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12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People

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Source: lifehack.org

I’ve read countless articles about what successful people do on their weekends. Do you want to know the secret? It’s the same thing that they do every other day. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Here are 12 weekend habits of highly successful people:

1. Robert Iger: Get up early

This Disney CEO is not the only executive claiming to rise at 4:30 every morning. Successful people do not stay in bed until 2 p.m. on a Sunday. Or even 11 a.m. Research shows that our brains are sharpest two and a half to four hours after waking. Get up early on a weekend and you’ve got a head start on the rest of the world.

2. Benjamin Franklin: Have a plan

Apparently, this founding father asked himself every morning, “What good shall I do today?” Successful people know the importance of even daily goals — the weekends are no exception. Sure, they can be a time for (planned and purposeful) rejuvenation, but you don’t have to be President to know that general slacking off is not an option.

3. Timothy Ferris: Don’t multi-task

Multi-tasking is so 2005. It may be tempting to maximize your weekend productivity by running on the treadmill while calling your mother and trolling your newsfeed, but successful people know that this just reduces efficiency and effectiveness. Instead, be present for each single activity. Ferris recommends a maximum of two goals or tasks per day to ensure productivity and accomplishments align.

4. Anna Wintour: Stay active

Vogue’s editor-in-chief commits to playing tennis for one hour every day. And she’s not the only big-shot making time for exercise. Richard Branson stays active with kite surfing and India’s fourth-richest billionaire is a serial marathon runner. Successful people know the importance of an active body for an active mind — weekends included. If nothing else, it will also counteract that glass of wine and cheese platter from Saturday night.

5. Steve Jobs: Prioritize what’s important

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” Weekends are the time to remind yourself of the forgotten little things — to keep your work-life harmony (the new ‘balance’) in check and reset if needed. Spending time with your friends, children or partner might not directly increase profits that day or propel you into the limelight, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Even the current US President famously makes time to sit down for dinner with his family.

6. Warren Buffet: Make time for hobbies

He may be considered the most successful investor of the 20th century, but in his “spare” time Buffett likes to play the ukulele. Successful people are often interesting people — and their hobbies have a lot to do with that. Sure, golfing on Saturdays can be a great way to network and source business opportunities. But, even solo hobbies — knitting like Meryl Streep or oil painting like George W. Bush — can aid success through fostering creativity and relieving stress.

7. Oprah: Practice stillness

Forbes’ most powerful celebrity of 2013 still finds time to sit in stillness for 20 minutes — twice a day! This once-best-kept secret of the yogis is now common knowledge. Even the corporate world is acknowledging the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for reducing stress, improving productivity, facilitating creativity and maintaining general well-being. The weekends can often be busier than week days with attempting to cram in chores, exercise, family commitments, social engagements and more into a 48-hour period. The most successful people take daily time out for stillness, weekends included. They don’t call it a meditation “practice” for nothing.

8. Randi Zuckerberg: Forget FOMO, Embrace JOMO

We’ve all done it — posted a tastefully filtered snap of our weekend antics or checked in on social media to elicit “likes” and envy from our friends/followers (#bragging). Enter, the era of FOMO (fear of missing out). On weekends, we’re even more prone to FOMO. But the founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media (and, you guessed it, the sister to Facebook’s creator) says people should be focusing on JOMO (the joy of missing out) — the mantra that “there is nowhere I’d rather be than exactly where I am.” Successful people are often competitive, high achievers by nature — practicing an attitude of gratitude and resisting social-media-induced FOMO is key for a happy weekend. And isn’t happiness the real marker of success?

9. Bill Gates: Take time to reflect

The founder of Microsoft famously said, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Reflection should be a daily practice but the weekends are a perfect opportunity to step back and reflect on the lessons of the previous week and to make improvements for the next. Author of “The Happiness Project,” Gretchen Rubin, suggests starting a “one sentence journal” to encourage daily reflection. Make Saturday or Sunday your day to flick back through the week’s entries!

10. Richard Branson: Give back

This billionaire entrepreneur says that “it is amazing how focusing your mind on issues like health, poverty, conservation and climate change can help to re-energize your thinking in other areas.” Successful people agree with Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor from giving.” Tom Corley studied the rich for five years before writing his book “Wealthy Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.” He found that 73% of wealthy people volunteer for five or more hours per month. Nothing helps put things in perspective and reduce stress more than helping those less fortunate. Weekends are a great time to get involved in local and community volunteer events.

11. Jack Dorsey: Get ready for the rest of the week

The Twitter and Square co-founder is notorious for 16-hour work days from Monday to Friday but says, “Saturday I take off. I hike. And then Sunday is reflections, feedback, strategy and getting ready for the rest of the week.” Forget Sunday blues, let’s call it “Sort-Your-Life-Out Sunday.” Laura Vanderkam, author of “What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend,” says successful people know that weekends are actually the secret weapon in professional success: “You need to hit Monday ready to go.”

12. Jay Z: Keep up the momentum

He’s made an empire as a highly successful rap artist and entrepreneur, and the secret is right there in his lyrics: “You can want success all you want, but to get it, you can’t falter. You can’t slip. You can’t sleep. One eye open, for real, and forever.” (Decoded) Jay Z didn’t become worth $520 million by only wanting it five out of seven days of the week. If you want to eventually spend your weekends on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean with Beyoncé, unrelenting grit and persistence might just get you there. Well, we can always dream, right?

It’s settled then. Success is a 24/7 lifestyle choice — weekends included!

How Exercise Keeps Us Young

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Source:  well.blogs.nytimes.com

Active older people resemble much younger people physiologically, according to a new study of the effects of exercise on aging. The findings suggest that many of our expectations about the inevitability of physical decline with advancing years may be incorrect and that how we age is, to a large degree, up to us.

Aging remains a surprisingly mysterious process. A wealth of past scientific research has shown that many bodily and cellular processes change in undesirable ways as we grow older. But science has not been able to establish definitively whether such changes result primarily from the passage of time — in which case they are inevitable for anyone with birthdays — or result at least in part from lifestyle, meaning that they are mutable.

This conundrum is particularly true in terms of inactivity. Older people tend to be quite sedentary nowadays, and being sedentary affects health, making it difficult to separate the effects of not moving from those of getting older.

In the new study, which was published this week in The Journal of Physiology, scientists at King’s College London and the University of Birmingham in England decided to use a different approach.

They removed inactivity as a factor in their study of aging by looking at the health of older people who move quite a bit.

“We wanted to understand what happens to the functioning of our bodies as we get older if we take the best-case scenario,” said Stephen Harridge, senior author of the study and director of the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King’s College London.

To accomplish that goal, the scientists recruited 85 men and 41 women aged between 55 and 79 who bicycle regularly. The volunteers were all serious recreational riders but not competitive athletes. The men had to be able to ride at least 62 miles in six and a half hours and the women 37 miles in five and a half hours, benchmarks typical of a high degree of fitness in older people.

The scientists then ran each volunteer through a large array of physical and cognitive tests. The scientists determined each cyclist’s endurance capacity, muscular mass and strength, pedaling power, metabolic health, balance, memory function, bone density and reflexes. They also had the volunteers complete the so-called Timed Up and Go test, during which someone stands up from a chair without using his or her arms, briskly walks about 10 feet, turns, walks back and sits down again.

The researchers compared the results of cyclists in the study against each other and also against standard benchmarks of supposedly normal aging. If a particular test’s numbers were similar among the cyclists of all ages, the researchers considered, then that measure would seem to be more dependent on activity than on age.

As it turned out, the cyclists did not show their age. On almost all measures, their physical functioning remained fairly stable across the decades and was much closer to that of young adults than of people their age. As a group, even the oldest cyclists had younger people’s levels of balance, reflexes, metabolic health and memory ability.

And their Timed Up and Go results were exemplary. Many older people require at least 7 seconds to complete the task, with those requiring 9 or 10 seconds considered to be on the cusp of frailty, Dr. Harridge said. But even the oldest cyclists in this study averaged barely 5 seconds for the walk, which is “well within the norm reported for healthy young adults,” the study authors write.

Some aspects of aging did, however, prove to be ineluctable. The oldest cyclists had less muscular power and mass than those in their 50s and early 60s and considerably lower overall aerobic capacities. Age does seem to reduce our endurance and strength to some extent, Dr. Harridge said, even if we exercise.

But even so, both of those measures were higher among the oldest cyclists than would be considered average among people aged 70 or above.

All in all, the numbers suggest that aging is simply different in the active.

“If you gave this dataset to a clinician and asked him to predict the age” of one of the cyclists based on his or her test results, Dr. Harridge said, “it would be impossible.” On paper, they all look young.

Of course, this study is based on a single snapshot of an unusual group of older adults, Dr. Harridge said. He and his colleagues plan to retest their volunteers in five and 10 years, which will provide better information about the ongoing effects of exercise on aging.

But even in advance of those results, said Dr. Harridge, himself almost 50 and an avid cyclist, this study shows that “being physically active makes your body function on the inside more like a young person’s.”

16 Tricks To Help You Eat Healthy Without Even Trying

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Source: buzzfeed.com

One hour of food prep on Sunday = healthy eating so easy you don’t even think about it.

The secret is to take some time on Sundays to prep a LOT of healthy food for the week. Then when you’re done, you’ll have so much good stuff stocked in your fridge and freezer that you’ll eat well all week without even trying, really.

BuzzFeed Life reached out to Abby Langer, RD, a registered dietitian and owner ofAbby Langer Nutrition. She heartily endorses this style of plan-ahead-to-be-lazy kind of healthy eating, and gave some suggestions that you might want to try out.

1. Chop celery and carrots into sticks, and create little hummus and veggie snack jars.

“Snacks! They’re so important!” Langer says via email. Each weekend, “get everything for snacks together and make sure you replenish what you don’t have.”

For these cool little veggie snack jars, stash them in your fridge and grab one each morning on your way out. Hits the spot.

2. Or package a few baggies of nuts + berries.

Like 1/2 cup blackberries with 2 tablespoons of raw, unsalted pistachios, for instance. Another great snack option that takes like 0.4 seconds to pull together, and even less time to grab on your way out the door in the morning.

3. Prepare a big batch of black beans for protein.

“Always make one or two proteins — I love black beans,” Langer says. “I pretty much always keep them in the fridge and use them on salads, in wraps, and in bowls with rice or quinoa and veggies.”

Get the recipe for those healthy sweet potato, black bean, and egg white breakfast burritos here, via Ambitious Kitchen. And here are 27 of the most delicious things you can do with beans, if you need some more inspiration.

4. Or roast a chicken or a tray of chicken breasts.

Great for salads, sandwiches, or just general veggie- and grain- dishes. And so easy to just grab and re-heat anytime throughout the week. “Protein seems to be the big barrier for a lot of people — they get home late and they don’t want to cook chicken or whatever, so having the protein part of the meal already done I think increases the likelihood that they won’t give up and order in instead of making something for themselves,” Langer says.

Here’s how to make the most delicious roast chicken of all time, if you’re looking for some guidance.

5. Or boil half a dozen eggs (or more).

Slice them up and toss them in salads, on sandwiches, and more. Each egg is under 100 calories and has over 7 grams of protein to help you feel more satisfied.

Read How to Make the Perfect Boiled Egg, Every Time, Every Way, on Greatist, for more info.

6. Wash, chop, and prepare a bunch of different veggies for the week, and store them in tupperware containers.

Get some pointers on what to do with them from Jess at Girl Walks Into A Barbell.

7. Or ignore the whole chopping and washing veggies thing and just buy a veggie tray for the week.

“If you know that you’re not going to have the time, energy, or motivation to prep vegetables for snacks during the week, buy a veggie tray at the supermarket and get over it,” Langer says. “Some of us need to buy prepared vegetables and there’s no shame in that.” No shame in the veggie tray game indeed.

8. Make a tray of egg muffins for quick and easy breakfasts all week long.

“Scrambled eggs with vegetables, poured into muffin tins and baked,” Langer says. “Freeze them, then pop into the microwave for breakfast on the go.”

Get the recipe for those vegetable and egg muffins here.

9. Or pull together some slow-cooker oats.

“A big batch of oatmeal done in the slow cooker with apples and cinnamon, for example, and made with milk (for protein, or protein powder if the person is vegan) is something that’s good for breakfast for days,” Langer says. You just need to heat it up when you’re ready to eat it. “Overnight oats work as well — soaking the oats in yogurt and milk or milk alternative, and adding fruit and nuts, hemp hearts, chia; it’s all good.”

Get the recipe for that chia seed breakfast bowl here, via Oh She Glows.

10. Roast some veggies to use in all of your meals throughout the week.

Langer recommends veggies that roast well, like asparagus, zucchini, and peppers, which you can make in batch and then use them all week in pretty much every one of your meals. Get the recipe for those gorgeous roasted veggies here.

You can also just roast or barbecue cauliflower or broccoli whole, and then just heat them up when you’re ready to eat them.

11. And roast some potatoes while you’re at it.

Get the recipe for these garlic ranch potatoes here.

12. You could also prepare a few cups of quinoa or rice, and then set it aside to use throughout the week.

Quinoa is another fantastic source of protein, and you can basically put it in anything, from salads to granola to pudding and more. Get the recipe for this quinoa, fennel, and pomegranate salad here, and then check out 32 Ways To Eat Quinoa And Succeed In Life for some more ideas.

Rice and quinoa can be used in like a million dishes, Langer says: “For sides. For bowls. For fried rice (yes, dietitians eat fried rice).” Good options to have, without having to worry about it.

13. And if you have the time or inkling, batch-prep a few actual meals while you’re at it. Like these quinoa breakfast bars.

14. Or these burrito bowl Mason jar salads.

15. Or these grilled chicken veggie bowls.

16. Or this mac and cheese with squash.

Happy healthy eating!

Diuretic Foods to Detox, Lose Weight, and Lower Your Blood Pressure

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Source: theheartysoul.com

Diuretic foods can be helpful if you’re looking to lower your blood pressure, or if you’re retaining water. Some dieters also use it to help them lose weight, and purging the body of excess fluid is good for your overall health and wellbeing. One option is to take water pills in order to get your body to release extra water and salt, but before going that route it may be a better idea to make a few dietary changes and see if that helps. Here are our picks for the best diuretic foods available to keep things natural.

1. Lemon

Adding lemon to your water doesn’t just make it taste better, it can help you if you have high blood pressure, and is often one of the first foods recommended to those suffering from certain medical conditions. It’s easy enough to start getting more lemon into your life, because it’s the juice that does the trick, so you don’t actually have to eat lemon slices or wedges, just add the juice to water or other foods and you’ll get the benefits. It is also used to help treat cases of urinary tract infection.

2. Oats

Oats consistently rank as one of the best foods to eat when losing weight, and surprisingly enough they have a diuretic effect on the body. Most of the time it’s hydrating fruits and vegetables that are diuretics, and oats seem to be a food that soaks things up, the way it soaks cholesterol up. But oats can also give you relief if you’re retaining water. This is just one more reason why a bowl of oatmeal makes a great start to your day, regardless if you’re dieting or worrying about your cholesterol levels.

3. Celery

Celery contains plenty of water, and will therefore get you to go more often. It’s great for hydrating the body, and recent research has shown that it’s not just the water we drink that hydrates us, but the water we take in from foods as well. If you don’t care for the taste of celery, or don’t like having to chew it up, try adding it to a diuretic smoothie with other fruits and vegetables found on this page. You’ll be giving your body a big boost of nutrition and also make it easier to digest and process.

4. Brussels Sprouts

Perhaps you don’t enjoy the taste of Brussels sprouts, but they’re so good for you that you may just have to learn to like them, or at least tolerate them. They are just one of several cruciferous vegetables to make our list, and this is a low calorie food that has plenty of antioxidants and is great for your overall health. If you can’t stand the thought of a pile of Brussels sprouts as your side dish, try mixing them with other vegetables or incorporate them into your main dish so you’re not just eating them straight up.

5. Ginger

It’s not easy to eat a lot of ginger, and luckily you don’t have to. Using it to zest up your meal, or adding a bit of ginger root to a glass of water will give you the benefits you need from it. It has a nice cleansing effect on the body, and is often used in detox programs to help flush out toxins. It also serves as a diuretic, and will help your body get rid of any built up fluid it may have. Next time you’re grocery shopping, buy some ginger root. You’ll be surprised how often you use it when you have it handy.

6. Beets

In addition to being a diuretic, beets are also a rich source of antioxidants and have a specific antioxidant, betalain, which is only found in a few select foods. When choosing what style of beet to eat, go for fresh beets that you can either grill, boil, or steam. These are better for you than the pickled variety, and will yield more antioxidants for better overall well-being for the body. Unfortunately most beets you’ll find for sale in supermarkets and grocery stores are the pickled kind, so you may have to check out a farmer’s market or other vegetable stand to find fresh beets.

7. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has a number of uses, and one of those is that it’s a natural diuretic that can encourage your body to purge itself of unneeded fluids, leading to better urinary function and overall health. You can use apple cider vinegar to help purify water, and to help stir up a sluggish digestive system. You’ll also find it used in plenty of recipes, but if you’re trying to use it as a diuretic it’s best just to add it to water and drink it down. You don’t need to use very much of it in order to benefit from it.

8. Cabbage

Cabbage is a healthy food no matter how you cut it, and part of the benefits it provides is being a diuretic food. It’s also been shown to be helpful in preventing cancer, and is a vegetable that can help reduce the risk of heart disease. One great way to eat cabbage is in soup form. This entails chopping or shredding the cabbage so it’s easier to eat, and also cooking it until it’s very tender. The key is not to use too much salt when you make your cabbage soup, as that will reduce the diuretic effect of helping the body release stored up sodium.

9. Cranberry Juice

Perhaps you’ve heard that cranberry juice can be good for a urinary tract infection, and that’s partly because it acts as a diuretic. The nice feature of cranberry juice is that it leaves your potassium levels intact, and also provides extra antioxidants to help your body battle free radicals. Be sure to opt for organic cranberry juice for the most benefit, since you’ll be avoiding the use of conventional berries which most likely have been treated with chemicals during the growing and preservation process.

10. Eggplant

Eggplant acts as a natural diuretic, and there are some weight loss enthusiasts that will make a special “eggplant water” by boiling eggplants and drinking the leftover water in an effort to lose water weight. That’s a bit excessive, but you can still consume these a side dish to just about any meal and experience the side effects a diuretic provides.

11. Parsley

Not just a pretty adornment to your plate, parsley has several benefits to it, including being a natural diuretic. Parsley contains several types of antioxidants in one tiny package. You can add parsley to your water for a fresh taste, or you can use it more in your cooking if you don’t want to eat it directly. The tart taste can act to freshen your breath in the process, but it might be too strong for some palates.

12. Caffeinated Beverages

Any caffeinated beverage will serve as a diuretic, including coffee and tea. It’s best to weigh the pros and cons of the foods that you’re thinking of consuming for their diuretic effect. The caffeine in these beverages might be disadvantageous enough to the body to choose other foods and drinks that provide a similar function without the use of a chemical like caffeine.

13. Water

Even though it might sound counterintuitive, drinking water actually helps your body rid itself of excess fluid. Conversely, not drinking enough water can lead to your body retaining the water it has in order to try to keep its water levels where they need to be. If you want to increase its diuretic effect try squeezing the juice of a lemon into it, or drinking hot water with slices of ginger in it for a sort of ginger tea. These methods will amplify the diuretic effect because these add-ins are also on our list of diuretic foods.

14. Tomatoes

For the diuretic effect you’ll want to eat tomatoes raw. The best way to do this is on a salad, or blending them up for fresh tomato juice. If you don’t like the taste of plain tomato juice consider adding carrots or watermelon to it to increase the effect and improve the flavor. Tomatoes are also one of the healthiest foods you can eat, with their large amounts of the antioxidant lycopene they’ve been shown to help battle cancer and prevent heart disease of all types.

15. Cucumber

Cucumbers are made up mostly of water and are a very hydrating vegetable. This is why you’ll typically see them being used in detox recipes. They’ll get your urinary system going as well, and they are a food that can be used to help with diabetes, weight loss, and even cancer. That’s because cucumbers contain antioxidants as well as minerals the body needs daily to keep functioning at its best.

16. Watermelon

Watermelon is aptly named and contains a lot of water, and also gets you to go more, so you’ll be helping to flush your body of excessive water and salt. You’ll want to be careful not to each too much watermelon in one sitting, as it can be hard to stop eating this sweet fruit, but its sweetness can cause your blood glucose levels to spike and can negate the healthy benefits of this antioxidant-laden fruit.

17. Carrots

Carrots are often thought of for their benefit to eyesight, but they do have a host of other benefits, and being a natural diuretic is one of them. Carrots are great because they come in a few different varieties depending on how you want to use them. Baby carrots are great for having as a snack or going on top of salads. Regular sized carrots can get sliced and chopped for use in recipes or cooked up as a side dish to a meal. No matter how you go about eating them, you’ll still get all of the nutrients as well as the diuretic effect they provide.

18. Garlic

Garlic provides a cleansing effect, and also acts as a diuretic, which is all the more reason to use it in more of your cooking. It has yet to be shown that garlic pills are a diuretic as well, and it appears that eating garlic in it’s natural form, or in powder form, is the way to go if this is your goal. You don’t have to eat clove after clove of garlic to reap the benefits, and just using it as part of the cooking process should be enough to see results.

19. Artichokes

Artichokes can have a powerful diuretic effect, and can rival the effects of prescription medication in some instances. The good news is that artichokes are also good for the digestive system, so if you’re looking to lose weight it can help you on two levels. They’re also packed with vitamins and minerals, so you’re replenishing the body at the same time you’re helping it to rid itself of excess fluid.

20. Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the healthier vegetables around, so you’ll be getting plenty of nutrients in addition to the diuretic properties it has. Many have noted that eating asparagus makes their urine smell, and this is one way to see the connection between this veggie and your urinary system. The odor is caused by an acid found within the asparagus that reacts in a certain way. It’s not harmful to the body, and in fact the antioxidants found in asparagus is going to benefit you in countless ways.

How to Eat a Health Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet on $50 Per Week

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Source: onegreenplanet.org

Having a tight grocery budget is something most all of us can relate to at least at some point or another. We all have our ups and downs when it comes to a food budget, and if you’re ever had to watch every penny, you know it can be tough. Sadly, a whole foods, plant-based diet is still seen as an incredibly hard task to manage. “Healthy eating is too expensive!”

How many times have we all heard (or said) that?

Well, the options are now easier than ever and more affordable when it comes to eating a healthy, whole food and completely plant-based diet if you want to give this a shot. If you have $50 per week to designate for groceries, you can easily eat healthy, cheap, and stay full and satisfied at the same time. The USDA reports that of March in 2015, the average food cost for females per week ranged between $47 (low-income) to $57 (moderate income). Mens’ budgets were roughly $20 higher in each group. Many of us buy way more than that each week, and yet find ourselves with food leftover and possibly throwing food out week after week. We’re all human and let cravings, moods, and multiple trips at the store influence our ability to stay on a food budget and eat what we have.

So, let’s take a look at how eating healthy, plant-based, and budget-friendly can be done.

Spend $20 on Fresh Produce

Always keep $20 of your food budget for fresh produce. This will do several things all at once: First, it keeps you accountable for choosing the best foods possible first, it ensures that you have a good amount of fresh food in your diet each week, and it prevents you from spending all your $50 on boatloads of fruit and vegetables you likely won’t be able to eat in a week. If you can choose organic, please do. It’s much healthier for you due to less pesticide exposure, and is very easy to do these days with more stores offering affordable organic foods.

Here’s a great idea to start with:

1. One bag of chopped organic kale (or spinach)- $5

2. One head of broccoli (and/or cauliflower!)- $3

3. One bag of organic apples (or bananas, etc.) -$5

4. One bunch of organic celery -$3

5. Two Avocados or Sweet Potatoes, Onions, etc.- $4

If you want to designate $5 more dollars to your budget here, choose lettuces like romaine, or a spinach mix instead. Don’t want apples one week? Choose some oranges and bananas instead. And if you’re one of the few people that doesn’t like avocados, buy a different veggie or more fruit instead. If you need to carry a calculator with you, do it! Or, just use your phone and tally up as you go.

Spend $10-$15 in the Bulk Section

Now it’s time to head to the bulk bins. Here you’ll want to buy some grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, except … don’t go crazy with amounts. You don’t need a pound of almonds to eat all week long and don’t need a pound of beans either. Or, skip the bulk beans if you don’t like soaking them, and spend a few dollars on some canned options instead. Purchase nuts and seeds in 1 ounce amounts and only choose a few different ones each week. Remember, you can always try a new kind next week.

Here are some good examples of what you could buy:

1. $3 worth of whole grain oats

2. $3 worth of raw almonds

3. $2 of beans

4. $2 of whole grain quinoa or rice

But…Don’t Neglect Some of the Options on the Aisle

If you prefer, you can also purchase oats and rice in larger bags found in the aisles (or in containers) that are roughly around the same price. Choose this option if you’re fine with eating the same grain all week and save a new grain for next week. Canned beans are also pretty affordable, which makes them a great option if you don’t have time on your hands and don’t want to go through several steps to cook them.

Check out These Ideas:

1. Two cans of chickpeas – $4

2. One bag of lentils- $3

3. One container of oats- $3

4. One bag of organic flax seed- $3

Spend $5-7 on Non-dairy Items

Pick up a couple of non-dairy milks; you’ll likely need only one, but if you have a child, roommate, sibling, or you just love the stuff, you might need an extra container. Or, buy a container of non-dairy yogurt if you enjoy it. No need to spend too much of your money here, but non-dairy milk is one of those “must-have items” for many of us, even if we eat whole foods otherwise.

Spend the Rest on Frozen Veggies and Fruits

Don’t neglect frozen foods when you’re trying to eat healthy and on a budget; they’re actually very healthy for you! Plain frozen greens, berries, and veggies like broccoli are must-haves for budget-savvy individuals watching the pennies. A pound of organic frozen spinach costs around $3 per bag, which would easily last you several servings. A pound of frozen fruit is usually around the same amount and you won’t have to worry about it spoiling before you eat it all. You can use frozen veggies in meals when the fresh veggies run out, and you can use the greens in fruits in your morning smoothies!

Here are some ideas:

1. One bag of frozen spinach – $2-$3

2. One bag of frozen berries- $3-4

3. One bag of frozen broccoli or mixed veggies – $4

What About Protein?

If you’re concerned about protein, you have some options. First, don’t neglect the beans, legumes, and oats which are all great sources, along with other foods high in protein too. Or, if you’d prefer, choose some tofu, tempeh, or even hemp seeds instead of bulk beans, legumes, and nuts. Eat plenty of produce, and some sort of bean, legume, grain, nut/seed daily. A bag of hemp seeds (a complete protein source) is around $8, some smaller bags are less, or if you can swing it, hemp protein is also around $12-$14 per pound, and will easily last you a month per container for smoothies.

 

10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

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10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider

Source: healthyandnaturalworld.com

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey are two amazing natural substances. When you consume them in their unprocessed, raw forms, the health benefits abound. If you put the two together, the results become even more positive. In addition, the use of sweet honey makes the taste of the drink more pleasing.

Fight joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems and sore throat in a natural way by consuming a concoction of ACV and honey on an empty stomach, and observe for yourself the great offerings of nature.

Health benefits of ACV and honey mix

Raw honey and ACV are both praised for their abilities to ward off infections and treat different conditions that have an impact on your quality of life. If you consume them together, you’re likely to experience the following benefits:

1. Better joint health and joint pain alleviation (good for arthritic pain)

2. Acid reflux and heartburn relief

3. Improved digestive health, including help with constipation

4. Weight loss

5. Reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

6. Sore throat relief

7. More energy

8. Youthful appearance and better condition of the skin

9. Remedy for bad breath

10. Reducing inflammation

Why is the combination of ACV & honey so successful?

The overwhelming benefits of the mixture can be explained by looking at their chemical properties and interactions with the body. Many experts believe that we become ill when our bodies turn overly acidic (pH below 7). Vinegar is naturally acidic, but when consumed, it turns alkaline. Honey, too, has a low pH, but raises the alkalinity of the body once eaten.

The two substances are a perfect way to get rid of excessive acidity (resulting from stressful lifestyle and unhealthy foods and drinks) and building an internal environment with a protective pH. Our bodies function at their best and healthiest when the body’s pH is between 7.0 and 7.4, so slightly alkaline.

Further reading: read more about the body’s pH in my articles How to Balance Your pH and Find Out If You’re Too Acidic and 5 Things to Avoid If You Want to Get Your Body Alkaline.

How to make ACV & honey healing drink

Make sure you get the ingredients that are unfiltered and in their natural forms. Honey and ACV that have not been processed, thus have maintained all their nutritional properties, appear cloudy. Also, check the label and go for ACV with the ‘mother of vinegar’, which can be seen as a pulp on the bottom of the bottle.

Mix together:

  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon ACV (if you can tolerate the taste, increase the dosage to up to 1 tablespoon)
  • 8 oz. warm water (1 glass)

You might initially struggle with the potent taste, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll most likely want to stick with the concoction.

When to drink a mixture of ACV and honey?

It’s best to drink the mixture on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Consume it about 20-30 minutes before you eat. Be consistent and drink it on a daily basis.

Some suggest increasing the intake to two, or even three, times a day, depending on your needs and tolerance for taste. As with many other natural remedies, it is best to test it for yourself and see what works for your body, although high consumption of ACV may cause low potassium levels and lowers bone density. Also ACV may interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease, so if you’re planning to use it on a daily basis make sure to consult your doctor to avoid interactions with the medicines you’re taking.

Make-Ahead Snacks To Eat Healthy Without Even Trying

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Source: buzzfeed.com

1. Create a grab-n-go healthy snack bin.

For your kids, for yourself, for everyone — grab a snack on your way out the door and have it with you for when you get peckish. See more great ideas here.

Here’s what we’re snacking on this week:

  • String cheese
  • Baby carrots
  • Strawberries
  • Red grapes
  • Trail mix (Yes, I realize this is only semi-healthy.)
  • Apples

I use this tip from Food Lush to keep my berries fresh for days: Rinse berries in a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar) and 10 parts water.  You can’t taste the vinegar at all and it will keep your berries from getting moldy so quickly.

Other fun snack ideas:

  • Red pepper slices
  • Pineapple “sticks” (these would be great for “baby-led weaning“)
  • Sliced cantaloupe
  • Peeled, hard-boiled eggs
  • Celery
  • Little containers of peanut butter and hummus for dipping
  • Homemade spiced carrot muffins
  • Homemade peanut butter protein balls
  • Graham crackers
  • Pretzels

Source: newleafwellness.biz

2. Mix up some cranberry orange pecan granola for the week.

This makes eight servings, and if you store it in an airtight container it’ll stay fresh and delicious for two weeks. Great for easy snacks to pack on your way out the door. Get the recipe here.

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: heaping 1/3 cup

This sweet granola has a really bright orange flavor, while the chewy cranberries and soft pecans provide a nice textural contrast. The granola will stay crunchy if stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • 1 ½ c old-fashioned oats (or gluten-free)
  • 1 ½ c rice krispies cereal
  • ¼ c orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • ½ tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsp chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9” square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats and rice krispies cereal. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, oil, maple syrup, and egg white. Pour over the cereal, and stir with a spatula until evenly coated.

3. Spread into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until golden and crunchy. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before breaking up any large clumps with your fingers. Cool to room temperature; then toss in the dried cranberries and pecans. Store in an airtight container.

Notes: Make sure you stir every 15 minutes! If you wait longer, the granola closest to the edges of the pan will brown too quickly and may acquire a burnt taste. You can also stir every 10 minutes after the first 15 minutes in the oven.

For a vegan version, replace the egg white with an additional 2 tablespoons of orange juice.

Recipe Source: amyshealthybaking.com

3. Or cook and freeze these DIY oatmeal cups.

The fun here is that you can add whatever fixings you want — berries, nuts, fruits, you name it. Get the recipe.
DIY Freezer Oatmeal Cups
Serves: 24 cups
Ingredients:
  • 3 cups Chex Gluten Free oats
  • ¼ cup brown or demerara sugar, or to taste
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups milk of choice
  • pinch salt
  • Assorted chopped fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or other toppings
Instructions:

1. Combine the oats, sugar, water, milk, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Redice heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, or to desired consistency. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray and set out toppings in bowls.

4. Divide the cooked oatmeal between the muffin cups, and top each with desired toppings.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for several hours, or until frozen.

6. Once frozen, pop out of the muffin tins, loosening with a butter knife or small spatula, if necessary and wrap in sandwich bags or plastic wrap.

7. Remove desired number of cups (one to three per serving) from the freezer the night before or day you plan to serve them.

8. Warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (longer if still frozen), and stir in a little more milk, if desired.

Recipe Source: cupcakesandkalechips.com

4. Or prep a batch of these crispy zucchini chips.

You may need a mandolin to get them extra thin, though.

Snacks Serves: 50+ zucchini chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets (I used two 17″ baking sheets) with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Slice your zucchini on a mandolin. Mine had 1, 2, or 3 for thickness and I used 2.

3. After you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of paper towels and take another paper towel and sandwich the zucchini slices and press on them. This helps draw out the liquid so it’ll cook a bit faster.

4. Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.

5. In a small bowl, pour your olive oil in and take a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.

6. Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over­season, in fact, it’s better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over­season, it’ll be way too salty! You can always add more later.

7. Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren’t soggy and are crisp.

8. Let cool before removing and serving.

9. Keep in an airtight container for no more than 3 days

Recipe Source: tablefortwoblog.com

Panic Attacks and Anxiety Linked to Low Vitamin B and Iron Levels

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“Patients undergoing a panic attack (PA) or a hyperventilation attack (HVA) are sometimes admitted to emergency departments (EDs). Reduced serotonin level is known as one of the causes of PA and HVA. Serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan. For the synthesis of serotonin, vitamin B6 (Vit B6) and iron play important roles as cofactors.”

On the off chance that you experience the ill effects of tension or get occasional panic attacks marked by episodes of hyperventilation, you could only be encountering the symptoms of a basic supplement inadequacy that is effortlessly correctable, as per Jonathan Benson of Natural News.

This unquestionably seems to have been the situation with 21 individuals who took an interest in a late study based out of Japan, which recognized an absence of both vitamin B6 and iron among members who experienced panic or hyperventilation episodes.

The generally small study assessed supplement levels among a gathering of members with fluctuating degrees of uneasiness and frequencies of panic and hyperventilation episodes, some of which brought about emergency room visits. A control gathering was additionally assessed, and its members’ supplement levels contrasted with those of the essential gathering.

Upon assessment, scientists noted that both vitamin B6 and iron were inadequate in the subjects with nervousness and hyperventilation issues, while those in the sound gathering had sufficient levels of these critical supplements. B vitamins and iron are especially essential for the amalgamation of tryptophan into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that manages not only disposition and mental soundness, but rest and cardiovascular capacity.

“These results suggest that low serum concentrations of vitamin B6 and iron are involved in PA (panic attacks) and HVA (hyperventilation),” said the creators in their research conclusion. “Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms involved in such differences.”

Supplementing with entire nourishment based vitamins may advance better mental wellbeing. Despite the fact that this specific study did not recognize a connection between general insufficiencies of other B vitamins like B2 and B12 and high recurrence or power of panic attacks, all B vitamins are essential for sound mind and real capacity. A lack in any B vitamins, as it were, can prompt mental wellbeing issues, which is the reason it is critical to hold your levels under wraps.

 

“Chronic stress, poor diet, and certain medical conditions can deplete the body’s stores of vital nutrients,” explains one source about the important of B vitamins. “

Many of those who suffer from agoraphobia (fear of crowded spaces or enclosed public places) are deficient in certain B complex vitamins, and this may be the case for other anxiety-related conditions as well. Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency may include anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, irritability, and emotional instability.”

In the event that you are looking to supplement with B vitamins, make sure to buy entire food-based varieties like those delivered by organizations like Megafood and Garden of Life. Entire nourishment based supplements of any sort are not just preferable consumed by the body over their synthetic counterparts,however they are likewise healthier than standard, common vitamins and better fit for giving ideal restorative advantage.

“Vitamins are made up of several different components – enzymes, co-enzymes, and co-factors – that must work together to produce their intended biologic effects,” explains Dr. Ben Kim. “The majority of vitamins that are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops are synthetic vitamins, which are only isolated portions of the vitamins that occur naturally in food.”

The 8 Best Bedtime Snacks for Weight Loss

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Source: womenshealthmag.com

When it comes to snacking within an hour or two of your bedtime, there’s a few things to consider: First, research does link late-night calories to the potential for weight gain. One study found that eating right before turning in can make your snooze time more restless, and that sets you up for fatigue and bingeing the next day. Also, late-night noshing tends to be associated with stress eating, which leads to overindulging in high-fat comfort calories.

On the other hand, trying to catch shuteye when your stomach is making scary growling sounds isn’t a smart idea, either. Your sleep quality will suffer, and you’ll feel tired and famished in the morning—both of which can lead you to overdo it and mess up your healthy-eating plans. The solution: Reach for one of these low-calorie, sleep-inducing snacks that won’t have you wake up feeling bloated, suggests Philadelphia-based nutritionist Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., author of Blood Pressure Down.

STRING CHEESE


Sure, it’s processed, but hear us out: One serving of this snack contains filling protein and fat, so you feel satiated—and it only packs about 80 calories. Cheese also packs the amino acid tryptophan, which may help make you drowsy, says Brill.

A BOWL OF CEREAL


Put down the Count Chocula—all that sugar might leave you too wired to sleep (and also give you a stomach ache). We’re talking about the whole-grain, complex carb kind (think oatmeal or corn or bran flakes) that’s easy to digest and gives you 200 calories or less per bowl, says Brill. Pour in a little milk for extra tryptophan and protein.

NONFAT GREEK YOGURT


For about 100 to 150 calories, you get the relaxing powers of tryptophan from the dairy, as well as satisfying protein, says Brill. Plus, yogurt can help calm your stomach, so you’re less likely to wake up with heartburn or indigestion and instead can score a good night’s rest.

TWO SLICES OF WHITE-MEAT TURKEY

Turkey is loaded with sleep-inducing tryptophan (no wonder you’re so sleepy after those massive holiday dinners, right?) and low-fat, high-quality protein, says Brill. A few slices won’t run you more than 100 calories.

AN APPLE WITH A SPOONFUL OF PEANUT BUTTER

Apples have lots of fiber and a satisfying crunch. “The protein in the peanut or almond butter also fills you up without feeling heavy in your stomach,” says Brill.

NONFAT CHOCOLATE PUDDING CUP


We’re totally loving this one—the creamy chocolate pudding goes down easy, but it doesn’t contain the fat that can sit in your belly like a rock all night. One single-serve pack racks up about 90 calories.

BABY CARROTS

Super-nutritious with lots of crunch, these little orange guys will fill you up long enough so you doze off, says Brill. And all for four fat-free calories per carrot.

A BANANA

Not only are bananas loaded with satiating fiber and relaxing tryptophan (for only about 100 calories each), but they’re the perfect late-night nosh if you’ve already cleaned up your kitchen. You won’t leave behind any dishes or utensils to wash!

WARNING: New Coffee Can Pack Dangerous Effects on Heart

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Millions of people around the world rely on their morning fix of caffeine to get them started. Their morning cup of coffee has become their everyday addiction and without that jolt first thing in the morning, they just can’t seem to get their day going. One friend told me a while back that trying to work without her morning cup of coffee, and sometimes second and third cups, is like trying to drive a car with no gas in the tank.

Some people like their coffee flavored and hidden with milk, cream or a myriad of flavored creamers. Others have become addicted to their lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and all of the other fancy ways of fixing a cup of liquid caffeine. Then there are the purists, like me when I used to drink coffee, that like their coffee black and plain – no sugar and no milk, cream or creamer.

Regardless of how you like your morning cup of coffee, the vast majority of people drink it because of the caffeine and how it gets their body going. I used to drink it plain black strong coffee because I liked the taste. I have a genetic immunity to most pain killers and stimulants and so far, caffeine has no effect on me. Unfortunately, I had to stop drinking coffee not because of the caffeine but because of the oil in coffee that effects my irritable bowel syndrome.

Many people have been turning to stronger types of coffee and other caffeine loaded drinks for their morning fix of the addictive stimulant. This is probably the reason a new coffee, Black Insomnia has become the rage among many coffee addicts.

Black Insomnia is a being billed at the world’s strongest coffee and its popularity is skyrocketing. Sean Kristafor retired from his job in the corporate world and got together with a noted coffee bean roaster and created Black Insomnia less than a year ago. He is selling his caffeine overload locally to cafes in Cape Town, South Africa. His super-strong coffee caught on quickly and by October 2016, Kristafor was selling tons of his new brew to customers in 22 different countries. As of March, Black Insomnia was made available on Amazon in the US and sells for around $19 per pound. The company says they are now selling 5-6 tons of coffee every month and sales are still growing.

When chemically tested, Black Insomnia was found to be over twice as strong as Starbuck’s dark roast at 58.5mg of caffeine per fluid ounce compared to only 21.25mg for Starbuck’s powerful brew. Coca Cola contains about 2.8mg of caffeine per fluid ounce. Green tea has 3.1mg, McDonald’s coffee has 9.1mg, Red Bull has 9.46mg of caffeine per fluid ounce. Nepresso OriginalLine coffee capsules contain 44.4mg per fluid ounce and Death Wish coffee has 54.2mg of caffeine per fluid ounce.

However, most people don’t drink a single fluid ounce of coffee, so to give you an idea of how powerful of a kick this brew can give you, a 12oz cup of Black Insomnia could contain up to 702mg of caffeine.

Dangerous? Both the Food Information Council and the FDA recommend that 400mg of caffeine should be the TOTAL DAILY consumption for anyone. That means that a 12oz cup of Black Insomnia provides 175.5% of the recommended daily dose of caffeine.

What are effects of this much caffeine? According to Mary Sweeney, a researcher of caffeine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine commented:

“For the same amount of coffee, you will get double the amount of caffeine.”

“This makes it easier to consume more caffeine than you intend to and effects can range from mild to severe, for example, jitteriness, nervousness, restlessness and trouble sleeping. The most serious effect would be cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat).”

Overdoing the caffeine can not only cause cardiac arrhythmia but it can also increase the heart rate to dangerous levels and people with heart conditions and high blood pressure can find the effects of a 12-ounce cup of Black Insomnia not keeping them awake but putting them in a permanent sleep called death.

Before you spend nearly $20 for a pound of Black Insomnia coffee, asked yourself if your health withstand this massive overdose of caffeine without having any harmful side-effects. You may realize that the risk is not worth it.

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