The Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Although most fat isn’t good for us, there’s one that our bodies simply cannot do without, and it’s really easy to incorporate. Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Where Can You Get Omega-3 From?
Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be made by the body but must be consumed on a regular basis. You can get them from fish, some plant foods, and supplements. Salmon, lake trout, mackerel, and tuna; seaweed and algae; chia, hemp, and flaxseeds; the garden weed purslane, and walnuts are just a few examples that contain Omega-3.
Heart Benefits
This essential fat can benefit your entire cardiovascular system. It keeps the lining of arteries smooth and free of damaging plaque. It can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and blood clots, and it can prevent heart attacks.
Advantages for Mind and Body
Omega-3 has been shown to decrease mental decline related to age, as well as reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Studies have indicated that these fatty acids may also improve the strength of bones and joints.
Whether you get them from food or high-quality supplements, Omega-3s offer a multitude of benefits. This infographic from Forrest Health contains even more reasons to include these essential fats in your daily diet.
Why Outdoor Workouts Are Better
Working up a sweat anywhere is great and has huge benefits for your mind and body—but did you know taking your workouts outside can be even better?
Whether you’re an avid runner, you play a sport on a team, or you just want to try something new, you don’t have to confine yourself to a gym. Outdoor workouts should be a regular occurrence in your exercise routine.
Let’s look at a few reasons why.
They Reduce Stress
Working out can help to boost dopamine levels in your brain, leaving you feeling happy and more energized. Exercising outside can do even more for your mood, and it can even help to reduce your stress levels.
Working out outside can help to lower your blood pressure and your heart rate. So, not only will your stress levels be reduced, but you can also perform better than you would in a gym. It’s a great time to go for a personal best!
If you work out on sunny days, you’ll also get the natural benefit of Vitamin D and energy. Studies have shown that sunlight can help to boost energy generation in your muscles, allowing you to work harder and recover faster.
You Can Break the Routine
Have you hit a plateau? Maybe you’re not losing weight as much you want. Maybe you’re not gaining muscle as quickly as you should. Or, maybe you’re just bored at the gym. Working out in nature is a great way to break your traditional routine and change things up.
As a result, your body will have to adapt. Running up a steep hill outside is different from following a setting on a treadmill. Playing a pickup basketball game is different from lifting weights or working on the elliptical.
Exercising outside is free and easy, and you can do it anywhere. So, if you’re stuck in a rut at the gym, don’t be afraid to change things up. It’s good for both your mind and body.
They Improve Socialization
Most people work out better with a buddy who can keep them motivated. When you exercise outdoors, you have a better chance of meeting other people to connect with. Or, you can ask one of your friends to be your accountability partner and go running with them every morning.
There are plenty of outdoor fitness classes, too, just like at the gym. Check your community calendars to see if there are any outdoor yoga classes, running groups, or even local sports teams near you that you can sign up for.
Boosting Your Fitness with Natural Supplements
Heading outdoors for a workout has so many benefits but, if you’re looking to reach specific fitness goals, you can give yourself even more of a boost with nutritional supplements meant for weight loss, building muscle, and so much more.
The combination of a healthy diet, exercising outside, and natural herbal supplements is the trifecta that not only will help you to reach your goals but will also encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle for years to come. Be sure to browse our site for some of the best natural supplements that can boost your nutrition and power your workouts. Now, get out there and move!
Natural Ways to Balance Your Hormones
You might not give much thought to your hormones on a daily basis but, without them, your body wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the normal, everyday functions needed for you to simply survive. Hormones impact everything from your mood to your metabolism. When they aren’t balanced, it can throw those functions off. You might experience symptoms like:
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Mood swings
- Low sex drive
- Fatigue
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Headaches
Simply put, hormones are little chemical messengers designed to deliver what’s needed to various parts of your body in order to complete those daily functions.
Hormonal imbalances can be caused by stress, a lack of sleep, or something more serious like a thyroid condition.
Thankfully, in many cases, you can balance your hormones naturally just by making a few changes. With that in mind, let’s look at some natural hormone remedies you can start trying today.
Get More Exercise
There are so many physical and mental benefits to exercise, so no matter what you do—get moving!
When you exercise, your body releases more dopamine into your system, which is often known as a “feel good” chemical that can make you feel happy, light, and more energized. If you exercise regularly, your body will also increase its production of serotonin, which can help with things like sleep, sex drive, and memory.
Regular exercise will also give a boost of testosterone to men and estrogen to women. For men, low levels of testosterone can not only cause fatigue but slow down the growth of muscle mass and put a damper on your sex drive.
Women, especially those going through menopause, can fight symptoms of fatigue and even hot flashes by boosting their estrogen levels naturally through exercise.
Change Your Diet
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of a hormonal imbalance, it’s a good idea to check what you’re eating each day. If you’re filling up on heavily processed foods and refined carbohydrates, your diet could be the culprit.
By making a few changes to your diet, you can start to see a big difference in how you feel. Not sure where to start making those changes? One of the best things you can do is to introduce a lot of lean protein into your daily meals. Protein helps to keep the hunger hormone, ghrelin, in balance, which stops you from over-eating. Lean protein also helps you to feel fuller longer and boosts your metabolism.
More healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish can also be beneficial when it comes to balancing your hormones. Not only do they stimulate the production of hormones, but they can also suppress your appetite to keep you feeling fuller longer.
Take Natural Supplements
Natural hormone replacement supplements can work wonders, especially if you aren’t able to change much about your eating habits or activity levels. Hormone replacement therapy can help to give your body a boost of what it needs, so there isn’t an imbalance of hormones causing such negative symptoms throughout your system.
If you know you have hormonal imbalances, or you suspect it based on some of your symptoms, feel free to browse our selection of natural hormone replacement therapy options. Supplements like zinc work well for brain function, while Vitamin C can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Consider your signs and symptoms, and choose the supplements that can help you manage them safely. At Forrest Health, we have the safe, natural supplements you’re looking for to “fight back” against a hormone imbalance.
How Important Are Probiotics?
Chances are, you’ve heard the word “probiotics” before. They’re certainly nothing new, but the word itself has seemed to grow as a bit of a “buzz word” in recent years. Thankfully, probiotics have become so popular for a reason: They’re essential for the health of your gut.
Maybe you know about probiotics, but you’re not sure what they do or why they’re so beneficial. The more you know about them and how natural supplements containing probiotics can help, the better.
So, just how important are probiotics? What kind of herbal supplements or nutritional supplements should you be taking to make sure you’re getting what your body needs?
Probiotics Help Your Digestive System
Simply put, probiotics are useful for your overall health and can make you feel better, but it starts in the digestive system.
These live microorganisms help to restore the balance of bacteria in your gut. Probiotics are considered to be “good” bacteria. If you have too much bad bacteria in your stomach, it could lead to serious digestive issues. Something as simple as eating foods with probiotics can help to balance out the good and bad, so you feel better on a daily basis.
They can also help to treat diarrhea if you’re suffering from it (and they can even prevent it!). If you already have specific digestive issues, like IBS or Crohn’s Disease, probiotics can help to reduce your symptoms and allow you to lead a more normal, comfortable life.
Support of Mental Health
These good bacteria do so much more than work in your stomach. Probiotics have been linked to improving certain mental health conditions. That’s because more studies are showing that the health of your gut has a direct impact on your mental health.
Probiotic supplements have been shown to improve the effects of depression, anxiety, and OCD. Some studies have even shown that probiotics can help to improve your memory and calm the symptoms of autism.
Probiotics and Your Immune System
Probiotics do more than just inhibit harmful gut bacteria. They encourage the production of antibodies that help to protect and boost your immune system. A few studies have been done regarding probiotics and respiratory health, as well as urinary health. In these studies, people who regularly took probiotics had a lower risk of respiratory infections and urinary tract infections.
If you have a naturally weakened immune system, taking a probiotic supplement regularly can help to give it a boost.
Probiotics for Better Health
Probiotics are naturally found in most fermented foods. That’s why yogurt is so popular among people who want to increase their intake of these healthy bacteria. If you don’t want to change your diet, natural supplements can help you to get the probiotics your body needs for gut health and for a variety of other issues.
If you’re interested in trying out probiotics for yourself, feel free to browse our website for more information or to check out our products. Your stomach will be happy you did!