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5 Surprising Things That Are Contagious And You Had No Clue!

Germs aren’t the only things you have to worry about “catching.” Discover what else you can catch from the people you spend most of the day with!

Restaurant orders:

Research tells us that people are happier ordering food nutritionally similar to that of their companions. If you’re watching your diet, place your order first so that you’re not tempted by your friends’ cravings.

Negative thinking:

If you are with someone who is prone to focusing on the negative aspect of life, it is quite possible that you will catch that feeling and start following the same pattern.

Happiness:

Yes, smiling is contagious. People can catch each other’s happiness by just watching each other and finding pleasure the other person’s happiness.

Desire for new things:

It’s no coincidence you suddenly want a branded shoe after your friend’s gets one. When this happens, remind yourself of how thankful you are for what you already own.

Loneliness:

Yes, loneliness can definitely spread from one person to another. So, when one person starts to feel lonely, it can spread thoughts of loneliness through negative social interactions.

Have you ever experienced any of these things? Maybe even something different? What is that one thing you have caught from your family, friends or colleagues? Feel free to share your experiences with us!

References:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/7-surprising-things-that-are-contagious-and-you-had-no-clue-about-it/photostory/66649130.cms

7 Absolutely Natural Thoughts You Can Get While Meditating!

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, and is good for your body as well as for your mind. Practicing meditation regularly can ward away stress and make you feel healthier.

It doesn’t matter if you’re just beginning to meditate or trying to get back into the habit, if you practice meditation, we’re pretty sure you’ve had at least one of, or even all of these thoughts!

This is going to be so easy!
The idea of just sitting and doing nothing…It’s going to be a piece of cake.
Do i keep my eyes open or closed?
What if I’m doing it wrong? Can you meditate wrong?
Has it been ten minutes yet? I’m getting tired.
I shouldn’t look. The timer will go off any second. It’s fine.
Did I leave the stove on? I definitely left something on.
Whoops, I think I lost my focus again.
Oh my god, I want ice cream. Lots and lots of ice cream.
After meditation, I definitely deserve it.
Oh my god, it’s over.
If they gave out medals for meditating, I would definitely win the gold for Worst Meditator Ever.
Am I glowing? I feel like I’m glowing.
My skin better feels fabulous after this. I have gone through so much.

No matter what you’re thinking while meditating, remember that it’s perfectly fine for your mind to wander. Be gentle with yourself, guide your thoughts back to where you *want* to focus, and keep practicing.

Reference:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/14-absolutely-normal-thoughts-you-get-while-meditating/articleshow/66750486.cms

Coffee Cleanse – 3 Steps to De-Caffeinating your Body!

We consume caffeine to feel wide-awake and fresh. However this can go against you if you consume more than the required amount. If you feel jittery or uneasy, it’s your body telling you to stop with the caffeine consumption.

Here’s what you can do if you think if you’ve overdosed on coffee!

Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate
It’s very important that you hydrate yourself! Grab a bottle of water and gulp it down. Water helps eliminate excess caffeine from your system and can also help soothe your stomach.

Exercise
Start walking, jogging or doing any other mild exercise; it may help your body to metabolize caffeine faster.

Consume food rich in potassium
If you consume way too much caffeine, it reduces the amount of potassium and magnesium in your body. The best solution? Eat a banana to regain potassium quickly into your body.

Takeaway

If your body is experiencing symptoms such as increased heartbeat, hyper-alertness, nausea, dizziness, sweating, or vomiting, this is your body telling you to stop consuming caffeine. It is advisable that you carefully monitor your caffeine intake and ensure that you are aware of your tolerance level.

Reference:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/photo-stories/had-way-too-much-coffee-here-is-how-you-can-get-it-out-of-your-system/photostory/65621459.cms

Reduce Your Waist Size – The Healthy Way!

Stubborn fat deposits on your waistline can have an impact on not only your dress size, but also your self-confidence and your health!

Trimming down your waist size can be especially challenging if your body naturally stores fat in that area, but there are many exercises and small diet adjustments you can try to make it easier.

Exercises to reduce waist size

Planks-
Try this exercise initially for 30 seconds, and then work it up to a minute. If you can do more, go for it! Doing multiple sets for longer lengths of time can help.

Yoga-
Yoga is not only very effective for trimming your waistline, but can also help you manage your stress levels. This can indirectly help you lose weight by putting a stop to stress-eating!

HIIT-
To try HIIT, use a treadmill. gradually increasing your intensity as you improve. This will make sure your workout doesn’t fall flat after the first week.

Eating right

Avoiding refined carbohydrates, sugar, and processed foods whenever possible will help you cut calories and get rid of fat more quickly. Fatty fish, avocadoes, almonds, and cashews are all dietary staples that will give you a boost of healthy fat that’s better for your heart and easier for your body to digest.

Lifestyle changes

1.Swap out coffee for green tea

2.Walk for 20-30 minutes everyday

3.Cut back on alcohol consumption

4.Manage your stress

How do you measure progress?
One most obvious ways to measure your success is the old-fashioned way: by using a tape measure. But you could always use your clothes to guide you as well! To drop a dress size, you need to lose about an inch off your waistline! So take that favorite dress that you used to fit into, and measure your progress by how well you fit into it!

Takeaway

If you set a realistic expectation and have a positive attitude, reaching your goals is just about making small changes to your lifestyle. This way; you are more likely to have long-term success.

3 Reasons People Are Switching To Natural Products

More and more people these days are choosing to shop ethically in order to be more sustainable, to support their health and to protect the environment.

If you’ve been on the fence, here are four legit reasons you should switch to natural products along with the rest of the world:
They are eco-friendly

Choose to live a lifestyle that respects the environment by buying and using products that don’t hurt the earth. For example, buying and eating foods with labels like ‘natural,’ ‘organic,’ and ‘locally sourced,’ will help you feel more satisfied that you are contributing to a larger cause.

They are chemical free

Almost 80% of the packaged food we get today contains a variety of chemical preservatives that are harmful for our health. Buying foods without pesticides, chemicals, or processed additives can help you live a healthier life.

They are non-factory made

Because natural products are what they are – natural, they are not made in factories. Products that are organically made are of better quality and are absolutely free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

The world is slowly realizing the value natural and sustainable products. Not only does it feels good to shop ethically and contribute to local sellers, it helps sustain the environment. Let’s make a conscious effort towards saving the environment and promoting healthy living. Are you in?

References:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/wellness/article/5-reasons-people-are-turning-to-natural-products/articleshow/66271837.cms

How To Be Awesome 101

When we begin to brighten our view of the world, and infuse more positivity into our thought patterns, something magical starts to happen to us. We start to become awesome!

Here are a few steps that can help you achieve this state-of-mind and make a profound change in your life:

Don’t let the fear of being judged dull your light:

When you’re faced with criticism, smile and move forward with positive energy, and don’t let a bad experience make you bitter. Go out there, be yourself and shine!

Be open-minded and believe in your awesomeness:

Accept every kind word and compliment. Bask in it and try to do it better each time. Also when you are shining, make sure you appreciate others and let them have a brighter moment too.

Practice Gratitude:

One of the ways to shift your focus away from negativity is to list the things in your life for which you are grateful. Be grateful to be gainfully employed, to sleep in a bed each night, for the sun that comes up each morning, and for the people that love and care for you.

Ditch the Crabs:

If you put a crab in a bucket, it will easily climb out. But if you put a second crab in the bucket, none of them will let the other escape. In other words, surround yourself with positive people. If you get trapped in a negative conversation, try to change the subject to something more positive.

Life is not always easy. However, it is our own perspective that ultimately determines if we go through it puckered and sour, or skip along with a glass of sweet lemonade.

References-
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/de-stress/how-to-be-radiant-101/articleshow/66374775.cms

The 2018 Diet Tsunami

The year 2018 saw a sudden rise in people who researched and followed a host of diets suited to their body goals. Although most of the diets have been around for a while, this year saw the most number of people conforming to it with gusto and sticking to their guts.

Here, we present you with a peek at all the diets that made 2018, the year of the diet tsunami:

Keto or Ketogenic

The keto diet is very low in carbohydrates (under 50 grams per day — the equivalent of 2 slices of bread and a banana) and very high in fat. Eating this way aims to send the body into a state of ketosis, which means your body is using fat and its by-products (ketones) as its primary source of fuel.

Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet is based on the largely peasant-style diet eaten in traditional areas of Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco. It includes eating more fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and nuts, using olive oil for cooking and dressing foods, eating fermented dairy like yoghurt, lowering the amount of meat you eat and upping your fish intake. This makes it one of the healthiest diets to follow. It is said to help one live longer, and ward off many lifestyle diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Paleolithic or Paleo

The Paleo diet claims to be based on eating principles from the Palaeolithic period (approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago), where primary food sources were vegetables, fruit, nuts and meat. It is high protein, high fat and low in carbohydrates, recommending an increase in meat consumption and removal of dairy foods, legumes and whole grains. Doesn’t really sound ideal, right?

Vegetarian/vegan

Once a fringe diet, being vegetarian is now mainstream and hugely popular, especially because of its benefits to the environment and your body. Following a vegetarian diet has been linked to including more energy, a better complexion, a healthier weight and a reduced risk of chronic disease like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer.

Also on the rise is the vegan diet (vegetarian minus eggs and dairy) with many high profile sports people and celebrities adopting the lifestyle change, including Ellen DeGeneres, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth.

Low carb

A very popular diet fad in the last decade, think GM or Atkins, this diet has had people running away from carbs! This diet tends to focus on a high intake of meat and completely omits or limits carbohydrates, including whole grains, breads, legumes and fruits.

This diet is popular because of quick weight loss results. This is achieved because people cut out highly refined, high-sugar carbs like soft drinks, lollies, biscuits, and chips – a great idea for anyone looking to lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle. However, they also cut out good carbs like whole grains and those found in some fruit and veggies.

Now that you have a fair idea about the kinds of diets that took 2018 by storm, we wonder what 2019 is likely to bring with respect to new eating ideas and habits. Do you have an inkling? Comment and let us know!

5 Ways To Sneak Exercise Into Your Office Routine!

If you’ve lately been feeling exhausted dealing with a 24X7 schedule, you’re not alone! Most of us hardly have time to plan out many of our routine tasks, and out of these, fitness tends to become last priority.
However, disregarding your health is one of the worst things you can do! So we’ve put together a few ways you can actually sneak exercise into your workday with a few smart moves.

Sit on a swiss ball

Swap your office chair with a stability ball. Swiss ball help the alignment of your spine as you sit on them. Not to mention, they’re a lot of fun! The average adult can expect to burn around 112 to 165 calories per hour while sitting on a swiss ball.

Do staircase walks/runs

Ditch the elevator and climb up the stairs. Research says that walking up to 200 steps twice a day increases aerobic fitness levels by 17 percent, and can burn anywhere around 100 to 127 calories for the average person.

Invisible Chair Squats

Stand in front of your chair and keep your hands on your hips. Squat down as much as you can without actually sitting, then slowly return to standing. You can even challenge yourself by trying with one leg!

Office Chair Leg Extensions

If you’ve been sitting for a long time, and are stuck in that position, leg extensions are the best thing to try out. Sit on your chair, with your back straight and arms at your sides. Extend one leg, flex your foot, and raise your leg until it’s at a 90-degree angle with your torso. Hold the position, and then lower your leg.

So try out these exercise during your next work week, and let us know if you see a difference at the end of each day! Any other exercises that work for you? Comment below and let us know!

5 Things Doctors Wish You Would Actually Ask Them!

Finding the right doctor is important, but being involved in the treatment plan as a patient is even more important. Sure, a doctor will prescribe the best treatment plan for you, but that will only work efficiently if you put across the right kind of questions to help you make better decisions about your recovery to health.

If you’re going for a checkup, here are some actual questions you should remember asking:

What is this test/X-ray for?

A doctor may have asked you to get a few regular tests, but it’s your duty to thoroughly ask what that particular test is for and what results to expect.

How long before it gets okay?

Most patients consult a doctor thinking that the course of treatment will take over just one visit but that is not always the case. Some conditions take a much longer time, so it is better to ask your doctor.

Will there be any side effects?

Instead of searching on the internet, your doctor is the best person to explain what to expect and what not to expect when you are prescribed certain medicines.

Can you repeat what you said?

As patients, often don’t want to ask our doctors too many questions so as not to waste their time. But you should ask your doctor any doubts you have so that you know everything that there is to know about your illness.

Asking an ‘awkward’ question

If you have any queries or questions regarding your sexual health, go ahead and ask. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Doctors are not judgmental and might just help you get rid of the problem you are facing.

So next time you visit a doctor, it is important you clear the doubts you have about your condition because asking questions is one of the best ways to ensure you and your doctor are on the same page. And if your doctor doesn’t seem interested in answering, or you get a negative response, you may need to find a new doctor!

References:
http://time.com/4433153/9-questions-ask-doctor/

4 Small Stresses in Daily Life That You Can Easily Eliminate

Stress for most people is caused by a variety of factors—major transitions, illnesses and injuries, money issues, a too-busy schedule—the list goes on and on. These tend to mess with your wellbeing and pose long-term effects to your health.

Before you start to feel even more stressed, take a deep breath—because we’ve got your back.

We rounded up 4 of the common stressors, as well as foolproof ways to outsmart them so they don’t bring you (or your body) down.

Traffic Jams During the Morning Commute

It is believed that honking and the sound of traffic can trigger elevated stress levels. There’s nothing you can do about traffic, but you can minimize the effect it has on you.

Leaving with enough time so that if a traffic jam occurs… you’re not going to be bothered by it and if you get caught in a traffic jam, it is what it is. Don’t get upset about it. Listen to your favourite music or an audio book.

Too Much Technology

If you can’t be 30 minutes without checking your instagram or text messages, you may experience higher stress levels than someone who completely unplugs.

Sure, you may need your smartphone or tablet, but it’s necessary to set boundaries. It is advisable to shut down all devices two or three hours before bed to allow your mind time to unwind.

Perfectionism

Some people have to do everything so perfectly and feel like mistakes are completely unacceptable. However, nobody is perfect, and if you’re reaching for perfection, you’re only going to succeed at stressing yourself out.

Toxic Relationships

Whether it’s a so-called friend, a co-worker, neighbor, or miserable relative ,some people may drain the life out of you and cause you stress. The last thing you need is a toxic relationship adding stress to your life.

Don’t let these mess with your wellbeing. What are some other stressors that you face on a daily basis? How do you avoid it?

Let us know your suggestions and tips in the comments below.

References:
https://greatist.com/grow/subtle-stressors

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