Remix your workouts for maximize benefits
We’ve all heard that staying consistent with your workouts is the most sure-fire way to see progress. Yet, what if “consistency” doesn’t have to mean doing the same jog every morning or signing up for the same yoga class every Tuesday and Thursday?
Recent studies and experts have found that switching up your workouts, from the circuit you do at the gym, to varying between swimming, biking, and dance workouts, may help keep you motivated to stay consistent with your exercise routine.
Plus, diverse exercise habits have their own unique benefits: Pilates and other low-impact exercises such as barre have been proven to help with back pain; resistance training diminishes the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease; and consistent walking does all of the above—while improving mental health and sleep quality.
If you’re feeling bored or unmotivated in your workout routine, why not try out that self-defence class you’ve been wanting to take? If it helps you move in a new way, your body will thank you for it!
Craving Japanese take-out? Give plant-based sushi a try
If you love the idea of preparing and eating sushi but prefer to stick to a plant-based diet, the plant-based sushi craze will have you breaking out the chopsticks and grabbing the closest bottle of tamari.
When it comes to making plant-based sushi, the only limit is your imagination. If the texture of sashimi appeals to you, consider substituting seafood with cured tomato, mushroom, or eggplant—we like to marinate the veggies in a combination of tamari or soy sauce, sake, mirin, neutral oil, and rice vinegar before using it to top sticky rice.
To add a vegan source of protein to your sushi rolls, thinly slice firm tofu or tempeh into matchsticks (pre-smoked tofu is also a good option). To complete your plant-based sushi, choose ingredients with contrasting flavors and colors, such as pickled vegetables, grated carrots, and crunchy sesame seeds or nori flakes. Yum!
Should you snooze on wearable sleep-tech?
If you already track your physical movement and your heart rate using wearable tech—is measuring your quality of sleep next? As it turns out, the answer is complex and will depend on the accuracy of the data you’re hoping to collect.
In its most popular iteration, wearable sleep tech takes the form of a watch/wristband or a ring that can be worn comfortably during sleep. The device then collects data such as wrist movement and heart rate which is then broken down into a graph or another visual display, providing you with data on the quality of your rest.
Because the tech behind these wearables is proprietary, there’s no way for the consumer to know how the collected information is being assessed, compiled, and compared to other data.
So though you may find it helpful to track your sleep, if you are struggling with poor sleep quality, consider booking a polysomnography test, which accurately measures muscle tone, breathing, heart rate, and brain waves in a clinical setting.
Detoxing the scalp for a healthier head of hair
Scalp detoxing is a form of scalp massage that aims to exfoliate, unclog pores, and remove product buildup from your hair follicles. Like a facial or other spa treatment, a scalp detox goes beyond basic cleaning and conditioning by incorporating exfoliating products and techniques into the mix.
Who benefits the most from this type of scalp massage? Anyone who experiences product buildup (which can make hair look dull, heavy, and greasy) or conditions affecting the scalp such as dandruff, psoriasis, or seborrheic dermatitis—also known as cradle cap.
A healthy scalp has been linked to increased hair thickness, growth, and retention. To perform your own scalp detox at home, look for textured scrubs; combs and brushes designed to gently exfoliate the scalp; and chemical exfoliant products such as those containing salicylic acid, coal and wood tar, or zinc pyrithione.
This article was originally published in the May 2024 issue of delicious living magazine.
