5 Ways To A More Balanced Life

Creating a work-life balance can be tough. It is very hard to find the delicate balance between a happy boss and happy home life. There are a few things that you should do both at work and at home to create a balanced life.

 

Because this is such an important topic, it has been covered by groups like Mental Health America, Web M.D., Forbes, and Business News Daily. Instead of sending you all over the Internet to try and find some tips to help you manage your time and create a work-life balance we’ve combined them into five tips that you can create a more balanced life both at home and at work.

 

1.     Create a Routine

One of the best routine tools to use at work is to make a list of tasks based on priority. Prioritizing your work allows you to get the most important things done and using a checklist allows you to see what you have achieved during the day. Having a daily routine will make you less stressed about what you will do each day at work.

 

Routines are great for home as well. They let everyone know what’s going on and when. However, sometimes you need downtime too. Don’t be afraid to allow yourself and your family some downtime. You can even put it on the calendar if you want to. Scheduling in downtime for you and your family is a great way to make sure you all are able to relax and bond together.

 

2.     Telecommute

 

If you can telecommute to work especially on days where you are sick, your children are sick, or the commute will be extra-long due to weather or outside circumstances. Telecommuting is a great way to provide your employer with what they need while giving you some breathing room.

 

3.     Learn to Say No

 

Many of us think we don’t have the ability to say no at work. This results in taking on too many tasks, working overtime, and being stressed about not being able to get everything done. If there’s a job you know,you won’t be able to get done or that you are not suited for say no. You may be surprised at how well this is received by your employer.

 

It is important to learn how to say no to social events and home life events that will be too taxing as well. Maybe you have social obligations that are just too draining, or don’t allow you enough time with your family in the evenings. Cutting these out will help you  find balance.

 

4.     Learn Your Employer’s Policies

 

Learning leave, vacation, sick, and disability policies are paramount. Also, learn what telecommunication systems your company has in place. If there aren’t any, you may need to ask. This will alleviate any stress if you need to use vacation or sick days or if you need to telecommute.

 

If you have children, learn their school's policies too. Knowing the procedure for turning in sick notes, calling out for the day, or showing up late is going to save a lot of headache for both you and them!

 

5.     Communicate

 

Let your employer know what’s going on. Let them know where you’re at on individual projects, if you’re going to be on time ahead of deadline or behind on schedule. Communicating these vital elements to your employer will alleviate stress on the job.

 

At home, communication is essential. This is even more so if there are a marriage and kids at home. Make sure you are letting everyone know what is going on with you. In addition, you need to know what is going on with everyone else. 

 

Set a family meeting once a week to discuss upcoming events, stress points, things that may need planning and other elements of life that could cause stress if not well planned. This simple act will aid in your ability to find that balance between work and home.

 

These five steps will help you find some balance in your busy life. What are some ways that you have found a balance between work and home that weren’t on our list?

How Water Intake Helps You Regulate What And How Much You Eat

Weight loss can be a hard task for anyone. There're so many different elements that go into losing weight it can be like learning a whole new set of information. There is one simple thing that you can do to help regulate how much and what you eat. Drinking water is not a magical cure-all, but it may seem like it after you learn what it can do to help you regulate your eating.

Water Aids Digestion Through Saliva

 

Digestion starts with saliva. Saliva is made mostly of water. According to Everyday Health, the enzymes in saliva are the beginning of the digestive tract. These enzymes help break down food so that they can be properly digested in the stomach. Without these and times food would never be able to be processed in the stomach.

 

Water also helps break down the fiber. Water-soluble fiber is one of the biggest factors of filling full after you eat. If you have not had enough water, or are dehydrated digesting water soluble fiber becomes almost impossible. Make sure that you are able to digest this food element properly by 

drinking lots of water.

 

Water Soluble Vitamines

 

One of the reasons that we eat food is to get access to vitamins. Vitamins and minerals are vital to various body functions. Deficits in these minerals and vitamins can cause cravings in the body. San Fransisco Gate tells how the body cannot digest certain water-soluble vitamins without enough water in the body.

 

Water-soluble vitamins are vitamins that can only be absorbed with the aid of water. These vitamins break down with the water in the digestive tract and men are absorbed into the body. Absorption of these essential vitamins stops when dehydration occurs, or when there is not enough water in the body. When even slight deficiencies are present, you may begin craving additional foods even though you’re not hungry. These cravings are due to vitamin deficiencies and not hunger so make sure that you have enough water so that you can digest all of your water-soluble vitamins.

 

Eat Fewer Calories

 

Water can help you eat fewer calories than you would if you didn’t drink water before meals. Livestrong notes a study where participants consumed 75-90 fewer calories with 2 8-oz glasses before dinner per meal. Now consuming 90 fewer calories per meal may not seem like a whole lot. However, if you did this every meal you could lose up to 28 pounds a year. 

 

How?

 

If you save 90 calories a meal three times a day, that’s 270 calories every day that you’re not eating. If you do this every day for a week you’ve not consumed 1890 calories. Continue saving that 90 calories a meal every week for a year, and you’ve saved 98,280 calories. 3500 calories make up a pound. In weight loss, the theory is that a deficit of 3500 cal means 1 pound of weight loss. By saving 98,280 cals you’ve created a pretty big gap.

 

Meaning 28 pounds!

 

On the flipside, if you were to continue eating as normal that 90 calories could be in excess. So instead of saving yourself you’ve actually gained 28 pounds in a year. All of this weight loss or weight gain is changed by onlydrinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before each meal.

 

Hunger And Thirst Cues Are the Same

 

You may be reaching for a snack when what you should be reaching for is a tall glass of water. Spark people recently did an article describing how the body sends out the exact same signal for hunger that it does for thirst. Many people don’t know how to tell the difference between hunger and thirst, and because we so rarely think about dehydration we assume that we are hungry. Next time you’re getting hungry signals from your brain try reaching for a glass of water instead. You may find out that you were just thirsty.

 

Now you know four surprising ways that water can help you control how much and what you eat. Helping you stop cravings and eat less water is a fantastic one stop shop for your diet solutions. What are some ways that you have noticed water help you with your diet?

Is Self-Care Eluding You?

Do you take good care of yourself? Of course you do, or at least you think you do. However, you may not realize that the level of care you give yourself is far sub-optimal, in many cases even being regarded as neglect. Yes, circumstances may force you to spend less time on yourself than you would like, and there are usually dozens of reason why. 

 

However, before you can make a conscious effort to improve the level of care you give to yourself, you need to realize the areas you are deficient in. Self-care may be eluding you if you find yourself doing any of the following things.

 

You Are Selfless

 

If you find yourself putting the needs of every single person ahead of your own, you are exhibiting a classic sign of self-neglect. By prioritizing the needs of everybody except your own, you find yourself being burnt out or resenting doing things altogether. 

 

Though nobody likes a selfish hog, let’s be realistic- you have to put yourself first sometimes. You may end up unable to do anything for anyone if you continue at this rate, not to mention resenting all the people you give up things for. A totally unhealthy cocktail.

 

Your Appearance Is Subpar

 

If you feel guilty for fancying up yourself, again, self-care may be eluding you. You have the right to spend time on yourself, if that means indulging in a bubble bath for an hour, or moisturizing and doing weekly pedicures, it is a necessary part of your overall care. 

 

Another typical symptom of this is the chronic habit of dressing in “wash and wears,” which makes your appearance as cheaply dressed and not classy. Take some time every weekend to arrange your outfits for the coming week. This involves picking out accessories, shoes and steam ironing your clothes if needed. You are special- dress for the part.

 

You Don’t Have Friends

 

Not having a small circle of closely knit friends is another obvious symptom of poor self-care. Good friends are there not only through the good times, but also the bad and can be an invaluable part of your well-being. Whether this is your choice (or excuse) or something forced upon you by family, it is not healthy and ultimately affects your wellbeing. 

 

You Feel Unfulfilled

 

You may be grown, have a home and money in the bank, but still have the sinking feeling that you have achieved nothing or not enough in life. This could be the result of personal un-fulfillment, because perhaps you never got the chance to complete your college education, to pursue a passion or you maybe you simply do not find your career to be rewarding. 

 

Well guess what- there is no better time than now to get up and go after whatever it is that would fulfill you. What needs to be kept in mind is the fact that no other person can achieve this for you, so go get it.

 

You Don’t Exercise

 

This is one of the more serious symptoms of poor self-care, as it directly affects your well-being on an emotional and physical level. Lack of exercise boosts the likelihood of negative health effects developing, reduces quality of life, and harms your appearance. 

 

Exercise performed just 3 times weekly can help you maintain a healthy bodyweight and body composition, and is one of the best things you can give yourself.

 

You Feel Life Is A Chore

 

The final symptom, that sums up the disdain you have for yourself is your lack of joy. Living brings you no real pleasure; you’re just going through the motions of life, without truly finding joy in the day-to-day moments. 

 

You don’t stop to take in the views on your way to work, you don’t experience joy from little things your kids or grandkids may do, and only look forward to going to bed. Feeling as if life has no real purpose for you can be not only sad, but kick starts a cycle of negativity and can spiral into depression.

 

Conclusion

 

Though self-care should be second nature, many of us have de-trained these instinctual behaviors and replaced them with “politically correct” habits and a robotic pursuit of daily living. 

 

You need to be selfish sometimes and to think about yourself, so you can meet your needs and desires, it can only serve to make you happier and more content. 

5 Tips To Better Handle Holiday Stress

The holiday season is an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, to take some time off work, or even escape for a winter getaway. For all the joy and fun, though, so comes the stress. 

The expectations of social events, gift shopping, and entertaining guests can become too much for even the most festive types. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association 8 out of 10 people expect to experience an increase in stress over the holiday season. 

With stress comes a greater risk of anxiety and depression, and reports from the Mayo Clinic show that depression is frequently an unwelcome guest over the holidays. 

All is not lost however, there are many ways you can minimize your stress and anxiety to allow you to truly enjoy the season. 

Set A Budget

Shopping can be fun, but spending money isn’t always easy, and Americans spend almost a $1,000 every holiday season on gifts alone. It’s unavoidable, but you can minimize the damage by setting a budget and sticking to it. 

A lot of the stress that we experience during the holidays is due to financial pressure and the Mayo Clinic suggests that setting a budget can be beneficial to your stress levels. Work out how much you can afford to spend on food and gifts, and stick to it. 

Exercise 

The American Heart Association wants you to stay active all the time, but it’s extremely important to keep that up during the holidays. Any activity or exercise you can fit in will help reduce your stress and elevate your mood. It’s going to stimulate endorphin production and trigger a positive feeling in your body. 

You might be busy, but if you can find time to exercise for half an hour three times a week, you will feel better. You can go walking or jogging, swimming or biking, play sports, and find time for aerobics.

Take It Easy

The American Psychological Association reminds us that we need to take time for ourselves. There are parties and gatherings and we are constantly surrounded by people. It’s great to be with the ones we love and laugh about the old days. 

You shouldn’t miss all those great times, but what you should be careful of is setting unrealistic expectations. You can’t do everything, and it’s okay to take time out for yourself, even if it’s just 15 minutes. 

If you do a whole lot of hosting, make sure you delegate- whether you ask everyone to bring a different dish, or you rope in family to take on certain tasks.  

Stay Smart

The holiday season is a time of indulgence, but as the Mayo Clinic directs- it doesn’t mean you should abandon your healthy ways. There’s no need for a free for all that will just add to your stress. 

Enjoy yourself, but try having healthy snacks before holiday gatherings so you don’t over snack while you’re out. Make sure that you’re getting plenty of sleep, as you are more likely to overindulge after a poor night’s sleep. 

Choose Your Battles

We all have someone in our circle that rubs us the wrong way. It’s only natural- not everyone can always get along. Allowing someone else to get under your skin, though, is only going to ruin your holiday and increase your stress levels. Learn to pick your battles, and don’t take the bait. 

The Mayo Clinic suggests that if you have a real problem with someone, set it aside and save it for another day. Even the calmest people can lose their cool during the holidays. 

Bottom Line

Self-care is conscious choice and this is even more true during times of more stress, such as the holiday season. Make sure to take the time and create a deliberate plan! Remember, the holidays are supposed to be a time of fun, family and relaxation, don’t let stress interfere with this great time of year.

 

7 Pillars Of Brain Health

A person’s existence has a huge impact on their brain health. How a person manages stress, how well they socialize, how well they sleep, how much they exercise, and what they drink and eat all are crucial to brain health.  

So how does one achieve brain health? Here are six pillars of brain health that can help you achieve optimal brain health, even into old age.

1.     Physical Exercise

You need to get your body moving, because those who exercise on a regular basis have a decreased risk of coming down with Alzheimer’s disease. Exercise can improve both your memory and your blood flow. It also causes chemical changes in the brain that boost thinking, mood, and thinking. It is important to exercise and stay fit in order to have a healthy brain. Exercise can prolong your life, reduce the risk of heart disease, maximize sleep, help you lose weight, and improve your mood. The mind is closely linked to the body so the more exercise you get, the better your mind functions. Try regular exercise to develop a strong memory.  

2.     Reducing Risks For Mental Health Conditions

We cannot always avoid mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety. However, there are things we can do to reduce risk factors for such diagnoses. For one, avoiding and dealing with chronic stress can help reduce risks for depression and anxiety conditions. Additionally, learning healthy coping skills for dealing with life’s problems and our own emotions can help prevent going into a depressive spiral, one of the biggest considerations in this respect is the health of our relationships, where we actually have more control than we might have in other life situations.  

3.     Food and nutrition

There is some truth the old adage “you are what you eat.” By making good food choices every day, you can improve the health of your brain. As a person ages, their brain is subjected to stress that can be harmful to their brain health. The process by which stress affects brain health is known as “oxidation,” which can be damaging to a person’s brain health. Food that is high in antioxidants can help reduce the negative effects of oxidation. Try eating a Mediterranean diet, which is high in nuts, olives, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and fish. The Mediterranean diet can be a way to achieve good brain health.  

4.     Medical health

Good brain health starts with controlling your medical risks. Things like smoking, high cholesterol, head trauma, depression, obesity, and diabetes all increase a person’s chances of developing dementia. If you get regular check-ups and follow your doctor’s advice (that means taking medications as prescribed), you will be better both physically and mentally. Your brain is happier when you take care of your medical health. Make sure you avoid obesity as people who are overweight have an increased risk of diabetes, which can lead to dementia. Try to improve balance exercises, strength training, and aerobic exercises. 

5.     Sleep and relaxation

Your brain functions better when you are well rested. Sleep is energizing, improves your immune system, enhances your mood, and restarts the brain. It may also decrease the development of beta-amyloid plaque, which is linked to Alzheimer’s dementia. Anyone who has had to stay awake for an extended period of time, or got a bad night’s sleep knows how much of an impact this has on mental functioning, focus and concentration. If you have trouble with sleeping well, try meditation to manage your stress levels, which may also help to decrease the age-related loss of brain health. There are few things that help a person feel better than getting enough sleep. It sharpens the brain and helps maximize the brain.  

6.     Mental fitness

Brain health depends on using your mind to its maximum ability. Those who spend much of the their time in front of a television are not really stimulating the brain and exercising it in a way that promotes its growth and power, something that is similar to muscle atrophy from lack of movement. Getting enough mental exercise is just as critical as physical exercise is to brain health. Mental exercise can maximize a person’s ability promote brain cell growth and improve the functioning of their brain. It can decrease the chances of developing Alzheimer’s dementia. 

Just as a person exercises their muscles, they need to exercise their brain. There is something known as “brain reserve,” which helps the brain respond and adapt to mental changes and reduce the risk that your brain will sustain damage. A person’s brain reserve starts when they are children and only gets stronger when the person gets older. People who persist in developing new interests and skills, engage in things that are interesting, partake in new activities, and continue to learn new things that will maximize their brain reserve. 

7.     Social interaction

People who maintain social interaction and remain connected with others have better brain health. Try to engage in conversation with others, spend time with others, and stay in touch with loved ones. Those people who have the most social interaction enjoy better brain health.

 

Vitamin C 101

Vitamin C, technical name ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin present in certain foods but that can also be obtained through supplementation. 

Humans are different from other animals in that they can’t synthesize the vitamin by their own bodies but must get it elsewhere.  

The Benefits Of Vitamin C

·      We need vitamin C in order to make L-carnitine, collagen and some neurotransmitters.  

·      Vitamin C is also involved in the metabolism of protein.  

·      We need vitamin C for the formation of collagen that is part of the connective tissue in the body’s organs and plays a role in wound healing.  

·      Vitamin C is also a good antioxidant, which makes it good in preventing cancer. It has the important role of regenerating other antioxidants in the body.  

·      There is research going on that looks into whether or not vitamin C is definitely linked to its antioxidant properties or whether there is something else going on that makes this a good cancer fighter.  

·      Oral vitamin C produces tissue and plasma concentrations that are tightly controlled. As a water-soluble nutrient, it is excreted by the urine.  

Recommended Intake of Vitamin C

The dietary intake of vitamin C has been set up by the Food and Nutrition Board. It sets up the Daily Reference Intakes for all types of nutrients. 

According to this board, the recommended intake of vitamin C includes the following: 

·      Ages 0-6 months, the intake should be 40 mg per day

·      Ages 7-12 months, the intake should be 50 mg per day

·      Ages `1-3 years, the intake should be 15 mg per day

·      Ages 4-8 years, the intake should be 25 mg per day 

·      Ages 9-13 years, the intake should be 45 mg per day

·      Ages 14-18, the intake should be 75 mg per day

·      Those who are older than 19 years, the intake should be 75 mg per day

Food Sources of Vitamin C

·      Some of the best sources for vitamin C are fruits and vegetables.  

·      Citrus fruits, tomatoes, and tomato juice, as well as potatoes are good sources of vitamin C. 

·      Other foods that will give you vitamin A include red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, kiwifruit, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, and cantaloupe.  

·      While vitamin C isn’t found in grains, it is often added to the cereal we eat. 

Prolonged storage and cooking may destroy vitamin C so it is best when eaten with raw fruits. 

The good news is that many of the best food sources of vitamin C, such as vegetables and fruits, are usually eaten raw. Foods that you can eat that will give you’re the best sources of vitamin C include:

·      Red pepper gives 158 percent of the daily value

·      Orange juice gives 155 percent of the daily value

·      One medium orange gives 117 percent of the daily value

·      Grapefruit juice gives 117 of the daily value

·      Kiwi fruit gives 107 percent of the daily value

·      Green pepper gives 100 percent of the daily value

·      Broccoli gives 85 percent of the daily value

·      Strawberries give 82 percent of the daily value

·      Brussels sprouts give 80 percent of the daily value

Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements of vitamin C can be given. It is given in the form of ascorbic acid, which has the same bioavailability as the naturally occurring kinds of vitamin C eaten in food sources of vitamin C.  

Other forms of vitamin C supplements include calcium ascorbate, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid with bioflavonoids, dehydroascorbate, xylonate, threonate, and calcium ascorbate.  

A few research studies using human participants found that the bioavailability is different depending on the form of vitamin C used.  

Other studies have indicated that there are no differences in the bioavailability of the various types of vitamin C. These vitamins are all extremely cheap and can be used to indicate the individual’s vitamin intake.  

Vitamin C Deficiency

Vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy.  

The timeline for getting scurvy depends on the body’s initial stores of the vitamin in the body to begin with. Signs begin to show up within a month of withdrawing all vitamin C from the diet. Symptoms start out with tiredness, malaise, and other flu-like symptoms.  

As it progresses, the individual can develop gum inflammation, poor healing of soft tissue, petechiae, purpura, poor wound healing, and ecchymosis of the skin. Other signs of a deficiency include swollen and bleeding gums, depression, and corkscrew hairs.