Health & Beauty

What’s Your Holiday Health IQ? (Quiz)

2010-11-26T04:39:00.000-08:00

Back away from the eggnog and find out how much you know about staying healthy while chowing down on your holiday favorites:
1. How many calories are in an average Thanksgiving meal?
A. 1,500
B. 2,000
C. 3,000
2. TRUE OR FALSE: When it comes to turkey, you can save half the calories by sticking to white meat instead of dark.

Answer #1: C., 3,000 calories—and 229 grams of fat. Need tips for burning them off? Here are our top 7 tips.
Answer #2: TRUE. White meat has half the calories (and a quarter of the fat) of dark meat with skin—so stick to white meat to save on calories…or to justify a second helping. Or, make your Thanksgiving meal even healthier by adding vegan options.

3. TRUE OR FALSE: Eating with family and friends causes you to eat more.
4. Start with this appetizer before a big holiday meal to consume fewer calories overall:
A. Soup
B. Salad
C. Anything on a tiny cracker.

Answer #3: TRUE. A study by Pennsylvania State University found that when people ate among friends or family, they consumed about 50 percent more than if they were alone or among strangers. One theory? Drinking and watching others indulge lowers your resolve, while conversation prolongs the meal and distracts us from being aware of how much we’re eating.
Answer #4: A., Soup. A study conducted by Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that people who consumed a bowl of hot soup before meals ate less, lost more weight, and kept it off longer. Try these cold-weather soups to keep you warm—and full.

5. What’s your healthiest drink option?
A. A 12-ounce beer
B. A 6-ounce glass of wine
C. A 2-ounce martini

6. How much weight does the average person gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s?
A. 2 pounds
B. 4 pounds
C. 6 pounds

Answer #5: B., a 6-ounce glass of wine. It’ll only set you back 114 calories, compared to the 138 in a 12-ounce beer, and 149 in a martini. Stick to red wine for the health benefits: it’s a rich source of antioxidants and one glass a day may even lower your risk of a heart attack, help prevent blood clots and reduce blood vessel damage caused by fat deposits.

Skipping the spiked eggnog? Try this dairy-free, low-fat alternative.
Answer #6: C., 6 pounds. The average person consumes an extra 600 calories a day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, packing on about six extra pounds by the time the ball drops.

Diana Vilibert is a freelance lifestyle, dating, and sex writer living in New York City. You can also find her at www.diana-vilibert.com.

7 Ways to Burn Calories on Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-23T00:36:00.000-08:00

By Sara Novak, Planet Green
The average American will consume 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat this Thanksgiving, as a result of a traditional Thanksgiving meal packed with calories. So how do you stave off seasonal weight gain? Well, I’ve never been a fan of gyms and if you know me, you know that food is by far my favorite hobby. In order to truly ensure that I don’t blow up during the holidays I’ve got to get my butt in gear. Let’s get down to the numbers. This is all based on a 130 pound individual. After these seven activities you’ll be well on your way to burning off the meal and you never even had to set foot in a gym.

1. Holiday Baking–2 Hours

I love baking for the holidays so this is no chore for me. Do your own baking so that you can control the ingredients and use mostly organic or local ingredients. (How about a Vegan Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake?) Don’t have gourmet baked goods flown in from who knows where when you could just make them yourself. If you’re baking at a moderate rate–standing, rolling out dough, kneading, etc.–you’ll burn as many calories as running nearly five miles in two hours of baking. Who knew? And you’ll have the extra bonus of a delicious smell wafting through your home.
Calories Burned: 471

2. Cleaning the House Before the Guests Arrive–2 hours

This is another built in workout that means you don’t have to waste energy going to a gym. What’s more, you can do things your way. That is using green cleaning supplies instead of toxic chemicals in your house. See our guide to cleaning green.

3. Composting All Your Thanksgiving Waste–30 minutes

Twenty-three percent of the waste that we generate in this country could be composted and considering how much food waste occurs during the holidays, composting is a given. If you spend 30 minutes at different points in the day composting, you’ll burn calories.
Calories Burned: 148

4. Picking Produce From the Garden for the Big Meal–30 minutes

The best way to keep it local is to get it out of your garden. Make whatever is growing in your fall garden a part of your holiday feast. From root vegetables, to cabbage, and squash being flexible with your menu means keeping it local. And gardening is a great way to stay slim and trim.
Calories Burned: 89

5. Raking the Lawn Before the Guests Arrive–2 hours

Skip the leaf blower this year because raking is much better for the environment. Gas powered leaf blowers use fossil fuels, add to the laundry list of unnecessary lawn equipment that contributes to your overall consumption, and cause noise pollution. Once you’re done raking, don’t burn your leaves because burning creates a lot of smoke, especially when leaves are damp, and releases particulate matter and toxic compounds. Instead turn your leaves into mulch or compost your leaves.
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6. Touch Football with the Family–1 Hour

This year keep the family occupied by bundling up and heading outside. See the leaves at their peak (depending on where you live) and enjoy the crisp air. Enjoy a traditional game of touch football. Getting competitive can be a great way to burn calories after indulging in a massive meal.
Calories Burned: 471

7. Snoozing After the Meal–1 Hour

After downing two days worth of calories in one meal of course you’ll need a snooze and who knew that you would actually be burning calories while you were sleeping? Just another way to burn off that bird though it’s likely not the fastest way. You’d have to sleep for 56 hours to burn off the meal completely so unless you’re a bear in hibernation, that seems unlikely.

Dairy-Free Eggnog Alternatives

2010-11-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

Wouldn’t it be great if sprinkling that dash of nutmeg on a cup of eggnog made it healthy? This holiday favorite boasts close to 350 calories and 20 grams of fat a cup, and that’s just a simple, carton-poured cup – not the version spiked with bourbon and vanilla ice cream.
You can forgo the eggnog altogether and celebrate with a light delight such as a white wine spritzer, which contains only 100 calories and no fat. If, however, the holidays aren’t the same for you without that eggnog flavor, here are a couple of lighter alternatives you might want to explore:

Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein® Vanilla Chai Tea contains a blend of soy protein, brewed green tea, chai spices, and an accent of vanilla. This creamy drink provides an additional nutritional boost with healthy doses of Vitamin C, B6 and B12, iron, zinc, magnesium, and 18 amino acids per 1 cup serving. The product is dairy-free, contains no preservatives or artificial ingredients, and is low in fat and cholesterol. An 8 fl. oz. serving contains only 160 calories.
Alternatively, you can make your own without the heavy cream and full-fat milk. Here’s a recipe for a smooth eggnog-like beverage, minus the fat and high calorie load:
Ingredients:

2 cups chilled soy milk
21 ounces silken tofu
2/3 cup honey or brown rice syrup
Generous pinch sea salt
1 cup cold water
1 cup cold rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
20 ice cubes
Cinnamon (optional)

Blend first 4 ingredients together until smooth. Whisk in the water, rum and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, blend half the mixture with 10 ice cubes until smooth, then repeat with remaining mixture and ice. Serve cold with sprinkles of cinnamon, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

More Warming Soups for Cool Weather

2010-11-09T05:37:00.000-08:00

Last week, we looked at some recipes that use starchy vegetables (such as potatoes, squash and carrots), and legumes such as lentils to make a creamy base for soup. This week, let’s experiment with another way to make a delicious, light, creamy soup: Coconut cream.
As with last week’s recipes, where the soups call for cashew butter, tahini can be used instead, but it’s wise to use a little bit less than the recipe calls for, since it has a slightly more bitter flavor.
Read More
Thai Coconut Soup
serves 5-6
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. oil or water
4 large carrots, sliced
1 large potato, cubed
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 tsp. unrefined sweetener (optional)
2 tsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
herb salt such as Herbamare (to taste)
2 Tbsp. tamari
1-2 tsp. curry powder (mild or hot)
1/2 cup peas (defrosted if frozen)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2-3 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped
1. In oil or water, sauté onion with the garlic and ginger. Add the carrots and potato. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the vegetables and let simmer.
2. In a blender, blend two cups of cooked carrots with one cup of stock. Add coconut milk and remaining ingredients except peas and chives. Blend again. Add this to the pot when vegetables are beginning to get soft, approximately 20 minutes. Add the peas at the end. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until flavors blend. Garnish with chives.

Creamy Carrot Coconut Soup
serves 5–6
1 Tbsp. oil (optional)
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, diced
8 cups carrots, sliced
2 tsp. tamari
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1–2 tsp. sea salt, to taste
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups water
1. In a soup pot, sauté onion in oil or two to three tablespoons of water. After two minutes, add garlic and stir.
2. When the onions are getting soft, add carrots and stir in tamari. Simmer on low for three minutes, stirring often.
3. Add remaining seasonings and four cups of water. Bring to a near boil, cover and simmer on low until carrots are soft. Add coconut milk and stir.
4. Let cool, then remove and blend half of the carrots and broth in a blender, using additional water if desired. (Use less water for a thicker creamier soup.)

Creamy Coconut Ginger Soup
serves 5–6
1 large onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. oil
2–3 cloves garlic, diced
3–4 Tbsp. fresh ginger, diced
2 large potatoes, cubed
5 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. herb salt such as Herbamare
2–3 Tbsp. tamari
1/2 cup peas or zucchini (sliced thinly)
1. In a soup pot, sauté the onion in oil or water, adding the garlic and half of the ginger. When onions soften, add the potatoes, carrots and celery with enough water to cover the vegetables by an inch. Cover and simmer for about 15–20 minutes.
2. When the vegetables are softened, remove 1 1/2 cups of vegetables and blend with one cup of water and the coconut milk. Add the rest of the ginger and seasonings. Blend well. Pour this blended mixture back into the pot.
3. Add the peas or sliced zucchini. Cook until these vegetables are soft (8–10 minutes) adding more water if desired.

Coconut Curry Soup
serves 5–6
5 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. tamari
1–2 large onions, sliced
2 cups carrots, sliced
3 cups potatoes, cubed
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. cashew butter
1 Tbsp. curry
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. (additional) tamari
2 tsp. herb salt such as Herbamare
1 cup broccoli, cauliflower (or any vegetables in bite-sized pieces)
1. In a blender, blend the garlic with oil and two tablespoons of tamari. Pour into a large soup pot and sauté the onions in this garlic oil. When onions soften, add the carrots and potatoes with half a cup of water. Cover and simmer.
2. When softened, remove one cup of the vegetables and blend with two cups of water and the coconut milk. Pour this back into the pot.
3. Remove another cup of cooked veggies and blend with two more cups of water, cashew butter, curry and remaining seasonings. Pour this blended mixture back into the soup pot.
4. At this point, add some cauliflower and broccoli, or other vegetables. Cook until these vegetables are soft. Do not boil.

Eat Organic on a Budget? It Can Be Done!

2010-11-09T05:19:00.000-08:00

Let’s start with full disclosure: I am not by nature a frugal shopper, nor a shopper on a budget. In fact, I’ve been known to make salespeople gawk at me when my bill gets tallied (like when I drive an hour to the closest Whole Foods with a cooler in the back of my truck to stock up for months at a time). I am fortunate in that I don’t have to worry about my grocery bill. However, I know that lots of people do, including my mother-in-law, who would be a frugal shopper even if she were a millionaire. She uses tea bags at least twice, and always wraps rolls and butter in paper napkins and stuffs them in her purse when we go out. Her famous line is, “Our people’s poor food is your gourmet!” She was born in America, but will always consider herself Italian first and foremost. Here is what I learned from her:
Don’t Frack Organic Food
1. Make meats, poultry, and fish a side dish, not the main dish. After 19 years of eating amazing meals in LeRoy, NY, at Rita and Louie Cinquino’s house, I can say the only time meat is the main dish is when there is a turkey or a ham and a major holiday—and even then there are so many side dishes, it’s hard to eat too much meat. Meats, poultry, and fish are used to flavor soups, sauces, and pastas, and not the main focus. Besides being cost-effective, this method is also much better for your health and is one of the key components of the famed “Mediterranean diet”—which includes the Italian cuisine, of course.
2. Use everything. Never throw a bone or carcass into the trash unless you’ve already made soup out of it! Eat the skins of all your fruits and vegetables. Whatever you have left, feed it to the pets (that’s my tip—my-mother-in-law never let a pet in her house!), and if there’s anything else left, make compost.
3. Make it from scratch. Most of what people waste money on is alleged “convenience,” a.k.a. processed, overly salted, overly marketed food with excess packaging. Most things we buy in processed form are fairly easy to make from scratch with a good, simple recipe. Spend your money on quality ingredients, and you won’t need fancy sauces and artificial flavoring to make it taste good.

4. Garden! Nature’s bounty is infamous. A few dollars’ worth of seeds can produce hundreds of dollars’ worth of foods—a winter’s worth of frozen pesto, tomato sauce from scratch, and many other good, good things. Plus, gardening is good exercise—which is one of the reasons my in-laws are both 87 and living at home together.
5. Trade. Whenever you have extra, give it away. It will come back to you in other ways. In his gardening prime, my father-in-law was always giving away garlic, seeds, and extra vegetables. Often, friends and neighbors would repay him with corn, apples, or beans. Now that he can’t garden anymore, people are still bringing him things for free. He’s a lucky man.
6. Freeze it. When things are in season, they are either free from the garden or cheap from the farmer’s market. Freeze veggies, fruit sauces, extra casseroles, and soups. Make broths from leftovers and freeze them for when you need them later. Just don’t forget to label and date things. That’s my pet peeve. I do think Rita Cinquino has things in her freezer that have been there for over 20 years.
7. Keep it simple. Really, you don’t need to complicate things with fancy ingredients and elaborate preparations. The best foods are the simple ones that just rely on fresh, tasty ingredients.
8. Cook at home. My mother-in-law has issues with eating out. It can get annoying at times, but it’s how they put four kids through private school and college on a very limited income. Anyway, no one cooks as well as she does, so why go out and pay more for something inferior? But darn it, if you do go out, always bring home every speck of leftovers. But also, it’s hard to find restaurants that only serve organic foods, so if you really want to eat organic, you had better learn how to cook!

9. Don’t fall for newfangled gimmicks. This is my downfall. I always want to try the new things—but whenever I end up cleaning out my pantry or fridge, it’s those very new things that end up getting wasted. All you really need in your pantry are the basics—a bag of brown rice, some whole wheat pasta, a bottle of olive oil, some beans, and you’ve got the makings of yummy goodness. Oh, and plenty of Heinz 57 organic catsup.
10. Forage! This is Louie Cinquino’s realm, but what a wonderful realm! I feel so lucky to have tasted (many times) his “gardooni,” which is a burdock-stem delight, made from a common weed. (This spring I will share the recipe.) We have all gone out collecting wild mustard greens, also a common weed. Many friends of mine rely on their husbands’ going out and foraging a deer to provide them with meat for the winter. Through my father-in-law, I learned that the world is filled with good, free things to eat—you just have to know how to look for them.

Top 10 Superfoods for Fall

2010-11-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

I, for one, love the idea that there are superfoods–certain edibles that go the extra mile in terms of nutritional chutzpah. They may not leap tall buildings, but superfoods are purported to fight the evil villains of heart disease, high cholesterol, cancer and a host of other diseases. Blueberries, for example, have become a superfood darling for their powerful punch of antoxidants–and I have to say, they do seem pretty mighty to me.
That said, I think some of the trendy superfoods are stealing the spotlight from the true heart of the matter–from the everyday heroes. It seems to me that almost any grain or produce that is grown organically, unprocessed and prepared gently, has much to offer. Aside from just a listing of antioxidant values, I can’t see a list of ten superfoods that earn obvious rank. In fact, if you look at 10 “Top 10 Superfoods” lists, you will see that they vary widely.
The truth is, most good food from nature is pretty super. So with that in mind, I like taking a seasonal approach. Rather than debating the merits of acai berries over goji berries, I prefer to look at what’s in season, and work with the nutritional workhorses that I can get here and now. These are my favorites for fall, based primarily on nutritional variety and strength, but that also give me that primal, sensuous satisfaction that comes with eating what’s in season:
Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin
I am head over heels for these flavors come fall, and no wonder: The dark orange vegetable family outdoes all others in vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Other dark orange vegetable standouts include pumpkin, carrots, and butternut squash. For more, see 11 Ways to Use a Pumpkin.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Crucifers such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and turnips contain indole alkaloids that may help prevent cancer. They are also high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Along with their fabulous flavor, once you get the hang of cooking them, they may have an added bonus: they may help bolster memory as you age. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that women who eat the most of these foods are the least likely to be forgetful.

Pomegranates
Pomegranates have very high antioxidant activity, offering brain and memory protection. And research shows that drinking pomegranate juice may help with lowering the risk for hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. Read Prime Time for Pomegranates for more.
Beets
The pigment that gives beets their super-beautiful fuschia depth-betacyanin-is also a powerful cancer-fighting agent. Beets’ potential effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been demonstrated in several studies. Beets are also particularly rich in the B vitamin folate.
The Alliums
Garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, chives and shallots contain sulfur compounds that may protect against heart disease and some cancers, they can all help the liver eliminate toxins and carcinogens.
Beans
An excellent source of protein, antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates, beans are flavorful, nutritionally dense, inexpensive and versatile. Read about heirloom varieties and cooking tips.

Olive oil
Several large studies suggest that the monosaturated fat in olive oil is good for the heart. Olive oil lowers bad cholesterol levels and increases good cholesterol. It is high in antioxidants–and is one of the superstars of the Mediterranean diet. Recent research shows that heart-attack survivors on a Mediterranean diet had half the death rates of those on an ordinary low-fat diet.
Tea
The caffeine content in tea is useful for stimulating alertness, mood and motivation, but is also a rich source of the antioxidant called catechins. Studies suggest that catechins protect the artery walls against the damage that causes heart disease and prevents formation of blood clots. It also does wonders for the spirit on a cool autumn day. See 9 Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily.
Red Wine or grape juice
Grapes provide vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6–red grapes also contain powerful phytochemicals (especially phenolics) that may help decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. These phenolic compounds are housed mostly in the skin of the red grapes, which is what makes red wine red and dark grape juice red or purple. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic stilbene found in the skins of red fruits including grapes, may be responsible for some of the health benefits ascribed to the consumption of red wine. Resveratrol has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activity.

10 Cancer-Fighting Foods

2010-11-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

I’m going to put my Mommy hat on here, place my hands on my hips, look down at the broccoli you left on your plate, and tell you this: Eat your vegetables! Not because I’m a member of the clean-your-plate club, but because I care about you–and because I know this: in numerous studies following large groups of people, eating more vegetables and fruits has been linked to a lower risk of lung, oral, esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer. The thinking behind these results points to antioxidants and phytochemicals, natural compounds found in plants.
What are antioxidants? As described by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the body seems to use certain nutrients in vegetables and fruits to protect against damage to tissues that happens constantly as a result of normal metabolism (oxidation). Because such damage is linked with increased cancer risk, the antioxidant nutrients are thought to protect against cancer. Antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and many other phytochemicals (beneficial plant compounds).
Lab coat aside, it’s really a no-brainer. Eat real food, stay healthier. So now you’ve got not only a host of government programs telling you to eat your 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day, you’ve got me hovering over your shoulder telling you to do the same! But I’ll go easy on you and offer up a few other plant-based suggestions as well. Here are ten super-duper cancer-fighting foods to add to your regime–these ten were chosen for their special cancer-kicking properties, as described on the Living Strong Living Well page of the Stanford School of Medicine Health Improvement Program

1. Beans
Beans contain a number of phytochemicals, which have been shown to prevent or slow genetic damage to cells. While this makes beans beneficial for helping to reduce your risk of many types of cancer, specific research has suggested they are especially potent in preventing prostate cancer. As an added bonus, the high fiber content of beans has been connected with a lower risk of digestive cancers. Read about cool beans here.
2. Berries
The two most widely studied cancer-fighting compounds in berries are ellagic acid (richest in strawberries and raspberries) and anthocyanosides (richest in blueberries). Ellagic acid is believed to help prevent skin, bladder, lung, and breast cancers, both by acting as an antioxidant and by slowing the reproduction of cancer cells. The anthocyanosides in blueberries are currently the most powerful antioxidants known to scientists and are beneficial in the prevention of all types of cancer.
3. Cruciferous Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale)
Cruciferous vegetables-like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale-are rich in a variety of compounds that have been shown to slow cancer growth and development in a number of laboratory studies. Other larger human studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables can help to reduce the risk of lung, stomach, colorectal, prostate, and bladder cancers.
4. Dark Green Leafy Vegetables
Leafy-green vegetables-like romaine lettuce, mustard greens, chicory, and Swiss chard-are rich sources of antioxidants called carotenoids. These compounds scavenge dangerous free radicals from the body before they can promote cancer growth. The vegetables are also rich in folate, a vitamin shown to reduce the risk of lung and breast cancer. Read more about gorgeous leafy greens!
5. Flaxseed
Flaxseed in the form of oil and meal contains phytoestrogens believed to reduce the risk of breast, skin, and lung cancer. Research on the potency of flaxseed as an anti-cancer food is still underway.

6. Garlic (including onions, scallions, leeks, and chives)
Garlic contains a number of compounds believed to slow or stop the growth of tumors. One such compound, diallyl disulfide, appears to be especially potent in protecting against skin, colon, and lung cancer, though it is not known exactly how it functions.
7. Grapes
Grapes and wine contain a chemical called resveratrol, which has been shown to be a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Resveratrol is thought to work by preventing cell damage before it begins. Red and purple grapes are the richest sources of resveratrol.
8. Green Tea (decaf)
Green tea is a rich source of a class of flavonoids known as catechins. Laboratory studies have shown that the catechins present in green tea are able to slow or prevent the development of cancer in colon, liver, breast, and prostate cells.
9. Tomatoes
The anti-cancer compound in tomatoes, lycopene, has been shown to be especially potent in combating prostate cancer. This compound appears to be more easily absorbed if the tomatoes are eaten in cooked form-either as tomato sauce, paste, or juice. In addition to preventing prostate cancer, lycopene may also protect against breast, lung, stomach, and pancreatic cancer.
10. Whole Grains
Whole grains contain a variety of anti-cancer compounds, including fiber, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens. When eaten as part of a balanced diet, whole grains can help decrease the risk of developing most types of cancer. For more, see 7 Whole Grains to Add to Your Diet.

10 Foods That Help Lower Cholesterol

2010-10-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

In drugged America (or is it drunk America? Hmm, that’s a toss up), Americans are blindly medicating when really the answer is a simple change of diet and exercise. With 1 in 5 Americans testing high for cholesterol it’s no wonder cholesterol-fighting drugs are the most popular ones on the market. Lipitor is the most prescribed cholesterol lowering medicine world-wide; and though it is handed out like candy, there can be some nasty side effects when taking these kind of drugs including, aggression, hostility, headaches, muscle pain, and diarrhea.
On the other hand, eliminating high fat processed foods and eating whole grains and vegetables instead can easily lower high cholesterol. To help control high cholesterol levels due to genetic factors recent studies suggest that a more natural approach would be to take a red rice yeast extract along with eating a whole foods diet and adding exercise. However, when transitioning on to a higher quality diet make sure to have your medical practitioner monitor your statin levels, as you will need less and less until they become a distant memory.

The following list are specific foods known to help cleanse cholesterol build-up in the arteries and heart. This is due to their high levels of fiber, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Lecithin, Vitamin E, C, Niacin and Rutin.
Legumes: beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, mung and soybeans and their sprouts. (Non-GMO)
Whole Grains: buckwheat, rye, amaranth, quinoa rice, and sprouted hard winter wheat.
Vegetables: radish, horseradish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, leek, scallion, shallot, chive, leafy greens, cabbage, spinach, carrot greens, kale, broccoli, parsley, asparagus, bell pepper, celery, sea vegetables, cucumber, chlorella, mushrooms.
Fruits: citrus, tomato, rose hip, banana, and persimmon.
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, hazelnut, flax seed, chia seed, pumpkin seed, poppy seed, walnut, sunflower sprouts.
Fish: sardine, salmon, mackerel, and deep/cold-water fish.
Raw honey and Bee Pollen
Herbs: Hawthorne berry, dandelion root, burdock root, chaparral, peppermint (for heart palpitations and strengthening heart muscle), cayenne pepper, ginger, rhubarb root, yarrow, chamomile, motherwort, valerian.
Oils: Naturally you will want to avoid the so-called “bad saturated fats” and focus on getting a balance of the “good fats”, such as the Omega-9, Olive, Hazelnut, Almond and Sesame oils; and the Omega-3 and 6, Walnut and Grapeseed oils. It has been proven that a balanced intake of Omega-3 and 6 oils along with high levels of Omega-9 significantly reduce the risk of dying from a cardiovascular related disease.
Most importantly eat a wide variety of whole foods to insure you receive all the essential nutrients you need to keep your body strong, healthy and drug free.

Feasting for Cheap

2010-10-27T02:59:00.000-07:00

Good food is not a luxury, it is a necessity.
We need delicious, nutritious, vibrant, wholesome food to nurture healthy bodies, minds and spirits. Here we are, fretting over the sorry state of healthcare, yet how do we truly expect to improve public health if we omit food from the equation?
My grand-parents grew up eating like kings. They were not part of the elite. They had access to fresh, natural food grown on the family farm. Ditto for my baby-boomer parents, who were spared the supermarket/fast-food lifestyle and grew up knowing nothing else but the fare procured straight from the source, meat and all: the family farm, the urban garden and the farmers’ market.
Very few of us are so lucky nowadays as to live on or near a farm, or in the vicinity of a vegetable garden. Food is cheaper than in any previous generation and ready-to-eat food is ubiquitous. Yet most of us in America are confronted with a paradoxical issue: access to food that can truly nourish us is a challenge.
“Food deserts“, both urban and rural, abound in America. In those areas, food can be purchased only from fast-food chains, liquor stores and gas stations. Fresh produce is not an option. “Organic” does not refer to food.
In the land of malls and supermarkets, one has to forfeit convenience to find natural food that has not traveled 1500 miles on average before getting there.
As for big urban centers, like San Francisco and New York, they boast more and more farmers’ markets. The food they offer was grown in the area, which means that it is typically fresher and tastier than what you’ll find at a store. Most of it was grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It’s also out of reach for many.
Or so we believe.

“I don’t know anyone who eats better than our live-in baby-sitter. She lost her professional job due to an illness that she treats through an impeccable diet. She eats a 100% natural, high-quality, local, organic diet on food stamps only”, said Jessica Prentice, author and co-owner of Three-Stone Hearth, at an event hosted recently in San Francisco by the Commonwealth Club’s Bay Gourmet Forum.

Thankfully, alternatives to food stamps are plentiful. All it takes is a little bit of creativity. Here are a few tips brought to the attention of the audience by New-Yorker Leda Merideth, author of The Locavore’s Handbook: The Busy Person’s Guide to Eating Local on a Budget:

volunteering at your local farmers’ market or favorite CSA farm for discounts or even free food.
trading your unique skills for food at the farmers’ market and/or CSA farm.
eating what’s in season (when the crop is plentiful, hence cheaper, and tastes best).
walking through the whole farmers’ market before buying anything so as to get a better idea of where the better deals are, then deciding on one or two items that you want to treat yourself to.

On top of that, let’s remember what was common sense for my grand-parents’ generation:

learn to rely on cheap traditional staple foods, like potatoes and cabbage, which you can augment with various garnishes.
a crop is the cheapest at the peak of its season: buy it by the caseload and preserve it (jams, preserves, dried goods, etc.).
make the most of vegetables like beets, radishes and carrots: their leaves alone can provide a dish onto themselves!
no need for lamb everyday: unless your doctor insists otherwise, you really don’t need to eat meat daily. If you choose to, you can still go for high-quality meat (pastured, free-range) without breaking the bank: instead of the best, most expensive morsels, which are best kept for Holidays and special occasions, you can get as much nutritive value from “lower” (ie. much cheaper) cuts ideally suited to scrumptious stews, soups and sauces. And be open to widen your repertoire to meat with a bad reputation: “Mutton is half the price of lamb, yet it tastes the same when used in a stew,” mentioned Jessica Prentice.

Eventually, we’re going to have to face this truth: food from conventional agriculture is priced artificially low (what with government subsidies and “externalized” costs such as the damages caused to the health of people and planet). For the foreseeable future, quality food, grown in accordance with sustainability principles, is bound to come at a premium compared to the commodity-type produce and meat sold at supermarkets. It is up to us to decide what type of agricultural practices and food system we want to support with our wallet.
Here‘s my pitch: the extra-cost of sustainable food not only gets us better nutrition and taste, but also better connections to the land and the people. “It’s a very rich experience to look at your plate and know everyone on that plate,” reflected cook and author Deborah Madison.
So let’s be creative to keep our food budget under control AND support our local farmers whose responsibility it is to keep us, and the land, healthy. After all, we all belong together.

Trim The Waste: Zero-Waste Clothing Design

2010-10-27T02:53:00.000-07:00

Here’s a quick Q&A:
1. Do you eat organic food?
2. Do you bring your cloth bags with you when you go shopping?
3. Do you recycle?
4. Do you compost?
5. Do you buy clothes that are made from leftover scraps of fabric?
If you checked the first four in the affirmative, and puzzled over why you are even answering number 5, you’re not alone. This question never even entered my eco-radar. If you are like me, you like your clothes comfortable, stylish and made from (mostly) natural fibers. A trend towards fashion-forward zero-waste clothing is a positive move in the right direction. Not just for the green factor, but also because it means the design world is concerned with closing the cradle to cradle loop by finding ways to truly make our lives and this planet more sustainable.
This week, the New York Times ran an article that highlighted a Parsons The New School of Design course in zero-waste fashion design.
Why zero-waste clothing design?
“Zero-waste design strives to create clothing patterns that leave not so much as a scrap of fabric on the cutting room floor. This is not some wacky avant-garde exercise; it’s a way to eliminate millions of tons of garbage a year. Apparel industry professionals say that about 15 to 20 percent of the fabric used to produce clothing winds up in the nation’s landfills because it’s cheaper to dump the scraps than to recycle them.”

How are zero-waste clothes made?
The designers create a garment pattern that fit’s together like a puzzle. One way to eliminate waste is to create a garment puzzle. In the process, the designer drapes the fabric directly onto the mannequin without cutting. One designer, Timo Rissanen explains how the fabric is salvaged on his blog, Zero Fabric Waste Fashion.
Those of us with the DIY ethos have experienced the process of using zero-waste design principles in our creations. This article makes me hopeful that the next generation of designers has taken the tenets of green to heart, and are incorporating them into the creative process of clothing design.

Trim the waste?
This is something consumers can get behind. Now, how will the big companies respond to zero-waste clothing?

Obese Children Getting Heart Disease

2010-10-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Childhood obesity is turning into some perverse, reverse fountain of youth. It’s no secret that the issue is tipping the scales, but new findings show problems not before anticipated; blood vessels of obese children have stiffness normally seen in much older adults with cardiovascular disease, according to Dr. Kevin Harris who spoke to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2010 this week.
He says these findings are highly significant because the elastic qualities of their aorta were impaired even though other measures of heart health such as blood lipid levels and blood pressure were not dramatically different.
“We were surprised to find that these obese children already have stiff blood vessels,” says Dr. Harris from B.C. Children’s Hospital. “Aortic stiffness is an early indicator of cardiovascular disease in obese children.” He says it is as if the aging process has been accelerated in their aorta. Increased stiffness of the aorta is typically associated with aging and is a strong predictor of future cardiac events and mortality in adults.
“The normal aorta has elastic qualities that buffer the flow of blood. When that elasticity is lost, aortic stiffness results – a sign of developing cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Harris told the meeting. “Aortic stiffness is associated with cardiovascular events and early death.”
The mean age of the children in Dr. Harris’s study was 13 years.
“We know there is an association between unhealthy lifestyles and heart disease. Our kids are at risk,” says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson. “Poor nutrition and inactivity are threatening their health and well-being. We must rethink the lifestyle standards we have accepted as a society to protect the future health of our kids.”

6 Simple Tricks That Help Smokers Quit

2010-10-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

By Melanie Haiken, Caring.com senior editor
Yes, it’s hard to quit smoking, and there’s no magic pill to make it happen. But there are a few simple tools and tricks that can help smokers overcome cravings and move beyond them without reaching for a cigarette. Here are six of the best:
How to Get Someone to Quit Smoking Without Hating You
1. Chew mints. The taste of menthol or peppermint makes a smoker’s mouth feel cool, fresh, and clean, which tricks the brain into feeling less desire for that hot intake of smoke. Stash mints everywhere, so they’re always handy: car, purse, pocket, around the house.

2. Drink water. To overcome cravings and strengthen the positive goal of becoming healthy, a great trick is to drink a glass of water very slowly when a craving hits. “Envision that the water’s washing away the urge to smoke and washing away all toxins from smoking at the same time,” Susan Gayle tells smokers. Gayle, an addiction counselor in New York and the author of popular stop-smoking self-help CDs, points out that a craving lasts just 15 seconds. “By the time you’ve finished the glass, you’ve distracted yourself, and the craving’s gone.”

3. Chew gum. This tip may sound obvious, but experts say there’s a reason they recommend gum — it really works. The flavor of the gum keeps the mouth fresh, making smoking less attractive. The act of chewing relieves the desire for oral stimulation and keeps the mouth busy, as well. Smokers often opt for nicotine gum, but many stop-smoking experts say a sugarless mint-flavored gum works just as well or better.

20 Secret Signs of Addiction
4. Eat red or purple grapes. Not only is chewing grapes another substitute oral-stimulation technique, but natural chemicals and antioxidants in grapes work to relieve cravings, says addiction expert Susan Gayle.

5. Use a calendar. It takes 21 days for a new thought pattern to become automatic, which is what’s required to eliminate a habit, experts say. Three weeks without smoking is enough to make it stick. But as any smoker or alcoholic who’s tried to quit can tell you, the first few days are the hardest. After that, cravings weaken, and the intervals between cravings lengthen, giving smokers longer periods of feeling good.
Super Snacks: 5 Best Snacks for Mood
Put a calendar where the smoker in your life can see it, and mark off each day he’s gone without a cigarette. Reward him at the end of the first and second weeks with something he really wants: a new shirt or tickets to a game or concert. At the end of the third week, do something significant to commemorate the occasion, such as dinner out or a day at the spa.

6. Use a nicotine patch or gum. Not all experts agree on the usefulness of nicotine substitutes, also called nicotine replacement therapy, since they don’t break the physical addiction to smoking. But they can be useful tools in overcoming the psychological side of the smoking addiction, which is a big part of the equation for many smokers. Still, experts say, patches and gum should only be used in combination with counseling or a support group; they’re not likely to work on their own. Patches and gum come in three different strengths. Smokers should start with the strongest amount if they smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day, the weakest version if they smoke fewer than 7 cigarettes a day.

13 Healthy Diet Habits from Around the World

2010-10-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

By Annie Tucker Morgan, DivineCaroline
When it comes to eating (and many other indulgences), the United States is a culture of excess. To the average American, bigger plus faster equals better; we shovel massive quantities of food and beverages into our mouths on the go, scarcely taking time to taste what we’re consuming … and then we complain about how much weight we’re gaining. Meanwhile, diners in other countries favor moderately sized but well-rounded portions, savor their meals in a leisurely fashion with friends and family members, and make exercise part of their daily life. Is it any surprise, then, that so many people in other cultures sustain enviably trim figures without depriving themselves of culinary enjoyment? Let’s learn how they do it.
Eat at Home More Often Than You Eat Out (Poland)
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans spend an average of 37 percent of their food budget on eating out, compared with only 5 percent among Poles. No wonder U.S. obesity rates are so high: restaurants here are notorious for serving oversize, calorie- and fat-laden portions. By eating our meals at home, we not only have much more control over the ingredients we put in our mouths, but we also save money and get to spend quality time with our families. It’s a win-win.
Go Nuts for Nuts (Africa)
Packed with protein and often healthy fats, nuts can serve as a nutritious and filling replacement for meat and poultry. In Africa, particularly in Gambia, peanuts are a common complement to vegetables and spices in numerous soups and stews—and perhaps it’s no coincidence that this nation has not only no problems with obesity, but also one of the lowest international incidences of all types of cancer.
Make Friends with Rice and Beans (Brazil)
Americans tend to think of starchy foods as the enemy, but according to a study published in the journal Obesity Research, a diet focused on rice and beans (in contrast with a typical Western diet), such as the kind Brazilians espouse, reduces people’s risk of becoming overweight by approximately 14 percent. Low in fat and high in fiber, it’s a winning combination that stabilizes blood sugar and leaves people feeling satisfied.

Spice Things Up (Thailand and Malaysia)
The hot peppers in Thai cuisine, which is legendary for its spiciness, accomplish a dual dietary purpose: they both speed metabolism and slow the eating process. For Americans, weight gain is an inevitable side effect of our tendency to wolf down our meals; our brains don’t have time to process our bodies’ signals that we’re full until we’ve already overeaten. So when spicy fare forces us to slow our pace (because we simply can’t eat three-alarm red curry as quickly as we can put away, say, McDonald’s french fries), our waistlines benefit.
In Malaysia, turmeric, a spice that conveniently grows wild in the jungle, contains a substance called curcumin, which, according to a Tufts University study, may suppress fat-tissue growth and increase our bodies’ fat-burning capacity.
Don’t Skip Breakfast (Germany)
It may seem counterintuitive that consuming more calories can encourage weight loss, but eating a healthful, well-balanced breakfast—such as a hard-boiled egg, whole-grain toast, and fruit—jump-starts our metabolism and satisfies our brains’ reward centers, making us less likely to succumb to the desire to indulge in high-calorie food later in the day.
Stretch Your Legs and Arms (India and the Netherlands)
In the United States, we’re apt to hop in our cars at the slightest provocation, even if the grocery store is only a few blocks away. By contrast, in the two-wheeling Netherlands, there are even more bicycles than people, and 54 percent of Dutch cyclists use them for daily activities. Take a page out of their book and pedal your way to a slim physique; an average-size adult pedaling at a moderate pace can burn around 550 calories per hour.
In India, yoga devotees hit the floor to burn calories, gain strength, and expand their minds. While people all over the United States are following suit, they often focus primarily on yoga’s potential to reduce stress, when in fact it can also be a powerful weight-loss tool: the combination of practicing on an empty stomach and building muscle boosts metabolism, which means more pounds shed even after practitioners leave the mat.

Put Meat on the Back Burner (Greece and Asia)
In contrast with the steak-and-potatoes fare that characterizes the U.S. diet, the dominant paradigm in Mediterranean countries, such as Greece, is less meat-intensive. Heart-healthy olive oil; vegetables like artichokes, spinach, eggplant, onions, and tomatoes; and proteins such as chickpeas and nuts form the building blocks of daily meals, whereas meat is treated as a supplementary item, not the main event—stuffed inside grape leaves with rice to make dolmas, for example.
Similarly, in Asian countries, meat is viewed as a garnish, rather than as the focal point of a meal; Asian diners get their protein from fish and soy, and load up on vegetables, rice, noodles, and soup to satisfy their hunger.
Drink Rooibos Tea (South Africa)
Naturally sweet and even more full-flavored than green tea, rooibos may prevent overeating by keeping drinkers well hydrated (what people often perceive as hunger pangs are actually just signs of dehydration) and contains catechins, antioxidant compounds found to help promote exercise-induced abdominal fat loss. Many tea-drinking cultures are known to have lower rates of obesity than the United States, but we’re finally catching on—rooibos tea is now available at our great beverage bastion Starbucks.
Munch on Pickled Veggies (Hungary)
Pickled produce isn’t just flavorful, appealingly crunchy, and filling; it’s also slimming. Why? The main ingredient in pickling liquid is vinegar, and the main ingredient in vinegar is acetic acid, which offers numerous health benefits, chief among them blood-pressure and blood-sugar reduction and prevention of fat formation. By snacking on not only traditional pickled cucumber, but also the pickled vegetables Hungarians enjoy—such as cabbage, tomatoes, and bell peppers—you’ll reap these benefits. And if you get sick of asking for a side of extra dills with your deli sandwich, try drizzling a little extra balsamic vinegar on your salad.

Make Lunch, Not Dinner, the Biggest Meal of the Day (Europe and Mexico)
Americans tend to skip breakfast, eat a light lunch, and save all their serous eating for the nighttime hours. But having a big meal shortly before bedtime doesn’t do our metabolism any favors; on the contrary, any extra calories we ingest at that hour get stored as fat. Rather than consuming the bulk of your calories in the evening, start the day with a light, sensible breakfast and treat yourself to a hearty lunch, followed by a light dinner, as people do in most Latin and European countries. That way, you’ll maximize your body’s fat-burning potential and wake up hungry, ready to supercharge your system with a morning meal.
Eat Slowly and Enjoy Yourself (France)
A mere 28 percent of American families eat together each night, compared with 92 percent of French families. Taking time to relish one another’s company over a nutritious, drawn-out meal is good for both the soul and the body: not only will you bond with your loved ones, but you’ll also experience fullness earlier and therefore consume fewer calories. Make dinnertime a family affair to look forward to—not just something you squeeze in between work and TV time—and you’ll see the results reflected in your scale.

Incorporate More Fish into Your Diet (Japan and the Netherlands)
The Japanese eat more fish than any other country, but people in the Netherlands are no strangers to seafood, either—in fact, the Dutch consume an average of eighty-five million raw herring per year. Fish contains high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids that enhance brain function, improve cardiovascular health, and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been proven to increase abdominal fat deposits. And because most seafood is low-fat and low-calorie, you can fill up on it without packing on pounds.

Stop Eating Before You’re Full (Japan)
The Okinawans have perfected a calorie-control system that they call hara hachi bu: it means eating until you’re only 80 percent full. The logic behind this tactic is that habitually eating until you’re extremely full will cause your stomach to stretch and therefore require greater quantities of food to achieve satisfaction. By learning to leave the table at the moment when the first inklings of fullness creep in, you’ll keep your total daily caloric consumption to a minimum. Suspicious? The Okinawans are reaping the rewards of this practice: their average body mass index is only 21.5, as opposed to American adults’ 28.
Bon Appétit!
Losing weight and maintaining a trim physique don’t necessitate all of the extreme lengths to which Americans go; you don’t have to starve yourself, skip meals, drink only lemon- and cayenne-spiked water for ten days, or spend six hours each day at the gym to slim down. What you do need to do is become a more balanced, more conscious observer of your own intake—someone who knows that it’s actually a good thing to indulge in a piece of rich dark chocolate or a glass of robust red wine, but who simultaneously doesn’t overindulge by following those items with an entire sleeve of cookies or three more drinks. By striving to emulate the sound culinary practices of these other countries, where people enjoy eating to the fullest but not till they’re uncomfortably full, we stand to gain only knowledge and good health—not weight.

POM Juice Claims Not True, Says FTC

2010-10-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a complaint against POM Wonderful charging the company with false and unsubstantiated claims. They make POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and POMx supplements. They are charged with claiming their products will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer and even erectile dysfunction.
The FTC says POM Wonderful violated federal law by making deceptive claims about their products. David Vladeck, an FTC consumer protection official said, “Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled.” (Source: FTC.gov)
The FTC said these specific claims made in advertising are false and unsubstantiated,

Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat heart disease, including by decreasing arterial plaque, lowering blood pressure, and improving blood flow to the heart;

Clinical studies prove that POM Juice and POMx prevent, reduce the risk of, and treat prostate cancer, including by prolonging prostate-specific antigen doubling time;

Clinical studies prove that POM Juice prevents, reduces the risk of, and treats, erectile dysfunction.

The FTC says the prostate cancer risk reduction claim is false and unsubstantiated because the research it is based upon was not blinded nor placebo-controlled; the research subjects knew that they were receiving the juice, and there was not a separate group of research subjects who received a placebo, compared to a group who received the juice.
Ad copy for POM related to prostate health states, “You have to be on pomegranate juice. You have a 50 percent chance of getting [prostate cancer]. Listen to me. It is the one thing that will keep your PSA normal. You have to drink pomegranate juice. There is nothing else we know of that will keep your PSA in check. … It’s also 40 percent as effective as Viagra.” (Source: Page 6, FTC Complaint)
In a scripted interview with people posing as professional journalists, one participant said, “I mean, it is the magic elixir of our age and of all ages, and we know that it helps circulation, it helps Alzheimer’s, it helps all sorts of things in the body.” (Source: Page 8, FTC Complaint)
POM Wonderful also claimed, “Drinking eight ounces of POM Juice, or taking one POMx Pill or one teaspoon of POMx Liquid, daily, prevents or reduces the risk of heart disease, including by (1) decreasing arterial plaque, (2) lowering blood pressure, and/or (3) improving blood flow to the heart.” (Source: Page 17, FTC Complaint)
The FTC stated no such effect has been scientifically proven. They are working to protect consumers by legally preventing the company from making such claims about their products in the future.
POM Wonderful published their own press release in response to the FTC’s actions. In it, they defended their research efforts, “For more than a decade, we have provided over $34 million to support scientific research on pomegranates, working with top researchers, including a Nobel Laureate, at leading universities around the globe. To date, more than 55 studies on POM products, including 19 clinical trials, have been published in peer reviewed journals. The results have been encouraging and many additional studies are in progress.”

Finding the “Right” One

2010-10-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

We have discussed in previous articles about how to know when a partner is not right for you. Click here to read the previous posts. It would be helpful in bringing you up to speed. Now, I would like to talk about how you know when someone IS right for you.
This is obviously a very personal journey, however after talking to many couples I do hear a common theme. There are several things that couples share, including myself, in knowing when someone is a good life partner for you.
The flow of the relationship is gentle. It’s like sitting in a rocking chair that is easy and flowing. The feeling is complete and total contentment. I never had this feeling before I met Jeff. At moments we look at each other and we just feel bliss. We can be in a car going somewhere or just sitting together at home. It’s a peaceful knowing quiet experience.
I want all of you who are struggling in a relationship or seeking a relationship to imagine this feeling. As you imagine it, the feeling will come and then action is more consciously and easily taken in that direction. There are many of you that have written to me with stories of being deeply wounded by a partner. I completely understand the impact of betrayal and pain, however, I am here to tell you that if you desire you can move through all of that into something that is right for you.
If you look back on your past relationships, there were probably signs or red flags that you did not want to pay attention to that were telling you to get out of the situation. Hindsight is 20/20. Learn from these oversights and do not beat yourself up or become soured by your past. Learn and grow. I think that is what this human being experience is all about. What can you learn from this experience? Unfortunately, some of our lessons are often unpleasant, but this is what spiritual warriors are made of, tenacity and resiliency.

As you begin dating and putting yourself out there, start to pay attention to the feeling that you get with each person you date. Are you comfortable with them? Are you anxious? Do you feel uneasy about something? Pay attention to your feelings and what your body is telling you. There is a certain ease that comes when someone is a good fit for you. It’s not a struggle, as previously stated, it is gentle. The spark will be there, but it may not be the wild fireworks that Hollywood portrays.
I have an Aunt and Uncle who met when they were 17 years old. They have been married for 53 years and are still crazy about each other. There is no one else that they would rather spend time with than each other. It is a joy to watch them. Although my aunt is much more boisterous than my uncle, they have a gentle flow and ease in their relationship. They are one of the lucky ones who found their soul life partner early in their lives. My aunt describes her relationship much in the same way that I do with Jeff. My sister, who just recently married for the second time, describes her marriage in the same way as well. It is obvious when watching my sister and her husband that they experience this same ease and flow.
Of course there are many other elements involved in this process, and this is just one step in getting closer to someone who is a fit for you.
Who in your life has this kind of relationship? Is there a couple in your life that you can use as a mentor? This will help you as you begin to look for a life partner. Take parts of each relationship around you and see what would work for you and what you would like to have in your relationship that you are creating. This is what I did. I looked around in my life and took bits and pieces or even whole parts of couples I knew and quietly used them as mentors for the kind of relationship I desired to bring into my life.

Live To Be 100

2010-10-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

Is a long, healthy life a roll of the genetic dice—or can prudent lifestyle choices extend life span by decades? Genes play a part, but new studies suggests that we can extend lifespan by our choices. In the New England Centenarian Study, researchers found a variety of environmental, behavioral and genetic factors that could explain the extraordinary longevity of some folks. And they found that ill health is not a necessary by-product of aging; many people in the study functioned independently well into their 90s.
There are many theories of aging, but most fall into one of two categories: damage theories and programmed theories.
Damage theories say aging is caused by a lifetime of assault on our cells and genetic materials; for example, the free-radical theory of aging says that free radicals–highly reactive molecules inherent in our environments and our diets, and produced by our bodies—destroy cellular compounds.
Programmed theories of aging say all of us have a genetic clock of sorts that determines when we’ll die. The telomere-shortening theory, for example, suggests that cell death is caused by the shortening of telomeres, the end-caps on our chromosomes. Each time a cell replicates, a tiny bit of DNA is taken off the end of each chromosome. When the telomeres get too short, the cell stops replicating and dies, which ultimately leads to the death of the entire organism.
We Americans tend to lean toward the damage theories; we also belive that the older we get, the sicker we get. But that’s not necessarily so. What most studies show is that if you live well throughout your life, you’ll live longer, and bypass most disease.

Not surprisingly, much of this has to do with diet. But the way we think about our lives and how well we cope with stress is as important as how many heads of broccoli or ounces of wild Alaskan salmon we consume. Some of the key findings:
If you eat less, you’ll live longer. Decreasing the amount of food you eat seems to increase lifespan, reduce the incidence of age-related disease, and delay its onset. Research suggests that restricting calories retards inflammation and lowers blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol. Here’s the catch: you have to make sure you’re still getting adequate protein, fat and other nutrients. This is one to follow only under the supervision of a health care professional.
Put on a happy face. Long-living people are, for the most part, happy campers. They tend to be laid back, cheery, fun-loving folk. Though they have the same amount of stress, they deal with it more effectively. And it’s probably not surprising that studies consistently link hostility, depression, anxiety and a sense of hopelessness with increased risk of heart disease and death.

Use it or lose it. Can’t get around this one: long-living folk aren’t couch potatoes. Most of them enjoyed a robustly active lifestyle, and tend to walk more and move more in general, even in older years. Mental muscles are also important; in the Centenarian study, an agile mind was strongly related to longevity. New, stimulating activities seem to be the key to boosting brain power: once skills become routine, they lose their ability to stimulate the brain. Learning a foreign language, reading challenging books, memorizing poems, playing chess with a pro, can flex mental muscles and keep them well-toned.
Live like an Adventist. Most older, healthy people have one thing in common: good, clean living. Seventh-Day Adventists are great role models; those who don’t drink or use tobacco, and who are vegetarians, live an average of eight years longer than other Americans, and have a lower rate of heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. Additionally, Adventists generally follow a strong spiritual practice and make ample time for family—two tactics that can reduce age-promoting stress.
Playing the odds. Most of us know at least one robust, bacon-eating and cigarette-smoking octogenarian who laughs in the face of disease. Most of us also know at least one right-eating athlete who dies of cancer at 60 or younger. The interaction between genetics and lifestyle is complex, and there’s no one formula that works for everyone. Everyone’s most important factors are different.The most important life-extending factor for me might be reducing stress; for you, it might be exercising regularly, or eating less meat. Look at your family history for clues; what diseases are closest to home for you? If it’s diabetes, double your efforts to keep blood sugar in check. If it’s cancer, boost your intake of cancer-preventive nutrients (in the context of an overall healthy diet, of course).
Maybe our bodies really want to be here longer. Maybe we just get in our own way. What’s your experience with aging, and what are your beliefs?

5 Things Women Fear Most About Aging

2010-10-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

Dread getting older? Women around the world seem to worry about aging more than men do, according to the 2010 Bupa Health Pulse, a 12-country survey by the British health care company Bupa. China is the most fearful country, and its top concern — perhaps unsurprisingly, given family size limits — is, “Who will take care of me?” The French seem least concerned about aging — a third of respondents there say “old” starts after age 80.
And in the U.S.? Psychiatrists and life-cycle experts agree that what women fear most about aging seems different from what men fear most about aging. (See 5 Things Men Fear Most About Aging.)
Among women’s top fears:
1: Losing attractiveness/becoming “invisible”
Let’s see . . . wrinkles. Saggy breasts. Gray hair. Permanent post-baby belly. Dry skin. Weight gain. Each change wrought by time and gravity renders most women a bit more invisible in a culture that prizes dewy youth. Enter the booms in plastic surgery, laser skin resurfacing, and “anti-aging” cosmetics.
And it never ends. Fear about appearance persists right into the 70s and 80s — when women add hearing aids, walkers, canes, and stooped posture to the dreaded “visible markers of being old,” says geriatrician Laurie Jacobs, director of the Jack and Pearl Resnick Gerontology Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.
“Women are always, unfortunately, more concerned about whether they appear old,” she says. “Your sense of appearance is associated with your functional status.”
Fear fighter: Self-care. You can’t control others’ views, but you can do a lot to stave off the infirmary and cultivate an inner beauty that transcends the outer packaging. Get enough sleep, reform your diet, exercise, laugh, stay engaged with the world. “You’re as young as you feel” may be a cliché, but it’s true.

2: Being left alone
A spouse’s death figures high among women’s fears, as does seeing their children dying first or losing old friends when they relocate for retirement, move to be closer to family, or become sick or die. “Social losses are very painful,” says Eva Kahana, professor of sociology at Case Western Reserve University, who directs its 20-year Successful Aging Study.
“Men are ‘fight-and-flighters.’ If they can’t do something, that’s stressful,” says stress expert and Harvard
instructor Eva Selhub, senior physician at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine. “Women are ‘tenders and befrienders.’ If they can’t have as many people in their lives, that’s what’s stressful to them.”
“The fear of being alone is more harsh for women,” adds Selhub. “Men seem to more easily find a younger model. You’re more likely to see a 70-year-old man with a 30-year-old woman than to see the reverse.”
Fear fighter: Know that even if you have fewer overall connections as you get older, they gain intimacy and importance — and that’s true for both women and men. “We think of old people as loners, but they’re really not,” Kahana says. “And though it’s often emphasized how men and women are different, after age 70, we see both genders becoming less self-centered and more connected to others.”

3: Becoming homeless

Bernie Madoff, the real estate collapse, and the Great Recession 2.0 have only fueled a classic female fear of aging: financial destitution. “Men tend to be more financially secure, make more money, and have a bigger pension and Social Security checks,” says Ken Robbins, a geriatric psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin. “Widows are often left with dramatically less money.”
Today’s younger women may also carry mental images of their mothers’ and grandmothers’ financial illiteracy. Even if an ignorance-is-bliss policy regarding family finances isn’t true in their own families, uncertainty about the future and a sense of never having enough can be haunting.
Fear fighter: Experts expect this fear to diminish among women as more boomers, Gen-Xers, and younger members of both genders gain confidence about managing their money. That’s not to say everyone will ever have enough of it — so squirreling away even small amounts each month for savings or retirement funds pays off big later.

4: Cancer
Maybe it’s those ubiquitous pink ribbons. Cancer, particularly breast cancer, tops the health concerns women fear most, according to a 2005 study by the Society for Women’s Health Research. Ironically, lung cancer is twice as deadly as breast cancer for women, but seventh on their list of fears. Respondents were also more fearful of ovarian cancer than colon cancer, although the latter kills more.
“The more mammograms and colonoscopies we’re asked to have done as we get older, the more we become afraid of our bodies breaking down,” says the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine’s Eva Selhub, who also wrote The Love Response.
Fear fighter: Cancer is rightfully scary. Keeping up a healthful lifestyle and getting routine screenings are two good offenses. So is putting the actual scariest health threat for women in perspective: Heart disease (named by only one in 10 women in the same survey as her top fear) is actually the number- one killer of women in the U.S. (See 15 Medical Tests Every Woman Should Have.)

5: Being dependent on others
Both men and women alike dread “becoming a burden,” according to the Successful Aging Study’s Eva Kahana. But for many women, who have traditionally been the caregivers, the prospect of a role reversal is especially uncomfortable.
“A woman may see her spouse as not being interested or skilled about taking care of her, if the time comes, knowing he knows almost nothing about caregiving,” Robbins says. “She doesn’t want to interfere with the lives of her adult children, either.”
Fear fighter: Plan ahead. Ironically, many women who don’t wish to be a burden become exactly that because they haven’t done basic advance healthcare planning. Assign someone now to have health
care power of attorney in the event you become incapacitated. Make a living will specifying your preferences about life support. Look into long-term care insurance. Somebody might thank you later — maybe you.

Human Exposure to BPA Shockingly High

2010-09-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

A new study suggests that every day we are exposed to at least eight times the limit of bisphenol A (BPA) recommended by the U.S. EPA. The new research, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that Americans are likely to be exposed at significantly higher levels than previously thought.
BPA is a synthetic estrogen and is commonly used to strengthen plastic and line food cans–scientists have linked it, though not conclusively, to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike.
“This study provides convincing evidence that BPA is dangerous to our health at current levels of human exposure,” said Fredrick vom Saal, Curators’ professor of biological sciences at the University of Missouri. “The new results clearly demonstrate that rodent data on the health effects of BPA are relevant to predictions regarding the health effects of human exposure to BPA. Further evidence of human harm should not be required for regulatory action to reduce human exposure to BPA.”
More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have found BPA to be toxic at low doses, but the FDA says it isn’t a threat. Body burden studies show that BPA was detected in 95 percent of the people included in one sampling. “For years, BPA manufacturers have argued that BPA is safe and have denied the validity of more than 200 studies that showed adverse health effects in animals due to exposure to very low doses of BPA. We know that BPA leaches out of products that contain it, and that it acts like estrogen in the body,” said Julia Taylor, lead author and associate research professor at the University of Missouri.

According to Gayathri Vaidyanathan of Greenwire, via The New York Times, the controversy about it’s adverse health implications hinges on the question: Does the liver detox the chemical completely enough to secrete most of it out in urine, or does BPA get into human blood where it can mimic important hormones?
Thomas Zoeller, a biology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, notes that BPA has the ability to bind to not one, but three receptors — the estrogen, the male hormone and the thyroid hormone receptors. (My question is, even if the liver does detox BPA, why would we want to consume it anyway, and do our livers really need all of that extra work?!)
“The body evolved to handle stuff that gets into our system — the liver is designed to detoxify,” he said. “There are a range of molecules that are natural, and some are incredible toxins. But when we start to make molecules that are not known to nature, we need to think a little more carefully about how they are going to interact with biological systems.”
Several states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, New York and Oregon, have passed bills to reduce exposure to BPA, and similar legislation is pending in the U.S. Congress.

7 Hair-Care Myths Debunked

2010-09-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

By Allison Ford, Divine Caroline
They say a woman’s hair is her crowning glory, and boy, do we take that to heart. Women spend inordinate amounts of time and energy washing, styling, and caring for their hair (and let’s be honest—men do, too), all for the sake of keeping it shiny, healthy, and manageable. Like many areas of modern life, there’s plenty of advice and chatter on how to handle your hair better, faster, and more easily. There’s bound to be some folklore out there, like these points of hair-care “wisdom” sprinkled in with the facts.
Myth 1: Brushing one hundred strokes per night makes hair healthy and shiny.
At one point in hair-care history, someone thought that excessive brushing stimulated blood circulation, prompting lazy hair follicles to work extra hard. The truth is that although individual strands of hair are fairly strong, brushing more than necessary is much more likely to cause excessive breakage and damage than to leave you with thicker, shinier hair. This is especially true if you use a brush with plastic bristles, which can catch and snag. Natural-bristle brushes (like those with boar bristles) can distribute beneficial oils from the root to the ends of the hair shaft. But no matter what kind of combing implement you use, you should leave your hair alone once the snarls and tangles are gone. Want an all-natural, vegan hairbrush? Read Easy Greening: Hair Brushes.
Myth 2: Prenatal vitamins help hair grow longer.
Although some women swear by them, there’s no evidence to suggest prenatal vitamins are particularly helpful for hair growth. Hair does grow longer and thicker during pregnancy, but that’s because of higher hormone levels, not because of the vitamins themselves. Vitamins can be helpful for people experiencing poor hair growth due to a vitamin deficiency, but in those instances, a regular multivitamin or an iron supplement will perform just as well as the prenatal variety.

Myth 3: Male-pattern baldness is passed down by the mother.
Baldness isn’t just mom’s fault. Conventional wisdom holds that a man’s baldness is determined by his maternal grandfather, but it’s actually much more complicated than that. The gene for androgenic alopecia, as it’s formally called, can be inherited from either parent. It is true, however, that the X chromosome, passed down by the mother, is the most important determining factor as to whether or not baldness will actually develop. Both men and women can inherit the gene for baldness, but men are more likely to express it, in the same way that they’re more likely to express legitimate X-linked disorders like hemophilia and color blindness. Since they don’t have another copy of the X chromosome to cancel out abnormalities, they’re stuck with whatever gene is on their single X. Read about how to combat hair loss naturally.
Myth 4: You can restore damaged hair back to health.
All hair is dead, and unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it. Once hair emerges from its follicle, it has no biochemical activity, no nervous tissue, and no pain receptors. There is no way to magically heal or restore hair that’s been damaged by chemicals or rough handling. The only solutions are to use products that artificially add moisture and mask the damaged texture or to cut if off completely.
Myth 5: A cold rinse keeps hair shiny and frizz-free.
Contrary to popular belief, giving freshly washed hair a final rinse with cool water does not seal the cuticle, keep it shiny, or prevent frizziness. Cold water can temporarily help the hair’s cuticle to lay flatter, but the effect instantly wears off after towel-drying, blow-drying, or intense styling. The only thing a cold-water rinse is good for is a morning pick-me-up. Try this DIY formula for shiny hair.

Myth 6: Shaving hair makes it grow back thicker.
Some misguided moms even resort to shaving their infants’ heads in the hope that the hair that grows back will be thicker and fuller. In reality, shaving doesn’t affect the quality or texture of the hair, according to dermatologists at the Mayo Clinic. Shaving acts on the hair shaft (which, of course, is dead to begin with), not the follicle. Whether it’s on the head or the legs, hair that’s growing back may seem coarser, thicker, or more noticeable, but it’s not.
Myth 7: You can train your hair.
Unfortunately, if you’re the owner of a noticeable cowlick or natural part, you’re stuck with it. No amount of styling, fixing, or cementing hair into a different orientation will ever make it grow that way. Hair follicles lay in different orientations all over the scalp, and whatever pattern you’re born with is what you’ll have to live with.
Nowadays, anyone with a computer and the software to build a Web site can market him- or herself as an expert and dispense advice to the masses, but a healthy dose of skepticism is still the antidote for misinformation. A dermatologist or trichologist (hair doctor) can help you understand your hair and determine the best way to treat it. Their first piece of advice? Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.

7 Natural Energy Boosters

2010-09-22T00:38:00.000-07:00

Do you muster every ounce of energy you have just to lift your limbs out of bed, experience a daily afternoon crash that only lifts with a caffeine boost, or feel a general sense of fatigue throughout the day? According to research, you are not alone. Fatigue is the second most common complaint to doctors in North America.
Unfortunately, many people turn to caffeine to boost their energy levels. That approach provides short-lived energy at best. At worst, it may cause damage to your body in the form of caffeine addiction, blood sugar fluctuations and adrenal gland depletion that makes you more vulnerable to stress. Since caffeine continues to work for about 12 hours, that afternoon coffee may leave you lying awake counting sheep when you are ready to sleep.
Nature offers many energy-enhancers. Some of the best include: bee pollen, royal jelly extract, Siberian ginseng, spirulina, gotu kola, ho shou wu, and cayenne.
1. Bee Pollen
Bee Pollen is touted as a source of perpetual youth in many of the world’s great books, including the Talmud, Bible, Koran, scrolls of the ancient Orient, Greece, Rome, Russia, the Middle East. Ancient Greek athletes ate bee pollen regularly to increase their strength and vitality. More recently, the USDA discovered that bee pollen even has anti-cancer properties.
Bee pollen is packed with 22 amino acids, natural antibiotic factors, DNA/RNA (the genetic coding of plants), 18 enzymes (to aid digestion and other bodily functions), glucosides (natural sources of energy in the body), plant hormones, 27 minerals and at least 16 vitamins, it is no surprise that it increases energy and vitality. Avoid bee pollen if you suffer pollen allergies or if you are allergic to bees.
2. Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is the natural result when bees combine honey and pollen. It is a powerhouse of B-complex vitamins. It also contains many other vitamins, minerals, hormones, enzymes, 18 amino acids, and natural antibacterial and antibiotic substances. It has traditionally been used to address bronchial asthma, pancreatitis, liver disease, insomnia, stomach ulcers, kidney disease, bone fractures, immune problems, and skin disorders, but royal jelly is also effective for increasing energy.

3. Siberian Ginseng
As the name suggests, Siberian ginseng originates in Siberia. It also grows in Japan, China, and Korea and parts of Canada. It has been used medicinally for at least two thousand years. Siberian ginseng is one of only a handful of herbs that is an adaptogen, which means that it works to normalize bodily functions. It inhibits the adrenal stress response and works as an immune stimulant, particularly for fighting the effects of stress and depression. It aids the liver in detoxifying harmful toxins, including chemotherapeutic agents and radiation. Siberian ginseng also stimulates the activity of several immune system components: B and T cells, making it excellent for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and other viral infections. Athletes around the world use Siberian ginseng as a training aid because of its reputed ability to increase resistance to stress, increase performance, bolster the immune system during workouts, and reduce fatigue. But it also helps strengthen energy levels over time.
4. Spirulina
The Aztec people knew a good thing when they saw it. They discovered spirulina, a single-celled algae that they called tecuitlatl and soon made it a staple of their diet. It is high in usable protein, a great source of Vitamin B12 (often called the “energy vitamin”), 8 minerals and many vitamins, including 7 types of vitamin A precursors known as carotenoids. It is also packed with chlorophyll, the green pigment that gives spirulina its colour and its blood purification properties. And, of course, it boosts energy levels.
5. Gotu Kola
Gotu Kola is an herb that contains many nutrients and healing phytochemicals. As one of the primary energy herbs used by herbalists, gotu kola lessens fatigue and depression without the effects of caffeine. Actually, unlike caffeine that may keep you awake into the evenings, gotu kola actually helps improve sleep at night.
6. Ho Shou Wu
Also known as fo-ti or ho she wu, the root of this native Chinese vine is a powerful tonic to increase energy and maintain youthful vigor, while still having a calming effect. It contains a natural form of lecithin that helps lessen arterial plaque and lower blood pressure. In laboratory studies, ho shou wu effectively reduced blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and even prevented cholesterol from forming in test animals.
7. Cayenne
Cayenne works to boost energy by improving circulation. It is also effective to help ward off colds, sinus infections, and sore throats. It even helps reduce pain and inflammation.
As with all herbal medicines, it is best to consult with a skilled health professional prior to starting any herbal or nutritional supplements. This article is provided for educational purposes only.

Michelle Schoffro Cook, BSc, RNCP, ROHP, DNM, is an international best-selling and seven-time book author and doctor of natural medicine, whose works include: The Life Force Diet, The Ultimate pH Solution, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, The Phytozyme Cure and HealthSmart News. Learn more at www.DrMichelleCook.com.

Fight Insomnia Naturally

2010-09-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have trouble sleeping? Maybe you have a hard time falling asleep, or maybe you wake up after a short time and can’t get back to sleep. Either way, sleepless nights can have a huge impact on the rest of your life. When you’re sleep deprived, it’s harder to focus and it often isn’t so great for mental well being.
I’ve struggled with both of these types of insomnia and have found a few techniques that help immensely.

Get Into a Routine

Whether your sleep problems start the moment you get into bed or you wake up in the night, it can help if you take a look at your pre-bedtime and bedtime routine.

Stay conscious of your screen time. Many of us stare at screens all day for work. All of that light can really mess with your body’s internal clock. If you’re having trouble falling asleep, try limiting your computer use and TV watching as bedtime approaches to give your mind time to wind down.
Dim the lights early. Like the screen problem, artificial lights can trick our bodies into staying up. Try switching over to lamp light an hour or so before bedtime. I have a friend who wears special sunglasses in the evenings to help his brain wind down toward bedtime. He says he’s been sleeping better since starting that habit.
Your bed should be for sleeping and for sex. If you tend to sit in bed and work on projects or watch TV, try moving these activities to another area.
Exercise, but not too late. Getting regular exercise can help even out your sleep. Don’t work out too close to bedtime, though, as that can make it hard to doze off. Try to allow at least a couple of hours between working out and hitting the hay.
Limit food and drink before bed. This is especially important if you’re struggling with middle of the night wake-ups. Don’t eat or drink for that last hour before bed, if you can, and make sure you use the bathroom before heading to bed.
Cut the caffeine. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about your morning coffee! If you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, try limiting your caffeine intake to the morning. Coffee or even caffeinated tea in the evenings can contribute to tossing and turning.

Tips and Techniques

Check that mattress. Flipping your mattress over can make a huge difference. Your tossing and turning could be related to discomfort. If your mattress is quite old and flipping doesn’t help, you might look into a replacement.
Don’t just lie there. If you’ve been staring at the ceiling for some time and it’s clear you’re not going to fall asleep, get out of bed. Find a comfortable chair where you can knit, read, or do any other relaxing activity until you’re ready to crawl back into bed again.
Breathe. Whether you’ve woken in the night or just gotten into bed, focusing on taking long, deep breaths can help you quiet your mind and drift into dreamland.
Don’t look at the clock. When you’re lying awake in bed, it’s normal to want to roll over and see how long before the alarm goes off. Don’t do it! Sleep math like this will just increase your anxiety and make it harder to snooze. Keep a napkin or washcloth by the bed and cover that clock if you have to.
Relax. If deep breaths aren’t doing the trick, you might try a more elaborate relaxation technique. Roll onto your back with your arms by your sides, and envision a slow wave of relaxation starting at your toes and moving up your body all the way to your face and the top of your head. Take time to feel each part of your body release any tension. More often than not, you’ll nod off in the process!

If none of these are helping and insomnia is really disrupting your daily life, you might want to talk to your doctor.

5 More Tips for Staying Cool Without the A/C

2010-09-17T02:22:00.000-07:00

When it comes to battling summer heat, it helps to have a fully loaded bagful of tricks to help you stay cool. In addition to keeping your curtains drawn and replacing those heat throwing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent or LED bulbs, here are a few more tips for staying cool without cranking up the air conditioner:
1. Pump up that basement air: Have you ever gone down to your basement in the summer and noticed a substantial difference between its temperature and that of the rest of your home? That cool air can be put to use by keeping the basement door open and placing a fan facing your living area at that doorway in order to pull that cool air upstairs. However, don’t do this if your home has mold or high radon levels.
2. Stay wet: For some temporary but delicious relief, after showering, stay damp (not drenched) and sit near a fan. Also, spritzing yourself with a spray bottle or, when the place and time is right, pouring water over your head helps cool you down as the evaporating water stimulates sweating — the body’s cool down mechanism.
3. Drink water: Your body’s losing a lot of water by sweating. Staying well hydrated helps keep everything functioning, including the body’s blood flow and its ability to continue to allow you to sweat and stay cool.
4. Limit appliance usage: In addition to keeping the oven off as much as possible, limit your use of other appliances and electronic devices that generate heat, such as TVs, dishwashers and computers, which can be put in hibernate or sleep mode when not in use.
5. Cotton bedding and PJs: While a hot, humid day can be oppressive, trying to go to sleep on a wickedly hot night can be pure misery. By using cotton sheets and wearing loose cotton pajamas, sweat will be able to evaporate instead of being trapped by fabrics that don’t “breathe.”

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5 Secret Tips to Lose Weight (video)

2010-08-24T23:23:00.000-07:00

5 Secret Tips to Lose Weight (video)

Here are five practical tips to lose weight and keep slim. Tip #1: Put a blue light in your refrigerator. When you get the munchies, food won’t look so appetizing. Tip #2: Eat an apple, a bowl of soup, or a low-cal salad before dinner. Studies show you’ll eat less total calories because you won’t be so hungry when you sit down at the table.
Watch the video to see the rest….

2010-08-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

Your Dating Attitude

Welcome to part 7 of Breaking the Dysfunctional Dating Cycle & Find Love. If you are just joining us for this series, I would highly recommend that you read all the articles. Click here to see the previous articles. For me, getting to a point where I was ready for a life partner was not just a one-step process. There were many things that I did in order to understand and get through old habits and patterns. If you are serious about wanting to get into a relationship, then reading the previous posts will be extremely beneficial.
I run spiritual events for a living, and although I LOVE my work and am very blessed to have found my niche in the world, my personal life was lacking. Most of the attendees for our signature event, Celebrate Your Life, are women and after 15 years I realized that this was not how I was going to meet a man. I am constantly telling all my single male friends that our conferences are a perfect way to meet a conscious, thoughtful, spiritual woman….if that is what they are looking for.
As I shared in my last post, I turned to an internet dating site and was successful. This is by no means a perfect solution for finding a partner, but it was perfect for me. I did it with caution and an open mind. I went on those 20 minute coffee dates open to possibilities and very often disappointed. I realized after awhile that attitude was everything.
I knew in the bottom of my heart that there was someone out there for me. Of course the negative thinking would creep in, and I would just choose to change my mind and not allow myself to go down the path of depression and destruction. It can be extremely disheartening for those of us who have dated and dated and not found someone; however, keeping a good attitude is key.
There is a wonderful book called, Evolve Your Brain by Dr. Jo e Dispenza, that spells out very clearly what happens physiologically when we allow ourselves to do that downward spiral into negative thinking. Dr. Joe’s work was instrumental in my process to change old habits. His work makes so much sense! It’s all about changing your thinking. It sounds simple and yet can be complex. His book can offer you a much better explanation of how and why this works. I highly recommend Dr. Joe’s book!
After attending his workshops and talking with him, I learned an extremely valuable exercise. I began writing down all the thoughts, feelings and actions that do not serve me. Then I wrote all the thoughts, feelings and actions that DO serve me. The feelings and actions came from the thoughts that either did or did not serve me. For instance, using dating as an example, if I had the negative thought that I was never going to find someone, perhaps my feeling would be sadness, depression. Then based on my feelings, I would perhaps stay home, not pursue any social contacts or sit and do nothing. On the other hand, if I had the thought that there was definitely someone out there for me, then I might feel happy, excited, hopeful, and based on this feeling, my action might be going out, fixing myself up and taking myself to dinner, being brave and putting myself out there more.
In order to do this exercise, you will need to use your imagination. After you write down all the aforementioned items, sit quietly and imagine yourself in the most difficult position based on the thoughts, feelings and actions that do not serve you, and see yourself very clearly going through that difficult situation with ease and confidence. Be the strong, beautiful beam of light that you know yourself to be! Then, as you go through your day, when you have a thought that does not serve you, immediately change that to one of the thoughts that DO serve you.
I did this exercise every morning and the difference was palpable. I was completely amazed at the changes I was making naturally. It was not forced and came from the positive part of my being and not the negative. In other words, I did not have to think about changing my behavior it happened organically due to the exercises I had consistently been doing.
Once again, Dr. Joe’s work was instrumental for me. It helped to take all those unconscious negative behaviors and patterns and shifted them into something more productive and useful for my life. I love the results. I feel stronger and more confident.

Make Your Kitchen Squeaky Green – Book Giveaway!

2010-08-12T19:07:00.001-07:00

Sooner or later, everybody’s gotta eat. Which is why the kitchen, more than any other room, is the heart of the home. You could argue that the kitchen is the new living room — it’s even OK to have a couch there now.
Because it’s the most popular room, the kitchen is ground zero for a healthy home. Yet the way we use it is full of contradictions. While we store, prepare, and eat food here (when we’re not eating on that couch), we also store, heat, and re-heat food in some of the scariest chemicals around. We’re conscious about buying organic to keep pesticides out of our bodies, yet we’re spraying pesticides (in the form of certain cleaning agents) all over the kitchen. And we freak out about dropping food on the floor (unless you’re a proponent of the five-second rule), but we clean that very floor with chemicals that kill things.
There are probably more dirty little secrets in this room than any other. That, combined with all the contradictions mentioned above, can only lead to one conclusion — your kitchen needs therapy. It has issues. This will help resolve them.
The Dirty List: The Kitchen
This is the nasty stuff that you should be eliminating from your life, if you follow all of our tips and suggestions.

Antibacterial soap, a registered pesticide: Antibacterial soap and cleaners are registered pesticides and can do more harm than good since they don’t actually kill viruses.
Solution: trust non-antibacterial products to get the job done and keep you healthy.
Microwaving plastic radiates petroleum: Microwaving plastic with food means you are essentially radiating a petroleum product that can leach into your food.
Solution: only microwave food in ceramic or glassware.
Nonstick coatings can get into your blood: Nonstick coatings may contain a contentious chemical that can leach into food and has been found in human blood.
Solution: switch to silicone bakeware, cast iron, or, if you just use nonstick coated cookware, cook on medium or lower heat, and dispose of it if it becomes scratched — scratches make them much more dangerous.
Dishwasher detergent is loaded with phosphates: Traditional automatic dishwasher detergent is loaded with phosphates and other chemicals that can leave residue on your plates, glasses, and silverware, as well as release toxic fumes.
Solution: use only nontoxic dish detergents that pledge to contain no phosphates.
Paper towels are full of plastic: Paper towels are not actually made from just paper. Many use a plastic binder that has been bleached and can survive centuries in a landfill.
Solution: go to reusable microfiber towels and 100 percent natural non-bleached paper towels when necessary.
Floor cleaners leave residue of chemicals: Traditional floor cleaners can leave residue of harsh chemicals, including 2-butoxyethanol and methoxyethoxy ethanol, which are health hazards.
Solution: before your kid or pet takes another bite off the floor, ditch the 1950s mop and bucket and go to a microfiber mop with non-toxic cleaning solution.