9 Kitchen Hacks That Will Make Healthy Eating So Much Easier

We’ve all been there: You come home from a long day at work and you’re exhausted. You’re so hungry, you could start gnawing on your arm at any moment. Nothing sounds good, and at the same time everything sounds good—so you start munching on the bag of chips as you plan your meal, and before long you're not even hungry for dinner.

Luckily, learning a few smart kitchen hacks can help you throw together fast, simple, and healthy meals on even the busiest nights. And tapping into your inner chef is good for your health, too: A recent study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that home-cooked meals help you stick to the dietary guidelines (more fruit, veggies, beans, whole grains, dairy, and seafood; less sodium and refined grains) and save money while you're at it.

We asked registered dietitians to share their strategies that make planning, prepping, and cooking easier, so you can get right to eating. Pretty soon, using them will become second nature and the "What should I make?" dinnertime crisis will become a thing of the past. Now, all you have to do is decide what you’re going to do with your extra free time. Self-care, anyone?

Go for freezer fish

The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week, especially fatty fish like salmon or mackerel. To make that happen, pick up fish that can go from your freezer straight to your oven, suggests Vicki Shanta Retelny, RD, a nutritionist based in the Chicago area. Typically, frozen fish should be thawed before cooking, but "some brands are marinated, individually wrapped, and can be cooked from frozen, like Morey’s or No Name," she says. (Look for phrases like "no need to thaw" or "from freezer to oven" on the package.) Also smart: Pick up a bag of pre-cooked, peeled, and deveined frozen shrimp (a great source of low-cal protein) to quickly heat up and add to pasta dishes, stir-fries, and salads.

Don’t go crazy with Sunday prep

If you love getting all your veggies, proteins, and grains cooked for the week ahead, more power to you. But if it’s become something you dread, feel free to skip it. "It’s easy to get overwhelmed with meal prep," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. Instead, she recommends taking the prep down a few notches by just chopping a couple ingredients that you can incorporate into easy, healthy meals. For example, Gorin keeps sliced mushrooms and onions on hand for stir-fries or omelets; it removes some of the prep-cook burden, and you don’t have to start dinner from scratch every night.

Pick out fun store-bought short cuts

No one actually likes to peel and cube a butternut squash. Or mince garlic, or chop Brussel's sprouts. That’s why store-bought prepped produce can be a lifesaver. "They may be a little pricier, but they can save time and help you eat healthier at home in the long run," says Lindsay Livingston, RD, a nutritionist in Columbus, Ohio. Look for creatively prepped veggies to jazz up meals, like spiralized carrots and zucchini (found in many grocery stores, including Trader Joe’s), shredded Brussel’s sprouts, or bagged cauliflower rice.

Make smoothie cups

What’s better than a blend-and-go smoothie when you’re running out the door? Pre-pack an individual container with fruit, nut butter, and any other additions (think coconut, greens, cocoa powder, chia seeds, or cashews). The next morning, dump the bowl into your blender and add your liquid of choice (milk, nut milk, kefir). Gorin always keeps frozen wild blueberries in her freezer ("they pack more than twice the antioxidants of regular blueberries," she says), and combines them with plain Greek yogurt, milk, peanut butter, banana, and a tiny bit of maple syrup.

Keep these go-to foods on hand

There are days when you come home and think, What am I going to eat? Always have quick-cooking 10-minute grains on hand, like bulgur or barley, says Retelny. Toss with ready-to-eat bagged salad greens, and throw on a pre-seasoned package of tuna or salmon. This meal comes together superfast, so you can eat well even on the busiest weeknights.

More staples to keep in the house, according to Holley Grainger, RD, a nutritionist in Birmingham, Alabama: eggs, canned vegetables and beans, cooked chicken in the freezer, jarred spaghetti sauce, hummus, veggies, noodles, and frozen pizza. Yep, frozen pizza can fit into your healthy eating plan: You can jazz it up by adding more veggies on top.

Stock up on sauces

Even though Pinterest may tell you otherwise, "every night doesn’t have to be an elaborate dinner with specific recipes," says Livingston. To make dinner new and interesting, change up the flavors with sauce. Livingston recommends keeping a running list of simple sauces (tahini dressing, Thai peanut) that you can quickly throw together to top your favorite protein, whole grain, and veggies.

Get yourself a fast cooker

Pressure cookers are all the rage right now, and for good reason: This genius device truly puts dinner on the table in a flash by allowing you to cook foods faster so you can have a full meal ready in less than 30 minutes. These pots can even handle frozen meats (a slow cooker cannot). You can't go wrong with the Instant Pot 6-Quart ($75; amazon.com), an Amazon bestseller with over 23,000 reviews.

Streamline shopping

If whipping up a complicated grocery list is too overwhelming (or you don't even want to bother with meal planning), ditch it completely. Instead, Grainger recommends this simple, winning formula to make getting your grocery haul less of a hassle. Two or three proteins, one or two bags of lettuce, two to three fruits, two to three veggies, one to two grains, milk (or milk alternative), and sauces as needed. "You'll have the components you need to throw together a last-minute dish," she says. Bonus: Doing it this way allows you to choose items you see on sale, which helps keep your weeknight meals new and fresh.

Don’t be afraid to make too much

Whenever you can, double a recipe and freeze half. Freezer meals can save you after a busy day, since all you have to do is pop it into the microwave or a pot on the stove. "It’s usually not much more work than cooking a single recipe, and it gives you a well-stocked freezer for busy weeks when you don’t have a lot of time to plan or cook," says Livingston. Freezing homemade leftovers also saves you a significant amount of money per serving compared to brand name, ready-to-eat freezer meals—plus, you don’t have to worry about extra sodium, sugar, or preservatives in the mix. Now get cooking!

source:Health

Want Great Abs? Here’s What You Should Be Eating

You've heard the line "Abs are made in the kitchen." But what does that mean? “You can’t exercise away the effects of a poor diet, particularly for an area that hangs on to fat and gets bloated,” says Kasey Brixius, RDN, a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Read on for tips on how to keep belly fat at bay and make your abs stand out.

Stave Off Fat 

Blood sugar and hormone imbalances can play a role in the concentration of fat in the belly area, says Brixius. This advice can help you control both.

Stay Balanced: Make sure meals have three blood sugar–stabilizing macronutrients: a lean protein, a quality carb, and a healthy fat.

Eat Regularly: Blood sugar tends to dip every four to five hours, says Brixius. “So don’t go more than four hours without a meal or snack.”

Manage Stress: Studies have shown a correlation between high levels of the stress hormone cortisol and abdominal fat.

Banish Bloat 

Gas and puffiness can also conceal a toned tummy. Here’s how to keep belly swell to a minimum.

Eat Mindfully: ”The body can’t efficiently release digestive enzymes to properly break down food when you eat distracted, stressed, or on the go, compared with when you’re eating in a more relaxed state,” says Brixius.

Fill Up On Fiber: Eating fiber-rich foods, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, can stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut that may help tame bloat.

Get More Potassium: Eat more foods containing the mineral—such as bananas, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, beans, and lentils—to help balance out any bloat-causing sodium in your diet; potassium helps counter fluid retention.

Feed Your Muscles 

The last component of chiseled abs is building up the core enough to display some definition. Eat like this (and get those planks in, of course) to help them show through.

Pick Protein: Have a snack with 20 to 25 grams of protein within 30 minutes of working out to help kick start muscle recovery and growth.

Zero In On Leucine: Eat protein foods that are high in leucine, “an amino acid that helps synthesize protein and stimulate muscle growth,” says Brixius. Good sources of leucine include dairy, lean meats, seafood, soy, and nuts.

Hydrate Hard Core: Aim to drink at least two liters of water a day, three or more if you’re working up a sweat. Dehydration can compromise your workout performance.

from:health

What happens to your body when you drink milk every day?

These days, it's virtually impossible to know who or what to believe when it comes to healthy eating and staying fit. The tsunami of information with which we're deluged upon doing something as simple as googling "is [insert food/drink item here] good for you" means that, more often than not, it's almost easier to remain uninformed than risk trying to decipher the reasonable advice from the marketing propaganda.


The benefits of drinking milk have been extolled pretty much every day since grade school. Then, as we approached adulthood, the narrative changed, with suggestions that humans shouldn't imbibe dairy after a certain age due to its tendency to cause digestive issues, the dreaded weight gain, and much more. Likewise the variety of new-age milks on the market, from soy to almond, makes it difficult to decipher what's actually good for our bodies.

What does drinking plain-old cow's milk every day actually do to a woman's body? What are the real-life effects? What are the possible benefits and drawbacks? And should we be looking elsewhere for our sources of protein, calcium, and essential nutrients than the tall glass of the white stuff we've been conditioned to drink since we were in diapers? I asked a bunch of nutritional experts for their opinions on this hot-button topic, and the results may surprise you.

It can cause acne

Dairy is known to be inflammatory as Nutritionist and Dietitian Vanessa Rissetto explained, thanks to D-galactose, "a breakdown product of lactose that has been shown to be pro-inflammatory" and which milk boasts as opposed to milk products such as cheese or yogurt. This means that if you're suddenly breaking out after necking three glasses of the stuff, there's probably a connection there. Michelle Beckner, a certified nutrition coach, further warns, "Drinking milk every day, this source of inflammation can lead to acne that seems to never clear up."

It may seem like a small setback, but considering that what we put into our bodies tends to show up on our skin (as anybody who's scoffed an entire tub of ice-cream in one sitting can attest) if there's anything that can help clear up your skin, especially something as simple as cutting down on daily dairy intake, then surely it's an easy choice to make.

If you're really craving a milk fix but don't want to take the risk, Dr. Joelle Cafaro suggests "opting for more nutritious (and less processed) dairy options like plain yogurt and kefir" as an alternative to drinking cow's milk, as these products are still yummy but are less likely to make you break out.

It can cause bloating

Aside from making its presence known all over your face, those nasty rumors about dairy causing bloating might actually be worth looking into further. Discounting those of us who are, unfortunately, lactose intolerant and can't process dairy lest we balloon up and explode like Violet Beauregarde, are there any genuinely troubling, stomach-related dangers associated with drinking milk every day?

Beckner, who has worked closely with breastfeeding mothers of lactose intolerant babies and helping wean them off dairy, certainly believes so. According to the certified nutrition coach, severe bloating may result due to a difficulty in processing the dairy. Beckner noted that "even just a little half and half in your morning cup of coffee could leave you feeling bloated for the rest of the day."

This is especially pertinent as we get older and our digestive systems aren't as sophisticated as they once were. Again, if you're looking to indulge in some dairy without risking ballooning up, soy is a good alternative. And, if you're concerned about an intolerance, make sure to get tested ASAP to prevent further uncomfortable stomach issues or long-term damage.

It can cause upset stomach and digestive issues

Bloating is hugely uncomfortable and may leave some of us feeling like we don't even want to get dressed or drag our butts out of bed. But, let's face it, as women we're used to a little bloating, particularly around that time of the month. A beach-ball belly isn't the worst side effect in the world. It's not even, usually, a cause for concern. However, drinking milk every day might be leading to less easily-ignored issues, too.

As Beckner points out, there may be more sinister consequences to a daily glass or two of milk as "the highly pasteurized and processed milk that is on the shelves today has bacteria (both good and bad), [which] can lead to an imbalance in the gut microbe." This imbalance can cause all sorts of long-term digestive issues and even result in symptoms such as brain fog and migraines. So that pint of ice cream might cause more than brain freeze after all.


It may help with weight loss

It's not all bad news when it comes to drinking milk. At the other end of the spectrum, for those looking to get fit and tone up, drinking milk every day may encourage weight loss or even fat burning properties in women. According to Paul Salter, a registered dietitian, weight loss expert, and sports nutritionist, consuming three servings per day could yield greater fat-loss in the long term, particularly if the person in question is following a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.

Registered Sports Dietitian Amy Goodson, who practices in Dallas, Texas, agreed. She advises for women looking to lose, or even just maintain their current, weight "some added protein can help and milk is an inexpensive, nutrient-rich way to get it."

Dr. Cafaro is even clearer, stating simply and emphatically that "women who drink milk daily are more likely to lose weight than women who do not drink milk." A little bit of bloating in exchange for weight loss isn't the worst trade off (provided you're not also puking your guts up, that is).

It's a great source of protein

If lifting heavy and being super #swoll are your primary focus, that animal protein is super important (that is, unless you're a vegan, in which case this list probably isn't for you to begin with). As Goodson advised, "Cow's milk provides one gram of high quality protein per ounce, or eight grams for eight ounces. High quality implies that it contains all the essential amino acids." Unlike, say, those hugely popular, manufactured protein powders, for example, the protein in cow's milk is coming from a natural source and hasn't been tampered with (depending on the brand, of course).

The protein in milk can also help stop overeating, too, as Goodson noted, "From a satiety perspective, protein slows down digestion, helping people get full faster and stay full longer." It's worth remembering too that all the hip new "alternative" milks that have sprung up in the past few years have considerably less protein than standard, simple cow's milk (typically less than a gram of protein per eight ounces on average, with slightly more for soy milk — a considerable difference) and therefore might not be as healthy an option as they initially appear.

You'll consume fewer calories, but more nutrition

If calorie counting is your jam (or you're just trying to establish better eating habits in general), you're also in luck. Milk provides extra protein for those looking to get healthy and lean, but it also provides more nutrition for relatively fewer calories overall. As Natalie Allen, an instructor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University who's also worked extensively as a dietitian, explains that since the standard, recommended serving for milk is three to four glasses a day, there's a way to get more nutrition for fewer calories with milk.

Allen explained, "An 8-ounce serving of skim (fat-free) milk has about 90 calories, so it is a lot of nutrition for [relatively] few calories." This means, essentially, that the calories are balanced out by the high nutritional content. Allen even advises heating chocolate milk, if you're craving sugar and in the mood for a tasty hot cocoa beverage but don't want to break a strict, healthy-eating streak because the trade-off here is considerably better, too.


It helps maintain muscle mass

For those ladies strength training in order to get some serious #gainz, milk can also assist in that department, too. As Allen explained, "Milk helps build strong muscles with the ideal ratio of carbohydrates to protein, making it a great drink choice for active individuals after a workout." Salter agreed, adding that milk is "rich in branched chain amino acids, those that specifically play a role in muscle growth/maintenance."

The kind of protein contained in milk is important for strength training and muscle recovery too, as Registered Dietitian Jacinda Roach explained. "The source of animal protein it contains is more readily absorbed by the body," which helps women to build and maintain lean muscle mass in the long term.

Allen further extols on milk's virtues as a great post-workout beverage of choice thanks, she advises, to the carb/protein ratio, which helps muscle recovery and repair considerably.

It's a great source of calcium

If there's one thing we all collectively remember from our childhood nutritional education, it's that milk is loaded with calcium (not to mention several other important nutrients). This is still, arguably, its biggest selling point worldwide (and bone of contention in certain conspiracy theory corners). Thankfully, this isn't something that's generally disputed in scientific circles. As Roach explained, milk is "extremely nutrient-rich because it contains energy nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and fat) as well as vitamins and minerals (calcium and Vitamin D)."

As Goodson noted, milk contains three of the nutrients of concern for Americans as outlined by the 2015 government dietary guidelines (calcium, vitamin D, and potassium). Although calcium in particular can be obtained from other sources, milk is arguably the easiest way to get it into your system quickly. "Many think it's easy to get calcium from other foods but the truth is you have to eat ten cups of spinach to obtain the calcium found in one 8-ounce glass of cow's milk," Goodson advised.

It might not afford many benefits without magnesium

Without magnesium to balance it out, we might not be getting the full benefits of the calcium naturally found in cow's milk. As Dr. Barry Sears, a leading authority in anti-inflammatory nutrition and the author of the Zone Diet book series, explained, "If one is drinking milk every day, then you should ensure that you are getting adequate magnesium either by the diet (hard) or by supplementation (easier) to balance the calcium."

This is because bone is made up of both calcium and magnesium. So in order to keep our bones healthy and strong, we need to ensure we're keeping stores of both plentiful as Sears explained "an imbalance in the ratio of these minerals will decrease bone strength" over time. Rissetto noted that, according to a recent study in the British Medical Journal, there may be significant evidence that milk actually leeches calcium from the bones.

It helps the aging process

Women experience a pronounced decrease in metabolic rate as we age. As Salter explained, bone strength also decreases with age, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. However, the combination of calcium and vitamin D found in milk plays a synergistic role in enhancing bone mineralization as we age. Likewise, Salter suggested to keep in mind that "sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, is more pronounced in women versus men."

Roach agreed with Salter's summation, suggesting that "drinking milk daily can help a woman to strengthen her skeletal structure and prevent osteoporosis." Allen, though, warns that the most pertinent time to drink milk, particularly if you're concerned about osteoporosis in later life, is up to the age of 30, as it's during these early years of development that "bones gain mass and build structure." Goodson also pointed to the vitamin D found in milk to maintain bone strength and muscle mass as we get older.

It could protect against diseases

Unsurprisingly, given its impressive genetic make-up of essential nutrients and vitamins, milk isn't just good for bone health, potential weight loss, and maintaining muscle mass over time. There's evidence to suggest, as Cafaro noted, that because many of its nutrients are located in its fat content (such as vitamins A, K2, and omega-4 fatty acids) it could "protect against diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease" too.

However, Rissetto pointed to the aforementioned study in the British Medical Journal, noting that although it didn't prove increased bone health in participants it did find that "fermented milk products (cheese and yogurt) significantly decreased mortality and fractures among [them]."

Rissetto also noted that the study found "for each serving of [these] products, the rate of mortality and hip fractures was reduced by 10-15 percent." So, if we're to take this study into account, maybe milk is best for protecting against life-threatening diseases when chewed as cheese or thickened up as yogurt?

It may lead to an increased risk of cancer

With all of potential milk has to protect against certain diseases, there's also research to suggest that drinking milk every day might also be dangerous to women's long-term health. Cafaro pointed again to the British Medical Journal study, which suggests that women who consumed three or more glasses of milk a day had a "44 percent increased risk of cancer, a 16 percent increased risk of bone fracture, and a 60 percent increased risk of hip fractures." Further, women who drink or two or more glasses a day are "twice as likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer than women who rarely drink it."

We also need to be careful about which milk products we choose, as Cafaro notes regular cow's milk contains growth hormones, which also lead to an increased risk of breast and other cancers. Basically, the purer the better. Cafaro advised to choose "organic products made with milk from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals because the milk is of higher nutritional value." If drinking regular milk, choose full-fat, which is actually less processed than its low-fat counterpart.

From:Thelist

What you don't want to know about fast food

You might swear you're never doing drive-thru ever again, yet at some point, you're probably going to end up eating fast food. But you can still make good choices. We don't mean salads and grilled chicken. We're talking about avoiding certain food items that, according to the people who work inside that infamous window, are gross, unsanitary, or just plain strange.


Barbecue chicken sandwiches

The good news: many Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises across the country donate a lot of their unsold chicken to local charities and homeless shelters. The bad news: some of that chicken is too old or stale to donate to the hungry, so KFC employees supposedly strip the chicken from the bones and soak the meat in barbecue sauce for a day or so. The staleness is effectively masked with the powerful taste of tomatoes and vinegar, and it's plopped onto buns and sold as sandwiches.


McNuggets

Chicken McNuggets do have chicken in them, but it's nowhere near as plentiful as the main ingredient. There are actually 38 ingredients in these fried poultry lumps, and the majority of them are corn products and corn derivatives. A whopping 56 percent of a McNugget is technically corn. And 0.02 percent is tertiary butylhydroquinone, a petroleum byproduct used as a preservative. TBHQ is also known as butane—lighter fluid.

The chili

Similarly, Wendy's repurposes old, dried-up beef patties the way KFC appropriates old chicken. Throughout the day, meat patties that get cooked up but remain unsold are purportedly moved to a warming drawer. Once the warming drawer is full of old, overheated beef, it's collected and then used as the basis of Wendy's chili. Hot water is added occasionally in order to restore the old-meat-based chili's consistency.


Ice in your soda

Fast food soda machines see a lot of traffic, and it's already hard enough for employees to keep the ice machines full. According to a study (which was originally done as a science project started by 12-year-old Jasmine Roberts), 70 percent of the ice collected from fast food places was dirtier than the water in those same restaurants' toilets.

Drinks in styrofoam cups

Polystyrene cups have been banned in many major cities because they take thousands of years to decompose but some restaurant chains still serve drinks in them, especially for coffee and hot chocolate. When filled with hot beverages, Styrofoam cups are known to leak styrene-styrene, which is a neurotoxin linked to depression and concentration issues. Cold drinks only make a little of the stuff leak out, but when the cups are heated—as happens when they're filled with coffee—the styrene can't get out of its Styrofoam prison fast enough. Do yourself a favor and buy a thermos or a travel mug.


"Refried" beans

The beans at Taco Bell used to make burritos and the like reportedly begin life in a huge, industrial-size bag and aren't even recognizable as beans. It starts as a thick, brown goop with gross white spots throughout it. The directions say "add water and stir until you can't see white anymore," and we thought the Chipotle E. Coli scare was bad.

Fish filet sandwiches

Many burger chains, particularly McDonald's, have such a high volume of business that they pre-make sandwiches and load them up in a heater/hopper for faster service. But if a sandwich is not popular—like the fish sandwich—it can sit there for hours. Unless it's a time of year when fish sandwiches are popular (such as during Lent, when McDonald's and other restaurants put the Filet-O-Fish or similar items on sale to attract those who temporarily don't eat meat for religious reasons), you may want to avoid the fish.

from:Thelist

The real differences between a toxic friend and a good friend

Good friends can be like members of your family. When you find friends like that, hold on tight. Unfortunately, not all are. Some are toxic — not good for you and, honestly, probably not great for the other person either. Toxic relationships can take a serious toll on you: your physical health, your emotional health, your feelings of self-worth, and even your other relationships. Knowing what a toxic relationship looks like — and how it's different than a real friendship — can help you determine if it's time to reevaluate a friendship or two, and save you a lot of heartache in the process.


How they support you

In a toxic relationship, the toxic friend pulls the attention and spotlight onto them, rather than it being a reciprocal back and forth. "Say, there's an issue going on and they really need you, but when you have an issue going on, they don't give you the time of day," said Nicole Zangara, a licensed clinical social worker and the author of Surviving Female Friendships: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It shouldn't be all about them and their needs anymore than it should be all about you and yours.

In a good friendship, however, your friend will be supportive — the focus isn't always on one person or the other. "In a friendship, you put in, and you hope that [friend] puts in, maybe not 50/50, but 60/40 even," Zangara told me. "And if it's not — you're not getting what you're giving — that's kind of a sign of an unhealthy friendship." Good relationships focus on both friends when needed.


Who makes the plans

If your friend constantly needs something from you — and that's really the only time they're focused on you — that can be a sign that your relationship is less than solid. "I think that every relationship requires work and when there's only one person putting in the work and the other person is not putting in any work, that can start feeling really bad," said Clinical Therapist Lynn Zakeri. "I'm always initiating, I'm always asking, I'm always giving, listening, whatever it is, when you don't get anything back in return, that can feel really bad. And then you can start internalizing those feelings that 'they don't care about me; they don't like me; I give, they're taking advantage of me.'" If they're always requiring your time and effort to help them out with things, that can really take a toll on the relationship and also make you feel like you're just a means to an end to them.

A good friend helps you when you need help and asks for reasonable favors when they need help instead of demanding that you always be there for them, but otherwise act like you don't exist. "The relationship [feels] reciprocal in a lot of different ways, so you help your friend and your friend helps you," Psychologist Dr. Pei-Han Cheng told me.

How they respond to disappointment or rejection

True friends are capable of acknowledging when something is their fault, but also recognizing that it's not fair or reasonable to blame you for anything and everything that goes wrong in their lives. If your friend makes you feel like it's your fault they didn't get a big promotion or their partner broke up with them, it can start to make you doubt your own self-worth and just generally make you feel really down. No one wants to feel like they're the cause of everything bad.

"That is the moment you know that this relationship is toxic or even abusive," Cheng explained. "They don't insert their agenda into your life and they appreciate you for who you are and they're nonjudgemental."

It's important that your friends are responsible for their own lives. What happens to them is not all your fault and good friends know that and would never make you feel like it was.

How they react to good news

Part of the great part of having a good group of friends around you is that you can all celebrate each other's successes and big moments together. Toxic friends, however, look at life and friendships as a competition. If you're doing well, they focus on the fact that they're not doing as well. They get jealous and let their jealousy interfere with their ability to be a supportive friend.

"A good friend is one that is genuinely happy for you when things go your way and you experience success or happy times," said Deborah Olson, a licensed professional counselor currently writing a book on female friendship. "A toxic friend tends to be envious of your good fortune, struggles to share in your happiness, and may pull away from the friendship as a result."

The emotional stability of the relationship

Friendship shouldn't be an emotional rollercoaster. Good friends don't make everything a crisis. With toxic friends, however, you never really feel like you're on stable ground. "People will [come] to me and say they hit it off really great, they had tons of good [times], but then the friend started to get into one crisis after another and [needed] a lot of support from you, sometimes support and time that you cannot provide," Cheng said. "So I think one thing I often teach my clients to really be mindful of is really [trusting] their gut feeling. If they feel like this relationship is consuming a lot of time and energy and [starting] to create some stress and pressure — they can feel it in their mind and body — then it is a moment for you to realize that this relationship may not be so healthy for you."

With good friends, however, things ebb and flow much more — there aren't the wild ups and downs that make you feel like you're on a rollercoaster. You don't have to worry about constantly putting out fires (which can be exhausting), there's more of an ease. "You have to have that chemistry where it just feels good," Zakeri said. "There's maybe a banter or a comfort level [with a good friend]."


How you feel after spending time with them

Good friends energize you, they inspire you, they lift you up. Toxic friends weigh you down. Zangara told me that "some toxic people just suck the life out of you," which can take a toll on your emotions. "And I always tell clients this, 'when you're with a friend, if you leave a coffee, lunch, dinner date, whatever, and you feel exhausted or you feel down or negative, that, in a way, is another red flag of the friendship with the person,'" Zangara said. "Do you feel uplifted or do you feel completely just exhausted?" If they're making you feel exhausted, it probably means they're not putting as much into the relationship as they're getting out of it.

"Good friends are those people who want to see us enjoy the best of life, experience success, be happy, healthy, and full of joy," Olson said. "They have our back and love us unconditionally. If we are going through struggles and feeling down, a good friend will offer support and encouragement and help us see the light at the end of the tunnel again. They will meet us where we are in our misery, and walk along side of us to get out of the darkness and into the light again." True friends help you keep going even when you feel like you don't have the energy to do so on your own.

How they deal with boundaries

Cheng told me that she worked with a college student whose friend would regularly drink too much on the weekends and then always require that student to take care of her. The student felt uncomfortable and frustrated. "She started to kind of establish some boundaries with this friend," Cheng said. The friend refused to respect the boundaries that the student tried to set, which wore on their friendship and made it difficult. While, of course, the situation can sometimes be more complicated than just the fact that a friend is drinking (there can be other issues at play), good friends respect the boundaries that you express.

"Boundaries, whether physical or emotional, [define] the parameter[s] of our sense of safety and integrity," Cheng explained. "The basis of every relationship is a sense of trust and safety. Therefore, someone who can respect our boundaries and have our best interest in mind is [a] good [friend]. We need people who can nourish us with love, care, and respect but not someone who violate our physical, emotional, and mental space because of their own needs."

A good friend doesn't take advantage of how much you care about them, what you are or aren't willing to do, or what it takes for you to feel safe and secure.


How they handle conflict

Good friends can work out conflict and vocally disagree with one another without the friendship suffering too much or ending altogether. If you and your friend cannot do that, the relationship might be more toxic than you thought.

"If you're able to work through it and tell each other how you really feel, and even if you disagree with each other, at least people are able to say, 'I disagree with you, but because I care about you, I'm willing to look at what I did or take responsibility or apologize,' or whatever it may be… I think that is a sign of a healthy friendship," Zangara shared. "Versus somebody saying, 'Nope, I'm not going to take responsibility or apologize or take any ownership of what happened.' I think that's that toxic piece of putting the blame on you or making you take 100 percent of what happened."

The blame in a disagreement is never entirely any one person's fault. You should also be able to respectfully disagree with the other person, but still be friends. Yes, shared interests and opinions can be important in relationships, but so is being able to share differing opinions without fighting unfairly.

If you can trust them

You know that a friendship is true if you can always trust that that friend is looking out for you. "A true friend will have your back and be your advocate even when you may not be present," Olson said. "Toxic friends tend to lack that trait of loyalty and commitment, and they may engage in 'back stabbing' and being competitive in the friendship, for their own gain." If a friend is talking about you behind your back for their own benefit, that relationship is toxic, not true.

Not only that, but things that you tell a good friend should stay between the two of you, especially if the information is sensitive or personal. "Friends that are true keep our trusted and confidential 'secrets' and are honest and loyal to their role as our confidant," Olson explained. "This is not always the case with toxic friends, and the result is a feeling of betrayal." Feeling like someone's spreading rumors about you or doesn't have your best interests at heart is hardly a vote of confidence in the friendship. You want to believe that your friends are on your team, and good friends — true friends — actually are.

From:Thelist

How Gwyneth Paltrow Stays Slim Without Eating Less or Moving Her Body

I admire people who can motivate themselves to exercise every day. I always thought that one day, when I was all grown up, an urge to move my body for an hour three to four times a week would suddenly strike me. But I'm in my mid-20s and still waiting for that day to arrive. What can I say? I love sitting still.

Fortunately, a new study from the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine at the UK's Loughborough University says that taking an hour-long hot bath can boost your metabolism and have the same anti-inflammatory effects as exercise. And what activity is more sedentary than taking a bath? This, my friends, is very good news.

According to Steve Faulkner, lead author of the study, many of the world's healthiest people "swear by the benefits of a hot bath." Icelanders have their hot springs; the Japanese have their world-class bathhouses, called onsens. And as the impossibly svelte Gwyneth Paltrow told Byrdie last year, nightly baths are her secret to survival. "I'm a real bath girl. … I take a bath every single night before I go to bed," she said. "It's my ritual."

Keep scrolling to learn how taking long, hot baths can help you burn calories à la Gwyneth Paltrow.

The Benefits of Bathing

"Only recently has science begun to understand how passive heating (as opposed to getting hot and sweaty from exercise) improves health," Faulkner said. For their study, Faulkner's team assigned a group of 14 men either to an hour-long, 104º bath or an hour of moderate cycling. On average, the bathers burned about 140 calories per session, and though that's less than the cyclists, it's "about what they would have used on a half-hour walk," reported Business Insider. In addition, the bathers also exhibited an improved ability to control blood sugar, which is important for a healthy metabolism.

According to the researchers, a type of blood sugar–regulating protein, called heat-shock proteins (HSPs), might be at play here. "HSP levels tend to be lower in people with type 2 diabetes, and these levels tend to rise after both exercise and 'passive heating,'" said Business Insider.

More research needs to be conducted on a larger sample group (that also includes women), but the researchers say that for exercise-phobes like me, soaking in a hot bath might have some of the same benefits. After all, it's Gwyneth Paltrow's number one secret.

From:byrdie

Shop Paltrow-approved bath products below!

SHOP GWYNETH PALTROW'S BATH PICKS

Ila Bath Salts for Inner Peace, $78

Dr Teal's Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution, $5

House of Intuition Violet Water, $12

Wild Lettuce: Natural Painkiller Found in Your Backyard (Weed)

The benefits of wild lettuce leaves, a natural painkiller found in your backyard.

1. Herbal remedies have been used for centuries to treat illnesses and injuries, but nowadays many people rely on artificial drugs.

Wild lettuce also known as lectuca virosa is a common household weed. This was used by the native americans 2000 years ago as a natural painkiller and food source.

2. The leaves and stems contain a white sap which can be used as a herbal medicine. It works to calm the central nervous system. This has been compared to morphine for its ability to reduce pain in the body, without any side effects.

3. This herb can be found throughout England, Europe and North America, and grows effortlessly without any special requirements.

4. The native Americans used this to treat muscular pain, menstrual cramps, headaches and many other aches and pains.

5. It works as a gentle sedative, helping the body to relax at night and fight insomnia. It has also been used to treat restless leg syndrome as it relaxes the muscles.

6. The leaves can be eaten directly from the plant, but have a slightly bitter taste. Many people add them to soups or stir fries as a source of nutrition.

7. The best way to use these is to dry out the leaves and grind them into a find powder.  A teaspoon can be added to a cup of water to make a pain killing herbal tea which can be drank 3 times per day.

8. In traditional Chinese medicine, the leaves and stems are soaked in warm but not boiling water for 8 hours. The juice is then sieved and applied directly on cuts and wounds. This eases pain and promotes fast healing, due to its antiseptic properties.

9. This herb should not be used by pregnant or breast feeding women. It should also be avoided when suffering with an enlarged prostate, narrow angle glaucoma, allergies to ragweed and related plants or are going into surgery.

10. Wild lettuce has a different look throughout the seasons. It can grow up to seven feet tall with a thick stem.  The leaves are attached in an alternating pattern and can be up to 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. The leaves get smaller as they move up the plant, and have prickles on the undersides.  It grows small yellow flowers at the height of the season which look similar to a small dandelion.

11. To learn more about ancient medicine, please subscribe and tap the bell icon for regular updates. We also have a large collection of herbal videos for you to study.