Month: October 2013
Laughter Is The World’s Best Medicine
Laughing is one of the best things you can do for your health. It lowers blood pressure, boosts your immune system and promotes social bonding. There’s a new study that shows how belly laughing is good for the arteries. OMGosh, my son has had the most contagious belly laugh on the planet since he was 3 months old!
This kind of laughing goes to the point that it is even benefiting those even remotely listening. I just love that.
In a recent study, Greek scientists found that when people watched a comedy show, their coronary arteries actually became more flexible. Why? Laughing reduces your body’s production of the stress hormone, cortisol, which usually causes the arteries to stiffen (fight or flight mode).
So humor is just plain infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy….I mean, how can you help it?
Laughter triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter have the ability to physically strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress (the cortisol response). Best of all, this priceless form of medicine is fun, free, and easy to use….and spreads like a prairie fire. ( :
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict, depression and anxiety. It’s a gift in a moments notice. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh, especially a loud belly laugh. Who can resist it? Especially from a child. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert….and just plain cracks you up, how can you not just let it go and lighten up?
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems….and only humans possess this amazing ability. We should appreciate it, seize it every chance we get, letting it enhance our relationships, and supporting both our physical and emotional health.
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Laughter relaxes the whole entire body. Have you ever noticed? It’s better than a massage. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
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Laughter boosts the immune system….wow, really? Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease. Why aren’t we all laughing more?
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Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
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Laughter protects the heart and improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
I just LOVE to laugh. I have a saying…..”if you can’t laugh, you’re dead”. Well….because I can always laugh, well most of the time….or at least eventually. It’s such a release, it’s so incredibly healthy, and it lets others in on your experience. Give in to the moment…..and LAUGH!!!! ( :
YOUR BODY. YOUR HOME.
Image Posted on Updated on
Isn’t this so true. Kind of like “you are what you eat” and “the average person spends more money on their car maintenance than their own health”. Unfortunately, most people are not into a preventative lifestyle (time or money). They call AAA when their car breaks down on the side of the road when the motor blows up, or for themselves when they end up in the ER because their heart stops beating….now suddenly they want their problem fixed immediately…..but it’s not that easy when it reaches that point. Knowing that ahead of time is priceless. Take care of what you have and nurture it….NOW.
When Carving Your Jack-O-Lanterns, Don’t Toss Out Your Pumpkin Seeds!!
Carving pumpkins is a fun tradition in our house, but watching my kids save every single pumpkin seed for me is priceless!
If you’re like me, pumpkin seeds are one of your FAVORITE fall foods. Actually I buy them YEAR ROUND….raw and roast them as a delicious snack. They have been my all time favorite for over ten years now!
But did you realize just how healthy they are? I never knew until I started researching about them years ago. Just one little ounce of contains over 9 grams of protein! That’s more than two grams of protein than the same amount of ground beef. But wait, there’s even more…..
Pumpkin Seed Nutrients and What They Do For You Specifically:
Tryptophan (amino acid, protein building block): Helps fight depression by converting into serotonin and niacin, which then converts to melatonin. All of these create amazing sleep.
Glutamate (needed to create GABA): Anti-stress neurochemical. It helps to relieve anxiety and has a natural calming effect.
Zinc: Boosts immune function while fighting osteoporosis and boosting prostate health, a healthy sense of smell and taste, your mood and good sleep, male sexual function and insulin regulation.
Phytosterols: Reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and up HDL (the good kind), cancer fighting.
Plant based omega-3 fats ALA: A much needed nutrient in our diet!
Healthy Fats and fiber: Beneficial for heart and liver health.
Magnesium: Creates ATP (energy), the pumping of the heart, the synthesis of DNA and RNA, relaxation of your blood vessels, healthy tooth and bone formation, as well as bowel function.
Not only all of that, but pumpkin seeds and their oils have also been shown to have antimicrobial and especially antiviral properties. They help fight diabetes and even certain cancers. They are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals as well.
These yummy pumpkin seeds are also full of manganese, phosphorous, copper, vitamin K, vitamin E, B vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), folates, potassium, calcium, iron, and selenium just for starters.
My recipe if they have just out of the pumpkin….is to rinse them well in a colander and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spread them out evenly on a cookie sheet (line it with parchment paper which makes it the easiest – avoid TEFLON!!). Salt lightly with sea salt (or maybe other seasonings you enjoy). Roast for about 30 minutes to an hour careful not to let them burn, checking them regularly, flipping them over, turning them down to 300 degrees if you want to cook them slower. They should get to a light golden brown color and start making a “popping” noise.
They are amazing to snack on while watching a movie. Enjoy! You will love every single one!
Monk Fruit Over Sugar
Have you ever heard of Monk fruit? It is the new darling of sweeteners because it so much sweeter than sugar, yet doesn’t actually contain ANY sugar and hardly any measurable calories. Wow!
So, could this ancient fruit become the newest big thing to challenge sugar and all of the choices of artificial sweeteners? Several companies are betting on monk fruit (pronounced “luo han guo” in Chinese, because it is native to China. It was named because monks were said to have once harvested it).
As with the herb sweetener called stevia, ultra-sweet compounds called “mogrosides” are extracted from the monk fruit, creating a sweetener that’s about 300 times sweeter than sugar. It contains some calories unlike stevia, but since just a few grains are enough to sweeten a cup of coffee, one serving contains almost no calories.
The antioxidant-rich monk fruit—not the extract—is also traditionally used to treat sore throats, coughs, GI problems. The mogrosides extracts are being studied for the potential to prevent cancer.
Try this amazing new tasty sweetener guilt free because it basically calorie free and completely sugar free!
MIRACLE Moringa Leaves And Their Amazing Health Benefits
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What is a Moringa tree and what do the leaves provide for us as a health benefit? Well, it’s the world’s most nutritious tree and the leaves contain approximately 20 different types of amino acids, 45 different antioxidants and 35 anti-inflammatory compounds. These amazing nutrients make for one of the most PACKED full natural nutritional supplements.
Additionally, the Moringa Leaf is a tremendous source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and both Macro and Trace Minerals, Phytonutrients and even Iron and Calcium. The Moringa leaf is also a very good source of bio-available quality dietary fiber as well as protein.
Here are examples of just how powerfully packed these ingredients are in the Moringa Leaf. It has: – 7 times the Vitamin C as in an orange – 17 times the Calcium as in milk – 26 times the Iron as in spinach – 11 times the Vitamin A as in carrots – 15 times the fiber as in wheat – 18 times the potassium as in a banana – 2 times the protein as in an egg – 30 times the Vitamin B2 as in almonds |
With all of this goodness in the Moringa Leaf, no wonder it is so capable of boosting your energy in such a natural manner. Another aspect of the Moringa leaf is its soothing ability. It can actually lower blood pressure and is a great promoter of good sleep.
If you haven’t tried this amazing SUPERFOOD, then it’s definitely time!!
Nutritious Nuts And Seeds
Enrich your daily diet with yummy buttery nuts and seeds! Snack on a handful of nuts each day and you will be contributing to your health and staying fit. For such small quantities they are power packed with protein, energy, lots of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins and the much needed omega-3 fatty acids missing in our daily diets. Nuts and seeds are a great snack and just 1 ounce or even one tablespoon is all you need to boost your protein along with their richness in healthy monounsaturated fat and dietary fiber. Many contain phyto-chemicals as well and are well known for their heart disease, stroke and cancer fighting elements.
Here are 12 favorites and what you receive in a one ounce serving or in one tablespoon:
1) Almonds. This amounts to about 24 nuts = 6 grams of protein, 164 calories and 3.5 grams of dietary fiber.
2) Cashews. This amounts to about 18 medium nuts = 5 or 6 grams of protein, 163 calories and a gram of dietary fiber.
3) Macadamias. This amounts to about 12 nuts = 2-3 grams of protein, 204 calories and 2.5 grams of dietary fiber.
4) Peanuts. This amounts to about 68 small nuts = 7 grams of protein, 165 calories and 2.5 grams of dietary fiber.
5) Pecans. This amounts to about 19 halves = 3 grams of protein, 195 calories and almost 3 grams of dietary fiber.
6) Walnuts (dried). This amounts to about 14 halves = 4.5 grams of protein, 185 calories and 2 grams of dietary fiber.
7) Pine Nuts. This amounts to about 167 kernels = 4 grams of protein, 190 calories and 1 gram of dietary fiber.
8) Pistachios. This amounts to 49 kernels = 6 grams of protein, 162 calories and 3 grams of dietary fiber.
9) Flax Seed. One tablespoon = 2 grams of protein, 55 calories and almost 3 grams of dietary fiber.
10) Pumpkin Seeds. One ounce = 8.5 grams of protein, 163 calories and 2 grams of dietary fiber.
11) Sunflower Seeds. One ounce = 5.5 grams of protein, 165 calories and 3 grams of dietary fiber.
12) Sesame Seeds. One tablespoon = 1.5 grams of protein, 52 calories and 1 gram of dietary fiber.
These nuts and seeds are amazingly easy to add to your diet and you don’t need to eat very much to boost your health and energy!
Eating nuts and seeds fresh, preserves their antioxidant properties. The ones packaged and processed for long periods of time that you find on most store shelves, have lost these valuable properties and actually can become the opposite (and they don’t taste nearly as good). I buy mine raw (and organic when I can find them) and I roast them myself. You won’t believe the difference and how fabulous they taste!! Your kids will absolutely love them.
My favorite website I order all of mine from is:
http://www.nuts.com/ (they sell a lot of other great snacks too)
“Our beloved grandfather, Poppy Sol, started this business in an open-air market. Three generations later, we’re still bringing smiles to our customers’ faces.”
Have a nutritious nut (and seed) filled day! ( :
6 Healthy Protein Powered Snacks To Help You Through Your Day
How often during your busy day does your stomach really GROWL and usually at the precise worst moment, when it’s quiet enough to hear a pin drop? Exactly. Instead of having a solution to avoid this moment, we just suffer through it, and burn through our day until our next meal and eventually just completely burn out later. This….is not a good plan.
There is an alternative. You could avoid this altogether by being prepared to snack on a great easy protein combined with healthy fat or fiber, or a little of both, that will help keep you full for hours, as well as keeping your metabolic fires burning, and all the while avoiding an eventual energy crash without it.
Here are 6 great suggestions that are easy to eat at almost any time:
1) Whey Protein Smoothie. These are portable if you refrigerate them and are the simplest and easiest way to get everything you need in an instant….shake it up and drink it. Voila!
2) Nuts. 1 ounce of almonds alone (a handful) contains 6 grams of protein and almost 9 grams of healthy monounsatured fat. And they are yummy!
You can get creative with lots of different nuts available. These are by far the easiest to pack around with you next to a protein shake.
3) Quinoa. (Pronounced “keen wah”. Yes, I finally know how to say it, yay!) This opens up a whole new world of snacks and is so yummy and easy to combine with other healthy veggies and healthy fats. Be fearless here and try anything that sounds good. Make it at home and it’s easy to transport with you. Quinoa cooks up like a grain, yet has the same type of muscle-building protein in it similar to meat or eggs. A half a cup uncooked has 12 grams of protein in it, it’s high in potassium and rich in magnesium, iron and vitamin b-6, plus a little healthy fat. It’s perfect to get you through to lunch or dinner! Have fun experimenting with this one.
4) Black beans. Yum! These are equally packed with protein and fiber. A cup has 15 grams of each and you can add a healthy fat or veggie to it if you want, like in a salad, or one of my favorites is stuffing an avocado with them and a little salsa and maybe sour cream. Avocados are little gold mines of goodness, a little protein and lots of healthy monounsaturated fat and potassium. The combination is just delicious!
5) Salmon. It’s easy to eat and is a power protein that is also a top source of the healthy and much needed omega-3 fats lacking in our diets. A 3.5 ounce serving has 22 grams of protein in it. Wow.
6) Oatmeal. It’s always a warm your tummy thing to eat and so easy. A half a cup has about 5 grams of protein in it, a little bit of dietary fiber and iron, plus you can add a healthy fat to it to round it out for your snack. I love putting some healthy fruit on top, especially berries. Avoid the instant packets because they tend to be loaded with sugar.
You’ll feel the benefits instantly from incorporating healthy protein, healthy fat and fiber filled snacks into your day. You’ll avoid snacking on the bad things plus gain more energy and stamina from feeding your body what it needs precisely when it needs it.
Enjoy!
The Unique Inuit Diet
I found this to be such an interesting story, so I had to share. This is such a unique group of people who have long lived on the frozen tundra of Northern Canada in the Arctic. They eat primarily meat and fat, very little vegetables or fruit, and yet they are healthier than any other group of people. How can that be? Somehow through this unique diet they have little to any known diseases known to modern man….next to zero heart disease, cancer or diabetes. Wow. That is pretty amazing. Some people refer to them as the Inuit Paradox.
Their traditional diet consists of fats (monounsaturated) and proteins, yet it contains no sugar at all. Their food mostly comes from seals, walrus, Bowhead whale, caribou and fish. Because of the harsh climate of the Arctic that they live in, it is not possible for them to consistently grow any forageable plant matter, so their diet is extremely low in carbohydrates and very high in fat and animal protein.
35-40% of their calories come from protein and 50-75% come from fat. They eat more fat than protein because of this absence of carbohydrates in their diet. Due to the absence of them, the protein they consume must be broken down in the liver through gluconeogenesis, which is utilized as an energy source. Overdoing this process on the body can cause liver issues, so they have to be careful to consume more fat than protein. Otherwise it will cause them to have excessive levels of urea.
The fats they consume are from wild caught game and are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which is why their diet doesn’t pose the same health risks as our typical diet (which is high in omega-6). The one green they do eat occasionally is kelp, which provides them with much needed vitamin C. A staple in their diet is seal meat (especially the blubber), which is very high in vitamins A, D and E and selenium. These are notoriously great antioxidants, preventing cardiovascular disease among other things.
So, what a story! However, I’m not suggesting we all move to the Arctic and give up our precious healthy carbs for seal blubber, but it struck me as amazing that they are so healthy in this long sustaining diet…that is basically CARB FREE. They are certainly unique in many ways already and a beautiful people with interesting customs, but through this process of how they eat, they are somehow void of the plague of diseases and cancers that the rest of the world struggles with. Don’t try too hard to be like the Inuit. I would say it’s impossible unless you move there. ( :
Mission Nutrition 