Healthy Living

Did you know that 12 million people over the age of 40 years old in the United States have a vision impairment? That's one million people who are blind, three million people who have vision problems after an attempted correction, and eight million people with uncorrected refracted impairments.

Sounds scary, right?

Well, luckily, you've clicked on this article. And, in this article, we're going to talk about foods for eye health. This means that we're going to talk about some foods that researchers have found to promote healthy eyes.

To read more about how you can take care of your eye health, keep reading. Let's dig in.

1. Fish

Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This is especially true for oily fish that store more oil in their gut and body tissue. Thus, eating these oily fish offer more omega-3 fatty acids than eating other kinds of fish.

These are the fish that offer the most beneficial levels of omega-3 fatty acids:

• Tuna
• Salmon
• Anchovies
• Herring
• Trout
• Sardines
• Mackerel

The retina of your eye is composed of DHA, which is a type of omega-3. Those who don't have enough DHA may experience visual disturbances.

Thus, research shows that consuming more omega-3 fatty acids can improve eyesight. More specifically, it can reduce the risk of macular degeneration. These changes are notable because macular degeneration is a common cause of permanent eye damage and even blindness.

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids help with tear production. So, they can help prevent dry eye which can cause visual impairments and inflammation. 

2. Nuts and Legumes

Just like fish, nuts also have notable levels of omega-3 fatty acids. So, they can help with macular degeneration and other vision issues.

Plus, they also contain Vitamin E, which research shows can protect our eyes from damage secondary to aging. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help protect your cells from damage. This includes protecting your eye cells from damage.

More specifically, Vitamin E protects your cells from damage from free radicals. These are harmful and unstable molecules within your body. 

Because of this protection, Vitamin E can prevent age-related cataracts and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Here are some kinds of nuts and legumes that are great for promoting eye health:

• Walnuts
• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Brazil nuts
• Lentils

Think about how beneficial these little things are next time you're getting a casual snack.

3. Seeds

Seeds are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E. Seeds like chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds can help reduce macular degeneration and prevent cataracts. 

It's easy to add seeds to any snack or meal. You can sprinkle them over a salad or add them to a smoothie.

Most of the time, you won't even notice they're there. Meanwhile, they're helping to protect you against future visual impairments.

4. Citrus Fruits

Just like they help to boost the immune system, citrus fruits help with visual impairments. Citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant.

You'll find a great amount of Vitamin C in fruits like lemons, oranges, and grapefruits.

Vitamin C forms collagen in our bodies. Collagen is a protein that makes up part of the structure of our eyes and other areas of our bodies. 

Vitamin C has the ability to protect the body from damage that comes from things that we eat and smoke. It can also protect us from the sun's rays, which can be too harsh for our bodies to handle. Specifically, Vitamin C helps repair damaged tissue and generate new tissue cells where dead ones once were.

Thus, Vitamin C can help protect against visual impairments such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Even consuming the juice of these fruits can be beneficial to our eye health. However, you should make sure that you're drinking juice straight from the fruit. Drinking processed juice isn't as beneficial.

5. Leafy Green Vegetables

It always comes back to those vegetables that most people push away. They are unbelievably good for you. And, they promote healthy eyes.

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. 

Lutein is one of two major carotenoids. We find it as a color pigment in the human eye. Mainly, we find it in the macula and retina.

Scientists believe that it works as a light filter. This means that it can protect our eyes from sunlight damage.

However, lutein is also an antioxidant. It can reduce inflammation in the eyes, fight free radicals, reduce oxidative stress, and improve your vision. 

Zeaxanthin is an eye vitamin as well. Your body draws it directly to the eyes when it enters. It travels into the lens, macula, and fovea.

Because of its placement, zeaxanthin can help protect your eyes from high-energy light waves. Usually, humans experience these kinds of waves from the sunlight. So, having more zeaxanthin in your diet can help protect your eyes.

Both lutein and zeaxanthin help to protect the macula. This is the area of the eye that gives us our central and most detailed vision. Thus, lutein and zeaxanthin can help clarify and sharpen vision.

6. Carrots

Carrots have both Vitamin A and beta carotene. 

Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamins when it comes to eye health. It composes rhodopsin, which helps the retina absorb light from our surroundings. 

And, Vitamin A can help our conjunctival membranes and cornea function better. It helps our bodies turn rays of light into images that we're able to see and process in our brains.

Vitamin A also helps keep your eyes hydrated. With water, Vitamin A ensures that your eyes stay lubricated. Without enough of it, you may develop dry eye and vision impairments secondary to it.

Beta carotene is what gives carrots their color. It helps reduce oxidative stress. Plus, beta carotene helps our bodies convert beta carotene into Vitamin A.

Overall, both Vitamin A and beta carotene promote eye health by sharpening our vision and making it easier to absorb light.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have beta carotene and Vitamin E, too. So, they have a few benefits for your eyes:

• Increase in Vitamin A
• Reduction in oxidative stress
• Sharpened vision
• Lessened light sensitivity
• Slowing age-related macular degeneration
• Preventing age-related cataracts

Replacing white potatoes for sweet potatoes can do a lot for promoting eye health. This simple replacement can help you promote a better diet and nutrition targeted for your eyes.

8. Beef

Beef has zinc, which promotes better long-term eye health. Zinc also helps slow age-related sight-loss and macular degeneration.

Zinc itself composes a great portion of the eye and helps to compose melanin in the eye. You can find zinc in the retina and the vascular tissue around the retina. Because of this, zinc helps protect the eye from environmental stimuli that may damage eyesight.

Zinc helps to maintain the health of our retinas. This means that it may protect the eyes from light that can be damaging to our eyes.

You can also find zinc in chicken and pork, but beef contains zinc in higher levels.

While zinc is important to your eye health, you should be careful not to ingest too much of it. Zinc can lower the amount of copper that you have in your blood. Because copper helps your body make red blood cells, you may become anemia due to taking too much zinc.

If you would like to take zinc for your eye health, you should talk to your doctor about a healthy amount of zinc for you. At the same time, you should be sure to limit the amount of beef that you're taking in. Ingesting too much beef isn't good for you, both because of the zinc and because of the cholesterol.

9. Eggs

Eggs contain lutein and zeaxanthin. As we discussed earlier, these are both beneficial to your eye health:

• Lutein reduces inflammation
• Lutein fights free radicals
• Lutein reduced oxidative stress
• Lutein improves your vision
• Zeaxanthin protects your eyes from harmful light

Overall, ingesting more of both lutein and zeaxanthin can promote eye health.

10. Water

It may not surprise you, but water is also great for your eye health. Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration. In turn, dehydration can lead to dry eyes since your eyes require enough water to function properly.

Dry eyes can lead to inflammation in the eyes, especially if you're itching or rubbing them because of the dryness.

By drinking more water, you can help to lubricate your eyes. This means that you'll be preventing dry eye and eye inflammation by drinking more water. Plus, you'll find that you can see more clearly with well-lubricated eyes. 

Promoting Eye Health With Vitamins and Supplements

The AAO, or American Academy of Opthalmology, provides recommendations for the amounts of these vitamins and supplements that you should be taking:

• 500 milligrams of Vitamin C
• 400 international units of Vitamin E
• 10 milligrams Lutein
• 2 milligrams Zeaxanthin
• 80 milligrams Zinc Oxide
• 2 milligrams Copper Oxide

By ingesting these levels of vitamins and supplements daily, you can help slow the progression of eye diseases. All of these are healthy eye nutrients that you should be accounting for in your day-to-day life.

All in all, the best way to ingest these vitamins and supplements is through healthy eating and proper diet and nutrition. However, some individuals still have trouble taking in these amounts. So, you should talk to your doctor about the best option for you and your eye health.

Benefits of Eye Health

Your eyes truly are the window into your soul. Well, more accurately, they're the window into the rest of your body.

When someone has their regular eye exam, the ophthalmologist is looking at more than their vision. They're evaluating whether or not you're showing signs of common health conditions, including the following:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Brain tumors
• Macular degeneration
• Cataracts
• Glaucoma
• Liver disease

Your eye doctor can see your veins via your eyes. This is the only place in your body where we can get a good look at the veins without having to perform a surgical procedure.

By inspecting your blood supply, ophthalmologists can look for all of these diseases and more.

It's also important to note that brain health depends on eye health. The optic nerve connects the eyes and the brain, so the two must depend on one another to receive and process outside information.

Keeping your eyes healthy helps keep your brain healthy. And, it gives you a better quality of life.

Other Tips for Promoting Eye Health

The AAO also offers other tips for promoting eye health. Here are some strategies that you should consider using:

• Wear sunglasses outside to prevent cataracts from excessive sun exposure
• Stop smoking to prevent the creation of free radicals that can hurt and kill cells
• Get regular eye exams and let your eye doctor know of any changes
• Wear eye protection while you're working with eye irritants and/or dangerous chemicals
• Wash your hands before you apply contacts
• Wear contacts for the period of time indicated by your eye doctor
• Protect your eyes from computer-related strain by taking a break every 20 minutes

The AAO also suggests that you keep an eye on your blood sugar level. If you have high blood sugar, you could have diabetes. This is the leading cause of blindness.

So, those with diabetes should monitor their levels carefully and take their medications as their physicians direct them.

Combining Foods for Eye Health With Medication

Even if you're ingesting all of the right foods for eye health and taking all of the right supplements for eye health, you may still find yourself struggling with eye health. Because of this, your medical physician or ophthalmologist may prescribe a medication to help with your eyesight.

Of course, they may also recommend glasses, contacts, or a similar solution.

However, if you find yourself with a prescription, you should come to PricePro Pharmacy online. We can help you order your prescription drugs online from Canada.

You'll have the prescription you need in no time. And, you'll have your eye health back.

Works Cited

• https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/fastfacts.htm#:~:text=Approximately%2012%20million%20people%2040,due%20to%20uncorrected%20refractive%20error.
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24557349/
• https://www.aoa.org/patients-and-public/caring-for-your-vision/diet-and-nutrition
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/top-10-foods-that-boost-the-immune-system/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/lutein-for-eyes
• https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/lutein-zeaxanthin-vision
• https://saxonburgeye.com/2019/07/10/the-benefits-of-vitamin-a-and-beta-carotene/#:~:text=Beta%2Dcarotene%20helps%20reduce%20the,see%20in%20darkness%20a%20little.
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1462955/
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/over-40-40-common-health-problems-you-should-know/
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-telltale-signs-and-symptoms-of-high-blood-sugar/
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/how-to-order/ 

What does your average day look like?

Does it involve hours spent inside? Perhaps you're behind a computer screen or in a small office with no natural light? Do you find yourself sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or on public transit dreaming about a few moments of freedom? 

That's because your body is craving the benefits of nature. It is longing for a few moments of peace and tranquility. It's begging you for wide-open spaces and beautiful scenery.

Getting out in nature isn't just about the breathtaking views and wildlife. Studies have proven that spending as little as two hours per week in nature has drastic effects on your health and wellbeing. 

How does nature improve our health and what can you do to start reaping the benefits? Read on to learn more about the advantages of nature to our health and some activities to get you out and about.  

Benefits of Nature and Our Health

The health benefits of nature include everything from emotional wellbeing to mental acuity and physical fitness.  

Reduces Stress

Countless factors contribute to chronic stress. These can be anything from a full workload to family issues or unexpected life events.

Living in a concrete city cooped up inside contributes to feelings of being trapped. This, in turn, exacerbates stress by impacting your ability to cope and think rationally.

Being out in nature gives your mind, body, and soul a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of normal life. Time in nature is associated with lower heart rates and decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It allows your system to re-establish balance naturally and holistically.

Boosts Memory

You might be wondering how nature helps us with memory. Nature exposes you to sounds, smells, and sights that you don't often encounter in your everyday routine. These elements activate attention and memory centers in your brain.  

Cognitive studies have found that walking in nature and even viewing photos of nature help improve memory recall. If you want to boost memory at work or school put up photos of beautiful nature scenes. However, it is important to realize that you only receive the full benefits of nature by getting out into it. 

Stimulate Serotonin Production

In 2005 Richard Louv exposed the world to the term 'nature-deficit disorder.' Although this is not recognized as an official disease, it is used to describe the negative impact that lack of nature has on emotional well-being.

Children who spend more time in nature tend to have fewer behavioral issues. This is most likely due to the mood-enhancing effects of sunshine. Being in nature makes you happy by increasing the production of serotonin. 

Serotonin is a hormone that helps stabilize mood. It also reduces the occurrence of depression and anxiety. The more time people spend outside, the higher their serotonin levels and the better able they are to manage difficult emotions and life events. 

Increase Concentration

If you are like most people, you are often surrounded by technology. Cell phones, computers, and televisions can overstimulate your brain leading to mental fatigue. Having a tired brain leads to decreased focus while performing everyday tasks. 

You might miss a crucial detail at a staff meeting, or even fail to notice a red light while driving. That's why getting a weekly dose of nature is so important. 

Nature has a slower pulse which gives your brain a chance to wind down and disconnect allowing it to reset. The next time you are feeling run down, consider getting away to the mountains or countryside for the weekend. 

Strengthens Immune System

Everyone knows the adage that an apple a day can help to keep the doctor at bay. What you might not have known is that a daily walk can work the same way.

Taking time to get out into nature stimulates white blood cell production. These cells are essential for fighting off viruses and bacteria that infect the body and make you sick. The next time you are feeling a bit under the weather pack a bag with some nutritious foods and head out for a little quality time with nature. 

Access to Vitamin D

Having a balanced diet doesn't always mean you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Vitamin D is an essential nutrient required for bone health, cell growth, and immune function. Although you can get vitamin D in certain foods such as fish, red meat, and eggs, it is often insufficient. 

Just 10 to 15 minutes of unprotected sunshine per day is enough to fill your body's vitamin D quota. After that put on some sunscreen and continue to enjoy the daylight. 

Promote Weight Loss and Heart Health

Surrounding yourself with nature does not mean you have to do something active. However, when you couple nature with physical activity you can promote weight loss and improve heart health. 

Outdoor activities such as walking, rollerblading, and cycling utilize your body differently. Muscles that normally remain inactive begin to demand additional oxygen and stimulate increased blood flow. Performing regular cardio outside is one of the best ways to strengthen your heart and boost your lung capacity. 

Heals Your Body

For centuries people have searched for magic elixirs to extend life expectancy and ward off disease. If only they understood the true cure is right out the front door. One of the greatest advantages of nature to our health is its ability to aid in healing. 

Doctors have discovered patients who have plants in their room or a view of trees tend to heal faster and require less pain medication. In addition, going outside daily slows the aging process, keeping people feeling younger longer. One study of adults in their seventies showed those who went outside frequently had fewer complaints and pains as they got older. 

Improves Sleep

Humans and animals alike have natural sleep-wake cycles, known as circadian rhythms. By being exposed to different levels of light your body regulates its internal clock, which is responsible for carrying out different biological processes. 

Constant exposure to artificial light can throw off your normal rhythm and affect your quality of sleep. One of the greatest benefits of nature is that it helps to re-establish a healthy sleep-wake cycle.

Getting outside during the day assures that your brain is most active during daylight hours. Then once it gets dark your body is more prepared to settle into a deep and restful sleep. 

Social Connection and Interaction

The benefits of nature are not limited to the individual level. One 2015 study showed that having access to green spaces reduced overall crime and encouraged community bonding. Rather than resorting to crime out of boredom, adolescents could head to the park. 

Green spaces provide a setting for people to gather, socialize, and relax. They are a great place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions. They also provide space for people to participate in group sports like soccer and baseball. 

Things to Do in Nature

Spending time in nature doesn't have to be a chore. There are so many great activities you can do to promote your health and well-being. 

Take a Walk

This is one of the easiest ways to get your daily fix of nature. Enjoy the gentle sounds of the waves by walking along the beach. Increase your daily steps on a bike path that runs along a green belt or river. 

You don't have to have access to a huge green space to enjoy the benefits of nature. Anywhere with a few trees and a bit of wildlife will do. Even a stroll through your local park will imbibe you with renewed health. 

In addition to providing you with access to nature, walking has a lot of its own health benefits. As a form of cardio exercise, you will burn calories and increase your heart health.  

Go on a Hike

Although there are lots of benefits of being outside in general, it goes without saying that some nature is more encompassing than others. Get a fully immersive experience by going on a hike.

Hiking exposes you to flora and fauna you don't often see in the middle of a city. Depending on where you hike you will be filling your lungs with clean, fresh air. Hiking is also a great way to challenge your body and really get your blood pumping. 

Before heading out on the trail, always make sure that you are prepared with extra water, snacks, and a first aid kit. Check-in with locals about poisonous plants and animals to avoid. Also, make sure to investigate trail difficulty so you don't bite off more than you can handle. 

Participate in Water Activities

The benefits of nature don't stop where the land ends. There is an entire range of water activities that get you outdoors and reaping the emotional, mental, and physical benefits of nature. Here are some ideas to get you started: 

• Kayaking
• Surfing
• Sailing
• Whitewater rafting
• Flyfishing
• Swimming

As you get out there and try different water activities, don't forget to put on some sunscreen. Water reflects sunlight and increases your exposure to harmful UV rays. This makes you more susceptible to burns and increases your chance of developing skin cancer later in life.  

Meditate

By itself, regular meditation has countless benefits on your health. It helps reduce stress and encourages clarity by calming the mind. Taking your meditation routine out in nature is a great way to increase the benefits. 

Let nature lull you into a state of relaxation with the sound of the wind in the trees and the light melodies of bird songs. Your body will also be thankful for the burst of fresh air. 

But what if you live in a city where your only access to nature is interrupted by sirens, horns, and other loud noises? Grab a set of headphones and head to the park anyway. You will still be able to enjoy the smell of the trees, the feel of the earth beneath your feet, and the touch of the sun on your skin. 

Read a Book

Who said reading had to be an indoor activity? Head down to your favorite cafe, grab a coffee, and set yourself up on a blanket in the middle of the park. You'll be feeding your mind with a great story or non-fiction while enhancing your entire being with your surroundings. 

Have a Picnic

As mentioned before children are also impacted by a lack of exposure to natural places. Having a picnic is the perfect way to get the entire family out of the house and receiving the benefits of nature. Don't forget to bring a soccer ball or frisbee to get in a bit of exercise. 

Sleep in Nature

There is something quite special about sleeping out under a stary night sky. Take a weekend camping trip or if you live near nature set up the hammock in your backyard.

The fresh air and peaceful night sounds will do wonders for your health. After a great night of sleep in nature, you will wake up feeling refreshed, less stressed, and ready to take on the day. 

Why Nature Helps Us

There are so many wonderful benefits of nature to our health. Improve your concentration with a daily walk through the park. Boost your immune health during a weekend getaway. 

Whatever adventure you choose, spending time in nature is sure to leave you feeling refreshed and centered. 

Sometimes doing good things for our bodies isn't enough. There are times when taking medication is required to maintain optimal health. Fortunately, it doesn't have to break the bank. 

Order your medication with Pricepro Pharmacy today to start saving. 

Works Cited:  

Spending at Least 120 Minutes a Week in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3

The Physical and Mental Consequences of Chronic Stress: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-physical-and-mental-consequences-of-chronic-stress/

The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19121124/

'Nature-Deficit Disorder' Is Really a Thing: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/parenting/nature-health-benefits-coronavirus-outdoors.html

Sunshine, Serotonin, and Skin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779905/

Top 10 Foods That Boost the Immune System: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/top-10-foods-that-boost-the-immune-system/

Going Outdoors Daily Predicts Long-term Functional and Health Benefits: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18332184/

Seeing Community for the Trees: https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/65/12/1141/223866

Benefits of Nature Experience: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204615000286

9 Benefits of Meditation: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/benefits-of-meditation/

The Complex Relationship Between Sleep and Stress: https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-complex-relationship-between-sleep-and-stress/

Since 1950, there have been significant declines in mortality rates for common diseases. This includes heart conditions at 56% and strokes at 70%.

We've learned more about how these diseases form through research studies. Thus, we know how to fight them more precisely.

More recently, scientists have been pushing for treatments and cures for the deadliest of diseases. And, they've been successful in many ways.

We may not have a cure for every human ailment, but we're getting one step closer every single day.

To learn more about the most recent health advancements, keep reading.

1. Cancer

Everyone knows the c-word: cancer. In fact, you're likely to know someone who has or has had cancer.

There are numerous funds, charities, and foundations that gear their efforts towards cancer. And, over the last decade, scientists and researchers have been working tirelessly to find a cure. 

More specifically, we've seen multiple effective immunotherapies against cancer. Cancer immunotherapy methods have become more popular for treating cancer patients. It involves using the immune system to fight cancer naturally.

Some cancer immunotherapies use antibodies to bind to and inhibit proteins that are located on cancer cells. Other kinds of immunotherapies involve using anti-cancer vaccines and T cell infusions.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive immune cell therapies are becoming more common. And, they're becoming more widely accepted. 

In fact, these immune therapies are becoming the fourth leg of cancer treatment. They're joining behind surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

As we continue forward, we should expect more effective and more widely-used anti-cancer vaccines. These help our bodies target cancer cells specifically. Thus, we may have the ability to fight off cancer before it becomes widespread or dangerous.

However, we aren't there quite yet. 

The fight against cancer is far from over. Clinical trials across the country are showing promise. But, it's important to recognize that cancer still kills 9.5 million people every single year.

2. Heart Health

The study of the human heart, cardiology, has improved just within the past few years.

And, one of the most notable developments is the transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR. This is a minimally invasive procedure that aims to replace narrow aortic valves. Narrow aortic valves cannot open properly, leading to a condition called aortic valve stenosis.

Previously, surgeons would perform surgical aortic value replacement via open-heart surgery. However, TAVR is a better choice for individuals who may be too high a risk for potential surgical complications.

The TAVR procedures involve guiding a catheter through the femoral artery to the heart. In other cases, surgeons may access the aortic valve via a small incision in the chest wall.

With either method, they position the catheter inside of the heart. Then, they guide the new aortic valve into the place where the original lies. By guiding the catheter through the middle of the aortic valve, they can expand the new valve into its place.

Patients who have this procedure show much promise following surgery. And, they may notice an improvement in their symptoms immediately following the surgery.

Since surgeons have been using TAVR, the procedure has become much simpler and much safer. Plus, new devices and approaches have made the procedure even better over time.

Now, surgeons can use the procedure with a wide variety of patients. And, they continue to improve upon this procedure.

3. HIV/AIDS

HIV and AIDS have a long history. We knew that these conditions existed before 1980. But, researchers did very little during the beginning stages of this epidemic.

Mainly, this is because physicians and researchers were scared. Originally, we didn't know how HIV and AIDS traveled. We didn't know if breathing in the air surrounding a person with one of these diagnoses could cause the problem. 

On top of that, homophobia exacerbated the issue. We once believed that these conditions were only present in gay and bisexual men. So, most physicians and researchers were hesitant to bother researching the condition.

To be clear, men who have sex with other men are 26 times more likely to contract HIV than the average person. However, these are not the only individuals who contract the disease.

Regardless, as the stigma has slowly broken down, more and more research has gone into HIV and AIDS.

Most recently, researchers have formulated a once-a-day pill that can prevent HIV in at-risk populations. This pill is an HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.

Some brands are already out to the public. And, it seems like there are more to come. Plus, some researchers are working on developing a long-term PrEP treatment that can replace having to take a pill every day.

Along with this pill, researchers have established antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is in addition to other long-term treatments.

4. Sleep

We all know that getting good sleep is important. If we don't sleep long enough or well enough, we may experience short-term symptoms. These include headaches, irritability, and maybe even stress.

But, what about the long-term implications? Have you thought about how a lack of sleep will affect you down the road?

Well, new studies show that not getting enough sleep can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease.

More specifically, the lack of deep sleep is what may be the exact link. If we don't get enough sleep, our brains begin to accumulate tau. Unfortunately, tau is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, meaning that the accumulation of tau could be what's leading to it.

Tau is a protein that stabilizes the internal skeletons of our nerve cells. These structures are tube-shaped. And, they help nutrients and other essential substances travel to different parts of the neuron.

Thus, they are very important for brain activity and function.

A high level of tau in the brain mixed with physical and mental consequences from chronic stress could lead to even more dire problems.

5. Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune condition of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. This means that the condition is marked by the immune system attacking these parts of your body. This leads to damage that can be disabling and even deathly.

Researchers have been working on this condition because of its harsh fatality rates. Over the last decade, we've seen several new and effective disease-modifying therapies for the condition.

For now, there is only one disease-modifying therapy that is FDA approved for primary-progressive MS. This is ocrelizumab (Ocrevus). Individuals who receive this treatment are slightly less likely to progress than those who go without the treatment.

On the other hand, there are many FDA-approved therapies for relapsing-remitting MS.

The key with these therapies is to catch things quickly. Scientists are working on finding a way to track the disease more precisely. They believe that they can do this with biomarkers throughout the body.

If they can track the disease better, they can better the prognosis. Plus, they can improve disease-modifying treatments.

A large amount of the immune response that occurs with MS happens in the early stages of the disease. So, it's important to aggressively treat the condition as early as possible. By doing so, MS patients will notice many improvements:

• A lower rate of relapse
• A slower formation of new lesions
• A reduced risk of brain atrophy
• A lessened risk of disability accumulation

With therapies, researchers are investigating personal changes that MS patients can make. These may improve their condition.

Proper diet and regular exercise seem to do wonders in treating the disease. But, researchers are searching for more specific answers. These may drive better evidence-based recommendations.

6. Diet and Nutrition

Everyone knows that a healthy diet and proper nutrition are important. This is especially when it comes to positive health outcomes and well-being. But, researchers have been seeming to jump even more into the subject.

Scientists have an even better understanding of nutrition because of the studies of the last decade. They now understand even more about nutrition, disease, and disease prevention. Lifestyle routines and dietary habits are much more influential than we may like to believe.

More specifically, researchers focused on implications surrounding a whole-foods plant-based diet. The popular movement for a plant-based diet is rooted in science.

Researchers have shown that these diets are cost-effective and low-risk interventions. They're especially useful for patients who may be suffering from a myriad of problems.

This is why you may notice such a large push from the medical community for Meatless Mondays and healthier alternatives.

More specifically, those who engage in these interventions may see more control over high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other harmful conditions. This means that these diets are linked to disease prevention as well. Individuals who eat a plant-based diet may be at a lower risk for developing conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Since research has shown longevity and healthfulness for those who eat a plant-based diet, there has been a massive shift in eating patterns around the world. Suddenly, more people have been fighting large food corporations to offer healthier options and be clearer about ingredients.

7. Robots

Robots have been around for a while, but we've never seen them like this. Health advancements over the last few years have pushed for robotic exoskeletons. These are robotic parts that can replace parts of our bodies.

No, we're not constructing ourselves into human robots. Rather, we're using these parts to help paraplegics, spina bifida patients, and others who have skeletal issues.

There's even an entire suit that can read your mind by detailing your brain activity. Then, it moves based on the instructions that it reads from your brain. Although, most of these devices are remote-controlled.

Devices like these can give people their limbs, spine, and abilities back. People who couldn't walk can do so with the help of these robots.

What used to be reserved for movies has finally reached real life. And, more research is going into making these devices more lifelike.

8. Genome

Genomics is the study of the complete set of DNA within individuals. You may have heard of the Human Genome Project, which traced every single gene in the human genome.

Mapping genomes can help scientists understand how different genes interact with one another as well as the environment.

Because of the insight that genomes give scientists, researchers have been engaging in genome-based research. Many research studies are involved in tracking and controlling cancer genes. If our physicians know that we're susceptible to a certain kind of cancer, they can make better decisions about our preventative care.

More than that, understand someone's genetic makeup can help physicians take evidence-based approaches to their care in general. The human genome can become a decision-making tool for providers as they begin to understand the conditions that that individual may be more susceptible to.

If you're interested in mapping your genome or tracing specific genetic factors, you should ask your primary physician about options in your area. They may be able to help you, especially if you're interested in tracing a specific gene.

One of the most popular tests related to the genome is that involving breast cancer genes. Many people decide to get this kind of test if they find out that one of their close relatives received a poor diagnosis. Knowing this information could improve preventative care and help you and your medical professionals get ahead of the problem.

All in all, it's important to understand that it's your right to know as much as possible about your health. While we don't recommend obsessing over every single gene, we do understand that knowledge is power. Talk to your physician if you have any questions regarding these tests.

Health Advancements in Preventative Medications

Your physician is likely encouraging you to practice preventative medicine. This means that you're working to prevent diseases before they happen.

Sometimes, this involves receiving prescriptions. And, if that happens, we're here to help. You can fill your prescriptions online in minutes.

You'll be taking care of your body in no time. And, just think of the health advancements that could happen while you're elongating your life!

Works Cited

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223602/
• https://www.nature.com/subjects/cancer-immunotherapy#:~:text=Cancer%20immunotherapy%20is%20a%20therapy,vaccines%20and%20T%20cell%20infusions.
• https://www.webmd.com/cancer/how-many-cancer-deaths-per-year#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20an%20estimated%209.5,countries%20all%20around%20the%20world.
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement/about/pac-20384698#:~:text=Transcatheter%20aortic%20valve%20replacement%20(TAVR)%20is%20a%20minimally%20invasive%20procedure,guide%20it%20to%20your%20heart.
• https://www.avert.org/professionals/history-hiv-aids/overview
• https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/hiv-risk-in-gay-men#risk
• https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/prep/index.html
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-complex-relationship-between-sleep-and-stress/
• https://www.npr.org/2020/11/16/935475284/scientists-discover-a-link-between-lack-of-deep-sleep-and-alzheimers-disease#:~:text=Ethics-,Scientists%20Discover%20A%20Link%20Between%20Lack%20Of%20Deep%20Sleep%20And,removes%20toxins%20associated%20with%20Alzheimer's.
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-physical-and-mental-consequences-of-chronic-stress/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350274
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-telltale-signs-and-symptoms-of-high-blood-sugar/
• https://www.nsmedicaldevices.com/analysis/assistive-devices-quadriplegia/
• https://www.ns-healthcare.com/news/cancer-trials-glasgow/
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/brca-gene-test/about/pac-20384815
• https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/how-to-order/

Did you know that, according to Tech Jury, the majority of mobile phone users check their phone every day up to 63 times? Additionally, the average amount of screen time Americans spend on their phones daily is over 5 hours.

If you spend a similar amount on your phone, computer, or tablet, then you might be worried about the effects of screen time on your body.

Maybe you feel like you can’t wake up without checking your phone first thing every day. Or maybe you have trouble falling asleep at night after you’ve spent twenty minutes scrolling through your phone.

These are all negative effects of screen time, and it’s easy for these effects to get out of control. This can be worrying.

Fortunately, you can get back in control. By knowing what the effects of screen time on the body are, you can start to change your habits.

That’s why we’ve put together this article. In it, you’ll learn about the different ways how screen time affects us.

Finally, you can start making smarter decisions about your screen time and be healthier than ever. Read on to learn more.

Eye Strain

One of the biggest effects of screen time on your body is eye strain. When you look at a device constantly, you’re stressing your eyes, which might be why you find yourself having eye pain, not seeing clearly, or getting constant headaches.

Additionally, you could end up damaging your retina if you spend too much time staring at your phone or computer screen.

One of our tips for screen time so that you don’t experience eye strain is to take breaks from your screen.

Do this every ten to fifteen minutes so that your eyes get the rest they need. This is an exercise for your eyes that requires you to take several steps.

First, turn your gaze away from your device and look at a target in the distance. This could be an object across the room you’re in or a window.

Then, close your eyes. Do this for a couple of seconds, after which you can return to your screen. This is an especially useful exercise to use at work, where you can’t take long screen time breaks.

Melatonin Hormone Issues

Another issue that occurs when you have too much screen time is that your melatonin hormone is affected. In fact, there are studies that have shown that prolonged exposure to screens—including passive viewing—can cause sleep disorders.

This is because melatonin hormone levels shift when you spend too much time in front of a screen.

This hormone not only controls when you wake up and fall asleep and how restful your sleep is. Melatonin also is an important factor when it comes to the strength of your immune system.

Sleep deprivation will also negatively impact your immune system. So in addition to not sleeping well, you’ll also be more at risk for illnesses.

To avoid this from happening, monitoring screen time is key. Make sure you limit how much time you spend on your phone and remember to watch out for passive viewing.

If you often have your TV or laptop playing a film in the background, cut down the amount of time you do this, too.

Sleep Problems

In addition to melatonin hormone issues, spending too much time on your phone before you go to sleep can cause sleep problems. This is because the blue light coming into your eyes makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. Our advice on screen time in this case?

Don’t look at your phone, however tempting, before you go to bed at night. If this is difficult for you to do, stick your phone somewhere in your bedroom away from where you sleep.

You should also avoid watching Netflix on your computer before going to bed. Instead, read a book or try out meditation.

Having a bedtime ritual before you get into bed can help too. Make a relaxing chamomile tea, give yourself a time you stop looking at any of your devices, and snuggle up in bed a little while before planning to go to sleep.

Obesity

When you’re spending a lot of time in front of a screen, you usually aren’t moving around much. There are exceptions, of course—some people will watch something on their phone while doing exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill.

But usually, when you’re scrolling through your phone or binge-watching your favorite show on Hulu, you’re sitting on a seat or lying back on a couch or bed.

This is a sedentary lifestyle. It can easily lead to obesity, which can lead to health issues such as high cholesterol, increased blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes.

Another problem with staying inside a lot looking at your screen is that it’s easy for you to spend hours grazing the food that’s at home. This, in addition to a lack of exercise, makes your chance of being obese even higher.

To avoid having this happen, it’s best to spend more time outdoors doing active exercise and activities.

If you’ve already found that you’ve put on more weight than you want to from staring at your screen too long indoors, it can also help to put together a healthier eating and exercise schedule.

Back and Neck Pain

If you’re always leaning to look at your device for hours at a time, this can result in back and neck pain. Especially if you’re at work spending a lot of time seated in a chair that isn’t ergonomic, you’ll definitely feel the after-effects later on.

This could even impact your sleep if you have too much pain to fall asleep restfully at the end of the day.

Here’s how it happens. When you look down at your screen, this puts more stress on your neck. Then, your spine ends up in a position that’s unnatural, which ends up straining ligaments, nerves, and muscles.

There’s an actual term for this, called “text neck.” Fortunately, you can avoid getting “text neck” by spending less time on your phone, regularly stretching, and using creative solutions such as a standing desk.

Getting a chair with back support or that’s ergonomically designed can help, too.

Restructuring of Your Brain

Something a bit scary is that, when adults spend too much time in front of a screen, this can actually restructure the matter in your brain. According to a study that was published in 2020 in Addictive Behaviors, people who had been diagnosed with having a smartphone addiction:

• Had less activity in their brains
• Had lower gray matter amounts in their brains

Generally speaking, when you spend too much time on your phone and are suffering from screen addiction, you experience poorer cognitive performance, more cravings, problems with your brain’s white matter when it comes to communication, and shrinkage of gray matter.

Even if you don’t have an addiction, you’re putting your brain at having some of this type of restructuring happen to it.

Smartphone addiction is a scary thing. If you think you’re experiencing it, then limiting how much time you spend in front of a screen might be challenging for you.

Speak with a professional, for example, a therapist, to find out how you can best help yourself.

Cortisol Hormone Issues

Another problem caused by screen time is that you end up with issues surrounding your brain’s natural production of cortisol. This is an important hormone because it’s responsible for helping your body function when it’s in a stressful situation.

It does this by reducing your immune system response and increasing your blood sugar levels.

However, it has been shown that when children spent devices or computers three hours a day on average, their cortisol levels were lower.

Children who spent an hour or less in front of a screen, on the other hand, had higher cortisol levels.

This can be a big problem if you suddenly find yourself in a stressful situation. The last thing you want to do is make a bad decision under stress or blow up in front of a loved one or colleague.

If you already have stress issues, then we recommend limiting how much time you spend in front of screens, as well as practicing stress-lowering methods like mediation or therapy.

Dopamine Issues

Another problem that happens if you spend a lot of time on your screen scrolling through social media is that you can mess up the regulation of dopamine in your brain. Whenever you get a “like” or a “share,” you’re getting a release of dopamine.

While dopamine is usually a good thing, this can end up turning into an addiction to your tablet or smartphone because you’re constantly spending time checking for social media updates.

This addiction means that you’ll spend more time in front of the screen, which can cause many of the health issues we’ve already covered in this article. Additionally, you could end up with mental health issues because of the addiction.

Issues With Your Forearms, Fingers, and Wrists

Another effect of spending too much time in front of your screen is issues with your forearms, fingers, and wrists. Especially if you’re often hunched over typing while staring at a screen, you could end up with soreness or cramping in these areas.

This can happen whether you’re constantly looking up things online, typing, or texting.

To avoid this issue, limit how much time you spend texting on your phone. If you need to use your devices at work, then try out some of these hand and wrist stretches.

Another issue to watch out for if you type often is carpal tunnel. If you think you’re experiencing it, speak with your doctor, since you might have to end up getting surgery.

Increased Mortality

It’s scary, but it’s true. If you spend a lot of time sitting still in front of a screen, which can include a tablet, computer, or TV, this makes you more likely of having bad cardiovascular issues and increased mortality risk.

You can try to make up for the mortality risk by getting some exercise in, but this only makes a small difference.

If you really want your health to be the best it can be, you have to limit how much time you spend in front of your screen. Start writing down how much time you spend in front of your phone or tablet (or use software) so you can control it.

Many phones now make it possible to track how much time you spend with an app. Here’s a list of apps you can try out.

Now You Know the Effects of Screen Time—Now What?

Now that you know the effects of screen time on the body, you might need additional information. Maybe you want to learn about the best software or apps you can install to keep your kids from spending too much time staring at their screens.

Or maybe you need some advice on the best exercises to do to keep yourself healthy throughout the workday.

Whatever information you need, we can help. At Pricepro Pharmacy, we’re experts when it comes to health. We also sell many medications. To find out more about how we can help, contact us now.

Works Cited

How Much Time Does the Average American Spend on Their Phone in 2021?, Deyan G., Tech Jury

Structural and functional correlates of smartphone addiction, Julian Horvath et al, Addictive Behaviors

Stretches for Wrists and Hands, Healthline

Best Screen Time Apps to Monitor and Limit Screen Time on your iPhone and Android, Educational App Store

Are you amongst the hundreds of people that have issues with their social confidence? If so, there's no need to worry because there are several tips you can use that will help when it comes to boosting social confidence.

We're here to provide you not only with these tips, but also the many advantages of increasing your social confidence. By the time you've finished scrolling through this post, not only are you going to have the social confidence you've always wanted, but you're also going to be ready to show it off to your closest family and friends.

Meditate

Between 200-500 people have taken up the practice of meditating. Meditating helps you become one with yourself and your spirit.

It's also beneficial in identifying negative thoughts you may be having and stopping them before they begin. You'll begin to understand the signs that you're about to have a negative thought and discover the things that trigger them, which in this case would be social situations.

Meditation can help you to approach situations with a calmer mindset than before.

Become a Better You

Before you can be confident in social situations, you've got to be comfortable with yourself. Take time to learn about yourself, including your best and worst qualities.

Confidence has to be built from the inside first before you can begin to exude it outwardly. Learn about yourself and the things you like and the things you need to become more confident over time.

As you continue to learn yourself, you'll find that it becomes easier for you to be confident. When you learn about yourself, it'll become easier to know your worth and not have to seek it from others around you.

Knowing yourself is the first step to boosting your social confidence.

Hangout With Friends

How are you going to overcome social anxiety if you spend time by yourself all of the time? Spending time with your friends is an easy way to overcome social anxiety because you're spending time with people you're familiar with.

For example, if you're going to a concert or dinner with friends that are inviting people you don't know, it might be easier to adjust to the situation because you're with people you already know. Shoot your friends a quick text to meet up somewhere and spend time catching up on the things that you've missed out on recently.

Don't Be So Serious

Does everything someone says or does towards you cause you to become defensive and take the offensive? If so, you're likely taking yourself too seriously and placing a lot of value in the things that people say about you.

Instead, of giving someone that power, take your power back and stop being so serious. Everything someone says about you doesn't deserve a response.

In a sense, you must pick your battles wisely. In life, there are going to be people that have something to say regardless if it's true or not; we recommend that you not internalize it.

Laugh it off and ignore people, the less time you spend thinking about things that they've said or done that don't matter, the less you will be affected.

Remove the Filter

Sometimes people that have social anxiety will filter everything they say. This means that instead of speaking your mind, you think, rethink, and overthink everything before it comes out of your mouth.

Stop doing this. Everything you think and say has a massive amount of value, and it's for that reason that you need to say whatever comes to your mind instead of filtering it.

The beautiful part of interacting with people in social situations is that you'll get to meet people with the same and different ideas. How are you going to openly discover these differing opinions if you never truly speak your mind?

Interacting with people who have something to say that may or may not line up with the things you say and think can open your mind to another way of thinking and help you to broaden your horizons.

Practice Socializing

Outside of hanging out with your friends, there are tons of ways that you can practice socializing with others. The only way to improve your social confidence is purely to jump in headfirst and start doing it.

When you see someone walking down the same street you're on, instead of avoiding eye contact, try smiling or saying Good Morning. People aren't out to get you, and you might realize that people are friendlier than you imagined.

When you're out with friends, stray from the group, choose one person in the room you don't know, and strike up a conversation. People enjoy meeting new people, and the more time you spend putting yourself in these situations, the easier it will become for you.

Don't Lie

There will be times when you might want to tell a small lie instead of telling the truth. There is nothing confident in telling a lie, and that's why you should be bold and always tell the truth.

Whether you know it or not, telling lies can be detrimental to your self-confidence, and that's the last thing you want to do. When you tell the truth, not only are you going to feel better, but you're not going to have to worry about remembering the lies that you told previously.

Are There Benefits?

We've spent the majority of this time detailing how you can improve your social confidence, but you might be wondering why people need social confidence in the first place.

How does having social confidence benefit you? We're glad you asked because now that you've got the tips you've been looking for, we're going to list the advantages of increasing your social confidence.

Overall Happiness

18.1% of people have issues with anxiety in some way or another. When you've got anxiety, the likelihood of also experiencing issues with depression increases greatly.

The first advantage that you have when you improve your social confidence is an increase in overall happiness. The more confidence you have when approaching situations, the better off you'll be.

When you're in social situations, you won't have the same anxiety that you used to have. Instead, you'll be laid back and able to enter into a situation with your head held high and ready to take on anything that comes you're away while you're out and about socializing.

Not being worried about dealing with anxiety frees you of stress. And it gives you the ability to spend more time enjoying what you're doing instead of finding ways to avoid it.

Improved Self-Worth

Being confident in your ability to succeed in social situations will improve the amount of self-worth you have. You'll begin to realize that the things you say and do are worth saying for others to hear because it means something.

Knowing your own self-worth helps give you the confidence to hold your head up high and do anything.

Calmer Mind

Before you decided to improve your social confidence, think about how your mind raced before attending a social event. Did your palms become sweaty?

Did your heartbeat begin to race? Before you knew it, you were so overwhelmed the only way to calm yourself was to opt-out of attending the event altogether.

Building your social confidence gives you a calmer mind and makes it easier to attend these events. Instead of being anxious, you'll begin to look forward to attending events with family and friends.

You might even begin to plan events for others to attend while you act as the host. Improvements in social confidence unlocks doors that you might not have even known could be opened.

Increased Success

When you believe you can do it and put your mind to it, that's the first step in success. Without social confidence, the likelihood of you tackling something like speaking for a crowd of people at a benefit wasn't high on your list.

After improving your social confidence, you're able to stand in front of a room full of people and know that you're going to deliver a speech successfully. Social confidence helps to motivate you to do things you would never have done before.

When you do these things, you're going to know that you're going to succeed. And even if you don't succeed in the way you thought you were going to, you won't immediately become down on yourself if things don't go your way.

Love Who You Are

Earlier, we stated that it's important for you to learn about yourself. This included learning about both your strengths and weaknesses.

How can you love yourself if the only thing you love are the things that others love or the things that are purely seen as strengths? You've got to love every part of yourself before you can work on becoming more confident in social situations.

After you've taken the time to get to know yourself, you're going to benefit from this greatly. You'll find that you're strong and won't need to be accepted by other people because you know who you are and love yourself no matter what.

When someone says you have a large nose, you'll be able to laugh because this is something that you already knew about yourself. No one will ever be able to tell you something about yourself that you didn't already know.

Enjoy Getting to Meet New People

Without the presence of social anxiety, you're going to enjoy meeting other people. Before we talked about the best way to improve your social confidence is to jump in and start interacting with people.

As you continue to improve your social confidence, you're going to stop fearing and start enjoying meeting new people. As mentioned, part of the wonderful part of being alive is meeting people from all walks of life.

You'll never know where a person comes from if you don't step out of your comfort zone and talk to them. You also won't get to immerse yourself in other cultures unless you're willing to do something you've never done before.

To do something you've never done, you've got to have the social confidence to take the plunge and do it.

No Longer a People Pleaser

Before your social confidence improved, the only thing you could think of doing was pleasing people around you. This could mean doing and saying things that made others around you feel better.

With a better sense of self-worth and self-confidence, you no longer have to do this because it doesn't matter if everyone around you likes you. We're going to share a secret with you.

Even when you were trying to please everyone, someone in the group still had something negative to say about you. There is no way to please everyone no matter how hard you try, and that's okay.

With better social confidence, the only person you've got to worry about pleasing is yourself, and that starts now.

Social Confidence: Ways to Improve It and Why It's Beneficial

There are several ways that you can improve your social confidence, including hanging out with friends regularly and getting to know yourself. Being confident in social situations is great and beneficial because it gives you the strength to step out of your comfort zone.

If you're looking for ways to manage your anxiety, don't hesitate to refill your anxiety medication with Pricepro Pharmacy. We want you to continue improving your social confidence and know that one way to do this is to continue taking your medication regularly.

What are you waiting for? Let us get you the refills you need today.

Do you have a sweet tooth?

We all love a great sugary snack every now and again, but if you eat sweets in excess, you might end up with some poor health consequences (such as weight gain and cavities). Everything is good in moderation, but don't overdo it.

But what if you can't resist the call of sugar? Are there really healthy snacks for sweet tooth cravings that hit the spot? 

While nothing will ever replace a chocolate bar or a piece of sugary cake, there are a few alternatives that you can use to fill the sugary void. Solve some of your sweet tooth problems and satisfy your sweet tooth by trying some of these healthier alternatives today.

Why Avoid Sugary Snacks? 

As we mentioned, there's nothing wrong with sugar in moderation. Sugar in excess is bad for your overall health. Too much sugar can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of heart disease.

Sugar can cause excess weight gain, especially for people who don't get the recommended amount of exercise. It can cause tooth decay and gum disease and it's addictive. 

Exchanging some of your favorite sugary treats for alternatives, even if they also have a small amount of sugar, is better for your overall health. Most sugary snacks don't have much (if any) nutritional value. Swapping them for healthy sweet substitutes will add nutrition to your diet while still satisfying your sweet tooth. 

Sugar Substitutes: Good or Bad?

So what about sugar substitutes? Artificial sweeteners are available in most grocery stores baking aisles. Many people are using them for their coffee, some of their baking, and more.

But are these substitutes good for you?

Stevia is a plant-based substitute. It's artificial in that it's not "real" sugar, but it's not made of artificial ingredients. It's not as sweet as some other sugar substitutes, but it's the best overall choice for lower-calorie sweets.

Chemical sweeteners aren't bad per se, but they may cause your body to hold onto fat and they might cause you to crave real sugar.

Alternatives to refined sugar also include things like honey, maple syrup, and agave. These alternatives often have some nutritional value, but they're still loaded with sugar and calories, so use them in moderation. 

Healthy Snacks That Hit the Spot

Now that the basics are out of the way, let's talk about a few specific foods that can give you your sugar fix without overdoing it. Remember, even with healthier alternatives, you should be careful that you eat in moderation. These are great alternatives, but too much of a good thing is bad for you. 

Fresh Fruit

When in doubt, fresh fruit is a great choice for a midday snack that won't wreck your diet. 

There are plenty of health benefits to eating fruits. Fresh fruit contains fiber, vitamins, and a small amount of protein. Fruit is usually rich in vitamin C which is crucial for your immunity. 

You have endless fruits to choose from, so try to find seasonal fruits. When you buy a fruit that's in season, it's going to be bigger, juicier, and sweeter than other fruits.

Sliced apples are perfect for a sweet snack, as are a handful of blueberries or some strawberries dusted with (a small amount of) sugar. You can slice some watermelon for a super sweet summer treat or get pineapple chunks to add to your salads. 

Fruit still has sugar, so don't eat too much of it. It's still a much better alternative!

Smoothies

Speaking of fruit, do you love smoothies? 

Many people think that smoothies are just healthy and bland foods, but that isn't true. While they are healthy, they can also be delicious if you make them right.

Smoothies can include fruits and vegetables of all kinds. They're great for hiding leafy greens if you know that you (or a child in your household) don't eat enough of them.

For a successful smoothie, we have some tips.

First, freeze most (if not all) of your fruit. This makes your smoothie cold and thick without having to add ice cubes (which can be hard to blend in standard blenders. They also water your drink down!).

Next, choose your base carefully. We love using frozen bananas as a creamy smoothie base (more on that later), but you can also use yogurt. Greek yogurt is best due to its high protein content. 

Next, you need liquid. For more tropical smoothies, orange juice makes a great addition. You can use apple juice for a sweet kick, or a milk of your choice (vanilla almond milk is perfect) to make it more of a milkshake. 

Try different fruit and liquid combinations and consider adding in extra healthy boosts like greens powders, protein, and soaked oats. Our favorite? Strawberry-banana smoothies with almond milk and vanilla protein powder. 

Nice Cream

Eating ice cream every day isn't sustainable for the average person. If you don't maintain an otherwise pristine diet and/or work out every day, it will start to catch up with you.

But what are ice cream lovers supposed to do?

It's not a perfect solution, but try out a "nice" cream for a cold treat that won't have all of the fat and calories of the original. 

Nice cream is easy to make and even easier to modify. It's almost like a smoothie but with a more dessert-oriented style.

You're going to need several frozen bananas. The exact number depends on how much nice cream you want to make and how thick you want it to be. 

For super thick nice cream, put your frozen bananas in a blender and blend until smooth. If you want a thinner dessert, add in splashes of your chosen milk until you get the right texture.

You can add fruit to your nice cream as if it were a smoothie, or even other things like vanilla, cocoa powder, or peanut butter.

Use all of your favorite ice cream toppings (in moderation) to make a healthier version of an ice cream sundae. 

Banana Pancakes

Do you miss warm sweets? Banana pancakes might be the answer.

These pancakes couldn't be easier. All you need are bananas, eggs, oats, vanilla, and any add-ins. This recipe uses cinnamon, but you could also add cocoa powder or nutmeg.

Do you love chocolate chip pancakes? What about funfetti pancakes with sprinkles? 

While these things aren't healthy per se, adding them to your healthier pancakes is far better than adding them to your normal pancakes. Top your pancakes with peanut butter or homemade fruit syrup. 

Bonus treat: fruit syrup is easy as pie. In a small saucepan, put frozen fruit, a splash of water, and a sprinkle of sweetener. You could use real sugar here, but honey, agave, and sugar substitutes all work well. 

Cook it down until your fruit resembles pie filling and add more water if it begins to dry out. You should have a sweet fruit syrup that's perfect for pancakes. 

Dark Chocolate

Do you have chocolate cravings? We've been there. Instead of reaching for the milk chocolate bars in the grocery store check-out lanes, grab dark chocolate instead.

Is dark chocolate good for you? Well, kind of. It's rich in antioxidants and research suggests that it may help prevent heart disease and improve brain function. 

With that in mind, it's not healthy per se. It's still calorie-dense and it contains fat and sugar (even though there's less of it). 

Dark chocolate is still better for you than standard milk chocolate, so when you're craving cocoa, grab a square of dark chocolate instead.

Baked Apples

Do you miss apple pie? What about a warm winter snack? 

Baked apples are the perfect substitute for apple pie. You get all of the sweetness of apples without sugary syrups or buttery pie crusts. 

There are several ways to make baked apples.

You can leave them whole after removing the core. Stuff the apples with nuts or a bit of peanut butter and coat them with cinnamon and a pinch of sweetener. Place them in a baking dish with a small amount of water in the bottom and put them in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes.

You can also bake sliced apples. 

Mix together sliced or chopped apples with cinnamon and a pinch of sugar. Put this mixture into small ramekins and place them in that same 375-degree oven. Check them in a half-hour.

You want the apples to be soft enough to eat with a fork, like pie filling. Depending on the size of your ramekin you may need to leave it for longer. Check every five minutes after that first half-hour.

Bonus: Baked apples make a perfect addition to nice cream. 

Peanut Butter

Need a quick pick-me-up? A spoonful of peanut butter is often enough to give you a sweet treat in just a few moments.

Peanut butter isn't healthy per se. Most store-bought peanut butter is full of added sweeteners and peanut butter, by default, is loaded with fat.

With that in mind, the fat in peanut butter is a healthy fat. Peanut butter also has a ton of protein that helps boost its nutritional value.

It's best to buy unsweetened peanut butter when you can. Pair that peanut butter with your pancakes, smoothies, or fresh fruit to give yourself a sweet and nutritious snack. 

Yogurt

Yogurt is a great alternative to sweet puddings. Frozen yogurt is another awesome replacement for ice cream. 

You can load yogurt up with fruits and granola to make it into a parfait. If you use greek yogurt, you get all of the probiotic benefits that can help you maintain good gut health. 

You can even turn yogurt into a sweet treat that tastes (almost) like frosting. Mix your plain or vanilla Greek yogurt with a spoon of protein powder and one to two spoons of peanut butter powder. Add sweetener if necessary.

If it's too thick, add a bit of milk until it's the perfect texture for you. Mixing with a fork will help you incorporate all of the ingredients. 

Mix in a swirl of creamy peanut butter and you'll have a peanut butter frosting alternative without all of the sugar and calories. It's so healthy that you can eat it with a spoon. 

Granola

Replacing crunchy sweet treats isn't easy. Cookies are a thing of the past when you're trying to cut down on unhealthy foods, but what can you do instead?

Granola is a great alternative. Depending on the ingredients in your specific granola, it can contain protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, and fiber. It's a great addition to yogurt parfaits, nice cream bowls, and oatmeal. 

It's the perfect crunchy snack, even when you're on the go. 

Dried Fruits

Craving something sweet and chewy?

Dried fruits aren't as healthy as fresh fruit. They often have more sugar and because they're not as filling, each serving will have more calories. 

That said, they're far better than other chewy snacks. Throw a handful of dried fruit pieces into your granola and bring a tasty snack with you to work or school. 

We Love These Healthy Snacks for Sweet Tooth Cravings

Anyone with a sweet tooth knows that you can't ignore those late-night sugar cravings forever. Eventually, they turn into a full-on binge session. 

Instead of depriving yourself, try these healthy snacks for sweet tooth cravings. You can't fool yourself into thinking that frozen bananas are ice cream sundaes or milkshakes, but you can train your body to enjoy treats that aren't quite as sweet as their sugar-loaded counterparts.

Give your body the nutrition that it needs while also fulfilling your cravings. 

If you're trying to stay healthy, we have what you need at PricePro Pharmacy. We have prescription medications for less delivered right to your door so you can maintain good health without breaking the bank.

Works Cited

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

2. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/baked-apples/

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/

4. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-are-probiotics

5. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dark-chocolate#summary

1. https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-telltale-signs-and-symptoms-of-high-blood-sugar/

2. https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/11-health-and-wellness-tips-everyone-needs-to-know/

3. https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/17-effective-muscle-building-tips-you-need-to-know/

Emotional intelligence is an important part of our lives. It's even important to our career success.

Statistics show that emotional intelligence is responsible for a reported fifty-eight percent of professional success, and people with high emotional intelligence make an average of 29,000 dollars more each year.

But, how do you achieve high emotional intelligence? Read on to learn how to improve emotional intelligence.

Be More Assertive With Your Needs

Expressing yourself and your needs is a good way to get started when you're working on improving your emotional intelligence. When you're talking to your loved ones, make sure you let them know when they're hurting you, or when you're upset with actions they're taken.

And, let them know when you're having a bad day, so that they don't think your bad moods is about their actions or personality. When all parties involved are on the same metaphorical page, relationships are more balanced and everyone can trust one another more easily.

This can also help you learn to manage your relationships more successfully. When you know what you need, you'll be more likely to understand what other people need as well.

Let Go of Excess Negativity in Your Life

Being negative can be tempting, particularly with the world the way it is. But, it can be a huge turnoff to others, which is particularly important if you're trying to raise your emotional intelligence levels.

You need to be able to bounce back from adversity and pain in order to properly intuit the emotions of others. So, do your best to let go. If you're having trouble, there are lots of strategies out there to help you balance.

For example, meditation can benefit your mental health and help you let go of negative emotions. Try out breathing exercises to regulate yourself and any anxiety you may have. Make sure you're eating a balanced diet that suits your health needs.

You should also do your best to get plenty of sleep, which can help you improve your mental health and your physical health, as well. Basically, anything you can do to prioritize your mental and physical health should help you work through negativity in your life.

Evaluate Yourself Realistically

It's always important to evaluate your motivations, wants, needs, and ideas to understand what you're aiming for and the roots of your needs. This could be a good thing to work through with a therapist or another type of mental health professional.

Be as self-aware about yourself as possible when you're evaluating yourself, so as to be honest and not miss anything.

You need to be able to properly identify what you're feeling in order to communicate these feelings with loved ones, which is a very important part of your self-evaluation.

Accept your emotions, too. Self-denial is harmful, and it's much better for your emotional intelligence to acknowledge what you're feeling so that you can work through it. Practice regularly recognizing your feelings, so that you will notice more easily when there's a red flag that you need to address.

And, you need to make sure you take responsibility when you hurt someone with your emotions or actions. Acknowledging the harm you've done and taking steps to make amends will help you on your EQ development path.

Try and evaluate your communication style, while you're at it. Notice if you're interrupting people in conversation, or redirecting conversation in ways that other people may not appreciate.

Pay attention to the way that you respond to people in conversation, and how you follow the way that a conversation unfolds. Once you have a grasp on your communication style, you'll be better set up to understand how you communicate with others and ways to may be able to improve your understanding. The better you communicate, the better your emotional intelligence will be!

Listen to Your Loved Ones

Active listening is one of the most important ways to help you grasp your loved ones' emotional wants and needs. So, to improve your emotional intelligence, you'll also need to improve your active listening skills. 

This is part of why it's important to be empathetic and listen to people's needs. When people tell you something important, remember it. That's especially true when it comes to using proper preferred pronouns and recalling people's gender identity. If nothing else, ensure you are always using a person's preferred pronouns, and never misgender them.

Relatedly, it's important to listen to people when it comes to issues of race, class, and politics. Everyone's lived experience is different, and some people may have more knowledge than you do about certain issues. This is an important part of your EQ development.

Be careful with your vocabulary generally. Try to stay away from negative statements, and don't overuse stories or statements that center yourself — it comes off as selfish. It's all about a give and take when you're having a conversation, so ask questions about the person you're talking to and their life.

Being able to recognize the emotions your loved ones are feeling will help you develop more positive, stronger, and healthier relationships. It's not just about listening to their words, either. Listening to non-verbal cues is an important part of active listening and healthy communication.

Socialize Regularly (With Your Friends and Strangers)

Isolating yourself can be tempting, particularly when you don't feel like you have high emotional intelligence. But, to stress your muscles, you should push yourself to socialize regularly.

That way, you can practice making yourself approachable, making connections, and listening to interests. It's even a good way to network, which can be helpful for your career!

Some situations you can practice socializing include the following:

• Head to a bar or club
• Join a sports league
• Go to the movies or a group watch-along
• Hit a concert and meet music fans
• Go to church, synagogue, or the religious institution of your choice
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen, homeless center, or another venue
• Join a book club
• Go hiking or do other outdoor activities

Try a wide range of different places to socialize and expand your emotional intelligence, and find what works for you.

Connecting With People in a Virtual World

You don’t have to meet people in person to practice your socialization, either. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that there are plenty of ways to connect remotely.

Meeting people from outside of your location will also help you widen your worldview. The more people with different lived experiences you meet, the more you'll be able to emphasize and sympathize with a wider range of people.

If you’re a big reality television show fan, for example, you can sign up to start playing social strategy games on Zoom and other teleconferencing software. Download the Clubhouse app or similar platforms to start chatting with people all over the world that have similar interests as you.

There are tons of social networking apps you can sign up for to meet people in your neck of the woods and all over the world. Really, the world's your oyster — just experiment and find what's right for you.

Take Constructive Criticism (And Take It Well)

In order to improve your emotional intelligence, you need to be both self-aware and emotionally aware. That's where constructive criticism can help you out.

It can feel hurtful to be criticized, but being able to accept and internalize constructive criticism is necessary for all aspects of your life — including your emotional intelligence. 

Take a deep breath before you get criticized, to steel yourself for the problem. And, make sure that you're really internalizing the criticism you get. It's one thing to acknowledge a problem, and another to take steps to rectify any issues with how you relate to other people.

This is also a good way to practice responding to stimuli, rather than reacting to them. That's a preferred practice for building up your emotional intelligence. Essentially, you should take constructive criticism as a way to learn and grow as a person, rather than as an attack on your character or who you are as an individual.

Work on Your Mental and Physical Health

Making sure you have a solid health basis is the best way to improve your emotional intelligence. You need to build a strong and sturdy foundation of mental and physical health before you try and branch out. Here are some strategies you can try out for improving your health, inside and out:

• Create a regular sleep schedule (and stick to it)
• Drink plenty of water
• Eat a healthy and balanced diet
• Make (and go to) appointments for regular checkups and dentist appointments
• Go to the eye doctor, if you need to
• Take all your prescribed medication, and take it as prescribed by your doctor
• Start exercising regularly 
• Flex your creative muscles 
• Get your feelings out by writing or journaling
• Take measures to fight off the effects of stress

Once you are feeling good about yourself emotionally and physically, you'll be ready to get on your path to improving your emotional intelligence.

Channel Your Emotions Positively

Now that you have the tools to correctly identify your emotions and their origins, you need to learn how to express them in a positive way. Once you start recognizing your emotions, you can also start recognizing your triggers so that you can head off major meltdowns at the pass, which will help you expand your ability to feel other people's emotions.

If you're feeling angry, you can't take that feeling out on your friends and loved ones.

You need to find a better way to express that anger. For example, you can talk it out with a therapist. You can look into anger management techniques to help you work through your aggression.

If the negative feelings you need to express are sadness or anxiety, you'll need to take a different tack. Try your best not to wallow in or dwell on these feelings. Instead, think of positive things in your life to combat these upsetting feelings.

Basically, no matter what your emotions are, you need to make sure that you're regulating them and expressing them in an effective manner. 

Remember You Have to Continue Your Journey

Developing emotional intelligence isn't like riding a bike. It's an ongoing process that you will have to commit to throughout your life. So, you'll have to incorporate the process of emotional intelligence into every aspect of your life, not just for a short time but for the long term.

You can use a calendar application on your phone to remind you of your commitment to improving your emotional intelligence. However, you’ll also want to make sure to pace yourself.

You don’t want to do too much, too quickly, or you may end up burning yourself out. You can also reach out to your friends and loved ones, and have them support you on your journey to improve your emotional intelligence.

How to Improve Emotional Intelligence? It's a Snap

Clearly, it's not all that difficult to answer the question, "How to improve emotional intelligence?" Just take it one step at a time. Take a deep breath, relax, and get started. You'll be set up for your journey to build up a new level of emotional intelligence.

Do you need more physical or mental health advice? Make sure that you contact us today for all the help you need.

Works Cited:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/emotional-intelligence-what-do-numbers-mean-joanne-trotta/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/contact-us/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-physical-and-mental-consequences-of-chronic-stress/

https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc/support/gender-pronouns/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/benefits-of-meditation/

https://www.pricepropharmacy.com/the-complex-relationship-between-sleep-and-stress/

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/how-to-fix-sleep-schedule#:~:text=Choose%20a%20bedtime%20and%20wake,can%20develop%20a%20new%20routine.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/anger-management/art-20045434

https://mashable.com/article/what-is-clubhouse-app/

It happens to all of us sometimes: feeling sluggish, or stressed out, or just slightly out of it when it comes to our health. Whenever you find that something’s slightly off with your body, you need to use the right strategies to get back to being healthy.

If you’ve been looking into getting healthier, then you might have been researching health foods such as fruits and berries, nuts and seeds, and vegetables.

But did you know that there are many benefits of eating celery before bed?

The celery health benefits are endless. If you’ve been feeling stressed, tired, or just a general malaise, then you need to do whatever you can to feel better. You can do this with celery.

In this article, we’ll review all the celery benefits. Finally, you can feel energized, healthier, and even lighter if you want to lose weight. Read on to learn more.

Lowers Your Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure and are looking for things to eat before bed, you should definitely try celery. Because celery has phthalide in it, your blood vessels will expand after you eat this food. As a result, your blood pressure will be lower when you sleep.

There’s another important mineral that can be abundantly found in celery: potassium.

Potassium can also lower your blood pressure because it dilates the blood vessels in your body.

Finally, because celery is rich in fiber, you will experience lower blood pressure when you eat it, too.

Helps You Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight and you’re trying to get creative with what to eat before bed so that you don’t consume as many calories, it’s smart to go with celery. When you eat one serving of celery, you’re only consuming 10 calories because it’s made mostly of fiber and water.

By eating celery late at night, you’ll feel full. This will keep you from craving unhealthier snacks like chocolate or chips.

If you’re someone who usually eats in the evening or is often craving a midnight snack, this can be a great way to have something to nibble on without putting on weight.

Regulates Bowel Movement

Have you been having trouble sleeping because you’re feeling bloated? When you have a bloated stomach, you get a stomach ache that prevents you from sleeping. Fortunately, when you eat celery before bed, you can get a bit of relief.

Because celery has water and dietary fiber in it, it will go down into your stomach when you digest it and help you relieve the bloating there as well as into your intestine.

The water and fiber will work together so that they regulate your bowel movements. How does this happen?

When the celery is being digested, your body will secrete more digestive enzymes. This will relieve the unpleasant bloating and constipation.

Celery can also work as a natural antibiotic against the bacteria that cause the condition SIBO. If you have this condition, you know that unwanted bacteria make great colonies inside your gut, causing bloating and pain.

Try out different types of celery to see if they can relieve you of these symptoms.

Lowers Bad Cholesterol

Celery has been associated with the decrease of fatty molecules that are present in the blood. These fatty molecules could lead to hyperlipidemia, which could, in turn, lead to an increased risk of stroke and heart disease. If you’re worried about this, eat celery.

Celery has butylphthalide in it, as well as other phthalides that can help you lower bad cholesterol (which is also called LDL, or Low-Density Lipoproteins).

It has been shown that, if you eat a few stalks of celery every day, you could significantly lower your cholesterol.

Another benefit of celery is that it regulates the production of bile. Because bile is necessary for a healthy metabolism and fat digestion, this regulation can also help with lowering your cholesterol while you sleep.

Reduces Your Chance of Getting Cancer

One of the compounds you find in celery is the anti-oxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory apigenin. This compound has been linked to a reduction of inflammatory proteins. Additionally, it helps to eliminate potential carcinogens from your body.

Specifically, consuming celery can help lower your chance of getting leukemia, intestinal cancer, and breast cancer.

Additionally, celery contains the flavonoid Luteolin. This flavonoid has anti-cancer properties.

It slows down cancer cell growth and spread, and it might induce the destruction of cancer cells. It also might help increase cancer treatment effectiveness.

This is because of the poly acetylenes. These compounds, which are chemo-protective, can reduce toxicity.

It’s smart to eat celery before bed in order to lower your risk of getting cancer, but it is especially so if cancer runs in your family.

Relieves Inflammation

Some of the benefits of eating celery are that it helps relieve pain and inflammation. Many of the antioxidants present in celery, including Polyphenols, are present in large amounts can help with issues such as inflammation. Celery also relieves joint paint.

So if you’ve had relentless joint pain that has made it difficult for you to fall asleep, you can eat some celery and finally get a good night’s sleep.

Additionally, celery can reduce the inflammation of your lungs, which increases the oxygen supply to your lungs and relieves the symptoms of asthma.

Finally, celery reduces inflammation in such a way that it provides relief for people suffering from gout, gastric ulcers, SIBO, irritable bowel syndrome, urinary tract infections, skin diseases, and kidney and liver disorders.

By eating celery regularly before bedtime, you can alleviate whatever type of inflammation is causing you to suffer and not be able to sleep.

Replenishes Your Liver

Celery can also help remove accumulated fats that have collected in your liver. If you have a fatty liver, then you can help treat it by consuming celery in a juice or raw form. Once you start doing this regularly, you’ll start to see a difference. This is because celery:

• Regulates liver enzymes
• Improves liver function
• Helps with metabolic processes in your body
• Provides nutrients needed for energy production

Because celery has large amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, has high fiber content, and an incredibly low glycemic index, it can help you prevent a large number of chronic diseases and health conditions.

For this reason, it will not only replenish your liver, but also many other organs in your body.

Reduces Your Stress

If your stress and anxiety often get in the way of your sleep, then you should consider eating celery before bed. Anytime you consume 100 grams of celery, you’ll get 11 milligrams of Magnesium. Magnesium helps lower stress.

This is because Magnesium actually directly affects stress hormones and relaxes the nerves.

So if you feel fidgety or worry about everything you have to do before falling asleep, having some celery can help fight that off and allow you to rest peacefully.

On a micro level, the sodium cluster salts in the Magenisum stimulate your neurotransmitters, which then send messages to your brain to help it in coping with stress.

Helps Balance Your Body’s pH

Another benefit of eating celery before bed is that it helps balance your body’s pH. It moves the pH to being more alkaline instead of acidic. So if you eat many acidic foods or your body tends to have a pH that’s more acidic, this can help lower the acidity level.

Helps With Sexual Arousal

Sometimes, we struggle with sexual arousal. Even though it’s completely natural, it can be frustrating, embarrassing, and lead to relationship issues. Fortunately, if you eat celery before bedtime, it can help you in the bedroom.

This is because celery has two pheromones that help boost your sex drive: androstenol and androstenone.

Combined with a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other healthy lifestyle choices, celery can help you get some of that romantic magic back.

Flushes Out Your Toxins

Because celery is rich in fiber, it becomes a detoxification agent within your gut. If you eat it regularly, then your gut will start flushing toxins regularly. Make celery a part of your bedtime ritual and you’ll have fewer toxins in your body in no time.

You Get Vitamin A Benefits

Another benefit of eating celery before bedtime is that you get all the benefits that come from taking vitamin A, which celery is rich in. These include healthier skin, better eyesight, and stronger immunity. Start eating celery now to experience these benefits.

Can Promote Better Sleep

If you eat celery before you go to bed, you might be able to experience better sleep (though this depends, take a look at “A Note of Caution” at the end of this article). How can celery help promote better sleep? This is because of the 3-n-butylphthalide present.

In addition to lowering your bad cholesterol, this compound can also make your central nervous system calmer.

With this positive effect, you’ll be able to sleep more easily because you feel more relaxed.

Can Help With Bone Density Issues

One of the best benefits of eating celery is that it can help with bone density issues. If you have osteoporosis, it can significantly lower the pain and inflammation you experience. Additionally, it has a large amount of Vitamin K in it.

Vitamin K can help you enhance the density of your bones. This can have added health benefits such as fewer fractures.

If you’re older, we definitely recommend consuming celery before bed if you suffer from osteoporosis or similar health conditions.

Helpful for the Development of Fetuses

Finally, eating celery before bed can be helpful for the development of a fetus. This is because celery contains folate, which can help your baby grow. If there’s a lack of folate, you might end up dealing with issues such as fatigue and memory loss later on.

Fortunately, you can prevent these problems by eating celery daily. By making this activity part of your bedtime routine, you can ensure that you take the amount of celery that’s best for you and your baby.

A Note of Caution

Keep in mind that celery also acts as a diuretic. Because of all the water in it as well as diuretic properties, it might end up making you have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Of course, if you have trouble sleeping, this could be an issue.

For this reason, we don’t recommend eating celery before bed if you already have bladder issues or find yourself having to urinate often.

Additionally, if you have any serious issues with insomnia, then you may want to instead take medications for sleep that have many of the same benefits as celery.

Now You Know the Benefits of Eating Celery Before Bed—Now What?

Now that you know about the benefits of eating celery before bed, you might need additional information. Maybe you want to learn about different superfoods you can combine with celery to put together the best diet for your health needs.

Or maybe you want to learn more about medications you can take to help with some health issues you’ve been having.

Whatever information you need, we can help. At Pricepro Pharmacy, we’re experts when it comes to your health. We can also get you the medication you need. To learn more, contact us now.

Works Cited

10 Surprising Foods That Could Be Secretly Sabotaging Your Sleep, Valley Sleep Center

10 Best Pregnancy Food Combos to Boost Your Prenatal Diet, Parents

Food and Your Bones — Osteoporosis Nutrition Guidelines, National Osteoporosis Foundation

The Best Foods To Help You Sleep, Eric Suni, Sleep Foundation