Nutrition Corner

7-Day Anti-Inflammatory Low-Sodium Meal Plan for High Blood Pressure, Created by a Dietitian: An anti-inflammatory meal plan tailored to improve blood pressure without sacrificing flavor!

5 Reasons Why These Small Grains Can be a Great Substitute For Quinoa: Fonio is classified into the category of small millets. It is one of the oldest millets in circulation.

Recipe for The Day

Easy Chicken Divan: A healthier Chicken Divan made from scratch with layers of tender chicken breast and broccoli in a creamy sauce topped with golden crumbs.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

3 Excellent Ways to Force More Muscle Growth at the Gym

• Progressive Overload: At the core of any effective muscle-building regimen lies the fundamental principle of progressive overload. This principle simply means that in order to build more muscle, you must continually challenge your muscles with a workload that is slightly greater than what they are accustomed to. This concept underpins the entire process of muscle growth.

• Monitoring and tracking progress: Tracking your progress is an indispensable aspect of any successful muscle-building journey. It provides you with valuable insights into what’s working, what needs improvement, and helps you stay motivated on your path to achieving your fitness goals. There are two primary methods for effectively monitoring and tracking your progress: keeping a workout journal and utilizing technology and apps.

• Strategic Workout Planning: Structured workouts are the foundation of an effective muscle-building regimen. They provide a clear roadmap for your training sessions, ensuring that you’re not just going through the motions but systematically working towards your goals.

5 ways to get the most out of weekend-only workouts

• Commit to doing what you can do: Have an honest conversation with yourself about how much activity you can reasonably commit to doing. To make the most of the exercises during the weekend, own your time. Whether it’s 10, 30, or 50 minutes, you own that time, no one else. Pick it wisely, put your phone away, and stay consistent, and results will come.

• Opt for a variety of activities rather than a high volume of one activity: Some weekend warriors make the mistake of spending all their exercise time doing one activity. After a while, this practice may create imbalances in the body and increase your risk of developing injuries. Assign one weekend day as a “cardio day” and one day as a “strength day.”

• Get your friends and family involved: Work out with a friend or take a fitness class. With this mindset, a hike can become an excuse to catch up with someone you love, and lifting weights at the gym can become a time to reconnect with your partner.

• Practice presence in your workouts: Make sure that there are no interruptions so you can be focused on your workout and gain body awareness. This will allow your form to be precise, and you’ll get the best results out of each executed movement.

• Prioritize rest and nutrition during the workweek: Lean on other supporting habits like sleep, meditation, and nutrition during the week to help maximize the return on the two active days.

3 Health Benefits of Papaya

• Strengthens Your Immune System: Papaya is rich in vitamin C, a water-soluble nutrient with a laundry list of health benefits. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an antioxidant that bolsters your immune system, fends off illness and infections, and supports wound healing.

• May Lower Cancer Risk: A 2021 literature review published in Antioxidants concluded that diets rich in vitamin C from fruits and vegetables could play a critical role in cancer prevention and therapy. Since papaya is high in vitamin C, it possesses antioxidant properties that help prevent free radical damage and oxidative stress to your body's cells, which can form cancer-causing compounds.

• Improves Your Digestion: Staying hydrated and getting enough fiber are two essential criteria for optimal digestion. Considering that up to 88% of papaya is water, eating papaya is a great way to enhance digestion, alleviate constipation and reduce bloating.

4 Best Exercises For The Perfect Leg Workout

• Hack Squats: The hack squat offers the benefits of a classic weighted squat without the added back strain. The machine isolates your quads and allows you to apply more pressure on them in comparison to a classic weighted squat where the back, abdomen the core are also engaged.

• Back Squats: The squat is known as the king of the exercises and for good reason. It pretty much works every muscle in your body from the neck downwards with your quads, glutes, core, and back doing the heavy lifting (or so to speak).

• Bulgarian Split Squats: The Bulgarian is a one-legged squat with the lower back leg in an elevated position. As one of the lower legs is resting on a bench or chair, each leg gets a serious workout with your body weight. This exercise targets the quads, but the muscles of the back leg also get some love. It’s a great lower-body exercise at the start of your workout, as it activates the entire leg.

• Front Squats: At first glance, the front squat may appear similar to the back squat with the exception of the weight being carried in front of your chest. However, the two exercises work for very different muscle groups. The front squat works your anterior chain whereas the back squat works the posterior chain of muscles.

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