jayanti venkat raman asked:

Few people realize the power of experiential exercises. Fewer still know how to make full use of them. But those who do are able to unlock the reservoirs of positive energy present in their body. They feel healthier in body, in mind, and in soul. They are able to drive negative thoughts and negativity from their minds and their surroundings.

 

Most important, they radiate positive energy when they reach out to others, energy that helps them build stronger and more intimate relationships. There is a spring and bounce in their steps; they do not get depressed easily; and they learn to enjoy life much more than others.

 

Experiential workshops

 

There are several groups that hold week or month-long experiential workshops where they teach breathing and body exercises. Most of these are group exercises, and an individual is required to follow the group leader or the trainer. Some of these workshops are residential, where the participants are provided healthy food to cleanse their systems of toxins. The experience invariably is explosive; participants go in as tired, stressed out individuals but come out full of energy.

 

The exercises are backed by healing sessions which are aimed to dissolve fears, guilt and shame about ***. Most of the messages are conveyed through movement, music, creative art, breathing exercises hypnotherapy, and meditation. There is a feeling of intimacy and playful sharing. Individuals not only get to know their bodies better but how to use it to derive greater pleasure.

 

Breathing exercises and meditation

The object of breathing exercises and meditation is to drive out toxins and negative feelings from the body and generate positive energy. Both perform this task in their own way. The breathing exercises drive out carbon dioxide from the body, and replace it with oxygen. The cells, which were battling with carbon dioxide earlier, get a flood of oxygen to breathe. They get energized and the chemical reactions occurring in them get a new life; they generate more energy that make individuals feel all charged up, alert, energetic and raring to go.

 

Meditation, on the other hand, relaxes the body muscles and removes stress. It also drives away negative thoughts and forces individuals to focus on positive images. An individual feels relaxed and content. He finds it easier to deal with partners, and the day to day stresses and strains of life. He does not get worked up, and enjoys whatever he does.

 

His love life improves because he can bring much more to the relationship. There is greater intimacy, and there is greater give and take. The individual is not in a hurry; he wants to cherish each moment of his love life.

 

The soft touches

The teachers of experiential exercises encourage soft touches or activities that touch the senses. That is why the experiential exercises are conducted against a background of soft music, which is all the time washing against the bodies of participants, cleansing them, touching emotional chords, making them feel better.

 

The participants are also asked to draw. This is a great way for the unconscious mind to express itself. The trainer gets a chance to see the individual’s inner feelings, the thoughts that first come to participant’s mind. It’s another way to purge negative thoughts by making the individual aware of what his subconscious mind is thinking.

 

Self-acceptance

Experiential exercises train us in self-acceptance. They make us realize that a healthy body is the gateway to a healthy mind, and a healthy soul. They make us accept ourselves as we are, and turn us into better human beings. This, in itself, is a great achievement. Our lives improve several-fold the day we learn to be at peace with ourselves.

 

But all this will not happen in an instant. It takes years of training to move from the physical to the spiritual level. Individuals need to be patient. They must understand that they need to cleanse their body and mind of all negativity – which means thoughts and acts pertaining to pain, violence, jealousy, hate, anger, dislike etc – before they can move to a higher level.

 

This should not, however, dampen their enthusiasm. Instead they should celebrate the coming together of body, heart and soul. They will find that they are better able to internalize the pleasures of love. They can reach out to their partners more fully, and bring more fulfillment to their sexual lives.

 

The union of bodies will not generate any feelings of shame or guilt because the experiential exercises would have purged these feelings. There is more joy, and more intimacy in each union.

 

So, if you have not felt the power of experiential exercises till now you should try to do so. It is an activity that has the potential to change your life — forever.

James Brown asked:

Admit it. You are having a hard time saying no to the sweetness of chocolates or to the crunch in every bite of your favorite junk food. You say no of course as that’s the logical thing to do. You’re trying to stay fit after all.

From that corner of your eye, they tempt you even more. The craving cramps your stomach and so you give in. You take a bite. Delightful, it was! The result, you’ve consumed more than you thought you did.

And you don’t feel guiltless at all.

According to food and fitness experts, successful dieting may start with saying no to these snacks, no matter how unavoidable. Definitely though, it doesn’t end there. Sticking with that pledge and eventually making it a habit to stay away makes it work.

A good diet sticks to the proper food enriched with vitamins and minerals; fruits and vegetables never fail. These nutrients aid in healing sickness, providing energy for your body cells, prevent diseases and build and strengthen your immunity. Only these sources can offer us the life-supporting power. From a common cold to the complex osteoporosis, you definitely need to have a full range of the right nutrients that can only be found in nature’s foods.

Keeping your guard up when it comes to eating non-healthy food does pay off. The vitamins and minerals which aren’t found in your favorite stuff to chomp play a vital role in your body’s well-being. Vitamins regulate metabolism, ensure proper growth and help keep your physical well-being in the overall.

However, since our bodies don’t produce their own vitamins, acquiring them can be effectively done through proper diet.

Doing away with the traditional dieting can be tricky. While some people think that a balanced diet means tasteless diet, the opposite may be true. Nutritionists entice people to explore the wide diversity and variations of possible food choices. A balanced diet that comprises healthy yet diverse foods primarily promotes good health. It keeps you away from being deprived and eventually, depressed.

Similarly, counting your carbohydrate intake and calorie consumption can offer you great help. Remember, though, to take things lightly. When doing this causes you irritation, find better alternatives to keep track of your efforts. All weight loss experts agree on one thing, that keeping a journal of your food intake and the exercises you have performed, almost always means success. During moments of success, big or small, gives yourself a pat on back. This, other than proper dieting, is a healthy habit.

A reminder though, for the health-conscious who are either under medication or are suffering from medical condition, ask your physician on what food is right for you. Under certain circumstances, special arrangements on diets may be provided. You may be too eager to do the dieting the normal way, but some limitations or prohibitions may be applicable. Check it with your doc!

As somebody puts it, “making a different choice gives you the opportunity to live a different life.” The new you will show you that everything you have done to keep fit is well worth it.

Silvia Goodman asked:

Often, developing healthy food habit is not as restrictive or as confusing as several individuals imagine. The first and foremost principle of healthy nutrition is simply eating a wide range of foodstuff. This is more important, since varied foodstuff make varied dietary contributions.

Secondly, vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains are necessary, since these foods are high in carbohydrates, fiber, minerals, vitamins, and low in fatty substances and are cholesterol free.

It is also better to balance between calorie expenditure and calorie intake. That is, avoid eating more foodstuff than what the body can consume. Otherwise, there is a possibility of gaining additional weight. Therefore, the more the active an individual is, the more he can eat and uphold this balance.

It does not mean that aforementioned three fundamental steps suggest an individual to sacrifice the favorite food. As long as, an individual’s diet is rich in fiber and nutrients and well balanced, there is nothing improper.

Individuals also can view healthy foodstuff as a chance to expand range of alternatives by trying some healthy food such as vegetables, fruits or whole grains. A healthy nutrition does not have to imply eating foodstuffs, which are unappealing or bland.

Benefits of Healthy Food:

Nutritious and healthy diet is very much significant for maintaining a healthy body. Healthy diet involves timely and regular food, snacks, nuts and juices. A balanced meal and appropriate food habits are essential for leading a healthy life. In due course of life, everyone forgets to take essential nutrition for proper body function, hence fall under several life-style diseases. Hence, it is necessary for an individual to understand and know about the benefits of healthy food such as vegetables, fruits and nuts.

Below discussed are some of the benefits of healthy food:

* Beetroot: It has good amount of potassium, manganese and foliate. It also contains fewer calories and helps to cure skin problems.

* Cauliflower: It is extremely nutritious and is much effective in curing several ailments. It is rich in folate and apt for pregnant women.

* Mangoes: They are very popular and largely available fruit. They are rich in potassium and good for healing wounds.

* Nutritional Values of Banana: It aids in the healing of anemia, depression, brainpower, blood pressure and constipation.

* Egg: It is nutritious and healthy food. Eggs lecithin prevents the absorption of egg’s cholesterol and other sources as well.

Overview:

Research has witnessed that, those who eat less processed food and saturated fatty items live longer and healthy life, and are very less prone to disease and illness. Good health food along with proper exercise gives tons of energy and makes feel stronger and healthier.

Good health food can assist individuals in maintaining a healthy weight. The phrase Healthy Weight is not only important for those individuals who are overweight, but also for individuals who are underweight as well. With eating healthy food, individuals can control their body weight without being underweight or overweight.

Healthy livelihood is all about understanding the body requirements and rendering it with good supplies for proper body function. Unhealthy eating habit can affect the individuals’ body severely, hence intake healthy foodstuff to avoid such consequences.

NARA asked:

Nowadays people are getting more and more health conscious.

Nutritionists and doctors always advise us to eat healthy food.

Most of us ignore the advice and eat whatever our taste buds prefer.

We eat more of tasty food without paying much attention to healthy food.

The quantity of food we eat also determines our health.

Food taken more than the requirement is only digested partially and the rest acts as a foreign substance.

Hunger is the natural expression of the needs of the system and appetite is the index for the quantity of food to be taken.

The nutritional quality of various kinds of foods is being described in a most popular language to feed the brains of the common men and women.

The lists of healthy foods are being published in books and health magazines.

‘Do not eat junk food’ is a slogan we hear from the four corners of the world.

Still the restaurants selling the junk food are increasing in number all over the world.

Mostly young people are trapped by the chain of food stalls which impart an injurious habit.

Americans eat more of junk foods than any other nationals, because of their multiplicity and availability.

Healthy food is one which has less oil (fat), salt and spices.

But our tongue looks for oily, salty and spicy foods for a better taste.

How to compromise?

In fact, diet influences every aspects of our life including our mood, body weight, sexuality, fertility, life span etc.,

Breakfast followed by lunch, evening snack and night dinner is a set pattern followed by everyone in the world, with slight modification at times.

Whatever healthy food we eat should be digested before we take the next course of food.

Better digestion takes place only when we do physical exercise.

In other words, calories have to be burnt to gain energy to do work.

Reducing the body weight is one of the major problems faced by a good lot of people in most of the developed countries.

Obesity has become almost a disease to fight with.

In fact, vegetable and fruits are considered to be healthy foods, because of their fibre and mineral contents.

Non vegetarians get animal proteins from fish, mutton, beef and chicken.

Milk and its products such as curd, cheese and cream contain most of the essential nutrients we require.

Similarly, egg also is a good source of protein.

It is always debated whether vegetarian diet is superior to non vegetarian diet.

There are arguments for and against each type of diet.

One thing acceptable from these arguments is the selection of food to eat depends on the climatic conditions in which one lives.

People living in temperate region prefer non vegetarian diet whereas people in the tropics prefer vegetarian diet.

Healthy food for children, middle aged and aged people will also vary.

Food nutrition is a good field of specialization.

Standards have been fixed for good food based on their chemistry.

Dieticians know much about the standards and they also know about what to eat and what not to eat.

Because of greediness for excess production of food for the ever increasing population, all sorts of adulteration take place.

Such adulterations are not known fully well to the people who consume such foods.

Production of most of the agricultural products is subjected to poisonous pesticides and other chemicals.

Animals and birds are being injected with excess doses of antibiotics and growth promoting hormones.

The reseals as well as the accumulated substances are accompanied with the consumed meat creating trouble to humans.

Therefore, the movement of organic agriculture is gaining importance in every country.

Food safety is the talk of the day.

Safe food and environment are needed for human health.

Thus healthy food has a number of dimensions.

One has to take care of his or her health by going through the details of healthy food.

Strict control on the food we eat is essential to achieve a healthy life for a happy stay in this Planet.

Let us not neglect the habit of taking only healthy food and feeding our children with it.