Finger painting gives you new freedom of self-expression that ties you back to your emotions. It’s a raw, direct, and accessible experience. You can grab everything you need from companies such as The Sydney Canvas Company and start your self-exploratory journey. If you’re worried about stains, a pair of latex gloves can do the trick!

Muddy hands are happy hands

You can find plenty of inexpensive pottery supplies and beginner’s kits for the home. However, if you are completely unfamiliar with clay works, it can be a good idea to watch a few tutorials first. There’s something wonderfully tactile about pottery that brings you back to happy memories of being a child and playing with malleable dough or salt pastry. As an amateur potter, you can get hands down with your creation and make something that could be undone and redone until you choose to bake it. It’s a never-ending process during which the clay washes away your worries and negativity.

Dough art, something messy you can eat

Pottery has only one disadvantage: There are only so many pots and decorative items you can make. Pastry art, on the other hand, offers an infinity of options that all start in the same way. A little flour, butter, and eggs that you can mix in a deliciously sticky mess. But, let it rest, and you can shape your mess into an elegant and yummy shape, for cookies, pie tops, or anything else you want to do.

Is it time to add a new function to your home/office/classroom? Creating a nook for messy art could be a nice addition to your multipurpose environment. After all, we all need to let some steam go, and what better way to do it than by creating your very own messy workshop? Relax and let your fingers do the rest.

6 Ways to Worry Less

Feeling worried may be a natural emotion but it never delivers any benefits. Worrying about a situation doesn’t change its outcome, for example. Yet, despite knowing this, it can be tricky to stop worrying and embrace life. If you’re eager to let go of your anxieties, take a look at these sure-fire ways to worry less…

Photo from Pexels

1. Recognise the things you can’t change

There are many things in life we have control over and some we don’t. Taking positive action about the things we can change is always worthwhile but worrying about things out of your control is a waste of time and energy. Being able to recognise what you can’t change absolves you of responsibility and reinforces the fact that you don’t need to worry about these issues.

2. Share your feelings

Talking to someone can help to identify issues and solutions, which naturally reduces your tendency to worry. Sometimes, just sharing your feelings with a friend or family member can be enough to calm your mind. However, spending time with an experienced counselor, like those at Bluesky Psychology, can transform your life. With professional guidance, you can address issues that are concerning to you and find new ways to approach life.

3. Eat right

Our bodies are totally reliant on nutrition, so it follows that the way we feel is due, in part, to how we eat. If you want to ease your anxiety and worry less, it’s important to give your body the right fuel. Eating a balanced, healthy diet enables your brain to work optimally, which means less worry and more positivity.

4. Practice mindfulness

When worrying thoughts are overwhelming you, trying to ignore or fight them rarely helps you to feel better. With mindfulness, however, you can learn to simply observe these feelings and let them pass you by. By taking the power out of them, you can be at ease with any thoughts your mind conjures up, instead of fighting an inner battle.

5. Exercise more

Being more active is a great way to reduce stress and minimise worry. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. Known as ‘feel-good hormones’, these endorphins have a remarkable impact on how you feel. From taking a brisk walk around the block to hitting the gym, there are numerous ways to increase your daily activity levels and boost your endorphins.

6. Create an action plan

If you’re worrying about something that you can change, create a plan of action. By addressing the issue and devising a way of dealing with it, you can put your mind at rest, engage in positive action and be confident that you’ve done everything in your power to enhance the outcome.

Living a Life Free of Worry

If you’re used to worrying about things or you’ve lived with anxiety for a long time, it can be hard to let go of it straight away. With consistent effort and practice, however, you can learn to let go of these stresses and live a worry-free life.

Alternatives to Metal Braces that Work Great

Plenty of us have had braces, and those of us who have can tell you that braces are often expensive, painful, clunky, inconvenient and you have to wear them forever. To say nothing of the retainers and other things you have to undergo after the braces come off. Braces are definitely beneficial, straightening your teeth and improving mouth function, and can be a huge confidence boost in addition to improving your overall dental health. But for those of us who can’t afford braces or don’t want to spend years of our life with metal on our teeth, there are alternatives. 

Photo credit: Shiny Diamond

Dental technology has come a long way in recent years, and these days, there are several options on the market for those who don’t want to wear traditional metal braces for whatever reason. Products like clear and invisible braces (one of the more popular brands being Invisalign) are a great alternative to metal braces that achieve much the same result in less time, are more comfortable, less visible/clunky and much easier to deal with. Invisalign is a great alternative to metal braces because they cost only a fraction of what metal braces cost. They’re all but invisible, so the wearer is much less self-conscious about their braces, and they are totally removable. Many Invisalign users remove their braces to eat or sleep. This also means they are less painful, as they can come out easily and be readjusted if you’re experiencing discomfort. Invisalign and other invisible braces are molded to your mouth and teeth and are always comfortable and fit well. There are no bulky brackets or added retainers or anything, either - you just wear them for a few months, and that’s it! Enjoy the benefit of a straight, beautiful smile without paying thousands of dollars on braces that you’ll have to wear for years. No more cut mouths, painful metal equipment or bulky, embarrassing retainers. 

You can find Invisalign and the great invisible braces and products from most dental clinics, including cosmetic dentistry and regular dentists, like DFY Dental. Having beautifully straight teeth can be as simple as calling and making an appointment for an initial consultation. Your dentist will speak with you about your needs and preferences and help you choose the best invisible braces for your needs and budget. Next, you’ll be fitted for your braces and that’s it! You’re well on your way to a beautiful smile, affordably and easily. 

Many happy dental customers love their invisible braces and far prefer them over their metal counterparts. While there are some cons, just as with any product, the pros far outweigh for most dental customers. See if Invisalign or another similar product is right for you. Call your dentist today!

Busting Stress Has Become A Requirement, Not A Luxury

Source: Pexels

Oh boy, 2020 has been a doozy so far, huh? And it looks like there’s no sign of it slowing down. For many, this can be somewhat of an unfortunate realization, but despite the difficulties we’re all going through, or how close you may be to certain issues, self-care has never been a more essential priority. Like any terrible moment, this silver lining has the potential to at least bring one ray of light to the encroaching darkness. This silver lining is the ability to functionally preserve ourselves and care for our families with kindness. It seems that busting stress has become a requirement, not a luxury. This can keep our mental health balanced and our motivations clear. It can help us avoid falling into despair or letting challenges get the better of us. This sounds like a primarily defensive form of self-care, but it’s also a means in which to grant ourselves some breathing room, and ultimately to grow.

But what habits and practices can help you bust stress in this way? With the following advice, we’d love to discuss that with you. Here's some good information about how to get help with stress-busting habits you can try:

Finding A Positive Habit

You can reduce your stress through one-off measures that often have great impact. For instance, visiting a spa and enjoying a massage are known to be some of the best ways to feel peace. But it’s unlikely you can fit one of those in each day, nor would you want to if you could. But a small positive habit we can practice anywhere, such as with the Tai Chi For Health Institute or practicing transcendental meditation can have growing and lost-lasting effects. What’s even more important is how low-cost or free these practices can be to integrate with your life.

Removing Unnecessary Stressors

Sometimes it’s not about limiting stress, but removing yourself from unnecessary stressful situations entirely. Does this mean you have to hide from the world? No. But it could be that you decline meeting up with a toxic parent after bringing your child to school, because all they seem to do is complain and gossip about others. Maybe you are tired of feeling so worn out all the time, so instead of working out so hard you focus on achieving a near-perfect sleep schedule, with the right time and monetary investment (such as memory foam mattresses) that you need for that great night’s sleep. This effort, and factors like this, can help you avoid encountering unnecessary stress in daily life.

Never Bottle It Up

Bottling up stress can seem important depending on how you usually approach these situations. Of course, breaking down in the office multiple times a day is unlikely to be a good strategy, nor is complaining about every little issue you encounter. But if something is truly weighing on you, it’s important to find the time to speak to those you trust, and allow yourself to speak your truth. This way, solutions can be found, and those around you will understand. This can also help you avoid falling into subconscious resentment.

With this advice, busting stress will become a hobby, not a simple luxury.

Oral Health & Hygiene Tips for All the Family

It’s important that your whole family looks after their oral health and hygiene. It’s one of those things that’s very easy to overlook, but that shouldn’t be the case. It’s about more than white teeth and nice-smelling breath. Oral health is serious and establishing good habits in your kids from an early age is really important. Here’s how you can start improving your approach and getting it right today.

Source: Pixabay

Get Into the Habit of Flossing

A big part of staying healthy and looking after yourself properly is getting into good habits. That’s definitely true when it comes to good oral health and hygiene, and it’s even more true when it comes to kids. That’s why you should get your kids into the habit of flossing a couple of times a day. It’ll ensure they keep up the habit for a long time to come.

Use Fluoride

Using fluoride, and the right amount of it, is really important when it comes to maintaining healthy and clean teeth. The easiest and best way to do this is to simply choose the right toothpaste product that’s capable of offering the fluoride your teeth need. It’s something you can talk to your dentist about if you’re not sure about it.

Find a Family Dentist You Can Trust

It’s vital that you have a family dentist in place that the whole family feels like it can trust. Places like Bowral Street Dental Practice offer top services and you should get to know a service before you commit to it. That way, you’ll always feel in safe hands when you head to them for check-ups and other routine procedures. It’s essential you have confidence in the dentist you choose.

Make a Dental Care Calendar

A dental calendar can be useful if you’re a busy family that often misses appointments and forgets to organize check-ups and things like that. We all know how busy and chaotic family life can be at times and having a dental calendar will at least ensure that you have those reminders in front of you of what you need to do and when. It’s harder to forget that way.

Brush Your Teeth Together When Your Kids Are Young

When you have kids that are still very young, it makes sense to brush your teeth together as a family. When you do this, it helps to normalize the process for your kids and they’ll want to imitate you. It’ll also become a game and something that’s fun, and that’s the perfect way to establish good habits that should hopefully last a lifetime. That’s just what you want.

Each of these oral health and hygiene tips is really important and everyone should be looking to get these right if they want their families to have good dental health going forward. Don’t cut corners or ignore the basics because that’ll only lead to more problems later. Put the ideas above into practice as soon as possible.

Practical Steps to Help You Overcome a Bad Habit

Everyone in the world has faced a bad habit at some point in their life. For some people, it could be something small such as biting their nails, and for others it could be something more threatening such as an alcohol problem. However, even something like nail biting can get out of hand despite seeming like an innocent habit that you can easily break out of. Whatever bad habit you had, it’s important to understand that you can’t just wipe them off and start a clean slate. It’s not as simple as just deleting it from your life, even if you get plenty of assistance and support to help you do it.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some practical steps to help you overcome a bad habit. We’re going to show you how you can focus on your health, how to battle your demons and overcome your bad habits, and also how you can ensure that they don’t come back.

Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash

Step 1: Identify you have a bad habit

First thing’s first; identify your bad habits. If you don’t identify and admit to things that you’re doing on a regular basis that are causing harm to your physical or mental health, then it’s going to be tough to overcome it.

Step 2: Look at when you resort to it

As an extra step, take a look at when you resort to your bad habit. For instance, people that smoke tend to do it as a way to de-stress, while people that bite their nails might do it when they’re bored. When you identify when you resort to a bad habit, it can help you understand a bit more about it and why you do it in the first place.

Step 3: Understand the health implications

Next, make sure you look at the health implications of that bad habit. For some people, this might mean realizing that alcohol has some very negative effects on your organs. Other people might have to dig a little deeper to understand the health implications. For instance, someone that plays a lot of video games might realize that they’re becoming sedentary and their physical health is suffering as a result of that.

Step 4: Search for an alternative

One of the best ways to overcome a bad habit by yourself is to actually search for an alternative to it. This might sound strange to a lot of people, but if you’re able to identify why you rely on a bad habit in the first place, it’s actually not so far-fetched. For example, if you play a lot of video games because you’re bored or because they offer you a sense of reward and accomplishment, then it’s easy to get sucked into playing every day. However, once you realize that there are also negative effects in playing too much, you can step back a bit and search for something else that also rewards you with a sense of accomplishment that doesn’t involve sitting down. It could be learning a new skill or even gamifying fitness.

Step 5: Consider outside support and assistance

However, regardless of how you tackle your bad habits, you’ll undoubtedly have a much easier time if you rely on outside support. This could mean alcohol addiction treatment for anyone that thinks they have a drinking problem, or even just support from a friend or family member. Whatever your bad habits might be, having someone else to talk to and offer a second opinion is incredibly valuable.

Step 6: Settle on a replacement

One of the most underrated ways to overcome your bad habits is to actually find a replacement for them. We talked about this above with finding an alternative, but it’s also important to settle on a replacement for good. Sometimes, it can be hard to find a direct replacement for something such as smoking or drinking, but that’s where it becomes important to understand why you resort to a bad habit and find something that can offer a similar result without negatively affecting your health.

We hope that these practical steps have helped you understand that it’s possible to overcome a bad habit with relative ease as long as you approach it in a practical way. Just keep in mind that you can’t just simply erase a bad habit out of existence. You need to slowly overcome it by replacing it with more positive habits and understanding the health implications that you face if you don’t get rid of it soon.

[Review] First cycle with the Sinaya Cup (menstrual cup)

Not gonna do an intro about menstrual cups. I figured those who'd wind up here are at least partially aware and considering switching to menstrual cups already hehe, so I'm just gonna jump right to the experience. Spoiler Alert: I'm making the switch, and I'm encouraging you too!

Here you'll find pros and cons, product price and details, and my day to day experience during my first cycle using the cup.

When I got the package, I wanted to try it already so I read the instructions and went ahead and sterilized it in boiling water. It's not my period yet but I wanted to try how it works so as advised, I used a lubricant to help myself shoot the thing up my coochie.

The cup comes in 2 sizes, small and large. Small is ideal for women below 35 years old who have never given birth. Large is recommended for women who experience heavy flows (3 napkins a day type of flow), those who have given birth, or those aged 35 and above. Here's a size guide from Sinaya Cup.

Even though I think I have a heavy flow, I still got the small one because I'm scared I won't be able to fit a large cup in my vagina lol. Well, good call.

First impressions. Cute packaging! Looks eco-friendly too.

All the info you need is on the box.

I thought the cup is not gonna hold enough blood. But hey, I realized that I don't really have a heavy flow. Wearing a napkin has fooled me into thinking I'm a heavy bleeder. Guess that's what super absorbent cottony fiber does to you. It leaves you feeling like you have an unstoppable flow, and that you're perpetually bleeding.

Pros

• No itch
• Environment friendly
• Saves money
• No leaks
• Less rashes
• Feels comfortable
• You can swim in it (ie. be active)!

Cons

• Learning curve
• Hassle to drain and clean
• Uncomfortable at first

Pricing and availability

I got the product online from Sinaya Cup for ₱1,199. It's the most recommended brand among peers (aka the girls in my Facebook group). The cup is made from medical grade silicon, so it says in the website, so uhm I trust that's it's safe inside hehe.

Anyway. Here's how my day to day went on my first cycle using a menstrual cup:

6 day diary

Day 1

• Inserted the cup using tulip fold.
• Spent a couple of minutes in the shower trying to make it pop
• My Day 1 flow feels unusually weak
• I was afraid the cup might be stopping the flow instead of catching it lol
• Thank God one of my friends told me it's normal, that there's really not much blood, it just looks a lot when absorbed by a napkin. I was relieved.
• It's very uncomfortable moving around with the cup, I can feel the stem poking my vagina
• I wore a napkin to bed just to be sure

Day 2

• Woke up to no leaks!
• Removed the cup in the shower and found there's almost no discharge, just brown drops
• I was scared, again, that the cup might be breaking my cycle and stopping the flow lol
• Nonetheless, still went ahead and used it
• Inserted using the C fold this time
• Can't decide what fold is best, as long as it pops and seals I'm good
• After 3 hours it leaked, damn
• Drained it and found the cup is halfway full
• Trimmed the stem 1 notch
• Re-inserted and forgot about it
• After 4 hours I drained it again, this time no leaks, but the cup is halfway full again
• Trimmed the stem 2 notches this time
• Feels better but I still feel a slight poking
• Having drained it twice, all my doubts that it's ruining my cycle is now out of the window
• Drained it again before going to bed

Day 3

• Woke up to a tiny bit of leak on my panty liner
• Thank God the leaks are usually at the front of the liner and not at the back so our sheets are still safe
• I thought the cup was super full because it leaked
• But when I drained it at the shower it's only 1/5 full
• Contemplating on snipping another notch off the stem because it's still poking on my coochie
• I'm starting to think I have a low hanging cervix, whatever that means
• I wonder if I should've bought a cup that has a small ring at the end instead of a stem
• Drained 3x throughout this day
• Aaand, I trimmed it again. For the last time. Cos there's nothing left to cut off anymore lol
• Huge difference, I can't feel a thing now, wow

Day 4

• Woke up to zero leaks! I love it!
• Took if off in the shower, it's only around 1/5 full
• Inserting it is becoming easier now
• Drained twice today, first when I took a bath, then before going to bed

Day 5 and 6

• I'm getting a steady state with this one
• Again, no leaks
• Drained twice today, after shower, then before going to bed
• Since my period is ending, flow is lighter
• Discharge has gone from bloody red to light brown
• It's easier move around with it now that the stem's been cut off

Alright.

Overall I feel very pleased with this cup's performance. I'll definitely continue using it again. It feels liberating not having to feel a bulky pad on your crotch area for a week. And it's amazing how's there little no leakage when using it. Now I can stop worrying about staining out sheets. I was worried still about getting rashes but they never came, I wasn't itchy anywhere. I frkn love it.

My entire first cycle with the cup is a learning curve. I have to learn how to put it in, explore which insertion fold works best, and struggle to make the thing pop and seal. In my case, I use the punch-down fold (aka lotus fold) more often because the tip is smaller compared to the C-fold so it doesn't stress my opening too much.

I still have a long way to go to say I've totally gotten used to it. I've been thinking how to manage with the cup when we finally go back to working at the office. I don't want to end up hogging the only cubicle with a faucet and tabo for more than 10 minutes, so I need to practice working faster with it hahaha.

It feels totally different, switching from pads to cups, but it's definitely a more comfortable experience. ♥

How to love healthy eating and exercise even if you detest salads and the gym

For many people, the idea of going on a diet and committing to running five miles every day feels like a massive chore. You have to cut out many of the things that you love in life - like tasty food - in return for what you hope will be better health in the long-run. The problem is that sticking to significant lifestyle changes is hard. Virtually nobody loses weight on a diet and keeps it off long term. It’s just not what we’re biologically programmed to do. If there’s food available, we’ll eat it. It’s as simple as that.

Photo by Anupam Mahapatra

Modern habits, though, are creating a whole host of problems for our health. Sitting down all day and eating junk food is a one-two punch that wrecks our metabolism.

Your ideal biomarkers should be:

• Cholesterol 150 mg/dL
• Blood pressure 120/80
• Blood glucose 75 to 100 mg/DL

Unfortunately, a lot of people are way out of this ideal range, putting them at risk of a host of chronic diseases, like heart disease.

The solution, though, is quite simple - make healthy eating and exercise something that people can enjoy. Some people manage it, and you can too. Here’s what to do.

How To Enjoy Exercise

Enjoying exercise can be a challenge, but it can happen. It’s all about mindset.

Start With Achievable Goals

Don’t start your exercise regime by running marathons or doing two hours of cross-fit every day. You’ll knacker yourself and do whatever you can to avoid more grueling training sessions in the future.

Instead, begin with small, manageable goals. Make sure that your brain gets used to the idea that exercise is a pleasant experience first - something you enjoy - before ramping up the difficulty. Remember, there’s no time limit on this. If it takes you a year to work up to a high level, then so be it. As long as you’re active, you’re on the right track.

Notice How The Rest Of Your Life Gets Easier

As humans, we have an uncanny ability to adapt to the world around us. It doesn’t take five minutes before we’re used to something, whether it’s smartphones or ordering takeaways online.

The same goes for our fitness. When you start exercising, you induce profound changes in your body. All of a sudden, you have more energy to do the things that you want to do. It’s miraculous.

You can, however, adapt to these changes rapidly and, after a while, take them for granted.

Where possible, try to think back to situations before you began exercising that highlighted just how difficult life used to be. Maybe it was walking up stairs or carrying heavy bags of shopping. Whatever it is, try to link real-world experiences to your exercise habits.

How To Enjoy Healthy Eating

Most people can cope with exercise. But eating bland food day after day is intolerable. The good news is that eating things that are good need not be torture. Take a look at the following advice:

Use Fresh Herbs And Spices To Add Flavour

If you look at the types of food that most personal trainers recommend, you’ll see that it is dull and boring. Chicken breast, brown rice, and broccoli - not exactly appealing.

It turns out, though, that you can transform even the blandest of meals into something delicious with the right combination of herbs and species. What’s more, these foods may also contain compounds that help you move towards your weight loss and fitness goals faster. Unique chemicals plants produce supercharges your metabolism and foster whole-body health.

Eat Your Favourite Foods - Just Make Them Healthy

If you think that your days of munching on delicious burgers are over, think again. Even on the most Spartan diets, you can still eat your favorite foods.

Photo from Pixabay

Take pizza, for instance. You can easily make a whole spelt flour pizza base, add a homemade tomato sauce made with fresh or canned tomatoes, and then add veggies on top. You still get a delicious meal, even though it doesn’t contain any of the nasties you’d usually have to consume with pizza.

The same goes for burgers. You can make burgers from black beans, oats, and parsley, which actually tastes better than the real thing.

What you want to avoid is the feeling that you’re “going without.” You don’t want to feel like you lack anything in your life, or you might go back to your old ways.

The bottom line is this: eating healthily and exercising doesn’t have to be an ordeal. You can enjoy it, so long as you approach it with the right frame of mind.

Is Food Medicine?

Nutrition science is an incredibly young discipline. The idea that we could tackle some of our most dangerous modern diseases, like heart disease, stroke, and cancer, only really began to gain traction in the 1970s, and even then, people didn’t take the idea particularly seriously. Sure, eating right was good for overall health, but it couldn’t make THAT much of a difference. As the years wore on and the science developed, a clear pattern emerged. The more people ate a certain kind of diet high in nutrients and low in junk, the longer and healthier they lived. What’s more, they had an uncanny knack to avoid the diseases of aging - conditions that the modern medical establishment still can’t really do much about.

Photo from Pixabay

Food is a kind of medicine if you use it right. There are all kinds of cancer-fighting foods that research reveals helps to improve symptoms in vivo and in vitro. In some cases, the effect of lifestyle change is so profound that it can REVERSE conditions like prostate cancer. Researcher Dean Ornish, for instance, found that when he fed men with prostate cancer a diet high in fruits and vegetables, their tumors actually shrank over the twelve months of the study. Some patients went into full remission. 

The Long-Term Effects Of Food

The medical community is fighting back against Hippocrates’ notion that food is a kind of medicine. The common retort is “food is just food,” and anyone who says that you can heal our biggest killers is a quack. 

Photo from Pixabay

The problem with this view is that we now have a mountain of evidence from a large number of researchers that food really can heal the body over the long-term.

What’s more, the epidemiological studies from the places where people live the longest all seem to point to a healthy diet as a significant contributing factor. None of these areas eat a diet high in animal products. Most live on simple plant foods grown in local soil. When you eat lots of beans, greens, fruits, and seeds over the long term, it appears to change the body in fundamental ways, making it more resistant to the ravages of aging over time.

Don’t Rely On Food For All Ailments

There are situations, however, when food is not enough to protect you against illness, and you need medical intervention.

Antibiotics are a good example. While what you eat will help make you more robust against bacterial infection, it can’t protect you entirely. Occasionally, some nasty pathogens will overwhelm your defenses, giving you no choice but to go along to the doctors.

The same applies to autoimmune conditions. While changing your diet can help, the only proven effective intervention are conventional pharmaceutical drugs.

Food has its limits, but it has also been neglected terribly. There are now numerous studies that show that changing your overall dietary pattern to eat more whole plant foods can help enormously in reducing the chances that you’ll fall seriously ill. Use food as a powerful intervention and concentrate on eating the healthiest varieties out there.

Retrain Your Mind To Slash Your Anxiety Levels

Anxiety is a modern epidemic. It’s something that seems to permeate every level of our society and imposes enormous costs. Stress literally ruins people’s lives.

It’s only relatively recently though that anxiety has become a publicly-recognized issue. Not only have we become better at talking about it, but it’s also become a bigger problem. We live in a society where no matter how much success you have, it’s never enough. We’ve become slaves to the constant need for “more” in all aspects of our lives. The pressures of the modern world create a situation where anxiety is the inevitable result. The good news, however, is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can retrain our minds to overcome the pitfalls of our economic and romantic lives and live more healthfully (and joyfully).

Shrink Your Amygdala

Scientists think that the amygdala has a significant role to play in the modern anxiety epidemic. The pea-sized region at the center of our brains is responsible for a vast amount of the anxiety that we experience. It’s an ancient part of the brain which gives us our essential “fight or flight” response.

Photo from Pixabay

The problem is that the modern world can corrupt the amygdala. It played an essential role in helping us avoid danger in our evolutionary past, but the contemporary world confuses it. The daily stressors of industrial production switch on the amygdala continually, enlarging it and putting it into a state of permanent activity.

Shrinking the amygdala is vital for long-term mental wellness, but how do you do it. The leading approach right now is to spend 30 minutes per day meditating. The incredible thing about meditation is that it appears to shrink the amygdala back down to a regular size while cutting out the unwanted activity.

Supplement To Reduce The Activity Of The Amygdala

Incredibly, as CBDOlja.nu points out, some foods and supplements reduce the amount of brain activity in the amygdala. Ashwagandha, for instance, is a natural herb which cuts the level of activity in the brain and helps people to feel more relaxed about their day.

Something as simple as taking a powdered berry supplement can help too. Inflammation in the brain can change our thought processes, making us more susceptible to negative and unhealthy emotions. Using berries to flush out some of the inflammation cuts the odds of our thought patterns from getting out of whack with reality.

Try Unlearning Your Fear Responses

What’s so upsetting about the whole anxiety epidemic is that it is almost wholly unnecessary. Our lives are not in danger the majority of the time, but our biology causes us to react as if it were. Ancient biology hasn’t yet adapted to the realities of life in modern offices. It’s all so new.

As bodyandsoul.com.au points out, researchers are now experimenting with ways to help people unlearn their fear responses. They do this by asking people to create a list of their fears from least bad to worst. Practitioners then get people to face their fears head-on, instead of avoiding them, helping them to see that they’re usually not in danger after all.

Surefire Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy While You're Travelling

You spend all year daydreaming about your holiday; don’t you?

Where to go, the kinds of adventures you’ll have - and picture yourself out there in paradise - blissful!

Photo from Pexels

But although we all make lots of practical preparations -  it’s easy to forget our own bodies - and we shouldn’t do. Travel can be a big drain on your health if you’re not careful - so it’s important to take the appropriate precautions.

Before you travel

Boost your immune system

A strong immune system is crucial to your overall health - so make sure it’s in shape before you set off.  Try to eat well in the run up to your holiday - and include lots of fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet. Dark leafy greens like kale and brightly colored fruits are particularly helpful.  And remember to take small, healthy snacks with you on your journey.
Check if you need any vaccinations

Depending where you’re going, you might need vaccinations - so make sure you’ve checked - it’s really important.  If concerns about pain put you off - don’t let them - perhaps using a numbing cream could be the solution.

You can find lots of useful information online about which vaccinations might be appropriate for your holiday destination.  So do your homework. And your doctor, physician or pharmacist will be able to advise you too.

Photo from Pexels

Buy the right sunscreen

We can’t emphasise enough the importance of taking - and using sunscreen - particularly if you’re visiting warmer climes.  Make sure you choose a cream with at the very least a factor 15 (30 is preferable, particularly for children).  Look for good UVA ratings - and apply it really regularly while you’re away.

While you’re travelling

Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing and research has revealed that it’s crucial for our immune system.  Put simply, you’re more likely to catch a virus without it - and to shake one off if you do get sick.  So getting proper sleep is very important before and during your journey.

Consider packing a travel pillow and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones to help you sleep more soundly too.

Stay hydrated

When you travel by air, the lack of humidity in the cabin air can lead to dehydration - and dry out mucous membranes.  This can make you more susceptible to germs - so remember to keep as hydrated as possible.  Water is the best option - obviously - so consider taking a bottle with you and refill whenever possible. Potassium-rich foods like bananas are also great options to help keep you hydrated.

Try to keep active

That might not sound straightforward while you’re travelling but it is possible - and, of course, crucial. Because it’s another really effective way to stave off unwanted infections - and boost your energy.

Photo from Pixabay

So make time in your travel schedule to do something that gets your body moving - even if it’s just a quick stretch.  And when you arrive don’t neglect this either - check out the hotel gym and go for a walk or run to explore your new surroundings.

Wash your hands regularly

It’s surprising how many people forget the importance of regular hand washing - and how it helps maintain health.

This is even more important when you travel - as you come into contact with surfaces that many other people have touched. Using handrails, touching counters and opening doors are all things we do without much thought.

Health professionals recommend carrying out the following steps to make sure your hand washing is effective:

1. Wet your hands with water.
2. Apply enough soap to cover your hands.
3. Rub hands palm to palm.
4. Rub the back of your left hand with your right palm with interlaced fingers. Repeat with the other hand.
5. Rub your palms together with fingers interlaced.
6. Rub the backs of your fingers against your palms with fingers interlocked.
7. Clasp your left thumb with your right hand and rub in rotation. Repeat with your left hand and right thumb.
8. Rub the tips of your fingers in the other palm in a circular motion, going backwards and forwards. 
9. Repeat with the other hand.
10. Rinse hands with water.
11. Dry thoroughly, ideally with a disposable towel.
12. Use the disposable towel to turn off the tap.

If you can’t get access water to wash your hands fully while you’re in transit - try using an alcohol based sanitiser.  And remember to keep applying it frequently, to make sure you’re properly protected.

Photo from Pixabay

In conclusion

Just a little common sense and a tiny bit of preparation can help you stay fit and well while you travel. And then you’ll be sure to arrive at your destination - and home - relaxed healthy and happy.

Struggling to Turn Things Around? These Might Be A Few Reasons Why

Photo from Pixabay

It would be great if life was always sunny and happy, with everything working out exactly as it was supposed to, and with success and accomplishment being a given.

Obviously, though, that is not the way things actually work out in reality. All of us have to deal with a pretty hefty number of setbacks, disappointments, failures, and troubles, along the way.

In order to keep things moving forward in a positive manner, and to get the most out of our lives, it’s important to be able to pause, reflect on what’s going on, and take steps to turn things around on a regular basis. But what if you’ve been struggling to turn things around, recently? What if situations constantly seem to be getting out of your control, and you’re not managing to make headway?

Well, if you’ve been struggling to turn things around, these might be a few reasons why.

You are allowing too much distraction into your life, at a time when your focus and willpower are already low

When things aren’t exactly working out for you in the best possible way, it’s very likely that your willpower, focus, and motivation, will automatically be pretty low.

So, when you add a bunch of distractions into the mix, you may well find yourself wasting hours every day checking up on your social media accounts, watching TV shows, listening to music, and giving in to just about every option for procrastination that presents itself.

If you’re struggling to turn things around in your life, it might be because too much of your time and energy is being taken up by idle distractions that you can’t seem to resist.

Counteract this situation by removing distractions from your life, as much as possible. That might mean installing a web blocking app on your phone, for example.

You aren’t eating or sleeping enough

When times are tough, and we become very stressed and preoccupied, we typically cease to take care of ourselves in the way we should.

One of the primary ways in which this manifests itself, is by missing out on sleep, and eating too little (and too little of the right things.)

The thing is, sleep is essential for health, mental function, willpower, and energy. And so is proper nutrition.

Begin feeding yourself properly again, and getting enough rest, and you might find that you are more capable of improving your life, literally overnight.

You’ve been too vague, or ambitious, in your plans – or you haven’t made any plan

Vague plans such as “I should visit the dentist soon,” tend not to lead to actual solutions to problems. Instead, researching and contacting a dentist such as monavaledental.com.au is the way to get things done.

At the same time, setting yourself goals, and making plans, that are too ambitious, often results in things remaining static. “I’m going to be fit enough to run a marathon,” is a stretch if you currently aren’t capable of going up a flight of stairs without feeling winded. And, if a goal seems unattainable, you’re likely struggle to pursue it wholeheartedly.

Finally, if you fail to make plans – well, then, it’s not surprising that you aren’t achieving much, is it?

In order to turn things around in your life, you need to make concise and focused plans, keep them manageable, and work consistently to fulfil them.

5 Possible Reasons You Can’t Get To Sleep

For some of us, getting to sleep can be a real mission. It can result in hours of tossing and turning, which can become more frantic as it gets to the early hours of the morning. There are many factors that can stop us from getting to sleep easily. Here are five possible reasons you may be struggling to drift off.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

You’re too stressed

Stress can keep many of us up at night. When stressed, our body releases cortisol which makes our mind more alert and our body more energised. Taking the time to de-stress before bed could help to flush out this cortisol so that your mind isn’t racing and your body isn’t tense. There may be forms of bedtime meditation that you can try in order to get yourself de-stressed. A hot bath meanwhile is another effective stress reliever. Avoid stressbusters such as exercise, which may simply perk you up and make it harder to sleep.

You’ve been consuming the wrong foods/drinks before bed

Certain foods and drinks will make it harder to go to sleep. Caffeine is the biggest culprit – coffee or tea before bed is best avoided and you may want to limit chocolate (this often contains caffeine too). High-sugar drinks may also keep you up, whilst fatty foods may cause bloating that makes getting to sleep difficult. Instead, try foods like honey or oats, which can help you get to sleep by promoting the hormone melatonin. Bananas and almonds are also good sleep inducers due to their content of magnesium.

You’ve been looking at too many bright screens before bed

Staring at a bright TV, laptop or phone screen before bed could be tricking your brain into thinking that it’s still daylight hours, delaying the release of melatonin. Try to make it a habit of turning off all devices with screens an hour before going to sleep. As mentioned earlier, you could try having a hot bath or meditating instead, or you could read a book – anything that doesn’t involve a screen.

Your bed/bedroom is too uncomfortable

An uncomfortable bed could also be preventing you from getting to sleep. If you suffer from any kind of back or joint pain, you may find that a soft mattress exacerbates the pain, whilst a firm mattress provides more support. Alternatively, some people may prefer a soft mattress that they can sink into. It’s also important that your bedding doesn’t make your too hot or cold – consider using different materials of sheets for different seasons to help regulate temperature more easily.

You’ve been lying in too late

Lying in late will make it harder to go to sleep at a reasonable time. Because you haven’t been awake long enough, your body and brain won’t be ready to sleep. Try making an effort to get up earlier even if you have no reason to. If it’s your day off from work, you may still be able to get a lie in – you may just want to keep a cut off point such as 10am to prevent you lying in too long so that you can then go to bed at a reasonable time the following night.

Niggling Pains That Can't Be Ignored

Image by Ernesto Eslava from Pixabay

Nobody likes being in pain, but one of the most common complaints that people have, is that they're in some sort of pain. Whether it be because they're aching, because they've got a medical problem, or something has just started causing severe pain out of the blue. There are literally thousands of causes for this, yet we're so bad at actually finding out what's wrong. So many of us put up with pain until it's completely unbearable, until one day it gets too much, and finally a doctors trip happens. But realistically, we should be sorting the problems we're having as soon as possible, to make sure that we have the best outcome. So we're going to run you through some of the paints that definitely shouldn't be ignored, and simple thing that you might be able to do to get it sorted quickly!

Joint Pain

Joint pain is something that we're all going to experience at some point in life, especially as we move towards the older years. But even as young healthy people, we will have all of the joint aches and pains that older people have. It's due to the work we do, and the way we look after our body. People who sit in offices a day are known for their problems with joint pain, but mainly in the neck. But neck pain isn't something that should be ignored, and just shrugged off because you know it's related to your job. You should start practicing a better position at work, ensure that your back is straight and you're not slumped over. This will straighten your posture, and allow your neck to sit in a neutral position rather than tilted. It takes all of that pressure off the neck joint. Doing light rolls of your head and neck stretches to relieve any tension is also advised!

Something Caused By Injury

Now this is definitely something that can't be ignored, yet again, so many of us do. Injury can occur for many different reasons, from lifting something to heavy, to sports related injuries. Physiotherapy is always recommend when you've been injured with something that's long lasting. So torn muscle or ligaments, it's almost essential to have the physio to help the injured area repair to the optimum level. Don't ignore any pains that you're having through injury when it's long lasting area. It's always best to go the your doctor or to A&E, just to make sure that there's nothing more serious going on!

The Worst Kind Of Aches

There's nothing worse than both tooth and ear ache. Both are such a niggling pain that can lead to headaches and other aches. There are quick remedies that can soothe some pain, such as resting your ear on a hot water bottle, and for the toothache, getting into the dentist as quickly as possible is essential. There are emergency dentist appointments for people in serious pain, so never leave it!

So if you're going to take anything away, it's that you go to the doctor or whatever medical professional is relevant, and always get pain treated before it gets any worse!

3 Health Changes To Make As You Reach Middle Age

Looking after your health gets so much harder as you get older. When you’re young, it feels like you can bounce back from anything and you don’t need to worry too much. It’s still important that you try to get into good health habits but you can afford to make a few mistakes along the way. But when you start to hit middle age and your risk of disease begins to increase, it’s so important that you start thinking more seriously about your health. If you don’t, you’ll struggle to manage it when you’re older and you’ll be far more likely to have serious health problems. If you haven’t thought about it much, these are some of the biggest health changes you need to make as you reach middle age.

Photo from Pixabay

Diet And Exercise

Diet and exercise are so important at any age, but when you start to get older, you need to prioritize it. Your risk of things like heart disease and strokes are massively increased and you need to make sure that you’re doing everything that you can to reduce that risk as much as possible. Diet is a good place to start because if you’re eating a lot of fatty foods and sugar, your heart health is really going to suffer. Drinking a lot of alcohol has a big impact too. You need to cut those unhealthy foods out of your diet and replace them with more healthy alternatives.

Exercise is so important for heart health as well and if you’re doing a good amount of cardio on a regular basis, your risk of heart attacks and strokes is massively reduced. Staying active will also help you to keep your joints in good working order so they don’t seize up as you get older. You don’t have to be an athlete, but it’s important that you stay active, even if you’re just walking on a regular basis.

Contraception 

When you’re getting older and you’ve already got a family, you might decide that you’re not going to have any more children. In that case, you might want to consider some form of permanent contraception so you can avoid any accidents. If you have good private medical insurance, the vasectomy cost will be covered, you’ll just have to pay the excess. It’s not expensive but it is worth doing for peace of mind. Having an unplanned child later in life can be really tough so it’s best to be safe.

Get Regular Tests 

When you’re young, there isn’t really much need to go for regular tests on things like your sight or your hearing unless you notice a problem. But as you start to get older, these things will start to go. However, if you can catch the problem early and get some glasses or hearing aids, you can limit the damage and stop the problem from getting worse. If you leave it though, you’re likely to lose your hearing completely and have serious vision problems in later life.

Make these simple health changes as you approach middle age and you’ll be able to manage your health a lot better as you get older.

Beating The Bloat In Time For Summer

Even the most in-shape of us can suffer from bloating from time to time. Bloating can be uncomfortable, make you feel heavy and affect how your clothes fit. Bloating can be caused by many things, but there are some solutions you can try to reduce bloating and feel great in your own skin. Here are some suggestions for beating the bloat in time for summer.

Photo by Joseph Greve on Unsplash

Pay attention to what makes you bloat

Bloating can be triggered by all kinds of foods. From starchy carbs to certain types of vegetables, you can soon start to recognize which foods are making you bloat. You can take a look at some common foods that trigger bloating and establish some patterns to help you work out what to avoid on the days where bloating isn’t an option.

Cut down on alcohol

Alcohol can cause many adverse effects, and one of them is bloating. Alcohol can cause the typical stomach bloating, but it can also make your face and body bloating as a result of the dehydration it causes. If you think you can cut back on your alcohol intake, consult the Stop Drinking Expert to get some help. Alcohol can lead to weight gain and problem skin, so if you want to look your best, then it doesn’t hurt to cut back.

Make sure you hydrate yourself

Bloating can happen easily when you’re dehydrated. Your body will retain water easily, leading you to feel bloated and uncomfortable. Staying hydrated is the answer, so make sure you drink plenty of water - especially if it’s hot or you’ve been working out. Soda drinks can make bloating worse, so try to avoid carbonated drinks if you’re having a flare-up.

Keep moving

Exercise can help relieve bloating, even if it feels like the last thing you want to do! Regular exercise will help digestion and make sure you keep things ticking over. If you don’t feel like going for a run or doing some cardio while bloated, take a look at some empowering strength training instead. Some exercise will soon have you feeling better and help keep you regular too.

Get checked out

If your bloating is recurrent and causing you pain, you should make an appointment with your doctor. Bloating can be caused by conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other conditions, which can leave sufferers suffering regular, painful bloating. Getting a diagnosis can help you get the treatment you need to manage your condition and soon help you feel better.

Bloating affects most people, and while it can be a misery to deal with, you can learn to manage it with the right approach to your health and well-being. Eat the right foods, get moving and make sure you don’t do anything that exasperates your symptoms. In most cases, bloating will pass quickly, allowing you to enjoy your summer wardrobe while feeling relaxed and comfortable.

Hair Regrowth Doesn't Mean Surgery

A lot of individuals suffering from hair loss mistakenly believe that their only solution is surgery. Understandably, many people do not want to go down this route. However, what they do not realise is that there are other options available.

Photo from Pixabay

You can treat your hair loss and feel confident again via utilising medical methods of hair restoration. That’s right; there are several different types of medication available to deal with various kinds of hair loss. Therefore, the chances of you needing surgery are minimised.

From being one of the more common ovarian cancer symptoms to occurring purely through stress, so many people suffer hair loss today for different reasons. However, there are options when it comes to treatment. Keep reading to discover more about the medical options at your disposal…

Minoxidil

Let’s begin with one of the most popular medications for hair loss; Minoxidil. This option is utilized both to slow balding and to stimulate hair growth as well. It is believed that it is most effective for individuals who are under the age of 40 and have started using the medication as soon as possible. This medication comes in a liquid form. Individuals who utilize it are supposed to apply it to their scalp two times a day. It is extremely important to be aware of the fact that if you exceed this recommended dosage you won’t actually promote faster growth of hair. In fact, the only thing you are doing is increasing your chance of suffering from side effects.
Propecia 

In addition to Minoxidil, Propecia is another popular medication utilized for hair loss. Nevertheless, this is only used to treat male pattern baldness. It should never be taken by women as it can have serious implications on pregnancy. You may also commonly see this medicine called Finasteride. So, how does it work? You will take Propecia in the form of a tablet and it has the effect of reducing hair loss rather than stimulating growth. This type of medication is not for everyone. As is the case with all types of hair restoration, it is important to make sure you have a proper consultation beforehand.

Avodart

Aside from the two medications that have already been mentioned, you also have the option of utilising Avodart. This is also commonly labeled Dutasteride. Similarly to Propecia, this is a medical option which is effective when it comes to treating male pattern hair loss specifically. Avodart works via inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase. This is the enzyme which is responsible for producing dihydrotestosterone (DHT) – the hormone which is found in increased amounts when in relation to a male who suffers from male pattern baldness. By inhibiting this enzyme the result is that the formation of DHT is actually blocked and therefore this stops male pattern hair loss from occurring as a result.

Avodart, Minoxidil, and Propecia are definitely the three most common medicines used in order to treat hair loss. Nonetheless, you should never jump right in and purchase one of these medications. This is highly ill-advised. You need to have a thorough consultation with a professional who will talk you through your options and suggest the best medication based on your type of hair loss specifically.

3 Ways to help you get back on track after breaking your diet rules

Photo from Pixabay

When you are on a diet, in order to achieve some goal such as weight loss or maintaining a healthy and fit body, you endeavor to stick to your diet plan. You must also do some work out to burn the excess calories so that your dieting efforts are complemented. To make all those efforts result in a great success, you can consider taking some well-researched steroids which can be oral ones such as oral turinabol that help in promoting efficient calories breakdown and development of lean muscles. You can also go for steroide that are administered through injection and are deemed more effective than the oral ones. You can easily purchase the various steroids at https://acheter-steroid.org/ which is one of the best online steroids shop for quality, and affordable steroids and is very convenient.

As you observe your diet, there are instances you may go against your set diet. A good case in point is when you attend an event like a family party and you indulge in what you consider unhealthy foods. When you cheat on your diet, more often than not you will get weighed down by guilt feelings and feel like you have failed terribly. So how do you bounce back after a cheat day (or days in case of a weekend or a vacation)? Here are some tips on how you can get back on track and continue pursuing your goal:

1. Find out what led to your poor food choices

You must interrogate yourself whether you are being too restrictive on yourself, or feeling denied of some things you deem very important and if the diet choice you have made is in line with your goals. You need to remind yourself of the reason why taking a healthy diet is important to you and drop the thought that you are doing it because your doctor advised you to do so, or because you want to be like a certain celebrity. The motivation should come from you, or else you will find it hard choosing what you think is good for you or for achieving your goal instead of what you feel you really want.

You need to examine your life and understand what other things you could be struggling with and led you to use food to ‘comfort’ yourself as it is usually the case. Do you have financial issues or are lonely?  You can try doing meditation or have a talk therapy or some other activities to calm or relax your mind. Check whether your environment puts you in situations that will make you go against your diet. Maybe you have friends that avail the foods you chose to drop.

2. Drop the mentality of cheating on your eating pattern

You must have a change of mindset from the diet approach in which you set some strict diet rules to achieve certain promised and mostly aesthetic goals. The truth is that dieting is just restrictive and dropping it is the best thing. Once you drop the diet mindset, you stop having rules thus there are no rules to be broken. You get guiding principles on the selections you make or towards some objective like shedding excess weight. You take charge of things and substitute the guilt and restrictions with freedom and choice.

3. Forgive yourself and carry on eating healthily

No amount of thrashing yourself can undo whatever you have done. However, you can take some lessons from the ‘mistakes’.  Being conscious of all your actions can assist you to identify what leads you to make the choices you do. This can help you understand the origin of your cravings and the decisions. You should then let go of the guilt or forgive yourself and move on to achieve your goals.

For women: Athena and Crave Healthy by Unilab

Photo by Blubel on Unsplash

It seems there's no shortage of supplements specifically targeting women's needs. We have calcium supplements, iron capsules, multivitamins and so on. With all the options we have, it's hard to stick to just one type of supplement. Which is why it's important to be brand conscious and pick those that came from a trusted manufacturer.

Unilab has been in the business of providing quality healthcare products to the Filipino masses for decades. I bet you have at least one of their products sitting in your household today. Got a stack of Biogesic? Bottles of Enervon-C? Then you're in the right hands.

This year, Unilab aims to better improve the health of Filipino women by promoting two of their most effective for-women products.

Athena

No other milk understands you better.

Women like us, who are always on the go, seek to strike a balance between work and personal time to be able to enjoy life to the fullest. That is why we need to stay fit and attractive, to look good and feel good whenever we can. We have unique needs that only women like us truly understand.

Introducing Athena, the milk especially formulated to meet our special nutritional needs.

• High Calcium essential for optimum bone health. It is also a source of Vitamins D and K, Magnesium and Phosphorus – nutrients to help maintain strong bones 
• Low in Fat so you can enjoy this beverage without the risk of high caloric intake 
• Source of Anti-oxidants such as Vitamins A & E and Zinc to help maintain healthy skin and promote optimum immune function.

Athena is definitely a delicious beverage made just for you.
Drink Athena today!

Athena comes in two flavors – Milk (180 grams – Php 130.00; 400 grams – Php 273.00) and Choco (180 grams – Php 130.00). It’s available online at www.athena.com.ph and in-store at Mercury Drugstore, Watsons, and Southstar.

Crave Healthy

Crave Healthy is the first snack product in the Philippines that is specifically designed for pregnant women. It's highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists.

It’s NUTRITIOUS because it contains essential nutrients – Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium that are critical for both the mom and her growing baby. It also has reduced salt and just the right amount of calories that give the pregnant woman that extra energy she needs daily.

It’s DELICIOUS because it tastes just like her regular snack. Crave Healthy is currently available in Sweet Corn flavor and does not have any aftertaste of nutrient fortifications. It helps support the nutritional needs of pregnant women and their developing fetus.

A healthy way to satisfy hunger and food cravings of pregnant women!

A pack of Crave is worth Php 25.00 at 30 grams each. It’s available online at www.cravehealthysnacks.com, select Med Express branches, and select Robinsons Supermarket outlets.