Beyond Sushi: A Newbie’s Guide to Sea Vegetables

The healthy marine veggies you aren't eating enough of.

If you eat sushi, surprise: you’re already a fan of sea vegetables. Nori, that green wrapper holding your salmon avocado roll together, is one among many vegetables that help build collagen and aid in tissue repair.

Commonly spotted in Asian cuisine, marine plants like nori, kombu, arame and agar are crazy rich in vitamins and minerals, all key players in keeping your metabolism humming. Found at health food stores or in the Asian food aisle of supermarkets, they’re way easier to incorporate into meals than you think. Here’s the breakdown on how open up your diet to three superstar plants from the ocean.

Kombu

What It Is: This potassium and calcium-rich sea cabbage is an easy way to increase the digestibility of protein-rich beans (its enzymes work to break down the sugars in beans that contribute to icky gas and bloating) by simply tossing in a strip of in the next pot of beans you cook. Not only will the kombu impart a more savory flavor, but it’ll also make your famous sweet potato-black eyed pea cakes or Grandma’s black bean burgers easier on the stomach.

Recipe to Try: Brown Rice With Shiitakes and Scallions

Arame

What It Is:  A good “starter seaweed,” this milder marine veggie comes in thin strands and is soaked and simmered before eaten raw, often in salads. Arame contains abundant amounts of iron, potassium and calcium, and is a also good source of protein. If you’re reconstituting it in water before using, keep the infused water to use as a base for a flavorful soup stock.

Recipe to Try:  Cucumber Arame Seaweed Salad

Agar

What It Is: Consider this vegan gelatin. Derived from red algae or seaweed, agar (also known as kanten) is available in various forms like flakes, powder and strips. It’s a handy gelling agent made up of 80% fiber that helps firm up tasty pie fillings or luxurious panna cottas. To cook with it, simply add it to a pot with liquid and bring it to a boil while whisking until it’s dissolved. Super low in calories—we’re talking three calories for two tablespoons—it’s also a good source of calcium and iron, and has virtually no fat or sodium. Beyond desserts (vegan red currant panna cotta, excuse our stares), you can also use agar as a thickening agent in chilled appetizers for a more refreshing party bite.

Recipe to Try: Vegan Queso Blanco Dip

6 Tips to Enhance Mind-Muscle Connection and Maximize Fitness

Fitness is more than just toning the muscles or building an impressive physique. It’s essential to achieve a strong mind-muscle connection in order to maximize your training. In fact, a study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation found that you could gain more power by combining mind and muscle connection.

The science behind this is simple: when your mind and body work together, you are more motivated to stay fit. Focusing your energies on the stretching and contracting muscles on an almost meditative level will give you the best results. In today’s post, we are giving you tips on how can enhance mind-body connection when working out:

1. Controlling the Heart Rate Through Breathing

The first step in strengthening the mind-body connection is through breathing. This is a biological way to control the heart rate. Pressure increases the heart rate and pro athletes control their heartbeat through measured breathing. To control the heart rate when working out, breathe in for six seconds, hold your breath for a couple of seconds then breathe out for seven seconds.

2. Mindful Exercising

Research shows that visualizing the muscle activity alone can improve muscle activity by as much as 10%! So don’t just perform an exercise without checking to see if you achieved the right form. By exercising mindfully, you will target major muscle groups more effectively. This makes your workout more efficient, you don’t waste time and effort at all. Targeted workout will also lead to more fitness gains. Don’t let gravity do all the iron pumping for you. Pay close attention to the contractions of your muscles, focus on slow, deliberate movement and feel the tension.

3. Practice Visualizations

Powerful imagery can improve performance by up to 35%. This, according to a research conducted on participants who practice visualization on a 12-week workout. Participants performed visualization on both workout and non-workout times. After the study, those who practiced visualization improved their strength from 13.5% to 35%!

When the brain focuses on an image – say visualizing toned biceps – it sends a message to the corresponding muscle to increase in mass. And these muscles tone up regardless if you don’t train it that often. When you practice visualization and combine it with training, you will surprise yourself with the amazing result.

4. Remove all Distractions

To achieve better mind-muscle connection, you have to remove yourself from everyday concerns that keep you from focusing on your mental and physical self. That means not thinking about work, TV, food and petty concerns and focusing on what you hope to achieve for the day. This disconnection from everyday anxiety does not apply to fitness alone. You can practice this to re-focus your mind when you are too overwhelmed.

5. Meditation

Find the quietest spot in your home. Sit comfortably and affirm your intentions. Close your eyes, remove all distractions in your mind and breathe deeply. Meditate on your fitness goal or any goals you have to eliminate anxiety. Bask in the quietness for five to ten minutes every day to improve mental focus.

6. Flex Your Muscles

Flexing stretches and strengthens the muscle tissues. Stand in front of your mirror and start flexing certain muscles. Contract the muscles one at a time in slow, deliberate movement. This will help you achieve a sculpted form and improve muscle control when you exercise.

Complications and Dangers of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is a chronic disorder that affects the arteries and the heart.

 This condition forces the heart to work harder. 

This in turn, makes the heart weaker. As the heart weakens, it causes a myriad of health complications.

With every beat, the heart pushes blood throughout the body. Blood pressure refers to the amount of force within the arteries and veins. Blood pressure is expressed in two measurements: systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure measures the blood being pumped out the heart. Diastolic blood pressure measures between heartbeats.

Complications of High Blood Pressure

Arteriosclerosis

Too much pressure causes hardening or narrowing of the arteries. Healthy arteries should be pliant and flexible in order to withstand the pressure from the heart. Hypertension causes the inner lining of the arteries to harden. This condition is called arteriosclerosis. When the arteries are hardened, blood flow becomes slower. Eventually, arteriosclerosis leads to kidney failure, heart attack, blocked arteries, and eye damage.

Aneurysm

Aneurysm is an often-fatal condition wherein a damaged artery bulges and ruptures. This condition causes internal bleeding, coma, artery damage and death.

Coronary Artery Disease

This condition affects the blood supply to the heart through the arteries. When the arteries become narrowed, blood won’t flow freely. When blood can no longer flow freely, it leads to irregular heart rhythms or arrhythmias, chest pain and heart attack.