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7 Benefits of a Daily At-Home Yoga Practice
An ancient art that is over 5000 years old is once again gaining worldwide popularity. Yoga, the art of science and wellness that was given to the world by India has gained a massive following in advanced western countries. It is an art and science that pushes human beings to go back to their roots and look within to find solutions to problems. Yoga is an all-inclusive model of development for both, mental as well as physical well-being. If you are someone that is familiar with Yoga or has been struggling with mental health issues, you would have heard about the term- Cortisol. This is a hormone that leads to negative thoughts, insecurities, and stress. This is the ‘Stress Hormone’. Science has shown that practicing Yoga for as little as fifteen minutes a day can help reduce the amount of Cortisol that is secreted by your brain. In this article, we look at the seven benefits of a daily at-home yoga practice. We speak to leading experts at a black owned yoga studio and requested them to help us come up with the list of benefits. Yoga: A Proven Ancient Science or something simply concocted out of thin air? First things first. Before we get to the list of benefits, let us try and address an issue that critics of Yoga have been vehemently espousing for many years. The first mention of Yoga as a form of health and wellness can be found in ancient texts that are over five thousand years old. The evidence of Yoga has been documented by academicians and historians in the Harappan and Indus Valley civilizations. It has for the last few decades helped millions over the world deal with the following issues- Combat stresses, anxiety, and depression. Build better health of internal organs. Create a Positive Outlook towards life. Improve Focus, Attention, and Concentration. Strengthen the Core and Muscles and Joints. In short, Yoga has nothing but positive effects on the human body. It is a breathing exercise, meditation, and physical regimen all built into one. List of 7 Benefits of a Daily At-Home Yoga Practice: 1. The Greatest Asset to Fight Mental Health Issues- Most medical experts point out that the breathing exercises that are a major part of Yoga help relieve tensions, stresses, and anxieties. This helps ward off negative energies, creates positive thoughts, and diminishes the hormone Cortisol production. Practicing Yoga for 15 minutes a day can be the best bet to fight and prevent mental health issues from emerging. 2. Builds Core Strength and Improves Flexibility- A lot of Yoga is improving the core strength of your body. This is not some muscle like a bicep or triceps. The closest you can start to compare this with the Shaolin Monks and their level of mental toughness. The flexible nature of the exercises when doing Yoga can help in muscle strengthening, conditioning, and improving joints and other connective tissues’ health. 3. Helps in Improving Digestion and Food Absorption- Stress is a major factor that affects digestion. IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome is something that a majority of professionals face. Doing Yoga regularly can help improve the digestion system of the body. It can help in the positive absorption of food, minerals, and vitamins into the body. Just fifteen minutes of regular Yoga can help achieve a lot in this regard. 4. Lead to Weight Reduction in Obese Individuals- Obesity is one of the most dangerous illnesses currently affecting western developed countries. While going for strict diet regimens and sweating it out at the gym are options, Yoga should be tried as a great alternative strategy. Studies and trials have shown that Yoga through controlling the brain and the body can help in weight reduction in a major way. 5. Helps in Boosting Energy Levels within the Body- I am sure most of us have felt out of breath and energy even after waking up from an entire night of sleep. When you start doing Yoga, you will realize that your energy levels are always at an optimum. The reason for the same is that Yoga helps create energy by channeling positivity from the brain and the body. This helps boost productivity and help in success. 6. Improves Sleeping Patterns and Counters Insomnia- Insomnia is a clear and pressing issue of our times. Poor mental health is one of the major factors that trigger insomnia. With Yoga, you will be able to improve the sleeping patterns. Yoga is based heavily on breathing exercises. With the right flow of oxygen into the body, sleep gets positively impacted. The clear mind and brain also help massively. 7. Wards off Diseases and Infections and help stay healthy- Yoga has been found to have a lot of positive effects in strengthening the Immune System of the body. It can help one stay healthy and ward off normal infections and diseases. At the end of the day falling ill is a function of a weak immune system. Regularly doing Yoga can help an individual to stay healthy for long periods and avoid falling sick all the time. The Final Word: You do not have to slog countless hours in a yoga studio to enjoy all the benefits that have been listed above. All you need to do is find an expert practitioner that understands your issues and can devise a Yoga regimen that best suits you. The key is to be regular when it comes to Yoga. You cannot expect immediate results. It is slow, yet the detailed process that is more a way of living than a quick fix solution. With the Coronavirus pandemic causing everyone to stay indoors, the best Yoga centers are coming up with at-home sessions that you can safely do and enjoy from the comfort and safety of your home. All you need to do is fix a session, join it via a Zoom link and follow what the trainers are doing. This is a simple and effective way to stay in tune with Yoga in the changed situation we are living in. Read Also: How To Live Healthily Even If You Have A Full-Time Job 5 Ways To Deal With Your Insomnia Are You Wondering About The Risk Factors For Depression? Effects of Anxiety on Heart Disease
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8 Awesome Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate
Chocolate is the world’s favorite sweet indulgence. In fact, the average person will consume about 12 pounds of chocolate each year. Chocolate is often considered a treat or a dessert, but did you know that chocolate actually provides great health benefits too? Some of this has to do with the amount of lecithin in chocolate. Chocolate truly brings together the best of both worlds: a yummy treat that is also good for you in moderation. Checkout 8 Awesome Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate: Let’s take a look at some of the ways chocolate can actually help you stay healthy. Not All Chocolate Is Created Equal It is important to remember that not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate is actually the only form of chocolate that can really benefit your health. The reason for this is that dark chocolate does not have tons of added sugar. In fact, the darker the chocolate the less sugar is added. So, if you want to really reap the health benefits, always choose dark chocolate. 1. Antioxidant Within our bodies are chemicals and compounds referred to as free radicals. These chemicals and compounds are created by cellular processes. You can think of them as waste products that are created as our body processes toxins and other invaders. These free radicals can have a negative impact on our health over time. To fight free radicals, you need antioxidants present in your body. Antioxidants are compounds that kill off the free radicals and keep your body clean. Dark chocolate is a wonderful source of antioxidants. A regular dose of dark chocolate will help keep free radicals down in your body. 2. Cancer Prevention Cancer research scientists have a growing body of research that supports the existence of cancer-fighting properties in dark chocolate. This is due to the presence of antioxidants and flavonoids found in the chocolate. Tests have shown that these compounds successfully reduce the number of colon cancer cells in rats. 3. Heart Health The flavonoids found in dark chocolate are primarily of the type called flavonols. These compounds have a powerful effect on heart health, including blood pressure reduction and improving blood flow to the heart. Some tests also show that flavanols can also improve blood flow to the brain as well, which could improve cognitive function. 4. Improves Cholesterol Cholesterol levels can have a significant impact on heart health and overall well-being. The cocoa butter that is found in chocolate contains healthy fats and polyphenols. These both work together to improve the lipid profile of the body. This means that it can help to decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Cholesterol profiles can affect how well the heart can pump blood throughout the body. High cholesterol levels can greatly increase the risk of heart disease and heart attack. 5. Improved Cognitive Function Dark chocolate has a powerful impact on how blood can move through the body. This includes increasing blood flow to the brain. When the brain does not have sufficient blood flow, it will start to impact cognitive function. This can include memory, task management, time management, mood, and more. Improving blood flow to the brain is one of the best ways to improve cognitive function. Doctors have tested Alzheimer’s patients who were given flavonoid-rich foods to see if the increase in these compounds in the diet could improve cognitive function factors. Positive results have been recorded in these tests. Because dark chocolate is considered a flavonoid-rich food, it can be added to a flavonoid-rich diet to help with cognitive function. 6. Blood Pressure Blood pressure issues can be a huge contributor to the risk of heart disease. There are medications that can be used to control blood pressure problems, but there are also natural ways to help blood pressure as well. Adding dark chocolate to your diet has been shown to reduce blood pressure levels. However, you should note that if you are being treated for blood pressure issues under a doctor’s care, you should follow all instructions from your doctor. Talk with your doctor about natural ways to improve blood pressure. 7. Improves Vision Vitamins and nutrients found in dark chocolate have also been shown to help improve vision. Although natural methods of vision improvement, such as diet modifications, cannot cure all vision problems, it is good to know which food products you can add to your diet to boost vision. 8. Improves Skin The rich flavanol content of dark chocolate may also be able to improve your skin. When flavanols are rich in the body, they can help to protect your skin from sun damage. Sun damage is a leading cause of skin cancer. Flavanol can also help to improve skin smoothness as well. Some Final Considerations If you decide to start adding more dark chocolate to your diet, be sure to remember that dark chocolate should be added in moderation. You should choose chocolate that has very little added sugar. The darker the better. The many health benefits of dark chocolate can be primarily attributed to a large amount of flavonoid content. If you are interested in more health benefits, you can research other flavonoid rich foods. Adding these foods into your diet can increase these health benefits. It is important to note that you should always consult your doctor concerning current treatments and not make sudden changes to your treatments without consulting your doctor. Read Also: Essential Health Benefits Of Coconut Oil The Health Benefits of Drinking Black Coffee 6 Delicious Cakes That You Must Try This Winter
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What Are The Best Strategies To Manage Insomnia?
Do you know why insomnia takes place? This can happen for many reasons, including unnecessary stress, work pressure, bad health habits, and otherworldly affairs. Not only that, specific life trauma or incidents like the death or the illness of someone close, married life complications, or even job loss. All these can lead to insomnia. Sleep plays a vital role in developing your brain and body. It also helps to repair any damaged cells or blood vessels. On the other hand, insomnia or sleeping disorders can deteriorate your body and increase heart attack and stroke risks. So, insomnia is a condition where people suffer from inadequate or insufficient sleep. And it can turn out to be a real problem if not treated well. In this article, I’ll illustrate the five magical ways you can deal with insomnia. Ways To Defeat Insomnia- THE 5 GOLDEN RULES When life throws you problems, don’t waste your time focusing on the issues. Instead, put your complete attention on achieving the solutions. Insomnia is a challenge that might try to kneel you down, but through this article, you’ll be getting all the tactics to deal with it in a more innovative and more effective way. 1. Don’t Change Your “Wake Up” Routine If you are reading this article now, make sure to follow this step. NO MATTER WHAT!!!!! I know many of you might be wondering, “Do I have to wake up early even during my desired weekends?” -The answer is ‘YES” if only you want to get rid of insomnia!!! It can be a tough job, I know, but you need to go through cuts and burns if you want to achieve something. The reason you must sacrifice your habit of staying late in bed even during your weekends is because you must bring yourself to a routine where you will always have a consistent sleep and waking time. When you have mastered this technique, you’ll notice that your sleeping disruptions just magically vanished. 2. Wave Goodbyes To Nicotine And Caffeine If you love smoking cigarettes and drinking deliciously hot and strong midnight coffee, you just must quit it!!! To heed goodbyes to insomnia, you first must learn to say goodbye to your smoking and caffeine intake addictions. Caffeine can keep you up late for several hours, and trust me, it’s more than enough to disrupt the “complete sleeping cycle” yours. It can also awaken you frequently from sleep, resulting in “poor quality sleep.” Nicotine is also on the same side as caffeine. These, too, result in sleep deprivation!!! When you smoke a cigarette, it stimulates the effect of nicotine. And this addictive drug can be highly responsible for insomnia. Most smokers take at least one cigarette before going to bed. And this can have a significant impact on your sleep. So, it will the “golden achievement” of your life if you can quit these habits for good!!!! 3. Cut Down Unnecessary Naps And Increase Exercise I know naps can refresh your mood. And a few hours of extra sleep can make you feel more energetic. But these naps are also one of the main reasons for sleep disorders. And do you know why? This is because napping affects your sleeping patterns. For instance, you are habituated to sleeping at night when the lights are turned off, and it’s quiet. Therefore, your mind knows it’s nighttime, and you have to sleep. On the other hand, while taking naps, there are no such scenarios where it’s dark and quiet, and even the place where you sleep might be different like you are taking a nap on a couch or sofa. So, the mind eventually disrupts your sleeping pattern because it’s not your regular bedtime. Undoubtedly, exercise keeps you fit and healthy. But did you know that it also helps you to restore the proper balance of your sleep? -Yes, exercises help you to get rid of insomnia!!! But you need to make sure not to perform any exercise immediately before you go to bed. Instead, try to finish it at least two to three hours before going to bed. 4. Make Sure To Be Comfortable And Discard All The Worries When Going To Bed The environment you are in has a tremendous impact on your sleep. By environment, I mean to say the “place your sleep.” To have a good sleep, you need to have a mild temperature, a comfortable bed, and no lights should be turned on while you are sleeping. If you have pets, don’t keep them in your room if they make noises at night. And one of the most essential “golden rules” that you need to keep in mind is “not to sleep with loads of stress in your head.” Stress is temporary, but it can make insomnia permanent. When you are in bed, discard all the negative thoughts out of your mind. Sleep is like a prayer, and you don’t want any distractions while praying!!! Stress therapies and methods you can use to have a quality sleep include taking deep breaths, meditating, and many more. 5. Light Therapy Combats Insomnia LED light therapy or Bright light therapy can also be a cure for sleeping disorders. This therapy is famous for its ability to reduce depression, stress, and also insomnia. If you are not getting enough natural light (which is very common among people nowadays), sleep deprivation can occur. What light therapy does is imitate the light of the sun and helps to improve the circadian rhythm of your body. This light comes out of a box, and different light therapy boxes have additional features. Make sure to use it for at least 15 to 30 minutes every morning and maintain this routine, and you’ll see drastic results. Whenever you take a light therapy device, always seek the assistance of a professional doctor as he knows the suitable device for you. I hope this article will help you know the ins and outs of the 5 ways you can deal with insomnia. When Do You Need Therapy? There’s a difference between a bad couple of nights and chronic insomnia. If you can’t seem to get yourself sleeping better even after trying all of the tweaks, then you need some medical intervention. Especially when you are changing your routine (waking up at the same time every day), eating the right food (no caffeine), exercising, etc. It is therapy that will be key for getting at the root causes if your sleep issues are more related to stress, trauma, or anxiety in nature. So when does that cross from having an unrewarding few days into something bigger where you should consider this? Be More Self-Aware First, ask yourself this question. Just how long has insomnia been a problem for you? If it’s been longer than a few weeks and you see no signs of improvement in your sleep quality, that’s not a good sign. Also, pay attention to the overall effect on your daily functioning. Are you perpetually tired all day, unable to concentrate, or becoming easily irritated? If so, then it's no doubt starting to affect your mental and physical health; don’t deny it, embrace it. Dealing With Constant Stress & Anxiety Another good indicator is how much stress, worry, or anxiety you have about sleep. Afterall, it is not just during the sleep time that you think about your insomnia. It is always! Do you get worked up just thinking about going to bed because you believe ‘tonight is going to be another awful night of no sleep!’ – or are your thoughts such as… ‘If I don’t get to sleep in the next 10 minutes, the whole day tomorrow is going to be absolutely horrible’. Mental exertion alone can be exhausting and only adds fuel to the insomnia fire. That’s when short-term therapy may be helpful, breaking that mental cycle and having someone who understands what you’re going through, a patient. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is one of the most effective treatments. With medication, you get a temporary fix, but CBT-I works to change the thoughts and behaviors that lead to insomnia. It helps you think about sleep differently and gives you tools to help with anxiety or stress that might be keeping you up. Your Emotional Relationships Let’s not forget the emotional side of things. In some cases, insomnia is tied to unprocessed trauma or grief. If you find that your sleep troubles seem to have begun after a traumatic life event or during a time of increased emotional turmoil, that could be a clue that talk therapy might help. A therapist can guide you through the process of identifying and safely processing those emotions, so they stop interfering with your sleep and with your life in general. In other words? If your insomnia is starting to cause secondary problems in your life, do yourself a favor. Read Also: Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Skin & Good Sleeping Habits Ways to Sleep Well at Night as You Age 3 Health Advantages of Good Night’s Sleep What are Popular Mind and Body Exercises Available at a Gym?
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