The simple things…

January 6, 2023 jacquelineobyikocha2 Comments

Joy. A simple word, yet it carries a whole lot of weight in it for far too many people are constantly in search of joy and many fail to find it as often as they should. I think the fault lies in having great expectations and waiting for things that are exceptionally good before they can have some iota of pleasure.

Connecting with my spiritual side and aiming to grow more spiritually aware, diligently practicing gratitude, choosing to have an optimistic and positive mindset, staying as fully present and living in the moment are conscious steps that I take daily and these have helped me to continually create more positive emotions for myself.

For me, the simple every day things of life bring joy to me and helps enhance my sense of wellbeing. When the work day is over, the thought of going home to my place of comfort consistently brings me pleasure. It’s not that I don’t like going to work, but knowing that I get to return home to my place of refuge where I can choose to lounge in my pajama’s, relax, exhale, be with my family etc. makes those hours spent pursuing the daily bread worth the effort.

My children are a constant source of joy for me. Listening to them share their dreams and work towards them, watching them grow into independent young adults and experiencing their wins in life brings me an immense source of wellbeing and accomplishment.

At the start of each day, I make my to-do list and set little goals that ultimately contribute to achieving my bigger goals definitely makes one feel good. There are many days that I am unable to do all the things that I set out to do, but I have also learnt not to guilt trip myself, to be thankful for the things that I was able to do and not to dwell inordinately on the things that I failed to do.

As adults, we get bogged down with so much in form of rules, responsibilities and life that we often forget how to feel that unadulterated sense of bliss. I truly believe that living mindfully helps us to create, recreate and really experience that sense of happiness and bliss that we deserve.

I wish you joy.

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How to manage stressful mornings #fyp #deepthoughts #advice #decisionmaking #selfcontrol #emotionalintelligence #stress #Howto Our daily lives can start off on a stressful not and may even take unexpected turns that will make or mar an ordinarily simple day. In such situations, what matters most is not about what is happening to us, but how we respond to our experiences. How we exert self control knowing that wrong decisions taken under duress can be defining.
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Everyday People · Family · Health · Life · Parenting

All in a brisk walk…

July 19, 2022 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

This morning I woke up with a foggy feeling in my head and it was as if I hadn’t slept at all. I felt lazy, and just wanted to continue lying on my bed, but I knew that doing so would simply set the wrong tone for my day and literally muttering ‘mind over matter, mind over matter’ I basically cajoled myself to crawl out of bed and take my antidote – which is to go out for a brisk walk, to get some fresh air and hopefully feel more alive in the process.

Photo by Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas on Pexels.com

My brisk walk can involve various things depending on my mood, either listening and humming to music that I enjoy with an occasional shake and a jig to accentuate the notes that hit home, listening to a podcast or any talk that piques my interest, venting in my head and going over an argument that I had with hubby and realizing that maybe I should have used a better punchline than I had; mentally deciding to save a punchline and use it to drive home my point, going over my to-do list in my head, making a shopping list, thinking of random stuff and just watching people go about their business…

I had almost come to end of my walk when an idea popped into my head out of the blues and I was so excited at the thought that I made a mental note not to forget to include it in my soon to be executed plans. Right as I turned into the bend leading to our apartment block, I ran into a young dad and a toddler – who by my assessment is barely more that 24 months – attempting to play football, and I slowed my pace to absorb the scene.

The man kept a few paces apart and kicked the ball towards his son. It’s either because the baby was wholly new to the game or wasn’t sure what to do; he missed it not once but four times. After each miss, his dad patiently walked towards him, picked the ball and kicked it again. I was silently rooting in my head for the little one and just as soon as I thought that he would miss it yet again, his little foot finally connected with the ball and he kicked it back with gusto. The ring of his delight and joy from his accomplishment had me applauding both of them and a huge smile made its way to my face.

A brisk walk of 40 minutes not only brought me such unexpected fullness, it drew home several pointers and set a positive tone for my day. During my grudgingly taken walk, I got inspired, I saw love and patience, I saw resilience and joy, I became energized, I gained more clarity and buzz that I wouldn’t have found in my cup of coffee. These little things we often overlook, they are the things that matter.

How is your week going so far?

Health · Social Issues · Wellness

The Gatecrashers…

June 6, 2018June 6, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha5 Comments

As I think of Kate Spade, my mind goes to this poem that I wrote which can be found in my poetry book Unbridled.’ You can read Unbridled for free.

The Gatecrashers

Uninvited, they arrive. I smell them from miles away.

Their radar zeros into the crowd, they steal in to join the happy gang.

Their presence disturbs and stifles, like thieves, they are up to no good.

Planting themselves on both sides like guards, the silent battle of my mind begins.

My other self, the invisible one vacates in a hurry to watch them from the other side

‘Do they know your secrets?’ depression asks in its know-it-all voice.

‘I bet you wouldn’t be the belle of the ball if they knew,’ loneliness opines.

Lips crack a smile, false laughter rings in the room,

intelligent conversation over glasses of wine;

breezy kisses blown into the air of cheek sides,

troubles forgotten maybe till tomorrow or less;

We do know how to throw great parties,

our mannequin faces caked in powder

I count minutes before it’s alright to escape;

With depression and loneliness dogging each step I take,

making such ruckus as we jostle out of the room.

Mental illness and depression is no respecter of persons and knows no boundaries. It is a silent killer and fast becoming an epidemic. An insidious illness that robs the sufferer of so much. We must stop the stigma. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We must keep talking and keep the channels of listening open. Please take care of yourself and each other.

#RIP Kate #How are you feeling? #It’s okay to ask for help

Health · Lifestyle

Coach Yourself Back To Full Health

April 6, 2018 jacquelineobyikocha17 Comments

The list of things that you could be doing to damage your own health could go on forever. Some things you know you’ll be doing wrong, but you’ll actively be ignoring. Others you’ll be blissfully unaware of. We’re so bad at damaging our own health because we believe we’re young, unbreakable and that nothing we do is going to damage our health as long as we give it all a rest as we start to really age. All of this is wrong, the earlier you start coaching yourself back to full health, the sooner you’re going to feel like a completely new person. Follow our life coaching advice below and you’ll be reborn in no time.

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Cutting Out Serious Habits

We might as well start with the serious things first. The sooner you cut out the things that might seriously be damaging your health, the better you’re going to feel within most likely a few weeks. So, one of the main ways both Americans and Brits are damaging their health is through alcohol consumption. One little tipple a night soon turns into two, two turns into a heavy drink at the weekend, and before you know it you’ve got a problem that you don’t like to talk about. One thing you could consider is a rehab facility. You don’t necessarily need to be fully addicted to alcohol, we’re talking having a drink in the office to get you through the day. It could just be an evening problem that you believe is getting out of control. Just a week or two away can change your whole life. Another serious issue that a lot of people suffer from is smoking, and it is highly addictive. The best thing you can do here is to purchase an E-cig pen. They’re the best way to cut out the majority of harmful chemicals from cigarettes that you’ll be putting into your system.

Finding Your Health Plan

This is essential. You should have a plan for pretty much everything in life, but none more so than with your health. Having a plan gives you something to stick to, therefore making more long-term results possible. So do a bit of research and find out what plan might work for you. If we’re talking diet, you want to ease yourself into it. Start with dieting for a few days a week, the increase it by a day until you’re ready to tackle it full time. As for exercise, you can follow the same sort of principle. Light exercise once or twice a week, then increase the duration, intensity, and frequency of your workouts.

Sticking To The Changes

The last thing you want to do is to relapse and fall back into your old ways. So, the best thing we can advise is to make sure you’re reminding yourself of why you started to coach yourself back to full health in the first place. Pinpoint the exact moment that you said enough is enough, and keep that in the front of your mind.

Lifestyle

Anything For An Easy Life

November 27, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha21 Comments

It’s a sentence most uttered by parents and carers around the world: anything for an easy life. This doesn’t mean laying down and being taken advantage of, nor does it mean taking ill-feeling and accepting bad manners. No, wanting an easy life means accepting life as it comes at you and making it work for you.

If you find yourself laid up with an injury right before you’re due to go on vacation, you don’t need to cancel your break. Instead, make life easier and look into electric scooter rentals so that you can get out and about and enjoy yourself as much as possible. If you find yourself short of cash before the end of the month, get creative with the canned goods. You never know, you may find a brand-new recipe to appreciate. You can be the ultimate perfectionist if you want to, but unless you learn how to give yourself a break and relax, you’re never going to find yourself in a position where you can relax about life.

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Life passes by so fast, that if you spend all your time stressing over it and worrying about how you are going to manage, then you aren’t going to live an enjoyable one. Instead of waiting around for the next thing that makes you happy, why don’t you make yourself happy right now? We’ve got some awesome tips to make life easier for yourself right now.

Breathe. Any situation can be hard if you panic, but if you force yourself to stop and take some deep, cleansing breaths, you can find yourself managing your feelings and emotions before they have a chance to overwhelm you. It’s truly amazing what deep, slow breathing can do for your body.

Slow Down. Do you find yourself taking on a lot at work or at home? It’s time to stop being a hero. Share the workload both in your personal or professional life, and let someone else take the load off of you. You want an easier life, right? You have to make it happen.

Break Away. Do you spend most of your day staring at a screen? Whether you’re on a tablet, computer or smartphone, you need a break from technology. There’s no need for you to sit back and spend your downtime on a screen if you’re working on one all day long, as well.

Be Kind. If you treat others with kindness and yet spend time hating on yourself, now is the time to stop. You need to look in the mirror and say the kind words you say to others, but this time say them to yourself. You need to hear your own words and believe in them, because you matter, too.

Date Yourself. Take yourself for a morning coffee at a café with a newspaper, your drink being made by someone else can take the pressure off you to make your own, and it also means that you get a chance to relax. There is nothing wrong with self-indulgence, so enjoy it.

Having an easy life won’t happen overnight, but it can give you a freedom you’ve never experienced.

Health · Lifestyle · Wellness

Living a Peaceful Life Is Easier Than You Think

November 24, 2017November 24, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha12 Comments

Have you ever just wanted to throw all of your worries out of the window? Perhaps you just want to settle down peacefully, free of drama and worries and live out the rest of your life in peace and harmony with your surroundings? It might seem like a lot to ask for especially if you live in a busy city environment. Just take a look at this post from Time.com and you’ll find that by just living in the city, your brain could actually change for the worse. However, it’s important to remember that you can achieve virtually anything assuming you’re willing to put the time and effort into it. First, let’s take a look what why you’d want to live a peaceful life in the first place, then we’ll dive into some deeper considerations on how you can achieve a peaceful life.

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Why live a peaceful life?

First, let’s examine why you’d want to live a peaceful life or how it even differs to your current life. You might be perfectly content with how you live now, but here are some advantages to a peaceful life that may entice you to change how you approach the world.

Peaceful living helps you remain calm and collected. The first major advantage is being able to remain calm and collected no matter what the situation is. By living a peaceful life, you’ll be able to find inner peace with yourself to prevent inner struggles from affecting your life. You’ll have clarity when making decisions and living your life, and you’ll no longer have to suffer from thinking about too many irrelevant things.

You’ll always find the silver lining no matter what happens. Misfortune happens to everyone at some point in their lives and we have to learn how to deal with it. As explained in this helpful article by PsychologyToday.com, there are ways to deal with unfortunate events and learning to live peacefully can assist this process by helping you find the silver lining during unfortunate events.

It helps you become more tolerant of people around you. If you’ve ever lashed out at someone because they just seem to annoy you or if you find it difficult to make new friends because you judge them too quickly, then living peacefully can help you settle that inner critic so that you’ll become more tolerant of everyone around you.

You can learn to seek forgiveness for your past mistakes. Maybe you’ve done something in the past that was really rude or hurtful to someone that was close to you, or perhaps you often get frustrated and argue with almost anyone. Using steps that are similar to the ones from TheHopeLine.com, it’s possible to seek forgiveness so you can atone for past mistakes. A switch to living a peaceful life will help facilitate this so you can get rid of struggles and conflicts to make way for a new beginning.

Being peaceful can help bring joy to your life and those around you. A peaceful life is a life of happiness. With no struggles to worry about and no negative emotions to cloud your judgement, you’ll bring happiness not only to yourself but to those around you who will be entranced by the calm and collected way that you approach life.

There are many others around the world that seek peace and you can be part of it. You aren’t alone on your journey to becoming a peaceful person. Online communities such as the one at Reddit.com will help you in your journey to live a simple and peaceful life that is free from conflict and struggles. They can offer advice and you can share your experiences as well.

Now that we’ve gone through the advantages of living a peaceful life and what it involves, let’s go deeper into the subject by explaining some important fundamentals that will help you live a more carefree and enjoyable lifestyle.

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Commitments don’t necessarily mean what’s important

First, let’s talk about what it means to commit yourself to something. Commitment means that you are dedicated to a cause or activity. For instance, you can be committed to your partner and faithful because you won’t cheat, or you could be committed to your company so that you do everything in your power to make them more successful. Commitments are, for the most part, defined by you. You are the one that chooses to marry or stick with a company and you have the power to control that decision. As explained in this post at ThoughtCatalog.com, there is such a thing as being afraid of commitment. However, it’s much better to understand why you feel afraid of committing than doing it blindly and regretting it later in the future.

However, commitments don’t always imply that something is important. Just because you feel committed to your work, it doesn’t mean that your job is the most important thing in your life. Many people work jobs that hardly pay anything, but they find meaning in the work they do and that’s what keeps them going. Others find that they feel committed to their children, but until you realise what’s important about your children, you’ll start to feel like your commitment and sacrifices are just becoming a chore. If you’re not sure what commitments you should be investing in for your kids, then take a look at this article from AhaParenting.com and you’ll come across some fantastic advice that can teach you to become a better parent.

In short, learn to distinguish between a commitment and what’s important. Until you realise why you’re committing yourself to something unconditionally, you won’t get any sense of satisfaction or fulfilment from sacrificing other things to feed your commitment. Once you can tell the difference, you’ll find that you have a lot less stress on your mind and you’ll be far more productive throughout the day.

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Take it slow and go easy on yourself

Another important thing to remember is to go easy on yourself. Sleep a little do nothing once in awhile and remember to indulge in your own hobbies. Sure, work can be difficult and time-consuming, but that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to take holidays off. It’s important to give yourself plenty of time to relax, and you can achieve that by focusing on your comfort. It’s the small things that count when you want to live a peaceful life, so look at articles and resources like Mattress-Guides.net to help you pick a great mattress to sleep on at night. You’d be surprised at how much better you feel after a relaxing night of sleep. Other factors can also affect your sleep quality such as your body temperature and what you eat before you go to bed. In short, try to focus on giving yourself more relaxation time and you’ll learn to appreciate taking life a little more slowly.

Spend more time with loved ones

You should also focus on giving yourself more quality time with friends and family. By planning trips together and indulging in enjoyable days out together, you’ll improve your relationships and find new ways to connect with the people that matter in your life. If you’re finding it difficult to have a stress-free day out with your family, this article at ACookingPotAndTwistedTales.com will give you plenty of fantastic advice that will show you how to reduce the stress of planning a day out. A day out can be a slow and relaxing event that doesn’t need to be stretched out. It doesn’t need a purpose either, it could just be for the sake of meeting up with loved ones to relax together.

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Be content with your lifestyle

To live a peaceful life, you need to learn to be content with everything you have. For example, if you’re able to find little joys in everything you do, then you’ll be far happier than if you were to constantly think to yourself that you’re not good enough or that your environment isn’t good enough. Find what makes you happy and try to think positively about smaller things in life.

Just being able to sit down and drink a cup of tea after a long day of work should give you joy. Similarly, being able to sit down at your computer and chat with friends that are thousands of miles away should give you a great sense of joy.

Being content is all about looking at the better side of life. Small comforts should make you happy and frustrations should be dealt with swiftly and without much trouble. It doesn’t take much to completely change your life around so that you are more content, but if you ever need help then take a look at articles such as this one from ZenHabits.net to learn more about what it means to be content with life.

Living peacefully can seem difficult or even more stressful, especially if you aren’t used to thinking positively or if you have a job that’s incredibly stressful. Hopefully, these tips will give you a great start on your new lifestyle so that you can enjoy life in a new way.

This is a collaborative post.

Health · Lifestyle · Wellness

Stock Your Kitchen with These Medicinal Foods

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

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You’ve probably heard a few people say that food is medicine in your time, and you know what? They were absolutely right. If you want to live a long, happy and healthy life, you absolutely do need to eat the right foods in the right amounts.

Obviously, there is always going to be a place for proper medicine and the use of pharmaceuticals, and a lot of people wouldn’t be able to get by without wheelchairs, bandages, CPAP Machines and some of the other medical supplies you’ll find at http://medsupplynow.com/, but when it comes to preventing illness and helping to heal from simple ailments, food can be pretty powerful!

Here are some of the most medicinal foods you should consider stocking your kitchen with right now:

Basil

This delicious herb, which goes great with spaghetti bolognese, is known to aid individuals suffering from the discomfort of indigestion and stomach cramps and many people believe it can help with constipation too, which I’m sure you’ll agree are all good reasons to stock it in your herb rack!

Ginger

Ginger is a popular root, which you can find in many kitchens, in either its natural or powdered form due to it’s strong, exotic taste, but did you know that it can help relieve nausea? Many pregnant women drink ginger tea or chew on crystallized ginger when they have morning sickness that isn’t serious enough to require medical attention. You can use it to relieve nausea at any time, and there is a good chance that it will work.Of course, if your nausea is persistent, you should see a doctor because ginger might not cut it if you’re experiencing something more serious.

Cayenne Pepper

Have a lot of phlegm in your throat? Finding it hard to breathe with ease, if you haven’t got the time to wait for a delivery of decongestant from https://www.healthwarehouse.com/pharmacy or you can’t get out to the store to buy something that will bring you relief, you’ll be glad to have a jar of cayenne pepper to hand. Why? Because cayenne pepper, or more accurately the capsicum it contains, will clear everything out and make you feel like a whole new person.

Capsicum, when applied in a topical treatment to aches and pains, including backache, can also have a very relieving effect on the body.

Cinnamon

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There are lots of promising research papers that seem to suggest that cinnamon could help to lower the blood pressure and cholesterol levels in individuals who have diabetes. All you need to do is sprinkle half a teaspoon of the spice on your food daily to get this benefit. Obviously, if you have diabetes, you need to talk to your doctor before you try anything different or start meddling with your diet, and the science is, as yet, far from conclusive, but cinnamon is safe and delicious, so it couldn’t hurt to sprinkle it on your oats or bake some into your apple pie, could it?

Garlic

This pungent allium has long been known to have medicinal properties. Even registered MDs will quite often mention to their patients the benefits of taking garlic daily id they have high blood pressure, because of its ability to lower it, and most people will know that eating garlic when you have a cold can help to sort you right out, which is why it’s imminently sensible to keep a stock of garlic in your kitchen at all times.

Fennel

It has long been known that chewing on fennel seeds, which taste a little like aniseed, is a good way to get rid of trapped gas. Not only that but drinking fennel tea will aid with digestion if you have an upset stomach and some women swear by it when they’re having trouble bringing on breast milk to feed their babies. It may also help babies who have colic too!

Turmeric

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There is lots of interesting research into this yellow curry spice which claims it can do everything from preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s to ease arthritis and even protect the body from cancer, and although a lot more research needs to be done to confirm any of these claims, the fact that scientists think there is enough in them to be worth studying makes it a food worth adding into your daily diet.

Please Remember, you should always consult your doctor before making changes to your diet, especially if you’re sick in any way, and your doctor should always be your first port of call if you’re experiencing serious symptoms or symptoms that you can’t shake. That being said, using these foods as medicine, is sure to make your life easier and your body better!

Health · Lifestyle

Health and Wellness Through Nutrition

October 30, 2017October 30, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha37 Comments

As we get older, we often complain about our knees cracking, being stiff or just feeling rundown. Aches and pains should not be a common occurrence. These grievances are usually the result of our sedentary lifestyle that includes lack of exercise, poor eating habits and being overweight. Do remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all standard, so if the pain is not going away and you dread it is something chronic, then seek medical treatment.

So, when your body speaks, listen up! Being healthy is more than simply being pain or disease-free. It is about becoming attuned to your body, changing your lifestyle in order to develop and incorporate the highest level of wellness within. So, how do you achieve this? Sometimes, knowing where to start is half the battle. Below are some tips to help you on your way to healthier you!

Diet

In 2015, the World Health Organization suggested limiting sugar intake to less 10% a day and to cut to 5% for added health benefits. Cutting down on sugary foods and beverages is not the only way to go. You don’t have to drastically overhaul your diet, a modest change will go a long way toward improving your health. So start by eating more whole grains, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and fish and avoiding foods with a high glycemic index, which cause water retention, swelling of the joints, and discomfort. Cutting back on processed foods and the consumption of red meat may also reduce the risk of premature death.

So, swap sugary foods and beverages with a piece of fruit and a tablespoon of peanut butter. You will satisfy your sweet tooth and fill that hunger pang at the same time. Swap out a single daily serving of red or processed meat for a serving of nuts or legumes, and you will add years to your life. Adding dietary supplements is also an easy way to add nutrients and vitamins to your body. For our recommendations, click Research Verified reviews here. Stick to small changes that you will be able to commit to for a long time.

Exercise

Start your day by stretching and exercising. You will be glad you did since by doing so, you will ease your muscle pain and stiffness. You will also be able to maintain your body mass index within normal limits and avoid becoming overweight or obese, and avoid putting stress on your back, legs, and other body parts from those extra pounds.

Getting yourself to the gym is a good way to start and a great way to form a habit. Exercise should be a part of your day, like brushing your hair. If it is routine, you will be more unlikely to skip out on it. You don’t have to be a gym rat and live there, you can do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that are based on this “less is more” philosophy. Just remember to do at least 30 minutes of exercises, at least 5 days per week for a total of 150 minutes.

Hydration

Staying hydrated throughout the day is crucial to staying healthy and maintaining the function of every system in your body, including your heart, brain, and muscles. A healthy person needs about 30 to 50 ounces of fluid per day, which can be derived from drinking liquids or by eating water-rich foods, like cucumbers, cauliflower, eggplant, red cabbage, peppers, and spinach.

However, drinking fluids is very important in order to eliminate toxic substances, produce digestive enzymes, maintain healthy skin, hair and organs, and to help your body absorb essential vitamins, minerals, and natural sugars.

Essential Oils

Essential Oils are not just nice for producing pleasant aromas. They are organic compounds extracted from natural plants (barks, flowers, fruit, leaves, seeds or roots) with tremendous healing properties and health benefits.

Just adding some of the most common essential oils like lavender, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oil can you fight colds and flu symptoms, improve digestion, alleviate pain, balance hormones and relax your body and soothe sore muscles, just to name a few things.

Whatever you do, you will greatly benefit and you will be closer to achieving health and wellness. Be good to yourself by taking care of your body and soul.

Health · Lifestyle

Life After a Heart Attack- What Comes Next?

October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha3 Comments

Heart problems are the biggest causes of preventable deaths in the western world, a frightening statistic. Heart attacks, heart disease and other cardiovascular issues are often a direct result of poor lifestyle choices. Eating the wrong foods, not exercising, smoking, drinking too much and taking drugs all take their toll.

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Thanks to great medical advancements, fast transport such as air ambulance services and the fact that heart attack can quickly be recognised these days, more people are surviving them. However once you have had one you’re at risk of another unless you change your ways, so if you’re wondering what comes next after a heart attack, here are a few things to bear in mind.

Understand Your Medication

Your medications will depend on what the cause for your heart attack was. You should learn what each of these medicines does, and know exactly when you should take them and how. For example, will you need to take them with or without food, at certain times of the day or in combination with other medicines? If for example your heart attack was caused by hypertension you may need to take additional pills for your high blood pressure. You should also ensure you’re not caught short without them in an emergency, so if you’re travelling, for example, you will need to bring extra in case of delays.

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Decide on Lifestyle Changes

Heart attacks and other cardiovascular issues are sometimes a genetic problem which is out of your control. However, if yours was due to lifestyle decisions, it’s paramount you make a change. Clean up your diet, and find out from your doctor what exercise you can do once you’re recovered. Swimming, walking and other low impact activities are usually good choices. Stop your drink, drug and smoking habits, get enough sleep and generally look after yourself. While a heart attack can be scary, but for some people, it’s what’s needed to shock them into action to make a change. Maybe you didn’t realise how bad your lifestyle was, or just thought ‘it will never happen to me’. Now that you know the consequences, you know what you need to do to live a healthier life in future.

Seek Support and Advice

Having people you can speak to about what happened, your fears and concerns are important. If you feel as though you can’t speak to loved ones, try a helpline or go on a forum for people in the same position. Those who have already had heart attacks will understand the situation you’re in and may be able to give objective advice as well as support.

Thankfully, many people go on to live a normal and healthy life after a heart attack. If you’re one of the lucky ones who survived, see it as a second chance at life. Use it as an opportunity to make a positive change. Eat better, make better decisions, spend time with loved one and don’t take life for granted.

This is a collaborative post

Health · Lifestyle

Boost Your Energy Levels and Boost Your Health

October 17, 2017October 17, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha11 Comments

We all lead busy lives. And even on from that, we can all make excuses not to take care of ourselves as much as we should. We justify that we’re busy or that we’re not able to go to the gym or we just had to grab a takeout. But then, should we be surprised if we find ourselves feeling sluggish, tired, and generally low? At this time of year, a lower immune system can be rather obvious. So here are some things that you can do to make sure that you keep your energy levels up to feel happy, healthy, and strong.

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Eat More Magnesium Based Foods

We all know that we need to eat a balanced diet to stay at a healthy weight or even to lose weight. For energy, a healthy diet is of paramount importance too. But what does that really mean? One of the nutrients that we need to make sure that we are getting plenty of is magnesium. It can really play a part in giving our energy levels a boost. It has been found that if you’re deficient in magnesium, your body has to work harder to function normally, which in turn, will use up a lot of energy. So make sure that foods like almonds cashews, fish, and whole grains feature regularly in your diet.

Move More

It might sound ridiculous, but moving more can actually help you to feel like you have more energy. It isn’t necessarily anything like a five-mile run or a weights session. But a walk around the block or to the park and back could be just what you need. It will lift your mood and make you feel invigorated and refreshed, rather than feeling low and lethargic.

Reduce Stress

If you are feeling stressed, then it can naturally drain you of energy. It can be often as a result of anxiety, which can really zap the energy out of you. It can leave you feeling physically exhausted as well as mentally exhausted. And if left to spiral out of control, then it could trigger other things like depression or bipolar, as mentioned by the site Bipolar Lives. So you need to be monitoring things closely to see how you react to it all. Timeout, exercise, therapy, and dealing with the stressors head on can all help. So, find out what works for you and then go from there.

Avoid Sugar

When you feel tired, then it can be tempting to reach for a bag of candy or some chocolate. These things will give you a short burst of energy (well, a boost in your blood sugar). But after that, it will leave you feeling more tired than you ever were before. So refined sugar, and processed foods, in general, should just be avoided. Keeping your blood sugar level steady will be what helps you to feel energetic and have a steady burst of energy.

Is there anything that you find helps you to stay on top of our energy levels or gives them a boost?

Tag: Wellness

The simple things…

Like this:

All in a brisk walk…

Like this: