Natural Antioxidants & Immune Boosters

Natural antioxidants and immune boosters can help prevent illness and keep your body healthy. Adequately feeding your immune system boosts its disease-fighting power. Antioxidants protect cells from oxidative damage by free radicals, the byproducts of metabolism and environmental factors. They also stimulate the production of white blood cells, the body’s defense mechanism. There are many natural antioxidants and immune boosters available in the form of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and other substances in the foods we eat.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant responsible for the increased production of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies. It increases the body’s levels of interferon, an antibody that coats the cell surface, preventing viral or bacterial attack. Vitamin C protects against cancer by inhibiting the production of cancer-causing nitrosamines. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by raising levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. Choose citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries and green leafy vegetables to boost your immunity.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E signals the release of natural killer cells, which are cells that seek and destroy foreign particles such as germs and toxins. It also stimulates the production of B cells, or immune cells that manufacture antibodies. Vitamin E may reverse immunity decline related to the natural aging process. Eating a diet rich in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils, whole grains, leafy greens and fortified breakfast cereals will help you meet your daily vitamin E needs.

Carotenoids

Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A only when the body needs it. This process allows the remaining carotenoids to act as antioxidants, fighting free radicals throughout the body. Beta carotene helps strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by interfering with the oxidation of fat and cholesterol in the bloodstream. Beta carotene has a preventive effect against atherosclerosis, stroke, cancer and heart attack. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, tomatoes, cantaloupe, peaches, spinach, kale, pumpkin and mango are rich in beta carotene. Reach for watermelon and tomatoes as sources of lycopene, a potent antioxidant.

Bioflavonoids

Bioflavonoids are polynutrients found in legumes, soybeans, tea, grapes, red wine and soy products. In the body, they are converted to plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, which help inhibit the growth of hormone-dependent cancers. They also aid the immune system by protecting the body’s cells against environmental pollutants. Bioflavonoids lower total cholesterol levels and reduce the cholesterol’s ability to form plaques in arteries.

Selenium

Selenium, an important mineral, increases the effectiveness of vitamin E. It also works by increasing natural killer cells and mobilizing cancer-fighting cells. It is a powerful anti-cancer agent, as it helps prevent damage caused by radiation and chemical carcinogens. Selenium boosts the immune system’s reaction to infections, prevents blood clots and may even be beneficial in reducing arthritic pain. To meet your daily selenium needs, consume tuna, lobster, shrimp, snapper, whole grains, eggs, chicken, cheese, garlic, nuts, seeds and vegetables.

Zinc

A mineral and immune booster, zinc increases white blood cell and killer cell production. This enhances the immune system’s ability to fight infection more aggressively and release antibodies. Zinc can decrease the incidence and severity of infections, inhibit the loss of vision as a result of macular degeneration, and help prevent prostate enlargement and cancer. Foods rich in zinc include oysters, crabs, beef, turkey, beans and fortified cereals.

Do You Feel Hungry on a Detox Diet?

A “detox diet” is one that is supposed to make your body cleaner and healthier by basically forcing it to release toxins by stopping the intake of harmful substances and by ingesting other substances that are supposed to help the toxins leave. The phrase usually means the food portion of the detoxing only and not intestinal cleanses or other external practices that could be considered part of detoxing as a whole. A typical pattern involves reducing what you eat and gradually adding foods back in. The restrictive nature of a detox diet may be off-putting because it implies you will lack enough to eat, but whether you feel hungry while on it really depends on the specific diet itself.

Identification

Detox diets don’t follow one official structure and range from gentle to severe. One person on a detox diet may be merely replacing processed foods with whole foods cooked from scratch, while another person may forgo all food and ingest nothing but one type of juice for a week. Whether or not detox diets do any good is controversial; institutions like Harvard Medical School and the University of Southern California claim they are unnecessary, while Whole Health MD notes that there are doctors who advocate detox diets and claims patients feel better after undergoing them, even if the effect is merely psychological.

Lack of Satisfaction

No matter what you do, if you are not giving your body enough calories to meet its energy needs, you are going to get hungry. If the detox diet doesn’t provide the calories, your body will set off growling in your stomach until it decides you’re in the middle of a famine. Keep in mind that this is physical, actual hunger, and not just wanting to eat of boredom.

Considerations

Placing yourself on a very restricted -- or basically nonexistent -- diet that is not medically required and supervised can upset your body’s ability to tell if you actually need food. This can make things worse after the detox diet is over for reasons that have nothing to do with toxins. You may feel cleaner, but the lack of food can set off a famine reaction that has you eating whatever you can once the diet is over, even if you’re not physically hungry. Most detox diets don’t last very long, but depending on your personal diet history and how your body reacts to a lack of food, even one week can set you off. If you decide to follow the diet for a long time, as USC Adjunct Professor Roger Clemens says people sometimes decide to do, you risk conditions like malnutrition.

Cautions

There’s nothing wrong with cleaning up what you eat and switching from sugary, fatty foods that have healtno real nutritive value to a much more balanced, nutritious diet. Don’t go overboard, however. All that cutting back on what you eat does -- even for a week -- is place stress on your body and organs. Always check with a registered dietitian first to get an eating plan in place that allows you to transition as smoothly as possible from your previous habits to new menus if you think your diet should be healthier. If you decide a detox diet is something you still want to try, find a doctor who can provide and monitor a diet for you.

Why You Need More Vitamin D

A few years ago, vitamin D was nothing more than calcium's wingman, a secondary nutrient that helped the bone-building mineral make its move from the belly to the bloodstream and eventually plant itself in the skeleton. Well, no offense to C, but new research suggests that vitamin D may be one of the best vitamins of all for your body. The lab guys have uncovered up to 2,000 different genes—roughly one-sixth of the human genome—that are regulated by the nutrient. That means almost everything your body does relies on it.

"It affects cell death and proliferation, insulin production, and even the immune system," says Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., M.D., director of the vitamin D, skin, and bone research laboratory at the Boston University Medical Center.

Translation: Low vitamin D will result in your body working far below its potential. And you're probably not getting anywhere near the right amount. Here's why you'll be hearing a lot more about it and how you can score what you need to avoid a vitaimin D deficiency and make your body function at its absolute max.

Nutrition's New MVP
What's most remarkable about vitamin D is the sheer number of health issues it's been linked to. In the past few years, studies have shown that a lack of the vitamin may be the primary culprit in depression, heart disease, pregnancy problems, birth defects, skin and other cancers, and multiple sclerosis.

Even if you don't suffer from any of these conditions, getting more D may still be what the doctor ordered. "Many of my patients report a dramatic improvement in their feeling of overall well-being after they increase their vitamin D levels," Holick says. And a number of experts, including those from the Harvard School of Public Health, have urged the government to raise its recommended daily amount of vitamin D for adults from 200 IU to at least 1,000 IU, possibly more.

Why We're D-ficient
According to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, experts believe that up to 77 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient (defined as having blood levels of less than 30 nanograms per milliliter).

So why do we come up so short, especially since vitamin D is one of the few vitamins our bodies can actually make? Sunlight converts a cholesterol-like substance naturally found in the skin into D. Problem is, thanks to UV rays and skin cancer, soaking up sun to make more D would do you more harm than good. For your skin to make enough, you'd need direct midday summer sunlight on a huge portion of your body for 15 minutes a day—risking serious sun damage.

Besides, it wouldn't help much, Holick says. If you live north of Atlanta, it's impossible to get enough D from sunlight between October and March, no matter how exposed you are. And it's tougher for people of color to make D—the melanin in dark skin decreases vitamin D production by up to 90 percent.

To make matters worse, D is missing from the food we eat, says Beth Kitchin, M.S., R.D., assistant professor of nutrition sciences and patient educator in the Osteoporosis Treatment and Prevention Clinic at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Only certain kinds of fish and fortified dairy have enough D to brag about, and it would be hard to consume enough of both in one day to get 1,000-plus IU.

Easy to Swallow
There's a simple way to get your D up without baking in the sun. It's not often that nutrition experts say it's better to get a vitamin from a pill than from food, but D is an exception. "In this case, supplements are the easiest, cheapest, and safest way to make sure you're covered," says Laura Armas, M.D., assistant professor of endocrinology and a researcher in the Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Can you OD on it? It's possible, but extremely unlikely. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, which means you won't pee out the excess as you would a water-soluble vitamin like C. This used to worry experts, who thought that D could easily build up to toxic levels. But further study has found that our bodies can handle a lot more than previously understood. "You'd have to ingest 10,000 IU every day for six months before you'd even begin to approach problem levels," Holick says. It's much more likely you're not getting enough, he says. A few ways to get your D intake up to par:

• Take a daily multivitamin or a vitamin D supplement that provides at least 1,000 IU. In addition, Holick says, drink two glasses of skim milk per day.

• When buying supplements or fortified foods, make sure the label reads "D3." This is the same type the skin makes, but some companies still use D2, a plant-based form of the vitamin that the body doesn't metabolize as easily.

• Get your blood levels measured, especially if you have a family history of heart disease, cancer, or depression. If you are extremely low, your doctor might recommend higher doses of D.

5 Easy Ways to Cleanse Every Day

Cleansing is a popular term that unfortunately has little to no meaning these days because of how over used it is, but in it's truest sense cleansing is natural and important process your body goes through on a daily basis to rid itself of everything it no longer needs, everything that isn't supporting health and healing. Engaging in a yearly or seasonal cleanse is a great way to heal, rejuvenate and get your eating and lifestyle practices on track but daily cleansing is so much more important.

Learning simple practices you can use each day to help you naturally cleanse, can increase your energy and vitality while helping you to heal and prevent long term health problems.

Here are 5 easy practices you can put into place to Cleanse Every Day...

1. Drink Lots of Water Especially in the Morning

You may have heard this one many time before but that is because it is one of the best and easiest ways to stay your most healthy! Even if you feel like you are drinking enough water every day, chances are you aren't getting enough. Your body uses water to cleanse and flush toxins so when you aren't getting enough water, daily cleansing slows and toxins begin to build up in your tissues. To help your body to naturally cleanse drink lots of water every day and especially when you first wake up in the morning. Drinking water for the first hour after getting up in the morning helps your body flush toxins from the day before and will help to increase your energy levels throughout the day.

2. Take Time to Breathe Deeply

We release 80% of our toxins through our breath. Problem is most of us don't breathe deeply enough. Especially during stressful or busy times during the day your breathing becomes more shallow and many times you may be forgetting to breathe or holding your breath. This keeps toxins from being released and keeps them trapped inside your body. Taking 5 minutes each day to do some deep breathing is a great way to help naturally cleanse but also helps to release stress and center and calm you.

3. When you Eat is just as Important as What you Eat

Your body has a natural digestive rhythm that makes you a little hungry 1-2 hours after getting up, really hungry in the middle of your day when you are expending the most energy and moderately hungry a couple hours before you go to bed. When you follow this natural digestive cycle digestion begins to work optimally which means food is better digested and nutrients assimilated and toxins are naturally expelled. When you start eating out of whack with these natural digestive rhythms digestion begins to overlap causing digestion not to function as well, you begin to get less nutrients and more toxins stay in your body. By following your natural digestive rhythms digestion you will assist your body in naturally cleansing each day.



4. Clean Up Your Products

One of the biggest sources of health harming toxins that we bring into our body is through our personal care products and the products we use to clean in and around our home. Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients list in any one of the products you use on your body each day? You might be astonished to find a lengthy list of chemicals, many of which have been found to be harming to your health. Think of just how many products you use each and every day and how many chemicals that means are getting into your body. Making a switch to cleaner, greener and organic products is one of the best ways to help your body naturally cleanse. By limiting the number of chemicals you are bringing into your body you are helping to keep your body clean and naturally cleansed.

5. DeStress
Stress has an enormous impact on your health. On the inside of your body stress turns toxic. We live in a stressful world and living without stress is not possible, what is possible however is reducing the internal impact stress has on your body and health by using daily healthy stress management practices. Healthy stress management practices like yoga and meditation help to change the way stress is experienced inside your body decreasing its harmful toxic effects, Yoga and meditation can help detoxify your body and help to naturally cleanse your body each day. Raw Vitality offers a 30-day meditation program that comes along with both the 7 and 30-day Raw Vitality programs. If you are new to meditation or want to explore how meditation can help you to reduce stress and help naturally cleanse this is a great meditation program to explore. 

These daily practices are great ways to keep your health at its very best throughout the year. Yearly and seasonal cleansing are great ways to go more in-depth, to get your eating and lifestyle practices back on track, to cleanse, revitalize and to heal if health problems are present.

Do You Need Probiotic Supplements?

We know that probiotics are key to maintaining a healthy digestive tract. And various studies have linked the power-packed bacteria to numerous other health perks, including lowering blood pressure, helping with depression, and aiding in weight loss. What's not so clear: If you can get enough of the belly-dwelling organisms from probiotic-rich foods (think: yogurt, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, and sauerkraut, to name a few) or if you should be taking probiotic supplements.

Well, it's complicated. If you have a specific medical condition, like irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, or if you've been on antibiotics, taking a probiotic supplement can be extremely beneficial, explains Patricia Raymond, MD, assistant professor of clinical internal medicine at Eastern Virginia Medical School. But beyond that, research is still forthcoming about how much our bodies actually benefit from taking daily probiotic supplements without a targeted health goal in mind. Experts have varying schools of thought, mainly because it's still murky how much our body actually absorbs.

If you do plan on popping a probiotic, here's what you need to know to make a solid supplement pick.

There are different kinds. 

"Different strains of probiotics yield different health benefits, just as different antibiotics are chosen for different infections," says Raymond. Avoid probiotics that don't have any published medical articles supporting their efficacy, and to choose a strain that suits any medical conditions you may have.

Look at the strains. 

If you're taking a supplement to help with a specific health problem, choose one that fits your needs, Raymond says. For instance, will help with irritable bowel syndrome and ulcerative colitis.

More is better. 

Choose one with around 10 billion CFU. The bottle of bugs is alive (sorry for the visual!), so some will die off as they sit on the shelf. Aim high to give yourself the best chance of reaping the benefits.

Pay attention to the expiration date. 

As we mentioned, probiotics are live organisms, which means the longer they sit on the shelf, the less effective they'll be.

Everyone raves about the health benefits of probiotics. But should you be taking probiotic supplements, or can you get enough from food?

Are You Taking Care Of Your Heart?

To decrease your cardiovascular risk it is crucial to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy and functioning optimally. There are many simple ways to keep your heart and blood vessels healthy and exercised. Exercise is essential for optimal heart health, so is a must for everyone! There are many foods that provide nutrients that play a vital role in heart health such as oily fish high in omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA’s). Read on for easy and nutritious ways to keep your heart in top condition:

Exercise

We’ve all heard that it’s essential to exercise. Cardiovascular exercise increases our heart rate, blood flow and circulation, oxygen levels and more. Many of us spend hours at work or at home at a desk, then a sofa in the evening, so we’re often not moving enough! Exercise is the number one thing you can do to help your heart to be healthy. Exercise for ideally a minimum of 30-45 minutes per day, or at least 3 times a week. Walk rather than catching a bus; take the stairs rather than the lift; go for a brisk walk during your lunch break; take your child to the park and run around with them; go for a swim; do a yoga class. Bring exercise into your daily routine – your heart will love you for it!

Fish Oils

Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel and anchovies are a rich source of omega 3 EFA’s. Fish oils contain EPA and DHA, which are essential for hormonal regulation and most importantly in the reduction of inflammation. Inflammation is a component of all cardiovascular disease.Omega 3 oils play a role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Try Lambert’s Pure Fish Oil.

Blood sugar levels

Raised blood sugar levels (BSL’s) and diabetes are another major health problem that is rapidly on the rise. Too much sugar in the blood may damage the blood vessels and ultimately the heart, as well as exhausting the pancreas, which can lead to diabetes. Avoid sugar and many processed foods. Increase your intake of vegetables, fruit and whole foods. Protein in every meal will help to balance the meal and your BSL’s. Educate yourself about the Glycaemic Index of foods and avoid high glycaemic foods as much as you can.

Magnesium

Is often referred to as ‘Nature’s Tranquiliser’, as it has a calming and regulating effect on nerves and muscles. It plays an essential role in the production of energy within ALL cells, as well as the functioning of ALL muscle. The heart is the most important muscle in the body, so it needs magnesium to function properly. Increase magnesium-rich foods such as greens leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs and molasses.


Co Enzyme Q10

Is an essential nutrient for the production of energy within ALL cells. The heart needs even more Co Enzyme Q10 to function properly. Those who are taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol will over time become likely become deficient in Co Enzyme Q10, as statins block the production of Co Enzyme Q10.

B Complex Vitamins

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) contributes to the normal functioning of the heart. All of the B complex vitamins work closely together. They work with Co Enzyme Q 10 and magnesium to help power the nerve transmission and muscular contraction of the heart. Processed and refined foods are low in B vitamins, so avoid these and make sure and consume plentiful amounts of vegetables, eggs, fish, good quality meat, whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Garlic

Countless studies have shown the positive effects that the wonder herb Garlic has on the heart and cardiovascular system. It may help reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure, atherosclerosis, circulation and heart health. Try out Garlic supplement.

Walnuts

Are a fabulous source of nutrients including good oils, protein and minerals so enjoy a small handful per day. Walnuts also contribute to the elasticity of blood vessels.

Fibre

A healthy bowel that moves a minimum of once a day, is vital for a healthy you and for your heart. Fibre increases the bulk of the stool, whilst binding excess cholesterol and toxins for excretion. It also helps to feed the healthy live bacteria in our intestines and colon, which are vital to optimum digestion and our immune system.

Stress

The more stressed we are the harder the heart has to work as blood pressure increases. Stress is a killer, so we must try to manage our stress so that it doesn’t take over. Talk to those you trust and work through your worries – communication is important. Practice mindfulness, learning to be in the moment. Practice deep breathing often. Start to meditate for even 10 minutes a day to centre and ground yourself.

Happiness & Gratitude

Studies have shown that those who are more optimistic and positive, and who feel gratitude on a regular basis are less likely to die from a heart attack or stroke. Happiness comes from within; no one can give it to you. Start to have gratitude as often as you can and watch it grow, the result is increased happiness, which will make your heart happy.

5 Countries With the Healthiest People

They live well into their nineties and often times up break the hundred year mark. Their existence is healthy but the underlying reasons are often cultural. In fact, it’s not just that individuals take care of themselves; it’s a country-wide phenomenon that’s based on lifestyle choices.

Why are certain countries home to the world’s happiest, healthiest people on Earth? What do they eat? What daily habits are different from other societies? Set out to answer these questions and along the way  found some striking similarities between these fit nations, spread far and wide across the globe.

1. Iceland

Due to a smaller population, Iceland is one of the least polluted countries in the world. But clean air isn’t the only reason why Icelanders are so healthy; they also like to hit the gym. Due to chilly weather much of the year, Icelanders workout in order to beat the winter blues. The country enjoys one of the highest life expectancies (72 for men and 74 for women). It also has one of the lowest infant mortality rates at 2 deaths per 1,000 babies. Forbes Magazine ranked it the healthiest country in the world.

2. Japan

The World Health Organization (WHO) calculated the countries where people live to full health the longest and Japan came out on top with 74.5 years. Much of this is due to diet.

“Every meal in Japan looks like a piece of art. Food is so beautiful and so delicious and so simple,” fitness expert Harley Pasternak said to Empower News Magazine. “They are the largest consumer of fish in the world and of whole soy and of seaweed and green tea. When they are about 80 percent full, they stop and wait for about 10 minutes, then decide whether to keep going. And most times, they are full so they don’t need to keep eating more".

3. Sweden

Government policies promote a healthy way of life including positive work/life balance. The population also loves to play outside and with a stunning landscape full of rolling hills, mountains, and glacial lakes, it’s easy, according to National Geographic. Additionally, because of their location they eat a diet that’s high in fish and omega fatty acids. Their cooking methods also reflect that of a healthy population. Rather than using an abundance of oil they poach, ferment, smoke, and dry their foods.

4. Okinawa

Okinawa is a Prefecture or sub national jurisdiction of Japan. However, it’s worth mentioning it separately because it’s widely believed to have the healthiest people on Earth. According to the Okinawa Centenarian Study, centenarian ratios may be the world’s highest at approximately 50 per 100,000 people. The country is also home to many super centenarians, people that reach the age of 110 years old. Okinawans attribute their not only long, but healthy, happy lives to eating tons of local fruits and vegetables, as well as large quantities of tofu and seaweed. Their lives also include rigorous daily activity and relatively low stress.

5. New Zealand

Similar to Iceland, a lower population and lack of pollution make New Zealand a great place to call home. New Zealanders love outdoor activities like hiking, camping, and fishing. All and all it’s just an easier place to embrace a fit lifestyle. No matter where you live you’re not but a 90 minute drive from the ocean.

“Plus there’s an abundance of healthy whole foods. We eat fresh seafood (we often catch it ourselves) and local organic fruits and vegetables. Everyone grows something here and neighbors all put out bags for purchase by anyone. We get fresh lettuce from the kids’ school, avocados from our tree, and kiwis, apples and plums from our neighbors,” says Jill Chalmers who moved to New Zealand with her Kiwi husband.

Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Workouts

Eating and exercise go hand in hand. When and what you eat can be important to how you feel when you exercise, whether it's a casual workout or a serious athletic competition.

Here are five tips for eating and exercise to help maximize your exercise and athletic performance. Just keep in mind that the duration and intensity of your activity will dictate how often and what you should eat and drink. Running a marathon demands more energy in the way of food than does walking two miles — but whatever your exercise, you'll benefit from paying attention to your meals and snacks.

1. Eat a healthy breakfast

If you exercise in the morning, get up early enough to eat breakfast — that may mean one to two hours before your workout. Most of the energy you got from dinner the previous night is used up by morning, and your blood sugar may be low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded when you exercise. If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a lighter breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink. Emphasize carbohydrates for maximum energy.

Good breakfast options include:

Whole-grain cereals or bread
Low-fat milk
Juice
Bananas

If you're not a fan of eating in the morning before you work out, try a sports drink or have a bigger bedtime snack the night before. And remember, if you normally have coffee in the mornings, a cup or two before your workout is probably OK. Just don't try any foods or drinks for the first time before a workout, or you risk an upset stomach.

2. Size matters

Be careful not to overdo it when it comes to how much you eat before exercise. The general guideline:

Large meals: Eat these at least three to four hours before exercising.

Small meals: Eat these two to three hours before exercising.

Small snacks: Eat these an hour before exercising.

Eating too much before you exercise can leave you feeling sluggish, or worse, with a case of diarrhea or stomach cramps. Eating too little may not give you the energy to keep you feeling strong throughout your workout.

3. Snack well

Most people can eat small snacks right before and during exercise. The key is how you feel. Do what works best for you. Snacks eaten soon before exercise probably won't give you added energy, but they can help keep up your blood sugar and prevent distracting hunger pangs.

Good snack options include:

Energy bars or drinks
Bananas or other fresh fruit
Yogurt
Fruit smoothies
Whole-grain bagel or crackers with peanut butter
Granola bars

A healthy snack is especially important if you plan a workout several hours after a meal.

4. Eat after you exercise

To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible. If you aren't hungry after your workout, drink juice or a sports drink to provide replenishing carbohydrates.

Good post-workout food choices include:

Yogurt and fruit
Peanut butter or meat sandwich
String cheese and crackers
Nuts and dried fruit
A regular meal with meat, starch, and cooked vegetable or salad

5. Drink up

Don't forget to drink fluids to help optimize your exercise and workouts. You need adequate fluids before, during and after exercise to help prevent dehydration.

To stay well hydrated for exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends:
Before your workout: Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.7 liters) of water during the two to three hours before working out.

During your workout: Drink about 1/2 to 1 cup (0.12 to 0.23 liters) of water every 15 to 20 minutes. You may need more the larger your body is or the warmer the weather is.

After your workout: Drink roughly 2 to 3 cups (0.5 to 0.7 liters) of water for every pound (0.5 kilogram) of weight you lose during the workout.

Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluids. But if you're exercising for more than 60 minutes, use a sports drink. Sports drinks can help maintain your body's electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy because they contain carbohydrates.

Let experience be your guide. When it comes to eating and exercise, everyone is different. So pay attention to how you feel during your workout and your overall performance. Let your experience guide you on which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you. Consider keeping a journal to monitor how your body reacts to meals and snacks so that you can tweak your diet for optimal performance.

What Really Makes You Healthy

What your mind, body, and spirit need most.

In her book The Power Is Within You, Louise L. Hay wrote that “the point of power is always in the present moment.” To make the most of the present moment, a healthy lifestyle is an integral component of your journey toward well-being and wholeness. I refer to the healthy-lifestyle components of The LifeLine Technique philosophy as the Five Basics for Optimal Health. It’s important to make sure that you maintain the proper quantity, quality, and frequency of: water, food, rest, exercise, and owning your power. More than optimal health, however, the Five Basics are essential acts of self-love.

Tool #1: Water—Water Is Life

Water is the most crucial, nonnegotiable component of optimal health. After all, you can live for extended periods without food, but not without water. Why is it so essential? Your entire body is 75 percent water. Your blood is 82 percent water. Your lungs are 90 percent water. Your brain is 90 percent water. In fact, water plays a role in every function of your body, from regulating temperature and cushioning joints to bringing oxygen to cells and removing waste. One of the little-known facts about the importance of water is that it greatly contributes to our ability to process emotions. Emotions, e-motions, are energy in motion. Water conducts electricity. Without water, the body can’t maintain its basic functions, including manufacturing enough energy to process emotions.

Tool #2: Food—Understanding the Body’s Ecology

When you think about the concept of “eating healthy,” what comes to mind? For a lot of people, it means going on a diet. But more and more evidence is showing that diets don’t work, and in fact, they often create a vicious cycle of yo-yo weight loss and gain. On top of that, going on a diet is often all about calories and not about how to truly nourish your body. So, where do you begin when you want to start a healthy eating program? The one that I’ve recently found to best complement and support The LifeLine Technique is described in The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates. Donna and I both teach that good digestive health is fundamental for feeling your best. On both a mind and body level, your digestive system breaks down and extracts the nutrients your body needs to heal, regenerate, and thrive. Body Ecology teaches us to reconnect with nature and with traditional, whole foods as a way of living.

Tool #3: Rest—Restoring Balance with Sleep

High on the list of symptoms that new clients frequently discuss with me is insomnia or restlessness. Typically, they all have several lifestyle issues in common: emotional overload or high levels of stress; poor bowel habits; consuming too much caffeine; and eating processed foods high in cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, white flour, and white rice. Many have also used doctor-prescribed sleeping pills, causing a drowsy effect, which then leads them to consume even more caffeine in order to feel awake during the day. Sleep deprivation affects the body’s immune system. It can speed up the aging process and the onset of metabolic or hormonal imbalances. The act of sleeping not only allows your body to heal, but it also enables your mind to process and integrate your life experiences. Making sure you receive quality rest and relaxation is one of the most significant steps you can take to reduce the stress of modern living and create inner peace and balance.

Tool #4: Exercise—Making Time to Move and Play

We already know the benefits of exercise—increasing energy levels, relieving stress, improving sleep—and it can have a major impact on reversing disease processes. However, have you ever considered exercise as an opportunity just to have fun? I used to have my own struggles with creating time for play and exercise. I had to get serious about personal fitness in order to overcome the challenge of being crunched for time. Now I play tennis, swim or run outside with my children whenever we get a chance, and work out once a week with a trainer who inspires me and encourages me to laugh as she’s pushing me to bring out my best! Take a moment and imagine all the ways you can combine exercise and fun with your friends and family—walking on the beach, taking a hike, or riding your bike. Children are more inclined to model the behavior they observe: when you engage in a consistent exercise program, you teach them the value of self-care.

Tool #5: Owning Your Power and Living a Quantum Life
To own your power is to embrace every aspect of your life with passion, purpose, and courage…knowing that every day, in every way, each experience that you encounter represents the possibility to be so much more. The core philosophy of Living a Quantum Life is the belief that we are co-creators of our evolutionary journey. When we shed the old identity of pain, fear, shame, guilt, or suffering, we let go of the old identity like the snake in Native American medicine, shedding the old skin. We undergo a transmutation process, a metamorphosis, bringing forth our new quantum self. The snake releases everything it has outgrown and moves forward, without judgment. In Chinese culture, the snake also symbolizes wisdom and beauty. When we live a quantum life, we are wisdom; we are beauty. As we arise to observe and participate in our ever-evolving journey, we’re able to be love.

The Importance of a Healthy Heart

The subject of heart health is a very personal one for me. When I was 17, my dad died of a sudden heart attack. Needless to say, it was devastating, and one of the few effective coping mechanisms that I found for the pain and confusion I experienced was running. It was therapeutic for me; after my runs, I'd feel like some of the weight on my shoulders had lifted. Over time, the fog began to clear and life began to feel more manageable. And my love of fitness and its powerful effect on our lives was born.

But there was another important consequence that resulted from losing my dad. I became acutely aware of the importance of heart health, and the active role we can play in protecting it.

The numbers are tough to digest: 42 million women in the U.S. are currently living with or at risk for heart disease; 1 woman dies every minute from cardiovascular disease; and 64% of those women had no previous symptoms.

But here's the good news: cardiovascular diseases can usually be prevented and even reversed. The greatest advice in our education is that heart disease can be virtually eliminated by controlling three factors: cholesterol, smoking, and blood pressure. In other words, what we put into our bodies and how we move them are the greatest weapons in our battle against this #1 killer of women.

It's Your Life, Control It

Your lifestyle (not your genes - your lifestyle) is the #1 factor in determining whether or not you'll have a heart attack. You can start by cutting back on cholesterol intake and bringing your blood pressure into line. Try some of the following tips to start improving your heart health:

* Eating meat and animal fat has been linked with a high incidence of heart disease. Even if you're not ready to say goodbye to meat completely, making vegetarian meals one or two days a week could make things interesting at the dinner table. Beans, soy and legumes can make for surprisingly delicious meat substitutes.

* Cut back on high-fat dairy products. These days, there is no shortage of other tasty options - you can find soy, rice, almond or even hemp-based products in almost any grocery store.

* Heart-healthy salmon is also a great option for your protein source. Not sure what to do with it? Try my Asian Glazed Salmon recipe - a real crowd pleaser:

    Asian Glazed Salmon

3 tbsp. white or yellow miso (soy bean paste)
3 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons water
Nonstick canola oil cooking spray
4 salmon filets (4 to 6 oz. each)
Chopped scallions

Preheat boiler. Combine miso, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, and water in a small bowl, mixing until well combined. Line a baking sheet with foil and mist with canola oil spray. Arrange fish on baking sheet, skin side down. Coat each fish piece with the miso mixture. Broil fish 6 inches from heat for 10 minutes, or until fish is cooked through. Sprinkle with scallions. Serves 4

* Walnuts, almonds and other nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help keep blood vessels healthy. (Of course, nuts are also high in calories, so remember; a little bit goes a long way.)

* Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods can reduce your LDL (the "bad" cholesterol). Start your day with oatmeal and sprinkle it with some almonds and flax seed. And as a bonus, you'll find that you feel fuller for a longer period of time.

* Olive oil contains antioxidants that can also lower your LDL cholesterol, but leaves your HDL (the "good “cholesterol) untouched. But again, oil is very high in calories so only use about 2 tablespoons a day!

* Heart-healthy fiber is available in every type of plant. Fiber helps flush carcinogens, toxins, excess hormones and cholesterol out of your system.

* So, just like your mother taught you, it's important to eat our vegetables and fruits. The Cancer Project says to shoot for about 40 grams of fiber a day.

* Serve whole-wheat baked goods instead of those made with refined white flour; and use whole-wheat pastas in lieu of those made from refined flour.

Move to the heart-Beat

And, of course, eating is only half the battle. Physical activity, particularly a balance of cardio and strength exercise, helps keep our heart muscles working at their most optimum. Mayo Clinic says it best:

"People who are inactive tend to have high heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction and the stronger the force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight."

So don't waste any more time, start reducing your chance for heart disease by changing your lifestyle and moving your body.

Facts On Why Sprouted Brown Rice May Lift Depression and Reduce Anxiety

Sprouted brown rice is packed with nutrients and contains GABA, an amino acid that aids in lifting depression and reducing anxiety along with many other ailments. Consumed by the Japanese for decades, it is a healthy side dish that nourishes the body and can be prepared many ways.

Packed with potent nutrients and a food that delivers stamina and energy, sprouted brown rice is a super grain that must have a presence on the dinner table. Although sprouted brown rice may appear to be the same dish as a regular bowl of brown rice, it’s not. Known in Japan as hatsuga genmai, sprouted brown rice is different because it has soaked allowing germination, building up an amino acid called GABA. GABA, also known as gamma amino-butric acid, is a neurotransmitter with the ability to calm the brain.

Loaded with boosting B vitamins and enzymes that pump up brain activity, sprouted brown rice also has the ability to relax the entire body. B12 and B6, along with calcium and magnesium all synergize, boosting immunity due to the germination of the rice. Along with fiber and protein, it graciously packs a punch for health. It aids in weight reduction plus relaxes muscle tension, maintains blood sugar and even helps release the Human Growth Hormone which helps support the muscles. Lately, GABA is showing up in skincare products claiming it will relax face muscles. Most important, GABA helps lift depression and reduce anxiety.

Anxiety disorders can disturb sleep and build tension in every day living. Symptoms include tightening of the chest, poor decision making and irritability. It is always crucial to discuss problems with a Doctor to properly diagnose a disease. GABA in sprouted brown rice calms the nerves over time. It is the fermentation of the rice that produces a good bacteria, or a probiotic, that induces the GABA.

Low GABA levels in the body have been linked to anxiety disorders, addictions and depression due to low levels of GABA. Made in the brain cells, its function is to block nerve impulses. Levels of GABA are lower during a menstrual cycle and possibly can bring on hormonal depression and mood swings.

There hasn’t been enough data to distinguish whether GABA supplements can make a difference. Dr. Michael Murray, author of “The Pill Book Guide” and many other natural medicine books, claims synthetic supplements haven’t been proved safe, but natural GABA crosses the blood brain barrier making it highly effective.. An excellent way to maintain correct levels of GABA would be to obtain it in the diet naturally. Sprouted brown rice is a textured, healthy dish with a multitude of benefits. Sprouted brown rice can be purchased online or at a healthy food market, but it also can be made at home. Certain companies in Japan actually sell a GABA rice maker.

With a sweet and crunchy texture, sprouted brown rice takes less time to cook than ordinary brown rice. It not only takes less time to prepare, it’s tasty, healthy and will keep everyone happy.

How to Motivate Yourself

This time of year can be tough to get yourself to the gym and give 100 percent in your workouts. Our New Year's resolutions tend to be replaced by the "winter blues." Don’t let the blues get you down and differ you from your goals! We compiled a list of useful tips to help get you back on track with your fitness regimen.

Write down your workouts

Telling yourself that you are going to work out later isn’t as reliable as marking it in your calendar or putting a note somewhere you will see it.

Have a workout partner
It could be a significant other, a family member, or a friend. This person will help to push and encourage you.

Keep track of your accomplishmentsLooking at your progress and how far you’ve come will motivate you to go further. Keep pushing!

Switch things up
By trying new things and switching up your workout routine, you avoid the dreaded fitness plateau. Your body and mind need change and challenge.

Crank the beats
Music gets you amped up and in the mood for a workout. Picking songs with a lot of bass will motivate you to go 100 percent in the gym.

A short workout is better than no workout
Even if you have limited time, a short workout is better than none at all. Interval training burns more fat and calories in a short amount of time.

Sign up for an event
Doing this will hold you accountable for something such as a 5K. At the end, you have the feeling of accomplishment.

Rest!
Hitting the gym hard every day and overworking yourself can result in fatigue and/or injury. If you get rest and dedicate a day off from the gym, you will have more energy for your harder workouts.

Secrets of Eating Psychology

Most of us have been taught to believe that good nutrition is simply a function of eating the right food and taking the right supplements. Of course, this is true, but there’s more to the equation. What we eat is only half the story of good nutrition. The other half of the story is who we are as eaters. That is, what we think, feel, believe our levels of stress, relaxation, pleasure, awareness, and the inner stories that we live out all have a real, powerful, and scientific effect on nutritional metabolism.

Recent advances in the mind-body sciences have been proving what ancient wisdom traditions have been saying for eons – that the mind and body exist on an exquisite continuum, and profoundly impact one another.

So the good news is simply this: you can powerfully change your health and your nutritional status without changing anything you eat, but by changing you the eater. In my 30 years as a nutritional psychologist, I’ve seen so many profound breakthroughs in clients and students around weight, overeating, and a long list of health conditions when they began to practice some of the simple principles of eating psychology. Consider some of these key “secrets” that I think everyone should know:

1. Stress can put weight on – relaxation can take it off.

It’s fascinating how stress, fear, anxiety, anger, judgment and even negative self-talk can literally create a physiologic stress response in the body. This means that we generate more cortisol and insulin, two hormones that have the unwanted effect of signaling the body to store weight, store fat, and stop building muscle. Strange as it may sound, we quite literally change our calorie burning capacity when we’re stressed. What’s more incredible though, is that as we learn to smile more, ease into life and breathe more deeply, the body enters a physiologic relaxation response. In this state, we actually create our optimal day-in, day-out calorie-burning metabolism. So, you could be following the best weight loss diet in the world, but if you’re an anxious mess, the power of your mind is limiting the weight loss of your body. Far too many people adopt stressful weight loss strategies – impossible to follow diets, overly intense exercise programs, tasteless food, extremely low calorie meal plans – all of which can create the kind of stress chemistry that ensures our weight will stay put. It’s time to relax into weight loss.

2. Happiness is the best digestive aid.

Can you recall what happens when you eat during anxiety or stress? Many people report such symptoms as heartburn, cramping, gas, and digestive upset. During stress, the body automatically shifts into the classic fight-or-flight response. This feature of the nervous system evolved over millions of years as a brilliant safety mechanism to support us during life-threatening events. In the moment the stress response is activated, something very interesting happens – the digestive system shuts down. It makes perfect sense that when you’re fending off an angry gorilla, you don’t need to waste energy digesting your breakfast. All the body’s metabolic energy is directed towards survival. So, you could be eating the healthiest food in the universe, but if you aren’t eating under the optimum state of digestion and assimilation – which happens to be relaxation – you literally and metabolically are not receiving the full nutritional value of your meal.

3. Overeating – it’s simpler than you think.

Most people think they overeat because they have a willpower problem. “If only I could control my appetite, then I would stop being such a willpower weakling and start losing weight.” Well, here’s the good news – you don’t have a willpower problem. The problem for a majority of overeaters is that they don’t actually “eat” when they eat. What I’m suggesting is that we aren’t always fully present to the meal, aware of its taste, eating it slowly, or simply feeling nourished by the food. When this happens, the brain, which requires taste and satisfaction, misses out on a key phase of the nutritional experience. The brain literally thinks it didn’t eat, or didn’t eat enough. And it simply screams back at us – “Hungry!” So, you can dramatically decrease your overeating by increasing your awareness and presence at every meal.

4. Slower eating means faster metabolism.

One of my favorite nutritional questions to ask a client or student is “Are you a fast eater, moderate eater, or slow eater?” If the answer is “fast”, then it’s time for an overhaul. That’s because the act of eating fast is considered a stressor by the body. Humans are simply not biologically wired for high speed eating. So when we do eat fast, the body once again enters the physiologic stress response, which results in decreased digestion, decreased nutrient assimilation, increased nutrient excretion, lowered calorie burning rate, and a bigger appetite. The bottom line is that you can literally empower your nutritional metabolism simply by slowing down. What’s fascinating is that for many fast eaters, slowing down is quite a challenge. But try this – don’t just eat slow – eat sensuously, feel nourished by your food, and take in all the sensations of your meal.

5. Make sure you have enough Vitamin P – Pleasure!

Far too many people are taught to believe that pleasure is something frivolous. Well, it’s actually required by our biology. All organisms on planet earth, be they lion, lizard, amoeba, or human are programmed at the most primitive level of the nervous system to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Well, if you’re eating and not paying attention, the brain will drive you to seek more pleasure via overeating. What’s worse, if you’re stressed while eating, the excess cortisol in your system actually de-sensitizes us to pleasure – so you’ll need to eat more food in order to get the pleasure we are seeking. The bottom line is this: If you want more pleasure from food, you don’t need to eat more of the ice cream. Simply breathe, relax, de-stress, enjoy, pay attention, and the body will naturally experience the pleasure it seeks. And the great news is, since pleasure catalyzes a relaxation response, it actually fuels digestion and assimilation

6. Emotional eating – it’s not the enemy.

At our core, we are emotional beings – rich, complex, juicy, unpredictable feeling-filled creatures. We love, we celebrate, we laugh, cry, we break down, we rise up… So how could we NOT be emotional eaters? We love food. We love our favorite restaurant. We love how food makes us feel good. Some of us love cooking for others. Some of us are passionate about nutrition. It’s time to get over it – if you’re human, you will bring emotionality to the table. Once we embrace the reality that we’re genetically hard-wired for emotional expression, we can relax a little more. Underneath the quest to eradicate emotional eating from one’s life is often found a hidden desire to eliminate uncomfortable feelings. We strive for an impossible to attain goal that constantly leaves us frustrated and in failure. Yes, this thing called emotional eating can be very painful. But it’s not the actual problem – it’s a symptom that’s pointing to something deeper. It’s an alert mechanism from body wisdom that’s calling us to check in, and follow the flow of emotions within us to see where our soul is calling for more awareness and insight.

7. Get rid of toxic nutritional beliefs.

Finally, many of us have absorbed toxic nutritional beliefs that are as harmful and debilitating as any of the toxins in our food. Here’s what I mean: it’s surprisingly common for people to believe that “food is the enemy”, or “food makes me fat”, or “fat in food will become fat on my body” or “my appetite is the enemy” or “as soon as I have the perfect body, then I’ll finally be happy.” Such beliefs may seem harmless, yet they can create a relationship with food and self that’s filled with tremendous suffering and pain. Think about it – if “food is the enemy”, then we are constantly in a fight or flight stress response whenever we eat, or even think about food. Such a powerful stressor can cause all the problems of stress-induced digestive shutdown, decreased calorie burning capacity, and an inner life that’s seldom at peace. The question is: Is your relationship with food nourishing, or punishing?

Hopefully, you’ve noticed that there’s way more to good nutrition than simply the food itself. We bring all of ourselves to the table – our hopes, fears, thoughts, feelings, dramas, and dreams. And the more we include a well rounded nutritional profile – Vitamin R – relaxation, Vitamin P – pleasure, Vitamin S – slow, and Vitamin L – Love – the more we can literally nourish ourselves on every level.

Exercise & Fitness : How to increase your metabolism

In order to increase your metabolism, it's important to work on portion control and to eat healthy foods like apples, oatmeal, pears, soups, low-fat granola and sardines. Find out how to feel full for a longer period of time.

Why I love antioxidants

Antioxidants.

Here is some cool info on what antioxidants are and why I love them.

Antioxidants are compounds in foods that neutralise chemicals called free radicals (unstable molecules), produced by oxidation in the human body. These chemicals have been linked to diseases such as heart and liver disease and cancer. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and wholegrains are rich sources of antioxidants.



The process of oxidation in the human body damages cell membranes and other structures, including cellular proteins, lipids and DNA. When oxygen is metabolised, it creates unstable molecules called ‘free radicals’, which steal electrons from other molecules, causing damage to DNA and other cells.

The body can cope with some free radicals and needs them to function effectively. However, the damage caused by an overload of free radicals over time may become irreversible and lead to certain diseases, including heart disease, liver disease and some cancers (such as oral, oesophageal, stomach and bowel cancers). Oxidation can be accelerated by stress, cigarette smoking, alcohol, sunlight, pollution and other factors.