Publication: July 5, 2020
NEW NEW
WAY WAY JOURNEY JOURNEY
BEST WAYS TO BE HEALTHY DIETS + BEDROOM MAKEOVER FOR BETTER SLEEP + WHAT YOUR SKIN REALLY NEEDS
OB S ES S ED
WITH HEALTHY BRAINS AND HEALTHY BODIES
Learn how to be healthy
LUNCH TIME
When you want to lose weight, lunch may be the culprit that’s holding you back. So often you’re rushed and pressed for time-or eating at your desk. And while it may not be ideal, a rushed lunch doesn’t have to send you into an afternoon slump. In fact,
some speedy foods that are simple to throw together and can help you reach your weight-loss goal. And, guess what: you know (and probably love) all of them. These are the modern-day weight-loss superfoods. Recipe to Try: Chicken & Apple Kale Wraps When you need a little something sweet after lunch, grab an apple. These crisp fruits contain nondigestible fiber and plant compounds called polyphenols that help buoy good bacteria in the gut, possibly protecting against obesity, animal research in Food Chemistry discovered. If you’re choosing between apple varieties, you may want to grab a Granny Smith, which was found to have more of these obesity-fighting qualities. Besides, eating a daily apple or pear was linked to a 1.25-pound weight loss over a four-year period, according to the PLOS Medicine study previously mentioned. Adding to the evidence: previous research indicated that eating an apple three times a day over a 12-week period prompted a 2.7-pound weight loss. Thinly sliced apples also make great salad toppings and add a naturally sweet crunch to wraps and sandwiches. Recipe pictured above: Ricotta & Yogurt Parfait Good bacteria play a role in the digestion of fiber and fatty acids. Because of this, research suggests that one’s gut health may impact how efficient a body is at shedding excess weight. In addition, having a diverse supply of good microbes is also helpful when it comes to reducing inflammatory compounds that can lead to insulin resistance and weight gain. This means strengthening the gut’s microbe barrier is key for overall health and body weight. One of the best ways to do this is to consume yogurt with live bacteria cultures on a regular basis. Choose Greek yogurt for higher levels of protein (and opt for plain instead of flavored to avoid added sugars). Then add fresh fruit or nuts for a little sweetness and crunch
Recipe to Try: Tomato-&-Avocado Cheese Sandwich Whatever you choose for lunch-a salad, sandwich, grain bowltop it with some avocado (or guac!). The creamy green ‘cado offers some serious health perks. In a review published in 2017 in Phytotherapy Research, researchers looked at the effect avocado-eating can have on reducing metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. They concluded that eating avocado daily can play a role in reducing blood pressure, lessening diabetes risk, keeping arteries clear and, yes, helping with weight loss. Avocados contain antioxidants like carotenoids, vitamins and fatty acids, as well as other plant compounds that may affect the hunger hormone leptin to help keep you satiated and help curb your appetite to
Recipe to Try: Vegan Buddha Bowl If you want to make a simple switch that can make all the difference in weight-loss success, trade out refined grains (white bread) for whole grains (100% whole-wheat bread) on your sandwich. Choosing whole over refined grains can help turn up your resting metabolism and prompt your body to absorb fewer calories, helping you burn nearly 100 extra calories per day, suggests a new study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It may be the fiber in whole grains that affects digestion and metabolism, researchers point out. Other great sources of whole grain include oatmeal, brown rice, barley, farro and even popcorn. Try grain bowls for an easy, packable work lunch.
Recipe to Try: Green Goddess Salad with Chicken Kale gets all the love (and it’s a fantastic option, too), but if you prefer milder romaine lettuce as your salad base and it helps you eat more of it, go for it. When fruits and veggies were examined for their weight-loss potential, one that came out on top was leafy greens, per 2015 research in PLOS Medicine. Over a four-year period, eating a serving per day (that’s two cups) was linked to about a half pound of additional weight lost. The veggies that helped with weight loss, like lettuce, tended to offer fiber and have a low glycemic load, which aids fullness, controls blood sugar and discourages your body to store fat, the study points out. Spinach, kale or head lettuce are other good options.
Extreme Remake: Bedroom Edition
When you wake up each morning refreshed and relaxed, your whole day is already off to a great start. Your bedroom plays a key role in getting the sleep your body needs, but it’s more than just a room for sleeping. It’s also a place where you and your family unwind, so it needs to be comfortable and friendly. Give yourself the gift of better sleep and comfortable living by making over your bedroom into a welcoming place for living and sleeping.
Take notes
One of the best ways to organize ideas for a bedroom makeover is to keep a notebook of inspirations. Include: Clippings and printouts from magazines and websites that inspire you Photographs and notes about colors, fabrics and furniture you like in your friends’ homes or in stores Notes about a great night’s sleep at a hotel that describe what made it so perfect Fabric swatches and paint chips Pictures of natural scenes and landscapes you find inspiring, like the beach or mountains A list of words that describe the feeling you want your room to evoke A rough sketch of your ideal bedroom (you don’t have to be an artist!) A description of how you want your bed to feel Here comes the sun While you want your bedroom dark for sleeping, you also want a space that is bright and cheerful the rest of the day. Windows of opportunity. Choose room-darkening blinds, shades or drapes that allow you to plunge the room into peaceful darkness for sleep but let the sunshine in the rest of the time Screen out electronics. Lights from alarm clocks, TVs, cable boxes and other electronics in the room can impact your sleep, but can also be important functioning parts of your daytime in the space. Identify electronic sources of light and strategically place them so they don’t affect sleep. Take lighting to task. Choose bedroom light bulb wattage based on the purpose each particular lamp serves. Bright lighting may be necessary for a desk in your bedroom or near a mirror. Lower wattages (45 to 50 watts) offer ambient light or gentle light for reading in bed. Lampshades can help diffuse lighting. Dial it down. Installing dimmer switches allows you to custom control brightness as you need it, particularly for overhead lights.
Temperature check Temperature is another key component to consider as you redo your room. Numbers game. The ideal bedroom temperature for sleeping is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. A room that’s too warm or too cool can disrupt comfortable sleep. Consider adding a programmable thermostat as part of your bedroom makeover. Less is more. While multiple duvets, throws and pillows can create a luxe bed that is the visual centerpiece of your room, too many can make sleeping hot and uncomfortable. If your perfect bed is piled high, plan to remove most pieces at night. Play on the same team. Neither your partner nor you should be uncomfortable at night. If one prefers intense heat or intense cold, adjust your pajama weight or add or remove separate blankets. If one person is uncomfortable, it will disturb the other’s sleep. The perfect arrangement The location of furniture within your bedroom not only impacts how functional the space is, but also how cozy or welcoming the room feels. Here’s how to optimize your floor plan. Best bed bet. Face your bed away from the door or window so light is less likely to bother you. When you have your new bed delivered, place it on an interior wall if possible. Nestled in. Keep nightstands within reach of your bed and choose pieces that are an appropriate height in proportion to your bed. Separate but equal. Designate different areas of the room for different activities: work, reading, sleeping, etc. Safety first. Make sure there is an unobstructed path to your bed so you don’t trip if you get up in the night.
6FLAWLESS tips for
skin
1
Wear sunscreen daily to help protect from harsh rays.
2 3
4
SUNSCREEN HYDRATE aim to drink 2 liters daily. Infused water with strawberries, cucumbers, and mint helps skin.
DOUBLE CLEANSE
5
washing you face every morning and night helps get rid of dirt and unwanted oils.
EXERCISE exercising can helps your skin.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
what you eat reflects on your energy and skin as well.
6
TREAT YOUR SKIN regular facials help keep skn
10
minutes to TONE
Total-Body Tone Up No time is no excuse for skipping your workout. If you can spare 10 minutes, you can fit in an effective cardio and strength session—in just five moves—to keep seeing results! You’ll need: A set of dumbbells (try between 5-15 pounds, depending on your fitness level). Workout details: Do 1 set of the prescribed number of reps for each exercise in succession, without rest between moves. Once you’ve completed all five moves, repeat the entire circuit 1 more time for one serious 10-minute sweat session.
1 Lunge, Curl, and Press
2
Cardio Burst: Spider Climbers
Repetitions: 20 Start on the floor in the top of a pushup position. Bend your left knee and bring it to the outside of your left elbow. Quickly step your left foot back and repeat with the right leg. ‘Run’ your legs, alternating sides each time,
3
Squat, Row, and Triceps Extension
Repetitions: 20 Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells. Lower into a squat as you row your arms back, pulling your elbows behind you and squeezing your shoulder blades down and together. Hold this position for 1 count and then extend your arms behind you, pressing the weights back with your triceps. Bend your elbows back in and then stand all the way up. Repeat 20 times.
6 Split-Stance Pushup
Repetitions: 5 Start in standard pushup position and move your right hand a few inches forward and your left hand a few inches back. Stack your left leg on top of your right, left toe pointed. Lower into a pushup as you lift your left leg up slightly (opening your leg to the side about 25 degrees), and then squeeze your inner thighs to lower your left leg as you push back up to start. If it’s too tough to do with straight legs, do it on your knees with your hands in the split position until you’re ready for more. Do 5 reps in a row and then switch sides for 5 more reps.
Repetitions: 20 Stand with feet together, holding dumbbells. Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge as you reach the weights down on either side of your left foot. Step your right foot back in to your left and return to standing as you perform a biceps curl, and then press the weights overhead into a shoulder press, rotating your palms away from you. That’s one rep. Repeat with the left leg and continue alternating for a total of 20 reps
5
Cardio Burst: Lunge Jack
Repetitions: 20 Stand with feet together, arms by your sides. Quickly turn your body to your right, jumping into a lunge, landing with your right leg forward and both arms extended overhead, palms facing in. Make sure you push your hips back and keep your right knee behind or in line with your toes. Jump both feet back together and return to your start position, and then quickly jump into a lunge to the left. Alternate sides each time, as quickly as you can with good form, 20 times total.
Feeling calm and grounded is an essential part of life. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony. -Thomas Merton
Find the
BALANCE