Saturday 27 October 2018

Remove tartar effectively with This home remedy

One of the most common health problems in the mouth is the accumulation of tartar. It is a condition with negative consequences for the teeth and gums. Because it increases the risk of inflammation. But how can you effectively remove tartar?


Tartar will make your teeth look dirty even if you brush them regularly. When tartar accumulates, your breath will become less and less fresh. You also get holes in the teeth.


A timely intervention by an expert can prevent small problems from causing major complications in the long term. But natural solutions are also available. They reduce the influence of tartar.

In this article we want to discuss the symptoms of tartar. We also propose three treatments that you can use at home as an additional method and effectively remove tartar.

Tartar is a yellowish component that is formed by bacteria, food remains and mineral salts. Little by little they build up on the surface of the teeth.

It is a hard layer with a rough texture. In addition, it ensures the formation of stains. Because by eating certain foods the tooth enamel decreases.

The presence of tartar also affects the beauty of the teeth. At the same time it creates a suitable environment where germs can grow. This then leads to inflammation of the teeth and gums.

Tartar often has to do with the development of the following disorders:

Symptoms of tartar
Everyone develops tartar on the surface of the teeth. Because bacteria grow constantly in our mouth, especially when food remains are left behind.

Gradually this layer changes the surface of the teeth. If we do not remove it, harder deposits will occur. We call this tartar.

The main symptom is a yellow or brown rough spot. It is usually located between the front teeth of the lower jaw and the gum line.
The spots are often accompanied by other problems such as bad breath and inflammation.

Remove tartar effectively with some household resources
To treat tartar in an effective way, it is essential that you make an appointment with the dentist. But it is also important that you increase the habits in the hygiene of your teeth.

You can also use some home remedies at the same time. Because they help you remove the tartar without damaging the teeth.

1. Baking salt and coconut oil
This mixture of baking soda and coconut oil contains a large amount of antibacterial components. Thanks to these elements, it is popular as an alternative solution for tartar.

You can only use this remedy in moderation. But it is an effective way to put an end to bacteria and to remove food residues. It therefore makes whiter and healthier teeth.

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (2 g)
1 tablespoon coconut oil (15 g)
3 drops of essential peppermint oil
Preparation
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until a uniform paste forms.
Application
Put a little bit of the product on your toothbrush. Brush your teeth with this. Use it as you normally use toothpaste.
Brush your teeth once a day with this remedy for a week.

Tips for weight loss for women over 40

Watch out for what you eat and add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, while removing greasy and fried foods and refined sugars.

In older age it becomes harder to lose weight, even if you follow your diet strictly and do enough exercise. Discover everything you need to know about weight loss for women over 40 in this article. Soon you say goodbye to those extra pounds once and for all.


The fight against excess body fat is usually very difficult at any age. However, it is even more difficult for women who are over 40 years of age. Your body responds differently to your diet and exercise. Burning calories is slower. After all, you need more energy or effort to carry out the same activities as before.



Believe in yourself
Of course, losing weight is difficult, but it is not impossible. One of the biggest barriers to weight loss for women is that they get frustrated when they see no results in the short or medium term. But there is no reason for despair. These results take time, but they will come.

Some women think that their diet or exercise routine makes no difference, but that is not true. When you can lose weight, you feel a lot better . A healthier diet also helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Do the right kind of movement
So you may think you have passed the age for super energetic spinning lessons or mountaineering? Do not worry. The good news is that there are many other forms of movement. The important thing is that you choose the person who meets your needs and fits both your body type and age.

Make sure you choose an activity that you enjoy. If you force yourself to perform the movements you will not see any benefits . Start with a 30-minute session three times a week and gradually increase this time. Go cycling, jogging or simply walk with your dog.

Respect your meal times
The breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Then you should eat smaller meals and end the day with a light evening meal.

It is a good idea to eat four primary meals and two snacks. One in the middle of the morning and one in the afternoon. That will help to satisfy your hunger and your body will burn calories during the digestive process.

Watch what you eat. You have to increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables (raw when possible). You should avoid all those fried foods, refined sugars and unhealthy fats.

Remember that alcohol is not good for you either. A good way to discover how many calories you should eat per day is the following: Multiply your ideal weight in kilos by 22 if you do not exercise at all, with 28 if you move once or twice a week and with 33 if you moves more than three times a week.

So if you want to weigh 60 kilos and you're pretty active, you should consume about 1,980 calories a day!


Choose natural supplements
You probably already know that your body produces far less collagen after the age of 40 , almost 50%. This can affect more than just your skin. A lack of collagen weakens the bones and joints. Take natural supplements that will also help to combat stretch marks , cellulite and a drooping skin.

Keep an eye on your basal metabolism
This refers to the amount of calories your body needs to arrive, to maintain weight or to lose weight. The amount will vary according to your age, sex, hormone values ​​and other factors. You can calculate your basal metabolism .

You can look up a website with the calculation or contact your doctor. This gives you the ideal amount of calories to optimize weight loss for women older than 40.

Eat good
Always consume foods that are healthy and good for your body, such as water with lemon, linseed, breakfast fibers, cinnamon, almonds, salmon, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and red fruit. Keep an eye on how much you eat per day.

Sleep enough
This is important at any age, but after four decades your body demands enough rest to recover from your daily activities . There is no exact amount of hours for everyone, but less than six hours and more than eight hours in a row per night should be avoided.

Both a lack of sleep and too much sleep can cause your body to store more fat. Why? In the first case, a larger amount of a hormone called cortisol is produced (the 'stress hormone'), which causes you to eat more. In the second case, too much sleep without movement causes your body to store more of what you eat than fat.

Have yourself checked regularly
Do you lose weight despite healthy eating, exercise and the right amount of sleep? Then you may suffer from a problem with your metabolism , such as a thyroid gland abnormality.

Many women have hypothyroidism and do not know this. This condition causes the metabolism to slow down and not only prevent weight loss, but sometimes even cause a weight gain.

Other symptoms of a thyroid problem are chronic fatigue, circulatory problems or a cold feeling in the hands and feet.

Tips for eating foods that are effective against cancer

Eat as little fast food and ready-made meals as possible. This often contains many trans fats and unhealthy, saturated fats. Foods with many trans fats and unhealthy, saturated fats include pizza, potato chips, biscuits, crackers, fries and donuts.

Eat fish once or twice a week.

Examples of healthy fish are wild salmon, sardines, herring and coalfish (coalfish).

Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil or other unsaturated oil that is cold-pressed while cooking.

Only with cold-pressed oils during the production no use is made of high heat or toxic chemicals.

Look at the food labels for the ingredients.

Avoid all labels marked with 'hydrogenated fat' and 'partially hardened grease'. These fats are usually found in margarine, salad dressings and other packaged foods, even if not all labels mention that there are trans fats.
Add different nuts and seeds to your breakfast cereals, salads, soup or other dishes. Healthy nuts and seeds include walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pecans and sesame seeds.
Put some flaxseed oil through your smoothie or salad dressing. Do not use flaxseed oil for cooking, as harmful substances are released on heating.
Prepare your food in a healthy way.
Choosing healthy food is not the only thing that counts. Preparing and preserving food is also important. The way you prepare food can mean the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
Here are some tips that help you get the most out of all those great foods that help fight cancer, including fruits and vegetables:
Eat at least some raw fruits and vegetables.
Raw fruits and vegetables contain the most vitamins and minerals, although cooking vegetables ensures that your body can absorb the vitamins better.
To preserve the vitamins, boil a small amount of water in the steam cooker, after which you boil the vegetables until they are soft.
If you cook vegetables too long, a lot of vitamins and minerals will be lost. If you still cook vegetables, you can use the cooking liquid in a soup or another dish, so that you still get all the vitamins.
Cleaning fruit and vegetables.

Use a vegetable brush to clean fruit and vegetables. If you only rinse them off, then there will always be pesticides left behind. Eat as many organic products as possible that have been grown naturally and that do not use pesticides or genetic manipulation.

Season your dishes with herbs and foods that strengthen your immune system.

Garlic, ginger and curry powder are not only used as seasonings, but also provide valuable nutrients that fight cancer. Other herbs and foods that fight cancer in an effective way include turmeric, basil, rosemary and coriander. These herbs and spices can be added to soup, salad, casserole or any other dish.


Tips for limiting carcinogens.

A carcinogenic substance is a carcinogenic substance in food. Carcinogens can occur during cooking, during the preservation (mainly of meat) and during the spoiling of food. Foods containing carcinogens are, for example, smoked, dried and preserved meat, such as bacon, sausage and beef jerky. (American beef dish of dried meat.)

Other foods that contain carcinogens are fried or burned meat, smoked foods and foods that start to mold. By following the tips below you can limit the exposure to carcinogens:

Do not use oil while cooking on high heat.

By heating oils or fats on a low heat you prevent carcinogenic substances from arising. Instead of frying and baking in the pan, you can also opt for healthier cooking methods, such as baking, cooking, steaming and grilling.

Do not leave the meat on the barbecue for too long.

By leaving meat on the barbecue for too long, carcinogenic substances are created. If you still want to barbecue, do not overfill the meat and prepare it at the right temperature.


Oil is best kept airtight and in a cool, dark place, as it becomes rancid when exposed to heat, light and air and can no longer be used.

Choose fresh meat, preferably organic, grass-fed meat instead of processed meat that has been salted, dried, preserved and smoked.

It is best to avoid foods that look moldy or moldy, since they are all likely to contain the toxic, carcinogenic aflatoxin. This substance usually occurs in moldy peanuts. Nuts last longer if stored in the refrigerator or freezer.

Not all foods are suitable for the microwave. To cover your food in the microwave, you can use the best wax paper instead of plastic foil. Always use cover caps that are suitable for the microwave.

7 practical and simple tips to keep you from the flu.

With these tips you can start immediately.

Ensure a good physical condition . A good condition ensures a better immune system and that you need to fight the virus. So go sports, hiking, cycling, MOVED.
Go outside . Even though it is cold. The cold gives a boost to your immune system so viruses are less likely to nest. (TIP: combine tip 1 and tip 2)
Ventilate sufficiently!
Sleep enough. Your body recovers at night. Catching a sleep during the day does not have the same effect. Your body will then settle down, but the real recovery process takes place between 10.00 and 4.00.

Eat healthy . Think of: FRESH vegetables and FRESH fruit. Preferably of the season. Preferably organic. Also use fresh herbs and spices such as: turmeric, ginger, garlic, green leaf herbs.
Drink enough , especially water and herbal tea are good for you. Also make water with pieces of cucumber, slices of lemon, slices of ginger and a few sprigs of fresh mint. Or drink hot water with a few slices of ginger and a few slices of lemon. All delicious and also healthy drinks.
Wash your hands .

Thursday 25 October 2018

Saturated fats and cholesterol no harmful effect blood vessels and heart.

The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced by a healthy diet. But also healthy living such as not smoking, a healthy weight and sufficient exercise. Healthy nutrition wants to say, much less sugar and also less carbohydrates and more proteins and fats.

The natural raw fats keep us healthy whether they are saturated or unsaturated. Medical research has shown that the consumption of cholesterol has no impact on cholesterol levels in the blood or on any heart disease. In addition, there has never been a link between the consumption of saturated fat and cardiovascular diseases. ( 1 )

It is true that trans fats , for example margarine, have negative health effects.

What is cholesterol?
The total cholesterol level is measured in a cholesterol measurement. The total cholesterol is an addition of LDL plus HDL plus triglycerides.

The liver itself can produce cholesterol and thereby regulate the amount in the blood, even if you ingest too much. It is also true that the body does not absorb much cholesterol at all.
The unhealthy LDL cholesterol
If the values ​​of LDL cholesterol are too high, that suffering can have a detrimental effect in blood vessels, heart and diabetes type2. LDL cholesterol attaches itself to damaged blood vessels and therefore will clog faster

The healthy HDL cholesterol level
The higher the value of HDL cholesterol the better. HDL cholesterol is the cleaner of the bloodstream, which clears up the unhealthy LDL cholesterol.

Triglyceride content
Triglycerides belong to the lipids, or fats in our body, they must also be as low as possible. ( 3 )

DECREASE CHOLESTEROL NATURALLY
A natural way to lower cholesterol in your blood is seeds and nuts. In particular, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seed have the substance in them and they lower the cholesterol level in our blood.

Oats also have a lowering effect of cholesterol in our blood. That is because of the substance . This substance is also found in and . Finally, it is important to eat onions and garlic. ( 2 )

Conclusion

have been deluded for 30 years that cholesterol and saturated fats are bad for you and that is not true. Could this be a fabrication of the pharmaceutical industry to sell more drugs ?!
Saturated fats are healthy and now a whole hype of fat-free food has arisen. And these fat-free products are the most unhealthy of all because they put more sugar in them. While not the fats but sugar is the big culprit .

Fortunately, the awareness among the people is increasing and they are becoming less and less fooled. Feeling is more important than knowing, feeling what's right for you, try things out.

You can do a lot yourself to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy and vital by living the right food and healthy life and perhaps you will need less or no medication at all.

8 health tips from world peoples


Nature peoples
 was very interested in the traditionally living nature peoples and their knowledge of plants. With his open and inquisitive attitude, he easily made friends and went out with the local medicine man. In this way he discovered - for him - new medicinal plants and applications. he has written many nice stories about this. In that book, for example, he gives healthy tips when you are in the tropics; eat for example a lot of papaya and especially the seeds, these can protect you against parasites. Some of the medicinal plants that he discovered during his travels are still processed in A. products. Like the devil's claw from Africa in the tablets and of course the famous flower from Central America in the .

Every time stayed with nature peoples, he noticed how healthy and strong these people were. He saw strong white teeth and an absence of other diseases and symptoms that occur in the West, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insomnia, depression, acne, obesity and so on. His vision on health also expanded further through these insights.



Even today, more and more scientists are looking for answers to modern clinical pictures in the - albeit increasingly less - traditionally living societies.
A number of things have people who live in one and the same way in nature and they can also promote your health and happiness:

Eat naturally
Even though the diet of traditionally living peoples varies enormously, they have one thing in common. Everything they eat comes from nature and not from a package or bag with E-numbers or bottle of soda full of sugar and glucose-fructose syrup. If you are in the supermarket the next time you see that you are a hunter-gatherer. What do you encounter with fresh vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, nuts, eggs and fish to fill your basket?

Follow the rhythm of nature
It is sometimes wonderful to watch TV or Facebook on your phone until late at night, but it is not good for your night's sleep. If you've ever camped, you'll probably remember how you went to bed earlier and woke up when the sun came up. Certain hormone processes in our body are linked to the light of the sun. And a good night's sleep is absolutely essential for your health. Make it a habit to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep per night, your body and mood will thank you.

Be part of a 'clan'
We humans are social beings and need others for our happiness and well-being. That is why we used to live in tribes. Be aware of your 'clan' and enjoy the loved ones around you whether that is your family and / or friends. They are there for you in good and bad days. And that is worth a lot.

Move
It is hard work to gather and collect your own food. Traditionally living people move many hours a day. Walk or cycle as often as you can, take the stairs and try to do strength training once or twice a week.

Less is more
It's nice to have stuff, but the more you have it, the more they can become a block on your leg. You quickly fall into a trap of having, having. The entire advertising world is ready to make you believe that you never have enough. But there is beauty in simplicity. Loosen yourself from having stuff and be grateful for what you already have. The most beautiful things in life such as love and laughter are free.

Live in the here and now
Your thoughts almost never live in the here and now, they are constantly planning, planning and thinking about yesterday, tomorrow and next year. While true life takes place in the here and now. Use your senses and become aware of your body, your breathing, your environment and what your senses pick up. It makes you alert and calm.

Marvel at nature
Even though you live in the city, nature is always there. In the air around you, the weeds between the stones, the birds in the tree, your pet, that unexpected rainstorm. Consider the nature around you and what a wonder it is that everything grows and blooms and every day the sun rises for nothing.

Make music or listen to music
Music can touch you, comfort you, make you happy or calm. The effect can even be seen on brain scans. Singing, dancing, drumming: almost all nature peoples do it. And you can do it too! Sing in the car or at home, listen to music or play an instrument. Music lowers stress and deepens your life.

Hopefully the insights of  also inspire you to be healthy and happy. Next time I will tell you more about his total approach for optimal health.

Monday 22 October 2018

TAKE A STEP WITH GOOD NUTRITION

Four pillars for a healthier lifestyle are good nutrition, sufficient exercise, relaxation / rest, and social contacts. In this first column I will tell you about the steps you can take in the area of ​​good nutrition. As you get older, your body sets a few other requirements for a healthy diet. General rules for good nutrition for seniors have been translated into the five V's.

1. Fatty acid composition: eat soft vegetable instead of hard animal fat

It is important to choose sufficiently good, unsaturated fats. We need these fats for all kinds of bodily functions, storage of vitamins A, D and as a food supplement. The bad, saturated fats should be avoided as much as possible because these fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Tip:  Eat more vegetable and less animal products. Do not eat 'hard fats' such as hard cream butter, hard frying and cooking fat and hard margarine. Eat mainly liquid (vegetable) fats such as low-fat margarine, olive oil and sunflower oil. Eat (oily) fish once or twice a week, and use as few sauces as possible when eating.

2. Fibers: Eat enough fiber for bowel movements and to prevent diseases

Fibers are in the cell wall of plants, are indigestible and do not supply nutrients. They ensure a good bowel movement; retain moisture, making softer stools and feel full. Sufficient fiber in the diet (± 40 grams) has a positive effect on high blood pressure, high cholesterol and lowers the chance of developing type II diabetes.

Tip : Good sources for dietary fiber are vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and unpolished rice.

3. Power / energy: Find a good balance between eating and exercising

The amount of energy that the body uses to function, in activities such as exercise and work, must be in balance with the energy we receive through our diet. Only then can we prevent underweight or overweight.

Tip : Try to 'feed' your body with good nutrition (see the Disc of Five) and not to 'fill' with poor nutrition. Eat three meals a day and a maximum of three to four snacks. Move sufficiently; moving is good, more exercise is better!

4. Moisture: Drink enough to maintain your fluid balance

Sufficient moisture is very important for the absorption of nutrients, the transport of food and waste and the regulation of the body temperature. It is necessary to replenish the moisture that you lose. Recommended is 1.5 to 2 liters of drinking (water, coffee, tea) per day for people up to 70 years. Above 70 years, at least 1.7 liters is recommended because older people get less fluid from their food because they eat less.

Tip: Start the day with two glasses of water (because you lose a lot of fluid at night), drink a glass of water with every cup of coffee and drink a glass of water with meals.

5. Vitamin: Eat enough and vary your food sufficiently

Sufficient and varied good nutrition is needed to get enough of the different vitamin. Because the older skin produces less vitamin D, extra vitamin D is recommended to women over 50 (10 ) and men and women over 70 (20 ). Vitamin D is important for the maintenance of strong bones. With strong bones the chance of falling and getting broken bones is greatly reduced.



List of Health Tips

Of course we all want to be healthy, but one does more than the other. That way we can always choose to eat healthy or not. Unfortunately there are also things that we can not influence by a healthy lifestyle, but there are also a lot of diseases / disorders that can be prevented!

tips We prefer not to get ailments like the flu. A good tip to prevent flu is by working hygienically. Especially when you notice that the flu is quite present again like in the winter months, it does not hurt to wash your hands a few more times. Wash hands after the toilet visit and after you have paid in a store, for example. There are more bacteria on money / the cash machine than you think!



Second: healthy food. If you suspect that you have a deficiency of certain vitamins, it is wise to do research on this. This way you can get annoying symptoms due to vitamin deficiency. Healthy food already helps you on your way.

However, the chances are that you will not get all vitamins through food, and for that you can use supplements. For one person a general vitamin pill is sufficient, for the other a specific vitamin is needed. Here you will find vitamins, minerals and much more to stay healthy.

Movement must also certainly not be forgotten. Although it becomes increasingly difficult to move the older you get, it is certainly good to do it as long as it is still possible. It does not really have to be intensive. A walk is not only good for the body, but also for the mind.

Finally: ensure enough sleep. They say how older we get, the less sleep we need, but sleeping too short is certainly not good. You can decide for yourself how much sleep you actually need. One is equipped after 6 hours, the other has to sleep for 9 hours. As long as you are rested, it is good.

6 health tips for lazy people

Do not feel like working hard on a super healthy body? Maybe you have something about these healthy tips for lazy people. So you are already a lot healthier with the least effort.

Drink lemon water

Water is already healthy anyway, but adding a lemon makes it even better and healthier. Citric acid helps a hand to naturally cleanse your body of toxins. In addition, lemon water also helps to stimulate digestion.

Eat more fruit

Why bother making a healthy smoothie? A whole piece of fruit has a much higher nutritional value. The fibers that are in a piece of fruit are not in that juice. Fibers are usually in the shell, which is lost when pressing a juice.

Hold a short yoga session daily

Yoga can be difficult if you are not flexible. If you hold a short yoga session every day at home, you will find that you are becoming increasingly agile. Yoga is good for blood circulation and reduces stress.

Take off your shoes

Under the sole of your shoes are a lot of bacteria , which you take in your house. The University of Arizona found bacteria that can cause infections in the gut and urinary tract and bacteria responsible for diarrhea. Therefore, take your shoes inside.

Go to sleep naked

When you sleep with clothes on, this ensures that bacteria get the chance at night to multiply in a sweltering environment. By sleeping naked, the environment for bacteria is less ideal.

Eat less carbohydrates

Instead of throwing your whole diet, you can also try to eat a little less carbohydrate. At lunchtime, for example, choose a salad instead of a sandwich and breakfast, for example with a bowl of yogurt. During dinner, add an extra portion of vegetables and less with potatoes and pasta.

5 health tips for more productivity

Health and productivity are closely connected. When your health is not so good, you immediately notice that you are also less productive than usual. It is therefore important to take good care of yourself if you want to get the maximum out of your working day every day. The Effective Work gives you 5 points of attention in the area of ​​health for more productivity.



1. Physical activity and productivity

Especially if you get relatively little exercise at work, for example because you work with a computer, it is very important to provide physical activity at least 3 times a week. It is of course even better to move every day, but this must fit into your schedule. Make sure you have a moment of physical activity at least on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Good for your health and productivity!



2. Healthy nutrition

Healthy nutrition is very important if you want to increase productivity. If you eat healthy, you feel more energetic, healthier and just much better. This ensures that you can get the most out of your working day. A good start to the work day is half the work. You start with a lot of energy and this also increases your desire to be healthy. Eat 3 balanced meals a day and take between 2 and 3 healthy snacks in between.



3. Increase productivity by sleeping

Sleep is very important. Without sleep you will perform outrageously lousy. The sleep is meant to restore your body, to let your mind come to rest and to process all the issues of the day. During your sleep you charge yourself for another working day. It is therefore important to know how much sleep you need and to keep it as good as possible. This will not always work, but by working step by step towards a good sleep routine you will come a long way. You will see that you can increase your productivity by sleeping well enough.



4. Effective stress management

Stress involves many health problems. Health and productivity are both less when you experience stress. An effective stress management is therefore of great importance. Do you notice that you have a lot of stressful feelings? Then provide the necessary relaxation, for the short and the long term. Below you will find some useful tips to reduce stress, so you immediately pay close attention to your health and your productivity.

5. Schedule me time

For good health and excellent productivity it is necessary to regularly schedule 'me time'. Me time is time for yourself. Time that you can fill in the way you want it. You can not do anything at all during this time, but you can also do something that is very relaxing for you. Read a book, watch a nice movie or go shopping. You know, of course, the best that makes you relaxed and happy. Reserve a few hours of time in your diary at least once a week and you will definitely notice your productivity.

 
Health, productivity and time management

It is therefore very important to pay attention to your health and pay sufficient attention to your health in order to achieve optimum productivity. Of course it is also important to be able to share your time well. This prevents stress and offers you more free time. Do you want to pay more attention to health, productivity and time management? Request a free brochure or take a look at our time management training .

4 x health tips that will help you get through the day

Less stress? Fitter the day come through? With these 4 simple health tips, chances are that you will succeed. They are simple so try to fit them into your daily routine! Here are my 4 health tips:

1: Set your priorities & do not be afraid to say 'no'
First things first is my motto! Try to decide for yourself what is really important today and what can wait until tomorrow. By planning, and also writing this down in a to-do list, for example, you can avoid a lot of stress. Be realistic in the lists of your 'to-do's' ... it must be feasible to finish your list. Try to check them one by one with the aim of reducing stress throughout the day. Dare to say no to unexpected things. Less stress can result in a better night's sleep, less appetite for sweets and therefore possibly a few kilos less in the long term.

2: Drink a lot of water
Drink drinking and drink again! Water to understand ;-) That water has many benefits for your health is nothing new. But I would like to let you know what I am doing to drink more water. When I get up, I drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water. So I have enough fluid inside to start my. Do not exercise in the morning, no problem! It can never hurt to start the morning with a few glasses of water.

In addition , water helps you lose weight . So water ensures that you eat less. Often you are not hungry but just thirsty ... Another important point. Do you know that feeling that you get a 'hunger' around 11h30? Yes, I also ... And what appears? Our brains do not distinguish between hunger and thirst. We therefore make the link to food ourselves. So instead of using it, you can better drink some water. Tip: No idea if you are hungry or thirsty? Check your urine! The color of your urine tells you enough: dark = thirsty, light = hungry. Are you apparently hungry? Then you can also distinguish different types of hunger .

Are you just fed up with water? Try to taste your water!

3: Walk
I have an office job, which means that I have a lot (read at least 7 hours a day). Not really conducive to my daily 10 000 steps. So ... time for action! After drawing up a 'step-by-step plan', I get it without any problems. I start the day - as you know - with jogging . Often I am already talking about my goal of 10 000 steps. But because you also have to move the day there, I have written some tips:

park your car further from work, or go on foot. If that last is possible of course ;-);
at lunchtime I walk for half an hour or do I go shopping;
meet with friends / girlfriends for an evening walk;
always take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator;
Etc.
And besides ... walking seems to be better to burn fat than running. This is mainly due to the fact that you can stay in motion longer with a lower heart rate.  Also read: Burn calories with walking.

4: Turn off your alarm clock and rush less in the morning
I am an early bird and I have no problem with that myself. But still ... even if you are not such a morning person, I can still advise you to get up a little earlier. Even if it is only half an hour. Because you get up early you have to 'rush' less. Which means you have less stress throughout the day. For example, you can do some housework in the morning before you go to work. So there is more time in the evening to do fun things.

So! These are my health tips for a healthier, fitter and less stressed day. Some health tips may be obvious, but it is nice to be alerted again. Do you also have health tips for me? Surely! I like to read them below in the comments :)

3 health tips for your old age

It appears that half of the Dutch elderly people still feel very healthy and give the quality of life a sufficient amount. Nevertheless, it is often difficult for this group of people to maintain good health for a long time. Physical disabilities, loneliness and a dozen other factors make it harder for older people than for their younger fellows to do something about health every day. It is precisely for this reason that it is important to start with an early monitoring of your health. Starting early in prevention and learning a healthy lifestyle can prevent a lot of problems in later years.

That is why we have highlighted four tips below based on the  Senior Guide,  which can help both the younger and the elderly among us to keep an eye on their health on their old age.

Always ensure that you have one or more goals

An important element that is often overlooked is the importance of a goal in daily life. Older people who are no longer working and who can not always lose out because of physical complaints are often the daily goals they have had all their lives. Having a clear goal is important because you can then work towards something that often has a positive impact on mental health.

Consider, for example, picking up a quiet hobby. People who, for example, have played the piano in their younger years and still have them at home, often do well to rehearse once a week.

Think about your pension

Having financial security in your old age is essential, but there are often many things to look at when arranging and managing your pension. For example, everyone is already building up a pension in their younger years by working. One person sometimes lays aside a small amount of money on a monthly basis while the other chooses to build up more certainty with an insurer through bank savings at a younger age .



For the elderly it is especially important to keep a close eye on all income they have. A good financial security ensures that you can maintain your health much more easily. Consider, for example, eating organic food which often costs a few cents in the supermarket or membership of a club or elderly association with which you can maintain social contact.

Try to maintain as many contacts as possible

Many elderly people in the Netherlands indicate that they feel lonely . Older people whose partner is surviving but are still reasonably healthy are often alone at home, have little visit and no longer have the means to go out every day. That is why it is important to maintain old friendships and especially contact with the family. This can be done at a young age by regularly visiting family and maintaining contacts with close friends and acquaintances.

Maintaining contacts is extremely important for the elderly. If this does not happen (correctly), chances are that someone falls into social isolation, which often drastically reduces mental health. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help the elderly. The municipality of , for example, introduced last year, for example, that elderly people may travel with public transportation for free . As a result, half of the people who used it said that they felt less lonely because it was easier to go out and visit other people.

Tuesday 16 October 2018

The best snacks before bedtime

After all the stress of a busy day, we are still in the bed at night to make to-do lists. Children often wake up in the middle of the night. If you want to sleep for eight hours without waking up, try giving them a light snack.

Snacking before bedtime? Yes, if you eat a bite before you go to bed, it can calm you down. You often read that snacks are bad for the line and you certainly should not eat anything after the evening meal. But a light snack at bedtime will actually promote the night's rest. And studies show that the stress you have because of lack of sleep can lead to extra pounds. An additional advantage is that you can choose certain nutrients that make you drowsy.



For everyone who sleeps light or suffers from insomnia, a light evening snack can keep the metabolism happy. It is even a popular diet tip to eat something small between meals. In for example turkey, cherries and milk there is tryptophan, an amino acid that plays an important role in sleep.

Children usually do not suffer from worrying at night, but can have nightmares. Toddlers with a small stomach can benefit from a snack so that they do not wake up hungry. And children in growth also need extra calories. They often get excited about sweets or playing. Give them a healthy snack with their evening ritual to calm them down.

Try these healthy nibbles for a delicious, deep sleep:

Half a banana and a few raw almonds
Peanut butter and slices of apple
A whole wheat cracker with cheese
Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Low-fat yogurt with fresh berries
A teaspoon of hummus with some slices of cucumber
A handful of cherries
Wholemeal toast with almond paste
Hot foamed milk
Chamomile tea is sleep-inducing
Combine as much as you like: serve banana slices with peanut butter, apples with cheese, or almonds with cherries.

These evening snacks are relaxing for a variety of reasons. Seed and cheese contain tryptophan, a substance that is converted into sleep-promoting melatonin in our body. Cherries and bananas also contain melatonin. Almonds have a slight muscle relaxant effect and dairy products contain calcium, which promotes a peaceful sleep.

The complex physiological reactions between food and sleep are the result of the combination of tryptophan and melatonin with carbohydrates. This promotes the production of serotonin, a substance that makes you calm. Eating a small amount of protein keeps the blood sugar level stable and keeps you feeling full. That promotes a deep sleep.

Food and drink to avoid in the evening
Children like to eat a biscuit at bedtime, but cookies contain a lot of sugar and that causes a short energy boost, followed by a low blood sugar level. That is exactly the opposite of what we want to achieve before we go to bed. It is just like drinking a cup of coffee or tea to get through the evening. You can eat the following nutrients later than lunch to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Coffee and drinks containing caffeine
Sugar
Chocolate - with sugar and caffeine
It is always best to eat snacks with little fat and sugar. If you eat a lot of proteins, especially in the evening, your digestion will become slower.

Other things to remember: Keep the portions small - a block of cheese and a teaspoon of peanut butter. A snack is a snack - not a full meal. Do not eat in the last three quarters of an hour before you go to bed. Prepare something to eat together with your children and do not forget the icing on the cake (literally, because cherries contain melatonin). Share the snacks with your whole family and guarantee a wonderful night's sleep.

Nutrition: what is the difference between good and bad fats?

Despite all common opinions, not all fats are harmful to our health. Some are indispensable! But how do you make the distinction between good and bad fats ? You get out with our tips.

What is the role of fat?
In order to function properly, your organism needs fat. Fats are energy sources. They play a role in the production of new cells, promote blood clotting and contribute to a strong nervous system. Good fats are therefore a blessing for your body. That is why it is important that you choose them well!


What is the difference between good and bad fats?
The distinction between fats is in the structure of their constituents, the fatty acids. Bad fatty acids are solid or solidified at room temperature: these are the saturated fats. The good fats are liquid at room temperature, these are the so-called unsaturated fats.

Which fats can you better avoid?
The good fats are in animal products (meat and meat products, cheese, whole milk products), butter, pastries, transformed foods and chocolate. If you consume them in too large quantities, these fats will lead to an increased 'bad' cholesterol level in your blood. But if you consume them in moderation, all fats are good for health because they supply the organism with essential nutrients, such as the fatty acids that the body can not produce itself.

Where do you find good fats?
They are found in olive oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil, grape seed oil, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardine), crustaceans and leafy vegetables. Not only do they lower the bad cholesterol level in the blood, but they also play an effective role in the protection against cardiovascular diseases.

Good or bad fats: what do you allow on your plate?
It is therefore the unsaturated fatty acids, the so-called good fats that you prefer. Practically speaking, it means that you replace the butter with olive oil in the kitchen. You do not have to worry about grease marks on the counter in the kitchen: with a few drops . Clean in hot water, the whole kitchen is again immaculately clean!

Do not eat meat more than 3 times a week and prefer lean meat such as chicken, turkey, veal and rabbit. Also remember to regularly put raw or steamed fish on the menu.

To preserve the nutritional value of your foods, place them in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer where they get little light and oxygen. When cooking, keep the temperature always below 180 ° C.

There is so much choice in healthy and unhealthy food

10 tips for a healthy life

1. Start with a good breakfast 

Do not skip breakfast, because that is the first meal after a long night. Your body needs energy to start the day. Your intestines and digestion get going through breakfast. If you do not have breakfast, the temptation is to take unhealthy snacks later in the day.

2. drinking water 

A glass of water for eating promotes digestion. In addition, drinking water is important to flush the toxins and waste from your body. Drink 1.5 liters of water a day. This seems like a lot, but it is not too bad. Pour often a glass of water if you want to take soda and drink every morning first glass of water before you begin to milk, juice or tea.

3. Slow food

remain Some say the secret of slim: small portions of food and especially slow food . So create less; you need much less than you think and you can take something more later. Eat quietly, chew slowly and enjoy every bite.

4. Regular food

For your digestion it is important to eat regularly . Three main meals a day is a good basis, but it can also help to take a smaller meal more often one day. In this way you prevent yourself from getting a binge of food all of a sudden and, for example, you make a lot of cake soldier.

5. Varied food

Healthy eating is varied food . Because of the variation you get a lot of different foods , and so enough of everything your body needs, inside. And that's how you get enough of everything. To bring more variety in your food , it is useful to use the well-known disc of 5. In any case, do not try to eat the same thing every day .

6. Balanced food 
Varied food also means that you may occasionally take something unhealthy. It is important that you bring this back into balance. If you have a fries with lots of mayonnaise in the afternoon or have eaten chocolate in the afternoon , make sure you moderate in the evening and take less of the unhealthy or fatty food . Everything is allowed, as long as you balance it again.

7. Never enough fruit and vegetables 
That fruit and vegetables are healthy is no surprise. After all, they contain a lot of good nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. In addition, they contain few calories and give a full feeling. Vegetable and fruit should not be lacking for a healthy life. Therefore try to eat two ounces of vegetables and 2 pieces of fruit daily .

8. Conscious eating 
A good way to eat healthy is to be aware of what you eat. Therefore, think about what you eat more often. Is it wise to eat those sweet chemical candies that you have absolutely no idea how they are made or what is in them? The quality of your food is more important than the quantity. If you think more often about what food you give your body for food, you will automatically eat healthier .

9. And of course, move 
Give your body the opportunity to process the food . Exercise is very important for this. Do not start eating dessert immediately after dinner , but first go for a long walk. Do not eat even just before bedtime, then the body can not properly digest the food . Because you lie down, your organs also go to sleep and that is not good if you have half a meal in your stomach.

10. Enjoy!
Your body needs food to survive. But food is also something that you should enjoy and enjoy is good for the body. Just go once with a hungry stomach to the supermarket and wonder how many delicious things there are for sale! You will notice that there are plenty of opportunities to eat tasty, healthy and varied .

Monday 15 October 2018

21 TIPS FOR LIVING A HEALTHIER LIFE

Do you have tips to live healthier?
Indeed, again tips to live healthier. We are all busy. There is not much time to exercise and sometimes you just crave something to eat. And then you are really not waiting for someone who tells you what is healthy and what is not. It is precisely about preventing that craving and about creating possibilities.



The 21 tips below to live healthier show that healthy is not always difficult and time-consuming.

The 21 tips to live healthier
You probably already know some of the 21 tips to live healthier. And perhaps you think "Yes duhuu ..." with some. That is beautiful. But there is a difference between knowing and doing.

The question is therefore; DO you DO the (healthy) things that you KNOW? Only by doing results ....

Ok, there come the tips to live healthier.

1. Fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables
Starchy vegetables generally contain more carbohydrates and calories than non-starchy vegetables.

Examples of starchy vegetables include corn, beans and potatoes.

Examples of non starchy vegetables include dark leafy vegetables, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts.

By filling half of your plate with leafy vegetables and carrots (not starchy vegetables) you automatically get fewer calories. And there is another health benefit; non starchy vegetables contain many vitamins, minerals, fibers and moisture.

2. Eat from small dishes
A study showed that people who ate from large crockery received 56% more food than people who ate from smaller crockery. This saved about 142 calories.

The simple illusion of a smaller plate, therefore, helps to eat less.

3. Replace refined carbohydrates for unprocessed carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are stripped of their nutritious value. They are also known as empty carbohydrates. They add calories, but no nutritional value to your food.

Examples of refined carbohydrates are white bread, white flour, white pasta, white rice, hamburger buns, chips and many other (highly) processed products. You often eat more of such products because they do not really satiate.

Refined carbohydrates are even so dangerous that they can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Examples of unprocessed carbohydrates are brown rice, oatmeal and wholemeal bread. The whole (grain) grain has been used. Such foods contain fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.

4. Eat fruit with your breakfast in the morning
In the morning I often eat oatmeal or muesli. It is particularly tasty and healthy to add a handful of berries, strawberries, a banana or some apple. It takes hardly any effort and you get a lot of healthy substances inside.

One of those healthy substances is polyphenols. These are certain fabrics that give fruit and vegetables their distinctive color. Polyphenols act as antioxidants. Antioxidants help your body fight inflammation.

Research shows that polyphenols help to reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, premature death and diabetes 2.

5. Eat fatty fish
Fatty fish such as herring, salmon and mackerel contain many healthy nutrients, including healthy omega 3 fats.

I think omega 3 is so important that every morning I take a capsule of omega 3. Research shows that omega 3 can reduce the risks of chronic inflammation (which can later become chronic diseases), heart disease and even mental problems.

A lot of fish is eaten in Japan, for example. It is not for nothing that certain diseases simply do not occur there, which we do find.

Fatty fish is also a good source of the B vitamins. For example, the vitamin B complex helps to repair your DNA, keep your brain and nerves healthy and it helps the body to make energy.

6. Consider supplements
As I indicated in the previous section, I take an omega 3 capsule every day. I also take extra magnesium and sometimes multi-vitamins from an expensive brand.

Of course, a varied and healthy diet forms the basis of my lifestyle, but it does not hurt to give the body some extras.

So I also regularly make flax seeds through my muesli in the morning. Linseed does not cost much and does the bowels well.

7. Green tea
I have written several blogs about green tea in recent years. It is one of the healthiest drinks you can drink. Not least because green tea barely contains calories and is full of antioxidants and other healthy substances.

Green tea also contains substances that help to burn body fat and stimulate your metabolism. The faster your metabolism works, the more calories you burn.

Do you want to know more about speeding up your metabolism? Then read the e-book Your Metabolism Boost once.

8. Drink your coffee black
Coffee contains barely calories and the caffeine dust, like green tea, speeds up your metabolism. Very handy.

But what do many people do? They drink their coffee with milk and sugar. Or they opt for cappuccino or latte Coffee drink. As a result, the coffee contains many more calories and the metabolism disappears with an accelerating effect.

Simply black coffee.

9. Avoid soft drinks
Of all the tips to live healthier, I could scream out.

Studies show that sugar drinks can significantly increase the risk of diabetes 2, heart disease and obesity. In addition, the acids in soft drinks can damage your teeth.

What are you drinking? I choose ordinary water and if you like a taste, you add lemon, lime, fresh ginger, mint or (green) tea. Easy?

Do you want more insights and tips to live healthier? Then read the Healthy e-book in 10 Steps .

10. Healthy snacks
Everyone is sometimes hungry and some people even experience this every day. Hunkering increases the chances of eating something that is not healthy. Why do not you take some healthy snacks when you go out?

I often have raw and unsalted nuts with me.

11. Drink water
Water is very important for good health. You exist for the most part from water. Moisture therefore has an enormous impact on your moods, your brain function and your concentration.

But that's not all. Drinking water can also help you lose weight. Water also boosts your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories.

Want to know more about speeding up your metabolism to lose weight? Then download the e-book Boost Your Metabolism .

Convenient; take a large glass of water for every meal. Your stomach will become full sooner, so that you are more saturated. This helps to get fewer calories.

12. Create a shopping list
Before you step into a store to supplement the weekly stocks, create a shopping list. Of course, this list does not contain tips for living healthier. (Although if you put vegetables on it ...). But this list does not help you to make impulse purchases.

The supermarket for example is full of marketing tricks to let you buy more. But whether you (and your family) are getting healthier?

13. With a full stomach in the store
If you are hungry, you buy more food than when you have just eaten. We have all experienced this.

14. Choose full nutrition
Full nutrition consists of foods that you can see, taste and smell what it is. A melon, a carrot or an onion look like a melon, carrot and an onion. And that's how they taste.

This should not really be a tip, but in the western countries we eat more and more highly processed foods. Although they are useful, they are usually stripped of various (or practically all) nutrients. This increases the risks of overweight and chronic diseases.

So choose whole pieces of fruit, vegetables, meat, chicken and organic eggs.

15. Eat quietly
Turn off the TV, remove your phone and read the newspaper later. Make sure you pay attention to what you eat. It turns out that you better understand what you eat. And that benefits the number of calories that you do not eat.

16. Eat sitting
A quick snack. Yes, how often does that happen? Naturally, I do not mean by sitting food that you roll a sandwich behind me. Seated food means that you are sitting at the table and your meal is quietly working inside.

Seated food can also help you de-stress and that is also good for the number of calories that you (not) eat.

17. Moving short is also moving
Do you always mail your colleagues to explain something, or are you walking towards them? Do you get a quick and refreshing nose during the lunch break, or are you staying in the cafeteria? Do you take the elevator or do you choose the stairs?

Just a few tips to live healthier.

There is a connection between the lack of physical activity, poor physical health and a miserable mental state.

Want to know more about healthy living? Download the popular e-book Healthy In 10 Steps .

18. Stand more often and longer
We lead a sedentary life. We sit in the car, sit at a desk and when you're home at night you're on the couch. An average office worker is around 15 hours a day.

Research shows that people who are most likely to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes 2, obesity and premature death. That is quite something to me.

Standing costs nothing and gives you a lot of money.

19. Disconnect yourself from the technology
A good night's rest is an absolute condition for good health. Unfortunately, many people sleep too short and bad.

This has partly to do with the neurotransmitter . Your body makes this neurotransmitter when it becomes dim. You then get to sleep. However, our body does not make this neurotransmitter with the light of the TV, smartphone and tablet.

It sounds simple, but your brain thinks it's daylight.

Unfortunately, this habit can lead to depression and mood disorders. How do you solve that? She turns off the tech one hour before you go to sleep, grab a book, dim the lights and take a cup of tea.

Want to know more about how neurotransmitters work on your life? Read the e-book From Stress to Happiness .

20. Go to bed around the same time every night
Your body gets used to a certain rhythm. If you do not go to bed until midnight every night, you usually experience little fatigue around 22:00 in the evening. But if your alarm clock is around 6:00, you have only slept 6 hours. That's not much.

Most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a day to function properly. That is why it is useful, for example, to go to bed around the same time every day and to take 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night into account.

Good sleep has an impact on your memory, your concentration and your sense of fitness.

21. Relax, relax and talk
Everyone experiences stress and that is not bad in itself. But if stress becomes chronic (and that is the case with many), then all sorts of unpleasant physical and mental problems arise.

6 tips for a healthy brain

1. Every day: 

" Walking  hard for half an hour a week is good for both your body and your brain, because the activity of the hippo-campus, a brain area, increases with more exercise. In particular, you have an important role to play in learning and remembering, by walking every day your memory improves, you also increase your ability to plan and always focus on something new, which means that you can remain independent for longer. Operate."

2. Avoid damage

"Whether your brain continues to function well at a later age is genetically determined for 50 percent, so you can do something about it during your life." Make sure that you suffer as little brain damage as possible, for example,  alcohol is  bad for your brain. One person is a glass per day already harmful, the other can drink five glasses before it has effect Damage can also occur when you hit your head, for example in traffic accidents, boxing, head on at football and elbow feats against you head, keep in mind: what's bad for your blood vessels is also bad for your brain, so treat yourself if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes. "

3. Challenge yourself

"Take the train, go to a concert, visit a museum in another city, you need that kind of stimulation to keep your  brain  young." It is not bad if you find it difficult to recharge your ov-chip card; You just challenge your brain, you become sharp and alert when you 'wind up' in this way, your brain functions better and you can process new information faster, which is good for your ability to solve problems. for example, you will learn a new language, with all the grammatical difficulties that that entails, "says

4. Learn to dance

"In the old age learning and doing new things can be the arrival of  Alzheimer's slow down by about three to four years. What you do must require something from your brain. Playing the same kind of computer games every day does not help. Chess every day helps, because chess always raises new questions. Doing something that combines thought and movement, such as studying a new dance, seems to work even better. Older people who learned to dance for a number of weeks then scored better with psychological tests than those who did not. We know only can not or longer term prevent dementia, "

5. Eat crusts


"  Chewing well on your food  has healthy side-effects: your heart starts to beat faster and your brain gets better blood circulation.In fact, while you eat, you are walking a bit, with all the benefits of Research shows that the blood circulation in particular in one of the large blood vessels in the brain improves: 70 percent of strokes occurs in the vicinity of the blood vessel, so chewing seems strongly recommended for older people with an unhealthy vascular system. although it has not yet been proven to prevent a  cerebral infarction  , so chewing is important, even if liquid food seems easier, do not cut the crusts of the bread and boil vegetables shortly. "

6. Find extra light


"Sleep badly, make sure you get  more light  during the day, go outside and it works best, even on a gloomy day.You still get more light than in the house.Every day of walking for an hour seems a good way to get your sleep rhythm back in. In addition, more light reduces the speed of memory loss, do not swallow to sleep better: if you use them for a long time, you increase the risk of dementia. "

10 tips to cool off

COOLING TIP 1: DO NOT DRINK ICE COLD WATER, HERBAL TEA IS BETTER
In extreme heat, you are likely to drink water with ice cubes. The colder the better, you think. But this only has a counterproductive effect. The ice-cold water will temporarily lower your body temperature. This is observed by the thermostat in your brain stem. The thermostat causes your body temperature to rise again , with the result that you get extra warm. By drinking lukewarm (herbal) tea the opposite happens. The heat of the tea provides a temporary increase in your body temperature. Your body responds by quickly lowering your thermostat.

COOLING TIP 2: WEAR AIRY CLOTHING WITH A LIGHT COLOR
White emits heat and dark colors absorb heat. It is not for nothing that desert dwellers wear long white robes. Sometimes it seems better to wear almost no clothes, but a sun-colored skin can absorb a lot of heat. Wearing white clothes can therefore be better than wearing clothes. Wearing a black colored cap is disastrous. Your head can therefore overheat .

COOLING TIP 3: DO NOT RESIST THE HEAT
People in the Netherlands can get pretty excited about hot weather. "What is it hot, I melt away!" If you want to cool down, it's the trick to stay calm and accept the heat. By getting excited about it, stress is released and stress increases your heart rate. You put your body unconsciously more to work, with the result that you have it even warmer. Stay relaxed and keep your body temperature stable.

COOLING TIP 4: DIVIDE THE DAY ACCORDING TO A TROPICAL GRID
In really hot countries it can help to adjust your daily schedule to the heat. So stand up earlier to avoid the worst heat. Try to do little between 12:00 and 16:00. For example, keep a siesta or power nap .

COOLING TIP 5: EAT FRUIT
Your body cools down by perspiring . This will drive the heat out of your body. During the sweating you lose the necessary moisture, but also electrolytes (salts) that need to be replenished. Fortunately, there are enough fruits that can supplement this moisture and salt deficiency. The best fruit for this is the watermelon. But also the melon melon , apples, mango, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and black currants are excellent cooling food.

COOLING TIP 6: KEEP YOUR HOUSE COOL
Keep your house completely closed during the day. When it starts cooling down in the evening and the outside temperature drops below the indoor temperature, you can open windows and shutters to cool the house. Do not cook or bake extensively during the day. This heat will also stay in your house. Because if your house is warmed up to a certain temperature in the summer, it will retain that heat for a long time.

COOLING TIP 7: PUT A COLD WASHCLOTH IN YOUR NECK
A cold washcloth in your neck can be very refreshing. Just like your feet in a fresh water or keep your wrists under the tap.

COOLING TIP 8: LIMIT SPICY FOOD, CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINE
Certain foods stimulate the sweat glands. By the consumption of, for example, spicy peppers the heart rate goes up. Your body is therefore put to work extra, so the body temperature can rise slightly. Then your body gives the signal to cool down, causing you to produce sweat. If the weather is warm, of course you are not waiting for it.

COOLING TIP 9: TAKE A LUKEWARM (E) SHOWER OR BATH
A hot shower or bath actually has the same effect as drinking a cup of tea. With the added advantage that you feel clean and fresh again.

COOLING TIP 10: MODERATE WITH SKIN OILS AND MAKE-UP
Skin oils and makeup tend to isolate your body. That means that they retain heat. While you want to drive the heat out of your body with hot summer weather. So be careful with this kind of cosmetics. In any case, certain cosmetic products can provoke an allergic reaction in the sun.

5 Air conditioning tips: Health & Safety

Tip 1: Beware of large temperature differences
It is very tempting to put the air conditioning at a low temperature, especially when the outside is very hot. However, too great a temperature difference is not recommended. A cold has increased and the transition from cold to warm feels like a slap in the face. That is why we advise you, especially when getting in and out regularly, to lower the air conditioning by a maximum of 6 degrees than the outside temperature.


Tip 2: Switch off the air conditioning 5 minutes before arrival
Fungi like to nest in a warm and humid environment. The evaporator behind the dashboard of your car is susceptible to mold formation due to condensation. You can prevent this by switching off the air co five minutes before arrival at your destination.


Tip 3: Switch on the air conditioning also during cold and humid periods
Are your windows covered by cold or humid weather? The air conditioning is also very useful to allow your steamed windows to be easily and quickly damaged. The evaporator of your air conditioning cools the incoming outside air. Cold air contains less water vapor, which removes moisture from your car via the condensation drain. The supplied dry air then ensures a safe view.


Tip 4: Check the air inlets for clogging
Each car is equipped with air intakes for the supply of fresh outside air. Sometimes these air intakes are blocked by leaves and twigs. Therefore, check this regularly and remove any dirt that may be present. You find the air intakes mostly under the bonnet and just in front of the windscreen.


Tip 5: Replace dust and pollen filter on time
To keep dust particles, pollen and exhaust fumes as far as possible, your air conditioning is equipped with a dust and pollen filter. Have this filter checked during the annual air-conditioning check so that it can be replaced in time. In this way you remain assured of fresh air in your car and nasty odors remain outside.

9 tips to work on your mental health

We are very busy with our physical health and receive a lot of advice about it. Advice on healthy and varied eating, sports and a good night's sleep are usually focused on our physical health. Because we want to feel fit, be tight in our skin and look at energy. But our mental health is just as important! What is the difference between physical and mental health and what can you do yourself to stay mentally fit?
What is physical fitness?
Physical vitality is the degree to which you physically have the energy to function in your work and in private. Not every day your body feels energetic. Sometimes you seem more out of breath, your muscles do not feel comfortable and you just want to stay on the couch. Make sure this is not a habit. For example, continue to exercise and exercise.


What is mental fitness?
Your mental fitness has an influence on daily functioning and mood. Mental fitness plays an important role for memory and concentration, learning ability but also helps you deal with stress better. It is not always easy and a mental fitness helps you to cope with setbacks.


The right balance
When you are physically and mentally in balance, you can cope better with setbacks, enjoy what you experience and get the best out of yourself. So it is about the balance between physical and mental.


9 tips to make you feel mentally fit
There are a number of things you can do yourself to keep your mental health good or even improve it.


1. Think positive
What we think has a lot of influence on how we feel and can contribute to your mental health. For example, keep a month at which fun and positive things you experience one day. Write this down in a booklet before sleeping. By thinking positively before you go to sleep, you are also more positive in the night. Positive things can be small, like a nice cup of coffee, a nice sandwich, a nice walk, the sun shining or a nice conversation with a friend. Try to name at least 5 positive things every night and write down how you feel at the beginning. After 30 days, you look back and also note down how you feel. Do you notice any change?


2. Do something new every week
Your brain needs stimuli to stay young. For example, go by train if you normally go by car. Or visit a museum, a concert or another city. By stepping out of your normal environment, your brain receives new stimuli and is challenged. This ensures that your brain functions better and can process new information faster.


3. Do nice things
It sounds obvious, but sometimes we forget to make time for things we like. This can be anything like reading, going to the cinema, taking a bath, going to the beach, yoga etc. Plan this and make sure you do not make other appointments on the days / times that you have time for yourself planned. Find out for yourself which things you get energy from and which things you just cost energy. Things that cost you energy can then be brought to the minimum as much as possible and that way you get more attention for things that make you happy.


4. Stop worrying
This is easier said than done, but worry does not help anyone. It is negative thinking and not good for your mental health. Moreover, you can not usually do anything about the situation you are worrying about, so let go and try to think of something else. Living more in the now can also help. By being less concerned with things that have been or are coming, you will find that you are actually quite happy at this present moment. So if you are cooking, sitting on the couch or exercising, do you really have something that you have to worry about at the time or can you enjoy the present moment with your full awareness?


5. Go puzzling
Making a puzzle is a good training for the brain. This is because you actively stimulate your brain to make the puzzle. It does not matter whether it is a simple puzzle, a crossword puzzle or a . With all kinds of puzzles you challenge your brain, which has a good influence on memory.


6. Take a walk or exercise
Movement is good for the brain. By walking the activity in the hippo campus (a certain brain area) increases. This area of ​​the brain, among other things, plays an important role in learning and remembering. You can therefore maintain your memory by walking .


7. Eat enough omega 3 fatty acids
The essential omega 3 fatty acid DHA is an important building block of the brain and is good for brain function, with a daily amount of at least 250 mg. By putting at least 1 time oily fish such as salmon or herring on the menu every week, you arrive at this quantity. Will not you be able to eat fish every week? Then you can also opt for a dietary supplement such as Omega-3 Forte as a supplement to the diet.


8. Learn something new
When we are young, we go to school. Then we can choose to study or work, but in the end we often stop learning. Sad, because learning new things works very satisfying and is good for your brain. For example, research shows that learning a new language showed remarkable growth in the brain.


9. Moderate with alcohol
Everyone knows that alcohol is not good for our brains. It has an anesthetic effect and has a negative influence on different parts of our brain, such as the frontal cortex (front part of the brain) and the hippo campus (for learning and remembering). Of course, every now and then a glass is not a problem, but if you are a strong drinker then it is wise to moderate.

Fifteen budget tips for good health

The news is full of: cuts and rising health costs. How to stay healthy? Quality of life does not have to be expensive. You can also enjoy a healthy way with a small wallet! Fifteen budget tips for good health.

Breakfast

1. Start the day with a breakfast that includes everything; carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, soy milk with real muesli (possibly homemade) and some fresh fruit. Or choose eggs with a wholegrain whole-wheat sandwich or wholegrain rice cakes and a portion of fruit or raw vegetables. Cup green tea and you can handle it.

Oatmeal

2. Packed with fiber, which stabilizes your blood sugar level and reduces the risk of diabetes as well as your cholesterol. The best of all; oatmeal is cheap. Choose the coarse variant. Then you have something to chew and there are the most nutrients!

Whole grain

3. Eat whole-grain products as much as possible. Wholegrain bread, unpolished rice, wholemeal pasta etc. Avoid the white, refined products from which all the nutrients and fibers have been extracted from the industry. These products may seem cheaper but are much more expensive in the long run. You will be sick of it! And being sick is always more expensive than being healthy!

Smaller portions

4. Eating small portions several times a day is better for your health. This gives your body the chance to digest the food and to make good use of all nutrients. This gives you more energy and makes you feel fitter than if you slide large amounts of spike once or twice a day. Go for quality instead of quantity!

Colorful

5. Eat as much colored food as possible. Fruit and vegetables in all colors and varieties are the cheapest food with the most value for money. Choose products from the season. These are usually on offer because the supply is temporarily larger. With a small purse you can best go to the market, where you certainly at the end of the day for a snack a bag full of vitamins and minerals can score.

Freezer

6. Good choice when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Choose pure, washed and fast frozen varieties. Then you have the most value for money. Buy frozen food if they are on sale. You can keep them for a long time, so make your own stock of fast health.

Legumes

7. Perhaps the cheapest form of proteins and fibers that you can vary endlessly. Especially when you buy beans and lentils in dried form, they are indispensable in a budget household. Eat them with rice or another form of cereals to get high quality proteins.

Water

8. Tap water costs nothing at all. Rinses all toxins and waste from our body, which makes you feel much better! If you want to drink filtered water then buy a can or filter that you can place on the tap so that you drink really good water. It is just a publication but one that you will enjoy for a long time.

Get rid of the bottle

9. In the light of free water, which you can make delicious tea from, you can leave the plastic bottles of prick and other sugar-containing drinks. Not only bad for your health and environment, also bad for your wallet. Teach your children to drink sugar free. Saves a lot of money and is also better for them. Buy one good bottle of syrup (thick juice) and handle it economically.

Children

10. Do not do any shopping without children. They often want to eat very different things than good for them so that you are more expensive than if you can do some shopping alone and in peace. Buy something tasty for the whole family once a week and enjoy it.

Cheap is expensive

11. Leave all the cheap fast food manufactured by the food industry. That seems cheap but in the long run it is bad for your health because you fill your body with it and do not feed. In addition, the fast sugars quickly get you hungry again, so you eat more. Buy less but better quality food. We throw away $400 for each household each year. Buy consciously and enjoy what you eat.

Buy big

12. Buy large packages, pay attention to the kilo price. Small packages cost more than large ones. Products at eye level are more expensive than those at an altitude. So just bending to grab the cheaper, but just as good variant. House brand is always cheaper than branded products.

Move

13. Are you tired and listless? Then move. Walking, cycling, swimming, dancing. It does not matter what you do, if you do it! Do you not want to wander aimlessly than the neighbor's dog. Then you have a good excuse to walk your daily minimum thirty minutes. Good for heart and blood vessels and your mood. And free!

Stop smoking

14. Duration! And unhealthy. Stop. Saves you hundreds of euros (with a package per day € 1.642, - per year!) That you better spend on healthy food or a nice holiday.

Relax

15. Reserve at least ten minutes each day for yourself to relax and get new energy. You will be amazed at how much this simple tip will bring you! Just sitting still and breathing quietly and attentively provides you with a lot of energy. The last and cheapest tip!

healthy eating at work

Is the cookie jar smiling at the office, is the vending machine very tempting next to the coffee machine or is the canteen offer too big and unhealthy? This is how you resist all these temptations.

Bring your own snacks
An apple, banana or slice of gingerbread gives you a good dose of energy when you're ready.



Snacks and sweets during meetings? That can be a lot healthier!
Take your own sandwich box with you.
With your own lunch at the ready, it is a lot easier to keep the amount you eat under control. And you are less tempted to buy a high fat and salty lunch in the canteen at the office. Set yourself immediately as goal to put some vegetables in your sandwich box every day.

Meetings that are healthy for your heart
Snacks and sweets during meetings? That can be a lot healthier! Put fruit dishes or raw vegetables on the table. Canning with water (possibly with a fresh lemon slice) and fresh juice are a healthier choice than fruit drinks and soft drinks.

Chewing gum instead of sweets
Delicious Belgian: pralines on the desk! Let others enjoy sweets and chocolates, but try to get them as far away from your desk as possible. Weapon with sugar-free chewing gum if you're a sweet tooth. With a refreshing mint flavor in your mouth, it is a lot easier to resist sweets.

Lunch group
There are certainly a few colleagues who want to have a healthy lunch together with you and want to work on a healthy lifestyle. Look for inspiration for tasty and healthy lunch recipes in our recipe overview. Have someone else prepare and take lunch every day. Before you know it you have collected a whole collection of recipes that everyone likes.

Hunger or distraction? 
Sometimes a short break is enough and you do not need coffee or food to interrupt your work. Get up, stretch, walk through the hallway, walk up and down the stairs ... ideal to recharge the batteries!

Make healthy choices that keep your heart healthy, do so new energy and be productive during your working day.

saturated fats and unsaturated fats

Fats play an important role in our diet. Not only are they an important seasoning, they are also an energy source. In addition, the unsaturated fats are good for your health.

If you choose the right fats, you can do something good for your heart yourself. So not the amount of fat is most important, but especially the type of fats you choose will affect your health.

WHAT TYPES OF FATS ARE THERE?
There are two different types of fat: the good and the bad fats. Saturated fats and trans fats are bad fats because they can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. Unsaturated fats are good fats, because they contribute to the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels in the blood and thus contribute to heart health. The replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated fats in the diet contributes to the maintenance of a normal cholesterol level in the blood.

GOOD FATS
Unsaturated fats are good fats. They contribute to the maintenance of a healthy cholesterol level in the blood. Good fats exist in two variations: polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats.

Fats play an important role in our diet.
Polyunsaturated fats can be found for example in:

Fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel
Vegetable oils such as sunflower oil
Becel products to lubricate
Mono-unsaturated fats can be found for example in:

Olive oil
Rapeseed oil
Some nuts like Brazil nuts
Avocado
BAD FATS
Saturated fats and trans fats are bad fats because they can raise cholesterol levels.

Saturated fats can be found for example in:

Butter
Cheese
Cream
Fatty meat
You can find trans fats, for example:

Snacks
Fast food
Pastry
Choosing healthy fats, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can help keep the heart healthy . Replace products rich in saturated fats with products that contain more unsaturated fats. This contributes to the maintenance of a normal cholesterol level in the blood. For example, use margarine instead of butter.

 Examples are raw vegetables, nuts, fruit or low-fat dairy. And when you do your shopping, always check the label to see if there are too many bad fats in the product.

healthy eating: tips

If you want healthy and balanced food, pay attention to the kind of products you choose, the proportions between the different parts and the size of your meals. These tips will help you on your way.

TIP 1
Use the Nutritional Pyramid to discover which products help your body stay healthy. Prepare a varied diet based on:

moisture
fruits and vegetables
starch products such as bread, potatoes and pasta
dairy, meats, meats, egg and meat substitutes
fats such as , (liquid) margarine and oil
For example, for a varied breakfast, take 2 peoples' sandwiches spread, a glass of orange juice or a piece of fruit, a small dish of low-fat yogurt and a cup of tea.

Take the time to enjoy your meal.
TIP 2
A good habit: fill ¾ of your plate with vegetables, fruit and starchy products or potatoes. For a small piece of lean meat, a piece of fish, a vegetarian meat substitute or an egg, a maximum of ¼ of your plate will remain. To make your meal complete, add a product with calcium, such as some cheese in your meal, a glass of milk or a small dish of low-fat yogurt for dessert.

TIP 3
Ever skipped your breakfast and lunch so that you could enjoy a lot of extras afterwards? Although you may feel that you are saving calories in the morning, it can lead to overeating. So take the time to enjoy a healthy breakfast in the morning and a nutritious lunch a few hours later. In between you eat one or two healthy snacks and in the evening prepare a small hot meal, similar to the size of your lunch. So you have enough energy all day long and you have less need for sweets and snacking in between.

Tuesday 9 October 2018

These are the 7 best sources of iron

Iron is essential for your health: it ensures the transport of oxygen through your blood and it helps your body to produce important antibodies. If you do not get enough iron, complaints such as headache, fatigue and shortness of breath can occur.

Avoid a shortage by regularly eating these seven iron-rich foods.

1. Lentils
Lentils are for sale all year round and they are a great source of iron, fiber and protein. A serving of 150 grams is enough to provide you with a third of your daily iron requirement (in women 8 milligrams, in men 15 milligrams).



2. Red meat
Research by the University of Newcastle has shown that people who regularly eat red meat suffer less from an iron deficiency than people who eat other types of meat or no meat at all. However, this does not mean that you have to eat like a red meat: do not eat more than 500 grams a day and also read a number of meatless days per week.

3. Quinoa
Replace your pasta or rice with this gluten-free alternative: quinoa is an excellent source of iron! Make sure you cook the quinoa slowly to prevent the acid in the quinoa from reducing the absorption of iron and other minerals.

4. Pumpkin seeds
Did you know that a handful of pumpkin seeds provide you with almost twenty percent of your daily recommended amount of iron? In addition, pumpkin seeds also contain a lot of zinc, magnesium, copper and antioxidants that protect you against various diseases.

5. Broccoli
Add a cup of steamed broccoli to your dinner and you immediately get 10 percent of the daily recommended amount of iron. Broccoli also contains vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron.

6. Pistachio nuts
Did you know that pistachios contain almost four times as much iron as other nuts? Eat regularly a handful of pistachios: sprinkle them over your yogurt or just eat them as a snack.

7. Dark chocolate
From now on you can enjoy your piece of dark chocolate without guilt. With one portion you already have 20 percent of your daily recommended amount of iron inside.

10 tips for a healthy diet

Tip 1
Eat varied. Use the offer of the season; nature gives the nutrients that we need at that moment.

Tip 2
Eat 200 grams of vegetables and 200 grams of fruit a day. You never eat vegetables too much. In addition, they provide a feeling of satiety, they contain many valuable vitamins and minerals and just few calories.

Tip 3
Take a wholemeal, starch or carbohydrate product for each meal. This brings your blood sugar in balance and you can function properly. There is a lot of vitamin C in potatoes and there are also many minerals and fibers in it.

Tip 4
Put power bombs like lentils, soy, kidney beans and capuchins on your shopping list. They are packed with vegetable proteins, folic acid, fibers and minerals. With legumes you quickly prepare a nutritious meal.

Tip 5
Choose oily fish and low-fat meat. Meat is iron and protein rich and has many B vitamins. With low-fat meats, you benefit from these benefits and avoid saturated fats. Mackerel, tuna and other fatty fish contain many omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.

Tip 6
Drink your body every day with one and a half liters of fluid. Take especially non-calorie drinks such as water, tea, coffee without milk and / or sugar and other drinks that contain less than 5 kcal per 100 ml.

Tip 7
Limit yourself to one glass of alcohol and remember: 1 glass is equal to 1 sandwich.

Tip 8
Know your fats. A good diet contains between sixty and eighty grams of fat every day. You need fat for good digestion and a feeling of fullness. Unsaturated fats with essential fatty acids are: low-fat margarine, liquid frying fat and frying fat and nuts.
Cheese, and sausage varieties have mainly saturated and therefore less favorable fats .

Tip 9
Prepare with policy. Use little oil and fat when cooking, heat the fats briefly and do not overheat vegetables for too long. This way you maintain the natural taste of the food and no harmful substances are released. Say goodbye to ready-made meals and takeaway food. In these meals is a lot of sugar, salt and saturated fat .

Tip 10
Keep counting calories. The older you are, the fewer calories you need. Someone 70 years old needs half the calories than a 30-year-old.