Hello, health enthusiasts! My name is Kaitlin, and I’m here to provide you with some wellness tips to help you live your best life. The Fourth of July is this week, so enjoy the holiday by watching fireworks (keep these safety tips in mind and protect your kids and pets), trying a red, white and blue recipe or any of these other fun activities. Before making plans, take a peek at your local weather forecast (is it beach weather, or finally time to turn down the AC?) and, if you’re so inclined, your horoscope. Then look at the tips below to see what choices you can make in the coming days to better your body and mind.
🌊 Spend time near water
TikTok is all about the “Blue Mind Theory,” which says that you can use the meditative feeling you get while looking at a body of water as part of your manifestation practice. Research says that says spending time in so-called “blue spaces” can help you feel more calm and relaxed, so if you’re feeling stressed, it might be time to seek out the loveliest lake you can find. (Just make sure to practice water safety while you’re there!)
🇫🇷 Try living the French way
Have you ever dreamed of living in Paris? While you may not be able to jet off just yet, you can embrace the French way of life exactly where you are. These tips from Business Insider, which include enjoying fresh produce to actually disconnecting from work when you’re off, can help you live your best, healthiest life — without a literal view of the Eiffel Tower out your window.
💉 Consider underarm Botox … maybe
It’s summer. It’s hot. Sweating is inevitable — or is it? Self asked people who have gotten underarm Botox to curb sweating whether they’re a fan of the procedure, despite the expense (and needles!) that comes along with it.
Can you sit alone with your thoughts? If the idea seems boring at best and unsettling at worst, Yahoo contributor Dr. Samantha Boardman agrees — but points to research that says doing just that may actually come with big benefits. That includes fostering a greater sense of self. Meditation and other relaxation techniques, which involve sitting quietly without distraction, can also help you regulate your emotions and learn to let go of stress more easily in the rest of your life. So: put down the podcast, turn off the TV and just veg.
🍳 Eat eggs
For a long time, eggs got an unwarranted bad rap. Now, new research shows that eating eggs may actually ward off Alzheimer’s — provided you eat the yolk too. That’s because egg yolks are rich in choline, which supports neurotransmitters important for storing memories. Add some to avocado toast or grab a hard-boiled egg before the gym to get your brain boost.
🏋️ Try wrist weights — but be mindful
If you want to kick up the intensity of your walk, you may want to try wearing wrist weights, which can give you a cardiovascular boost. Experts warn that you shouldn’t go too heavy with these accessories, as anything over three pounds can significantly impact your gait, leading to improper technique that can hurt you in the long run. Also, don’t expect to tone up: you’ll still need to hit the gym to build muscle, as these weights are too light to make much of a difference.
👥 Go deep with friends
Sending a meme to your friends (an interaction also referred to as pebbling) is nice, but if you want meaningful connection, you should aim to build more significant connections, per a new study of university students. The researchers found that meaningful social interactions with peers, like deep conversations (particularly when they were face-to-face) were linked to less loneliness and stress.
👒 Pull weeds and plant seeds
Need a new hobby? Try gardening. There are oodles of mental health benefits, such as reducing stress — not to mention how spending time in the sun can improve your mood overall. (Just don’t forget to wear sunscreen … and maybe a big hat!) Plus, gardening is classified as low-to-moderate intensity exercise, which means your time in the soil can count toward your weekly workout goals. Pick up some heavy soil bags and you’re getting some resistance training in too!
