Start Treating Your Body With Kindness

Today, a lot of people feel a hefty amount of stress because of the way body image has dominated media. Some have even gotten to the point that they develop eating disorders because of how they feel. What a lot of people really need, is to focus on being kinder to themselves and their bodies. Most feel that they’re already being kind, but are they really? The next few paragraphs will give you a few tips on how to treat your body with kindness.

Get Lots of Rest

The first and easier way to treat yourself better would be to make sure that you get as much rest as you need each day. Proper sleep and rest are important for your body because your body needs those periods to conserve energy, and make some repairs to your cells. If you don’t get all of the rest you need, then your body will begin to fail in small ways, and you will begin to feel tired all of the time. As you become weaker, you will see a breakdown in the quality of your work, and relationships around you will begin to suffer.

Much of this is due to the fact that it’s hard for a person to feel completely connected to others when their mind hasn’t been allowed to rest properly. Studies have connected lack of sleep to a rise in apathy in some people. As the apathy increases, the subject will begin to connect less and less to those around them until they are completely isolated. So it’s extremely important to take proper sleep into consideration.

Let Yourself Have Fun

Do you ever feel guilty when you take days off or try to do fun things with friends and family? A lot of people are in fields of work that force them to produce more and more work for their company. This culture of overworking yourself isn’t healthy and can lead to extreme forms of burnout. The apathy that comes from being sleep deprived can also play a heavy role in diminishing your ability to enjoy things, so this is a place where arresting and allowing yourself to have fun meet. When you are properly rested, you’ll be in a better state to have fun, and if you allow yourself that time, then you can get rid of a lot of the extra stress that you’ve been holding onto each day.

Make Sure You’re Hydrated

How much water do your drink in a day? Hydration is something that a lot of people overlook because living in a modern world tells you that everything you need is just a phone all or a store trip away, but people have to make the right choices when it comes to health. A lot of people have fallen into the habit where they've replaced water with different types of soft drinks. These of drinks are made of mostly sugars and chemicals that were created in a lab, and they don’t provide enough pure water to help you sustain many of your basic functions, so it can be very easy to suddenly find that you are dehydrated to a level that can make you feel ill.

Get Away from Technology for a Minute

Technology these days has been very good at absorbing nearly all of the free time that people have. Everyone is constantly being bombarded by adverts for games and new apps that boast

A user-friendly environment and a new lease of life, but is this really true? Studies have shown that constant engagement with apps can actually cause a lot of stress in some people.

Social media has made it difficult or a larger number of people to feel content with their daily existence. This doesn’t mean that social media is a bad thing, but it could mean that a lot of people should use social media a lot less. To help yourself feel better, it would be a good idea to take step away from social media so that you can focus on more pursuits that involve your well-being.

Pay Attention to Your Body

Self-awareness isn't always something that comes naturally to people. Sometimes it can take a well-crafted effort for you to learn what is needed and when. This is partially because the world at large expects people to live for their desires more than their needs. Once you have made the choice to get more well acquainted with yourself, you can begin to practice mindfulness so you can learn about the signals that your body puts out to let you know what you really want.

When you’re eating a particularly delicious meal, you might already know that you’re full, but you keep eating anyway. Suddenly you feel so full that you begin to burp, and your stomach makes loud noises. This could be a sign that your body has chosen to let you know that you've eaten too much. Learning these signals can help you to stay more comfortable and treat your body with greater care.

Tempeh: Your New Plant-Based Superfood

(Family Features) As a key part of a nutritious eating plan, protein intake can be a healthy step to take in the new year. One increasingly popular way to add protein to your at-home menu is with protein-packed, plant-based foods like tempeh.

Tempeh’s roots date back thousands of years and originate in Indonesia. It’s an all-natural protein source made with simple, whole-food ingredients – most often fermented soybeans, water and rice – and is high in protein, packed with fiber and low in fat, sodium and calories. Tempeh is also loaded with vitamins and minerals like calcium, manganese, phosphorus and iron, and has all nine essential amino acids. Because it’s fermented, the nutrients in tempeh are easy for the body to digest.

The health benefits of tempeh, including 18 grams of protein per serving, are one reason to give it a try, but another is it’s easy and versatile to cook. It has a firm texture, nutty taste and can be baked, fried, steamed or grilled. Tempeh also easily absorbs marinades, spices and sauces. To prepare tempeh, cut it into cubes, strips or crumble it then toss into a stir-fry, layer it onto a BLT sandwich or simply warm a skillet and sear it until golden brown.

The possibilities for tempeh are nearly endless, and it’s also increasingly easy to find. For example, Lightlife, founded in 1979 as “Tempeh Works,” was among the first commercial producers of tempeh in the United States. Today, it offers its Original Tempeh at more than 18,500 retail stores nationwide.

Find protein-packed meal ideas, like Sesame Ginger Tempeh Power Bowls with Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes, at lightlife.com.

Sesame Ginger Tempeh Power Bowls with Quinoa and Sweet Potatoes

Pickled Pink Onions:

1/4       cup white wine vinegar

2          teaspoons white sugar

1/4       teaspoon salt

1/2       small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

 Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette:

2          tablespoons vegetable oil

2          teaspoons sesame oil

2          teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2          teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2          teaspoons soy sauce

2          teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

 Sweet Potatoes:

1          tablespoon olive oil

1          large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices

 Tempeh:

1          package (8 ounces) Lightlife Original Tempeh

1          teaspoon vegetable oil

2          tablespoons soy sauce

2          cups baby spinach or kale

2          cups cooked tri-color quinoa, at room temperature

1/2       ripe avocado, cubed

1/2       cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

6          red grape cherry tomatoes, halved

6          yellow grape cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2       cup pea shoots

To make pickled pink onions: In small pot, bring white wine vinegar, sugar and salt to boil. Add onions and toss to coat 15 seconds. Turn off heat and let sit 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and bright pink. Set aside.

To make sesame ginger vinaigrette: In small bowl, stir vegetable and sesame oils with ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Pour into two small ramekins. Set aside.

To make sweet potatoes: In large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add sweet potato slices and cook, turning occasionally, 15-17 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary until tender when pierced with knife. Remove to cutting board and cut each slice into quarters. Wipe out skillet.

To make tempeh: Cut tempeh crosswise into eight triangles. In nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, heat vegetable oil. Cook tempeh with soy sauce until golden brown and warm, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove tempeh from pan and add baby spinach or kale; stir 1-2 minutes just until wilted.

To assemble bowls: On bottoms of two shallow bowls or plates, spread cooked quinoa. Top with piles of warm sweet potatoes, pickled pink onions, sautéed spinach or kale, avocado, chickpeas, grape tomatoes and pea shoots. Top with tempeh and serve with sesame ginger vinaigrette.

Living With The COVID-19 Pandemic: 2020

What a new problem in health! Covid-19. The entire world has literally stopped in the year 2020 due to this unexpected health scare. I don’t know if anyone saw it coming, except for the world governments. The issues with the pandemic have never ended. Here in the month of December 2020, nearly empty sporting events and curfews bring sadness to the optimism that was once felt. How do we cope with such an uncertain future?

One change and adjustment made in the midst of the pandemic is the use of technology. Some of us work from home while others continue their education online. Working onsite does continue in some industries. The requirements are frustrating yet structured with everyone’s health in mind.

Looking forward into the future, we all may be comfortable taking care of our goals using the online platform. These goals will include your personal fitness goals. More fitness professionals are offering online programming and the option for online personal training in several formats. Here at Push and Pull Performance, there are several options for you to continue your fitness pursuits even during Covid -19. The options include a fitness challenge, an online fit club, or online fitness coaching. Don’t be afraid to continue your fitness goals despite the closed gyms or restricted fitness facilities in town. Remember fitness is a part of health. Your health can be improved or maintained with proper exercise and nutrition.

2020: A New Year, A New Decade, A New Approach

Our health and fitness becomes more important as we mature in life. The need for new habits become a priority. We either hear it from a loved one, our doctor, or the media. The simplest way is to start a monthly schedule that includes healthy meals and activities. Your health risks will become less when you follow these new habits. Hiring a fitness coach or taking a new fitness program is always the way to succeed without stressing out. If you’re looking for a new approach, head over to GET FIT IN 60™ to reach a new level of success in your personal health and fitness.

Herbs And Spices To Help Reduce Pain

People who encounter conditions that cause chronic pain have a tendency to go for powerful prescription drugs first. While you should still seek medical help, this isn't always the only solution. Pain medication can be expensive and habit forming, so not all pain sufferers will consider this as a route to freedom from their condition. In addition to this, there are a growing number of cases and studies that suggest allergic or pseudo-allergic reactions can occur through use. When facing these kinds of situations, what can patients do to help themselves? A number of pain sufferers are turning to a more natural approach by using the methods of the past to treat the ailments of the present. 

Cloves

Cloves contain an agent called eugenol, which has been found to reduce pain during topical application. Recent studies concluded that clove gel was just as effective as a chemical gel at reducing pain in the gums of test subjects. The FDA has asserted that more testing is needed, but anyone who has chewed on cloves is aware of its numbing effect.

Ginger

This tasty root is famous for being an excellent ingredient in cookies and Asian dishes, but itís also been found to have useful anti-inflammatory properties. One study of 100 chronic migraine sufferers found that ginger was similarly effective to the drug sumatriptan. The upside of ginger is that it does not have the side effects of pharmaceutical pain medication.

Fennel

Fennel has been used for thousands of years to help with digestion issues, and stop painful bloating, but one of the other amazing things about fennel, is its ability to help soothe muscle pain. This is caused by its tendency to relax muscles, and has been associated with relief from menstrual pain in women. Fennel is also high in some of the most important dietary minerals iron, manganese, magnesium, and calcium.

Nutmeg

In traditional Chinese medicine, the use of nutmeg is well known for being able to fight inflammation of the joints. It can be ingested in the form of teas and placed in food for desired effect. It is also known to reduce abdominal aches and pains.

Jamaican Allspice

This interesting spice with a deceptive name comes from the Jamaican bayberry tree. It is in the top 10 most anti-inflammatory spices. It can be used both internally and topically for pains.