Harnessing Your Emotional Resiliency

Saying that you can always stay in control of your emotions is one thing, but living up to it is another. If like me, you find it hard to stay tough when confronted by emotionally taxing situations, then harnessing your emotional resiliency is compulsory. But before you proceed, be reminded: being emotionally resilient does not give you an immunity from life's hassles.

If it has to rain, it would rain. There is not much you can do about it since staying alive means being exposed to problems time and time again. But the benefit of emotional resiliency you could definitely not do without would be having that presence of mind and positivity to help you react advantageously and bounce back should you get knocked down.  To help you develop your emotional resiliency, try out these tips:

Do not shy away from strong emotions. Let yourself experience them so as to get familiarized.

But do not leave yourself vulnerable to them when your spirit is down. Their combined forces along with your already stressed out self spells trouble for you in the end.

Face your challenges.

But know your limitations and give yourself enough time to recharge your spirit and energy.

Written By: Maris Modesto

Health Trivia That May Boost Your Health

Trivia is a wonderful distraction. But it can also be handy at times. Look over this collection of health trivia for bits of wisdom that can improve your health and reduce your risks of infection and diseases.

Dentists recommend that you store your toothbrush at least six feet away from the toilet. This reduce risks of airborne particles from flushing coming into contact with your toothbrush.

Sleeping burns more calories than watching TV. If you want to lose weight but aren't in the mood to exercise, snooze instead of turning on the TV.

Moisturize if you are allergic to dust. Why? Most dust particles in your house are made of dead and dried skin cells.

Here's a good reason to wash your pits and dry them well: The skin of the armpits can harbor up to 516,000 bacteria per square inch, while drier areas, such as the forearm, have only about 13,000 bacteria per square inch.

Enjoy your food while you still can. The average human has about 10,000 taste buds located in the tongue, its underside, and insides of the cheek. However, most people lose half of their taste buds, hence, compromising their sense of taste by the time they reach 60.

Written By: Kristine Gonzaga

Laugh, Snicker, Giggle: It's Good For You

Laughter is the best medicine - there is a truth to this cliché. You see, stress and anxiety are usually the cause of many disorders and illnesses - causes that can easily be relieved and remedied by some laughter. 

There are several other benefits that laughter can do for you that you might have overlooked like:

• Stimulate body organs
• Trigger your stress response
• Soothes tension and aches
• Boost your immune system
• Relieve pain
• Improves positive outlook

Here are some tips on getting more laughs in your life without being crazy:

Make humor part of your routine. Subscribe to an online comic strip that makes you laugh or put a collection of funny pictures on your desk so you can easily get a laugh into your daily routine.

Think silly. A lot of people are afraid of making a fool of themselves that they get so uptight about things. Aside from increasing anxiety and stress, they also miss out on the humor.

Look for jokes. Deliberately scan through copies of joke books in your local bookstore. There is a high chance that the jokes are corny, but the stupidity of it all may be just enough to get you cracking up.  

Written By: Kristine Gonzaga

How to Fight Mid-Day Sleepiness

If there's one thing that distracts me from work the most, it's feeling sleepy. It's kind of hard focusing on work when you're feeling dizzy because of sleepiness.

How do you fight sleepiness anyway?

The best way is to get enough sleep at home. Eight to ten hours of restful, undisturbed sleep should suffice to provide you with enough energy to go through the day.

But since it's impossible for most people to get at least eight hours of sleep, let's try the next best thing - the power nap. The power nap is the more popular term for a 20-minute nap that seems to works wonders in re-energizing the body.

Go with time-tested caffeine. Coffee is guaranteed to help us snap out of sleepiness. Just be careful not to drink too much coffee past 3pm, because it may make it difficult for you to sleep in the evening.

Wash your face. For some people, splashing their face with cold water jolts their minds back to consciousness. Although this may be true, the effects don't really last very long.

There you go, some tips on how you can fight off mid-day sleepiness. 

Written By: Abbey Grace Yap

Cooking Tips That'll Help You Lose Weight

Many have jumped the fitness bandwagon and have chosen to follow fad diets left and right. Many of us think that by limiting our menu choices, we actually take ourselves one step closer to our goal.

But is it really just the food we eat? Why don't we take a look at how we prepare it?

Let's start off with meal choices. Instead of cooking on the fly, why not plan the menu at the start of the week? This way, you'll save time thinking of what's good and healthy to prepare for the day.

Start choosing lean cuts. Be it beef, pork, or chicken, make sure that most of the fat is removed from the meat. This allows you to get the protein your body needs, but less the fat and calories.

Go with simple recipes. Don't choose menu entries that take too many steps to prepare and cook. Example of simple dishes are baked, steamed, or broiled meats.

Remember that even the healthiest of food can turn bad when it's prepared the wrong way. So before you start thinking of which foods are healthy, go back to the beginning and think of healthier ways to prepare your food instead.

Written By: Abbey Grace Yap

Pets and Their Positive Effect On Our Health

Most people adopt pets just so that they have something cute to play around with. But aside from the 'aww' factor, what else is keeping a pet good for?

Would you believe me if I tell you that your health may benefit from picking up a pet from the shelter? Sounds hard to believe? Let me tell you why.

Once you get a pet of your own, you instantly pick up a friend. They're always there with you when you're at your lowest, listening to you when you need to rant, and they're still beside you when you're having the best day of your life. People with pets are generally less stressed that people who don't have one.

Also, if you have a pet, specifically a dog, you're going to have to take him out for walks or play with them as they are naturally playful animals. You may not think so, but that, right there, is physical activity. The more physical activity you have, the more fat you burn and the more excess weight you begin to shed.

Now, who would've thought having a pet around could do so much good?

 

Written By: Abbey Grace Yap

Get the Long, Shapely Legs You've Always Wanted

Would you agree with me when I say that the legs are the hardest to keep toned? Why, even models have a hard time keeping their legs cellulite-free. You can just imagine how difficult it would be for regular people to combat cellulite.

But fitness trainers explain that by performing leg-specific exercises, you can slowly work your way to perfect, shapely legs. Here are some examples of leg-shaping exercises:

1. Lunges and step-up exercises have been well-endorsed because these routines work out all the different leg muscles at once. You can easily do it anywhere and don't necessarily require expensive equipment.

2. Squats are also great for the legs and calves. Unfortunately, they're not easy on the knees as they tend to carry most of the stress of the exercise.

3. Leg lifts are also a great way to give your legs some work out. However, it tends to focus more on the thighs than the calves. Adding weights to your leg lifts can increase the speed of progress.

For more information on these exercise and how to safely perform it, consult a fitness professional for guidance. It's better to be safe than sorry after all.

Written By: Abbey Grace Yap