101 Ways to Feel Better Today – Page 7

March 5, 2020March 6, 2020

#41 Drink Nettle Tea

Enjoying tea in the afternoon is a relaxing ritual with added benefits

There are a lot of different herbs in the world that have been valued for years as being nutritive and of having the ability to cure common ailments. Perhaps one of the best overall tonics that is well-tolerated by the majority of people is stinging nettle, used as a tea and medicine for thousands of years.

It may cause uterine contractions so should be avoided by pregnant women, and some people may be allergic if they have shown a sensitivity to plants in the same family. For most people though the benefits are many.

March 4, 2020March 3, 2020

#40 Take Vitamin D

Vacations are fantastic, but we need sun in our lives all-year round

I don’t recommend taking a lot of vitamins and supplements because it is always preferable to get the bulk of your nutritive needs in a natural form from your diet. Eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds will give you almost everything you need to function at a high level. One thing that might be missing though is vitamin D.

This essential fat-soluble vitamin, which includes vitamins D1, D2, and D3, is produced when sunlight hits your skin. Unfortunately, many of us don’t get much sun for months at a time, and if you live in the northern hemisphere the likelihood of getting enough to produce the level of vitamin D that is required is slim. When you lack vitamin D, you increase the risk of developing osteoporosis, which is bone loss leading to fragile bones that break easily, or osteomalacia, which means soft bones.

March 3, 2020March 6, 2020

#39 Straighten Up

Do you ever think about your posture? Back in the old days, it was considered so important that we talked about it in school. I remember my teacher always telling us to sit up straight at our desks and I even recall walking with a textbook balanced on my head. I don’t think we give correct posture much of a thought anymore.

With technology the way it is now, we spend a lot of time with our heads bent forward either looking down at a computer screen or, worse yet, at a phone. The average head weighs 10 to 11 pounds and it is supposed to balance evenly over the shoulders, supported by the atlas bone and the muscles and ligaments of the neck. These structures weren’t built to have 10 pounds constantly angled forward.

March 2, 2020March 2, 2020

#38 Massage Your Feet

A little Cuban sunshine makes the toes happy – plus walking in the sand is amazing!

It’s quite simple to massage the hands, but somewhat more challenging to massage your own feet. The potential benefits make it worth figuring out a way to reach down and give your toes some attention. Even more than the hands, the feet are purported to be a meeting point for all of the energy systems in the body. Stimulating these points can give you an overall sense of well=being.

It’s amazing what our feet do. Made up of 26 bones, 33 joints, and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, there is a lot going on down there. When everything is good, we rarely think about our feet other than what colour of shoes to put on them to match an outfit. But when they start to hurt, there is little else that we can think about.

March 1, 2020February 22, 2020

#37 Massage Your Hands

A hard day of pushing trees makes a hand massage feel so good

It would be nice to get a weekly massage from a professional, but most people don’t want to spend that much money or time on themselves. A great solution that will make you feel better is to do self-massage, and a perfect part of the body to focus on is the hands.

The best part is that you can do this anywhere. Anytime you are not using your hands actively, take a few moments to give them a bit of attention. They are one of the hardest working parts of our bodies and we rarely give them a second thought.

February 29, 2020February 22, 2020

#36 Eat Berries

Portable and a great snack wherever you happen to be

Somewhere along the way, fruit started to get a bad reputation of negatively affecting blood sugar levels. Diabetics were told to stay away from fruit, and dieters began to blame it as thwarting their weight-loss efforts. As usually happens, things were blown way out of proportion.

Fruit in its whole form is a powerful storehouse of many essential vitamins and antioxidants. Berries in particular are little jewels of nutrition that can make big differences in your health if you consume them every day.

February 28, 2020February 21, 2020

#35 Schedule a Checkup

Road rash! I was in Puerto Rico so I threw some rubbing alcohol on it and carried on

If you can’t remember the last time you went to the doctor, then first of all you are very fortunate, and secondly, you should go. It’s time to get a little maintenance.

The most valuable thing about having a checkup is getting your blood tested. Even if you feel fantastic, the blood may reveal early signs of something that you need to acknowledge. Small issues caught early on can be dealt with quickly and often with just a few lifestyle changes.

February 27, 2020February 20, 2020

#34 Get Up and Stretch

The perfect combination of fresh air, peaceful surroundings and a rock to stretch with

Some people have active lifestyles and are always moving around. Many of us do not.

You know how good it feels when you have been sitting for a long time and you get up and have a big stretch? Our bodies need to be moved and twisted and encouraged to lengthen in order to work like they should. We have so many conveniences in life now that we just don’t need to move around that much. Everything we need can be delivered right to our door with a few clicks of the mouse.

February 26, 2020February 20, 2020

#33 Believe That You Can

They never believe that they aren’t successful swans

When you wake up, what kinds of thoughts begin to flow through your mind? Do you feel optimism or doubt, joy or dread? Is there a moment when you feel peaceful, then suddenly you remember all of the things that aren’t going well and the peace is gone?

The few moments right after we wake up and just before we go to sleep are useful for beginning to use the creative power that we all possess. If you can set the tone of success in the first few minutes after waking up, it can change the entire flow of your day.

February 25, 2020February 19, 2020

#32 Stargaze

How often do you look up? These days, it seems as though everyone is hunched over either looking at a phone screen or working on the computer. Our very physiology is changing with more people having neck issues caused by sitting with rounded shoulders and a drooping head. This puts a great deal of tension on our backs and is leading to serious health issues.

It’s time to look up, and there is no more relaxing pastime than stargazing. You don’t need any fancy equipment but you can get a telescope if so inclined. Otherwise just use the unaided eye to open up an entire new world that silently exists right above our heads.