1 Take a load off

A large number of us suffer back pain from sitting for long hours at desks, overdoing it with lifting and a range of other causes. One simple daily exercise, repeated five to fifteen times can help avoid and even repair damage. Start by lying on the floor with your knees bent, place your feel hip width apart, flat on the floor. Simple relax in this position and doing it daily will release and lengthen your spine.

2 Note your nibbles

Crash diets don’t work for long enough; instead maintain a food dairy to note your daily eating habits. With this you’ll be conscious of what you eat, and make healthier choices.

3 Take ten deep breaths

Breathing slowly and deeply helps shift thing along with our lymphatic system. This is important as it eliminates cellular and metabolic waste. Just 10 deep breaths, three times a day, will remove toxins and improve your brain power, by delivering 20% more oxygen to the brain.

4 Put your fork down

This is a simple thing, but it doing this forces you to chew your food more carefully and helps to prevent digestive problems that can arise from over eating or eating too quickly.

5 Make a list

Making a list of things to do is one super stress fighter. Trying to retain more than around 7 things in your short term memory will make you feel overloaded. This quickly causes your stress levels to escalate. By making a list you can ease the stress and reduce your feelings of tension. That means less stress, headaches and high blood pressure.

6 Massage your feet

If you suffer from poor circulation, it could be stealing your sleep. To sleep comfortably your temperature should decrease slightly prior to sleeping. To do this, you usually dispel heat through your face, hands and feet. For many people, particularly women, poor circulation caused by constricted blood vessels in the hands and feet means that they don’t dispel enough heat. A hand and foot massage will increase your circulation, or even a hot bath before sleeping will help.

7 An organic apple a day

The benefits of an apple have often been stated – remember the old adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’? Unfortunately apples tend to also have the highest levels of pesticide residues at 71%. That is the highest of all fruits and vegetables, which makes it the logical choice if buying organic produce.

8 Change your tea bag

Whit is the new green, but if you haven’t heard about the benefits then now is the time to find out more. White and green tea come from the same plant as black but is harvested earlier. The good thing about white tea is that it is less processed than the others and has higher levels of cancer fighting anti-oxidants.

9 Eat dried apricots

A lack of concentration, tiredness and irritability can be caused due to a lack of iron. To stop this problem from arising, you should aim to have either two helpings of lean red meat per week, or the very healthy alternative, three dried apricots a day.

10 Don’t skip meals

If you eat three meals a day you will have a healthier body. This is a super simple way to maintain well-balanced blood sugar levels and keep your mood, energy and concentration high. This will also increase your tolerance to stress.

11 Keep it crunchy

Raw vegetables hold higher amounts of vitamins and minerals. This can be lost when cooking, so aim to include some raw food as often as possible.

12 Focus on your feeling

While you may have an ultimate goal of slimming down, this goal can take time to achieve. If you want to maintain your enthusiasm, focus instead on the energy and feel good factor that you get from exercising. This more instant gratification will keep you going to achieve the fitter body you want in the long run.

Stress for different people has different causes. For some it may be a big sports game, for others a business presentation or meeting a deadline, other people get stressed by relationships and so on. Stress is the feeling of mild anxiousness that causes a range of negative physical responses in our bodies. With the onset of stress we can experience an overwhelming ‘block’ to what we hope to achieve. For example, a student might fail their exam even if they are well prepared, simply because the stress of the situation results in a mental block on the day.

Reacting the way we do in times of stress is normal for all humans, as the reaction most likely stems from our evolutionary need to respond to dangerous situations. Everyone experiences a certain degree of stress when they face a difficult situation. Stress can be brought on my difficult work, social and even everyday situations. When the feelings of stress escalate beyond a point at which it is manageable, then people may experience more dramatic physical symptoms and may seek assistance from a doctor or medical professional to manage the stress; either with medication or stress management techniques.

Practicing stress techniques is often seen as a healthier approach to stress management. This is a way to manage body and mind to overcome issues of stress. Exercise is one sure firs stress busting technique, with the added bonus that it is also good for your health. Sports and other fitness routines will help boost your wellbeing and relieve tension and frustrations, as well as increase your fitness. Releasing stress through exercise can take a range of forms. Some people de-stress with a boxing class, while others join a cycling club or take yoga to relax and release stress.

The careful practice of deep breathing is also an effective way to relieve stress. This process requires you to breath slowly and deeply from the diaphragm, to a count and a rhythm. For this reason activities such as Yoga or Tai Chi are also highly effective for eliminating stress. These two exercises focus on the relaxation of mind and body together, reducing stress patterns through the individual. Yoga and Tai Chi are also helpful for people who want to develop a closer mind and body connection. These Eastern arts have been around for centuries and recent Western medical research has uncovered the scientific side of why these offer beneficial effects. These exercises focus slow, easy movement that is directed toward building a positive energy and state of mind; this combined with muscle relaxation is a great way to help reduce stress in the individual. Other forms of stress relief can be gained through massage and techniques such as shoulder or scalp massage. These are great for relieving stress and the release of tension that can build up in these areas is a good means to reduce stress throughout the whole body.

If you are prone to stress, then the natural relief that exercise, massage, Yoga and Tai Chi offer are great alternatives to medication. For those who don’t find as much relief as they hope from these options, then taking medication under medical supervision is the final resort. All medications have potential side effects, but with the combination of options you can reduce stress and improve your health.

Summary :

Stress for different people has different causes. For some it may be a big sports game, for others a business presentation or meeting a deadline, other people get stressed by relationships and so on. Stress is the feeling of mild anxiousness that causes a range of negative physical responses in our bodies. With the onset of stress we…

Discover 10 ways to achieve better health and wellbeing. Find out how you can lose weight, improve your diet, take care of your heart, as well as boost your energy and increase your amount of regular exercise. If you want to enjoy your life more, then there are steps that can help you become healthier for life!

1. Lose Weight 2. Take More Exercise 3. Eat sensibly, with a well balanced diet. 4. Look after your heart and it will look after you. 5. Increase your energy by speeding up your metabolism. 6. Be kind to yourself. Make time for you. 7. Be positive. Your thoughts are what make you what you are. 8. Enjoy Family Life, join in games and go out as a family. 9. Improve your knowledge; you are never too old to learn. 10. Drink more water; there are no calories in water.

Lose Weight

You can lose weight successfully and healthily when you follow a safe and balanced weight loss plan. Losing weight will help you look and feel healthier. You’ll be in better shape and you’ll even have more energy. Adopt the Mantra, ‘I look good and I feel great’ and feel positive about yourself.

You might be surprised when you get that first compliment – but get used to it! Once you start achieving your weight loss goals, you will be full of energy and vitality and in better shape.

Did you put aside your favourite outfits thinking you were doomed to fat clothes? Well pull them out of the back of the closet and learn to love your ‘new’ wardrobe.

Increase Your Exercise

The more you exercise the more calories you will burn. You don’t need to go over the top to get some benefit. Start with walking regularly or even just listen to your favourite CD and dance for a bit. Don’t start on an exercise regime that you can’t keep up with. Build up slowly and steadily for lasting results.

Exercising will increase weight loss, boost your energy and even helps you feel great by releasing endorphins, natural chemicals the body produces that will lift your mood.

Eat a Well Balanced and Nutritious Diet

If you follow a well balanced diet, or even if you supplement your diet with vitamins; your overall health will improve and your energy and wellbeing will increase. Your body runs better when it is well nourished, so remember this when you are selecting foods and deliver that nourishment.

Take Care of Your Heart and It Will Take Care of You

Our hearts are a vital organ and we need to look after them. It’s never too late or early to get started. Boost your heart health with supplements such as Omega 3, 6 and 9. Capsules with these heart friendly supplements are sold in Health Food Shops. Most importantly of all, take whatever medication your GP has prescribed to you, even if you begin to feel much better.

Boost Your Energy

You can increase your energy by choosing foods that speed your metabolism. A popular diet that has shown weight loss results is the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet is a diet that is generally filled with fresh fruit and vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones, and includes olive oil and fish.

Be Kind to Yourself by Making Time for You

Give yourself a bit of pampering every so often. Look after yourself and feel good. Why not spend the evening manicuring your nails and give yourself a facial or use a mudpack. Put on your favourite music, or watch a video. The point is to choose what you want to listen to or watch, not what someone else tells you to do.

Get a massage

An aromatherapy massage can be very beneficial. Why not get someone to give you a relaxing massage to make you feel better. Make a time to have this done that is different to the pampering session.

Be Positive.

Your thoughts are what make you who you are. If you have a positive mental attitude, you will feel better about the world. Train yourself to push out any negative thoughts that threaten to creep in and instead focus on good things when this happens.

Remind yourself you are wonderful, even if you don’t always feel it. Our minds have great power, so continue to reinforce the positives and your subconscious mind will start to recognise this as the truth.

Enjoy You Family Life

Spend plenty of time with your family and enjoy the love and support these relationships offer. Let your family know how much you love them and take the time to play games and enjoy time with the kids. Never forget the old saying “The family that play together stays together.”

Don’t just limit this to the kids either; make time to spend the occasional romantic evening alone with your partner.

Improve Your Knowledge

Maintain your childlike curiosity about the world and don’t ever stop learning. This is a powerful way to be healthier and happier. So don’t ever stop that childlike desire to keep asking why.

Drink More Water

Drink plenty of water and keep your body healthy and free from build up of toxins. If you don’t drink enough water, you risk being constipated and other health issues.