Right Health Advice

Most people dread hearing the word diet because it's like willingly subjecting yourself to food torture. Think what you want, but dieting (or at least healthy eating) is ultimately for your own good.

The thing with some dieters is that they think they can immediately cut back on their food consumption on their first day. That isn't the case. A lifetime of eating fastfood will never be changed that

fast. You have to do it slow and steady so the habit of eating right will stick.

To help you get started on your diet, here are some tips to cut back on calories without overwhelming yourself:

• Poach your eggs instead of frying them.

• Pick on dried fruits instead of caramel cubes.

• Snack on fresh fruits instead of loads of chocolate bars.

• Steam your vegetables with flavor-infused water instead of sauteeing them in butter or oil.

Trade your caramel-coated popcorn with the air-popped variant.

By following these simple eating habit changes, you can cut back on at least 100 calories a day. If you keep at it, you'll notice yourself get closer to your weight loss goals.


By: Abbey Grace Yap

Some couples are lucky enough to get pregnant easily. However, others aren't as fortunate. Some of the unlucky pairs have difficulty conceiving because of existing physical conditions. There are also those who lower their chances because of the lifestyle they keep.

If you're one of the many who want to get pregnant but seem to have a hard time doing so, here are some tips that might help you get the baby you want:

1. Drop your vices. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption have been linked to infertility in women and decreased sperm health and motility in men.

2. Watch your weight. This entails being careful about your food choices and incorporating 30 minutes of exercise in your daily routine to keep your weight in check.

3. Don't let stress get to you. Stress can upset a woman's menstrual cycle and in turn, affect her ability to get pregnant or prepare the body to conceive.

4. Be careful with the medicine you drink. Certain prescription medications lower a woman's chances of getting pregnant.

To better improve your chances of conceiving, both you and your partner should see a doctor for tips on how to better your health in preparation for your attempts to get pregnant.

By: Abbey Yap

I feel comforted and relaxed when I receive a hug from a friend during tough times. I think it's from the love the comes across with the hug. What do you think?
It's amazing how studies are now showing that hugs offer us a lot of physical health benefits. It's been proven to improve one's overall physical and mental health. Here are some of the benefits hugging offers:

Hugging increases oxytocin levels in the body, which is good for couples because it makes them feel closer to each other. Oxytocin, after all, is the “bonding” hormone.

Hugging lowers stress levels. When couples hug and pump up their oxytocin level, they promote a stronger support system which, in turn, makes stress more bearable and prevent cortisol (stress hormone) levels from rising.

Hugging improves heart health. Because hugging lessens stress and anxiety, it ultimately protects us from the effects of stress (hypertension, racing heart, etc.).

Hugging reduces pain. It has also been noted to tone down symptoms of Alzheimer's disease like restlessness, pacing, and searching.

Seriously, what are you waiting for? With all these benefits to get from hugging, why aren't you out there hugging the people you love?

By: Abbey Grace Yap

We keep jobs to cover our expenses. But this doesn't necessarily mean that we like working. Unless you're really rich, I don't think you have a choice regarding keeping a job.

Since we can't afford to lose our jobs, we might as well find ways to make it as enjoyable as possible. Here are some great ways to make work a little more fun:

Make your workspace more comfortable – Check if your area is too bright, if your chair is too hard, or if you have too much clutter on your station.

Manage work stress – Avoid getting caught in a tight spot by accepting tasks you don't fully understand. Don't play hero by signing up for tasks that are not yours to take.

Stay healthy – Don't let yourself go hungry while at work. Take your meals on time and snack when necessary. Also, take five to 10-minute breaks every couple of hours to relieve your body of work strain.

There are other ways to make work a more fun place to be in, you just have to develop your own techniques. Remember, you're doing this for your own sake, not anybody else's.

By: Abbey Grace Yap

When trying to lose weight, you're advised to concentrate on certain kinds of foods and perform certain exercises twice or thrice a week. Most of the time, people follow the rulebook to the T that they stick to what's written and fail to change it.

It's not necessarily wrong to stick to what your doctor/fitness instructor/dietitian told you to do. However, your main antagonist here is boredom. You stick to doing or eating something for quite sometime you're going to want to do or eat other things.

Chances are, when you're under the impression that you can't break away from the set diet or exercise, you feel more tempted to just drop your weight loss program right there and then.

To prevent this from happening, make your weight loss plan a mix of a lot of different exercises and menu plans so that you won't feel boxed in or feel bored. Change your exercise set every week or plan a new menu list for the next. There are lots of things that you can do to shake up your weight loss strategy and prevent you from falling out of interest.

What do you think?

By: Abbey Grace Yap

I'm guilty of snacking when I've nothing to do. Most of the time, I just reach out and grab a bag of chips and snack away. Before I know it, the bag's almost out. I believe I'm not the only one who has these little moments.

How do we get over this guilty pleasure? My bet is on healthy snacking.

Although we're accustomed to eating salty chips or sugary treats for snacks, there are tasty yet healthy alternatives for us to munch on like:

• dried fruits instead of chocolate chip cookies

• freshly squeezed fruit juice instead of fruit flavored drinks

• ice-cold water instead of sodas

If you can't give up your favorite sinful snack of choice, then why not try to work with it? Try to trim down your serving proportions into a smaller one. One good way to do it is to not carry the entire bag or box with you. Instead, take some and put it on a plate to regulate your consumption.

By learning how to snack healthy, you prevent overeating and avoid gaining excess weight. Who knows, if you keep at it with this habit, you might even lose some weight?

By: Abbey Grace Yap