Tag: Health

Well Being

Take A Good Care Of Yourself

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Take A Good Care Of Yourself

Because if you don’t, nobody will. Because the best care has to come from you to yourself first. From others are just a plus. They are welcome, great even, but not essential. Self care is. And self caring includes taking a good care of your mind, body and soul. They are all important aspects of the self. And if one of them are neglected, the other two suffer. So find ways to support all of your selves. Try different things and see what works best for you.

Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay.

For your mind you can try meditation, yoga, visualization, affirmations, psychotherapy, memory exercises…

For your body there are plenty of activities like a morning walk, running, lifting weights, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, ballroom dancing, massages, Reflexology, Acupuncture, other alternative therapies, seek good doctors, and so on and on and on… Eat healthier, full of nutrients food, do your annual physical exams…

For your soul you can try alternative therapies like soul retriever, Reiki and things like meditation, yoga, pray, spiritual practice or rituals…

Explore the possibilities. Seek help when you need. Listen to yourself, to your body. Get in sync with all your selves. Breathe well and deeply, slowly. Don’t overdo. Relax often. Rest anytime you feel up to or need. Do things that make you happy. Do things out of your comfort zone. Keep your friendship network alive and kicking. Let love happens. Have your back. Be present in whatever you do. Be you.

And yes, make time for it. You deserve it.

And before you feel guilty (if you aren’t already) keep in mind this: if you don’t take a good care of yourself first, you will not be able to take care of others who might need you either. Because in order to do so, you gotta be alright, be at your best or at least functioning well to take a good care of others.

Right?

Right.

Well Being

Why I Always Drink Coconut Water

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Why I Always Drink Coconut Water
Cheers!
Image by Adriano Gadini from Pixabay.

I can say with no hesitation that Coconut Water is by a mile my favorite drink. I could drink it all day long instead of water. Love it. Love it. Love it. But besides that little detail, I also drink Coconut Water every single day because it has a good amount of phytonutrients, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals, it is one of the best things to keep me hydrated from inside out (and I am a hydration freak as you probably already know) and last but never least, it is a great source of potassium, a mineral I need in extra doses to keep at bay some OverMethylation side effects and I do prefer to drink it rather than take a pill for it. And yes, I am yet to talk about Methylation, so stay tuned cause soon I will.

Anyways, every day after my morning walks I rest for a while drinking some refreshing Coconut Water. That is the best moment for me to indulge in it. It is my little ritual. Afterwards I feel cooled down and restored. But you could also drink a little bit here and there throughout the day.

Other facts and benefits of my beloved Coconut Water:

  • It has only 46 calories in a 240 ml, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, 10% of RDI Vitamin C, 15% of RDI Magnesium, 17% of RDI Manganese, 17% of RDI Potassium, 11% of RDI Sodium, 6% of RDI Calcium.
  • It may help lower blood pressure. Or at least keep it in its healthy range.
  • It may prevent and/or address cramping. It is way better than a banana for it, thanks to its Potassium levels.
  • It is healthier and in some cases can be better in terms of nutrients than a sports drink as well. It will all depends on which nutrients you are after.
  • It may provide cardioprotective effects due its nutrients.
  • It may reduce the risk of kidney stones.
  • It may help to address diabetes.
  • It may protect against oxidative stress.
  • It may maintain bone, teeth health and muscle strength.
  • It is one of the best ways to keep the body well hydrated.
  • It aids the body to retain hydration.
  • It helps to maintain the proper fluid balance in the body.

But like everything in life, approach with moderation. Since Coconut Water has a high level of Potassium, it can lead to an OD of it (Hyperkalemia.) And it can be dangerous. It also can lower way too much your blood pressure, causing irregular heartbeat, a heart attack and even paralysis.

Sources: WebMDand Mercola.

Well Being

The Signs Of A Stroke

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on The Signs Of A Stroke

Last Monday our eternal Dylan McKay (from a beloved 90s tv show Beverly Hills 90210), the actor Luke Perry passed away from a stroke. He was only 52. 😔

Photo: Pixabay.

Many people believe that a stroke only happens to older people, but this is not accurate. It can happen at any age, from a children to young adults and middle-aged people. It is only more common among the elderly. But in the last decade there has been a 44% increase in stroke cases in younger people. And women are more likely to have a stroke than men. It is the third most common cause of death for us. So, we should pay close attention to the warning strokes’ signs.

And here are the 3 main signs of a stroke that anyone, at any age, should be aware of:

  • Face drooping. – Does one side of the face droop or does it feel numb?
  • Arm weakness. – Is one arm numb or weak? Is it possible to raise both arms? Weakness in the leg or face can also be a sign. Especially but not only if felt in one side.
  • Slurred or Jumbled speech. – Is the person unable to speak or speaks but it is hard to understand? Confusion can also be a red flag.

Additional signs can include:

  • Sudden inability to see from one or both eyes.
  • Sudden inability to walk.
  • Dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
  • Sudden major headache.

If by any chance you have one of these symptoms or notice anyone around you having it, rush to the hospital. It is important to address it asap.

My mother had a stroke around her 60s due to a rare syndrome called Broken Heart or Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. She fully recovered with no side effects but besides the good care she had afterwards, she was rushed to the hospital asap. It was pretty scared. She just had came from the hospital after a heart procedure and had to go back. Thankfully her recover was pretty quick and uneventful. 🙏

That is why is so important to rush for help. It is your best chance.

And although at some cases the stroke cannot be preventable, like my mother’s case for instance, there are a few things you can do to prevent the preventable ones such as:

  • Keep your blood pressure lower.
  • Maintain a health weight.
  • If you have diabetes, treat it and keep it under control.
  • Exercise frequently.
  • Don’t drink or drink in moderation.
  • Treat atrial fibrillation.
  • Don’t smoke. Ever.

Sources: Market Watch. and Harvard Health Publishing.

Beauty, Well Being

Keep Yourself Hydrated

by Fab Fernandes2 Comments on Keep Yourself Hydrated

I already told you about my crush on moisturizer. But I am also very enthusiastic about keeping my inner body hydrated. I know it is a cliché but I do believe that we need to nourish ourselves inside first. Without it, no matter what we do outside, the outcome is never gonna be optimal, to say the least.

Add some flavor to your water could help to drink plenty of water daily.
Photo: Pixabay.

Our body, aka this wonderful and powerful machine uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. All those functions require water, plus we loose water breathing, sweating, and digesting food, therefore it’s super important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water, like soups, some vegetables like zucchini, for instance.

The amount of water everyone needs vary according a number of factors, such as the climate one lives in, how much one sweats, how physically active a person is and whether or not someone is having heath issues or a disease. And because of that one thing I do since ever is to drink some liquid all along the whole day. I try my best to never feel thirsty. And for that I drink lots of tea, kombucha, coconut water and water. Those are my fixes. And it has been for years. And I do believe it has helped my skin looking pretty good, my metabolism, my digestion… And speaking of digestion, keeping ourselves hydrated could help you to deal with constipation, a common feature among us, menopausers and perimenopausers.

And how ab out you? How do you keep yourself hydrated from inside out? Let’s talk.


Well Being

Glad I Am Sweating Again

by Fab FernandesLeave a Comment on Glad I Am Sweating Again
#hateselfies

Yep, I am. I know that sweating is highly unpleasant and nobody with a sane mind would be glad to sweat. But I do and I can explain: maybe 10 or 15 years ago, one day, I noticed that no matter the weather, the intensity of the heat or the physical activity I was practicing I was not sweating at all. Not even one drop of it. I was not even turning on the air conditioner to sleep under a 105 F/40 C temperature. A fan was enough to keep me sleeping well. Go figure. Back then I thought this was due to my zen-ish state of mind, the fact I was vegetarian for years and also due to my daily Qi-Gong practice. It should be it, right?

Wrong. Very wrong, indeed.

Now I know why I was not sweating back then: I became B12 deficient and my methylation got all messed up. [I will make posts about B12 and Methylation soon, so I will explain them fully]. And thanks to it, a lot of things started to be off. Like a bad side effects. And one of those things was not sweating.

Plus not so long ago I found out that I have a MTHFR mutation (I am a compound heterozygous) which makes me a perfect candidate to detox poorly. And with my methylation off due to my B12 deficiency… I was in big trouble. And back then not aware of it.

After I realized my conditions (it took me a long time by the way) and correct them, little by little all things started to go back to its optimal function. I still have some things off but I am still very focus on dealing with them. Up to this point I will say I am at my 90% optimal self. Or close enough. And sweating was one of the things that I got back. Pretty soon. And sweating is not just an unpleasant thing. It has a great function because it is one way our bodies expel toxins and prevents diseases related to toxin overload. And since we live in a world full of toxins, in a world where we eat them, we drink them, we breathe them, we use them on our bodies, even choosing wisely, it is very hard to avoid 100% all of them, all the time. And even a little amount can bring some bad side effects, especially for us who have a MTHFR mutation and/or have the whole methylation cycle off.

That is why I am glad for sweating again. The feeling of being sweat wet everywhere is not a good one at all. On top of that, since I started using healthier deodorants I have had to deal with wet armpits as well since none of those are anti perspirant. And they are not because sweating is one way our body detox from inside out, as I mentioned before. Therefore something necessary. That is why the healthier options of deodorants don’t block that function. And the armpits sweat. And get wet.

But still, glad for it. Because usually, only when we lose something and find out how valuable it was, then we can appreciate that. Even when it is not something that pleasant. hehehe