Five Foods To Fix (Almost) Anything

For More Energy, Try: AN APPLE WITH PEANUT BUTTER

To beat fatigue, experts at Glamour recommend an apple with a teaspoon of peanut butter. The combo is a carbohydrate, rich in fiber with a little protein that takes time to digest so you will ultimately have more energy throughout the day.  This is a better snack than a snickers candy bar. If you are in a pinch at the office, try a bag a peanuts from the vending machine instead of  sugary or salty snacks, says Keri Gans, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

For Acne, Try: FISH or WALNUTS

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, adjunct professor of medicine at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine: Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, which help control inflammation throughout the body, including inflammatory acne,” he says. Do not consume mostly refined white flour, or processed carbs like white bread and sugary cereals.  Dr. Perricone suggests that halibut, walnuts, flaxseeds and salmon should be the foods incorporated in every woman’s meal plan.

For A Bad Mood, Try: HEALTHY CARBS

Many of us crave sweets which are simple carbohydrates . Kelly O’Connor, R.D., of the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore says, stress and depression can be eased by the hormone secreted by the brain called serotonin. Foods that boost your mood are complex carbs like chickpeas, lentils and whole-grain bread.  If you do succumb to sugary sweets, you be sure that your bad mood will increase along with a crash in your blood sugar.  

 For PMS, Try: MILK or CHEESE

A New York City endocrinologist,  Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., notes that women can experience more severe cramps without sufficient calcium in their diets. A lack of calcium causes severe cramps, mood swings and bloating.  Her research found that 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is enough to reduce premenstrual symptoms by 48 percent.  Two slices of Swiss cheese plus a glass of milk and yogurt will suffice for this recommended dose of calcium.  If you normally get headaches at this time, then a quarter cup of almonds or cashews can help boost your magnesium levels by 30 percent.

For Bad Breath, Try: PLAIN YOGURT

Did you know that yogurt can alleviate bad breath? Breath mints may pose to be a quick back up plan, but they do not rid the mouth of the bacteria that causes bad breath in the first place.  The bacteria build up on your tongue, in between your teeth and in the back of your throat  from food debris when not brushing thoroughly is the root cause.  Needless-to-say, the breath mint may help temporarily but the sugar it contains will only worsen the bad breath by feeding those microbes.  Japanese research has found that eating plain, sugar-free yogurt will eliminate the odor causing sulfur compounds.

What does Organic Food Mean?

 

 

 

 

The USDA gives an organic seal to crops that are raised without synthetic pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, or sewage sludge (semisolid leftovers from waste water plants used as fertilizer). The organic animals even consume organic feed and are required to be exposed to nature. In other words, it is more costly to the farmer to go organic.  The government standards are very critical with multiple certifying bodies and federal regulations. There are no treatments with antibiotics or growth hormones, so the organic labels mean the food synthetically treated to prolong shelf life.

Processed foods are everywhere you turn in the grocery store.  The retail market makes sure the it is displayed on the outside of the aisles, for impulse shopping.  Beware.  The is a typical scheme to distract you from making healthy choices. Children are lured by commercials on Disney and Nickelodeon of sugar plums, dancing gummi candy, talking chocolate cookies. Adult television is not much better, though.  Our commercials leave us desiring things that we did not want until we saw it before our eyes. 

I have tried preparing my meals before I go to the store to prevent impulse buying.  I have a cash only policy for grocery shopping, that way I do not overspend my budget.  It has been an interesting experience for me to make these changes so that I can create other goals.

Just because we are in this world, does not mean we have to follow their lead. Right? I can be my leader and show my children how to do the same.  God made fruits and vegetables to provide nourishment, healing, and energy for the human body.  A gift like this should not be tampered or engineered, yet it is widely accepted.

Breakfast: The Fuel to Start Your Day

 

 

 

 

I do not know about you but breakfast is a must to start my day. It is also what I eat that helps. A simple donut and juice or coffee will only leave me on edge and cranky. I have to eat proteins and whole grains to make the day a good one.
Studies have shown that kids given breakfast performed better at school than kids who did not eat in the morning. Also, eating a good breakfast helps to lose weight or maintain it.  Protein and fiber satisfy your hunger and give you that full feeling until lunch.  A midday snack of granola and seeds,  soy, other nuts. 

Take a look at this meal plan from Bob Greene:

Oatmeal Topped with Almonds and Berries

1 cup cooked plain oatmeal
3/4 cup raspberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
2 Tbsp. almonds
1 cup nonfat milk (optional: use some of the milk in cooking the oatmeal)

Combine oatmeal, raspberries and almonds. Serve with remaining nonfat milk.

Heart Health Month

February is the month to take time to get educated about the heart. The American Heart Association tries to bring awareness to the public of the statistics. Stroke and Heart Disease are the number one killer in the United States; so even though the month is almost over, please share this article with someone you love.
Eating healthy is one of the major ways to beat this disease. Here are five foods that are proven to change your heart health.
The first one is garlic. It is a herb that benefits the blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels to keep your heart strong. This can help you cyt back on the salt intake.
Next, there is salmon. Try to substitute the burger for a salmon steak which is low in saturated fat. A cheeseburger, however, is more than a day’s consumption of saturated fat. The benefits of salmon are the omega 3 that help prevent blood clotting and erratic heart rhythms, promote good cholesterol, and prevent cholesterol damage.
Other heart healthy foods are berries and cherries. I love these delicious fruits! They are sweet and go well with plain lowfat yogurt for a sin-free dessert or oatmeal. The benefits of these fruits are they are high in polyphenols that prevent cell damage and unhealthy blood vessels.
Have you heard of Quinoa? It is a tiny seed which is high in magnesium-a mineral that relaxes the blood vessels, preventing hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias.
Finally, we have hot cocoa. Chocolate has more antioxidants than red wine and green tea combined. Try 100% cocoa and a small amount of sugar or sugar substitute to get the benefits of this sweet sensation!

Bob Greene’s Best Life Breakfast

Bob Greene suggests that we use his “Jump-start your Best Life Weight Loss Challenge” to  start your days—Here is one of his breakfast options!

Chocolate-Strawberry Smoothie with Oat Bran Bagel and Cream Cheese

1 cup 8th Continent® Light Chocolate Soymilk
1/2 ripe banana
1 cup unsweetened frozen strawberries
1/2 oat bran bagel
1 1/2 Tbsp. reduced-fat cream cheese

To make smoothie, combine chocolate soymilk, banana and strawberries in a blender. Serve with half bagel and cream cheese.

I am wondering if you can replace the Soymilk with Almond or Rice Milk?  I do not see that you cannot.  In fact, they are just as healthy as soy.  Try playing with these ingredients to suit your taste.  I think this is a great meal plan because of the lack of sugar and attention to protein with the soy and cream cheese. Also you are getting fiber as well as part of the recommended fruit needed per day.

I am going to try this because it sounds appealing and I am sure it will give me the energy to start out my day.

Low cal 4th of July dessert recipes

4th of July is all but here! Not sure what desserts to serve this weekend? I’m here to give you a hand. Give your family and friends decadent tasting desserts without all the calories. Try one of these low calorie recipes for your 4th of July barbecue this year. Your guests, and their waistlines will thank you.

Low Fat Raspberry Summer Sensation
I saw this recipe from Kraft and had to share it! This freezer cake takes no time to make, and you can easily substitute in your favorite Jello-O flavor for raspberry. Enjoy this fruity flavor infused 110 calorie dessert.

Chocolate refrigerator Cookies
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Serve these refrigerator cookies this 4th of July and I guarantee you won’t hear a single scream…maybe a few cheers, though. At only 73 calories per cookie, treat yourself to more than one.

Strawberry Shortcake
I’m a big Splenda user, so it only makes sense that I shopped their site for a fantastic low cal dessert. This strawberry shortcake recipe does the trick. Make it a true red, white, and blue dessert by adding a few blueberries. An indulgent dessert that only contains 260 calories, you’ll surely satisfy your sweet tooth.

Low Fat Apple Turnovers
No 4th of July barbecue is complete without apple pie. Try this low fat apple turnover recipe. It’s like having your very own perfectly sized apple pie, and it’s only 49 calories to boot.

Lemonade Mousse
It’s just not summer without lemonade. This recipe, courtesy of Shape, turns summers favorite drink into a creamy citrus dessert of only 183 calories.

Fresh breath curbs overeating

According to Health.com, brushing your teeth after every meal is more than just a great way to fight cavities. Following your meal with brushing, popping a breath mint, or even a breath strip signals your body that you’re done eating.

Brown fat weight loss fad

Last week, I opened my email to find a gem of an article sitting in my inbox. Forwarded to me from one the producers of The Doctors, and courtesy of WebMD, I had to see what all the buzz was about concerning “brown fat,” mostly because I had no clue there was such a thing.

If you’re anything like me, then you’re probably just hearing about this new weight loss fad, too. According to the article, Can Brown Fat Make You Thin?, author Daniel J. DeNoon says it can. In the article he highlights the advantages of activating brown fat.

By activating the brown fat in your body, you could lose 9 pounds or more of bad white fat every year — without having to eat less or exercise more.

I know, what you’re thinking…What the heck is brown fat?! Apparently, brown fat was once thought to only be found in babies. It is the fat that all babies have and assumed that its purpose is to keep the body warm. Scientists thought that as we became older and more muscular that we lost brown fat. However, now scientists believe that we do not lose all our brown fat but rather it becomes dormant.

So, what does any of this have to do with you losing weight? Everything! Brown fat is activated when we become cold, and once that happens brown fat burns white fat as fuel. So, essentially your body uses good fat to burn bad fat. Upon studying the correlation of brown fat to white fat and muscle, scientists found

• Obese people have less brown fat than lean people do.
• Men have less brown fat than women do.
• Older people have less brown fat than younger people do.
• People with high blood sugar have less brown fat than people with normal blood sugar.

What does this mean for people like you and I? Well, it definitely makes getting hypothermia on purpose seem appealing, but besides that it’s a breakthrough in better understanding how our bodies work and what natural advantages God installed in us for weight loss and to maintain a healthy body.

To read the article in its entirety CLICK HERE.