Health Benefits in One Celery Stalk

11 Super Health Benefits in Just One Celery Stalk

• a Care2 favorite by Shubhra Krishan

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Apples walk away with most health accolades, and spinach leads the healthy veggie brigade. Compared to them, celery is somewhat unsung, but once you read its incredible–and nearly endless–list of health benefits, you will quickly join its growing list of lovers.

• Celery is a great choice if you are watching your weight. One large stalk contains only 10 calories! So, add celery to your shopping list and enjoy it in your salads, soups and stir-fries.
• Celery reduces inflammation. If you are suffering from joint pains, lung infections, asthma, or acne, eating more celery will bring much-needed relief.
• It helps you calm down: Celery for stress-relief? Oh yes! The minerals in celery, especially magnesium, and the essential oil in it, soothe the nervous system. If you enjoy a celery-based snack in the evening, you will sleep better.
• It regulates the body’s alkaline balance, thus protecting you from problems such as acidity.
• Celery aids digestion: some say celery tastes like “crunchy water,” and that is the reason it is so good for your digestive system.  The high water content of celery, combined with the insoluble fiber in it, makes it a great tool for easy passage of stool. Note: because celery has diuretic and cleansing properties, those with diarrhea should avoid eating it.
• It contains “good” salts. Yes, celery does contain sodium, but it is not the same thing as table salt. The salt in celery is organic, natural and essential for your health.

• It cares for your eyes. One large stalk of celery can deliver up to 10 percent of your daily need for Vitamin A, a group of nutrients that protects the eyes and prevents age-related degeneration of vision.
• Celery reduces “bad” cholesterol: There is a component in celery called butylphthalide. It gives the vegetable its flavor and scent. Guess what: this component also reduces bad cholesterol! A Chicago University research shows that just two stalks of celery a day can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) by up to 7 points!
• It lowers blood pressure: An active compound called phthalides in celery has been proven to boost circulatory health. Raw, whole celery reduces high blood pressure.
• It can amp up your sex life: and this is not just hearsay. Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, Director of the Smeel and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, says two pheromones in celery–androstenone and androstenol–boost your arousal levels. They are released when you chew on a celery stalk.
• Celery can combat cancer: Two studies at the University of Illinois show that a powerful flavonoid in celery, called luteolin, inhibits the growth of cancer cells, especially in the pancreas. Another studysuggests that the regular intake of celery could significantly delay the formation of breast cancer cells.

Read more:http://www.care2.com/greenliving/11-super-health-benefits-in-just-1-celery-stalk.html#ixzz3Z8HNqQcR

Improving Emotional Health

Strategies and Tips for Good Mental Health

People who are emotionally healthy are in control of their emotions and their behavior. They are able to handle life’s challenges, build strong relationships, and recover from setbacks. But just as it requires effort to build or maintain physical health, so it is with mental and emotional health. Improving your emotional health can be a rewarding experience, benefiting all aspects of your life, including boosting your mood, building resilience, and adding to your overall enjoyment of life.

What is mental health or emotional health?

Mental or emotional health refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.
Good mental health isn't just the absence of mental health problems. Being mentally or emotionally healthy is much more than being free of depression, anxiety, or other psychological issues. Rather than the absence of mental illness, mental and emotional health refers to the presence of positive characteristics. Similarly, not feeling bad is not the same as feeling good. While some people may not have negative feelings, they still need to do things that make them feel positive in order to achieve mental and emotional health.

People who are mentally and emotionally healthy have:

• A sense of contentment.
• A zest for living and the ability to laugh and have fun.
• The ability to deal with stress and bounce back from adversity.
• A sense of meaning and purpose, in both their activities and their relationships.
• The flexibility to learn new things and adapt to change.
• A balance between work and play, rest and activity, etc.
• The ability to build and maintain fulfilling relationships.
• Self-confidence and high self-esteem.

These positive characteristics of mental and emotional health allow you to participate in life to the fullest extent possible through productive, meaningful activities and strong relationships. These positive characteristics also help you cope when faced with life's challenges and stresses.

Risk factors for mental and emotional problems

Risk factors for mental and emotional problems

Your mental and emotional health has been and will continue to be shaped by your experiences. Early childhood experiences are especially significant. Genetic and biological factors can also play a role, but these too can be changed by experience.  

Risk factors that can compromise mental and emotional health:

• Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling lonely, isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
• Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as war or hospitalization.
• Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief that you’re helpless and that you have little control over the situations in your life.
• Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates you from others.
• Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may be taking a variety of medications.
• Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental health problems and make preexisting mental or emotional problems worse.

Whatever internal or external factors have shaped your mental and emotional health, it’s never too late to make changes that will improve your psychological well-being. Risk factors can be counteracted with protective factors, like strong relationships, a healthy lifestyle, and coping strategies for managing stress and negative emotions.

Supportive relationships: The foundation of emotional health

Supportive relationships: The foundation of emotional health

No matter how much time you devote to improving your mental and emotional health, you will still need the company of others to feel and be your best. Humans are social creatures with an emotional need for relationships and positive connections to others. We’re not meant to survive, let alone thrive, in isolation. Our social brains crave companionship—even when experience has made us shy and distrustful of others.

Social interaction—specifically talking to someone else about your problems—can also help to reduce stress. The key is to find a supportive relationship with someone who is a “good listener”—someone you can talk to regularly, preferably face-to-face, who will listen to you without a pre-existing agenda for how you should think or feel. A good listener will listen to the feelings behind your words, and won’t interrupt or judge or criticize you. The best way to find a good listener? Be a good listener yourself. Develop a friendship with someone you can talk to regularly, and then listen and support each other.

Tips and strategies for connecting to others:

• Get out from behind your TV or computer screen. Screens have their place but they will never have the same effect as an expression of interest or a reassuring touch. Communication is a largely nonverbal experience that requires you to be in direct contact with other people, so don’t neglect your real-world relationships in favor of virtual interaction. 
• Spend time daily, face-to-face, with people you like. Make spending time with people you enjoy a priority. Choose friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family members who are upbeat, positive, and interested in you. Take time to inquire about people you meet during the day that you like.
• Volunteer. Doing something that helps others has a beneficial effect on how you feel about yourself. The meaning and purpose you find in helping others will enrich and expand your life. There is no limit to the individual and group volunteer opportunities you can explore. Schools, churches, nonprofits, and charitable organization of all sorts depend on volunteers for their survival.
• Be a joiner. Join networking, social action, conservation, and special interest groups that meet on a regular basis. These groups offer wonderful opportunities for finding people with common interests—people you like being with who are potential friends.

Improve mental and emotional health by taking care of yourself

Improve mental and emotional health by taking care of yourself

In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.

Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphins and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphins are also naturally released when we:

• Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.
• Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.
• Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual candy.” Try taking an adult education class, join a book club, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel somewhere new.
• Enjoy the beauty of nature or art. Studies show that simply walking through a garden can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. The same goes for strolling through a park or an art gallery, hiking, admiring architecture, or sitting on a beach.
• Manage your stress levels. Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you bring things back into balance.
• Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits—negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

More tips and strategies for taking care of yourself:

• Appeal to your senses. Stay calm and energized by appealing to the five senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste. Listen to music that lifts your mood, place flowers where you will see and smell them, massage your hands and feet, or sip a warm drink.
• Engage in meaningful, creative work. Do things that challenge your creativity and make you feel productive, whether or not you get paid for it—things like gardening, drawing, writing, playing an instrument, or building something in your workshop.
• Get a pet. Yes, pets are a responsibility, but caring for one makes you feel needed and loved. There is no love quite as unconditional as the love a pet can give. Animals can also get you out of the house for exercise and expose you to new people and places.
• Make leisure time a priority. Do things for no other reason than that it feels good to do them. Go to a funny movie, take a walk on the beach, listen to music, read a good book, or talk to a friend. Doing things just because they are fun is no indulgence. Play is an emotional and mental health necessity.
• Make time for contemplation and appreciation. Think about the things you’re grateful for. Mediate, pray, enjoy the sunset, or simply take a moment to pay attention to what is good, positive, and beautiful as you go about your day.

Everyone is different; not all things will be equally beneficial to all people. Some people feel better relaxing and slowing down while others need more activity and more excitement or stimulation to feel better. The important thing is to find activities that you enjoy and that give you a boost.

Physical health is connected to mental and emotional health

Physical health is connected to mental and emotional health

Taking care of your body is a powerful first step towards mental and emotional health. The mind and the body are linked. When you improve your physical health, you’ll automatically experience greater mental and emotional well-being. For example, exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and lift our mood.

The activities you engage in and the daily choices you make affect the way you feel physically and emotionally.

• Get enough rest. To have good mental and emotional health, it’s important to take care of your body. That includes getting enough sleep. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night in order to function optimally.
• Learn about good nutrition and practice it. The subject of nutrition is complicated and not always easy to put into practice. But the more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you can feel.
• Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and depression. Look for small ways to add activity to your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk. To get the most mental health benefits, aim for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day.
• Get a dose of sunlight every day. Sunlight lifts your mood, so try to get at least 10 to 15 minutes of sun per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening, or socializing.
• Limit alcohol and avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These are stimulants that may unnaturally make you feel good in the short term, but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health.

Ginger Heath Benefits

LINDA W., BARBARA S., & BARBARA B.G.

The Remedy Chicks

Time-tested home remedies and the science behind them

Posted in: Digestive Health

7 Health Benefits of Ginger

By Linda B. White, MD

Published Dec 23, 2014

We’ve all experienced unrelenting nausea at some point or another. At these times, you’re first instinct may be to turn to over the counter medications; however, ginger works as a simple, effective antidote.

For thousands of years, Arabic, Indian, and Asian healers prized ginger as food and medicine. This tropical plant, in the same bo­tanical family as turmeric and cardamom, was effectively used to relieve nausea and vomiting caused by illness and seasickness.

Thanks to the spice trade, the tradition caught on in Europe. As one sixteenth-century physician put it: “Ginger does good for a bad stomach.” In The Family Herbal from 1814, English physician Robert Thornton noted that “two or three cupfuls for breakfast” will relieve “dyspepsia due to hard drinking.”

Modern research later confirmed that ginger reduces nausea and vomiting from multi­ple causes: morning sickness, postoperative upset, chemotherapy treatments, and motion sickness.

The studies on whether or not ginger prevents motion sickness are mixed. One study found ginger to be as effective, with fewer side effects, as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine). Other studies indicate that, when added to antinausea medications, it further reduces nau­sea and vomiting from chemotherapy. 

While the best-researched use of ginger is in combating nausea and vomiting, studies have shown that ginger is a multi-faceted remedy with at least six more healing effects:

1. It reduces pain and inflammation, making it valuable in managing arthritis, headaches, and menstrual cramps.
2. It has a warming effect and stimulates circulation.
3. It inhibits rhinovirus, which can cause the common cold.
4. It inhibits such bacteria as Salmonella, which cause diarrhea, and protozoa, such as Trichomonas.
5. In the intestinal tract, it reduces gas and painful spasms.
6. It may prevent stomach ulcers caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

You can take ginger in whatever form appeals to you.

If you’re pregnant: Try it in tea, soup, or capsules — up to 250 milli­grams four times a day. If you chose a carbonated beverage, make sure it’s made from real ginger. You can also nib­ble crystallized ginger.

To counter motion sickness: Taking 1 gram of dried, powdered, encapsulated ginger 30 minutes to two hours before travel can help ease travel related nausea.

For postoperative nausea: In a recent study on the use of gin­ger to thwart postoperative nausea, the dose was 500 milligrams 30 minutes before surgery and 500 milligrams 2 hours after surgery. Otherwise, ginger is usually not recommended during the seven to ten days leading up to surgery because of its ef­fect on blood clotting. Discuss the use of ginger with your surgeon or anesthesiologist before trying it.

Here’s a soothing recipe from our book 500 Time-Tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them, in which ginger and mint — a general stomach-settler — work together to fight nausea.

Zingy Minty Nausea Fighter (2 servings)

• In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
• Add 2 teaspoons of dried peppermint (or 1 tablespoon fresh), and 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger.
• Turn off the heat, cover, and steep for 15 minutes.
• Strain out the herbs.
• Stir in 1 teaspoon of honey. Sip for a soothing experience.

Be well this holiday season,

The Remedy Chicks

How to be healthy wisely.

Part 1 of 4: Having a Healthy Diet

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   Drink more water. Adult humans should drink 2-3 liters (or roughly eight 8-ounce glasses) of water per day.^[1] That is in addition to things like tea and coffee. Water keeps bodies at the correct temperature and removes toxins that are the inevitable result of metabolism and industrial life. You'll be healthier automatically.

   • Water also clears your skin, helps your kidneys, helps to control your appetite, and keeps you energized.^[2] If being healthier, more wakeful, and having better skin isn't motivation, what is?
   • In addition, it keeps you from drinking unhealthy beverages like soda and juice, which are high in calories. The body barely registers the intake of these unhealthy drinks and yet you still feel thirsty hundreds of calories later. If you need the taste, splash some lemon, lime, or 100% juice into your water. However, be sure that you are drinking a sufficient amount of milk to maintain the strength of your bones into old age.
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   Eat breakfast. A light, healthy breakfast is sufficient enough to reap the benefits of eating early. If it's comprised of lean protein and whole grains, then it will keep you from gorging at lunch. Research shows that breakfast-skippers actually eat more! So, to curb your appetite, don't skip the first meal of the day.

   • Instead of two chocolate doughnuts and a coffee that's more cream than anything else, opt for eggs, fruit, and for a beverage, skimmed milk, fresh orange juice, or tea. The healthier your breakfast is, the more energized you'll feel throughout the day and the more you won't need to eat later in the day.^[3]
3. 
   3
   Eat well throughout the day. If half of your plate is vegetables and fruit, you're on the right track.^[4] Add in lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Once a steady eating pattern has been established, your body will feel more comfortable. There may be a period of time when your body is wondering where the sugary foods went, but once you're over the hump, you'll feel better than ever.

   • Remember that not all fats are bad for you. Good fats can be found in oily fish like salmon and tuna, avocados, nuts, and olive oil. These are essential to a well-balanced diet. Read How to Eat Healthy for more tips.
4. 
   4
   Eat at the right times. A good time for a healthy, easy-to-digest evening meal is between 5 P.M. and 8 P.M.; it's best to avoid late night snacks because they fill you with unnecessary calories and can disrupt your sleep. If you do need that midnight snack, stick to unsalted nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies.

   • Snacking isn't bad for you if you do it right. In fact, eating "constantly" can keep you from feeling deprived and going for that third piece of cheesecake when the cart rolls around. Just make sure it's all in moderation.^[5]
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   5
   Go a little meatless. In case you haven't noticed, meat hasn't played much of a role in what we've talked about so far. Being vegetarian is a good way to reduce your calorie intake and get loads of vitamins and minerals, but that being said, it can be done wrong. While it's not the best idea to go fully vegetarian, most people do eat far too much meat. A good idea is to change the amount and types of meat you eat: swap pork chops for lean chicken; steak for tuna.

   • A high-fiber diet is easily had without meat. Fiber has been shown to lower your cholesterol, control your blood-sugar levels, improve your bowel health, and make you less likely to overeat. The recommended fiber intake is 30g a day for men and 21g for women; after the age of 50, this jumps up to 38g for men and 25g for women. Some good sources of fiber include fruits and vegetables (with the skin), whole grains, and legumes.^[6]
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   Read the labels. Processed foods get a bad rap, and often for good reason. However, you've got to choose your battles. That frozen bag of broccoli isn't nearly as bad as that boxed mac and cheese. In short, avoid processed foods when you can — but if you can't, read the labels and watch for added bad stuff: salt, sugar, and fat.

   • Food that stays on the shelves often has added sodium, words that end in -ose, and trans and saturated fats in the ingredient list. If you see these on the label (especially if they're in high amounts), avoid them. You can find a healthier alternative elsewhere. It's not worth it.
     • Just because it says it has no trans fat doesn't actually mean it has no trans fat. Negligible amounts can be legally ignored — so if you see hydrogenated vegetable oil on the list, you've found one of the masked culprits.^[7]

Part 2 of 4: Having a Healthy Exercise Plan

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   1
   Get in shape. In addition to helping you lose weight and gain confidence, exercising has a host of other benefits for your body and mind. Having good cardiovascular health has been linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s, just to name one. So hit the pool, the pavement, or the park as often as you can.^[8]

   • Exercising boosts your immune system too; even a change as minor as walking briskly for 20-30 minutes a day, five days a week can improve your immune system by increasing both your antibody and T-killer cell response.^[9]
   • Exercising is also one of the absolute best ways to sleep better at night^[10] — which can help you lose weight by keeping you from overeating. Read How to Get Fit for more details.
2. 
   2
   Maintain a healthy weight. Our physical frames vary in size and weight. An individual with a large frame can carry a little more weight while a person with a light frame will be able to carry less.

   • Being underweight isn't a good thing either! Do not use any form of crash diets. There is no magic bullet for weight loss — and even if there were, starving your body of vital nutrients wouldn’t be it. A slow change in your eating habits is much safer and the long-term benefits for your physical health are greater.
   • If you don't want to go on a diet, read How to Lose Weight Just by Exercising. Just remember that only serious athletes are able to burn off enough calories to be able to enjoy massive indulgences — and even so, they tend not to because it’s hard on the body. Even if you do consume more calories than are recommended for you, be sure that they are nutritious; your heart, brain, muscles, bones, organs, and blood can’t run forever on empty calories.
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   Cross train. Just because you can run 5 miles (8.0 km) without stopping doesn't mean you're healthy — same goes for lifting weights the size of a small Toyota. If you only do one activity, you're only using one set of muscles.^[11] You'll be shocked when you go swimming or do core workouts that you can't keep up!

   • What's the answer? Cross training. Not only does doing several different activities work all your muscles (which can help prevent injury), it also keeps you from getting bored. That's the ultimate exercise killer! So include aerobic and strength training workouts to your routine. Your muscles will be glad you did.
4. 
   4
   Exercise wisely. It should go without saying that there are bad ways to work out. Every time you get moving you put yourself at risk for injury, so make sure you're doing it right!

   • First things first, stay hydrated. You should always be sipping water during your workouts. Getting dehydrated can lead to dizziness or headaches during your sweat session (or lack thereof).^[12]
   • Take breaks! It isn't being lazy, it's being healthy. You can't go-go-go forever. After 30 minutes or so of exercise, grab your water bottle and lighten up. Your body needs a second to catch up. You'll be able to go further in the long run.
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   5
   Take the little opportunities. Being physically active isn't about pounding the pavement or joining a gym — it's a lifestyle that can be had 24/7. ^[13] If you can add extra 10 steps to your day here and there, they add up.

   • Don't have any ideas? Park a bit farther away from work, the mall entrance, or the grocery store. Take the stairs. Walk the dog every day. Take lunch to the park. Bike to work or the local coffee shop. Little opportunities are everywhere.

Part 3 of 4: Being Emotionally Healthy

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   1
   Think positively. It's amazing how much power our minds have over everything in our lives. A simple positive twist on a situation can turn an obstacle into an opportunity. Not only will you have more gusto for life, your immune system can fight off colds and heart disease better!^[14] Harvard wouldn't lie.

   • To start this difficult step, focus on gratitude. When you start thinking about the bad thing swirling around you, stop. Cut it out. Think of two things you're grateful for. Eventually, your mind will notice the pattern and stop the negativity before you have to consciously do it.
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   2
   Be satisfied. This doesn't mean "be content with your life" (well, it does, but give it a sec) — it sort of means "satisfy yourself". If you're on a diet, allow yourself a (small) bit of what you're craving. If watching the Golden Girls for three hours on a Friday night sounds like heaven, do it. Whatever the small things are that make you happy, do them.

   • Your happiness is invaluable. If you're not happy, you're not fully healthy. It's when we've got our heads on straight that we can attack everything else. If work, family, friends, a relationship, and money are wearing you down, the choice between that hot pocket and that whole wheat bagel doesn't really matter!
3. 
   3
   Think small. When we concentrate on unattainable goals, we get daunted, frustrated, and lazy. After all, why try to achieve something that will never happen? A healthy mindset has to be in the here and now. It should have concern for the future, sure, but it shouldn't be preoccupied with what hasn't happened yet or won't.

   • Being emotionally healthy (and happy) is easier to attain when you focus on the steps of your journey as opposed to the destination. If you want to make it on Broadway, focus on getting your next audition. Then focus on becoming equity, then focus on moving, etc. Now will always come before the future — focus on them in order!
4. 
   4
   Manage stress. This one is huge. When stress takes over our lives, everything else falls apart. Our homes get cluttered, our minds get cluttered, and our relationships get strained. Take yourself aside for five minutes and think about your stress levels — how are you managing it? What could you do to be more calm andrelaxed?

   • A very healthy way of managing stress is doing yoga. If that doesn't sound appealing, how about meditating? No? Then simply make sure to take ten minutes out of your day to just power down. Sit with yourself and just breathe. Make a point to get centered every day.
5. 
   5
   Choose your friends wisely. We all know those people that seem to drain us, but yet we're friends with them anyway because they have a nice TV or because, well, we get bored. Unfortunately, for our emotional health, they've got to go. They do us no good and we know it — we just ignore it to maintain consistency and avoid awkward situations. Do your mental health a favor and tear off that band-aid. In the long-run, you'll be happier.

   • Not sure how to recognize a toxic friend? How to end a toxic friendship? We've got you covered.
6. 
   6
   Be productive. One of the best feelings to easily come by is that feeling of "I got so much done today!" For that moment, you feel virtually unstoppable. Your mom saying "If you put your mind to it, you can do it" is no longer a lie! Now imagine riding that high constantly.

   • Start by creating a to-do list. A calendar or planner is a good idea, too. And remember: think small. Attack a few small things to get you going. You'll get on a roll before you even realize it.
7. 
   7
   Take a break. This is similar to the "Be Satisfied" step; you need to do what's right for you sometimes, regardless of what the world seems to be demanding. Without feeling guilty, take that proverbial Kit Kat Bar. Spend a night in. Take a morning off. You'll be twice as energized when you get back to it.

   • This goes for exercise too. If you do the same thing over and over, your muscles get used to it, you get bored, and you end up plateauing. So instead of pounding the pavement on Wednesday, go hit the pool. You're not being lazy — you're being logical.
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   8
   Find emotional balance. Even if you master every other aspect of health, it won’t feel complete if you’re suffering from inner turmoil. Everyone needs a pick-me-up sometimes, and there are many small things that you can do to feel better about yourself. If the problem extends deeper, you may need to learn to cope with emotional pain or even depression.

   • Once you have worked on yourself, you should work on your approach to interpersonal relationships. Learn how to recognize a manipulative or controlling relationship and, if necessary, deal with emotional abuse so that you can have a healthy relationship.

Part 4 of 4: Having a Healthy Routine

1. 
   1
   Stop engaging in risky behavior. Taking unnecessary risks is hard on the body and mind. It can also have devastating long-term consequences. Serious or established patterns of risk-taking can also be indicative of deeper psychological problems, in which case you should talk to a healthcare professional who specializes in a relevant field. Start by setting your sights on one of the following achievements:

   • Have Safer Sex
   • Stop Binge Drinking
   • Quit Drinking without Alcoholics Anonymous
   • Quit Smoking
   • Beat Drug Addiction
     • These things are doable. While they are definitely daunting, they're doable. Often if one of these is accomplished, other things seem much easier and will fall into place.
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   2
   Exercise several times a week. We've stressed the "get fit" part already, but now we want to make it a little less ignorable. Your daily/weekly routine needs toinclude exercise. It will increase your metabolic rate, control your weight, and you'll feel fresh the whole week. Triple win!

   • Here's something concrete for you: aim for 150 minutes of aerobic activity every week (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity) and strength training twice a week.^[15]Even mowing the lawn counts!
3. 
   3
   Get a good night's rest. When you sleep, your body produces cells that fight infection, inflammation, and stress — which means that getting too little sleep or poor-quality sleep not only makes you more prone to getting sick, but also increases the time you need to recover from illness. If you're not sleeping for you, sleep for your health!^[16]

   • On top of that, a study conducted by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrated that men who slept for 4 hours consumed 500 more calories than they did after sleeping for 8 hours.^[17] If you're looking for an easy diet, here it is!
   • Read How to Sleep Better for tips.
   • 
4. 
   
   4
   Learn how to cook. Cooking your own meals is a wonderful experience as you can try out different recipes while saving money at the same time. What's more, you get to control every little thing that goes into your body. That's really the only way to turn your diet around!

   • When you cook, avoid using fatty oils and extra add-ons. Stick to olive oil instead of vegetable oil, butter, or margarine and keep the extra salt and cheese to a minimum. If it doesn't taste good without it, try cooking it differently!
5. 
   5
   Maintain your personal hygiene. Wash your hands often, especially after visiting the bathroom at home or using the restrooms in a public place. Germs can spread like wildfire and bring us down in the blink of an eye. And as if it wasn't already clear,taking a shower is a good idea too.

   • When it comes to your mouth, floss and brush your teeth and tongue after eating; food particles are often the cause of bad breath and gum disease. Visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and to catch any problems before they become serious. See How to Be Hygienic for more details.
6. 
   6
   Bolster your immune system. Maintaining healthy habits and a high level of energy is difficult for anyone who constantly battles fatigue, colds, infections, or any other effects of a weakened immune system. Read How to Develop a Strong Immune System for more information.

   • If you can help it, try to get all your necessary vitamins and minerals from your diet. Supplements should only be used as a secondary measure.^[18] And of course, talk to your doctor before you undergo any significant changes.

   7.

   God's Prescription For Good Health: Trust

   BY RICK WARREN — MAY 21, 2014

   I said to myself, "Relax, because the Lord takes care of you."Psalm 116:7 (NCV)

   "If you really trust in God, you're going to be less stressed. "

   God has given you the gift of your body and it comes with an owner's manual - the Bible. In it are all the instructions you need to take care of yourself and live a long life.

   You already know the basics - proper nutrition, exercise, a good night's rest. Today I want to look at the first of four health factors you may not have thought of for living long and well.

   Trusting God is good for your health. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). Why is trusting in God good for your health? When you trust Him then you don't worry.

   Psalm 116:7 says, "I said to myself, 'Relax, the Lord is going to take care of you'"  (NCV). If you really trust in God, you're going to be less stressed.

   You have a choice -

   • You can either worry or worship.
   • You can either pray or panic.

   The more you pray, the less you'll panic. Relax, because God will take care of you!

   The Bible says in Proverbs 14:30, "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (NIV). It's not just what you eat that matters, it's what eats you. You can have all the right macrobiotics and organic food, but if your body is filled with resentment, worry, fear, lust, guilt, anger, bitterness, or any other emotional disease, it's going to shorten your life.