5 Best Sports for Overall Fitness

Playing sports keeps you physically and mentally fit. It engages your mind and body and even acts as a stress buster. Before you start playing, do some warmups as it will activate your whole body and increase blood flow.

Practice a few shots or get the movements and postures correct before playing the sport. Involve your friends so you’ll not only enjoy the game but receive motivation from them as well. After you’ve done playing cool your body with some stretching exercise. Stretching helps your muscles to relax and avoids pain and cramps.

To avoid overstressing play with moderate intensity. Build your stamina and also learn some breathing techniques. All these steps will help you to avoid getting tired quickly.

Here are five sports activities that’ll boost your fitness.

Swimming

Swimming is a low impact activity that’s suitable for people of ages. It provides an allover body workout and builds muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. To get a good workout, swim for about 30 minutes, so your actual exercise time is at least 20 minutes as opposed to your rest time. If you’re a beginner, commit yourself to 30 minutes per workout, three times a week.

Tennis

Tennis helps to maintain your fitness, agility, and strength. While playing tennis, drink lots of fluids to rehydrate yourself regularly. Tennis is a great workout. It increases your metabolic function, improves bone density, lowers resting heart rate, and blood pressure. It’s a non-impact sport, and it is the best way to spend time with friends. Many club courts and public courts are available for hire, and you could utilize them.

While playing the game, it’s essential that you follow specific safety rules, never play tennis with any pre-existing injury. Play the volume of tennis appropriate to your fitness level and use correct techniques to prevent injury.

Cycling

Cycling is a low impact exercise that you can fit into your daily routine by riding to park, shop, school, or work. It’s a good muscle workout as it uses all the major muscle groups while you pedal. Cycling reduces body fat levels, improves joint mobility, decreases stress levels, and improves posture and coordination. Harvard Health states that a 155-pound person burns about 520 calories per hour of moderate cycling.

Basketball

Basketball gives you an excellent full body workout. Moreover, it helps you develop lean muscle. It burns calories, builds endurance, improves balance and coordination, and could be played by people of all ages and abilities. This sport dramatically enhances your mental health. It boosts self-image, promotes good sleep, and reduces stress.

If you want to get started with basketball, check out your local sports centers on the information on joining a team or else you can start one. While playing basketball, it’s good to wear sports shoes that provide ankle support. Also, mouth guards, protective knee, and elbow pads are a must.

Squash

It’s a fast-moving sport that sees you running, diving and leaping for the ball. Squash is easy to learn. It can be played as a leisure as well as a competitive sport. This sport is suitable for all ages, and the game can be modified to suit all skill levels.

Squash has plenty of health benefits. Moreover, it improves hand-eye coordination, increases strength in the back, improves cardiovascular health, maintains a healthy weight, and promotes excellent agility, and flexibility. While playing squash, it’s recommended to wear eye protection.

Squat requires a lot of movement, so wear light clothing like t-shirts, shorts, and skirts. Visit your doctor if you have a medical condition if you’re over 40 years of age and are overweight.

Be active by playing sports to improve your fitness as well as your mental health.

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Sun Poisoning: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

Holly Barrington was on a holiday when she was diagnosed with a severe case of sun poisoning. This young girl had fully protected herself against the UV rays, she had applied sunblock, and had protected her head with a hat and her eyes with sunglasses.

But she says her sunglasses let her down. When she went back to her room, she felt her face was swollen and feeling hot. The next morning she saw in the bathroom mirror that her eyes were swollen big so much so that she looked like a chipmunk. Her greatest fear was that she might go blind.

What is Sun Poisoning and How Does it Look Like?

Sun poisoning is a lay term for terrible sunburn. It’s not a medical diagnosis but inflammation of your skin caused by ultraviolet radiation. Your skin will turn into a shade of lobster red; besides, you might develop a rash or blisters.

You may feel pain in the affected area. Moreover, if you have a weak immune system, you might also experience photodermatoses: these are skin eruptions that occur due to sun exposure.

You’ll be at an increased risk of sun poisoning if you have a light complexion, are on antibiotics or have a family history of skin cancer. Also, other factors include your living conditions whether you live in extremely hot regions or high altitudes, whether you frequently go to the beach, or are using chemical peels or antibiotics. Applying citrus oil before going out can also increase sunburn.

What are the Symptoms?

Sun poisoning shares a few symptoms, with regular sunburn such as pain, blistering, and redness. Also, severe sunburn can lead to headache, fever, and chills, nausea, dehydration, and dizziness. Generally, the symptoms appear after a few hours of being out in the sun. Or the symptoms can take up a day or even longer to manifest.

Types of Sun Poisoning

Sun poisoning is basically of two types polymorphous light eruption and solar urticaria. PMLE occurs in people who are at risk as well as to those who are not exposed to intense heat. The symptoms may include severe skin rashes such as small bumps over the exposed parts of the body, hives and dense clumps of bumps.

Solar urticaria produces symptoms within a few minutes after exposure to the sun. The symptoms include itchiness, redness, dizziness, wheezing, hives, and loss of consciousness.

Treatment

When you’re sun poisoned and suffer from extreme blistering and dehydration then pay a visit to your doctor. If blisters are covering a large area of your body, then visit your doctor right away.

If you’re suffering from a mild form of sunburn, take cool showers, to soothe the pain as well as to bring down your body temperature. Aloe vera gel and cold milk compress can work wonders for your sunburnt skin. The lipids in the milk can soothe your burnt skin.

Keep yourself well hydrated by drinking extra fluids. Over the counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen helps to relieve pain. Completely cover the sunburnt areas while venturing out in the sun.

How to Treat Sun Poisoning Naturally

Home treatments help you to relax as well as soothe the inflamed skin. Here are some home remedies that you can try.

Aloe vera

Scrape some aloe gel from the aloe leaf. Apply evenly on the affected area and leave it for 30 minutes. Then wash in cold water. Repeat this process 3 to 4 times daily.

Aloe contains potent anti-inflammatory properties that will soothe your skin. Its wound healing properties help to heal the blisters and burns that are caused due to sun poisoning.

Green tea bags

Chill used green tea bags in a refrigerator, and gently place the tea bag on the sunburnt area. Leave it for 30 minutes. Do it many times a day to obtain maximum benefits.

Green tea is rich in antioxidants. The anti-inflammatory properties of these antioxidants soothe the inflamed skin and reduce the severity of blisters and peeling skin.

Honey

Take pure organic honey and slowly apply it on your affected areas. Let it remain for 30 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. Honey has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that can calm down irritated skin. Its wound healing properties heal the blisters on your sun poisoned skin.

Cold milk

Apply a cold compress with cold milk diluted with water. The cold milk soothes the heat of the skin. The antioxidants vitamins A and D help assist in healing the skin. The lactic acid removes the dead cells out of your skin.

How to Prevent Sun poisoning

Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or above to your exposed parts. Put it on 15-30 minutes before you go out in the sun. Reapply after a gap of two hours. Avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m in the morning and 2 p.m. in the afternoon. Wear sunglasses, a hat, and protective clothing.

Wear sun protective clothing with built-in UPF (similar to SPF for fabric). Always remember that snow, water, and sand can increase the impact of the UV rays. While choosing sunglasses, make sure that they have 100 percent UV protection, also known as UV400. Coco Leni, and Warby Parker are some of the trusted names to choose your aviators.

Enjoy Your Summer

Summer is a beautiful time to relax with your near and dear ones. Protect your self from the damaging rays of the sun by layering up sunscreen. Cover your head with a hat, wear 100% UV protected sunglasses and keep yourself well hydrated.

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You Will T​hank Us: Amazing Tips About Grass-fed Meat You Need to Know

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. 

When I was a kid, my late aunt used to talk a lot about grass-fed meat. In fact, she would even start a fight if we bought meat other than grass fed ones.

Her main argument was grass-fed meat is healthier as animals are allowed to graze in the pasture, breathe in the fresh air, bask in the sunlight and above all be stress-free.

These animals are grown in more humane conditions. As a result, the quality of meat is superior to conventional meat. Grass-fed meat contains more nutrients and is devoid of pathogens present in traditional meat.

It does not suffice to say she was adamant in her belief, that she even started a small farm in a big plot of land that we owned. I still remember those good old days.

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“ButcherBox bacon is uncured, applewood-smoked, free from added sugars and nitrates, and never given antibiotics or hormones. Plus, ButcherBox customers say it’s the best they’ve ever tasted!”-ButcherBox

What is Grass-fed Meat?

Grass-fed meat is much leaner as well as higher in essential nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Also, grass-fed meat has more omega 3 fatty acids than conventional meat. It is also less likely to contain bacteria that have become resistant to three or more classes of antibiotic.

Though grass-fed meat is excellent in all these aspects, it doesn’t have an official definition. The grass-fed label indicates that the sheep or cattle have been fed with only their mother’s milk, and had greens and grass throughout their lives. Also, they were free to roam in pastures during their growing up years. However, the meat could also be from cattle who relatively for only a short time ate grass. If you want to be sure, go in for labels that say 100 percent grass-fed meat.

It’s possible to find meat that is both grass fed and organic. The USDA requirements for organic meat include the animals should not be treated with antibiotics or hormones. They must be fed with organic, vegetarian foods and must be given access to outdoors. But this type of meat tends to be a bit pricey.

Health Benefits of Grass-fed Meat

Eating red meat as a part of a healthy balanced diet is beneficial to your overall health.

Higher amounts of CLA

Your body doesn’t produce conjugated linoleic acid, so it is essential that you get it in your diet. CLA fights cancer, boosts your immunity, increases metabolism, and keeps your cholesterol levels under control.

A study published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer says that women who consumed the highest levels of CLA in their food had a lower risk of breast cancer than their counterparts who consumed the lowest levels of CLA.

CLA helps you to lose weight because it increases your basal metabolic rate. Also, it maintains a favorable fat-muscle ratio. Cows that feed on grass have a higher amount of CLA in their meat. A study which compared grass-fed and grain fed cows found that CLA was higher in grass-fed cows.

Reduces the risk of heart attack

Grass-fed meat has two to four times higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids than grain fed meat. Omega 3 fatty acids are more heart friendly. They are useful for making hormones that regulate the heart, blood, and genetic function.
Also, grass-fed meat has less overall fat and unhealthy fat, low level of dietary cholesterol, more CLA, and vitamin E.

Rich in carotenoids

Grass-fed meat has a rich yellow color and a superior flavor. The rich yellow color is due to the presence of carotenoids, which have beta carotene and lutein. These potent antioxidants fight cancer and heart disease.

Likely free from hormones and antibiotics

Grain fed cows are given hormones to increase their weight and provide more meat. The animals are confined to smaller spaces, which increases the spread of disease.

So farmers use antibiotics to control it. Consuming meat that is exposed to a variety of antibiotics could increase the risk of antibiotic resistance in human beings. The hormones in grain fed meat can also cause early puberty in kids.

On the other hand, meat that is organic and grass-fed is free from antibiotics or hormones. Choosing grass-fed meat over conventional meat reduces your risk of food poisoning as well as having fewer antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Grass-fed meat is good for the environment.

Ruminant animals and grass-fed cows have a symbiotic relationship with the pastures they graze. Not only do they clear fields and encourage new plant growth, but also builds fertile soil with their nutrient-rich compostable manure.

How to Find Grass-fed Meat

If you’re unsure where to find grass-fed meat contact a trusted local rancher and buy meat directly from them. Also, you can contact organic ranchers online such as ButcherBox, Snake River Farms, FarmFoods, and many other ranchers if you don’t have access to a local rancher near you. When purchasing grass-fed meat at your local supermarkets look for the certification of American Grassfed Association.

Healthier Ways to Eat Red Meat

Moderation is vital while eating red meat. The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests a link between red meat and colorectal cancer. To reduce the risk consume red meat paired with nutrient-rich whole foods.

For example, wrap the red meat in romaine leaves and top it with red onion, tomato, and avocado. What’s more, you could even serve it with a healthy starch like baked sweet potato or black beans. Enjoying your grass-fed meat along with these kinds of good combos as a part of overall healthy eating practices is the cornerstone to wellbeing and disease prevention.

Eating natural foods is essential for a healthy life. Grasses and herbs are a more natural diet for ruminant animals than corn or soy. At the end of the day, it’s your choice to eat what’s best for you.

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CBD Beauty Products- Do They Actually Work

Unless you’ve been living under a stone, you’ve would hear the term CBD. Also, known as Cannabidiol, this product is now everywhere.

Cannabis oil is a concentrated liquid extract obtained from the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa. It is one of the many non-psychoactive compounds in cannabis with plenty of healing properties.

Cannabis oil has found its ways into our honey, hot chocolates, and even our pet foods. Lately, it has also entered into the beauty and wellness arena.

Natural beauty and skin care lines are jumping at this opportunity to incorporate CBD oil into a wide array of products from bath salts to lip balms to lotions because this oil is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound.

Beauty Benefits

Board certified dermatologists like Dr. Debra Jaliman recommend the use of this natural product for skin and hair since it is rich in vitamins A, C and E. Vitamin A stimulate the cells which produce tissues, and help to keep your skin firm and youthful.

Vitamin C fights the process of aging by stimulating the production of collagen and keeping your skin soft and supple. Likewise, vitamin E blocks free radicals and slows down the process of aging. CBD anti-aging creams diminish wrinkles, ruddy skin tone, and skin dullness.

Cannabis oil can also benefit breakout-prone complexions. Acne is an inflammatory condition which is linked to overproduction of sebum by sebaceous glands.

New research says that this non-psychoactive oil can help reduce sebum production. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help to soothe acne prone skin.

Another benefit of CBD oil is that it soothes irritated, sensitive skin. Its soothing and skin normalizing properties help reduce issues related to skin sensitivity, including redness.

Even though your skin may not be sensitive, it may get affected by environmental stressors. Using Cannabis oil beauty creams will protect your skin from the harmful environmental effects.

Things to Know Before Shopping for CBD Skincare

If you suffer from cystic acne, sunburn, wrinkles, skin dullness, and sensitivity CBD might be for you. Charlotte Palermino Co-founder of Nice Paper- a cannabis education platform gives valuable tips about choosing Cannabis oil skincare to Marie Claire.com

Before buying know your terminology, look for whole plant hemp, hemp extract, cannabis sativa extract, phytocannabinoids, phytocannabinoid rich (PCR) and Cannabidiol.

If these terms are on the label, there’s actual CBD in your products. This product is still mostly unregulated. CBD rich products will cost more than their lesser counterparts. Make sure you are spending your dollars on the quality product.

Finding a powerful formula requires some calculation. Compare the milligrams of Cannabis oil listed on the label, to the ounces on the packaging. If you want a potent formula, smaller bottles may have substantial doses while a large container that cost less will contain diluted CBD.

Next dosing is important. Check whether CBD or any related terminology is on the top half list of the ingredients. If it’s not present, then the dosing could be weak. If you find fragrance above CBD then probably it’s not very strong.

Shop responsibly and ask the brand for a Certificate of Analysis. This action proves that the brand has done exact testing on their product. Finally, look for diversity and support brands that are run by women and people of color. Try to encourage brands that support social justice.

If you put some thought into your CBD beauty products, it will not only enhance your beauty but be beneficial for the society as well.

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Can Melatonin Supplement Help You to Sleep

Can Melatonin improve your sleeping habits because sleep is essential to work at our optimum best? Also, it boosts our overall wellbeing.

Insomnia and other sleep disorders may affect your sleep quality. This, in turn, makes you feel cranky and tired the next day.

An energetic mind and body keep you cheerful and alert throughout the day.

What is Melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone produced by your pineal gland in your brain. This pea-sized gland helps your body to distinguish between sleeping and waking up time. Also called sleep hormone melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that provides various other benefits to your body.

During the night your body produces this sleep hormone in large quantities. The hormone levels begin to shoot up once the sun goes down. Alternatively, the levels drop during the morning time.

Body clock and the amount of light that you get each day are the deciding factors in the amount of Melatonin that your body produces.

Along with inducing sleep, Melatonin treats stomach ulcers, supports eye health, subsides heartburn, eases tinnitus symptoms, and increases the growth hormone levels in men.

Melatonin is available as a supplement in the form of liquid, pills and chewable tablets as well as in natural and artificial forms. The natural supplement is obtained from the pineal gland in animals.

How Does it Work?

This sleep hormone works along with your body’s circadian rhythm otherwise known as the body’s internal clock. Moreover, Melatonin helps to regulate your blood pressure, body temperature and hormone levels.

Its levels start to rise when it becomes dark outside. Also, it helps your body to relax by binding to receptors. For example, it binds to brain receptors to reduce nerve activity and reduces dopamine levels in your eyes to keep you awake.

In short, it helps your body to relax and makes you to sleep. Conversely, people who don’t make enough of it struggle to fall asleep. Low levels of Melatonin are caused due to many factors.

Smoking, stress, exposure to too much light during the night( including the blue light), aging and shift work drastically affect the production of Melatonin. Supplementing it in your diet helps to normalize your internal clock.

Who Should Take it?

People with the following conditions can find melatonin supplementation useful.

  • Insomnia
  • Delayed sleep phase disorder
  • Sleep work disorder where jobs disrupt regular sleep schedules
  • And to prevent or treat jet lag.

Is it Safe to Supplement it?

Melatonin usually brings fewer side effects than other sleep medicines.

Melatonin may cause problems if you take it along with blood thinners, medications that suppress the immune system, birth control pills, and diabetes drugs.

It can cause the following symptoms
Headache
Day time sleepiness
Dizziness
Anxiety
Stomach discomfort
Crankiness
Short-lived depression
And a heavy head feeling

Whenever you want to supplement Melatonin, have a word with your doctor. Experts in WebMD write that it’s always better to take a synthetic form of Melatonin than the natural one because natural versions may contain viruses.

What’s the Appropriate Dosage?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, you can take a typical dosage of 1 to 3 mg. This amount may elevate your blood melatonin levels to 1 to 20 times normal. Ryan Raman MS MD writes in Healthline that you can start with 0.5 mg or 500 mcg or 1 mg thirty minutes before your sleeping time.

If you don’t get satisfied results, then try increasing your dosage to three to five milligrams. However, your goal must be to find the lowest dose that will help you to fall asleep. Always follow the instructions that come with the supplement. If you’re unsure its best to visit your doctor.

Does Melatonin Really Work?

Research studies show that taking this supplement helps you to fall asleep. Scientists analysed 19 research studies on people with sleeping disorders and found that supplementing Melatonin reduced the time to fall asleep by an average of 7 minutes. Additionally, the research subjects reported that Melatonin significantly improved sleep quality.

Moreover, Melatonin also helps to overcome jet lag by synching your internal clock with the time change. An analytical review of 10 studies found that supplementing Melatonin for people who traveled five or more time zones significantly reduced the effects of jet lag.

Other Health Benefits

Apart from helping you to fall asleep, Melatonin has the following benefits

  • It supports eye health.
  • May treat heartburn and stomach ulcers.
  • Could help with seasonal depression
  • Can assist in increasing growth hormone levels in men.
  • Could reduce symptoms of tinnitus.

If you’re planning to supplement Melatonin, consult your doctor and tell her about any medications that you may be taking. Reducing stress and maintaining a healthy diet can also improve your sleep quality.

Manuka Honey: Uses, Benefits, and How to Purchase the Best One

Manuka honey is “nature’s version of liquid gold” gifted to you by the wild bees. Do you know that honey bees communicate with each other by dancing? Also, they have five eyes, no wonder they select the best wild manuka flowers to give you natural, healthy honey.

What is Manuka Honey?

Produced in New Zealand by bees which pollinate the Manuka trees, Manuka honey is considered as one of the most beneficial forms of honey in the world. The European honey bees pollinate the flowers of the wild, uncultivated manuka trees to give you this nature’s treasure. The antibacterial properties of this honey are what sets it apart from the traditional honey.

Benefits

Traditionally people used honey to soothe sore throats, improve digestive issues, prevent tooth decay and in wound healing. Here we’ll discuss some of the research-proven benefits of Manuka honey.

Treats stomach acid, acid reflux, and SIBO

Stomach acid, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, and acid reflux all go hand in hand. Presence of Methylglyoxal in manuka honey is responsible for its antibacterial effects and treats all these conditions. A research study found that Clostridium which is linked to all these three conditions was susceptible to manuka honey. Including this honey will significantly boost your digestive health.

Speeds up wound healing

Many research studies have shown that manuka honey enhances wound healing, decreases pain in patients suffering from burns and speeds up the regeneration of tissues.

Due to its rich antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics manuka honey helps to prevent infection in rats with ulcers. What more it even heals diabetic ulcers.

Treats acne

Hormonal changes, stress, poor diet and bacterial growth in clogged pores can cause acne. The antibacterial properties of manuka honey quicken the healing process of acne healing. Also, its anti-inflammatory properties reduce inflammation associated with acne.

Enhances oral health

Healthy gums prevent oral tooth decay while minimizing harmful oral bacteria reduces plaque formation. Studies prove that honey fights harmful oral bacteria that is linked to plaque formation, tooth decay, and gum inflammation. Specifically, this wild honey is effective at inhibiting the growth of oral bacteria P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans.

Soothes sore throat

The antiviral and antibacterial properties of manuka honey fights against bacteria, reduce inflammation and provide relief for sore throat. Additionally, it even coats the inner lining of your throat to give you a soothing effect. A 2011 research study shows that manuka honey stalls the growth of sore throat causing strep bacteria. The National Cancer Institute has approved the use of this honey for the treatment of sore throat resulting from chemotherapy.

How to Use

Taking a couple of spoonfuls daily will be highly beneficial to your health. Also, if you find it a little too sweet then add it to your favorite herbal tea, sprouted grain toast or yogurt. In particular, a spoonful of cinnamon and manuka honey can do wonders for your sore throat. The combination is so powerful that it will help you to recover fast.

Also, add this honey to hot water and lemon juice to fight off a sore throat. Add variety to your diet by adding manuka honey to smoothies, chocolate truffles, and honey cupcakes.

More importantly, if you’re allergic to bees, take it with caution and report any adverse reactions to your doctor immediately.

How to Buy the Best Product

Here are some pointers to buying the best product

  1. Check the (unique manuka honey factor) UMF.
  2. The minimum rating is UMF 5, but it will be beneficial if it has a rating UMF 10 plus.
  3. Honey having a score UMF 10 to UMF 15 is useful because of its antibacterial properties.
  4. However, manuka honey having UMF 16 and above rating is of superior quality.
  5. Original honey will have UMF trademark on its container, labeled in Newzeland by a Newzeand company. It will have a UMF rating 5 to 16 and above.