Tea is a widely consumed drink. Next to water it’s the most drunk drink! There are different kinds of tea, like: black tea, green tea and white tea. But what are the differences between those teas? And what are the health benefits?

Different kinds of tea

Black tea is the most consumed tea, but also contains the most caffeine. Green tea contains a lot of antioxidants and less caffeine, which makes it a healthier choice. However, white tea is the healthiest one. This is because white tea isn’t fermented. Teas get fermented by steaming in a moist environment. Because of this it loses some of its nutrients.

Stay hydrated

Don’t like water? Tea can be the solution! Drinking tea helps you to stay hydrated. And on top of that, it’s better than drinking soda since there is no sugar in tea (unless you add some). Tea also contains minerals and antioxidants, these are good for your body too. Water and sodas contain less of those nutrients.

Healthy by drinking some tea

Drinking tea contributes to better health and wellbeing. For example, drinking black or green tea lowers the blood pressure and drinking green tea lowers cholesterol. Also, tea contains flavonoids, an antioxidant which boosts your resistance. Black and green tea contain most flavonoids.

Tea time

It’s best to drink tea in between meals since tea contains a chemical compound that affects the absorption of the nutrients in your food. Next to that, tea contains caffeine. It contains less caffeine than coffee, however, when you’re sensitive to caffeine you should not drink tea before going to bed. Instead there are some herbal teas without caffeine, which are just as tasty!

NiceDay: Try to drink a few cups of tea per day, please note that you do not drink too strong tea. You can plan this in your Daily Planner, this ensures that Niceday reminds you of drinking tea!

If you look at the photo, you might think that you are going to break your neck in this yoga pose. But nothing is further from the truth: everyone can do the Headstand. And when you do this asana regularly, it offers many health benefits. Scientific research shows that doing a reversed posture such as the Headstand increases brain activity by 14%. Just like the ability to concentrate better and in addition, it slows down the aging process. But how exactly does that work? In this blog post I will explain the effects of the Headstand and I will include a step-by-step guide on how you can do this pose with ease.

What is the Headstand?

This is a pose for advanced students: a reversed posture with arm support. In yoga jargon this pose is called “Salamba Shirshasana”. Shirshasana stands for ‘head’ and Salamba for ‘support by arm’. Often this asana is only called Shirshasana. In order to raise the body, the buttocks, thigh-, arm- and abdominal muscles are particularly active. Falling over can definitely happen in this pose. When doing this pose, make sure you do it on a soft surface or a wall to which you can rest against.

What are the effects of the Headstand?

This asana has many advantages when you do it regularly. Because the body is reversed, the blood pressure in your head, neck, shoulders, veins, blood vessels, lungs and legs also changes. The muscles and tissues in the body are activated to be able to stay in the posture. There is more oxygen in your head, which causes 14% more brain activity. This improves focus and prevents depression and anxiety. In addition, a reversed pose has a positive effect on the aging process of the body. It improves the overall body posture and especially strengthens the muscles in the back, shoulders, arms and abdomen. The Headstand also has a positive effect on the immune system and naturally enhances digestion. In short, this asana had a long list of health benefits.

This is how you do the Headstand

It is best to start from the Child pose. Remain a few breaths in this asana, until the body feels completely relaxed. Then put your hands on the mat and place the top of the head on the mat. It is important to place the hands well at a 90 degree angle where the fingers point towards the face and the fingers are spread for more grip. Stretch the legs and place the toes onto the mat. When you do this, there is automatically more pressure on the head and neck. Give yourself a few breaths to get used to this feeling. When you are ready, bring the knees to the chest one by one and the feet come off the ground. Stay in this position for a moment, check your breathing and then stretch out the legs at ease. Tighten the abdominal and buttocks muscles to remain more stable.

Alternatives

When the abdominal muscles are not trained enough, it can be difficult to bring the knees towards the chest. Alternatively, you can first let the knees rest on the forearms one by one. Left knee on left forearm, right knee on right forearm. Only when it feels stable and you have your breathing under control, you can first stretch one leg and then the next leg. When the Child Posture does not feel comfortable to do, an alternative is somersaulting before doing the Headstand.

The most important thing in the Headstand is doing what feels good for your body. Respect the limits that the body indicates and do not go over it. And as for so many things: if you practice regularly, it’s will get easier every single time.

How do you train your memory? Everybody forgets something from time to time, some more than others. There are several reasons that you are forgetful, but mostly it’s nothing to worry about. However, it can be quite frustrating. This article discusses what you can do to stimulate your brain.

Train your brain?

At first it’s important to know that your memory isn’t a muscle, so ‘training’ your brain might not be the right word. However, you can help your brain a little, for example by using a mnemonic. This will make remembering easier for you. In addition, it’s very important to keep your brain healthy. You can do this in different ways. For example, it’s important to exercise, get enough sleep and to eat healthy.

Exercise

We know that enough exercise is important for our health, but it also has a positive effect on our brain! Your brain produces a special chemical during movement which creates new brain cells and connections between brain cells. Also, it reduces the breakdown of dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for muscle movements and helps to find more pleasure and joy in life.

Sleep-learning

A good night sleep, of about seven hours, will literally make you feel more awake. This will make you more aware of your environment, so you don’t miss out on important information.

Good food is good mood

A varied and healthy dietary pattern is important for the brain. There are many nutrients that support the function of the brain. For example, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. These nutrients have a positive effect on the way you’re processing information, on your concentration and on your memory. In order to consume as many nutrients as possible, it’s useful to eat as varied as possible. Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are in vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products and meat.

NiceDay: Set some goals for yourself. Start easy, for example with walking for at least 30 minutes a day or taking an extra piece of fruit daily. Maybe it helps you to get a steady sleeping pattern, then try to go to bed on time.

Food doesn’t only affect your weight and health, but can also affect your sleep. And we’re not only talking about falling asleep, but also the quality of sleep and your energy level during the day can be affected by food. In this article we explain what you should and you shouldn’t eat to sleep well.

Caffeine and alcohol

You probably already know these two. However, they are important enough to be named. Alcohol might help you fall asleep, but during the night it disturbs your sleep. This is why you won’t feel energized the next morning. Do you really desire a night cap? Take one at dinner time, so it’s enough to fall asleep and worn off during the night. On the other hand caffeine avoids you from falling asleep. It activates the production of adrenaline, a hormone that gives you energy. It takes a long time before it’s worn off, so stop drinking or eating products with caffeine later than 16 o’clock.

Vitamins and minerals

Vitamin and minerals deficiencies can cause a weakened sleep/wake pattern and a lack of energy during the day. This is especially true for vitamin C, vitamin D3, vitamin B12 and magnesium. You will not have any deficiencies when you eat according to the dietary guidelines. But if you have been eating unhealthy for a longer time, it might be a cause of your sleeping problems!

L-tryptophan

L-what? Probably you have never heard of this amino acid. L-tryptophan can convert in serotonin, a calming hormone. Research shows that an high intake of l-tryptophan can be somnolent and reduce stress. Foods containing this amino acid are: bananas, eggs, brown rice and pumpkin seeds.

The last meal

Not only what your eat, but also when and how much you eat influences your sleep. The reason for this is actually quite obvious. Your body has to work harder to digest a big meal, while your body needs rest to fall asleep. Also meals high in fat are harder for your body to digest. However, you shouldn’t feel hungry while trying to sleep. Hunger can be so intense that you won’t fall asleep. So eat your dinner  before 20 o’clock and if necessary a little snack later on. The best choice for a late night snack is something high in protein, like yogurt with fruits.

Water

You know that feeling? You are  just in bed and you need to go to the bathroom. Will you go or will you stay? Whatever you choose, it’s going to affect your sleep. Drinking enough water is important, but don’t start at night. Try not to drink anything one hour before bed and put a glass of water next to your bed for if you feel thirsty.

I bet you recognize this situation: you are sitting on the sofa and you have cravings. Deep inside you know that you should not have done it, but you can not resist. Final position: you end up with a bag of chips on the sofa! How can you control this cravings and solve it in a healthy way? By eating healthy snacks that is not only healthy but also delicious!

What to eat?

Snacking does not have to be unhealthy. You can make snacks healthy and delicious. It does not have to be difficult with different kinds of superfood. Healthy and delicious snacks can be: little tomatoes, carrots, paprika, fruit or rice crackers. Do you prefer something that is easier to eat and does not take much effort? Making your own popcorn can be the solution: you do not have to put a lot of salt or sugar in it, this makes it healthier. Furthermore, nuts are very healthy to snack too. Read in the article of Lifestyle Coach Sanne more about nuts. Do you prefer sweet snacks more? Dark chocolate is not bad for you at all, actually it is even healthy.

How do you prepare a healthy snack

Popcorn

Buy a bag with dry mais, you can buy it in the market. Warm the pan with some oil and put the dry mais inside. You can bring it to flavour with some sugar or salt, or choose a weird combination like cinnamon. Enjoy!

Ricecracker

Buy in the market rice/mais cracker. These are delicious to eat, even if it just the cracker without anything. However, you also can put something like hummus and/or avocado on top.  

Vegetable mix

Buy different kinds of vegetables that you also can eat raw, like tomatoes, paprikas and carrots. Cut the carrots and paprikas into little pieces or slices and put it into a bowl together with the tomatoes.

NiceDay: Take a snack in between meals and discuss this with your professional.

The summer is in full swing and who doesn’t want well-shaped buttocks in his or her beach outfit? The most effective way to do that is to practice yoga regularly. Yoga has been scientifically proven to be the most effective sport to train the body! It makes muscles stronger, more flexible and improves overall body posture. In this blog more about the yoga posture the Tabletop (also called Table) that provides well-shaped buttocks. Regularly doing this asana has a positive effect on the muscles of the buttocks.

What is the Table pose?

This is a starting pose; backward bend with arm support. In yoga jargon this pose is called “Chatus pada pitham”. Chartus stands for four, Pada for foot and Pitham for bench, seat or chair. The focus in this asana are the legs, arms and torso. To bring the body up, the buttocks, thigh muscles and hamstrings are active.

What is the effect of the Table?

By raising the body and keeping the shoulders and knees at the same height, the muscles in the legs, arms and corse are immediately activated. The triceps ensure that the arms can support the body weight. Just like the buttocks, thigh muscles and hamstrings. In order to stay in this position for a few breaths, the back muscles jump in, so these muscles will also get trained. In order to keep the shoulders and knees at the same height, the buttocks must be tightened. As soon as they tighten, the knees tend to pull together and the hips are lowered towards the ground. The challenge is to keep the knees about hip width apart, without lowering the hips. This requires an active effort of the hamstrings

This is how you do the Table pose

Sit down on the mat and put your feet hip width apart in front of you. The arms go backwards and the fingers point to the body. Make sure that the arms are behind your back, your chest is automatically a little forward when the arms are placed behind the back. There is approximately a hand-length distance between the fingers and the body. At an inhalation you raise the hips and the shoulders and knees at the same height. Arms are stretched and the shoulder blades are pushed towards each other. Let the head hang backwards. Tighten the glutes, keep knees at hip width apart and breathe easy. Stay in the posture for a few breaths.

Alternatives

Are the (lower) back, wrists or hamstrings sensitive areas for you? These alternatives help you to do the Table pose with more ease.

(lower) Back

In case of a sensitive lower back, it is nice to have a good warming-up by, for example, the cross-legged sitting or the cat posture before you do the Table asana. By tilting the pelvis, the pressure on the lower back is reduced; pull the navel inwards and push the tailbone towards the feet.

Wrists

When it does not feel comfortable with the wrists, it can help to make two fists and to rest on them instead of the hands.

Hamstrings

With stiff hamstrings it is nice to stretch these first before you do the Table posture. The Plow is a good asana to prepare the hamstrings. Listen to the limits that your body indicates. When the pressure feels too high for the hamstrings to hold the straight line between the shoulders and knees in the Table asana, keep the buttocks a little lower; this will immediately reduce the pressure on the hamstrings. By practicing the Table regularly, the body comes a little further up each time and you will get that bootylicious booty.

Almost everyone knows that it’s important to have plenty of vitamins in your diet. Otherwise you will get sick more easily. Partly because of this, people take vitamin supplements to get their daily dose. Makes sense, right? Because this will stop you from getting sick. Sure! However, supplements often contain many vitamins which isn’t always good for the body. Also, there are lots of different vitamins that all have specific functionalities. Some of these don’t even have to be taken with supplements. In this article, we discuss vitamins and what vitamin supplements can do for you.

What are vitamins?

Vitamins are chemical bonds that the body needs to grow, heal and function properly. Most vitamins can’t be made by the body itself, so we must get these from different kinds of food and supplements. There is a distinction between two kinds of vitamins. Fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. These can be stored by the body. Then there are water-soluble vitamins like B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8, B12 and vitamin C. The body excretes these through urine, which means we should take these on a daily base.

All the vitamins in a row

• Vitamin A: Important for functional immune system. Also, the hair, skin and eyes benefit from healthy dose of vitamin A. Fish, liver, margarine and carrots are rich in vitamin A.
• Vitamin B1: Is an energy catalysator. It helps to burn carbs and is found in pork meat, grain products and leguminous vegetables.
• Vitamin B2: Important for a proper digestion and is found in many foods like: Dairy, meat, vegetables, fruit and grain products.
• Vitamin B3: Helps to let the nervous system function properly. Rich sources of B3 are fish, meat nuts, grain products, vegetables and fruit.  
• Vitamin B5: Helps to break down carbs, proteins and fat. B5 can be found in almost all types of food like fish, meat, grain procuts but also in vegetables and fruits
• Vitamin B6: Main function of this one is to support the digestive system, but is also important for the creation of red blood cells. B6 can be found in fish, meat, eggs, grain products and leguminous vegetables.
• Vitamin B8: Helps with the build of fatty acids, important in decreasing the risk for heart and vascular diseases. B8 can mostly be found in eggs, dairy, nuts and pure dark chocolate.
• Vitamin B11: Also called folic acid. Has an important part in the forming of red blood cells and DNA. Folic acids are also important for the growth of the embryo during pregnancy.
• Vitamin B12: Also stimulates the production of red blood cells and plays a part in letting the nervous system function properly.
• Vitamin C: Good for the immune system. Kiwi’s, citrus fruits, bell peppers are high in Vitamin C. Other fruits and vegetables also contain vitamin C.
• Vitamin D: Found in dairy, fatty fish and is also added to margarine. However, the most important source is the sun because the sun starts vitamin D making processes in the skin.
• Vitamin E: Keeps the skin, nerves, muscles, and heart in shape. Rich sources are nuts, vegetable oils and grain products.
• Vitamin K: Is made by bacteria in the colon and can also be found in green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. It’s important for blood clotting and blood flow in your veins.   

Supplement Do’s and don’ts

Vitamin supplements can be a healthy ‘’supplement’’ for a healthy body because, people often struggle to get their daily intake of vitamins and minerals. These simple do’s and don’ts can help you with this.

Do’s:

• Adjust your supplements to your diet. Use the right vitamins as a supplement
• Over 50, breastfeeding or a dark skin? Then you could benefit from extra vitamin D supplements, especially in winter!
• Be cautious with supplements when you take medicines or smoke. For example, some blood thinning medicines do not  go well with certain vitamin supplements or raise the risks of smoking related diseases.
• Take supplements during dinner. Stomach juices help to improve vitamin uptake.
• Take extra vitamin C when you have a cold or are low on energy.

Don’ts

• Don’t take supplements with coffee or tea, because this can reduce the effectivity of supplements. This is due to reduced uptake capacity by caffeine and tannin.
• Don’t take a double dose when you missed one! First, your body can’t process a double dose and second, this can even be harmful to your body.
• Don’t replace food by supplements. They are called ‘’supplements’’ for a reason.

The back muscles are one of the largest muscle groups the body has. The training of this muscle group provides a better posture and prevents injuries in the back, neck and shoulders. The Cat pose increases the flexibility and suppleness in the back and the best thing is that everyone can do this pose!

What is the Cat pose?

This is a basic pose; a balance exercise on hands and knees. In yoga jargon this pose is called “Utthita Chakravakasana”. Utthita means stretch and Chakravakasana stands for cat. This asana is also called the ‘cat-cow pose’. Because the breathing the back is first made into a ball (cat) and then hollowed (cow). And this is also where the power lies in this asana. By moving rhythmically on the breathing in and out, this pose is done best and able to train the body.

What is the effect of the Cat/Cow pose?

This asana increases the flexibility and suppleness of the back, also stretches the muscles in the arms and legs, and makes the hips and abdominal muscles stronger. It is an active basic asana that is done on the breath. By making the back convex and then hollowing, you emphasize the natural curvature of the spine and, in particular, relieve any tension in the lower back, shoulders and neck. It is important to breathe in and out through the nose. A hurried breathing creates tension in the body and has a counter-effect.

This is how you do the cat / cow attitude

• Sit on your hands and knees. Important is that the knees are at hip width, arms are stretched and the hands under the shoulders, fingers spread for a better balance. In case of sensitive or painful wrists you can alternatively make two fists and rest on them.
• The shoulders are pushed backwards, away from the ears, which directly reduces strain on the neck and shoulders.
• In the starting position the back is straight and you look at the ground.
• The toes are stretched or if that feels more comfortable, place the toes in the ground.
• At the inhalation you push the chin towards the chest and you arch the back. Here you stretch the arms and push the weight with your hands (or fists) away from you.
• On the exhale push the chin towards the ceiling and make the back hollow and push the shoulder blades towards each other, as in the picture above.
• Repeat this least four times or more when you have sat a lot in one day.

Do you want to train your back more after doing the Cat pose? This video will help you

I want to be me. My whole self. I fought for it, and worked even harder. But, when you are finally at a place where you can be yourself on a regular basis, the opinions and images others have of you are still alive and kicking. Should you care? Yes and no.

If there is one process where you are dependent on the opinions of others, then it is definitely the job application process. I’m in the midst of it right now. My friends know that I am searching and want to help me. Recently, one of them tipped me about a great opportunity. For a company specialized in helping youngsters with problems, they were looking for a life coach. A perfect match for me! She knew the owner and said she would call him to put in a good word for me. Unfortunately that did not work out the way she thought and it ended up to be a tough confrontation with stigma and images others have of the world. She told him, in all of her enthusiasm and belief in me, that I have Borderline. Because she thought it to be an asset for this job, which is true, in my case. But the man on the other side of the line does not know me, and called me a risk. End of conversation, end of job opportunity. That obviously sucks. Where did this go south?

The image of Borderline

Well, it went south with an image of, and opinions about Borderline. This man works in mental healthcare. He is probably familiar with this diagnosis and knows certain characteristics of it. He also knows that some of those characteristics could prove to be a risk for him, as a business owner. But, he does not know me. My friend does. She knows that I am way more than that diagnosis and its presumed characteristics. That I turned something that is seen as a weakness into a strength by working hard and getting to know myself. That I am functioning very well and that I have a lot to offer. But, by mentioning Borderline, she created a link to an image of it, and with that all other things became void. It may be a limited image, a stigma, but it does, in the end, determine the outcome.

Programmed beings

We are very preprogrammed beings. When you think about the fact that we consciously process only 10 percent of what our senses observe, you can ask yourself what happens to the other 90 percent. The lot of what we observe gets processed by our brains, outside of our conscious mind. Those brains are masters in processing information at light speed, giving us the chance to consciously react to what we observe, or not. This is, amongst other things, done by categorizing all this information. That’s a very necessary process, because there is so much of it, and reactions are to be expected in hundreds of a second, we could not function otherwise. Our brains are our computer, there is a lot of processing going on in the background so you can play your game, write your book or do your work.

How we view the world

Unfortunately this helpful tool has it counter effects. Our brains organize the world only in categories they know; that means we see the world as we are. We are looking at the world with only the things we’ve learned, seen and experienced. As we get older, no new categories will be made, everything will be processed and matched to categories we know. It can result you being shoved into a limited category, a wrong category, or, even worse, no category matches you. Because, how does your brain react to something they do not know? That feels like a risk. Anyway, you will never, in the beginning, be seen as a complete person. You will be categorized on the basis of some of your characteristics or appearance. And that is something to keep in mind. Its strategic to take that into account.

How to be strategic?

Being strategic can have a negative taste, because you are consciously choosing what you show others, or not, choosing to play a certain part, not being totally you. I find this difficult at times, and sometimes also feel resistance, to be strategic. We all preach a lot that we should be able to be ourselves, and I am sorry that I cannot just express some things. That there is prejudice. But without boxes we are lost. The Borderline diagnosis is also a box, and, by no means, complete. There are at least 380 ways to experience Borderline, and these are certainly not covered by a list of 10 characteristics. But, I use the Borderline box too. In the beginning to help myself recover and now to support my mission to create more awareness for mental wellbeing. I know, for a fact, that I do sometimes cut corners there too.

Have a plan

Strategic thinking is having a plan, to take your environment and the situation into account. When you understand how we, as humans, ‘work’, how our world view comes about, it becomes easier to create opportunities in which you can be yourself. And as with a lot of things in this world; It’s about who is behind the controls and what motives they have.

This means you should not bluff your way through life or only think about what others expect. You are not yourself when you do. Your job is to know who you are, what your qualities are, what you need and what you can bring to the world. It’s important to know yourself. And, that you take responsibility. In searching for a job that means that you try to really honestly estimate if you can do the job, if you are qualified. Subsequently you can focus on the best way to ‘get into the door’, that’s having a plan.

This failed ‘job application’ was an important reminder that there is still a lot of stigma about mental health issues. And, again it reminded me of how we need to focus on more information, and not on fighting already existing images. More information broadens people’s views. Just like my friend saw me as way more than a diagnosis. Familiarity with, makes things less scary, feels less of a risk, and increases chance of different reactions.

Do you also love the smell of fresh coffee beans? A lot of people drink coffee everyday. Do you also like to start the day with a cup of coffee? People think coffee is not good for them because of the caffeine it contains… However, drinking a couple cups of coffee a day is not that bad!

Healthiness

There is prove that drinking two to four cups of coffee a day can decrease the risk of heart diseases with 10%. The same thing for a stroke, also here is the risk 10% lower. Another positive effect is that drinking one or two cups of coffee improves the concentration.

Negative effects of coffee

The caffeine in the coffee causes these health effects, but it can also have a negative effect. Negative effects occur when you drink too much coffee, you can get anxiety, rushed feelings and trouble with sleeping. Whether this happens or not differs per person.

So, is coffee healthy or not?

Coffee is not bad for your health when you drink one to four cups a day. Also you need to consider how you drink your coffee, for example milk and sugar. Drinking coffee just black is the healthiest. If you don’t like black coffee, you can use a sugar alternative or normal milk instead of coffee milk. Also you can consider to drink caffeine free coffee. This will not affect your energy level.

NiceDay: Write down how you feel when you drink coffee. Do you experience the negative or positive effects?