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Obstetricians Reveal the Danger of Fast Food for Pregnant Women

November 13, 2019 by Power of Positivity

During pregnancy, an expecting mother has to not only consider her own health but the health of her unborn child, as well. With this need, it is crucial to think about which foods are healthy and which foods are a potential danger for pregnant women. Cravings do make it difficult to resist, but those fast food should be avoided whenever possible.

While junk food, food that is high in sodium, anything that contains caffeine, and many other well-known dietary restrictions are easy to determine or remember for expecting mothers, the question of take-out food is a popular one. Moreover, it is one that doesn’t seem to have a perfect answer out there quite yet.

Luckily, some obstetricians revealed the danger of fast food for pregnant women. Therefore, the answer is clearer than ever that fast food is extremely harmful to both the mother and the unborn baby. Pregnancy is hard enough without the constant worry about safe and unsafe foods, and it also may be hard to give up favorite foods without a valid explanation, however.

Take out food contains harmful chemicals and ingredients, which are even worse for pregnant women and unborn babies than for other people. Pregnancy is a time when it is essential to consume the proper vitamins and nutrients, and knowing the dangers of takeout food or other junk food is so important when figuring out what to avoid.

The Danger of Fast Food for Pregnant Women

1. It contains high amounts of salt.

Too much sodium during pregnancy can make a pregnant mom swell up, retain water, and just feel downright miserable. Sodium can also lead to high blood pressure, which makes a heart work harder.

2. Fast food contains high amounts of sugar, chemicals, and unhealthy fat.

Take out food contains lots of sugar, chemicals, and unhealthy fat, all of which should be limited in a pregnancy diet. These ingredients aren’t healthy for anyone, but an unborn baby is put at an even higher risk than others. This type of food also contains high amounts of cholesterol.

3. Take out food causes rapid weight gain.

It causes more weight gain during pregnancy, and it causes the weight gain to happen more quickly, too. This leads to obesity and gestational diabetes, which would force a pregnant woman to follow a strict diet and cause problems for the baby.

The rapid weight gain during pregnancy may also be hard to lose postpartum since it contains high amounts of fat and calories.

Rapid weight gain during pregnancy can also cause high blood pressure, more frequent and severe backaches, and leg pain. Additionally, it can increase the likelihood of a cesarean section or cause long-term health problems.

4. It causes discomfort.

Pregnancy is already an uncomfortable time for a pregnant woman, and this unhealthy food only increases the discomfort. It can cause gas, bloating, hemorrhoids, and indigestion, among other unpleasant feelings.

5. Fast food during pregnancy is linked to allergies and asthma.

2019 study indicates that women who consumed high amounts of the sugars found in fast food had children who developed asthma and allergies. Both asthma and allergies can be life-threatening and can impact a child for the rest of their lives.

6. It can lead to low birth weight.

Take out food contains a chemical called acrylamide, which has been linked to low birth weight in babies and a smaller than average head circumference.

7. The menu has no nutritional value.

During pregnancy, the woman and unborn baby both need healthy amounts of essential nutrients. Since essential nutrients won’t be found in this junk food, an expecting mother should be careful of filling up on it.

8. Fast food can cause a lack of energy.

These foods are all highly refined, which causes a large number of carbohydrates to get into your bloodstream quickly. It then causes blood glucose levels to become too high, which stimulates the production of insulin. When this occurs, a person will feel energetic, and then one minute later feel lethargic and ready for a nap.

9. It can cause serious health complications.

The trans fats found in this unhealthy food are one of the most harmful ingredients consumed in any diet. They lead to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol, and inflammation.

10. It can cause stress, anxiety, and other mental problems.

During pregnancy, a woman’s mental health is essential not only for herself but for the well being of her unborn child. An unborn child is directly affected when a mother is not in a good place mentally. The chemicals found in these foods are linked to mental health issues and severe stress, making it an option that should be avoided whenever possible.

11. Dental health may be compromised.

During pregnancy, an unborn baby gets nutrients from its mother. This means that calcium and other essential nutrients that a mom is consuming are actually taken from the mother’s body and into the baby’s. When this happens, a mother may develop brittle fingernails and weakened teeth.

Many times, a pregnant mother will find herself with cavities and other oral health issues because of this. When adding in all of the sugars that are found in takeout food and the accompanying beverages, an expecting mother’s dental health suffers even more. In order to protect it and prevent tooth decay, added sugars should be avoided.

The Lasting Effects of Fast Food During Pregnancy

It is essential to think beyond pregnancy and consider the lasting effects the exposure to the chemicals and ingredients this food has on the baby, as well. According to the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, children who were exposed to large amounts of takeout food before they were born are more likely to choose diets later in life that contain large amounts of sugar and fat. In turn, these children are more likely to become obese and develop other severe health conditions as they get older.

What Should Pregnant Woman Choose Instead

Before understanding what an expecting mother should choose to eat, it is crucial to know which essential nutrients a pregnant woman needs. Those nutrients, all important for the health of the mother and the baby, include:

Folic acid
Vitamin A
Vitamin E
Omega 3 fatty acids
Calcium
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Iron
Zinc
Protein
Magnesium

If there are no healthier food options at the time, there are some take out restaurants that offer a few salad or soup options with fresh fruit as the sides. When take out is the only choice, these options usually are the healthiest ones.

Otherwise, chicken or fish sandwiches or a hamburger (all without sauce, cheese, or dressing) are the next best choice. As a drink, a pregnant woman could choose bottled water or milk in place of soda, both of which are an excellent choice for an expecting mother.

If possible, however, an expecting mother should avoid take out food. With time to plan ahead, fresh fruits or vegetables could be eaten as a snack, and seeds or nuts could be a quick protein option until a healthy meal option is available. Other healthy options for on the go include:

smoothies
roast beef sandwich on whole grain bread
a salad made with fresh vegetables at home
almonds
string cheese
a vegetable wrap with hummus
hardboiled eggs

Generally, if an expecting mother sticks to whole foods (foods that have not been – or have been only slightly – processed or refined and have no artificial substances), the food option is going to be a safe and healthy one.

Final Thoughts on the Dangers of Fast Food for Pregnant Women

Pregnancy is an exciting time, and stress about food and nutrients shouldn’t keep a pregnant woman up at night. It is essential, however, to know what is safe and healthy. Additionally, you should learn what you must avoid, ensuring a healthy pregnancy and a healthy future for both mom and baby.

Obstetricians and other doctors have revealed that take out food is unsafe for expecting mothers and babies. While fast food on occasion is safe and won’t do harm to the expecting mother or baby, forming a habit of eating take out is definitely unsafe for both involved. Being the cause of many severe physical and mental problems, the dangers of fast food for pregnant women are all too real.

When possible, it is wise to plan ahead and prepare or buy healthy snacks and meal options. Choose ones that are easy for on-the-go so you can be sure you don’t get stuck in an unexpected eating situation.

Psychologists Explain How to Revive A Stagnant Relationship

November 12, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Are you not making time for romance with your partner? If you answered and unequivocal “yes,” then you might be in a stagnant relationship.

But, what do you need to do to get those feelings of butterflies back into the relationship?

The longer you are in a relationship, the more likely you will feel settled. However, that contentment leads quickly to stagnation if you fail to carefully tend to your needs and those of your spouse.

A relationship is somewhat like growing a flower. When it’s a newly sprouted seed, we tend to watch out for its needs, carefully watering it and keeping it free of pests and weeds. As it shoots towards the sun and develops a budding flower, we feel proud of our efforts and bask in the prospect of a flower. We enjoy it in full bloom. Then, though, those petals begin to wither. The plant needs our care to repeat that cycle in perpetuity.

But what about your love life? Do you expel that same level of intense energy cultivating it? Most of us do not. And so, when the petals wither so to speak, we let them drop to the earth, untended. The very roots of your relationship can grow weary from lack of care.

But, you’re not alone. This stagnation is a rather common problem. In fact, six out of ten adults reported to Psychology Today that they felt stuck in relationships that don’t satisfy them in a survey. Furthermore, of those six people surveyed, four consider ending their relationship altogether.

Naturally, the best cure is prevention but, seeming as though that ship has sailed, let us skip to the steps you can take to nourish your relationship so that you can renew that growth.

Four Ways to Deal With A Stagnant Relationship

1) Talk it out

This point might be more painful for men because of their masculine feelings of pride. However, women might also get hurt by thinking they are no longer attractive to or loved by their chosen mate. When in a suitable environment, you must conduct an open, honest discussion respectfully. Both parties should spend the time to speak and listen in equal measure.

The key to this is not just listening. It lies in hearing everything your loved one has to share with genuine interest.

The Ten Commandments of Listening

Here are the ten commandments for active listening, as suggested by Herbert G. Lingren, in the article Listening– With Your Heart As Well As Your Ears in Stronger Marriage:

Stop talking.
Put the speaker at ease. Assure your partner that you will not hold the discussion over their head like a weapon–and mean it!
Pay attention to the nonverbal language. Body language and eye cues are essential, here.
Listen to what is not said. Sometimes the unspoken words are the most telling.
Know precisely what the other person is saying. Restate what she or he says to ensure that you understand their meaning clearly.
Be aware of “tune out” words. Those phrases or words will strike an emotional chord.
Concentrate on “hidden” emotional messages.
Be patient.
Don’t interrupt the speaker.
Hold your temper! You might experience hurt feelings, but this is not the time for you to respond with emotions.
Empathize with the speaker.

Don’t be afraid to request to hold this conversation with your loved one. The chances are pretty good that he or she recognizes the need to talk about these things, too.

2) Help each other – and be consistent with it

When was the last time you offered to fill her tank up with fuel, fellas? Ladies, when was the last time you bought him something to help with his hobby? If your answer is the 3rd of never, you really ought to at least consider it.

Having a support system at home increases appreciation and affection. Indeed, it shows that you care about all the things in your partner’s head and heart. Reach out! Do not just sit there going through the motions, be there, and stick at it.

Here is a humdinger from Dehli’s Deepak Chopra:

“Success comes when people act together; failure tends to happen alone.”

3) Recovery from the pain of a stagnant relationship

Plainly put, past pains powerfully place plight, passionately persuade partner positivity. Do you want it stated another way? Of course, you do.

Alright then, let Chopra take the floor once more with another pearl of Karmic relationship wisdom:

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”

Even if you have had the mother of all arguments, always let the past exit your system and move on in the relationship together. As we all know like attracts like. Therefore, if you offer forgiveness to your partner for their wrongs, he or she will forgive yours.

4) Rekindle the flames of your love

“No fire, no heat… no heat, no life. That’s, that’s the equation,” said Marlon Brando’s character, the psychiatrist Dr. Jack Mickler in the movie Don Juan DeMarco.

Six ways to restore the romance in a stagnant relationship

There are six ways to rekindle the flame of dying love, according to Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. in World of Psychology. They are:

Try out a new activity with your partner. Ballroom dancing lessons, skydiving, mini-golf. What you decide to experience does not matter, as long as you do it together.
Add some small, charming surprises to your relationship. When was the last time you sent her flowers? Or you tucked a note of appreciation into his lunch box on a random Wednesday? These gestures show that you care.
Do something that kicks up your adrenaline just a little bit. Couples who workout together connect regularly and find that a friendly bit of competition is a bonding experience.
Plan a weekend getaway–a mini-vacation sans kids. Reconnect without your friends, siblings, or the little ones. You will share many small moments that might remind you why you fell in love in the first place.
Touch each other casually. An arm over the shoulders or around the waist is a familiar and comfortable feeling.
Indulge in some playtime! Dance like nobody’s looking at you, sing in the rain, or build a silly-looking snowman. Your playful side will shake away any remaining boredom.

Final Thoughts on Reviving a Stagnant Relationship

Your relationship needs continuous care, just like a flowering plant. Because the truth is, no love is perfect all the time. From career to kids to just too tired to deal with it, life will get in the way. However, if you make tending this relationship one of your top priorities, you can restore those first blossoms of love.

https://www.powerofpositivity.com/stagnant-relationship-revive/

Therapists Explain 3 Reasons Why Happiness Is In Your Own Hands

November 12, 2019 by Power of Positivity

We can’t deny it – happiness is something that we all want and need. But in this day and age, happiness can seem so fleeting and so hard to hold on to. Just how do we get joy, and how do we hold on to it?

A lot of the time, it feels like our happiness is reliant on other people – either it’s from getting the praise and recognition we deserve from our boss and colleague, or the love we desire from our partner. As science has proven, however, your happiness is actually in your own hands!

Find that hard to believe? That’s understandable. Life can be cruel and makes it hard for us to feel like we have that sort of capacity. If you have ever attended therapy, however, you know that we actually hold a surprising amount of power over our own perception of happiness.

So – just what do therapists know that we don’t? Let’s find out.

Therapists Explain 3 Reasons Why Happiness Is In Your Own Hands

Take charge of your own joy!

1. Happiness and Success Aren’t The Same Things

With just how much time we spend at work, it is easy to assume the two are interrelated. This isn’t true, however. As psychiatrist Adam Strassberg explains, the concept of wealth is actually pretty recent. Once you’ve got enough money to be comfortable, no amount of riches is going to make you happier.

What’s going on, exactly? Frankly speaking, the perks your work gives you aren’t actually what you need.

Here’s the thing – work as a concept is something that’s still relatively new, and it is frankly not fulfilling any of our needs. Biologically speaking, we’re again running on hunter-gatherer software.

This means that in order to really feel happy, we need to satisfy those basic needs that are hardwired into our very DNA first – not what we’ve rapidly constructed over the last two hundred years or so.

And here’s the unfortunate thing – success at work often comes at the cost of your relationships. Here are some of the things it affects:

· Relationships with Loved Ones

Our time and energy are limited – and the only thing work gives in return is just money. If we’re pouring most of it into careers, then we just simply can’t spend time with our loved ones. You can’t precisely attend a friend’s baby shower if you have work commitments that you’d rather prioritize, after all.

· Connections With Others

Work often takes you away from other people and places a barrier of formality between you and the next person that can be difficult to cross. This is a problem since touch deprivation is actually awful for our mental health, positive thinking, and happiness. It doesn’t help that not all workplaces take kindly to employees hugging each other, either.

· Working overtime is bad for your health

This really shouldn’t be news. The CDC published a report as far back as 2004 about how working overtime is both mentally and physically detrimental to your health. In other words, there’s literally no long-term benefit from working harder than you have to at your job.

Need more real-life proof? This top-rated response from a Reddit user has got you covered. In their post, they talked about how, after so many years of work, they only found true happiness when they decided to change their attitude and pursue a closer, deeper relationship with their wife.

Luckily, this isn’t too hard for us to do either – just remember that your success has nothing to do with your happiness. Instead, consider: What sort of activities make you happy? When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart talk to your family? Who did you last have a friendly lunch date with?

If you can start answering these questions, happiness will come to you for sure.

2. How’s Your Mental Health?

Often, we think that happiness is a state of being that should occur as a reward for completing specific objectives, or is something that just happens. This isn’t really the case, however.

No matter what life gives you, feeling happy is all in the head. And as any therapist worth their salt will tell you, if your head isn’t ready to be positive and to receive joy, then you aren’t going to feel happy no matter what.

What do we mean by that? There’s a lot of talk about how you should practice positive thinking to gain happiness, but that’s easier said than done. Modern society has inflicted a lot of problems on us, including mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.

And here’s the thing – as Richard Layard laid out in his books Thrive: The Power of Psychological Therapy and Happiness: Lessons of a New Science, mental illnesses affect your happiness even more than poverty does.

Struggling to see why? As an example, here are some of the things depression does to your brain:

· Causes executive dysfunctioning

Executive functioning is the part of your brain that’s responsible for things like organizing, planning, and executing ideas. When this goes downhill, so does your ability to schedule appointments, plan out meetings, and start your work for the day. Not exactly great if you want to be positive since you can’t reassure yourself that you’re productive.

· Causes serotonin deficiency

Hard to feel happy when you literally do not have enough of that happy juice. Serotonin is a brain chemical that is responsible mainly for that elusive feeling of being happy, and a lack of it is associated with low moods.

· Causes insomnia

That’s right – depression can mess with your sleep. And you only need one bad night of sleep for your spirit to be permanently darkened for the rest of the day. Imagine that effect compounding over months or even years.

· Causes lethargy

As a result of fighting off a mental illness, depression often leaves us incredibly tired and exhausted at all times. Not exactly a great recipe for getting anything done, which in turn makes our mood even worse.

If you’ve been struggling with your mental health, you may have to deal with that first before you can gain happiness. As Quora user Joe Leck noted, therapy even helps with what is otherwise simple day-to-day troubles. Once you tackle what’s causing you problems and poor mental health, happiness becomes so much more achievable.

This, of course, requires that you recognize and acknowledge that you have issues – which is sometimes the hardest part. Just know that therapy is only there to help and that it’s all worth it in the end.

3. Appeal To Your Brain

It’s a simple fact – our brains were made for variety. After several millennia, our brains – just like any other mammals’ – crave stimulation in all forms. So – just how can we take advantage of this evolutionary trait, and use it to our advantage? Why, by providing our own enrichment, of course!

We like to think that we’re smarter, more superior than most other creatures, but this is false. At the end of the day, we’re still animals – just ones with a lot more complicated thoughts. Sometimes, you just need to appeal directly to our monkey brains for that sweet, sweet dopamine boost. And the easiest way to do that is to create something!

But first – what is dopamine? Dopamine is a chemical that is often associated with the reward part of our brain, but there’s a bit more to it.

See, it doesn’t just reward you for the big things – it rewards you for the smaller things too. And by small, we mean items such as:

Drinking water
Eating
Reading this sentence
Staying on task

A little DIY does the trick

And that’s not even half of it! This means that the act of crafting something tangible, like knitting a sock or making some soup, is an incredible continuous source of dopamine. There’s a reason DIY and crafting is so popular – it makes you happy. Just ask anyone who knits, like Reddit user Klamath2046, who replicated the scarves in Season 12 and Season 18 of Doctor Who!

Won’t creating something electronic produce the same result? Unfortunately, it doesn’t. While the act of creating something virtual can make us happy, it isn’t as effective. Our brains just aren’t ready for something like that yet.

This is all further backed up by neuroscience too. In her book, Lifting Depression: A Neuroscientist’s Hands-On Approach to Activating Your Brain’s Healing Power, Kelly Lambert talks about how something as simple as the act of repairing a lamp fills your brain with that feel-good chemicals. Indeed, a crucial ingredient to happiness!

So, what does this mean for you? The answer is actually pretty simple – pick up a tool and start making something tangible! It doesn’t matter if your instrument is a pen, a needle, or even merely your fingers – as long as you get to the act of creating something, it can bring you happiness.

In fact, this is such an authoritative source of happiness that the job of an occupational therapist heavily utilizes this positive result to ensure their therapy works. And if it’s good enough for professionals, it’s definitely good enough for you too!

Final Thoughts on Achieving Happiness

At the end of the day, happiness is hard. Our modern society is built against us and has little to no room for the smaller pleasures in life. Things like merely relaxing or taking the time to enjoy the way the breeze feels against your skin are often considered a waste of time. Since our sense of self-worth is based around producing results, surely happiness must be the same.

In reality, this is a pretty toxic mindset that we all have to unlearn. Happiness and positive thinking require you to be ready for it in the first place. And to get there, you have to start by fulfilling your fundamental needs and wants first – things that are tangible and are directly related to the physicality of your brain.

Once you have fulfilled those very physical needs, then you can start trying for other stuff that will build upon this solid foundation. Sounds tiresome? It should be – happiness isn’t something that can come in grand, sweeping strokes, after all. At the end of the day, it has to start with small steps that build up over time, until one day you can look back and realize that you’ve been happy all along.

8 Morning Habits That Simplify Your Life

November 12, 2019 by Power of Positivity

Mornings can get pretty hectic. There’s so much to do, lots of things to remember, and in big homes, it can all get quite chaotic. This sort of stress first thing in the morning can greatly affect your positive thinking and set a bad tone for the rest of the day. Start your day off with good habits that simplify your life.

So, what can you do to change this? As it turns out, there are lots of scientifically proven methods that can help reshape your morning habits.

Here Are 8 Morning Habits That Simplify Your Life:

1. Figure Out What You’ll Be Eating And Drinking

The process of making food and drinks every morning can be a little time-consuming, leading to a lot of chaos as you attempt to get everything ready. If you’ve already figured out what you’ll be consuming, the process will be significantly slowed down. Here’s how to do so:

· Make Coffee Quickly

Many of us can’t fully wake up without a cup of coffee, but try making the preparation process faster. Try purchasing a coffee pot that has a timer. This will let you set things up in the evening. You can also buy a pot that lets you pre-load pods. If you’re not too much of a coffee “purist,” you can even opt for pre-made or bottled options!

· Prep Meals fo Simplify Your Life

Making breakfast early in the morning can take up a lot of time. This can make you skip breakfast on some days, which is a very bad idea. Eating breakfast provides countless positive benefits.

As such, you should try to prepare your breakfast the night before, so you can easily eat the next day. This also allows you to make a healthier breakfast. If it’s something you have to make fresh, lay out all the ingredients beforehand.

The same goes for packed lunches. If you bring your lunch to work with you, try to prep your meals in advance. That way, you can just grab your lunch and go.

· Sort Out Any Medications

If you take supplements and medications, make sure they’re all sorted out and arranged, ready for quick and easy taking. Put them near where you’ll eat breakfast so you can take them before or after as needed. You can also purchase a pill sorter to keep things extra organized.

2. Wake Yourself Up Right

The process of waking up itself can be a bit of a challenge. For many people. Here’s how to get it done the right way:

· Let The Sun In

Natural light can trigger the hormones in your brain, helping you to wake up more easily. So once you get up, let the light stream in. If you tend to wake up right at sunrise, consider leaving the curtain open when you go to bed, so you wake up to the sun streaming in.

· Don’t Hit Snooze

It’s so tempting to press that snooze button when your alarm goes off. But doing so only delays your waking up, giving you less time to get ready. It also means you’re actually more likely to be groggy by squeezing in five or ten more minutes to your sleep time.

So, set your alarm for the exact right time, and the second it rings, hit the off switch right away and get right up. If you can’t resist hitting snooze, put your alarm somewhere further away, forcing you to stand up and walk to switch it off.

· Play Some Music

When you get up, turn on some of your favorite cheerful tunes. You can play an album you love or make a playlist of appropriate songs. If it makes you want to dance or makes you feel good, it’ll probably help wake you up!

3. Prepare Things That You May Forget

Do you often find yourself forgetting the things that you need? All you have to do is get things ready in advance! If you make sure all the things you usually forget are easy to reach, you won’t have to spend ages looking for them, coming back for them, or finding alternatives to them. Here are some ideas:

Organize everything you need and place it in one specific area the night before
Keep your keys right by the door; make it a habit not to bring them into the house
Pack your car with non-perishable items in advance
Narrow down the list of things you have to bring every day
See if there are some things you can safely leave in your workplace

4. Don’t Be Distracted by Poor Morning Habits

Do you get on your phone the moment you wake up? This can eat up your time and prevent you from getting things done on time. Time passes so quickly when you’re on devices. Before you even turn on your phone or look through it, make sure you’ve bathed, dressed, and gotten totally ready.

Some people like to look at their phone, watch TV, or listen to podcasts or the radio when they eat breakfast. But this can draw out your time spent eating, too. Even reading a book or the newspaper can do this. Don’t eat while distracted! (Side note: This should fall not only on your morning habits list but become a practice for every meal.)

If you really need to check your phone in the morning, get everything else done first and set aside some time before you leave to do so. Both your schedule and your waistline will thank you for the positive change!

5. Shorten Your Getting Ready Process

Bathing, grooming, and getting dressed can take up a lot of time. This is especially true if you have an extensive skincare routine, you style your hair, or you wear makeup. But you can shorten the process of getting ready in a number of ways. Here’s how:

· Use A Timer While Showering

Don’t take too long in the shower! Set a timer so that you know how long you can take. As soon as the timer runs out, wash off the remaining soap and hop out!

· Wash Your Hair The Day Before

If you have long hair, washing your hair in the evening can be a good way to spend less time preparing it in the morning. This is especially true if you usually have to blow-dry your hair or if you style it. There are some styles you can even wear to bed, so you don’t need to bother with them when you wake up!

· Set Out Your Clothes The Night Before

Instead of rushing to put an outfit together, set aside your outfit for the day the night before. If you’ve got enough clothes, you can even lay out an entire week’s worth of outfits in advance, perhaps with an extra outfit just in case.

· Keep Your Grooming Products Organized to Simplify Your Life

Don’t make yourself look all around your room for your skincare, makeup, or hair products. Make sure they’re all organized in one convenient location.

· Lessen The Products You Use

Cut out unnecessary products from your routine. Your everyday workplace probably doesn’t require that you wear full-glam makeup or have perfectly gelled hair. You can also opt for combination products to lessen your time. Get a lipstick that can also be used as a blush product. Get a bronzer and highlight stick in one. Make your soap moisturizing. Get creative with it!

6. Draft Out A Schedule Or List

Is there any easier way to simplify life than by creating a list or a schedule? If there is, we haven’t found it yet! Here are some options:

· Make A List Of Items You Need

Tend to forget things? Set up a list of what you have to get done, what you need to bring, and more. Hang the list somewhere you can easily see it. A whiteboard that you can turn into a reusable checklist is a great idea, too. Plus, the brain reacts in a very positive way to lists, allowing for less stress.

· Make A Morning Schedule

Make a schedule of when you need to get certain things done. For example, maybe you need to finish your bath by a certain time or get done eating at a certain time. This schedule can keep you on task and on time as your new morning habits become second nature.

· Set Your Daily Activities To Songs or Timers

Having trouble sticking to the aforementioned morning schedule? Set timers that go off at the right time. If that’s too rigid, play a song playlist every day and set your schedule to each song. For example, you may know that by the time you hit song five, you should be dressed and groomed.

· Make A Schedule For Bathroom Use In Busy Homes

In a home with lots of inhabitants? Set up a morning schedule for bathroom use so that everyone can take turns. If someone misses their bathroom break, they’ll have to wait for it to be free again.

· Make Different Routines For Different Mornings If Needed

Do you have different to-do lists every day? Create weekly routines instead of daily ones. This allows you to stay organized while still being flexible and accounting for the different needs of different days.

7. Keep Your Hallway Clear

Is your hallway a giant mess? That can make it very difficult to get out. Here’s an often-overlooked way to simplify your life. Make sure your hallway is relatively organized, and get rid of unnecessary surfaces – like chairs that you dump lots of items on, a table full of unopened mail, shopping bags that never seem to move.

You should also make sure your hallway is season-appropriate. Put away winter coats and shoes in warm months. Remove flip-flops and sunhats in cold months. Anything you don’t need, put away!

8. Give Yourself A Little Breathing Room

If your schedule is so well-orchestrated that if you don’t leave at the right time exactly, you’ll be in big trouble, it’s a bad schedule. Give yourself some breathing room and extra time. If you end up not needing it, great! Then you gave more time to do something you want to do.

Preparing for potential mishaps, emergencies, and setbacks is crucial to making sure your life is simplified. It can also reduce stress, giving you a great positive thinking boost for the day.

Final Thoughts: Adopt These Morning Habits, You’ll Be Better Off for It!

Is your life pretty messy? These eight morning habits that simplify your life can really help reduce the chaos? Give these morning habits a chance, and you will enjoy a more relaxed and calm morning, which will set the tone for a more peaceful and organized day!

Researchers Reveal There’s No Difference Between Low-Fat and Low-Carb Diets

November 12, 2019 by Power of Positivity

People have been trying to figure out the mystery of weight loss for decades, and because of all the misinformation out there, choosing what diet to go on can seem overwhelming and confusing. Should you choose the Atkins diet? The paleo diet? The low-fat or the low-carb lifestyle?

How about the keto diet? These are only a few of the most popular programs, but if you do a simple online search, you’ll find hundreds more claiming to have the secret to losing weight and getting healthier.

Low-fat and low-carb diets are all the rage now, but do either of them make a difference in your overall health? Below, we’ll go over the results of a groundbreaking study that could change the future of dieting in general.

Here’s why there’s no difference between low fat and low carb diets:

Scientists have been researching the best diet for humans for decades, so by now, you would think we would all have an answer on how we should be eating. However, we at least know how we shouldn’t be eating based on the findings of the research in a study testing low fat vs. low carb diets.

The study found that neither low carb nor low-fat diets are the answer to weight loss.

Indeed, a recent year-long study conducted by Dr. Christopher Gardner of the Stanford University School of Medicine along with the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI), and a team of nutrition experts, found that people lose about the same amount of weight whether they follow a low carb or low-fat diet.

So, neither diet works better than the other one. This logic makes perfect sense because some people try one diet and don’t lose weight, while someone else might try the same diet and lose weight. Weight loss is complicated, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

The study

The study observed 600 participants ranging from 18 to 50 years old for a year. Half the participants were men, and half were women; all were overweight or obese, but none had any other health problems. At the beginning of the study, the participants consumed either a low-fat or low-carb diet.

During the study, both groups attended regular nutrition classes where they would learn how to eat sustainably. Health educators would tailor the sessions to fit either diet but counseled both groups on how to eat whole, healthy foods.

Throughout the first two months of the study, participants were told to eat either 20 grams of fat or carbohydrates depending on what diet they were following. After that, the participants were told that they could add anywhere from 5 to 15 grams of fat or carbs to their diet for the remainder of the study. Researchers wanted the participants to find a healthy balance that they could sustain after the review was over.

After the Study

After the study was over, the low-fat group was eating an average of 57 grams per day, while the low carb group was consuming an average of 132 grams a day. To put that in comparison, they ate an average of 87 grams of fat and 247 grams of carbs before the study.

The researchers did not give participants specific calorie goals, instead of encouraging participants to go to the farmer’s market regularly, get enough exercise, and cook at home more often. Reports that the participants filled out showed that the average person cut their calories by 500 per day.

After a year following the end of the study, results were inconsistent. One participant lost 60 pounds while another gained 20. However, participants lost an average of 13 pounds as a whole no matter the diet they followed.

The study’s leaders also performed genome sequencing and a baseline insulin test on the participants before the study. These markers would help the researchers identify factors that would determine how well a person would respond to low fat or low carb diet. About 30 percent of participants had genetic markets that the researchers believed indicated that they would respond better to a low-fat diet. Forty percent showed a better genetic response to low carb diets.

However, the markers didn’t correspond with any of the participants’ weight loss results or contribute to their success in any way. Gardner says he still plans to analyze the data further to study possible markers that could influence a person’s weight-loss success. He still believes that weight loss is highly personalized and that people would have better results if they knew what their bodies responded to best.

All calories are not made equal

One crucial factor that might have influenced the study’s results was the quality of food that the participants ate after the study ended. For example, on a low-fat diet, you could eat processed foods and still reach your goals for the day; on a low-carb diet, you could eat hot dogs and sausage and even reach your carb goals. In other words, participants might not have made the best choices after the study was over because they had more freedom to choose what they ate.

The researchers guided participants in making healthier choices and counseled them before the end of the study. Afterward, however, they had no say in what participants chose once the year was up. The critical information gained from the research shows that following a mostly whole-foods diet with treats in moderation is the sustainable choice. When people focus on eating healthy, the majority of the time, unhealthy food is eaten in moderation won’t do as much damage.

Diets don’t work, in general, because they are too restrictive and lead people to binge on unhealthy foods when their weight loss program is over. The best way to maintain weight and health is to eat in moderation. So This way, your body doesn’t think it’s starving, which can lead you to make unhealthy choices.

The study also shows that quality is more important than quantity. In fact, no guidelines were officially set regarding calorie intake. Our bodies naturally tell us when we are full. Because today’s processed foods lack nutrients, they fail to satisfy our hunger. So, eating whole foods will help retrain our bodies to regulate our hunger response.

So, what diet should you choose?

No single diet is the best option.

This study showed that following either a low carb or low-fat diet can be successful. The catch? Eat mostly whole foods, exercise regularly and have treats in moderation. The most important thing to do is to improve your relationship with food. Also, make healthier choices overall rather than restrict yourself to only certain food groups.

In fact, participants told Gardner that their relationship with food had improved. He remarked, “… now they were more thoughtful about how they ate” after one year of nutrition classes.

Nutritionists agree that following a restrictive diet plan generally does not work long-term. This is because your body becomes dulled to hunger cues due to developing a strict plan. This can interrupt the body’s intuitive ability to know what type of food it needs. It can also affect the body, knowing how much of that food it needs. This also makes the body crave the “off-limits” food even more, simply because you can’t have it.

When the diet is over, you naturally want to eat things you haven’t touched in a while. Your body was likely starved of the nutrients those foods have. For example, if you follow a low-fat diet, you’ll crave cakes, burgers, and ice cream due to the high-fat content. You won’t want healthier options that have fat. In fact, the body is designed to go for the option with the highest density of fat, carbs, or protein possible.

So, the best thing to do is to listen to your body and eat in moderation. If you do this and follow a regular workout routine, you will likely see results. Think in terms of lifestyle rather than dieting to make it sustainable in the long-term.

Final thoughts on the Differences between Low Fat and Low Carb Diets

We hope this information helps you follow a lifestyle that works for you. You must enjoy what you’re eating. Most people can’t stick to diets simply because they don’t like foods. They dream about the day they can finally eat a hamburger again instead of a mushroom burger. So, the best course of action is to improve your relationship with food and exercise a little bit each day. Then, treat yourself once in a while.

You also want to practice mindful eating. For starters, don’t eat in the car or in front of the TV. Pay attention to the flavors and texture of your food. Finally, slow down when you eat. Once you learn to savor your food, you’ll develop a whole new appreciation for it. This will help change your relationship with food for the better.

Ultimately, though, this research suggests it does not matter if you go low-fat or low-carb. It turns out that the best lifestyle changes are the ones that you will embrace and stick with for the long term.

11 Ways To Always Be Happy Around Unhappy People

November 12, 2019 by Power of Positivity

If you’ve been around an unhappy person before, you probably know that their negativity can often drag you down very, very quickly. They can change the tone of a room and bring down an otherwise happy mood.

So how can you combat these negative nancies? Is there anything you can do to keep your positive thinking up, even when other people’s moods are clawing away at you?

Here are 11 Ways to Remain Happy When Around Unhappy People

1. Stay Happy Despite Unhappy People By Showing Gratitude

Gratitude is a magical thing. It automatically makes situations more loving and positive. As such, you can express your appreciation to these unhappy people regularly, which may help them remove themselves from their more negative patterns. Here are some things to thank them for:

Helping to pass you something
Speaking their mind even when it may have been difficult
Providing you with new perspectives
Taking the time to listen to your ideas

This doesn’t mean you should be a pushover – it just means using positive reinforcement where it applies.

Don’t forget to maintain your gratitude for the world and your life, too. Sometimes, being around negative people can make you forget about the things you’re thankful for. Keeping a gratitude journal and listing three to five things you’re grateful for every day can be helpful in this respect. You can write that you are thankful for:

Your career
Your friends, family, and loved ones
The roof over your head
Your access to necessities
Meals you enjoyed
Your favorite movies, shows, books, and music
Your good health

2. Don’t Focus On Their Lack Of Happiness

It’s difficult not to dwell too much on someone’s lack of happiness to an extreme level. After all, they’re always in a bad mood, and that can rub off on you. It can also make you focus a lot on their negativity, making you complain about them to others.

That’s how unhappiness can be so contagious. Other people dwell on their feelings, which causes us to dwell on their emotions, which causes you to become unhappy. It’s a perpetual cycle; you can’t win unless you’re making sure you aren’t focusing on that negativity.
So please don’t give them the power to change your way of thinking! It’s not worth your time, effort, or energy.

3. Understand That They Have Their Journey

It’s easy to judge unhappy people, especially if you’ve come a long way in your battle against negativity. But it’s not your place to demand happiness out of them.

The truth is that you don’t know this person’s life story. You don’t know what they’re going through. And, quite frankly, it’s probably none of your business. They may be going through a difficult time, needing long periods to recover or process the emotions they feel.

This person will likely move on and be happy one day when they are ready, but that’s for them to figure out in their own time. Instead of wishing they would “just be happy,” be supportive and kind to them. They’re on a difficult journey.

4. Don’t Take It Personally

Unhappy people generally aren’t unhappy because of something you’ve said or done. They’re miserable because that’s the mindset they’re in. So don’t take it too personally. You can’t control other people’s thoughts or emotions, after all.

But it’s difficult not to wonder if it’s your fault when an unhappy person does certain negative things. They might:

Say something a little mean about you
Leave you out of the loop about something work-related
Ignore you or leave you alone
Roll their eyes at something you talk about
Turn down invites or cancel plans with you

Should you allow yourself to be mistreated? Of course not.

As you stand up for yourself, don’t let it get to your feelings and mess with your head. These people are dealing with fears and insecurities due to a lack of positive coping mechanisms. It’s not you. It’s them.

5. Manage How Much You Engage With Unhappy people

Humans are social creatures by habit. It’s how we engage with each other and find those we can relate to on a deeper level, and social interaction is known to foster positive thinking and health. But what happens when that interaction is mainly negative?

The problem with socializing as an empathic human is that you naturally mirror those around you. You pick up on the energy of a room and the mood of a gathering, whether it’s good or bad.

So when you spend time with unhappy people, you may get caught in a whirlwind of sadness, tangled in their webs. That’s why you need to limit the amount of time you spend engaging with unhappy people.

If you notice that you’re beginning to get affected by what these people say or do, respectfully excuse yourself. It’s okay for you to set healthy boundaries with those who are bringing you down. In fact, you should set healthy boundaries with everyone.

6. Challenge Yourself To Grow From This

Having to be around negative people is rough. Their unhappiness can hurt you and be challenging to deal with. But instead of dwelling on the awful situation, tell yourself that this is something you will learn and grow from.

This simple perception shift seems mild, but it’s powerful. Instead of complaining about things, see it as an opportunity to improve yourself. Then, the next time you’re in a similar situation, you’ll be able to shrug it off, no sweat.

Besides, no matter how rough it is for you – it’s nowhere near as painful as whatever the unhappy people are experiencing that is making them so sad all the time. Count your blessings with positive thinking and work to be a better person!

7. Be Happy–Change The Way You View Them

Even the most unhappy people have some redeeming qualities somewhere! Instead of focusing on the negative, look for good things about them. This can be about their:

Appearance
Work ethic
Personal beliefs or values
Sense of style
Certain traits they have, like being a good listener
Talents or skills

Changing the narrative you’ve made of someone in your head is a powerful way to alter your entire viewpoint. Instead of focusing on what you hate, focus on things you can learn to like. Soon, you may not even mind that these people can be downers!

8. Take Time To Be Away From Unhappy People

We’ve already talked about the virtues of not engaging with unhappy people constantly. Now, you must learn when to step back and take time away on a more serious level. This is especially crucial if you work with or live with these unhappy people.

Do so when you need to step away from these people and recenter your thoughts. Don’t neglect your me-time during this period. You need to stay in touch with yourself and who you are to avoid being influenced by their negativity.

As a rule, me-time is essential even when living your best life in the most favorable circumstances. It can help you de-stress, process negative emotions, and make smart decisions. Here are some great ways to get me-time:

Exercise
Write in a journal
Perform meditation
Enjoy a hobby
Cook a nice meal
Treat yourself to a spa day, shopping trip, or new activity

9. Use Humor and Cheerfulness

Sometimes, a little bit of humor can diffuse an otherwise tense and awkward situation with unhappy people. You can do this by:

• Cracking Jokes
If you’re good at telling jokes, show off your skills by cracking some whenever things get too tense. You can joke about yourself, the situation, or anything else. Just keep it positive!

• Switch A Tone
Are things getting too serious in a discussion about something that isn’t very important? Switch it up! Change the tone and talk about the event in a positive light. This can help to move to mood from doom and gloom to something more productive.

• Talk About Happy Things
When you get the chance to start a conversation around unhappy people, chat about something positive that makes you happy. This can prevent things from going south when someone inevitably starts complaining.

10. Focus On Yourself

When all the negativity gets to be too much, turn your thoughts inwards and focus on yourself. Some people think this is a vain thing to do, but it isn’t. After all, you’re the only person you’ll be with for the rest of your life. You come first unless you decide otherwise. Here are some tips for self-focus in the face of unhappy individuals:

Pay attention to the emotions, thoughts, and instincts you’re having
Value yourself about the unhappy people; put yourself first
Don’t waste your energy on attempting to change someone’s feelings
Focus on things you enjoy or on things that interest you and ignore naysayers
Consider your experiences valid
Try to emulate those who you do like, and become the best version of you

11. Be Kind

Compassion is the quickest way to get through to someone. Just a simple act can help an unhappy person to be even a bit more favorable for the day. Think about it – haven’t you had one kind gesture brighten up your entire day before?

As the saying goes, sometimes you have to kill it with kindness. Sometimes, an unhappy person needs a little compassion to make them feel better. You can be kind by:

Giving them a smile
Saying a warm greeting
Holding the door open for them
Helping them carry items
Doing them a favor
Buying them a coffee or similar drink
Complimenting them honestly

The positive vibes that we put out into the world are often contagious. Of course, it won’t always work, but when it does, it’ll be magical – and when it doesn’t, you’ll still feel good from doing something genuinely lovely.

Final Thoughts on Coping with Unhappy People

It’s a bummer to be around unhappy people all the time. You may not know why they’re upset, but you can do what you can to keep yourself happy despite their negativity. When you know how to master your positivity, nothing can stand in your way! Be happy!

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