Rain Drops Are Falling On My Head: 4 Health Benefits of Rain

We all know that rain is great for the environment. It helps plants to grow and keeps the world working the way it's supposed to work. However, not everyone knows that rain also offers a number of direct health benefits to people. From muscle development to skin moisture, rain helps you look and feel your very best.

1. Running in the Rain

Do you like to jog? Running is a great exercise that keeps you healthy and feeling great. Unfortunately, many people decide not to go running when it's raining. There are a number of reasons for this, from concerns about slipping to simply not wanting to get wet. However, running in the rain is actually really good for you.
Not only will it help keep you from getting heat exhaustion, though, but it will also help you achieve longer workouts and to work more muscles. Heat stroke is an ever-present threat for runners when it isn't raining, though. If you do end up suffering from heat stroke, you'll need to immediately head to your nearby urgent care center. It could be a life-saver.

2. Emotional Value

When you stand out in the rain, you're getting more than simply wet. You're getting an emotional value that you just can't get any other way. Experiencing a rain storm evokes different emotions in different people. For some people, it leads to a cathartic feeling, allowing for some kind of emotional release. This is most likely to happen when you've been dealing with other emotional issues and stress. For most people, getting rained on leads to a sense of happiness and overall relief.

3. Moisturize Skin

Are you dealing with dry skin? You can use moisturizers, and they'll help with terribly dry skin. However, to ensure that your skin stays soft and supple, consider taking a different approach. Instead of staying inside and pulling out the lotion, head outside when it's raining. The water will help moisturize your skin. Rain water does this better than water from a bath or shower, which can actually dry your skin out in the long run. When you're sitting out in the rain, your body is also getting the nutrients it needs to give you healthy, glowing skin.

4. No Chemicals

If you're interested in getting all the benefits of rainwater, consider harvesting rainwater for later use. This will allow you to get all the health benefits, as well as lowering your water bill each month. It's possible to use fresh rainwater for watering plants, bathing, or even drinking. However, make sure that the rain water in your area is safe for consumption before you drink it. In many areas where there's safe rainwater, you're getting water that is free of chemicals, contains essential vitamins and minerals, and tastes great. Plus, you get to save money using the readily available rainwater.
There are many benefits of water for people. In addition to the benefits listed above, it's important to remember that the world would not be what it is today, of course, without the benefits of rainwater. Rainwater provides mood elevation, skin moisturization, and nutrients. Shouldn't you take advantage of everything it offers?

Spring Break!

It has been two days since we got back from our 9 days, 8 nights of exploring Big Sur, Yosemite National Park and Eastern Sierra. We sure had so much fun, but it is always great to be back home, and enjoying our normal food. :)

Laswa ( mixed vegetable), Tortang talong ( eggplant omelette) and green smoothie, anyone?

Got to continue eating healthy so we could continue enjoying the great outdoors!!

More about our spring break trip, later!!

Why I love Daylight Savings Time

Torrey Pines State Reserve and Beach, San Diego, CA

Okay, don't hate me now, but I am one of those who secretly rejoices whenever time changes to Daylight Savings Time. Even though the idea at first sounded very strange to me being a transplant to this country. Maybe, during the very first week of experiencing it, I too was whining about 1 hour of sleep lost. But after that very first week of experiencing Daylight Savings Time, I found it actually was an "adjustment of time" for me to enjoy most of the things I love. 

Here are some reasons why I love Daylight Savings time:

1. Longer Daylight time to enjoy outdoors after work. 

Overlooking Torrey Pines from Torrey Pines- Del Mar Trail

This reason alone is enough for me to love daylight savings time. :) Moving the time one hour forward means sun setting late, and the longer daylight after work means more hiking time and more time to enjoy the great outdoors. The more time I spend outside physically, the less time I sit in front of the computer, the better it is for my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health!

Training for a Grand Hike

South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park

Let me start this post with one of my favorite quotes,  

" Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." -  John Muir (1838-1914)

This quote strikes me so much because it sums up why I love to be with nature. My desire to see the deeper beauty of nature keeps me moving and kicking my feet, bringing me priceless joys and inner peace that strengthens body, mind and soul. I have several hikes in my bucket list, two of them are in Grand Canyon National Park. Though we have hiked several trails of Grand Canyon, but we never really had completed a rim to rim hike. It is strenuous, about 20 miles round trip and 6000- 7000 ft descent/ascent. Add to this is another hike which is also in Grand Canyon, the Havasupai Falls hike. It is again about 22 miles round trip and 7000 ft descent/ascent. These days, I am both physically and mentally preparing myself for these hikes. 

One of the biggest challenges in Grand Canyon hike is that it is a reverse hike. At the top, it is cooler, yet as you go down, it becomes warmer. You start early of the day when it is cooler, but on your return,  you are facing the giant climb at higher temperatures and your feet may already be tired. My biggest weakness in hiking is facing high temperatures. Somehow, I get sudden headache when temperatures would soar past 70's! I know, 70F (21C) is very comfortable for some, but somehow, when I am hiking, I could not handle this kind of heat.  It is for that reason that most of our summer hiking trips always mean hiking in cooler places.

summer hiking at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

( this may look cold, but it wasn't, up in California mountains, so much snow accumulation that last til summer, yet we were hiking in the 60s! 50s to 60s F or 10 to 20 C is my ideal hiking temperature. )

Rest and Relaxation Therapy in Nature

Happiness and Contentment in Life that Is Simple, Life that Is Simply Good!

We all live in a life that is not devoid of stress. The stress may come from our work, from people we work with or people we interact with, from family, from friends, or even from ourselves. Though I may give a picture of a stress free life because most of my posts here are our nature escapades, but truth is, they are my way of managing stress in a life that is as busy as anyone, and as stressful as anyone. Just like most, I work 5 times a day and have to do household chores at home. Though I love my job, find a meaning in doing it, see it as my passion and one of my sources of priceless joy and happiness, but I do not deny that it is not perfect and it has its share of emotional stress.

So much researches point out to the dangerous health disorders brought about by stress. Stress can raise cholesterol levels, create hypertension which could damage arteries to the point where there is blockage and heart disease. Stress is also known to cause digestive disorders, worsen bowel conditions and lower immune system which causes our bodies more susceptible to infections and viruses. Stress can also slow recovery from major traumas to the body.

We respond to stress by doing our best to live in harmony with ourselves and to be content with our lives. Our lives are not perfect, and maybe never will be, but we need that acceptance and contentment within to feel a sense of happiness and inner joy that can never be taken away, not even by daily stress.

Such Is The Relaxing Power of the Sea

note: originally published here spring 2011, but I am so missing the carpet of wildflowers right now, that I am  moving it up so it is easier for me to look at these pictures, again and again! I can't wait for spring!

Headache and Tiredness Evaporates into the Cool Sea Breeze

When I went home Friday night, I was feeling so tired and so unmotivated to do anything, but EAT. Yes, I am a stress eater. When I am tired and home, I pour all my tiredness to foods. But the only problem with being a stress eater is that, after eating so much to the point where the stomach feels like exploding, I feel sick and the stress and tiredness do not go away but even grow worse. :(

Saturday however was a different story, the moment we started our walk from Torrey Pines to Del Mar, after listening to the powerful sound of the waves as we walked across yellow and lavender fields of wildflowers graciously fluttering in the sea breeze, all my exhaustion gone and headache disappeared. 

Mix of Sea Lavender and Coreopsis

Wildflower Lined Trail

The more I walked, the less tired I felt. I am so glad for the relaxing and therapeutic gift of being out, caressed by the wind, serenaded by the soothing sound of the waves and the surprises of little creatures around.

Yeah, what a joy to say "hi" to them bunny! :)

Deal with Stress more intelligently and efficiently

How Do You Tackle Stress?

Nowadays a lot of people face a very common problem, which is tackling stress. Stress seems to have occupied about fifty percent of our lives. Hectic work schedules, family issues, personal problems etc has made us absolutely miserable. Most people do not know how to relieve stress and become completely lost when unwanted situations show up. The basics of stress management begin with the identification of the areas in one’s life which is leading to stress.

Many of us cannot identify the real source of stress. Sometimes situations are not too obvious and many people face difficulty in identifying the true cause for stress. In order to identify the stress causing elements in one’s life, it is very essential to follow carefully one’s habits and lifestyle. Some people adopt wrong measures to deal with stress. Here are certain instances of described below.

1. In order to relieve stress many people resort to smoking. This is a very unhealthy measure to relieve stress. In the long run if developed into a habit, it can be very damaging.
2. Using of pills is another bad habit that many people have. Certain drugs have long lasting negative impacts on the body.
3. Emotional outbursts are also found in some people. Many vent their frustration through anger or dissatisfaction over something which is not quite related to their cause. The aspect of dissatisfaction only proves to be a means of relieving their stress.

Instead of adopting such negative measures to deal with stress, one can stick to something that would help them to deal with stress in a much better way. Instead of avoiding the problems that is causing stress, learning to tackle them in a diplomatic way is a much better approach. If a person is calm and focused, they get the ability to deal with a particular issue more efficiently. Anger or emotional outburst is not a solution to any problem. Nowadays the problem of ‘stress’ has become quite persisting. It is a very common issue now. A lot of newspapers and websites such as the www.bboescape.com and a few others are also doing excellent work in making people aware of the problems related to stress and the ways to manage them.

Here are certain tips and techniques that can help in stress management:

1. Never overdo things: It is extremely important to say ‘no’. Many people cannot use this word, as they get worried of what the other person might think. Whether it is personal or professional life if things start going beyond limit then it is very important to draw the line.  When a person starts taking more responsibilities than his/her capacity it is sure to become a stress causing element later.
2. Avoid people who cause stress. Certain relationships can be very stressful. If a person becomes stressed out in a relationship, it is better to move out of it. In certain unavoidable circumstances it is better to spend less time with the respective person.
3. When in stress, do or read something that is motivational. For example, reading a story that is inspiring or song or an inspirational movie too can help in handling stress. Also meditating regularly and staying focused during stressful times can help immensely in keeping the situation under control.

About the Author

Catherine loves to write on health care, technology and stress management. She is a constant blogger on this subject.

Swimming With The Fishes in San Diego

Swimming With The Fishes

This labor day weekend has been more about exploring the sea for us. Unlike most places that probably is cooling down already from the heat of summer, we just started to heat up. Most of the summer prior to last week, we were only in the 60s-70sF (15-21 C). It was only this week when we warmed up to the 80s-90sF (26-32 C). However, despite the air temperature is warmer this time, the water temperature for us always remain to be in the cooler side. With air temperature rising, more people are going to the beach to cool down. 

Shivering when the air temperatue got warmer? That was us after more than 2 hours straight in the water swimming with the fishes at 62F water (16.7C). Unlike air temperature, water temperature in the Pacific West Coast does not vary much and stays in the cold side. 

Cousin With Her Captured Fishes 
( girabaldi- orange fish, sea lion, friendly leopard shark that has no capability to bite, and more )

What Foods Do We Have For Hiking?

What Is in My Backpack?

I think it is a given that there is a camera inside. Hiking + photography + blogging are all one activity for me. I hike, I take pictures, I blog. :)

My motivation to take pictures usually comes when I am out of the doors hiking, and exploring nature. My favorite subject is anything about nature. However, I do from time to time take some pictures when am not hiking, like when I am home. 

Orchid

Aloe

Actually, because I was inspired to take pictures of what I see at home today, the thought of sharing what foods do we have for hiking came to my mind. In short, I ventured into taking pictures of food using my camera, not my cell phone! Haha!

First, let me share with you what we usually have at home, before we leave for hiking.

 Rice, Chinese Broccoli and Lemon Grilled Chicken

 Rice Up Close, I love rice, and I eat this three times a day! 

Frankly, I get weak when I can't have rice for several days. It is for that reason that whenever we go on an adventure vacation, I bring a rice cooker since most restaurants in remote places don't serve rice. At least, I could have rice even just for breakfast, since oftentimes, if we are on an adventure vacation, we are out for lunch and dinner. I am the type of person who must have my rice before hiking. :) We eat a lot of vegetables too. 

Tofu Soup

The above tofu soup does not have any meat nor sea food as what most recipes would have. I probably would share the recipe of this one later. I and hubby love this tofu soup. 

Now, going back to the question: "what food do we have for hiking?" Whenever we go hiking, we prepare to fight hunger. One thing probably we could not afford when going hiking is getting hungry and thirsty. Thus, we do carry a lot of water. My backpack has several liters of water in my bladder, and water canister. We also bring a lot of foods, something light that will not weigh us down, and something that will not easily spoil or smashed. 

 Trail Mix, natural meal replacement pro bar, sea weed, some sunflower or pumpkin seeds and nuts

These foods may not be something you would want for your lunch, but we always tell ourselves, better to have them than to starve! Better to have them to fuel us to explore and be up close to nature. We usually buy our hiking snacks at our local stores. However, if you live in a place with limited selection of hiking snacks, you may find natural snacks online, which can be your meal replacement while you are enjoying the wonders of nature in the trail.