Physical Activites to Keep You Healthy

Physical Activity is the key to your health. Exercise not only burns calories and fat, but also grow the muscle and strengthen the heart . Physical activity is also important to enhance the immune system that protects the body from viruses and infections.

Thus, no matter what the reason, physical activities still needed to achieve a healthy life.  

Here are some tips to improve your health by physical activities.

1. Walk 10 Minutes Per Day

Walk 10 minutes per day is not spent much time and energy. This activity is better than not doing anything.

Besides relieving stress and depression, walking also can increase endorphins and helps the body to relax.

2. Ride A Bike

Bike will make you move and you must be free of traffic jams that create stress. Biking not only increases physical activity, but also plays a role in reducing air pollution due to fumes.

3. Use The Stairs

Another way to increase physical activity is to leave the elevator and switch using the stairs. The benefits of climbing the high ladder are to train the leg strength and get the cardio effect.

4. Do Housework

If you feel the need to move your body, do the housework. Gardening, cutting grass, and sweeping the yard will help to increase physical activities and burn more calories.

Keep in mind, health is important. Avoid eating fast food and foods that are too sweet. Also avoid being overweight. Combining diet with the right physical activities can help you to stay healthy.

Easy Ways to Wake Up Without Drinking Coffee

Many people can not really wake up in the morning if not drink coffee, although the effect is not quite good if it's too much. There are many ways besides drinking coffee to wake you up in the morning.

To avoid heart beating because of drinking coffee every day in order to quickly wake up, here are some alternatives you can do when you wake up in the morning.

1. Open The Window

The first thing to do to quickly awake in the morning is to turn the room lights, or open the window curtain if it directly faced with the direction of the sun. The human biological clock is influenced by light, so hard to lose sleepy if the room is still dark.

2. Drink Water or Green Tea

In theory, the body will be more fit when the loss of body liquids that occurs during sleep immediately replaced at least with a glass of water when you wake up. Some studies reveal that green tea is as effective as water in restoring hydration, while it also providing a calming effect.

3. Do Physical Activities

Some people can just wake up when they have read the morning paper. But if you still feel lazy and sleepy, trying to do activities that are more physically active such as cooking or immediately clean up the bedroom.

4. Breakfast

Missing breakfast can make metabolism system out of balance, so that the body runs out of energy. The consequences of lack of energy is the body felt weak, less passion, and of course easily sleepy.

5. Obey The Sleep Schedule

Long-term solution for those who often feel sleepy and lazy to wake up immediately is the disciplined pattern of sleep every day. If you used to change the lack of sleep by sleeping all day on weekends, it will only exacerbate sleep disorders.

6. Listen To Loud Music
Playing loud music can give the same effect as drinking coffee, which is expel sleepiness. Even some kind of song with a stomping rhythm can make the body feel more passionate compared to drink a cup of coffee.

The Benefits of Soybeans

Just like other types of beans, soybeans are rich in content of vitamin E. Not only delicious, consuming soybeans also beneficial for the brain. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology stated that sufficient intake of vitamin E can help prevent the decrease in memory function and improve the mental health of a person.

Soybeans also contain lecithin compounds which is lipotropik, it’s encourage the transport of fatty acids from the liver to the body tissues and increase fat burning in the liver. Thus, lecithin able to erode the fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels and maximize the distribution of oxygen to the brain.

The combination of lecithin and choline (lecithin compiler material) are also needed to produce the brain chemical, known as acetylcholine. This compound has very vital role to improve the function of memory and protect the brain against degenerative diseases, such as dementia (senility) and Alzheimer.

The Secret for Healthy and Beautiful Hair

Just like the skin, healthy hair is influenced by eating patterns and lifestyle. Change the hair treatment is not enough. Stress and not enough sleep can also affect the hair appearance.

Unbalance food will be difficult to supply the necessary nutrients to hair follicles. Nutrition deficiencies will affect the look of the hair, it becomes more dull, rough, and more easily fall off.

Here are foods to get healthy and beautiful hair.

Healthy Hair

Eat foods that contain high amino acid called cysteine​​, including meat, poultry, egg, red pepper, garlic, onions, dairy products, wheat, and broccoli. Cysteine ​​helps the formation of keratin, an essential ingredient for healthy nails, hair and bones. Green beans, spinach, and occasionally eat bitter melon that contain natural silicon will supply the required nutrients.

Strengthen Hair

Make sure you consume enough foods containing iron and zinc such as beef, red beans, turkey and spinach. Zinc is essential for the production of keratin. Those who have low zinc have less hair, brittle, and often experience hair loss.

Vegetable such broccoli also strengthen the hair as it contains plenty of iron. Hair loss, especially on women most often caused due to iron deficiency. Avoid eat too much seafood. Although fish is a source of essential omega 3 and protein, some kind of fish contain high mercury levels that cause hair loss.

Slow Down The Gray Hair

Simple way to avoid gray hair is by eating a handful of almonds every day. Recent study shows hair follicles is not stop producing melanin which is generate the hair color, but it lost the ability to keep the pigments are made.

 

Consuming almonds on a regular basis will increases the body's ability to produce the enzyme catalase, which maintains your natural hair color longer.

Brightly colored vegetables also helps to slow the process of gray hair because it contains antioxidants that fight free radicals. Various types of berries, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, squash and peppers are the vegetables that are rich in antioxidants and vitamins which hair needs.

Tips to Reduce Stress

Stress not only makes your days are getting worse but also makes your health decline. Therefore, do not let stress control your life. Here are simple tips to reduce stress.

1. Join a yoga class
Yoga is not only beneficial to give the ideal body shape but also effectively reduce stress. While doing yoga, a person's body will respond to give peace so that the levels of stress can be reduced.

2. Get enough sleep
Enough sleep not only makes you look more refreshed, but also healthier and of course reduce stress.

3. Exercise

Exercise is good for health because of reduced level of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a hormone released from the adrenal glands when you feel stressed, such as when you feel anxious, angry or frightened.

 

4. Laugh
Lots of laughter effectively lower your stress level. With a laugh, endorphins will increase. It is the giver of pleasure hormones, reduce depression, and a mood booster.

Laugh Often Can Increase Appetite

Do you often feel lose of appetite? If this happens, try this therapy, laugh often.

Preventive care specialist and researcher of psycho-neuro-immunology at Loma Linda University, California Dr. Lee S. Berk said the finding’s very helpful for those who are difficult to eat when being depressed or ill.

Berk and the colleagues said that the "Laughercise" (a term they use to laugh repeatedly) can boost the immune system. In this study Berk recruited 14 volunteers to watch various types of video, including funny video and sad video.

They were asked to watch during three weeks period. Those who were watch funny videos changing levels of hormones related to appetite.

Their appetite was bigger. This changes is similar to those who experienced by people when finished exercising. Berk said "We are finally realized that our everyday behaviors and emotions can modulate our bodies in many ways."

Another value of this research is to provide health services with new insights and understanding which more potential for patients who can not use physical activity to normalize or increase their appetite.

3 Ways to Get Quality Sleep

Sleep becomes a basic human need. The experts have repeatedly said, besides healthy food, the most important aspect in human life is getting enough sleep. Some people may feel not getting enough and quality sleep every day. There are several things to try, in order to get quality sleep and wake up in a fresh condition.

1. Exercise

Many people say, the best way to overcome insomnia is to exercise. Especially cardio exercise. This activity has been proven as a natural way to get a good night's sleep. Do cardio 20 minutes or more three times a week. Otherwise, do some exercise that you like on a regular basis. Regular exercise will increase energy and create a quality sleep. However, you should not do strenuous exercise before bedtime.

2. Comfort Bedroom

The way you arrange the bedroom also has an effect on sleep quality. First, make sure you sleep in a place that deserve to be called as a bedroom. Do not double it as an office or entertainment center with a variety of electronic devices in it. Try to turn off all the gadgets, computer, and television in order to get a comfort bedroom.

Besides the room, the bed is also very important to increase the quality of sleep. Make your bed as comfortable as possible. The size of the bed should be proper. A bed that is too wide is not quite good, as well as a bed that is too small.

3.  Avoid Coffee and Alcohol

Most people probably need a coffee before going to work. However, try not to drink it after noon, because it can disrupt your sleep patterns. Also, avoid consuming alcohol as well at night. Alcohol interferes the REM cycles which very important in ensuring the quality of sleep.Do not consume coffee or alcohol if you have sleep disorder. Replace it with tea.

Meditation and Intelligence

Meditation makes people more intelligent. It was stated by a researcher from the University of California, USA, in the research report which published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The research by Eileen Luders, found that the ability of a person's brain who often meditate will increase. The meditators receive information faster and more wisely in making decisions.

Luders concluded after a trial comparison of the 50 people who likes to meditate and 50 people who didn’t.

Luders said, each participant consisted of 28 men and 22 women with the same age and social capabilities. Participants who likes to meditate on average been doing so for 20 years. Besides conducting a series of tests, Luders also did brain scans to the participants.

The Benefits of Aloe Vera and Avocado for Skin

One of the impact of sunlight is premature aging. It is proven by a research that found that 90% of premature aging caused by sunlight.

For us who live in tropical areas, the percentages are very worrying. Ultraviolet rays transmitted by the sun reacts with the dermis layer of skin that causes damage the collagen faster than usual.

If  this continues to happen for a long time period, the body no longer able to repair the collagen. As a result, the collagen fibers are not structured or so called solar scars. If the solar scar keeps popping up, the skin will lose elasticity that causing wrinkles.

Here are natural ingredients to treat sunburned skin

  

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is known because of its cooling effect. This plant is anti-inflammatory, which is able to relieve heat in the skin because of sunburn. It contains lots of vitamin C and E to moisturize the skin, especially when dehydration, and it help the regeneration of skin cells. In addition, it is also rich in antioxidants, which help fight against free radicals that cause premature aging.

2. Avocado Oil

Avocado is a fruit rich in vitamin A, D, E, potassium, and sterolin which is believed able to reduce pigmentation caused by sunlight. Avocado oil is also rich in moisturizer to soften skin and help in the regeneration of new skin cells and also help in formation of collagen in the skin, which makes the skin supple.

Both contents are synergize soothing the stressed and sunburn skin. After exposed to direct sunlight, it is important to treat the skin intensively. If your skin is burned, use a towel soaked in water to rinse the body. Continue by applying lotions that contain both ingredients, and drink plenty of water to restore water content in the body.

For optimal result apply lotions that contains aloe vera and avocado oil after 20-30 minutes exposed under the sunlight, so that the skin temperature will returned to normal.

Plants That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes

Most people repel mosquitoes by using insect spray or anti-mosquito lotion. But, there are natural ways to repel mosquitoes. The following are variety of mosquito repellent plants which able to make the mosquitoes away from you because of its typical scent.

1. Lavender 

Lavender flower is well known in the manufacture of the mosquito repellent lotion. you can use this purple flower by rubbing it on the skin.

2. Rosemary

The scent of rosemary leaves is not only for relieving stress. A plant with needle-shaped leaves with small purple flowers is potent to repel mosquitoes if you rubbing it into skin. This step can  confuse the mosquitoes smell because of the scent of rosemary is similar to eucalyptus oil.

                                                  

3. Geranium 

Geranium content geraniol and sitronelol. It can make the mosquitoes reluctant to close because of the smell. Plant it in a place which exposed to wind. Because the scent of geranium would be easier to smell if the leaves rubbing againts each other.

4. Lemon Grass  

Mosquitoes hate lemon grass, because the content is same as geranium. Do not hesitate to plant lemon grass. Besides to repel mosquitoes, lemon grass also can be used for supplement flavor in cuisine

5. Zodia

Zodia plant is native from Papua, Indonesia. It has a long flat leaves with yellowish green color. The substances which contained in zodia are evodiamine and rutaecarpine, it produce particular scents that dislike by mosquitoes. 

Natural Ways to Overcome Hair Loss

Coping with hair loss is not easy. Many shampoos and treatments in the salon that promises hair will not fall out with expensive cost. In fact you are still experiencing thinning hair.

 
Rather than spend a lot of money on salon treatments, better use natural products to stop hair loss. You can try the following tips to reduce hair loss that can be done at home:

1. Head Massage
Massage on the scalp will stimulate blood circulation and keep the hair follicles remain active. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil, almond or sesame oil.

2. Hot Oil Treatment
Heat the natural oil, such as olive, coconut, or canola. Then gently massage the warm oil into the scalp. Close the head with a shower cap and leave it on for an hour. Then rinse the hair thoroughly.

3. Natural Juice
Rub the scalp with garlic juice, onion juice, or ginger juice. Leave it on for overnight. Wash the hair thoroughly in the morning.

4. Antioxidants
Apply two bags of warm green tea that has been brewed beforehand on the hair and scalp. Leave it on for one hour and rinse. Green tea contains antioxidants to prevent hair loss and increase hair growth.

5. Meditation
The main causes of hair loss are stress and tension. Meditation can help reduce stress and restore hormonal balance.

French Fries Can Make You Feel Happy

French fries are often avoided because it is considered as unhealthy food. but it's all disputeable by the result of research which revealed that carbohydrate content in potato along with the flavor and aroma are can make people calmer and happier.

There’re researchers from Aston University, Brimingham, UK, which reveals the above fact. In their study, they asked 60 men and women to watched a movie footage about the bombing of Hiroshima in World War II in five minutes duration. Then they split into two groups.

The first group was given a magazine to remove the 'impression' of the movie. While the second group was given a plate of fries. Participants were also given questions before and after movie screenings, and also after read the magazine and eat French fries.

According to Dr. Mike Gree from Aston University, which published in The Telegraph, participants who feel sad, become more happy after eat French fries. In fact, the group were given French fries can feel calmer after 20 minutes.

Dr. Mike Gree said, that a sense of calm obtained because of the biological effects of nutritional components from the chemical composition of the brain. Or maybe because of the pleasurable sensation triggered by the aroma and flavor of fried potatoes.

So, there's no harm to consume French fries, right?

Nature Has A Refreshing Effect Like Caffeine

Usually we try to eliminate sleepiness by consuming coffee. Most people assume, coffee is the only way to eliminate sleepiness at work and will makes the body refreshed.

However, the above assumption is not entirely true. For those who do not like coffee, you can do these easy steps to keep it fresh and eliminate sleepiness. Simply out of the room and breathe in the fresh air about 20 minutes. The Actions  have the same effect like drinking a cup of coffee.

The researchers believe nature has an effect like caffeine that can make people back refreshed. According to Richard Ryan, a psychologist from the University of Rochester, New York, through a long study, they concluded, the energy of nature is good for the soul. This finding already published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Sometimes we feel tired just to make a cup of coffee, but there's a better way, just get connected with nature. A person will feel more alive when breathing in the fresh air.

Richard and his team conducted five different studies of 537 participants in various situations, both indoors and outdoors. The researchers then measured the energy level and mood of participants during the day while doing various activities. The result are, participants felt more energetic when imagining themselves to be outside. They have increased vitality when breathing fresh air for 20 minutes. Not only felt more energetic, they also admitted become more resistant to physical illness.

Richard suggested that people should spend more time in nature for the sake of their health, because nature has a natural connection with living things.