3 Ways to Connect With Nature and Quiet Your Mind

03 May 2018

Living near nature can help women live longer, with women in the greenest areas living as much as 12 percent longer than women who live in more built-up areas. You need to connect with nature to stay fit and healthy.

Although male mortality rates do not show as much of a clear link, making time to connect with nature has many positive health benefits for both men and women.

In fact, a range of studies have shown that regular contact with nature can improve everything from pain control to eyesight, as well as reduced stress levels and less anxiety.

But, that’s not to say that we all have to move to the countryside to take advantage of these health benefits.

Simply making time to connect with whatever natural surroundings you live close to is enough to refresh your mind and improve your health and well-being.

Here are three ways to connect with nature and quieten your mind.

1. Create Time Alone in Nature :

It’s great to experience the beauty of nature in the company of friends or family.

But, when we’re with other people, we tend to talk. This may be because we worry about what the people we’re with think of us. Or we might just feel the need to fill the silence with chatter.

However, the best way to connect with nature is by experiencing it alone.

Being alone in nature allows us to focus on what we can hear, see and feel in these natural surroundings. Whether it’s blades of grass between our fingers or the rush of water from a nearby river, you’ll become much more aware of what’s around you.

So, if you go for a hike with friends, ask for an hour by yourself. Or head to the park or even out into your garden and emerge yourself in the sensory experience that nature offers.

Other than hiking, traveling different beautiful locations is always a great way to behold the true beauty of nature and fall in love with it all over again and again. If you have the love for travel, you should consider traveling as much as you can and plan to visit some of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world. Some naturally beautiful places include the fjords of Norway, the Greek Islands, Islands of Maldives, Switzerland, Kashmir in India, Nepal and so on.

2. Find Your Special Spot :

You’ll find that as you spend more time in nature, especially alone, you’ll start finding special places that you’re drawn to.

It could be a tree you like to lean against when you visit your local park, or the rocks you often sit on to watch the ocean waves crashing on the shore.

Wherever you feel most connected to nature, take the time to really get to know it. Go there in the heat of summer and the midst of winter, know it by day and by night.

Noticing the small changes in nature as well as the contrasts between seasons helps you put things in perspective as you become more aware of how you are a part of something bigger than yourself.

3. Sleep Outdoors :

Since Americans spend around 93 percent of their time indoors, it’s important to actively seek out ways to experience longer periods immersed in nature.

There’s no better way to get in touch with nature than by waking up to a stunning sunrise, the sounds of birdsong and the smell of fresh morning dew. It certainly beats your alarm clock!

Make Time to Connect with Nature :

Whether you live in an urban area or in the middle of the countryside, it’s important for your mental and physical health to take time out to connect with nature.

Do you feel that you spend enough time in nature? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below, or contact us for more information.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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Tips to Lose Weight Naturally

So, you’re fed up with your efforts not giving the right results for your weight problem? More so, aren’t you happy with a cheap gym membership you have been availing for long? So, what is the way out? How to lose weight, not the peace of mind in the process? Well, you should try losing weight at home. You should try losing it in a natural manner. Many people are doing the same, and the results have been great. This way, you are not only saved the inconvenience of matching the gym schedule but also saving a good deal of money. Going natural will help you a lot as this is something of a fad a growing number of people giving a try to. This way, you will tackle weight problems in minimum possible efforts and resources. Let’s look at some helpful tips to lose weight naturally - First and foremost, you should add protein to your diet or you should go on a protein-rich diet, as doing this helps you burn a lot of calories and stay fit. You need to stay away from added fat, added sugar and processed food and rather, your diet should include who and single-ingredient foods only. Never take to processed foods as not only are they rich in calories, added sugars, and fats but also they end up making you a kind addict, which multiplies the damage. Try eating as many healthy foods and snacks possible, and you should rather make your diet rich with only natural foods prepared at home such as nuts, yogurt, etc. You can’t manage weight until you control your intake of added sugar as doing this not only helps fight weight problems but a lot of other health issues as well. You should start drinking as much water as you can either before or after the meal as in, either way, water is a great source of burning a calorie or minimizing their intake. You must try replacing unhealthy beverages with water as your weight loss efforts simply can’t afford calories and sugar stocking up courtesy beverages. Taking liquid calories has been a major reason for people facing obesity and other health problems, so your diet should not have energy drinks, fruit juices or any kind of soft drinks. You should cut down the intake of carbs that lack beneficial nutrients and fiber as they can tempt you into overeating. Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to tackle the menace of weight loss as the items are not only rich in water and energy but they also have very low energy density. You should keep a tab on calories and keep checking the amount your use as only this can help you understand the requirement of either taking more calories or burning more. You need to include low-carb diets as they are considered very helpful in countering weight loss problems. You should avoid eating fast as this carries the risk of overeating calories exceeding the body need, which is often not the case with slow eating. Including eggs in your diet is surely a good way to lose weight as such food items are high in protein and low in calories. You should take proper sleep on a daily basis as not doing the same may put you at great risks of gaining more, as studies have proved the same umpteen times. Read also: 1. How To Lose Your Weight With Venus Factor 2. What are Popular Mind and Body Exercises Available at a Gym? 3. Must-Follow Tricks to Burn More Calories In a nutshell, you should either join the best of gyms in Maidstone or take to natural ways of losing weight. In both ways, you will surely benefit a great deal and realize the target you always wanted to.

Choosing A Diet Based On Your Personality Type

People generally tend to choose a diet plan depending on various factors like how tough it can be, how long it has to be implemented, how much weight loss it guarantees, and so on. But a new trend is catching on pretty fast – choosing a diet based on the personality of the person, so that way, before wondering if intermittent fasting works, you should first find out if it's in line with your lifestyle and attitude. And if you are also interested in such things, then this post will give you a brief idea of what kind of diet lifestyle suits certain personalities. 1. The One Who Likes To Socialize With People: People who are fond of socializing very often with others face a unique problem when it comes to dieting. Since they will go out to parties a lot, they will only have the choice of eating foods that are salty and fatty. In addition, there will likely be lots of alcohol present. The best diet plan for such people should include something that helps them avoid such foods and alcohol. As such, the diet should not be too focused on eating a fixed number of calories at fixed times. Instead, the time schedule must be flexible enough that they can eat a lot of food in one go just before they leave their home for a party. This will ensure that their stomach is full and they don’t end up eating the fatty, sugary, salty, processed foods at the parties. 2. The One Who Is Obsessed With Rules And Guidelines: Some people are extremely obsessed with following every single rule applicable to a task at hand. So, if the rule says that a screw has to be twisted 8 times in order to tighten something to a wall, such people will twist the screw exactly 8 times, nothing more nothing less. As such, extremely detailed diet plans that take care of every single aspect of their food right from when to eat, what to eat, how to eat, and so on, are the most suitable diet program for such people. For example, such people will likely find the HCG diet to be very useful since it involves a lot of strict rules which can lead to impressive weight loss results if followed correctly. And in case you are interested in the HCG diet, you can easily find all the Answers to the Top Queries about Starting HCG Diet by searching online. 3. The One Who Constantly Keeps Thinking: Some people like to constantly keep thinking about something. It does not even have to be related to anything important in their lives. In fact, it can be as ridiculous as possible. But if anything catches their fancy, these people start thinking about everything associated with it. For example, while cooking in the kitchen, they might see that a spider has caught an insect in its web. This might trigger them to think about what the spider web is made of, what would happen if spiders got huge like elephants, and so on. Such types of people also tend to eat a lot in order to keep up with their constant thinking. As such, a diet plan suitable for these people should focus on frequent low-calorie meals each day. So, if they are already consuming 3000 calories every day, and the diet aims to limit it to 2000 calories, then the meal plan can be set in a way that they consume 250 calories over 8 meals during the day. 4. The One Who Acts Impulsively: There are people who act impulsively. No amount of planning will be of use to such people since they usually tend to override all plans with what they spontaneously feel is the right thing to do. With such people, a detailed, step-by-step diet plan is useless since they will be unable to follow it. As such, the best thing to do is to only focus on a few general rules while leaving the specifics to them. For example, suppose that you want them to eat specific food items during lunch. Now, they are not going to plan what they are going to cook for lunch a week in advance. No. So, the best thing you can do is to stick the refrigerator with low-calorie, high-nutrient foods. As such, when it comes the time to cook a meal, they will only have healthy foods to cook. 5. The One Who Is Constantly Worried About Everything: Such people can easily be spotted by their extreme obsession with always worrying about every single thing in their life. For example, if they usually go back to their home from work in a metro, but the metro is closed for any specific day for some reason, then the prospect of having to take a taxi will trigger them into thinking about road accident statistics, cases of assault from taxi drivers, and so on. A diet for such type of people must provide a detailed list of potential negative effects of the program, the food items, and such. Having knowledge of the negatives of a diet right away will help to focus their attention on the positive aspects of the diet so that they can choose a program suitable for them. 6. The One Who Is Looking To Experience New Things: A few people are always on the lookout for new experiences. They are usually bored by doing the exact same thing over and over. In contrast, whatever is new excites them to such a degree that they will go to great lengths to try it out. You can easily spot such people jumping from one job to another because they found the previous jobs ‘boring’. The best diet plan for such people should include a variety of foods every day. Ideally, the meals must be exotic, from different cultures. The prospect of experiencing a few tastes and cooking methods every day and week will surely make them stick on to the diet program. The above is just a small glimpse of how diet plans can be structured according to the personality and preferences of a specific individual. If you take a detailed look at a person’s interest and tastes, you can customize it to such an extent that the individual will be far more likely to follow the diet plan. Read More: You Can’t Out-Diet Your Training Best Super Nutritious Foods To Include In Your Diet 9 Magical Benefits Of A Vegetarian Diet

Health Tips For Managing High Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels can be caused by your hereditary makeup, a diet high in excess fat, and obesity. If you've lately been diagnosed with high cholesterol, discussed below are tips to combat the condition: Health Tips For Managing High Cholesterol: 1. Track the Cholesterol Level Frequently As stated by the American Heart Association, the risk of a heart attack with a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dl is twice as high as for a person with a cholesterol level of 200 mg/dl. Most doctors want total cholesterol below 200 mg/dl, meaning that LDL (bad cholesterol) is less than 130, and HDL (good cholesterol) is above 40. Observing or monitoring your cholesterol level can help you achieve the right cholesterol balance. 2. Read Resources by Yourself Ensure you explore the topic of cholesterol and learn as much as you can. Remember that our body produces and makes use of cholesterol to help execute certain vital functions, such as building new cells and creating hormones. It appears that low HDL levels can intensify your risk of heart problems. Saturated fats in most foodstuffs are blamed for increasing cholesterol. It is important to identify treatment options that are accessible to both conventional medicine and substitute treatments so that you can make a good decision. The choice of traditional or alternative medicine is determined by your present cholesterol level, your overall health, and your way of life. Some people like to take statins to lower cholesterol, while others do all they can to evade them. Make sure you tell your doctor about all of the treatment methods you have chosen. 3. Lose Weight If you're carrying some excess weight, dropping part of it can lower cholesterol, as well as improve your overall health. Being overweight can interrupt normal fat metabolism. Do not start on an accelerated diet, but watch for a slow and stable loss of half to one pound per week. Combining this with regular exercise can lower your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. 4. Exercise Regularly Spend 30 minutes a day walking briskly or doing moderate exercises such as cycling, aerobics, swimming, or running. Following the NHS exercise recommendations are useful for lowering dietary fat and the risk of heart disease. 5. Make a Distinction between Good and Bad Fats Research has revealed that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by decreasing LDL cholesterol levels while increasing HDL. This kind of good fat is found in olive and peanut oils, avocados, and nuts (mainly walnuts and almonds). Also, the unsaturated cholesterol counteracts swelling in the arteries and prevent damage to the blood vessels. Limit your intake of saturated fats (mainly animal products such as cheese, butter, fatty meat, and whole milk) and trans-fats (salad dressing, margarine, cakes, pastries, and snacks) as these can increase cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acids are an additional group of HDL. They are found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. They can decrease LDL and triglycerides. However, to benefit from omega-3, you need to lower your total saturated fat intake. 6. Increase in Fiber Consumption Vegetarians are known to have lower fat levels and a lesser risk of heart disease than meat lovers. Plant products, such as fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and beans, are all high in fiber. There are two main types of fiber - soluble and insoluble, with the soluble form lowering cholesterol absorption in the arteries. 7. Eat Compound Starches Whole grain pasta, root vegetables, brown rice, barley, oats, and whole-grain dough are complex starches that are not just high in roughage, but also have many vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and Life essentials nutrition. They help lower cholesterol. Try to reduce your consumption of refined starches like cookies and white bread, as this can increase the risk of high cholesterol. 8. Drink Green Tea A good and healthy substitute for soft drinks and other sugary drinks is green tea. Studies have revealed that it aids in lowering LDL cholesterol. 9. Eliminate Stress Studies have found a link between job stress and disturbances in cholesterol levels. Stress and the associated emotions such as fear, tension, depression, and anger cause the discharge of hormones that tighten the arteries, reduce the flow of blood to the heart, and increase blood pressure and heart rate. These reactions, along with increased cholesterol, can significantly increase the likelihood of a heart attack. To get rid of stress, leave the situation by taking a short walk, taking a deep breath, meditating, stretching, or listening to soft music. This allows you to cool down and relax. 10. Stop Smoking Smoking not only lowers HDL, which is the good cholesterol, but it also comes with a whole host of adverse health effects, such as an increased risk of many cancers, stroke, and heart disease. Following these tips will go a long way to ensuring your cholesterol level returns to the normal range. Losing weight, exercising regularly, and improving your diet are also great for your health and general well-being, so there's no excuse for avoiding these positive changes. Read Also: 11 Effective Ways To Improve Testosterone Levels In Your Body 5 Natural Immune System Supplement Tips for Cold and Flu Season