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5 daily habits that are slowly hurting your heart!

Surely we’ve all heard time and again about how we shouldn’t indulge in a whole laundry list of vices. However, there are a few everyday habits we should keep a check on to keep a check on our hearts too!

Let’s look at what they are, and what we can do about them:

Soundcheck your snores:

Snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea, which could lead to heart disease. Thankfully, however, there are a number of ways to keep your snoring in check, from pillows to breathing techniques!

Cut back on TV time:

Watching TV is a sedentary activity, and could cause your blood vessels to stiffen and result in cholesterol buildup. So trade your couch time for some stimulating activities!

Stop that nail-biting:

Your nails could be teeming with bacteria – they touch virtually everything you come in contact with. Biting your nails could result in you contracting diseases that could cause high blood pressure. So make a conscious effort to break this habit!

Don’t pop painkillers too often:

Overuse of painkillers could lead to serious health issues in the not-so-distant future. Continued use of painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen can increase your risk for high blood pressure. So next time you have a headache, try natural remedies!

Take a chill pill:

The hormones in our bodies cause our blood pressure and sugar levels to rise. So if you’re going through a tough time, use some stress-busting techniques like acupressure or meditation!

A small change can go a big way! Implement these minor lifestyle changes to keep your heart healthy and happy for the majority of your life.

5 Health Benefits of Red Wine

We’ve all heard that a glass of wine here and there is great for you, but how exactly does it contribute to your well-being? Before we talk about health benefits, let’s talk ‘pour-size’. The recommended intake for red wine is between 1-1.5 glasses a day for women and 1-2 glasses a day for men.

Now that we got that figured out, let’s move on to the fun part. So, pour yourself a glass, and take a look at 5 ways wine can benefit your health.

Lowers risk of stroke

Wine acts as a natural blood thinner, breaking up any blood clots that can lead to a stroke.

Increases bone density

Red wine contains high levels of silicon, which is proven to improve bone mineral density.

Lowers bad cholesterol

Resveratrol, a compound in red wine that has antioxidant properties decreases LDL – bad cholesterol and increases HDL – good cholesterol.

Improves cognitive function

Drinking the recommended portion of wine can also improve brain function. Recent studies show that low levels of alcohol can decrease inflammation and help the brain clear away different toxins.

Reduces risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer

Resveratrol, found in red wine, not only fights against heart disease but also against certain cancerous cells.

So, toast to your health & enjoy your wine in moderation!

Touch-Your-Toe Challenge: How Can You Be More Flexible?

You might be able to run for miles and crush intense gym sessions with ease. But when it comes to flexibility, you may not even be able to reach your toes. So what’s it going to take for you to become more flexible? Let’s find out!

Factors that affect flexibility:

Gender, age, genetics and every-day activities are all factors that contribute to how flexible you are. Did you know that the activities we engage in as children also affect how our joints develop?

If you are not active and spend most hours of your day sitting, that causes a lot of contraction in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If you don’t constantly stretch your joints out, they’re going to get tighter.

Stretches that will help you touch your toes:

(Hold each stretch for 30-60 seconds)

If you’re looking to work on a certain area, you’re going to have to stretch consistently for a consecutive number of days. Once you start practicing these, you should notice an improvement in a few weeks! Try it out, and let us know which of these exercises worked for you!

Valentine’s Week Special- 6 Tips To Keep Your Heart Healthy !

The month of February is not just about flowers and chocolate. Take some time to be good to your heart, and share these heart-healthy tips with your friends and family.

Do 30 minutes of exercise every day
Take charge of stress
Quit smoking
Get enough sleep
Eat dark chocolate
Laugh out loud

While you keep these in mind, also make sure you get your periodic checkups done. Now, that’s not so hard, right?

Take care!

Reference:
https://steptohealth.com/7-tips-healthy-heart/

4 Ways to Encourage Healthy Habits in Your Partner!- Valentine’s Week Special

How do you encourage healthy habits in your partner? The secret: You can’t make him do anything! What you can do is change your actions. Here are five tips that will help you and your partner eat and live healthier together.

Stock your house with healthy foods
Cook healthy meals for each other
Plan healthy “together-time’ activities such as working out together
Reward healthy habits

Do your best to support, join in, and reward the healthier habits your loved one tries out. Also, be prepared to accept their preferences—or limitations—if needed.

Couples who workout together, stay together! – Valentine’s week special

A lot of couples look very much in love and connected. The secret to that crazy-in-love vibe they’re giving off could be that they’re working out together. This routine can provide HUGE benefits to your relationship. Read on to discover why the couple that works out together, stays together.

Guaranteed Quality time

If you’re already making time in your day to exercise, why not do it together? Exercising together will give you quality time during the day, and more quality time helps keep your relationship healthy. Isn’t it?

Healthy Competition

Bring the playfulness back into your relationship. Challenge your partner to a running race. See who can do the most squats or planks. It not only keeps your workout interesting but your relationship interesting, too!

Sharing Common Goals

When you workout together, you’re both sharing the same goal of getting healthy and fit. The experience of being on the same page about something big brings you closer together.

Improve Emotional Well-Being

Working out boosts your self-confidence, and can help you improve your moods. The healthier you are, the more energy you have to give to your relationship!

The takeaway

Fitness can be about you, or it can be about you and your partner. Discover how doing so might give your relationship a new dimension and a new perspective.

References:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/201401/5-reasons-why-couples-who-sweat-together-stay-together

Can’t stop eating? Ask yourself these tough questions!

Sometimes images of food or, worse, the smell of food can trigger the desire to eat. All of these triggers can easily lead to overeating — and as a result, weight gain. If you tend to overeat, there is one real solution to this – get to the root of the problem. You can start by asking yourself these 3 questions:

Why do you want to eat less?

Start with self-introspection, and ask yourself why you really want to eat less. Only if you have a good reason, will you build a plan and stick to it. If you’re making a change just for the sake of a diet, the results are not going to last long-term.

Am I really hungry?

Let your hunger guide your eating habits. Your body knows when you need energy, and when you’re satiated. Leave at least a 20-min gap between servings to make sure your body has enough time to let you know whether you’ve eaten enough or not.

Are you eating the right kinds of food?

Eating foods that are rich in fibre will help you control overeating. Adding more protein and vegetables to your meal will help you control portion sizes. After you’ve had these, you can add starch based on necessity.

So next time you tell yourself you really need to stop overeating, make the change! Start by getting to the root of your problem, and address them to make a change that lasts!

References:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/why-we-keep-overeating-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/253906/

World Nutella Day! Here are a few guilt-free recipes to indulge in!

February 5th is celebrated as World Nutella Day! For Nutella lovers, the only question is: How can we enjoy this delicious product without completely ruining our diet plans?

Here are 2 delicious recipes that combine Nutella with healthier options!

#Recipe 1

Nutella stuffed pancakes- Serves 6

Ingredients

2/3 cup Nutella, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, Pinch of salt, 1 egg, 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract,

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 361, Protein: 7 grams, Carbs: 54 grams, Fat: 13 grams

Instructions

Mix all dry ingredients first.
Beat the milk, melted butter and egg together in a blender.
Add the dry ingredients, beat some more.
Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones and mix, always beating.
In a hot pan, add the oil and a spoonful of batter.
In the center, add a spoonful of Nutella and cover with a little more pancake batter.
Turn and brown the other side
Serve warm with sliced strawberries, if using. You could also serve with cream.

#Recipe 2

Nutella overnight oats- Serves 1

Ingredients

1/3 cup oats, 1/3 cup milk , 1/3 cup yogurt, ½ tbsp chia seeds, 1 tbsp homemade nutella, 1 tbsp cocoa, 1-2 tsp dates syrup/ maple syrup/ honey

Nutrition facts-
Calories: 320, Protein: 16 grams, Carbs: 44 grams, Fat: 11 grams

Instructions:
Mix together the oats, cocoa, nutella and chia seeds then add in the rest of the ingredients. Store in an air tight container/jar and leave in the fridge to chill overnight.

Enjoy!

Have any other healthy nutella recipes to share? Comment below, and let us know!

6 Great Cardio Techniques for People Who Hate Running

When someone says ‘cardio’, most people almost always equate it to running. However, cardio exercises aren’t just about getting on a treadmill! Here are six ways to get your cardio quota for the day filled:

Swimming

Swimming is a great way to both warm up and cool off at the same time. The workout engages the muscles of your entire body and spikes your heart rate while still being low-impact and gentle on your joints.

Jump Rope

Jump rope as many times as you can in four minutes for a quick burst round of cardio!

Cycling

Whether your bike is stationary or your way of getting somewhere, cycling is a great way to build endurance and give your heart a jump-start at the same time.

Climb some stairs

This is a great way to get your hamstrings involved while warming up!

Burpees

Burpees tax a lot of your muscles at once, but sloppy and bad form can lessen impact.

Zumba

Who said you can’t do cardio and have a party at the same time? Zumba is a great way to sweat and shake it off!

So for those of you who hate running, follow the above techniques to have a fun cardio workout!

Blurb: If running is not for you, get creative about your next cardio workout by following these techniques!

References:

https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/10-great-cardio-workouts-that-dont-require-running-20150706/partner-workout/

https://www.self.com/story/non-running-cardio-workouts

These Breathing Techniques Will Put You To Sleep!

Most of us have trouble falling or staying asleep. Our busy and fast-paced lives are loaded with long work days, stress, parenting burnout, or other emotionally exhausting situations. These can make it really difficult to relax and get some ZZZs.

Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of breathing exercises that can help you calm your mind and body.

Three-part breathing exercise

Follow these three steps to practice this method:

Take a long, deep breath
Exhale completely and focus intently on your body and how it feels
Do this a couple of times and then slow down your exhale making it twice as long as your inhale.
Papworth Method

In this method you focus on your diaphragm to breathe more easily:

Sit straight and upright. You can even do this on your bed if you are trying to sleep.
Take deep breaths; counting to 4 with each inhale — through your nose — and each exhale
Focus on your abdomen rising and falling, and listen for your breathing sound.
Alternate nasal breathing exercise

This exercise is also called Nadi Shodhana Pranayama. Here’s how you do it:

Sit with your legs crossed, and place your left hand on your knee and your right thumb against your nose.

Exhale fully and gently close your right nostril with your thumb.
Inhale through your left nostril.
Open your right nostril and exhale while closing your left nostril.
Continue this rotation for 5 minutes, and finish by exhaling through your left nostril.

The takeaway

It is found that breathing techniques help you relax, sleep, and breathe more naturally and effectively. Try out these three methods and let us know which one worked for you!

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