7 THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU START DOING PLANKS EVERY DAY

7 THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU START DOING PLANKS EVERY DAY

By lifehack.org - Szabo Laszlo

Bodyweight exercises are gaining ground in the fitness world due to the practicality and simplicity of getting in shape using your own body weight. Planks are one form of bodyweight exercises that will never go out of fashion. Planks are one of the most effective exercises you can do. Why? Because they require a small time investment on your part, and offer the chance to achieve substantial results in a relatively short span of time.

Abdominal muscles must provide support for our entire back and spinal column.. In doing so, they also play a vital role in preventing injuries. However, for them to perform this function successfully, our core muscles have to be strong and trained on a regular basis. What all this means is that doing plank exercises every day is a great way to strengthen your core, and in doing so, support your spine.

Now, let’s focus on what will happen when you start doing planks every day:

1. You’ll improve core definition and performance:

Planks are an ideal exercise for the abdominal muscles exactly because they engage all major core muscle groups including the transverse abdominus, the rectus abdominus, the external oblique muscle, and the glutes. The importance of strengthening each muscle group cannot be underestimated either, for all of these groups serve their own purpose. If you strengthen these muscle groups you will notice:

• Transverse abdominis: increased ability to lift heavier weights.
• Rectus adbominis: improved sports performance, particularly with jumping. This muscle group is also responsible for giving you the renowned six pack look.
• Oblique muscles: improved capacity for stable side-bending and waist-twisting
• Glutes: a supported back and a strong, shapely booty.

2. You’ll decrease your risk of injury in the back and spinal column

Doing planks is a type of exercise that allow you to build muscle while also making sure that you are not putting too much pressure on your spine or hips. According to the American Council on Exercise, doing planks regularly not only significantly reduces back pain but it also strengthens your muscles and ensures a strong support for your entire back, especially in the areas around your upper back.

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AMAZING BENEFITS OF EGGS AND 5 REFRESHING RECIPES

AMAZING BENEFITS OF EGGS AND 5 REFRESHING RECIPES

By lifehack.org - Ella James

Eggs are vital ingredients to many recipes. While eggs have made the headlines in weight loss news due to its high cholesterol content, many people neglect the fact that they host other important nutrients as well. Fortunately, eggs have enjoyed a slightly improved reputation in recent years. This is largely due to the dispute over whether the cholesterol content in eggs are as bad as first thought.

A joint initiative between Harvard, USA and Tongji Medical College, China was set up in 2012 to examine the relationship between eggs consumption and the presumed increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. At the end of the research phase, it was concluded that a healthy intake of one egg per day does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease or stroke. In addition, this healthy habit helps to reduce the possibility of hemorrhagic stroke by up to 25%. Now that irrefutable evidence has dismissed the myth of harmful cholesterol content in eggs, the attention should shift to focus on the range of benefits they provide.

1. Enhance Immune System

The immune system gains the most from the consumption of eggs. Vitamin A, vitamin D and folate are the main contributors towards this enhancement and ensures that the body system is strengthened to withstand any disease or virus.

2. Improve Skin Condition

Vitamin A works with Biotin and Selenium to offer a comprehensive skin protection package. This three-pronged defense works in tandem. Vitamin A helps to repair and improve current skin condition. Biotin primarily ensures that the skin retains its nutrients. Selenium acts as the first line of defense to protect the skin against oxidation damage. It should be noted that Biotin helps to retain nutrients in the hair as well.

3. Higher Metabolism and Better Vision

The high level of vitamin B2 and Biotin content found in eggs helps to ensure that metabolism rate stays within a uniform range. On the other hand, Vitamin A and vitamin B2 also possess the ability to improve vision.

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HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH SLEEP? CHECK THIS NEW STUDY TO FIND OUT

HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE HAVE ENOUGH SLEEP? CHECK THIS NEW STUDY TO FIND OUT

By lifehack.org - Michael Prywes

Finding that perfect amount of sleep is critical but difficult. Some people need a full eight hours to function while others are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with only five. Meanwhile, some people need to sleep half the day away in order to feel rejuvenated. Thus, the actual amount of sleep a person requires is highly subjective.

Sleep feels luxurious; however, it is a requirement for health. How long and how well you sleep keeps you emotionally balanced and feeling physically fit. Figuring out how much sleep you need is not as difficult as it sounds. All you need to do is pay attention to and keep track of how your body feels.

Growing Up & Out of Sleep

According to Harvard Medical School, you need the most sleep when you’re younger. Adults only need about half the sleep that children do.

Newborn babies need anywhere from 10.5 to 18 hours of sleep a day to be healthy because they use all that sleep to grow and develop. After three months, they require slightly less sleep (on average 10 to 14 hours). By the time children hit school, they need only an average of 10 hours.

Once you hit 18 years of age, you only need an average of 7.5 to 8.5 hours a sleep per day on average.

Looking for Signs of Tiredness

If you’re not sure how much sleep you’re getting or whether it is enough, follow these guidelines for figuring out your sleep pattern:

Forget Your Bedtime, Check Your Wake Up Time

The average person moves through five sleep cycles each night. Each cycle lasts 90 minutes. This is where scientists get the 7.5 hour figure from. Instead of worrying about hitting that 7.5 hours after you go to bed, look at the time that you wake up.

Pay attention to the time that you wake up naturally in the morning. Whether it is 10 AM or 5 AM, count back 7.5 hours from that figure to determine what time you need to go to bed in order to ensure you get the perfect amount of sleep.

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THE ANCIENT HERB THAT HELPS WITH DIGESTION AND WEIGHT LOSS - A DOCTOR EXPLAINS

THE ANCIENT HERB THAT HELPS WITH DIGESTION AND WEIGHT LOSS - A DOCTOR EXPLAINS

By mindbodygreen.com - Dr Kulreet Chaudhary

As a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary combines the best of Western medicine with time-tested Ayurvedic practices. This week, we're thrilled to share some of Dr. Chaudhary's favorite ancient techniques to reach optimal health. If you're inspired to learn more, check out her new course: How to Use Ancient Ayurvedic Wisdom to Heal Your Gut & Achieve Long-Lasting Weight Loss.

As we grow older, it can be extremely challenging to lose fat through diet and exercise alone.

To really fight that stubborn fat, Ayurveda uses time-tested techniques that target the exercise-resistant fat by igniting your digestive fire. This is the biggest difference between Ayurvedic weight loss and more conventional Western methods: Ayurveda focuses on why your fat cells are getting bigger and gives you solutions that work long term. These techniques have proved successful for thousands of years and can be performed on a daily basis.

"Ama" is a special concept in Ayurvedic medicine that's key to losing weight. In Ayurveda, ama means “toxins.” These toxins result from the accumulation of impurities in our bodies as a result of improper diet, chronic stress, and pollutants from the environment.

Some of these toxins are water soluble, making them easier to remove from the body with diet and exercise. But other toxins are fat soluble, meaning that they become stuck deep inside fat cells. The fat cells expand as they accumulate these toxins, which leads to weight gain, especially in those hard-to-remove pockets of fat around the stomach, hips, and thighs.

Ayurvedic techniques are targeted specifically at removing ama from your body, which then shrinks your fat cells.

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ESCAPING THE MATRIX OF DEPRESSION - THE TRUTH ABOUT DEPRESSION WILL SET YOU FREE

ESCAPING THE MATRIX OF DEPRESSION - THE TRUTH ABOUT DEPRESSION WILL SET YOU FREE

By wakeup-world.com - By Nanice Ellis

This is a very interesting article about depression and how we can define ourselves as not worthy or we are powerless or victims.  

If life is meant to be joyful, why are we faced with a global pandemic of depression?

The combination of seven intense years as a crisis counselor in New York plus twenty years as an Awakening Life Coach allows me to offer you this insight – the truth about depression – and when you finally understand why you are depressed, you will have the power to free yourself from the invisible prison of disempowerment.

Firstly, do not let the “real” in reality fool you. Things are not what they seem to be. Despite how solid life appears, it is all just vibrating energy so perfectly choreographed that we can confidently call this dancing vibration “reality” or life. If you want to see the truth from a higher (more realistic) perspective, you will need to consider that it is our individual and collective Beliefs that turn vibration into tangible reality.

The Law of Belief

It is common knowledge that our beliefs directly manifest through our actions and reactions, but beliefs also communicate energetically with the quantum field and then materialize in physical reality. As the saying goes, “thoughts become things.” A single thought is not likely to manifest, but beliefs always do. It might be more accurate to say, “Beliefs become all things.” This means that everything in your life is a result of your beliefs – your beliefs create your reality.

When you understand how to use the Law of Belief, you have the power to create the life you desire. The problem is we have never been educated on how to consciously use the Law of Belief for our highest good. In fact, instead of being taught that we create reality through our beliefs, our younger selves were unknowingly programmed with three specific beliefs that collectively create disempowered human beings:

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DECADENT BAKED HERB CRUSTED CASHEW ALMOND CHEESE - VEGAN

DECADENT BAKED HERB CRUSTED CASHEW ALMOND CHEESE - VEGAN

By onegreenplanet.org - Meredith Youngson

INGREDIENTS

110g/3/4 cup raw cashews

110g/3/4 cup raw blanched almonds

60ml/1/4 cup lemon juice

30g/1/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large clove of garlic, minced

sprinkle fresh thyme (dried is okay)

sprinkle dried basil

sprinkle fresh rosemary (dried is okay)

generous amounts of salt and pepper

Soak the nuts in water overnight. When ready to begin making the cheese, drain and rinse the nuts.  With a food processor, purée nuts until very smooth with lemon juice, olive oil, nutritional yeast, and spices.  Place a strainer over a large bowl lined with cheesecloth. Carefully scoop out processed nut mixture into cheesecloth. 

Bring corners of cloth together, twist around cheese, and form a ball. Secure with a rubber band and lightly squeeze to get rid of excess water.  Chill overnight with cheese resting on strainer, allowing water to drip out.  

Preheat oven to 390°F/195C.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out cheese from cheesecloth with a spatula and form a 1 1/2-inch log. Use your spatula or a spoon to smooth the sides.  Finally, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and spices. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until it is firm to touch and slightly browned.  Turn off oven, open door and allow to cool completely before removing and serving.

9 THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU HAVE A SALT LAMP AT YOUR HOME

9 THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU HAVE A SALT LAMP AT YOUR HOME

By lifehack.org - Cole Nemeth

Himalayan salt lamps are becoming extremely popular because not only are they beautiful to look at, they also have amazing health benefits. The simple flick of a switch will have you feeling better physically, mentally and emotionally in no time!

1. Your air will be cleaner

The most obvious benefit to having a Himalayan salt lamp is its incredible ability to filter the air in your home, removing dust, cigarette smoke, pollen and other contaminants in the air.

Himalayan salt lamps help filter the air by attracting water molecules and any foreign particles they are carrying, and absorb it.This is known as hygroscopy. When the lamp is turned on, the heat coming from it releases the water back into the air, but keeps all of the absorbed particles trapped inside the lamp.

2. You’ll have reduced allergy symptoms

Since Himalayan salt lamps filter microscopic particles from the air, including pollen, dust, pet dander, mold and mildew, it can really cut out a lot of allergens from the air, making it the perfect home decor addition to any one suffering from allergies.

Also, the cleaner air will help you stay healthier, and get sick less often.

3. You’ll sleep better

Every molecule is made up of atoms, and every atom is made up of three types of particles: protons (positive charge), electrons (negative charge), and neutrons (no charge). Unfortunately, positive ions in the air can make it difficult for you to sleep. That’s because positive ions have a very negative effect on our bodies, yet positive ions are all around us. Himalayan salt lamps, however, release negative ions which will neutralize the positive ions.

Keeping a Himalayan salt lamp in the bedroom can help you sleep by neutralizing the positive ions and improving the air quality. If you need complete darkness to sleep, just turn on the salt lamp for a few hours during the day and then turn it off before going to bed.

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TWIX BARS - GLUTEN FREE

TWIX BARS - GLUTEN FREE

By tinasrawalkalinediet.com

Ingredients for 10 to 12 bars,

for the bottom layer,

112g/1/2 cup cashew butter, almond will also do, cashew has a milder flavour

2 Tbsp. buckwheat

1 Tbsp. Raw honey

2 Tbsp. almond- or coconut flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla powder or essence

tiny pinch of pink salt

Add the buckwheat to a food processor and grind it until fine.  I usually don’t make a flour out of it, prefer to keep it a bit rougher for a some texture but both options are fine. Add the remaining ingredients and let it run until incorporated. The dough is not so sweet because the caramel is.  Press it in a with parchment paper lined baking dish and set it in the freezer to firm up.  I made my caramel with dried apricots instead of dates for the apricots are much lower in fructose. 

  

200g/1 cup dried apricots, soaked if needed and cut in quarters, dates can also be used

1 to 2 Tbsp. lucuma powder to add a nice caramel-ish flavour, optional but good!

1 Tbsp. almond- or any other nut butter

tiny pinch of pink salt

Add ingredients to a blender or a small food processor and blend until it gets gooey and sticky. You could add some water but as little as possible to keep the caramel thick. If it turned out too runny you can always add some extra dried fruit.  Spread on top of the cold bottom layer and place it back in the freezer.  As soon as these layers are cold and hard enough to cut, you can divide them into 10 to 12 bars. I made 12 out of mine.

And now for the chocolate,

30g/1/4  cup of raw cacao powder

2 Tbsp. Raw honey, you can add a few drops of stevia for a sweeter chocolate

57g/1/4 cup of coconut oil

57g/1/4 cup of cacao butter

tniy pinch of pink salt

½ tsp. vanilla powder

Melt the cacao butter au-bain-marie, add the coconut oil, take off the heat and incorporate the remaining ingredients. You can also make it with only coconut oil but these will melt easier.  The easy option is to take your favorite ( raw)  pure chocolate bar with a high cacao content and let it melt au-bain-marie and use this as a coating.

COCONUT RASPBERRY HEARTS

COCONUT RASPBERRY HEARTS

By onegreenplanet.org - Christa Clark

COCONUT RASPBERRY HEARTS [VEGAN]

INGREDIENTS

80g/1 cup coconut chips

60ml/1/4 cup coconut milk

A pinch sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

150g/3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons unrefined sugar, or stevia, to taste (optional)

Blend, scrape down the sides, continue blending until completely smooth.

Pour into desired mold.  Freeze for 2 or more hours until solid

ALONE TIME IS GOOD FOR US, RESEARCH SAYS

ALONE TIME IS GOOD FOR US, RESEARCH SAYS

By lifehack.org - writer Amanda Richardson

Our world is more hyper-connected than ever. We have smartphones, tablets, iPods, laptops, and a few of us even have those soon-to-be relics called desktops. We’re so addicted that – according to Pew Research Center – 67% of cellphone owners find themselves checking their phone even when they don’t notice it ring or vibrate, and 21% of us report going online “almost constantly.” We’re so busy networking – online and off – that we leave little time for ourselves. But here’s the thing – alone time has some significant benefits.

Science shows that we overestimate how much we need people and underestimate the value of solitary experiences.

In essence, it comes down to a PR problem. Being alone has a bad rap. It is often erroneously associated with being lonely or anti-social – both of which are not beneficial to health. But being alone is distinct from these conditions, and research is mounting on its benefits to body and mind. For example, a recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that those, “who forego hedonic activities alone are missing out on opportunities for rewarding experiences.”

So, what are the benefits of being alone?

Here are five ways that being alone will enrich your life.

1. Alone time can help you rest and recharge

If you’re like most people, you are continually overwhelmed by an onslaught of distractions, and a lot of it comes in the form of other people. Meetings, phone calls, texts, social media, parties, and date nights. You’re rushing here and there, trying to keep the mental Rolodex of your contacts and tasks straight. You need a break.

Being alone allows you the opportunity to settle your nerves, decompress and regain clarity and focus. Whether it’s taking a hot bath, doing a 10-minute meditation or just enjoying a few moments by yourself, alone time can help you collect your thoughts and harness the energy you need for the rest of the day.

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DOUBLE DECKER CARROT CAKE - VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE

DOUBLE DECKER CARROT CAKE - VEGAN AND GLUTEN FREE

By onegreenplanet.org - Michaell Johnson

Cream Cheese-y Frosting:

300g/2 cups soaked cashews

57g/1/4 cup coconut oil

150g/1/2 cup maple syrup

120ml/1/2 cup whole coconut milk (from the can)

60ml/1/4 cup fermented coconut water or lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon pineapple juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Carrot Cake:

800g/4 cups carrot pulp or grated carrot shreds

400g/2 cups pitted dates

200g/1 cup frozen, fresh or canned pineapple (canned will be slightly sweeter but you sacrifice the raw)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

40g/1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Soak cashews for about four hours, then rinse.  Combine all the carrot cake ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides for even blending every minute or so.  Press into a pan (I used an 8-inch springform).  Blend all of the cheesecake ingredients in a high-speed blender on high until completely smooth. This will take a couple minutes blending on high to make completely smooth.  Pour frosting on top of carrot cake.  Refrigerate for more of a frosting consistency or freeze for a more cheesecake consistency for at least 4-6 hours.

HUGE ENERGETIC SHIFTS - SIMPLE TIPS FOR INTEGRATION

HUGE ENERGETIC SHIFTS - SIMPLE TIPS FOR INTEGRATION

By wakeup-world.com - writer C. Ara Campbell

There is a ton of energy that is moving in our world right now, which is causing big shifts in our reality. You can feel it energetically. It’s been really ramped up lately.

These shifts in vibration can manifest in many different ways. Becoming hyper-sensitive to smell, to taste, to everything around you. You’re like a finely tuned instrument that can feel and read everything. You’re tapped into the energy of others huge right now, and you’re really in touch with what they are throwing at you. You feel every facet of it, truth or lie.

It can show up as a need for detoxing, for changing eating and drinking habits, completely changing your normal routines. There can be short tempers and attention spans, feeling spaced, sleeping issues, old body pains re-surging and old heart wounds flaring. Environmental changes, weird weather patterns and energy just “feeling” different. Things have a feeling of endings and new chapters opening up.

These can be signs of huge changes about to appear, huge cosmic occurrences, and solar flares. These can be a sign of a time of expansion and of awakening to a new more in alignment perspective in our world and like any Phoenix flight, it starts with the inferno, which causes us to experience shifts in our world.

What can you do?

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CRITICISM - WHY WE NEED IT AND HOW IT HELPS US

CRITICISM - WHY WE NEED IT AND HOW IT HELPS US

By wakeup-world.com - Writer  Jack Adam Weber

Many take offense to advice when they don’t ask for it, including suggestions. Unsolicited advice can feel intrusive. It can threaten our personal space and privacy. There are also different degrees of criticism and advice, and the tone of delivery has lots to do with how well we can hear it. So does the nature of our relationship with the person from whom we receive it.

Criticism is another level of “advice,” which often comes with more punch and can push our buttons. However, I also invite us to consider criticism in a positive light, and if we don’t like its delivery, perhaps we can at least hear the core information — the helpful message — in the criticism. We also can ask for our needs — asking that criticism be delivered in a way that we’re better able to receive.

Style of delivery aside — be it angry, frustrated, insistent, blunt, etc. — let’s focus on the content of criticism.

First, when we get advice we often infer (it is not necessarily implied, meaning the rub is in the way that we think about it and emotionally react) that we are wrong, that our way of being is flawed, or even bad. This can be especially difficult if we have significant unresolved shame, meaning we judge and feel bad about our core sense of self.

Those of us interested in bettering ourselves appreciate criticism, and try to find something constructive in it. We might even try to sort through a difficult delivery of it because we want to learn and grow. Sometimes we might not like what we hear in criticism because it might be true, and this truth might cause us to see something we don’t like about ourselves or have to change somehow. The truth in criticism might also cause us to feel remorse, sadness, fear, or helpless; most are uncomfortable feeling these feelings and stave them off, thereby shooting down criticism or advice mid-air before it even makes it to our ears. Doing this can close us off to others and our own growth.

Third, we might associate criticism with childhood, when we were judged harshly or overly controlled. We then react to the present moment from a wounded place, that likely has little to do with what is currently happening. It’s reasonable not to want to be treated as we were when we were children. It’s even more reasonable, perhaps, to use critical awareness to recognize when we are having a knee-jerk childhood reaction, so that while it might seem we are being treated as children, it’s more honest to admit that we are reacting as a child. We can choose to see the current situation as adults and to respond from a more empowered and realistic sensibility.

Fourth, criticism is often associated with the shame and guilt of religion. We might feel the pain of how our parents or others wielded religious doctrines and used them as a way to violate our integrity. Some use religion to inflict condemnation and angry judgments. Yet the same religious precepts also can instill forgiveness, compassion, and wisdom. So, religion may not be to blame as much as the same core emotional wounds that cause some humans to wield religious doctrine as a sword of violence rather than as a compass for compassion.

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