Christmas is a time to enjoy time with family, make the most of your favourite foods and watch cheesy Christmas films. So don’t let the feeling of bloating ruin your day. Before we get into it, let’s get one thing clear — bloating after a big meal is normal. But it can be incredibly uncomfortable, which is never fun. So these are a few ways you can make that Christmas bloat a little more comfortable.
Stretch your legs
Suggest a household walk after dinner to help beat the bloating feeling. Take the dog, children, or enjoy the excuse to have a little air away from arguing in-laws by having a quick solo stroll around the block.
Giving your circulation a boost with gentle exercise will help to invigorate your muscles and organs, and you’ll find you flush out those toxins and fluids much quicker than if you remain sedentary.
If the weather outside is frightful, you could always do a few strolling laps of the house, including the stairs. You could stretch your arms out wide and over your head intermittently to further encourage blood flow.
Drink plenty of water
Water helps flush out excess toxins in the body, so though you may feel too full of drinking a big glass of h2o, it will help — especially if your dinner has been high in salt. You don’t have to down it all in one go. Just sip at it as you have your stroll or watch that Christmas special on TV.
Remember that not all drinks equal healthy hydration — alcoholic and carbonated options will prolong and encourage further bloating, so go easy on the refills of bubbly if you can.
Herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint are also an excellent after-dinner choice, as they’re well known for their calming and soothing effects, plus they may provide gas relief too.
Get on the ginger
Ginger has long been hailed as a natural digestive aid, and it can help to soothe your stomach. Chop some root ginger into inch-long pieces and soak it in boiling water to make an honest tea. If you aren’t a fan of the flavour, you could always add freshly cut orange or lemon for a citrusy twist.
Avoid fatty foods
Okay, so this may not be popular advice, but if you’re feeling the bloat, you should try to avoid more saturated fats like a cheeseboard or chocolates.
Your body will likely be working hard to digest all the food you’ve had at dinner, and fatty foods require extra effort to be broken down. They also move more slowly through the digestive tract, so you may be prolonging the time it takes for your body to feel better.
You could also have cultured yoghurt as a bit of a dessert, as this contains probiotics that can help with digestion and reduce excessive gas. Even a spoonful on the side in place of brandy cream may make a difference, so you don’t have to feel like you’re missing out.
However, Christmas is most definitely the time for cheese and chocolate. So when you’ve freed up a little more room after your walk, we think some cheese and crackers is more than acceptable.
]]>To combine downtime with a bit of sightseeing, Cambodia, with its rich healing traditions and ancient wonders, is a beautiful destination to start.
Explore the temples of Angkor, marvel at Phnom Penh’s Silver Pagoda, or dive into the magical underwater world of Koh Rong, all while enjoying the pampering perks of a wellness resort.
So slow down and smell the roses – your body, mind, and soul will thank you for it.
If you long to escape the daily grind and de-stress, this tropical hideaway in Koh Rong, 45 minutes by speedboat from Sihanoukville, will help you immerse yourself in life’s simple joys.
Each thatched-roofed villa is a private sanctuary with linen-draped canopy beds, upcycled decor, and repurposed furniture.
While you can choose to do nothing but work on your tan on the pristine private beach, the spa and wellbeing treatments here promise to be transformative.
Based on the Buddhist tradition of Metta Bhavana (cultivation of loving-kindness), the spa menu is made up of treatments centered around the body’s essential energy channels.
Among these are a lavender and coconut bath ritual designed to treat exhaustion and quieten the mind and a marine flora body scrub that uses sea lettuce, sea lavender, and Himalayan salt crystals to re-energize the body’s lymphatic and immune systems.
To complement your spa treatments, sign up for one-on-one yoga sessions or work up a sweat in paradise with a personal trainer by your side.
Just a 15-minute drive from the magnificent Angkor Wat, Anantara’s Angkorian outpost is an idyllic sanctuary to decamp to after a busy day of temple exploration.
The property features design elements inspired by Khmer architecture and consists of 39 spacious suites clustered around a saltwater pool.
Accommodation options include rooms with balconies overlooking the pool and lush gardens and suites equipped with a spa room and jacuzzi for in-suite massages.
Anantara is renowned for its tailor-made wellness programs, and at the Angkor Resort, none is more therapeutic than the Seven Ways of Enlightenment.
The curated treatments combine spa treatments with nutrition and meditation and a holistic approach to wellness. They include routines based on seven pillars – sati (mindfulness), dhamma Vizcaya (investigation), virya (energy), piti (rapture), passed (tranquility), samadhi (concentration) a, and upekkha (equanimity).
Wellness newbies should sample the dhamma Vizcaya therapy, a 4.5-hour session that draws on the healing benefits of the Cambodian angklung seed, which is heated and used in the massage treatment.
The brainchild of its Italian owners who opened their first property in Fiji, this resort brings the best island vibes to Siem Reap.
Spread across 1 hectare of landscaped gardens, the resort’s 28 rooms and suites range from the 45-square meter Explorer to the cavernous Family Suite, which features a bedroom, living room, ensuite with oversized tub, and its private garden.
The rooms showcase Mediterranean-Esque arches and furnishings in bright pops of yellow and blue and are accentuated with handcrafted figurines.
Three gorgeous pools and a spa with detoxifying therapies add to the resort feel.
The list of holistic treatments includes energy healing and massage therapy that uses the Kansa wand. This ancient Indian skincare tool helps remove built-up toxins and revitalize skin.
A week-long yoga immersion program is also available for guests who want to combine their stay with expert-led yoga sessions, spa therapies, and nourishing farm-to-table meals.
Soaring high above the city atop the Vattanac Capital Tower, Phnom Penh’s tallest building, the 175-key Rosewood, is a splurge.
But with glorious views of the city and riverfront and facilities that include a sky-high 22-meter indoor lap pool, the hotel is the epitome of luxury.
Rooms and suites feature rich wood furnishings and a neutral color palette that soothe the senses, plush 600 thread count linen, bathtubs for luxurious soaks, and bespoke bath amenities.
Complementing the ultra-luxe rooms is a spa that spotlights healing therapies based on ancient Khmer wisdom.
Highly recommended from the treatment menu are the Chol Mlob Traditional Skin Cleanse, a brightening scrub and body wrap incorporating skin-nourishing white clay and saffron, and the Khmer Herbal Poultice massage that employs ingredients like ponlei (Cassumunar ginger) and turmeric.
Once you’re spa-ed out, cap your stay with a glorious meal at Brasserie Louis, which serves French dishes like steak tartare alongside Cambodian favorites such as solar care such mourn (yellow chicken curry), all made from locally-sourced ingredients.
Walking distance from Phnom Penh’s bustling markets and attractions like the Royal Palace and the National Museum of Cambodia, this urban oasis makes it a beautiful place to explore the city.
Behind high walls that keep the honks of tuk-tuks and motorbikes at bay is a paradise designed for rest and rejuvenation.
The stylish sleep here includes rooms that overlook a pool flanked by cabanas and sun loungers, a private garden, or the Phnom Penh skyline.
The tranquil surroundings are ideal for private yoga sessions to calibrate mind and body.
Alternatively, guests can head to the Plantation Spa for various therapeutic and pampering treatments like organic moringa facials, fruity body wraps, and oil massages.
The Khmer Herbal Massage is a highlight, which utilizes a heated poultice filled with Cambodian herbs to relieve aches and pains and stimulate the senses.
To nourish the body, head to La Pergola for delicious bites that include healthy options like beef Lok Lak (tenderloin seasoned with Kampot pepper), house-made ravioli bursting with fresh ricotta from Siem Reap, and for dessert, raw cheesecake with blueberry topping.
]]>Celebrated every 11 August as Yama no Hi or Mountain Day, this relatively new holiday isn’t religious, nor does it have any historical significance.
The Japanese government wanted folks to enjoy a day off in the mountains. Isn’t that nice?
The Japanese hold a special reverence for mountains. Like rivers, rocks, trees, and other natural phenomena, mountains are said to be where kami, the gods of Japan’s Shinto religion, dwell.
Princess Konohanasakuya-time, guardian of the 3,776 meter-high Mount Fuji, the country’s tallest peak among the most prominent kami.
For thousands of years, the active volcano, fondly referred to as Fuji-san by locals, has inspired art and philosophy.
Perhaps the most famous is “Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji,” a series of woodblock prints by famed Edo period artist Hokusai that depicts the unchanging nature of the majestic mountain in various settings.
A few hundred years earlier, 16th-century swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi wrote: “With your mind as high as Mount Fuji, you can see all things. And you can see all the forces that shape events – not just the things happening near to you.”
While mountains have always loomed large in Japan’s cultural geography, it wasn’t until 2014 that a public holiday was declared to celebrate them.
The reason August, the eighth month of the year, was chosen for this holiday is both cute and logical, not to mention characteristically Japanese. It’s right there in the kanji.
Kanji or Chinese characters form one of three writing systems used in Japanese, alongside hiragana and katakana.
The kanji for the number eight consists of two downwards diagonal strokes that slide outwards towards the bottom, resembling the shape of a mountain.
Mount Fuji may be high on the list for first-time visitors to Japan, but there are plenty of other options for a mountain vacation.
Located on the foothills of the Akaishi Mountains, Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan has welcomed samurai lords and celebrities into its cozy tatami rooms and rejuvenating hot springs for over 1,300 years, making it the oldest operating hotel in the world.
If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush with a touch of glam, Hokkaido in the north is home to some of the world’s finest ski resorts, nestled in picturesque, snow-covered towns such as Niseko Furano and Rusutsu.
Meanwhile, the lush foliage of the Kii Mountains, peppered with ancient Shinto and Buddhist shrines, is truly deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Ultimately, though, a sight of the mountains is hard to miss while in Japan. They can be easily spotted during cross-region train or bus rides or at tourist attractions like the Fushimi Inari shrine or Arashiyama Monkey Park in Kyoto.
Depending on where you stay, scenic peaks may even be visible from the window of your guest house. This is, after all, a nation that’s 80 percent covered in the mountains.
Now, isn’t that nice?
]]>20s skincare
The twenties have unique skin problems. They may still have pimples from puberty. If they are active, they may spend a lot of time in the sun. Moreover, they may not consider preventive care because their skin has not shown aging signs.
Reducing sugar, high-glycemic foods, and junk food can help people in their 20s treat acne. It is also important not to over-dry the skin. People with oily skin and blackheads may tolerate regular exfoliating soaps containing fine particles to help clog pores. If more potent prescription products are not needed, natural vitamin A products may also help clear the pores of oily, acne-prone skin. Many natural topical acne products include clay masks and drawing clay spot treatments, topical antibacterial medications (such as essential oils), and niacin-containing creams. Avoid fried foods, dairy products, and foods that can cause allergies and allergies. It also helps to solve any digestive problems.
Avoiding sunburn is the key to not causing skin damage later on. Those who spend a long time outdoors and get tanned as a result should at least prevent redness and burns, as well as overexposure. Avoiding direct sunlight, wearing sunscreen clothing, wearing a sun hat, and staying in the shade should be the primary forms of sun protection. Natural sunscreen is essential for secondary prevention. Some new sunscreens also contain vitamins and herbal antioxidants. Good security can be obtained by taking various antioxidants by mouth. Note: If you spend hours in the sun, these will not help.
Avoid excessive bathing and the use of harsh soaps. If your skin is dry, please moisturize it when it is wet after bathing. Creams are probably the most soothing. Oils and ointments have far fewer ingredients, do not require preservatives, and are less likely to cause allergies. These are some options you can try:
coconut oil
Almond oil
Olive oil with or without beeswax
Jojoba oil
Argan oil
Shea Butter
30s skincare
Sun damage and natural aging changes began to appear in the 1930s. Pay attention to your V-neck area, as well as your face-these regions are most exposed to the sun and start to show damage first. A scarf or sunscreen covering the area can make it look ten years younger.
There may also be areas of increased pigmentation, usually related to birth control pills or pregnancy. Strict sun protection, the use of hats, and sunscreen are essential. Oral and topical antioxidant vitamins and supplements may help. Therefore, general inflammation can be reduced.
Dark circles may begin to appear under the eyes. It is essential to distinguish the cause of lack of sleep, kidney pressure, or seasonal allergies. Avoiding allergens, filtering dust, controlling food allergies, and taking quercetin and nettle may help solve dark circles caused by dust and pollen allergies.
Pay close attention to varicose veins and spider veins in the legs, usually aggravated by pregnancy and standing or sitting for too long. Elevating your feet briefly above your heart, compression stockings, and supplements such as vitamin C, horse chestnut, and other bioflavonoids may help. These supplements can provide additional benefits to a diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables to reduce the appearance of fine blood vessels on the face and legs.
It is essential to moisturize the face and around the eyes. You may need a cleanser that contains fruit acids (such as alpha-hydroxy acids) to help remove dead skin and brighten your complexion.
Skincare for the 40s
If you spend some time in the sun, you may start to notice damage to the V-neck area in your 40s. Sunscreen is still an essential addition to scarves and protective clothing in the area, as well as topical and oral antioxidants, including:
Bioflavonoids, such as flavonoids in citrus fruits or pomegranates, oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) in grape seeds or purple fruits, including Pycnogenol (from pine bark).
Resveratrol
Vitamin C
Lipoic acid
N-acetylcysteine
Vitamin E
Green tea extract
Vitamin A, retinol, or prescription retinol are more important for thickening the skin, exfoliating, and causing slight edema to plump the skin and reduce fine lines. The small molecule hyaluronic acid can penetrate the skin and act as a moisturizer to retain moisture and may even enhance the natural hyaluronic acid lost with age.
Skincare over 40 years old
With aging and hormonal changes, the loss of elasticity
However, when discussing the benefits of consuming acai, it is important to realize that although there is research, more research is needed to confirm the many benefits currently believed to exist. Let’s dive into everything that acai offers, from origins and versatility to research-based health benefits.
What is acai berry?
Acai is a kind of fruit. Although it has a pit, it is usually called a berry. It comes from the acai palm tree native to Central and South America. Often known for its deep reddish-purple, this vibrant hue is why acai is considered a healthy food. Generally, in nature, fruits and vegetables with brighter colors tend to contain the most nutrients, especially antioxidants (more on this later).
Although you may have only heard of acai in the past few years, it has been an important food for people in Central and South America for thousands of years. In fact, the literature shows that both past and present Amazonian tribes have used acai to treat many different health diseases and believe that it helps strengthen the immune system, fight infections, and even support heart health. It wasn’t until the last decade that the health benefits of acai berries were recognized elsewhere in the world and became a more popular food and supplement.
How to use acai berry?
The choices here are really endless! Acai berries naturally have a hard outer skin that can be softened for consumption. Once the berries are soaked and softened, they are usually mashed with a fork to make a paste, often paired with meals by people living in the Amazon rainforest. You will often find squeezed juices, frozen purees, or acai in the form of acai powder that can be added to the liquid or semi-solid food of your choice. You may even see it used as a flavoring agent in processed foods (such as candy and ice cream) and body products (such as lotions and oils).
4 Health Benefits of Acai Berry
Although you can mix acai berries into a smoothie or smoothie bowl, add acai berry powder to oatmeal or yogurt, or start your day with a glass of acai juice, it’s important to understand why this fruit is incorporated into Essential routines in your daily life. Here is everything you need to know about the health benefits of acai berries.
- Acai is rich in nutrients
Like many different fruits and vegetables, acai berries contain many nutrients. In about half a cup of acai, you will find about 70 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, and 2 grams of fiber. This is less carbohydrates than you find in the equivalent portion of other fruits, so in comparison, acai berries are more nutritious.
Another interesting component of acai is about 5 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving. This is particularly unique because most fruits contain very little or zero grams of fat. In addition to the calorie-containing nutrients found in acai, these berries are also rich in antioxidants, which have many health benefits that we will discuss.
- Acai contains antioxidants
Antioxidants are powerful nutrients that come in many forms and provide a wide range of health benefits. Most antioxidants work similarly because they help protect the cells in your body, neutralize harmful free radicals and prevent them from harming your healthy cells. You may recognize some antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, while other antioxidants may sound unfamiliar, such as the anthocyanins found in acai berries.
The antioxidant content of food is measured by its oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and is assigned a numerical score. For reference, 100 grams of blueberries (another antioxidant-rich fruit) has an ORAC score of approximately 4,600, while the same number of acai berries has an ORAC score of more than 15,000. Antioxidants are believed to play a beneficial role in many health areas, including cancer, heart disease, and various other medical conditions. Below is our understanding of acai and its beneficial effects on certain health conditions, including heart health, cognition, and cancer.
- Acai and heart health
Cholesterol is a type of fat in the blood. It is necessary for many functions of the body, including supporting cell membranes and producing many essential hormones. However, when cholesterol levels become too high, especially the type of cholesterol called low-density lipoproteins, this becomes h
This homemade lip balm features zinc oxide and it also has green tea and coconut oil to nourish lips.
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
2 Tbs. loose green tea leaves
1/4 ounce beeswax
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. avocado oil
2 tsp. zinc oxide powder
Instructions:
- Melt coconut oil in a double boiler.
- Mix tea leaves into the melted oil. Simmer, covered, for one hour.
- Using cheesecloth, strain out and discard the leaves.
- Mix the tea-infused oil and the beeswax in the double boiler. Heat until the beeswax melts.
- Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients.
- Use an electric mixer to stir until the mixture forms a cream.
How come, babies, who don’t care a bit about long eyelashes, seem to be blessed with the longest, softest, most irresistible eyelashes while the adults who would love to be so lucky are stuck with short, stubby lashes? It might be an unfair irony, but there are natural solutions that can help boost eyelash length without nasty chemicals or strange ingredients.
One of the easiest ways to help eyelashes grow is to put green tea on them. Green tea is rich in beneficial compounds, such as flavonoids. Research has linked some flavonoids to improved hair growth. To take advantage of green tea’s benefits for eyelashes, simply brew a cup of tea. Let it cool to room temperature before dipping a cotton pad in the liquid. Rub the saturated cotton over the eyelash area. It will both coat the lashes in tea and clean the hair follicles.
Lemon essential oil is another beneficial product for eyelash health. Lemons have an antiseptic effect, and they protect against microbial growth. Before applying lemon oil to lashes, dilute them with olive oil, which is useful for protecting lashes against breakage, softening them, and helping them shine.
A homemade serum applied nightly will really enhance lash health. Pour fractionated coconut oil into a small rollerball bottle. Splash in 1 drop of lavender essential oil. Gently shake the oils to combine them. Avoiding the eyes, carefully roll this serum over eyelashes, using clean fingers to rub it in. The serum helps because coconut oil contains lash-strengthening fatty acids. Studies indicate that lavender oil can increase the number of hair follicles and may also discourage premature lash loss.
]]>Without proper precautions, the body’s cooling mechanism can be overwhelmed, and you might suddenly feel the effects of heat exhaustion, dizziness, faintness, nauseous, clammy skin, fast heart rate, headaches, and muscle cramps. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can turn into something more serious.
Thus, as more people start doing activities outdoors during the warmer months, this article will explore how to best protect from heat exhaustion. You will learn how staying hydrated, drinking fluids with plenty of electrolytes, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can help. We will also discuss how wearing sunscreen appropriately can help prevent heat exhaustion and what type of clothing to wear to best protect yourself from heat exhaustion.
What Are The Stages of Heat Exhaustion?
When you are exposed to heat, there are two ways that your body will try to seek relief. The first is to try to find a cooler place to cool off, and the second is for the body to start its normal physiological response of sweating to maintain normal body temperature. When the body sweats, it brings the blood to the small blood vessels close to the skin.
Since there is more blood closer to the skin, there is less blood returning to the heart, which leads to an increase in the heart rate. With continued heat exposure and a faster heart rate, the brain may not get the blood it needs, which causes the sensation of feeling faint or blacking out.
Cramps can develop because sweat is made of water and electrolytes like sodium and chloride, which drive the release of water from your sweat glands. Electrolytes also drive the normal process of muscles working and other body processes. Thus, as you continue to do activities under the sun without adequate hydration, some of the initial effects you may feel are muscle cramps due to loss of electrolytes and water.
Finally, as you continue being outdoors, whether exercising or just laying under the sun, your body is continuing to fight the effects of the heat. This can lead to your body having a lower volume than normal and not compensating for water loss. With continued sweating, salt depletion, and sun exposure, the body’s compensation will not be able to keep up, leading to symptoms of heat exhaustion.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion
- Dizziness and feeling faint
- Nausea
- Clammy or cool skin
- Racing heart rate
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
Drink Water and Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated while being under the sun during the summer months is pivotal to preventing heat exhaustion. But not all drinks are created equal. It is important to remember that certain beverages may worsen your dehydration, especially if under the sun, so choose your beverages wisely when partaking in activities under the sun.
Avoid Sugary Drinks and Excessive Caffeine
Avoid fruit juices or sodas if you are exercising and trying to hydrate. These drinks contain excess sugar that may worsen your dehydrated status as the sugar concentration will only increase the number of solutes in your body, leading to your body trying to retain more water. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages as they will lead to increased urine production and worsen your dehydrated status.
Try a Sports Drink
If you are under the sun and exercise for longer than 40 minutes, drink a sports drink with 6%-8% carbohydrate content. Sports drinks with an adequate number of electrolytes — sodium, potassium, and chloride — help increase thirst and voluntary fluid intake and offset the amount of fluid lost with sweat. Another important key is to keep your beverages cool, as this will lead to better results of fluid replacements.
Electrolytes are Key
Electrolyte tablets have also been shown to help improve fluid balance during exercise when dissolved in plenty of water. Since sweat is made of water, sodium, and chloride, it is important to ensure you replenish the fluids lost during exercise while under the sun to keep your body hydrated and electrolytes in balance. Maintaining the right amount of electrolyte will also help prevent symptoms of cramps that may occur if hydrating with water alone.
How Much Water to Stay Hydrated?
Water is life. During the summer months, a cool glass of water is not only refreshing but also invigorating. But depending on your needs, age, and level of activity, the amount of water needed to stay hydrated will vary.
Adults not doing any activity while under the sun will have a water requirement of 1ml/kcal of energy expenditure.
This means that if you are spending about 2000 kcal per day, you will need about 2,000 ml of water, which equals about 60 ounces. If you are an active adult exercising under the sun, your water requirement will be 1.5ml/kcal, and with a 2000 kcal expenditure during the day, your water needs are about 3,000 ml per day or 90 ounces per day.
Infants and children are growing, so their energy to water requirement is higher of 1.5ml/kcal, or about 3,000 ml or 90 ounces per day. For the elderly, even though they may be less physically active, they may still have a higher water requirement, especially during the summer.
Therefore, to avoid one of the main symptoms of heat exhaustion, which is low water volume, ensure that you are drinking an adequate amount of water based on your age and level of activity.
Supplement with BCAAs
Being dehydrated and dealing with heat exhaustion can impair your performance or prevent you from doing your normal activities. Although water is key to staying hydrated, it may not be the best solvent to help immediate recovery when dehydrated, especially under the sun.
Many sports drinks offer water and electrolytes, and carbohydrates to help you stay adequately hydrated and avoid heat exhaustion.
But in a similar fashion, proteins can further increase rehydration when added to a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink. Adding protein, primarily in the form of branched-chain amino acids, can help in increasing fluid retention, especially if dehydrated, and even helps with muscle recovery and muscle protein synthesis. Therefore, if you are out in the sun and will be undertaking rigorous activity levels, then consider supplementing your water with BCAAs to help you recover faster, rehydrate better, and avoid the effects of heat exhaustion.
Protect Yourself with Sunscreen
When doing activities under the sun, ensure that you protect yourself with sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher 30 minutes before going outdoors. Sunburns affect your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. It leads to more water loss through your sweat glands, and although not apparent at first, the effects of heat exhaustion will affect you suddenly if you’re not protected with sunscreen.
When deciding on the type of sunscreen to use, look for sunscreens that say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels, as these products work best to protect you from harmful rays that may lead to sunburns.
If you must go outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and cool clothes. Wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothing will help you stay cooler and dry. Conversely, wearing excess clothing or clothing that fits tightly prevents your body from cooling, effectively putting you at risk of heat exhaustion.
Takeaway
Enjoy the warmer months under the sun but stay safe to prevent heat exhaustion. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and when being active, consider supplementing with sports drinks, BCAAs, and electrolytes. Wear sunscreen and lightweight clothing to stay cool. And above all, take it slow. Getting acclimated will be key to preventing sudden changes to your body and the sudden effects of heat exhaustion.
]]>Wrong. Fast forward a few years of nutrition education later and I am a huge proponent of increased fiber in western diets. Why?
Because fiber is a safe, inexpensive food-as-medicine that has a host of benefits for your entire body, not just your digestive tract. Not all fiber is created equal, either, so science really does matter when it comes to using fiber for your health. Here’s the truth.
Fiber’s Impact on Health
Fiber can help with health conditions like allergies, heavy metal toxicity, cognitive function, asthma, skin rashes, inflammatory bowel diseases, osteoporosis, and more. There’s even evidence that it prolongs life.
Yes, you read that right. Regularly consuming fiber could help you live longer!
If there were a drug that did all of the things that fiber does, I’m convinced it would be a million dollars a dose. If your account for the fact that fiber also has very few side effects, we’re looking at an incredibly effective, safe, and valuable health intervention that far outpaces any pill we’ve got.
Because those fruits and veggies are right in our grocery store, though, we often overlook them or take them for granted as medicine. For the sake of your skin, gut, and lifespan, you really should give fiber a shot.
In this article, I’ll explain what fiber is, the many forms it comes in, and how to use it effectively and strategically for particular health benefits. Let’s dive in.
What Is Fiber?
Fibers are starches that the human digestive tract isn’t able to completely break down into sugar. Fibers are a type of carbohydrate; they only come from plant and grain foods like vegetables, tubers, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
You can’t find fibers in meats, eggs, cheeses, or oils. So, when we’re talking fiber, we’re talking plants.
Why You Must Consume Fiber With Water
Many people are familiar with the fiber + water equation when it comes to moving things through the digestive tract, but in case you are not, allow me to clarify. Fiber only works to regulate stool when it’s consumed with water.
This important fact is why fiber powders always come with instructions to take with a large glass of fluid. What happens if you take fiber on its own without water? It can actually make you constipated—the opposite of what you were probably hoping for!
This is because, in the digestive system, fiber and water create an increase in osmotic pressure that pulls more fluid across colonic membranes. This stimulates peristalsis—movement in the intestines. Without water, fiber just creates more bulk that has nowhere to go. It sits, and you aren’t able to push the fecal matter through the digestive tract efficiently.
What does this mean for you? Just that, whenever you take a fiber supplement, you should always take it with water or as directed on the container. That way, it will work just like you want it to.
There are a few other ways to maximize and biohack your fiber consumption, as well.
Sources Of Fiber
Fruits and Vegetables
The great part about eating fresh fruits and vegetables as your fiber source is that they come prepackaged with their own ideal fiber-to-water ratio, so you don’t have to worry as much about water. This is even true if you’re eating semi-dried fruit like prunes.
Fiber-containing foods usually taste delicious and they have a host of other beneficial ingredients that help boost human health. Eating a black bean avocado brownie made with gluten-free flour is way more fun than taking a fiber pill for many folks.
Luckily, both are great options for getting your fiber numbers up.
Nuts and Seeds
Another awesome option for adding more fiber is to add more nuts and seeds to your normal recipes or as a healthy snack throughout the day.
I frequently advise my patients to add flaxseed and chia seeds to things like oatmeal, baking mix, and even savory dishes like chilis and soups. The bonus with these fiber-boosting seeds is that they also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for human health.
Fiber Supplements
Lastly, if you don’t like or can’t eat enough fruits, veggies, nuts, or seeds, you can take a fiber supplement each day to make sure you’re hitting the goal of 25 grams per day set by the American Heart Association. Again, make sure to take it with plenty of water.
Fiber Can Help You Detoxify Daily
You can think of fiber like the broom of the digestive tract. Because it stays intact rather than dissolving into liquid in the intestines, it helps to clear out waste much like a sweeping broom would. This is a great thing if you’re looking to feel detoxed daily!
Now, the word “detox” has taken on a gimmicky quality recently. That’s unfortunate because our bodies actually detoxify our bloodstreams and cells—on their own—every single day when they work correctly. It’s basic human physiology. If you didn’t get rid of the waste products of enzymatic reactions, you’d die. So, detox is natural and important.
Detox doesn’t come in a special potion or pill, but rather happens naturally when you’re eating the right foods, drinking enough water, and consuming enough fiber. Here’s the science.
How Our Bodies’ Natural Detoxification Process Works
Our lymph, liver, kidney, skin, and digestive systems are “emunctory” organ systems in the body. Emunctories are responsible for excreting the harmful bioproducts of every normal enzymatic reaction in the body, as well as toxicants that we come into contact with through the environment. They’re our natural detoxification systems.
Our liver, in particular, is responsible for filtering 100% of our blood each day. It pulls toxins and waste products out of the bloodstream, then puts these toxins through phase one and phase two detoxification.
Next, the liver packages inactivated and compound-bound toxins into the bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. The gallbladder then secretes bile into the digestive tract, where it binds to fibers.
Finally, the toxins and the fibers they’re bound to are supposed to move out of the body as stool. In plain and simple terms—you’re supposed to poop those toxins out!
Now, imagine what happens if you don’t have enough fiber for those toxins to bind to, or if you don’t have enough fiber to produce at least one bowel movement per day. The toxins will sit in the digestive tract and be reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Over time, the build-up, and can cause problems in the body like constipation, dysbiosis, estrogen dominance symptoms (weight gain, acne, PMS, mood issues), and even things like heavy metal toxicity if you work or live in an environment where you’re regularly exposed to heavy metals, like welding.
Without fiber, you can’t detoxify as much as you should. By focusing on the right fiber/water equation, though, you can make sure this isn’t a problem for you.
Fiber Can Benefit Gut Health
Fiber provides prebiotic starches that we need to feed healthy bacteria (also known as probiotics) in our gastrointestinal system. Probiotics are responsible for keeping our gut flora balanced by preventing the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and yeast.
Having healthy gut flora makes you less likely to experience gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, indigestion, and food sensitivities. It also makes you more likely to experience clear skin, as we’ll explain below.
The Gut-Skin Connection and Acne
Gut health directly impacts skin health because they both have one thing in common—a microbiome. The microbiome is a collection of bacteria, yeast, and other substances that colonize our skin and mucosal surfaces.
Studies have shown that we actually have more bacterial DNA in our bodies than we do in our own DNA. That’s how important bacteria are for human health!
A healthy gut depends on having a diverse and wild array of good bacteria, or probiotics. It helps regulate motility, immunity, and more to keep things running as they should. It also affects your overall levels of inflammation, hormone balance, and sebum production on your skin! This is because the microbiomes of the skin and gut are connected. When the gut is unhealthy, the skin can become unhealthy as well.
Studies show, for example, that people who eat diets that are rich in simple sugars and low in fibrous plants are more likely to experience acne and skin rashes than those who consume lower-sugar, whole foods diets. We theorize that this could be due to changes in the microbiome.
You can use this fact to your advantage! Eat tons of healthy fibers to keep your gut healthy, and watch your skin improve as well.
Fiber Can Help Reduce Skin Rashes
Fiber also reduces two immune processes that can create allergic/chronic rashes and skin disorders like eczema and psoriasis.
The first is mast cell degranulation. This is a fancy term that refers to the process by which our immune cells release histamine—an excitatory molecule that makes blood vessels leaky. This leakiness, in turn, causes fluid to spread into place in our skin and organs where it shouldn’t. Have you ever gotten hives and been able to see the fluid inside of them? Or the inflammation within a bumpy rash? That’s histamine for you!
Reducing histamine activity is one way to potentially reduce the number of rashes you experience. One study (cited in the references section below) found that dietary fiber was able to inhibit mast cell degranulation, thereby reducing the number of rashes that people experienced. It’s worth a shot to try fiber for rashes, particularly if you’ve got the support of your doctor for trying this approach.
The second-way fiber helps to reduce certain types of skin rashes (also known as atopic dermatitis) is that it decreases the number of immunoglobulins produced by the immune system. Immunoglobulins are responsible for a number of immune system functions, including the allergic response. High levels of immunoglobulins are associated with disorders like atopic dermatitis, asthma, and airborne allergies.
Key takeaway: Want your rashes to go away? Consider adding more fiber to your diet for several weeks and notice if there’s a chance. Talk with your doctor about a more specific plan for your individual skin condition and mention fiber during this chat.
As you can see, fiber improves digestion, helps to prevent gut dysbiosis, reduces skin issues like rashes and acne, and can treat constipation. It’s an incredible health intervention that tastes great, costs very little, and has widespread, powerful impacts on your health.
]]>However, a vegan lifestyle includes making mindful choices far beyond what’s on your plate. So while vegans don’t eat the flesh or fluids of animals, they may also avoid leather, silk, and fur when shopping for clothing. This avoidance of products from animals extends to all areas of consumption including what’s in our beauty products.
As more people shift towards conscious consumerism and utilize purchasing power to support brands in alignment with their values, the trend towards vegan beauty is rapidly growing. Forbes reported that “The global market for vegan cosmetics is estimated at $15.1 billion in 2020 and expected to reach $21.4 billion by 2027.”
When it comes to food, the switch may feel a bit more straightforward as one avoids meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs. However, with beauty products, the ingredients from animals sneak into your products in unexpected ways under hidden names. You may not realize that ingredients like shellac and tallow in your makeup are derived from animals.
You certainly don’t have to toss out all of your current products. You can make a gradual transition to vegan beauty, swapping out your mascara, lip gloss, nail polish, and skincare products as you run out and need to invest in more. Experiment with different brands to find what works best for you. You may even find that your existing products are accidentally vegan, meaning they don’t contain any ingredients from animals but may not be labeled or advertised as a vegan. To find out if a product is vegan, you can read the ingredient label and watch out for animal-derived ingredients.
To support your shift towards vegan beauty, let’s dive into the top reasons to switch to vegan beauty products, and the ingredients to watch out for during your transition.
Reasons to Switch to Vegan Beauty Products
Reduce Harm to Animals
You can get all of your favorite makeup and skincare products without using ingredients derived from animals, which are often the result of suffering and slaughter. There is a wide array of plant-based alternatives that allow us to have shimmer in our nail polish and eyeshadow without crushing thousands of insects, for example. Many companies have continued with the status quo of using animal byproducts, ingredients that have often also been tested on animals causing further harm because it’s what they’ve always done. We simply don’t need ingredients from animal byproducts in order to enjoy glowing skin and fun makeup. And there are plenty of brands that have committed to offering completely vegan products.
Be More Environmentally Friendly
Often when we consider the environmental impact of a beauty product, we think about the packaging. Is it in a glass container? Were the shipping materials recyclable, or better yet, biodegradable? Another factor to consider with the carbon footprint of your beauty routine is the impact of the ingredients. If, for example, a product you use contains milk, you can consider the land and water use it took to raise that cow so there could be milk in your face mask. With an estimated 264 million dairy cows worldwide, the dairy industry alone contributes to:
- Greenhouse gas emissions from the waste cows produce, which contribute to climate change. According to the USDA, “the waste from just 200 dairy cows produces as much nitrogen as the sewage from a community of up to 10,000 people.”
- Excessive water and land use are necessary to raise cows and the crops we feed them. Sentient Media reports that “A single dairy cow can drink as much as 150 liters of water per day. In 2018, there were approximately 9.4 million dairy cows in the U.S. alone. Just in drinking water, that is approximately 1,410,000,000 liters of water every single day that is being used to hydrate dairy cows so they can produce milk.”
- Contamination and pollution of local water, air, and soil. Unfortunately, animal agricultural farms tend to be located in low-income black and brown communities, creating increased health challenges for residents.
Is your face mask responsible for this alone? Certainly not. It may be contributing to the problem, though, and when you continue to purchase food, clothing, and beauty products with animal byproducts, it supports animal agriculture’s unsustainability that’s causing harm to our environment at a time when we desperately need to shift.
Go Gentler on Your Skin
Vegan beauty products tend to be made with plant-based ingredients. Plant-rich vegan beauty products are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are beneficial for your skin and often gentler on the skin than their non-vegan counterparts. These ingredients tend to be much easier to read on a label, and can also be more easily absorbed into your skin. However, this isn’t always the case and vegan beauty products could still include chemicals that may be harsh for your skin. It’s always best to read the ingredients and do a spot treatment to ensure your new cleanser or moisturizer is a good match.
12 Non-Vegan Ingredients to Beware of
If you’re interested in making the switch to vegan beauty, watch out for these common animal ingredients used in cosmetics.
Lanolin
Also known as Adeps lanae, wool wax, wool fat, wool grease
Often found in: Lip products
What this ingredient does: Moisturizes
Why vegans avoid it: Lanolin is derived from sheep’s wool. Much of the wool used in clothing and beauty is mass-produced on farms with flocks of thousands of sheep. When an animal is being raised for profit, its welfare is not the top priority. While sheep don’t need to be killed for wool, when sheared without proper care they can be harmed in the process. Without human interference, sheep produce just the right amount of wool, naturally shed in their winter coats, and do not need shearing.
Vegan alternatives: Vegan lip products containing moisturizing plant oils such as shea butter and coconut oil
Beeswax
Also known as Apis Mel, Apis mellifera, apic cerana, Cera alba, wax
Often found in: Lip balms
What this ingredient does: Keeps lips soft and smooth
Why vegans avoid it: Beeswax is used by bees to construct the honeycomb where they store honey and raise their young. When we take beeswax from bees, we are disrupting their homes and livelihoods.
Vegan alternatives: Vegan lip balms containing candelilla wax and soy.
Honey
Also known as: Mel, Mel extract, hydrogenated honey
Often found in: Skincare products
What this ingredient does: Provides antibacterial and softening benefits
Why Vegans avoid it: Creating honey is a process that requires bees to visit upwards of two million flowers just to produce one pound of honey. Bees engage in this time-consuming labor to feed themselves, not humans.
Vegan alternatives: Ingredients such as shea butter can be used to replicate the moisture-boosting and skin-softening effects of honey, and tea tree oil is a great replacement for the antibacterial properties of honey.
Hydrolyzed silk protein
Also known as Silk, silk amino acid, silk protein, hydrolyzed silk peptides
Often found in: Haircare products
What this ingredient does: Gives hair a sleek and conditioning effect
Why vegans avoid it: Silk is derived from silkworm cocoons; a process that takes an estimated 3,000 silkworms to die for just one pound of silk.
Vegan alternatives: Hair products containing hydrolyzed oat protein
Collagen
Also known as Hydrolyzed collagen
Often found in Anti-aging beauty products
What this ingredient does: Gives skin a plumping effect
Why vegans avoid it: Animal skin, tissues, and bones are the ingredients used to make collagen. This ingredient utilizes the byproducts of cows and fish from animal agriculture and it directly supports the exploitation and harm these animals face.
Vegan alternatives: While vegan collagen doesn’t exist, you can consume vitamins and minerals such as zinc and vitamin C for their collagen-boosting properties.
Keratin
Also known as: Hydrolyzed keratin, keliwool
Often found in: Hair and nail products
What this ingredient does: Helps to strengthen hair and nails
Why vegans avoid it: Keratin is made from the hair, hooves, and horns of animals. It’s likely that the body parts of the animals used for keratin are byproducts of slaughterhouses. However, it’s worth noting that dehorning is an incredibly painful process for the animal if done while the animal is alive.
Vegan alternatives: Hair and nail products that swap out keratin for vegetable proteins have a similar strengthening effect.
Shellac
Also known as: Lacca, lac resin, shellack. shellac orange S-40
Often found in: Eyeliner, mascara, and hairspray
What this ingredient does: Acts as an emulsifier in beauty products
Why vegans avoid it: The secretions of lac bugs are used to make shellac. In order to make one pound of shellac, it takes an estimated 100,000 lac bugs, many of which are killed in the process.
Vegan alternatives: A corn-based alternative can be used in vegan cosmetics for a cost-effective and cruelty-free swap. Vegan mascara can help keep your lashes looking luscious and lac bug-free.
Glycerine
Also known as: Ethylhexylglycerin, glycerides, glyceryls, glycreth-26, polyglycerol
Often found in: Moisturizing products
What this ingredient does: Softens and smoothes
Why vegans avoid it: Glycerine can be derived from animal fat, or from plant-based sources such as palm oil. However, some vegans also don’t use palm oil, as the palm oil industry creates deforestation which impacts Sumatran rhinos, pygmy elephants, and orangutans.
Vegan alternatives: Moisturizing products that use soya or coconut oil
Casein
Also known as: Milk, hydrolyzed casein, sodium caseinate, potassium casein, casein hydrolysate, rennet casein, caseinates
Often found in: Skincare and haircare products
What this ingredient does: Conditions skin and hair
Why vegans avoid it: Casein is derived from cow’s milk. A female cow is subjected to a lifetime of being forcibly impregnated and milked so that we can have milk. Dairy cows often spend their entire lives suffering until they are “spent” (can’t become pregnant or produce milk), at which point they are slaughtered for beef.
Vegan alternatives: Many skin and hair products use plant-based milk alternatives that can replace cow’s milk with the same quality and effectiveness, without harm to animals.
Squalene
Also known as Shark liver oil, squalane
Often found in Makeup, lip balm, skin care products
What this ingredient does: Moisturizes and fights to age
Why vegans avoid it: Squalene is made from shark liver oil. In order to obtain this ingredient, deep-sea sharks are killed. Sharks play an important role in the ocean as one of the top predators, and mass killing sharks each year for food, vaccines, and cosmetics disrupt biodiversity and devastates our marine ecosystem.
Vegan alternatives: Wheat germ and olives are both vegan squalene alternatives.
Tallow
Also known as Sodium tallowate, tallow imidazoline, tallow acid, tallow amine, tallow amine, allowed-6, tallow glycerides
Often found in: Lipstick, foundation, and eyeshadows
What this ingredient does: Conditions skin and acts as a stabilizer
Why vegans avoid it: Tallow is made from the fatty tissues of sheep or cows. The tallow in your cosmetics is often the fatty tissues that are trimmed off before the animals are sold for consumption in a meat facility.
Vegan alternatives: Vegetable tallow or paraffin
Guanine
Also known as Pearl essence or CI75170
Often found in Highlighters and bronzers
What this ingredient does: Create a sparkly effect in cosmetics
Why vegans avoid it: Guanine is derived from the shimmer of fish scales. While many disregard the sentience of fish, as seen by our mass killing of over a trillion fish each year, the reality is that fish feel pain just like any other animal. Fish have complex nervous systems and they feel fear, pain, distress, and have a desire to live in peace—just like us.
Vegan alternatives: Vegan highlighters and other cosmetics containing rayon or mica to give you a guanine-free glow
The next time you’re in need of new skincare products or makeup, consider trying a vegan brand. Your skin, the animals, and the environment will thank you.
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