I'm sure you've heard a lot about juicing and green smoothies, especially with the celery juice trend happening right now. Have you ever wondered if there are any notable differences between juicing and blending, and what those differences could be? With juicing and smoothies, the similarities are simple...they’re both healthy ways to get in more fresh nutrients from fruits and vegetables. The key differences are how they're prepared. Juicing separates the indigestible fibers from the juice itself. This helps your digestive system avoid strain so it can focus on absorbing the benefits of the nutrients left in the juice. These nutrients absorb very rapidly into your body, faster than you’d get from eating the same fruits or veggies you put into your juice. If you have problems with fiber irritating your digestive system, then juicing is a great way to get what you need. With smoothies, you use your blender to pulverize your produce whole. You use the entire fruit or vegetable and all its fiber. The blender helps break down the fiber for easier digestion and makes smoothies a good choice since they don’t cause a spike in blood sugar. They’re fast to make and ideal for replacing a meal because they’re quite filling. To get the full benefits from your juice or smoothies, there’s something very important to know... Drink them immediately When you blend or juice, you get the most nutrients from drinking it as soon as you make it. It's ideal to consume within 15 minutes, before those essential nutrients you’re trying to provide your body with begin breaking down from contact with the air and light. Pack your produce into a sealed mason jar the night before so you can simply dump and make your fresh juice or smoothie first thing in the morning without any preparation. This will be the fastest way to get the freshest, most nutrient-dense juice or smoothie on your way out the door. Get the right equipment The differences indeed are a bit subtle, and both require the right equipment to make it happen. If you prefer juicing, find yourself a quality juicer. Most people have a blender in their home, but if yours is a bit subpar, replace it with a top-of-the-line model, and you’ll be amazed how much better your smoothies are. I use a Vitamix, and in my opinion, it's the best. However, I also occasionally use the Nutribullet; it's not as powerful as the Vitamix, but it's does a good job at blending and it's just a fraction of the cost. So, what's the verdict? Do you prefer juicing or smoothies?
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Getting a good night’s sleep can be refreshing and rejuvenating. For millions, though, a good night’s sleep seems just out of reach. People of all ages across the globe suffer from occasional to chronic insomnia. Insomnia is a condition that interrupts your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. If you are suffering from this sleep disturbance, you may be hesitant to turn to harsh medications to help you fall asleep. Here are 5 ways for you to improve your sleep naturally. Eliminate Caffeine The morning cup of coffee seems to be a staple beverage for many people. However, caffeine is not just in coffee. Caffeine can be hiding in the cola you drink, tea, and even some of the foods you eat. While eliminating caffeine out of your diet 100% may not be possible, try to limit your consumption of caffeine to the mornings only. Prevention Magazine tells us that ingesting caffeine, even 6 hours before bedtime, can disrupt sleep. Exercise Not only does exercise help you maintain a healthy body weight and better mental outlook but a Sleep Foundation study found that those who exercised were less sleepy during the day and slept better at night. While a new exercise routine may leave you a little tired at first, regular exercise will give you more energy and help you fall asleep at bedtime. This may have to do with the chemicals released by the body when you exercise. The neurotransmitters released by the brain during exercise have all sorts of beneficial properties and improved sleep is one of them. Meditate Meditation has a restorative effect on the brain. There are all sorts of benefits that meditation can have for a person. Many of the benefits of meditation include reduced stress and a better ability to cope with difficult issues in one’s life. Meditation is also great for insomnia. A Harvard study found that mindful meditation helped combat insomnia. It invokes a relaxation response in those who participate helping them relax enough to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep through the night. If you are not familiar with how to meditate there are many guided meditation audio programs available in stores, your library, and youtube. Sleep Hygiene Sleep hygiene is a practice to help you sleep better at night. It has to do with environmental cues. Sleep studies note that these environmental cues should be taken into consideration if you aren’t sleeping.
Getting up at the same time every day and avoiding naps helps your body follow a circadian rhythm. According to Verywell.com, we need this to sleep well at night. There are two really important elements to this step.
These sleep strategies are proven to work. They just take time. Give them a few weeks and you should be sleeping soundly. For more tips on getting better sleep, download:
15 Things to do Bed, Your Guide to Bedtime Rituals that Prime Your Body and Mind for Good Quality Sleep. When you wake up, do you immediately look forward to going back to bed? When the alarm goes off does it seem as though you just closed your eyes? It’s time to get a good night sleep! After all, it’s amazing what a restful night’s sleep can do for your body. Battling chronic exhaustion will either force you to find ways to get more rest or it’ll bring on ill health. Naturally, you’ll want to develop an effective sleep routine before your body forces you to rest! Try some of these sleep tips so you can get a better night’s sleep and wake up feeling energized: 1. Make your bedroom your sanctuary. Keep your bedroom neat and quiet so you feel calm upon entering. Your bedroom needs to be a getaway from the stress of the day. When a TV is on, even if you aren’t watching it, the light output feels almost as great as the sun. This confuses your body and makes it hard to “shut down” even after you’ve turned off the screen. • If you have a TV or a home office in your bedroom, it will interfere with your ability to go to sleep. Move the television out of the bedroom or at the very least, try placing a sheet over it so you’re not tempted to watch it before bed. 2. Keep your room dark. Your body is designed to sleep when it’s dark. If you’re not used to this, try it for a while anyway. Children are used to sleeping with a light on but you’ll soon realize that it’s a huge distraction in getting to sleep. Pull the curtains closed, turn off all the lights, shut your door, then sleep like you’re hibernating! • Many stores sell “blackout” curtains that block out the sunlight so the room remains dark. Consider using these curtains to fully darken the room. 3. Exercise during the day. Exercising during the day releases stress hormones to help you feel more relaxed. Most forms of exercise will pep you up and give you more energy immediately afterwards so make sure you exercise well ahead of bedtime. • The energy you receive from daytime exercise will give you more restful nights because your body will be less stressed and more relaxed. You’ll be giving your body a total makeover! • Even though yoga is considered relaxing, it may keep you awake if done in the evening hours. Plan your exercise routine either in the morning or late afternoon. 4. Make yourself a bedtime routine. This doesn’t only work with kids. If you get in the habit of going to bed at a certain time, your body will expect to be sleeping. Some recommend milk right before bed, as it contains the sleep inducing chemical tryptophan.
5. Leave daytime stress outside. In order to rest, you’ll want to put aside things that keep your mind whirling. By keeping a calendar of things to do the next day, you can put your mind to rest. • Make sure you’ve dealt with all the questions that keep you awake – what bills need to be paid, what time the doctor appointment is, and so on, before you lay down. This frees you up for sleep. Once you’ve learned to rest well at night, you’ll experience a huge improvement in your quality of life. No more yawning through the mornings and the groggy, grumpy you will be replaced with an energetic person ready to take on life. So what are you waiting for? Start a relaxing bedtime routine tonight and wake up feeling refreshed tomorrow! For more tips on getting better sleep, download 15 Things to do Bed, Your Guide to Bedtime Rituals that Prime Your Body and Mind for Good Quality Sleep.
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