Yoga Is The Answer To All Of Your Problems – Here’s Why

Let's face it... Life is overwhelming. Most of us find ourselves living in a constant state of exhaustion, stress, and anxiety, and it's miserable to feel that way 24/7. While many of the reasons we feel that way day in, day out come down to outside life stressors, like work, family, etc., we often make ourselves feel the affects even more strongly by simply not taking care of ourselves and listening to our bodies tell us what it needs. Fortunately, there's one simple activity that has the potential to provide you with incredible health benefits and assist in your effort to eliminate that constant exhausted, stressed out state your living in. Say hello to the answer to all of your problems - Yoga!

You may know a yogi or two that are very passionate about the practice. That's because... it works! The health benefits of practicing yoga are plentiful, including for your physical health. If you've never practiced yoga before, you might be picturing someone just holding a bunch of goofy-looking poses. While that's certainly not all that yoga is about, you're not entirely wrong. Yoga poses improve strength, balance, and flexibility. And believe me, flexibility is something we all need! As we age, our muscles will naturally become tighter over time (if we don't continually work them), leading to all sorts of aches and pains. Maintaining and increasing our range of motion as we age is super important, and by moving our bodies through various yoga poses, we can ensure that our muscles stay stretched and the tension caused by our stresses can be released. Plus... If you're looking to get toned, yoga can certainly help with that too!

But yoga isn’t just about the body - it’s equally important for mental health. All of those high levels of stress, anxiety, and exhaustion you're experiencing can be greatly relieved with the help of yoga. This is because yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, aka the portion of your nervous system that is responsible for our body’s rest and relaxation response. Breathing is a huge part of practicing yoga for several reasons... Obviously, you need to breathe because you're human, but more than that, yoga focuses on breathing deeply and consciously. This is to help us calm our frantic minds and keep our emotions in check. And trust me - once you start to get your brain and your emotions under control, your overall sense of well-being and happiness is about to skyrocket!

So what are you waiting for?! Find a local yoga class and give it a try. The health benefits of yoga could help you in unimaginable ways, and it might just be the answer to all of your problems. For Las Vegas locals looking for a free yoga class, free Mountainside Yoga at Lee Canyon is being offered through the month of August. To register to attend an upcoming Mountainside Yoga class, click here.

As you sit at a restaurant, a diner may find themselves contemplating certain aspects of the establishment. Questions may naturally arise. How well-maintained is this place? to Are the ingredients in the dishes as fresh as they claim to be? It’s only human to wonder about the cleanliness of the establishment and the credibility of certain food items. But what foods should you avoid at restaurants?

Dining out at restaurants has become an integral part of many of our lives. They offer convenience, diverse cuisines, and enjoyable experiences. While it’s undoubtedly enjoyable, it’s important to approach restaurant dining with mindfulness and consideration.

While most establishments prioritize food safety and quality, there can be occasional pitfalls. One category of concern is seafood. Seafood dishes, particularly those featuring raw or undercooked ingredients, can present risks of foodborne illnesses.

Additionally, some fried foods may be prepared using reused or overheated cooking oil, resulting in a less-than-appetizing taste and potential health risks. Fried dishes that appear excessively greasy or have a rancid smell should raise a red flag, suggesting that they may not be the best option on the menu.

It may also be wise to be cautious about certain buffet offerings. While buffets offer a variety of choices, the food can remain exposed to varying temperatures for extended periods, increasing the risk of contamination. Opting for freshly prepared dishes or ordering from the menu may be a safer alternative.

Dishes with unidentifiable ingredients or unusually low prices could raise concerns about their quality or sourcing. It doesn’t hurt to ask about unfamiliar ingredients and to be wary of menu items that seem too good to be true.

By keeping an eye out for certain dishes, we can make choices that put our health first without sacrificing any enjoyment. But it's not just on us to be careful. Restaurants need to do their part too. And keep in mind that most restaurants work hard at keeping up top-notch hygiene and food safety.

If you want to minimize your risk of food poisoning on your next dining out, check out these foods you probably should avoid at restaurants.

Even with filtration in place, restaurant water might not be as pristine as one would assume. A study conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences revealed that approximately 3-10% of water systems in North America have annually violated health standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act, and this includes restaurants, as reported by the water filtration company, Quench. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon to find germs and chemicals in restaurant tap water that could potentially affect the health of patrons. Common impurities detected in tap water supplies consist of microorganisms like bacteria, germs, parasites, and viruses, as well as substances like lead, chlorine, aluminum, pesticides, and others.

If sprouts aren’t properly stored and cleaned, they can become quite risky. Unfortunately, when ordering food at a restaurant, we may not witness this process. Sprouts are commonly cultivated in warm, moist conditions, which makes them an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, according to Health Digest. Recent outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella have been potentially linked to these greens.

Bartenders often don't have to follow the same stringent sanitary standards as the kitchen staff. As a result, the fruits used in drinks are likely to be unwashed, and they might sit out for days without refrigeration. According to Good Housekeeping, it's worth giving a second thought to that citrus fruit you might be adding to your drink while dining out. A study revealed that 70% of these sliced fruits carry "over 25 different types of germs." Contrary to popular belief, even alcohol doesn't seem to do the trick in killing these germs. Good Morning America visited six restaurants and discovered that the lemons were teeming with "fecal matter" and even harbored the dreaded E. coli bacteria.

Consider giving those impromptu "All-You-Can-Eat" fish special days a second thought. The fish served on such occasions is often leftovers from a shipment received a few days prior, which means it may not be at its freshest. According to Healthline, fish not stored at the proper temperature might become contaminated with a toxin known as histamine, which is produced by bacteria in the fish. Moreover, Healthline highlights that cooking at regular temperatures does not eliminate histamine, making it a potential cause of food poisoning.

Whether your ketchup bottle is already on the table at a restaurant or brought to you by the server, chances are it has been handled by multiple people throughout the day or even longer. Making it a potential carrier of germs. Reader's Digest explains that the reason these same bottles keep circulating is that the ketchup in each of them is often "married." This means that as the volume of ketchup decreases in individual bottles, servers will combine the contents of several bottles into one. However, there is a downside to this practice: you may end up consuming ketchup of an unknown age or expiration date, leading to an unpleasant taste.

It might be worth reconsidering your choice, just as you skip adding garnishes to your drink. Freshly squeezed juices can be teamed with bacteria, unlike pasteurized juices. A study conducted by the MSU Extension reveals that most commercially sold juices in the United States are processed or pasteurized to eliminate harmful foodborne illness bacteria. However, when fruits are freshly squeezed into juice, there is a risk of harmful bacteria lingering in the finished product.

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