Spinach May Help Reduce Stress

Spinach is low in calories, yet high in vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Spinach contains magnesium that helps reduce the effects of stress on the body by keeping your blood pressure from spiking, says Beth Reardon, R.D., director of integrative nutrition at Duke Integrative Medicine in North Carolina. By eating 3 cups of spinach, you consume 40 percent of your body’s daily magnesium needs.
1 cup of raw spinach contains:
• 7 calories
• 0 grams fat
• 0 grams cholesterol
• 24 mg sodium
• 1 gram fiber
• 1 gram protein
• 56% daily value of Vitamin A
• 14% daily value of Vitamin C
• 5% daily value of Iron
• 3% daily value of Calcium
• It also contains Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
photo credit: Clearly Ambiguous

Healthy Kitchen: Vinegar

A recent study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that vinegar may help to keep your body from storing extra fat by breaking it down before it can settle onto your hips or stomach. Vinegar has been used for is medicinal and health properties since ancient times. The most adamant supporters of vinegar claim that it can be beneficial for almost any malady. However, many of these claims have not been proven. There are still benefits that can be obtained through eating vinegar.

• Vinegar is high in acetic acid which helps the body absorb minerals. It may be especially beneficial for women who suffer from osteoporosis because it helps to absorb calcium. Many women cannot obtain calcium through dairy products because of lactose intolerance. Calcium may also be obtained through dark leafy greens, but these greens sometimes contain compounds that inhibit calcium absorption. Fortunately, a splash of vinegar on greens can help the body to absorb calcium.

• Vinegar may help people with type 2 diabetes. It seems to inactivate some of the enzymes that turn food into sugar. This gives the body more time to assimilate the sugar and helps prevent the blood sugar spike that can be so dangerous. A study found that those who had vinegar before their meals had a higher insulin sensitivity, which means their body was better able to utilize the sugar they consumed. This is important because elevated blood sugar levels can lead to other problems such as heart disease.

• Vinegar can be used to replace unhealthy fats and salt. Saturated fats can cause such problems as elevated cholesterol levels and high blood pressure, which in turn, can lead to stoke and heart attack. Vinegar also adds lots of flavor, but hardly any calories! It only has 25 calories in half a cup!

• Vinegar can also be used to remove harmful pesticides from fruits and vegetables. Just mix 10 percent vinegar and 90 percent water and soak your produce in it for a few minutes. Then rinse your produce thoroughly and eat! (Don’t do this on tender produce such as berries—they absorb the vinegar through their porous skin.)

• Vinegar can enhance natural flavors. Use on sweet things such as strawberries to bring out the natural sweetness without using sugar. Use vinegar on veggies instead of salt. Make a salad dressing out of vinegar and olive oil. Use rice vinegar and soy sauce for an Asian flavor.
photo credit: paulshannon

Mock Egg Salad Sandwiches

1 pound tofu, firm
1/2 small onion, chopped (optional)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise or vegennaise
2 tablespoons pickle relish (optional)
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon paprika
12 slices bread

Drain and crumble tofu. In a large bowl combine tofu and onion if using. Mix well. Add mayonnaise, pickle relish if using, mustard, curry powder, turmeric and cumin. Mix well. Season with salt and paprika. Top the bread of your choice with the Mock Egg Salad.
photo credit: 1Happysnapper

Eat to Lose Weight

Some people skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight, but this practice is more likely to cause a weight gain. Eating breakfast actually reduces your overall calorie intake. Studies have shown that thinner adults, adolescents and children are more likely to eat breakfast than their overweight counterparts. Skipping breakfast makes weight control more difficult because it makes snacking harder to resist and skippers typically eat larger meals during the rest of the day to compensate for their hunger. Some studies have shown that people who eat fewer, larger meals tend to accumulate more body fat. Eating breakfast also improves your performance during the day. Sometimes teens, especially girls, will skip breakfasts to lose weight. It is important for parents to educate their children on the importance of eating breakfast and its role in maintaining good health and preventing obesity. It’s also very important for children to eat breakfast instead of sleeping in. Studies show that kids who skip breakfast are tardy and absent from school more than kids who eat breakfast. If you still don’t have time to make breakfast for your kids, consider enrolling them in a school breakfast program. Remember—eating breakfast is important no matter what your age!
photo credit: lepiaf.geo

Does Natural Mean Healthy?

When you go to the supermarket and see something labeled “natural”, you assume it must be healthy, right? The truth is, the words food manufacturers put on their labels may not mean what you think they mean. Here’s a list of some of these words and their definitions.

• Natural: means no artificial ingredients have been added (regulated only for meat and poultry.)

• Organic: means no pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics were used.

• No hormones administered: an unverified certification that the cow was not given hormones during its lifetime.

• No antibiotic administered: an unverified certification that the meat or poultry has not been given antibiotics.

• Cage free: means the chickens weren’t in cages, but they can be packed into a windowless indoor space. It has no impact on nutrition.

• Free-range: an unregulated term that means the chicken has access to the outdoors for more than half its life. They can still live in very crowded conditions with limited outdoor space.

• Grass-fed: means that the cow ate grass at some point during its life. Look for “100% grass-fed.”

• Pastured or pasture-raised: unregulated term that means the animal has roamed a pasture throughout its lifetime.
photocredit:cygnus921

Attention Carbo-phobes!

Many people have bought into the Atkins Diet mindset—thinking that carbs are bad for you. Well, good news! You can dig into a bowl of pasta without guilt! New data from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois suggests that a substance called glutamic acid found in grains may be good for your heart. They found that people who consumed more of this amino acid had lower blood pressure. Other foods also contain this particular amino acid, but to a much lesser degree. A cup of macaroni has five times more glutamic acid than broccoli. Pasta also contains more calories, so to get the most nutrition for the calories, eat whole grains. Look for whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and whole grain breads. Whole grains also contain significant amounts of fiber and B vitamins, which are also good for your heart and your digestion. Whole grains keep your energy levels more stable than refined carbs.
photo credit: visualpanic

Good Karma for a Yoga Mat

If you have a used yoga mat you need to get rid of, don’t trash it -- recycle it! The Bolder Mat Company in Colorado will refurbish it and donate to a yoga-inspired charity. The mat will be used to teach at-risk populations about the benefits of yoga. Not only will you make someone else’s life better, you will receive a $5 coupon for a new yoga mat or accessory from The Bolder Mat Company. The process is simple:
1. Pack your mat including your personal information so they can send you a coupon.
2. Ship your mat to The Bolder Mat Company.
3. Donate and receive your coupon!
There is no limit to how many mats you can donate. Yoga studios can contact them to receive a bulk discount if they are recycling more than five mats.
www.theboldermatcompany.com
photo credit:adria.richards

The Spice of Life: Cinnamon

• Just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon sprinkled on your food can help prevent an insulin spike. This spike normally occurs after a meal and signals the body to store fat instead of burning it. It could help in your battle of the bulge!
• Because cinnamon helps regulate insulin, it may also be beneficial for diabetics.
• Studies have also shown that eating half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Cinnamon has been found in some studies to reduce the proliferation of cancer cells in both leukemia and lymphoma.
• Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on blood.
• A study done at Copenhagen University found that arthritis patients who consumed cinnamon mixed with honey daily had significantly reduced pain after a month.
• It inhibits bacteria growth in food and drinks.
• The smell of cinnamon may boost cognitive function and memory.
• Cinnamon is a good source of fiber, manganese, iron and calcium.
photo credit: Lady AnnDerground

One of the Cheapest Ways to Help Your Heart

Yet another study has linked gum disease to heart disease. The same inflammation that comes with gum disease affects your blood and your heart. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, people with gum disease are twice as likely to have heart disease. In fact, one study found that oral problems such as cavities, missing teeth, and gum disease were as a good a predictor of heart disease as cholesterol. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how gum disease is linked with heart disease, but they do know that bacteria can enter your blood stream through your gums. This same bacteria has been found clumped in artery plaques. It may be that the bacteria adhere to artery plaques, or it may be that the body’s natural defenses to the bacteria form the plaque. Either way, you can do something about it, and the treatment is cheap! Flossing and brushing your teeth is the best way to fend off gum disease. If you keep your mouth clean, it’s very hard for gum disease to get started. If you have a history of heart disease, its best to take an antibiotic when you get dental procedures done, including cleanings.
photo credit: jho

Apples a Healthy Appetite Suppressants

A question that I seem to get often is "are there any safe appetite suppressants?"  And usually there is an advertisement that they have read or some bizarre herbal remedy that is supposed to cure all their weight issues with by taking a pill.

However, while I do not suggest any of those products or herbal remedies; (in fact I would suggest that you will benefit your body more if you run in the opposite direction) but there is one natural appetite suppressant that occurs naturally in apples.  Apples have a lot of phytochemicals that benefit the body and they just happen to help suppress the appetite a bit.  In college I had an interesting discovery.   I could buy a large Fugi Apple(my favorite) and a orange from the grocery store and if I ate the orange first I could then finish off the apple or at least be close to it. However, if i ate the apple first I would feel full enough that I wouldn't feel hungry enough to want to peel the orange.

Now granted I would pick out the largest Fugi apple I could find because they were my favorite.  But I would find it would hold me over if I didn't have time to go and get lunch till much later in the day.  Later one of my wellness professors talked about the benefits of doing an "apple fast" to reset the metabolism for a day.  While I don't think I'll be signing up for an apple fast anytime soon I think the old saying has more benefits than we give it credit.  An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  While it may not keep the doctor away you my find that it has a positive impact on the waist line over time.
photo credit: leoncillo sabino

Dr Oz Helps a Man Change His Lifestyle and Save His Life

Amazing changes can be made when lifestyle changes are made.  Rocco a meat loving cowboy makes drastic changes for drastic results!

Symptom Searching

Are you one of those people who looks up symptoms online to try and diagnose your health problem? Some doctors worry about their patients partaking in this practice. Over 70% of young women search the web at the first symptom. However, as long as you’re not obsessing about it to the point of becoming a hypochondriac, it may be beneficial. If you have spent some time researching, you are more equipped to have a conversation with your doctor and to ask the questions you need answers to. You can actually help your doctor make a diagnosis if you are well-prepared. Make sure you look for your health information at a reliable site. Here are several sites that are good resources.
WebMD.com
mayoclinic.com
cdc.gov (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
photocredit:laffy4k

Berry Healthy Smoothie

Berry Healthy Smoothie

1 1/2 C Frozen Strawberries

1 1/2 C Frozen Blueberries

2 Ripe Bananas

1 C frozen Spinach (a handful or two of fresh will work too)

2 C Almond Milk (this you may want to adjust so you can control the thickness)

I absolutely love this combination.  The fruit flavors cover up the greens and the ripe bananas sweeten it up just enough.  I tend to blend mine so it is pretty thick and eat it almost like ice cream.   This recipe makes a good bit so I would encourage you to share with a friend.  photo credit: Azure Begonia

Give Your Home a Healthy Makeover

Cockroaches—Be sure to keep your kitchen clean with no crumbs for cockroaches to feast on. Keep food sealed and put away. Seal all the entry points around pipes and doors with caulk. If need be, call an exterminator.
Mold in your vacuum cleaner—Spray your vacuum’s bristles every 3 months with white distilled vinegar. This keeps mold out of the fibers. Buy a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

Pollen on your pet—Shampoo you pet weekly. If your pet goes outside wipe them down with a wet cloth before they come back inside.
Dust mites—Wash your cushion covers and slip covers weekly on the hottest cycle you can use with them. Wash or dry clean your curtains every few months. This should help with cutting down on the amount of dust mites in your home.

Cleaning—Use some of the many newly available “green” non-toxic cleaners available at any store. Whenever you use chemicals in your home be sure to open the windows so the area is properly ventilated.

Detectors—Make sure that you not only have smoke detectors in your home, but also carbon monoxide detectors as well. Carbon monoxide is odorless, so you won’t be able to tell if it is present. Remember to check the batteries every 3 months!
photo credit: Jeremy Levine Design

Veggie Day

A recent United Nations report by their top climate scientist, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, concluded that people should eat less meat to combat global warming. It is estimated that meat production accounts for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions. To put this in perspective, transportation accounts for about 13% of emissions. Changing what you eat could have an impact on climate change. Dr. Pachauri said, "But if we're honest, less meat is also good for the health, and would also at the same time reduce emissions of greenhouse gases." In response to this report, the Belgian city of Ghent has instituted a weekly meatless day, making it the first city in the world to go vegetarian for environmental reasons. Civil servants and elected officials are going meatless every Thursday in the hope that Ghent can reduce its environmental footprint. Schools are also going to have their own veggie day in September. As a bonus, veggie day tackles obesity as well. The city of Ghent is printing 90,000 “veggie street maps” for locating vegetarian eateries around the city.

photocredit:srqpix

Walnuts May Keep Cancer at Bay

A study done by Marshall University School of Medicine found that eating walnuts every day may help curb breast cancer. The study done on mice found that those that ate walnuts had fewer and smaller tumors than those who didn’t. Walnuts contain antioxidants and significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids than other nuts. They also contain phytosterols, which bind to estrogen receptors and inhibit the growth of breast cancer tumors. The study suggests eating two handfuls of walnuts a day to receive benefits. More research needs to be done with human subjects, but the results are promising. Scientists estimate that eating walnuts every day may push off the development of tumors by up to nine years. Walnuts may also help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and improving blood vessel elasticity. They also reduce C-Reactive Protein, which is an independent marker and predictor of heart disease.

photocredit:FotoosVanRobin

How Often Should You Change Your Sheets?

The best rule of thumb is to change your sheets weekly. Every time you sleep you shed dead skin cells, hair and bodily fluids. This can cause bad odors, stickiness and a fertile breeding ground for bed bugs, fleas, dust mites and other parasites. Dust mites can cause allergies, so it’s best to keep your sheets clean. If you have severe allergies, it may be advisable to change your sheets even more than once a week. Wash your sheets in hot water to make sure that all the dead skin cells and dust mites are gone. Some people use their bed to eat in. Crumbs left in the bed may attract ants and cockroaches. If you spill food in your bed, change your sheets. People who have night sweats or wet the bed, should have their sheets changed daily. Children who are teething should also have their sheets changed daily to prevent the dried saliva from causing skin irritation. If you are sick, the sheets should be changed twice a week and the pillowcase daily. Blankets and comforters should be washed every few weeks, as well.
photo credit: chadawg24

Don’t Share Ear buds

You remember your mom telling you not to share hats or hairbrushes because you might catch something? Well, here’s something else to add to the Do-Not-Share list—ear buds. The Online Journal of Health and Allied Sciences reports that infection-causing bacteria was found on 92 percent of earphones that belonged to people who shared them with others. Sixty-four percent of headphones that belonged to people who rarely or never shared their headphones had the bacteria. A study done at India’s Manipal University found that 93 percent of ear swabs of people who shared ear buds had harmful bacteria, compared to only 8 percent for those who never shared ear buds. To reduce your risk of having a harmful bacteria colony in your ears, clean your ear buds every month with alcohol-free cleaner.

photo credit: Unhindered by Talent