Keep Happy and Healthy Girls! ❤
Category Archives: Women
NO EXCUSES
Make time for it! 🙂
Stay Fit and Healthy Ladies! ❤
Just want to remind you Ladies…
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” -Jeremiah 31:3
SLEEP: What it does to you and your body
SLEEP— I define this as one of the most basic needs of man. It plays a major role in our life as it is one of the ingredients to living a normal and healthy life. But unfortunately, in this fast-paced world, sleep deprivation is now a common feature of our society. Perhaps, as much as we want to have more of it, we tend to trade sleep for the things that we need to accomplish throughout the day. As a result, people living in this modern world grows to be a sleep-deprived generation.
HOW IMPORTANT SLEEP IS?
You and I both know that sleep is IMPORTANT. However, you and I always have an excuse why we are not having much of it. Busy work schedule, laundry to do, family affairs, parties to go to, school work, and the list goes on forever. I know, because I do these excuses too.
So, how important is it really?
According to Science: During sleep, your body recovers from your days work and stress that you experienced throughout the day. Sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels as well as it works to support your brain function. When you sleep, your brain stays active, and to prove this, studies show that a good night’s sleep improves learning. When we are sleep deficient, it alters some parts of the brain which affects our emotions and behavior and most especially our physical health.
According to me: Its simple, when you don’t have enough sleep you can’t function effectively. In my experience, when i’m sleep deprived, the things that I want to get done ends up half baked. Thing is, I trade sleep so I can do more, but by not sleeping, I always end up wasting my time by being unproductive throughout the day. Its either I find myself napping on my desk, or wasting a few minutes staring from afar. hahahaha! Its embarassing, but it happens to me all the time.
HOW MUCH SLEEP DO YOU REALLY NEED?
| Average Sleep Needs by Age | |
| Newborn to 2 months old | 12 – 18 hrs |
| 3 months to 1 year old | 14 – 15 hrs |
| 1 to 3 years old | 12 – 14 hrs |
| 3 to 5 years old | 11 – 13 hrs |
| 5 to 12 years old | 10 – 11 hrs |
| 12 to 18 years old | 8.5 – 10 hrs |
| Adults (18+) | 7.5 – 9 hrs |
To be able to meet the demands of our everyday life, most adults these days are only having around 5-6 hours of sleep. And to be able to compensate with our body’s need, we try to fill in the gap through daytime naps.
Now Here’s the thing, this table above shows that an adult (ages 18+) needs AT LEAST 7.5 hours of sleep a day. Majority of adults these days think that 6hrs of sleep is good already. Thinking that they could function well with just this amount of sleep. Well, you better think again.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that some people have a gene that enables them to do well on six hours of sleep a night. This gene, however, is VERY RARE, appearing in less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours doesn’t come close to cutting it.
SO… I guess its safe to say that.. 6 hours of sleep is enough = MYTH. If you’re an adult sleeping less than 7 1/2 hours a day, chances are, you are sleep deprived.
Thing is, our body needs a specific amount of sleep and there is a big difference between functioning effectively and having just enough energy to get by throughout the day. Just try to evaluate, if you are meeting your sleep needs you are supposed to feel energetic and alert all day long. If not, well, you might not be logging enough hours.
WHAT IS SLEEP DEBT?
So.. if you’re not keeping up with the hours that you’re supposed to be sleeping, the hours that you lack becomes a sleep debt. Meaning to say, everytime you trade sleep for something that you think is of “more importance” you add to the debt, and the same with all debts, it needs to be paid.
Many of us try to repay by sleeping on the weekends. But sadly, compensating with our sleep debts doesn’t work that way. Even if you sleep the whole weekend, your body will not completely make up for the lack of sleep.
What happens if you are having a lot of sleep debts?
1. It makes you dumb.
Sleeping plays an important role in our brain development. (And yes, it goes with adults too. Not just infants ) Sleep helps our brain in processing learning and critical thinking. Lack of sleep impairs attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning and problem solving. So if you’re not having enough sleep, you are least likely to remember the things that you learned throughout the day.
2. No sleep= Overweight. Yes. You’re gaining weight because you’re not logging enough sleeping hours my friend. According to a study, adults who are only sleeping for 5 hours a night are likely to gain 2lbs in weight over a week because they tend to snack more. According to this study, “They consumed more calories in the form of after-dinner snacks than in any other meal.”
According to my internet research..
A regular sleep schedule helps your body maintain a regular appetite and hunger schedule. This is because shortening your sleep schedule increases your production of the hormone ghrelin which stimulates hunger and decreases your production of leptin which suppresses appetite. Throwing off your appetite increases the likelihood that you will overeat, study has shown people who sleep less than 7 hours a day are likely to be more obese than those who sleep 8 hours of sleep or more.
As to what I have experienced, the hours that I have invested in the gym has been put to a waste because my muscles did not recover properly. So even if I don’t snack after workout, it still made a negative effect on my body.
3. It causes accidents.
Its obvious, poor sleep would eventually lead to accidents. People who sleep less looses their concentration and leads to serious mistakes (especially for those who are driving) because their reaction time is slower. So if you don’t want to get into a car accident, hit the hay.
4. Damaged skin.
Ladies, we all know this, the secret to beauty is a good night’s sleep. You can’t keep those dark circles under your make up forever. 🙂
How do you avoid it?
1. Make sleep your priority.
I know, I know, you have a lot of commitments. But you should make this a priority. Adjust your schedule so you can have enough time for sleep. Check your day to day activity, maybe you are committing to a lot of things and maybe you can cut back a few from it just so you can have more time for your sleep. We have 24 hours a day, no matter how busy you are, believe me, you can make time for it.
2. Set a regular bedtime and regular waking time. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, you can discipline your body by setting a regular bedtime . This way, your body will always have this pattern which will help you in having the right sleeping hours.
3. Limit your naps. We try to compensate by napping but sometimes, it doesn’t help. A power-nap can make you more alert and productive but only if you do it correctly. I’ve heard in a TV interview before that the most effective power nap should only be for 20 minutes. If you go higher than that, you are likely to feel more tired and unproductive.
4. Be smart about what you eat or drink.
If you want a good night sleep, watch what you eat and drink before going to bed. To some people, coffee has been part of their everyday life that its difficult for them to avoid it. You can limit your coffee to 2 cups a day and exchange your coffe at night with milk or green tea. Also, have your meal 2-3 hours before bedtime, Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up, this way you will have a better sleep and you won’t store up fats too! 🙂
5. No gadgets before bedtime. Try to put away all your gadgets before bedtime. or better yet, stay away from facebook, twitter, or instagram hahahaha!
6. Schedule your workout. As for me, I usually workout at night after work. Sleeping normally becomes a problem because my body stays active a few hours after I did my workout. So make sure that you finish your workout routine at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Thing is, no matter how important your day to day activities are, sleeping should be on top of your to-do list.
I hope this post helps! 🙂
Stay Happy and Healthy everyone!
God bless! 🙂
“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” ~3 John 2
Burn fat without the sweat!
Women have always dreamed of having that perfect silhouette, however most people would refuse to stick to a fitness program that requires them to stretch muscles and make an effort to go to the gym. So here’s a couple of ways to lose weight without the sweat!
Here’s my favorite 5 diet tricks to share:
1. Drink Cold Water
People normally thinks that if you want to burn fat after a meal, drink hot water. Well, that’s what i’ve been told. People say that drinking cold water will “solidify” the oily food that you have digested. But i’s actually quite the opposite.
Truth is, the human body is trying to maintain a certain temperature. Drinking cold water will make the body compensate for the sudden temperature drop, thus making us burn fuel to keep the body warm. According to studies, One 16 ounce glass of cold water can burn up to 17.5 calories, no treadmill required.
2. Eat at a smaller plate.
Dishware size is an influencing factor in the portion sizes that we eat. According to the Small Plate Movement, you can drop 18 pounds this year just by changing plates. Of course, eating at a larger plate would make you eat more. This is because we have the tendency to fill in the spaces in our plate and which results to over-eating. So if you don’t want over consumption, you need to consider dishware size.
You can start with a plate that’s between 9 and 10 inches in diameter, closer to the size of your grandmother’s china. In my case, eating at a bowl is better. It makes me feel like i’ve already eaten a lot when I really haven’t. So just use the kind of plate that works for you.
3. Warm up your oil.
Honestly, I would never suggest frying your food. Obvious reason is because of the oil that the food will absorb, which will eventually get into your body. But if you are a fan of deep fried foods, and its just too difficult to resist it, then you should warm up your oil properly.
Cold oil is often absorbed by meat and veggies. Of course, you cannot lose weight by just doing this trick, but at least it will reduce the calorie intake so you can enjoy your delicious fried foods.
4. Eat slowly
Our brains registers fullness about 20 minutes after our stomachs. So for long-term success at weight control, slowing down the pace of eating is key. You can try behavioral techniques such as chewing foods 15 chews before swallowing, or putting your fork down between bites. Even using a baby spoon can help you slow down.
You can also try drinking water in between. This will help slow down your eating process. And it’s certainly healthy for you. So after every swallow of food, take a small sip of water before picking up the fork again.
By making a few easy changes to your eating style, you can slow down your swallowing and allow your brain to catch up with your belly. As a result, you’ll consume fewer calories without feeling any less satisfied. Plus, you’ll be able to continue to enjoy your favorite foods because you’ll be at less risk of overindulging.
5. Spicy foods help
Spicy foods speeds up your metabolism. The main element that gives chilis their heat – capsaicin – is responsible for creating this effect, as it creates heat generation and raises body temperature upon consumption.
Many scientists are now claiming that capsaicin not only tells the body to burn off calories (rather than store them) but it also turns your existing fat into a form of fat that can easily “self-destruct”. They also claim that capsaicin helps decrease your appetite and it’s also a powerful antioxidant. Sounds good, right?
So the next time you’re going to cook dinner, you might want to consider adding chili to your recipe.
6. Sleep well
A hungry tummy plus lack of sleep is the perfect recipe to sabotage your waistline. Believe me. I’ve experienced this many times. Consider this, when you’re low at energy, you are most likely to grab a cup of coffee, and of course doughnuts usually goes with it. Humans have always have the tendency to grab a comfort food when we need a kick of energy.
Another thing about it is it slows down your metabolism. Sleeping is the time for our muscles to recover, if you’re not getting much of it then you are most likely to lose muscles and store up more fat. Maybe you have even heard about the sleep diet, which suggests you can lose weight while you catch your sleep, and its true in a way.
According to research, on average, we need about 7.5 hours of quality sleep per night, he says. “If you are getting this already, another half hour will not help you lose 10 pounds, but if you are a five-hour sleeper and start to sleep for seven hours a night, you will start dropping weight”. explains Michael Breus, PhD.
And of course, if you had enough sleep the night before, you are most likely to have enough energy to workout again the next day. So stop staying up late and hit the hay!
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Reminder: These 6 items are just tricks. It does not guarantee that doing these 6 steps will help you shed enormous amount of weight. Of course, diet and exercise is still the best way to stay in shape.
I hope this blog helps.
Stay Happy and Pretty ladies!
Godbless!
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
Bliss on the Road
Sunday morning. I woke up yesterday with a big smile on my face as I ready myself for a long day run. Opening the door, I felt different, like I was brought back to my childhood days where I run in the street in front of our house playing with my friends. I guess we all have that in us. That passion for running is innate. Racing through the busy streets, hearing the wind pass before us, brings us a recollection of our childhood where we used to be excited to play, run in circle, and chase after a friend.
As I run on the road, I was greeted by fellow runners. Some were in groups, some were running solo. Might be training for a marathon, or just out on a Sunday morning to get fit and decided not to sit in a desk and drink coffee. It was fun, seeing other runners with great smile on their faces, was good to see on an early morning. The happiness was contagious.
Truth is, I don’t know why I l0ve running. If you ask other runners, what they enjoy about it, I bet they wouldn’t be able to answer right away. Running is hard, it requires effort, it requires commitment and patience. But as I run, I felt further away from the world, from the time, from the busyness of everything. I felt detached, yet connected to my inner self.
As I run father, I felt something unique, euphoric, clear, and calm. I dont know, but I believe that there is a great satisfaction in doing something under your own power. So I push on, I challenge myself even more. In the end, it brings me joy.
Maybe we all need that. In today’s world, where happiness seems rare, we are all looking for that great pleasure that doesn’t come in a box, something that money can’t buy. To me, I find that in running. The joy in peace that I experience, is just priceless.
What about you, what makes you happy? 🙂
“Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” ~ C. S. Lewis
Stay happy and pretty ladies! ❤
Your Period and Your Cravings
Women experience different symptoms (PMS) during their menstrual month. Some may experience bloating, cramping, fatigue, depression, and migrane and of course, its that time of the month when you crave more food than usual and its like you’ve turned into an eating machine. Yes, you’re not the only one who experiences that. Many women find themselves eating more just before, during, or after their period.
The Reason
During this season, your body burns more calories because your body is not in its normal work load. There is an additional activity taking place internally and thus, your body is working hard meaning it needs more fuel. In my case, I eat more during my period. I feel weak and inadequate during this time of the month and so I feel like I want to eat more.
Research say that the female metabolism increases up to 10% during this time. An increase in metabolism can lead to an increase in appetite because your body burns more, then it needs to refuel after. Another reason for your cravings is because of hormonal changes and blood loss. I think the same principle goes when you donate blood, you feel more hungry after.
Your Food Intake
It really is difficult to ignore the urge to eat during period. Your hormones are on its highest level and it feels like you want to treat yourself with an ice cream or maybe a bag of Doritos will do too. The level of hunger varies from person to person. However, research suggests that in the days before your period, it is likely that you are consuming extra calories. According to Weight Watchers, you intake an average of 100 to 200 calories more than usual before your period.
Another thing to keep in mind is you can gain water weight because of the salty foods that you have eaten during your period. Sure your metabolism increases during this time, but even though your metabolism rate increases up to 10% percent, lack of control could sabotage the days that you have sacrificed working out.
What To Do?
Unfortunately, there’s nothing that you can do to stop your cravings. However, there are ways to prepare your body and to help block the extra calories that your body body has taken during this season.
1. Exercise
The best way to burn the extra calories that you digested is of course to burn it off at the gym. An average woman during period eats more than 200 calories; and an hour of doing cardio exercise at the gym burns around 400-600 calories depending on your weight. That way, you can balance it out by calorie intake vs. workout. So if you don’t want those extra pounds, hit the gym.
2. Eat Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables are of course, high in fiber. Eating more of these will make you feel full without digesting much calories. Not only are they rich in iron and B vitamins; their high fiber count also can help with digestive problems which often occurs during your menstrual cycle.
3. Eat Whole Grains
Whole grains are healthy choices when it comes to carbohydrates. Just like fruit, the fiber in whole grains can help you feel full and helps with digestion especially during your period. Whole grains also include complex carbohydrates, which provide important vitamins and minerals too.
4. Eat Red Meat
Of course red meats are known to be a good source of iron. A high content of blood is lost during period, and so we need to include red meat to our diet to help us regain the energy that we lost. By including this to your meal, you won’t be needing more food to it as it helps to refuel your body.
5. Control-Portion, Portion-Control
If you really can’t stand eating cookies, cakes, chocolates, or junk foods, then portion-control rule always works. Don’t binge. Discipline yourself. Remember that these cravings come every month. They can definitely make you gain 5-10lbs in a week’s tme.
In Conlusion
Truly, our bodies seem to tell us to eat more during our period. The cravings are difficult to ignore. (I am guilty of that!) In my case, I am not really a fan of sweets, but during my period, I usually crave for redvelvets and vanilla ice cream, I could eat half dozen of redvelvets in one sitting -_- #dietfail. Hahaha!
But of course we can prevent these by making healthier food choices. Even though our bodies compensates by metabolizing more, I wouldn’t suggest eating purposefully while on your period. Our bodies know when it needs more energy, it will let you know when to eat and when to stop.
Thing is, you should choose a plan that works for you, whether it be burning it off at the gym, replacing it with healthier foods, or controlling the portion sizes. Listen to your body and don’t give in to temptations easily. As what they say, MIND OVER MATTER always works! 🙂
I hope this blog helps.
Stay Healthy and Pretty girls! ❤
God bless everyone! 🙂
… He (Boaz) said to her “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied- Ruth 2:14
Slice n' Life 