Brain Power

Finals are around the corner, and a  week of doing absolutely nothing or entirely too much is behind us. Now it is time to kick our brains back in order. This has proven to be a harder task than I thought. Unable to get my brain back on track, I found some great tips to try. Here are some tips to get the brain tune up.

1. Eat Almonds

Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power.

2. Drink Apple Juice

Research from the University of Massachusetts indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter actelyocline in the brain, resulting in increased brain power.

3. Get Plenty of Sleep

Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.

4. Enjoy Simple Pleasures

Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.

• Enjoy music you love
• Play with your children
• Hug a stranger
• Appreciate others
• Run few miles a day, bike or swim
• Start a blog 🙂
• Take a yoga class

5.  Fast For A Day

Fasting cleans and detoxifies our body. It is known fact that heavy food not only causes stress on our digestive system but also drains our brainpower. Fasting relieves toxic emotions such as anger, grief, worry, and fears – before they accumulate and cause disease. By cleansing toxic emotions, fasting strengthens metal clarity with increases memory, concentration, creativity and insight.

6. Reduce Sugar Intake

Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.

7. Eat Whole Wheat

The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.

8. Eat a Light Meal in the Night

A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.

OK… I need this right now! Finals here we come! Good luck!

Shake Your Tail Feathers

Can you imagine a day without the judgement of society? This is a question that I have recently began pondering. I have come to the conclusion that what we are interested in may simply be a product of our environment. We are attracted to the culture of life surrounding us. In turn, this displays the ways in which we interact with each other, society, and ourselves. Hence my entire “personal brand” of the Boulder lifestyle. I can’t deny that my life has changed in more ways than my fingers and toes can count since I placed myself in the “Boulder bubble”. I have taken on the healthy, down to earth, expressive lifestyle as the norm. It is without a doubt due to everything that surrounds my life. Although I know that all these ideals are how I want to live  my life, I wonder what it may be like if I lived in a different environment.

But is this truly who I am? Of course, but not completely. I am a product of my environment. I wonder what it would be like to not be influenced every moment of my life. To get down to the bare bones and discover what actually makes my clock tick. Many of us express our distinctiveness in many ways in life. However, we all act in regard to society and what is considered acceptable. Instead of living lives colored by quirky impulses, we seek out socially acceptable outlets for our peculiarities. We may not realize that we are editing ourselves in this way because our individual societal awareness is unintentionally influenced by the attitudes of the people we encounter each day. Over time, we have learned to suppress some of the most fun aspects of individuality. In order to rediscover and embrace these buried traits, we need only ask ourselves what we would do if we knew for certain that no one would judge our choices.

Visualizing a day without judgement can help you better understand an important part of who you are, but barely manifests itself in your existence. Maybe you feel like galloping through a park of crowded children singing at the top of your lungs, or possibly painting your car an electric hot pink, breaking out in dance, or dying your hair a ridiculous color. I know that I have noticed an urge to take up an exciting hobby such as fire dancing when I don’t think about how others will respond.

Regardless of the nature of your suppressed peculiarities, ask yourself what is really stopping you from making them a part of your life, and then resolve to incorporate at least one into your everyday existence.

Life as we know it is so short. Making the most of the years we are granted is a matter of being ourselves even though we know that we will inevitably encounter people who disapprove of our choices. When you shake your tail feathers like no one is watching, you will discover that there are many others who appreciate you because you are willing to let go of any inhibition. No one else in the world is like you… so get out there and celebrate your individuality!

Beat the Blues

We have all been upset. This is just a natural part of our emotional cycle. However, sometimes things can seem overwhelming and nothing seems to come close to that beautiful smile that normally sweeps across your face. It is OK to be down sometimes. It is times like these that help us appreciate the amazing moments in life. As we have all heard before; you can’t appreciate the good until you experience the bad. But sometimes, it can be rough and exhausting. Here are some helpful tips to bounce back when you are having a hard time seeing the light.

1. Set Goals

Something special happens when we place the pen to the paper and start visualizing where we want to be. Our brain chemistry fires and we start brainstorming how we will go about achieving these goals.

2. Sleep

Getting a good amount of sleep is good for both our body and our mind. It is absolutely important to get enough rest.

3. Excercise

If you’re physically capable, try one hour of cardio (or as much as you can). If you’re tee-shirt is soaking wet, you’re standing in a puddle of your own sweat, and you can feel the endorphins pumping through your body, you did it right. Shower up and try not being happy, I dare you.

4. Forgiveness

Many times we’re making ourselves sad for no good reason at all. People have been known to keep grudges for lifetimes (most religions and nationalities keep them for generations). When you forgive, you remove this weight off your shoulders and put yourself in a position to be happier.

5. Gratitude

Many times when we complain we can cause ourselves to be sad. Complaining is just a factor of not taking into account what we’re grateful for. Sit down and make a list of 100 things you’re grateful for right now (and I dare you not to feel better).

6. Hydration

This has always been my downfall; I don’t drink enough and chances are you don’t either. Some days I drink only 1 cup of water, and I feel horrible. When I remember, and drink 2-3 liters, I’m happy as a kitten on cat-nip, and productive as a bat out of hell.

7. Journal

This could be an escape but it doesn’t have to be. You can write about fiction, and transport yourself to another world, or you can write about what’s going on, and let your thoughts carry you through to a solution. Many great books were written by people who were, at least at the time, going through a period of pain and suffering.

Hopefully these tips will be help you realize how lucky we are to live on this planet. There are so many people who are fighting for their lives, and too many who leave this world too early. You are here. You are alive. You are beautiful. Enjoy and embrace all that surrounds you!

Don’t Get Stuffed Like Your Turkey!

Thanksgiving for most people means friends, family, FOOD, and consequently weight gain. All sound great… until you wake up the next morning feeling as though you have packed on the weight of a small child over night. It is alright though, every once it a while it is OK to treat yourself, indulge, and don’t worry about the calories. However, in order to not feel guilty there are a few steps you can take so that thanksgiving won’t equal weight gain.

So… just since it is Thanksgiving doesn’t mean that you have to pack it in and pack it on. When living a fit and healthy lifestyle during the holidays attempt to not focus so much on the food, but rather on the fun and family that surrounds you. Focus on the good times around you rather than the sometimes stressful situations that arise during the holidays. Alright, so other than our focus try some of these techniques to prevent up to 5000 calories in one single sitting. YUCK! (oh but oh so yummm and the same time)

1. Load up those veggies! Be the designated “veggie bringer” for your family and you’ll ensure that there are plenty of veggies to choose from. Forgoe the fatty, salty, processed dips and go raw. Veggies are a healthy choice to fill up on.

2. Drink your water No need to indulge in soda or alcohol, neither will get you closer to your goal of a slim, trim, fit body. Soda is full of either refined sugars or artificial sweeteners along with a whole bunch of other icky processed ingredients and alcohol will lower your inhibitions making it easy to overeat. Both will also zap your metabolism down to nothing.

3. Go for a walk! Why not get the whole family to go for a walk after dinner? Or, if no one is up for it, maybe it would be a nice break for you to get out and go by yourself! Yes, not everyone’s Thanksgiving dinner will be stress free and physical exercise is a fabulous stress reliever, and besides it will make you feel good!

4. Cut your portions in half… or even better thirds! You can eat foods filled with sugar and white flour and they do not trigger you to overeat you can still enjoy but cut your portion sizes. There is no “rule” that just because it’s Thanksgiving you must stuff yourself to the gills until you can hardly breathe! Yes, I’ve seen it before and it’s not pretty, the “after Thanksgiving” fallout of stuffed overindulgers.

5. Stay conscious. Are you even hungry? This is the most important tip for getting through your day without stuffing yourself – be aware, staying conscious of whether or not you are even hungry. If you aren’t physically hungry then wait until you are before you eat. Also stay aware of the time so that you’ll be hungry when dinnertime comes instead of snacking unconsciously beforehand.

Thanksgiving does NOT = Weight gain!! If you take these steps you will be on your way to fun, fit, and healthy Thanksgiving! But remember, overall enjoy yourself! Don’t take ANYTHING too seriously 🙂

HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Potassium Sticks

Bananas, containing three natural sugars, sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, give an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.  Who knew that a little yellow stick could provide such generous offerings to our body!  But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.  It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana.  This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax,
improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure.  So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claim for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Constipation:

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey.  The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and rehydrates your system. (I used to work at Rush Smoothie, and the “hangover smoothie” consisted mainly of bananas, honey, oats – to coat the stomach – and prickly pear. delicious and nutritious!)

Mosquito Bites:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.  Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. Who would have thought?

Temperature Control:

Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.  In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

 

Wow! I think it is apparent that there are many attributes to this fruit than just its good taste. So I say you GO BANANAS and munch on some potassium sticks!

Procrastination Station

I have always noticed that I tend to put things off until it is absolutely necessary that I complete them. This has proven, multiple occasions, to be less than productive. Some people work well under the stress of needing to get something done. I however, freak out, have a slight panic attack, realize why I didn’t do the task at hand earlier, then get upset with myself. Hmmm… sounds great?! Not exactly. When I think about all the pointless tasks that I was doing rather than what I needed to be doing, I only get frustrated with the way I am spending my time. So much of my life seems to be wasted sitting in front of a meaningless TV show or clicking through pictures of people who I don’t even know on Facebook. Ugh! What a waste. I have highly considered deleting my page and taking the TV out of my house, but somehow I can’t ever seem to get myself to do so. There is such a love-hate relationship. Ok.. enough about me. Let’s talk about procrastination. Can you imagine how much more would be accomplished if procrastination was not a part of our lives. We would get done exactly what we need to, when we need to, and with much more time to complete more things we need to! Whew!
Alright… so here are some strategies to beat being a procrastination station!

Get Specific:
Rather than making general plans for a long time period, make specific goals for shorter time periods. A specific plan gives you measurable goals to work toward and several opportunities to evaluate your progress and adjust your plans. You may not be able to get everything done (your laundry is still piled in heaps on the floor and you need to finish the next chapter by Monday), but you have made good progress toward completing what you need to have done.

Set Priorities:
It is important to get the most important things done… and get them done first.

Break Down the Task Into Manageable Amounts:
You don’t have to complete the whole task at once, you can take separate small measures to complete the whole thing. This will make things seem like less of a stress.

Use a Time Scheduale:
Set specific times each day/week when you can work on projects and when you can take time out for yourself. This will hopefully prevent you from mindlessly sitting on Facebook for a ridiculous 4 hours at a time.

Just Get Started!!!
Ok! Enough reading my blog and get going on what you need to get done in your life…. then come back to mine 🙂

Post Halloween Trim Up

We all get suckered into eating every piece of mouth-watering, calorie-filled chocolate goodness in front of our eyes during Halloween. I mean, you have to! It is the spirit of the holiday! However, afterwards your stomach is feeling less than pleased with you. Personally, my work handed out candy to its customers, and I am pretty sure that I ate more candy than all of them combined. Great :(. Not that I didn’t enjoy them, but once I started there was no stopping me. Consequently, I have been hunched over for the last 2 days in stomach aches. Not exactly the happy holiday season I am wanting. I wanted to share a little secret diet with you that quickly helps to kick your body back into routine and can help elevate the gurgling stomachs that seem to be all too frequent around this time of year. Whether you want to bounce back from your Halloween plunge, or want to quickly shed a few pounds before you go home for the holidays, this is a diet that has proven itself to me (even if only for a short period of time). After all it is a diet, so you are likely to gain the weight back until you do a complete lifestyle change.

The program is stated as targeting 10 to 17 pounds of weight loss per week as well as improving attitudes and emotions due to its cleansing, systematic effects. Personally, I lost about 5 pounds the last time I did it. But FIVE POUNDS!! In ONE WEEK!!?? I also was able to eat as much and as often as I would like (as long as it is within the day’s food groups). Not too shabby…

During the first 7 days you must abstain from alcohol and drink at least 10 glasses of water a day.

Day 1: All fruits except bananas.

Your first day will consist of all the fruits you want. It is strongly suggested that you consume lots of melons the first day. Especially watermelon and a loupe. If you limit your fruit consumption to melons, your chances of losing three lbs. on first day are very good.

Day 2: All vegetables.

You are encouraged to eat until you are stuffed with all the raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. There is no limit on the amount or type. For your complex carbohydrate, you will start day two with a large baked potato for breakfast. You may top the potato with one pat of butter.

Day 3: A mixture of fruits and vegetables of your choice. Any amount, any quantity. No bananas yet. No potatoes today.

Day 4: Bananas and milk

Today you will eat as many as eight bananas and drink three glasses of milk. This will be combined with the special soup which may be eaten in limited quantities. P.S. On this day, I like to make banana milk shakes and add some cinnamon to them… yummmm.

Day 5: FEAST DAY

You will eat beef and tomatoes. Eat two 10 oz. portions of lean beef. Hamburger is OK. Combine this with six whole tomatoes. On day five you must increase your water intake by one quart. This is to cleanse your system of the uric acid you will be producing.

Day 6: Beef and Vegetables

Today you may eat an unlimited amount of beef and vegetables. Eat to your heart’s content.

Day 7: Today your food intake will consist of brown rice, fruit juices and all the vegetables you care to consume.

 

Tomorrow morning you are expected to be 10 to 17 pounds lighter than a week ago. If you wish for further weight loss you may repeat the program again, however, it is suggested that you take off at least two days before starting up again.

Wonder Soup:

The following soup is intended as a supplement to your diet. It can be eaten any time of the day in virtually unlimited quantities. You are encouraged to consume large quantities of this soup.

28 oz, Water, 6 Large Onions, 2 Green Peppers, Whole Tomatoes (fresh or canned), 1 Head Cabbage, 1 Bunch Celery, 4 Envelopes Lipton Onion Soup Mix, Herbs and Flavouring as desired.

 

Try it out! I know it sounds funky, but you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was!

 

Foodscanner Application for iphone – Daily Burn

If you have ever read anything about weight loss or staying on track on a diet, I am sure that you have encountered people encouraging you to write down any and everything that you eat and drink. This helps you keep track of how many calories you are consuming, what different types of food you are overdoing and what you are lacking. This seems extremely tedious, and from my personal experience it is very easy to lose motivation to write everything down. When I have tracked my eating patterns though, I have been successful in a weight/health management program.

So, unless you are OCD about taking notes and writing things your everyday activities down, chances are you won’t succeed for long. I found an application on iphone that might help you out with this. All you do is scan the barcode on the item that you are going to eat, plug in your serving size, and your calories will be recorded. Finally an end to the food journal!

1. DailyBurn’s FoodScanner is the first and only application that uses the iPhone’s camera to scan the UPC codes of foods and link them with full nutritional information (calories, macronutrients, etc.).

2. With a built-in database of more than 200,000 foods, it is the easiest way to accurately log what you eat during the day and keep an up-to-date calorie and nutrient count. All information is automatically synced with DailyBurn’s sophisticated workout and nutrition-tracking web application.

3. You don’t have to use the new 3GS with auto-focus. It works accurately on all iPhones using the most accurate scanning technology for iPhone – Occipital’s Red Laser.

4. You can also track natural foods (not processed) by searching by name or brand

Make Your Own Granola!

There is nothing more that I enjoy than a large bowl of yogurt with berries of sorts, granola, and walnuts in the morning. Add some agave nectar and cinnamon to it, and you are sure to quickly become my favorite person! I have a recipe for you that will make this concoction EVEN better! Although it will take some more time than just buying already packaged granola, it will be much better for your body and your mind. Not only are you creating a to-die-for morning snack, but you can also relieve stress and take some time for yourself while cooking it. There is nothing better than a little time in the kitchen with delicious outcome!

Here is how to make your OWN GRANOLA!

1. In a large bowl, stir together three cups of old-fashioned rolled oats, three tablespoons brown sugar, a quarter teaspoon kosher salt, and a half teaspoon cinnamon.

2. In another bowl, stir together one-third cup honey, a quarter cup canola oil, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Dump this over the oat mixture and combine thoroughly. Get your hands in it to mix everything well, and to coat the oats evenly with the honey mixture. Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of the heated oven. Bake, stirring after 15 minutes, until the granola is a very light golden brown. It should take 20 to 30 minutes. If you like your granola crunchier with a toastier flavor, bake it a little longer, keeping a close eye on it—if it gets dark it will taste burnt.

4. Cool the granola completely, stirring it around so it doesn’t stick together. (It hardens as it cools.)

5. Once the granola’s cool, get creative: Now is the time to stir in all your extras like dried fruit, raw or toasted nuts and seeds, toasted coconut, etc. Store in an airtight container (this is very important—the granola goes stale easily) and eat within two weeks.

MMMMMMM… time to enjoy!!

Re-energize Your Life

You constantly hear people complaining about how tired they are (me included). Most of us blame it on the fact that we have too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Often though, the culprits are what we are eating, how we are sleeping, and how we are coping. Here are some useful tips to that I have found to hopefully help re-energize your batteries!

Re-energize your diet

Have breakfast, even if you’re not hungry. You’ll feel perkier and ready to bring on the day both mentally and physically.

Eat every three to four hours. Having three smallish meals and two snacks throughout the day can keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable all day long. Note the word “smallish.” Supersized meals demand more of your energy to digest, which can leave you feeling lethargic.

Fill up on Fiber. It has a time releasing effect on carbs when they enter the bloodstream, giving your energy more staying power

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate! Water makes up such a large part of our body and we need to keep it hydrated at all times. I have often found that many times I will confuse my thirst for hunger or fatigue. All you need is a large glass of water!

Energize your spirit

Splash water on your face when you’re feeling burned-out. This can quickly make you more alert or take the edge off when you are feeling just a little too overwhelmed.

Suit up. It seems so much easier to throw on a pair of sweats to go to school in when you are feeling sluggish. However, put on a respectable outfit and the reflection in the mirror looking back at you may just suddenly feel empowered by the energizing image.

Listen to music. Turning on some tunes is one of the most powerful ways to change your mood, decrease tension, and increase energy. Think about when you are at the gym. It is much easier to workout on a boring machine when you have headphones to listen to. Time and calories will fly by much quicker than if you were to listen to the rattles of the machine below you.

De-clutter a corner. Clutter can make you feel stressed out and overwhelmed, especially when you are already feeling down. Pick a corner and go at it! You may end up de-cluttering an entire room of the house. This will put you more at ease. Even the smallest accomplishment will instantly re-energize you.

 

And now get some good and relaxing rest… we all know we need it!