Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Battle the Tummy Bulge with Blueberries

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, consider that some studies are showing that sugar is making more people fat, than fat is!  So choose wisely on your sweet indulgences.

A can of cola can have around 155-170 calories.  As for brownies, chocolate fudge and pie…well, we won’t even go there!  You know they can pack some hefty calories.  I love these sweet treats, but they shouldn’t be on my menu every day.  They would be more suitable for special occasions or perhaps on one special day of the week where you allow yourself an extra treat.

When you’re cutting back on sugar, try to replace that “sweet craving” with something more natural and nutritious. Considering the fact that one cup of blueberries have only about 82 calories make them a perfect treat for a snack.

Here’s some other health benefits of blueberries:

- Blueberries also contain less water making them more nutrient-dense when comparing equal volumes.

- Blueberries are rich in phytochemicals (phenolic acid, anthocyanins and ellagic acid, a natural compound that may inhibit tumor growth)  *Fresh and frozen are recommended.  Dried forms contain very little anthocyanins.

- Blueberries have the possibility to improve balance, coordination and memory.

- Blueberries have the possibility to inhibit cancer, prevent bacteria that’s responsible for urinary tract infections and also help protect against cardiovascular disease.

*Researchers at the University of Prince Edward Island in Atlantic Canada found that rats which were fed diets containing wild blueberries for six weeks experienced a decrease in stroke-induced brain damage.

Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:

Are you getting enough sleep?   Women seem to struggle in this area.  Schedule your bed time to allow sufficient rest. For the average person, that means around eight hours.  I realize most of us have literally hundreds of things to get done, but our health is a little more important than having the house in perfect order.

Not only are we more alert mentally when we get sufficient rest,  but we also have more energy.  You’re going to be more active which means burning more calories.  You’re going to have more positive thoughts with increased mental alertness (and less melt downs), which means you won’t drown your sorrows with chocolate fudge all day.

Try purposing yourself to get more rest.  I realize there are always going to be those rough nights when your hubby or kids keep you awake, but by making rest a higher priority, you should hopefully keep a fairly well-balanced, rested body.

(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments!  I would love to hear from you!)

Healthy Recipe of the Week:

Almost every single morning I start my day with blueberries…and I’m pretty alert and ready to roll by the time I get to school.  This breakfast cuts out additives and added sugars and a lot of junk that I simply don’t need.  I usually manage pretty well with this breakfast and two hours later I have a snack that tides me over until lunchtime.

Blueberry Breakfast

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Sprinkle generously with ground flaxseed

Let it set for about 15 min. while the blueberries thaw a little.  Then, pour a little milk on top just like cereal.  I’ve been using rice milk to avoid more dairy products.

Information: Some information and studies have been gathered from the book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life

Disclaimer: I would like to clarify the fact that I’m not a certified dietician.  I rely on health-focused research and learned experiences.  Any major diet changes should be consulted with your own doctor.   Some people are diabetic and others have food allergies.  This is something to always consider when making any changes in your own diet.

Long Term Weight Loss with Protein

Hope you’re having a terrific week. (I know it just got started, so it can’t be THAT bad yet, right?) The reason I decided to do health and weight loss topics on Mondays, was so that I could motivate all of us to get back on track after the weekend.  I, for one, need motivation on Mondays to get me thinking straight…and back to eating right. lol

Referring back to my list of Superfoods, turkey, chicken breast, salmon and other fish were on the list.  This is mainly due to the protein content in these foods.  Most of us want long-term weight loss and studies have shown that protein can help us achieve that because the extra protein intake can decrease appetite.

Through a study of mice, there was an indication that protein can influence your metabolism.  Those mice who were fed double amounts of leucine (an amino acid present in protein) had a significant reduction in obesity and also an improved insulin response.  In yet another study, leucine seemed to reduce the storage of fat cells.  Fatty acids were used by the muscle cells, meaning fat was being used for fuel.  We all want those fat cells put to some good use and then disappearing, right!?!

Meats can be high in protein, but we need to consider that they can be high in saturated fats.  Turkey without the skin is low in saturated fat.  Turkey is also rich in niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc.  So for meat lovers, I recommend that you choose your meats wisely, and observe your proportions well.  *As a precaution, please be aware that too much protein can have adverse effects, such as kidney disease.

I suggest that you stay away from protein bars.  They’re not as healthy for you as the manufacturers claim and you have no control over all the added (not-so-good-for-you) ingredients.  “Bravo” for those who prefer to focus more on vegetables and nuts for their protein.  Americans tend to eat way to much meat.  On a further note, vegetable proteins lack certain essential amino acids, but combining  them with rice, grains, whole wheat breads, etc. you can have a complete meal.  (Click here to view examples of plant protein combinations.)

I’ve gathered just a brief list of vegetables and nuts that are fairly high in protein.  There are also some dairy products that could be included, but I chose not to list them.  Many people have side-affects from dairy products and do not even realize that dairy has been the root cause of their problems.

Vegetables high in protein: beans (9 grams of protein per serving),  peas (7 grams of protein per serving), asparagus (3 grams of protein per serving), broccoli (3 grams of protein per serving), watercress (3 grams of protein per serving), brussel sprouts (3 grams of protein per serving)

Nuts & seeds high in protein: peanut butter (2 TB – 8 grams protein), almonds (¼ cup – 8 grams), peanuts (¼ cup – 9 grams), cashews (¼ cup – 5 grams), pecans (¼ cup – 2.5 grams), sunflower seeds (¼ cup – 6 grams), pumpkin seeds (¼ cup – 8 grams), flax seeds (¼ cup – 8 grams)

Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:

Start a weight loss journal.  Keeping track of what you’re eating, can help you choose your foods more responsibly. It’s easy to sneak in a lot of extra calories without even realizing that you’re doing it.

If you’re still finding it tough to say “no” to all the extras, get an accountability partner and turn your journal over to your partner to view once a week.  Ouch!  It might seem embarrassing, but it could definitely motivate one to be a little more careful.

(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments!  I would love to hear from you!)

Healthy Recipe of the Week:

Turkey and Avocado Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts

2 cups of cooked and sliced turkey (you can use Rotisserie deli turkey)
1 large avocado sliced
2 red apples, cored and sliced
Bunch of mixed salad leaves 

Dressing:

3 tablespoons apple juice
3 tablespoons low-fat natural yogurt
1 teaspoon clear honey
1 teaspoon mustard
2 oz of toasted pine nuts for garnish

Place all the salad items in a large bowl and gently toss together.
In a separate bowl mix all the dressing ingredients together except the pine nuts.
Pour dressing over the salad and top with toasted pine nuts.
To toast the pine nuts place a little olive oil or non stick spray in a non stick frying
pan and toast the pine nuts for approximately 2 minutes.

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For further individual study:

Research statistics & nutritional excerpts on the superfoods that promote
weight loss have been taken from:
The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
=======================================================

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Save Money Creating Natural Beauty Remedies at Home

For Thrifty Thursday, I thought I would share a few ways that will keep you from spending a fortune on beauty products at the store.  In fact, all of the ingredients you’ll need are right in your kitchen or pantry cabinet.

Here are three ways in which you can create natural beauty remedies at home in a flash…

Olive Oil: You cook and bake with it; but did you know that you can use it in a variety of other ways? Because olive oil is chemical free, it can be used on your skin; as a bath oil, moisturizer, massage oil, and conditioner.

For example: You can apply a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice to your skin before bedtime to moisturize your skin. To strengthen your nails, soak them in warm extra virgin olive oil for five minutes. Massage your sore muscles with a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and rosemary. Apply olive oil to dry hair as an overall conditioner. It will leave your hair smooth and shiny.

Oatmeal: Wouldn’t you love a facial? Get out the box of oatmeal from your cabinet and begin. This oatmeal facial will not only exfoliate, but moisturize your skin as well…

Oatmeal Facial Recipe:

1 package of instant oatmeal
1/2 cup water
2 TB yogurt
2 TB honey
1 egg white

Mix the water and oatmeal, then add the additional ingredients. Apply a thin layer to your face. Leave it on for about 15 minutes or until you feel tightness; then rinse your face with warm water.

Dry Skin Brushing: Here is a technique that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Before taking a shower in the morning, use a brush or sponge and begin the dry skin brushing process to exfoliate dead skin cells, and improve your blood circulation.

Here’s how to do it: While standing the shower with the water off, start at your feet and begin brushing in small circles toward the upper part of your body. Then work your way down the back of your body to complete the process. Do not scrub hard, but apply even and light pressure. After you have completed this procedure, take a shower.

For extra exfoliating try these homemade sugar scrubs…

Sugar Scrub Recipes:

Lemon Sugar Scrub:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 TB grated lemon zest

Green Tea Sugar Scrub:

2 cups white sugar
1 cup honey
3 TB of green tea
5 drops vanilla

*Please  feel free to share some of your own homemade beauty recipes with our readers.

*A foreword note: From time to time, I’ll be sharing articles from other resources.  This week I’m sharing an article with you that is written by another author.  I was a bit under the weather last week, and so I’m spending the day trying to catch up with getting my house in order.  I chose the following article because I think it serves as a good reminder why we need to keep eating breakfast…

Eat Breakfast and Lose Weight

When you wake up, your metabolism is a bit slow. The best thing you can do to rev up your metabolism is to eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking.

For those of you that are afraid to eat because you are trying to lose weight,you need to consider a couple of things.

POINT #1 – If you don’t have breakfast soon after waking, your metabolism slows even further and goes into what is commonly referred to as “starvation mode.” When this alarm signal has been triggered, your body decides that it may not be fed well today and shifts from a calorie-burning mode to a calorie-storing mode. Put simply, skipping breakfast is the perfect way to set your body up to “store” calories all day long as opposed to burning them. This is hardly the goal if you are interested in losing weight.

POINT #2 – After a night’s slumber, your blood-sugar is low. In order to have the energy and focus to tackle the day, you need to raise your blood-sugar levels or you risk getting hypoglycemic. When your blood-glucose levels drop too low, your body will seek out simple sugars to get it back up quickly (the human body is a terrific survivor.) Unfortunately, your body knows that the best way to raise those levels is to grab the nearest snickers bar or can of soda. I have personally experienced this, and it is very hard to stop eating when you get to this point. Skipping breakfast not only causes you to make bad food choices, but almost guarantees that you will overeat at some point.

POINT #3 – Your muscles are vitally important in keeping your metabolism high. After 6, 7, or 8 hours of rest, you need to feed your muscles or your body will feed on them. Really? Yes. Without giving your body energy from food, it will seek to get it from somewhere else. It will literally break down your muscle tissue (catabolism), and use the amino acids for energy. This is wonderful for survival purposes, but terrible for your metabolism and your appearance. Maintaining muscle is not only super important to your metabolism, it gives your body the shape and firmness we desire.

POINT #4 – Research confirms that breakfast eaters are more likely to not only lose weight, but keep it off forever! Recent research also clearly concludes that people who eat breakfast, actually eat fewer calories during the day.

One final point for those that are truly not hungry in the morning. First of all, this is a sign that your metabolism is slow from years of unhealthy habits. I hate to use the word “force”, but I urge you to have something soon after you get up. It could be as simple as a yogurt, or a banana with some all-natural peanut butter. Get your body to believe that it won’t be starved and it will be more willing to give up or “burn” energy all day long. Also, have your cup of “joe” with your breakfast or after, but not before. Caffeine is an appetite suppressant, and will temporarily take away your desire to eat.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

For more helpful weight loss information, please visit www.HealthyHabitsNY.com or call (917) 648-8312

How to Feed Your Family Healthy Meals on a Tight Budget - Video

Thought you might enjoy this video today on “Thrifty Thursday”

Step 1: Start with hot cereal

Start the day with a hot cereal; they’re much cheaper than cold cereals. Oatmeal is a nutritional winner and very inexpensive if you buy a container of plain, old-fashioned oatmeal.

Step 2: Stretch your milk

Stretch your milk dollars by diluting a can of evaporated milk or some powdered milk with water to create whole milk.

Step 3: Stock up on frozen veggies

Stock up on frozen vegetables when they go on sale. Unless your produce was just picked, it’s just as healthy — or even more so — to eat the frozen stuff, which locks in the nutrients.

Canned vegetables are another cheap alternative to fresh, but rinse them before eating because many are loaded with salt.

Step 4: Eat fruits in season

Limit your fruit purchases to whatever is in season, the exception being bananas and apples. The former are relatively inexpensive year-round, and the latter are low in calories, high in fiber, and may reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Step 5: Snack happy

Enjoy healthy snacks without spending a fortune by air popping corn kernels and buying nutritious nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts. Buy in bulk.

Step 6: Limit meat consumption

Only eat meat two or three times a week, and make cheap meats as tender and tasty as pricier cuts by marinating them overnight or slow-cooking them in a Crock-Pot.

Step 7: Eat alternative proteins

Make the most of alternative sources of protein, like peanut butter, eggs, chunk light tuna (which is not only the cheapest kind of tuna, but also contains the least mercury), and beans.

Buy bagged beans in bulk — the kind you soak overnight. They’re cheaper and healthier than canned beans, which are high in sodium.

Step 8: Eat brown rice

Eat brown rice. It’s a bit pricier than white, but much better for you and still a nutritional bargain.

Step 9: Indulge in dessert

Indulge in desserts by making them from scratch using nutritious ingredients that you have on hand. Bake your own oatmeal and peanut butter cookies; mash and freeze overripe bananas for “ice cream”; bake bruised apples with a little honey.

Weight Loss with Beans & Weekly Motivational Pep Talk  (plus, Healthy Recipe of the Week)

Finally, I’m through with the introduction of my weight loss series. (You’re probably relieved as well as I am because I hate talking about myself.)  Now I’m going to focus on explaining some positive benefits of various superfoods and hopefully encouraging you to keep on track each week.

*To view previous weight loss topics click here.

Recent research statistics have shown that those who ate beans weighed an average of  6.6 pounds less than those who didn’t eat beans EVEN though the bean consumers ate around 200 extra calories daily than the non bean-eaters.  That’s a pretty good reason to eat beans right?

The reason for the positive results above are mainly due to the fact that beans are high in fiber, and fiber increase is associated with weight loss.  Since beans are low cost and quite affordable, there’s really no excuse not to hunt down some tasty recipes that will allow you to include more beans in your diet.

Here’s some more positive points to ponder about beans:

*plant-based source of important vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients

*protects cell walls from oxidation which protects your overall health & keeps metabolism in balance.

*excellent mix of complex “good” carbs & protein warding off hunger; makes you feel full and satisfied.

*takes long to digest providing an excellent source of long-lasting energy.

*low in fat and calories

Weekly Motivational Pep Talk:

Find some extra activities that you enjoy doing that require physical moving around.  Doing a little of “something” is better than doing absolutely nothing!  Our modern conveniences have given us a much cushioned environment that allows our metabolism to become sluggish.  We must make extra efforts to exercise our bodies.  If you absolutely hate exercise, make a goal that you’ll get up and move around to do something that requires activity at least 3 times each day.  For example, in the morning, run up and down your steps 5-10 times…ANYTHING that will get your heart pumping a little.  Go…go…go!!!!

(Go ahead and comment below to update us on your goals and accomplishments!  I would love to hear from you!)

Healthy Recipe of the Week:

Basic Lentil Soup (my favorite lentil recipe; I usually double it)

Combine in kettle:

1/2 lb. lentils
6 cups water
Cook 30 minutes or until tender.

Add:

2 carrots, chopped or sliced
1/2 c. sliced green onions
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 & 1/2 cup of tomato juice
1/2 c. minced parsley
1 T butter
1 & 1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender.

Options:
Add some cubed turkey ham
Double the recipe and freeze half.

Recipe Source:

More-With-Less Cookbook : Suggestions By Mennonites on How to Eat Better and Consume Less of the World’s Limited Food Resources

*Another recipe to consider ~ Red Lentil Soup with Garlic
=======================================================

For further individual study:

Research statistics & nutritional excerpts on the superfoods that promote
weight loss have been taken from:
The Superfoods Rx Diet: Lose Weight with the Power of SuperNutrients
=======================================================

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links.