How Natural Remedies and Yoga Can Give You Better Health | Girls Mag

How Natural Remedies and Yoga Can Give You Better Health

1200-yoga-barre-workout-grokker

“Eat food. Mostly Plants.” That’s the most popular quote of bestselling author Michael Pollan, who wrote multiple bestselling books expanding those few words. It resonates with every single one of us who’s watched our bodies waste away, even as we try to somehow stop ourselves from sinking in our unhealthy lifestyles.

Is there a way out? For the average Joe and Jane? The answer is yes. It’s doable, even affordable if you know what and what not to do, and the scientific reasons behind the rules. Here’s a few simple, yet powerful steps to start your journey to health.

Diet Pills are (sometimes) your friend, IF you know what you’re doing: Finding a magic pill for our problems is the first thing we think of. It’s easy to figure out why- we’re up to our eyeballs just getting through life. It’s only human to search for something quick and effective. But always remember, what diet pills contain will decide what they’ll do for you.

Green Tea Extract Supplements, Especially Those With Matcha

Why: When taken in moderate amounts (less than 5-8 milligrams per day per pound of your body weight), Green Tea Extracts have multiple beneficial effects on your body- Green tea contains just the right amount of niacin, thiamine, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechins, flavanols and epicatechin gallate which have been scientifically proven to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogen effects on the human body. Green Tea has also been shown to reduce Low-Density-Lipoprotein Cholesterol (also known as LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol) while not affecting ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

Matcha: Is simply a powdered and more concentrated version of Green Tea, which is why huge companies like Starbucks® use it in their health-focused drinks. The kicker here is that Green Tea is 99% water. So you’ll need to drink at least seven cups of Green Tea every day to get any real results. If you can stick to that religiously, that’s great! If that’s not possible, taking a supplement that has all that healthy goodness once a day will get you the same benefits as drinking Green Tea multiple times a day.

Dumbbells with an apple and measuring type

Dumbbells with an apple and measuring type

Medium-Chain Triglycerides(MCTs): A few spoonfuls of coconut oil a day gives a healthy dose of MCTs which metabolize faster and help you feel less hungry. Most of the food we eat has Long-Chain Triglycerides that have lower energy and take longer to absorb by the body, thereby needing us to eat more.

Garcinia Cambogia Extracts: This popular fruit has Hydroxy Citric Acid (HCA) which increases the metabolic rate and Citrate Lyase, which reduces fat creation, thus ‘burning fat’. It also helps the body create more serotonin- which leads to a feeling of ‘fullness’ and decreases the cravings that make you eat when you’re down. The one major risk with this is that only garcinia cambogia and apple cider vinegar will give you these benefits. Because of its popularity, lots of shady businesses will sell you fake Garcinia- which at best will do nothing and at worst could actually harm you. So be sure to buy from a trustworthy seller.

 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are medically proven as essential to human growth, but in our modern lifestyles we’re getting less and less of it. Among several advantages including having anti-inflammation effects, it also helps improve the general ‘mood’ by acting on the brain. This in turn helps prevent the eat-to-feel-good response that is responsible for our efforts to eat in a stable manner.

Foods That Fill You Up and Suppress Your Appetite

Yohimbine: Yohimbine or Yohimbe bark reduces appetite- but also increases the adrenaline in your body to dangerous levels. Adrenaline is good for you only when you’re doing some heavy physical activity or are genuinely angry or scared. Pumping adrenaline non-stop in your body when you’re not exercising may probably increase depression and will affect your mood- and make the binge-eating cravings worse.

Anhydrous Caffeine and/or 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine: Normal caffeine in small amounts might help you focus. Anhydrous caffeine or other types of concentrated caffeine are extremely concentrated forms of caffeine that basically have an effect similar to an Alka-Seltzer in water- only thing is, all that caffeine is in your blood stream and your body. This can literally kill you if taken beyond a certain dosage or keep you in the hospital for a few days, playing havoc with your blood pressure- and has no benefits whatsoever.

 Yoga Is Good For You: Yoga is an amazing form of exercise. It works on your body and your mind, and positively influences your life. It is also doable anywhere and in a short amount of time-about twenty minutes of gentle stretching- being perfect for beginning your journey to health and a better life. It combines body strengthening exercises with deep and rhythmic breathing to return your body to its natural state, decreasing the effects of the stress of the daily grind on your body and your mind.

How Yoga Changes Your Body

Yoga simultaneously strengthens your joints and muscles, reduces inflammation; and relaxes and calms your mind. Basically, yoga makes life easier right from the start and gently prepares your body better for exercise. The result is that you feel happier, more relaxed and more willing to take on challenges be they in your personal or professional life or just working towards gaining a healthier and better life.

 Physical exercise goes a long way in making the two steps above give you outsized gains. When people think of exercise they’ll imagine pumping heavy iron with Eye of The Tiger playing in the background. That’s great, but that’s not necessary to give you vast benefits, especially when just starting out.

A simple morning walk on the weekend, or any day, really just fifteen minutes of your time- will improve your body and mind beyond belief. Even small amounts of exercise produce serotonin- which helps you have a better and happier mood, which then spills over to every aspect of your life.

Natural diet supplements and Yoga will help you ‘de-stress’ and counteract the harmful influences of our modern life and exercise will multiply the positive benefits they bring. Do it for fun and you’ll find yourself wanting and able to exercise for more and better gains. In conclusion, be smart with what you know and take action with that knowledge. You’ll find yourself much better off if you just started in a small way-TODAY.