Nutrition Corner

Is Corn Good for You? Corn has lots of health benefits, including insoluble fiber, making it a low-glycemic index food.

Lavender Is 2024's New Food Trend—And It Has a Bunch of Health Benefits.

Recipe for The Day

Steak Fajitas: Steak fajitas are one of my favorite easy Mexican-inspired meals! Bursting with rich flavors thanks to the addition of peppers and onions, it’s a unique take on a classic fajitas recipe.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

Kimchi: 4 Health Benefits

• Kimchi has probiotics for a healthy gut microbiome: Kimchi is a fermented food, so it’s often included in discussions surrounding gut health. There’s an entire ecosystem living in your gut, known as the gut microbiome, and research has found that eating a diet rich in fermented foods like kimchi helps add “good” bacteria and diversify the microbiome to help improve digestion and immunity, as well as reduce gut inflammation.

• Kimchi is packed with plant-powered nutrients: According to USDA data, one cup of cabbage-based kimchi is rich in the following nutrients: Fiber, Iron, B vitamins, Folate, Vitamin K, and Sodium.

• Kimchi may help improve blood lipid levels: Your blood lipids refer to the amount of fats in your blood, such as cholesterol and triglyceride. High blood lipid levels can be an indicator of potential health complications relating to heart health.

• Kimchi is high in vitamin C: Speaking of heart health, the vitamin C in kimchi may help. Kimchi is a good source of antioxidants, especially vitamin C. Some research suggests that the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin C–rich foods may help decrease the risk of heart disease.

3 Meditation Techniques for Beginners

• Focused Mind: It is a common misconception that meditation causes the mind to become 'quiet' or 'clear.' In reality, your mind is always thinking. Although your thoughts might not be as rapid, it is perfectly normal for your mind to be active when meditating. The key is to acknowledge this compassionately while bringing the focus back to the breath whenever possible.

• Being In the Now: Rather than focusing on the past or future, all meditative practices involve focusing on the present. Being in the here and now consists in experiencing each moment, letting it go, and then experiencing the next. Focusing on the here and now takes practice, as many of us live most of our lives thinking toward the future or ruminating on the past.

• Altered State of Consciousness: With time, maintaining a quiet mind and focusing on the present can lead to an altered level of consciousness that isn’t a sleeping state but isn’t quite your average wakeful state either.

The Biggest Benefits of Eating Avocado

• Avocado benefits for skin: One key benefit of eating avocados regularly is the potentially rejuvenating impact they can have on your skin. This is because it contains a multitude of skin-loving vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid, for example, is an essential omega-3 fatty acid and antioxidant, which is associated with reducing skin damage from environmental factors, like the sun.

• Avocado benefits for cholesterol: A significant number of Americans (around two in five) have high cholesterol levels. But some foods, like avocados, which are loaded with nutrients and polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats, can help to lower cholesterol levels and in turn, benefit heart health. In fact, one study suggested that eating just one avocado per day could help to decrease unhealthy levels of cholesterol.

• May support weight loss: The fiber and protein in chia seeds may benefit those trying to lose weight. One oz (28 g) of chia seeds has close to 10 g of dietary fiber. That means they’re a whopping 35% fiber by weight.

• Other avocado benefits: Skin and cholesterol aside, avocados also have a host of other benefits. They can improve digestion, for example, because they’re a good source of fiber. Fiber helps to keep bowel movements regular and smooth and reduces the risk of constipation.

3 strength exercises you can do with a yoga block that aren't ab exercises

• HAND-RELEASE PUSH-UPS: During hand-release push-ups, you’ll lift your hands away from the floor, then place them down again and push up to the starting position. Your upper body will learn to produce power from dead weight and exert greater force to press the body away from the floor without momentum or partial range of motion.

• TRICEPS DIPS: Place a large block lengthways behind you, or use two blocks positioned shoulder-width apart. The triceps burner also activates your pecs and shoulder muscles.

• TRICEPS PUSH-UPS: Ideally, use two yoga blocks for this exercise, but you could practice with one. The narrow arm position emphasizes the triceps, helping to strengthen your arms while targeting your pecs and anterior deltoids (frontal heads of the shoulders).

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