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Vanko Trading Inc
2777 Darlington Road
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
724-359-2289
Vanko Trading Inc
2777 Darlington Road
Beaver Falls, PA 15010
724-359-2289
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is more than just the “Winter Blues.” It is a form of seasonal or temporal depression that typically affects people during the winter months of longer nights and less sunlight. If you suffer from SAD, there are many alternative therapies that can naturally help you improve your mood and reduce depressive symptoms, even if you already use a light box for treatment.
- Improve your mood with food. Certain foods have proven relationships to brain function. Healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and lean protein are essential parts of a healthy diet that can also improve your mood. Snack on nuts or dark chocolate, feast on turkey or salmon with a spinach and quinoa salad, add colorful vegetables to everything, eat fruit for breakfast, and drink your milk for a happier mood in no time!
- Boost happiness with exercise. Physical activity – both cardio and weight or resistance training – helps tell your brain to produce feel-good chemicals and hormones. These chemicals help regulate mood, boost energy levels, and improve feelings of contentment. Working out on a regular basis can help give your brain a steady supply of feel-good chemicals to keep you happy all winter long.
- Try aromatherapy. Scents can have a powerful effect on brain function, promoting positive thinking or pleasant memories, easing tension and reducing anxiety or frustration, calming your mind and promoting clear thinking or restful sleep. Different scents may have different stimulating effects on your thought process, so consult a professional to get the most benefit out of your aromatherapy.
- Consult an acupuncturist. This ancient treatment has been used to heal mental and physical ailments and is rapidly gaining popularity in Western cultures. Professional acupuncture sessions can help release tension, relieve anxiety, and stimulate feelings of peace and clarity.
- Hop in the water. Hydrotherapy is an alternative or complementary treatment for depressive symptoms. Hot tubs, pools, and even jet-massage tubs can help provide stress relief and boost energy levels. So take a bath, a swim, or sign up for some professional hydrotherapy to reap the benefits of good old H2O.
- Start a journal. Writing about your feelings or experiences just a few times a week during your SAD months may help reduce depressive symptoms. Experts believe that working through your emotions and channeling your thoughts through a diary or journal can help you cope with the change in your brain’s chemical processes.
- Go outside! Light is a key factor in reducing symptoms of SAD – that is why the primary treatment for SAD involves light therapy. To boost your chances of reducing feelings of depression, up your intake of natural light by taking a walk during lunchtime or exercising outside on the weekends.
- Talk it out. To further relieve feelings of depression and sadness during the winter months, try talking about it. Most people are willing to lend support to their loved ones who are suffering, so reach out to your friends and family and let them know what you are experiencing. Sometimes just letting others know about your pain or unhappiness can help reduce the mental burden you are carrying. If you do not want to discuss your feelings with people who are close to you, consider counseling sessions or group therapy, where you will have the opportunity to share your experiences with other who know exactly how you feel.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a challenging condition, but it does not have to ruin your entire season. By taking these steps to make positive lifestyle changes and complementing your traditional light therapy treatments, you will be giving yourself the best possible chance at beating your disorder and escaping the symptoms of SAD.
Author Bio: Katie Brind’Amour is a freelance writer who loves to share information about health and wellness. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid and is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She has a masters in Biology and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Services Management and Policy. In her spare time, she works on her personal blog and dreams of writing the perfect historical novel.
Be honest, do we really know where our food comes from? What hormones may have been injected into it and whether or not it was genetically modified? When we are walking down the aisle of the grocery store, we often do not know what half of the ingredients in most of the products are or why they are there. When you lose weight with the Paleo diet that is exactly what you are focusing on – what are you putting into your body?
The basics about our food
Over the last few years, people have been debating diet fads and crash diets and it seems that once someone comes out and proclaims a diet to be successful, there are at least three doctors that claim it is dangerous for your body. However, when you lose weight with the Paleo diet you are not trying something new, instead, you are reverting back to what our ancestors ate.
The simple fact no one wants to admit
Regardless of what you may or may not believe, it does not take a Ph.D in nutrition to understand that putting fructose corn syrup, processed foods, and hormone-induced plants and animals into our system is probably not a good idea in the long haul.
So what is it based off?
People lose weight with the Paleo diet because it is based on how people ate before the modern agricultural revolution. This means that people who eat the Paleo diet primarily eat fresh fruits, lean meat, seafood, and vegetables. All of these foods are loaded with photochemicals, minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and the good types of fat. People lose weight with the Paleo diet because they stay off the processed foods and revert to nature.
Is it healthy to lose weight with the Paleo Diet?
People who want to lose weight with the Paleo diet obviously want to know if it is a healthy alternative to what we eat now. Because what good is losing weight if you feel horrible or are damaging your health? A recent study at Colorado State University demonstrated that the Paleo diet provides us with all the minerals and vitamins that we may need. The only vitamin that is not abundant in the diet is Vitamin D (a vitamin that most people get through exposure to sunlight)
So why do you lose weight with the Paleo diet?
One of the reasons people lose weight with the Paleo diet is simple, they finally know what they are putting in their body. Once you understand that these food companies are taking every shortcut they possibly can to squeeze the most profit out of their production, you understand that this does not translate into healthy eating. People also lose weight with the Paleo diet because the foods are low in refined sugars, salt, trans fat and high glycemic carbohydrates. In short, it is the type of food our bodies were made to eat.
This sounds easy
It is not hard to lose weight with the Paleo diet. In fact, you probably have eaten meals that were Paleo specific before. Have you ever had a chicken salad without adding salad dressing (read the back of the label, they are filled with high fructose corn syrup) you have eaten Paleo before, have you ever eaten a meal of just fish and vegetables? Paleo meal.
Reverting back to the old ways
People lose weight with the Paleo diet because it is not a crash or fad diet, it is a change in how we live our lives. Whether you want to lose weight with the Paleo diet or whether you want to give your body more energy than you ever thought possible, eating a Paleo diet is going to transform the way you feel. It is science backed with thousands of years of proven benefits, and to lose weight with the paleo diet is the best means yet.
Lose Weight With The Paleo Diet
As with any new lose weight regime, you need to test out what works best for you. If you feel that certain ways work better than others, revert back to them in a healthy manner. We do know, however, that you can lose weight with the Paleo diet and would appreciate your thoughts on it.
About This Author
Greg Henderson, a California-based businessman with over 11 years in writing and online blogging, provided this piece based on personal endeavors and education in weight loss and the experiences he has gone through to shape himself down. His current projects include a public records site, RecordsProject.com, and a free background check site, SnoopStation.com.
One of the biggest worries that many people have over the holiday season is not what to get that special someone for Christmas or where you are going to let your guests that are staying with you over the holidays sleep, but how to keep off the pounds over the holidays.
A great way to keep off extra weight over the holidays is by fixing healthy Christmas dishes to replace fattening foods that normally populate Christmas dinner tables during the holidays. You might laugh at the idea of healthy Christmas food, but it might surprise you how many healthy substitutes there are to your favorite dishes.
Gelatin
Flavored Gelatin is a wonderful substitute for fattening chocolate dishes and puddings. Most gelatins have less than 50 calories per serving, some of them have almost none! Best of all, gelatin comes in a variety of flavors, such as lemon, orange, lime, raspberry, and other delicious fruit flavors. If you make really good gelatin, your family won’t even ask about what happened to those fattening brownies.
More Vegetables
Vegetables are fairly well known for having a place at the Christmas dinner table, however they sometimes don’t get a big enough space at the table. This next Christmas dinner, try to fix more vegetables to take the place of other fattening dishes. Carrots, green beans, spinach, broccoli, corn and cauliflower are popular choices.
Another great choice for a side is a garden salad. Salads are very low in calories and can be topped with low calorie dressings, such as a vinaigrette.
Fruit
It is surprising to see how little fruit makes it to the table for Christmas dinner. Fruit can be a very sweet substitute for deserts and only contain a small fraction of the calories. Fruit can also be paired with small portions of cottage cheese to create a scrumptious holiday dish. Some great fruits that you can prepare for your Christmas dinner include peaches, pears, apples, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries, just to name a few.
Low Calorie or No Calorie Drinks
A lot of people like Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate during the holiday season, and that includes Christmas dinner. These drinks are high in calorie content, though. So why not substitute other tasty hot and cold drinks, such as coffee, tea, water, or small servings of soda?
Make sure you have a happy and healthy holiday season – prepare wholesome foods for you and your whole family.
Gabriel Adams is a writer for www.smartgiftshopper.com where he shares yankee swap gift ideas and other holiday tips.
How to Set Realistic Fitness Goals
For many of us, it’s virtually impossible to keep up a regular fitness regime because of our already overloaded schedules. I know firsthand how tough this can be. When my kids are home for the holidays from their boarding school in New Hampshire, it’s easy for me to keep active, but I spend most of my time corralling them here and there.
While the kids are around, I always excited to go out and do things with them, but as soon as they leave, I settle right back into my stationary routine. I sit at my desk for long hours trying to finish my masters degree program online, rarely taking a break to eat or sleep, let alone exercise.
However, I have gradually realized that the best way to get back into shape (and remain in shape!) is to set realistic goals for myself. I am probably never going to have a supermodel’s body, but I have discovered some realistic fitness tips and strategies that make me feel and look quite a bit better.
Here are some of my top suggestions:
Be Honest
The first step I found to getting into shape was setting reasonable and honest goals for myself. I knew I likely wasn’t going to make it to the gym everyday so I set my goal at going three to four times a week.
So far this has really worked and I have dropped a lot of weight. I have so much more energy and know that I wouldn’t have gone to the gym nearly as much if I had set myself unreasonable goals. Try and fit some form of exercise into your week that you know you will be able to both stick at and work into your schedule.
Don’t Overdo It
Of course you want to push yourself when you exercise, but don’t push yourself beyond your limits. When I first started working out I tried to do too much too soon, and ended up having to spend a lot of quality time at the chiropractor!
Start out slow and gradually incorporate more into your workouts. If you do too much at once, you are likely to burnout and quit. Work your way up to things and you will feel and look much better in the long run.
Get a Move On
I know how easy it is to sit at the computer for hours at a time, but this is terrible for our health! Not only can sitting down for prolonged periods of time lead to weight gain but it can also lead to aches and pains throughout the body.
Even if you have to sit down all day for your work or study, there are ways you can still get some exercise in. Try standing up and stretching every 30 minutes or so and always try and take the stairs rather than the elevator when you can.
Find Something You Enjoy
Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore, it can be fun! Try and find an exercise class or sport that you really enjoy and this can be a great way to keep you motivated.
I started taking a dance class a few months ago and it is so much fun it doesn’t even seem like I’m working out. Explore different options and recruit some friends to work out with you. Their company and support can be great motivators and can help make tough exercises less torturous!
Reward Yourself
When you complete an extra tough workout or reach your weight goal – reward yourself! You have put in the work and deserve a treat once in a while.
Do something that makes you happy and take the time to congratulate yourself on all of your hard work. Getting into shape doesn’t have to be a solemn ordeal and you will definitely want to celebrate your accomplishments.
As you can see, there are plenty of realistic ways you can get into shape. We all have hectic lives and schedules but these simple suggestions can help us shed the pounds and become healthier. Push yourself but don’t overdo it and try and incorporate a healthy diet to coincide with your fitness regime. Good luck!
3 Healthy, Fast Options to Take to Your Holiday Parties
The holiday parties have already begun and are only going to pick up speed as we near the middle of December. If you’re already dreading the inevitable: facing off with a smorgasbord of everything that has no place in your normal healthy eating plan, the easiest way to prepare yourself and to give yourself an “out” is to bring your own option(s) to the parties. You’ll have something you feel comfortable and confident eating, you won’t be starving (and thus better able to forgo the mocha mocha chocolate chocolate chip truffle cookies), and you’ll have something to munch on so you won’t feel like the only one not eating in the entire room. Whether you need an appetizer, a side dish or a side dessert, try one of these three ideas that are nutritious, delicious, and holiday party appropriate, all in one. And the best part? They take hardly any time to whip up!
The Classic Vegetable or Fruit Tray (APPETIZER)
One of my go-to options is always a fruit or vegetable tray. And believe me, you won’t be the only one snacking away on this; you’d be surprised just how refreshing it is to most guests to find something that isn’t heavy and calorie and/or fat laden. If you go for a vegetable tray, simply wash and slice up a variety of your favorite veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, mushrooms, celery, pickles, olives, grape tomatoes, etc. You can top off the center with a delicious dip. I like to use Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream and make something dill flavored, since it’s especially refreshing (you can easily toss in a dressing packet with the yogurt). You’ll have a delicious fat free dip that’s protein loaded for an extra pack of filling power. If you don’t have time to make a dip, pick up your favorite variety of hummus. For fruit, you can whip up the yogurt, add in some whip topping if you’d like and a little Stevia (all natural sugar) and vanilla. It’s another fat free, light, airy, refreshing option for a variety of all your favorite dipping fruits. The fancier you cut your fruit and vegetables (you can even buy tools that will automatically crimp as you slice and dice), the more elegant your entire display will be. Fruit in a half hollowed out watermelon also makes a very festive red-green display.
Roasted Root Vegetables (SIDE)
It doesn’t get much easier or tastier than a heaping bowl full of a variety of roasted root vegetables. And though it looks like you poured hours into making these, the effort is extremely little. The time is a little longer though, so you can start roasting and then put all your effort into getting ready! Prepare your favorite root vegetables: rutabaga, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, etc. Cut them into wedges, spread out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, a touch of salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings you prefer (garlic, thyme, parsley, rosemary, etc.). Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately ½ hour. Turn once halfway through and cook until tender. Place some fresh herbs in your dish for garnish and it’s ready to serve.
The Drizzled Caramel Apple (DESSERT)
This is my ultimate favorite holiday dessert for taking with me to parties when I get signed up for dessert! Buy the largest, brightest, crispiest green apples you can find. Then all you need is caramel, chocolate and nuts. For the fastest options, buy caramels to melt, chocolate candy to melt and pre-chopped nuts (any variety works, I prefer pecans). Instead of dunking the whole apple in caramel and adding on all kinds of fat and sugar, simply take a spoon and lightly drizzle the apple with your melted caramel. On top of the caramel, drizzle an even finer string of melted chocolate. Then quickly sprinkle on some of your chopped nuts. You’ll have an extremely elegant treat that has very little sugar, and some good fat and fiber from the nuts. Plus, the apples are filling and water laden, making them perfect for a refreshing bite after a heavy meal. Place a knife near your display so guests can cut up their apples into wedges for easier eating.
Image source: myrecipes.com via Brittany on Pinterest
Freelancer Jocelyn Anne is a cooking and baking enthusiast and always trying to find healthier options to eat just what she craves. At the moment she writes full time for Air & Water and is compiling helpful content for their electric infrared heaters.
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