Beauty Perspective

 

Am a firm believer of the phrase “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. At times, you look at yourself, and you wonder what the hunk of a person or a beautiful woman saw in you… I know that is opened for discussion but all in all it depends on whom you chose to be your beholder. Who you allow to be the determiner of your inner beauty determines how you carry yourself on a daily basis.
I remember growing up I used to be a hefty kid, and it never bothered me until I got to secondary school and heard people make fun of my physic. To make matters worse, I was the kind of kid with chubby cheeks- you can get the picture. It went from just a teacher wanting to pinch the ‘tu cheeks’ in primary school even when you were not wrong to someone actually making fun of how they looked. All my mom’s talk of how beautiful I was, flushed down the toilet. My self-esteem concerning my body went down the drain in a flash.
After my morning studies, I would open this channel on telly (don’t exactly remember which one) and do aerobics at 5 a.m. and whatever exercise they had. I would starve myself and never did I lose the weight (not trying to crush anyone’s effort). After high school, hearing some inspirational speakers (Joyce Meyer, Paula White, TD Jakes) for about two years, my self-esteem was boosted, and I can’t even tell you how I lost weight. All I remember is that I used to walk to my destinations, and I lost the weight. Nowadays a day or two of exercise will show because I lose the weight. Like recently I took to some exercises (walks and a session at the gym), and I was surprised that a trouser which I had to struggle with to wear could not hold without a belt.

 

My point is, in as much as beauty is essential and exercise is healthy what determines your success at it is who you are doing it for. As Joyce Meyer’s book, Battle Field of the Mind says, the battle begins in the mind. If you can win it there, it doesn’t take much effort on the outside. One, let YOU be the beholder, determine your perspective of beauty then with or without the weight you will be happy. Who determines your going to the gym? The decision to lose weight must be your own for you to succeed at it. When you do it for others, the pressure would be too much and even when you lose a little it would never be good enough.
All my life I wanted to lose weight for the wrong reasons, but when I finally decided to love myself and do it for me, I began losing it effortlessly. Whether you have more in the bony areas than some of us, what matters is your view of beauty. See yourself as beautiful, and then exercise will be a fun part of your life. It will be more of “am doing it to be healthy, take care of myself”. Not that “am doing it to make them like me”. Love yourself today and take care of you for the right reasons you will be surprised at how much you will achieve.

Enhancing the Brain

Have you ever been in a circumstance where you wanted so much to indulge in a conversation that was at its peak, and you were just clueless because though the words were coming up your throat you didn’t quite know how to express them. The people around you seem up to speed with the current events, and though you were well versed in the matter, you didn’t want to make a fool of yourself.

Imagine this scenario; you are with your date and his or her co-workers, the conversation gets heated up but though you are aware of what they are talking about you really can’t seem to join in the fun. You are scared of shaming yourself because your English is not quite poised to join in. You imagine having ‘typos’ in your conversation and a good argument that would have driven the message home is left hanging, actually leaving you looking like the clueless individual in the room or Casper the ghost.

Many of us find reading a complete waste of time, and the furthest we can go is a fascinating article in a magazine, and we leave it at that. Recently after following Abbie Lu’s blog, cafebookbean.com, I noticed I haven’t been much of a reader except my school work and that wasn’t enough. A lecturer asked a question, and I was giving the answer and was torn between which language I was supposed to use. Obviously, I was to use English, but it wasn’t coming out right. Then I knew something had to be done. I looked for those E-books I had downloaded and spend a couple of shillings adding my stock of books.

I remember starting reading story books just a few months into kindergarten, and it became my niche. Having a teacher for mom made it better because she invested on my need for more story books. I remember my best days were spent in the national library which was quarter an hour walk from our home.

Reading not only perfects our language and our skill of communication but also rejuvenates our spirit. When you read a fiction book, it stimulates your mind, makes your imagination run wild. Your emotions get engaged and give you the ability to imagine the circumstance to be something real.

Studies have shown that reading increases the size of your brain. Reading has been linked with changes in your brain. The changes are mainly in the language area of the brain and will improve your vocabulary, spatial awareness and ability to communicate. These skills are beneficial to anyone, even those who do not love reading.

The emotions in a book also develop your brain. Losing yourself in a book gives you the opportunity to be a part of the story, and feel the pain and other emotions the characters go through. In turn, this allows your brain to become more aware of how things affect people in the real world. This engagement will improve your ability to emphasize with other people and see when they need your help. Reading a variety of books also helps you know how to deal with different individuals under different circumstances. Additionally, it also helps you know how to compose yourself in diverse circumstances.

Any reading is beneficial to the brain but reading a physical book as opposed to an electronic book does provide a complete experience and more opportunities for your mind to improve physically and mentally. It is equally important to pick a genre that you enjoy because this is the only way you’ll find reading a pleasurable activity.

Either way, whatever you are comfortable with, just create a reading culture, and you will see the benefits that come with it.

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Morning rituals

 

Do you wake up feeling sluggishness, stressed, sleep deprived, weak, having mental fogginess? Warm Lemon water is the solution for you. It gives the immune system support by replenishing the body’s hydration levels

Most of us have a ritual of what we eat when we wake up. How you start your day really matters, and it all comes down to what you take first in the morning.

One well known morning ritual to consider is a glass of Warm lemon water which is used to energize your internal body and mind. A regular old fashion size mug of warm water and the juice of half of a lemon, every morning is all you need to start the day off.

Benefits to the body

Immune System Booster

Lemons are filled with high levels of Vitamin C and Potassium. The two elements help to boost the immune system. Vitamin C is known to help the body fight off colds and other diseases and potassium is popular for regulating blood pressure. Potassium also aids in stimulating nerve and brain functions. The ascorbic acid from lemons act as an anti-inflammatory and helps the body absorb iron better. Iron is essential to the immune system’s functionality.

Digestion Assistance

The juice of lemons helps flush out unwanted toxins in the body. Lemon juice behaves like saliva and hydrochloric acid assisting the liver to produce bile for digestive purposes. The high levels of vitamins and minerals in lemons also loosen the toxins in the gastrointestinal tract. Women will appreciate the added relief of bloating and heartburn thanks to the digestive properties in lemon juice. Since warm lemon water is such an effective digestive aid, the American Cancer Society recommends it for cancer patients to help with their bowel movements.

The Balance of pH Levels

Too much acid in the body can be unhealthy and cause conditions such as kidney stones. Lemons, though acidic, also contain alkaline once in the body. Once metabolized in the system, the lemon juice helps to reduce the acidity in the body and replaces lost alkaline in the blood.

Detoxifies the Body

Lemon water detoxifies the body by flushing toxins through urine. This process helps to improve the health of the urinary tract. The citric acid from the lemon also maximizes the enzyme functions, thereby helping the liver work better.

Skin Improvement

The detoxification process that occurs from the lemon water not only cleans the toxins in the body, but it will also clear your skin through flushing out all the free radicals and bacteria that cause acne. You may take lemons and rub them on your face to get rid of dark spots, wrinkles and blemishes, but the work of the lemon water will do it from the inside out.

Weight Loss Assistance

The high levels of pectin fiber in lemons help to curb cravings. A more alkaline filled diet will encourage weight loss.

Healing Power

The abundance of Vitamin C in lemons helps the body heal itself faster. Wounds heal at a more rapid speed than without a significant amount of Vitamin C in the blood. Vitamin C also helps the connective tissue, healthy bones and cartilage.

Energetic Ability

The simple smell of lemons can energize the brain and help enhance a person’s mood. Any food we eat either gives us energy or takes it away. The negative charged enzymes in lemon juice will provide the body with a boost of energy.

8 Glasses a day- Is it true?

 

How much water do you need?

Every day you lose water through your breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly about 13 cups (3 liters) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is about 9 cups (2.2 liters) of total beverages a day.

What about the advice to drink 8 glasses a day?

Everyone has heard the advice, “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.” That’s about 1.9 liters, which isn’t that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the “8 by 8” rule isn’t supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it’s easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be re-framed as: “Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day,” because all fluids count toward the daily total.