The importance of sleep

1. When you first feel a pang of hunger, don't reach for the regular sugary carb snack. Instead, reach for an 8 oz. glass of clean purified water. This will suppress the feeling of hunger that's often mistaken when the body really wants water anyway.

2. At every meal time, eat slowly then stop eating when you are about 80% complete. It takes the brain about 20 minutes to register food is on the way and this is a great way to control the serving size, feel satisfied and still eat well.

3. When indulging on "evil" foods like desert trays (we all do), don't try to eat them all! Instead take 1 or 2 samples and really enjoy each...without guilt.

4. Eat fresh fruits between meals. The best time to eat fruit is either 30 minutes before or midway between meals as it help regulate blood sugar and diminish cravings.

5. When you are selecting a meal, try to avoid mixing proteins (meats) with starches (like breads or potatoes).

6. Limit animal protein consumption to not more than 4-5 servings per week which means some days you should be consuming vegetarian dishes.

7. Do substitute animal proteins with legumes, but start slowly. You can use lentils, dry beans and peas and you'd be amazed at just how delicious the recipes are.

8. Do not drink liquids with your meals. If you are thirsty, have a glass of clean water 10 minutes or so before the meal. While you are eating, you want your body to be efficient at digesting the foods and absorbing the nutrients you are consuming. 

9. Don't skip breakfast or wait till you're starving to eat as this will encourage binging. Have a snack of veggies and a fruit with you between meals and drink water which will help avert feelings of starvation.

10. Do overdose on vegetables with every lunch and evening meal! Have 6 cups or more throughout the day and look for ways to enjoy them raw. When you want your veggies cooked, lightly stream them to persevere their essential nutrients (no one ever gained weight eating too many veggies!).

Adopt these top 10 healthy weight loss tips slowly and the new habits you learn will form the basis of an excellent weight maintenance program.

As we get older it becomes common for us to forget to breathe. I know this sounds strange, but it's true! If you look at a child under the age of 5, you can see their belly going up and down as they breathe. When we get older, we have more responsibility and this adds stress and anxiety to our everyday lives. This causes most of us to stop breathing as our bodies are naturally supposed to.

Our bodies NEED air to function properly. When we don't breathe to our full capacity there are parts of our body that miss out on oxygen. The majority of our body is controlled by our nervous system. If our nervous system is not getting enough oxygen we start to get nervous and have anxiety, or we have a hard time thinking clearly and are easily distracted.
 
With yoga as well as meditation, it teaches you to breathe again, just like you did when you were younger. This allows the oxygen to get where it needs to go. Our bodies are amazing things; it does a million things all day long for us to lead our everyday life. It's about just re-training ourselves to breathe and our bodies will take care of the rest. You will feel better, have more energy and truly enjoy your life.

Breathing with meditation helps clear your mind from all the clutter that we fill it with all day long. We carry all these thoughts and insecurities with use and this is a way for us to let go or release them and find calm and peace within.

Statistics show that 40% of married men and 25% of married woman cheat on their spouses, therefore it is no surprise that infidelity is a common reason why couples seek out marriage counselling. When an affair is discovered many emotions run through the betrayed spouse, as well as the cheating spouse. These emotions can range from anger, disgust, confusion, guilt, and embarrassment- to name a few. For most spouses who are cheated on, they want to know why their partner had an affair; they may also want to know more details such as whom the affair was with, where it took place and how long it went on for. If the cheating spouse wants to save the marriage they must be honest about all the details, and maintain truthfulness with their spouse moving forward. The betrayed spouse will be looking for re-assurance, this will come out of honesty, and following through with action. It is important to determine why it happened-perhaps due to sexual reasons, was something lacking? Or was it due to emotional reasons such
as not being able to verbally express boredom, or feeling angry towards your partner and wanting to cause them pain? It is essential to remember that infidelity is a symptom of greater problems.

Signs of infidelity include, but are not limited to: spending time away from home, evading questions, providing defensive responses, a diminished sex life, or a sudden interest in one’s personal appearance. Having an agreement on what “infidelity” actually encompasses is important so that both spouses understand what is acceptable. In this discussion, spouses should review boundaries surrounding online interactions with people outside of the marriage.

When infidelity is discovered, it must be addressed- it will not go away on its own. Take time to feel that hurt rather than brushing it to the side. It is impossible to successfully move forward unless the issues from the past have been addressed; bringing it up in future arguments will be taking a step backwards. If the marriage is to have a fighting chance the cheating spouse must end the affair, and do whatever is necessary. This can include marriage counselling, going away together, renewing vows, or even a trial separation. Research indicates if you take a cheating spouse back without therapy or outside help they will likely cheat again. Therapy can help put an end to the negative interactions and patterns that were present before the affair. Professional assistance can also provide advice on how to address the effects infidelity has on other members of the family, as it is not only the couple who feels pain when a spouse
cheats.