3 Pink Lemons

People seem to have all kinds of excuses for not staying healthy these days. New excuses seem to be thought up each day! Here are a few of them that you might recognize:

• Healthy food is too expensive
• I don’t have time
• I don’t enjoy exercise
• I can’t afford a gym membership

These excuses are just a few of many variations that you’ll hear thrown around all the time. The fact is, you need to recognize these excuses for exactly what they are: excuses. Being on a tight budget can be tough, but it’s still no excuse to let your health go down the toilet. You’ll only end up spending more on insurance and hospital bills later on. Read on for some health advice for tight budgets:

Make The Outdoors Your Gym

You don’t need a gym membership to stay healthy at all. You can make the outdoors your gym! There are plenty of parks that can make great gyms, but if that’s not your thing, for a run. If you’re not that fit yet, just walk more. Aim for 8,000 steps per day to start with, and work your way up to at least 10,000. This is one of the best ways to stay healthy, and you’ll reduce stress and have more time to think too. Take in the fresh air and enjoy the scenes! Knowing how to reduce your stress by using walking and other techniques will make a huge difference too.

Take Care Of Yourself Regularly

Make sure you prioritize self care regularly. If you have a family, how can you expect yourself to care for them if you’re all worn out? You need to set an example to them about self care, too. If you don’t do this, you could end up getting frazzled and into situations that cause even more issues for you, such as an injury. You can work with firms to make your life easier afterwards, but that’s besides the point; you need to take care of yourself and avoid getting to that stage.

Buy In Bulk

Buy healthy food in bulk and freeze it. Prepare lots of meals so you can cook them quickly when you need something to eat fast. You can even just chop up herbs and vegetables and freeze them, pulling them out when you need to. Buying in bulk may seem expensive at first, but you’ll save money in the long run. Whether you’re looking at cleaning products or food, you can save a substantial amount this way.

Plant Your Own Vegetables/Herbs

How about planting your own veggies and herbs? You’ll always have a fresh supply and won’t have to buy them anymore.

Choose Snacks Carefully

Some snacks, such as chocolate bars, will make you crave more, thus leading you to spend more money. Choose your snacks carefully. Go for voluminous, healthy foods so that you stay fuller for longer.

There are all kinds of resources out there you can use to educate yourself, so don’t wait any longer and get healthy on a budget!

Back pain is one of the biggest causes of disability in people under the age of forty-five. It’s one of the most debilitating things that you can deal with, and it’s actually one of the most common forms of chronic pain. There are a whole host different things that can cause back pain and each different cause can come with a different solution. Being able to identify what it is that’s causing your back pain is the first step to being able actually to do something about it. With that in mind, here are some of the most common causes of back pain that you might experience.

Your lifestyle

Probably the most common cause of back pain will probably come down to your lifestyle. Often the pain can be traced back to your posture. A lot of people spend the majority of their time sitting and working at a desk. That might seem like something that’s pretty low impact, but over time sitting at a desk can have a huge effect on your posture and put a great deal of strain on your spine as well. Not only can your posture cause issues, but there are plenty of other lifestyle causes. Heavy lifting and a lack of exercise can all cause strain or weakness that can lead to serious back pain. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest causes of back pain to deal with. By making some simple lifestyle changes, particularly in regards to your posture, can make a world of difference. You may also want to make an appointment with a company that deal in this. That way you can be sure that your recovery is in the hands of a professional.

Injury

Spinal injury can be one of the most damaging and debilitating forms of injury. It can prevent you from living your life happily and comfortably, sometimes for long periods. Some spinal injuries can even have permanent effects such as lifelong stiffness or paralysis. If you suffer from long-term pain as a result of injury, it can end up being pretty costly. If you find yourself struggling with the costs of living with a spinal injury, it’s a good idea to do some research and perhaps even consult a lawyer to see if you can get any kind of compensation for it.

Arthritis

While more commonly associated with other joints throughout your body, arthritis can cause back pain as well. This tends to affect older people, but it can also be a back pain symptom in younger people as well. One of the most obvious signs that it’s an arthritic form of pain is that it’s often accompanied by a significant amount of stiffness. This is because arthritis causes a swelling of the joints, which can restrict your movement as well as causing pain. If you are suffering from arthritic back pain, then you should consult your doctor. There are plenty of treatment options that you can discuss with them. Anti-inflammatories are a fantastic method of reducing the swelling in your joints as well as managing your pain levels.

Remember, whatever the cause might be, the best possible thing that you can do is to consult your doctor and make sure that you’re not trying any treatment options without talking to them first.

Now that the summer is upon us, there are many naughty things that are so hard to refuse. What makes it hard is the time spent perfecting your summer body. Don’t go and ruin it now! That’s easier said than done. There is temptation everywhere, and sometimes it’s very hard to say no.

Staying healthy is something that we decide to do, and us humans are very intelligent. Take technology for example, it has become so advanced nowadays. The things that we can do in medicine is extraordinary. There is so much out there. So, there is no reason that you can’t do the basics of keeping yourself fit and healthy, right?

Here’s how.

Drink plenty of water.

You should know by now how important water is. Especially during summer when the sun is shining and baring all of its heat. You may love to bask in the warmth all day. It’s easy to get dehydrated and not realize until it’s too late. Then you are dealing with all the negative effects of sunstroke. So, always keep water with you, and carry a bottle around in your bag. Refill it when need be. Also, water is so good for your skin and complexion. Think of all the beauty benefits too. – It even slows down the aging process!

Embrace the barbecues.

Barbecues are as bad as you make them. They only consist of the bread and butter that you put around the meat. Barbecues are good for you and use a lot less fat than what you would use when cooking in a frying pan. Plus, they’re absolutely delicious. So you don’t need to feel guilty about them anymore, because they’re great. They also mix up the taste of eating your usual vegetables. It makes them more interesting to munch on. They’re chargrilled with a hint of steak juice – which you already know is to die for.

Early and late night walks.

When it’s really hot, the last thing that you want to do is start your exercise routine. The sun already exhausts you, and you don’t need that extra coat of sweat on top of your sweat. But this shouldn’t be an excuse not to stay active either. Luckily for you, there’s a solution. Get up early in the morning while the sun is still rising. Go for a walk to get in your dose of fitness. You can do the same in the evening too once the sun has gone down. This will make the air a lot more manageable now the sun is out of the picture.

You might think that massages are a great way to relax and unwind. They can be after a long week at work, but there is far much more to them than that. There can be many health benefits to having a massage. So, that means you need to treat yourself to one, like right now!

Relaxes Muscles and Joints

This is probably what most people associate with massages, the way they relax the whole body. This can be a huge benefit if you suffer from something such as sciatica. It’s very common and very painful as you will find out by reading What is Sciatica? or other pains in your back or joints, as relaxed muscles and joints will be a lot less painful. As long as the masseuse knows what they are doing and they go deep enough it should be an amazing relief.

Headache and Migraine Relief

Headaches and migraines are often caused by stress and regular massages can reduce the risk of them occurring. This is a much better way to stop these painful afflictions than keep taking painkillers or other tablets.

Anxiety Reduction

A relaxed body is a healthy body and it can help towards a relaxed mind. A massage can half the number of stress hormones. So, why not just relax while it is happening but will help reduce future anxiety.

Improves Repetitive Strain Injuries

Injuries of this nature are caused by repeating the same action again and again, as explained in this article. The muscles become taught and very painful and generally rest and painkillers are prescribed. However, massaging the injury can release most of the tension in the affected muscles. It can help a great deal with the recovery from the injury.

Massages can help in the same way. If you are suffering because your job means you are sitting down all day. Constant sitting is not good for your lower back. A massage can relieve the strain and reduce the pain associated with this sort of problem.

Promotes Sleep

There are so many ways our busy and stressful lives can affect us. One of them is having trouble sleeping. The relaxing effects of a massage can promote sleep. So, as well as feeling better for your therapy, you will benefit from a good nights rest.

Strengthens Your Immune System

Research has shown that a weekly massage can boost your immune system. This is great for the people that tend to suffer from minor colds and ailments every year. It was discovered that a 45-minute body massage can be very beneficial for staving off some of these minor ailments.

Help Reduce Sagging And Wrinkles

A simple face massage can help reduce sagging and wrinkles. It can make your face, scalp and hair healthier too. Again, it is the relaxing effects that help you face to ward off the effects of aging.

A Relaxed Body Works Better

When your body is relaxed you blood flows easier. This has many health benefits including better organ functionality and improved cell growth. Conditions such as high blood pressure will also improve if you have regular massages.

Visiting a professional massage therapist is usually the best way. but there are times when self-massage can help as well. Sore legs muscles after a long walk are just one of the way we self-massage without even realizing it. We usually rub them to get the blood flowing and ease the soreness and that amounts to massaging them.

Getting into a regular fitness routine is never easy. In fact, it’s a route pathed with excuses and reasons why not. You’d love to go out running tonight, but you have a lot of housework to do. You’re desperate to make use of your gym membership; only you don’t feel like you fit in. And, of course, you would love to finally get around to the home gym, only…you have to work?

That’s right. Home commitments and self-confidence aside, work is often in the way of fitness goals. Yet, few of us realize it. We may blame everything under the sun for our avoidance without realizing our careers are the real problem. As well as doing us a disservice, this leaves us unable to address the issue. And, thus, our get fit efforts are forever doomed.

But, how exactly does work get in the way of exercise? And, what can you do about it?

Work saps all your energy

By the end of a long day, the last thing you want to do is get dressed and go running. With Netflix and comfy clothes calling, it’s near enough impossible to find workout motivation. After all, don’t you work hard enough during the day? If this sounds familiar, why not change the way you approach exercise? If work leaves you without energy, an obvious solution would be to work out before you head off every day. You could do this by either getting up early or asking your boss if you can arrive late and leave late. Then, you can never use lacking energy as an excuse again.

Work leaves you physically unable to work out

Builders and office workers alike complain of strain injuries, especially in the neck and back. And, for obvious reasons, this can cause issues with fitness routines. Try lifting a set of weights after a day of sitting on inadequate office chairs. Make efforts, too, to know correct lifting procedures or exercises which can help avoid repetitive strain. A few weeks with these in place should leave you ready to rumble.

Work leaves you too little time

Work also takes up a shocking amount of time. Thus, working out can seem impossible. It may be that you don’t finish until the gym is closed, or that you start before it’s light. Sadly, you aren’t going to like this solution, but it’s the best option. By waking up earlier, you create hours in your day. Even waking up half an hour earlier may leave you time to do a quick session of yoga before you set out for the day. Failing that, make use of your lunch break. Head to the gym for a half an hour session, then grab a sandwich on your way back to work. Just like that, time won’t be an issue any longer!

The Joy of Travel with No Destination. Nowadays, the modern form of travel seems to be to have everything meticulously booked in advance. Doesn’t this take away part of the great joy of traveling? The feeling of adventure and arriving in a new place. The thrill of spontaneity that you don’t know where each new day is going to take you. The stories that you will undoubtedly have to tell after getting back from a trip of this kind. Still not convinced? Here are just a few of the main reasons why you should consider traveling without a fixed destination in mind.

The Freedom of Choice

You have the total freedom to choose whatever you would like to do and go wherever you want to go. You are not bogged down by a pre-planned itinerary that leaves you fixed in what you are doing. It may seem a little scary at first, this is the way that you really get to know a place. Get underneath the surface of the main monuments and tourist traps. Access to modern technology, you know that you always have instant access to a map. If you get lost or if you are in desperate need of accommodation.

You Set the Agenda

In a group tour with lots of other people, you are restricted by the itinerary that is already laid out. However, when you set out on your own or with family, you can choose what you would like to do. If you aren’t happy with a place, you have the freedom to simply move on. This is an even more viable option if you choose to go on a camping trip. Camping trips are often the kind that lives long in the memory.

You Will Come Back with Plenty of Stories

How many stories can you possibly come back with about staying in an all-inclusive hotel? When you set out without a destination in mind, you are bound to come back with a host of anecdotes. It will amaze your friends and family. Even if what is happening at the time is bad, this will make for a great story when you return. You’re also more likely to visit places that have not been seen in the past. People are much more interested to hear these tales rather than ones about ones everyone has already visited.

So, there you have three of the main reasons why traveling without a destination is an incredible experience. If you are nervous, start on on a trip of just a couple of days before building this up over time.

The Joy of Travel with No Destination

How Quitting Stimulants Can Improve Your Health. If you’re a health-conscious person, you already spend a significant amount of your time thinking about your health. Also, ways to further improve your lifestyle, habits, and environment to feel better, live longer and have more energy.

It’s pretty much impossible to deal with every potential threat to your health that’s out there. The world is very big, after all, and our understanding of the complexities of every chemical reaction is limited.

With that being the case, one of the best overall health strategies is to focus on the obvious stuff. Addiction is one of the key areas where we can make positive change. What about addiction to something more common and every day? Like caffeine or nicotine?

We tend not to think of legal stimulant addiction as being a serious health issue. But there are some good reasons to consider making the plunge and quitting stimulants.

Here are some ways that quitting stimulants can improve your health.

By improving your sleep

Sleep is essential for good health. Long-term sleep deprivation can lead to everything from perpetual, low-level fatigue and depression, to irreversible brain damage and even death.

Stimulants can have a deeply negative impact on your ability to get to bed at night. Even if you leave a gap of time between taking stimulants and sleep. You may find that the quality of your sleep is disrupted by the changing balance of hormones in your body. It can also be hormone receptor sensitivity.

One of the first benefits that people notice when quitting stimulants, is that they sleep longer and deeper.

By balancing out your energy levels

People use stimulants to boost their energy levels, as we all know. What we may not know is that the effects of stimulants on our energy levels. It can become seriously negative over time.

Stimulants typically work by dramatically affecting our hormone profiles. We tend to experience the increased energy in “bursts”, followed by inevitable crashes later on.

After prolonged stimulant use, people often rely on their morning cup of coffee, or cigarette. This is just to become functional in the morning — nevermind amped up.

Dropping stimulants can help you return to enjoying consistent, balanced energy levels.

By normalising your stress hormone production

Cortisol is the primary “stress hormone” of the body. Along with other hormones like adrenaline — triggers the “fight or flight” response to threats.

Stimulants chronically elevate these stress hormone and put our bodies into a state of “alertness” around the clock. This is a major issue. As elevated stress hormone levels ruin our health — including damaging our brains and making it harder to develop new memories. Calm is the antidote.

Keeping your stress hormone levels under control is fundamental to good health. For many people, quitting stimulants helps with this dramatically.