Beautiful Life Dumaguete

For our Indonesian Friends (translated by Mitchelle from askthescientists.com)
See also English translation below about the importance of vitamins
Kursus Singkat tentang Dasar-dasar Vitamin
Definisi paling sederhana untuk vitamin adalah "zat yang membantu tubuh Anda bekerja dengan baik." Vitamin sangat penting bagi kesehatan Anda. Dari situlah sebenarnya "vita" dalam vitamin berasal.
Tapi itu mungkin terlalu mendasar. Mineral sangat penting bagi kehidupan. Mereka juga membantu tubuh Anda bekerja dengan baik. Jadi, apa yang membedakan vitamin?
Vitamin adalah zat organik yang bertindak sebagai koenzim (bagian non-protein dari enzim) dan merupakan komponen penting dari reaksi kimia seluler. Tetapi vitamin tidak menyediakan energi seperti halnya karbohidrat. Dan mereka bukan blok bangunan seperti asam amino atau lemak.
Vitamin adalah tentang mendapatkan reaksi. Ingat, sel-sel Anda pada dasarnya adalah kantong reaksi kimia. Semua reaksi membutuhkan bahan dan mesin. Struktur seluler Anda menyediakan mesin. Vitamin merupakan bagian penting dari bahan. Mereka membantu enzim memicu reaksi - itulah yang dilakukan koenzim.
Tanpa vitamin, reaksi vital (ada kata itu lagi) tidak terjadi secara efisien. Atau mereka tidak terjadi sama sekali. Hal ini akan mengacaukan proses metabolisme Anda - yang sama dengan vitamin yang membantu mengatur - yang tidak baik untuk pemeliharaan kesehatan. (Dan itu sangat ringan).
Karena begitu pentingnya, Anda akan berpikir manusia akan memiliki sejarah panjang dalam memahami vitamin. Tidak. Selama ribuan tahun, orang tidak tahu apa itu vitamin.
Para pelaut tahu bahwa sedikit jeruk akan mencegah penyakit kudis. Tapi mereka tidak tahu mengapa. Akhirnya, para peneliti menemukan bahwa tidak adanya beberapa zat memiliki konsekuensi yang mengerikan bagi kesehatan. Zat-zat ini akhirnya diisolasi dan diidentifikasi. Mekanisme dampak seluler mereka dipetakan.
Ketika vitamin baru ditemukan, vitamin itu diberi huruf. (Huruf-huruf dimulai dari "A," melewatkan beberapa - "F" hingga "J" - dan akhirnya berakhir di "K.") Dan saat ini ada nilai harian untuk membantu Anda menghindari defisiensi, dan informasi tentang tingkat optimal untuk kesehatan.
Sekarang, ilmu pengetahuan telah menyoroti zat-zat esensial ini, dan menunjukkan bagaimana masing-masing zat memainkan peran yang berbeda dalam tubuh. Sekarang Anda memiliki informasi yang Anda butuhkan untuk merencanakan jalan bagi kesehatan terbaik Anda melalui diet dan suplementasi. Jelajahi vitamin-vitamin penting dan lihat mengapa dan bagaimana vitamin-vitamin ini merupakan bagian penting dari diet Anda.
A Crash-Course in Vitamin Basics
The simplest definition for a vitamin is “a substance that helps your body work properly.” They’re vital for your health. That’s where the “vita” in vitamin actually came from.
But that’s probably too basic. Minerals are essential for life. They help your body work properly, too. So, what sets a vitamin apart?
Vitamins are organic substances that act as coenzymes (non-protein parts of enzymes) and are important components of cellular chemical reactions. But they don’t provide energy the way carbohydrates do. And they aren’t building blocks like amino acids or fats.
Vitamins are all about getting a reaction. Remember, your cells are basically bags of chemical reactions. All the reactions require materials and machinery. Your cellular structures provide the machinery. Vitamins constitute an important part of the materials. They help enzymes spark a reaction—that’s what a coenzyme does.
Without vitamins, vital (there’s that word again) reactions don’t happen efficiently. Or they don’t happen at all. This throws off your metabolic processes—the same ones vitamins help regulate—which isn’t good for the maintenance of health. (And that’s putting it lightly.)
Since they’re so important, you’d think humans would have a long history of understanding vitamins. Nope. For thousands of years, people had no idea what vitamins were.
Sailors figured out a little citrus would stave off scurvy. But they didn’t know why. Eventually, researchers figured out that the absence of some substances had dire consequences for health. These substances were eventually isolated and identified. The mechanics of their cellular impact were mapped out.
When a new vitamin was discovered, it was assigned a letter. (The letters started at “A,” skipped a few—“F” to “J”—and eventually ended at “K.”) And today there are daily values to help you avoid deficiency, and information about optimal levels for health.
Now, science has shined a light on these essential substances, and showed how each play a different role in the body. Now you have the information you need to plot a course for your best health through diet and supplementation. Explore the essential vitamins and see why and how you they’re an essential part of your diet.

The human brain is an incredible organ. But it is also a hungry one. Weighing in at only around three pounds, your brain is an apex feeder. It uses 20 percent of all blood and oxygen produced in the body. So, it’s important to understand the connection between your diet and brain health so you can eat to support your cognitive functions.
Your brain does a lot, and it needs glucose to do all that work. Glucose is a type of carbohydrate—sugars found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and milk products. But the brain can’t store any of that glucose itself. It must continuously receive a supply from the body.
Because your body must absorb and metabolize sugars before they make it to the brain, it’s actually best to focus on eating complex carbohydrates. They power your body and keep your brain operating at optimal levels. This means focusing on whole, natural foods and limiting processed foods high in simple carbohydrates and low in fiber and micronutrients.
But what’s the best diet type to help your brain? Here’s a good rule of thumb: what helps your heart, helps your brain. Let’s dig deeper to examine popular diets and discover how to be mindful of what you eat.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Sea connects Europe, Asia, and Africa. Since the time boats were first put into the water for fishing, trade, and conquest, the Mediterranean has been the aquatic breadbasket of the Western world.
There are over 500 different species of fish in the Mediterranean, including omega-3 rich, oily fish like sardines, mackerel, and herring. Traditional trading routes connect different cultures with regional foods: protein-rich chickpeas from Israel, Egyptian figs, Greek olive oil, Libyan couscous, and Italian tomatoes.
The nations bordering the Mediterranean focus on a daily consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, like olive oil. Weekly, they consume oily fishes plus poultry, beans, and eggs for protein. Diets here have a limited intake of dairy products and very little red meat.
An abundance of cruciferous vegetables, nuts, and fresh fish supply the primary benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Oily fish are packed with omega-3s, a type of polyunsaturated fat the brain uses as a cell-building nutrient. Omega-3s are also important for normal brain function, preserving cell membrane health, and facilitating neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections.
The Mediterranean diet’s focus on vegetables, fruits, nuts, and limited red meat supports your brain and heart health. The connection between the two is important. Your brain requires 20 percent of all blood and oxygen supplies, so helping your heart will aid your brain.

Making the Change: How to Take Care of Your Body as You Age
The habits you set in early adulthood are factors that will shape your health profile later in life. Depending on your lifestyle, your risk for serious ailments will change. But those statistics aren’t set in stone.

Adults in their sixties, seventies, and beyond can still see the benefits of improving their diet, physical fitness, and mental health. Together, these positive lifestyle changes can set the stage for a happy and healthy life that extends well into old age. Whether you’re a teen, early adult, or pushing past middle age, look at the following tips for supporting health at any age:

Incorporate exercise into your routine: Whether it’s a daily walk, weight training, or high-intensity cardio, it’s important to stay active no matter your age. In young adults, high levels of physical activity improve cardiovascular health, respiratory health, and can help you maintain a high level of fitness later in life.
If you’re middle aged or older, physical activity is just as important, if not more so. Increased levels of physical activity can help support you overall cardiovascular health, and more. And for older adults, physical activity helps keep muscles strong, helping maintain mobility and ensuring you can continue performing day-to-day tasks.
Eat nutritious food: Your diet affects nearly every aspect of your life. Food is fuel, and you want to make sure you’re giving the body the nutrients it needs to run effectively throughout life. During childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, your diet provides your body with the fuel it needs to grow and develop.
As you age, your diet can help you maintain a healthy weight—which looks a little different for everyone—and can help support total body health throughout your life.
Additionally, healthy eating can just make you feel better. It’s hard to quantify, but people who eat nutritious foods often report feeling more satisfied and energized throughout the day. And this is a benefit you can take advantage of at all ages.
Keep your brain engaged: Scenic walks, reading, or learning a new skill are a few activities that can help keep your brain engaged throughout life. The brain loves a challenge—so why not give it one?
By striving to learn throughout life, you can keep your brain active. This promotes neuroplasticity and your brain’s ability to continue to learn and grow into old age. Staying mentally engaged and challenged can also help optimize mental health throughout life.

Ang Pagpasalamant Makalambo sa Kahimsog
Masabtan ra gud nga ang pamatasan nga pagpasalamat makatabang sa positibong pagpalambo sa kaugalingon ug relasyon sa uban. Pero daghan usab nga pagtuon ang nagpakita ang pagpuyo nga mapasalamaton makalambo usab sa imong kahimsog.
Unsa ang hinungdan sa kalambuan sa kaugalingon? Nahitabo nga ang pagpuno ug pagpasalamat moresulta sa pag-amuma sa imong kaugalingon. Katong mga nag-apil sa pagpasalamat sa ilang kaugalingon nga parte sa ilang kinabuhi nigawas nga nikaon ug masustansyang pagkaon, nag-ehersisyo, ug niadto sa doctor kung kinahanglan. Ang pareho sa mapasalamaton makalambo sa imong pasensya, mopuli sa pagdesisyon ug enerhiya. So makabalibad sa pagkaon ug sobra ug oo sa mahimsog nga pagpuyo.
Ang pagpasalamat usab makatabang sa kahimsog sa kasingkasing tungod sa insaktong “blood pressure”. Ang pagpasalamat usab nakatabang sa pagprotekta sa lawas. Ang tawong mapasalamaton makatulog ug maayo kay dili maghunahuna ug negatibo kay ang mga grasya lang ang gihunahuna. Ug ang pasalamaton mas abtik.

Gratitude Improves Physical Health
It makes sense that being grateful would positively affect your mental well-being and relationships. But multiple studies have shown that living more appreciatively can also boost your physical health.

One major cause of improved well-being? It turns out that being filled with gratitude makes you take better care of yourself. Those who make gratitude part of their everyday lifestyle have been shown to eat healthier, exercise more, and go to the doctor regularly. Similar to how being grateful increases your patience, it also replenishes your willpower and decision-making skills. So, you can say no to overeating and yes to healthier lifestyle choices.

Beyond making healthier choices, cultivating a sense of gratitude has been shown to improve heart health by positively impacting blood pressure. In another study, researchers followed heart failure patients who weren’t yet experiencing symptoms. They found that patients who regularly wrote down the things they were grateful for had healthier heart rhythms.

The physical benefits of gratitude don’t stop there, either. Gratitude has been shown to have an impact on immune functions. And people who are more thankful also tend to sleep better. Instead of lying awake, ruminating over negative thoughts, focusing on blessings soothes the nervous system. That helps you fall asleep more quickly, sleep better, and sleep for longer. Unsurprisingly, those who practice gratitude also tend to be more alert and have more energy the next day. So, the next time you’re tossing and turning, try counting the good things in your life to help you rest easier (askthescientist.com).

10 Mental Health Tips for Prioritizing and Practicing Self-Care on a Busy Schedule
You’ve learned to avoid the guilt—and stress—that can arise as you try to fit self-care into your schedule. Now discover what self-care looks like on the go. Most of these mental health tips take 30 minutes or less and can be integrated into a workday. Because, let’s face it, you might not always have the time (or funds) for a 90-minute deep-tissue massage.

Establish routines and stick to them: Good sleep, full and nutritious meals, as well as exercise are just a few lifestyle elements that can elevate your mental health and mood on a day-to-day basis. So what’s the catch? To really see the benefits of these practices, you need consistency. And consistency requires a routine.
Whether it’s cycling to work each morning or a strict bedtime, try to incorporate habits into your daily routine that promote consistent sleep (at least seven hours a night), some form of exercise, and nutritious eating. That means if you decide to meal prep for the week on Sundays, stick to it! These daily and weekly routines will give your life structure you can lean on for support when life gets busy.
Find time for exercise: The benefits of exercise sometimes seem too good to be true, but it really is great for both physical and mental health. You’re probably familiar with the physical benefits of daily exercise, but did you know that 30 minutes of exercise each day can also elevate your mood, reduce stress, and decrease anxiety levels?
And this doesn’t necessarily mean 30 minutes of hard, sweat-inducing cardio. Daily exercise can be as simple as walking or cycling to work in the morning or using a treadmill desk. There are even office-friendly exercise bikes if you want to be really creative with it!
Practice mindfulness: If you’ve ever thought about trying meditation but written it off as too involved or time-intensive, mindfulness might be just the thing for you. Mindfulness—the practice of being mindful— means creating awareness of the present moment. The best part? It doesn’t matter which moment you choose—you can bring mindfulness to any activity or task.
The first step is controlling your breathing. Close your eyes and start breathing in a slow, controlled cadence. Try to focus on the sensation of the air filling your lungs. When you open your eyes, bring that awareness to whatever you are doing. If you’re eating, pay attention to the sensations and flavors each bite brings. If you’re putting the final touches on your presentation for tomorrow, make every additional note or slide intentional.
Try progressive relaxation: There’s a common misconception that meditation requires large chunks of uninterrupted time and a designated space. Enter progressive relaxation, also known as progressive muscle relaxation (or PMR). All you need for PMR is 10-15 minutes and a place to lie down. (If you can turn the lights out, that’s an added bonus.)
During progressive muscle relaxation, you’ll do exactly as the name suggests: relax each muscle group in turn. Starting with your feet, clench the muscles as tight as you can, hold it, and then release. As you release, exhale. To complete the process, you will repeat this cycle for each muscle group, moving gradually up your body. The practice can be used to rest the body and relieve stress and anxiety.
Focus on the positive: You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘You are what you eat.’ But when it comes to mental health, often you are what you think. So try to keep your thoughts positive! If there’s a conversation you’re dreading, focus on the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel afterwards. Stuck on a frustrating work task? Look at it as an opportunity to learn and develop a new skill.
Keep a journal: Journaling feels like one of the best kept secrets of adulthood. Which is to say it’s shocking more people aren’t keeping a journal. Your journal can be whatever you want it to be. If you’re trying to keep your thoughts positive, a gratitude diary could be just what you need to help you focus on the good. Or maybe you need a space to vent, work through your thoughts, or ramble about your day. A journal is good for all of it. The act of writing can be cathartic and help you release negative thoughts and emotions you have accumulated during the day.
Take advantage of telehealth: When it comes to managing your mental health, there’s nobody more qualified to help than a licensed professional. Unfortunately, not everyone has time for therapy. Here’s the good news: telehealth and virtual therapy options are widely available, so it’s never been easier to find a therapist to fit your schedule. If you feel like you could benefit from the help of a professional, don’t let the thought of adding another commute to your workweek deter you. We live in a digital world—you might as well take advantage of it.
Put the phone (or laptop) away: If you’re old enough to remember a time when you didn’t always have a phone and computer in your pocket, you probably wax nostalgic for those days occasionally. While smartphones, laptops, and other devices are incredibly useful and convenient, they have drawbacks. Whether it’s fighting off the temptation to tune into your work email or Slack channel at the dinner table or browsing social media in bed, there’s a good chance your devices have worked their way into nearly every part of your life. This can increase the stress you feel from work, generate FOMO (fear of missing out), and generally affect your mental health for the worse.
So consider unplugging for a bit. Turn the devices off at bedtime. Or leave them at home for your evening walk. A little bit of time away from the virtual world might be the break you didn’t know you needed.
Make “me time” non-negotiable: No matter your age or occupation, it’s important that you make time in your schedule for yourself every day. This doesn’t have to be an elaborate activity. “Me time” could be simply cooking dinner. Or going for a fifteen-minute walk. Or painting a model airplane. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing if you want to be doing it.
Take a day off: This last one isn’t always possible, but if you have the opportunity or option, consider taking a day off. Many employers offer mental health days, but if yours doesn’t, consider calling in sick or taking a vacation day. Gift yourself the time to go for a hike, catch up with a friend, or work through the stacks of dishes that have been piling up. Whatever you end up doing, a break from work can provide a much-needed breath of fresh air—literally and figuratively (https://askthescientists.com/mental-health-tips/).

The Art of Me Time: Mental Health Tips that Fit Your Busy Schedule You’re never too busy for mental health. Learn about mindful wellness and mental health tips for taking care of yourself on a busy schedule.

Tips for Fostering a Lifestyle of Body Acceptance and Positivity
At this point, you’ve hopefully picked up on one thing: body acceptance and positivity require you to focus on aspects of your health other than weight or unrealistic standards of body image. But how does that knowledge turn into action and results?

Fortunately, there are a few tips to help you practice body positivity in your day-to-day life:

Monitor your internal dialogue: It’s easy to get down on yourself. Especially with all the negativity circulating online. The first step towards body acceptance is ensuring your internal narrative doesn’t start to mirror that negativity.
It might seem cheesy, but one of the best ways to maintain positive internal thoughts is through affirmations. Saying positive statements about yourself out loud can lead to changes in your internal narrative. This can be especially helpful if you frequently find your thoughts turning negative.
Move your body every day: Whether it’s a walk down the block or a half hour bike ride, moving your body is a great first step towards body positivity. Exercise can give you a sense of accomplishment, release positive-mood-supporting endorphins, and help keep your body and mind feeling healthy.
When it comes to movement and exercise, be generous with yourself. Give yourself the tools you need, too. Try a new pair of walking shoes or a smart exercise watch to help motivate you to move. And, some days you might only manage a quick walk around the neighborhood—and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Try intuitive eating: This dietary approach is all about connecting with your body and its needs. The guiding principle behind intuitive eating is simple: eat when you feel hungry, stop when you feel full. Intuitive eating works best if you identify foods that are nutrient rich, keep you full, and satisfy some of your cravings.
Eating when you’re hungry sounds pretty simple, right? Paradoxically, it’s incredibly simple and tricky to actually put into practice. In the hurry and hustle of today’s world, you might find yourself scarfing down meals on the go or in the few minutes you find to eat. Often, this can lead to eating too much—you don’t give your body time to process the fact that it’s full. Intuitive eating requires you to slow down and really listen to your body. (For tips on slowing meals down, check out this story on a related concept—mindful eating!)
Tweak your typical online diet: Often, the most negative messaging in your life come from your online intakes. Though it has its benefits, internet culture and social media can become a rabbit hole of counterproductive comparisons and negative self-talk. If you find yourself constantly comparing your life or your body to those of people online or in pop culture, consider changing what you look at online. A short break from the apps and sites you frequent can also do wonders for your self image.

Symptoms of depression include either overeating or lack of appetite, oversleeping or not sleeping at all, and lethargy that drains energy to do things. Proper diet and exercise can help overcome and defeat depression and put you back on the path to health and happiness.

You can run from mild stress—exercising provides some relief. You can hide from it—taking time for self-care and mediation are great coping strategies. But occasional stress still seeps into your life. Control your reaction and support the ways your body adapts to stress with the USANA Stress Relief mood-support supplement.*

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