Most Hindu people consider Tulsi sacred and use it in religious rituals too. Tulsi plant is grown and worshipped in many Indian homes. And it is commonly used in home remedies, especially for fighting cold and cough. Now, even scientific research is proving Holy Basil’s beneficial effects on physical and mental health.

What do scientific studies say?

Hundreds of scientific studies have examined the medicinal properties of Tulsi through in vitro, animal and human experiments. As per the National Center for Biotechnology Information, it has been found that Tulsi has a unique combination of actions that include: Antimicrobial (including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antimalarial, anthelmintic), anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, anti-cataract, mosquito repellent, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, hepato-protective, radioprotective, neuro-protective, cardio-protective, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-hypercholesterolemia, anti-carcinogenic, anti-pyretic, anti-allergic, analgesic, immunomodulatory, memory enhancement, central nervous system depressant, anti-asthmatic, diaphoretic, anti-tussive, anti-thyroid, anti-fertility, anti-emetic, anti-spasmodic, anti-arthritic, anti-ulcer, adaptogenic, anti-stress, anti-leukodermal and anti-coagulant activities. All these pharmacological actions help the body and mind against a wide range of chemical, physical, infectious, and emotional stresses. And they also help in restoring physiological and psychological functions.

Benefits of Tulsi

Tulsi is considered a potent adaptogen and its unique combination of pharmacological actions help in promoting wellbeing and resilience. (An Adaptogen is a herb that can help with the adaptation to stress and the promotion of homeostasis.) As per some studies, Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn) can help in relieving physical, chemical, metabolic and psychological stress. Tulsi also has a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. This includes activity against a range of human and animal pathogens which suggests it can be used as a hand sanitizer, mouthwash, and even water purifier. Holy Basil can also help in healing wounds.

Daily consumption of Tulsi (Holy Basil) can reduce the risk of infections and promote general health and wellbeing. It may also give luster to the complexion, sweetness to the voice, and enhance beauty, intelligence, stamina, while relieving stress and anxiety. It is said to provide relief in a range of conditions including anxiety, asthma, cough, fever, dysentery, diarrhea, indigestion, vomiting, arthritis, eye diseases, otalgia, hiccups, gastric, cardiac and genitourinary disorders, skin diseases, back pain, ringworm, insect, snake and scorpion bites and malaria.

1. Tulsi is Anti-Inflammatory:

The anti-inflammatory properties of Tulsi can help in a variety of diseases and disorders. It has several enzyme-inhibiting oils, including eugenol, linalool, and citronellol. Tulsi helps in reducing inflammation, the risk of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel conditions. Chewing of Tulsi leaves may give relief in fever, headache, cold, cough, sore throat, and flu.

2. Rich in Disease-Fighting Antioxidants:

Tulsi essential oil can help fight free radical damage and protect DNA structure and cells. It has two water-soluble flavonoid antioxidants – orientin and viceninare. These help in strengthening the immune system, protecting the cellular structure, DNA. And they may also delay the effect of skin aging.

3. Skin Care:

Tulsi essential oil or Holy Basil essential oil is an excellent skin cleanser. Its ability to clean the skin from within makes it a good choice for people with oily skin. It helps in removing dirt and impurities that may block skin pores. Tulsi has strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can prevent the formation of acne. Some people also use Tulsi leaves for treating ringworm and several skin disorders. Regular use of Tulsi essential oil, paste of Tulsi leaves, or ointments can prevent premature aging and keep the skin healthy.

4. Heals wound and protects against infection:

Tulsi has antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic (a painkiller) actions. Extracts made from Tulsi leaves may help in healing wounds sooner. It may also help in preventing the wound from getting infected. Experimental evidence shows that Tulsi can increase wound-breaking strength and speed up wound healing. Tulsi also has anti-ulcer and ulcer-healing activity. Some people even use Tulsi after surgery to accelerate healing and protect their wounds from infections.

5. Home Remedy for Cough:

Indians commonly use Tulsi to get relief in cough and cold. You can add Tulsi leaves while brewing tea. Indian households use different recipes of Tulsi leaves or flowers decoctions with ginger, cloves, black pepper, black cardamoms, etc. to soothe cold and cough and fight respiratory infections. Some people take Tulsi leaves’ juice (a few drops) and honey for relief in cough, cold, and sore throat.

6. Benefits of Tulsi include Detoxification:

Many of the physiological benefits of Tulsi result from its ability to help with the body’s internal housekeeping and protection of the body from toxin-induced damage. This may be because Tulsi, especially Krishna Tulsi (black/purple varieties), has a high content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties. Laboratory studies suggest that Tulsi can protect against toxic chemical-induced injury by increasing the levels of anti-oxidant molecules and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes.

7. Stress Buster:

Benefits of Tulsi include its excellent ability to fight stress. Tulsi can help in reducing the body’s toxicant stress, physical stress, metabolic stress, and mental stress. Tulsi essential oil may reduce depression and anxiety too. By stimulating neurotransmitters that regulate the hormones, Tulsi may help you feel more relaxed, happier, and energetic. You can use Tulsi essential oil, drink Tulsi tea, or just chew 10-12 Tulsi leaves to reduce your stress.

8. Immunity Booster:

Tulsi has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal qualities that can protect against many infection-causing pathogens. It may also boost immunity and help protect against infections. Many experts recommend Tulsi pills, Tulsi tea, water boiled with Tulsi leaves for boosting immunity. And Tulsi may be effective against malaria and dengue fever as well.

9. Tulsi can lower cholesterol and prevent heart diseases:

Holy Basil leaves can lower the cholesterol level in the body and help prevent cardiac diseases. By reducing metabolic stress, it can also help with weight loss, and managing cholesterol levels. Animal studies have shown fresh Tulsi can lower “bad” cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) and increase “good” cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). One animal study has also shown that the oil in Holy Basil (eugenol) can lower stress-induced cholesterol levels. Tulsi leaves can act as a tonic for the heart.

10. Lower your blood sugar:

Tulsi is also beneficial for people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. All parts of the Holy Basil plant can help reduce blood sugar. Tulsi can help in reducing diabetes-related problems like weight gain, hyperinsulinemia, or excess insulin in the blood, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and hypertension.

How to use Holy Basil for better health?

As you can see, there are many benefits of Tulsi or Holy Basil. The list above is only a small glimpse of them. So, include Tulsi in your healthcare regime. If you can grow a Tulsi plant in your garden, you can take advantage of the fresh Tulsi leaves.

You can make Tulsi tea easily. Or you can make Tulsi concoction with ginger, cloves, black pepper, black cardamoms. It is called Tulsi Kadha in Hindi. If you google, you’ll find many recipes of Tulsi Kadha. You can also make a paste of Tulsi leaves for skincare. Mix it with aloe vera to get a soothing face mask. You can also use Tulsi essential oil to relieve stress, headache, etc. Tulsi supplements are easily available too in the form of pills or capsules.

However, before consuming fresh Tulsi or Tulsi supplements, consult your doctor. If you take Tulsi supplements, read the directions on the label carefully and don’t take more than the recommended dosage.

The post The Health Benefits of Tulsi that make it the Mother Medicine of Nature appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

Words like Social Distancing, Self-Isolation, Self-Quarantine, Lockdown are the buzzwords of these trying times. But what do they mean? What’s the difference between Social Distancing, Self-Isolation, Self-Quarantine, and Lockdown? Let us explain.

Difference between Social Distancing, Self-Isolation, Self-Quarantine, Lockdown

Social Distancing:

Social distancing means “remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible.” Simply speaking, it means — reduce contact with other people.

• Stay away from the crowd. Stay away from crowded places like malls, movie theatres, markets, religious places, restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, etc. Avoid stepping out of your home unless it is unavoidable. Don’t organize or take part in any activities that involve mass gathering.
• Social distancing does not limit you from going out of your home to buy essential supplies or other important work. But when you go out, maintain a minimum 1-meter distance from others (2 meters is recommended, wherever possible).
• The elderly or immunocompromised people must be stricter in maintaining this social distancing. People who already have poor health and weak immunity can get more severely affected by Coronavirus.

Isolation or Self-Isolation:

While social distancing is for the people who don’t yet have COVID-19, Isolation is for those who have become infected. People who have COVID-19 are advised to isolate themselves to prevent the infection from spreading to others. It is a way of limiting the patients’ contact with those living around them.

Quarantine or Self-Quarantine:

Quarantine is to limit the movements of those people who have been exposed to COVID-19 but are not yet sick. Authorities send people into quarantine to monitor their health and see if they develop COVID-19. Some at-risk people are put in quarantine centers. Others may be advised to self-quarantine themselves at home.

Isolation and Quarantine follow almost similar procedures to distance the general public from people who have or might have COVID-19 infection. The purpose of both these procedures is the same — break the chain of the infection.

When should you isolate yourself?

As per NHS, If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you need to self-isolate yourself for 7 days. After 7 days, if you do not have a high temperature, you do not need to self-isolate. If you have a high temperature, stay isolated until your temperature returns to normal. No need to self-isolate if you only have a cough after 7 days.

If you live with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms, you need to isolate yourself for 14 days from the day their symptoms started. If more than one person in your family has the symptoms, isolate yourself for 14 days from the day the first person showed symptoms. And if you start showing symptoms too, self-isolate yourself for 7 more days from the day your symptoms appear.

Precautions in self-isolation:

People under self-isolation or self-quarantine must be very careful about their health and surrounding. If you are isolating yourself, observe the following precautions:

• Monitor your symptoms and communicate any change you notice in your health to your doctor.
• Eat a healthy diet. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Do some light exercise every day if you feel well enough.
• People observing self-isolation or self-quarantine can go out to exercise. But stay at least 3 steps away from other people. Avoid public parks. Walk and exercise in your garden, patio, backyard, etc.
• Do not visit anybody and say no to visitors.
• Do not go out to buy food or medicine. Ask someone to get such things for you and leave them at your doorstep.
• Stay in one room and do not share your bed with anyone.
• Maintain a distance from all family members as much as possible.
• COVID-19 patients should wear masks when they are around other people.
• Ensure good personal hygiene and practice rigorous hand washing, or frequent use of hand sanitizer.
• Do not share your personal items with family members. Things like towels, bedsheets, etc. should be kept separate.
• The household surfaces like table tops, door handles should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly.
• If you have symptoms and someone in your family is of the vulnerable group (Elderly, pregnant, long-term health condition, immunocompromised)arrange for them to stay with family or friends for 14 days. If they must stay with you, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
• Clean a shared bathroom every time you use it. Wipe clean the surfaces you have touched.
• Educate your children about the need to stay away from you in age-appropriate language.
• Take care of your physical and mental health while in isolation or quarantine. Stay in touch with family and friends over the phone. Stay positive.

Lockdown: 

In a lockdown, people of an entire region are ordered to stay at home. At such a time, you can go out for essential supplies and other emergencies. But you must not step out of home for non-essential tasks. Doing this may even be a punishable offense.

• When you do step out in a lockdown, make sure you can prove it is for an essential purpose.
• Maintain social distancing when you are outside your home.
• Lockdown can extend for many days. At such a time, you must keep yourself busy and engaged within your home for managing your physical and emotional health. Eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly within your home or garden, and stay positive.

Conclusion:

Social distancing, self-isolation, quarantine, lockdown are all measures important to contain the spread of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Observe them carefully, taking all precautions to ensure that you and those around you stay safe from Coronavirus. When you must stay confined within your home, don’t panic or get anxious. Keep yourself engaged, eat a good diet, and stay connected with your family, friends, and doctor.

The post Social Distancing vs. Self-Isolation vs. Quarantine – What’s the difference? appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

For many women, weight is closely linked to their perception of themselves. In extreme cases, it may even lead to body dysmorphic disorder or eating disorders. Compared to men, women find it harder to lose weight. Men have more muscle, whereas women may have more fat. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, men often seem to lose weight faster than women. Menopause may also make weight management harder for women. And the food cravings caused by premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can destroy all diet plans.

But with a healthy diet and regular exercise, women too can achieve a healthy weight.

Tips for weight management for women

1. Eat a balanced diet:

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is the first step towards weight management.

Try to include more protein in your diet. Food items like Cottage Cheese, Greek Yogurt are rich in protein and keep you feeling full for longer. Cottage Cheese and Greek Yogurt also have Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which may help in weight loss. You also need to make your diet rich in fiber. Vegetables, fruits, legumes, berries, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all rich in fiber. And they are packed with various nutrients essential for good health.

Reduce your intake of Refined Carbs. These are commonly found in products like bread, pasta, and other packaged food items. Replace these with whole grain food items like oats, brown rice, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, etc. Avoid processed food as much as possible. Processed food is high in calories, sugar, and sodium, but low in vital nutrients. So limit your intake of processed foods and stick to the natural goodness of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.

Avoid consuming added sugar. Sugar can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. So avoid sweets, candies, sugary drinks.

2. Avoid unhealthy drinks:

You don’t just eat calories. You drink them too. So, just eating healthy is not enough. You need to be careful about what you drink as well. Avoid sugary drinks. Choose fruits over fruit juice. Limit the sugar you put in your tea, coffee, etc.

Drink more water. Water keeps you hydrated. It may also help you calm down a food craving. Drinking water about a half-hour before a meal can help in reducing overeating. This leads to less consumption of calories. And according to a study. drinking 16.9 ounces (500 ml) of water may even increase the number of calories burned by 30% after 30–40 minutes.

3. Practice smart eating habits:

Eating habits matter a lot when you are trying to lose weight. Here are some smart eating habits that can help you in better weight management:

• Note down what you eat: Keeping a journal of what you eat can show you where you are going right or wrong. It can also help you plan your diet and motivate you to stick to it.
• Enjoy what you eat: When you eat food, keep your focus on it. Enjoy the food’s taste, smell, and texture. This will give you the feeling of fullness sooner. It will also make you more careful about what you are eating.
• Snack intelligently: Losing weight does not mean you need to starve yourself. Snacking between the meals might even help you lose weight by preventing food craving and binging later. But choose your snacks smartly. Instead of reaching out for that muffin or that packet of potato chips, reach out for healthier food. Choose fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, Greek Yogurt, etc, which are delicious as well as healthy to eat.
• Stop torturing yourself: Don’t torture yourself with over-strict or fad diets. Don’t fall into the trap of weight-loss pills. All these do more harm than good. A balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices are what you need to lose weight without getting sick.
• Nibble, don’t gorge: Eating in small bites may also give you the feeling of fullness sooner. And when you are treating yourself to something that you know is unhealthy, nibble on it instead of taking big bites. Chew your food more slowly. Try to chew your food 50 times per bite. If you take a long time finishing one potato wafer, you are less likely to reach out for many more.
• Use smaller plates: If you don’t have enough space on your plate, you’ll put less food on it. This may help reduce your risk of overeating.
• Don’t starve yourself: An adult woman’s diet should contain no less than 800 calories per day. If you consume less than that, you might lose weight fast but might also develop several health issues. That is why it is a good idea to consult a doctor, nurse, dietician, nutritionist before you put yourself on a diet.
• Have a nutritious breakfast: A healthy breakfast that contains plenty of vital nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber can help you lose weight too. Skipping breakfast might lead to binge eating later. Having a nutritious breakfast can make your alert, improve your mood, and give you a feeling of fullness. Include items like oatmeal, Greek Yogurt, seeds, berries, fruits, etc. in your breakfast to begin the day on the right note.

4. Exercise right:

Along with a healthy diet, you also need to do regular exercise.

• Resistance Training: Resistance training is one of the best exercises for weight loss. It will help you build muscle and increase your endurance. It is especially helpful for women over 50 as it can also help in preserving bone mineral density. This resistance training can protect older women against osteoporosis. It also increases the rate of calorie burning while at rest. Resistance training includes exercising like lifting weights, body-weight exercises.
• Cardio: For younger women, Cardio or Aerobic exercise can work well. Cardio exercises increase your heart rate to burn extra calories. Try to include 20 to 40 minutes of cardio every day.
• HIIT: If you can’t exercise every day, you can also try HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training). Doing HIIT a few times in a week can help you burn calories, reduce belly fat, and increase weight loss. An intense burst of movement alternating with brief periods of recovery keeps your heart rate elevated and helps in burning calories.
• Yoga: If you are not comfortable with intense exercises, try Yoga. Yoga can prevent weight gain and help you burn fat and calories. And Yoga is also beneficial for reducing stress and anxiety and prevent emotional binge eating.
• Walking: Walking is a moderate intensity exercise that can help in weight loss, strengthen your bones and muscles, boost your immunity, and give you various other health benefits. Being a moderate-intensity exercise, anyone can walk for weight management and good health. Minimum 30 minutes of walking per day is recommended. The advantages of walking go beyond physical fitness. It can even improve your mood and make you feel happier.
• Stay active: Even if you can’t exercise every day, you can still try to adopt a more active lifestyle. Travel short distances by walking instead of driving. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk whenever you have a few minutes free. As per an estimate, non-exercise-related activities may account for 50% of the calories burned in a day.

5. Sleep Well:

Irregular or insufficient sleep may also lead to weight gain. A study by researchers at the University of Colorado found that one week of sleeping about 5 hours in a day caused an average weight gain of 2 pounds in the participants.

Sleep deprivation can cause changes in the hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. It can reduce the hormone Leptin which suppresses hunger and also encourages the body to spend energy. Lack of sleep reduces the brain’s ability to make reasoned decisions. It may also affect your motivation to lose weight. Sleep deprivation may lead to binge eating too. All this may cause weight gain.

So, try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day. And keep a regular sleep schedule. If you have difficultly falling asleep, consult a doctor.

6. Take Probiotics:

Probiotics are a type of beneficial bacteria. These helpful bacteria can improve your gut health and excretion of fat. Probiotics can also alter hormone levels leading to a reduction in appetite. All of this can help with weight loss. Lactobacillus gasseri probiotic can decrease belly fat and overall weight.

Probiotics can be consumed easily through food or supplements. Probiotics are naturally present in most fermented food. Food items that are rich in probiotics include yogurt, pickles, kefir, kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread, and some cheeses.

7. Beat the stress and be happy:

Negative moods like stress, anxiety, depression can lead to emotional binge eating. Such negative emotions can also disturb your sleep cycle, demotivate you from your weight loss goals, and may lead you to give up exercise and start eating unhealthy food.

Try to relax by doing things you enjoy. Listening to soothing music, walking in the park, keeping a journal, socializing with friends, taking up a hobby, and other such pleasant activities can help. In short, stay happy. When you are happy, you are more likely to stick with your resolve to losing weight.

And when you set your weight management goals, be realistic. Unrealistic goals can lead to disappointment, demotivation, and derail you from your weight loss plans.

Weight management can be a hard battle for women. But it can be won. With proper modifications in your diet and lifestyle, you too can achieve a healthy weight.

The post 7 easy ways of weight management for women appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

Obeying the lockdown and maintaining social distancing is essential to stay safe from Coronavirus. But these measures may also give rise to anxiety, depression, and boredom. Staying locked within homes for days can be especially hard for children.

At such a time, you need to keep yourself and your family engaged in interesting activities. Sure, binge watching Netflix or playing games on your phone and computer can be fun. But this kind of fun is not good for your eyes and health. Instead, try spending the lockdown days in other interesting and productive activities.

Here are some ideas for you:

Things you can do in a lockdown

Exercise and yoga

This is a perfect time for you to lose weight and get in shape. You are at home. You are getting bored. Use those exercise equipment you bought and then forgot. Or find some good exercise videos on YouTube and start exercising. If you can’t do strenuous exercises, switch on some music and try walking around in your home. Set up your weight-loss goals and use the lockdown days to achieve it. Yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises help reduce stress and keep the blood circulation going. It’s always good to include some form of exercise in your life.

Innovative exercises during lockdown

Don’t have exercise equipment? Well, then create some! Innovate and use the things at your home to exercise. Share your exercising videos on social networks and motivate your friends to stay active too.

Plan your diet

You have postponed your diet plans long enough. Now is the perfect time to start eating healthy. Sit down and plan your diet. Decide what you need to stop or start eating. You may not get all food products during a lockdown. But your plan will help you eat better after the lockdown is over.

Read

If you are a bookworm, you will have no difficulty doing this. If you are not, give books a try. Choose the genre you think you enjoy. Mystery, fantasy, romance, historical, crime — there are plenty of choices. If you have books waiting in your To-Be-Read list, read them. If you don’t have any book at home, download some. There are plenty of free eBooks available for you to enjoy. Download the Kindle app or any other eBooks app on your phone, tab, iPad, and start reading.

Tell stories to your children

Telling stories to kids does not just help pass time. It is an excellent way to strengthen your bond with your kids. Stories help in firing up children’s imagination and can teach them valuable life-lessons too.

Listen to music

If you enjoy music, then this is the perfect time for you to run through your entire collection, dig up the old favorites, and discover new artists.

Dance

Why just listen to music? Dance to it. It will be fun. And dancing can be an interesting exercise, too.

Plan a family dance competition

Make dancing a family activity. You can organize a family dance show or competition. You can make your kids spend some days in practicing before the final dance performance. Children would love it, especially if you promise some reward to the winners.

Sing

If you enjoy singing, use the lockdown days to learn some new songs. And like dancing, you can organize family singing competitions too.

Learn musical instrument

Did you buy a musical instrument with great enthusiasm but then put it to a side and forgot? Pick it up again and start practicing. If you don’t have any book to guide you, use the internet. You’ll find plenty of music lessons online.

Learn to cook

Use lockdown time to improve your culinary skills. Make the best use of the food items you have at home. But be careful and don’t waste anything. Food is precious now.

Make a wishlist

Lockdown might have restricted your shopping fun. But that doesn’t mean you can’t browse the online retailers and line up your wishlist. Window browsing is fun too, isn’t it?

Clean your wardrobes

You don’t have the excuse of being too busy. So, clean your wardrobes now. After all, you need to make space in them for the celebratory shopping you’ve planned for post-lockdown days!

Clean your home

Why stop at just wardrobe cleaning? Your house can do with some sprucing, too. So, get down to it. Clean your kitchen, bathrooms and all your rooms. It will help you use idle hours. You will have a clean home. And it will give you good exercise as well.

Re-decorate

You can’t go out to shop for decorative items. But you can re-arrange the things in your rooms. So, do it. Try giving your home a new look by moving the furniture and other stuff to new positions.

Draw and paint with your kids

Your kids might get bored with drawing and painting alone. But if you join them and challenge them, it can keep them entertained for longer. It will be fun for you too.

Best out of waste activities

Challenge your kids at a best out of waste activity. Encourage them to use their imagination and make something interesting. You can help them, but let their ideas be in lead. Such activities can help you keep children away from phones.

Play funny games

Think up some funny games and play with your family to make everyone laugh. For example, hold a competition of making funny sentences using the given word, or giving an impromptu speech about a funny topic. Or just have a competition of making funny faces. Use your ingenuity to raise some laughter. It will make everyone feel better.

Board games

Have family tournaments of games your kids love. These can be board games, jigsaw puzzles, Lego toys, etc. Make these games more interesting by holding a tournament with various rounds and prizes to the winners.

Fun with neighbors

If you live in an area where houses are close together and balconies face each other, have balcony singing and dancing programs or competitions among the neighbors. All neighbors can participate from their balconies.

Have haircut fun

Give yourself a haircut. Or make it a couple’s activity and give each other a haircut. Enjoy the romance. But do it at your own risk! And be very careful while giving a haircut to your kids. If you mess it up, your children will never forgive you.

Make old clothes new

Dig out your old clothes and make something new out of them. You will find plenty of ideas on YouTube, Pinterest, etc. Check out some cool ideas from Lifehack.

Meditate

If the pandemic and resulting lockdown are making you anxious, try meditating. Sit in a quiet place. Close your eyes and try to focus your attention on your breath. Meditation can help you relax and feel more positive.

Weird sounds

Record the weirdest sounds you can create using stuff at home. Share with friends and family.

Start a blog

If you had been thinking of starting a blog, do it now. Just decide what you want to write about, set up your blog, and start blogging. It will keep you engaged for hours every day.

Write a book

Have you felt a book bubbling in your heart? Use the lockdown days to pour it out. You can use the quiet time to write a fiction or non-fiction book. It will keep you busy. And when you finish your book, the sense of achievement you’ll get will be an experience worth all the hard work.

Start a YouTube channel or a podcast

If writing is not for you, start a YouTube channel or podcast. Share your fun and knowledge with the world.

Drawing with kids

Did you enjoy drawing as a child? Maybe the busy life pulled you away from it. Well, it’s time to revive your hobby. Sit down with paper and pencil and start sketching.

Give yourself a beauty treatment

You can’t go out to a beauty parlor. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself a beauty treatment. So, use the time to give yourself facial, manicure, pedicure, etc. Pamper yourself.

Give yourself a funny makeover

Not interested in beauty treatment? Have fun giving yourself a funny makeover. Use the stuff at home to give yourself a funny look. Then click photos or record videos and share them with family and friends. You can even have a family competition for it!

Quit a bad habit

With the pandemic spreading death around the world, you can see how precious life is. Take care of it. If you have been harming yourself with bad habits like smoking or alcoholism, quit it now.

Clean the junk out of your computer

You have cleaned your home, start some digital cleaning now. Remove the junk from your computer. Organize your files, photos, etc.

Clean the junk out of your phone

Like computers, smartphones also collect plenty of junk. Sit down and remove all those useless files. You might even reset your phone. But backup your valuable data first!

Clean your social media profiles

Take a look at your social media networks too. There might be some photos on it you find embarrassing or disturbing now. Remove them. There might be some connections that you no longer want or recognize. Remove them. Use the lockdown days to take control of your social networks.

Dig out the old family albums

How long has it been since you last looked at your family albums? Dig them out now and enjoy roaming through delicious memories.

Do an online course

This is the perfect opportunity to do an online course and improve your skills. Whether you want to learn a new language or gain some new technical skills, you have free time to do it now.

Build card castles

Of course, you can use the playing cards to play card games. But when you feel bored with playing, try to build a card castle. Click photos of your ‘architectural’ excellence and share them on social media.

Plan a treasure hunt for your kids

A treasure hunt at home can be entertaining for the whole family. Have fun setting it up. Then have more fun watching your family battling with your clues.

Start Gardening  

If you have a garden or potted plants, tend to them. Gardening will also help you relax and feel less anxious.

Capture the sky

With the humans trapped in homes, the air pollution has reduced and the sky can shine clearer now. Click some nice pictures of the sky from your home or garden. You can have even more fun by imaginatively editing them using smartphone apps.

Discover beauty in your home

Click interesting pictures of your plants or objects in your house. Try to discover surprising angles and make ordinary things look extraordinary.

Start Making Plan

Make plans you had been pushing away. You might be thinking of starting a new business. Or you want to renovate your home. Use the lockdown time to complete your plans.

Plan your next vacation

Here’s another plan you can complete while you are confined to your home. Gather all the information you need from the internet and plan out a perfect vacation for yourself and family.

Be social

Observing Social Distancing is important to be safe from the Coronavirus. But you can still stay in touch with your friends and family through your phone. Such social interactions can help you relax and improve your mood too.

Revive old friendships

Get back in touch with old friends you haven’t contacted in ages.

Bond with your family

Spend quality time with your family. When you sit together, be together. Talk, instead of staring at your phone. Enjoy family time.

Spread motivation

With the world under a pandemic attack, we all are feeling anxious and gloomy. At such a time, reading motivational and funny quotes can help in improving your mood. You can browse for them on Pinterest. And if you find something you love, share it with your friends and family. Everyone can benefit from motivation and smiles, especially in these trying times.

Enjoy the quiet time:

Life is a hectic race. Enjoy the quietness of these days. Just sit down comfortably and let your mind wander. But try to keep your thoughts happy and positive.

Do weird googling

Google using the weirdest phrases and see what you stumble upon.

Journal

Write a journal of the lockdown days. Pour out your thoughts and worries. Note down your experience of this extraordinary time. It will help you relax.

Sleep

We don’t realize how much sleep-debt we accumulate in our busy life. Sleep deprivation can lower your immunity and affect your physical and emotional health. So, use the lockdown days to rest yourself. Relax and sleep. Rejuvenate yourself to face the hectic days that will return once the lockdown is lifted. But don’t over-sleep either! Discipline yourself. It is very important to stay happy and healthy in the long lockdown days.

Conclusion:

With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the world, we are living through days that are almost too shocking to believe. At such a time, keeping your mood happy and morale high is important. You cannot step out of your home. But you can still have fun and stay busy in activities that are engaging, entertaining, and can help you stay healthy.

The post How to make best use of your lockdown time appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.

Studies suggest that taking a healthy breakfast every day keeps you more physically active, compared to skipping breakfast and eating a heavier meal later. Breakfasting everyday helps in controlling obesity and Type 2 Diabetes and prevents large fluctuations in your blood glucose level.

However, it is important that you eat healthy breakfast. Breakfast items typically offered at restaurants or available in supermarkets may not always be healthy. Muffins, pancakes, waffles taste great. But eating them every day is not a healthy choice.

What is a healthy breakfast?

A breakfast that is a healthy mix of protein, vitamins, and other essential nutrients is a healthy breakfast. Try to make your breakfast nutritious by including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins and fats. Keep harmful fats and sugars away. Remember that a well-balanced breakfast can boost your energy, make you more alert, and keep you from overeating during the rest of the day.

11 food items you should include in your healthy breakfast

1. Coffee:

Coffee is rich in caffeine and is a great drink to get rid of the morning drowsiness. It can make you feel more alert. It can also improve your mood and mental performance. Caffeine can increase your metabolic rate and fat burning. It is also rich in antioxidants. These antioxidants can help in reducing inflammation and protecting the cells lining your blood vessels. They can also help in decreasing diabetes and liver disease risk. Just be careful while adding sugar to it. Better still, skip the sugar.

2. Green Tea:

The caffeine content in Green Tea is only half the amount found in coffee. It provides only 35–70 mg of caffeine per cup. But it is an excellent drink for a healthy start of your day. It too can make you alert and improve your mood. And it is great for raising your metabolic rate.

Green Tea can also help in reducing blood sugar and insulin level. This may be a helpful for people with diabetes. The EGCG antioxidant in green tea may help in keeping your brain, nervous system, and heart healthier.

3. Protein Shake or Smoothie:

If you don’t want a drink with caffeine, protein shakes and smoothies can be a good option for you.

For the protein shakes, you can use protein powder, including whey, egg, soy, and pea protein. Whey protein might be a great choice as it is absorbed most quickly by the body and helps in reducing appetite better than other proteins. Whey protein may also help in lowering blood sugar levels if included in a carb-containing meal.

Whatever protein powder you use, make it more nutritious with fruits, greens, seeds, etc. It will prove to be a filling and satisfying drink.

4. Eggs:

Eggs are a good option to include in your breakfast. Eating eggs at breakfast increases feeling of fullness. This may prevent you from overeating in your next meal. Eggs may also help in keeping the blood sugars and insulin levels steady.

Eggs are high in cholesterol, but they don’t raise cholesterol levels in most people. Whole eggs may even modify the shape of “bad” LDL cholesterol and increase “good” HDL cholesterol. This can help in reducing the risk of heart disease.

The lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants in egg yolks can help in preventing eye disorders like cataracts and macular degeneration. Eggs add high-quality protein to your diet. And they are rich in choline which helps in brain and liver health.

Eggs are also quick to make. So, no matter how rushed your morning is, you can include eggs in your breakfast.

5. Cottage Cheese:

Cottage cheese is a rich source of calcium and may help in bone strength and prevention of osteoporosis. If you are a vegetarian and don’t eat eggs, include cottage cheese in your breakfast. It is rich in protein. Cottage Cheese also increases metabolism, decreases hunger hormone ghrelin, and gives you a feeling of fullness. Full-fat cottage cheese also has Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which may help in weight loss. Cottage Cheese may help in regulating blood pressure and preventing certain cancers, such as prostate cancer.

6. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is made by straining whey and other liquids from milk curds. This makes the yogurt creamier and more concentrated in protein. It increases levels of hormones that promote fullness. So, like eggs and Cottage Cheese, the protein-rich Greek Yogurt also gives a feeling of fullness and can help prevent over-eating.

The full-fat yogurt contains Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). This CLA may help in fat loss and decrease the risk of breast cancer. Some types of Greek Yogurt also have probiotics like Bifidobacteria that help in keeping your gut healthy.

Add berries and chopped fruits to the Greek Yogurt for vitamins, minerals, and fiber content. It makes for a delicious and healthy breakfast.

7. Oatmeal:

If you like to eat cereals in your breakfast, Oatmeal is a great choice for you.

Oats contain a fiber called beta-glucan which has many health benefits. The biggest of these is that it helps in reducing cholesterol. Beta-glucan is viscous fiber. It promotes feelings of fullness and may prevent over-eating in the next meal. Oats are also rich in antioxidants and may help in heart health and blood pressure.

Oats are not a rich source of protein. So pair oatmeal with eggs or cheese to get sufficient protein in your breakfast. Also, if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, buy only gluten-free certified oatmeal.

8. Seeds:

Including seeds in your breakfast is a good idea. They add a delicious and healthy crunch to your meal. They are a good source of fiber and different seeds are rich in different nutrients. Seeds have various antioxidants that help in fighting ailments and maintaining better health.

Flaxseeds, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds can be great for your health. Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds are a good source of omega-3 fats. Hemp Seeds are rich in protein and have a good proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. Sesame Seeds are rich in lignans and several nutrients. Pumpkin Seeds are rich in phosphorus, monounsaturated fats and omega-6 fats and Sunflower seeds are rich in protein, monounsaturated fats, and vitamin E.

In short, seeds can give you many health benefits. They are easy to include in your diet and taste great. Just add them to salads, yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, etc. and enjoy.

9. Berries:

Don’t underestimate the health benefits of berries. They taste great and are packed with antioxidants. They are high in fiber and low in calories. Their sugar content is less than fruits, yet they taste as good. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries can help in maintaining good health. They can also reduce markers of inflammation and prevent oxidizing of blood cholesterol.

So include berries in your breakfast. They will make your meal delicious and healthier.

10. Nuts:

Along with seeds and berries, nuts can be a great addition to the taste and nutrition value of your breakfast. They are high in calories, yet may be helpful in weight loss because they give a feeling of fullness and may prevent overeating. Nuts may improve heart health, decrease inflammation, and reduce insulin resistance. Nuts are also rich in nutrients like magnesium, potassium and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Nuts may also help people with diabetes. One study suggests that replacing a portion of carbs with nuts may help reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Include two tablespoons of chopped nuts in your breakfast to make your meal healthier and crunchier.

11. Fruits:

Fruits are packed with nutrients. They can satisfy your cravings for something sweet in a healthier way. Fruits contain vitamins, potassium, and fiber. And they are low in calories. One cup of chopped fruits provides 80–130 calories. Fruits can help build your immunity and give you better overall health. With high fiber content, they are also very filling and can help in weight loss.

So you see, healthy breakfast can be delicious too. It can give you the energy to face a hectic day and help in maintaining good health. Just try it!

The post Healthy breakfast can be delicious too. Try these 11 awesome breakfast foods appeared first on WellnessHub Nourishing Your Mind, Body, and Soul.