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You are here: Home / Archives for Selfcare

Selfcare

12 Superfoods And Their Super Benefits

February 20, 2022 by Mrinali Kaul

‘Superfoods’ Does the name ring a bell? I am sure it does. Superfoods are the go-to foods for all the health freaks who work towards a fit and healthy body. Although, there is no legal definition or standard classification for these foods. The name superfood was given to market foods that are nutrient-rich and are mostly plant-based.

These foods contribute very little towards calories instead, they are a great source of vitamins minerals and are loaded with antioxidants. They contribute towards good health.

How Superfoods work? 

Antioxidants are molecules that reduce the generation of free radicals in our body. Free radicals are chemicals that can damage cells are associated with several illnesses and the process of ageing. 

The myth

Many people expect that eating one or two superfoods on top of an unbalanced, poor diet will help them avert chronic illness. Unfortunately, this is the biggest myth! You need to have a healthy balanced diet and the intake of superfoods to stay healthy.

Superfoods for a healthier You

Different types of berries- These include goji, Acai, blueberries, raspberries, and tart cherries. These are loaded with flavonoids, antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins such as A, C, E, and K.

Leafy green foods- Examples of such foods are spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip, beet greens, and swiss chards. They are rich in iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and tonnes of carotenoids, along with a lot of fiber. In addition to promoting a healthy digestive tract, these are a great source of vitamins A, B, C, E, and K.

Superfoods

Dark Chocolate- It is high in flavonoids and antioxidants. It also helps to boost immunity and protect against some conditions such as cardiovascular disease. The cacao powder present in dark chocolate confers most of the health benefits. 

Tea- Green tea, which is rich in catechins, is anti-inflammatory and can help in reducing stress, thereby proving good for your health.

Superfoods

Fish- Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, they have immense health benefits, and one of them includes reducing the risk of heart disease. Examples are salmon, trout, herring, sardines, and mackerel.

Nuts and seeds- An excellent source of plant proteins, nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts all can be added to your diet. You can have a handful or add them to your salads or vegetables. Being rich in healthy fats such as monounsaturated fatty acids, they are great for your heart.

Whole grains- Whole grains are rich in fiber, Vitamins such as B complex,  many minerals, and plant-based proteins. 

Do not forget the bulgur wheat, quinoa, brown rice, and wheatberries, and try to incorporate these into your daily diet. Also, include 100% whole wheat multi-grain bread in your breakfast rather than baked potatoes.

Legumes- Different beans such as kidney, soya, red, black, and garbanzo beans and peas. Make your salads and soups healthier and tastier when you add protein-packed legumes to them.

Grapes- ‘Resveratrol’ is a compound with similar functions as an antioxidant, protecting against chronic diseases. This compound is abundant in the skin of red grapes.

Cruciferous vegetables- Compounds in these vegetables have been shown to have anticancer properties. Rich sources include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, and mustard greens. These are loaded with vitamins and minerals. You can cook up a nutritious meal by stir-frying them in healthy oils or steaming them.

Some other superfoods- Wheatgrass, spirulina, garlic, turmeric, beetroot, and Brazil nuts. 

Fill up your plate with colorful foods to amp up the antioxidant quotient!

Superfoods for a healthy gut – Probiotics and Prebiotics

The Gut Microbiome Diet

Feeding gut bacteria in the right way!

Several foods nourish the gut bacteria, support their growth and development, and maintain them to augment gut health.

Probiotics

The term probiotic is derived from a Greek word which means ‘for life’. Probiotics are live, friendly bacteria that are beneficial for our gut. Foods rich in probiotics include yogurt and traditional buttermilk, which are dairy-based. 

Many fermented foods also serve as a good source of probiotics. These are kefir, Kimchi, Kombucha, Kanji, pickles, sauerkraut and Tempeh (Vegetable origin).

Different types of probiotics have different effects. However, their primary mechanism of action involves killing bad microbes present in the gut, helping maintain an intact intestinal wall, reducing inflammation, and improving immunity.

Benefits of Probiotics 

Yogurt and Buttermilk: A great source of Calcium, Vitamin B12, proteins, phosphorus, and riboflavin. To top it up, people who have lactose intolerance can also have these! 

Both of these products should be prepared from raw milk as pasteurization causes the destruction of good bacteria.

Superfoods

Sauerkraut: This product derives its benefit from being a fermented vegetable and is a powerhouse of nutrients. Since it is loaded with vitamins, iron, folate, potassium, and manganese. 

You should try making one at home rather than buying it from a supermarket, as commercial ones are pasteurized and have added preservatives. 

Kimchi: Similar to sauerkraut, Kimchi is also a fermented product and has cabbage as the main ingredient apart from cucumber, radish, red chili,, and garlic. It can be used as a side dish or an appetizer. 

It is a great source of antioxidants and can boost your immune system.

Superfoods

Miso and Tempeh: Both are made by fermentation of soybeans. Miso is eaten as soup,, whereas Tempeh is like tofu but is more proteinaceous comparatively. It’s a rich source of vitamins and minerals but is low in carbohydrates and salt.

Kombucha: Also called tea mushroom, It’s a popular beverage that was used in ancient China and is made from sugar and black tea. It is an antioxidant and is antimicrobial in nature, protecting against the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

The anti-cancer properties of polyphenols present in the tea also have immense health benefits.

Prebiotics- How are they different from Probiotics?

You should not confuse probiotics with prebiotics as both are different. 

Prebiotics refer to non-digestible fibrous foods which feed the probiotics/ are food for good bacteria present in your gut. They are broken down by the microbes present in the large intestine to synthesize products that help absorb nutrients in the gut. 

They have several benefits, from being anti-inflammatory with cancer-fighting properties to help with weight loss and preventing constipation.

Prebiotic foods include the insoluble fiber from many plant-based foods such as legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Fruits such as apples, bananas, avocados,, and berries and vegetables like leeks, onions, artichokes, garlic, barley, tomatoes, dandelion greens, and asparagus along with peas and beans are the best sources of prebiotics. 

Chicory, cocoa, konjac roots, oats, soybean, wheat,, and yacon roots,  all these fiber-rich foods help maintain a healthy gut. At Least 5 grams of prebiotics should be incorporated into your daily diet.

Are supplements good enough?

If you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet, you should skip dietary supplements. Even if you have them, they should be taken just to fill the gaps in your diet. 

Dietary supplements are available in tablets, capsules, and powder form in many pharmacy stores. In relation to gut health, supplements are offered as an additional option to help balance one’s gut microbiome. Supplements may contain enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc.

However, before taking any supplements, you should always consult a health care practitioner, as they may sometimes have strong biological effects in some individuals and may not be safe for everyone.

Super summary A well-balanced diet packed with nutrients when supplemented with superfoods can do wonders for your health. So, keep your illnesses at bay and let food be thy medicine. Also, get your health’s wealth through the right nutrition choices by downloading the JoyScore App.

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Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Joy, Lifestyle, Selfcare, Wellness

10 benefits of meditation: meditation tips and tricks

December 19, 2021 by Dikshi Gupta

At the core of all of us, we all seek one thing in common. It is the burning urge to be happy, blissful and satisfied in life. Men, women, and even crying infants seek comfort and peace for themselves. 

For several years, it has been well-known that meditation is the answer to a stressful life and an anxious mind. The benefits of meditation are becoming a trending topic in the general public. Furthermore, as the number of studies increases, the scientific benefits of meditation are now also beginning to be understood.

However, in this hectic lifestyle, taking time for self-care and meditation is like a concept from a science fiction movie. It often feels like there is not enough time to get things done. We barely find enough time to complete our chores and errands, let alone to unwind and take a second for ourselves.

With that being said, it is vital to take some time and breathe despite our always-moving lifestyle. Regular meditation practice can lead to long-term benefits of meditation and short-term benefits of meditation. This article will talk about the importance of meditation and different tips for meditation you can use.

Benefits of meditation

Improved sleep

Disrupted sleep can drain all the energy out of you and leave you all exhausted. The continuous cycle of insufficient sleep can lead to several long-term damages. Ensuring a “good night’s sleep” is crucial for maintaining productivity at work, and meditation can be the solution to this problem.

There are numerous mental benefits of meditation, and better sleep is one of the many. Many recent studies have confirmed that meditation helps patients with insomnia and other sleep disorders. It is one of the most admired long-term benefits of meditation as most people have insomnia at some point. 

Although whether night meditation is better for insomnia or day meditation is still a topic of debate. However, one thing is certain that meditation and better sleep are directly related. 

Better immune system

Just like its psychological benefits, there are also an array of physical benefits of meditation. Practicing meditation boosts the immune system, regulates hormonal discharge, and decreases cellular inflammation in the body. Moreover, studies have also revealed that people who meditate regularly have a higher number of antibodies and produce these antibodies more rapidly than those who don’t.

It means that your body will fight off diseases better and quickly and make your overall physical health strong. 

Increase alertness and focus

You might have noticed how people feel spaced out and unfocused when not getting enough sleep. Alertness and focused attention are essential factors that help us get things done effectively and efficiently. Lack of these components can cause distraction and mistakes and ultimately leads to diminished productivity at work.

Scientific studies have shown meditation by controlling the alpha waves in the brain that are directly associated with our sense organs and respond to external stimulations.

1 Minute Meditation

Ability to fight addiction

Substance abuse is a big problem in our society, and overcoming it requires focus, commitment, and sheer will. Meditation helps overcome the barrier of dry dependence by increasing your awareness and self-control of triggers for addictive behaviors. Patients who practice meditation daily show less craving towards drugs and seem to have fewer withdrawal symptoms.

Moreover, they often generate better self-awareness and self-care and bounce back to their normal state than non-meditating patients. 

Reduce stress

Managing stress is the most common catalyst for people to try meditation in the first place. Unexpected encounters with negative situations lead to stress, burnout, and hypertension. Stress can give birth to more dire mental problems such as insomnia, anxiety, and even depression if not taken care of. Practicingbehaviorsn allows you to tame your mind to survive the crisis successfully.

Manage anxiety

Anxiety has been a significant problem for everyone and can cause several adverse effects on the mind and the body.  Meditation can reduce stress levels making people less prone to anxiety. Whether it is anxiety disorders, panic attacks, or other emotional imbalances, meditation helps tackle them all.

Helps in chronic pain

According to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), meditation not only helps reduce chronic pain but also increases the individual’s pain tolerance. While meditators experience the same amount of pain like others, studies have shown that meditation helps change their perception of pain, thus providing relief.

benefits of meditation
Increases Gratitude and Kindness

Controls blood pressure

As stress is a significant element of bad blood pressure, meditation helps facilitate optimal blood pressure levels by keeping your mental stress in check. Not only that, by preventing irregular blood pressure levels, meditation also diminishes the chance of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Prevents age-related memory loss

Meditation techniques like Kirtan Kriya are mainly famous for sharpening the mind and preventing memory loss from old age. By enabling better attention, concentration, and focus, meditation helps keep your mind young and reduces the chances of age-related memory loss and memory retention problems.

Increases gratitude and kindness

Meditation is a great way to increase the feeling of kindness and gratitude within ourselves. When we meditate, we discard our ego, anger, and self-doubt. Meditation connects us with our surroundings and creates a sense of euphoria and peace. Thus, making us more giving and kinder towards others.

Some tips and tricks for meditation

Start small – It is not carved in stone to jump in with hours-long meditation sessions. You can start with small 2 minute sessions and increase the time gradually.

Try morning meditation – To make meditation a regular habit, try meditating first thing day in the morning. It makes you more fresh and active throughout the day.

Count your breaths – If you are not aware of different meditation techniques, sit down, settle in, and count your breaths slowly. Focus on inhaling and exhaling, and follow it through your nose down to your lungs.

Allow your mind to wander – Don’t try to force your mind to concentrate. Give your mind a chance to run wild for some time and try to come back to the present and start again.

Try meditation apps – Today, you cannot have a meditation guru with you every time you meditate. Instead, you can try guided meditation apps to help you in the meditation journey. You can check out our Joyscore app for guided meditation sessions.  

Final thoughts

Meditation has been in existence for thousands of years, and through various scientific studies, we are still unraveling the exemplary benefits that this ancient technique holds. It is undoubtedly one of the best ways to calm storms in our minds and dissolve any doubts or negativity. 

However, it’s essential to acquire clear, progressive, and authentic meditation methods from trustworthy guides. Joyscore app features an array of different meditation methods and techniques that you can use for successful meditation sessions.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Joy, meditation, Selfcare, Tips

Top 11 Unique Ways to Improve Your Self-Confidence Instantly

October 12, 2021 by Dikshi Gupta

Successful people credit their confidence for being successful. But they do throw light on how to be one. It’s because confidence is built on different things. It is built on accomplishments and choices that you make. Think about what you are capable of and believe in yourself. When you discover these, it would be the most worthy pursuits of life. 

What is self-confidence?

Self-confidence is having a positive view of your life. It is a sense of control in your life. You are aware of your strengths and weaknesses. You have realistic expectations and can handle criticism. It is having trust in one’s ability, quality, and judgment. It is valuing yourself, regardless of what others may believe about you.

Benefits of self-confidence:

A healthy level of self-confidence helps you to be successful in your personal and professional life. It is essential for your psychological well-being.

Here are a few benefits of self-confidence:

  • Having healthy self-confidence can help you to devote your energy to your efforts. Rather than worrying about others and yourself for not being good, you can perform better by being confident.
  • Self-confidence improves healthy relationships. It helps you to understand and love others in a better way. It also gives the strength to walk away if you are not getting what you deserve.
  • You can be resilient if you have self-confidence. You will have the ability to bounce back from any problems or challenges that you face in your life.
  • With self-confidence, you are willing to try new things. It will be easier if you are confident about yourself and your abilities.

Who is a confident person?

Everyone is not born with a sense of self-confidence. It can be hard to develop confidence because you suffer from low self-esteem, or some personal experiences may have caused you to lose confidence in yourself. You need to build self-confidence to grow and to adapt to the changing environment.

A confident person:

  • Is willing to take risks
  • Always learns something new
  • Take up challenges in life
  • Learn from mistakes
  • Has positive affirmations
  • Does what is right
  • Accepts a compliment
  • Inspires others to be confident.

Self-confidence is challenging to build up. Here we have listed down a few ways you can improve your self-confidence. 

1. Be honest with yourself

Accept your weaknesses and flaws. Reflect upon the mistakes you have made and admit them. Give attention to your feelings and trust others. Avoid self-blame and overthinking. Do not consider people’s judgments about you. You will be fearless when you know your capabilities. 

2. Exercise

Workouts can boost your confidence, so try to make it a routine. Aim for at least 20 minutes of activity every day. You will end up being confident and feel more accomplished too. 

Improve your self-confidence with exercise
Exercise For Healthy Mind And Body

3. Come out of your comfort zone

If you are confident enough, you will be able to face any problems in the future. Try new even though it scares you. You may find out that they are not as intimidating as you thought they would be. If you have that confident mindset, you can push yourself to do new activities that you would not normally do. 

4. Improve your body language

Practicing a good posture helps you to feel more confident.  If you are slouching or closing yourself off people, you seem like a timider. Instead, hold your head high and keep your arms at your side. Look more open and approachable. Take a look at your posture, recognize how you are presenting yourself and make changes when you need. 

5. Avoid being arrogant

Stop being arrogant. Admit whenever you are wrong. Speak with confidence rather than with arrogance. Celebrate other people’s success. Notice your body language and change that when required. Arrogant people think that they are right most of the time. It is partially true or might be true with partial context. You have to let other people be right sometimes. Not every battle is worth fighting. Sometimes you have to just let go.

6. Think positive

Have positive affirmations for what you want to achieve every day. Tell yourself that you can do it. Let go of negativity around you. Always tell yourself things will be alright. When you have a positive mind, you will be able to make the best of any situation. 

Benefits of self-confidence is you start believing yourself
Think Positive And Believe in yourself

7. Be prepared

Have a hope that something good will always happen. Also, be prepared to tackle the problems that may occur. When you are prepared, you will be more confident to face difficulties. You will be able to reach your goals much more smoothly. 

8. Accept the compliments

When somebody says nice things about you, take a second to thank them and accept their feedback. If you are not confident about yourself, you may brush off when people say nice things about you. Instead, listen to what they are saying since it is positive that they recognize you. 

9. Change small habits

Develop good habits and try to break the bad ones. Small and new good practices are more likely to stick. By making small changes in your habits, you can be more confident of achieving whatever you want. 

10. Become knowledgeable

It is essential to feed your brain with good and positive content. Self-help is highly recommended for those who want to improve self-confidence. Stories of successful people are good to be motivated. If you do not have time to read books, you can try out audiobooks or find them free on youtube. 

11. Remember that people are tolerant

You may think that people notice you when you are shy. Just remember that no one is judging you. Do not find this embarrassing. People are tolerant and accept you however you are. You should not feel nervous about it. 

In conclusion, everyone at a stage of life struggles with confidence issues. If that interferes with your education, work, and social life, you should consider seeking help.

What can you do now?

  • It takes time, patience and persistence to develop self-confidence. 
  • Consult a professional 
  • Join a support forum
  • Talk to a friend
  • Explore new in life
  • Try out apps such as Joyscore.

Filed Under: Mind Tagged With: Self Love, Self-Confidence, self-esteem, Selfcare

Importance Of Including Yoga In Your Daily Habits

June 22, 2021 by Dikshi Gupta

Yoga is a way of living that aims to create a balance between a healthy mind and body. It promotes the balanced development of an individual. Yoga helps you to recharge your body mentally, physically, and spiritually. It powers you to control your body and mind.

What are the benefits of including yoga in your daily habits?

  • It builds muscle strength, flexibility, and confidence.
  • It helps you to lose weight.
  • It boosts your energy.
  • It improves your fitness level.
  • It helps to manage stress and anxiety.
  • It helps to remove toxins from the body.
  • It increases the concentration and focus of the mind.
  • It promotes self-healing.
  • It improves immunity and helps you to maintain a healthier life.

Six ways to include Yoga in your daily habits

1. Do it first thing in the morning. 

Doing Yoga in the morning benefits the most to the body. Keep aside 15 minutes every day to do Yoga.  It will do wonders for you. Set the alarm every day. Start the session with a brief meditation and be ready to stretch. Enjoy this quiet time. 

2. Take classes

It is good to join a class if you are struggling to keep up with the routine. Beginner’s Yoga, Meditation, Power Yoga, and asana are all available in the classes. Now the Yoga classes are available online. It is good to be guided by an expert yoga teacher. You can do it every day in the comfort of your home.

yoga for Mind
Online Yoga Classes

3. Practice wherever you go

It is a beautiful thing that technology allows us to do whatever and whenever we want. With numerous apps on the go, you can practice yoga every day. You need not ruin your habit formation even though you are vacationing and traveling.

Yoga Practice
Practice Yoga Everyday

4. Set goals and track your progress

You might practice yoga for many reasons. Have a goal that you want to attain. Be it increasing flexibility or losing weight, set a goal and stick to it. Keep visual, written records like a journal and track your progress. This practice will add commitment and motivation. 

5. Reward yourself

The reward is one of the essential elements of forming a habit. When your routine is yoga practice, you have to reward yourself. This action reinforces the formation of habit and motivates you to reach the goal. 

6. Just do it! – No excuses

Regardless of anything, understand what it means to be healthy by doing yoga. Think of yoga as a journey and what benefits it can provide. It is not always easy to stick to a new habit, but don’t give up. Don’t say excuses for not practicing yoga. It has highs and lows but will help you to be healthier and to have a peaceful mind.

Thus, practicing yoga can help you to have a happier and healthier life.  It takes your fitness and your mental capacity to a higher level. It brings calmness and mindfulness to your busy life. 

Hope this article provides you ample information on why yoga is incredible. Download the Joyscore app and understand how practicing yoga every day can help you to improve your mind, body, and life.

Go out. Get on your mat and experience for yourself the excellent benefits of yoga.

Filed Under: Mind Tagged With: fitness, internationalyoga day, Mindfulness, Selfcare, Yoga

Simple Tips to Self-Care during the COVID Lockdown

June 17, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Stressing out about what the future holds for you? Constantly worrying about whether things will ever go back to normal? Regularly doubting yourself on whether you are being productive enough in this lockdown? Making plans every day of doing something meaningful but ending up just scrolling through social media all day? If you are going through any of these situations in these testing times, then don’t worry. You are not alone.

In these strange times that we are living in today, it is normal to feel the pressure. Stress and anxiety can easily creep up on you. But it is important to not let it get to our heads. If all these things that are making noises in our heads go unchecked, there are chances of one slowly spiraling towards a mental breakdown. Not able to go outside and see your friends and family is piling up on that.

Self Care During COVID-19

But, lying in bed all day with just your thoughts is also not a solution. Being stationary does not help anyone. You need to snap yourself out of it and get moving. There are some things that you can do in order to feel better about yourself which do not take much effort. Below is a list of things you should do in the increase the productivity in your life:

Get Creative – Now that everyone is sitting at home and scrolling their social media, this is the perfect opportunity to up your meme game. And who knows? You might even go viral.

Exercise – You have to shake that lethargy off of you and get your body moving. It’s great if you have some workout equipment at home. But even if you don’t, there are plenty of tutorials and fitness apps on the internet that will tell you simple ways to workout at home.

Cooking – Cooking is the ultimate stress buster. Success does not matter in this endeavour. Just making efforts and preparing food with your own hands can be a really fulfilling experience. And don’t forget, it can also make for good Instagram stories.

Self Care Routine

Reading – There cannot be a better time to read one of the many books that are sitting in your collection but you haven’t had a chance to read. A good book can enhance your perspective towards the world and that is exactly what is needed in this pandemic.

Meditation – Meditation helps in calming your nerves and is a great tool for stress management.

Learn Something New – Hasn’t there been one thing that you always want to learn but couldn’t for some reason? Well hopefully, you can do it now. From dancing to playing guitar to learning a new language, the options are endless.

Be in Touch with Your Therapist – Just because you cannot physically visit your therapist, does not mean that there are no other ways to communicate. Therapists are there to help you become better. Many of them will be more than willing to offer their advice on phone calls.

Clean Your Room – A dirty room can lead to the conjuring of negative thoughts. Live in a clean and cheerful environment.

Talk to Your Friends – Stay in touch with your friends, ask them how they are doing and keep checking up on them. Everyone is having their own issues right now and it is a really good thing to talk about. It lessens the burden on the heart and can also increase happiness in your life.

Sleep – A lot of people’s healthy sleep cycles are going out of the windows these days. For some, birds chirping outside the window is an indication that they should sleep now. This is unhealthy and can cause physical stress on the body. You should try to avoid watching another episode of that web series that you are binging on and go to sleep at an appropriate time.

We hope this article is of help to you and you come out a better person after this pandemic.

Filed Under: Mind Tagged With: Corona, Covid, Selfcare

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Dr. Bob Singhal

Professor Bhupendra 'Bob' Singhal, has taught creativity by joy and right brain thinking, a renowned international architect, won major design competitions, has over 70 awards, publications, media mentions and served as President of the American Institute of Architects South Bay. In 2011, in his book Joy in Health and Happiness: Your Optimal Path to Success, Professor Singhal wrote about the transformative power of joy and helped readers learn to enhance their daily experience of it.

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