Thursday, March 26, 2009

All foods in moderation!

Years ago all grocery stores had a butcher behind the counter to tell you about the best cut of meat and where it was from. In most cases it was local. We still have that option if we look around us, ask questions and find a farmer who can give you some tips on the best meat lockers in your area. No need to be concerned about the diseased meats coming in from out of the country when you buy local and you are helping your economy. In both New York and Pennsylvania there are farmers markets available to get fresh fruits and vegetables. Combining these foods gives you more fiber which will help your bodies to properly digest and utilize the proteins that you consume. Eating beef and pork 3-4 meals per week while having poultry and fish the other meals also will keep your system at peek performance. Currently Americans consume on average 106 lbs. of red meat per year compared to only 10-15 lbs. of fish. Find ways you can bring in salmon and mackerel to your meal time. These are great for the brain and help lower cholesterol. Eating a food two or three times will make it familiar to your taste buds so it becomes a food that you will enjoy eating.Remembering that all things in moderation helps you to have a healthy mind and body. Find the closest to God made good whole foods, homemade cookies and treats and plenty of fresh water and your chances for good health is much more likely. Also the younger you are changing to positive eating habits, the faster and more complete your body will heal itself.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Help with sleep disorders

At a shopping mall in Coventry, England, researchers posted colorful signs along the steps of a staircase that said: “Taking the stairs protects your heart.” Over a 6-week period, the number of people who chose to walk up the stairs instead of riding the adjacent escalator more than doubled. The researchers say that every step counts, and that long-term behavior will change only if the signs are seen regularly.
If what we put before our eyes tells us to take a drug to help us sleep that is what we tend to do. If however we challenge ourselves to put into practice those habits that will help us to overcome the stresses and disorders that cause sleep problems we can begin to realize the benefits of a great nights rest!
Now some of those natural remedies are eating celery before going to bed. Drinking sleepy time tea, putting a dot of lavender oil on your pillow, a nice hot bath before bed, taking tryptophan which is the amino acid found in turkey will all help you to get to sleep and stay asleep all night. If you suffer with having to get up frequently to go to the bathroom taking 1000 mg of Ester C an hour or so before bedtime helps to strengthen the bladder and reduce those unwanted trips during the night.
Restless leg syndrome where there is involuntary jerking of the legs can be due to a shortage of B vitamins. Taking a good B-complex can help in that area!
Too much sugar and caffeine can cause incomplete sleep. You may wake up in the morning feeling as though you did not get near enough sleep, even though you may have slept 8 or more hours. MSG and other chemical stimulants can also rob you of much needed rest. Watch the labels on your foods.
Studies have also proven that prayer before bed can relax your mind and body for a complete night of sleep.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Seasonal Affective Dissorder S.A.D.

S.A.D affects millions of Americans, yes it is real, however it is very combat able! When we understand the how's and whys of this foe we can effectively win the battle. The missing link in the equation is the sun. We become deficient in Vitamin D and it can feel like the world is crashing in on us. For some regions in the country it is much worse than others. In the Icelandic regions they have very little sun at times yet much less of a problem with S.A.D. and researchers have found that diets with higher intake of fish could be the answer.
Fish is very high in Vitamin D with Cod liver oil leading the list at 1360 IU per tablespoon. Now if you find that hard to swallow there are gel caps available or the next best thing on the list is salmon at 360 IU for a 3.5 oz portion. mackerel comes in after that with 345 IU and tuna at 200 IU. Milk is down there a ways with 98 IU per 8 oz. glass and ready to eat cereals as 40 IU per 1/2 cup serving. You have to watch what they are using to fortify the milk and cereals with as in some cases they are not absorb able and if they are synthetic you are adding insult to injury. The recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D is 200 IU for new born-50, 400 IU for 51-70 and 70 plus needs 600 IU for optimal health. When we understand the correlation between a lack of sun during the cold and flu season and summer being a time where we tend to be a lot healthier because we are naturally out in the sun, taking Vitamin D supplements during the dreary days will make much more sense.