Category Archives: Health

Going Green, Going Healthy, Health, Parenting

How To Set A Green Example To Your Kids

09/18/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

green, earth, pollution, health, recycle — Credit – CCO Licence

If you care about your kids doing the right thing, and you care about the planet, then you are probably going to want to find some way to make these both coincide. That essentially means that you are going to be looking into some of the ways in which you can hope to set a green example to your children, and that is something that might be easier than you think. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the best ways you can do this, so that you are more likely to help the next generation cope with the demands of the world when they grow up.

Build An Eco Home

Everything starts at home, and when you are trying to set an example to your children this is certainly the place to do it. If your children grow up in a home which is distinctly ecological, and which is clearly doing its part in helping to keep the planet going strong, then they are automatically going to understand and appreciate the importance of that way of living. So one of the best things you can possibly do for them is to build an eco home which they and you can live in, and in so doing to ensure that they understand what it is that makes it ecological. You should find that this makes an enormous difference to how they think about the world, and it can only be a positive effect.

Teach & Research

The more you know, the more you can pass on to your children while they are young, which in turn helps to give them a head start when it comes to being green. So you might want to spend some time doing some research around the whole issue of climate change, just to make sure that you are clued up on it as well as you could be. Then you can spend some time home-teaching your children about its importance, why we need to be taking action now, and what it is that they and you can do to help things along. The more you do this, and the more they hear it directly from your mouth, the more engaged they are going to become about the whole issue. If you can start them young with that, they are going to have much more chances of helping to change the world.

Recycling, Energy Use & More

Finally, remember that it’s all those daily actions you carry out which really matter, and which they are going to watch with intrigue. These are the things that affect your children’s behaviour, so make sure that you are always remembering to do the essentials: that means recycling as well as possible all the time, being sensible and conserving your energy use, and all those other little things that we know add up to make a huge difference. If you can instill these behaviours in your kids now, the world might stand a chance.

Going Healthy, Health, Life

The (Un) Healthy Habits You Need To Say Goodbye To

08/27/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

We all want to be healthy. At the moment, given the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining in good health seems more important than ever. However, it can be a challenge. Most of us try to do what we think is right to keep ourselves happy and healthy and recognize that the odd bad habit – perhaps a few glasses of wine or a pizza on the weekend – is fine if done on moderation.

However, some of the things that we do that we think are healthy and do on a daily basis can actually do more harm than good. Here, we look at some of the healthy-but-not-really-healthy habits that you need to consider saying goodbye to.

healthy habits, health, smoothie, lifestyle, smartphone, juice — Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels CC0 License

Choosing salad over a meal

It sounds like the healthiest option, right? A nice healthy salad – low in calories, full of vitamins and minerals. It is a great choice, is it not?

Well, not all of the time. If you have a plain salad, then yes, it is healthy, but how many people have a plain salad? Not many. Most salads come with all sorts of delicious toppings, extras, sauces, and dressings, and that is where the problem lies. These extras all contain added salt and fat and can often be more calorific than having the burger that you were craving.

Not only that but if a salad does not fill you up, you can often find yourself reaching for the cookie jar or other unhealthy snacks later on.

Listening to music before bed

It has been proven many times that listening to music can reduce your stress levels and help you to relax. Because of this, many people listen to it before they go to bed. It makes sense, does it not? If it helps you to relax, it will help you drop off into a nice, deep sleep.

But what if you are listening to your chosen music through earphones? It might be time to find a new way of zoning out before you go to sleep, as regularly blasting out the tunes into your ears can very easily cause damage to your delicate eardrums and canals.

The thing with hearing damage is that it happens gradually over time, so few people notice a problem until it is too late to reverse or repair the damage. Of course, regular hearing tests can help, but the best way of preventing hearing loss, which usually requires a hearing aid, is to protect your ears. No blasting music, no matter how relaxing it might be, no putting things like earbuds into your ears to clean them and wearing ear defenders if you are exposed to loud noise at work.

Drinking smoothies and fruit juices

Smoothies and fruit juices, on the face of it, are super healthy. They are jam packed with fruit and seem like an easy way to get some of your portions of five fruit and vegetables a day. They taste pretty delicious at the same time and are healthier than grabbing a takeout breakfast or a can of soda.

However – they are not quite as healthy as you think. In fact, they can be pretty unhealthy. Firstly, if you are replacing a proper meal with a liquid, you are not going to be getting the nutrients that you need. Secondly, the fruit is packed with sugar. It is natural sugar, and nowhere near as bad for you as refined sugar, but it is still there. This can cause a spike in insulin levels, which causes a spike in blood sugar levels, which can lead to unhealthy cravings.

If you are relying on smoothies to help you lose weight, you may find that your weight loss plateaus very quickly or that you end up putting on weight.

Drinking a cup of tea at bedtime

All the advice and guidance for getting a good night’s sleep tells you to have a warm drink before bed. Many of us put the kettle on and make a cup of tea. It’s hot, it’s comforting and feels like the right drink to help us unwind before we go to sleep.

The problem with this is that tea contains caffeine, and we all know that is not the best thing to have before you go to bed. Caffeine is a stimulant, which will do the opposite to help you have a quality sleep!

There are plenty of habits that on the surface appear to be healthy, but in reality are damaging to your efforts. Take heed of these – you don’t have to cut them out completely, just be aware!

Going Healthy, Going Strong, Health, Life

Covid-19 Exercise Hacks To Keep You Fit During Lockdown

08/20/2020 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

covid, covid-19, lockdown, pandemic, fitness, exercise, health, workout — Pexels – CC0 License

The chances of hitting the gym or venturing to a martial arts class are pretty slim at the moment. The pandemic has hit the world suddenly, causing us to change our lifestyles immeasurably. Many people have struggled to adapt, especially when it comes to fitness and health. Being cooped up indoors can be challenging, especially if you are a gym bunny, love the great outdoors, and miss socializing. You can no longer pop out for a meal on a whim or hit the shops on the high street without queuing up and wearing a face covering. Keeping fit has become difficult as you can’t just rock up to your gym, head onto the treadmill or take a Zumba class. However, you can still keep fit. Read on to find out how.

Outdoors

As the lockdown begins to ease, our freedoms are being reinstated. We no longer have to restrict our time outdoors. If the weather is sunny and you have a decent pair of walking boots, whip them on and get hiking. Getting back to nature is great for our mental health as well as our physical well being. If you have a niggling knee or chronic back pain, make sure your exercise is gentle on the joints by taking some walking sticks for hiking with you on your travels. Your hiking adventure could be the ideal way of spending quality time with your brood. Venture into the countryside, head to the coast, or simply take a stroll to the park. Immersing yourself on a hike means you won’t have to be in close proximity to anyone else and you can maintain social distancing with ease.

Use Your Garden

If you are blessed with some outside space, think about putting up a heavyweight punch bag. Get yourself some boxing gloves and some hand wraps, and enjoy some cardio in your garden. Work up a sweat, stay hydrated, and enjoy the endorphin rush that keeping fit can give you. You could also set up some circuits in your garden. Use what you have and be imaginative with your equipment. Use your bench to complete some elevated plank postures, your little darling’s skipping rope can contribute to your HIIT workout, and your tree branches to do some chin-ups. What Covid-19 has taught us is that we have to adapt and think outside the box in all aspects of life.

Indoors

If you belong to a gym, you might be keen to see what guidance they are providing during lockdown. Many trainers that work at gyms are providing free YouTube and live stream workouts to members. With a WiFi connection and some space, you can partake in a gym session from the comfort of your own home. You might even fancy going old school and putting a 1990s aerobics DVD on to enjoy some throwback fitness.

The pandemic era has seen a massive shift in the world. While exercise may be more challenging during a pandemic, you can keep fit and preserve your mental and physical well being.