We’re often taught about the importance of following a healthy, balanced diet. However, according to a recent study, “two-thirds of adults admit they often eat badly because they don’t have the time to prepare nutritious food” or meals. While this is understandable, given that it often feels as though there aren’t enough hours in the day (especially for moms).
However, a busy schedule doesn’t mean that you can stop taking care of yourself - in fact, it often speaks to the need to do the opposite! After all, following a healthy diet helps you to maintain and protect your health year-round.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are some tips you can use to master a healthy diet while contending with a busy schedule!
1. Focus on ‘speedy’ recipes.
Despite common misconceptions, healthy eating does not require you to spend hours in the kitchen every day. For example, this recipe for drunken noodles takes less than 30 minutes to make - and is packed with both flavor and fresh ingredients - making it the perfect choice for a midweek dinner.
2. Plan out your meals ahead of time.
Sometimes, half of the struggle associated with cooking from scratch is deciding what you actually want to cook. This can often take up so much of your time that reaching for the take-out menu or grabbing a microwave meal seems like the only option. However, you can make this process much more straightforward by planning out your meals ahead of time. This can also help ensure you use up all of the ingredients in your kitchen instead of letting fresh items go to waste.
3. Meal prep.
If you’ve got more time at the weekends than you do on a weekday (which is likely if you're working or dealing with the dreaded school run), then meal prepping can be another great way to ensure you’re sticking to a healthy diet. After all, it means that you don’t have to do anything other than reheat your dishes when you’re feeling hungry, as opposed to having to start from scratch at the end of an already tiring day.
As such, you should set aside a few hours a week to dedicate to meal prepping. Remember, you can also freeze some of these meals so that you can come back to them at a later date.
4. Don’t skip breakfast.
There’s a reason breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. For example, it can help to kickstart your metabolism while also ensuring you have enough energy to make it through your commute or morning meetings. Despite this, “nearly one-quarter of individuals in the United States skip breakfast daily.”
As such, if you’re embarking upon a new healthy lifestyle - make sure eating breakfast is part of your routine. There are plenty of low-effort dishes you can make in the morning, such as toast and cereal - and even picking up a piece of fruit will make a difference. Alternatively, you could prepare dishes such as overnight oats ahead of time, so your breakfast will be ready to enjoy when you wake up!
Travelling is such an exciting thing to do, and it opens up a world (literally!) of possibilities. You can do so many things while you’re away, but a lot of the time, people stick to what they know, either because they like the safety of their comfort zone or they don’t know how to do anything else. But if you want to have an adventure, doing pretty much the same thing as you would at home seems like a waste of time. That’s why it’s good to know how to have an adventure when you’re travelling; read on for some tips.
Be Spontaneous
One of the most important elements of having adventures when you travel is being spontaneous. Of course, you need to have an itinerary, otherwise you won’t know what to do, and you might miss out on things you really want to see, but that itinerary should be flexible where possible so that if a better idea presents itself, you can change your plans and take advantage of what you’ve been offered - this is where adventure lies.
When you say yes to spontaneous ideas and decisions, whether that’s going to a local festival (or even joining in with one), trying a new type of food, taking an unplanned hike, or anything else, you’ll find you are able to have a lot more fun and have many more exciting memories to enjoy when you return.
Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone
There is your comfort zone, where it’s safe and secure, and you know everything, and then, just outside it, is an adventure. By stepping outside that comfort zone, just while you’re away from home (although if it works for you, it’s certainly something you can do at other times of your life if you need to), you’ll be able to have some amazing adventures.
It’s all about challenging yourself to try new things and to stop being afraid of those things. Push yourself beyond what you’re used to, and rather than ruining your travels, you’ll enhance them and really be able to say you had an adventure. Of course, taking time to relax and be in your comfort zone is great too - just try to mix things up a bit.
Go Off The Beaten Path
If you’re travelling to a popular tourist destination, there will be certain tourist attractions that everyone goes to see. There might even be ‘tourist restaurants’ and shops and more. These will be lovely, catering to your needs and giving you something to enjoy while you’re away, but they’re not an adventure.
An adventure is when you travel off the beaten path and try things without knowing what the outcome will be. You could even extend this idea and take one of the best film cameras with you so you won’t know what your photos are like until you get home - that’s exciting, just as it’s exciting to do things that most tourists never would.
You do need to make sure you’re doing safe things, though, and it’s never wise to risk your safety or anyone else’s just to have an adventure. Weigh up the pros and cons, and be sure you’re safe before you set off on whatever adventure it is you’ve chosen.
You should be having fun all year round, but it’s also true that there are some periods of the year when it’s especially important to make the most of life. This is certainly the case with summer, when the long and warm days open up a world of possibilities to do fun and exciting things. Of course, we all know how fun it can be to go on a long road trip or spend a few days at the beach, but we think that summer should be more encompassing than those brief highlights. Your summer fun should begin at home.
In this post, we’ll look at some handy tips for loving the summer season at home.
Make it Comfortable
The hot weather is one of the best things about summer. But it’s also one of the worst things, too. This is especially true when you’re at home, and you’re struggling to feel comfortable because of how hot it is. You’ll like the hot weather when you’re outside, but you’ll want it nowhere near your house. If you live in an especially hot area, be sure that your air conditioning unit is in full working condition. It’s much better to ensure it’s working well before the summer heat arrives, rather than to be stuck without cool air during the peak of summer.
Keep Problems at Bay
We’d like summer to be one neverending happy moment. But alas, that’s not always the case. Depending on where you live, you may have to contend with the threat of pests, which are generally more active during the summer months. If there’s one thing that’ll compromise your enjoyment of summer, it’s battling with mosquitoes or ticks. If you notice any signs of pests on your property, be sure to get in touch with a company such as Brentwood Pest Control as soon as possible. You can’t always prevent pests from entering your home, but you can very much control how long they have to stay there.
Invest In Your Yard
Your yard should be your favorite place during the summer months. After all, it’s this place that’ll allow you to enjoy the sunshine and spend some quality time with your friends and family. So now’s the time to get your yard into shape. You can have a great summer yard with just a minimal amount of effort. For example, if you have a BBQ, some outdoor furniture, and a hammock, you’ll be well on your way towards having a yard that lets you live summer to the fullest.
Fun Activities
Finally, be sure to have a fun mindset, one that allows you to see all the possibilities that the summer months bring to your home. For example, what about spending the night camping in your backyard? This is something that you and your kids will remember for a long time and gives you a chance to do something truly different, which is what summer is all about. Who knows, it might even become a summer tradition!
Chicken breast is always a winning ingredient on which to base a dish. It's high in protein, tastes great, and compared to other types of meat is pretty reasonably priced too. Even in today’s crazy economy. Fortunately, as well as all these great benefits, chicken can also be used in meals that are fast and easy to cook, which is a real blessing on a busy school evening, or after a fun day out with the kids. You can even find 5 of my favorite chicken-based meals that are fast below. Try them out and let me know what you and your family think!
Fajitas
One of the very easiest and quick chicken breast-based recipes for a busy day has to be yummy chicken fajitas. Fajitas are a Tex-Mex dish that includes a flour or corn tortilla as a base, which is then loaded up with strips of meat (chicken in this instance) and peppers.
There are a million ways to make a fajita and a whole load of different ingredients you can include in addition to the chicken and peppers such as shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, or guacamole. However, if you are looking for the most authentic vibes then Pico de gallo, a delicious fresh tomato salsa and some torn cilantro is perfect.
When cooking fajitas it is very important to remember to not overcook the chicken, as this is when it becomes dry and rubbery, which can make eating the fajitas a bit of a challenge. Of course, you will want your chicken to be properly cooked, and one hack that can work well is to boil it beforehand. Indeed, when you boil chicken you can be sure it's cooked through in around only 10 mins or less. Then all you need to do is shred it and cook it in your spice mix for the perfect pulled chicken fajita.
Chicken Pasta Alfredo
I don't know about yours but boy do my kids love a good pasta dish! one of their favorites has to be chicken pasta alfredo which you can make with cooked chicken breast. although it also works pretty well with the leftovers of a whole roast chicken and is a great way of using them up too!
The thing I love about this recipe is that the Alfredo sauce comes ready-made, so you save lots of time and effort. It's also a sauce that tastes great but is made with hidden cauliflower, which means more veg in the kid's diet, and fewer calories for the adults to worry about!
Chicken Chop Suey
Another great fast and easy chicken breast-based dish ideal for busy days is chicken chop suey. Indeed, this quick and easy chicken chop suey recipe only takes 10 minutes to prep and then another 10 to cook!
Chop suey is a delicious American-Asian dish that has become popular all over the world in different permutations. It consists of chicken breast pieces, a selection of vegetables, and a thick starchy sauce that brings it all together. Most people serve it with rice, and to save time I like to use frozen or microwave rice that is ready in under 2 minutes.
One of the most important elements of this dish is the sauce. The good news is it's super easy to make, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already! Just be sure that you have corn flour as this is essential in giving the chicken chop suey sauce its delicious flavor and texture.
Pizza Chicken Breasts
I've saved one of the most fun quick and easy dishes till last - pizza chicken breasts. This dish’s major strength is that it combines a chicken breast-based, with a delicious pizza topping, a meal that even the pickiest eater will find it hard to say no to.
There’s no mincing the chicken to create a pizza-shaped base like you see in keto recipes either. Instead, all you need to do is pan-fry your chicken breasts, and once they are almost cooked all the way through, turn on your broiler.
Then add pizza sauce from a jar, a mozzarella cheese mix, and top with pepperoni. The mini ones are especially good for this as you can fit loads on each chicken breast! Then serve with salad, or if you are looking for something more substantial why not be good at making some potato wedges? All you need to cut potatoes into wedge shapes and oven them is still crispy. Spray a little oil on them to get the best result and choose sweet potato instead of the regular kind if you are in a rush, as they cook the quickest.
It’s never been more difficult to relax than it is right now. It feels that there’s always something that can get our stress levels up, and there aren’t too many things that’ll automatically bring it down. In other words, if you just go with the flow through the chaos of adulthood, then the concept of relaxation will probably be pretty alien.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of ways to increase your relaxation levels! And they’re available to everyone. In this post, we’ll run through some tried and tested methods for keeping stress at bay.
Invest in Wellness Days
We all have busy schedules, and it can seem like we rarely have any time for ourselves. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. It’s important to create some space in your schedule to do things that will truly relax you. For example, you might get a massage every couple of weeks, or join a fancy gym that has an outdoor pool, where you can soak up the rays and just sink into relaxation. It can feel like we always have to be doing something, but that’s not the case — it’s fine, and in fact recommended, to sometimes do nothing at all.
Improve Your Sleep
How you begin your day will dictate the theme for the rest of the day. If you’re waking up tired because you’ve had an uncomfortable night where you struggled to sleep deeply, then your stress levels will naturally be elevated. A good night’s sleep is essential to feeling relaxed and happy; there’s just nothing that can make up for a lack of sleep. If this is an issue that you struggle with, then look at making some changes. CBD products like Redeem help to promote healthy sleeping habits, and you can also look at upgrading your mattress. Reading before bedtime is also strongly encouraged since it’ll relax your brain and make it easier to switch off.
Meditation and Yoga
Looking for a science-backed way to promote relaxation? Then consider starting meditation and yoga. Both of these have been clinically proven to lower the body’s cortisol levels — in other words, they reduce stress. People can be a little intimidated by meditation and yoga, but the truth is that they’re much easier to get started than you might think. There are simple YouTube tutorial videos that can help to get you started. Don’t worry if you don’t feel the effects straight away. Within a couple of weeks, you’ll notice that you’re more relaxed than normal.
Sweat Out The Stress
One of the most effective ways to rid yourself of stress is to sweat it out. If you’re feeling anxious and stressed, then put on your running shoes and go for a long, intense run. We promise that you’ll feel better once you’ve finished. There are plenty of other benefits to working out, too, including promoting good all-around health, boosting your energy, and boosting your brain’s endorphin levels. And all it takes is a little bit of effort.
As a parent, you will want the best for your baby. As they grow, you will want to do everything possible to make them happy and healthy.
Their health and growth come from the steps you take. Being a caring and knowledgeable parent will ensure they are as happy and healthy as possible.
Using this guide, you can understand the best ways to make your children as happy and as healthy as possible.
Invest in the best pediatric care
As a parent, you will want to ensure that your baby is as happy and as healthy as they can be. Therefore, it makes sense to find the best pediatric help so that you can always ask questions, receive expert immediate support, and ensure your baby can recover from any health issue.
Pediatric Associates will ensure that your child has the best healthcare to cover their needs and early-stage concerns. You can guarantee to be in the best hands and rest assured that your baby is happy and healthy.
Cook with your children and teach them about nutrition
Cooking with your children is a great way to introduce them to new foods and encourage them to try more nutritious ingredients.
When you fill a child’s plate with green vegetables, they will quickly turn their nose up at it. Yet, they will enjoy eating sweets and chocolate. This can be because they do not understand the nutrition and health value behind the ingredient and because of its ‘strange’ color, they do not want to try it.
Whereas when you cook with children, you can teach them about where the ingredients come from, and why they are good for you, and try different ways of cooking them to align with their texture preferences and tastebuds. For instance, you could blend greens into a colorful smoothie or design their plate with a letter-shaped salad. Making healthy ingredients fun and getting the children involved with the cooking process will ensure they start to enjoy eating more nutritious foods, which will benefit their health and growth.
Create a strong relationship
Another top secret of raising a happy child is to create strong connections with them. The closer your relationship is, the more you can understand their needs and desires.
For instance, fostering a connection with them and encouraging them to talk about their concerns will ensure you can provide support and hopefully, offer them a solution for their problem.
Asking them about their day, opening up about your own concerns, and talking to them about anything will ensure they have a shoulder to lean on and someone to listen to them.
Encourage them to spend time outdoors
Spending time outdoors is essential for a child’s growth and well-being. Nature and being outside allow children to maintain a better mood and understand more about the world.
They can grow confidence by climbing trees, making daisy chains and playing with insects. It is important for them to experience the outside world as it will guarantee they have better cognitive and social skills and never feel afraid to spend time outside.
Reduce their screen time
Although it is inevitable that children will use screens as they grow older, it is ideal to limit their screen time as much as possible so you do not hinder their concentration and social skills.
Instead of shoving a screen in their face to quieten their tears, you could encourage them to spend time playing in the garden or educate them through indoor games. There are many solutions to entertaining your children that do not need to involve screens.
Practice gratitude
Adults can benefit from practicing gratitude just like children can. Teaching children to practice gratitude will encourage them to be more grateful and happy individuals. They will become grateful for the small things in this big world.
They will not take things for granted and instead, appreciate little things to be thankful for.
For instance, you could practice gratitude at dinner time and show them how to be grateful for having food, a warm home, and a loving family. Showing them how to do this will prove to them that they should never take simple things for granted. Telling them that people across the world might not have access to what they have will help them understand how lucky and fortunate they are.
While practicing gratitude on a regular basis, they will soon have sincere thanks and appreciation for their lives, which can make them happier and attain an enhanced state of well-being.
Summer has got to be one of your favorite times of the year, for numerous reasons. Not only is the weather much warmer, but it also gives you an excuse to spruce up your home. Making changes to your home from the inside out can involve numerous different methods, from doing a deep clean or organizing your kitchen. Whether you want to cook with your children more often or simply feel more at ease in your home, there are so many reasons to get on top of all of these jobs sooner rather than later. Making your home a more enjoyable place for summer is just around the corner, so consider some of the following ideas.
Open Up Your Patio Space
If you currently have a kitchen, living room or conservatory that leads straight onto your garden you may want to consider how you can open this patio space up slightly more. You can find a reputable window replacement company here who also offer high quality and aesthetically appealing patio doors. Allowing natural light to shine through your home via open and bright patio doors is one of the best decisions you could possibly make for your home. Having an abundance of sunlight is such a blessing to have, so why not enhance this even further with a new set of patio doors? Your new and improved patio space and doors will be perfect for guests visiting during those hot summer months.
Get Your Garden Done Professionally
If you’re going to invest in new patio doors, you may also want to consider hiring a professional landscaper to improve your outdoor space. Whether you’re adding modern decking to your garden or incorporating a water feature, there are so many different ways to enhance your garden and make the space more enjoyable. When you sit outside you want to feel completely relaxed and at ease, so make sure you consider this when you are looking through the various design options available to you.
Invest in a BBQ
Is there anything better than having your closest friends and family members over for a delicious barbecue when the summer time comes around? Buying a new barbecue will give you so many more options when it comes to hosting and cooking outdoors for your friends and family. Choosing the best possible barbecue for your needs and your type of garden may take some time, but you will soon discover the best fit for you!
Do a Deep Clean
Carrying out a thorough deep clean of your home cannot be beaten when it comes to creating a truly enjoyable space. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting in a fully clean home and relaxing with your loved ones after a busy day. If you feel overwhelmed at the thought of undertaking a full deep clean in your home, you may want to hire a professional to help you dig into all of the trickier spots. If you have the budget, you may also want to employ a regular cleaner to help you stay on top of the housework on a weekly or monthly basis. You will be able to enjoy your summer much more if your home is a clean and relaxing place to hang out.
Get Rid of Unwanted Belongings
Much like having a clean home can bring you true joy, a home that is clear from junk and unnecessary clutter is also one that will make you feel more at ease. Now would be the ideal opportunity to have a thorough clear out in your home before we get into the depths of summer. Throwing away your unwanted items or sending them to a charity shop will not only give you much more space in your home, but it will also provide you with peace of mind. When your drawers, cupboards and other storage areas in your home are free from unnecessary items you will feel much more relaxed as you will actually be able to find what you’re looking for!
Reorganize Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is an area in the home that can quickly become messy and disorderly. Reorganizing your kitchen will not only give this important room in your home a refreshed sense of life, but it will also help you out when you’re trying to cook delicious dinners. Using labeled food jars as part of your new kitchen style could be a good aesthetic style choice if you’re looking to add a modern twist to your home, and they can also help to keep your food fresh too!
Add Fresh Scents and Flowers
Your home will instantly become a more enjoyable place for the summer, if you incorporate an abundance of stunning fresh flowers. Adding some beautiful indoor plants and flowers to your home is an instant way to bring more life and vibrancy to the atmosphere. Spider plants and maidenhair ferns are stunning green plants that thrive within indoor spaces. Your backyard isn’t the only place in which you can display greenery and bright blooms beautifully, so why not get experimental inside your home? As well as buying yourself some fresh flowers on a regular basis, you may also want to use more scents throughout your home. Reed diffusers are a brilliantly effective way to move scents naturally through your home, and bring a new dimension to certain areas and sections.
Luckily, the ideas mentioned above are all low cost, quick and fairly simple for you to navigate. It’s true that a beautiful, happy and organized home will be more enjoyable for you to hang out in this summer. Making these changes before the summer season fully kicks in will help you to instantly get the ball rolling. The sooner you start your mini renovation projects at home, the sooner you can enjoy each and every outcome. Getting your garden professionally landscaped, adding more fresh flowers to your home or opening up your patio space are just a few of the ideas that can transform your abode for the summer months.
As we age, our skin undergoes a natural process of change, Fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin become more prominent, particularly around the age of 35 and beyond. For both men and women, these visible signs of aging can be attributed to a variety of factors, including your genes, your lifestyle choices, and the fast-paced nature of today’s world.
Unfortunately, the impact of these changes can extend beyond mere aesthetics. They can affect your confident levels, your relationships and your overall well-being. Did you know, as well, that many companies still have an unconscious bias against age? Signs of aging on y our face may play against you and affect your professional career.
The good news is that nowadays, there are plenty of procedures and treatments that can help you preserve your face youthfulness for longer. However, treatments can only be as effective as your self-care habits are. So, whether you opt for a facelift or for silhouette threads, bear in mind that your skincare routine will play a big role in maximizing the effects of your chosen intervention.
Choose a healthy diet
The saying “you are what you eat” holds true when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance. Certain foods can accelerate premature aging, working against the health and vitality of your skin. Fried food, sugar, butter, and processed meats are on top of the naughty list, so it pays to pay attention to what you put on your plate.
To combat this, it is important to incorporate a healthy diet rich in nutrients that boost skin elasticity and firmness, Include foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats like avocados and nuts. These provide essential vitamins, antioxidants, and omega–3 fatty acids that nourish your skin from within.
Maintain an active lifestyle
Physical activities play a vital role in preserving a youthful appearance. Regular exercise improves blood circulation, promotes collagen production, and enhances skin elasticity. By increasing blood flow, your body can nourish skin cells and send more oxygen in their direction. Studies have shown that regular workout can delay and even revert signs of aging.
Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as jogging, swimming, brisk walking most days of the week.
However, it is crucial to strike a balance between staying active and allowing your body to recover. Rest days are completely okay after more intensive workouts. You can opt for active rest if you are concerned about inactivity. Remember as well that if you undergo any skin treatment, your specialist may impose a rest period while your face heals. For example, when Dr. Donath performs facelifts, patients are recommended to follow a period of rest during which intense activities are prohibited. Non-invasive or less invasive intervention may require shorter rest periods. Nevertheless, it is important to give yourself the time to heal.
Keep stress at bay
Stress has a profound impact on our overall well-being, including our appearance. Chronic stress can accelerate the aging process and contribute to the development of wrinkles and sagging skin. Finding effective ways to relax and manage stress is crucial for maintaining a youthful glow. Engaging in activities that bring you joy, such as spending time in nature, pursuing hobbies, or listening to soothing music.
Some of the most popular stress management techniques include meditation and the practice of yoga. But everyone has different needs. It is important to find what works for you. Sometimes, something as simple as setting boundaries in your personal life and taking breaks from work can work wonders to manage stress levels.
The importance of sleep
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your skin’s health and accelerate the aging process. During sleep, the body repairs and rejuvenates itself, including the regeneration of skin cells. Lack of sleep can lead to dull complexion, fine lines, and dark circles under the eyes.
Establishing a healthy sleep routine is essential to preserve your face youthfulness. Aim for around 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. Start by creating a conducive sleep environment by ensuring a comfortable mattress, minimizing exposure to electronic devices before bed, and practicing relaxation techniques to promote quality sleep.
Choosing the right beauty products
Not all skincare products are created equal, and selecting quality products tailored to your skin type and concerns is crucial. Seek the advice of dermatologists and other skincare specialists toi determine the most suitable products for your needs.
Ideally, you should look for products that contain beneficial ingredients, such as retinal, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Bear in mind that, more often than not, the typical skincare products you can find in grocery stores lack efficiency.
Regular use of sunscreen is also essential to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, a leading cause of premature aging. Remember, consistency in skincare routines and a gentle approach when applying products can yield significant long-term benefits.
Maintain your weight
Weight gain can have a significant impact on the appearance of your face and can detract from the benefits of facial treatments or interventions. Excess weight can cause the skin to stretch and sag, resulting in a tired and aged appearance.
Ideally, you want to maintain a healthy weight to maximize the impact of your skin treatment or intervention. This will help preserve a youthful appearance for longer.
Regular skincare treatments
In addition to self-care practices, various professional skincare treatments can help rejuvenate the skin and maintain its youthfulness. Treatments such as hydrafacial and derma roller are popular choices to receive in specialist salons.
Hydrafacial treatments combine exfoliation, extraction, and hydration to cleanse and rejuvenate the skin, improving texture, tone, and firmness, Derma roller treatments, on the other hand, involves micro-needling to stimulate collagen production, leading to smoother and more youthful-looking skin.
These treatments can significantly prolong and amplify the benefits of any skin rejuvenation intervention, whether you opt for injectables or surgery.
In conclusion, preserving the youthfulness of your face requires a holistic approach that encompasses self-care, healthy habits, and appropriate skincare. Don’t be fooled into believing that injections or surgery can fix a poor skincare routine. Every little action you take to preserve your skin appearance will enhance the results of your preferred skin rejuvenation intervention.
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