6 Fun Steps to Live Longer

There is one thing you can do that will help you in the life quest more than anything, it’s to enjoy life, it’s a present, you do have the choice to enjoy every minute of it, and accept everything it gives you as a teaching.

Here are some suggestions that may help you:

• Laughter is good for you it’s official. Numerous studies have shown that the more you laugh the better you are likely to feel and the longer you will live. Nobody is quite sure why this is the case, although there is evidence that laughter releases positive hormones and endorphins in the brain and body, so that the reason for the resulting change in mood is primarily chemical. Do whatever makes you laugh and it will benefit you.

• Drink red wine, it is packed with resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant. This works to protects your body against the effects of aging. One or two glasses of red wine a day can help keep your body feeling young.

• Eat dark chocolate, it is made from cocoa and contains a large amount of antioxidants that protect your body from aging too. Eating chocolate may lower your blood pressure and cholesterol while providing an energy boost.

• Relax; always go in the opposite direction of stress. While stress brings harmful health effects, relaxation helps our bodies to rest, heal, and function better.

• Turn exercise into play, physical games and sports are great way to keep both your body and mind healthy. Simple exercise routines are excellent for maintaining balance, flexibility, endurance, and strength.

• Finally, get a good sleep; it is an essential body function. The health benefits of sleep include more energy, better immune functions and many more.

How to Substitute Natural Foods for Refined Foods

Most convenience foods are refined, which means while they may be affordable and tasty they are really bad for your health. So, if you are interested in getting healthy then you need to substitute natural foods for refined foods. It will take some time to get accustomed to eating natural foods, but you will find they taste better and are much healthier for you.

1- The first thing you need to do is eliminate all the refined foods from your kitchen. Once you have them cleaned out then you can make a grocery list of what you need. Believe it or not, you can find many natural foods that are just as good as their refined versions, but natural and healthy. A good example of this is peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has no hydrogenated oils in it and is good for you. That's not the case with traditional peanut butter. Cakes and cookies are traditionally full of refined ingredients like white sugar and white flour. But, you can find plenty of cakes and cookies made with natural ingredients that are healthier for you and taste better. The easiest thing to do is clean out your cabinets and then go shopping at a natural foods grocery store like Whole Foods.

2- When you buy fresh ingredients you will almost always be making a good choice. However, choose fresh ingredients that are organic or naturally grown. Natural foods are not refined so they are always a better choice than refined foods even if they aren't organic. However, if you are serious about your health then you will be better off spending a few more dollars and buying organic and natural foods. It really is worthwhile and will benefit you significantly.

3- You may find that changing all of your food eating habits at once is a little overwhelming, so start slow. Switch refined white bread for whole grain breads. Also, don't buy any pre-packaged cookies, cereals, or snacks unless they are natural or organic. Once you have made this switch, then you can start changing other things you eat, too. When you make the change gradually ,you will see that it is easier to do and easier to stick with.

4- Finally, you may want to carry your own natural foods with you when you travel, go to the movies or just to have in the car. These days more places are likely to carry natural or organic products. However, you won't always find this and it is better to be safe than sorry. So, buy natural foods and take them with you on a picnic, keep some in your purse for quick snacks and simply enjoy the fact that you are eating healthier than ever before.

How to Avoid Junk Foods

Junk food can have a terrible effect on your body. There are countless cases of people eating themselves to obesity. Why do they do this? Think of it like a drug: It makes them feel better in the moment, so they forget the future costs. Consider this piece of information published on the health site Mercola, quoting a Yahoo! News piece. "Research has shown that almost one-third of the U.S. diet consists of sugar-filled cans of soda and bags of potato chips." So how do you stop doing eating bad foods? Dieting is never easy, no matter what certain infomercials say. However, there are painless ways to diet and avoid junk foods. Start by understanding why you like them so much

1- Understand your thinking. Maybe chocolate does help your mental thinking for a moment. It’s apt to make you smile. So how do you avoid junk foods like chocolate? Find healthier eating escapes at all times of the day as junk food eating is often based on impulse. Bread is good and you can add peanut butter to have a healthy, high protein snack that can replace a chocolate candy bar.

2- Act. Do you find yourself eating late at night? This actually isn’t a bad thing; the myth of eating late at night and gaining weight has been discounted in many studies. But what are you eating? Are you more apt to go to the ice cream carton to fill up? You can stop this junk food habit by either deciding to cut out late night eating or replace the food you eat with healthy alternatives, such as fruits or even a large glass of water to fill you up. Yogurt is a good alternative to ice cream. Cookies can be traded in for the popular “100 Calorie” snack packs. Look to canned fruits next, which are much healthier than downing ice cream and potato chips. A nice vegetable mix can do wonders for your health. Look at the sodium contents of vegetables, because certain products like creamed corn are far from vegetables.

3- Consider the costs. Obesity can lead to countless health problems at the cost of your quality of life and even your life itself. The monetary cost of junk foods adds up, too. A good strategy is to write down your expenditures on junk foods from morning to night: That candy bar cost you a dollar, the bag of chips a few more, a half a carton of ice cream and so on. This financial reminder gives you another reason to quit. Bread and butter is far cheaper and healthier than consistently downing soda, sugar and bags of chips. Often, if you choose the right foods, you will be saving money from the start.

4- Other escapes. There are other escapes for you to do than snack. So how do you avoid filling your spare time with junk food? Junk food addiction is a battle of the mind in many ways, and where you think you need something, you really don’t. Read a book, do a craft, go for a walk, talk on the phone or write in a journal when you would usually head to the pantry.

5- Defeating impulses. The last hurdle is fighting the impulse. If you sense an impulse coming, examine it as you would any other irrational thought. Will this item truly make you happy? The next time you decide to take one box of cookies to bed, consider this strategy of eating right. Avoid your impulses—they are the enemy. Junk foods may hurt your wallet, but high starch and saturated fat does more than just add to your belly—they tend to lower life spans.

11 Ways to Boost Your Lymphatic System for Great Health

Glands, lymph nodes, the spleen, thymus gland and tonsils co-create the lymphatic system, which cleans our body’s cells and carries the body’s cellular sewage away from the tissues to the blood, where it can be filtered by two of the body’s main detoxification organs: the liver and kidneys.

The main symptoms of lymphatic problems are felt in your shoulder and neck area. If you have been suffering from injuries, excess weight, cellulite, pain disorders like arthritis, bursitis, headaches or others, a sluggish lymphatic system may be playing a role.

1. Breathe deeply.

Breathe in that sweet smell of healing oxygen. Breathe out toxins. Our lymph system relies on the pumping action of deep breathing to help it transport toxins into the blood before they are detoxified by the liver.

2. Get moving.

Exercise daily to ensure the lymph system flows properly.

3. Drink plenty of water.

To help ensure the water is readily absorbed by your cells add some fresh lemon juice or oxygen or pH drops.

4. Forget the soda, trash the neon-colored sports drinks, and drop the fruit “juices”

This sugar, color- and preservative-laden beverages add to the already overburdened workload your lymph system must handle.

5. Eat more raw fruit on an empty stomach.

The enzymes and acids in fruit are powerful lymph cleansers

6. Eat plenty of green vegetables

Green vegetables give you adequate chlorophyll to help purify your blood and lymph system.

7. Eat raw, unsalted nuts and seeds

These seeds are packed with fatty acids that may power up your lymph nodes.

8. Add a few lymph-boosting herbal teas

Astragalus, echinacea, goldenseal, pokeroot or wild indigo root tea are beneficial to your lymph system.

9. Dry skin brush before showering.

Brush your dry skin in circular motions upward from the feet to the torso and from the fingers to the chest. The lymph flows towards the heart, therefore you should work in the same direction.

10. Alternate hot and cold showers for several minutes

The heat dilates the blood vessels and the cold causes them to contract.

11. Get a gentle massage.

There is nothing more relaxing than a well done massage, and it can be extremely healing as well, studies have shown that a gentle massage can push up to 78 percent of stagnant lymph back into circulation.

9 Foods That Help You Sleep Well

Are you one of the 50 million Americans that have trouble falling asleep? Adding these foods to your diet may help to increase your odds of a successful slumber.

The health benefits of a good night’s rest are countless: it helps keep you happy, your brain sharp, your immune system strong, your waistline trim, your skin looking youthful and lowers your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease.

1. Fish

Most fish, especially salmon, halibut and tuna, boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness.

2. Jasmine Rice

The greater amounts of insulin triggered by the high-glycemic-index meals increased the ratio of sleep-inducing tryptophan relative to other amino acids in the blood, allowing proportionately more to get into the brain.

3. Tart Cherry Juice

Melatonin-rich tart cherry juice has been shown to aid sleep. Drink a cup of tart cherry juice twice a day for relief of severe insomnia.

4. Yogurt

Dairy products boast healthy doses of calcium, helping to prevent being calcium-deficient, which can make it difficult to fall asleep.

5. Whole Grains

Whole grains are rich in magnesium and consuming too little magnesium may make it harder to stay asleep.

6. Kale

Green leafy vegetables boast healthy doses of calcium too.

7. Bananas

Bananas are well-known for being rich in potassium, they are also a good source of Vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin.

8. Chickpeas

Chickpeas boast vitamin B6 too, which is needed to make melatonin.

9. Fortified Cereals

Fortified cereals also boast vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin.

7 Powerful Foods To Naturally Calm Your Nervous System

Today’s crazy lifestyle can do a lot to our central nervous system, especially if we are not taking proactive steps to counteract this perpetual negative effect on our body.

An overtaxed nervous system typically expends most of its resources just trying to defend the body against attack, whether it is in the form of anxiety, panic, or stress; all of which deplete your energy reserves and potentially even harm your endocrine system.

There is a simple way to counteract this damage, consume foods that minimize the amount of time and energy your nervous system spends in catabolic mode. There are many foods that nourish, heal, and regenerate the body.

Here are seven powerful foods that can help calm your nervous system naturally for maximum health:

1) Whey

Whey is naturally rich in L-tryptophan, which has been shown to assist in the production of serotonin, which regulates endocrine, digestive, nervous system, and blood health, and also a whole range of other healing amino acids and nutrients, which are excellent for calming your nervous system.

Whey is also rich in L-glutamine, a non-essential amino acid that is the precursor to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a substance that helps regulate the nervous system and promote calmness.

2) Sweet potatoes, yams

This starchy vegetable has bulk to keep you satisfied and an impressive nutrient roster, containing high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins, sweet potatoes are a nutritionally-dense food that can help calm your nerves, eliminate stress, and even lower your blood pressure.

Similarly, yams contain an array of nutrient compounds that feed the glandular system and promote respiratory, urinary, and nervous system health.

3) Bananas.

This handy, easy-open package fruit is packed with high doses of potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and other nutrients that help boost production of digestion-enhancing mucous, as well as promoting feelings of happiness and calm inside the body. They aid in the production of serotonin and melatonin, which are crucial regulators of mood and sleeping patterns.

4) Green herbal tea

Green tea contains an amino acid known as L-theanine that enhances mood by stimulating the production of alpha waves in the brain and reduces stress and promote relaxation naturally.

5) Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate and cacao are packed with antioxidants, essential minerals and protective plant nutrients called flavanols, they also contain L-tryptophan, and magnesium, a mineral widely recognized for its ability to calm the nervous system.

Dark Chocolate also contains a neurotransmitter known as anandamide that has the ability to alter dopamine levels in the brain, causing a sense of peace and relaxation.

6) Brazil nuts

Said to be nature’s richest source of selenium, Brazil nuts are virtually unmatched in the nut world when it comes to relaxing the nervous system

7) Spinach.

Spinach is the best way to obtain a high input of fat-soluble vitamins that contribute to the building up of the fatty layers that protect your nerves from damage, such as vitamin K, in order for your brain and nervous system to function as they should

How to Treat Sweaty Palms and Feet Naturally

Sweaty palms and feet can be caused by hyperhidrosis, a rare condition in which the sweat glands on various parts of the body are overactive, or they may be a symptom of a more serious condition. Once the latter is ruled out, excessive sweating of the palms and feet may be treated with several natural remedies. These treatments may work well for some and not so well for others, depending on body chemistry and severity of the condition. However, they are all safe to use in moderation, so experiment and find what works best for you. There's nothing to lose but those embarrassing sweaty palms and feet

1- Steep five regular tea bags in one quart of hot water. Allow the mixture to cool completely, and then soak feet or hands for 30 minutes. This treatment works by clogging the pores that produce sweat, but may only provide temporary relief. However, it can be repeated as necessary and daily treatments are recommended. The tea treatment should prevent sweaty palms and feet for 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the severity of the condition.

2- Combine several tablespoons of Epsom salt with water as hot as you can tolerate. Soak the feet every night for at least 30 minutes in the solution. Prepare a separate batch for soaking the hands and you can treat sweaty palms and feet at the same time. Although it's not exactly clear how the salt works to treat excessive sweating, it has been used to successfully treat various types of hyperhidrosis according to a 2004 article published in "Podiatry Today."

3- Sprinkle alum powder, which can typically be found in the spice aisle of the grocery store, inside your socks before putting them on each morning. Dust a light coating over the palms first thing in the morning as well, and sweaty palms and feet should be eliminated for most of the day. Carry the powder with you and reapply if necessary in the afternoon. Alum has the ability to block the pores and prevent excessive sweating. It is extremely effective for most people, but frequent reapplication may be necessary for severe cases of hyperhidrosis.

4- Sprinkle 1 to 2 ounces of boric acid into a pair of white cotton socks. Put the socks on and leave them in place for 48 to 72 hours. Remove the socks and wash your feet thoroughly using soap and hot water. Follow with one of the soaks mentioned above for the best results, and then dry with a clean towel. There is strong anecdotal evidence that this treatment works for even the most sever cases of excessive sweating. Perform the same treatment using white cotton gloves for the hands, and you can treat sweaty palms and feet simultaneously.