Healthy Advice: Prepare Yourself for the Holidays

Photo Credit: About.com

The holidays begin on Thanksgiving and from then on it’s all just parties. And where there are parties there’s bound to be eating. Most parties serve delicious and very tempting food. Are they healthy? Sadly, most of them are not. Most of these foods are packed with calories that will surely give you the belly right after the holidays.

So it’s time to break some Thanksgiving traditions. Well, the turkey is the centerpiece of the meal. But you can cut on the trimmings. Serve delicious food but make sure that they are packed with nutrients. Remember to count calories to discourage yourself from eating too much.

Nevertheless, the holidays are a time to really enjoy. You can eat almost anything served at the party – but limit the number of servings. You can get small servings of everything and still enjoy the party.

Average calorie consumption during Thanksgiving is about 3,000 calories. People take in about 229 grams of fat on this day too. That’s way beyond the 2,400 daily calorie requirement for women aging 18 to 35 years old and even so much more beyond that for older men and women.

So get a grip of your calorie intake. Here’s a list of the commonly served food during the holidays and their equivalent calorie and fat content. Know what you’re eating and avoid the extra inches on your waist.

Let’s count! A 3.5 oz. serving of dark turkey meat would generally give you about 187 calories. Two cups of eggnog is about 684 calories and 36 grams of fat for you. A cup of green bean casserole gives you 366 calories and 26 grams of fat. Mashed potatoes typically contain milk and butter so a cup of it has 222 calories and 9 grams of fat while ¼ cup of gravy adds 30 calories and 2 grams of fat. Dinner rolls provides 340 calories and 8 grams of fat. Even wine adds 100 calories.

And if the choice is between a slice of pecan pie and of pumpkin pie, choose the pumpkin pie because it contains significantly less calories and less fat. Always choose the lesser “evil” to lessen your calorie intake. If you do overeat, remember to double your exercise the next day.

And when in gatherings, savor the company more than the food.

What Does You Handbag Say About You?

Kathryn Eisman, model and tv presenter, has spent almost two years on her latest book How to Tell a Woman by her Handbag. According to the model, we can easily decipher a woman's personality by merely looking at her bag.

So what does your bag mean? According to CourierMail AU, here are ways on how you can reveal a lot of things about a woman by merely looking at what is carried over her shoulder.

Bag Type 1: One-Strap Messenger Bag

You are the quiet rebel who will change the world but would risk exhausting yourself by lugging unnecessary angst.

Bag Type 2: Studded Bag

You're unafraid of staring the ugly truth in the eye but is so prepared for the worst you will it upon yourself.

Bag Type 3: Fake Designer Bag

While you're faking who you really are, at least you got good taste when it comes to choosing whom to imitate. But you're only kidding yourself.

Bag Type 4: Magazine Freebie Bag

A genuine girl in a pool of poseurs.

Bag Type 5: Quilted Chanel Bag

You're always perfectly appropriate but sometimes you're also a perfect bore. If people saw the real you, they'd actually really like you.

Bag Type 6: Logo Luggage

You know how to work it but there can be too much networking and not enough working. Sometimes you schmooze and you still lose.

Over-stuffed Bag

You show a selfless strength but martyrdom is so passe.

Bag Type 7: Gym Bag

You know what you want and goes after it but occasionally has to deviate from your routine.


So what bag type are you and do you agree with the personality it describes?

How Getting Adequate Sleep Helps in Avoiding Dark Circles

I remember this one time that I went to work with these huge, dark circles under my eyes and everyone that I came across with seemed to stare at me as if I’ve suddenly developed two heads.

The night before that, I tossed and turned in bed for goodness knows what reason – so I woke up all grumpy and dark-eyed in the morning.

You’ve probably experienced another version of this story – because there is a relation between the quality of sleep that you get at night to the dark under eye circles that you develop when you wake up feeling less than rested.

Even experts agree that it’s not clear why this is so – but lack of sleep will generally cause those dark circles to develop under your eyes.

So what’s the solution? Depending on each individual, you would need about 7 to 9 hours of slumber each night. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every night to make your body get used to your slumber hours.

Try not to consume too much food, caffeine or alcohol prior to preparing for bed. Finally, try to eliminate whatever stressit is in your life that’s causing you to develop those dark under eyecircles – and you can get rid of the proverbial eye bags at the sametime.

How to Know if Your Ex Deserves a Second Chance

Photo Credit: Team Sugar

No matter what the reason behind a falling out with your ex is – no 'sin' is big enough to not warrant forgiveness. Alright, maybe cheating is one thing which does not deserve immediate absolution – but there's a certain point in your life that you would have to move on.

So let's ignore the reason for the breakup for a minute. How exactly would you know if your ex deserves a second chance or not?

Here's the top 5 signs that you should hear him out:

1. He says "I'm sorry I hurt you" instead of "I want you back".

When he says I want you back – it more or less signifies that he's still the selfish prick who's only thinking about himself. If he wants to win you back, has he even considered begging for your forgiveness? And what if you do not want him in your life anymore?

On the other hand, if he says "I'm sorry I hurt you" – this is a sign of maturity that he's willing to admit his mistake, and that he will do what he can to win you back in his life.

2. He respects your feelings, and actually shows that he does.

When your ex keeps showing up unannounced at your doorstep and you clearly told him that you need space – that is not respecting your feeling. His respect should be shown in his actions, too.

3. He says "I wish you the best" – and he's sincere.

Your gut instinct would know if he's sincere when he says that he wishes the best for you. Just like women, men would not want to reveal that they are still pining for us. When he says that he wishes you the best and he means it no matter how much it may hurt his pride to tell you so – then he does deserve a second chance.

4. Look back and weigh in: do all the good times that you had together more than make up for the bad times in your relationship?

Weigh the pros and cons of getting back with your ex? Do you think that the happy times that you had together more than make up for the bad patches? Do you feel more miserable without him now than you did when you were together and having a fight? IF your answer to both of these questions is yes – then your man probably deserves a second chance.

5. If your best friend or family thinks that you're making a huge mistake by not welcoming him back into your life.

When we get hurt, there is a tendency for us to be blindsided and only hear our side of the story. If your best friend or closest family members think that you're nuts for dumping him over whatever reason – then it is high time to hear him out and give him another chance!

If most of these signs are present – then you would know deep in your heart that your ex deserves a second chance – even though that stubborn, hurt part of your pride insists otherwise.

Remember that you deserve to be happy – and if you're miserable without him anyway, why not give your ex a second chance?

Yoga During Pregnancy: Its Benefits, Disadvantages & Precautions

For hundreds of centuries now, the traditional physical and mental disciplines of yoga, which originated from India – are still being practiced. Basically, yoga can be defined as a system of personal development which focuses on three things: the body, the mind and the spirit.

If you have not already tried it yourself, you may have seen yoga classes where students are crouched in these odd positions – which help them meditate, revitalize the body and clear the mind.

But what if you are pregnant? Is there a way for you to do yogic exercises despite a protruding belly? Will yoga help you keep fit during pregnancy? Will the exercise also benefit the baby?

The Benefits of Yoga for Pregnant Women

Let's address the aforementioned questions one at a time.

First, yes – there is a way for you to do yogic exercise even while you are pregnant. In fact, yoga is one of the best ways to keep fit during those crucial months that you are carrying another human being in your womb.

These are the benefits that pregnant women will get to enjoy when practicing yoga:

• Since yoga is a practice which harmonizes the body, mind and spirit – doing the exercises while you are pregnant will make you more aware of your body.
• Yoga helps release the stress and relieves those hormonal imbalances that pregnant women often experience.
• The cat pose, in particular, will help ease the tension in your heavy shoulders, stomach and breasts.
• When you do the breathing exercises associated with yoga, it can help reduce your blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension.

Did you know that even your baby can benefit from yoga? What the series of exercises does is to increase the oxygen and endorphins which gently "massages" the baby from within. Also, as long as the mother is relaxed, fit and healthy – the baby will experience health benefits from these, too.

Are There Any Disadvantages to Yoga for Pregnant Women?

There is just one word of caution that you should observe. After twenty weeks of gestation, the more complicated supine poses and full inversion poses are not recommended anymore.

More importantly, you should always get first the approval of your doctor before practicing yoga while pregnant.

All in all, the benefits that pregnant mothers can get to enjoy while practicing yoga are enormous. Not only will you develop a deeper awareness of your body as a whole – but the physical exercises will make you more fit during pregnancy.

Moreover, the mental and breathing exercises will soothe and calm your nerves, making your pregnancy a richer and more pleasurable experience both for you and your baby.