Struggling With Quick Healthy Breakfast Options?Start Your Morning With These 10 Healthy Muffins Ideas!

Keeping fit is no easy task. However, for the sake of your health, the pan and difficulty are worth it. There are a lot of aspects to keeping yourself in good health. You could try exercising, yoga and meditation, in the guidance of expert yoga teacher and trainer. However, none of these will mean anything if you don’t eat right food.

Today, one of the most consumed pastries is muffin. If you want to lose weight, there’s a very high chance that you’ve been told to keep off muffins. However, we have helped compile a list of foods that include muffins which you can enjoy and which pose no threats to your health or fitness goals.

1. Pumpkin Oat Muffins

You don’t necessarily have to stick to basic or bland tastes whenever you are consuming anything with muffin flavors in it and the Pumpkin Oat Muffin is a perfect example of just how exciting and delicious the addition of muffins can be when added to the perfect breakfast. With the addition of applesauce and pumpkin puree, these cakes will have a more sophisticated and appealing look and taste. They also get a lot of moisture content due to the presence of sufficient oil. All in all, they will rock your taste buds for sure.

2. Pineapple Ginger Oatmeal Muffins

Please, try your possible best not to fall too much in love with these scrumptious-looking (and tasting too, if I might add) muffins. In my opinion, I think the most amazing thing about these little beauties is that there is no sugar added to them. However, this is probably because they don’t need it at any rate. Due to the presence of the pineapple, you can rest assured that they’ll still taste awesome regardless of the sugar absence.

3. Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

If you’re looking for a beautifully crafted and mastered mix of flavors, you can give Blueberries and Oatmeal a fair consideration. With an abundance of superfoods like walnuts and chia seeds, Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins can provide you with more than enough energy that you’ll need for your day without eventually taking a toll on you.

4. Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

With this treat, you don’t have to worry about the absence of eggs. Instead, the muffin batter is perfectly held together by mashed bananas. These mashed bananas also help in creating a solid texture. The crushed walnuts, apart from providing that much needed crunchy feeling to the whole meal, also provides the protein that you would have gotten from the absent eggs.

5. Apple Zucchini Muffins

Remember zucchini bread? Well, these muffins share a striking similarity to it in terms of both appearance and taste. With a lot of oats and Greek yogurt, you can be sure of an abundance of protein and probiotics. You can also add a little bit of Zucchini for some Vitamin C and Manganese.

6. Blueberry Peach Quinoa Oatmeal Muffins

Give your classic blueberry muffin a much needed healthy facelift for a change. Made with quinoa flour (which, by the way, possesses a much bitter taste than the regular flour), this gluten-free muffin contains a little mote of protein and much lesser carbs than what you’ll otherwise get from your average muffin oatmeal treat. However, the added Quinoa shouldn’t restrict of scare you; it’s still a delight to the taste buds.

7. Vegetarian Upside Down Citrus Muffins

Upside down isn’t a bad way to start the day, is it? With 200 calories and an assortment of exotic citrus, this recipe contains an extremely low amount of calories ^[1] and will do pretty well for your taste buds. Bai Bubbles and a carbonated drink give these muffins their famously dome-like appearance and also provide a naturally sweet flavor that is only made even better by fresh oranges.

8. Carrot Oatmeal Muffins

In case you’re not familiar with these beautiful treats, you can look at the like mini carrot cakes. Shredded carrots are used to add a little moisture to the muffins while simultaneously bringing some needed fiber and Vitamin A to the table. If you’re looking for a muffin treat to just bake and store ahead of time, Carrot Oatmeal Muffins are the go-to choice for you. You can also add some walnuts for that crunchy feeling.

9. Chocolate Truffle Pumpkin Muffins

If you’re trying your best not to make a batch of cupcakes, these lovelies will serve as an awesome alternative. With a chocolate treat embedded in each one, you can be sure that great taste is just one of the many things that they gave to offer.

10. Sweet Potato Almond Butter Muffins

With 8 grams of fats and protein apiece, these vegetarian treats provide a well-balanced diet. However, these 8 grams of fats come from very health and non-harmful sources such as almond butter, coconut oil, and flax seed, so you don’t have to worry about adding some unwanted weight.

Reference

[1]

^

Lifehack: Lose Weight With These Zero Calorie Foods

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Is It Normal to Feel Jealous of Your Good Friends? Yes but You Can Reduce It by Learning These

I could literally feel my friend’s jealousy seething through my Facebook feed.

After posting a status update of myself sipping from a freshly picked coconut on the beach in Fiji I noted how a few “I *really* hate you now”, casual comments on my wall reflected something much deeper.

Intense jealousy.

I have been on the other side of the fence. Having 4 cents and being $70,000 in debt nearly a decade ago I secretly despised the fact that some good buddies of mine were living their dreams.

Feeling jealous of your close friend’s success is normal but you need to keep it in check before it grows into a raging beast that affects your happiness.

Why Does It Feel Hellishly Difficult Not to Be Jealous of Good Friends?

You grew up together. Same circumstances. Same life in most cases.

If someone seems to break away from the herd to live their wildest dreams or to simply challenge the status quo you are forced to assess why you haven’t made the same bold, freeing moves in your life.

This type of self-analysis is highly uncomfortable because it requires you to dive into your fears.

Feeling jealous of your friend’s success is simply you resisting your deep, intense fear of breaking free from the herd. Most folks respond to their deep fears with a “It’s totally not fair that they have that and I don’t!” type envy versus taking practical, simple steps to dissolve some of this jealousy to be happier and healthier.

Why You Need to Dial Down Jealousy

If you obsess over feeling terribly jealous of good friends you can never have what they have.

But if you reframe this energy you can replace your envy with inspiration.

Christie Aschwanden of the Huffington Post ^[1] explains how the concept of benign envy can help you be happi er with your own life.

Stop being jealous of your buddies’ success. Start living your dream life with these practical tips.

Ponder Things You Don’t Envy about Your Friend’s Lives

You may want to squeeze chop sticks under my fingernails after seeing my beach selfies in Bali but are you also jealous of the fact that I’m brainstorming this post at midnight on a Friday night?

Or that I declared bankruptcy and sold nearly everything I owned at the start of my blogging journey?

You will feel less jealous of your friends when you consider “the rest of the story”.

Every successful person you envy had to work long and hard to become successful. These people had to dive into their deepest fears regularly to live their dreams.

Before you envy someone’s success think about their failures, struggles and all the hard work they put into living their dreams. You won’t feel as jealous of their wins when you understand what they had to do to reach their goals.

You may even turn your jealousy into genuine admiration.

Build a Gratitude List in the Morning

Speak it. Write it. However you dice it, building a gratitude list moves your attention from what you don’t have to what you do have. This helps you feel more whole and complete. How can you feel jealous of your good friends when you feel content with your blessings?

Thinking of things to be grateful for on waking sets a fabulous energetic tone for your day.

Press the Jealousy Rewind Button

During my lean years I recall feeling hyper jealous of my successful friends. I vividly remember one episode where I couldn’t chip in to buy a pizza because I had no money in my wallet.

My friends said the pizza was on them. I felt like a charity case, shamelessly scarfing down a piece of pie, feeling like a total loser.

I needed to relive this experience in my imagination to clear deeply held jealous feelings I directed towards friends and family. Like any emotion, jealousy vanishes when you are present with the feeling of being intensely jealous. As the feeling vanishes you become less jealous.

Find a quiet room. Relax your body and mind. Press the jealous rewind button by recalling experiences with friends which brought up feelings of envy. Feel the emotions. Grab a pillow to punch or cry into if strong energies arise.

Clearing jealous feelings from the past helps you frame your friend’s success from a healthier, balanced space.

Reference

[1]

^

Huffington Post: Jealous Of Friends? How To Put Your Envy To Good Use

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4 Simple Ways to Make Boring Work Become Interesting

Are you bored at work right now?

Sitting at your desk, wishing you could be anywhere other than here, doing anything else…?

You’re not alone.

Even when you have a job you love, it’s easy to get bored. And if your job isn’t something you’re passionate about, it’s even easier for boredom to creep in.

Did you know it’s actually possible to make any job more interesting?

That’s right.

Whether it’s data entry or shelf stacking, even the most mind-numbing of jobs can be made more fun.

Understanding the science behind boredom is the first step to beating it.

Read on to learn the truth about boredom, and what you can do to stop feeling bored at work for good.

I’m bored – as you’re watching the same film over and over again, even though it’s your favorite one

When you experience something new, your brain releases opioids – chemicals which make you feel good. ^[1]

It’s the feeling you might get when you taste a new food for the first time, watch a cool new film, or meet a new person.

However, the next time you have the same experience, the brain processes it in a different way, without releasing so many feel-good chemicals.

That’s why you won’t get the same thrill when you eat that delicious meal for the tenth time, rewatch that film again, or spend time with the same friend.

So, in a nutshell, we get bored when we aren’t having any new experiences.

Now, new experiences don’t have to be huge life changes – they could be as simple as taking a different route to work, or picking a different sandwich shop for lunch.

We’re going to apply this theory to your boring job.

Keep reading find out how to make subtle changes to the way you work to defeat boredom and have more fun.

Your work can be much more interesting if you learn these little tricks.

Ready to learn how to stop feeling so bored at work?

We’ve listed some simple suggestions below – you can start implementing these right now.

Let’s do this.

Make routine tasks more interesting by adding something new

Sometimes one new element is all it takes to turn routine tasks from dull to interesting.

Maybe there’s a long drive you have to make every single week. You get so bored, going the same old route to make the same old deliveries.

Why not make it a routine to create a playlist of new music each Sunday, to listen to on your boring drive during the week?

Just like that, something you dread can be turned into the highlight of your day.

For other routine tasks, you could try setting a timer and trying to beat your record, moving to a new location to complete the task, or trying out a new technique for getting the work done – you might even improve your productivity, too.

Combine repetitive tasks to get them out of the way

Certain tasks are difficult to make interesting, no matter how hard you try.

Get these yawn-inducing chores out of the way ASAP by combining them into one quick, focused batch.

For example, if you hate listening to meeting recordings, and dislike tidying your desk, do them both at the same time. You’ll halve the time you spend bored out of your mind, and can move onto more interesting tasks as soon as you’re done.

Break large tasks into small pieces and plan breaks between them

Feeling overwhelmed can lead you to procrastinate and get bored. Try breaking up large tasks into lots of small pieces to keep things manageable and fun.

Try breaking up a 10,000 word report into 1000-word sections. Reward yourself at the end of each section, and you’ll get 10 mini mood boosts, instead of just one at the end.

You can also plan short breaks between each section, which will help to prevent boredom and keep you focused.

Give yourself regular rewards, it can be anything that makes you feel good

Make sure you reward yourself for achievements, even if they feel small.

Rewards could include:

• Eating your favourite snack.
• Taking a walk in a natural area.
• Spending a few minutes on a fun online game.
• Buying yourself a small treat.
• Visiting a new place.
• Spending time on a favourite hobby.

Your brain will come to associate work with fun rewards, and you’ll soon feel less bored and more motivated.

Boredom doesn’t have to be a fact of life.

Make your working life feel a thousand times more fun by following the simple tips above.

Reference

[1]

^

Psychology Today: Why People Get Bored

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A Negotiation Is Like a Game, You Can't Get the Best Deal Without a Strategy

Have you ever been in a position where you had to negotiate something?

Perhaps you tried to get a better deal on something, perhaps tried to make two arguing friends see sense. In a negotiation situation it can be difficult to know what to do or say.

A negotiation is like a game, if you go in without having a playing strategy, or not knowing the rules, you’ll find succeeding far more difficult.

The trick is, to start off knowing what you’re going to do and what strategy to use.

In negotiation, there are two useful strategies: Integrative Bargaining and Distributive Bargaining. Either of these should be great tools in your negotiation arsenal and are well worth getting to grips with.

Integrative bargaining: to find a resolution that benefits both parties equally

Integrative Bargaining is otherwise known as “win win bargaining” in it both parties in the negotiation try to find a resolution which benefits them both equally.^[1] The needs, desires, and fears (which in many ways can cause the disagreement in the first case) are taken into account.

It is possible that both parties want different things and as such, both could be achievable.

For example, imagine two people were arguing over who gets to eat a slice of pizza.

Now the obvious resolution to this is just cut the slice of pizza in half. However if the parties discussed what they wanted exactly, they could discover that one party liked to eat the pizza crust and was less interested in the rest of it, whereas the other wanted to eat the topping, but ignore the crust. In this way, through integrative bargaining, both parties could get exactly what they wanted.

Distributive bargaining: to negotiate how much each party gets

Distributive Bargaining is, as you might expect, a negotiation strategy employed when you have to distribute and divide something.^[2] Where integrative bargaining was a “win win” strategy, distributive bargaining is “win lose”.

Where integrative bargaining worked from collaboration, distributive bargaining is relatively self serving and competitive. Where both parties negotiate how much of something they gait.

Using the above pizza example, where integrative explores what each person hopes to gain from the the negotiation, distributive bargaining explores who gets what.

Where before one party gets exactly what they want, and the other gets what they want, distributive negotiation explores who gets what.

As such integrative bargaining can be the more diplomatic and fairer system of negotiation. However distributive bargaining can be effective (for you) if employed successfully.

Employ these strategies in real life by asking yourself 3 questions

Key to using integrative bargaining, is knowing the answers to these three questions:^[3]

What is my best alternative agreement? – This if the negotiations don’t seem to be going your way, what is something else you would agree with/ settle for.

What is most important to me? – Here, you should determine, in ranked order, exactly what you most want to keep in your negotiations, and what can be dropped. Dropping parts of your deal makes you more flexible and allows the a more satisfactory and mutually beneficial agreement to be found.

What is most important to the other party, and what might they settle with? – This can only be determined through careful questioning and careful analysis, but is well worth your time to find out. If you have a good idea of what the other party may settle for, then have a good direction to steer the negotiations.

Knowledge and understanding of these three, crucial questions, can not only make your negotiations effective, but reach the best possible solution for both parties.

Know your bet: how much you are willing to lose in the negotiation

Distributive bargaining also relies on a degree of knowledge, you should know how much you are willing and happy to lose in negotiation, and keep that information quiet.^[4] As distributive bargaining is naturally more self serving any information and strategy you have should be kept to yourself. You should also try to ascertain what the other party is willing to part with, and try to make that so.

Personally, I prefer integrative bargaining as a strategy. However if you enter a negotiation without any strategy, integrative, distributive or otherwise, then you will almost certainly lose out more severely than if you would with either strategy.

Reference

[1]	^	Beyond Intractability: Integrative or Interest-Based Bargaining
[2]	^	Conflict Research Consortium: Distributive Bargaining
[3]	^	Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation: Use Integrative Negotiation Strategies to Create Value at the Bargaining Table
[4]	^	Beyond Intractability: Distributive Bargaining

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How to Become Productive Without Getting Stressed Out

Being productive is more important than ever in this age. As technology improves, the expectations that we are under from our jobs, our family and even our friends also seem to rise. Therefore, we all look for ways to be efficient as we can in all areas of our lives. But how do we do this without getting stressed out?

Knowing how to deal with stress is becoming a serious problem, especially in the United States. We stress over getting along with our co-workers, fitting more into our daily schedules and, most prominently, we even stress over trying not to stress.

So let’s take a look at seven ways to up our productivity, while still keeping our stress levels in check!

Plan Your Next Day a Few Hours Before Bedtime

Many of us make the huge mistake of planning our next day as we lie in bed. Instead, try to make a quick “To Do” list a few hours before bedtime, that way you can clear your mind and be energized for the following morning. Not only will you feel more organized, but that stress that you feel when you “might be forgetting something” will also be a thing of the past.

Delegate What You’re Not Good at

Many productive leaders only do what they’re good at. In other words, if you have the ability to outsource a task or a project that you’re just not cut out for to another team member or a freelancer, then go for out! It doesn’t do you any favors to volunteer for something that you know you won’t excel at just to appear “eager to learn”. You know your skill set and your limitations, so if you’re not the best in the world at a particular task, then outsource it to someone who is.

Create Time by Having a Small Tweak of Your Daily Schedule

Well, there are actually quite a few things that are within your control that can help add some more time to your day. Take lunch a bit early or a little later than most, avoiding that long line at the area restaurants. When you’re at home with family, do your grocery shopping at off-peak hours and see the latest movie during a matinee. You will definitely find it easier to manage time in your busy schedule, plus you may even put a few dollars back into your pocket!

Ask for Help When You Feel Overburdened

If things ever get to be a “little too much,” learn to ask for help. This can mean talking to a friend to clear your mind or even taking a step back from some of your responsibilities in the office. It could even mean setting up that first therapy appointment. So, it may be just the thing to help you get rid of that stress and anxiety for good! Once you are thinking with a clear mind, you’ll see your productivity levels will thank you for it.

Get in Great Physical Shape to Energize Your Mind

Working out is not only good for our bodies, but it releases endorphins, which also energizes our minds. Plus, stepping away from your desk for even ten minutes to get your blood pumping can make you much more focused when you return. You can also add one of those standing desks that everyone has been talking about. You can place more attention on the project you’re working on, while also alleviating those cramps you get after sitting for an hour or so straight.

Stop Letting Your Relationships Drag You Down

Relationships can be one of the biggest stress builders on the planet, and being around negative people only compounds that. Try to remove as many of these people as you can from your everyday life. If you find yourself in a situation at your job where you have no choice in the matter, put up your “negativity shield”. Remind yourself that you don’t need the additional stress or the decrease in productivity, and remain in control of your own emotions and how you choose to deal with the situation before you.

Eat and Drink Fresh to Boost Energy in Your Body

The next time you need a boost of energy, don’t reach for those sugary drinks. Energy drinks may provide a short bout of energy, but they can also make you jittery, welcoming in those stressful feelings. Instead, grab a piece of fresh fruit or some low-fat chocolate milk. If you’re feeling a bit stressed out, reach for a piece of dark chocolate. Yes, those rumors are true!

Staying as productive as you possibly can and learning how to deal with stress are two very important things to accomplish in your life, and they go hand-in-hand quite a lot more often than you might think. As you follow these seven tips to keep stress levels at bay and learn to be more efficient, be ready to see your life change for the better!

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The More We Compare, the More We Lose Ourselves

What is a sure-fire to completely destroy your self-esteem with as little effort as possible? Compare yourself to others. Their achievements, their appearance, whatever it is that they have that you don’t. Completely ignore the factors circumventing their success, and the fact that you have up until this point led a very happy life. Destroy all of that contentment by telling yourself that you need to be more like “them.”

Who is to blame? Science? Nature? Or instant-gratification culture?

Since our developmental stages, our brains are wired to compare and contrast. It is a facet of our personalities; the preferences that we gravitate to. It is only natural that our eyes wonder and consider the possibilities of having something different. How would that something different improve our lives? If we had made an alternate choice somewhere down the line, where would we be now?

Many individuals who envy and strive for the fortune of others are themselves insecure.^[1] That should not be surprising, because you are not plagued with the need for improvement when you are self-confident. Perhaps they don’t know what their purpose in life is, so they look to others who have made it and think, “I should be more like them.” It could stem from the way they were raised. There was a very strong emphasis for a need for success within their family, and to fill the impossible shoes of the fortunate achievers who came before them.

The most likely culprit, riddling the average individual with notions of failure and FOMO; peer comparison. The knowledge that someone in your class, from your neighborhood, or some extension of your social circle is doing “better” than you.

Instant-gratification culture has made it nearly impossible for the average person to comprehend that the majority of successful people in today’s society must still make lots of sacrifices in order to achieve their position. Most people don’t just get “lucky.”

Focusing on what someone else has achieved will not bring you the same fortune.

It’s easy to fixate on someone else’s success, and beat yourself up for, well, not being them. But everyone is on their own path, and have made many choices that led to where they are. It’s time that we stop comparing ourselves to others, and focus on personal improvement.

You need to focus on what you bring to the table, and how you can hone it to manifest your own success.

You are the one responsible for losing yourself or having yourself.

Realize that everyone is on their own path, and you have made many choices to bring you to where you are.

Do you regret taking that gap year to backpack through Europe? I really, honestly doubt it. Maybe it set you back in terms of your “career,” but you have acquired experiences and skills that you could never have attained anywhere else. And you’ve opted to LIVE your life, instead of filling your bank account in hopes of living your life later. Good for you.

Don’t focus on your weaknesses.

You’re not good at everything, and you never will be. Neither is anyone else, so just let that one go. What made one person successful might not necessarily work for you. Do you enjoy making cold calls and manipulating buyers into acquiring your product? No? Well then you’re not going to make your fortune by manufacturing a product. But you have always been good at fixing computers. Perhaps there is a Freelance I.T. career in your future. You can always find a way to market the skills that you already possess.

Accept who you are, and don’t be a phony.

Way too many try to project themselves as someone they’re not, because they think it will bring them success. If you’re really good at being fake, good for you I guess. But most people can pick up on the lack of authenticity and I’ll tell you what, they don’t respect it. If you’re trying to pass yourself off as a guru of something you don’t really care about, but it’s a popular subject so you think it will bring you traffic; it won’t. Be yourself. Embrace what you love. You will attract people with similar interests, and they will respect you for being authentic.

Let others inspire you, not deflate you.

There are always going to be those who pioneer a niche, and are mentors for our desired success. It’s okay to want to be like them. To use their style in influence your own. But don’t forget to include yourself in the mix. The addition of your personality and style is what makes your product or service unique.

Realize that no one is judging you.

And brush off anyone who is. Whether it’s a long term friend or family member. If they are weighing you down with negativity, making you feel as though you are not good enough, kick them to the curb. Most people are not waiting idling by, anticipating your failure. Most people will notice what you are doing, but they are not emotionally invested in your success.

Featured photo credit: Stocksnap via stocksnap.io

Reference

[1]

^

Psychology Today: How to Wreck Your Self Esteem: Compare Youself with Others

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