Italian Wellness Hacks, Conquering Ice Baths, and Diet Madness

Nutrition Corner

Eating like it's the 1970s showed me the madness of our modern diet

Hypertension: How strawberries can help heart and brain health

Recipe for The Day

Breakfast Oatmeal Cookie: Folks who are particular about their oatmeal additions can manipulate this recipe however they like. As long as you have the basic cookie done, the toppings can be just about anything

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

How to conquer an ice bath in 7 easy steps

• Fully submerge ASAP: Jump all the way in as soon as you can do so safely, getting the top of your head wet, then have a seat, if available, so that your head is above the water.

• Breathing techniques: Pick a breathing technique that works best to get you back to a place of regulation, a normal calm state.

• Focus techniques: Visualize yourself doing something that keeps you calm or makes you happy.

• Relax: Relax your shoulders and your face. Swallow.

• Hands up: You can keep your hands in the water, but because your extremities are the first to get coldest, ice bath beginners might want to hold your hands above the water or in your armpits.

• Collective energy is real: Take an ice bath as a team, with a friend or group – and look into each others’ eyes for moral support!

• Be safe: Don’t ever practice hyperventilation or any other techniques that deregulate your breathing. Consult a doctor beforehand if you have heart, blood pressure or circulatory issues.

Make Protecting Your Peace A Daily Practice By Following These 5 Steps

• Consider yourself important enough to be protected: You have to consider yourself important enough to be protected. Engaging in self-neglect is not going to help you have a peaceful life.

• Set boundaries and limits on who and what has access to your energy: You cannot be everything to everyone. You have to be willing to set limits because if you wait for others to set them, you will never have peace in your life.

• Evaluate the relationships in your life: As part of protecting your peace, evaluating the relationships in your life is important. Ask yourself: Are these people adding value to my life? Do they encourage and support me? Do they constantly bring me down, make me feel drained, and spark the dysregulation of my nervous system?

• Create space for self-care: Let go of unnecessary commitments that cause burnout and protect your peace by creating space for rest and self-care.

• Let go of the need to control the external and instead focus on the internal: Trying to control everything can create anxiety and stress. Let go of the need to control external circumstances and instead focus on what you can control---your attitude and response.

5 Italian Girl Wellness Hacks I Learned in Italy That Improved My Life

• Live an active lifestyle: La Passeggiata is the Italian ritual of going on a leisurely evening stroll. The goal of this walk isn’t to break a sweat, but rather to catch up with loved ones.

• Enjoy carbs in all their forms: If you’re still worried that carbs will wreck your wellness goals, you should know that dietitians have debunked the myth that carbs cause weight gain. In fact, restricting food groups in order to lose weight may actually backfire.

• Eat locally-sourced foods: In Italy, local ingredients take center stage at every meal. Since the ingredients are so fresh, meals are delicious without the need to add filler ingredients. This leads to both a tastier and healthier diet.

• Romanticize your meals: Research has shown that looking at screens while eating can cause overeating, plus you are just not fully mindful to allow your digestive system to relax.

• Prioritize leisure: Italians have perfected the art of relaxing. Long lunches, evening strolls, and kicking back with a few friends and a glass of wine aren’t occasional treats. They’re the norm. This balanced approach to life can help reduce stress, ultimately making you happier and more productive when you need to be.

6 Plyometric Exercises to Build Explosive Strength and Crank Up Your Workout's Intensity

• Pop Squat: This move is a plyometric variation of the squat, a classic lower-body exercise that targets your quads, glutes, and core.

• Split Squat Jump: This exercise is a plyometric variation of the split squat, another classic lower-body move that works your legs and glutes.

• Alternating Lunge Jump: This move is similar to the split squat jump, but alternating feet makes it a little tougher—plus it brings a coordination challenge too.

• Reverse Lunge to Knee-Up Jump: This move is a plyometric version of the reverse lunge. The reverse lunge works the major muscle groups in your lower half, including your quads, glutes, and calves—and the jump at the end adds explosiveness.

• Tuck Jump: This advanced plyo move ​​engages your entire core and back, especially the lower part of your abs. Make sure your knees don’t cave in when you squat or jump.

• Jump Squat With Heel Tap: Another plyometric version of the squat, this exercise challenges your quads and glutes while you build explosiveness.