Five Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle

1. Reduce Stress, Laugh More and Think Positive

Start with at least 30 minutes a day, then gradually build your positive thinking time. Evade difficult people and try not to be difficult yourself. Get a massage, a manicure, facial or a haircut. Meditate or listen to soothing music.

2. Avoid Pollution

Keep plants in your home and office. If you can't live in a pollution-free environment, take regular trips to the countryside. Avoid smoke-filled rooms and high traffic areas. Schedule outdoors activities for low smog periods.

3. Smile Wide

Brush and floss after each meal to maintain good oral and dental hygiene. Be confident with your smile when talking.

4. Make Something

Boost your creative energy. Cook with new recipes, paint, write, recycle something, or put a photo album together. Planting seeds is rewarding - just don't forget to water them!

5. Drink Smoothies

Veggie and fruit smoothies have great health benefits, and they taste good, too. They're packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals; they contain fibre, which helps keep you regular; and drinking smoothies rather than ordinary juice will leave you less prone to snacking. You can also have fun and be creative by designing your own. Look out for another five tips in the next issue.

Chiva-Som is Thailand's multi-award winning health resort, located in Hua Hin.

Source  http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/health/209519/five-tips-for-a-healthy-lifestyle

Tips for Gaining Weight- the HEALTHY Way

Tips for Gaining Weight- the HEALTHY Way

Gaining weight should be “simple.”  Eat more calories than you expend and you’re sure to gain weight, right?  Gaining weight in a healthy way, though, can be a bit more challenging.  Here are 11 steps to help you assure that you are doing what’s best for you and your body as you pursue your weight gain goals.

1.  Set attainable goals.  Face it, very few people are destined to appear on the cover of a fitness magazine.  Our body shape and size is determined primarily by genetics and secondly by our lifestyle.  Healthy weight gain is a slow process that requires patience and realistic goal-setting.

2.  Eat breakfast.  Every day.  A well balanced breakfast is an excellent way to wake up your metabolism and your appetite.  Make sure you have a grain, some protein, and a fruit to start your day.  Try a yogurt berry parfait with granola OR a bagel sandwich with eggs & cheese and some juice.  In a hurry?  Grab a fruit smoothie OR cereal with milk and
berries.

3.  Follow basic nutrition recommendations.  Contrary to popular belief, living on fast food, pizza, and milkshakes is not the best approach to weight gain.  Although these foods can be incorporated into your meal plan, be sure to balance them with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a variety of protein sources, such as meat, nuts, beans, and dairy.    

4.  Plan to eat 5-6 times/ day, at least.  Prevent excessive fullness by eating reasonable portions spread throughout the entire day.  Plan to have 3-4 meals each day with several snacks in between.  At the end of the day, your “energy in” must be greater than your “energy out” in order to gain weight.

5.  Vary your diet, especially the protein.  Eating the same foods every day can be boring.  Get creative and try something new.  Start with a variety of protein sources: cheese, nuts, beef, fish, yogurt, pork, beans, chicken, yogurt, turkey, cottage cheese, lamb, eggs, etc.

6.  Pack snacks to-go for extra calories.  Trail mix, granola bars, fruit with peanut butter, chips, dried fruit, veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, nuts, smoothies, sunflower seeds, and cookies are portable options that can help you keep up with your needs throughout the day.  Cereal with milk, ice cream, and hot chocolate can be great snacks to end your day.

7.  Choose caloric beverages.  You’re going to drink something, so pick fluids with calories.  Juices, milk, and even an occasional soda (non-diet, of course) will do the trick.  Drink plenty of fluids that supply calories like juice, milk, milkshakes, and sports beverages. For example, drinking 1 quart of grape or cranberry juice supplies 1000 calories. 1 quart of 2% milk supplies 720 calories.

8.  Consider high-calorie nutritional supplements.  Energy-dense, high-quality nutrition can be hard to come by, but Ensure Plus, Boost Plus, and Carnation Instant Breakfast provide quick and easy calories with the added bonus of vitamins and minerals.  Consider using these products as your “nutrition medicine” on the days you’re not feeling hungry, but know you still need to eat.

9.  Balance cardio, flexibility, and strength-training exercises.  Exercise, especially cardio work-outs, burns calories that you must replace by eating more.  However, it can help to stimulate your appetite and assure that you build an appropriate amount of muscle.  3-5 days of physical activity each week can assure optimal outcomes.
(Note: Severe malnutrition can require a period of inactivity as the body heals and repairs.  Consultation with a medical provider and/or dietitian can help to establish a safe plan in these situations.)

10. Get regular sleep
The human body needs adequate rest in order to “keep up.”  On average, most people need 8 hours of sleep/ night.  However, some people function well on 6 hours/night while others need 10+ hr/ night to feel fully rested.  Bottom line, listen to your body and get the sleep you need.

11. Set realistic goals
Genetic factors can play a large role in physique. You are not going to look like Arnold if your parents look like Pee Wee Herman.

10 Tips for Reducing Sugar Intake

The average American eats more sugar in one day than our ancestors did during an entire lifetime. They prized sugary foods for their abundant calories and quick energy spike. Thus, now we are wired to reach for the cookie jar over and over and over – even though we have no lions to outrun.

Sugar has a very high caloric content and virtually no nutritional value. Besides causing weight gain, it also encourages inflammation and infection, compromises the immune system and raises insulin levels. Insulin encourages the storage of fat, elevates triglyceride levels and promotes cardiovascular disease, asthma, mood swings, diabetes, gallstones, hypertension and arthritis. Still want that piece of cake?

We all know that sugar can cause health problems, however our eating culture revolves around sugary, salty, fatty, unhealthy foods. Even those without a raging sweet tooth will find that it's almost impossible to avoid eating refined sugar these days, as grocery manufacturers routinely add it to everything from bread and pizza dough to spaghetti sauce and salad dressing.

Eating less sugar is one of the best actions you can take to improve your current and future health, but saying "no" to sweets isn't as easy as it seems. If you can't cut out sugar completely (who can?), then try the following tips to quickly and painlessly reduce your sugar intake. It seems this becomes increasingly handy during the holiday season...

1. Cut down on processed and packaged foods. Salad dressings, spaghetti sauces, soups and even pizza crusts contain sugar. If you make your own soup, you will unlikely be adding a cup of sugar to the stew pot, however this is exactly what manufacturers do. Try to purchase groceries with the least amount of packaging as possible.

2. Indulge in the highest-quality sweets that you can afford. You will get more satisfaction from enjoying one divine chocolate truffle than you will from six crappy little sandwich cookies. Resolve to only eat sweets that you really, really like. Forget the rest, and then don't beat up on yourself when you have a sugary treat that you really enjoy.

3. Free sweets aren't free. Many work sites, businesses or offices always have on hand candy, doughnuts or other sweets to snack on. It is human nature to grab these cheap calories and ingest them, however you will pay for the free treats later with poor health and a belly roll.

4. Banish the candy jar. Do you have a candy jar on your desk at work, school, or some other handy and convenient place? Remove it, and you will reduce your sugar intake. Even just moving a candy dish from your desk to a table across the room will drastically decrease the amount that you eat.

5. Know your sugars. Fructose, glucose, lactose, maltodextrin and dextrose are all types of sugar masquerading under their scientific names. Read grocery labels so that you know what you are putting into your body.

6. Don't drink liquid candy. Soda is basically that – liquid candy. Most Americans think of soda as a beverage, and most Americans are overweight. Think of soda as a special treat rather than a daily occurrence, and you will enjoy it even more and avoid all those empty calories. Besides, we've got the Top 10 Reason to Banish Soda. 

7. Watch your breakfast. Deep-fried dough topped with icing and candy sprinkles isn't anywhere near healthy, but doughnuts are a tried-and-true American breakfast. Just say no. Also passing as breakfast: giant muffins (muffins = cake), frappuccinos and smoothies – these are basically milkshakes. Starting your morning off with a sugar overload like this will offset your energy and unbalance your system for the rest of the day.

8. Indulge your sweet tooth naturally. Fruits, honey, maple syrup and molasses all contain natural sugars. Although these foods are no health superstars, they are a better option when the sweet tooth strikes and you are craving some sugary action. An apple will give you a sweet burst of flavor along with beneficial vitamins and fiber. Check out our Guide to 10 Natural Sweeteners. 

9. Go black and never go back. Resolve to drink your coffee and tea without sugar and milk; this small change of mind can save you several sweet teaspoons every single day, and you will most likely find that you do not miss it. And besides, ordering a straight-up black coffee or espresso is infinitely cooler (and cheaper!) than ordering the triple-no-fat half-caramel grande Flufficino with whip and chocolate drizzle. Don't let your daily caffeine requirements become an excuse to load up on sugar.

10. If you just have to have something sweet at the end of every meal, keep a pile of your favorite gum on hand and enjoy a piece for dessert. This will give your brain the sweet sensation it desires and will keep your mouth occupied from chewing other more high-calorie dessert options. Of course, conventional gum isn't healthy either, but you can find natural and even organic gums at your local health food store.

Source  http://www.organicauthority.com/health/10-tips-for-reducing-sugar-intake.html