Why Weight Matters: Obesity and Your Health
We are a growing nation. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, more than sixty percent of Americans aged twenty years and older are overweight, and one-quarter of American adults are also obese.
What does this mean for the health of our nation? Nothing good. Obesity-related diseases are "implicated" in more than a quarter million deaths every year. Below, Dr Robert Kushner, Director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, discusses the grave consequences of
Can green smoothies stop junk food cravings?
There are many easily found testimonials all over the internet testifying that this is true. Drinking whole raw foods blended in to a nice smooth drink can help overcome addictive cravings for coffee and donuts.
There is no magic in drinking a green smoothie and 'poof' our cravings for junk foods are gone. It is the gradual change of a bad habit. Drinking a green smoothie is taking the first step to replacing a bad eating habit with a better one. It is a conscious choice you make daily to replace the soda or doughnut with a green smoothie or choose to blend up a smoothie the night before so you are not tempted to take a drive-thru in the morning.
What is in a Green Smoothie?
Green smoothies are fresh, raw food that contain fruits, seeds, nuts, vegetables ,and most importantly dark, leafy greens. These power-packed drinks are full of phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, and live enzymes. After one of these, your appetite is fully satisfied. Green smoothies are capable of replacing a meal, being a quick snack, or a breakfast on the go.
What is in Junk Food that causes us to crave it?
Junk food has very little or no nutrition at all. Sadly consumers are tricked into purchasing products that should have no part of being in our body. Packaging and marketing techniques target our ‘sweet spots‘ that get us to buy and bring into our homes these poisonous little time bombs to feed to ourselves and our children.
Sugar is a main ingredient in junk food, as well as oil and salt. Sugar is a highly addictive substance that some scientists have compared with hard drugs. I have often heard of sugar as ‘kids crack’. There is much truth in that statement. Slurp down a soda, or throw back a packet of Twinkies and you get a rush or ‘pick-me-up’ until you crash. Then the process is either repeated or thought about until repeated.
How can a Green Smoothie stop junk food cravings?
The difference between real fruits and vegetables in a smoothie and junk food is that your body can sense the nutrients flooding your system with smoothies and signals when it has had enough. On the contrary, junk food has no nutrition and your body ends up eating more and more awaiting the signal that enough nutrients are consumed. Foods used to make green smoothies make you feel good and stable. Junk foods make you feel bloated and sick.
A small search on GreenSmoothieGirl’s testimonials produced the following quotes:
“I feel less like eating junk food when I’m eating lots of greens and fruits and veggies”“Greens will help stop junk food cravings by giving it (the body) the nutrients it (the body) is craving”“The more greens in my diet the less I crave junk”
Why we crave what is not healthy for us and not crave what our body really needs, like broccoli and Brussels Sprouts.
The additives and flavor enhancers in processed junk food, like refined white sugar and MSG, are addictive substances that easily gets us hooked to the junk food and wanting more. Or it tricks the brain into thinking this food we are eating is good. The desire for these foods increase and become addictive. Raw foods do not contain these substances.
However, once your body is continuously filled with the nutrients it strongly needs (from green smoothies), the desire for junk food seems to diminish. For some, it may take days. For others, it may take months of a daily (or several times a day) green smoothie to kick this dangerous habit. The rewards are great in the end.
The easiest way to start is to just do it, but with small steps. Start with a kitchen blender, any blender will do to get you started. Try a combination of ingredients until you find the right taste for you. For a simple beginner green smoothie recipe, blend the following ingredients:
Simple Green Smoothie Recipe:1 cup liquid (water or milk)1 big handful of fresh spinach (spinach is a sweet green that can’t be tasted in the smoothie)1 banana1 handful frozen blueberries or strawberries (or whatever frozen fruit you have)Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend well.
From this recipe you can add different types of greens, different vegetables, more fruit or less and so on. To make the transition easier start with more fruit and less veggies and slowly change the ratio to more veggies as your taste buds adapt.
Blend up a big batch of Green Smoothie and take with you to work or keep in a container in the fridge to drink on through out the day.
Here is another quick smoothie recipe to get you started:
Cranberry-Orange-Banana-Spinach Green Smoothie:1 1/2 cups apple cider2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves1 orange, peeled (add a few small peelings/zest)1/2 to 3/4 cup raw cranberries1 banana, peeledAdd all of the ingredients to your blender and blend well.
If you need help looking for the perfect blender to fit your needs, stop by Kitchen Blender Reviews. Publisher April Jones also has a variety of blendtec recipes on her site, from breakfasts, dinners, desserts to smoothies. April loves to share with others about the benefits of healthy eating while making it fun and lasting. Healthy living begins in the kitchen.
Add Juicing Benefits To Natural, Healthy Weight Loss
How To Have Younger Looking Hands Keeping hands beautiful as we age
If I only knew what I know now when I was younger, I could have stopped or slow downed some of the present damage to my hands, especially the awful dark spots.
I've always worn gloves when doing the dishes, heavy housework, and gardening, but I hadn't thought about protecting my hands from the sun, especially when driving. I do now!
Photo of my 65 year-old hands. Not perfect, but not bad! |
Young women - This is a reminder to all young women - start taking care of your hands now!
Older women - It is never too late to stop the damage and make your hands look younger.
A lot of us take care of our faces, but forget about our aging hands. Next to your face, your hands are probably the most visible parts of your body. The earliest signs of aging will show on your hands. The skin on the back of your hands is extremely delicate. This skin is very, very thin, as there is almost no fat under it at all, which is why the veins are so visible. As we grow older, any fat that is there lessens and the skin becomes dry and loose, exposing the veins even more. As if that’s not enough, we begin to develop ugly age spots and sunspots (also known as liver spots). Your hands need extra care because they’re always doing so much for us and, unfortunately, so often taken for granted.
Knowing how to maintain your hands as you age is the best way to make sure they look your best and that you, in turn, look your youngest.
Beauty Secrets for keeping your hands beautiful?
Wear a high SPF sunscreen or sun block on the back of your hands, especially when driving your car. The sun causes 90% to 95% of the wrinkles, lines, discolorations and more to our bodies and hands. Keep some sun block in your car.
Wear rubber gloves lined with cotton when your hands are in contact with harsh soaps, detergents, or chemicals. Wear gloves every single time you wash dishes or hand wash clothing. That dishwashing liquid is alkaline, which is hard on the skin. Cleaning agents can be extremely harsh on both nails and hands. The nails when exposed to water, swell and then shrink back as they dry. This contributes to brittle nails.
Use a mild pH soap, like Dove, when washing your hands.
Exfoliate. Use a grainy scrub on backs of hands twice a week to reveal glowing skin. You can either use the same exfoliate that you use on your face or make your own by making a solution of sea salt mixed with lemon juice. Brush it into hands with an old toothbrush to help remove any dead skin cells.
Moisturize - Moisturize! After washing your hands, pat dry and while moist, use a moisturizer on the hands, cuticles, and nails.Keeping the thin skin of our hands moisturized is very important. You can put some cream in small containers. Carry one in your purse and put the others in strategic places around the house.
Always wear protective gloves when gardening or during heavy housework. Wear gloves to protect your hands from cold weather.
Only go to reputable spas or nail salons that practice good sanitation to prevent infection.
Keep your cuticles neat. Cuticles function as barriers to bacteria and fungus, but they can often overgrow. Use a wooden cuticle pusher after a shower to keep them in line and NEVER cut your cuticles. Tiny hangnails and bitten edges can catch on almost anything, turning into deep tears and possibly leading to infection. Keep them covered by applying a liquid bandage product as soon as tears develop or you can use any regular bandage until its heals.
Food Mood Swings - Can What you Eat Affect your Mood?
We all know that food makes us feel good, both physically and emotionally. The food we eat fuels our bodies but it also affects our minds. Certain foods make us feel warm and safe – think comfort food and soul food.
As I’m sure you have experienced, this is a two-way street. What you eat affects how you feel and how you feel affects what you eat. When stressed we tend to overeat or under eat, neither of which is healthy. Food may be an escape; we eat because it makes us feel better. Or some people find that stress makes them not want to eat at all, they are too distracted or physically feel ill.
The holiday season is pretty crazy for most of us. Making conscious choices about what we eat during this time may help us feel less stressed. So how exactly do specific foods affect our moods?
1. The power of association.
We form emotional attachments to food because we associate it with things that have happened to us. Foods that were a big part of our childhood can bring back memories of that time in our lives. The aroma of a simmering stew makes us feel like we are backing home in our mom's kitchen!
This phenomenon is especially strong during the holidays. A traditional turkey dinner at Christmas brings to mind the warmth and excitement (or any other experience) we felt as children during this time.
2. Serotonin and comforting carbohydrates.
The foods that you eat can actually change the chemical composition of your brain. This influences you are feeling, your clarity of mind and how alert you are. For example, certain elements in food are precursors to neurotransmitters which are the chemical messengers that carry information between the cells in your brain. The amount of precursor available from your food affects the amount of neurotransmitter available to your brain cells.
When it comes to mood, one important neurotransmitter is serotonin. Serotonin affects our feeling of well-being. When serotonin is low, you are more likely to feel stressed, angry or depressed.
According to Judith Wurtman, author of The Serotonin Power Diet, “Nature gave us an easy way of harnessing the power of our brain to control our appetite and mood. We don't need drugs, or supplements, herbs or pills. Just by eating the immense variety of carbs on this earth, we can lose weight, feel better, and maybe make everyone more peaceful.”
Eating carbohydrates triggers the release of insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin clears out all of the amino acids in the bloodstream except for tryptophan. In the brain, Tryptophan is converted in into serotonin. Some healthy food choices for releasing serotonin include whole wheat bread, cereals and pastas.
3. Protein makes you more alert.
During digestion, proteins are broken down into their amino acid constituents. One of these amino acids is tyrosine which increases the production of the neurotransmitters norepinepherine, dopamine and epinephrine. These neurotransmitters are responsible for making us feel alert and energetic. Healthy choices include fish, poultry, lean meat and eggs.
4. Drink your coffee?
Despite its bad reputation, small amounts of caffeine have been shown to work as an antidepressant. Don't overdo it though. Experts recommend keeping the dose to one or 2 cups of coffee per day!
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee - A great dining experience deserves great coffee.
5. Folic acid, selenium and fatty acids may help fight depression.
Eat your spinach and drink your orange juice to keep depression at bay. Studies have shown levels of folic acid to be lower in people who are depressed. Eating foods high in folic acid may help prevent or alleviate mild depression.
Brazil nuts, tuna, sunflower seeds and whole-grain cereals are all good sources of selenium. Studies have shown that people who have low levels of selenium are more anxious. Increasing levels of selenium helps to normalize mood.
Eat fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and herring as well as omega-3 eggs. The fatty acids found in these foods are important to the health of nerve and brain cell membranes. Lack of these fats in your diet may put you at higher risk for depression. Learn the story of the Pacific Coast Salmon.
6. Protect you memory with eggs and berries.
EGGS: Found in high concentrations in eggs, Choline is a vitamin B complex that is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is linked to memory. Alzheimer's patients have been shown to have low levels of acetylcholine. Eating eggs and other foods rich in choline may help to ensure the availability of acetylcholine to your brain. Check this informative Egg web page on What's Cooking America. It is the main web page on how to cook eggs.
BERRIES: Eat lots of berries. Blueberries, raspberries, and goji berries as they all contain high levels of antioxidants which help to destroy free radicals that damage cells.
7. Eating something sweet does make you feel happy.
If you have the control to stop at just one cookie, this may be the quickest way to boost your mood. Eating foods high in fat and sugar causes the brain to release endorphins which send pleasure signals throughout the body.
8. Eat chocolate to make you feel sexy.
Chocolate contains an exceptionally high amount of phenylethylamine, a stimulant associated with love and sexual attraction. This "chocolate amphetamine" affects blood pressure and blood sugar levels resulting in a feeling of excitement. It also quickens your pulse, reflecting the way someone feels when in love. Check out the interesting and informative article Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate.
Did you know that teeth whitening is the number one (1) requested
A recent survey showed 80% of Americans aged 18 to 49 want whiter teeth, with women leading in this area at 85%. 6 out 10 believe a whiter, brighter smile would boost their self confidence especially in the 18 to 24 age range.
According to the American Academy of cosmetic Dentistry, Americans spent more than $1.4 billion on over-the-counter teeth whitening products last year alone.
One of the first things people notice when they meet someone new is their smile. Teeth Whitening has become an accessible and relatively easy way to instantly improve appearance, create a positive first impression, and achieve a more youthful and radiant appearance. Teeth can become discolored over a period of time. Teeth whitening is not a medical procedure, it does not result in healthier teeth, but it can result in whiter teeth.
What causes discoloration of the teeth?
Discoloration can be caused by several factors including ageing, smoking, consumption of staining foods and beverages, staining caused by medication, aging, hereditary factors, and chemical damage to teeth. Some of the more common causes of teeth discoloration are medications, coffee, tea, or cigarettes. People who drink significant amounts of cola soft drinks can experience similar staining.
Aside from staining, there are other factors that can affect the color of an individual's teeth. Genetics can play a role. Some people have naturally brighter enamel than others. Disease can also be a factor and certain medications can cause a discoloration of the teeth. If you suspect that there is an underlying medical cause for your teeth discoloration, be sure to inform your cosmetic dentist.Smoking will cause a build up on teeth that can cause a yellow to orange color staining. These stains can take longer to lighten. Nicotine staining takes 1-3 months to whitening through nightly use. Using tobacco will actually speed up how fast your teeth lose their new whiteness.
Aging also contributes to the yellowing of teeth. The enamel, which is the hard outer coating of your teeth, wears thin, allowing the underlying layer of yellowish dentin to show through. Most common are yellow-brown to dark brown stains that probably caused by an accumulation of dental plaque, food stain, and poor oral hygiene. Aging or inherit discoloration usually occurs in 9 out of 10 people. These stains usually bleach quite readily as due yellowish discoloration, whether due to aging or tobacco smoke, likewise responds well to bleaching. Staining from aging takes about 1-6 weeks to whiten.
The rule of thumb is that anything that can stain your table cloth, clothes, or carpet can also stain your teeth. Think tomato sauce, blueberry pie, red wine, etc.
Safe Teeth Bleaching Tips: Always get a dental check-up before using any kind of bleaching product (even at-home kits). Always follow bleaching directions. Do not over bleach. Aim for a natural look - not "refrigerator" white. |
- Bleaching your teeth to change the color of the tooth enamel by removing stains. Your dentist can bleach your teeth at his or her office. The solutions used by the dentists have a concentrated peroxide solution of about 35%. During a single treatment, teeth can by whitened by 12 to 14 shades.
- You can also do it yourself with a kit you buy from the dentist. In the tray and gel solutions, the dentist prepares a mouth piece filled with gel for the patient to wear a few hours every night for about two weeks. These gels contain between 10% and 15% peroxide, and can get teeth whiter by about 8 shades.
- Using inexpensive over-the-counter whitening toothpastes that you can purchase at your local store. Whitening strips with about a 4 percent peroxide solution can whiten teeth by 2 or 3 shades.
Bleaching doesn't always work:
Bleaching may not work if you have had bonding or tooth-colored fillings in your front teeth. The bleach will not affect the color of these materials. They will only stand out if you whiten the rest of your teeth. It is best to consult with your dentist before using any teeth whitening systems, especially if you have many fillings, crowns, or very dark stains.Bleaching side effects:
Bleaching your teeth can have side effects. Teeth can become sensitive (hot and cold sensitivity) and gum irritation can occur when you are using the bleaching solution, but this usually goes away when you finish your treatment. A mouthpiece that does not fit well may hurt your gums. Other, less frequently encountered, side effects that have been reported by patients are: sore throat, tooth pain, tingling of the tissues, and headaches.The Blue Teeth People:
Don't go overboard with whitening. The color resulting from too many treatments is unnatural. Let your teeth be pearly white. Unfortunately there are people who can never get enough and bleach too often and too much. I call them the "blue teeth people." Everyone has seen them! Their teeth have a bluish look to them. Bleachers should aim for a color that matches the whites of their eyes.How long do the whitening effects last?
Remember that whitening is not permanent, as your teeth will slowly become discolored again. People who expose their teeth to foods and beverages that cause staining may see the whiteness start to fade in as little as 1 month. Those who avoid foods and beverages that stain may be able to wait one year or longer before another whitening treatment or touch-up is needed.If you do choose to consume beverages that stain, consider using a straw so that the liquid bypasses your front teeth.Brush or rinse immediately after consuming stain-causing beverages or foods.Follow good oral hygiene practices. Brush your teeth at least twice daily and floss at least once daily to remove plaque. Use a whitening toothpaste (once or twice a week only) to remove surface stains and prevent yellowing. Use a regular toothpaste the rest of the time.Consider touch-up treatments. Depending on the whitening method used, you may need a touch-up every 6 months or after a year or two. If you smoke or drink lots of stain-causing beverages, you may need a touch up more often.
Yoga - Calm, balanced, strong and flexible in mind and body
While yoga doesn’t claim to be a cure-all, a regular yoga practice enhances well-being (both physically and emotionally) by relieving tension and restoring energy flow and balance. Health benefits include stress relief, strengthening and toning, increased range of motion ,and improved functioning of internal organs. Yoga is accessible to everyone and it is also great fun!
Yoga as Preventative Medicine
We live in a pharmacological age and as a society are dependent upon pills for relief of our ailments. Often this means we are treating symptoms rather than the actual illness and in the end become more dependent on medications to help us feel better. Yoga provides a natural way to enhance your body's own ability to fight disease, infection, and fend off invaders as well and helps reconnect your mind and body to become more in tune with what's going on.
Yoga is not just great exercise, it's a way of life that helps you live longer and live stronger. The practice of yoga is a combination of extensive stretching and of your muscles and joints along with controlled deep breathing. It facilitates greater self-awareness and practitioners achieve a sense of harmony and balance and learn to make time for introspective thought. An inward focus and greater self-awareness will help you recognize signs of illness earlier and take steps to fend off illness from its onset.
Physical stimulation of your endocrine glands boosts your immune system making you better able to fight off that annoying cold or flu. Your body will become more efficient in fending off these diseases so you'll be sick for a shorter time, and less often. Yoga also helps relieve stress which is one of the prime influencers of sickness: a body that's been overworked, a mind with too much to think about. Soon enough you're drained of energy and off to bed with the sniffles.
Yoga postures massage and relieve compression on your digestive system, helping you more easily digest foods and get more of the food's nutrients. Yoga is thought to lessen the severity of episodes of constipation, diarrhea, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Flexibility and Posture
Yoga can help with conditions where range of motion is limited whether due to disease, such as arthritis or from injury. By gently exercising your joints and ligaments in a controlled, low-impact fashion, yoga movement distributes synovial fluid (the body’s natural joint lubricant), making movement less painful and less harmful to joint structure in the long run. Continued practice of yoga poses will actually "train" your body to sit or stand in the proper position and good posture decreases strain on the joints.
Yoga for Fitness and Weight Loss
Any form of physical exercise will certainly improve your fitness level. While we typically think that you need to run, sweat, or exert yourself, this “no pain, no gain mentality” is shifting in favor of a more holistic approach that emphasizes understanding our own bodies and their natural limitations. In yoga, the concept of finding your edge means finding that place where you are comfortable and then gradually increasing the boundary, for example holding a pose longer and longer.
Yoga poses tone, strengthen and elongate muscle throughout the body which can give the appearance of a more sculpted body. Certain vigorous types of yoga, such as vinyasa-style, may be more beneficial for anyone whose primary intention it is to lose weight as these types of practice can burn many calories.
Yoga classes provide a safe and positive environment for anyone just getting back into shape. This can help boost self image and confidence and encourages healthy choices in other areas of our lives. Yoga also encourages awareness. Many people are not sure why they overeat and may just do so out of habit.
The Importance of Breathing Well
Yogic exercise is extremely beneficial to your heart. Studies suggest yoga combined with a healthy diet will lower levels of triglycerides, bad cholesterol, and blood pressure; all of which are risk factors for heart disease. Physiologically, yoga stretching and deep breathing actually decreases your blood pressure, slows your breathing, and releases endorphins into your bloodstream giving you a pleasant, relaxed feeling. The effects of these actions on the mind and body are likened to sitting in a dark, quiet room. The time you spend in yogic meditation allows you to calm your thoughts, and relax your body.
Yogic breathing is an excellent way to de-stress and focus your mind, but it is also an amazing way to combat chronic lung diseases such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. For example, people with asthma tend to over breathe (breathe too quickly) which causes the body to become starved for oxygen. Controlled deep breathing helps them slow it down and breathe well. Given time and regular practice, yogic breathing will strengthen your lungs and may actually decrease your dependence on rescue inhalers and other pharmaceuticals.
There are so many different variations of yoga available, you can easily find one that fits your lifestyle and brings you the health benefits you seek. Whether child, senior, or somewhere in between, anyone can choose a yoga class that fits their skill level, works within their physical limitations, and helps them live a healthier life.
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