6 Popular Ways to Do Intermittent Fasting

In recent years, intermittent fasting has gained popularity due to the various health benefits it offers. It is claimed to improve weight loss, and metabolic health along with other myriad of health benefits.

Read on to know what intermittent fasting is and what are the various ways to do it.

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting is not a diet plan but in fact a pattern of eating. It’s a way of scheduling the meals such that you restrict the intake of foods and sweetened beverages for a specific period of time everyday (usually 10-16 hours) and eating only during the remaining hours. People can pick any window to eat that works for them. During the fasting time only unsweetened, non-caloric beverages like water, green tea, black tea and black coffee can be taken, but nothing that requires digestion.

How does intermittent fasting works?

The theory behind intermittent fasting is that it deprives the body of calories for an extended period of time and forces the body into a temporary state of starvation, in which, it burns that fat cells to provide energy to the body. The result is improved weight loss and decreased body-fat ratio.

fasting

Source: Medical News Today

The benefits of intermittent fasting

Dietitians and experts recommend 12 to 14 hours of intermittent fasting for most people, as it helps to break the pattern of mindless eating and encourages intake of balanced meals. According to dietitian Amy Shapiro, the founder of Real Nutrition Intermittent fasting allows for proper digestion of food and better sleep. Moreover, intermittent fasting is great to regulate the hormonal balance of the body. Experts agree that in general, this style of fasting is safer and more in line with the natural way of eating. Not only is it beneficial for health, but it is a mode of eating that can be safely carried for a longer period of time.

There are many schedules of intermittent fasting that can be followed for beneficial weight loss. You can pick any one and try to make it work with your lifestyle.

  1. The 16:8 method—fast for 16 hours per day: this method is also known as the Leangains Diet. Fasting for 16 hours a day leaves an 8-hour window to eat. This method may be helpful for someone who has tried the 12-hour method but did not benefit from it. If the sleep time is incorporated into the fast time, then one can finish the evening meal by 8pm and then eat the next day at noon.

An animal study found that limiting the feeding time to 8 hours provided protection from obesity, diabetes, inflammation and liver diseases in comparison to animals that ate whatever they wished.

  1. The 5:2 method—fast for 2 days per week: with this method, people eat standard amount of healthy food for five days and reduce caloric intake for two days per week. During the low calorie days, the intake should be 500-600 calories. There should not be consecutive fasting days, for instance, one can fast on Monday and Wednesday, but not Monday and Tuesday.

This method of fasting has been found to improve insulin sensitivity and improved weight loss.

  1. Alternate day fasting: this method involves fasting every other day. Some people take no solid food during the fasting days, while others restrict the caloric intake to 500 calories. On feeding days, however, people choose to eat as much as they want. Research shows that this method of fasting improves heart health in both healthy and overweight adults and is very effective for weight loss. However, this form of fasting is not beginner friendly, and might be difficult to maintain in the long run. It is recommended to start this form of intermittent fasting after consulting a healthcare provider.
  2. Weekly 24-hour fast: this method is also known as the eat-stop-eat method. It involves eating no food for 24-hours at a time, while they can have water, tea and other unsweetened, calorie-free beverages. On non-fasting days, people can return to normal eating patterns.
  3. The 14:10 method—fasting for 14 hours per day: this method of fasting is similar to the 16:8 one, but involves a 14-hour fasting window. It is slightly easier to stick to than the 16 hour fast, however, the caloric deficit is less in this window and weight loss is slightly less effective.
  4. Fasting for 12 hours per day: this method inculcates adhering to a 12-hour fasting window every day. This method is relatively beginner friendly as the fasting window is smaller, and much of the fasting occurs during sleep. The easiest way to follow this method is to include the period of sleep in the fasting window, for instance, a person could fast from 7pm to 7am, with no dinner after 7pm and breakfast at 7am.

For a long and sustainable weight loss, add lifestyle modifications in addition to dietary ones, only then can weight loss be sustainable. Seek professional help for your diet instead of relying on self-help.

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The Best Ways To Decorate Your Student Room

Dorm rooms are one of the most important places for students. It is where you would ordinarily spend most of your time. Your room is not just the place you sleep; you also receive visitors and study in it. By giving some thought to the design of your room, you could really enhance your overall student experience. And it need not break the bank to create a beautiful and classy space that could make you feel at home. Here are some ways to beautify your room:

Student Room

Light it up

The importance of lighting when it comes to decorating your room cannot be overemphasized. The wrong lighting can lead to an ugly and poor-looking room. However, by using the right lighting, you can create a cozy, warm and welcoming atmosphere. There are creative ways to use different lighting sources that are affordable. You could use cheap and readily available fairy lights. Try putting them around a mirror or the bed. Better still, you could take it a step further by covering an entire wall with them.

Use the right color

Color is fundamental, so you need to get it right. Your room will most likely be basic, boring and bland, and you could try brightening it up with colorful bed linen, cushions and throws. Express yourself through the colors you use and let it blend with your personality. You could also put some random patterns together or use them to design a creative look. No doubt, this is one of the most effective ways to decorate your dorm room as a student.

Customize your bookshelf

If you are really creative, you could even attempt to customize your bookshelf. For example, if there is a plain back panel, it could be personalized by inserting photos into the empty spaces behind the books.

Paint your rug

A lot of people would agree that customizing your room is an awesome and fun thing to do. Another idea of personalizing your room is by customizing your rug and let it complement the overall color tone. One of the easiest ways of doing this is by painting one. There are many cheap rugs available to use. However, you will get the best results by using one that has a low pile.

Include some greenery

There are almost no rooms that would not be improved by the addition of some greenery and a student room is no exception. You might be surprised but greenery in the room can offer many health benefits such as helping you to study better and making the air cleaner. Things like Aloe vera, rubber trees, and jade plants are easy to take care of so you could start with one or two of those.

Use personalized wallpaper

Another way to spice up the appearance of your student room is by using wallpaper. You could even make a temporary one by using sheets of fabric and liquid starch. You could do this by incorporating a lot of crazy but nice ideas into the look of your room. As an alternative, consider transforming your phone pics into aesthetically pleasing walls of art that will add life to the overall mood of your room, by using Mixtiles.

In a nutshell, these are just a few of the ideas – among a wide array of other concepts – that you could use to decorate and enhance the look of your student room.

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Minecraft Hosting Service

The Best Minecraft Hosting Services For Startups In 2020

2019 is almost up and 2020 is here. Everyone is looking for a way to make 2019 greater by having a better experience all round. This doesn’t exclude Minecraft lovers, fans and players. Whether you are playing it for fun or educational purpose, one thing is certain, you will only look for the best hosting services in 2020 for the game, especially if you are just a beginner.

Therefore, below is a brief list of the best Minecraft hosting services for startups in 2020.

Minecraft Hosting Service

Shockbyte

Shockbyte was established in 2013 and as such, it is one of the longest-running providers of Minecraft hosting available. The company which originated from Australia has gained ground due to the quality of its services among gamers when it comes to server hosting. They have committed passionately to giving the best quality possible servers at affordable prices. To be candid, they have done well towards achieving it and they also have a great customer support team available 24/7 for contact through ticket or live chat. They also have the knowledge base and the FAQ section where you can get additional assistance from. They do not only provide great performance at a reasonable price, but they also boast of an amazing range of features, an unlimited number of slots with all plans as well a custom control panel.

Apex Hosting

Apex hosting is another great Minecraft hosting service for startups in 2020. It has a very low latency server that keeps the game always running smooth. In addition, they also have a custom control panel that has been designed to make the server management a hassle-free experience even though it might look a bit different from what you are familiar with. The set-up does not last long and it takes just a few seconds.

Furthermore, they include DDoS protection. They have support staff that can be contacted almost anytime and are bound to help you out with inquiries, complaints etc. In conclusion, they have many software versions that you can select from when setting up your server as well as plans that fit any kind of budget, even if there are countless players online at the same time.

Anvilnode

Anvilnode seems not to be as famous as other services on this list but it is still one of the best around for startups in 2020. They offer very solid and reliable performance and their prices seem to be reasonable as well. Not only does the company specialize mainly in Minecraft servers, but they also offer managed and dedicated hosting for people who want to do something more advanced. Apart from its managed and dedicated servers, they also provide other amazing features that include cutting-edge hardware which facilitates great performance as well as unlimited slots.

Scalacube

This service is quite straightforward and very easy to use, making it a fantastic choice for startups. Its Minecraft server hosting is definitely one of the best for 2020. It has a good customer support service ready to attend to you 24/7. Furthermore, it boasts a lot of interesting and cool advanced features that you are bound to like such as Unlimited slots with every package, free forum, and website, as well as a custom game launcher.

Nitrousnetworks

The last service on this list of server hosting providers suitable for startups in 2020 is Nitrous networks. The company offers hosting servers for more than 20 very popular games but it is not even stopping there as they keep expanding their library to include many more titles. Of course, on top of this collection of servers are the servers for both the Pocket and Java editions of Minecraft. They can be easily managed using the NitroPanel which is a custom control panel designed to make things as easy for people playing the game. They also have other cool features like DDoS protection as well as free access to a lot of modpacks from Spigot, Vanilla, Forge and host of other Minecraft servers types.

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Agile Mindset in Education

The Agile Classroom: Embracing an Agile Mindset in Education

Agile is closely related to being innovative. Experts define it as an ability to deal with the uncertainties involved in the incremental work done by some motivated teams. In this case, the teams are expected to be self-organized and they are ready to adapt changes.

Some other studies reveal that Agile is not a set methodology; rather, it is better defined as a way to behave. Agile can be a mindset or a culture as well. The elements of Agile work practices find their way to every sector; including education as well. Like many other workspaces, the concept of agile can be also implemented in the classrooms.

Agile Mindset in Education

As per a recent case study carried out by a group of experts in India, more than 500 ICT schools were monitored by incorporating agile into routine teaching practices. It was observed that with trained teachers, it was easier to integrate Agile systems to the existing programs for higher student achievement.

Tips to embrace an Agile mindset in education:

Teachers in the universities, high schools as well as in the middle schools can start introducing Agile into their teaching-learning curve. Now, most of you might be curious to know how Agile can be implemented in classroom education. Well, the idea is to embrace an agile mindset in education, and it is possible by using some specific strategies. Few of them are listed below for easy collaboration:

  1. Running Sprints:

The idea is to focus on incremental product development, and it is possible only if you execute tasks in sprints. When all the members are running in one marathon; they can rarely deliver some positive outcomes; they may be frequently in weeks or in months. But working in Sprints creates a better opportunity to report developments. Furthermore, Sprint Retrospective Tool can help you to analyze the performance while improving learning practices. Sprints are more adaptable to the changes and can generate valuable feedback for growth.

  1. Stand-up Meetings:

The stand-up meeting can be better defined as a daily team-meeting that helps to deliver status updates to all team members. It helps all participants to stay aware of the potential challenges and they can coordinate their efforts better to handle tough issues. The prime goal of these meetings is to promote follow-ups while establishing a solid relationship between the team members. The short conversations ensure a higher rate of knowledge transfer and contribute to more positive results.

  1. Gamify Education:

Another key approach to add Agile principles to classrooms is by gamifying education. There are so many unique ways to motivate students to become more productive with the reward-based system. They can be offered special points for completing a few specific activities. Scores can be added for higher performance and outstanding work. It can motivate students to put more effort into their routine activities and they are likely to achieve goals in a more efficient manner.

  1. The Art of Reflection:

In order to foster continuous improvement, it is important to use reflection as a major driver in education. Teams that reflect their efforts regularly are more likely to achieve better in life. Reflection can be embedded at an individual level and it allows students to improve their learning skills. With time, they can be more productive in class. Other than this, the art of reflection can be also used at the squad level. Sprint Retrospective Tool and meetings can improve the outcomes with continues feedbacks and positive efforts. Teachers can also introduce reflection at the class level to record best practices in the learning cycle.

Time to Switch to Agile Classrooms:

These trusted and proven ideas can improve the classroom environment while contributing to major growth in the education sector. You can incorporate latest tools and technologies to make teaching-learning practices more effective. It can lead to better outcome with enhanced student learning abilities.

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Wedding Photography Clients

4 Ways to Get More Wedding Photography Clients

The 21st century is the era of technologies and advancements. People are now able to find the most luxurious and reliable services for their routine needs. And when it comes to the most special day of their life, the wedding day, people are curious to find the best one. If you are working as a professional wedding photographer, you have to put some effort into capturing client attention.

There are a variety of strategies that you can use for lead generation. However, if you are new in the marketing world, below we have listed a few incredible ideas to help you get more wedding photography clients:

Wedding Photography Clients

Word of Mouth Referrals:

We know that communication channels have evolved over the years, but word of mouth is still the most trustworthy source of referrals. When a good friend recommends us some business, we feel sure about trying it. And this is the most active element for lead generation in today’s competitive world. You can motivate people to recommend your photography business by offering a special reward program. Your existing clients can be the best source of marketing for you. When they are motivated, they can help you get more visitors on your business platform. Client referral or affiliate marketing programs can help you get more reliable referrals from the target market.

Social media advertising:

The rising competition in the market has defined the importance of online promotions, and social media has been the prime target for growing businesses. If you are working as a wedding photographer, Facebook and Instagram can help you to bring your talent to the local audience. Stats reveal that most of the people love to make their purchase decisions by getting inspired through social media promotions. When you want to target more clients, it is good to start with contests, polls and video marketing campaigns on social media. These brand promotion strategies can help you to expand your customer base. At the same time, you can find more ways to analyze client interests and preferences via social media interactions. This channel works for long term returns in the wedding photography business.

Wedding directory sites:

From the past few years, there is a buzz in the market regarding whether wedding photographers can avail benefits from wedding directories or not. Well, when you want to establish a brand in the market and want to be reachable to the audience, these sites can help you better. These platforms are designed to highlight your expertise to the most relevant audience so that they can choose you over others. These directories can be definitely useful to get more leads and bookings for wedding photography projects. You can highlight your skillset and portfolio on these websites to capture audience attention. It can also promote the word of mouth-based recommendations. You can associate with Nicola Tonolini‘s platform to lead a bright career with your wedding photography skills.

Search Engine Optimization:

The best marketing tool for photographers to avail more leads to their wedding projects is SEO. When you follow trusted and reliable SEO tactics for marketing, it helps can help you stay on the top of the search engine results. With this, you can receive more consistent traffic on your website. And those visitors are easier to convert into potential customers for the lifetime. Prefer to describe your business with more attractive and catchy words online and make sure you stuff keywords in the right proportion. They can help you generate more leads in lesser time.

These simple techniques can help you take your wedding photography business to a whole new level. Even if you are a beginner in this field, these marketing strategies can build solid credibility in the market.

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