The Power of Positive Thinking

“Everyone is their own worst critic.” 

We think that this is good for us, that we need to be hard on ourselves to make ourselves better. People often forget that it is possible to be your very own bully, though, and the self-induced negativity causes extra stress and can be a huge obstacle on your road to a healthy lifestyle.

Researchers continue to see the benefits of positive thinking, including:

• Increased life span
• Lower rates of depression
• Lower levels of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress

Here are some tips to help you BE POSITIVE and adopt a healthy mental lifestyle.

Identify and Change It - People often get stuck in a cloud of negativity without knowing it. Stop to identify the source of your problem and evaluate the situation the next time you’re feeling down. Is it work? School? Problems at home? Once you identify the problem, it becomes something that you can change.

Laugh More - Be open to humor and allow yourself to smile and laugh during times that are difficult. If you can laugh about it, you will be able to put a better spin on things and see that the problem is not as big as it seemed.

Be Around Positive People - Are the people around you positive and supportive? It’s important to create an environment around you that reinforces your new positive lifestyle. Having a support system will also help when you’re in a rut that you can’t get out of. Pick up the phone and call someone to talk about it.

Replace Negative Self-Talk with Positive Thinking - Here is a chart with examples of how positive thinking can change what was negative self-talk.

People are often told to exercise and adopt smart eating habits, but being positive is just as important on your road to a better and healthier lifestyle. As with anything, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE makes perfect, so take time to pat yourself on the back every day and soon you’ll be a positive thinking pro!

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/23/positive-thinking_n_1376124.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Drinking Water is Essential for a Healthy Lifestyle

Four weeks ago, we made a post on tips for a easier and healthy post-surgery recovery and one of the tips was to keep hydrated. We feel drinking water is such an important subject, that it deserves its own blog post!

The human body is made of about 65% water and needs fluids to perform various vital functions from maintaining body temperature to transporting nutrients. Without water, the body won't be able to function and will eventually shut down. Below are some benefits to drinking water that everyone transitioning to a healthier lifestyle should know: 

Hydrates the body - Any other drink in the world does not hydrate your body like water does. Though drinking tea, coffee, or juice is better than not drinking anything at all, the extra sugar and caffeine can be bad for you. Whatever you do, avoid alcohol! Alcohol interferes with communication between the brain and kidney and may lead to rapid dehydration from an excess secretion of fluids.

Helps control your appetite - Drinking water before a meal will help you feel more full before you begin eating. The human body is an amazing thing that notifies whether you are feeling pain, pleasure, etc. Sometimes, though, people can confuse the body's signal for thirst as hunger and will eat a snack when drinking water would suffice. Drinking water regularly will avoid the simple mistakes that lead to over eating.

Water is ZERO calories - It seems like an obvious thing, but many people forget how much better water is for the body compare to other drinks. Water also removes the by-products of fat and keeps you fresh and healthy. If you drink a lot of soft drinks every day, drink water instead and watch the pounds melt away. 

Keeps up appearances - Water helps energize muscles and helps the skin look fresh. Properly hydrating can help reduce muscle and joint soreness while exercising, so water is essential for people who are trying to maintain muscle tone. Also keeping hydrated prevents fluid loss in the skin and prevents wrinkles.

In short, not only is water essential for life in general, it holds many other advantages and is especially beneficial for those that are adopting a healthier lifestyle. 

Sources:

http://www.caloriesperhour.com/tutorial_water.php

http://www.dirjournal.com/health-journal/why-is-drinking-water-so-important/

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/13945/11-advantages-of-drinking-water/

Eating in Season is in!

Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, we can eat summer oranges in the winter and chocolate covered strawberries in February. Just because we can, doesn't mean we should.

People today are experiencing an increasing number of food intolerances and allergies, higher levels of obesity, modern chronic diseases like type-2 diabetes and much more caused by modern day food practices.

According to natural health experts, eating seasonally has a variety of benefits and is crucial for a healthy lifestyle.

The nutritional value of eating food that is in season and out of season differs greatly. Researchers in Japan found that spinach harvested in the summer had three times more Vitamin C than those harvested in winter.

Eating seasonally is also easier on the wallet. Food products are less expensive when in season because they are in abundance and do not require as much processing. And they’ll taste better too!

Below is a list of foods and which season they are best in.

http://www.accomacinn.com/restaurant/2011/12/whats-in-season-now/

So eat seasonally! Teach your kids about foods and the seasons. Look forward to plum or peach season, and the wait will make them that much sweeter.

Read these articles for more information:

http://www.naturalnews.com/035575_seasonal_food_diet_health.html

http://ecohabits.net/benefits-eating-seasonal-foods/#sthash.1q0nZ7gZ.dpbs

sources: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=faq&dbid=28