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Lemongrass is very popular in Asian countries. It has a lemony scent but a sweeter and milder flavor. It’s a herb which appears in different Asian dishes. They use it as a flavoring agent because it has a very potent taste.
Aside from using it in dishes, lemongrass is also quite popular in making tea. It’s a healthy herb which contains a lot of health-beneficial compounds. Here are some health benefits of drinking lemongrass tea:
Digestion
It can help aid in your digestion. This kind of tea gives a cooling energy. It soothes the stomach and keeps digestive functions working well. This is because it contains citral, a component which aids in food digestion.
Fluid retention
Lemongrass tea contains a lot of antioxidants. It’s a great tea for detoxification. It aids in the elimination of toxins by reducing the body’s fluid retention.
Controls Blood Pressure
It’s a natural means of regulating high blood pressure. Lemongrass tea contains potassium, which helps in your body’s urine production. This then stimulates the circulation of your blood, therefore lowering your blood pressure.
Weight Control
Lemongrass tea helps you burn fat as it enhances your metabolism. If you want to lose some weight, you should try incorporating this tea into your diet. This speeds up digestion allowing your body to burn more calories.
Health booster
It’s an all-around health booster. Drinking lemongrass tea can help heal flu and colds. It regulates your cholesterol levels. It also eases the pain felt from arthritis and menstrual cramps. It’s a popular beverage because it’s so healthy!
Discover the truth about the amount of weight you can really lose on the ketogenic diet. We also reveal how to fast track your keto fat loss.
So, you’re toying with the idea of doing the keto diet, but you’re not sure what to expect. Maybe you’ve heard stories about amazing levels of fat loss from some people and pretty meager results from others.
Well, thank goodness you’ve landed here because we’re about to reveal the truth about how much weight you can really lose on the keto diet.
Weight Loss Defined
Most people are obsessed with weight loss. They want to get that scale number down no matter what. Often they end up losing stuff that they really don’t want to be losing, such as water and muscle tissue.
You see, the scale does not differentiate between muscle, fat, and water.
All it knows is that you are lighter. Of course, what you really want is to lose the fat and keep all of the other good stuff.
During your transition to the ketogenic diet, you will lose quite a lot of weight. It is not uncommon to lose ten pounds in the first week. But not all of it will be fat loss. The majority of that weight loss will be water. Then, once you’ve gone through the transition period, the weight loss will plateau to somewhere around one to two pounds per week. But there will be a difference.
The make-up of the weight you lose will change as you enter into the keto diet. As I mentioned, you will start by losing a lot of water weight. But then, once you are keto-adapted and your body has switched from a glucose burning to a fat-burning energy system, you will be losing more and more fat tissue.
That’s because your body will be turning to your stored body fat to supply its energy needs.
Why You Lose Water?
When you go on a low carb diet like keto, you severely restrict your body’s expected energy source. The lack of carbs leads to a lack of glucose in the body. As a result, your body turns to its stored glycogen reserves. The process of utilizing this glucose takes quite a lot of water.
As a result, you will begin to lose water weight almost immediately.
Glycogen is stored in your liver. It is made up of a large protein molecule that is surrounded by glucose sub-units. Each gram of glycogen is bound to three grams of water. When the body starts to use glycogen for glucose, it’s no wonder that you will lose a large amount of water.
Another cause of water loss during the transition period to keto is the loss of electrolytes that come with the change (1).
Electrolytes are lost through urination, which requires water. When you begin producing ketones, these will also be expelled from the body through your urine, which further increases your water output.
How to Speed Up the Fat Loss
So far we’ve established that you can lose about ten pounds of body weight in the first week of your adjustment to the ketogenic diet. However, most of that will be water loss. Going forward you can expect to lose one or two pounds per week. Most of this will be fat loss.
One pound per week may not sound like much. But, so long as you are consistent, that means that you’ll lose more than 50 pounds in a 12-month period. Still, some people want even faster results. Here are five things you can do to speed up your fat loss on keto.
Intermittent Fasting
The combination of keto and intermittent fasting (IF) represents the ideal lifestyle choice for super-charged weight loss. Intermittent fasting involves undertaking strategic periods of non-eating to induce faster fat loss and promote positive hormonal reactions in the body. The most popular version of IF is the 16-8 diet.
This involves 16 hours each day on non-eating and an 8-hour feeding window. Many people fast between 7 pm one day and 11 am the next day. During the 8-hour feeding window, you simply eat according to the keto diet.
By far the number one reason that people begin to follow the intermittent fasting lifestyle is to lose body fat. The reason that IF has become so popular as a weight-loss method is down to two things;
It works
It has scientific backing
Your body has two energy systems that it can call upon. The primary energy system is glucose-based. It relies on carbohydrates to provide this glucose which gets transported in the muscle cell to be converted into adenosine triphosphate.
When you consume too many simple carbohydrates, the excess is stored as reserve energy in the form of body fat.
When your body’s glucose stores are used up, it turns to its secondary energy system. This is stored body fat, which is actually a more efficient form of energy than glucose. A byproduct of the fat burning for energy process is a compound known as ketones.
Once you eat a meal, it takes between eight and twelve hours to use up its glycogen stores after you have eaten a meal. Only then will your body be able to tap into its reserve energy system–stored body fat. Of course, our normal eating pattern never allows us to go for a whole twelve hours without eating.
As a result, we never get to deplete our body’s glycogen levels to the point where fat burning kicks in.
Yet, when you do allow your body enough time to expend its glycogen stores, it will have no choice but to switch to its secondary energy system. In the process, you will lose the craving to eat sugary simple carbohydrates. That’s because your body will be depending on stored body fat and not carbohydrates for the energy that you need to function.
Fat is a slow-burning fuel that provides you with a sustained and controlled energy source. That’s because every gram of fat contains 9 calories, compared with just 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate.
Fasted Cardio
During your 16 hour fasting period, head down to the gym for some fasted cardio. When you are in a fasted state, your body will be forced to draw on its fat reserves in order to provide the energy that your body needs to meet the challenges of your workout.
This will dramatically increase your calorie burn and your fat loss.
Fasted Resistance Training
When you are done with your fasted cardio, head over to the weight training area for some fasted resistance training. Resistance training relies on the glycogen stores in your muscles. It will very quickly use them all up. This will force the body to turn to its fat stores, getting you into ketosis more quickly.
As a side point, both fasting and resistance training have a huge impact on the release of human growth hormone (HGH). One study showed that resistance training led to a 44% increase in the body’s release of human growth hormone. In another study, a 24-hour fast led to a 2000% percent increase in the release of HGH in men, and a 1,300% increase in women.
Combining resistance training with fasting will dramatically increase HGH output, leading to greater muscle building potential (2, 3).
A fantastic benefit of resistance training is that it will allow you to mold and shape your body. Combining it with fat reducing keto will provide you with all the tools you need to create a lean, muscular, athletic physique.
Supplement with MCT Oil, Carnitine & Black Coffee
Smart supplementation can seriously turbocharge your fat loss on keto. The three best things you can take are medium-chain triglyceride oil, carnitine, and black coffee. MCT oil is actually converted in the liver into ketones, helping you to more effectively burn stored body fat.
The amino acid carnitine has the job of transporting fat into the mitochondria for use as energy. Black coffee is also known to stimulate the release of fatty acids to be used for energy by the body.
Prebiotics & Probiotics
Maintaining a healthy gut biome is essential to proper nutrient absorption and weight loss. On the keto diet, some people struggle to get the prebiotics and probiotics they need to feed their gut biome properly. That’s because some foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics are too high in carbohydrates.
Still, it is essential to get enough prebiotic fiber and probiotic bacteria. When you do, you will actually speed up your weight loss results.
You can add prebiotics and probiotics to your keto diet plan by adding in the following foods:
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Kimchi
Keto kefir
Beet kvass
Summary
During the first week of keto, you can lose as much as ten pounds, but most of it will be water weight. Your weight loss will then slow to 1-2 pounds per week, most of which will be fat. You can speed up that fat loss with a combination of fasting, exercise, supplementation, and the eating of pre and pro-biotic based foods.
Do these things consistently while staying within your carb range and you will achieve your keto weight loss goals.
A few years ago, the paleo diet inspired me to give up one food. Giving it up helped me finally gain control over blood sugar spikes and defeat the high blood pressure I’d battled most of my adult life.
It was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. And for quite a long time, I credited my rejuvenated health to that one thing.
But in the years since I changed my eating habits, research has shown me that it was only the beginning of a cascade of improvements that were about to occur in my body… metabolic changes that were likely just as effective for not only helping my blood pressure, but for resolving a health problem I didn’t even know I had.
See, when I went paleo (the right way, and I’ll explain what I mean shortly ), my diet also became much more alkaline. Here’s why that may have ultimately been what truly turned my health around…
Ripe for acidosis
My colleague Dr. Mark Wiley explains it simply, “Acidosis is when your body’s internal environment — meaning all its blood, cells, tissues and organs — is in an acidic state. Healthy humans are alkaline humans. An alkaline state is the opposite of an acidic state.”
One of the most common misconceptions you’ll hear about alkalinity is that your body can maintain its own perfect pH balance. That may have been true once, but there are many reasons it doesn’t hold weight today.
Let me explain why, using research from The Journal of Environmental Public Health titled, The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence An Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health, a review of decades of published medical literature on the subject.
According to the study author Gerry K. Schwalfenberg, when it comes to the pH and net acid load in the human diet, there’s been a considerable change in the food the hunter-gather civilization ate more than 10,000 years ago and what we generally eat today.
He explained that starting with the agricultural revolution and, more recently, with industrialization, our modern diet has seen a decrease in potassium compared to sodium and an increase in chloride compared to bicarbonate.
You don’t have to have a medical degree to know that potassium is an extremely important nutrient. It’s a nutrient deficiency that can lead to bone hard arteries.
But not only are we getting less potassium from food — the ratio has actually reversed! The ratio of potassium to sodium was previously 10 to 1, but in the modern diet, the ratio is 1 to 3! Americans are eating a diet high in sodium, chloride, saturated fats and simple sugars and low in fiber, potassium, magnesium and quite a few other important nutrients.
According to the research referenced, this “results in a diet that may induce metabolic acidosis [too much acid in the body] which is mismatched to the genetically determined nutritional requirements.”
As well, our bodies do not have the bicarbonate levels they need and once had. That matters because bicarbonate is key to regulating your body’s pH. This information makes it clear that we can no longer leave pH balance up to chance and expect to be healthy.
Aligning your diet for alkalinity
It’s not a reach to assume that most Americans are walking around in a state of metabolic acidosis… or are close to it. No wonder heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and many other chronic metabolic diseases are rampant.
Perhaps a change in diet is in order?
That’s where I started. All those years ago when I switched to a paleo diet, that “entire food group” I ditched was grains… and they just happen to carry a relatively high acid load.
When my health improved, particularly my blood pressure, I gave all the glory to releasing myself from the painful grasp of gluten intolerance. Little did I know then that it was my first step in balancing my body’s pH levels.
You may know meat carries a high acid load, but you may not know that following the paleo diet correctly means not overindulging in meats. That’s why my diet consists of meat only twice a week at most and plenty of fruits and vegetables, which carry a negative acid load. In other words, fruits and vegetables, especially greens, are alkalizing.
But there’s one caveat… buy organic as often as you can. Pesticide residue is acid forming. It can make buying produce a little more expensive, but you just might have fewer reasons to pay to see the doctor.
Can you expect miracles?
I won’t make a promise that broad, but I will tell you what the study review found to be credible improvements based on eating an alkaline diet:
Increased fruits and vegetables in an alkaline diet would improve the potassium/sodium ratio and may benefit bone health, reduce muscle wasting, as well as mitigate other chronic diseases such as hypertension and strokes.
The resultant increase in growth hormone with an alkaline diet may improve many outcomes from cardiovascular health to memory and cognition.
An increase in intracellular magnesium, which is required for the function of many enzyme systems, is another added benefit of the alkaline diet. Available magnesium, which is required to activate vitamin D, would result in numerous added benefits in the vitamin D apocrine/exocrine systems.
Alkalinity may result in added benefit for some chemotherapeutic agents that require a higher pH.
The study author added, “From the evidence outlined above, it would be prudent to consider an alkaline diet to reduce morbidity and mortality of chronic disease that are plaguing our aging population.”
Let me be the one who said I told you so… food is medicine. There’s no doubt in my mind.
This LCHF (low carb, high fat) diet is often a choice for people who want to lose weight or want to overcome health problems. It’s a great diet plan with many advantages, but it’s not for long term. Take a look at the reasons why this diet may be the right choice for you.
Contributes to reach your ideal body weight
The keto diet has been applied for decades with a goal of maintaining or losing weight. Our bodies use carbs or fats for energy. When we deprive it of carbs, it will have no other choice but to use its own fat as an energy source. Therefore, if your goal is one of these two, this is the diet you’ve been looking for.
Controls appetite
Since the keto diet is rich in healthy fats, you won’t feel the hunger for hours. Fats fill our stomach faster than any other nutrient. Because of that, even with restricted calories, you will be satisfied and full, without any cravings.
Improves brain function
Even if you are not looking for a fat-burning nutrition plan, this diet may still work for you. Due to its fat-rich elements, it supports brain health and a good memory. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in many nuts and fish. By introducing them to your diet, your brain performance will skyrocket.
Increases energy levels
People often think that we get our energy from carbohydrates. That’s a lie. They spike up our insulin levels and do just the opposite. On the other hand, fats are an amazing fuel that will keep you full for a long time. On top of all that, you will be energized and awake.
According to the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34.2 million people, or over 10 percent of the U.S. population, have diabetes and 24.2 million Americans age 65 and older have prediabetes.
Diet and exercise are two lifestyle interventions that can help keep you from becoming a statistic. But if there’s another natural way to control your blood sugar, without dependency on medication, you’d want to know about it, right?
Over the past dozen years or so, research has been ongoing into a natural, plant-based compound that has the ability to regulate your blood sugar and has other health benefits as well, all without the side effects of medication.
A traditional Chinese medicine controls blood sugar and more
For more than 10 years now, science has been investigating how natural chemicals from the barberry plant can help control type 2 diabetes.
Specifically, a phytochemical (natural plant compound) called berberine seems to be doing the trick.
Berberine is also found in the perennial flower known as goldenseal, and other plants including barberry, Oregon grape and tree turmeric. In most of these plants, the compound is concentrated in the root or stem.
It’s been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a long time as an anti-inflammatory agent. It may also help prevent fatty liver disease, bacterial infections and lower your risk of heart disease.
An examination of data from a number of independent studies (known as a meta-analysis) was published in June of this year. It was conducted by researchers at Iranian and British universities and found that supplementing with barberry can indeed decrease insulin levels.
Seven studies that included 452 subjects were included in the review. The analysis showed that barberry significantly reduces insulin levels. And lowering insulin is the first important step to preventing type 2 diabetes.
Hyperinsulinemia (higher-than-normal insulin levels) is a sign of insulin resistance, where your pancreas is working overtime to secrete insulin because your body is not responding to it. Left untreated, this will lead to type 2 diabetes.
Glucose and cholesterol improve with berberine
Two earlier studies had already proved the effectiveness of berberine supplements in preventing diabetes.
In 2008, a Chinese study looked at a group of subjects with type diabetes and dyslipidemia.
Many people who are diabetic or prediabetic also have the triple whammy of dyslipidemia: good cholesterol (HDL) is low, bad cholesterol (LDL) is high, and triglycerides are high.
In the Chinese study, 116 patients were given either 1g of berberine daily or a placebo for a period of three months.
In the berberine group, fasting glucose levels decreased from 7mm/liter to 5.6mm/liter, and triglycerides dropped from 2.51mm/liter to 1.10mm/liter. The placebo group showed significantly poorer results.
Together with lifestyle changes, berberine proved effective in controlling blood sugar
In a 2012 meta-analysis, four researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China reviewed data from 14 randomized trials that included 1068 subjects.
While berberine did not control blood sugar any better than oral diabetes medications like metformin, it did have some effectiveness against dyslipidemia.
However, when combined with lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes, berberine proved more effective in controlling blood sugar than metformin or similar drugs when combined with the same lifestyle changes.
How to take berberine
Berberine supplements are available online or through your health food store.
A common dosage based on research is 500mg, three times a day.
Although berberine is not known for troublesome side effects (other than digestive issues for some people) you should talk with your doctor if you’re taking any medications, especially those that already lower your blood sugar.
If you’ve experienced a back spasm, you’d definitely know it. There’s no mistaking the feeling. Simple movements such as leaning or turning your body will cause a crippling pain. When you have no idea what you should do about the pain, back spasms can be very frightening. Don’t worry though, because there are different ways you can cure back spasms. You can do these at home and give yourself relief from the pain:
Stop! Then and There
If you suddenly start to spasm, stop what you’re doing and rest. Although this may seem like very sensible advice, a lot of people don’t do it. They usually continue on with their activity until they’ve finished it. When it comes to back spasms, it’s never a good idea to keep on working through the pain. It’s dangerous and may cause even more problems.
Hot Pack or Cold Pack
Apply heat or cold to your back. For the first few days after you experience a spasm, gently apply a cold pack to the area. This helps reduce inflammation. After that time, you may apply a moist heat to it. You can do this by taking a warm shower or placing a wet towel in the area. Just make sure it’s not too hot.
Relax!
When you feel spasm, you need to consciously relax your muscles. It’s easier said than done but it will help you out a lot. You can do this by taking slow and deep breaths while you’re resting.
Medication
Finally, you can also take some medication for the pain. Ask your doctor which medicines are best to reduce the pain if it gets too much.
Doctors recommend that we drink at least eight glasses of water a day. In addition to keeping our hearts and kidneys going, water also is essential to good skin health. To explain, water hydrates the human body and flushes out bad toxins. If you want your skin to have an even better glow, add lemon and cucumber slices to your water.
Eat as Little Sugar as Possible
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I think there is one thing that we can all agree on; sugar is addictive. In fact, sugar is one of the most prolific ‘trigger foods’ in the world today. You eat a little bit, you keep wanting more. But to have super smooth skin, you’ll have to cut out a lot of your favorite sweets such as cakes, cookies and ice cream as well as soda pop, which is a landmine of sugar. Sugar messes up your body’s hormonal imbalance and causes inflammation.
Eat Omega-3 Fats
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Yes, there are good fats and bad fats. Bad fats include fried foods that you should avoid like the plague while good fats (namely avocados, salmon and whole eggs and walnuts) work to hydrate your skin and therefore reduce obvious signs of aging.
Limit Coffee Intake
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Coffee tastes so good yet it has a yen for dehydrating your skin. You can still enjoy one or two cups of coffee a day, but don’t go overboard.
Eat Plenty of Carrots
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Carrots are one of the best foods that you can eat. Not only are they chocked full of fiber, but carrots are also full of antioxidants that prevent damage to skin cells. Furthermore, that portion of carrots you eat every day (either raw or cooked) is keeping your immune system healthy as well as preventing premature aging.
Go Wild with Berries
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The best berries you can eat are blueberries and raspberries. Both types of berries contain plenty of vitamin A. One of the net benefits of eating blueberries is that they normalize oil levels in your skin.
Another huge advantage of these fruits is that you’ll get a large dose of the antioxidant proanthrocyanin. Proanthrocyanin does wonders for your cells and keeps you looking younger.
Your Skin Will Love Papaya
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Compared to other fruits, papaya has the highest volume of Vitamin C. If you weren’t aware, Vitamin C is one of the components of getting glowing skin as it repairs collagen. Collagen protects your body from premature aging and sun damage. If you eat papayas, you’ll also be getting a healthy dose of Vitamin E. Vitamin E protects the body’s cells from free radicals, which damage cells. Furthermore, papayas are full of various antioxidants that benefit your skin.
Go Hard on Flaxseed
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The net benefit of eating flaxseed is that it contains lignans, a phytonutrient that is full of fiber and antioxidant properties. Your body needs a certain amount of fatty acids to maintain optimum health, and especially to fight inflammation. You’ll find all that in flaxseed.
Being able to see the world is a blessing. The eyes are the most important sensory organs that help you experience and develop senses and feel without touch. That’s why you must protect them. Of course, age, genetics, and electronics affect your eyesight, but the foods you choose to eat can help by preventing photodamage and keeping your retina and cornea healthy. In this article, we list 15 foods that you MUST include in your diet to protect your eyesight. Swipe up!
Foods To Maintain And Protect Your Eyesight
1. Carrots
Carrots are gorgeous and wholesome vegetables. They are very versatile and impart an amazing color to any dish. They are loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant and a precursor of vitamin A. Scientists have found that consuming carrots improves night vision in people and can prevent deterioration of eyesight (1). Carrots also help prevent oxidative damage and inflammation – the two major causes of eyesight problems.
You can find several recipes for carrot soup on the internet. Add them to curries or pair them up with other veggies. Raw carrots offer maximum nourishment since cooking them slightly deteriorates their nutritional profile. Munch on a carrot whenever you get an urge to snack. Or add it to your salads. But remember to drink lots of water. Also, do not overeat carrots as vitamin A can be toxic in high doses.
2. Fatty Fish
Fatty fish are rich sources of omega-3-fatty acids. And omega-3s help reduce inflammation by balancing out the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid ratio. When the inflammation levels are low, your body and brain functions improve, thereby strengthening your immunity. Plus, the area near the retina is loaded with DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid (2). Therefore, consuming fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel is beneficial for your eye health.
If you are not a fish eater, you can take fish oil supplements after talking to your doctor. The best way to consume fatty fish is to grill it. Frying or poaching may reduce its food value.
3. Spinach
Spinach is rich in vitamins E, A, B, and C, minerals like iron and zinc, and phytonutrients like lutein and zeaxanthin. The carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Hence, consuming an adequate amount of spinach daily can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Since it contains zinc, spinach can also keep the corneas healthy.
Add a bunch of lush green spinach to your smoothies. You may add fruits to your spinach smoothie to nullify any grassy or bitter taste. Spinach daal or soup tastes great too! Add baby spinach to sandwiches or a creamy pasta dish to give a little crunch to your food.
4. Eggs
Eggs are loaded with essential amino acids and both water-soluble and fat-soluble vitamins. The egg yolk, though a little high in cholesterol, is a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which impart the yellow color to it (3).
Consume one or two whole eggs to keep your eyes healthy. Boiled, poached, or soft-boiled eggs are best and can be added to other foods to enhance their taste.
5. Dairy
Milk and yogurt are great for improving eye health. Apart from calcium and phosphorus, they are loaded with zinc and vitamin A. Vitamin A helps protect the cornea, and zinc helps transport vitamin A to the eyes from the liver. Zinc also helps with night vision and prevents cataract.
You can drink grass-fed milk in the morning or at night before going to bed. Have yogurt after lunch or as a snack.
6. Nuts
Nuts are a great source of healthy fats and vitamin E, which helps reduce inflammation. Research has also confirmed that consuming nuts rich in vitamin E can help prevent age-related cataract formation (4).
You must have a handful of mixed nuts every day to help improve and protect your vision. However, be careful with these small bundles of joy as you can easily go overboard with them.
7. Kale
Like spinach, kale is also loaded with vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and lutein. Lutein helps prevent light and oxidative damages and protects the eyes from age-related macular degeneration and cataract (5).
About 100 g of kale can provide you with 11 mg of lutein. You can have kale in salads, soups, smoothies, wraps, and sandwiches.
8. Whole Grains
Whole grains are a great source of dietary fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Zinc and vitamin E are the two main eye health-promoting nutrients present in them. These help protect the eyes from oxidative damage and inflammation.
Consume quinoa, whole lentils, oats, and brown rice to boost eye health.
9. Oysters
Oysters are rich in zinc that helps improve eye health. You may consume oysters from a reputed restaurant.
10. Red Bell Pepper
Red bell pepper is a good source of vitamins A, E, and C and zeaxanthin and lutein. These vitamins and phytonutrients are known to protect the eyes from macular degeneration and help maintain good retina health by preventing oxidative damage.
Consume raw, blanched, or sautéed red bell pepper.
11. Broccoli
Broccoli is one vegetable that has numerous health benefits. The vitamins A, E, C, and lutein present in broccoli makes it an excellent food for your eyes. It helps protect your visual health by preventing photodamage and oxidative damage.
Consume roasted or blanched broccoli.
12. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are extremely good for your overall health. These are packed with vitamin E, protein, and healthy fats. These nutrients help reduce inflammation and remove metabolic wastes from the eyes (6).
Toss a few sunflower seeds in your breakfast bowl, salads, or smoothies.
13. Citrus Fruits
The eyes have a high metabolic rate and constantly need antioxidants to flush out toxins produced as a result of metabolic reactions (7). Citrus fruits like oranges, berries, and kiwis are loaded with vitamin C – an amazing immunity booster. It is an antioxidant that helps scavenge the harmful oxygen radicals, thereby protecting your eye muscles from damage. Vitamin C also helps improve the health of the blood vessels present in the eyes.
14. Beans And Legumes
Beans and legumes are great sources of zinc and bioflavonoids. These help protect the retina and prevent the risk of developing a cataract.
Consume an adequate amount of lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, green peas, and sprouts to improve your eye health.
15. Sweet Potato/Purple Sweet Potato
Sweet potato and purple sweet potato help improve vision (10). As mentioned above, the yellow pigment in foods is imparted by zeaxanthin and lutein. Sweet potatoes contain these antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and flush out toxins.
You can consume baked or boiled sweet potato to reap all its benefits.
Apart from these foods, here are a few tips to maintain and protect your eyesight.
How To Take Care Of Your Eyes To Prevent Eyesight Problems
Foods make taking care of your eyes easier, but you must do a few things to help these foods do their work properly. Here are a few things you need to do to prevent visual impairment.
Eye Exercises
You must exercise your eyes to strengthen the muscles. Focus unfocus, palming, rolling your eyes, etc. are a few examples of eye exercises.
Splash Water
All of us are hooked to our laptops, iPads, or cell phones. The radiation from these devices is very harmful, and no matter how many layers of protective coats we add to the glasses, the eyes always get affected. Cool your eyes by splashing water on them every one or two hours.
Close Your Eyes
A tight deadline can turn you into a night owl. Unfortunately, the eyes of owls are designed differently. Give your eyes 2-3 minutes rest simply by closing them. Do it every 30 minutes, and you will see a difference.
Adjust The Lighting
Adjust the lighting on your computer, cell phone, and iPad – it will help protect your eyesight by preventing photodamage.
Wear Sunglasses
You must protect your eyesight from bright sunlight. If you are stepping out and it is very sunny outside, wear sunglasses. They will prevent photodamage and UV damage.
Get The Right Spectacles
Go to a good eye doctor for a checkup. Make sure you answer his/her questions correctly to help him/her prescribe the correct glasses for you.
To conclude, there’s nothing like being able to see and take in all that the world has to offer. So, take care of your eyes by consuming good food and making a few changes in your lifestyle. Cheers!
You need stamina or endurance to take up any physical activity and complete it. Stamina is nothing but the physical strength and ability to do a task that requires physical exertion. For this, you will need strong muscles that can withstand extended periods of exertion. Here are a few ways by which you can naturally increase your stamina and engage in physical activity for longer periods.
What Is Stamina?
Stamina is the strength that allows you to endure long periods of vigorous physical activity or mental effort. Increased stamina can help you endure stress and discomfort during strenuous activity. It can also help reduce fatigue and exhaustion that often follow a vigorous activity. If you have high stamina, you can also perform day-to-day activities at a higher level while using less energy.
Natural Ways To Increase Your Stamina
1. Follow A Healthy Diet
If you are into high-intensity workouts or activity, your diet can supplement the energy required to complete the activity. Along with proteins and fats, you must increase the intake of carbohydrates if you perform high-intensity activities. These carbohydrates can provide energy quickly as they can be easily metabolized to release energy (1). This, in turn, increases your stamina and helps enhance endurance.
You can consume bananas and apples, foods rich in fiber, such as berries, cereal grains, etc., brown rice, and other starchy foods, such as sweet potatoes, to supplement your body with carbohydrates and increase your stamina (2), (3), (4). These foods can provide sustained periods of stamina as they can impact the metabolism of carbohydrates. Try to include these 25 best foods to increase stamina.
However, one must avoid the intake of dairy products, processed foods, such as pasta, alcohol, fried foods, and low-calorie foods and beverages as they can lower energy levels. Consuming the incorrect amount of calories in every meal or changing the portion size of every meal can affect the level of energy as well as satiety (5). This can lead to either an increase or a decrease in the intake of food.
2. Exercise Regularly
Exercising is another way to build your stamina. Whether it is a typical run on the treadmill, swimming, cycling, or aerobics, exercise promotes cardiovascular fitness (6). This, in turn, can help increase stamina, endurance, strength, and flexibility (7).
3. Practice Meditation And Yoga
Meditation and yoga are natural ways to relax and reduce stress. Several poses in Iyengar Yoga emphasize on standing poses that can eventually help enhance stamina, alignment of body, and strength (8). This also builds your physical endurance in the long run.
4. Listen To Music
Listening to music during an intense workout session, as research shows, decreases dyspnea or shortness of breath (9). This may help increase your tolerance and stamina while engaging in high-intensity exercises.
5. Have Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an herbal supplement that has been associated with improved cardiovascular endurance and stamina. Research shows that it can enhance longevity and immunity (10).
You can take a supplement of this herb in tablet or powder form. Make sure you consult your doctor for the right dosage as excessive consumption of ashwagandha can cause vomiting and diarrhea.
6. Consume Caffeine
Caffeine consumption can boost energy as it leads to an increased release of dopamine and noradrenaline (11). This can make you feel more alert and energetic and increase your ability to undergo physical exertion.
Note: Excessive consumption of caffeinated drinks can increase your blood pressure, heart rate, and the urge to urinate and induce insomnia and anxiety.
7. Quit Smoking
Research shows that smoking has a deleterious effect on endurance capacity (12). It can impact your stamina and energy levels and help you feel less short of breath while performing intense physical activity.
How Long Does It Take To Increase Your Stamina?
There is no shortcut to building your stamina. A closely monitored study showed that it took close to 14 days for the subjects of the study to build strength and stamina (or cardiopulmonary reserve) (13). However, the exact duration can differ from person to person as it depends on factors, such as the health of the individual and the motivation to increase strength and endurance.
