10 Tips To Avoid Packing On The Pounds This Festive Season

By Catrell Cooney (NaturalNews)

It's that time of year again. The time between Thanksgiving and the New Year is associated not only with "Deck the Halls" and "Trim the Tree," but also with over-eating and over-indulging.

During the six weeks of back-to-back holidays that includes Thanksgiving, Kwanza, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Year's, it's easy to pack on the pounds with all the parties, celebrations, and events if you don't have a plan.

Perhaps you won't lose any weight during the holiday season, but with these tips you'll at least have fun maintaining your current weight and not add anymore around the middle.

1. Be Realistic

This is not the time to begin a new diet. Think about maintaining your weight, not about losing weight during the holiday season. Staying rigid can lead to over-eating. Forget about the idea of being "perfect," it is impossible to be perfect during the most ideal circumstances; much less during a time of endless buffets and parties.

2. Eat Before The Party

Never arrive at a party or event hungry. Eating a light, healthy snack such as raw vegetables with salsa, an apple, or small green smoothie before an event or party will leave you better equipped to make better food choices.

3. Rethink Baking

Love the idea of getting out the rolling pins, cookie cutters, and holiday apron? This year, replace your traditional fat and sugar laden recipes with healthy new ones.

4. Don't Make It All About The Food

Spend more time "Decking the halls" and "Trimming the Tree" instead of making candy and cookies. Try to encourage family and friends to join you in games, nature walks, or crafts to take the focus off food.

5. Always Bring A Healthy Dish To The Party

At least you know you'll have one thing to eat if everything else is off limits. Plus others will probably be thankful for the healthy option.

6. Don't Drink Your Calories

Whether it's in the form of alcohol or sugary drinks, most beverages have way too many calories and unnecessary sugar. Try this low calorie spritzer instead: mix two ounces of wine, four ounces club soda, a splash of cranberry juice, and a hint of lime.

7. Be The Last In Line For Buffets

When you are the first in line then you are usually finished by the time the last person starts and you will be more inclined to go back for seconds. Once others have picked through the buffet, it usually doesn't look as appetizing. By the time you finish and have thoughts of going back for seconds, there is often nothing left.

8. Avoid Seconds

Avoiding second helpings can be a challenge, especially when there is an abundance of delicious foods. To avoid going back for seconds, firstly make sure that you start off with a reasonable plate of food. Keep serving dishes off the table to decrease the temptation of that extra helping (out of sight, out of mind). Chew your food slowly, and you will not only savor the taste and be more satisfied but your salivary juices will start breaking down the food, making it easier for your digestive system. Chances are you will be full by the time you've finished eating.

9. Enjoy Your Favorites

Pick two or three of your favorite foods of the season and enjoy those in moderation.
No skipping meals - Even if you overeat at one meal, go light on the next. Have a small plate of raw vegetables with hummus, a simple salad, or a small bowl of soup. Skipping meals has been linked to increased glucose levels and even weight gain.

10. Don't Skip Out On Exercise

Between all the celebrations and everyday schedules, life can get extra hectic during the holiday season. Maintaining an exercise routine this time of year is very important. Exercise can not only help burn some of those extra calories you may be consuming, but it's also great for stress release.

How Do You Manage Your Weight During The Silly Season?

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com...

Have a Healthy and Successful Christmas!

6 Tips To Soothe Dry Skin

By Josephine Beck (NaturalNews)

Cold weather, low humidity levels and wind are factors that can really dry out and damage your skin, especially when central heaters are used at home. How can one alleviate dryness and help skin stay moist and healthy through the coldest months of the year?

1. Moisturize More!

Find an "ointment" moisturizer that is oil-based, rather than water-based. The oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion.

When choosing a moisturizer, it is best to opt for natural organic skincare products or nourish skin with pure oils, such as almond, avocado, coconut or jojoba oil.

You can also look for lotions containing humectants, a class of substances that attract moisture to your skin, such as glycerine.

Always read the ingredient label; preservatives and fragrances can dry and irritate sensitive skin. Preservatives that seem to cause problems for many people include propylene glycol, quaternium-15 and imidazolidinyl urea.

In addition, stop using deodorant bars, antibacterial soaps, perfumed soaps and skin care products containing alcohol, like hand sanitizers. They can strip oils from the skin.

2. Protect Your Skin When Going Outside

It is important to protect your skin even on a cloudy or snowy day. Snow is an even better reflector than water! Use a natural sunscreen and lip balm (lips don't have oil glands, and they can dry out easily, causing chapped lips) and wear a scarf and gloves to help prevent chapped lips and hands.

3. Avoid Super-Hot Showers Or Baths

Hot water removes the skin's natural oils more quickly than warm or cold water. This is why showers should be limited to five minutes, using warm water rather than hot. A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda can help relieve skin that is so dry that it has become itchy. After washing, moisturizing skin immediately with oil helps trap water in the skin.

4. Drink More Water Or Herbal Tea To Prevent Dehydration

The skin is often the outer reflection of the inner being. To keep the body hydrated, drinking water is paramount. Alcohol, caffeine and all kinds of diuretics should be avoided. Drinking herbal tea and eating fluid-rich foods, such as fruit, vegetables and soup, can also help.

5. Eat Foods Rich In Omega-3s And Vitamin D

Essential fatty acids (omega-3s and omega-6s) are most important. These healthy fats help retain natural oils in your cells and keep skin well hydrated. Omega-3 can be found in cold-water fish as well as in poly-unsatured and unrefined vegetable oils such as flax oil.

Because of unsafe levels of mercury and toxicity in some kinds of fish (especially the big ones such as salmon), it is advisable to supplement diet with good vegetable oils or seeds instead (like chia or hemp seeds).

Also, one study by the Johnson & Johnson Skin Research Center found a link between low vitamin D levels and drier skin. Individuals with lower levels of vitamin D had lower average skin moisture. The skin consists of a special layer designed to convert ultraviolet B radiation from the sun into vitamin D; a lack of sun in the winter can have a substantial impact on the dryness of your skin.

Few foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D naturally. The best sources are wild-caught salmon and mackerel. Indeed, it may be worth supplementing your diet with vitamin D in the winter.

6. Don't Overheat Your Home And Office

Central heating systems and space heaters draw moisture out of the air and out of your skin. It is recommended to keep indoor temperature below 72° F. Using a humidifier is a good option, especially in the bedroom, to keep skin well hydrated while sleeping.
These skincare tips should help with dry skin. However, some cases of dry skin should be seen by a doctor, especially if symptoms get worse. There are internal factors that can cause dry skin, including overall health, genetics and medical conditions like asthma, allergies, dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com…

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Do you drink bottled water?

I stopped buying bottled water a few years back and not only is it better for your health you will save money!

Bottled water found to contain over 24,000 chemicals, including endocrine disruptors!Natural News

Widespread consumer demand for plastic products that are free of the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) has led to some significant positive changes in the way that food, beverage and water containers are manufactured. But a new study out of Germany has found that thousands of other potentially harmful chemicals are still leeching from plastic products into food and beverages, including an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) known as di(2-ethylhexyl) fumarate, or DEHF, that is completely unregulated.

Martin Wagner and his colleague, Jorg Oehlmann, from the Goethe University Frankfurt, in conjunction with a team of researchers from the German Federal Institute of Hydrology, learned this after conducting tests on 18 different bottled water products to look for the presence of EDCs. Using an advanced combination of bioassay work and high-resolution mass spectrometry, the team identified some 24,520 different chemicals present in the tested water.

But of major concern, and the apparent underpinning of the study's findings, was DEHF, a plasticizer chemical that is used to make plastic bottles more flexible. According to reports, DEHF was clearly identified in the tested water as the most consistent and obvious culprit causing anti-estrogenic activity. Despite trace amounts of more than 24,000 other potentially damaging chemicals, DEHF stood out as the only possible EDC capable of inducing this particular observed activity, a highly concerning observation.

The study's published abstract explains that 13 of the 18 bottled water products tested exhibited "significant" anti-estrogenic activity, while 16 of the 18 samples were found to inhibit the body's androgen receptors by an astounding 90 percent. Additionally, the other 24,520 chemical traces besides DEHF were also identified as exhibiting antagonistic activity, which means that they, too, are detrimental to the body's hormonal system.

Many thousands of endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in plastic production prove material unsafe

But DEHF is apparently not alone in causing significant damage to the endocrine system, as the team was unable to identify this chemical as being specifically anti-androgenic. What this suggests is that there is some other chemical, or chemical combination, being leeched into bottled water that is interfering with the body's chemical signaling system, which is, of course, responsible for hormone production and use within the body.

"We confirmed the identity and biological activity of DEHF and additional isomers of dioctyl fumarate and maleate using authentic standards," report the researchers. "Since DEHF is anti-estrogenic but not anti-androgenic we conclude that additional, yet unidentified EDCs must contribute to the antagonistic effect of bottled water."

So while these specific findings concerning DEHF are groundbreaking, the overall conclusion to be drawn from this research is that far more study is needed to determine the types of chemicals that are being leeched from plastic into our food and water, not to mention the extent of this leeching. And since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the rest of the three-letter government agencies will surely never get around to conducting this important research, independent science will simply have to take up the charge.

"This work is a 'tour de force' in identification of endocrine disruptors in packaged materials," says Bruce Blumberg from the University of California, Irvine, as quoted by Chemistry World. This type of analysis, he adds, "will be very important for our future understanding of what chemicals we are routinely exposed to and which of these pose hazards of being endocrine disruptors."

You can read the full study abstract here:
http://www.plosone.org

In the meantime, conscious consumers can avoid plastic containers whenever possible and simply use glass or steel containers instead to avoid these unknown risks.


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Nutrition for Young Athletes

Nutrition for Young Athletes: Fueling Up Before the Game

Nutrition can play a pivotal role in supporting the training and competition demands of any elite athlete.

Food alone will not make you pass the ball faster or knock seconds off your personal best, but the right diet is absolutely central in supporting training to make those achievements possible. Good food choices help ensure fuel needs are met to promote adaptations to training, to aid recovery in order to continue and intensify training and to ensure good health to prevent illness and injury. What you consume before, during and after a game is important for comfort and performance during the game. While eating soon before a game doesn't provide the bulk of the fuel needed for the activity, it can prevent the distracting symptoms of hunger during it. The major source of fuel for active muscles is carbohydrate which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before the game. This is one reason that the post-game meal is critical to recovery and being ready for the next game.

What Not to Eat

A good diet sometimes starts with not consuming things that you shouldn't. The two biggies for young people are fast food and soda. You can't perform at your peak when you're eating food that is over-processed and made for mass production. Sodas are some of the biggest performance inhibitors out there. The high level of sugar and carbonation forces your body to work harder, and takes energy from you, rather than providing the energy you need to perform. If you simply cut out these two items, you'd be a lot better off nutritionally. You also want to avoid as much processed or packaged food as you can. Examples of this are pre-packaged, or microwave dinners. The more processed the food, the less real nutritional value it has. Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time. They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, crisps, and sweets should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal.

Drink Lots of Fluids

You've probably heard this over and over, but you really cannot get enough water and electrolytes. Most young people don't stay hydrated. When you're training intensely, your body depends on good hydration to successfully perform and recover. Find a good electrolyte replacement drink to help with this recovery. Keep a water bottle with you during the day, so you're keeping yourself hydrated all day. If you wait until you're thirsty, it's too late!

When to Eat

Exercising on a full stomach is not ideal. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to training sessions to determine what works best for you.

If you have an early morning game or training session, it's best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event than a solid meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

What to Eat

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This include: foods such as rice or whole wheat pasta, fruits, Choice energy bars and drinks. I use a combination of B vitamins and Vitamin C for my energy drink, works a lot better than the commercial brands with no added chemicals or sweeteners.  

Planning

Planning is essential if you are competing in an all-day event, such as a tournament. Consider the time of your event, the amount of your meal and the energy required. Also, be aware of the amount of fluid you consume. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before and know will sit well with you. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.

Suggested Pre-Training Foods

Eating before training is something only the footballer can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and fluid replacement (sports drink) 1 hour before exercise.

1 hour or less before competition

• Fruit or vegetable juice such as orange, tomato, or V-8, and/or
• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before competition

• Fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• low-fat yogurt
• sports drink

3 to 4 hours before competition

• Fresh fruit
• fruit or vegetable juices
• rice or pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with low-fat milk
• low-fat yogurt
• toast/bread with limited peanut butter, lean meat (chicken or turkey breast), or low-fat cheese
• 30 oz of a sports drink

Sugar and Performance

If you are an endurance athlete, evidence suggests that eating some sugar (like energy bars, some types of fruit, or sports drinks) 35 to 40 minutes before an event may provide energy (glucose) to your exercising muscles when your other energy stores have dropped to low levels

Caffeine and Performance

Caffeine (tea and coffee) acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system. It had been thought to boost endurance by stimulating a greater use of fat for energy, and thereby reserving glycogen in the muscles. Research, however, doesn't support that theory. When caffeine improves endurance, it does so by acting as a stimulant.

Caffeine can have serious side effects for some people. Those who are very sensitive to its effects may experience nausea, muscle tremors, and headaches. Too much caffeine is a diuretic, and can result in dehydration, which decreases performance.

Eating after Exercise

It is also important to consume carbohydrate, such as fruit or juice within 15 minutes post-exercise to help restore glycogen - your muscles' energy store.

Research has shown that eating 100-200 grams of carbohydrate (such as pasta) within two hours of heavy training is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for the next session. Waiting longer than two hours to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle. The reason for this is that carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, which aids the production of muscle glycogen.

Carbohydrate plus Protein Speeds Recovery

Research shows that combining protein with carbohydrate in the two hours after exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

Protein Needs after Training

Consuming protein has other important uses after exercise. Protein provides the amino acids necessary to rebuild muscle tissue that is damaged during intense, prolonged exercise. It can also increase the absorption of water from the intestines and improve muscle hydration. The amino acids in protein can also stimulate the immune system, making you more resistant to colds and other infections

Carbohydrates: Athletes need at least 50% of their total calories from carbohydrates, the main energy source for physical activity. Carbohydrates fuel the muscles.

Protein: Ten to 15 percent of total calories should come from protein. Athletes need slightly more protein than those who are less active.

Fats: Athletes need 20 to 25 percent of total calories from fat. Fats are important for allowing the body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Some types of fat are 'essential' in and of themselves, meaning that the body cannot produce these types of required fatty acids.

Other nutrients: Most athletes eating a balanced, varied diet with proper choices from all the food groups will meet their needs for vitamins and minerals. If your child is not the type to eat what you suggest, you may supplement with a quality supplement (generic brands are the worse).

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Consumption of apple cider vinegar may accelerate weight loss

From NaturalNews

For thousands of years, vinegar has been used for weight loss. It is said that taking a few teaspoons of vinegar before meals can reduce appetite and cravings while stimulating metabolism. What about apple cider vinegar? Without healthy eating and enough physical activity, apple cider vinegar can not perform any miracles. But the consumption of apple cider vinegar may help to reduce body weight and fat mass, while giving lots of other health benefits.

Apple cider vinegar and weight loss: is it a myth?

It is believed that apple cider vinegar accelerates weight loss, because it helps control blood sugar levels and suppress appetite.

In a study conducted in 2009, obese Japanese reported a modest decrease in weight and decrease in appetite with intake of 30 ml of vinegar. This study led to the conclusion that vinegar intake reduces body weight, body fat mass and serum triglyceride levels. Acetic acid (AcOH), a main component of vinegar, might help suppress body fat accumulation. However, there are not many studies done on vinegar and weight loss in humans. More research is needed before we can know for sure whether vinegar has any fat-burning benefits.

The vinegar diet claims apple cider vinegar can boost metabolism and aid in weight loss. But no food can rapidly cause weight loss unless changes are made to dietary habits and lifestyle. It also depends on the cause of weight gain for each individual.

Studies show that apple cider vinegar can help balance blood sugar levels by lowering the glycemic index of a meal. It is true that the prevention of blood sugar spikes can support weight loss. In addition, because of its strong anti-fungal properties, apple cider vinegar can help fight candida. Individuals suffering from candida overgrowth often experience cravings for carbohydrates and sugar, which might contribute to weight gain.

Why is Apple Cider Vinegar better to use?

Apple cider vinegar is often chosen over other vinegars for many reasons. Aside from possible weight loss support, apple cider vinegar contains detoxifying qualities and has strong anti-microbial properties. Apple cider vinegar is a helpful health tonic that has shown promise in helping diabetes, cancer, heart health, high cholesterol, free radical damage, digestion and acid reflux. Indeed, even if the evidence about weight loss is lacking, it can't hurt to include apple cider vinegar in a diet.

How to use apple cider vinegar for weight loss?

It is recommended to mix two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. Apple cider vinegar is very acidic and may cause irritation to your throat and stomach. Indeed, it should always be diluted with water or juice. It is best to use organic unpasteurized apple cider vinegar containing the "mother" to get all the good nutrients.

Check with your doctor before taking it long-term, especially if you have health problems. That being said, people have used apple cider vinegar for years with no known side effects being reported.

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Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://myhealthbynature.com

http://www.undergroundhealth.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

What's In Your Summer Medicine Chest?

By Dr. Weil

When enjoying the outdoors this season, be prepared to protect yourself against common summer ailments. I have found the following to be naturally effective in preventing and treating a variety of summer afflictions:

1. Ginger: This may prevent motion sickness or nausea from other causes.
2. Stinging Nettles: By far the best remedy I know for hay fever.
3. Arnica: The tincture of this plant when rubbed onto an injured body part can help relieve the pain and tenderness of sprains and sore muscles (do not take arnica internally unless in the form of a homeopathic remedy).
4. Bromelain: Promotes the healing of soft-tissue injuries, such as sprains and bruises.
5. Geraniol: Products made with this oil are an effective way to protect yourself from mosquitoes.
6. Tecnu: Helps prevent rashes from poison oak, ivy and sumac.
7. Aloe Vera: For sunburn, thermal burns and any areas of skin irritation or inflammation.

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Juicing vs. Blending

From Food Matters

 

 

 

This is a question that we get asked all the time. Which is better: juicing or blending? Does one offer more health benefits than the other? Juices and smoothies both play an important role in any wellness program and we discuss the benefits of each in both of our films, Food Matters and Hungry For Change. We believe that both juicing and blending are very beneficial, but in different ways.

Here is a short comparison that explains the differences between the two as well as some of the specific benefits of each.

What’s The Difference?

JUICING

Juicing is a process which extracts water and nutrients from produce  and discards the indigestible fiber.  

Without all the fiber, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. In fact, it makes the nutrients more readily available to the body in much larger quantities than if you were to eat the fruits and vegetables whole.

This is especially helpful if you have a sensitive digestive system or illness that inhibits your body from processing fiber. The fiber in produce helps slow down the digestive process and provides a steady release of nutrients into the blood stream. Jason Vale calls juicing "A nutrient express!"

Freshly squeezed vegetable juices form part of most healing and detoxification programs because they are so nutrient rich and nourish and restore the body at a cellular level.

A word of caution: When you remove the fiber from the produce, the liquid juice is absorbed into your blood stream quickly. If you are only juicing fruits, this would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and unstable blood sugar  levels can lead to mood swings, energy loss, memory problems and more!

Fiber is also filling and without fiber in the juice, some people tend to get hungry again quickly.

BLENDING

Unlike juices, smoothies consist  of the entire entire fruit or vegetable, skin and all and contain all of the fiber from the vegetables.
However, the blending process breaks the fibre apart (which makes the fruit and vegetables easier to digest ) but also helps create a slow, even release of nutrients into the blood stream and avoids blood sugar spikes. Smoothies tend to be more filling, because of the fiber, and generally faster to make than juice, so they can be great to drink first thing in the morning as your breakfast, or for snacks throughout the day.

By including the fiber in your smoothie, the volume will increase. Also, you can pack more servings of fruits and veggies into a single serving of juice than you can into a smoothie.

Juicing and Blending Rules

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1. It’s best not to combine fruits and vegetables (unless it’s apple). This can affect how well your digestive enzymes function.

This doesn’t seem to matter too much in green juices and smoothies, but vegetables like carrots, beetroots, broccoli and zucchini don’t combine well with fruit due to their high starch content. In his book Food Combining Made Easy, Dr. Herbert Shelton explains that starchy foods have to be eaten alone because starches are digested with enzymes different from those used for any other food group. Combining starchy foods with fruit may cause fermentation and gas. However, Dr. Shelton found that green leafy veggies combine well with pretty much everything.

2. Try to drink your juice or smoothie straight away. After 15 minutes, light and air will destroy much of the nutrients. If you can’t drink it straight away, transfer to a dark airtight container until you’re ready.

Using The Right Equipment

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To get the most benefit from your juices and smoothies, it’s important to use the right equipment. Invest in a good-quality juicer. Cheaper, centrifugal juicers introduce heat and oxygen and destroy the enzymes and nutrients in your fruits and vegetables. While it may cost you a bit more initially, a premium cold-press juicer will produce a superior-quality juice and allow you to extract more from your fruit and vegetables, saving expense in the long-term.
The machines themselves will also generally last longer. In contrast to the rough extraction of centrifugal juicers, mastication or cold-press juicers compress fruit and vegetables to ‘squeeze’ out their juice.

The same goes for a blender. You want a blender that is gentle on your produce and doesn’t heat up the enzymes as it’s pulling apart the fibres. We spend money on gadgets, clothes, restaurants and other luxuries so, if you can afford it, investing in your health by buying a quality juicer or blender is totally worth it.

Read our Juicer Buying Guide here and learn about the pros and cons of each type of juicer.


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Source Links:
http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/juicing-vs-blending-which-one-is-better
http://www.thewellnesswarrior.com.au/2011/08/juicing-versus-blending/.
http://www.drsearswellnessinstitute.org/blog/2012/04/12/juicing-vs-blending/

5 Foods That Can Help Prevent Stroke

By Dr. Weil

Besides minimizing common risk factors such as smoking and unhealthy stress, you can help to prevent a stroke by adding magnesium-rich foods to your grocery cart. Researchers at the Swedish Karolinska Institute found that the risk for ischemic stroke - the most common type of stroke in older people, which occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain - was reduced by 9 percent for each additional 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumed each day. For any type of stroke, adding 100 milligrams of magnesium reduced the risk by 8 percent. It is not known exactly how magnesium reduces the risk of stroke, but the researchers suggest that the mineral's benefits may be related to its ability to lower blood pressure.

Next time you are at the grocery or farmer's market, buy these magnesium-rich foods:

1. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens, as well as broccoli
2. Nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium, and peanuts, almonds and cashews are good nut choices
3. Whole grain products such as brown rice, oat bran cereal and whole grain breads
4. Beans. Black beans are a particularly good source, providing 120 mg in one cup
5. Fish. Halibut, oysters and scallops are all good sources of magnesium. Choose sustainably raised when possible

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Stop Being Busy (& Start Getting Things Done)

We live in a society where being really, really busy is the cool thing to do, yet as we continue to sign up our kids for every sport and activity or we waste time on "things" our lives suffer. Our health suffers, our relationships suffer (why is divorce still on the rise) and our wealth suffers! We have to start to think differently, and that starts with learning new skills! This is a great article about making the right choice and learning the new skills to stop the busy madness!




Stop Being Busy (& Start Getting Things Done)
by Dani Johnson

Have you noticed how busy people are today? It’s almost as if busyness is perceived as success… As if being busy was the same as getting things done.

I think in today’s world, we tend to glorify busyness. Just look around you. Think about how many times a day you hear others say, "Gosh, I’m so busy today!" or "Wow, what a busy week!" How many times a day do you feel like you’re running around in circles, jumping from one task to another, all the while, taking phone calls, texting, and answering emails?

We teach our kids to be busy, between homework and soccer and baseball and piano lessons and dance and gymnastics and church and chores. You hand them a Pop Tart and rush them out the door early in the morning to take them to school, and then pick them up after school and race from one activity to the next, and picking up dinner from a drive-thru somewhere in there. By the time you get home in the evening, everyone is wiped out and grouchy, and it’s time for bed. (Sleep, wake up, repeat.)

We are busy at work and busy at home. We are busy in the car while driving, busy at the dinner table, and we’re even busy while we’re on the toilet! We are busy 24/7.

What does it feel like to be busy? Your heart is beating fast, you may be short of breath, and you feel like you just can’t move fast enough. You’re trying to keep up with......... read the rest of the article here

 

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Seven Reasons to Stop Drinking Soda Pop

 By Nour Zibdeh, MS, RD, CLT

 Great article from MedHelp on why drinking this sugary drink will wreck your health!

Stop mid-sip, and put down the soda for good!


Soda may be your drink of choice at the movie theater, or perhaps it’s your middle-of-the-day caffeine boost with lunch. But that same sweet, flavorful liquid that tickles your taste buds wreaks havoc on your health. Every time you reach for a soda, you’re putting yourself at risk for a fuller waist, weaker bones and several other health problems — including heart disease. Here are seven reasons to stop mid-sip, and put down the soda for good.

#1: Drinking Soda Leads to Weight Gain and Belly Fat

Soda drinkers are more likely to gain weight and become obese than those who prefer other beverages to quench their thirst. No surprise there: a 12-oz can of pop packs between 140 and 180 calories, and it’s easy to chug down a 16- or 20-oz bottle a day. Calories from soda are essentially “empty calories” — they don’t carry any nutritional value, and won’t satisfy your hunger.
But did you know that reaching for calorie-free diet soda instead may be just as bad for your waistline? In one study that followed 474 people for 10 years, diet soda-drinkers packed on more belly fat than soda abstainers. As a whole, diet-soda drinkers had a 70 percent greater increase in waist circumference than those who didn’t drink any soda; the "heavy drinkers" — people who averaged two or more diet sodas a day — had 500 percent larger increases in waist circumference than people who avoided soda altogether. Belly fat is worse than fat stored elsewhere on your body: it dramatically increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other health problems.
How do artificial sweeteners lead to weight gain? They increase sweet cravings and appetite for food. When you drink diet soda, the sweetness you taste makes you feel good. This drives you to want more sweets to get the same feel-good sensation you just experienced. However, when you drink diet soda, no sugar reaches the brain. Studies show that sucrose (regular sugar) and artificial sweeteners affect sweet receptors differently in your brain, and the pathways that give you pleasure from eating don’t get fully activated. The result? Your brain is not satisfied, and you will end up eating more sweets to get satiated.

#2: Drinking Soda Can Increase Your Risk of Diabetes

Weight gain and belly fat increase your chances of developing a disease that is becoming all-too common in the U.S.: type 2 diabetes. Being overweight — particularly around your middle — is one of the biggest risk factors for type 2 diabetes. A study of more than 6,000 middle-aged adults found that people who consumed one or more soft drinks a day were over 50 percent more likely to have metabolic syndrome than people who drank soda less than once a week. Metabolic syndrome is a host of symptoms, including large waist circumference, obesity, abnormal lipid level and high blood pressure, that dramatically increases risk for type 2 diabetes.

#3: Drinking Soda Increases Your Risk of Heart Disease

In a study that followed 42,000 men for 22 years, frequent regular soda consumers had elevated levels of triglycerides, C-reactive protein and other inflammatory factors, and lower levels of heart-protective, "good" cholesterol — all signs that soda hurts heart health. Notably, soda drinkers were much more likely to suffer a heart attack over the course of the study: each soda that participants drank on a daily basis increased their chances of heart attack by 19 percent, even after other variables, like diet quality and BMI, were taken into account. These results were limited to people who consumed sodas sweetened with sugar: diet soda drinkers did not have increased chances of cardiovascular disease.
The link between added sugars and cardiovascular disease is serious enough that the American Heart Association suggested limiting intake of added sugars to 100 calories a day for women and 150 calories a day for men. Just one regular 12-ounce soda would push you over that daily limit.

#4: Drinking Soda Can Lead to Weaker Bones

Want to build strong bones? Put down your soda. Colas, like Coke or Pepsi, contain phosphoric acid to give the drink a tangy flavor and to prevent mold and bacteria from growing. However, phosphoric acid has been shown to interfere with calcium absorption, which is needed for strong bones. The Framingham Osteoporosis Study found that women who drank regular, diet or even decaffeinated cola had bone mineral density almost four percent lower than that of women who weren’t soda drinkers. The effect was only observed in soda types that contained phosphoric acid, like cola drinks, but not in clear carbonated sodas. Even though clear sodas didn’t affect bone mineral density, such drinks still pose a risk to bone health when they replace bone-building milk in children's and adolescent's diets.

#5: Drinking Soda Increases Your Risk of Kidney Stones, Kidney Disease and Liver Problems

Phosphoric acid does more than weaken bones: phosphoric-containing beverages change the way kidneys process urine, and can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. After comparing the diets of more than 400 chronic kidney disease patients to the diets of a similar number of healthy individuals, researchers concluded that drinking two or more colas a day doubled the risk for kidney disease. Both regular and diet soda had this disease-promoting effect.
In addition, drinking regular or diet soda might cause fat to accumulate around the liver, a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD affects 30 percent of Americans, and is the most common cause of chronic liver disease. In one study that followed more than 300 patients with NAFLD, 80 percent of those who had it consumed excessive amounts of soft drinks a day, which dumped more than 50 grams of added sugar to their daily diets.

#6: Drinking Soda Can Weaken Teeth

Both regular and diet soda are acidic and can erode the protective layer of enamel that coats healthy teeth, leaving your teeth more sensitive and susceptible to decay. Additionally, when you drink regular soda, you bathe your teeth in sugar. This feeds bacteria that live on your teeth, which secrete even more enamel-eating acid as they digest the sugar.
And don’t fall for commercials urging you to reach for a can of pop to quench your thirst. When thirsty, you have less saliva, which normally protects enamel by neutralizing the acidity from carbonated beverages and bacteria. As a result, chugging soda when you’re thirsty bombards your teeth with acid and sugar while its defenses are down.

#7: Soda Cans Contain BPA

If the harmful ingredients in soda aren’t enough to make you think twice about your beverage choice, consider this: The soda cans themselves contain a chemical you should avoid. Nearly all soda cans are lined with bisphenol A (BPA) to prevent contamination and extend the shelf life of the product. This chemical mimics the hormone estrogen and is harmful to developing fetuses and infants. Additional evidence links high levels of BPA to a long list of conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, hormonal cancers, decreased sensitivity to chemotherapy, miscarriages and male infertility through damage to the DNA of sperm. When assessing sources of BPA in the American diet, soda is a major one, along with school lunches and fast food and restaurant meals.

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Depression

(NaturalNews) Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids may be one of the safest, easiest ways to battle depression, research suggests.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and canola oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, kiwifruit and purslane.

Interest in a relationship between omega-3s and depression began with a number of correlational studies. Many epidemiological studies have found that populations with higher fish consumption report lower rates of depression, postpartum depression, bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder than nations with lower fish consumption. Similar effects have been seen within nations, with lower rates of depression and suicidal thoughts among people who eat more fish. A study in New Zealand found that people who ate more fish rated their mental health status more highly than people who ate less fish.

Studies have also shown that people with low levels of omega-3s in their bodies are significantly more likely to suffer from depression and other psychological disorders.

Clinical research confirms the link

A number of clinical trials have supported the effectiveness omega-3 supplementation as a way to alleviate depression symptoms, particularly in patients who have not responded to treatment with antidepressant drugs.

One such study was conducted by researchers from the University of Pavia, Italy, and published in the Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging in 2011. In a double-blind experiment, researchers randomly assigned 46 depressed women between the ages of 66 and 95 to take a supplement consisting of either omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids or a placebo. The omega-3 supplement consisted of 1.67 g per day of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 0.83 g per day of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

After two months, women who had been taking omega-3s showed significant improvements on measures of depression and mental and physical health status; no such improvement was seen in the placebo group.

"The supplementation of omega-3 LCPUFA in elderly female patients reduces the occurrence of depressive symptoms, improves phospholipids fatty acids profile and health-related quality of life," the researchers wrote.

Effective across a broad spectrum

One of the most comprehensive investigations of omega-3s' effects on depression was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry in 2010. More than 400 men and women participated in the randomized, double-blind study, and were assigned to take three capsules a day of either a placebo or a fish oil supplement with high concentrations of EPA. Unlike many clinical trials of antidepressant drugs, the study included large numbers of patients with hard-to-treat conditions, including people suffering from both depression and anxiety and people whose depression had not responded to drugs. This was meant to gain a sense of how omega-3s would function in a more real-world setting.

The researchers found that after eight weeks, depression symptoms had significantly decreased among those who took the omega-3 supplement, but only among patients who also suffered from anxiety. The improvement was comparable to the improvement seen in studies performed on the effectiveness of antidepressants among an easier-to-treat population.

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From Struggle to Success

  

From Struggle to Success: The Story of TLS® Coach Courtney Mills on March 18, 2013

“I remember feeling like a prisoner,” Courtney Mills, TLS® Find Your Fit coach and current participant, said about her health before finding TLS. “I was trapped in my own body. I dreaded taking off my uniform to put on civilian clothes because nothing fit. I wouldn’t look at the mirror when I walked past because I hated what I saw.”
Mills was active duty Army for ten years, a new mother, and miserable. Her health plagued her lifestyle for years and every attempt she made to change fell short. Her best efforts at creating the shadow of a maintainable lifestyle failed to produce any lasting results.
Two years ago, Mills gave birth to her son, sending her weight management issues out of control. She quickly gained more weight and developed severe health issues, including hyperthyroidism.
“I was destined to be overweight, according to the doctors,” Mills said.
At her most desperate moment.......... to continue reading click HERE.

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What Is A “Real Man” In Today’s World?

I love this article from Dani Johnson! I have been to Dani's trainings and have learned more from Dani in the last year than I had in the previous five! Powerful and enlightening Dani will reach into your soul and help you find whatever answer it is your looking for! Enjoy!

What Is A “Real Man” In Today’s World? By Dani Johnson

One thing that lays heavy on my mind today is a message for you men out there. But it’s also a message for you women who have important men in your life, whether he’s your husband, your children, your father, your friends, or even your co-workers.

In my past, I was a total man-hater. I had grown up with an extremely abusive man who I thought was my father. He was 6’10", 350 pounds, and he abused me verbally, emotionally, physically, and sexually. I found out when I was almost 18 that he was not even my father. I was betrayed by my first love. And then after all that, I married a man I had only known for a week, who ended up abandoning me and left me homeless with $2.03 to my name.

I had grown to hate men and blame them for my lot in life. When I met Hans, (my current husband whom I have been married to for going on 20 years) I never thought my past would affect our marriage. When we were dating and living together, things were great. I respected him and loved him.

But then when we got married it was like this switch got flipped. Suddenly, something changed in me. I so desperately wanted him to protect me and provide for me. I wanted him to be a real man, a real husband, and a real father to my little girl. I was looking for a leader, but all of a sudden, Hans couldn’t live up to my expectations. I degraded him and emasculated him daily. Why couldn’t he just be a man?

I was a woman who put down my husband and destroyed his manhood. I cut him down daily. I wrote him scathing letters about how I despised him and what a worthless piece of crap he was. And then he would go work out 5 nights a week and never want to be around me. Can you blame him?

The reason I’m telling you all this today is because we live in a very confused culture. We have women who are doing things to emasculate men, some without even realizing it. And then we have men who have no idea what their role is in the home, the workplace, and in society. But what else would you expect?

Our society has such a messed up, pathetic, skewed concept of what a man is supposed to be. We have torn men down and have raised women up to a position where they are expected to carry things they were never meant to carry.

I think we’re in big trouble today because we started out, however many generations ago, when women decided to burn their bras and prove they’re just as strong and as smart as men. Was that really a good idea? Just look at the outcome! Most of us do not realize the impact it has had on us…

It has impacted business, finances, and marriages. In fact, a lot of people aren’t even getting married today! A lot of women have this idea of, "I don’t need a man. I can just go to a sperm bank and get what I need."
 

One skill separates success from failure
The truth is, people are everywhere. You work with them, live with them, buy things from them, and sell things to them. Unfortunately, so few people are willing to actually learn simple people skills. But since this skillset separates success from failure, what are you waiting for? Click here for details.

So many of us have gotten caught up in the idea that we are all equal, but the truth is men and women are very different. We think different. We react different. We have different roles in family, work, and society.

Looking back through human history, men have always responded to one thing. And that was the call to battle. The men would fight to protect the honor and safety of their families, their loved ones, and their values. And I don’t just mean physical battles. Even starting a new business is a battle in today’s society. Being a leader is a real battle.

Unfortunately, men today certainly aren’t getting any encouragement from society to step into these roles. There is no call to battle. But it was only when I started treating Hans like the man I wanted him to be that I saw him step up and become that man. When I encouraged him, he answered the call.

Last year on one of my nationally syndicated radio shows, I had my husband come on to talk about this topic a little bit. Right there, live on air, I asked him what I do that makes him really feel like a man. His answer amazed me. He said, "There is nothing more powerful than positive reinforcement. And on the flip side, there is nothing more destructive than negative reinforcement. When you made that change in our relationship, it really started to plant seeds in me that helped me realize that I really could be who I needed to be for you. It has been a really amazing journey."

Here’s the bottom line: If you want to start seeing changes, it must start in your own home. Are you encouraging your brother, father, spouse? Are you grooming your sons to become real men? Do you build up your male friends and co-workers?

The world today is a battlefield, and there is a real need for strong men to rise up and take their place in business, in the home, and in their relationships. It is time for the men in today’s world to get equipped to become real leaders.

So it is up to you and me to get this message out there. Please join me in sharing this message with every man and woman you know. Share this post on Facebook and Twitter. It’s time to start grooming people up to be the leaders they were born to be!

After you share this message, please leave me a comment. I really would love to know what you think about today’s Daily Fix. This is a topic that is so important to me because I’ve seen how it has affected my own life, and the lives of so many others around me. So I would love to hear what impact this has had on you - I want to hear from the men AND women today!

Have an awesome Thursday, and until next time, God bless!

In great faith,

 

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Are you a Life Long Dieter?

I'm amazed how people say weight loss is too expensive ( well let's be honest some programs really are)? But what is too expensive?

1- What are we comparing it to?
2- How much did you spend to get to this point? (I'm sure $1000's if not $10,000's worth of alcohol, fast food and junk food)
3- How's this program working for ya?

Did you know most commercial programs are set up so that your a life long client. You lose weight you gain it back & you go back to lose it again. This happens month after month and year after year! I've seen many on life long "diets"! Being on a life long diet is just as unhealthy as being over weight. Everytime you go on a diet you actually slow your metabolism by 10-15% and for the most part you are only losing water and muscle! That;s definately not good for your health. When you stop the diet not only do you slow your metabolism but more than 75% gain back the weight plus an additional 15-20% , and there you go back to do it again but now it's even harder to lose the weight! If you've been on 2 or more "diets" & are back looking at the "next" diet this proves to me that,

1-  What I'm telling you is correct
2- YOU have not failed but the diet has failed YOU!

Enter TLS Weight Loss Solutions. The last time you will ever have to look at getting rid of unwanted fat & pounds!!!

So what is TLS Weight Loss Solution? TLS is a scientific and comprehensive program that focuses on three major componenets.

1- Low Glycemic impact eating. Real foods from a grocery store or market for the every day busy person.
2- Behavior Modification. Actions dictate outcome. Change your ways to change your weight.
3- Body Composition it's not about the pounds it's about the inches. You have to get up and move to burn fat.

 All three are a MUST to be successful short and long term! Any program that says you don't have to exercise and you can eat the same foods your currently eating will lie to you about other things too!

If any of this made sense to you and you are sitting on the fence, let me HELP you! Let me Coach you to be the best YOU can be. If you want to lose 5-20 pounds great you may only have to tweak a few things. If you want to lose 25-50 pounds we have some work to do but it will be worth it. Even if you have to lose over 50 or 100 pounds I am still your best choice. I know, that I know, that I know, that if you are ready to commit to me I will commit 110% to you and GUARANTEE you reach what EVER goal you choose!

What do you have to lose?

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Weight Loss and Alcohol, Do They Mix?

(Source Natural News) 

There are many factors that affect weight loss, making the process more complicated than it may seem. The body produces different hormones in response to different types of foods and/or drinks. Losing weight is not only about calorie consumption but also about the types of foods and drinks consumed. Alcohol is one of the worst culprits when it comes to inhibiting weight loss because it disrupts the delicate balance of nutrition, fluid and hormones needed to lose fat.


Alcohol boosts cortisol, a fat-creating hormone

Drinking heavily or even occasionally increases the body's release of cortisol - the hormone that breaks down muscle and retains fat. This loss of muscle can mean a huge slowdown in one's metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. In addition, alcohol causes a drop in testosterone in men, a hormone which helps burn fat.

Alcohol also blocks the body from burning fat. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that fat metabolism can be reduced by as much as 73 percent after only two drinks of vodka and lemonade in a one-hour time period. In effect, alcohol shuts down the body's ability to access fat stores for energy. The body needs to be well-hydrated in order to build muscle and burn fat. Alcohol has the effect of dehydrating the body.

Drinking often accompanies irresponsible eating

Because drinking often puts one in a relaxed party mood, it is easier to indulge in snacks, potato chips and other unhealthy party foods -- the more one drinks the less one seems to care.

Alcohol is a powerful appetizer. An aperitif is often offered in restaurants to stimulate the appetite. Research has shown that there is a definite correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed before a meal and the amount of food eaten and that people eat more when they have beer or wine with their meal. Since alcohol causes the brain to release dopamine, the pleasure and addiction hormone, the result is an often addictive desire for more alcohol and food. This means one is hit with a double whammy when it comes to gaining weight: excess calories come from both the alcohol and the extra food that is usually consumed as a result of a stimulated appetite.



Alcohol is high in calories
 
 

Calories in Alcohol

Alcohol comes with very little nutritional value but is very high in calories. It is very easy to knock back a 200ml glass of wine but that is equivalent, in calories, to eating 25ml (5 teaspoons) of butter. Seldom do people stop at one glass of wine or one beer, and mixing alcohol with sugary mixers such as lemonade means even more calories as the drink now contains sugar and alcohol.

Simply put, alcohol consumption on a regular basis and weight loss don't mix.
Bottom line is that if you are looking to live a healthy lifestyle and lose weight alcohol consumption will be detrimental to your goals!

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