Thursday, June 5, 2014

Health Benefits of Green Tea

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An ancient Chinese proverb praises the benefits of Green Tea, saying “It is better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.” Used as a Chinese medicine for over 4000 years, green tea is now believed to be helpful in preventing and treating a variety of maladies from helping to raise levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), rejuvenating aging skin, decreasing gas buildup, promoting digestive health, and maybe even helping green tea drinkers burn more fat by improving metabolism.
 
Green tea is packed with antioxidants that are preserved because of the minimal processing green tea requires. These antioxidants eliminate free radicals that can damage cells and even DNA. Multiple studies have shown green tea’s ability to prevent various types of cancer, and help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Other studies have shown that green tea can help regulate glucose in the body, impeding the development of diabetes and slowing down diabetes after onset.
 
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Friday, May 23, 2014

5 Steps to a Balanced Life

1. Get good quality sleep and enough of it:
The effect that sleep deprivation has on a person is well documented, and sleeping even one less hour than needed per night will decrease your coordination, concentration, and ability to focus. Also, when you are sleep deprived, you are more likely to overeat, falsely looking for food energy to make up for lost sleep.  
 
If adequate sleep is an issue for you, be sure to make transition time in the evening to prepare for sleep by having an unwinding or relaxing ritual, such as several hours of relaxing, calming reading material, music, or other soothing activities.  Do not race up to bedtime with agitating TV shows or other stimulating activities.  Your body needs time to unwind from the busyness of the day and to withdraw from the hyperstimulation of our world.  . And, by the way, sleep needs to happen in the dark. Even a small amount of light can prevent melatonin production in the body. For more information, please read my  melatonin newsletter. 
 
And, if needed to help you achieve a good nights sleep, two of my favorite natural sleep aids are Kavinace & Tryptophan .
 
2. Eat healthy, eat slowly:
 Not only is it important that you eat healthful whole foods and avoid processed foods as often as possible, you should also make time for yourself to make, or procure meals and consume them in leisure.  It is important to eat slowly, chewing each mouthfull of food until it is completely pulverized and liquid, before swallowing it.  This practice alone, will help you with weight control,  help you to extract more nutrients from your food, and decrease indigestion and other gastrointestinal symptoms. 
 
Surprisingly, diet sodas often add to weight gain so better no sodas at all.   Use green tea for your non water drinks when trying to lose weight. Green tea helps to stimulate metabolism.  Use NuNatural NuStevia for your sweetener as is a non bitter stevia product.  Stevia is blood sugar stablizing.
 
If persistent weight problems plague you and nothing seems to help you lose weight, you could havefood allergiesorcandida interfering with your weight loss efforts.
 
If you need to lose more than 20 pounds, you may want to look into using Mediral HCG drops to help with this.  You can find details of the HCG diet by searching the internet.  For more about the details of this weight loss concept see Dr.Simeons discussion about how weight loss works with HCG at
 
You may not have time to make three gourmet meals for yourself, but that’s ok. Having a fruit and protein smoothie for one meal is perfectly acceptable, as is preparing foods such as soups, stir-fries, rice and vegetable dishes, etc., to take with you for lunch. Try to consume all cooked foods within 12 to 34 hours of preparing them. Many also do very well with only 2 meals daily.
  
3. Make time for yourself:
It is essential for your well being that there is time in your schedule for you to you devote to yourself. How you use that time is up to you – whether you spend that time pursuing healing therapies, taking long walks in the park, playing games, playing with a child or pet, listening to calming beautiful music, knitting sweaters, reading books, or relaxing in your bathtub, the important thing is that you find the time for yourself….to just be in the moment with whatever is your relaxation.
 
4. Be regularly active:
 Adapt a routine of physical activity that you enjoy. Stress relieving activities such as yoga, swimming, walking, running, dancing , tai chi, a favorite sport,  are to the benefit of everyone. Create a regular schedule, write down when and how you will exercise, just as you schedule other activities in your daily life.  If not, you may  find  at the end of the day you have totally forgotten to treat yourselves to the hoped  for  physical activity.
 
5. Spend time in the company of others whom you enjoy:
If you don’t have as much social time in your life as you would like, find new activities, join new groups, or begin creating more time to spend with your friends. The benefits of friendship and a support system are numerous and include increased longevity and health.
 
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Thursday, May 15, 2014

Stay Fit without Breaking the Bank

Getting fit is something on many people’s to-do list, but a similar number of people have money saving goals as well. It can be hard to make the two goals fit when getting fit so often comes in the guise of spending money on gym memberships, personal fitness trainers, special workout gear and clothing, dietary supplements, etc. The following are several ways in which you can focus on your fitness goals without jeopardizing your financial goals:
 
Join gyms when they are running a special. You can also attempt to negotiate a discounted rate. Sometimes you can get discounts through affiliate programs with other groups, or you can find limited memberships available that are good during certain hours only or limit the locations you can visit.
 
Bike to work. You will get in shape and save money on a daily basis. Some companies even offer incentives to their employees who bike to work. If work is too far away, try organizing outings with friends, like bike rides in the park. You get a workout and you won’t be tempted to make plans that involve spending money on food, coffee, or shopping.
 
Make the most of your home gym. You don’t need big fancy equipment or a personal trainer. From resistance bands to Wii Fit to home workout videos, you should be able to find plenty of exercises that never require you to leave your living room.
 
Workout in the name of charity. Entry into charity runs, marathons, triathlons, and similar events can be pricey, but if you coordinate with a nonprofit organization to raise money for them then you can usually enter for minimal cost. Not only will you have a little built-in motivation and a cheering section, but you’ll be able to make a difference by raising money and awareness for your cause.
 
Know when to spend your money and when to save it. A good pair of running shoes, an mp3 player, a portable heart monitor, and cold weather running gear. All of these things can be very valuable things to spend your money on because they help keep you on your path to fitness. Spending some money on your goal will likely be necessary; just make sure that you’re not needlessly shelling out bucks for something you won’t need or use.
 
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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Healthy Pregnancy



Being pregnant comes with a lot of perks – but it also comes with risks. Take care of your growing
baby and your own body. Having a healthy pregnancy doesn't have to be hard.

Here's what it takes:
 
1. Have a trusted practitioner. Whether its a Certified Nurse Midwife, an Obstetrics Doctor, or another trained professional, make sure that you are visiting with someone for regular checkups during your pregnancy.
 
2. Take a prenatal vitamin. Start taking a prenatal vitamin a few months before you conceive.
 
3. Eat healthy. During pregnancy, follow the 80/20 rule – if 80% of what you eat is completely healthy, then you can have fun with food for the other 20%. Watch your weight gain and stay on track – and remember that you are providing nutrition for two!
 
4. Exercise – a daily 30-minute walk, or other gentle exercise will keep you from gaining too much weight and will move your pelvic muscles and joints, which prevents stiffness and will help the pelvic region to be more flexible during birth.


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Thursday, April 17, 2014

At Work Toning Moves

Adding some exercise into your workday has been shown to help you think more clearly, focus better, and do your job well. By learning how to add a few body toning exercises to your work time, you will get ahead both in your career and in your fitness goals.
 
For most of us, a cubicle or an office is plenty of room. Convenience is the key to this particular workout.
 
To begin, get warmed up a little, especially if you’ve been sitting for a long period of time. Roll your neck around a little and then move your arms in circles. This will help get the blood moving and ready for a few simple strength training movements. Here is a simple routine to start you off:
 
Upper body push aways – Place your hands on your desk when you’re sitting close to your desk and then push your body away. Admittedly, this works much better if you have a rolling chair. If you have a stationary chair, you can lean into your desk and away from it when you’re pushing.
 
Sitting crunches – Move your chair away from your desk and stretch your legs out from under your chair away from your body. Try to bring your knees into your stomach and then back down without touching the ground. If you have wheels on your chair, be sure you’re holding onto something so you don’t roll away.
 
Stand ups – Moving your chair even farther from your desk, try getting up from your chair, but only slightly. You want to raise yourself up just a few inches and then move back down if you have. Support your hands on the edges of your chair to make this easier.

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Thursday, April 10, 2014

30 Day Fitness Plans

To start, you should chose a fitness plan that appeals to you. Are you interested in cardio and weight training? Yoga or pilates? Walking or running? Once you know what you’d like to start with, honestly evaluate your current physical condition and your health. Those with health conditions would do well to consult their physician about any limitations or risks they need to take into consideration.


Here is a quick peek at a 30 Day Fitness Plan focused on walking:
 
First week: Take a 15 minute walk five days of the week. Keep the pace gentle and remember to stretch each time.  This is building up your baseline.
 
Second week: Take a 20 minute walk five days a week. Amp the pace up to moderate after the first five minutes of your walk (you should still be able to converse, but not sing). Keep stretching, and add an abdominal exercise routine 3x per week.
 
Third week: Take a 25 minute walk five days a week. Keep at a moderate pace.  Continue stretching and ab workouts.
 
Fourth week: Take a 30 minute moderate-paced walk five days a week. Continue with stretching and ab workouts.
                                                    
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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Healthy Decadence

Dessert for Breakfast? Why not, with this sweet treat that is low fat, low calorie and full of fiber.
 
Chocolate Cornmeal Waffles
Ingredients:
3/4 cup stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 oz semisweet chocolate, finely grated
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1/4 cup nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt (per square)
1 tablespoon chocolate sauce (per square)
Fresh raspberries (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
 
Directions:
Heat waffle iron. Combine first seven ingredients in a bowl. Stir in milk, oil and 1/2 cup water until just combined. Add vanilla, but don’t stir. Add yolks to batter; stir until just combined. Beat egg whites in another bowl until they just hold firm peaks; fold whites into batter until combined. Coat waffle iron with cooking spray. Cook batter in batches, three to six minutes. Break waffles into four pieces; top each square with frozen yogurt and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Garnish with raspberries and confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
 
Nutrition Facts:
245 calories per square (with frozen yogurt and sauce), 41.1 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 7.3 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 4.8 g protein
 
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