Froodee

Living. Blogging.

How To Increase Your Metabolism

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green-tea-400x300Weight loss is something that a lot of people have to struggle with. While some people are lucky to have a good metabolic rate and stay fit easily, others are not so lucky. So if you do not have a high metabolic rate naturally, how do you increase it to help you burn energy a bit faster? Here are some quick tips.

Chug down cold water. I don’t know about you but I like drinking water as soon as I get up in the morning. Researchers have always promoted drinking lots of water, but an interesting new thing that I have learned is that if you drink cold water, you just might burn a few extra calories. How so? Your body needs to warm the water to your core temperature!

Don’t pass on that cup of java. Yes, there really is a health benefit to coffee – it’s in the caffeine. It has been clinically proven to increase one’s heart rate and breathing. This means a higher metabolic rate, which is what you want. Of course, you have to be careful about drinking too much – you don’t want to stress your heart out.

Drink green tea during the day. You might need coffee to jumpstart your day but why don’t you try green tea to give you lasting power? This concoction is supposed to be the mother of all metabolism potions. Three to five cups of green tea a day for 3 months and you will be delighted to see the results.

Notice anything? Liquids, liquids, liquids!

Quit Smoking, Save More Than Health

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Smoking is dangerous to your health. Everyone knows that. All advertisements and cigarette cartons contain the warning. In other parts of the world, the warnings are quite graphic (cancer-ridden lungs and extremely decayed teeth for example), but this has not really stopped people from engaging in one of the dirtiest habits in existence, has it?

Here is another reason to quit smoking – to save money. In these days of economic troubles, practically everyone is looking for ways to cut back and make do with what they have. If you are a smoker, perhaps sitting down and actually figuring out just how much smoking costs you financially may help you get rid of the habit.

Forbes.com did this themselves and collated data from all over the United States, taking into consideration the prevailing prices of various cigarettes and the smoking habits of their residents. According to the findings, in general, people can save $200 to $500 a year.

Those who live in Delaware have the most to gain by quitting smoking. On the average, people smoke around 185 packs a year in this state. Financially, this costs the average smoker almost $1000 a year on cigarettes.

Think about it – smoking not only costs you the price of the cigarettes, but you also pay for lighters and other accessories. Then you have the potential health problems that come with smoking.

So, have you been wracking your brains on how to save a dollar or two here and there? Why not turn your attention to this habit? Maybe it is about time that you seriously thought of quitting.

Not Getting Quality Sleep? Check Your Alcohol Consumption!

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Connoisseur Red Wine GlassIt’s been a party week for me. I guess people have just been too stressed out in the past month so everyone was trying to find ways to de-stress all week. Naturally, that meant a lot of booze in the picture. But did you know that drinking alcohol can actually interfere with your sleep?

I seriously thought that alcohol can help you sleep! According to a study funded by the British government, alcohol actually gives rise to sleep problems due to its effects on the human brain. What happens is that the brain stops releasing the chemical vasopressin. This is the chemical that tells our kidneys to re-absorb water. As a result, people drinking alcohol need to take frequent trips to the loo. Now I know I do not have to explain that!

The problem is that when we are already in bed, the effect of the alcohol in our system remains the same, resulting in dehydration. Now you know why you wake up so thirsty!

Another effect of alcohol is to disrupt REM; not the band, but one of the stages of sleep. REM is necessary for deep satisfying sleep, and with alcohol messing around with this stage, it is no wonder that people wake up feeling like crap in the morning.

The next time you feel like having more than two pints of beer (for men) or more than a 250mL of wine (women) on a “regular” night, I suggest that you think again if you want to get quality sleep.

Sleeping Counts a Lot

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Sleep

During my school days my teacher would always catch one of my classmates sleeping during lecture. I kid you not, and I know you have fond memories that are alike. Sleep is important, it recharges the body with needed “idle” time. Muscles flex and contract the whole day and they just need to be put into “neutral” position. When the body says you need a shut-eye, it is hard to resist. To avoid embarrassment of being caught sleeping at inappropriate times follow these suggestions:

– set a schedule
– exercise
– avoid caffeine, nicotine & alcohol
– relax before bedtime
– sleep until sunlight
– don’t lie in bed awake
– control your room temperature
– see a doctor if your sleeping problems continue

If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician.

This disorder will surely affect your health and the quality of your life.

Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night’s sleep you need.

Image via ThinkQuest

QUIT Emotional Eating For Real

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emotional-eating
I am an emotional eater. I want to say I WAS one, but I have to admit that I still feel the urge to eat every now and then when I am stressed. It doesn’t help that most everyone around me responds to a surge of emotions in the same way. It does not have to be that way, though. Let’s look at some truths behind emotional eating that just might help us get rid of the habit for real.

Emotional eating makes food a “crutch” and it takes the real pleasure away from eating. I love to eat. I love good food. When I eat because I am depressed, though, that authentic pleasure gets overwhelmed by other sensations. You have to admit it, you’re not really enjoying the food per se, but you’re just using it as an excuse to make yourself feel better.

Emotional eating can make you feel worse after. Think about the times that you overindulged on ice cream, chocolate, pizza, or whatever it is that you consider your comfort food. The chances are that after a period of emotional eating, you probably felt guilty or “bad.” That’s because the driving force behind the eating spree is still eating you up. The problem has not been solved. Then the cycle begins again.

Food associated with emotional eating cause temporary highs and then bad crashes. There is no denying this – after eating 3 chocolate bars and 2 cupcakes, you’ll feel the sugar rush. After an hour or so, you’ll feel down again. That’s because the sugar and carbs will not sustain you for long.

Bottom line? Identify the source of the emotions and deal with it.