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Walking: 8 Surprising Reasons Why You Should Do It

Did you know how beneficial walking can be for you?

You might already be walking on a regular basis, whether you take your pet for a walk in the park, you pick up your grandkids from school, go to the shop right next to your house to get something really quick, and so many other things. However, are you actually moving your body as much as you should?

According to experts, an hour of exercise per day is only 4% of your day, which is not enough if you have a sedentary lifestyle apart from your 60 minutes of movement (sitting on a chair or on your sofa all day long). What can you do to avoid this? Move more!

And we’re not talking about doing another workout. Here’s where walking comes to your rescue. Adding more walking to your day might help you improve your life in so many different ways. If this sounds interesting to you, here are 8 surprising reasons why you should do it more often.

walking
Photo by Daxiao Productions from shutterstock.com

1. Lower the risk of heart disease 

Heart disease is a health issue that can happen to anyone, and even healthy people can be at risk. But a few studies have discovered that walking can help you ease that.

A group of researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University studied a big group of senior Americans and discovered that as the subjects aged, those who were more active, including those who walked a lot, had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

And if that’s not enough to convince you to get up from the couch and start walking, another study has discovered that walking at least 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week, can help reduce the risk of getting coronary heart attacks by 19%. And if you want even more benefits, you can simply increase the duration and the distance you walk per day.

2. Lower the risk of depression and improve mood swings

Whenever you have a bad day, you feel overwhelmed, or you simply want to relax, a quick walk in the park is more than enough to boost your mood. Besides that, it might help you ease some of the effects of depression. That’s because walking gives you the opportunity to clear your mind, see things from a fresh perspective, think more in-depth about certain things in your life, and the list can go on.

Some experts say that walking in nature is more beneficial for your mind rather than walking in a big, crowded city. Even though it’s understandable that being surrounded by trees, birds, and fresh air is going to be more relaxing for your brain, you shouldn’t say goodbye to walking just because a park is too far from your home and you don’t want to walk around in the city.

While walking is not a magic cure for mood swings and depression, it’s definitely going to help you clear out your thoughts.

3. Boost energy 

Trust us, we get it! There are times when you’re just so tired that the last thing you want to do is work out. But let us tell you that you’ll feel a lot more energized and relaxed after you’ve gone for a walk.

Some experts even say that a walk in the afternoon might be the best way to get over a slump, even more so than a cup of delicious coffee. Plus, it will help you sleep better at night, given the fact that coffee might mess with your sleep schedule and make you jittery.

4. Increase focus and creativity 

You believe that taking a bit of time out of your work day to exercise might sabotage your productivity, right? Been there, done that. But let us tell you that you are wrong because taking a few minutes to walk will allow your brain to relax and to properly think.

This means that your mind will be more alert and focused, and you’ll be more creative as well. So, the next time you feel like your mind isn’t working the way it’s supposed to, instead of forcing yourself to come up with a genius idea, it’s best to press pause and go for a short walk. Not only will you have more steps at the end of the day, but you’ll also be more focused, alert, productive, and creative.

…Have you ever tried walking when you felt like you couldn’t concentrate on your tasks?

walking
Photo by MUNGKHOOD STUDIO from shutterstock.com

5. Ease joint pain 

Are you looking for different remedies to ease joint pain? Then walking should be your go-to. Besides being a great way to relax after a long and stressful day, walking can help protect your joints, including the hips and the knees. That is because it helps strengthen and also lubricate the muscles that uphold the joints.

It is believed that people who are diagnosed with arthritis and walk on a daily basis don’t feel as much pain compared to those who are sedentary. And if you’re looking for a way to prevent arthritis, try to walk 5 to 6 miles a week. It will do wonders for your body!

6. Tone your body 

Walking acts as a great cardio workout, and it strengthens your muscles at the same time. So if you want to have toned and strong legs, make sure to get those steps in! In order to build more strength and endurance, find a hilly area and walk over there, or hop on a treadmill with an incline.

And don’t hesitate to take those stairs whenever you can because it’ll tone up your thighs and your buttocks area. Plus, make sure to engage your core and your lower body muscles in order to make the best out of it.

walking
Photo by Petia Ilieva from shutterstock.com

7. Burn calories

If you want to start a healthy lifestyle and be more active, but you don’t know where to start, or you have a health condition that doesn’t allow you to do a lot of physical effort, we have a simple suggestion for you: start walking!

You don’t need any special equipment (just some comfy clothes and shoes and a bottle of water), you don’t need to go all out, and you get to relax and to think about everything you want, to listen to a podcast or catch up with a friend… all while you burn a lot of calories!

Experts recommend that you should aim for at least 10,000 steps a day in order to maintain a healthy weight or to lose some body fat. However, if this is too much for you, start with 5,000 steps and work your way up!

Walking is a cardiovascular type of workout, which means that your heart rate is going to be up, you’ll burn fat, build strength, and tone up at the same time! Once you get the hang of it, you can increase the intensity of your walks by going up a hill or by increasing your speed. You’ll burn even more calories!

8. Lower blood pressure 

It’s not exactly brand new information that walking can help lower the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels, but what’s very interesting is the fact that a fast-paced walk can actually have the same health benefits as running, according to some recent studies.

Researchers analyzed over 30,000 runners in the National Runners’ Health Study and more than 15,000 walkers in the National Walkers’ Health Study. The study was quite long, and they came to the conclusion that over a period of 6 years, there were comparable reductions in risk for having high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol in both groups.

In simpler words, this means that even if you skip a few running sessions, make sure to add more steps into your daily routine in order to maintain those health benefits.

…Do you like walking? Tell us in the comments down below!

…If being healthy is one of your top priorities, we recommend checking this article out as well: Thinking of Getting an Air Fryer? Here Are 6 Benefits of Using One!

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin B6? Here Are 5 Important Benefits

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 has innumerable benefits. Also known as pyridoxine, it’s a vitamin that your body requires for several functions. It’s important to protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism and creates red blood cells and neurotransmitters.

Your body can’t produce vitamin B6 on its own, so we must get it from foods or supplements. Most people get enough of this vitamin because of their diet, but specific populations may be at risk for deficiency.

Consuming the right amounts of vitamin B6 is essential for optimal health and may even prevent and treat chronic diseases.

These benefits include supporting healthier skin, detoxifying the liver, enhancing the health of blood vessels, improving cognitive function, relieving mood swings, curing anemia, and supporting eye health.

Vitamin B6 can even relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, preventing diabetes, relieving carpal tunnel syndrome, treating pregnancy-related nausea, and treating hair loss.

Wondering how much of this Vitamin B6 you need? Well, the recommended dietary allowance is 1.3 mg. So let’s take a closer look at the benefits and exactly which foods you should be eating to ensure you get enough Vitamin B6 in your daily diet.

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Photo by Tatjana Baibakova at Shutterstock

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vitamin B6 can help reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The high inflammation in the body that results from rheumatoid arthritis can lead to a drop in vitamin B6 levels. But, it’s unclear if supplementing with B6 decreases inflammation in people with this condition.

A study in 36 adults with rheumatoid arthritis found that 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily corrected low blood levels but didn’t decrease the production of inflammatory molecules in the body.

On the other hand, a study of 43 adults with rheumatoid arthritis who took 5mg of folic acid alone or 100mg of vitamin B6 with 5mg of folic acid daily revealed that those who took B6 had significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory molecules after two and a half months.

The contradictory outcomes of these studies may be due to the difference in vitamin B6 dose and the length of the survey. However, high doses of vitamin B6 supplements may provide anti-inflammatory benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis over time.

Healthier Skin

One of the most impressive benefits of vitamin B6 is that it helps maintain perfect skin. If you want to prevent premature aging, then vitamin B6 is one of the best NATURAL ways to slow down the formation of fine lines and wrinkles.

It’s also helpful in relieving many skin conditions, including dry skin, eczema, and acne. It also treats a few severe skin disorders such as melanoma and psoriasis.

Studies have even found that getting enough of this vitamin can lower your risk of developing certain types of skin cancer.

The reason is unclear, but researchers suspect that it’s because of its ability to fight inflammation that can contribute to cancer and some other chronic conditions.

Depression

Vitamin B6 has a crucial role in your mood regulation. This is somewhat because this vitamin is necessary for creating neurotransmitters that regulate emotions, including serotonin, dopamine, and gamma-aminobutyric acid.

Vitamin B6 can also decrease high blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, linked to depression and other psychiatric issues.

Research has shown that depressive symptoms are associated with low blood levels and intake of vitamin B6, especially in older adults at high risk for B vitamin deficiency.

One study in older adults found that low blood levels of vitamin B6 doubled the likelihood of depression. But, using vitamin B6 to prevent or treat depression has not been shown to be completely effective.

A two-year controlled study in approximately 300 older men who did not have depression originally found that those taking a supplement with B6, folate, and B12 were not less likely to have depressive symptoms than the placebo group.

Blood Vessel Health

Vitamin B6 regulates the levels of homocysteine in your blood. This is a type of amino acid that you acquire from eating protein from sources like meat.

Since high levels of this compound may lead to inflammation and the beginning of many heart diseases, you must add vitamin B6 to your diet to maintain good homocysteine levels.

If someone suffers from a vitamin B6 deficiency, he/she is likely to have an excess of homocysteine. This may even lead to heart attacks in some cases. It also maintains good cholesterol and blood pressure levels to prevent many types of heart disorders.

Alzheimer’s Risk

Vitamin B6 may play an interesting role in improving brain function and preventing Alzheimer’s, but the research is still ongoing. This vitamin can decrease high blood levels that may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.

One study in 156 adults with elevated blood levels and mild cognitive impairment found that taking elevated doses of B6, B12, and folate decreased the levels and decreased wasting in some areas of the brain, which are vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.

But, it’s unclear if this decrease can be associated with improvements in brain function or a slower rate of cognitive impairment.

A controlled trial in hundreds of adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s found that a higher dose of B6, B12, and folate decreases homocysteine blood levels but did not slow the decline in brain function compared to a placebo.

…So now that we’ve look into some important benefits, keep reading to see which foods can help raise your Vitamin B6 levels!

vitamin b6
Photo by Tatjana Baibakova at Shutterstock

Turkey

Do you want to get a lot of B6 from one source? Turkey is a perfect choice. Just one serving of turkey, that’s 2 to 3 ounces, contains nearly half of your daily requirement of Vitamin B6.

Of course, the added benefit is that you’ll be getting other nutrients at the same time as well, including zinc and selenium.

Salmon

It’s often recommended that you incorporate seafood into your diet because of its many benefits, and the amount of B6 salmon has is definitely one of them.

It’s one of the best food sources of B6 you can possibly reach for. In one 3oz serving of salmon, you’ll get about 35% of your daily intake of vitamin B6. But salmon also has many other nutritional benefits, including omega-3s, protein, vitamin D, and potassium.

Potatoes

Potatoes are nutrient-dense and reasonably low-cost vegetables that can be cooked in many different ways. One cup of potatoes gives you about 25% of your Vitamin B6 daily value.

This veggie seems to have a bad reputation among a few who think they’re unhealthy, but that’s mostly untrue. Looking for some inspo on how to incorporate more potatoes into your diet?

You can make an olive oil-based potato salad with herbs, add sliced potatoes, obviously cooked, to salads, or even add them to soups.

Ground Beef

If you love meat, ground beef provides protein, iron, and many other nutrients, including a good dose of Vitamin B6. In a 3oz serving of ground beef, you’ll get about .3 mg of vitamin B6, which is 18% of your daily intake.

It can be used to make meatballs, bolognese sauce, or tacos and burritos. Just be mindful of how much beef you’re eating per week. Consuming a lot of red meat isn’t great for the climate OR your health.

Chickpeas

If meat or any other animal-based food products aren’t your cups of tea, chickpeas are a great source of vitamin B6. They’re also versatile and can be used in hummus, soups, veggie bowls, and salads.

Don’t worry too much about choosing between dried or canned chickpeas. Both are great options.

But if you’re searching for something a bit more diverse, we recommend chickpea pasta. It’s a great way to reap the benefits of B6, plus it contains more protein and fiber than regular pasta.

Avocado

Avocados are another great plant-based source of Vitamin B6, containing roughly 20% of your daily value in one cup. They’re also an amazing source of healthy fat, fiber, and many other vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, vitamin C, and potassium.

The options are endless when including some avocado in your diet. Try it in salads and grain bowls, over toast, with eggs, or you can get creative and come up with your own ideas… Just be sure to let us know about it so that we can add it to our own recipes!

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is an excellent source of B6, giving you about 12% of your daily intake in one cup. It’s also an incredible source of protein for a small number of calories. Choose some cottage cheese for breakfast or a snack throughout your day.

It’s delicious with fruit or even some more savory toppings. You can apply it on some toast or even eat it with crackers. You can also blend cottage cheese into a smoothie or use it to add some creaminess to your stews and casseroles.

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Photo by 5 second Studio at Shutterstock

Carrots

We all love and consume carrots for their color and crunch, but did you know that they’re packed with nutritional benefits? These veggies are a great source of many nutrients, including vitamins A and B6.

Add them to stir-frys, roast them as a side dish, or snack on them with hummus to reap the benefits of vitamins, potassium, and fiber.

Are you getting enough Vitamin B6 in your diet? Make sure you share your thoughts with us in the comments section!

And let us know if these tips were helpful. But meanwhile, you should also check out: 7 Cancer Causing Foods You MUST Avoid

Do You Have Insomnia? Try Eating These 9 Foods

insomnia
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Do you suffer from insomnia?

In order to live a healthy life, we need to sleep well. Did you know that for every hour of lost sleep, it would take you four days to recover? That only shows what a significant loss of sleep deprivation represents to our organisms.

Insomnia is responsible for developing some chronic illnesses, maintaining that annoying brain fog, and decreasing your immunity. As a general rule, they say you have to sleep between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, but most of us struggle to even get to 7 hours.

There are so many strategies that can be used to promote a good sleep routine, including changing something in your diet. Because many things go all the way back to what we eat, it’s worth mentioning that some foods and drinks promote good sleep.

Here are some of the best foods and drinks you can try before going to bed to treat your insomnia. Nighty night!

Almonds

Almonds are a great source of nutrients, as 28 grams of dry roasted nuts have 18% of the amount of phosphorus we need and 23% of riboflavin. Not only that, but it also has 25% of the daily manganese men need and 31% of the daily amount women need.

Integrating almonds into your daily diet has been proven to lower the risks of chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Naturally, almonds are known to boost sleep quality as well. That’s because almonds, just like other types of nuts, are a great source of the hormone melatonin.

This hormone regulates your internal clock and tells your body when it’s time to get some sleep. But almonds are also rich in magnesium, which is known to be very effective against insomnia episodes.

Turkey

Turkey is by far one of the healthiest meats you could possibly ask for. Very rich in protein, it helps keep your muscles strong and regulates your appetite. Turkey meat has a couple of properties that might explain why there are some people who are suddenly tired after eating it or might be associated with sleepiness.

That’s because it is so rich in protein, that it might increase your chances of feeling tired. There is enough evidence that shows how moderate amounts of protein before bedtime are associated with better sleep quality and a lower risk of insomnia, but also less waking up in the middle of the night.

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Photo by Valentyn Volkov from Shutterstock

Chamomile tea

It has already become a general belief that drinking chamomile tea boosts your immune system, reduces anxiety and depression, and enhances your skin health. Plus, chamomile tea has a couple of unique properties that sustain proper sleep quality.

Have you ever wondered why? Chamomile tea has apigenin, which is an antioxidant that binds to specific receptors in your brain that help you sleep well and reduce your insomnia. There’s a study conducted in 2011 that shows how 34 adults who took 270 mg of chamomile extract twice a day had better sleep results.

They fell asleep 15 minutes faster and experienced fewer episodes of waking up in the middle of the night.

Kiwi

Kiwis are extremely nutritious fruits. One fruit has only 42 calories and a significant amount of vitamin C and vitamin K. Adding kiwis to your diet enhances your digestive health, reduces inflammation, and lowers your cholesterol.

There’s a 4-week study where 24 adults ate two kiwifruit one hour before going to sleep each night. At the end of the four weeks, participants had a better rate of falling asleep, as it was 42% faster than if they didn’t eat anything before sleeping.

Also, their ability to sleep peacefully throughout the night improved by 5% and their total sleep time increased by 13%. Slowly in time, they waved goodbye to insomnia!

Tart cherry juice

You wouldn’t have thought that tart cherry juice would find its way into this category, right? Maybe you never tried it, maybe you weren’t a fan, but either way you should consider adding it to your diet. It has proper amounts of nutrients, such as magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium.

There’s a small study conducted in order to prove the benefits of drinking tart cherry juice, and the results didn’t cease to appear. Adults who suffered from insomnia had 240 ml of tart cherry juice twice a day for a couple of weeks.

Studies have shown that they managed to sleep 84 minutes longer and had a better sleep quality compared to those who didn’t drink any juice.

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Photo by Sea Wave from Shutterstock

Fatty fish

As we already know by now, fatty fish are the best example of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They are great against inflammation, heart diseases, and brain damage. But what we didn’t know was that omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D are also great when it comes to sleep quality, as they increase the production of serotonin.

In one study conducted a few years ago, men who were suffering from insomnia ate 300 grams of Atlantic salmon 3 times a week and fell asleep way faster than men who only resumed eating chicken, beef, and pork. This effect was proven to be the result of vitamin D.

Walnuts

Walnuts are one of the healthiest sources of omega-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid. They also have 4.3 grams of protein per ounce, which is great when it comes to reducing appetite. Walnuts are also known to improve sleep quality because they’re one of the best sources of melatonin.

All these nutrients are known to help patients who suffer from chronic insomnia. They provide alpha-linoleic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps increase our serotonin production. While there hasn’t been any studies that might show how walnuts have a direct impact on our sleep quality yet, they have too many benefits not to consider adding them to your diet.

Passionflower tea

Passionflower tea, just like camomile, is one of the best herbal tea options to drink on a daily basis. It’s extremely rich in flavonoid antioxidants, which are a great natural weapon against inflammation, decreased immunity, and heart disease risk.

Plus, passionflower tea has a great potential to reduce anxiety episodes. The passionflower tea has an antioxidant known as apigenin, which is responsible for its anxiety-reducing effects. As studies have shown, this antioxidant binds specific receptors in your brain, which are in charge of reducing your stress.

Naturally, this tea promotes sleepiness. If you’ve struggled with insomnia due to excessive stress, it might be beneficial to drink a cup of passionflower tea right before bedtime.

White rice

There’s a great difference between white and brown rice, in the sense that white rice has had its bran and germ removed. This means that white rice has lower amounts of fiber, nutrients, and antioxidants. However, it still has a great number of vitamins and minerals.

White rice has higher levels of carbs and lower levels of fiber. This combination contributes to a higher glycemic index (GI). Surprisingly, a higher GI improves sleep quality, if consumed one hour before bed.

Even if white rice has proven to have a great role in promoting good sleeping habits and battling insomnia, it’s advisable to consume it in moderation.

Oatmeal

Similar to white rice, oatmeal is high in carbs, but it also has more fiber. Oatmeal consumption has been linked to inducing drowsiness when consumed right before bedtime. Plus, oats are known to be a good source of melatonin.

Oats are also rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid that the brain uses for creating serotonin, the hormone that relaxes our entire body before falling asleep. Who would’ve thought that the food that is most recommended for breakfast is also extremely good for insomnia?

If you enjoyed reading this article about treating insomnia issues, we also recommend reading: 9 Worst Foods To Eat Before Bedtime

11 Reasons Why Drinking Coffee Daily Is So Good

coffee tips
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We have all heard about how coffee, despite all its benefits, can end up being bad for our health. And while there are people who end up becoming addicted to drinking coffee, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your cup of joe every morning! If anything, it turns out that having a cup of coffee every day can be beneficial for your health.

And we aren’t just talking about the energizing effect that caffeine has on all of us. There have been studies that show that continuous coffee drinking (but not in excess), has a number of health benefits. From the antioxidant properties of coffee to increased longevity and better brain health, there are lots of benefits we haven’t even heard of!

Here we have compiled some of the most fascinating facts about why drinking coffee is good for you! Next time someone says that drinking coffee every day is bad for your health, you will have enough reasons to explain to them that they might just be wrong on this one!

Let us know which one of these things related to drinking coffee surprised you and which ones you already knew about!