By pxlz
Hello, health and wellness enthusiasts. My name is Kaitlin Reilly, and I’m here to share tips so you can live your best life this week.
Have you tried Meatless Mondays yet? A growing number of people are skipping meat in favor of plant-based meals. If you’re veg-curious and wondering what you can replace chicken, steak and fish with while making sure you’re still getting enough protein, fear not: Yahoo Life contributor and dietitian Maxine Yeung created a guide to eight great sources of protein that don’t include any animal products. The bonus? Most of these options also include gut-healthy fiber, which many Americans are lacking in their diets.
While you’re cutting back on meat, consider eating more in-season fruits and vegetables to round out your meals. Rebecca Corey put together a guide for what produce is best in April. Consider some bright strawberries and an arugula salad — they’ll taste freshest this time of year!
Check out your local weather forecast and take a look at your horoscope if you’re seeking advice from the stars. Then, dive into these small steps to make your week healthier and happier.
👨💻 Skip the screens when you’re in bed
One hour of screen time before going to bed increases your risk of insomnia by 59% and robs you of 24 minutes of precious sleep, according to a new study in Frontiers in Psychiatry. That’s equivalent to missing out on hitting that snooze button 2.5 times.
While you may be tempted to catch up on episodes of Severance or doomscroll on TikTok while propped up by pillows in your comfy bed, the researchers say that bedroom screen time can affect your sleep in four possible ways:
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Screen time replaces time that should be spent snoozing
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Looking at a screen keeps you stimulated so it takes longer to fall asleep
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The light from screens affects your body’s natural circadian rhythm, aka your internal clock
Need some help falling asleep? Try these tips.
🫘 Eat beans once a week
Yahoo Life editor Rachel Grumman Bender recently shared the habit she’s incorporating into her life: eating a serving of beans and lentils at least once a week. It’s a great starting point: Beans are packed with nutrients, including protein, fiber, iron, calcium and magnesium, and studies have shown that they can help lower cholesterol, protect your heart and even help prevent colorectal cancer.
If you’re not super into the so-called magical fruit already, try finding fun ways to incorporate it into your diet. Make a “dense bean salad” for lunch — or get creative and blend some black beans into brownie batter.
💪 Make exercise work for you
“Weekend warriors” are doing it right: A report published in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that fitting 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise into one or two days provides similar health benefits as spreading workouts throughout the week. That includes reducing your risk of death from cancer and heart disease.
If you’re someone who thinks their life is simply too busy to do formal workouts more than a couple times a week, prioritize making fitness a part of your leisure time. Instead of meeting a friend for brunch on a Sunday, hit up a hiking trail or spin class together, for example.
🐿️ Snack on pecans
Pecans aren’t just for pies. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adults who replaced their regular snacks with pecans improved their lipid and lipoproteins, which helps reduce cholesterol. While more information is needed — for example, it’s possible that pecans were replacing processed foods high in saturated fats, which could account for the change — there’s good reason to enjoy more of this nut, which has its own national day on April 14. Pecans are packed with zinc, thiamin and vitamin E, as well as healthy fats and fiber to support heart and gut microbiome health. Try some on top of oatmeal or Greek yogurt at breakfast, or even sprinkle some crushed, toasted pecans on roasted veggies for an extra crunch.
💭 Try cognitive shuffling
If you’ve tried counting imaginary sheep at night to no avail, consider this trick known as “cognitive shuffling.” The method created by cognitive scientist Luc P. Beaudoin involves thinking of random, unrelated words to stop yourself from ruminating on things that could keep you up at night, like a stressful news report or a tough day at work. Start by picking a letter and then coming up with a series of words that start with it, like “cat,” “cookie,” “cricket,” etc.
Distracting yourself from the stuff that’s mentally straining you can be a good approach to drifting off to sleep, as oftentimes it’s these intense thoughts and emotions that keep us up. Another good way to ensure your sleep is a restful one? Practice good sleep hygiene: Keep your room dark, cool and quiet and wind down without screens an hour before bed.
📱 Scroll smarter
If your feed is full of idealized bodies from fitness influencers and celebrities, you may want to consider what messages you’re absorbing. A new study published in Health Communication found that young women who received twice-daily texts prompting them to think about the type of fitness content they encountered online led to a significant drop in “social comparison,” which research shows has a significant impact on body image.
While some fitness-related posts may inspire you to get moving, you should be mindful of how this type of content makes you feel. If scrolling through certain accounts leads you to feel insecure in your own skin, consider curating your feed and hitting the “unfollow” button.
☕ Make protein coffee
Mel Robbins recently had Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist, on her podcast, during which Sims spoke about fundamental differences in how male and female bodies use energy. One recommendation for women, which bucks the whole intermittent fasting trend, is to make sure you get a protein-rich breakfast before you exercise, even if that’s something low-intensity, like a walk.
If you’re not a big breakfast eater or simply have no appetite in the morning, Sims recommends protein coffee: Mix some protein powder into the milk you’d use for a morning latte and take it on-the-go. You’ll hit 30 grams of protein but won’t feel weighed down the way you might with a hearty egg scramble.
🦮 Walk a dog
April 11 is National Pet Day, and if you have a dog, this is your reminder to show them some love by taking them for an extra-long walk. Not only will Fido get some exercise, you’ll also increase your own step count and lower your sedentary time, both of which can improve your overall health. No dog of your own? Offer your dog walking services to a busy friend or volunteer at an animal shelter where prospective pets always need some TLC.
🍋 Get zesty
If you want to nix salt altogether, try this hack I’m using to make veggies taste bright and refreshing: Zest a lemon over veggies before roasting them in the oven. My favorite is spears of asparagus, but broccoli and cauliflower are great choices as well to add a little extra zing. There’s nutritional value to that zest too, as lemon peel contains fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamin C — and if you enjoy the flavor so much it makes you eat more vegetables, even better!
🧀 Make a cheesy meal
Last month I recommended making pantry sushi for an easy, convenient meal. This week, I have another lazy person’s dinner hack: the ricotta plate. This was inspired by an excellent appetizer I had at a restaurant recently, and it couldn’t be simpler. Just scoop a heap of ricotta onto a plate alongside roasted, seasoned-to-your-liking veggies and chickpeas and dig in. Ricotta boasts calcium and protein, and it can be sweetened with a drizzle of honey (make it hot honey if you’re feeling spicy) or balsamic vinaigrette. Want to cut back on saturated fat? Go for a low-fat variety.
🥬 Eat leafy greens … for your nails
You probably don’t think much about how what’s on your plate can affect the health of your nails, but you should. As Prevention wrote about this week, dark, leafy greens have plenty of iron, which your nails need to grow strong. A lack of iron in your diet can show up in your nails too: Iron deficiency can lead to brittle nails, as well as vertical ridges. Try crisping up some lightly oiled kale in the oven with nutritional yeast for a chip-like snack — nutritional yeast contains B12, which is excellent for your nails, along with your skin and hair.