Health & Wellness

2007-08-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

NEW RELEASE

RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY.

Myself and 100 other professionals have put together a wonderful book to improve your health and improve your life. Each chapter is written by an expert in their field.

Here is a list of some categories included in this book:

1. Better Health through Self-Improvement

2. Diet & Nutrition

3. Energy Healing and Other Unique Techniques

4. Fitness & Exercise

5. Hidden Health Dangers

6. Holistic Health

7. Physical or Mental Disorders & Problems

8. Stress and Mental Health

9. Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutritional Supplements

Now the best part, SEND NO MONEY.This book will be available very soon at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other sites, but you can reserve your copy here, right now.

Just email me to reserve your copy.

jnis@wildblue.net

Thanks

Jeff

Protein Sources

2007-03-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Article: Do Elephants Eat Cows For Protein? - by Dr. Leslie Van Romer

By far, the most common question I hear is: "If I don’t eat meat, or as much meat, where do I get my protein?" Sound familiar? Let’s cut to the chase – the protein chase. I’m a simple kind of girl so I ask simple kind of questions. I don’t do complicated – complicated confuses me and the last thing I need is to be more confused. That’s a scary thought. Just for grins and giggles, let’s have fun with protein and see if my common sense speaks to your common sense.

8 Very Simple Protein Questions:

#1 Common Sense Protein Question: "Do elephants eat hamburgers?"As you know, protein is for growth, among many other things. Like the growth of muscles. Have you ever heard of an elephant, giraffe, ape, cow, or horse eating hamburgers, chicken, fish, or even protein drinks to get enough protein to grow great, big muscles? No, of course not. If elephants can eat plant foods to get plenty of protein, so can we with our relatively little muscles and bodies.

#2 Common Sense Protein Question: "Do elephants have to mix and match plant foods to get a ‘complete protein’?"Oh, yeah, right. I can just see it now. An elephant making sure he eats just the right plant foods to get just the right combo of proteins. I don’t think so. My brain says: If they don’t have to mix and match, neither do we.

#3 Common Sense Protein Question: "But aren’t we different from elephants?"Good question. Yes, elephants are a wee bit different than us. No, duh, as the kids say. But this is the common sense point: If a small variety of plant foods can provide the right quantity and quality of protein necessary to grow and maintain a great big mammal like an elephant, then isn’t it logical that plant foods, and a much larger variety at that, can provide people with enough protein to grow and maintain our relatively little muscles, bones, tissues, and organs?
My common sense says, "Yes." What does your common sense tell you?

#4 Common Sense Protein Question: "At what time in life do human beings require the most protein?" Okay, so you can’t quite wrap your brain around the fact that elephants and humans can be compared—that can be a big leap—elephants to people. That’s fair enough. So I’ll tell you what—let’s talk about just people—little people, as in babies. Our cute little babies tell the whole protein story. See for yourself. Again, what is the purpose of protein? You’ve got it! Growth. When do we grow the most? From the ages of 0 to 2. Right? What is the very best food for 0 to 2 year olds? Mamas’ milk. How much protein do you suppose is in mama’s milk? 15%, 25%, or 30% protein? Guess again. This may knock your socks off, but human milk contains only 4.5% to 5% protein—that’s all. If 4.5% to 5% protein is plenty of protein to meet the growing needs of babies, then that same amount of protein, and even less, is plenty for us big people. We’ve stopped growing.

#5 Common Sense Protein Question: "How much protein is in an orange?"Hang on. Shock factor coming. An orange has 8% protein. Whoa! Isn’t that unbelievable? An orange with 8% protein?Remember, rapidly growing babies only require 4.5% to 5% protein. At 8% protein, oranges not only have enough protein, they actually have an abundance of protein. What about other plants?Spinach: 49% proteinBroccoli: 33%Cauliflower: 26%Romaine lettuce: 36% (imagine that much protein in that watery, green stuff!) Corn: 11% Kale: 22% Cucumber: 24% Potato: 11%Carrot: 10%Cantaloupe: 9%Grapefruit: 8%Berries: 7%Tomato: 16%Almonds: 13%Pumpkin seeds: 17% Brown Rice: 8%Oats: 15%Kidney beans: 26%Looks to me like we get plenty of protein from eating plants. We don’t "have to" eat animal protein, which also comes with a lot of fat, cholesterol, extra calories, extra weight, extra diseases, and extra heartache. In fact, we don’t even have to eat beans, tofu, or any other higher protein plant foods to get enough protein.Fruits and vegetables have plenty. Interesting, don’t you think?

#6 Common Sense Protein Question: "But isn’t meat protein superior to plant protein?"In a word, "No." That is a complete myth that has been perpetuated for almost 100 years. No matter how much this boggles our brain-washed brains, meat protein is not superior to plant protein. The amino acids, or building blocks that make up protein, are just the same whether they come from a plant or animal. Protein is protein is protein is protein, no matter what the source. If we eat enough food (not a problem in the U.S.), we get enough of the "right" protein—even if the food sources are just plants.

#7 Common Sense Protein Question: "But don’t I need more protein for strength and energy?"Okay, back to our friend, the elephant. Where do elephants get their strength and energy? Not from eating cows or protein bars, that’s for sure. An elephant’s power comes from plants – that’s all there is to it.Our best source of energy doesn’t come from protein at all – it comes from carbohydrates found in whole, unrefined plant foods, like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables capture the sun’s energy and then generously pass it on to us. The core energy we have (or don’t have) today comes from the plant foods we ate (or didn’t eat) – yesterday; not the so-called energy protein bar or steak (or that dark, liquid brew) we ate today.

#8 Common Sense Protein Question: "How much protein does the World Health Organization recommend?"Good thinking. The WHO recommends, not exactly a coincidence, the same amount of protein that is found in human breast milk: 4.5% to 5% protein. Remember, oranges have 8% protein.Is the protein fog starting to lift a bit? There are lots of true experts out there, way, way smarter than I, who agree: Plants provide us with plenty of protein for superior health and fitness – it’s as simple as that. Bingo bango. You may choose to eat beef, chicken, fish, and protein drinks, but you don’t "have to." Aren’t we lucky to have the gift of choice? What’s not so lucky is that many of us forget that consequences follow choices—sometimes immediately and sometimes many years down the road. Good choices beget good consequences; bad choices, especially day after day bad choices, beget painful consequences. It’s your body and your life. You have the incredible power to feed your body and your life or the power to deplete your body and your life. Will your very next bite feed you or deplete you? It’s your choice.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a motivational health speaker, writer and lifestyle coach. Visit Dr. Leslie at Http://DrLeslieVanRomer.com for practical direction, hope and inspiration.

Top 10 Foods to Fight Cholesterol

2007-02-11T22:35:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Cholesterol-Fighting Foods
The best news about reaching healthy cholesterol levels? It's a delicious journey!
by Paula Rasich
Snack on nuts. Drizzle a little olive oil on your salad. Dine on salmon. Have a little chocolate--guilt-free! These, and more, eating strategies can help lower "bad-guy" LDLs, maintain "good-guy" HDLs, AND help you reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

What follows are Prevention's choices for the top cholesterol-fighting foods.
If you're already eating plenty of them, keep up the good work. If not, begin adding them into your diet today.

Soy The Smart, Delicious Alternative Reducing saturated fat is the single most important dietary change you can make to cut blood cholesterol. Used as a replacement for meat and cheese, soy foods help your heart by slashing the amount of saturated fat that you eat.
Why is saturated fat so bad for your heart? The liver uses saturated fat to make cholesterol, so eating foods with too much saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels, especially low-density lipoproteins (LDL)---the bad cholesterol. Saturated fats are usually found in animal products such as whole milk, cream, butter, and cheese, and meats, such as beef, lamb and pork. There are some plant-based saturated fats you should avoid too, notably palm kernel oil, coconut oil, and vegetable shortening.
Beyond replacing saturated fat, research suggests that compounds in soy foods called isoflavones may also work to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Eat Some Today Not familiar with soy foods?
The basics include tofu, soy nuts, soy flour, and enriched soymilk. Great-tasting, protein-rich meat alternatives include soy sausage, and breaded cutlets and nuggets that taste like chicken. Crumbled soy--an alternative to ground meat--works well in chili, burritos, lasagna, soups, and casseroles. Add tofu to chili, eggs, or casseroles. It absorbs the flavor of whatever you're cooking. You'll find many soy products in the produce section of the supermarket.

What about soy supplements? Research shows that isoflavone supplements alone don't work. To lower cholesterol, you need the whole soybean with its unique protein, phytates, and isoflavones, which may all act together.
Get This MuchThe FDA recommends getting at least 25 grams of soy protein each day. Consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily lowers high cholesterol.

Beans: The High Fiber Solution Except for your morning wheat bran, no food is more fiber-rich than beans. And beans are especially high in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Eating a cup of any type of beans a day---particularly kidney, navy, pinto, black, chickpea, or butter beans--can lower cholesterol by as much as 10 percent in 6 weeks.
Soluble fiber forms a gel in water that helps bind acids and cholesterol in the intestinal tract, preventing their re-absorption into the body. This may be why soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol levels (and decreases the risk of heart disease). Soluble fiber is also found in oats and oat bran, barley, brown rice, beans, apples, carrots, and most other fruits and vegetables.
Eat Some TodayKeep your cupboards stocked with canned beans of all kinds: black, white, kidney, fat-free refried, etc. (as well as instant bean soups). You'll always have the makings of a delicious, healthful dinner on hand. Beans add protein and fiber to any dish and can be used in salads, stuffed baked potatoes, veggie chili, or pureed for sandwich spreads. And since they come in cans, beans are handy to use. But remember to rinse canned beans first--they're packed in a high-sodium liquid.

Get This Much Eat beans five or more times a week. For the greatest health benefits, both the FDA and the National Cancer Institute recommend that adults get 25 to 30 g of fiber each day.

SalmonAmazing Heart-Friendly FatResearch has shown certain types of fat actually protect against high cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids--found in salmon and other cold-water fish--help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, raise "good" HDL cholesterol, and lower triglycerides.
Salmon is an excellent source of protein because it is high in omega-3 fatty acids called EPA and DHA that are good for your heart while low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Eat Some TodayTo get the most omega-3s, choose salmon, white albacore tuna canned in water, rainbow trout, anchovies, herring, sardines, and mackerel.
Get This MuchThe American Heart Association now recommends eating at least two servings of fish every week, preferably fatty fish, by far the richest sources of fish-oil omega-3s.

Avocado Healthy Fats, Lower Cholesterol: Avocados are a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat?a type of fat that may actually help to raise levels of HDL ("good"cholesterol) while lowering levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). And these delectable green orbs pack more of the cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol (a beneficial plant-based fat) than any other fruit. Beta-sitosterol reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. So the combination of beta-sitosterol and monounsaturated fat makes the avocado an excellent cholesterol buster.
Eat Some Today Avocado is a bit high in calories. Your best strategy: Use this luscious veggie in place of another high-fat food or condiment.
Get This MuchThe American Heart Association recommends that you get up to 15 percent of your daily calories from monounsaturated fats like those contained in avocados, but some heart experts recommend an even greater percentage. (In an 1,800-calorie diet, 15 percent translates into 30 grams per day.) FYI: A whole avocado has about 300 calories and 30 g fat.

Garlic:The Ancient Herb for Heart Health: For thousands of years, garlic has been used in nearly every culture in the world, and not just to repel evil. Its nutritional value and flavor have made it a kitchen staple. Ancient Egyptians ate garlic for stamina; in modern times, garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against infections. Now research has found that it helps stop artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage (called nanoplaque). How? Garlic keeps individual cholesterol particles from sticking to artery walls.
Eat Some Today Next time you hit the supermarket, pick up a tub of freshly peeled garlic cloves, and challenge yourself to make sure it's gone before the "best by" date. Chop up and toss on pizza, in soups, or on side dishes.
Get This MuchTo reap benefits, try for 2 to 4 fresh cloves a day.

Spinach: The Heart Healthy Green Giant: Spinach contains lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Lutein already has a "golden" reputation for guarding against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. Now research suggests that just a 1/2 cup of a lutein-rich food daily also guards against heart attacks by helping artery walls "shrug off" cholesterol invaders that cause clogging.

Eat Some Today Look for 9-oz bags of baby spinach leaves that you can pop in the microwave (ready in 3 minutes). Top with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and 1 tablespoon of toasted sunflower seeds. Add a roll, and you've got a heavenly low-cal dinner for one.
Get This Much: Spinach is the richest source of lutein. Shoot for a ½ cup a day.

Cholesterol-Cutting Margarines: Best Spreads for Your Breads: Two margarines are proven to help lower your cholesterol numbers: Take Control and Benecol. They do so by blocking the absorption of the cholesterol contained in your food and bile.
Take Control margarine is made with plant sterols that are proven to lower both total and LDL cholesterol by up to 14 percent. The plant stanols in Benecol margarine work the same way. Both the National Cholesterol Education Program and the American Heart Association recommend these margarines.

Eat Some Today Spread these margarines on your toast or bagel in the morning or for a mid-day snack. The only side effect is reduced beta-carotene absorption. To compensate, make sure you eat extra carrots, spinach, sweet red peppers, or sweet potatoes.
Get This MuchIn studies, three servings a day of Benecol helped drop total blood cholesterol by an average of 10 percent and LDL cholesterol by 14 percent. Take Control helped drop total cholesterol an average of 6 to 8 percent and LDL by 7 to 10% with one to two servings a day. Check labels for serving size.

Walnuts, Cashews, and Almonds Go (Mixed) Nuts!
A moderate-fat diet that's rich in the healthy monounsaturated fats found in nuts may actually be twice as good for your heart as a low-fat diet. Nuts also have vitamin E, magnesium, copper, and phytochemicals that have been linked to heart health. And walnuts are also rich in omega-3s. People who eat nuts regularly have less heart disease and other illnesses than people who don't. The heart-healthy monounsaturated fats they contain are also better for your joints than the polyunsaturated fats found in corn and safflower oils.

Eat Some Today The key is moderation: Nuts are high in calories. Keep a jar of chopped nuts in your fridge, and sprinkle 2 tablespoons a day on cereal, veggies, salads, or yogurt. Or add them to your diet by sprinkling chopped nuts on stir-fries. Almonds, hazelnuts, or walnuts can be added to pilafs. Make a trail mix with your favorite nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
Get This Much Aim for 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts five times a week, or a small handful as a snack 3-4 times a week.

Tea: The Hot and Cool Superdrink: Tea, whether it's iced or hot, delivers a blast of antioxidant compounds. Studies prove that tea helps to keep blood vessels relaxed and prevent blood clots. Flavonoids, the major antioxidants in tea, have been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that leads to plaque formation on artery walls. These powerful antioxidants may even reduce cholesterol and even lower blood pressure.

Drink Some Today Enjoy a cup of hot or iced tea. Although convenience iced teas still have high antioxidant levels, most homemade iced tea (both hot-brewed and fridge teas) have even more antioxidants . So, if you want the very max, make your own.
Get This Much A cup of hot tea actually contains more antioxidants than a serving of any fruit or vegetable. Both green and black teas have high antioxidant levels. Enjoy at least one cup of tea every day.

Chocolate: The Sweet Heart Bonus: Want to help your heart the next time you indulge in chocolate candy? Choose the dark or bittersweet kind. Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than three times as many antioxidants. These flavonoid antioxidants work to keep blood platelets from sticking together and may even help keep your arteries unclogged. Milk chocolate is good too, having as much antioxidant power as red wine. And what about white chocolate? Sorry, it has no flavonoids at all.

Eat Some Today The levels of flavonoids in chocolate vary, depending on where it is grown and handled and how it is processed. Researchers have been studying a variety of chocolate, developed by Mars, Inc., with guaranteed high-flavonoid levels. You can find it now in Mars Dove bars. To control the calories, buy Dove dark chocolate Promises. Indulge in one flavorful, high-flavonoid morsel daily, for just 42 calories and 2.6 g of fat.
Get This Much Research shows that about an ounce of chocolate a day increases good cholesterol and prevents bad cholesterol from oxidizing.

Drink Your Tea

2007-02-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

Teas And Your Health - By Zach Thompson

There are many teas that have been drunk throughout the ages. They are basically infusions of plants, usually the leaves and sometimes the flowers, by boiling them with water. Teas can be drunk hot or cold and are used for a variety of ailments. Teas of different sorts are drunk worldwide.
The official tea that we drink is the second most popular beverage and grown in the mountainous regions of China, India, Sir Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, Georgia, Japan, Kenya, Malawi and Taiwan. The tea we drink is taken from the top leaves and the buds of the Camellia Sinensis tree. These leaves are specially dried and then crushed for maximum flavor.

Tea is a mild stimulant, with small amounts of caffeine. It has far less than its counterpart coffee. It also has small amounts of vitamin A, B2, C, D, K, and P. there are also trace amounts of some minerals. Overall it is good for your health. It is recommended that about 3 cups of tea and more should be drunk a day to get the healthful qualities of this beverage.

There are 4 common forms of tea are:
Black tea
White tea
Oolong tea
Green tea

Black tea is the most common form of tea and is known as the famous “English tea” as this is drunk predominantly in Britain and the Western world. This tea is drunk hot but can also be used to brew the famous iced tea. It is made from the leaves of the tea plant and is completely fermented. This results in its darker color. It is more of a stimulant than the other teas and a more intense taste. Sometimes it is drunk with lemon but most commonly with milk.

White tea comes from the bud of the tea plant. It undergoes little or no processing (fermenting or oxidizing) this brings out the antioxidants but will reduce the stimulant quality of this tea. Because the buds can only be harvested in the spring season this tea is not so common and fairly expensive.

Oolong tea is fermented more than green tea but less than black. Research has shown that this tea helps the digestive system and is good for metabolism.

Green tea is also not fermented like white tea but is made from more mature leaves so is much more common and affordable. This tea was predominantly drunk in the Orient namely Japan and China, but is gaining new ground in the West as research is showing the beneficial properties of this form of tea. Again it has more antitoxins (flavonoids) and is less of a stimulant. Added to this it has vitamin C and fluoride.

Tea Houses are becoming very popular especially in fashionable areas of Europe like Paris. As more research comes to light we will hear more about the benefits of this popular drink. So the next time you relax with a good refreshing cup of tea you can rest assured that your favorite beverage is also good for your health.

Sugar

2007-02-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sugar, Pep and Energy

The US Department of Agriculture estimates the average US Citizen consumes 152 pounds of sugar per year -- almost three pounds of sugar each week!

Sugar comes in many forms: soft drinks, candy, desserts, manufactured food and so on. Because sugar is inexpensive, tastes good and is habit-forming, food companies and fast-food restaurants add sugar without restraint.

Sugar, like any addictive substance, makes you crave more sugar. For example, a piece of chocolate gives you a little extra energy for an hour or so. As soon as the effect wears off, you feel tired and maybe a little depressed. So to feel perky again, you want another piece of chocolate. Like cigarettes, alcohol or heroin, the substance is both the problem AND the solution.

Every diet that lowers your weight or improves your health has one thing in common:
YOU MUST STOP EATING SUGAR.
Hundreds of scientific studies prove that sugar makes your body store fat. Excessive fat increases your chance of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and death.
In 1972, L. Ron Hubbard wrote the following:
"Sugar is a deceptive thing."
"Sugar, that is supposed 'to produce energy' does so only at the expense of physical health for sugar does not build up a body, it only burns it up."

"The result of a heavy intake of sugar and carbohydrates* is to feel tired all the time-no pep."
"If one is going to run a car, he has to feed it the right fuel and oil. If one is going to run a body it has to be fed the right food and that has to include protein."
"By eating your hamburger and vegetables and leaving alone the candy bars and cokes, you will begin to build up a head of steam." -- L. Ron Hubbard (*carbohydrates: a type of food that includes potatoes, rice, bread and sugar)

Benefits of Not Eating Sugar
When you stop eating your three pounds of sugar each week, you lose weight. Other foods smell and taste better. You feel more alive.

Kicking the sugar habit helps you sleep better. The energy boost you get from sugar OR the depression that follows can keep you awake at night. With no sugar in your system, you can relax.

Sugar alters your digestion fluids so the good food cannot digest properly. You can get heartburn, gas or stomach pain. Without sugar, your body needs less food because you digest it better. Without sugar, you get longer lasting energy. You no longer have brief peaks of energy that require a constant flow of sugar to maintain.

Hyperactive children, who are candidates for Ritalin or Prozac, are calmer and saner when they no longer eat sugar. After you cut off their sugar supply, they will probably demand sweet snacks for a few days, but they eventually relax. They lose the mood swings, tantrums and craziness.

Ten Tips for Breaking the Sugar Habit
Like children, after you stop eating sugar, you might feel irritable and tired for 3-6 days. You may have headaches and feel foggy. You will most certainly crave foods that contain sugar.
However, the cravings and symptoms pass. Kicking a sugar addiction is tough, but not as tough as handling an addiction to cigarettes, drugs or alcohol.
So you can do it. These suggestions may help.

1. Recognize that sugar is addicting and therefore, controlling you to a degree. For example, if you cannot work or relax without eating sugar, you are addicted. And who likes to be addicted to a substance? Make the decision to break the habit.
You have the power to control your craving for sugar. No temptation is stronger than your personal willpower and self-determinism.

2. Find and eat sugar-free substitutes to satisfy the urge to eat food with sugar. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables can stop the craving for sugar.

3. Prepare your own food instead of eating prepared foods that contain sugar. The following prepared food usually contain sugar: canned soup, bread, fast-food restaurant food, salad dressing, sauces, gravy, cough drops, sushi rice, protein bars, flavored yogurt and breakfast cereals.

4. Read the ingredients label on the foods you buy. Sugar is called many names including corn syrup, honey, maltrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose and glucose.

5. Try healthy foods you have never tried before to add variety and interest to your diet. For example, a new type of fish, exotic vegetables or tasty cheeses.

6. Exercise. Heat up your muscles, stretch out your skin and fill your lungs with fresh air every day. Strengthen your ability to control your body.

7. Use a gradual approach. If you make too many changes to your diet at once, the shock may force you to give up on your decision. You may get better long-term results if you make one change, get used to the change, make another change, get used to it and so on.

8. Get creative with your food. For example, buy a yogurt maker, ice cream maker or a juicer to prepare your own sugar-free snacks and drinks. Explore a health-food store. Try a natural foods restaurant.

9. Try different combinations of vitamins until they help stop sugar cravings and make you feel healthier.

10. Work out your own program and to control your sugar habit with the free TipsForSuccess interactive website: www.tipsforsuccesscoaching.org.

Taking control of your food is satisfying by itself. You are no longer controlled by the need for sugar. You burn off the fat and drop to your ideal weight.
Even if you just cut your weekly sugar intake from 2-3 pounds to 1-2 ounces, you will enjoy long-lasting energy, fewer mood swings and much better heath.

More About Stress

2007-02-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

5 Easy & Effective Ways to Reduce Stress

Stress management is a key component to essential health. Staying calm can boost your energy, prevent infections, keep you focused and release tension. Stress is like financial debt-- a little is not bad as it motivates you to get things done, but an accumulation of it can become overwhelming and hinder your ability to effectively make decisions.

Follow these stress reducing tips for a more relaxed and happy you.

Breathing Is Relieving: Taking as little as 10 minutes from your day to focus on your breathing will help shift your attention from a stressful situation to your body, allowing you to cope more effectively with the situation.
Short, rapid breathing is usually associated with stress, so the objective is to deliver as much oxygen to the body as possible. There are many effective forms of breathing, but you may want to try breathing slowly and deeply to help relieve built up tension.

Self Perception...Think Positive: Your mental well-being is just as important as your physical health. Louise L. Hay, lecturer and renowned author of "You Can Heal Your Life" believes that the thoughts we think and the words we speak create our experiences. If you're constantly worrying, thinking negative thoughts or criticizing yourself, it will likely lead to unhealthy levels of stress. She further explains how self approval and self acceptance in the NOW are the keys to positive changes. If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed.

Fermented Foods: Fermentation of foods magnify the nutritional value or content of that food, and are found in cultures all over the world. Enriching your diet with cultured vegetables, kefir from milk or young green coconut water, miso soup, and other probiotic foods and beverages will nourish your digestive system with healthy bacteria, and in turn, keep you feeling good.

Put It In Writing: Bottled up emotions are like volcanoes that are ready to erupt-it's important to release the stress before exploding. If you don't feel like talking to someone, write down your thoughts and feelings. Either way, you'll feel a lot better by "letting it all out."

Laughter: You may not think the laugh lines on your face are funny, but laughter plays an important role in diffusing tension. Under a stressful situation, chemicals in your body are released, causing an increase of blood pressure and heart rate. Laughter can have the opposite effect.

Stress

2007-02-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Stress and the Ten Keys To Personal Health

There are a variety of considerations in addressing a state of increased stress. As you know, stress has been well studied and it’s something that we all deal with everyday in varying amounts, but with differing individual responses and outcomes. It is an interesting fact that the amount of “data” input into our mind/body systems that we each have to process now in a single day is the same amount that a person living one hundred years ago had the leisure of processing in an entire year!

Let's explore some ideas that affect our ability to deal with stress from a whole person approach. We will use what I like to call “The Ten Keys to Personal Health.” All of these things are applicable to all of our lives, but we will also have a few very specific suggestions as we go through this for your personal stress reduction needs. And remember that this is a cursory survey and much more could be said about each of these important factors.

The first key is pure water in a healthy amount [usually about 64 ounces a day for a 150 pound person, more with increases in activity and hot weather]. Remember that we are about 60% water, and for things to work well and for the body to keep itself clean and working well, we need water. Most of us don’t think twice about taking a bath everyday to wash the outside of our bodies, but almost no one thinks about the fact that not drinking water in an appropriate amount everyday is tantamount to not bathing the inside of our body daily!

The second key is lots of fresh air [clean air!]. Slow deep breathing exercises boost the immune system function, relax the body and mind, stimulating all kinds of laudatory neurotransmitter release [try this: take a deep breath and realize that the first thing you have to do to accomplish the task is to relax!] and thus improve our ability to deal with stress. Doing it in a natural surrounding has added healthy benefits!

Thirdly, the right amount of sleep is paramount to health, especially in cases of extreme stress. The right sleep hygiene practices are the first line to healthful sleep [see sleep notes at the end of this article]. Medications might be helpful, but natural treatments can be just or more successful in assisting those who are sleep challenged. This might include such things as melatonin, valerian root, hops, lemon balm, lavender, L-theanine [the relaxing extract from green tea] and increasing intake of certain vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and B vitamins. Most of these things also double as anti-anxiety agents as well.

The fourth key is rational aerobic exercise. This will also help with the sleep aspect and enhances stress release, stimulating release of all of those helpful immune and neurotransmitter molecules. We recommend a brisk walk daily for 20-60 minutes depending on medical clearance and degree of health and endurance. It free and most people can accomplish it.

The fifth key is not so intuitive, and most people don’t think of it, although most do a little everyday [like most animals] just instinctively. Doing it regularly very significantly contributes to increased ability to de-stress. It’s stretching! The most common form of organized stretching is Hatha Yoga, but there are other resources. I also like Bob Anderson’s book called Stretching, which can be purchased online or found at the local library. Stretching moves oxygenated blood to areas of our body that ordinarily would not receive as much during rest or other exercise activities. It is one on the main secrets to maintaining a more youthful looking body and cognitively superior mind.

Number six is the right diet. Avoiding saturated fats, refined and processed foods and simple sugars goes a long way to assisting healing and de-stressing. Eating high grade lean proteins, complex [whole grain] carbohydrates, and lots of fruits and vegetables is a powerful tool in keeping the body out of a stressed state. Certain nuts such as almonds, walnuts and Brazil nuts contain high concentrations of helpful minerals such as selenium and very health essential fatty acids critical to a healthy heart and brain. As you probably know, simple sugars rob the body of many nutrients, and most of those nutrients tht can be lost in that process are key in managing stress.

The seventh key is the right nutritional supplementation and/or the right medicine. We mentioned a few things in the paragraph about sleep. A good multivitamin and mineral product daily is very important. We like whole food products because they provide the nutrients in the form Mother Nature intended our bodies to see and recognize. There is much that could be said here, and it’s really best to consider seeing a qualified holistic practitioner for a personalized approach. Pharmaceuticals can be a short-term bridge to deal with anxiety and depression, but it is always best to use other means when ever possible and to make the use of drugs as brief as possible.

Social support is the very important eighth key. The right social support is something that must be developed, as most of us were never taught how this works. What exactly does this entail? Specifically this means having one or more individuals with whom you can share on a regular basis how you feel [not what you think!!]. In return those persons must comply with two rules of engagement: no advice and no judgments! This is essential to the accomplishment of true social support, and must be agreed upon in advance for the successful downloading of stressful emotional information.

As you can see we have ascended through the body to the mind and psychosocial aspects in our approach. Now we move on to the ninth key, which is a spiritual practice. Of course I never suggest to anyone what that should be, but I do insist that it is an essential element to healing and de-stressing. Many people choose meditation practice of some kind and that has been clinically studies and found to be very effective. Prayer or any other practice will do as well. We do recommend that the person practice on a daily basis for at least 15 minutes.

The final key is service to others. Sometimes the best medicine when we are suffering is to do something to help someone else. Certainly we must have boundaries, but a little can go a long way in helping us understand that our suffering is a shared experience in this troubled world. There is much therapeutic value in assisting others.

There are as well multiple alternative therapies that can be helpful. These include manual [massage] therapies, acupuncture, herbal medicine, and mind/body techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, Gestalt therapy, visualization and guided imagery, and homeopathy. For more information on some of these, see my articles on this web site or go to www.choiceshealthcare.com
I hope you will find something useful in all of this. Wishing you the best of health. Devin A. Mikles, MD, MD(H), FACP

Sleep Help

2007-02-11T22:12:00.000-08:00

Suggestions for Better Sleep - By Michael Kirtley

The following suggestions can help you achieve better sleep and the benefits it provides. If you have trouble falling asleep, maintaining sleep, awaken earlier than you wish, feel tired after sleep, you may want to consult your physician. Be sure to tell him/her if you have already tried these ideas and for how long.

Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends. Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a "circadian clock" in our brain and the body's need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep-in.

Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.

Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional.

Finally, avoid exposure to bright light before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. If your mattress is not comfortable and supportive, you might consider investing in an upgrade. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep – cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, white noise machines, humidifiers, fans and other white noise devices to block out distractions.

Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime. Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.

Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime. In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. However, exercising sporadically or right before going to bed will make falling asleep more difficult. In addition to making us more alert, our body temperature rises during exercise, and takes as much as 6 hours to begin to drop. A cooler body temperature is associated with sleep onset... Finish your exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime. Late afternoon exercise is the perfect way to help you fall asleep at night.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime. They can keep you awake. Caffeine products, such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate, remain in the body on average from 3 to 5 hours, but they can affect some people up to 12 hours later. Even if you do not think caffeine affects you, it may be disrupting and changing the quality of your sleep. Avoiding caffeine within 6-8 hours of going to bed can help improve sleep quality.

If you continue to have sleep problems:
Use a sleep diary and talk to your doctor. Note what type of sleep problem is affecting your sleep or if you are sleepy when you wish to be awake and alert. Try these tips and record your sleep and sleep-related activities in a sleep diary. If problems continue, discuss the sleep diary with your doctor. There may be an underlying cause and you will want to be properly diagnosed. Your doctor will help treat the problem or may refer you to a sleep specialist.

Perfect Digestion

2007-02-11T22:06:00.000-08:00

The Six Essentials to Perfect Digestion:

Proper digestion is one of the key elements to feeling good, maintaining a youthful look and preventing disease. The negative side of improper digestion includes a build up of toxins that cause fatigue, accelerated aging, Acid-Reflux, Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS) and other digestive disorders. It is important to note, that even though you may be eating healthy, the nutrients and minerals will not be properly absorbed in your body without proper digestion
.
These are ways to keep you balanced:
Fiber: High fiber diets protect the colon, nourish the intestinal flora and reduce the incidence of colon disorders, including cancer. Soluble fiber binds to toxins for excretion from the body. Examples of high fiber foods are grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Flora: Flora exists as bacteria in a healthy, productive state when fermentation in the body follows a normal pattern. Fermentation is responsible for hormone production, immune function, control of glucose, cholesterol metabolism and synthesis, and normal bowel elimination. Cultured foods or probiotic foods contain enormous amounts of these beneficial bacteria, and we recommend eating these foods on a daily basis.

Fluids: Fluids are important to help your body cleanse and detoxify, keep you hydrated, and aid in digestion. Drink warm teas or soups with your meals, Fluids are also naturally found in fruits and vegetables. As stated in the Body Ecology Diet book, we recommend drinking lots of fresh juice drinks containing mostly celery, kale, broccoli stems, spinach and lettuce, with the addition of a little sour green apple.

Fats: Body Ecology recommended fats are mostly raw and from plant sources. They include: unrefined coconut, extra virgin olive, pine nut, flaxseed, pumpkin seed, evening primrose, borage and black currant seed oils. Fats from raw or cultured butter and sour cream are also acceptable, as well as fats from the meat of young coconuts or avocados.

Foods: Choose organic and fresh whenever possible. Eat dark green leafy vegetables and ocean vegetables on a regular basis. Include mineral rich sea salts (we recommend the Grain & Salt Society brand), herbs and spices, as they are medicinal. Adrenals must have minerals or you will have no energy to cleanse.

Fun: Fun balances the stress. Our greatest responsibility is to become happy!

Cholesterol, What does it mean?

2007-02-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

Total Cholesterol, What Is It?
The sum of "good" HDLs, "bad" LDLs, and one-fifth of your triglycerides (another blood fat).

What Do Your Total Cholesterol Numbers Mean?
Desirable: under 200 mg/dL Borderline: 200-239 mg/dLHigh risk: 240 mg/dL and above.

LDL Cholesterol What Is It?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. At high levels, LDLs can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. It helps form hard, thick plaque deposits--build-ups that can sometimes bulge out into the bloodstream, but that often cause no trouble for years or decades.

The danger: Plaque can rupture suddenly, releasing chemicals into the blood that cause clots. If a clot lodges in the heart, it can block blood flow, cause a heart attack, and kill vital heart muscle. Lodged in the brain, it can cause a stroke that kills brain cells. Aim for low LDLs.

What Do Your LDL Numbers Mean?
Optimal: less than 100 mg/dL Near optimal: 100-129 mg/dLBorderline: 130-159 mg/dL
High: 160-190 mg/dLVery high: greater than 190

HDL Cholesterol. What Is It?
HDLs are called "good" cholesterol because at high levels, HDLs seem to protect against heart attack. Heart experts suspect HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. HDLs may even remove excess cholesterol from plaques, slowing their growth. High HDLS are good.

What Do Your HDL Numbers Mean?Desirable, for women: 50 mg/dL or higher.
Desirable, for men: 40 mg/dL or higher.
Triglycerides. What About Triglycerides?
Cholesterol tests also reveal levels of triglycerides--another blood fat that can raise heart and stroke risk. High blood triglyceride can raise heart and stroke risk, and may be accompanied by other heart risks, such as low HDLs, high LDLs, and early warning signs for diabetes. So high triglycerides may be a sign of a lipoprotein problem that contributes to heart disease.

What Do Your Triglyceride Numbers Mean?
Aim for triglycerides under 150 mg/dL, and under 100 mg/dL if you've already had a heart attack.

How Diet Can Help Anti-Aging

2007-02-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

How Diet Can Help Anti-Aging - By Zach Thompson

For centuries people have been searching for the fountain of youth. Although this is in itself a fantasy you can increase your chances of living longer by making a few adjustments to the way you eat.Basically it all boils down to one factor diet. The old saying “you are what you eat” holds true when it comes to anti-aging. Eating better is the key to better health and increasing your chances of living longer.

What do we mean by eating better?
Here are a few points:
Cutting down our salt, and pure sugar intake. Cutting down but not eliminating carbohydrates
Eating more of these foods: Fruits,Vegetables,Legumes, and lentils (peas, beans) etc.
Whole grain breads, rice and cereals.All fish except for shell fish.
Added to this list are foods that give extra boosts of phytochemicals that help the immune system and a variety of body functions. Blueberries, cranberries and strawberries all contain phytochemicals. These are readily available in grocery stores. However to get the benefit of the phytochemicals, these berries must be vine ripened and picked within the last 48 hours. You can also grow these small fruit trees and shrubs yourself and enjoy that fresh from the garden taste.
Other “super foods” include:
Chlorella, is a small green algae which is loaded with, proteins, carbohydrates, all of the B vitamins, vitamins C and E, amino, enzymes and rare trace minerals.
Spirulina is a complete plant based protein that helps the auto immune system. It also contains trace mineral contents it helps with blood sugar maintenance and brain function.
Sea vegetables (like seaweed), this would include seaweeds like kelp.
Broccoli Sprouts, you can get these at many grocery stores in the produce section or at the health food store.
Quinoa is a grain protein and is a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Soybeans and soy products like tofu or soymilk. These are also available in the produce section of the grocery store.
Flax seed- this is a good source of Omega-3 oils, which are helpful in heart conditions.

Diet is very important when it comes to anti-aging and with these suggestions you can easily make a few adjustments to your diet. At first it is a little hard to adjust but once you get into good eating habits you will feel better and look better. Plus you will be able to have more energy to do the things you want to do and get more out of life. Research has proven that when you add exercise to healthy eating you can indeed prolong your life by just a few simple changes to your lifestyle.