Month: January 2014
Moringa Oleifera – A Solution To Worldwide Malnutrition
Miracle Moringa ( :
Moringa Oleifera – A Solution To Worldwide Malnutrition
Moringa Oleifera just happens to grow easily and abundantly exactly where it is needed most, where malnutrition is rampant, coupled with extreme poverty. The map below outlines the areas where this miracle tree of life grows. Amazingly, this is exactly where malnutrition is the most dense across the world, particularly in developing countries. It is known that poverty is directly linked as a contributing factor to malnutrition, could it be that moringa trees are the practical and easy solution to this overwhelming amount of malnutrition?
The nutritious powder from the Moringa tree is made by pulverizing the leaves in a special process of drying them in the shade. This preserves and protects the power packed and rich nutrients of the leaves from the sun. This resulting powder is so mild, and so palatable, that it can even be added…
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Feeling Positive About Your Lifestyle And Weight Loss
Feeling Positive About Your Lifestyle And Weight Loss
Shaming someone or feeling ashamed for being obese is never helpful in achieving weight loss or a healthy lifestyle….or anything for that matter. The opposite in life is what is needed, being supported and encouraged. Motivation to live and eat better to then be able to lose weight, be healthy and feel happy is the key.
So what works to motivate someone to change their lifestyle habits and lose weight? It’s the almost $150 billion dollar question – and that figure only refers to the medical costs in the U.S. alone surrounding this issue! There is an obesity epidemic in the U.S. with diabetes as the ultimate result that is at the core.
Health agencies and practitioners have made it a main focus to find effective ways to put a halt to this epidemic. These ideas range from regulating soda size to banning chocolate milk in elementary schools.
A new study from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity brings to light a fascinating concept…. positive emotions are really the key. Harsh anti obesity campaigns were proven to be ineffective and actually make things worse. In fact, it creates a stigma with obesity that ends up reinforcing the original problem. It is well documented that emotions such as shame, humiliation, and stress often fuel overeating and apathy.
On the other hand, people will respond to messages that suggest specific healthy lifestyles with encouragement about eating better to feel better, not just about looking better. Many experts have now found that people who commit to exercise as a routine don’t do it simply for weight loss they do it because it feels good, they notice health improvements…..and they even enjoy it! The result is eventually weight loss as a result of their positive exercise experience.
In summary, negativity surrounding weight loss is often crushing, shaming and defeating, whereas pure optimism is very encouraging, uplifting and empowering. It’s the latter that is the solution for making healthy lifestyle changes that will last and help you achieve your health and weight goals.
So feel encouraged in the healthy changes you make and encourage others around you as well!
Good Ideas For Essential Sleep And Weight Control
Are You Getting Enough Sleep Every Night?
Sleep is crucial to our physical and mental health and is not given the focus it probably should be by most people. Sleep is essential for your body to be rejuvenated and refreshed. The proper amount of sleep elevates your mood, helps you to concentrate throughout the day, it boosts your immune system, fights chronic inflammation and can even improve your outward appearance.
What other amazing thing does getting enough sleep do? It maintains a healthy body weight! Some sleep experts say that being consistently sleep deprived can cause you to eat as much as 300 extra calories a day for no other reason. Hormones are behind this.
When you sleep for less than 4 hours each night and for several nights in a row it causes a hormone disruption. This disruption has been shown to have a dramatic effect on metabolism, cravings and appetite. It was shown that a hormone that stimulates hunger (ghrelin) was present in sleep deprived men and women had a hormone that suppresses hunger (GLP-1). It seems that our bodies are designed to crave food differently when we’re exhausted.
Here are some recommendations to get those much needed hours of rest every night:
- Turn off all electronics including wifi, since these can stop your body from producing melatonin (the sleep hormone).
- Read a relaxing book or listen to calming music an hour or two before bed.
- Make sure your bedroom is totally dark and quiet.
- Exercise earlier in the day ensures a good night’s sleep and relaxes the body.
- Make your bed an amazing place you can’t wait to crawl into every night or crawl out of.
- Don’t drink too much water close to bedtime so your sleep won’t be interrupted in the night..
- Don’t stay up too late or your adrenals will kick in and turn you into a night owl
7 to 9 hours of sleep each night is essential for optimal health and wellbeing. Some experts say that going to bed by 10pm increases the depth of your sleep and the benefits.
Enjoy a great nights sleep!
8 Great Herbs To Spice Up Your Cooking!
8 Great Herbs To Spice Up Your Cooking!
Herbs, fresh or dried, are a wonderful addition to your home cooked dishes. They are great for adding flavor and to help to bring out the seasonings and flavors of other ingredients in your meal. Herbs can help increase flavor without needing to add salt and they add to the nutritional value.
Spices all originate from plants: flowers, fruits, seeds, barks, leaves, and roots. They can help preserve foods for longer periods of time and many have antibacterial and antiviral properties. The aromatic flavorings can transform a dish without adding calories or fat.
Here are 8 great herbs to try:
Cinnamon
It has the highest antioxidant value of any spice, with the amazing ability to reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar and blood triglyceride levels. It helps alleviate nausea, increases sensitivity to insulin and aids in the burning of fat and provides you with manganese, iron and calcium. Because it has antimicrobial properties, it can help extend the life of foods you add it to.
Thyme
It is a member of the mint family and is well-known for being used in French cooking and goes nicely with poultry. The essential oils in it have strong antibacterial properties and are often used to treat sore throats or mouth infections. It is known for its cancer fighting properties.
Basil
The bright green leaves are tasty and rich in beta-carotene and other carotenoids, which promote heart health. It has both anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties and has been known to aid in resolving digestive disorders. It’s most known for using in Italian cooking, but it is a versatile herb that can be added to practically anything. Fresh is the best.
Dill Weed/Seed
It is most known for its stomach settling ability (possibly one reason why pregnant women crave pickles?). It contains a variety of nutrients and is best used in uncooked recipes or in foods cooked at low temperatures to retain them. It is a great addition to any type of dish with fish, to dips and dressings, to omelets or to chicken dishes. It has wonderful antibacterial properties.
Parsley
It’s very rich in vitamins C, B 12, K and A. It acts as a diuretic, so it’s great to add into your diet if you are feeling bloated or water-logged. It’s great to add to a green juice or smoothie.
Oregano
This herb is commonly used in Italian sauces. It’s rich in antioxidants and also has powerful antibacterial properties. It is an antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer and antibiotic! It has been known to treat Giardia better than any other medicine. It is just packed full of antioxidants as well. Its oil and leaves are known medicinally for cough, fever, congestion, and body aches. A couple teaspoons added to a soup will help recovery from illness.
Cilantro
This refreshing herb is a bright addition to Mexican dishes and salsas because its fresh flavor lends itself well to many of the spicy flavors often used in Latin dishes. It is rich in magnesium and iron, it’s a good source of fiber, lowers blood sugar and helps the body fight against salmonella.
Rosemary
It has a high concentration of the antioxidant carnosol, which new research is showing that it may have benefits in cancer treatment. It’s easy to grow, low maintenance and fast growing. It has a pungent unique pine/lemony scent that tastes delicious sprinkled on any meats or vegetables, whether roasting in the oven or on the barbecue. Water boiled with this can be used as an antiseptic.
When it comes to buying fresh herbs, a great rule of thumb is to look for whatever is in season in your area. Most herbs are available year round, but they can be expensive. Try growing your own herb garden! It’s a blast and so easy. Fresh herbs are the best and not only add wonderful flavor without calories, they may also serve up health benefits as healing foods.
What is your favorite herb to cook with?
Moringa For Your Kids Health
There are a large number of reports and a great deal of information on the outstanding nutritional qualities of the Moringa leaf, in the scientific world and in the general household. It has been used medicinally and nutritionally for centuries. Moringa leaves are a natural, whole food source full of essential disease preventing nutrients packed full of vitamins, minerals, protein, antioxidants, fiber, protein and many other important compounds. All of these are important nutrients that your body relies on to stay healthy, especially infants, growing children, and pregnant mothers.
Malnutrition as a result of micronutrient deficiencies are now being recognized as a significant contributor to the global burden of disease, especially in children. Moringa leaf powder is becoming a focus as a superfood to directly combat this problem. Alternative Action for African Development and Church World Service have tested its ability to prevent or cure malnutrition in pregnant or breast-feeding…
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Memory Boosters! Omega-3 Foods
We all want better memory, especially as we age. So, how can we achieve this? A major source is from ingesting omega-3 essential fatty acids. Boost your intake and you will significantly increase your working memory.
This essential fatty acid has been linked to positive brain health, helping with depression, ADHD, and even Alzheimer’s. They also fight inflammation in the body, lower your triglycerides and generally support heart health, regulate your insulin response which directly supports not gaining too much weight. All of these are the exact reasons they are called “essential” fatty acids and the fact that your body cannot make them on its own. The three most important ones are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). They play a fundamental role in many of your body’s physiological functions.
Here are some great suggestions on where to get them on a daily basis:
Mustard seeds: Who knew this yellow spice also is a good source of healthy fat? Spice up a sautéed dish with them, try some in an Indian food recipe, or you could always try making your own homemade mustard.
Flax seeds: Tiny little seeds that are an excellent source. Grind them up, throw them in a blended protein smoothie or add them to your morning hot oatmeal.
Walnuts: Did you know they are shaped like your brain? (which is very appropriate for how they support brain health) They are delicious as a snack or tossed into a lunch salad.
Salmon: Wild-caught salmon will give you the right kinds of fats, not the farm-raised varieties. It’s fast and easy to prepare…. it can be grilled, broiled, or oven roasted.
Sardines: These little small fish are rich in healthy fats and they promote bone health. Fresh is best if you can find them – they are much tastier than canned ones – simply grill them with a few ingredients like garlic, onion, lemon, pepper, sea salt or herbs of your choice.
Enjoy the many easy ways to get your delicious essential Omega-3 fatty acids!
Obesity A Disease? Some Experts Say “Yes, it’s true”
How do you define disease? Is an epidemic something to be concerned with? Yes. The obesity epidemic is dire, because nearly 36% of adults in the U.S. and almost 20% of children are obese. This puts them all at risk for stroke, heart disease, diabetes and a multitude of other diseases that are preventable. The short explanation of this syndrome is a poor diet, lacking protein nutrition and being overrun with trans fats, fast foods, processed foods, salt, sodas and many other poor choices in their diet followed up by a sedentary lifestyle without exercise.
Stress is a also MAJOR component of your lifestyle. Regardless of what you do, this can have a big impact on your health and how you feel. Believe it or not, it affects every action in your body, even on a cellular level. Worry, anger, bitterness, stress….none of which you can control from others or the outside world, actually controls your body. So….just let it go!!! Find ways to relieve it. You’ll live longer and be healthier. A great saying is…. “5% of life is the actual event, and 95% of life is how you respond to that life event”. Just think about that for a minute…..it’s a big difference. Find your balance and you’ll be so much happier.
Now, many physicians are starting to believe this actually is a disease, or better said, a metabolic syndrome that is rampant, one that requires immediate treatment as well as prevention. Although the average healthy person might say it is really just laziness and overeating, it is being discovered that genetics and metabolic challenges, even hormones and age are playing a large role in obesity. The key is regulating your hormones (especially thyroid, but also testosterone in men), making sure your liver is supported and the main thing is to change your lifestyle habits and stay on top of them.
The key is to turn off your insulin requirements and its overstimulating of insulin output…..stop snacking, regulate your meals by limiting your calories and even drinking a meal replacement drink for breakfast and lunch, or focus on solely protein intake….then having just a lean protein dinner with green vegetables only….no carbs, no alcohol, no caffeine. The goal is to reset your body’s computer. For some, it can take only days or a week or two, for others in a more severe state, it might take 6-8 weeks. Exercise is not the only answer, but can speed the process up. Weight loss, however, is essential, so achieving that through a strict and limited diet or a combination of that with cardio exercise might be what it takes.
You’ll feel amazing…..and…..you’ll even LOSE WEIGHT!!! And…..keep it off!
Drugs and surgery are not the answer. We each have a responsibility regarding our bodies and our weight. This obesity didn’t happen overnight and we can’t restore it overnight. Like anything of importance, if you focus on it, you will make it happen.
Live happy and eat well. ( :
