Small Health Steps To Take For A Better New Year

Don't wait until the New Year to start being healthy. Start now, but start slow. Make small healthy habits now to make the New Year transition much easier. For example:

• Take the stairs instead of the escalator
• Park away from the store instead of right in front
• Walk to distances that's under a mile instead of driving
• Eat fruit or nuts for stacks instead of cookies 
• Enjoy your favorite meats and veggies but skip on the rice
• Add an extra cup of water to your daily intake

Don't Wait! Start small, but start now and you will be happy you did. 

Quick Holiday Eating Tips For You

Start your holiday off with a fun run. Lots of communities and recreation centers have Turkey runs. Get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise before eating your holiday feast later on. Eat during the day. Do not go the entire day without eating, so you can pig out later. Your digestive system and your waist-line will thank you later. Eat more meats and greens. Limit the amount of simple carbohydrates you take in. Remember its one day of eating and drinking but the damage can last for weeks.  

Good Books for Your Health

Reading a variety of good food and nutrition books are a good way to kick star your wellness program. Here are a few: 

• 21-Day Weight Loss Kick Start by Neal D. Barnard, MD
• The Blood Sugar Solution by mark Hyman, MD
• Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD
• The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, PhD
• It Starts with Food by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
• The Omnivore's Dilemma

There are a lot more, but this is a good start. 

Balance Your Hormones for Optimal Health

Hormone imbalances are becoming more common among women in their 30's and after 40, the odds of unpleasant menopause-related symptoms are greater today than ever before. Here is what can help you restore your hormonal balance and health. 

• Diet: limit carbohydrates, and eat plenty of fresh vegetables with lean protein
• Exercise: exercise that has a relaxing effect, such as yoga or gentle aerobics, helps to restore balance.
• Toxins: avoid them in food, skin care, and household products. Look for BPA-free plastics and cans.
• Stress Management: get enough sleep, manage schedules to avoid unnecessary stress, and allow time for activities you find relaxing. 
• Chaste Berry: also called vitex, the herb, is used to relieve PMS, irregular periods, and menopausal discomfort
• Isoflavones: these are plant sources of estrogen that increases levels of the hormone throughout the body. 

Try these suggestions, part 2 coming soon!

Circuit Training

People are moving away from commercial gyms to Recreations Center's, home gym's, and Condo facilities. Most of these locations are fitted with preset circuit machines. You can still get a great workout with free weights. Here are some tips: move quickly from exercise to exercise, get creative, perform reps to failure at 25 to 30 on each move, and have fun.

Take Care of Your Brain

Although the brain is only 2 percent of the body's weight, it uses a whopping 20 percent of its oxygen supply, as well as 20 percent of blood flow. Feed your brain daily with oxygen from exercise, healthy essential fatty acids, and at least 64oz of water daily. 

Encouraging Healthy Children

Not getting enough physical activity has been shown to cause weight gain in children. Encourage children to play at least 30 to 60 minutes a day. Go for family walks or bike rides. Play sports or join a boy's and girl's club. Walk instead of riding in a car.

Limit TV and video games to no more than one hour a day. Remove the TV from the child's bedroom. Jump rope, dance skate, or play Frisbee with your child. Take your family to the park or pool. 

Exercise to Boost Your Immunity

Adding 30 minutes per day of brisk walking (walking at a pace that makes it hard to carry on a conversation) will have a profound impact on boosting your immune function. Science has repeatedly shown us that getting regular exercise will improve our overall immune function. 

The impact on our immune system is two-fold: increased immune cell production and stress reduction. Stress is one of the leading causes of a weakened immune system. 

Diet for the Season

According  to the David Foreman, RPh., N.D. diet plays a large role in immune system support. One way to boost your immune system is to avoid sugar and other white foods like pasta, bread, cake, and honey. These type foods make your immune cells ineffective at fighting off disease for extended periods of time. Dairy should also be avoided because it thickens mucous, which can lead to infection. 

Instead, a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and lean cuts of meats can help your immune system function properly. 

Lose Weight the Right Way

I have to give Jordin Sparks a round of applause. She went about her weight loss the right way. She made it a lifestyle change. She lost 50 lbs in 18 months, which is the right amount of time to loose 50 lbs if done safe. She broke it down into three phases. No starvation nothing extreme. She focused on mixing exercise and cardio for workouts. She controlled her food portions and did not snack mindlessly. When she did snack it was something healthy like apple chips, berries, and Greek yogurt. One of the biggest things i noticed is that she maintained a positive attitude and look for quick results. Another hand clap for Jordin Sparks. Great Job!

Battling Back Pain

Unfortunately back pain is very common in the U.S. Most people go about treating it the wrong way. It is very common for people with back pain to be less active. We tend to lay around not wanting to worsen the pain. But the less active we become the more we increase stiffness, weaken the muscle and become prone to injury and pain. The solution is to opt for low impact exercises, increase stretching, and increase your water intake. 

Avoid Crave Snacking

In order to decrease crave snacking, you have to avoid simple sugars and refined foods. Refined foods lack the proper nutrients your body needs. To compensate your body wants to eat more to get the what it really needs: vitamins, minerals, protein, good fats, and complex carbohydrates. When you eat refined foods, you have to eat more calories to get the right amount of nutrients which leads to weight gain.

Fighting Cancer with Exercise and Diet (Guest Post)

 

This is a guest post by David Haas...

After a diagnosis of mesothelioma or any cancer, a person may become so concerned about medical treatment, doctor’s bills, and other pressing issues that he or she forgets that there are ways to fight cancer outside of hospitals. If you ask, most doctors will tell you that physical fitness plays a critical role in the struggle against cancer. While exercising and eating right is not going to cure your cancer, it can provide vital help in the day-to-day management of treatment and the inevitable side effects.
The primary contribution of physical fitness in the fight against cancer is energy.
The evidence for this is more than anecdotal. Since it is known that inactivity itself leads to many illnesses, especially after the development of obesity, it should be obvious that activity does more for a person than simply expend physical resources.

In fact, exercise of any sort forces the body’s organs and muscles to maintain their proper functioning levels. Movement plays a critical role in blood flow, helping the body to draw deoxygenated blood through veins back towards the heart where it can be enriched with oxygen again. Dietary choices also play an important role in supplying these organs and muscles with necessary nutrients.
You can support your own physical fitness through exercise and eating right. Good habits in both of these areas can provide you with the energy that your body needs to withstand cancer and treatment while they also help you to deal with the situation psychologically. Since certain types of exercise and foods may or may not be right for you during or after treatment for cancer, you should always consult with a physician before engaging in any workout routine or change in menu.

•Exercise
Exercise contributes to physical fitness by keeping muscles, which make up most of your body’s tissues, in good working order. Human bodies were meant to function physically on a daily basis. Falling away from that pattern is what has led to many illnesses in modern society. Though it may not be directly linked to cancer, you still do not want other illnesses creeping in and complicating your recovery because you failed to exercise.
•Nutrition
Physicians and other medical professionals are paying more and more attention to the importance of nutrition in personal health. Doctors have always stressed, in one way or another, the importance of eating right. However, modern physicians now understand how critical it is to target specific illnesses with specific types of foods or nutritional supplements. Most important is the balancing of food groups, and including nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fibers and fats. In particular, during cancer treatment, most patients will need a higher level of protein intake to provide the body with materials to rebuild tissues damaged by chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

The Simplicity of Weight-loss

When it comes to weight-loss and exercise, remember this simple fact: if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If its that simple, why does it sometimes seem as if we aren't losing weight when we think we should be? We tend underestimate the calories we take in and overestimate the amount of calories we burn.

Do You Know Your Vitamin E?

According to the National Academy of Sciences, alpha tocopherol (regular vitamin E) displaces important gamma tocopherol in the cells. While alpha E is ok, gamma E is required to trap and neutralize existing free radicals. What ever vitamin E you use remember to add plenty of sesame lignans to enhance its benefits, like boosting antioxidant levels and helping maintain already normal blood pressure.

Eat Healthy for Life

This is healthy eating:

Nutrient-dense meals rich in fiber (35gm a day) with no empty calories.

Lots of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant nutrients) from dark leafy greens, 

and colorful vegetables

Appropriate amounts of protein from lean chicken and lots of fish

Stay away from sugar, white flour, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats)

Naturally Treat Your Varicose Veins

Varicose and spider veins are indications of deeper circulatory problem known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Heredity and sex factor into developing CVI as well as extensive time spent sitting or standing.

Diosmin has been used therapeutically for 30 years and considered by some experts to be the most effective therapy of CVI and hemorrhoids. Diosmin may also bring relief to people suffering from secondary Restless leg Syndrome caused by CVI. Remember to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.

Get Out and Move

Get out an enjoy the nice weather. Power Walking is low impact, requires no equipment except good walking shoes. it also can be done anywhere. Cycling is also low impact, works the legs and butt. Enjoy the different scenery or even join a bike club and meet new friends. Nice weather calls for a run. Running high caloric expenditure, requires no special equipment, and can be done anywhere. Just remember to stay hydrated. You can also change your pace with a little cross-training. Try running up stairs. It is a total lower body workout, builds stamina, and has a high caloric expenditure. 

GO RAW

Going RAW is great way to make your calories count. RAW foods are noted for nutrient density. Empty calories versus nutrient dense. For example, a small red apple has about the same amount of calories as 2 teaspoons of refined sugar. But when you eat the apple, rather than sugar, you get so much including fibers (soluble and insoluble), vitamins, water, antioxidants, enzymes and probiotics. When you eat the sugar its empty, nothing else comes with it like with the apple. So next time there is a choice between fruit and cake, grab the fruit and GO RAW!

Save Your Brain with Magnesium-L-Threonate

Alzheimer's disease and memory loss in America is hitting record numbers. Low magnesium status can accelerate brain cell aging and memory loss. Standard magnesium offers limited protection to brain cells. Magnesium-L-threonate is a new form of magnesium that dramatically boosts levels of magnesium in the brain. Boosting brain magnesium with magnesium-L-threonate enhances synaptic density and plasticity, the structural basis of learning and memory. In numerous experimental models, supplementation with magnesium-L-threonate has been shown to enhance memory and cognitive performance in multiple tests. 
www.athletes4life.net

Don't Eat Before Bed

People who eat at night gain 3.5 lbs more a year, than those who don't. Your mind and body benefit from eating your last meal of the day earlier (around 2 hours before bed), and you decrease your risk of stroke by 76%. Blood sugar, cholesterol, and circulation changes brought on by the digestive process may disrupt blood flow to the brain. 

Low Carb Diet May Slow Tumor Growth

A British Columbia recently compared a low carb diet to the typical "Western" diet in mice. The "Western" diet is high carb and low protein. Both groups of mice were fed the same amount of calories. Mice fed the lower carbohydrate diet exhibited lower blood glucose, insulin, and lactate levels. Mice that were genetically predisposed to develop breast cancer that were fed a Western diet had rates of 50% by age one, whereas no tumors were detected in mice being fed the low-carbohydrate diet over the same time period. This study supports the concept that many cancers may be influenced by chronically elevated blood sugar levels and associated hormones.

Practice Patience

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, most people quit a new fitness program within three to six months, with many never returning to regular activity after that. The biggest reason for the  drop in fitness activity is lack of patience. You have to fight through the rough patches of no results. When you quit your body is just ready to start turning the corner but you don't get to see the results if you stop exercising. many factors play a role in how fast or slow your body response to exercise. For example: intensity of workouts, nutrition, stress, sleep, and genetics are just a few of factors you have to control and consider before rushing and baling out on you program. What ever you do remember this is a healthy lifestyle change not a microwave fix. DON'T QUIT!

The Power of Chlorella

Chlorella is in rich chlorophyll and a variety of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals like B vitamins, calcium, zinc, and magnesium. Chlorella also contains a carotenoid called astaxanthin, which studies show can help delay muscle soreness from exercise and improve endurance. Use the powder form for better absorption and faster delivery.

Eat The Whole Egg

Eggs are a very important part of your diet. But most people opt for just the egg white because they think its healthier. The yolk of the egg contains great fat, other nutrients like choline for the brain, and lutein and zeaxanthin for the eyes. The whole carotenoid family is far better absorbed with fat. Also use free-range eggs, it's better for you the animals and the environment. So eat the whole egg it is better for you.

Stop Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a progressive disease. Be on the alert to some of the common symptoms that come with decreased bone strength:
Loss of height
Poor posture
Back pain
Breaking bones with a minor injury
Risk factors for developing Osteoporosis:
Family history
Ancestry
Smoking
Alcohol use
Little exercise
Diet
Many more...
Check The National Journal of Medicine

The Big Three

There are three major supplements you should be taking everyday for overall health. Many people are under the assumption that if they eat right they need to supplement. that could not be further from the truth. Even if you had the perfect diet 365 days out of the year, which is extremely hard to achieve you would still far short. The biggest reason is our food is not farmed and cultivated the way as it used to be (pre technology days). Add to the fact that most of the food in grocery stores are transported from far distances, we start out in a nutrient deficiency.

The Big Three
Omega-3
Whole Food Multivitamin
Broad Spectrum Probiotics

Got Fiber?

Fiber is the indigestible part of plants, and it's very beneficial. There are two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber absorbs fluid, turning gelatinous when consumed. Insoluble fiber adds bulk, which softens stool and speeds foods through your system. Both improve the body's ability to digest and process foods, as well as reduce cholesterol and aid fat loss.

Boost Metabolism Without Stimulants

Fucoxanthin an antioxidant found in brown seaweed has a singular effect on fat. It works naturally to increase metabolism without stimulating the nervous system. Within fat cells, fucoxanthin was shown to speed up the metabolic rate and increase the conversion of fat into energy. Don't forget that no one supplement will work without a proper lifestyle change consisting of: stress management, exercise, proper diet, and portion control.

Minimize Your Chances of Getting Type II Diabetes

People with Type 2 diabetes or elevated glucose levels should consider a multimodal approach that may include Phaseolus vulgaris, Irvingia gabonensis (African Mango), chromium, and white Kidney bean extract in addition to standardized green coffee bean extract, before meals. These products help control our fasting glucose and after-meal glucose surges.

Don't Forget Your Carbs

Carbs are often neglected in most diets. Carbs are not bad. The type of carbs, the amount of carbs, and the timing in when you eat carbs are the most important. Complex carbs are good for you. Avoid processed and refined carbs. Eat most of your carbs in the morning or immediately after your workout to spare lean muscle tissue. Make your carbs count. Go for  carbs like sweet potatoes ,oats, and whole grains. Leave simple sugars and white starches at the store.