Immediate Effects When You Quit Smoking NOW

 Some rights reserved by Marius Mellebye / 276ccm

It is known to everyone that smoking is hazardous to our health. Yet, there are still many who just can't quit! I think, it is because they are not aware of the immediate benefits of quitting and they think that the dangers of continuous smoking seem too long until it happens. Well, here is the timeline about the immediate results beneficial to your body when you stop smoking now.

In 20 minutes, your body's blood pressure will drop back down to normal. Your pulse rate slows down. The temperature of your hands and feet increases.

After 8 hours, half of the carbon monoxide (toxic gas) levels present in your blood stream will be gone to be replaced by oxygen until it reaches its normal levels.

Detox Foods To Make You Look Great

 Some rights reserved by mayrpamintuan

We already know that a diet rich in detox foods results to a healthy body and being healthy is great! But there are certain kinds of food that are especially good for making you look best.  Eating these detox foods will not only help your body detox naturally and eliminate environmental toxins and metabolic waste, but also improve your looks significantly. Check out the list below, start including them in your diet, and watch yourself transform into the best and healthiest you can be!

Artichoke

• Low in calories and great for your liver.


• Promotes better blood circulation which in return means a younger looking skin.


• A  natural diuretic and will aid in your digestion so your whole digestive system stays healthy -- an important factor if you want to have a good, clear looking skin.

Lemon

• Add lemon juice and zest to you drinking water and it will provide your body with over 30 detox compounds.


• Also provides pectin, a soluble fiber that can help you get rid of a few pounds.


• Its fruit acids are ideal for gentle exfoliation maintain clear, youthful skin. 

10 Healthy Green Dinner Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

 Some rights reserved by Pawel Pacholec

Just a few days left and we'll once again hear the sound of bag pipes, see little green leprechauns pinned on pub doors, and smell the  waft of malty dark Guinness. We all know what this means.. it's St. Patrick's Day! So let's join this festive holiday in our own healthy way. That is, to serve healthy green dishes on the dinner table! Check out the following healthy green foods and their recipes.

1. Broccoli
A 5.3 ounce serving of broccoli contains a whopping 220% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. That's more vitamin C compared to all the citrus fruits. It means, you get the powerful effect of this antioxidant in just one serving of this vegetable. But broccoli sounds boring just as it is, so try this Garlic Ginger Broccoli recipe from Gen Y Foodie to make this vegetable fit for your festive palate.

2. Leeks
Leeks taste like a cross between an onion and garlic, which makes them a great addition to the potatoes that are usually served on St. Patrick's Day. One serving of leeks provides 30% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which is good for your vision. Many people suffer from vision problems as they get older, so eating a diet rich vitamin A can save you from vision problems later in life. Try this healthy Potato Leek Soup recipe from savvy vegetarian.

Top 3 Essential Oils To Lift Your Mood

 Some rights reserved by CINNAMON VOGUE

It wasn't until the early 19th century that the research on the medicinal and aromatic characteristics of essential oils started. But its uses were already known to ancient Egyptians long before that.

Essential oils have a remarkable ability to affect a person's well being and can be very effective for natural stress relief. But they are not a magical potion or secret elixir. They are oils which have been extracted from flowers, leaves, stems, buds, branches and roots of plants.  Then they are made into concentrates so that the beneficial properties of those substances can be used to achieve a specific emotional, physical or spiritual effect to humans known as aromatherapy. So whenever you need to calm your mind or boost your mood, try these top 3 essential oils:

Lavender Oil

• A common perfume fragrance, used commercially in fabric softeners and air fresheners, but it is also one of the most popular aromatherapy scents.


• It has a sweet, balsamic, floral, herbaceous fragrance.


• Exposure to the scent of lavender helps to slow down the activity of the nervous system which promotes relaxation and calm.


• Known for its power to alleviate stress, a study in 2006 found that it reduced the severity of depression from 42 female college students.


• The study also showed that it helped abate the students' insomnia.

Citrus Oils

• Most common citrus oils are lemon, orange and grapefruit. They have refreshing, clean aromatherapy scent.


• A study in 2008 showed that 56 healthy men and women had an increase in their norepinephrine (gives the body sudden energy in times of stress) levels after breathing in the fragrance of lemon oil.


• Orange essential oil is a natural sedative, which gives relief from anxiety, anger, depression. This is exactly what you'll need to to cool down after a bad day at work.


• Grapefruit essential oil is effective in uplifting your mood and fostering a positive state of mind. Diffusing it in the morning will energize your body for the activity ahead, while it will help relax your exhausted body when diffused at night. 

Healthy Green Drinks for St. Patrick's Day

 Some rights reserved by Robert Gourley

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner! It would only seem natural to color everything around you in green to feel festive. So today, I'm sharing with you a couple of refreshing drinks that are not only green, but are also extremely nutritious and equally delicious.

Let's start with the Green Peppermint Pattie Smoothie! This one's loaded with vitamin A, B 12, C, folic acid, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc. It will cleanse your blood and will help you with indigestion, heartburn, and stomach cramps. It will also protect your body from cancerous cells and prevent bad breath. Check out the recipe below, which makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk


• 1/2 cup spinach, about 1 handful


• 1 banana


• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, stems removed


• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract


• 1 heaping tbsp chocolate chips


• 1 handful of ice 

Easy Activities To Reach Your Fitness Goals

 Some rights reserved by ADiamondFellFromTheSky

Do you know that you can also show your creativity in designing your own workout routine? There are a lot of different activities out there that offer great physical exercise and do not involve spending time at the gym. The following exercise activities are easy and fun to do. Give time to do at least a couple of them and fit them into your schedule and daily life.

1. Jump rope for 5 minutes a few times a week. Hop, skip and jump your way to good health. All you need is a jump rope -- cheap and handy piece of equipment that will get your heart pumping and help tone your leg and arm muscles.

2. Going somewhere? Hop on that bike! Cycling is one of the many great and fun ways to get into shape. Whether you need to run an errand or simply enjoy a fine weather outdoors, this is your chance to burn some calories, build strength, stamina and muscle tone, improve coordination and reduce stress.

3. Workout while watching you favorite TV show. You don't have to feel guilty with the time you spend in front of the television if you can squeeze in a couple of exercises such as lifting small weights and running in place. Check out these couch potato exercise drills that you can do during commercial breaks.

10 Healthier Food & Drinks Alternatives

 Some rights reserved by Philippe Put

You always have a choice to pick the healthier alternative. Why not? You get more nutrition and additional health benefits from a similar food or drink. We'll give you the idea and you make the choice!

Light Beer to Dark Beer
We are not advocating taking up to drinking but if you want to sit down and relax with a cold bottle of beer, go for dark beer instead of light beer. Why? Dark beer is much richer in flavanoids than light beer, and flavanoids possess powerful antioxidant properties.  Also, Vitamin B6 levels in dark beer prevent the build up of an amino acid called homocystenine, which has been linked to heart and vascular diseases in humans.

Honeydew Melon to Cantaloupe
Instead of honeydew melon, choose cantaloupe. Or, when you're having honeydew melon, you may also add some chunks of cantaloupe. Why? Because cantaloupe has double the vitamin C  as honeydew and has about 67 times more beta-carotene.

White meat chicken to Dark meat chicken
Dark meat chicken (thigh/leg) is not as bad as you might think it is. It is the higher levels of saturated fat that made dark meat unpopular. But in the case of poultry, this can be easily removed by getting rid of the skin. And the truth is, dark meat is richer in nutrients than white meat and contains 3 times the iron, 245 % more zinc, which is responsible for growth and reproduction and also supports immunity and wound healing. Dark meat is also rich in vitamins A, K, B6, B12, niacin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and minerals like selenium and phosphorus.