Well, the word staycation is an obvious mesh of the words ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’, and as the name implies, it involves staying rather than venturing into the outside world. People have different ideas for staycations – some prefer to book themselves into a hotel for a week, while others might decide to just camp out at home!

A staycation at a hotel in your own city is a lovely, cost-effective way to get some serious relaxing done. In the comfort of a hotel room, you can enjoy laundry and room-cleaning services, and even order room service when you’re feeling hungry. Being pampered for a weekend, or an entire week can do wonders for your wellbeing and reduces stress. Plus, most hotels have fine dining options too that are just an elevator away – much less tiring than having to venture outside and eat in a faraway restaurant.

Hotels not your thing? No problem, because the great thing about a staycation is you can even plan one in your own home! A staycation doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy – quite the opposite, actually. All you need to do is to have a good time and a chance to unwind, so plan a staycation at home accordingly. Cancel any plans that require you to go out, take a couple of weeks off work or studying, or even taking care of the home. Order in some takeout instead of cooking, or stock up on pre-cooked meals!

Staycations can be as creative as you like, or as simple as you need. It depends on your preference, but the objective remains the same – to give you an easy, hassle-free relaxation opportunity that doesn’t break the bank.

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A morning walk gives you an excellent energy boost, enough to get you through a long day. An early morning brisk walk gets your body’s gears turning, increasing your alertness and pulse rate. Your brain starts working, and the exercise helps balance your circulation and hormones. A regular walking regime also helps your body composition, aiding in weight loss and steadily burning calories. To top things off, brisk walking has also been Related to heart health – with studies revealing that a few miles of brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 40%.

Along with being an excellent form of exercise, a morning walk potentially brings many positive changes to your lifestyle. Getting the gears of your brain and body started early in the morning gives you a go-get-it outlook for the rest of the day. You can also use these few minutes to think about the day ahead and plan out how to tackle critical challenges you might face or make some vital decisions.

The benefits of taking a morning walk really can’t be overstated. If you’re looking to improve the overall quality of your life and general wellbeing, then it’s definitely something to consider adding to your routine.

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Healthy Body, Healthy Mind.

One of the most effective ways to manage stress is to implement healthy lifestyle changes, like following a regular exercise regime and eating healthier. Exercising helps your body pump endorphins – these are brain transmitters that literally make you feel good. Sweating it out at the gym or playing a game of tennis also helps relax your mind and distract you from stressful thoughts, helping you feel more relaxed overall and boosting your mood.

Diet is also super important for keeping stress levels at bay – a well-balanced diet keeps you feeling good and fights stress. More than this, though, foods rich in potassium and magnesium also help reduce stress – because these two minerals rock at just that. Avocados and bananas are high in potassium, and almonds, dark chocolate, cashews and whole grains are rich in magnesium. So take your pick!

Take Control; Manage Your Stress.

When it comes to dealing with stress, sometimes you need to take some direct measures to reduce it. If the stress at work is getting too much, try taking some time off to relax for a bit. If some personal problems are stressing you out, consider talking to a therapist and working through the issue with them. It’s not easy taking control of situations that bother you, but sometimes it is necessary to overcome obstacles.

Managing stress may seem like a lot of work, but if you take small strides in the right direction, you’ll have it under control in no time. Just remember to go easy on yourself – life isn’t always kind to us, so it’s important to cut ourselves some necessary slack

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Egg Nog

What would a list of holiday drinks be without some good old egg nog? The origins of egg nog have been traced back to as early as the 13th century, and it’s still a staple Christmas drink in many households!

Hot Chocolate

Okay, so hot chocolate is technically a great idea all year round. But there’s just something about curling up on a sofa during the holidays and tucking in with a cup of hot chocolate.

Pina Colada

With a coconut milk and pineapple juice composition, Piña colada’s are one of the best holiday drinks for the warmer months. Top them off with a tiny umbrella, and it feels that much more festive!

Thanksgiving Punch

The great thing about a festive Thanksgiving Punch is that it can be anything you want – orange-strawberry, rosemary and lime, or even a nice big mash of different berries. Get creative with it!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Offered from early Fall well into January at most big cafes, pumpkin spice lattes may not technically be a holiday drink, but they sure as hell are festive. Plus, all the cool characters on TV drink them – so how could we leave them out of this list?

These are just some of the many fantastic holiday drinks out there. When the holidays come rolling in, what’s your go-to drink?

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If you’re into reading, what better time to curl up with a good book and a mug of coffee than on a rainy day? Coffee tastes even better on rainy days, and the peaceful, serene atmosphere makes reading all the more pleasant. So pick up that bestseller you’ve put off reading, and get to it!

If your entire family is rained in, then what better time to get some serious bonding done? A rainy day is a great time to get some baking done too – maybe whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and have a tea party with your family in the evening. Food and good times!

For you creative and artistic people, a rainy day might just be the cosmic sign you need to sit down and see a pending project through. Got a half-written book or an unfinished painting? Now’s the time to sit down, relax, and let your creativity flow.

Whether rainy days are something you love, or dread, when they inevitably arrive, there’s nothing we can do but wait them out. So even if you aren’t the biggest fan of a rainy day, don’t sit around and mope over them – have some fun indoors!

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Feng Shui guidelines are less of a checklist and more of a vision for what constitutes a safe space. For example, in Feng Shui, good lighting is emphasized significantly. The best way to bring bright light into your living space is to find a place with large windows – or to have them installed. Big windows invite in lots of sunlight, which stimulates a better mood and is an excellent source of vitamin D too. If large windows aren’t an option, though, there are plenty of other ways to improve your lighting – invest in some lamps or sunlights, and consider painting your walls a nice, bright color.

Feng Shui has some important guidelines about your floor plan and furniture placements too. When it comes to floors, the philosophy advises against buying into unorthodox spaces that might require unusual furniture places, like cramming tables into odd corners. Feng Shui also encourages homeowners to have distinct spaces – a designated living room, bedrooms, and a designated dining room if you have the space, for example.

Where furniture is concerned, remember, the idea is to create positive, nurturing spaces. So, for example, areas that are usually high traffic, such as the living room or kitchen, should have clear, open spaces to facilitate ease of movement. Here, furniture placement is critical – leave some spaces between your sofas, tables, and cabinets!

Since bathrooms are considered a place of bad energy, Feng Shui principles used to stay clear of them. However, more recent Feng Shui practices aim to combat the negative energy.  This involves brightening up your bathroom – either with natural light or artificial – and maybe throwing in a couple of scented candles. Aside from this, keep drains plugged, and the toilet closed, and keep your bathroom super clean!

If the spiritual aspect of Feng Shui doesn’t appeal to you, then you might still be able to appreciate the philosophy’s take on improving home spaces from a design perspective. Like making it easier to move around in high traffic areas – that’s just sensible!

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First up is the ‘bad’ cholesterol that you’ve heard so much about, low-density lipoprotein, or LDL for short. High levels of LDL can be very harmful to heart health – it narrows down your arteries and puts you at risk of heart attacks. This is why cholesterol has such a bad name – because of LDL. But this bad press isn’t entirely fair because the second kind of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is something of a superhero.

Think of it like this – LDL is the big evil that sits in your arteries and narrows the pathways, and then HDL comes and kicks LDL out. That’s actually what happens in your body – promise! HDL removes excess reserves of cholesterol from your arteries, keeping your heart safe and healthy. That’s why it’s known as the ‘good’ kind of cholesterol.

To fight off bad cholesterol, you should do two things: avoid foods like trans fats and refined sugar, both of which lower HDL and increase LDL, and consume fruits and vegetables that are high in HDL, like eggplants, avocados, and raspberries. Cholesterol isn’t all bad, and it’s always wise to increase your ‘good’ cholesterol levels!

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For a great many years, Cardamom has made its way into popular food dishes and natural medicinal treatments alike. The spice has a bit of a minty quality, and scientific research has revealed that the super spice may bring some commendable health benefits to the table.

Cardamom actually comes from the same family of seeds as ginger, and people mix it into different foods and beverages. You might have heard of cardamom tea, but did you know that people drink cardamom coffee too? Cardamom is even used in certain cakes and desserts, and in curries too. Its distinct flavor allows it to complement a diverse flavor palette.

The phytochemicals present in Cardamom have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This makes the spice suitable for providing relief against certain ailments. In fact, scientists conducted some studies on rats to observe the effects of Cardamom on ulcer Prevention. The results provided promising, suggesting that Cardamom may have soothing properties that Prevent stomach ulcer formation. The natural phytochemicals present in the spice may also help fend off cancerous cells. Cardamom’s anti-bacterial properties have also been Related to oral health upkeep, as the spice is believed to help fight mouth bacteria, discouraging cavity formation, and gum disease.

While the current body of research supporting Cardamom’s potential health benefits is quite small, it is promising all the same. If the science community conducts some more large-scale studies to observe the effects of Cardamom, then it may even make its way formally into modern treatments.

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Of these two, green tea is often presented as the “healthier” option and black tea is, well, not. Is this press warranted though? Let’s go over the facts.

You might be surprised to learn that green tea and black tea both come from the same plant – it’s called the Camellia sinensis, and yes, that’s a real mouthful. So, where does the difference start? Well, black tea is oxidized – i.e., it’s rolled up and exposed to air to trigger oxidation. This process is how black tea gets its colors – the leaves turn dark brown, and the flavors become more profound. Green tea, on the other hand, is processed to Prevent it from oxidizing – that’s why it has a lighter color and less distinct taste.

So, we’ve established that black and green tea differ in color and taste. What about their health benefits, though? The long and short of it is that both green and black tea offer very similar health benefits. They’re both rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that is believed to help with heart health. Some studies revealed that 1-3 cups of green tea could reduce your risk of heart attack by as much as 19%, and 3 cups of black tea can decrease chances of heart disease by 11%. Quite promising, right?

The health benefits don’t end there, though, as both green and black tea can increase brain function – thanks to their caffeine content. Caffeine is a natural stimulant that stimulates your nervous system and further aids in the secretion of dopamine and serotonin – which are important mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. What’s that mean in English? It means caffeine can boost your mood and alertness, keeping you happier and helping you work more productively. More than this, though, green and black tea both contain an amino acid called L-theanine, which is believed to balance the effects of caffeine. A study found that consuming caffeine and L-theanine together had better attentivity than those that consumed caffeine alone.

Remember those polyphenol antioxidants we mentioned earlier? Black tea and green tea contain a subgroup of polyphenol called flavonoids, and the two kinds of tea have different concentrations of types of these flavonoids. Green tea has a high concentration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to provide liver and cancer protection and offers fatigue-combating properties and a calming ability. On the other hand, black tea is rich in theaflavins – which form during the oxidation phase. Theaflavins have been Related to the production of natural antioxidants and increased heart health.

Now, which one should you go for – black tea or green tea? They’re both pretty great, but if you’re looking for a caffeine boost to get you through a long workday, then black tea is your best bet. And if you want to take full advantage of the many health benefits that ECGCs offer, green tea’s your go-to.

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Beloved TV character Sheldon Cooper from the hit show The Big Bang Theory has been the center of much controversy throughout the show’s twelve-year run. Being the quirky little fellow that he is, some of Cooper’s tendencies are just plain weird. But where hand driers in the bathroom are concerned, Sheldon might have been on to something.

See, the problem stems from the fact that many people don’t properly wash their hands. To really get rid of bacteria that are chilling out on your hands, you need to use soap, rinse your hands properly, and wash your hands for at least fifteen seconds. Many people skip on at least one of these points. As a result, when hand dryers are used, germ residue is blown around the bathroom and near the vicinity. In fact, some research revealed that in particularly dirty restrooms, people had more bacteria left on their hands after using the dryer than before. Point to Sheldon!

In spaces where hygiene is of particular concern, like healthcare facilities, keeping hand dryers in the restrooms is discouraged, yet again hinting to some truth behind Cooper’s claim.  While some studies revealed that paper towels decreased the amount of bacteria on subjects’ hands, a couple of others revealed hand dryers to do the same.

So, while a fair deal of scientific effort has been directed towards trying to figure out how hygienic, or unhygienic, hand dryers are, things are still a little unclear. Our advice? If you walk into a public restroom that doesn’t look like it is frequently cleaned, then maybe go for the paper towels. Or, you know, find a cleaner restroom!

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