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You don't have to do strenuous repetitions and sweat in the gym if you don't like it. Being active outdoors and at home can replace a good workout and help you burn calories.

Simulated video games.
You put on a helmet and you're a tennis player, space conqueror, spy, dancer, boxer, knight with a sword, and so on. In one study, people who walked, ran, and climbed on a special mat during a fantasy role-playing game moved more than if they spent the same amount of time on a treadmill. And when you play moving games, the chances of you exercising increase.

Homework
Active chores around the house are plentiful: washing the car, vacuuming, cleaning pipes, big mirrors, gathering and arranging clothes - and so on. Doing active housework for at least an hour a day will expend as much energy as a moderate workout. And an added bonus: a clean car, floors and closets.

Gardening
A great substitute for exercising in the gym with outdoor activities. Digging, crouching down to fertilize, w**d or paint tree trunks, trimming branches, walking around the garden are all worthy alternatives to squats and burpees if you spend at least 30-40 minutes in the garden. Plus satisfaction, contact with nature, creativity and a good mood. If you don't have your own plot, consider volunteering in a community garden.

S*x
While making love, you burn about 5 calories per minute, about the same as when you walk briskly. And you use about the same amount of oxygen as if you were raking leaves. Also, studies show that s*x can help prevent heart disease, but obviously only if you are in a healthy relationship.

Geocaching
If you don't know what it is yet, read on: it might be just what you've been looking for for an interesting leisure activity.Geocaching is a hiking game using GPS. Some players hide items in geocaches and leave coordinates on the Internet, while others search for treasure using a navigator. A great opportunity to run through parks, paths, hiking trails, get to know your city better, and, of course, to move around properly.

"You need to eat more vegetables" is the advice you hear from any nutritionist. But how do you diversify your diet and why should you do it at all, even if you don't have any health problems?

What is the VOLS protocol?
The VOLS protocol was born out of functional medicine doctor Terri Valls, who dedicated her life to developing a diet that could enrich her diet with healthy greens and vegetables as much as possible. Terri's goal was to help people with autoimmune diseases, but it turned out that the dietary protocol she created helps slow aging and reduce the risk of diseases that are associated with it - including multiple sclerosis and memory problems. VOLS also helps strengthen bones, increase joint elasticity, and rid the body of harmful free radicals and chronic inflammation. Terri talked about this in one of her TEDx talks.

What are the benefits of vegetables?
If you have long been thinking about enriching your diet with healthy foods, you should start by including a variety of vegetables on your menu. They are rich in various antioxidants: Tomatoes, for example, contain lycopene, which significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Bell peppers are rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), which prevents the development of tumors.

Vegetables can also help solve the problem of blood pressure spikes and heart rhythm disorders. For example, spinach and beets are considered the best sources of potassium, which strengthens the cardiovascular system. In addition, the inclusion in the diet of foods high in potassium helps to eliminate excess salt from the body: today, its consumption is difficult to control if your diet includes processed foods.

But the main thing is that any vegetable contains fiber, dietary fiber, which the human body does not know how to digest. The cell is removed from the body, "taking" with it the toxins that tend to accumulate in the body and cause disorders of various organs. People whose diet has too little fiber, it is difficult to control the feeling of hunger, and therefore they have an increased risk of developing diabetes. Fiber also has a positive effect on the intestinal microbiome.

The right diet can help you reduce stress levels. What foods can help you restore emotional balance and, at the same time, make up for vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies?

Yogurt
Foods rich in probiotics are not only good for digestion, but also for mental health. This is due to the connection between the gut and the brain, which is what provides the balance between good gut bacteria, the brain itself and your mood. Studies have shown: people prone to chronic stress who included probiotic yogurt in their daily diet had less symptoms. And such people were better able to cope with daily turmoil.

Avocados
Avocado toast is not only good in photos, but it can help you become calmer. All thanks to the healthy fats and B vitamins. They can both reduce the symptoms of stress and improve your overall health. And the lack of vitamins of this group, on the contrary, can cause a depressed state, anxiety and even depression.

Blueberries
The summer season is right around the corner, so it's time to remember what berries you like (and why they are useful). For example, blueberries are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C - powerful tools for combating symptoms of anxiety and stress. Blueberries can be eaten on their own or added to probiotic yogurt and morning porridge. You can also make smoothies! All in all, there are tons of options. Choose the one you like best.

Salmon
This delicious fish is also incredibly healthy. It contains omega-3 fatty acids that are definitely worth adding to your menu. The fatty acids reduce inflammation, reduce anxiety, and help regulate serotonin and dopamine levels, which leads to an overall calming state. Salmon can be baked, fried, marinated in a lemon dressing and served with a side dish of couscous or quinoa. To make the benefits to the body even greater!

Eggs
Vitamin B12, which is found in eggs, helps improve concentration and alertness. And choline (B4) - to reduce stress levels. Therefore, you should not neglect scrambled eggs for breakfast. It is much healthier than you think.

Matcha and green tea
Green tea (as well as the infamous powdered matcha tea) is rich in L-theanine, an amino acid that can reduce stress. As it enhances relaxation and reduces the activity of stress markers. Matcha can fight the formation of cancer cells and improve your metabolism. And green tea also fights sleepiness. A great substitute for a cup of coffee in the morning.

Spinach
This vegetable also comes in handy in the fight against stress and anxiety. It is high in magnesium and B vitamins, elements that can fight your bad condition. In addition, spinach for lunch will give you a boost of energy and vigor. And this is the right thing to do when the work day is not over and you need to recover.

Every year at the beginning of April we celebrate Soup Day. And this dish can be not only tasty, but also healthy - of course, if you add to it the products that have a beneficial effect on health.

Wild Rice Soup
Wild rice has many advantages over regular rice - it has a lower glycemic index, so it causes a smaller spike in blood sugar levels and keeps you full for longer. The coarse dietary fiber with which it is rich allows you to remove toxins and heavy metal salts from the body.

Soup
acouplecooks.com.

You will need:

½ cup cashews;
1 medium onion;
2 celery stalks;
3 carrots;
220 g white mushrooms;
6 cloves garlic;
2 tbsp olive oil;
1 tbsp dried thyme;
1 tbsp dried oregano;
8 cups vegetable broth;
150 g wild rice;
800 g canned white beans;
½ tsp black pepper;
2 tbsp dried sage;
1 tbsp soy sauce.

Anti-gravity yoga has a positive effect on physical and mental health: it relieves stress, relieves anxiety and helps to relax the body. But that's not all the benefits! Read more in this article.

Aeroyoga as a trend appeared in the 90s, but it is not so long ago that it began to gain popularity. The idea of the exercise is that asanas are not performed on a common mat, but on a special hammock - a wide band of thick material, hanging 70-100 cm above the floor. But there is no need to be afraid of falling, because the hammock can withstand the weight up to 200-300 kg. So what gives the feeling of weightlessness for those who are brave enough to attend a class in anti-gravity yoga? Regular practice can help you achieve the following results:

1. healthier spine and joints. If exercises on the floor are quite painful for your back and knees (especially if you have a sedentary job), then in the air you can calmly work through the right areas without discomfort.
2. Total relaxation. The feeling of weightlessness trains the nervous system with new emotions, helping to forget about everyday problems and cope with serious stresses faster.
3. safe weight loss. Anti-gravity yoga does not require "breaking a sweat", but due to the large amplitude of the movements calories are burned faster and the body gets the desired curves.

The yams are the perfect winter root vegetable and are harvested during the colder months. From soups to desserts, this healthy root vegetable can be used to make a variety of dishes.

Nutriciologist and fermentalist Yulia Maltseva talks about her favorite winter vegetable, yams.

If you still mistakenly called yams sweet potatoes, know this: these root vegetables are not related at all. The yam has much more antioxidants, its glycemic index is lower than that of the potato and it is twice as fast to cook.

Colorful antioxidants
On the market you can find an abundance of varieties of yams in different colors: yellow, orange, purple, red. However, the list could be long - there are as many as 400 types of yams. The various phytonutrients with healing properties give the sweet potato its various colors.

For example, orange yams are rich in beta-carotene, which is good for your eyes and skin, while purple yams contain anthocyanins (which are also present in blueberries) and these substances help fight cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, yams are rich in proteins that have powerful protective properties, similar to those of glutathione, the most important antioxidant our own body produces.