If you're concerned with remaining healthy and fit, you're probably reading articles on a regular basis that encourage you to do things like work out six days a week, eat more home-cooked meals, and meditate on a daily basis. But if you've got a full-time job, a long commute, kids, and a home to care for, you may be thinking, "When am I supposed to sleep?"You know, of course, that you need to do that too! On top of all your responsibilities, you may feel stressed by all the things you're supposed to be doing to remain healthy. You may even feel a little guilty that you're not fitting them all in.
Is it possible for a busy person to be healthy too? With a little forethought and planning, the answer is, "Yes!" Here are a number of recommendations to help you incorporate healthy practices into your life. Choose one or two at a time to try, to help you determine which ones will work for you without causing you to feel overwhelmed.
Time Management
Set small, attainable goals and write them down. Then schedule the steps you'll take to reach them in your planner. Be sure to schedule everything, including exercise and relaxation. If you feel you don't have enough time to devote to self-care, keep a log of everything you do for a few days; you'll most likely find at least a few little pockets of time that have been slipping by unnoticed.
You don't have to cut it out completely, but limit the time you spend watching TV. To paraphrase Cheryl Richardson, author of Take Time for Your Life, every minute of your day should be spent in activities that lead you toward your goals.
Put time spent waiting to good use: bring a good book to read or answer e-mails while waiting to see your doctor or dentist.
Exercise
Fit shorter workout sessions into your schedule. Many experts believe that you can maintain physical fitness by doing three 20-minute workouts per week. You can find any number of quick workouts online that include both aerobics and weight training. For this to be effective, though, you have to make them count by working intensely for those 20 minutes.
If you can't manage 60 minutes a week, do what you can. Sometimes we think, "I only have 10 minutes; I may as well not even bother." But those are 10 valuable minutes during which you can: 1) slip on your athletic shoes and go for a brisk walk, 2) turn on some music and dance around the house, 3) stretch, or 4) grab some hand weights or two water bottles and do some squats, bicep curls and triceps kickbacks.
Meal Preparation
Use lists for grocery shopping. In fact, if you know you tend to buy many of the same food and household items, take some time to create a standard shopping list that you can print out and check off as you go through the week. Using lists will prevent you from having to run back to the store for something you may have forgotten.
Cook simple meals. These can often be the healthiest. If you enjoy cooking more complicated meals, set aside one or two nights a week for those, and cook more simply the remainder of the week. When considering new recipes, set your own guidelines for selecting them. For example, decide you won't select any recipe that has more than eight ingredients, or any ingredient that will require a trip to a specialty store. Dust off and use your slow cooker. You can find many healthy slow cooker recipes online.
Create a 21-day dinner meal plan and rotate those same recipes. You'll have variety, but you won't have to spend time every day thinking about what you're going to cook.
Cook once and eat twice - always make enough for leftovers for lunch the next day or for dinner another night. Devote one evening or Sunday afternoon to cooking for the week. Divide meals into portions and refrigerate or freeze. Chop vegetables ahead of time that you'll be using for recipes that don't freeze well, like a stir fry, for example.
Whole grains make versatile side or main dishes. Cook up a big batch of brown rice, quinoa, or buckwheat. Cooked whole grains will keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days. Take out what you need for a meal and add ingredients that will make it suitable for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Form a cooking co-op. Find friends or neighbors who'd be willing to cook one meal for several families. One day each week, one person is responsible for cooking and delivering a meal to all the other families in the co-op. Even if you find only three other participants, that's three nights each week you won't have to cook!
Stress Management
You most likely know it's important to manage stress, but finding time to sit quietly and clear your mind may seem out of the question for you. Fit small pockets of relaxation techniques into your schedule by: counting your blessings while standing in line at the grocery checkout, doing a deep breathing exercise while sitting at a stoplight, or practicing a moving meditation while walking or mindfulness meditation while you brush your teeth or wash dishes.
Weigh your healthy options. For example, you may try to avoid warming meals in the microwave. But if you get home from work late one night and you're standing by the stove stressing out while your food is warming, thinking about how tired and hungry you are, how close to bedtime you'll be eating and what that will do to your weight, how you're going to have another pot to wash, etc., stop and consider what harm that stress may be doing to you in comparison to the harm your food may possibly cause after a minute in the microwave.
Expecting or even trying to achieve perfection in any area of your life is a heavy load to bear. When you have an especially difficult week, relax your standards; you can pick up where you left off when things slow down. Yes, shopping at the farmer's market is a great idea for a number of reasons. But if you're swamped and just can't make it there in addition to a trip to the grocery store, give yourself a pass.
No matter how busy your life is, with a little planning and preparation, you can still achieve wellness. When you're trying to find balance, think about what your time is worth, and what's truly important to you. Being hard on yourself only causes more stress. Keep in mind that every small step you take will lead you one step closer toward reaching your health goals.
Susanne Warren is a board-certified holistic health counselor. She works with women and men over 40 who are motivated to address longstanding health issues such as weight loss, stress management, and the effects of chronic illnesses by guiding and supporting them to make healthier diet and lifestyle choices.
To learn more about her health coaching program and request a complimentary 45-minute discovery session during which you'll talk about your health and life, your goals and what might be getting in the way of achieving them, visit http://takingstepstowellness.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susanne_Warren
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Selasa, 05 Juli 2011
Can A Busy Person Be Healthy Too?
Five Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle
Summer is in full swing, and with the heat comes a desire to feel more healthy. For those of you inspired by the form-fitted fashions of summer, there is no better time to start a healthy lifestyle then right now. From healthier and hotter sunglasses like those by Carrera, to sunscreens, healthy foods and vitamins- now is the time to turn around an unhealthy life into one that is more rewarding.
1) Protecting your body is one of the most important parts of a healthy lifestyle. When you go outside, whether it be in summer, winter or in between, you should always have on sunglasses. To achieve this, you'll have to develop a healthy routine that includes carrying sunglasses with you everywhere. Making your sunglasses a fashionable item you love only makes the task much easier. You can also wear a hat and scarf when outdoors to keep the sun off your head and chest. Additionally, sunscreen is more important than many people realize. Skin cancer rates are skyrocketing, and it could easily be avoided with a little cream.
2) What you put into your body is as important as what you put on it. Eating healthy is no easy feat, especially in this day and age of fast food and microwave meals. But a few fresh veggies can go a long way in making your skin clearer, give you more energy and make your hair shiner and stronger. In the long run, if you beauty and appearance are important to you, it's what people don't see that is important-aka- the foods you eat.
3) Avoiding plastics whenever possible is a great way to take your healthy lifestyle to a new level. Microwaving anything in plastic releases some of the substance into your food. You are essentially eating plastic. Since you know it isn't biodegradable you probably shouldn't eat it.
Only microwave on hard dishware.
4) Herbs have made a comeback. From a vital part of early life to something that most people know nothing about, herbs rarely get their due. A healthy lifestyle is incomplete without a firm grasp on the herbal world. You'll be amazed as you delve through plant books just how much is curable and preventable with plants.
5) Finally, a healthy lifestyle for you includes making your lifestyle healthy for those around you. If you smoke you know already that you should quit. If you drink excessively you know already that it is destroying your liver. Healthy lifestyle does all things in moderation and detrimental things never. Each cigarette you smoke takes off roughly 12 minutes of your life and the average non smoker lives 8 years longer than the average smoker.
There you have it, a healthy lifestyle includes protecting your skin and eyes with sunscreen and sunglasses. Great brands for full sin protection are Carerra and Prada, whose larger frames and darker lenses give optimal protection. Eat healthy, quit smoking. Avoid plastics and learn a bit about herbs and you are on the road to a healthier and happier you!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6313870
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome Treatment
The adrenal glands lie on top of the kidneys and generate over 50 endocrines that are essential for life. Adrenal fatigue symptoms that accompany it are desire for foods with excess salt and fat, depression, low libido, morning tiredness, increase in fatigue, and lack of energy to do work etc. The natural supplements which can be used for the treatment of this fatigue are:
Pregnenolone
It is a very essential supplement for persons who are experiencing this type of fatigue. Pregnenolone is labeled as an endocrine but it is actually a compound from which other endocrines are produced. When you feel exhausted, then you are likely to be running short of these endocrines and may have to take the pregnenolone supplement. It can assist in driving back allegoric reactions, generate more energy and battle pain.
Rhodiola
It is a natural herb which aid in enhancing your energy levels all through the entire day. For the most effective results, you need to utilize it in the morning prior to taking your breakfast using tea or just warm water.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential in driving back any sickness or impairment as well as adrenal fatigue. Vitamin C offers a reduction in rubor together with a decrease in histamine levels for people suffering from allergy. Try to ramp up the levels of your Vitamin C from 9000 to 13000 for each day.
Asian ginseng
It is an awesome herb found in China for the treatment of this syndrome. We have a lot of advantages of utilizing Asian panax ginseng. In China, Asian ginseng is called nin-sin. It can assist in alleviating stress and it has been identified to posses a straight effect on the adrenal glands. You do not have to combine the use of Asian ginseng with excitants.
Glycyrrhiza glabra extract or just call it licorice extract
Cortef, also referred to as the stress endocrine, is generated by the adrenal glands. By functioning similar to the hormone referred to as cortisol, licorice extract can assist in treating of adrenal fatigue.
Exercise and nutrition
Proper nutrition taken with the combination of exercises is vital for the treatment of adrenal fatigue. Consuming foods which have plenty of minerals and vitamins are a beneficial means to deal with its symptoms. A B-complex vitamin and multivitamin with high potency can assist in alleviating extreme fatigue. Foods like veggies, berries, whole grains are nice foods to consume to receive the minerals and vitamins a person experiencing adrenal fatigue requires to combat this problem.
Adrenal Fatigue Formula is a guide which contains secrets you can use to jump-start your adrenal glands, stop adrenal fatigue dead in it's tracks, and skyrocket your energy levels. This fool-proof formula is all natural, that means that it does not require any costly cortisol supplements, needless doctor visits and finally... no more adrenal fatigue. Check it out at Adrenal Fatigue Formula Review
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6397217