The hardest part of starting up is starting out.
Boost your mood, calm you mind, alleviate stress and feel great with these mouth watering meals!
We know that eating your feelings is never a good idea, after all, that box of doughnuts will probably make you feel worse (and a little sick from all the sugar).
But there are certain foods that are packed with lasting powers to help fight off anxiety, beat depression and turn a bad day into a deliciously good one. Have a look at these tasty recipes to boost your mental health…
You may have thought that your inherited slow metabolism from your mom set you on a path in search of diets and weight-loss wonders, but the good news is that you are not stuck with it.
In fact, you can actually trick your body into burning more calories (and more efficiently) by eating right and hitting the gym. But there are a number of other ways you can naturally boost your metabolism…
Before we get into the easy hacks to boosting your metabolism, let’s first explain what your metabolism is (drum roll please).
Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories for energy.
The speed of your body’s metabolism will depend on a number of factors, namely: gender, age, muscle mass, genetics, body fat and activity level.
While your control over your genetic and gender influences on your metabolism is restricted, there are other ways to naturally boost your metabolism…
Strength training 2 to 3 times a week and working out on a regular basis will do wonders in speeding up the rate at which your body burns calories. As well as weight training, high-intensity interval training is something you need to include in your workout schedule.
The trick is to ramp up your intensity for 30-second intervals and then return to your normal speed afterwards. This applies to running, swimming, spinning or any cardio workout on a machine such as a stepper.
This strategy will enable your body to take in more oxygen, this allows the powerhouse of your cells, known as the mitochondria, to work even harder and burn even more energy.
This way you can exercise for shorter periods of time and get amazing results.
Have a look at this fitastic HIIT workout video.
Compound exercises are also an effective way to burn calories in a shorter period of time by making your body work harder than it would in doing isolation exercises. Read: 4 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF COMPOUND EXERCISES (#2 IS AWESOME).
Eating foods such as fish (tuna, salmon and herring) and adding Omega-3 supplements to your diet will amp up your metabolism. These vital nutrients help balance your blood sugar levels, regulate your metabolism and reduce inflammation.
Omegas have also been found to reduce your body’s resistance to leptin.
“Studies have shown that an absence of leptin in the body or leptin resistance can lead to uncontrolled feeding and weight gain.”
Experts recommend you take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of Omega 3 a day.
Green tea is known for its incredible antioxidant affects. But there is new evidence that suggests the active ingredient found in the tea known as catechin, may help boost your metabolism.
The exact metabolic benefits from green tea are not yet certain, but drinking 1 to 2 cups a day, in addition to a well-balanced diet, is key.
Easier said than done, we get it. But the thing is, stress affects your hormone levels and can cause your body to create more cortisol than needed. Cortisol helps in regulating your appetite and researchers have linked abnormal amounts of this hormone to eating issues.
Disordered eating, which is both food avoidance and overeating (depending on how you deal with stress) can disrupt your metabolism.
Stress is also linked to sleep issues, and not enough sleep adversely impacts your metabolism.
Try yoga, deep breathing, meditation or even a long, hot bath to decompress and destress from time to time. Trust me, your body needs it.
I’m sure this isn’t the first time you have heard someone tell you this. And one of the most frustrating issues with dieting is that when you cut too many calories out, your metabolism thinks that times are tough and hits the brakes on fat-burning and starts to conserve energy.
This means that the moment you go back to eating normally again, your body puts back on the weight (if not more).
You need to eat the right amount of calories to match your metabolic rate. Here is an awesome calorie counter to work out how much you should be consuming.
If you need help with creating a healthy diet and eating plan, then we can help!
Exercise, eat right, limit your stress, get enough sleep and drink enough water and you should be able to speed up your metabolism in no time.
When it comes to our health, laughter truly is the best medicine.
One of the greatest feelings in the world is laughing so hard your tummy hurts and tears start to form in your eyes. Having a laugh with friends and loved ones is all the therapy you need after a stressful day. And as it turns out, according to science, laughter is so much more than just a mood booster.
Laughter can bring people together and form amazing connections. From a little giggle to a ‘can’t breathe, deep-rooted down to your belly’ kind of laugh, it all helps to contribute to a happier and healthier life.
So, if you’re ready for a good giggle, let’s get to laughing, I mean learning…
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a negative side effect of an unhealthy lifestyle and stress. It is also a big risk factor for stroke and heart disease (yikes).
But, when we laugh, we feel a weight lifted off of our shoulders. It’s pretty difficult to stress when you are laughing, am I right?
Researchers wanted to know whether laughter could, in fact, bring down your blood pressure through investigating the effects of humour therapy. After extensive studies, they discovered that laughter significantly decreases high blood pressure.
Because of these studies, this led to the creation of Laughter Yoga. This form of yoga initiates laughter through bodily exercise and eye contact to create a contagious kind of laughter.
So the next time you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed and a little rundown, then pop on something funny, phone a friend, or join in on some laughter yoga and have a good giggle!
When the flu cold seasons hit, perhaps all you need is a shot of laughter…
A number of studies have found laughter to stimulate the production of T-cells in your body. These specialised immune cells help to fight off invading pathogens.
Laughter allows for antibodies cells like the T-cells to develop at much faster rates, as these hormonal shifts from laughter change your body’s chemistry for the better.
Anxiety is something so many of us deal with on a daily basis.
Many of us quietly suffer from overwhelming thoughts of self-doubt and stress.
However, because laughter is able to reduce stress levels, this simultaneously reduces your anxiety.
Studies conducted on Laughter Therapy found that it can improve anxiety in patients suffering from depression, improve optimism and boost your self-esteem.
Overall, laughter was found to provide people suffering from anxiety and depression with a form of a positive coping mechanism to help you get through the difficult periods in your life.
The next time you want a great ab workout – have a laugh!
Laughter is a natural way to exercise a number of muscle groups in your body.
When you laugh, you use muscles to create the movement, laughter engages your diaphragm and your abdominal muscle groups. And depending on how hard you laugh, your arms, shoulders, back and legs might also get a bit of a workout too!
This is probably one of the most obvious benefits of laughter, but as it turns out, there is science to back this!
Studies have shown that smiling or laughing can improve your mood and overall well-being through the release of endorphins. These are hormones are linked to an increased pain threshold, meaning laughter is a natural painkiller.
Did you know that endorphins attach themselves to the same receptors in your brain’s as opiates, meaning that the release of endorphins is like a natural high, without the adverse side effects? This eases your mood, tension and any pain in your body.
Laughter has a number of positive effects on the various chemical processes taking place in your body.
With the combination of a reduction in stress hormones, an increase in endorphins and an increase in oxygenation to the blood and brain, this causes an increase in creativity.
Because laughter improves your overall brain health, it means your creative mind can work more effectively as your brain is now a place where ideas can foster and grow!
In the spirit of laughter, our team at WellBe have put together some giggle-worthy healthy happy meals. These meals are designed to lift your spirits and naturally release your serotonin levels in your brain (the happy hormone).
Click here to have a look and have a laugh over a deliciously healthy meal!