10 tips to make your New Year's resolution a success!

Many of us will make a healthy New Year's resolution – maybe to lose weight, quit smoking or drink less – but what's the best way to stick to it?

Psychologists have found we're more likely to succeed if we break our resolution into smaller goals that are specific, measurable and time-based.

Top 10 goal-setting tips:-

1. Make only one resolution. Your chances of success are greater when you channel energy into changing just one aspect of your behaviour.

2. Don't wait until New Year's Eve to choose your resolution. Take some time out a few days before and think about what you want to achieve.

3. Avoid previous resolutions. Deciding to revisit a past resolution sets you up for frustrationand disappointment.

4. Don't run with the crowd and go with the usual resolutions. Instead think about what you really want out of life.

5. Break your goal into a series of steps, focusing on creating sub-goals that are concrete, measurable and time-based.

6. Tell your friends and family about your goals. You're more likely to get support and want to avoid failure.

7. To stay motivated, make a checklist of how achieving your resolution will help you.

8. Give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a sub-goal, which will help to motivate you and give you  a sense of progress.

9. Make your plans and progress concrete by keeping a handwritten journal, completing a computer spreadsheet or covering a notice board with graphs or pictures.

10. Expect to revertto your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary setback rather than a reason to give up altogether.

Getting started

Below are some of the most common New Year health resolutions, with links to help you get started and achieve your goal.

1:-Lose weight:-

Get practical tips to lose excess weight, including getting started, healthy food swaps, and our 12-week weight loss plan.

2:-Quit smoking:-

We've got all you need to help you achieve your goal to stop smoking, including the free NHS Smokefree app.

3:-Get active:-

Boost your fitness with fun and practical ideas to help you get into shape, including Couch to 5K, Strength and Flex and the NHS Fitness Studio.

4:-Drink less alcohol:-

Calculate your units, get tips on cutting down, track your drinking and find out where to get help and support.

5:-Eat more fruit and veg:-

Whether you're cooking for a family or eating on the go, our tips and recipes can help you get your 5 A DAY.

Healing the Roots of Low Self-Esteem!

There is always a root to a problem, and there is a root to low self-esteem, but without identifying why or how it got there, we don’t have the tools to eradicate it for good. The struggle with developing unshakable self-esteem and confidence is like a battle with annoying ivy covering a beautiful home. Perhaps you have been used to the vines, even embracing them on occasion, but at the end of the day they are more problematic than positive, they destroy the foundation.

I used this analogy just today with a beautiful young woman who felt anything but attractive. “I am trying, and I practice the tools, it just seems like I am not getting far; I am always struggling with the way I look,” she said.

“So, its like you are cutting a small leaf or branch off, but still feel like your covered in vines. Some of the tricks and tools we have used work but they don’t seem to be fixing the root cause—the reason these toxic thoughts developed in the first place.”

Even if we have done deep work in the past, when we thought we had eradicated those lowself-esteem believes for good, the root can keep growing and the right circumstances can make it feel like the weeds are taking over your mind.

Get to the Root of Your Low Self-Esteem?

Think of the ways your self-image, confidence, and self-esteem developed. These could have been thoughts you have had since childhood, early experiences, or circumstances you encountered through life. The beliefs stemmed from somewhere.

1.Invalidating environments: an overly critical parent, lover, or friend. On the flip side, it could have been a person in your life behaved in a way that made you feel incapable of making your own decisions or trusting yourself. An overprotective parent or someone who made you feel fragile and that alone you couldn’t handle the demands of the world. 
2.Loss or trauma: feeling out of control, death of a loved one, divorce, feeling abandoned, abuse 
3.Rejection: this could have been from a loved one or a group of kids at school, not getting into a program or holding on to feelings of perceived inadequacy. 
4.Unspoken pressure: from peers, friends, even society, giving you standards you tried to live up to but always felt like you were coming up short. 
5.Mistaken beliefs: these come from our own experiences, attempting to make sense of the life circumstances and feelings we encounter. However, they hold us back and keep the roots from healing.

Common Mistaken Beliefs that Lead to Low Self-Esteem

Do any of these feel true for you? If so, get curious and look for the roots or experiences that made these come about.

1.I am powerless; I am a victim of circumstances greater than me.

2.Life is not easy; it’s always a struggle

3.If I try, I will fail.

4.I don’t matter.

5.I should always look good and put together for others to like me.

6.I need to be a certain size or weight to be worthy.

7.I need to have X, Y or Z to feel successful.

8.I can’t cope with the demands of the outside world.

9.I am not good enough and I never have been.

10.I will never be worthy of love or respect.

As hard as this may be to admit, there is power in recognizing where your mistaken beliefs come from. When you can identify, to the best of your ability, the ways the root may have formed, and the toxic thoughts of low self-esteem that keep it growing inyour mind, you have a much better grasp on how false they really are.

For my client, we examined that many of her mistaken beliefs came from her peers, the media, what she was told was “pretty” by television and the images she saw. She has supportive parents, but had highly critical grandparents who made confusing comments to her about weight, appearance, and the need to be attractive. She also had friends who placed a lot of emphasis on outer appearance.

When you are aware of how these thoughts became stuck in your mind, you are better able to attack them when they come up. The more and more you practice, it’s like treating the ivy with chemicals. Each time you spray, it may not go away, but it is slowly killing the root. Overtime, the real you, the empowered you, becomes more visible. When you catch a new bud or leaf starting to grow, you can stop it in its tracks. Knowing and understanding the root cause of your pain or mistaken beliefs is the best way to rid yourself of toxic thoughts and low self-esteem for good.

Gut Play in Mood healing Art for Relife Stress!

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What Role Does Our Gut Play in Mood? 

Stress, for example, is intimately tied to our guts.Our bodies respond to stress with a “fight or flight system,” related to our cortisol levels and which is ruled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. When something scary or worrying happens, like someone unexpectedly jumps in front of you or you see a mouse scurrying in front you, you have a physical reaction: your palms might get sweaty and you might feel your heartbeat quicken.

Typically, if you’re in a stressful situation that is then diffused, your body goes back to normal. But if you’re constantly stressed, your body is stuck in that fight or flight phase over an extended period of time. The critical part is that our bodies are unable to distinguish between physical and mental stress. So your body would respond the same way if a bear showed up in your home as it does when you realize you hate your job — it will try to combat the stress.
This constant state of stress causes chronic inflammation; the body reacts to the stress as a type of infection and tries to overcome it. Because inflammation is at the root of many diseases, this exposure to prolonged stress can have serious consequences for your health, ranging from high blood pressure to autoimmune disorders. The types of bacteria found in the gut — “good bacteria” — play a role in how our immune responses are regulated.
Additionally, the gut microbiome is believed to be linked to disorders like depression and autism. For years, scientists and doctors have noticed that people with autism often have GI issues like food allergies or gluten intolerance. That led researchers to believe that perhaps there was something different about the gut makeup of autistic people.
A 2013 study found that when a certain type of bacteria was given to mice that had similar behavioral characteristics as humans with autism, the gut microbiome of these mice changed, along with their behavior. They became less anxious and were more social with other mice.
Doctors are even changing the way they dispense medicine as a result of the connection between our gut brains and our mood. Some doctors may prescribe particular antidepressants to treat diseases like irritable bowel syndrome.
That doesn’t mean they believe that the digestive problems are all in someone’s head. Rather, it’s thought that these medications can improve the link between the gut and the brain, providing digestive relief in the process.

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Natural Remedies for Your Gut-Brain Connection:-

While there’s still much to uncover about the mystery of the gut and all it affects, we are sure of a few things you should do to improve your gut-brain connection.
1. Avoid Processed Foods:-
For starters, a whole foods-based diet leads to a gut with a much different makeup than one that’s been fed mainly refined and processed foods. Even worse, ultra-processed foods like white bread, chips and snack cakes that make up nearly 60 percent of the average American’s diet. The added sugar found in these foods, often disguised as different types of artificial sweeteners, are responsible for a variety of health conditions, from obesity to type 2 diabetes to migraines.
2. Eat Probiotics:-
Eating probiotic-rich foods, like kefir and sauerkraut, can also cause your gut and mood to thrive. Probiotics are good bacteria that primarily line your gut and are responsible for nutrient absorption and supporting your immune system.
3. Swear Off Gluten:-
For many people, limiting gluten will also have positive effect on their gut microbiome. The traditional methods of soaking, sprouting and souring grains in order to make them digestible and nutritious has been abandoned for a fast and convenient method of mass producing food.
4. Eat Healthy Fats:-
Healthy fats are essential for brain development. Olive oil, for instance, includes a high amount of antioxidants that protect your cells from damage. It also helps improve memory and cognitive function, and works as an anti-inflammatory. Avocado benefits range from protecting your heart to helping with digestion, but it’s also a great pick for improving your mood.
5. Consume Mushrooms:-
The shiitake mushroom contains plenty of vitamin B6. Because vitamin B6 impacts the production of serotonin and neurotransmitters, healthy B6 levels are associated with a positive mood and reducing stress naturally. It’s also been proven to effectively treat mood disorders like depression.
6. Eat Nuts
Have a small handful of nuts like almonds, cashews, walnuts and Brazil nuts. Why? They’re full of serotonin, a feel-good chemical that’s in short supply when you’re depressed.
7. Have Sesame Seeds:-
Its benefits stem from tyrosine, an amino acid that boosts the brain’s dopamine levels. It kicks the feel-good hormone into high gear while balancing out the others.
We don’t have all the answers on the gut-mood link just yet, but one thing is certain: our bodies and minds are much more connected than you believe. Taking care of one part will reap benefits for the rest of you.

Breathing Exercise to Relax 10 Minutes or Less!

Over-worked, under-slept, and feeling pressure like whoa? There are plenty of ways to find calm—without investing in a 90-minute massage. Turns out all you need is a pair of healthy lungs, your breath, and 10 minutes or less. Here are six expert-approved ways to relax using breathing techniques borrowed from yoga, meditation, and even the therapist’s chair.

Your Action Plan:-

From the confines of a bed, a desk, or anywhere negativity finds its way, consider these six techniques to help keep calm and carry on.

1. Sama Vritti or “Equal Breathing'':-

How it’s done: Balance can do a body good, beginning with the breath. To start, inhale for a count of four, then exhale for a count of four (all through the nose, which adds anatural resistance to the breath). Got the basic pranayama down? More advanced yogis can aim for six to eight counts per breath with the same goal in mind: Calm the nervous system, increase focus, and reduce stress, Pacheco says.

When it works best: Anytime, anyplace—but this is one technique that’s especially effective before bed. “Similar to counting sheep, if you’re having trouble falling asleep, this breath can help take your mind off the racing thoughts, or whatever might be distracting you," Pacheco says.

2. Abdominal Breathing Technique:-

How it’s done: With one hand on the chest and the other on the belly, take a deep breath in through the nose, ensuring the diaphragm (not the chest) inflates with enough air to create a stretch in the lungs. The goal: Six to 10 deep, slow breaths per minute for 10 minutes each day to experience immediate reductions to heart rate and blood pressure, McConnell says. Keep at it for six to eight weeks, and those benefits might stick around even longer.

When it works best: Before an exam or any stressful event. But keep in mind, “Those who operate in a stressed state all the time might be a little shocked how hard it is to control the breath,” Pacheco says. To help train the breath, consider biofeedback tools such as McConnell’s Breathe Strong app, which can help users pace their breathing wherever they are.

3. Progressive Relaxation:-

How it’s done: To nix tension from head to toe, close the eyes and focus on tensing and relaxingeach muscle group for two to three seconds each. Start with the feet and toes, then move up to the knees, thighs, glutes, chest, arms, hands, neck, jaw, and eyes—all while maintaining deep, slow breaths. Having trouble staying on track? Anxiety and panic specialist Dr. Patricia Farrell suggests we breathe in through the nose, hold for a count of five while the muscles tense, then breathe out through the mouth on release.

When it works best: At home, at a desk, or even on the road. One word of caution: Dizziness is never the goal. If holding the breath ever feels uncomfortable, tone it down to just a few seconds.

4. Nadi Shodhana or "Alternate Nostril Breathing":-

How it’s done: A yogi’s best friend, this breath is said to bring calm, balance, and unite the right and left sides of the brain. Starting in a comfortable meditative pose, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left nostril. At the peak of inhalation, close off the left nostril with the ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril. Continue the pattern, inhaling through the right nostril, closing it off with the right thumb, and exhaling through the left nostril.
When it works best: Crunch time, or whenever it’s time to focus or energize. Just don’t try this one before bed: Nadi shodhana is said to “clear the channels” and make people feel more awake. “It’s almost like a cup of coffee,” Pacheco says.
5. Guided Visualization:-

How it’s done: Head straight for your happy place, no questions asked. With a coach, therapist, or helpful recording as your guide, breathe deeply while focusing on pleasant, positive images to replace any negative thoughts. Psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer explains that while it’s just one means of achieving mindfulness, “Guided visualization helps puts you in the place you want to be, rather than letting your mind go to theinternal dialogue that is stressful.”

When it works best: Pretty much any place you can safely close your eyes and let go (e.g. not at the wheel of a car).

6. Kapalabhati or "Skull Shining Breath":-

How it’s done: Ready to brighten up your day from the inside out? This one begins with a long, slow inhale, followed by a quick, powerful exhale generated from the lower belly. Once comfortable with the contraction, up the pace to one inhale-exhale (all through the nose) every one to two seconds, for a total of 10 breaths.

When it works best: When it’s time to wake up or start looking on the bright side. “It’s pretty abdominal-intensive,” Pacheco says, “but it will warm up the body, shake off stale energy, and wake up the brain.” If alternate nostril breathing is like coffee, consider this a shot of espresso, she says.

While stress, frustration, and other daily setbacks will always be there, the good news is, so will our breath.

Brain Exercise That keep Your Mind Sharp!

Here are my favorite neurobic exercises that you can do anywhere, anytime.

And no one will call the fashion police.

Switch hands:-

 If you are right-handed, try using your left hand to do things like brushing your teeth, eating, and using your computer mouse.

Using yournon-dominant hand results in increased brain activity.

This can be very hard at first which is why it gives your brain a good workout.

Eat with chopsticks:- 

This will force you to eat mindfully which is good for your brain, digestion and calorie consumption.

(If you’re already good at this, switch to using your non-dominant hand.)

Close your eyes:- 

 When taking a shower, washing your hair, or sorting laundry, try doing it with your eyes closed.

This will force your brain to use new neural pathways.

Wear your watch upside down:- 

 This works better with an analog watch but you can do it with a digital watch as well.

You’ll have to really think every time you glance at your watch.

Or, you can actually buy an upside down watch.

I guess this is for people who are very serious about this exercise.

You can also hang clocks or calendars upside down.

Exercise Your Brain to Increase Intelligence:-

In 2008, a groundbreaking study proved for the first time that overall intelligence could be improved

This was huge news that changed the way science regarded intelligence.

Several important findings resulted from this study:

1:-Intelligence is fluid and can be increased with the right stimulus. 
 2:-The gains are dependent on the amount of training, i.e. the more you train, the more you gain. 
3:-Anyone can increase their cognitive abilities, no matter their starting point. 
 4:-Cognitive enhancement made in one area could improve totally unrelated skills.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas Important Meal Properly!

Is your morning breakfast ritual depleting your energy? Try these delicious, energizing Body Ecology healthy breakfast ideas!

So you've started eating better and want healthy breakfast ideas?

Breakfast is one of the most neglected meals of the day when it comes to our health. With busy lives and long commutes to work, convenient processed foods like Pop Tarts, donuts and fast food have become par for the course.

Add a little coffee or orange juice and you have the typical American breakfast.

Full of sugar...acidproducing...energy draining. The first meal of the day has become one of the most harmful for your health and it's no better if you skip it.

The Body Ecology Program was created to build your energy and vitality, while healing your digestive system so that you can achieve and maintain vibrant health. But what happens when you can no longer grab breakfast from a vending machine or fast food window?

Body Ecology has many healthy breakfast ideas that are quick and easy to prepare. This article will outline some tips for a healthy breakfast along with menu suggestions that will have you enjoying the most important meal of the day.

Tips for Your Healthy Breakfast:-

1:-Plan your menu in advance:-
Whenever you are creating a new habit, one of the keys to success is planning. Create a menu plan for all of your meals for the week. This will help you shop for the foods you'll need and make the most of leftovers from the night before that can be used for a healthy breakfast meal.
Planning your menu in advance will also allow you to soak your nuts, seeds or BodyEcology grain-like seeds the night before, so you are ready to prepare them for the next day.

2:-Have an all-alkaline breakfast:-
During the night when you are sleeping, toxic bodies tend to become more acidic. Acidic blood sets the stage for illness and disease. When you wake up, having a more alkaline breakfast helps balance this acidic condition.

3:-Hydrate :-When sleeping, you become also become quite dehydrated. Drinking water and having a healthy breakfast meal with high water content is an excellent way to re-hydrate your body to begin your day.

4:-Have a balanced and slightly more expansive meal:-
During the night, your body becomes contracted (stored energy that is closed and tight), so you will want to have a meal that is expansive (open, active and relaxed energy).

Everyone from experts to moms agree that it's important to eat your vegetables. On the Body Ecology program, land and ocean vegetables are the star superfoods of every meal, including breakfast.
In fact, we recommend that 80% of each meal is made up of vegetables. Vegetables meet all of the criteria for healthy breakfast tips: they are alkaline, provide hydration and are balanced from an acid/alkaline perspective.
Unfortunately, eating vegetables for breakfast seems very foreign to most people. It's certainly quite different from that all-carb processed-food meal full of sugar so popular today.
You'll see that there are plenty of healthy breakfast ideas that will have you eating your vegetables with delight each morning! Even more so when you see your energy soar!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas:-

My favorite morning wake up call consists of 3 super stars on the healthy breakfast ideas menu. If you are a light eater in the morning, one or all of these may satisfy you.

If you are more active or have a bigger appetite, you could start your day with these three hydrating "meals" and have something more substantial mid-morning. Try them for yourself

 Vitality SuperGreen :-

 if you have no appetite in the morning or are in a rush, the perfect morning pick-me up is Vitality SuperGreen.
Vitality SuperGreen is our alkalizing green food blended with nutrients andprobiotics to nourish and heal your intestines. Just add filtered water and it can give you a quick energy boost that replaces your need for acid- producing coffee.
This is how I often prepare my Vitality SuperGreen:-

1 scoop of Vitality SuperGreen,

1 scoop of RenewPro Whey Protein Concentrate

Stevia to taste (optional)

Non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring

1:-Green Smoothie - This Good Morning Green Smoothie recipe will surely make you love your vegetables! Try our green smoothie recipe before your morning exercise routine or on your way to work, it's a great energizer!

2:-Young Coconut Kefir or CocoBiotic - Young Coconut Kefir is an amazing probiotic liquid that you can make yourself. We consistently receive raving reports on its benefits including helping to stop sugar cravings, prevent bloating in the digestive tract, eliminate joint pain and making your skin more clear and pore-less. ...all while adding healthy microflora to boost your immunity.

3:-While not identical to young coconut kefir since they contain different micro.

Happiness Life!

While happiness is defined by the individual, I’ve always felt it foolish to declare that nothing can be learned from observing the happiness of others.

In our day-to-day lives it is easy to miss the forest for the trees and look over some of the smaller, simpler things that can disproportionally affect our happiness levels. Luckily, we can go off more than just our intuition; there are lots of studies that aim for finding the right behavior that leads to a happier life.

1. Be Busy, But Not Rushed

Research shows that being “rushed” puts you on the fast track to being miserable. On the other hand, many studies suggest that having nothing to do can also take its toll, bad news for those who subscribe to the Office Space dream of doing nothing.

The porridge is just right when you’re living a productive life at a comfortable pace. Meaning: you should be expanding your comfort zone often, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. Easier said than done, but certainly an ideal to strive towards.

Feeling like you’re doing busywork is often the result of saying “Yes” to things you are not absolutely excited about. Be sure to say “No” to things that don’t make you say, “Hell yeah!” We all have obligations, but a comfortable pace can only be found by a person willing to say no to most things, and who’s able to say “Yes” to the right things.

You should be expanding your comfort zone often, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed.

2. Have 5 Close Relationships

Having a few close relationships keeps people happier when they’re young, and has even been shown to help us live longer, with a higher quality of life. True friends really are worth their weight in gold. But why five relationships? This seemed to be an acceptable average from a variety of studies.

National surveys find that when someone claims to have 5 or more friends with whom they can discuss important problems, they are 60 percent more likely to say that they are ‘very happy’.

The number isn’t the important aspect here, it is the effort you put into your relationships that matters. Studies show that even the best relationships dissolve over time; a closeness with someone is something you need to continually earn, never treat it as a given. Every time you connect with those close to you, you further strengthen those bonds and give yourself a little boost of happiness at the same time. The data show that checking in around every two weeks is the sweet spot for very close friends. 

3. Don’t Tie Your Happiness to External Events

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. —C.S. Lewis

Self-esteem is a tricky beast. It’s certainly good for confidence, but a variety of research suggests that self-esteem that is bound to external success can be quite fickle. For example, certain students who tied their self-esteem to their grades experienced small boosts when they received a grad school acceptance letter, but harsh drops in self-esteem when they were rejected.

Tying your happiness to external events can also lead to behavior which avoids failure as a defensive measure. Think of all the times you tell yourself, “It doesn’t matter that I failed, because I wasn’t even trying.”  The key may be, as C.S. Lewis suggests, to instead think of yourself less, thus avoiding the trap of tying your self-worth to external signals.

4. Exercise

Yup, no verbose headline here, because there is no getting around it: no matter how much you hate exercise, it will make you feel better if you stick with it. Body image improves when you exercise (even if results don’t right away). And eventually, you should start seeing that “exercise high” once you’re able to pass the initial hump: The release of endorphins has an addictive effect, and more exercise is needed to achieve the same level of euphoria over time.

So make it one of your regular habits. It does not matter which activity you choose, there’s bound to be at least one physical activity you can stomach.

5. Embrace Discomfort for Mastery

Happy people generally have something known as a “signature strength” — At least one thing they’ve become proficient at, even if the learning process made them uncomfortable.

Research has suggested that mastering a skill may be just as stressful as you might think. Researchers found that although the process of becoming proficient at something took its toll on people in the form of stress, participants reported that these same activities made them feel happy and satisfied when they looked back on their day as a whole.

As the cartoon Adventure Time famously said, “Suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something,” and it’s true, struggle is the evidence of progress. The rewards of becoming great at something far outweigh the short-term discomfort that is caused earning your stripes.

Struggle is the evidence of progress.

6. Spend More Money on Experiences

Truly happy people are very mindful of spending money on physical items, opting instead to spend much of their money on experiences.  “Experiential purchases” tend to make us happier, at least according to the research. In fact, a variety of research shows that most people are far happier when buying experiences vs. buying material goods.

Here are some reasons why this might be, according to the literature.

1:-Experiences improve over time. Aging like a fine wine, great experiences trump physical items, which often wear off quickly (“Ugh, my phone is so old!”). Experiences can be relived for years. 

2:-People revisit experiences more often. Research shows that experiences are recalled more often than material purchases. You are more likely to remember your first hiking trip over your first pair of hiking boots (although you do need to make that purchase, or you’ll have some sore feet!)

3:- Experiences are more unique. Most people try to deny, but we humans are constantly comparing ourselves to one another. Comparisons can often make us unhappy, but experiences are often immune to this as they are unique to us. Nobody in the world will have the exact experience you had with your wife on that trip to Italy 

4:-We adapt slowly to experiences. Consumer research shows that experiences take longer to “get used to.” Have you ever felt really energized, refreshed, or just different after coming back from a great show/dinner/vacation? It is harder to replicate that feeling with material purchases. 

5:-Experiences are social. Human beings are social animals. Did you know that true solitary confinement is often classified as “cruel and unusual” punishment due to the detrimental effects it can have on the mind? Experiences get us out of our comfort zone, out of our house, and perhaps involved in those close relationships we need to be happy.

7. Don’t Ignore Your Itches

This one is more anecdotal than scientific, but perhaps most important.

When the Guardian asked a hospice nurse for the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying, one of the most common answers was that people regretted not being true to their dreams: