Posts Tagged ‘diet’
The 10 Best Ways to Relax
(c) 2008 Konstantin Koss
The body follows what the mind conceives. The condition of the mind often affects how the body performs, which explains why people who are stressed often suffer from accelerated aging and health problems. There are techniques that can help avoid or at least minimize stress. Follow these top 10 ways to relax and give your mind and body a good break.
1. Learn to breathe.
Breathing comes unconsciously, which sometimes encourages us to take it for granted. Several times a day, when you feel stress coming on or you feel tired and unenthusiastic, do a few deep breathing exercises. Here’s how:
Sit or stand with your spine straight and stretched slightly. Then slowly take a breath at a slow count of 3 and exhale just as slowly. Allow your lungs to expand as you take in the air and empty it as you breathe out. If it helps to close your eyes, then do so. Fresh oxygen helps enliven your blood and the slow breathing encourages you to sit or stand still for a moment.
2. Stretch.
Another way to relax is slow stretching. Whether you’re standing or seated, make sure to keep your spine straight and allow your arms to dangle loosely at your side. Feet should be flat on the floor and relaxed.
Slowly raise your arms high, as if you’re reaching for the ceiling and slowly raise yourself on the ball of your feet. Follow the movement of your hands with your eyes so that your head can tilt back. Hold this position for a count of 10 and then slowly bring down your arms.
3. Increase your physical activities.
Or at least get yourself one if you haven’t got any up until now. Contrary to what other people think, exercising actually helps you relax afterwards. It cleanses your body of toxins by inducing sweat, increases your blood flow and the flow of oxygen to the brain and it works up your muscles.
Start slowly and gradually build up until you are able to maintain a regular schedule.
4. Watch your diet.
What you eat affects your mood. Another great way to relax is to maintain a diet that is rich in nutrients, such as antioxidants, folate and omega-3 fatty acids. Eat more fruits and vegetables and when you’re thirsty, grab a bottle of water and keep away from sodas and flavored drinks.
5. Get enough sound sleep.
Sleep is about quality and not just quantity but in times of stress, it’s best to get as much sleep as you can. About 6 to 8 hours should get you the rest you need.
Getting enough sleep is an excellent way to relax. It allows your body to regroup and recover and it eases your mind of other concerns.
6. Use music.
If music works for you, use it. Stick to soft tunes and don’t whip out that Metallica CD just yet. Rock music tends to use heavy bass lines, hard percussions and strong lyrics. If you want to relax, turn to soft and easy listening and save those faster tunes for some other time.
7. Turn away from the modern trappings of your life.
Often, the most relaxing things are also the ones that are the most basic. Once a week at least or more often, turn off the TV. Unplug it and keep the remote outside of your reach. Turn off the computer as well.
These two are common sources of distractions. Due to the rapidly changing images and the overflow of information, they can sometimes overload the mind and hinder relaxation. Keep things simple and don’t sweat the small, insignificant stuff.
8. Have time to yourself.
A good way to relax is to set aside time for some peace and quiet. What better way to do this than to schedule short vacations for yourself? You don’t have to pack your bags or even leave the house – simply close the door, find a nice, quiet place to sit and enjoy your own company.
9. Try yoga or meditation.
Yoga and meditation helps you attain a good body and mind connection. As a result, you’re more likely to feel relaxed and refreshed. Try simple yoga steps or learn to meditate a few minutes each day. Do these regularly and you’ll find that it will get easier to relax and manage stress later on.
10. Laugh.
Find your sense of humor again. Be with family and friends you can be yourself with. Laughter is one of the best ways to relax and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. It also helps you build connections with people in your life who really matter.
End Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Comparing Atkins & South Beach Diets
Among all low carb diets, the South Beach and Atkins diets are fairly popular. Here are some similarities and differences in how Agatston and Atkins designed their weight loss diets.
Similarities
1. Plans: Both diets put emphasis on that their individual diets are lifetime plan for healthy nutrition and disease prevention. Losing weight is roughly an afterthought but both claim you’ll lose plenty.
2. Structure: The structure of both diets (South Beach and Atkins) is nearly the same. Both of these start with a restrictive phase which lasts for about two weeks.
- In first week both have recommended a restricted carbohydrate diet (No breads, pastas, rice, alcohol, sugar, etc.) that is virtually indistinguishable.
- In the second week, they both slowly add carbohydrate (such as fruits and whole grains) to get the optimal level for each person. Once the desired weight is reached, they go to a maintenance phase.
3. Best part in the diets is that both are structured to help one find the level of carbohydrate that works for him.
4. Both Atkins and South Beach make a distinction among various carbohydrate sources. Both have advised not to eat refined carbs (such as sugars, white flour, etc).
5. Both say to avoid Trans fats completely.
Differences
1. Both the diets differ the way carbohydrates are accounted.
- In South Beach, sources of carbohydrate are accounted for by the size and number of portions.
- In Atkins, every gram eaten is accounted in the daily carbohydrate intake. It requires counting all digestible carbohydrates; generally this means carbohydrates that are not fiber.
2. Fats: The major difference between the two diet plans is the advice concerning fat in the diet.
- In South Beach, emphasis is put on reducing the intake of saturated fats, i.e., butter or the dark meat of poultry. Agatston also emphasized on getting adequate Omega-3 fatty acids.
- In Atkins, eating a variety of fats is recommended. Omega 3s and 6s are advised to be balanced, which means that many oils that are primarily Omega-6, such as corn oil, should be avoided. Saturated fats, such as butter or dark meat, are allowed in greater amounts than South Beach.
There is no doubt that there are differences in the details, but both are trying to teach dieters to decrease the consumption of carbohydrates in junky processed foods and refined sugars. The diets can agree that building a diet around healthy proteins, lots of vegetables, tons of fiber, good fats and some fruits and nuts is the best you can do.
