Beauty & Wellness Taya Bregant Beauty & Wellness Taya Bregant

Why Bother To Wear Sunscreen?

Now that summer is here in full swing along with rising temperatures, I thought it would be appropriate to write about the topic of sunscreen, since everyone needs to protect themselves suitably against the summer especially now in the summer when the sun is strongest.

In this blog post I wanted to take a look at into what sunscreen and SPF actually are, what are the different types of sun blocks you can buy, offer a short breakdown of how they work to protect our skin and fore mostly present the reasons for why we should be using sunscreen daily in the summer. I hope you find this summer themed piece interesting and useful for when it comes to buying and using your own protectant in the summer to protect your skin from harm.

Enjoy ☀️

WHAT IS SUNSCREEN AND SPF?

When buying sunscreen, you tend to see a SPF label on the packaging such as SPF 15 or SPF 30 so what exactly does this mean?

Well SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and it essentially tells you how long it would take the sun rays (especially UVB rays) to redden or burn your skin if you applied the sunscreen compared to the amount of time it would take to redden your skin without having applied sunscreen. So for example, SPF 50 means that it would take you approximately 50 times longer for your skin to burn than if you used no sunscreen, meaning that your skin is about 50 times more protected than without sunscreen.

SPF is designed specifically to protect agains the suns UVB rays which are mostly responsible for causing skin cancer and sunburns on our skin. UVA rays on the other hand tend to be more responsible for the aging or wrinkling of skin as well as some skin cancers. This is why you tend to see some sunscreens labeled as UVA or UVB while broad spectrum sunscreens are designed to protect against both types of sun rays, ensuring maximal protection.

TYPES OF SUNSCREENS

When it comes to sunscreens, there are two main types:

Chemical sunscreens: This type of sunscreen also known as sunscreen uses ingredients such as oxybenzone and avobenzone which are designed to primarily filter UV rays and absorb some of the rays, after which the rays are reflected back and are transformed into small amounts of heat that then dissipates from the skin. Chemical sunscreens can also be unpopular to use on some skin types since for some people they can slightly sting however the upside is that they leave minimal to none white cast.

Mineral sunscreens: Mineral sunscreens also known as sun blocks are known to most commonly contain mineral based compounds such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which are designed to block the suns UV rays and also scatter them before they are able to penetrate your skin. Mineral based sunscreens are known to cause less skin irritations but also leave more of a white case behind especially on darker skin tones. Additionally, mineral sunscreens are known to be more suitable for broad spectrum UV ray protection compared to chemical sunscreens which makes them slightly more protective.

Overall, both sunscreen types are useful, it just depends on what your skin prefers.

Broad spectrum sunscreens are designed to protect against both UVA and UVB sun rays while in the past you used to only find sunscreens which either protected against UVA (The type of rays which causes skin tanning and premature aging) or against UVB rays (The type of rays which cause sunburn and skin cancers)

HOW DO SUNSCREENS WORK?

We have already discussed briefly on how sunscreen works to protect our skin from damaging UV rays, but I wanted to explain it here in a bit more of a clear way.

Overall, sunscreens are designed to prevent the UV rays from the sun from penetrating our skin and thus protecting us from sunburns, skin aging and skin cancer.

For this protection, chemical based sunscreens function to absorb and reflect the UV rays and in doing so, convert these rays into low heat energy that then dissipates from the surface of our skin. Instead of deflecting the UV rays like in mineral sunscreens, the molecules within the sunscreen absorb UV radiation an in doing so, molecules within the sunscreen gradually break down and during this release heat.

Mineral based sunscreens on the other hand physically protect us from UV rays which both reflect and absorb UV rays, in a similar way as brighter colors such as white which reflect light more. In the past, manufacturers of mineral sunscreens made the mineral particles much larger which is why a heavy white cast was noticeable while in more modern times, these particles are much smaller so the white case is reduced. Because mineral sunscreens work to deflect rays, they are considered to be broad spectrum sunscreen since they deflect both UVA and UVB rays.

I also wanted to briefly clarify the different types of sun rays which we have to be mindful of and their effects:

UVA rays: This type of solar radiation is able to penetrate deeper into our skin and be responsible for premature wrinkling, age spots and also some skin cancers.

UVB rays: UVB rays penetrate a bit less deeply into our skin than UVA rays and are known to mostly cause sunburns as well as skin cancers.

REASONS TO WEAR SUNSCREEN

Reducing Your risk Of Skin Cancer

  • It is estimated that by the age of 70, 1 in 5 Americans will end up having skin cancer. By wearing sunscreen consistently we are able to greatly reduce our chances of developing melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma. It is best to wear sunscreen everyday (minimum SPF 30), even on days that appear cloudy or cold and if you find yourself being in water or sweating throughout the day, reapplication is necessary every two hours for maximal protection.

Preventing Premature Aging Of Your Skin

  • When we are repeatedly exposed to the sun with no protection, we can cause a lot of damage to the collagen and elastin found within our skin as well as our skin cells. This repeated unprotected exposure can over time result in wrinkles, skin discoloration, fine lines as well as a leathery appearance of the skin. This phenomenon of the aging of the skin through sun exposure is known as photo-aging.

Reducing Sunburn Risk

  • All of us have at some point likely been sunburnt by spending too much time out on the sun and wearing minimal to no sun protection. The feeling is unpleasant and painful and can later also seriously harm the skin if the burns become repetitive such as skin cancers or other skin issues. If sunburned, apply some cooling after sun lotions or if you are experiencing a severe sunburn with blisters consult with a dermatologist or ask for help in a pharmacy, but always as a precaution apply sunscreen beforehand to keep your skin protected.

Reducing Skin Inflammation

  • UV rays from the sun make our skin more red and inflamed during excessive exposure which can worsen skin conditions such as rosacea and psoriasis which further inflame the skin. Wearing sunscreen daily also helps to avoid such issues down the line. If you find that you have sensitive skin which is prone to redness, look for sunscreen which contain more gentle ingredient such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to protect you from the suns rays.

Preventing Skin Discoloration And Development Of Scars

  • Sun spots tend to appear in later years of our life but are greatly associated with spending a lot of time in the sun during our youth. Sun spots or also called liver spots are brown or tan areas of discoloration which can occur most commonly on out face, head, hands, arms and are known to affect both men and women. This is an issue which frequent use of sunscreen is also able to help against.

Protection From Blue Light

  • Although not all sunscreens can protect against blue light, physical sunscreen are best suited for that as they are known for being able to reflect back various light rays, such as those coming from our electronic devices.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A SUNSCREEN

When it comes to choosing or buying a sunscreen, look out for the following things:

  • In the summer and especially if you spend a lot of time outside: Choosing an SPF or 30 or higher

  • In the winter time: SPF 15 or 30 should be sufficient depending on the weather of where you live

  • Try to choose a broad spectrum sunscreen

  • Water resistant sunscreens: These sunscreens are tested to be effective at protecting even after 40 minutes of spending time in water. Make sure to always reapply sunscreen every 2 hours especially if you are outdoors a lot and spend time in the water since it will get washed off eventually.

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HOW MUCH TO APPLY AND WHEN

How much?

For the face and neck do about half or one teaspoon and for the rest of the body apply generously on parts which are especially exposed to the sun such as the shoulders, abdomen, ear lobes and feet.

When?

When it comes to wearing other products on your face, sunscreen usually goes on last in order of application just to provide that maximal coverage. If your are swimming or sweating a lot or just generally spending a lot of time outdoors, reapply the sunscreen every 2 hours to ensure good coverage.

if you spend most of your days sitting down at a desk inside, second applications tend to not be necessary but adjust this depending on the intensity of the sun of where you live.

Apply sunscreen every day, especially on those summer days when the sun is at its strongest and temperatures are soaring. Also don't forget to protect your skin with other things than just sunscreen, such as clothing, hats or scarves. Be mindful to also wear sunscreen on days which appear to be cloudy as on days like this, the majority of the suns UV radiation also reaches the earth even thought it may appear to not.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have discussed what sunscreen and SPF actually are as well as the types of sunscreens you can find nowadays, specifically chemical and mineral sunscreens. Next we uncovered the benefits and reasons for why we should wear sunscreen daily and lastly concluded with some practical advice on what to look for when buying sunscreen and tips for wearing.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Nutrition Taya Bregant Nutrition Taya Bregant

Is Apple Cider Vinegar Actually Good For You?

You may have heard people saying that drinking apple cider regularly in small amounts is healthy, especially being promoted in the form of apple cider shots. Health enthusiasts claim that drinking apple cider especially when fasting helps with weight management and preventing insulin resistance while other critics claim that drinking it directly is too acidic and can even be harmful to us.

Because of this, I wanted to take a look at what the science has to say on this front and see wether drinking apple cider vinegar is actually beneficial and healthy for us.

I hope you enjoy and learn something new today.

My intention today: Taking a look at the benefits or drawbacks from drinking apple cider vinegar.

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

The main active ingredient or compound found within apple cider vinegar is acetic acid which is responsible for the acidic nature of the vinegar as well as its strong sour taste and smell. Some researchers also claim that acetic acid is where the vinegar gets its acclaimed health benefits.

Unfiltered and usually organic types of apple cider vinegar also contains a substance known as “mother” which gives the vinegar a naturally murky and cloudy appearance as well as potentially boosting the vinegars health claims.

Other than that, apple cider vinegar is made through fermentation whereby strands of yeast breakdown and digest the sugar naturally found in apple juice which turns it into alcohol within a couple of weeks. Afterwards, other bacteria break down the alcohol into acetic acid which then gives the vinegar the distinctive taste and smell.

BENEFITS OF APPPLE CIDER VINEGAR


Can Help With Regulating Blood Sugar

  • Some research has emerged to show that moderate consumption of apple cider vinegar can help with treating type 2 diabetes, although the vinegar itself is by no means a replacement for proper diabetes treatments of medications.

  • Even though apple cider vinegar may not help with getting completely rid of type 2 diabetes, it has been shown to be able to lower and maintain suitably low post meal blood glucose which can overall slow down premature aging and prevent different chronic diseases.

  • Type 2 diabetes is still best managed with appropriate lifestyle choices such as a balanced diet high in fibre and moderate exercise, as well as being paired with proper sleep and the appropriate mix of medication.

  • Although the evidence for apple cider vinegar being able to lower post meal blood sugar levels is decent, there needs to be more larger scale studies done as well as more human focused studies.

May Aid With Weight Loss

  • Some studies have shown that the participants who have consumer apple cider vinegar alongside a meal containing solid foods, had experienced a suppression in their appetite around 2 hours after eating. This lead the participants to stay fuller for longer and also avoid taking in excess calories later on through snacking.

  • Other than suppressing appetite, apple cider vinegar may also promote weight loss through the before mentioned lowering of blood glucose and reduction of insulin levels as well as being naturally low in calories.

  • Although it is important to point out that weight loss is not achieved by subtracting or adding a single ingredient into your diet but it is a culmination of suitable nutritional and lifestyle choices along side a calorie deficit which then add up over time to surpress appetite.

Has Antimicrobial Properties

  • Different types of vinegars have for millennia been used types disinfectants for killing strains of bacteria and pathogens which not only make vinegars useful as cleaning agents but also as food preservatives.

  • Although apple cider vinegar is considered to be a weak type of vinegar, it has been shown to inhibit the growth of bacteria such as E. coli which helps to preserve food and keep it edible for longer

  • A different study looked into the ability of apple cider vinegar to kill Salmonella bacteria and it has been fund that when the vinegar is paired with lemon juice, the effect is strongest.

Promotes Healthy Skin

  • Apple cider vinegar is generally recommended for people who naturally have oily or more acne prone skin where it can be used to balance the skins natural pH levels through using it as a toner, a spot treatment or even a ingredient within your facial cleaner

  • Our skin tends to be naturally more acidic, but for people with eczema, the skin may be slightly more alkaline or less acidic where applying a little bit of (diluted) apple cider vinegar may help with balancing the skins pH which works to improve the skins appearance and skin barrier.

  • Evidence on this is mixed where some studies reported that apple cider vinegar was too harsh on the skin and had irritated it, so if you do notice irritations in your skin when using the vinegar on your skin, stop immediately.


Can Improve Heart Health

  • Heart disease is one of the most common health concerning conditions in the world today where it is often brought about by low levels of exercise, poor diet, genetic causes as well as a too high level of cholesterol within the body which over time can block arteries.

  • Apple cider vinegar has in this way been shown to potentially be able to improve the functioning of our heart by being able to raise the levels of HDL (the good type of cholesterol) while lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

  • Overall, drinking moderate amounts of apple cider vinegar has been shown to reduce overall cholesterol levels however more human based studies need to be performed to declare any real relationship here.

PRECAUTIONS

Although apple cider vinegar is considered to be generally safe to drink in small amounts, there are a couple of precautions or possible downsides you may want to consider before drinking it:

  • Drinking non diluted apple cider may over time start to erode the enamel on your teeth so always make sure to dilute the vinegar before drinking it and also drink water after it.

  • Some people experience that acidic foods such as vinegar may further worsen acid reflux

  • If you already have chronic kidney disease, drinking extra vinegar may not do you good since your kidneys may not be able to process all of that extra acid

  • Over time, if you drink undiluted apple cider vinegar, the tissue in your oesophagus or drinking/ eating canal may become damaged and cause discomfort when eating foods

ADVICE FOR USE

Below you can find a summary of how to best consume or use apple cider vinegar:

  • Always dilute it with water

  • Use it as an ingredient in cooking to liven up the taste of foods such as salads or sauces or use it to preserve foods for longer

  • Consult with a healthcare professional on how much is suitable for you to use

  • Before applying it topically onto skin, again consult with a healthcare professional to not cause any unwanted irritation or harm

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have taken a look at the different health benefits that consuming or using apple cider vinegar may bring about as well as exploring some useful precautions relating to it and general advice for using it.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

Overcoming Your Fear Of Failure

Being afraid of failure also known as Atychiphobia can be a very debilitating feeling and condition which can impacts various aspects of our well being as well as our own accomplishments and rate of personal growth.

I am interested in exploring this notion today because I think that much of society is nowadays concerned with some sort of ideal “perfect” life which tells us how to live and work properly and does not leave much room for making healthy mistakes (being “imperfect”) and learning from them.

In this way, being afraid of failure and striving for a perfectionistic way of living slows down our development as a person because we are so concerned and preoccupied with how others perceive us that we forget who we really are, what we enjoy doing and most worryingly we become afraid of making mistakes, effectively ceasing growth as an individual.

In this blog post, my aim is to explore the causes of having an irrational fear of failure, learning how to spot it in our life as well as what are the wellbeing related effects of it and how we can best overcome it so we can return back to our best selves.

I hope you enjoy ☀️

CAUSES

  • Critical upbringing: If during your childhood, your parents or care givers were very critical and unsupportive of what you did or wanted to do, this can later on translate into having a fear of failure since you could never as a child live up to their expectations.

  • Family history: Phobias, anxiety and depression can increase the likeness of developing a fear of failure later on.

  • Low self esteem: People which start out with a lower self esteem are much more likely to experience having a fear of failure.

  • Traumatic experiences: If in your upbringing or past you have experienced abuse or severe punishments when you have done something wrong and failed at something, then this makes you much more likely to be afraid of making any further mistakes down the line because of the repercussions linked to failing at something

  • Definition of failure: What we define as failure and success if often based on our own expectations or the expectations of others, where if these expectations are too high you may find it very hard to live up to them and a result feel that the risks off trying something new are too high so you do not end up doing anything at all.

  • Genetics: Being prone to anxiety has been shown to be genetically linked which further increases the chances that you develop Atychiphobia.

  • Perfectionism: In perfectionism, people set themselves very high expectations and standards to live by where by they believe that if they make mistakes they will be seen as not perfect causing them to fear making mistakes. Alternatively, perfectionists may have the fear of not reaching their own high standards and as a result also experience a fear of failure.

HOW IT SHOWS ITSELF

Some of the most common signs of being afraid of failing at something include:

  • Being frequently angry or irritable

  • Caring a lot about how other perceive you

  • Being pessimistic about life

  • Being prone to procrastination if something seems challenging

  • Finding it hard to accept constructive criticism

  • Being worried that you will disappoint others if you fail

  • Thinking that your own imperfections and minor let downs will make people think differently of you

  • Telling others that you will probably find anyways in order to keep the expectations of others low

  • Underestimating your own abilities so that you avoid feeling let down by yourself

  • Placing your self worth based on what others think of you

ITS EFFECTS

When having a strong fear of failure, the following consequences are most common:

  • Taking part in self sabotaging behaviors which further impair your progress

  • Feeling shame, inadequacy or disappointment

  • Procrastination

  • Having low motivation

  • Experiencing a decrease in self esteem

HOW TO OVERCOME IT


Below you can find a couple of pieces of advice which can help you with overcoming a fear of failure:

  • Identify what is causing it

  • Break down large ambitious goals into small and actionable steps

  • Developing a growth mindset

  • Reaffirming to yourself that you are enough

  • Doing or starting the project or idea you have been putting of

  • Having a strong support system of friends or family which you can fall back on

  • Be mindful of your alcohol and caffeine consumption to not make you stress or anxiety or worse

  • Get the basic health elements in check: Good sleep, a balanced diet and taking part in some daily exercise

  • Become aware of the things you can control within your life and what is our of your control

  • Planning ahead and visualizing obstacles ahead of time

  • Redefining your idea of failure

  • Asking yourself what is the worst possible outcome that can come out of doing this?

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have discussed the subject of fear of failure, where we first explored what causes it, how it can be observed, the effects of fear of failure and lastly, how to overcome it in order to become your best self.

✏️ REFERENCES

Read More
Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

How To Be A Better Communicator

I think that being a good communicator and knowing how to communicate well is one of the best skills you can learn. This is because communication occurs in so many different occasions and aspects of our life, everything from how we communicate with our family, partners, friends, work colleagues, bosses and even ourselves.

Communication is also a relatively hard skill because it requires input from both sides of the conversation, however by making sure that you are putting your best foot forward when starting and carrying our a conversation you can also make sure that you get the most out of that conversation no matter how involved the other person is.

So are you interested in how to be an effective and concise communicator?

Then read on 😊 🗣️

WHY IS GOOD COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT?

Simply put, here is a list of reasons for what communication is useful for:

  • Reducing the number of misunderstanding or potential conflicts between people

  • Less time and energy is lost because less of those misunderstanding issues occur

  • You feel more understood and values as an individual

  • Being a better team worker and collaborator

  • Becoming better at empathizing and understanding people

  • Building more trust and respect with new people

  • Creating an environment in which everyone feels they can contribute with their ideas (makes people feel heard)

  • Coordinating of people in a successful way

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR GOOD COMMUNICATION

When it comes to communicating well, there are certain skills which I think come in very useful:

  • Having empathy: Empathy encourages you to better understand the other individual and their stance, which allows you to relate to their feelings more and in turn also listen to them more clearly.

  • Good listening skills: This is almost a no brainer one however listening to someone and truly listening to someone are two different things. Be a better listener by giving the other person time to talk and do not interrupt them with your own opinions, perspective or own thoughts. Listening means being the one who listens, not the one who talks all the time.

  • Using non verbal communication: Non verbal communication such as hand gestures, body movements and facial expression can greatly enhance the meaning of what you are tying to say and also encourages people to listen more since they feel like you are genuinely involved in a meaningful conversation with them.

  • Teamwork: In many scenarios in life we are tasked with showing and using our teamwork abilities where teamwork itself requires good communication skills in order to coordinate everyone. But at the same time collaborating with more people in your social circle also enhances your ability to communicate effectively since you may be asked to arrange or present something to someone as a group.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS

  1. Preparing a head of time: When we briefly take some time in advance to go through what we will say to someone or more importantly how we will communicate this, this often results in a better and clear conversation down the line which results in less potential miss communications or conflicts. This is especially useful for harder and less pleasant conversations we sometimes have to have with people.

  2. Being a good listener: When it comes to being a good listener, make sure that you are really there in the present moment when the person is telling you something and really make sure to listen and try to grasp what they are telling you. Give them space and time to finish saying what they have to say and then offer a suitable reply, but don't try to force too much of your opinion or perspective onto them because sometimes in more difficult situations, the other person may not be looking for you to help them but simply just someone who would listen to them.

  3. Being mindful of how you respond: The way in which you respond matters greatly to how the other person will receive and interpret your message so be mindful of the tone of your voice, pace of speech, finding the right time to respond (not interrupting the person excessively) and taking a couple of seconds to come up with an appropriate response to the situation.

  4. Gaining self awareness: Self awareness in this context has to do with being aware of how we talk and behave within conversations specifically how we say things, how we behave as listeners and how we will make sure both people get their point across effectively. Be mindful of those things when talking.

  5. Practicing public speaking: Speaking to groups of people you don't know or even to familiar groups such as a friend group, is also a good way to practice your speaking abilities because you have to learn how to both communicate your message yet also keep it clear and concise since there is more people listening so you want to avoid any misunderstandings and really make your point understandable and memorable.

  6. Developing an appropriate filter: Often times, depending on the type of conversation we are having, we have to develop certain “filters” which determine what we say or don't say in certain situations in order to make the conversation more appropriate to the setting. So before or during a conversation, think about what would be useful to say in this case or what you could omit to avoid any complications down the line.

  7. Using non verbal communication: Non verbal communication such as body language, hand gestures, facial expressions or eye contact are just as important as the verbal messages we convey to people in our life. These non verbal means of communication further help carry our message across and also tells the other person that we are actively engaged in a conversation with them and not make them feel like their times is being wasted.

  8. Asking for direct feedback: Sometimes asking for feedback on your communications skills for a friend, family members, colleague or even boss/ manager can also be a valuable use of our time since you get to hear a different perspective and perhaps they will mention things that you have not even thought about. Perhaps you will also find that while you were communicating in a certain way that you thought was appropriate, the other person may think otherwise and this is time for you to analyze wether this is true and if it is, how you can best alter your communication way to not get into arguments later on.

  9. Keeping an open mind: Sometimes as listeners we are tempted to always push forward our own opinion or thoughts on a topic, where we might hear one thing and the same second we are forming a counter argument to explain why we are right and why the other person is wrong. This I think is not the correct approach because it is more of a defense strategy than a means of communication so the trick is to really just keep an open mind when it comes to listening to the ideas and thoughts of others.

  10. Getting in tune with your own emotions: It is unpleasant if unwanted emotions come up in the wrong context so make sure to first learn to manage and process your own emotions before starting up a conversation again and in this way, beginning with a level emotional playing field.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

In this blog post we have discussed the topic of how to be better and more effective at communicating which we have done by first covering why good communication is useful, which skills are needed for good communication and lastly what are some genuine ways of improving your communication skills.

✏️ SOURCES

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Nutrition Taya Bregant Nutrition Taya Bregant

Importance Of Dietary Fibre

I think all of us have at some point in our lives heard that we should eat our fruits and vegetables, not just for their vitamins and other benefits but also due to their fibre rich content.

Nowadays you can find a lot of statistical information about how many of us are not getting enough fibre each day through our diet partially because a lot of the food you can buy today in a grocery store is heavily processed during which a lot of the beneficial fibre is stripped away.

Here I wanted tot take a look at what fibre actually is at the end of the day, what are the benefits of a fibre rich diet and what are some of the best fibre rich foods you can incorporate into your diet to start noticing some of the mentioned benefits.

I hope you learn something new from this one :)

WHAT IS FIBRE?


Nutritionists classify fibre as a type of carbohydrate which in reality, our bodies can not fully digest and process. Because of this, fibers most commonly pass through our digestive tract undigested and while doing so, also nourishing the bacteria that are found there, specifically in the colon. Fibers are naturally occurring within foods of a plant origin such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, grains, nuts and seeds and are not found/ found in limited amounts in animal foods.

Fibre is also classified into 2 different classes:

  • Soluble fibre: This is a type of fibre which can dissolve in water and by doing so, can form a gel like substance in our gut which helps with lowering of cholesterol and blood glucose levels after a meal. Furthermore, this type of fibre originates from the insides of plant materials such as pectin, which allows for the gel like consistency.

    • Best sources: Oats, chia seeds, beans, lentils, apples and blueberries

  • Insoluble fibre: Unlike soluble fibre, insoluble fibre comes from the outer fibrous parts of plants which provide structure to the plant however for us, are completely indigestible and instead function to move food through our digestive system by promoting regular bowel movements and also prevention constipation. Insoluble fibers make up the majority of our stool and pass through our digestive tract largely untouched.

    • Best sources: Whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, wheat, rice bran) legumes, almonds, walnuts, fruits with edible skins (apples, pears etc.)

BENEFITS OF A DIET RICH IN FIBRE


The scientific community is well aware of some of the more basic benefits of consuming adequate fibre such as that of improved digestion and reduced constipation, however newer research is coming out which is establishing a preventative link between fibre and many other benefits:

  • Feeds good bacteria in our gut: The bacteria found within our gut like to feed on a specific and group of plant fibers called prebiotics which are a class of complex carbohydrates such as fibre and are also not broken down during digestion. Instead prebiotics are deigned to feed the good bacteria in our gut by being fermented. I have previously written all about the wonders of our gut flora here.

  • Bacterial nourishment produces beneficial compounds: As the bacteria in your colon nourish and feed the fibre we eat, they can produce a variety of different by-products such as short chain fatty acids which have been correlated with improved immune function and lowering of inflammation.

  • Keeps your gut lining healthy: Fibre is essential for the lining of your gut because it provides a source of energy and nourishment for the bacteria living in your gut, which prevents this bacteria from feeding on the actual lining of your gut. Furthermore, it also prevents the occurrence of hemorrhoids. A healthy lining is not just important to allow digested food to pass through normally but also regulates which nutrients and substances enter your circulatory system and what is kept out.

  • Crating a diverse bacterial community: What you eat is one of the most influential factors for the bacterial diversity and make up of your gut which can either work towards introducing more new beneficial bacterial species or fostering more harmful ones or simply just not having enough of a diveristy of bacteria (especially true when you eat the same types of foods on repeat). The greater the variety of beneficial bacteria in your gut, the greater the variety of functions and benefits they can produce.

  • Ensures normal bowel movements: Dietary fibre greatly contributes to the size and weight of your stool also by softening it, and thus making it easier to pass through, effectively also reducing constipation.

  • Protects against heart disease: Some studies have indicated that soluble fibers specifically such as those found in oats, flax seeds and beans have the ability to lower LDL cholesterol as well as high blood pressure and inflammation all of which work together to improve our cardiovascular health.

  • Improved weight management: Fibre has the added benefits that fibrous foods are much more filling while being lower in calories meaning that we are less likely to over eat and also, fibre keeps us feeling fuller for longer, all of which can be advantageous benefits for people looking to loose or maintain weight.

  • Reducing chances of developing certain cancers: Some research is pointing in the direction that eating enough fibre can help with preventing colon cancer which could be partially attributed to the fact that certain fibre types (pectin) have antioxidant properties. If you are interested about antixodiants and what they are, feel free to read about them here

  • Preventing unwanted blood sugar spikes: Soluble fibre has been shown to greatly slow down the absorption of sugar into our blood stream which helps with ensuring a gradual release of sugar into our blood stream from the food we eat and digest and in this way preventing large spikes in our blood sugar. Highly processed and sweet foods which lack fibre result in sugars entering our blood stream much faster than if fibre was present which is why they can result in energy crashes after consuming them, since the sugars are not released gradually. Maintaining healthy levels of blood glucose is especially useful for people who have diabetes, while at the same time, adequate fibre intake also reduces your chances of developing diabetes.

FOODS WITH MOST FIBRE


If you know or think that you are not getting enough fibre each day, below are some of the highest fibre food options you can choose to increase your fibre intake:

  • Legumes: Lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans, edamame,

  • Members of the brassica genus: Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts

  • Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries

  • Avocados

  • Whole grains: Whole wheat bread, pasta, brown rice, oats, quinoa, pop corn

  • Apples and pears

  • Artichokes

  • Celery

  • Dried fruit: Figs, prunes, dates

  • Nuts and seeds: Sunflower seeds, almonds, chia seeds, pistachios

  • Dark chocolate


A NOTE ABOUT PROCESSED FOODS

  • When it comes to ultra processed starch based foods such as , white rice, crackers, chips, white bread etc. the process of producing these foods removes the outer bran layer of the grain which is where all the fibre is stored and the result is a sweeter grain since below the bran layer is where the starch is found. This is why we should always aim to get some whole foods into our diet every day since they provide us with ample fibre and vitamins and minerals that come from natural sources instead of being artificially added to foods


DAILY INTAKE RECOMMENDATIONS

  • In general, men require a higher fibre intake than women, where for men it is recommend around 30-35 grams per day while for women it is around 25 grams of fibre per day.

  • Do keep in mind that older people and young children require less fibre, where the highest fibre intake is some-were in the age category of 20-50 years.

  • Women who are breastfeeding also require more fibre than usual.

🧠 KEY WORDS

  • Fibre: A type of complex carbohydrate found within plants which our body can not fully digest however it greatly impacts the wellbeing of our gut microbiome.

  • Soluble fibre: A type of fibre which is able to dissolve in water and form a gel like substance in our gut. Soluble fibre has been shown to reduce blood sugar spikes as well as cholesterol levels.

  • Insoluble fibre: A type of fibre found on the outer parts of fibrous plants which we can not digest however it helps with moving food along our digestive tract.


🔑 KEY IDEAS

  • Today we discussed what fibre is and the different types of fibre you can find within foods. Afterwards we took a look at why a healthy fibre intake is good for us and also what are the richest plant sources of fibre that we can eat.

✏️ SOURCES

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Lifestyle Taya Bregant Lifestyle Taya Bregant

How Laughing Can Boots Your Productivity

Laughter and productivity are two words that we don't often find together in a sentence or that we associate would have a positive effect on each other, but recent research is showing that the two are more correlated than we might have previously thought.

Most research so far has established a positive link between the two and I wanted to take a look into what ways bringing more laughter into our daily work habits can boost our performance and productivity when it comes to getting things done well.

This however is not the first time that I am writing about the effects of laughter on the human body and mind, where I have previously discussed the general well being effects associated with regular laughter. You can find this blog post here.

I hope you enjoy this more humorous outlook on productivity and find useful ways of implementing such practices into your own lifestyle.

Enjoy 😊

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It turns out that laughing has a variety of benefits on the mind and body.

The physical effects of laughing include:

  • Relaxing our muscles

  • Lowering blood pressure

  • Reoxvgenating our body

  • Improving our cardiovascular health

  • Strengthening our immune system

The emotional and mental benefits of laughing are:

  • Increasing a variety of chemicals and neurotransmitters in our brain such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins, which keep us happy and our mood elevated.

  • Reducing cycles of negativity

  • Can improve our memory (we also remember emotionally charged events much more)

  • Can improve creativity which improves our problem solving abilities

BENEFITS OF LAUGHING IN THE WORKPLACE


There is a variety of benefits when it comes to implementing more humor and laughter inside of your workplace or personal work routine:

  • Strengthening relationships and understanding with the people you laugh with

  • Improving communication and trust within group settings

  • Promoting cooperation and team work by creating a more relaxed environment

  • Boosting engagement and interest within the work that is being done

  • Enhanced creativity which improves problem solving abilities and team work

  • Enhancing analytical precision and general productivity

  • Making work feel more fun, worthwhile and meaningful

  • Increasing employee competency by part-taking in laughter and jokes which can help people with their self esteem

  • Easier to manage high stress levels by creating a more relaxed environment

  • Helps you recharge from a difficult day of working

🧠  KEY IDEAS

In this post we have discussed the different benefits that groups and individuals can receive from implementing more laughter and humous within work settings

✏️ REFERENCES

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

How To Make The Most Out Of Your Everyday

Often times we are simplify bombarded with so much information in terms of what we should do, shouldn't do and how we should aim to overall live our lives. While all of this information is valuable and can be applied to our lives, I wanted to make this process more simple and summarize all the main ways in which you can ensure that you make the most out of your every day. When individual successful days accumulate, it results in successful weeks and months and an overall meaningful and achievement full year.

If you want to master your every day, you have come to the right place 😊

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST USE OF YOUR DAY



PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS



  • Prioritizing good quality sleep the night before: Ensuring a solid 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Struggling with sleeping well? If you want to learn more about this topic, you can do so here and here.

  • Don't begin your mornings with rushing: Create time for yourself in the morning so that you can properly get ready for the day in what ever form that may be. Be kind to yourself. Also do not begin your mornings with going straight to your phone or listening to emotionally charged news; These things should come later on in the day.

  • Spending time with people you love: This can be a good friend, colleague, family member or a significant other; Social connection is important for general wellbeing.

  • Finding ways of connecting with nature during the day: Spending your breaks outside, going for an outdoor walk, run, hike or visiting a botanical garden. I recently wrote a blog post about the importance of spending time in nature and you can find it here.

  • Finding moments to express your appreciation and gratitude for anything that comes: This can be done by explicitly saying it to someone in person or over phone or simply writing it down somewhere. Being able to forgive yourself and other people you hold grudges against.

  • Be mindful of your media consumption: Avoid mindless time sapping activities such as endless social media scrolling. Focus on creating more yourself instead of just consuming all the time. When you do consume media, be mindful of what you consume, how often and how it is impacting your wellbeing. Read more about how to manage your relationship with social media here.

  • Implementing daily movement and exercise: This is key for keeping your body and mind in a fit and functional state that enable you to feel energized, focused and strong throughout the day. I have written before about the great benefits of exercise here.

  • Taking valuable breaks during the day: This is for resting and recharging your body and mind for everything they enable you to do. Supply them with replenishing foods, water and down time.

  • Learning to disconnect from technology when needed: This is key in such a highly connected environment as the one we currently live in. Disconnecting is needed to properly evaluate your general well being, reflecting over situations or decisions or just generally being able to take a restful break.

  • Living more in the present moment: Practices such as meditation and expressing of gratitude have been shown to improve the quality of our presence of the present moment. This also means to focus on doing one thing at a time instead of multitasking with 5. By truly being in the present, you will feel so much more fulfilled and genuinely alive in the moment while making more memorable memories.

  • Challenging yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone: This is something than can be done every day in small ways or in more significant amounts during a week or month. Exposing ourselves to these uncomfortable emotions is key for the development of personal resilience and reaffirming of our abilities and self esteem. You wont regret it.

  • Reenforcing a positive mindset throughout the day: Up keeping a positive mindset is beneficial not just for your own wellbeing throughout the day but also helps to inspire and uplift other people around you. By having a more optimistic outlook, you are attracting more opportunities and dealing with challenges in a more proactive way

  • Doing something which excites you: A hobby, your job, past time occupation, an idea you have wanted to pursue for a while etc.



WORK RELATED CONSIDERATIONS



  • Setting 3 daily tasks which you will accomplish during the day: Accomplishing 3 things fully each day is a lot better than trying to fit in 20 different things and maybe getting one parts of different tasks done. Make sure these tasks are aligned with your long term goals and vision of where you see yourself.

  • Start with doing the hardest thing first: Get out the most daunting or unpleasant tasks first and you will walk around with lighter shoulders afterwards.

  • Improving on a skill or learning something new: This can be done though reading an article or book, watching an interesting video, practicing a skill, listening to a podcast or audiobook, attending a workshop etc.

  • Managing distractions and interruptions ahead of time: This is crucial if you want to be able to stay focused for considerable periods of time. This also goes to say to stop checking emails as they come in.

  • Spending times of the day in moments of deep focus: This does not just help with making considerable progress towards your goals and accomplishments but is also a highly prized ability - staying focused - in todays society, giving you a advantage over most people around you.

  • Creating and sticking to a routine which works for you: We often hear that well established routines are upon which all successes are founded upon, which is true because success often times means doing something over and over again (staying consistent) while making small improvements each time

  • Determining in advance how long something should approximately take you: This is the basic principle of Parkinson's law which explains that how long a task will take you in reality is based on how much time you give for its completion. The more time you give, the more time it will actually end up taking.

  • Staying organized in a way that is functional to you: I understand that people work best in different enviments of organization but having some guideline of where to store things, how to label and be able to locate things within your environment is I think essential for anyone and can be applied with so many different items and areas of life

  • Planning out your day the night before: This includes setting the 3 things you will get done, planning in your breaks, times for meals, social events and other things which make you excited during the day. If a task or event is slotted into your calendar with a specific time and set duration, it will get done.

🧠 KEY IDEAS

Throughout this blog we discussed several different ways of how to make the best use of your day, when it comes to both personal and work related consideration, in order to make your day meaningful and productive.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

Developing Core Life Skills

In life we are often asked to use, implement and exhibit many different types of skills and abilities, where I thought that it would be useful to compose a list of the most useful and versatile skills which anyone can learn and benefit from implementing into their life.

These skills are designed to be applicable and supportive to many aspects of your daily life and implementing these one by one is an assured way to get step by step closer to your idea of success. These skills do not only improve you as an individual, but also improve the effectiveness of your work abilities and quality of your relationships.

Happy reading :)

10 ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:

  • Here “communication” here refers to both verbal and non verbal means of expressing yourself and your thoughts where communication as a skills allows for many other advantages:

    • Improved interpersonal relationships by showing trust and authenticity (Both private and work related relationships)

    • Improved time management by vocalizing your boundaries

    • Building more cohesive family connections

    • Improved organization within your personal life

    • Getting better at asking for help when you need it

    • Supporting a healthy self esteem

PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITIES

  • In life, there will always be problems and obstacles to overcome and provide solutions for. Because of this, the skill of problem solving and coming up with innovative solutions is a highly prized skill. The process of problem solving and understand the root cause of an issue or a potential solution is a highly rewarding and satisfying accomplishment, which is why developing this skill also enhances our self esteem.

  • Furthermore you are strengthening your intelligence and mental abilities by analyzing different points of information to see how they connect and effect each other, which further helps with the solving and understanding of a problem.

SELF AWARENESS

  • Self awareness is the process and ability to be aware of your own self, your character and personality, your strengths and weakness, your wants, desires and dislikes as well as your emotions and various behaviors you perform.

  • In this way, being good at self awareness means you have a good general overview of who you are as an individual and it allows you to continue assessing where you currently are and what you have to do in order to get to who your truly want to be.

  • Furthermore, people who are highly self aware are also better communicators, have a greater tendency to be natural leaders, have more adept listening skills and generally have been shown to have a higher level of emotional intelligence

DECISION MAKING

  • I have talked before about the importance of effective decision making and how to become better at this skill here. Good decision making has the ability to positively impact all aspects of your life: Ranging from your personal relationships, your health, your finances, your mindset, working abilities and many more

  • One of the main reasons why effective decision making is becoming harder and harder to practice is because we are living in a world with more possibilities and opportunities than ever which causes us “decision fatigue”. Additionally, the added factor of living in highly stimulating enviments filled with technology, makes it even harder to focus on the decision we want to make and properly evaluate it.

TIME MANAGEMENT

  • It is no surprise that time management has made it on to this list of top life skills, as time management is essential for anyone who wants to make the most out of their days and weeks and creating a life that is full of meaning to them.

  • The beauty of time management is that we all have the same amount of time to work with however most, if not all of this time is within our personal control to decide how to spend and use. In this way, becoming better at time management means that you are better suited to handle your most important and non negotiable deadline bound daily/ weekly/ monthly tasks while also finding time for yourself, for your friends and for your family - all of which are essential components of a fulfilling life.

  • Additionally, effective time management also means that in turn your stress levels are lower since you know that the way that you are currently spending your time is in line with your greater goals so there is no need to feel guilt or shame for any activity.

  • I have previously talked about time management and this blog post can be found here

STRESS MANAGEMENT

  • Life is also inevitably filled with stressful moment, some more, some less, but either way, we all experience stress in some form at some point in our lives. Being able to effectively cope with stress can be the difference of defeating your obstacles or giving up at your first challenge already.

  • This is why stress management is so important: Because it is inevitable and it allows us to endure during the hard moments which are most important for defining who we are.

  • If you are able to overcome those hard, stressful moments, then you have the ability to over come challenges, setbacks and ultimately be much more equipped for reaching your personal goals.

  • Being good at stress management also means being good at managing your emotions as the two are highly inner connected.

  • If you want to learn more about how to effectively combat stressful emotions, I have written about this topic previously here

CREATIVITY

  • Creativity is a skill that is becoming ever more appreciated and searched for as being creative differentiates you and makes you unique from others which makes any of your work infinitely more valuable and original to you.

  • Creativity in this sense does not only refer to creative subjects such as art, music, poetry etc. but is also referring to creative and different ways of thinking, posing new perspectives and questions, finding new ways of doing things and becoming more flexible with a hobby or occupation.

  • Furthermore creativity also greatly helps with developing problem solving abilities by encouraging “out of the box” thinking, which we have discussed before.

CULTIVATING EMPATHY

  • Empathy is another essential life skill, although sometimes its power is under appreciated. Being empathetical means that you are good at empathizing with others, meaning that you excel at showing compassion and feelings of understanding to others. Empathy means you show support to anyone who is struggling with something or going through a difficult time and checking in with the people in your life.

  • A skill such as empathy is not only limited to close personal relationships but is also worthwhile to pursue in the case of people we may not necessarily be very close to or other colleagues at work, as showing empathy is a great way to make new social connections.

  • In order to be empathetical you have to first have a desire for wanting to care about the emotions and well being of others around you. Empathy has to be genuine as other wise it is much harder to build general trust with the person and in turn makes it harder for them to open up - Overall limiting you from building a healthy relationship.

LEADERSHIP

  • Leadership is another skill which tends to be under appreciated and also under practiced because a lot of people believe that some people are just natural leaders and others are more suited as followers. I think this thinking is false because your leadership skills can be developed as long as you have the desire to improve on them and also put in the work.

  • Leadership is not just about leading and learning to take control but is also heavily based on motivating, inspiring and empowering the lives and mindsets of others. As a leader it is your responsibility to see the good in the people around you and encouraging them to realize that part of themselves and in that way becoming the best version of themselves.

  • Leadership abilities additionally help with boosting your confidence, clarifying your communication with others and building a strong sense of character and trust with those around you.

CRITICAL THINKING

  • Critical thinking is about learning to think for yourself, instead of always following what everyone else says. It is about assessing your beliefs and your understanding of the workings of this world and seeing how this understanding could be flawed or made more objectively close to the real correct truth.

  • Critical thinking is not only essential for analyzing your thoughts, emotions and behaviors but is also a key component of making good decisions, taking control of your mood and emotions as well as becoming a generally well informed individual among such a variety of available information.

🧠 KEY IDEAS


The 10 key life skills which we have discussed today include:

  • Communication

  • Problem solving

  • Self awareness

  • Decision making

  • Time management

  • Stress management

  • Creativity

  • Empathy

  • Leadership

  • Critical thinking

✏️ REFERENCES

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Nutriton Taya Bregant Nutriton Taya Bregant

Turmeric - All The Reasons Why It’s Good For You

We often hear turmeric powder or turmeric supplements being promoted as a superfood and claiming to help with lowering levels of inflammation and combating a verity of other health conditions.

Because marketing does not always promote products which are genuinely beneficial, I wanted to take a look into what the science had to say about the health effects of turmeric and wether it actually works the way it’s said to. Apart from its effects and what about it actually makes it effective, we will also be discussing ways of including more turmeric naturally through our diet (instead of through supplements) and the appropriate amounts.

Wishing you happy reading ahead ☀️

ABOUT TURMERIC


  • You have most likely encountered turmeric already in your life or in your diet, since it is the substance that gives foods like curry its traditional deep golden color.

  • Turmeric has originated from Asia and most likely India, where it grows as an underground root/ rhizome of a plant. Through out its history, turmeric has for centuries been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, as well as aryuveda and general cooking.

  • The reason why turmeric is of such high interest to the science and health community is because of a class of compounds that is found within the turmeric root which are called curcuminoids. The main active curcuminoid compound that scientists praise within turmeric is curcumin which has been shown to have very powerful anti inflammatory effects within the body while also being a potent antioxidant (You can read more about the power of antioxidants here).

  • By reducing inflammation and being of help with combating oxidative stress, turmeric and curcumin more specifically are believed to help prevent a myriad of health conditions and diseases which can arise from chronically high inflammation levels. We will be exploring these in the next upcoming section.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CONSUMING TURMERIC


Currently research has show that consuming turmeric could have a positive impact on the following conditions, although more research is needed to properly confirm the effects:

  • Reducing inflammation in the body

  • Helping with degenerative eye conditions

  • Lowering anxiety

  • Reducing the growth of cancer cells

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Improvements in memory

  • Lowering pain

  • Helping with acne and skin conditions

  • Muscle soreness after exercise

  • Lowering chances of heart disease and lowering blood cholesterol levels

  • Having anti viral properties that protect from viral infections

A NOTE ABOUT TURMERIC SUPPLEMENTS


  • Nowadays you can commonly find turmeric not only being sold as a raw spice but also in the form of supplements and other forms of medical prescriptions. While supplements do contribute to an element of convenience and appropriate dosage, it is important to know a couple of things:

    • Curcumin is actually significantly more well absorbed when it is eaten in the presence of black pepper which provides a compound known as piperine. In this way, if the supplement does not contain any black pepper extract along side it, cucrucmin is going to be largely unusable by your body.

    • Additionally, eating more turmeric and more cucurcmin may not be necessarily better as too much can be risky and has even been shown to promote the development of kidney stones when eaten in large quantities, which is sometimes the case of high dosage supplements.

    • We are also unsure as to how moderate or high doses of turmeric interfere with certain medications or drugs that people may be taking for a certain condition, so always double check this with your doctor.

    • Lastly, in either case, it is most effective and also most affordable to obtain curcumin from its natural form through your diet where turmeric or curcumin alone can not substitute for a balanced and healthy diet nor can it act as a form of medicine alone to treat all types of ailments. But it can certainly be a tasty and healthy addition to your weekly diet.

NOTES ABOUT CONSUMING TURMERIC


DOSAGE FOR TURMERIC

  • It is considered safe to take up to 8g of turmeric per day, however most doctors recommend to consume about 500 to 1000 milligrams per day, since more isn't always better. For children, that dosage should be considerably lower.

  • If you find that you are experiencing any irritations or abnormal reactions to turmeric, stop consuming it.


BIO-AVAILABILITY

  • Bioavailability is the the ability of a drug or some other substance to be absorbed and used by the body, where the bioavailability of curcumin is pretty low when consumed by itself but when consumed with pepper which contains peperine, the bioavailability of curcumin greatly increases which is great - In some studies it has been shown to increase by as much as 2000%. This increased bioavailability means that our body can actually absorb this curcumin and genuinely derive benefits from it.

  • Additionally, because curcumin is fat soluble, it is also best to consume it together with a source of fat such as nuts, oil, avocado etc.


SIDE EFFECTS

  • Eating turmeric is generally not related to any major side effects, however side effects are usually most commonly reported among people who take turmeric in the form of supplements, which is due to the high dosage of curcumin found in those supplements.

  • Otherwise consuming turmeric within normal amounts is considered safe and beneficial, unless you are allergic or have a negative response to it.


RECIPES

Below are some ways in which you can add turmeric into your diet through a variety of delicious recipes:

  • Curries (of course)

  • Smoothies

  • Soups

  • Golden milk (milk warmed with cinnamon and turmeric)

  • Mixing it into spreads

  • Mixing it in with rice and various pasta dishes

  • Marinating meat, fish, tofu etc.

  • Turmeric tea with honey and lemon

  • Mixing it into baked goods

  • Adding a sprinkling into your oatmeal

🔑 KEY TERMS

  • Curcumin: It is a bright yellow chemical that is found within turmeric. Turmeric contains many different types of curcuminoids where curcumin is the main one and gives turmeric its acclaimed health benefits

🧠 KEY IDEAS

  • Turmeric is a root based spice that has for centuries been used as part of asian alternative medicine and healing practices. Curcumin - The star active ingredient found within turmeric - has shown to have a wide spread of possible effects and benefits on human wellbeing, ranging from mental to physical improvements. We also looked into the ways we can maximize the benefits of turmeric and how consume it in enjoyable ways.

✏️ REFERENCES

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Lifestyle Taya Bregant Lifestyle Taya Bregant

Time Spent In Nature Is Healing - Here’s Why It’s Important

Because spring is the time where nature returns back to its vitality and bright colors along with the outdoor temperatures slowly starting to warm up again, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to write about how the time we spend outdoors in nature can be so beneficial and healing for us.

I have been recently inspired to write this from attending a gardening activity within my university where in groups we helped plant new plants, take care of existing plants all while building a community of nature enthusiasts.

I strongly believe that anyone can gain something good by interacting with nature and making an effort to every so often disconnect from our technological and material world and step into the environment which we all evolved from in the first place.

Practices such as these where you fully immerse yourself in natural settings are not new and have actually become a lot more popular due to the Japanese concept of “forest bathing”, which is also a subject we will be exploring today.

My Intention Today: To inform you about the many ways that spending quality time in nature can be very therapeutic and beneficial for your health as well as offer you advice on how to make this a more consistent practice. 🌿🌳

BENEFITS OF SPENDING TIME IN NATURE


You often hear people saw “Go get some fresh air” when someone is feeling anxious, angry or uninspired, and that is for good reason. More and more research is point out how such a simple solution as spending some time each day or week being immersed in nature can help our both our mental wellbeing as well as out physical health.

Mental benefits from spending time in nature

  • Boosting your mood (Releases feel good chemicals like endorphins and dopamine)

  • Increasing your mindful awareness

  • Reducing symptoms of depression

  • Reducing stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol

  • Higher self esteem and confidence levels

  • Lowers levels of anger

  • Reducing loneliness and isolation

  • Shifting your perspective

  • Enhancing spirituality and feelings of being connected to a larger whole

  • Restored capacity for concentration and attention

  • Improved ability to retrospect and reflect on an issue


Physical benefits from spending time in nature:

  • Lowering of blood pressure

  • Being able to breathe in cleaner air which lowers your risk of respiratory concerns

  • Reduced muscle tension

  • Allowing for higher quality sleep by exposing yourself to sunlight during the day

  • Possibly contributing to a higher pain tolerance

  • Improving your physical fitness by being more active

WHY DOES IT WORK?


  • It is proposed that time spent in nature benefits us due to the following reasons:

    • Cohesive nature: Our interaction with nature allow us to develop meaningful human relationships.

    • Formative nature: Our interaction with nature has an impact and influence on our mood, attitude, behaviors and even our values.

    • Satisfactive nature: When we interact with nature, we can feel that our expectations and needs are satisfied through our interactions with it.

    • Transcendent nature: Many people view nature as an anchor for their spirituality by experiencing benefits related to their religious or spiritual values after spending quality time in nature.

MAXIMIZING YOUR BENEFITS


  • A study from 2019 had shown that spending at least 2 hours a week outside in nature has been shown to have a significant boost and increase in your health and wellbeing also among elderly people and people with existing medical issues. The research also pointed out that these 2 hours can either be spent all in one go or in small chunks throughout the week where both will still yield the mental and physical benefits we previously discussed.

  • How to make the most of your time in nature?

    • Find a place you feel safe in: The point is to find a safe environment which will not further increase your stress.

    • Try your best to be present with your surroundings and your breath: Pay attention to your senses; the colors, sounds of birds or water, smells of flowers or soil etc.

    • Keep your phone to a minimum: We already spend so much of our time digitally connected so it is most useful if you do not use your phone when trying to connect with nature.

HOW TO DO THIS MORE OFTEN


  • Here I have prepared two lists of ideas, the first one being how you can make it easier and more likely for you to spend more time outdoors among greenery and the second one is more of a lifestyle approach about how you can bring more of nature into your own life. Therefore the first list is about going out into nature and the second one is about bringing nature to you.


How to spend more time in nature:

  • Performing more of your physical recreation outdoors - Walking, running, body weight exercises, bringing your exercise mat to a park, swimming in a lake or ocean etc.

  • Going outside with a friend

  • Taking breaks from working by going outside

  • Focusing on small actionable tasks (finding a near by park or green zone instead of having to drive out somewhere)

  • Visiting a large park, botanical garden or nature based site

  • Try out gardening as a hobby and growing some of your own produce

  • Going outside first thing in the morning (Also helps with waking you up)

  • Starting or taking part in a nature club

  • Taking part in a nature clean up activity (Such as collecting trash in natural sites)

  • Taking up a new nature based hobby (bird watching, gardening, hiking, fishing, camping, photography, horse riding etc.)

  • Possibly replacing your morning commute with a walk or bike ride instead of driving


How to bring more of nature into your everyday:

  • Having more plants in your home or on outdoor balconies/ terraces

  • Using more furniture made of natural materials (wood, stone, straw, clay, cotton, marble, cork, linen)

  • Using more earth tones for your home decorations (Muted yellows, browns, soft greens, blues and a variety of beiges and sandy/ clay colors)

  • Letting in natural sunlight if possible

  • Visiting local farmers or markets and getting closer to the primary producers of our food

  • Hanging up nature related artwork around your home

FOREST BATHING


Forest bathing also known as Shinrin-yoku is a concept and term originating from Japan around the time of 1980’s and is accredited to Dr. Qing Li who today is still an expert in forest medicine and immunology.

This practice consists of spending quality time outdoors and connecting and was developed for two main reasons at the time: 1) An antidote was needed for the tech burn out that the Japanese society was experiencing at the time and 2) Forest bathing wanted to inspire residents to further connect with and protect Japan’s local nature and green spaces.

The beautiful thing about forest bathing is it is highly individual and there is no exact way fo doing it right or wrong, but just based on what feels good and right to you in the moment when you are in a natural setting.

Forrest bathing can be done as simply as by being present in nature and taking note of the unique sounds, smells and sights that are present around you. It is meant to temporarily detach you from the fast paced modern world that is ever connected in technology and things to do and keep track off - A moment to take some time for yourself in peace.

🧠 KEY TERMS

  • Forrest bathing: A Japanese term (shinrin yoku), describing the process of bring calm and quiet among trees, while observing the natural wonders around you and focusing on deep relaxed breathing.

🔑 KEY POINTS

  • Several studies have shown that spending some time each day or week in a natural environment can improve both our mental and physical health in ways such as reducing symptoms of depression and lowering of stress levels as well as improving the quality of our breathing and sleep.

  • In order to reap these benefits, even just spending 2 hours per week within nature has been shown to help contribute to a better wellbeing where you can do so by choosing to move some of your exercise habits outside, inviting a friend to go on a forest walk or hike or even trying out activities such as gardening and photography which allow you to immerse yourself in the wonders that nature has to offer.

  • Some people like to practice what is called “Forrest bathing” which is aimed at disconnecting you from a fast paced and ultra connected lifestyle in turn for allowing you to notice and appreciate different aspects of nature that are around you such as the sounds of birds, the warm feeling of sunlight on your skin or the invigorating smell of a pine forrest.

✍🏽 REFERENCES

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Nutriton, Lifestyle Taya Bregant Nutriton, Lifestyle Taya Bregant

CBD - Does It Actually Work?

With many more countries and states around the world legalizing and becoming familiar with cannabis and hemp based products, so too has cannabidiol or CBD risen in popularity. CBD is a compound that is a part of a larger group of molecules found in cannabis known as cannabinoids, where there is a growing body of research that wants to discover how this group of chemicals affects the mind and body and whether it has the genuine potential to help with many of the proposed conditions and ailments.

Therefore, my intention today is to discuss all things related to CBD, starting firstly with understanding what it is, what it can help us with and lastly assessing the safety/ side effects and the possible ways of taking CBD.

I hope you can learn some new, powerful insights about today's theme 🍀

WHAT IS CBD?


  • Cannabidiol or CBD is a compound that is naturally found in and derived from the cannabis/ hemp plant.

  • The cannabis plant has been found to contain many other chemical compounds which are known as cannabinoids, one of which also includes THC or Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis on the brain and body.

  • Hemp is recognized as a cannabis plant which contains less than 0.3% of TH content while marijuana is a cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3% THC. CBD can be extracted and obtained from both cannabis varieties and is not responsible for eliciting psychoactive effects or causing addictive behaviors.

  • Because CBD is approved as a prescription drug, it can be found in a variety of cosmetic products as well as certain dietary supplements.

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM CANNABIS AND HEMP?


  • The cannabis plant exists in two main species; As (medical) Marijuana which has a high THC content but a low CBD content and also as Hemp, which is low in THC and more abundant in CBD - making it more useful for medical uses.

  • As an additional bit of historical context, the the US was facing large amounts of immigration in the 1910 to 1920 from Mexico due to the Mexican Civil War, where the influx of these immigrants promoted anti cannabis and anti Mexican immigrant movements across the US which was further supported by important figures at that time such as Harry Asnlinger who at the time was the commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in the US. Anslignger had created propaganda campaigns which used racist terms and descriptions to put those who smoked or used marijuana under a negative spotlight or as an “inferior race”. In this way, these campaigns used the Spanish word for cannabis, marijuana, which was connected to more of a negative imagery and darker skin tones, in order to convince people that this plant is a danger to all. Here we can see how history and racist tendencies have shifted the common perception of this plant and the effects it has from its use.

  • Studies have also found that CBD does not have addictive potential and is not associated with abuse potential.

5 BENEFITS OF CBD


HELPS WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

  • More and more people are looking into CBD based oils in order to help with their anxiety or to achieve a general calming of the mind where the research of this effectiveness is mixed. Additionally, some people like to take CBD before bed time in order to further calm down the body and facilitate deeper sleep, where there is some evidence to suggest that CBD oils can improve sleep quality.

  • There is also quite a bit of research that analyses the link between CBD and its impact on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) management which is a type of anxiety disorder. Some studies have found that taking CBD for the management of PTSD symptoms such as nightmares among adults, has been effective and is also beneficial for children who may be struggling with PTSD.

  • Some research is also digging into the effects that CBD has with people who suffer from depressive disorders, but more work is needed to establish any formal links here.


IMPROVES PAIN MANAGEMENT AND RELIEF

  • The human body contains a special internal system called the endocannabinoid system which is responsible for regulating a variety of functions such as sleep, appetite, pain tolerance and immune system response. Through this system, our body naturally produces compounds known as endocannabinoids which in essence are special types of neurotransmitters that are able to bind to cannabinoid receptors in our nervous system.

  • Several studies have shown that CBD from the cannabis plant is able to reduce chronic pain by interacting with the endocannabinoid receptor activity and alongside that also reducing inflammation that is associated with chronic pain.

  • Some research has also shown that CBD alone may be most effective for treating nerve and back pain but is actually most effective when it is also paired with lower doses of THC, which is effective for the treatment of arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

  • Although more research is needed on human studies for the effectiveness here, there could be promising results from using CBD as an additional method of pain management.


NEURO-PROTECTIVE PROPERTIES FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND EPILEPSY

  • Because CBD acts on the bodies natural endocannabinoid system, researchers are trying to identify wether this could provide relief for those people who suffer from neurological disorders.

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS) as well as epilepsy are two fields which have been quite heavily tested together with CBD since they are both neurologically linked.

  • The drug Sativex which contains a mix of both THC and CBD, has been shown to be an effective and safe way to combat muscle spasms (spasticity) among people with MS, where in one of the many studies, Satvixed use had reduced muscle spasms for three quarters of the 276 participants who were previosuly resistant to MS medications.

  • Furthermore, for children who suffer from Dravet syndrome (childhood epilepsy disorder), CBD oil has been found to be beneficial for reducing seizure activity when compared with a placebo.


ALLEVIATING CANCER TREATMENT SYMPTOMS & SIDE EFFECTS

  • A couple of pieces of research have shown that CBD may have a positive effect on managing and treating the common symptoms and side effects of cancer treatments such as nausea, pain and vomiting.

  • More research is needed in this field before anything can be properly medically prescribed to cancer patients.


HAS POTENTIAL CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS

  • Some research is pointing in the direction that using CBD has the ability to over time, lower high blood pressure, which otherwise if left unchecked, can manifest itself in many negative ways in the body such as increasing your chances of stroke, getting a heart attack or developing metabolic syndrome.

  • In studies, participants who took CBD across repeated doses maintained lower blood pressure levels in response to stress compared to the placebo group. Furthermore researchers from this study found that the group who took CBD also experienced reduced arterial stiffness and improved blood flow within the arteries.

IS IT SAFE TO USE?


  • CBD can be safe to take through the mouth, up to 200mg per day, which has so far been tested for up to 13 weeks and has shown to be safe.

  • For prescribed medications, Epidiolex can be be used for treating epilepsy and Sativex has been shown to be safe to use for managing muscle spasticity from multiple sclerosis.

  • Possible side effects from CBD use:

    • Dry mouth

    • Low blood pressure

    • Light headedness

    • Drowsiness and tiredness

    • Possible changes in appetite and weight

  • Additional, taking CBD is not recommend for people with:

    • Glaucoma (Group of eye disorders which can cause blindness)

    • Liver disease

    • Parkinson's disease

  • So far it is known that CBD interacts with any other medication we may be taking such as pain mediations, antidepressants, seizure medications and diabetes medications. For this reason you should always consult with a medical professional before choosing to take any CBD based medications.

  • Purity of CBD products

    • An additional source of concern when it comes to CBD products is the purity of the product itself. This is often the case because CBD products are marketed and sold as supplements and not medications, therefore for example the Food & Drug Administration within the US does not regulate the safety and purity of these products, so it is hard to guarantee complete purity and safety of these products which are otherwise sold on global markets.

HOW USE TAKE CBD


CBD today is found commonly in the form of oils, extracts, capsules, patches, vapes or skin creams.

Within the US, the only CBD based prescription oil that is legally able to be prescribed is Epidiolex which has been approved for being able to treat two types of epilepsy.

Outside of the US in other parts of the world, the prescriptive drug Sativex is approved for being used for managing muscle spasticity that is associated with multiple sclerosis and also for cancer pain.

Although cannabis and CBD use is a topic which is rising in popularity, both among the general public as well as medical experts, its uses and long term effects of use are still being researched. Always do your own research before thinking about using products with active compounds that we are still researching and do not fully understand yet.

I think that CBD has shown to be potentially useful in improving the lives of people with epilepsy, PTSD and multiple sclerosis as well as for general pain management, although relying on CBD alone for these conditions is likely not recommend (at least currently).

But who knows what findings further research will bring on this topic?

Thank you for reading this weeks topic, it means a lot to me.

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

Breathwork - The Power Of Your Breath

Breathwork is perhaps a rather new topic that is entering mainstream media but is one that has been a part of Buddhist and meditation practices for centuries if not thousands of years. It offers similar benefits as meditation, in the sense that it calms you down and grounds you with your thoughts, with the difference that breathwork has a large impact on calming of the nervous system and even shifting your mood and energy levels; It is essentially a more active form of meditation.

If you are interested in what breathwork has to offer and also what are some common breathing techniques to practice, then please keep on reading. Enjoy <3

WHAT IS BREATHWORK?

  • Breathwork is a kind of breathing practice through which you practice deep diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing. This kind of practice is designed to improve and enhance various aspects of health such as physical, spiritual and mental health.

  • Various studies have shown that regular breathwork practice can be of great help when it comes to managing stress, trauma or anxiety.

  • Breathhwork differs from meditation in the way that meditation is a form of breathwork but breathwork itself does not need to be coupled with meditation practices. Meditation is often paired with various breathing techniques designed to ground and calm you down, whereas breathwork can be practiced independently in order to cultivate feelings of mindfulness and tranquility.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?


Just like meditation, the active practice of breathwork has many positive effects of calming the nervous system and clearing our thoughts and mind.

Regularly practicing a variety of breathwork practices has been shown to:

  • Elevate your mood

  • Raise energy levels

  • Improve sleep quality and depth

  • Improve respiratory function and management of asthma

  • Management of stress and anxiety (creating feelings of calmness)

  • Support a stronger immune function

  • Better mental focus and clarity

  • Reduce inflammation within the body

  • Help with managing PTSD

  • Possibly also lower hypertension (high blood pressure) in adults

WHY DOES BREATHWORK WORK?


So what makes our breath and practicing breathwork so powerful actually?

Deep breathing with your diaphragm has been shown to be able to positively impact the whole body and it does so through having a direct impact on our nervous system.

Our nervous system can be classified as the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is responsible for fight or flight reposes and is most commonly activated in stressful situations. The effects of the sympathetic nervous response are recognized as shallow breathing, a tension in the shoulders, digestive issues or high blood pressure and pulse. On the other hand, we also have what is called a parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which functions as the rest and digest response and is active when our body is in a state of calm.

Breathwork has been shown to be able to calm down the body through reducing the activation of the SNS and stimulating more activity in the PNS, essentially transitioning your body from a state of distress to calm.

COMMON BREATHING TECHNIQUES


Breathing Through Alternate Nostrils

  • Method: To begin, use your right thumb to apply pressure onto your right nostril so that it is closed. Next breathe in, but so that air only travels through your left nostril. Afterwards you will do the reverse with the opposite nostrils; Release the right thumb and use the right index finger to close the left nostril, so that you can exhale through the right nostril. Afterwards take a pause between an inhale and exhale and continue alternating your breathing through each nostril.

  • Useful for: Encouraging your body to relax, by requiring you to selectively focus on your breathing


Deep Abdominal Breathing

  • Method: This is a technique which focuses on breathing through long deep breaths. As you breathe each inhale, you want to visualize the breath and air filling up your entire body, allowing your chest and belly to expand as you inhale. In the exhale, your belly should retract back towards your spine will lowering and relaxing your chest hold.

  • Useful for: Calming down the sympathetic nervous system.


Breath Of Fire:

  • Method: To begin, inhale through your nose so that your abdominal muscles are relaxes and then during your exhale, you want to engage your core muscles and strongly push the air our of your body through the nose or mouth. Due to this forcefulness of the exhale, that is where this technique gets its name from.

  • Useful for: Although this a rather more advance technique, the breath of fire works to reenergize your body and elevate your mood


The 4-7-9 Breath

  • Method: Start by emptying all air out of your lungs and then inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, then hold your breath for 7 seconds and lastly exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds. This is then repeated 4 times through.

  • It is additionally beneficial if during your inhale you image that you are breathing in uplifting positive energy and as you are holding your breaths, try to visualize the air that entered your body traveling upwards your body and with it pulling everything that is negative or does not serve you. During the exhale try to imagine excess energy being released through out the mouth.

  • Useful for: Calming down the body through lowering our heart rate, bringing us into the present moment wile calming down the nervous system. This kind of breath work is beneficial for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, triggered, angry or has issues with sleeping.


The 4-4-4 Breath (Box breathing)

  • Method: Begin by releasing all air from your lugs and holding your breath for 4 seconds, then breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds after which you hold your breath again for 4 seconds and lastly exhale through your nose for 4 seconds. This pattern of breathing should be followed for 5 minutes in order to feel the effects.

  • Useful for: Enhancing concentration and producing calming effects on the body such as lowering heart rate ad lowering stress levels. It can be beneficial to use in the morning to wake up the mind, in the middle of the day if you experience a decline in energy or before a large project which requires high levels of focus


The 5-5 Breath

  • Method: Begin with observing the natural rhythm and length of your inhales and exhales. Afterwards, for 1 minute, start by breathing in for 4 seconds and then exhaling for 4 seconds. Next repeat this for 5 seconds instead of 4, and then gradually increasing your way up to 7-10 seconds. The idea is to begin with one minute of breathing in and out for 4 seconds each and then increasing this time span for more seconds, so that overall the practice lasts up to 20 minutes, but can of course also be shorter.

  • Useful for: Calming down the body and creating an overall sense of calm

I hope that todays post had inspired you to practice more of breathwork and that you were able to learn something new. I think that an occasional breathwork practice can definitely be beneficial, especially in stressful situations where we would benefit from calming down and thinking with a clear head.

Thank you for reading.

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Nutrition Taya Bregant Nutrition Taya Bregant

Antioxidants - What Are They & How Do They Work?

Antioxidants have for quite a long time been used as a major buzzword in various different industries, ranging from food and drinks corporations to beauty and cosmetics brands, mostly used as a marketing strategy for the purpose of getting to buy people more of certain products.

Nowadays we hear all sorts of acclaimed benefits of these molecules such as having powerful anti aging properties, supporting immune defense as well as helping the prevention of various chronic diseases all of which we will take a look at later, but I think it is worthwhile to first start with the basics: Understanding what antioxidants are and what is their role in our body and vitality.

Once we establish that, we can then start considering what good antioxidants do for us and what are some naturally rich antioxidant food sources that can bring us the acclaimed health impacts. This is what we will be exploring today.

My Writing Intention: To explain the idea and workings behind antioxidants in an interesting and understandable way and present the ways in which you can add more of these health boosting compounds into your life.

WHAT ARE ANTIOXIDANTS & HOW DO THEY WORK?

You may have heard of the term “antioxidants” before, but what does that actually mean?

In a simplified sense, an antioxidant is either a natural or man made substance which functions to prevent or delay some sort of cell damage. In other words, antioxidants are specialized “species” or types of molecules which maintain the health of our cells, by fighting against, or more properly said, “neutralizing” free radicals.

Free radicals in our body, are a different kind of natural compounds which in a simplified chemistry sense, are compounds which have an incomplete outer most electrons shell, which makes these compounds naturally very reactive and unstable. Because of this high reactivity and instability, in order to stabilize themselves, these free radicals essentially “steal” or obtain an electron or two from other near-by cells (Such as skin cells, muscle cells, blood cells etc) which in turn damages the vitality and DNA structure of those cells.

In this way, it is essential to maintain a proper balance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body, as an excessive proportion of free radicals, creates a condition known as “oxidative stress” in the body which is a state of chemical imbalance in or body, which results from a too high proportion of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and a lack of antioxidants to defend against those radicals.

Additionally, long term oxidative stress has been shown to be able to manifest itself in many negative ways in the body such as increasing your risk of diabetes, heart disease, speed of premature aging and promote the growth of various types of cancers.

This is why it is important to maintain an optimal and health balance of diet sources antioxidants in order to counteract the negative effects of free radicals.

It is important to know and realize that free radicals are species which are continuously being formed in our body through a multitude of common activities and processes such as digestion and exercise. However we actually benefit from having a stable and not too large level of free radicals in our body; For example you immune system defense cells rely on free radicals to fight infections.

Additionally, many different voluntary lifestyle choices also increase the amount of free radicals in our body such as:

  • Smoking of cigarettes

  • Heavy alcohol intake

  • Excessive sun light exposure

  • Air pollution and toxin exposure

  • High intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids

  • Having high blood sugar levels

  • Intense and prolonged exercise

  • Types of infections such as bacterial, fungal or viral

While a regulated level of free radials in our body is not an issue and is normal occurrence, the issue becomes when we part take in many of the above mentioned activities which drastically increase free radical production. When those activities are coupled with a diet poor in antioxidants that is when our body enters oxidative stress which later on increases our chances of developing various other chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease along with premature aging.

BENEFITS OF A DIET HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

When it comes to supplementing antioxidants, the effects and associated health benefits are much smaller and often even negligible, which is why nutritionists and dietitians always recommend to obtain all of these food molecules through actual food first.

One of the reason why antioxidants are much less powerful in a supplement form is because these chemicals tend to work best when combined with other nutrients, plant chemicals and also other antioxidants.

Most studies have indicated that focussing on intaking specific antioxidants in order to boost health has actually very minimal evidence of working or producing any positive health effect. As a result, researchers in this fields tend to focus on promoting a diet that is high in general whole foods, including fruits and vegetables of vibrant colors, which will ensure that you are getting the most important macro nutrients while also not missing out on vital micronutrients along with antioxidants. The key is to focus on a whole rounded whole foods diet instead of exclusively designing your diet around antioxidant rich foods.

That said, some studies have proposed that antioxidant consumption can benefit us in the following ways, although the results of other studies were conflicting or unclear here:

  • Prevention Of Chronic Diseases:

    • This is due to the ability of antioxidant species to reduce the level of oxidative stress in our body which works to protect against diseases such as cancers, diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. This is also occurs, because antioxidants prevent inflammation levels from becoming too high in our body which in itself can be a leading cause for various chronic ailments.

  • Supporting Of Vision and Eye Health:

    • Many antioxidants such as those from beta carotene (found in yellow / orange produce) has been know to have protective properties for your health, specifically when it comes to age related macular degeneration and cataracts.

  • Mental Health Improvements:

    • Higher levels of oxidative stress in the body are often related to depression and anxiety which worsen the mental wellbeing of the individual and although making a shift in diet will not resolve this issues on its own, a colorful diet can help with stabilizing and improving the mood of these individuals.

  • Boosting Brain Function and Abilities:

    • Since the brain is an organ which is metabolically very active, it is very prone to be attacked by free radicals. Because of this, consumption of a diet high in fruits and vegetables has been shown to protect the brain from various forms of mental decline such as memory loss, Alzheimers disease and other brain related conditions that worsen cognitive functioning.

  • Helping To Maintain A Healthy Gut Microbiome:

    • Some research has shown that antioxidants have the ability to reduce the level of oxidative stress in our body by regulating the composition of beneficial bacteria in our gut, which can promote the growth of more beneficial bacterial strains in our gut. This can improve our digestion, mood as well as immunity as research is finding out more and more links between the health of our gut and our general wellbeing.

    • Click here to learn more about the power of a healthy gut micro biome

  • Supporting A Healthy Aging Process:

    • Although nothing so far has been found to genuinely be able to stop or reverse the effects of aging, antioxidants as discussed above, have been shown to prevent the mental decline of individuals (memory loss and Alzheimers disease), especially when it comes to elderly people, which can improve their quality of life in their older years and make it a more smoother aging process.

  • Known To Be Beneficial For The Skin:

    • When it comes to our skin, antioxidants can reduce levels of inflammation within our body which can prevent against redness, puffiness and premature aging of the skin. Furthermore, antioxidants have the ability to further protect our skin cells from harmful sun rays, although wearing sunscreen is still recommended.

    • Vitamin C, which is a common type of antioxidant, has been shown to be beneficial for the skin because it can help with managing skin de-colouration and boosting collagen production within our skin cells which works towards younger looking skin. This is why so many skin related products nowadays contain vitamin C.

ANTIOXIDANT RICH FOODS

Although our body does produce some its own antioxidant such as glutathione, the majority of antioxidants are derived from plant sources. This is because plants too need antioxidants to protect the well being of their cells since plants are exposed to a lot of ultraviolet sunlight radiation, which without antioxidants, would over time cause irreversible damage to the plant.

Some of the most important antioxidants which we have to obtain from our diet include:

  • Vitamin C (Essential for our health)

  • Vitamin E (Essential for our health)

  • Carotenoids

  • Selenium mineral

  • Zinc mineral

  • Various smaller plant compounds: Flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds

Some of the most rich food sources of antioxidants include:

  • Various berries: Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries (Find our more about berries here)

  • Black coffee (Learn more about coffee here)

  • Green tea (Learn more about green tea here)

  • Pecan nuts and walnuts (Learn more about nuts here)

  • Orange colored vegetables (Sweet potatoes, carrots, squashes and pumpkin)

  • Dark leafy greens (Spinach, kale, Swiss chard etc)

  • Dark chocolate/ cacao

  • Artichokes

  • Red cabbage

  • Beetroot

  • Beans

You will also likely notice that the foods with the highest antioxidant content are also the ones which are brightest in color variety: Think about blue blueberries, vibrant greens of spinach, bright colored sweet potatoes and the purple hue of red cabbage. This is because antioxidants a lot of the times also act as pigment in plants. For example, Carotenoids are considered to be an antioxidant but is also what gives orange vegetables such as sweet potatoes and carrots their vibrant color and health benefits. This why it is advised to eat a varied and colorful diet

I hope that you were able to learn some new information about todays topic of antioxidants and that you found it interesting. I also learnt many new things while writing this post. As always, if you have any specific topic requests or ideas, please let me know.

Enjoy your day 💛

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Lifestyle Taya Bregant Lifestyle Taya Bregant

Decluttering And Organizing Your Space - Why Bother?

Since spring is right around the corner and is a time of year when many of us take part in what is called “spring cleaning”, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to look into the topic of decluttering your belongings and organizing your physical space.

Topics such as cleaning and organizing are not what we usually associate with fun and enjoyment, but in my experience, I think adopting some weekly or even small daily practices that keep your environment relatively clean and sorted, will greatly improve the way you approach your work and your overall mental state of mind.

I hope that I am able to present these rather dull topics in a more interesting and useful way to you and that you are able to walk away from this with some pieces of advice that you are inspired to apply to your own life.

Happy early spring! 🌸

BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING, ORGANIZING AND CLEANING

Lets look into some of the reasons why cleaning and organizing your space can be so beneficial and worthwhile to do in the first place:

  • Saves you time and energy: This will undeniably make it easier to find what you are looking for in the future.

  • Boosts your mood and relieves anxiety: Many people consider cleaning to be quite a therapeutic activity as you are refreshing the environment around you and in this way bringing new energy into the space. Furthermore, physically cluttered and dense spaces may be additional drivers of anxiety, where we may feel more stressed about more items accumulating around us and loosing control of that.

  • Enhances your creativity: Cleaning is a great mix of physically moving your body while also letting your mind wander and unwind itself for a bit, which is an ideal time for your brain to process information it previously took in and allow it to generate new ideas, connections and breakthrough that otherwise would not have occurred to you. Although some studies have shown that highly creative people tend to actually thrive more in slightly messy and disordered environments, perhaps helping them with generating more ideas. See what level of cleanliness/ organization you thrive best in and design your space accordingly.

  • Improves your ability to focus: Although some people may prefer their work enviments to be a bit messy and chaotic, most people tend to focus better when their environment is not providing any additonal distractions which would in the long run hinder your concentration. Consider what objects and clutter are currently negatively interfering with your focus.

  • Empowers your self esteem: By gaining more control and awareness of your environment, you are through regular practice able to assert more feelings of competency and reassurance of control with accomplishing things.

  • Relighting inspiration: This may be a result of looking through old items you forgot you had and simply becoming re-inspired to use them again.

  • Reducing relationship or family tensions: If you share a living space with someone else or several other people who each have their own preferred way of organizing and managing their belongings, then chances are you can run into conflicts about how clean a space should be and what should be placed where. Try and talk this through with the other person/ people and come to a compromise which works for everyone and will reduce fights and unnecessary eruptions of annoyance.

TIPS FOR ORGANIZING & DECLUTTERING YOUR SPACE

Become Better At Organizing:

  • Grouping together similar items (Examples of groups: Stationary, coats or cooking pots)

  • Batching all of your cleaning and maintenance work on one day of the week (Eg: Sunday)

  • Labeling any boxes, bins or drawers in which you store things

  • Get into the habit of putting away items in their correct place after using them

  • Consider how you want to organize your belongings (by size, color, name, how often you use the item etc.)

  • Make the process of cleaning more enjoyable for you (Put on music, listen to a podcast, do it with a friend, or try making it a challenge)

  • Look where there is currently wasted space in your room or house. How can you make better use of that space?

Learn How To Declutter:

  • Being intentional what you buy in the first place is the first step of decluttering, as it will prevent unnecessary clutter from building up.

  • For what you choose to buy ask yourself:

    • Am I sure that I will really use this?

    • Is this an impulsive purchase and do I really need this item?

    • Will owning this item bring me joy?

    • Would I regret it if I didn't or did buy this item?

  • Go through the items that you own and for each of them ask yourself:

    • When was the last time that I used this?

    • In the case that I have not used this in a while or ever, will I ever get to using it?

    • Could someone else make better use of this item and appreciate it more than me? If so, put these items toward donations and second hand shops

    • What is the real cost of owning this item?

    • How long will it make me happy?

    • What do I gain by buying this?

    • Is there something else that can bring me joy?

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that it was a good use of your time by learning how to take better control and inventory of your physical space. I hope gained insight into how you can use this gained control to improve various aspects of your life such as improving your focus and productivity, maintaining a calmer state of mind or gaining more awareness of your belongings and material purchases. Thanks for reading. 😊

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

How To Make Better Decisions

I have to be honest; one of my main weaknesses is making good decisions in a relatively short time span. Often I use several days if not a week, stressing out over the idea that I have to make a decision, and still after a week get no closer to making a final decision.

Because we all have to make decisions in our lives, wether it is the small decision of what we will have for breakfast to very important long term decisions such as what we want to study or which career we want to head into, I wanted to write this blog post, because I believe that making genuinely good decisions is actually not easy and something that we could all learn more about.

Making good decisions takes the consideration of many different facets and often also takes more time to properly think things through. For this reason, I have written and identified a list of key steps and considerations which you can go through every time you are in the process of making an important decision.

I hope that you find that list useful and that it can hopefully make it easier for you to make decisions you are proud of.

Get to know your own needs and wants

  • Ask yourself why you are choosing to make a choice in the first place: Why are you deciding now, what do you hope to achieve with this decision and what are its intended goals.

  • Identify your current goals, priorities and main values: Ask yourself if by making this decision you will support these aspects of yourself or go against them? How can you reduce conflict in this area?

  • Consider what would be your intuitive response to a decision: What does your intuition tell you?

Weigh the pros and cons of the decision

  • Take into account the consequences of the decision (The short and long term costs and benefits of the decision taken)

    • What is the most likely outcome of me making this decision?

    • What is the best and worst outcome that could happen in the near future and long term future?

    • Am I prepared for the outcome if things don't turn out as I expected them to?

  • Minimizing regret: Consider wether you will regret making this decision or saying yes/ no to a decision? This is key because sometimes we automatically say yes to everything and before we know it we are doing things which drain us instead of energize us.

  • Minimizing conflicts: If you think that your decision will cause someone else to have a bad response, try and put yourself into their shoes and think about how they will likely react and how you could best manage that situation.

  • Keeping your options and possibilities and open: This will give you breadth of the various other opportunities and perspective that exist. For this, you could also ask relevant experts or close family members / friends for advice on what they would do in your position. This doesn't mean you have to completely follow their advice, but try and understand their perspective and take from it what is useful to you.

  • Narrow down your choices: Often when faces with too many possibilities, we get overwhelmed and find it hard to listen to ourselves and decide on something. Because of this, try and narrow down your possibilities and keep the ones that really excite you or are really important to you.

Optimizing you decision making abilities

  • Take your time with the decision process if you can: Good decisions require time because a lot of thinking, strategizing and planning is involved.

  • Identify what time in the day you find it easiest to make decisions: Usually the time of day you experience least stress such as in the morning or during weekends.

  • Manage your stress levels: Don't make a impulsive decision just because you are stressed about making a decision so you go with something just for the sake of not having to decide anymore.

  • Keep your basics in check: Get enough sleep, stay hydrated and don't be hungry when making important decisions.

  • Deeper breathing: Take deeper breaths that will stimulate more oxygen to flow into your brain which can enhance your thinking and clarity of choice.

  • Writing down your decision making process: Writing down helps you to additionally process your thinking and put it into perspective.

I hope that wit this blog post you were able to get some refreshing and genuinely useful advice on how to make better decision in any area of your life. Good decisions making is not easy and is really something that you get better at the more decisions you make, so why not take some time to learn to how to better your decision making abilities, which is after all a very valuable skill to have.

Thank you for reading ad enjoy the rest of your day or evening.

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Nutrition Taya Bregant Nutrition Taya Bregant

Matcha - A Health Boosting Powerhouse

This week we will be diving into the topic of matcha - a special type of green tea - which has been steadily rising in popularity in modern cafes and culinary uses even thought its origins date back several thousand years.

We will be taking a look into what makes matcha so special and highly valued compared to other green teas, what types of matcha exist nowadays, which properties and common compounds can you expect to find in matcha and of course the health impacts that matcha can deliver to us through its consumption.

I hope you enjoy this one, and if you are a strong green tea drinker like me, you might want to also checkout a previous blog post that I wrote about general green teas and their benefits, you can find it here.

Grab a cup of your favorite tea, and enjoy.

A SHORT BACKGROUND ON MATCHA




What is matcha?

  • Matcha is essentially a type of green tea, more specifically from the Camellia sinensis plant. The key difference between matcha and other types of green tea is the way the plant is grown (which I discuss below) and the fact that the matcha leaves are ground up and then consumed whole as a drink, instead of just seeping the leaves in hot water.




A brief history

  • Matcha is said to actually have originated in China but then around the year 1190, a monk introduced the tea plant to Japan where the plant started thriving, which now make China and Japan the top two producers of matcha green tea.

  • It is said that Japanese matcha is considered to be of higher quality due to its production processes and quality checking, although China also has ample tea production. So if you are interested in trying a higher quality of matcha, I would stick to Japanese varieties which also have a richer nutrient profile.




What matcha matcha special and how is it grown?

  • The key difference in the way that matcha is produced is that about 20-30 days before the leaves are harvested, the farmers cover the leaves to avoid direct sunlight. The reason for this is that it stimulates the tea leaves to produce more chlorophyll (in order to maximize photosynthesize due to poor sunlight), while also enriching the leaves in amino acids such as L-Theanine and unique plant compounds known as catechins.

  • The L-Theanine amino acid gives high quality matcha is sweeter taste and catechins are responsible for matcha’s slight bitter and earthy flavor.

  • After the leaves are harvested, the stems and veins are removed after which they are ground up into a powder which is then sold.

  • This grounding of tea leaves and consuming them as whole is why matcha is considered to be so beneficial because you are consuming whole leaves which due to the growing process, are high in powerful plant chemicals and nutrients that boost health.




Grade qualities of matcha

Matcha comes in many different grades or classes, which are classified based on their quality and thus also their prices. bellow you can find some information on the different types, and which ones are most suitable for a specific type of matcha use.

  • Ceremonial grade types:

    • In general, ceremonial grade matcha’s are considered to be of highest quality and are thus only meant for drinking purposes. This grade quality was traditionally used during Japanese tea ceremonies but of course you can drink it on normal occasions too.

    • It is considered ceremonial because it is made from the youngest tea laves which is why this type of matcha also has the brightest green color, the finest texture and naturally sweeter taste. Due tot he purity of this tea, it is usually drank plain (with no milk or sweetener) and due to its higher quality, these grades are most expensive.

    • Below are the most common types of ceremonial grade matcha’s:

      • Premium Ceremonial: Made of the youngest and most tender green matcha leaves

      • Ceremonial: Leaves are harvested in early spring and ground fresh.

      • Ceremonial Blend: This is a combination of ceremonial grade matcha and the highest culinary (premium) matcha.

  • Culinary grade types:

    • Culinary grade matcha is still good quality matcha but due to the slight difference in the way it is produced and its less pure taste, it is more intended for baking and cooking purposes, as well as sweeter beverages.

    • This grade of matcha tastes more bitter and stronger which is why it is intended to be mixed with other ingredients to improve the overall taste.

    • Below are the most common types of culinary grade matcha:

      • Premium: Premium grade is considered as an everyday use matcha that pairs well with blended drinks.

      • Café: This type has a slightly more robust flavor which makes it useful for cooking and baking.

      • Ingredient: The ingredient grade type is mixed with older tea leaves which give a stronger flavor and a thicker constancy making it more useful for being used in recipes with diary products.

      • Classic: This is perhaps the most commonly available of all the grades as it is most versatile and can be used in food and beverage recipes.

How to prepare matcha

  • Matcha as a drink is quite simple to prepare where in a cup you place about a teaspoon or 2g of matcha powder over which you pour a slight bit of warm water. At this point you want mix the powder well into the hot water to make sure that all of the powder dissolves within the small amount of water and no clumps of powder remain. After mixing you then add the rest of the hot water (not fully boiling) and add milk or sweetener if desired.

WHAT DOES MATCHA CONTAIN?



L-Theanine:

  • This is an amino acid which is found almost exclusively within the matcha plant and in considerably quantitates too. The shading of the tea plants which I have mentioned before, allows the leaves to make more of this amino acid which gives high quality matcha its distinct subtly sweet taste.

  • Additionally, studies done with the amino acid have shown that it can stimulate the production of alpha waves in the brain which are otherwise commonly achieved through mindfulness practices such as meditation. Alpha waves are responsible for a calm and relaxed mental state while still being appropriately aware of your surroundings.



Matcha caffeine

  • Matcha actually contains a lot of caffeine as well, up to 19-40 mg of caffeine per gram of matcha where coffee for reference contains 10-12 mg of caffeine per gram. The stimulative effects of drinking matcha are usually noticed within 30 minutes of drinking and can last up to 6 hours, so it is not advised to drink matcha in later afternoons or before going to sleep.

  • Because of this, many people actually replace their morning coffee with matcha as they find that it brings them a steadier stream of energy instead of the typically unwanted caffeine effects of coffee such as crashes and shaking of the hands. L-Theanine is able to act well with the stimulative effects of the caffeine, ensuring a steadier release of caffeine on the body.



Anti-oxidants

  • One of the main reasons why matcha is promoted as such a health boosting drink in the first place is because of its high antioxidant content, which is due to the high concentration of plant compounds such as polyphenols and catechins.



Chlorophyll:

  • Another key feature of matcha which gives its distinct bright green color is the natural pigment chlorophyll, which is produced in higher qualities thanks to the shade growing time. Chlorophyll has been shown to be a very powerful detoxifier of our blood and supports healthy blood alkalinity levels.



Adaptogenic's:

  • Adaptogenic's are substances that are substances which have been shown to have a positive impact on the way our body reacts and deals with stress. Green tea in general has been shown to be a powerful adaptogen, by supporting our adrenal glands and lowering cortisol (main stress hormone) levels.



Cholesterol Lowering agents:

  • Additionally, green teas such as matcha have been shown to have a positive effect on decreasing levels of LDL cholesterol (the unwanted type of cholesterol), while having no major effect on HDL cholesterol levels.



Blood Sugar Stabilizers:

  • Green tea also contains certain sugars which can stabilize our blood sugar levels and work to prevent insulin spikes.



Anti-microbials:

  • Among the many properties of green tea, an additional property is its antibiotic and anti viral effects which makes it useful for the treatment of illnesses such as the flu, common cold and food poisoning.

WHAT IS MATCHA GOOD FOR?


Contributes To A Healthier Liver

  • The livers main role in our body is the filtration and “cleaning” of our blood by flushing out toxins and metabolizing any drugs we intake.

  • A study from 2009 had found that matcha may help with protecting the health of our liver by preventing damage to the kidneys and liver after diabetic rats (the test subjects) were administered matcha for 16 weeks.

  • Within human subjects, a different study gave green tea extract for 90 days to 80 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The results of this study was that the green tea extract was able to reduce liver enzyme levels, where elevated levels of these enzymes are an indication of some form of liver damage.


Improves Skin health

  • Green tea consumption has for a long time been known to both benefit the internal state of our body as well as the external in terms of skin. Green tea and related extracts can be beneficial for the skin when applied topically (on to skin) by promoting skin regeneration, wound healing and even treatment of skin conditions such as psoriasis and rosacea among others.

  • These health effects may be due to matcha’s impressive antioxidant content which neutralizes harmful free radicals within our body and in this way prevents cellular damage and premature skin aging.


Enhancing Brain Function

  • Several different studies have indicated a link between regular matcha consumption and enhanced brain function and processing.

  • A study which gave participants either matcha tea, a matcha tea bar or remained as the placebo group shower that the participants which consumed matcha in either from improved with their attention, reaction time and memory when compared with the placebo group.

  • A different smaller study had shown that among older people, consumption of 2 grams of green tea powder per day for 2 months had improved brain function too.

  • We also have to acknowledge the fact that matcha powder contains more caffeine than coffee, where a multitude of studies have demonstrated that a moderate consumption of caffeine leads to improvements in brain function, improved reaction times, longer attention spans and enhanced memory abilities.


May Contain Properties Against Cancer

  • Some studies have shown that green tea consumption can genuinely reduce the growth of cancer cells where one study had shown that consuming green tea extract has the ability of decreasing tumor size and slowing down the growth of breast cancer cells. Although this study found these results based on rats, there could also be positive health impacts within humans too.

  • Matcha is known to hold high concentrations of a catechin compound known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which has been shown to have powerful anticancer properties such as being able to kill of cancer cells within the prostate region in males as well as within skin, lung and liver regions.


Boosting Heart Health

  • Green teas such as matcha have been shown to steadily decreases levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (the type of cholesterol we want to minimize). Additionally, due to green teas high antioxidant profile, it can prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which may additionally protect against heart disease.

  • Additionally, the previously mentioned EGCG compound that is found in matcha has also been shown to have a positive impact on ur heart health, where it can produce many therapeutic health effects such as being anti atherosclerotic, anti cardiac hypertrophic, anti diabetic and anti inflammatory.

  • Overall, when green tea is drank next to a balanced and varied diet, it may play a role in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy and strong.

Overall I hope that with this blog post you were able to learn some new information about matcha as a health powerhouse and that it encourages you to try implementing more green tea into your diet, in a form which you enjoy.

If you find that matcha is too out of your budget, simply drinking regular green teas will also with boosting wellbeing, but perhaps not to the same extent as matcha, as with matcha you re literally consuming the ground up tea leaves.

Thank you for reading <3

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

Principles And Questions To Carry With You Through 2023

Todays topic was partially inspired by the book that I am currently reading; “Best Self” by Mike Bayer, where the aim of the book is to analyze 6 main areas of your life (Social, Personal, Health, Education, Relationships, Employment and Spiritual Development) and figure out what in these areas you are currently doing good with and what you still want to improve on. I like the book because it is full of interactive writing exercises and I like how it is structured, which makes it easy to follow along and make the best use out of the genuinely useful chapters.

For this reason, I wanted to write up a list of general life principles that I think everyone can benefit from following/ incorporating more often into their lifestyle and also a include a practical list of questions aimed at enhancing your own personal discovery.

Wishing you pleasant reading ahead 😊

GUIDING PRINCIPLES


Focus on doing your best instead of aiming for perfection

  • This is something that has become some wheat of a mantra for me, or something that I regularly repeat myself. I find that it is easy for me to get caught up in perfectionistic ideals where the goal is to do something absolutely right instead of focusing on learning and growth.

  • I find that this mindset can be very debilitating and genuinely slow down your progression as a person because

    1. It makes you fear making mistakes which means that in theory you are afraid of learning and making progress - You essentially choose to stop living. You fear mistakes because they are a sign of you not being perfect in something which is an irrational thought in the first place because “perfection” in itself is a subjective experience.

    2. It is a very unrealistic expectation to put onto yourself, meaning that when you do make a mistake (which we all do), you start obsessing over these little imperfections and you can become a very harsh critic on yourself.


Be your authentic self instead of changing yourself to fit others

  • This is an idea that is partially inspired by the book that I am reading and also my general experiences at university. I think that at the start when you are settling into a new environment and don't know many people, as soon as you do make a connecting with someone you can sometimes become very clingy and over dependent on that person for your social life. As a result you may start changing parts of yourself such as appearance, behavior or personality so that you can fit in more with that person or group, and feel less left out.

  • This makes sense to a degree as we all want to belong, but ask yourself is it worth the cost of loosing your real self? Would you prefer people to know you for your real self and enjoy being around that version of you or a made up facade you put up when you are around them?

  • I now consider it to be more important to be my genuine self when I am around people, meaning that I act, talk and think like the person I really am instead of someone I pretend to be. This makes it easier for me to attract other like minded people and see who I genuinely enjoy spending my time with.


Take things one by one and learn to take the time to slow down

  • This is a principle that often gets forgotten about, especially in the business of the every day, but I really believe that it is essentially to at least once a week or once a day find a moment to slow down a little bit. It can be for as little as taking 5-10 minutes for deep breaths in the morning or having a more laid back weekend afternoon. It is up to you, but implementing some more stillness into your life will help you with:

    • Reducing your levels of stress (Read more about stress here)

    • Better stress management for future stressful events

    • Becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings in the present moment

    • Finding it easier to introspect and find out how certain things make you feel

    • Finding more enjoyment in the little things of everyday life

  • Life already happens fast enough around us, so why not take some time to momentarily slow it down?

  • I have also written about how to find more peace and tranquility in daily life here


Be mindful of your thoughts and the way you talk to yourself

  • I find the idea of negative self talk quite interesting because it makes me think, why would someone want to effectively be working against themselves? Against what is good for them? This essentially means that you are your own obstacle to your growth.

  • So, if you do find that, that you are someone who struggles with low self esteem and experiences chronic negative self talk such as “I suck at this, I will never be (x), I cant possibly do that, I am a failure etc.) then I would say the first step is to become aware of the thoughts you are having and when you get them. Consider what triggers this negative self talk for you; Is it when you are on social media browsing and comparing yourself to others or is it when you feel lonely and lack a support system?

  • Next, try to aim for developing a more open and growth orientated mindset where you reframe the negative things you say into more positive messages such as “I can do anything I put my mind and energy towards, I am just the way I need to be”. The more you practice these positive self affirmations and messages the more your mind will genuinely start believing them and as a result your confidence and what you achieve will greatly improve.

  • If you wouldn't say to someone else what your current negative self talk says to you, then don't say those things to yourself. It is only feeding into negativity when really you deserve to treat yourself like you treat any other person you really love - with love, belief and support.


Put your full presence and energy into any activity you intentionally choose to spend your time doing

  • This is a powerful thought because often we find ourselves multi tasking with different things or even if we are just doing one thing, we feel like our mind is in 100 other places and thoughts. Because of this, I think it can be beneficial to say to yourself that whatever you will be working on today or within the next x amount of time, you will choose to focus exclusively on that, and all other things will wait for after.

  • This will not only improve the quality of your work and sharpen your thought process behind these tasks (reducing the number of time consuming mistakes you make), but also shorten the amount of time it takes you to get something done.


Take care of yourself first and then everything else

  • This is often heard as some what a cliche but it does carry truth to it. If you find that you are not operating from your best level of self (poor sleep, low energy levels, distracted thoughts etc.) then not only will this make it much harder to tackle anything you have going on that day but also make it much harder for you to help others and maintain good social relations.


You feel much more fulfilled when you don't just live life for yourself but you live it by being of service to others

  • Often we might start dong things from a personal gain standpoint where we are doing things exclusively to benefit ourselves in what ever way that may be. While it is important to do things which bring benefit and pleasure to you, it is equally important that what you are doing, is also serving others in some shape or form. Any job or activity can be seen as solving a problem or meeting a need that people have, with which you are providing help, utility and service.

  • We all want to feel like we are valued and that we are working towards something bigger than just ourselves because when we find that balance of doing something which lights a spark inside you while also creating work that is meaningful and useful to others, that is where true happiness and fulfillment are found.

  • Go beyond yourself and ask yourself in what ways can you be helpful, useful or generally of service to to others in your everyday (it can be small or big)


Genuine happiness and satisfaction can not be obtained through external sources alone

  • Nowadays it is very easy to be convinced with the idea that sustained and long term happiness ands satisfaction can be bought through external means such as material goods, fancy lunches and having a surplus of everything. While everyone needs a certain level of materialism to be content and meet their needs, an excess here will not make you any happier especially when we are talking about being genuinely satisfied by your life.

  • The point I am trying to make is that while materialistic goods can spark temporary moments of joy and happiness, it is only a short term fix that quickly wears off leaving us thirsty for more; What was previously the goal for us is no longer enough and so we continuously want more.

  • This is a sign to reevaluate your priorities and really consider what brings you genuine long term happiness. Most often, true happiness arises both from internal sources such as having a good level of self esteem and attitude towards yourself as well as your environment such as the people you surround yourself with and the experiences you live.


Quit complaining and be proactive about your problems instead

  • Quite a simple statement but one that we often forget, since we are all sometimes victims of this.

  • When it comes to problems that you do have control over, you either have the option of continuing to complain about it and nothing changes or you choose to act and solve that problem so that it no longer bothers you.

  • When it comes to issues that are outside of your circle of control, then you can either place less importance on those problems/ decide to accept it and move on with our life or if you really do care, then do what you can to get into a position where you do have a influence over the issue and try to resolve it that way.


No one has a perfect past, so learn to make peace with anything that might be troubling you and learn to move on

  • Linking back to the previous point, with any traumatic, negative or unwanted experience in your past, you have the ability of analyzing your emotions towards that particular event and then coming to the stage where you have analyzed the problem enough that you are ready to accept that it is a thing of the past and can move on from that experience.

  • Of course it is useful to learn out of any negative experience, but being stuck in a permanently negative state of rumination or regret is also not the point, so make peace with your past and - It will almost feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders and you have gotten a fresh new energetic start.


Never choose to stop learning and growing in life

  • This links a lot to the first point I made in this list, where we often think that as soon as we have stopped going to school or getting a formal education, that we have learnt everything that we needed to and we can stop learning.

  • I think this is a wrong approach, especially since each year our world is becoming ever more complex, interconnected and fast paced meaning that new information, products, technologies, ideas, theories, solutions and advancements are coming out. So if we really want to feel like an integrated unit within a society, it is our job to stay up to date as much as possible and continuously absorb new information around us. Be like a full time “sponge”; thirsty for knowledge.

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS


Because I believe that reflection is a very powerful and genuinely useful tool to learn how to use, I wanted to write a list of general reflective questions which you can use at any time and I think are relevant to any individual, whatever stage in your life you might currently be in.

These questions are meant for your own personal introspection and to get to know your current strengths, weaknesses, points to improve on and trying to identify what kind of life really resonates with you. You can even answer these same questions every couple of months or at the start of each year to see how your own answers change as you learn more about yourself.

If you are additionally interested in the process of journaling and reflecting, I have written the following blog posts on this topic:


  1. What are your top 5 core values and do you currently live through those values? If not, how could you change that, or is it that those values are not your true values?

  2. Consider what actually matters most to you in the end? What actually makes a “good day” good for you?

  3. Which beliefs/ mindsets, old routines and genuine fears are holding you back from doing what you genuinely want to do and living your best life?

  4. What would your ideal day look like? What would you spend your time doing and who would you be with?

  5. What are activities that make you feel truly alive and when was the last time you did them? How could you do them more often?

  6. What are the constructive habits that you want to build and unhealthy habits you want to let go of?

  7. What are some things you currently want to make a change about in your life (Work related, personal, hobbies, health, relationships, attitude etc.)

  8. What are things which are currently worrying your mind? Are those worries and fears rational and if so, what would be the best way for you to manage them?

  9. In what ways am I living life authentically and true to me right now? In what ways do I still have to create alignment between what I currently do and who I really want to be?

  10. Who are people that genuinely inspire you and continue to fill you with new uplifting energy?

  11. What are some things or people you could not imagine living without? How can you take them less for granted and express gratitude for them more often?

  12. What would my absolutely ideal life look like? (Where would you live, your occupation, family?, hobbies, social circle etc.)

I hope that you were able to get some genuinely useful tools and insight through todays post and that it helps you on your own reflective personal growth journey.

Feel free to adapt any of the questions above to make them more suitable or specific to you.

Thank you for taking your time today to read this ☀️

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Nutrition Taya Bregant Nutrition Taya Bregant

Spicy Ginger Goodness: Why Ginger is Amazing For You

Ginger seems to be the perfect spice for colder months, since it has a spicy kick to it and can be a great addition to any teas or recipes to boost the flavor. Because ginger is often promoted as a superfood, as in “ginger shots”, ginger teas and all other things ginger, I wanted to look into why ginger has such a highly acclaimed health status in the first place. What makes it beneficial or us and how we can include more of it in our diets overall?

The ginger root from which ginger is sourced from, has for a long time been used as a natural form of medicine across many cultures and populations. It was especially prominent in Asian cultures where it was used for treating stomach issues, nausea and diarrhea among other health issues.

If you are not a fan of ginger, I can understand since it does not have a sweet taste, but I believe that if it is paired with the right other ingredients within drinks or meals, I think it can be a great additional to taste and even the nutritional profile of our food.

Happy reading ahead 😊

WHAT CAN YOU FIND IN GINGER?

Ginger is low in calories and general macronutrients but does contain modest amounts of other micronutrients such as:

  • Vitamins: B3, B6, B9, C

  • Minerals: Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc

But more importantly ginger contains many bioactive natural oil compounds among which the main one is Gingerol which is responsible for giving ginger its distinct smell and strong flavor. Gingerol among with other potent phytochemicals, is also responsible for giving ginger its acclaimed health benefits which you can read more about below.

MAIN HEALTH PROPERTIES OF GINGER

  • Anti inflammatory and antioxidant properties:

    • These two properties are mainly due to the high gingerol concentration found in fresh ginger, which is also the leading reason for the many health benefits that ginger offers such as preventing chronic disease and promoting healthy cell aging.

  • Antibacterial and antiseptic properties:

    • Some studies have shown that fresh ginger has potent antibacterial properties, especially against E. coli bacteria. For this reason, ginger is recognized as an agent which prevents the growth of harmful organisms (an antiseptic) and is also able to be used against various bacterial and viral infections.

8 PROFOUND HEALTH IMPACTS OF GINGER


Effectively Treats Nausea

  • There are many studies which are showing a strong link between ginger consumption and its effect in relieving nausea in people who are undergoing certain types of surgeries or the nausea experienced by pregnant women (morning sickness).

  • About 1 to 1.5 grams of ginger is considered to be an adequate amount to help with nausea, but more testing is needed to confirm the causation exactly.


May Help With Loosing Weight

  • Based on animal and human studies, consuming ginger may have a positive effect on weight management, where for example a study from 2019 showed that ginger supplementation greatly reduced waist to hip ratio and reduced body weight in people who were overweight or obese.

  • Furthermore, a 2016 study discovered that ginger could lower blood insulin levels, where consistently elevated insulin is associated with a increased chance of weight gain.


Improves Blood Sugar Regulation

  • A 2015 study suggested that ginger may actually be very effective as a anti diabetic, where throughout the study, 41 participants who has type II diabetes, consumed 2 grams of ginger powder per day and experienced a 12% decrease in their fasting blood sugar.

  • Additionally, the study showed that ginger has the power to also reduce levels of certain hemoglobin markers in our blood which indicate long term blood sugar levels.

  • Although some studies currently contradict each other in their findings on gingers ability to help regulate blood sugar levels, there certainly is potential in this field.


Helps With Chronic Indigestion

  • Chronic digestive issues are categorized by a usual discomfort in the upper section of the stomach, where this usually occurs due to the delayed emptying out our stomach. Interestingly thought, in studies ginger has been shown to speed up the emptying of the stomach.

  • In one study in particular people who had functional dyspepsia ‘indigestion with no known cause), either received capsules with ginger or a placebo, where 1 hour later they were all given soup to eat.

  • The study showed that those participants who ate ginger, took 12.3 minutes for their stomach to empty while the placebo group took around 16 minutes, meaning that ginger actually did help with stomach emptying.


Helps With Easing Menstrual Pain

  • To continue on the topic of ginger and pain management, some studies have shown that ginger also help with pain relief from mensuration, where in fact sometimes the pain relief is so effective that it is comparable to medications (Non steroidal Anti inflammatory drugs) used to help relive menstrual pain.

  • Although these studies are promising, a larger number of participants is needed to make any concrete conclusions.


Enhances Your Immunity

  • Thanks to gingerol and its potent antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties, ginger is very effective at boosting our immune system in ways such as easing symptoms of cold, treating sore throats, inflammation within the lungs and any general aches and pains felt from colds. In this way, regular ginger consumption especially when paired with honey (Find out more about honey here), can work to enhance the functioning of your immune system and keep levels of inflammation within your body steady.

  • Because of gingers antiviral and antibacterial properties, it too can safe guard the body from infections and unwanted bacterial outbursts.

  • If you are additionally interested in how to strengthen your immunity within these last few colder months, I encourage you to read about it here


Could Have Anti Cancer Effects

  • There is some evidence that exists to show that ginger may potentially have anti cancer properties.

  • These properties are largely attributed to a natural compound found in ginger - (6)gingerol. A 28 day study was done in individuals with colorectal cancer where each participant consumed 2 grams of ginger per day which overall reduced pro inflammatory signaling molecules within the colon, that are in part responsible for encouraging growth of cancer cells.

  • Although some studies obtained different results, there certainly is a possibility that ginger in its natural form has a positive impact on stopping the growth of cancer cells.


Protects Against Cognitive Decline

  • Alzheimers disease and other related cognitive decline conditions, tend to occur most likely due to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation which over time accelerate aging. This occurs especially quickly if we live a sedentary lifestyle, eat foods low in nutrients and generally exercise our brain little.

  • But certain bioactive compounds in ginger have shown to be able to inhibit or prevent inflammatory responses which can occur in the brain, which overtime could help protect against conditions of cognitive decline.

  • Some studies even indicated that fresh ginger consumption may in general enhance brain function, in terms of improving overall reaction time and working memory.

INCLUDING MORE GINGER INTO YOUR DIET

Personally I like to include ginger into my diet a couple of times per day, and some of my favorite ways include:

  • Making ginger tea with fresh ginger, lemon juice and honey for sweetness

  • Sautéing ginger together with garlic and onions at the start of dishes or stir-fries

  • Blending it into soups such as vegetable soups, pumpkin soup and soups with coconut milk

Some other ideas for how you could use ginger:

  • Blend it into smoothies

  • Grate it inside of sauces or spreads

  • Pair it with other spices and oils to make a marinade for meat, fish or vegetables

  • Making sweet and spicy salad dressings

  • Snacking on candied ginger

  • Incorporating fresh ginger into deserts or baked goods

  • Eating pickled ginger which often accompanies sushi and other asian dishes

I hope that with this blog post I have inspired you to try and include more ginger into your weekly diet or that I have at least convinced you to give ginger another go, because within the right recipe or use, you might just fall in love with it.

Additionally, I hope you were able to learn some new information on this medicinal root and how it can boost your own health and well being.

Thank you so much for taking your time to read this.

As always, if you have any specific requests for topics or ideas, please let me know 😊

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Self Development Taya Bregant Self Development Taya Bregant

How To Sharpen Your Focus

Recently I have been having some issues with having consistent focus and just generally being able to focus for longer periods of time without becoming distracted. I am pretty positive that this is something that many other people are struggling with, which is why I thought it could be useful to write about it and look into areas such as why a lack of focus is becoming a big issue and additionally why you could benefit from working on your focus abilities. We will also take a look into what takes away from our focus and fore-mostly what are some practical ways in which we can improve this life long skill.

I hope you enjoy and find this useful for improving your own focus abilities and getting some real focused work done.

WHY IS LACK OF FOCUS BECOMING A BIG ISSUE?


The ability to concentrate is defined as “A control of attention. It is the ability to focus the mind on one subject, object, or thought, and at the same time exclude from the mind every other unrelated thoughts, ideas, feelings, and sensations.”

I believe that in todays world it is easier than ever to become distracted, feel dis-engaged and just feel like your mental attention is being pulled in every possible direction. One of the core reasons is that we live in a very fast paced world where we live quite demanding lives, which is largely due to the integration of technology into our everyday lives.

Technology such as buzzing from our phones and constant notifications from social media keep us glued to our screens while sacrificing our attention and focus abilities and preventing us from getting much solid work done. I have written about how social media impacts our well being before and how we can have a healthier relationship with it, so if you are interested you can read more about it here

This is a big issue and one that is often pushed to the side and just accepted as a given nowadays. Technology is likely not going away any time soon, so I really want to emphasize that the digital environment which you create around yourself is up to you and up to you to control and regulate. This is one of the prime ways to calm down your mind while simultaneously improving your focus and attention abilities.

WHY IS IT WORTH TO IMPROVE YOUR FOCUS?


The list of reasons why you can benefit from improving your focus is extensive, but if you really think about it, having the ability to focus for long periods of time nowadays, is almost considered to be a superpower. It is a incredible advantage for any endeavor you set out to do, wether it be work related or a personal goal.

Improved focus can benefit you in the following ways:

  • Finding more motivation in work and your personal life

  • Making better and faster decisions

  • Preventing small mistakes from happening that slow down progress

  • Preventing memory loss and general forgetfulness

  • Feeling like you are cohesively working towards a goal instead of feeling like your mental energy is divided into a 100 tiny directions

  • Producing higher quality work and improvement in performance at work

  • Improving your ability to learn and absorb new information (books, workshops, lectures, meetings, presentations etc.)

  • Experiencing less lethargy and mental tiredness

  • Improving your abilities to collaborate and work with others

  • Improving your listening abilities

WHAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS YOUR FOUCS?


There are a lot of activities and factors which can take away from our ability to focus well. Some of these are genuine medical conditions which impair our concentration efforts while others are lifestyle factors - most of which we have control over and can influence.

Some medical conditions which make it harder to focus are:

  • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Dementia

  • Depression and anxiety

  • Having experienced a concussion

  • Cushings syndrome

  • Epilepsy

  • Chronic insomnia

  • Schizophrenia

  • Bipolar disorder

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome

Other lifestyle reasons for diminishing focus are:

  • Experiencing lack of sleep and general fatigue

  • Improper nutrition and being hungry

  • Lack of exercise and being still for too long

  • Excessive stress

TIPS FOR ENHANCING FOCUS


  • Managing your technological environment

    • Turn down notifications and distractions from your phone or computer

    • Use focus time apps

    • Try out website blockers

    • Make other people aware when you are and are not available for talking

    • Manage your social media intake

  • Lifestyle based tricks

    • Aim to get high quality sleep each night

    • Getting in regular exercise

    • Spending time in nature and on fresh air

    • Being mindful about your caffeine consumption

    • Try our mindfulness exercises and meditation

    • Fueling your body well with the right food (Avoiding highly processed and sugary meals)

    • Try challenging your brain with concentration games such as puzzles, memory games, sudokus, reading and mental maths

    • Really try to not go onto your phone and social media first thing in the morning

  • Work related tips

    • Setting a timer for when you work (30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour)

    • Setting yourself a reward for when you finish a set time for working

    • Avoiding multitasking and intentionally choose to focus on one thing

    • Setting 3 daily priorities each day which you will get done

    • Sometimes it helps to switch to doing another task to build up momentum and motivation to do something else

    • Have a dedicated distraction free space for working

    • Listening to the right music

I sincerely hope that you were able to take some valuable learning lessons from todays blog post because I truly believe that being able to focus well is a genuine super power in todays world and it is up to you to to take care of it.

Thank you so much for reading this weeks post and I hope to catch you in the next one.

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Lifestyle Taya Bregant Lifestyle Taya Bregant

The Science Of Sleeping Better

Recently I have not been getting the best sleep and because I am not entirely sure why, I wanted to look into this topic and see how I could improve my sleep as well as better understand the workings behind sleep.

And it turns out that sleep issues are a world issue where in 2017 in the United States alone, 35.2 Americans reported sleeping for less than 7 hours per night and getting insufficient sleep. That is pretty much every third person. Because technology is becoming ever so intertwined with our everyday lives and creeping later and later into our evenings, I believe that this statistic will continue to worsen.

Sleep is essential for all of us and should not be skipped out on. I have written on the importance of sleep here in the past (read about it here) but here I really wanted to more focus on the scientific background on how our sleep works and as well as recommending a set of practical advice on how to genuinely get a better nights sleep. After, we all want practical solutions that are easy to implement into our lifestyle.

I hope that this post helps you with getting a good nights sleep and that you are able to learn some new fascinating knowledge about your own sleep biology. Enjoy! 🌟🌛💫

SLEEP CYCLES


ABOUT SLEEP CYCLES

  • Based on the National Sleep Foundation, your sleep each night is actually made up of several separate sleep cycles where each cycle has its own 4 individual stages.

  • In an average night, we can go through 4-6 sleep cycles depending on our quality of sleep that night, where on average each cycle lasts about 90 minutes each.

  • From the 4 individual sleep stages of each cycle, the first cycle is often the shortest in length which lasts about 70-100 minutes, where later cycles last between 90-120 minutes. However, the extent of time that we spend in each sleep stage can vary from night to night and also from person to person as it is dependent on many factors such as age, alcohol consumption and previous sleep patterns.

  • Overall, each sleep cycle is composed of 3 Non REM sleep stages (NREM) and concluded with a stage of REM sleep. The higher the stage of NREM sleep in the first three stages, the harder it is to wake the person up

  • Now let’s take a look into the individual sleep cycle components.


N1 (NREM)

  • This is the first stage of sleep and is when the person first falls asleep. This stage is very short, usually lasting between 1 -7 minutes on average.

  • In this stage, the body is not yet fully relaxed but is beginning to slow down its activity and thoughts.

  • Stage 1, also called N1, is essentially when a person first falls asleep. This stage normally lasts just one to seven minutes. During this stage, there are light changes in brain activity associated with falling asleep.

  • During N1, it is still easy to wake someone up from sleep, however if the person is left undisturbed, they can quickly move onto the second stage of sleep.


N2 (NREM)

  • In the second stage of sleep, the body experiences deepened relaxation accompanied by a drop in body temperature, slower breathing and a lower heart rate.

  • During this time, any eye movement stops and our brains experience short bursts of brain wave activity which help us to resist being woken up by external stimuli.

  • This stage usually lasts between 10-25 minutes during our first sleep cycle, where each N2 stage progressively can become longer during the following sleep cycles.

  • Overall, it is proposed that a person can spend typically about half of their total sleep in the N2 stage.


N3 (NREM)

  • The third stage of a sleep cycle is commonly known as “deep sleep”, where our muscle tone, heart rate and breathing rate continually decrease and relax.

  • In this stage, our brain produces brain delta brain waves where it is much harder to wake someone up at this point.

  • Researchers propose that N3 stage of sleep is important for restorative sleep, essentially being important for growth and recovery of our body. It may also play a role in keeping a healthy immune system along with other bodily processes. Even thought our brain experiences a decrease in brain activity, some evidence nonetheless suggest that deep sleep also has a role in memory consolidation and insightful thinking.

  • Most time is spent sleeping in this stage in the first half of the night. During earlier sleep cycles, the N3 stage usually lasts between 20-40 minutes and as you continue sleeping throughout the night, these stages get shorter in each cycle and your body spends more time in the REM sleep stage.


REM

  • Finally, each sleep cycle is concluded with a REM sleep stage during which our brain experiences an increase in brain activity, almost nearing to levels experienced when we are awake.

  • At the same time, our body will also experience a phenomena called “atonia” which a temporary paralysis of our muscles, apart from our eye muscles and the muscles that regulate our breathing.

  • The stage is named “Rapid Eye movement” because that is exactly what can be observed during this stage; having closed eyes yet they are seen moving quickly.

  • REM sleep is believed to be essential for many cognitive functions such as memory, ability to learn as well as creativity. During this stage is also when we dream vividly, which is likely the reason for the increased brain activity.

  • Dreaming can occur in any sleep stage, but they are less common and intense in the first three NREM periods.

  • Usually, it takes about 90 minutes of being asleep for an average person to enter REM sleep. As the night goes on and we enter new sleep cycles, the REM sleeping stages get longer, which is especially observed in the second half of the night. The first REM stage that we experience in a night usually lasts for only a couple of minutes but later REM stages can last up to an hour.

  • Overall, REM sleep accounts for about 25% of total sleep in adults

10 SCIENCE PROVEN TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP


  • Have a consistent sleeping and waking schedule during the week and weekend

  • Optimize your bedroom: Keep it cold, dark, quiet and use dim warm lighting

  • Avoid blue light exposure from your devices 1-2 hours before going to sleep. Some people avoid having electronics in the bedroom all together.

  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol and drinking too many liquids before going to bed

  • Exercise during the day. This makes you more tired towards the evening

  • Get enough sunlight during the day

  • Limit your napping during the day

  • Relax before bed: Do something that relaxes you such as taking a shower, stretching, meditating, writing down everything that is worrying you or try reading a book

  • Create an evening routine which helps to calm you down and lets your body know that it is time to unwind (Eg. Making tea and reading)

  • Avoid eating large meals before going to sleep and opt for eating your last meal earlier in the evening

I hope that this blog post provided you with some more insight into the biological workings behind your bodies sleep mechanism and also how to naturally sleep better.

Sleep is crucial for all of us, so learning about how to really optimize for our sleep quality is essential to feeling energized and properly recharged for the next day.

Take care of yourself and don't skimp out on sleep. As always, thanks for reading ✨ 💤

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