Life Blog
Cutting-edge information and tips for creating health in all areas of life – wellness, nutrition, fitness, attitude, and relationships
June 27, 2024
Is Stress Affecting Your Weight? How to Manage Your Mindset for Weight Loss
Globally, health experts agree that incidences of stress and obesity are rising. In the US, recent studies show that up to 1 in 5 adults often or always feel lonely, anxious, or depressed. Similarly, obesity is growing rampant, with two-thirds of all adults in the US qualifying as such. As it happens, the fact that these two issues are on the rise at the same time is no coincidence. Health experts have found that excess weight and heightened stress levels perpetuate a toxic cycle, where one encourages the development and progression of the other. This is concerning since the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that obesity-related complications are responsible for nearly three million deaths from around the world every year. With this in mind, it’s important to understand how stress and weight are connected and how to cultivate a positive weight-loss mindset. Where weight and stress meet Although stress is primarily mental and weight is physical, they are undeniably linked, where one’s symptoms manifest in the other. To start, when the body is stressed, it causes hormonal changes. Chief among these fluctuating hormones is cortisol, which regulates the body’s fight-or-flight mode. During this period, the metabolism naturally slows. High cortisol levels also cause slower production of the hormone leptin, which controls feelings of satiety and hunger. Without enough of this, appetites can increase and lead to weight gain. Stress can also demotivate a person from pursuing weight management methods like diet and exercise. Meanwhile, eating is a self-coping method for…
5 Tricks That Let You Eat MORE but Weigh Less!
Eating more and weighing less – Is it possible? Although this topic seems to resemble one of those outrageous infomercials you stumble across at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep, it isn’t so. In this article, you’ll find 5 cool and tricky ways of how to weigh less while eating more! Most of us believe…
Learn MoreWhat’s The Difference Between Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
Complementary and alternative medicine fall outside of mainstream health care. And although most people believe these two terms are the same, they’re not. There are many differences. Complementary medicine refers to treatments used alongside traditional medicine. Alternative medicine means treatments that are used instead of traditional medicine. These treatments can be risky to patients, which…
Learn More4 Ways to Enjoy Life More!
There are so many ways we can improve the quality of our life. Usually, it starts by choosing a healthier lifestyle. What is a healthy lifestyle? Many people think that diet and exercise are pretty much the only important factors when creating a healthy lifestyle, but that isn’t so. A healthy life includes your physical,…
Learn MoreSweet Tooth? Reach for Dark Chocolate
Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth? Well, not only will dark Chocolate satisfy it, but it comes with several health benefits too. (Just to be clear, we’re not talking about a Milky Way candy bar – we’re talking about high-quality dark Chocolate.) Chocolate is one of the most popular comfort foods on the planet. Since…
Learn MoreWhy Boredom Could Be Killing You, Literally
You might as well add “boredom” to the list of things we’ve survived these past few months. Staying cooped up at home with nothing to do is enough to drive one mad! And it has. We’ve all been bored. Boring zoom meetings. Boring meals. Boring stories. Boring jokes. Ugh! But boredom is more than a…
Learn MoreDoes Self-Help Work?
Self-help “wisdom” is everywhere these days. New self-help books pop up every day, and social media is overflowing with inspirational quotes from self-help experts. Although people want to improve their lives, many are skeptical of self-help books and personal development gurus because they wonder if it really works. The good news is that research shows…
Learn More4 Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout
Caring for an aging or ailing loved one is never easy – but throw in a fulltime job, kids of your own, and a busy household, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed fast. Nearly half of all caregivers have trouble balancing work and caregiving, and 20 to 40% of them suffer from depression. But just…
Learn MoreWhen Is Taking Too Many Supplements Dangerous?
Sure, we’d all love to eat nutritionally-balanced, home-cooked meals every day, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes, we have to make do with takeout and frozen dinners. Sadly, most takeout meals and frozen dinners aren’t designed with nutrition or health in mind. If they were, they probably wouldn’t be as popular! Most of us worry…
Learn MoreHow Vegetarians Can Get Enough Protein
New vegetarians often worry if they’re getting enough protein. Most people associate protein with meat, dairy, and other animal products. Their knowledge of plant-based protein starts and ends with beans! While beans are a good source of plant-based protein, it’s totally possible to get enough protein as a vegetarian without eating beans. But, first, let’s…
Learn MoreDiabetes: Beyond Diet and Exercise
The key components of diabetes management are diet, exercise, medication, and regular check-ins with your healthcare team; everyone knows this. It’s the best-known way of preventing long-term complications. However, diet, exercise, and medication are just part of the equation. To truly live well with diabetes, you also need to practice self- care (not everyone knows…
Learn MoreConcerned About Memory Lapses?
Everyone has memory lapses. Sometimes we misplace our keys, forget where we parked the car, or lose our train of thought when talking to someone. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re experiencing cognitive decline or have dementia (what a relief!). Normal Forgetfulness vs. Age-Related Memory Loss vs. Dementia Why you probably don’t have dementia…
Learn MoreRewire Your Brain to Get Rid of Anxiety and Depression
Here’s the amazing thing about your brain: It’s always changing, reorganizing and making new connections between neurons, depending on how you use it. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, is the brain’s natural response to new experiences, thought patterns, and habits. What does any of this have to do with mental health? Interestingly, neuroplasticity can work…
Learn More