Everything you want to know about organics is in this short videol!

If you're wondering why organics, the answer is here. 


If you're wondering why local,  the answer is here.  


If you're wondering which foods should be the organic version, the answer is here.  

http://on.fb.me/zOCyMW

Everything I've learned about avoiding colds and flu

I've been on a mission to uncover what causes and how to prevent  the common cold or the flu. The reason for this quest is that from January 2010 to July 2011,   I was "sick" every 60 to 90 days from some annoying form of an upper respiratory infection.  This was never typical for me and p.s., starting January 2010 I began a new chapter in my life.  This new chapter included a new dream career as a fitness trainer which started to really take off toward the end of 2010. My diet and exercise regime as a result was kicked up a few notches since I was now devoted to being the best I could be.  Why now would I be coming down every other month or so with a cold or the flu?? After a couple of conversations with my ENT doctor and doing my own research I began to make a few changes in my everyday routine and tried not to analyze too much about the WHY.  Here's what I've learned.

• Wash your hands frequently.  I carry hand sanitizer (soap and hot water is preferable but not always practical) in my bag and will use it after I've handled a menu (touched by staff, other customers and seldom cleaned); I use it when I leave the gym, the grocery store, anyplace that I can't avoid touching items and surfaces after numerous other people. 
• Avoid touching your face.  Nose, mouth, eyes, etc.  
• Remember when Grandma avoided a draft at all cost?  I do. Rest in Peace Nonnie. A hundred years ago, doctors would have said that a chill clearly leads to infection.  Today, we're not as exposed to the elements as we were 100  years ago and most of us have a centrally heated home to take shelter in so while that risk has been diminished, recent research says the chill-cold connection is still a factor. Here's why, many of us carry around a subclinical cold infection and that chilling the feet (or any other body part) opens the door for it to become a full blown cold. So stay warm!
• Avoid sugar and simple carbs as they can lower your immune function.
• Eat plenty of antioxidant and antibacterial rich fruits, vegetables AND spices, like cranberries, blueberries, cinnamon, tumeric, oregano, garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, chocolate and red wine!
• 
• Sleep! Get your 7 to 8 hours of rest each night.

Flu season is the end of November through April.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Be Bold and Don't Worry

Most of my posts are based on a favorite topic that I have then researched using several sources.  Today's post was the reverse. I saw the below article from a source that I read daily.  Every word is worth repeating straight from the source's mouth!

VICTORIA COLLIGAN

Founder & CEO

victoria@ladieswholaunch.com

Be Bold and Don't Worry

I was out socially with a group of very successful entrepreneurs. I raised the subject of “modeling”, in the context of role-modeling success after others. Specifically I wanted to know who they had modeled themselves after to achieve their goals. To my surprise, they expressed in unison that their success was largely based on NOT modeling themselves after anyone, but rather on making creative, “out of the box” choices based on their own intuition.

Pushing them further, I asked them to remember books of famous entrepreneurs they may have read or historical figures they may have turned to. They went on to explain that it was not that they discounted these stories and figures, but rather that ultimately it was their ability to be bold in the process of launching that ultimately led to their success. Additionally, they agreed that it was only when they stopped incessantly worrying about whether they would be successful or not, that they finally achieved their goals. My tip for today is simple:



“Be bold and Don’t worry.”

Feeling Blue?

How do you shift your mood from negative to positive? You may have learned to put on your game face, when inside you're feeling blue. Even though you may be good at that,  probably deep down you really just want to shift your mood.  There are some tried and true strategies for us to keep in our arsenal so that we can shift our mood when needed.  Feeling optimistic and positive about life and the world is important in creating success in your life.

Let's start with what NOT to do:

• Complain - this turns you into a victim and turns solution thinking into powerless thinking.  Just don't do it.
• Gossip - saying negative things about others that you wouldn't say to their face reflects poorly on you.
• Yell - yelling is a symptom of anger and fear so force yourself to lower your voice and regain control.
• Over-indulge - eating, drinking, or drugs only provide a temporary escape not a solution to a problem.

Ok, on a more positive note, here's what YOU CAN DO to shift your mood:

• Smile - experts say that even the gesture of smiling and curving your mouth up can shift your mood!
• Move - get some exercise to release serotonin.
• Write - journaling moves out the busyness of your mind chatter, providing serenity and inner calm.
• Sing -  just sing 
• Dance - dance is a proven antidepressant. Studies show dance boosts happiness and benefits overall health. Don't wait to feel good to dance.  Dance to feel good!! 
• Breath deeply - Oxygenating your lungs and your body is calming, improves the detoxification process, relieves anxiety, and lowers blood pressure 
• Create - research has shown that being creative alters us by improving our mood, self esteem and socialization. 

End of Season Sale!

On organic cherries!  $1.99 per pound at DeKalb Farmer's Market.  Previously $4.99 per pound.   I may have gone overboard on the amount I purchased today but Hey! I hear they freeze well.

Here are seven good reasons to eat cherries:

Great anti-inflammatory! One of nature's most powerful anti-inflammatories, which means they're beneficial for many different conditions (inflammation is a hallmark of most disease from colds to cancer).

Arthritis Benefits! Due to their, you guessed it, anti-inflammatory properties.

Heart Health! Lowers inflammation, body fat, and cholesterol.

Cancer Protection! Due to their high level of an antioxidant called cyanidin. Cyanidin is an important free radical scavenger that promotes cellular differentiation, an important process in the body's fight against cancerous cells.

Memory Booster! Anthocyanin has also been shown to improve memory.

High in Beta Carotene! Cherries contain 19 times more beta carotene that blueberries or strawberries!!!!!

Sleep Aid! Cherries contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body's sleep cycles.

Good News Bad News

I have been posting very infrequently as of late.  I'm always encouraged when I speak with someone who mentions reading my posts and then feel bad that I haven't been posting every day or even every week.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that since starting my fitness business and my blog in May of last year my business and client list has grown tremendously.  That means I'm spending more time with clients and less time at my computer.  But I love researching and posting about health and fitness topics so I am not giving up my blog! Just slowing down.

Here are 4 simple diet tips to stay healthy and keep Father Time from gaining a foothold.



Eat Healthy Fats!


They help prevent memory loss (among other things - like youthful, dewy skin). It's the Omega-3 fatty acids that are the brain's building blocks.  Without them your brain becomes weak, and brain function (memory) suffers. Here's the recipe for getting enough Omega-3's:

• Eat 3 1/2 ounces of wild salmon plus 3 1/2 ouces halibut, herring or sardines each week
• Add 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed to cereal,  or shakes daily
• Garnish your salad with 1 tablespoon of walnuts
• Have 9 to 12 almonds 4 times a week
• Cook with olive oil
• Reduce your consumption of refined and processed foods 

Eat Whole Foods!

The opposite of whole foods is processed food (food that comes in a bag, box or obtained from a drive thru window).  Packaged foods are high in sodium which increases blood pressure while fresh fruits and vegetables lower blood pressure.  In addition to packaged, high sodium foods increasing blood pressure they also lower your body's potassium (potassium also lowers blood pressure).  The combination of a high sodium diet and too little potassium in your diet increases the toxic effects of excessive salt intake. This double whammy is worsened when the kidneys try to flush out the salt causing you to lose even more potassium. All this imbalance damages blood vessels and drives up blood pressure.

The fix:

• Limit sodium consumption to 1,500 mg per day and eat seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 

Eat Animal Protein!

It's full of B-12, which is essential for energy, helps regulate your metabolism, energy production and helps maintain a healthy brain and nervous system. 

The recipe:

• Have two servings of fat free milk or nonfat yogurt or other nonfat dairy products
• Have 3 or 4 ounces of lean protein daily. Fish, clams, oysters, beef, pork, chicken are all good sources of B12

Take a "Bio-available" Multi Vitamin!

You won't be able to get enough of certain vitamin and minerals from food alone.  Examples are manganese and copper. These help prevent joint pain by maintaining joint cartilage and flexibility.  Beef, nuts and spinach are good sources but again you'd have a hard time eating enough of these foods to get all you need.

Healthy Diet equals Healthy Skin

I was on line trying to determine which night cream to buy next.  I want one with hyaluronic acid, some retinol would be good too.  Finding the perfect, least expensive moisturizer has been a quest for quite a few years. I've tried many otc creams and also have used prescribed Retin A for many years. But the quest never ends.  So while looking for something that matches all of my criteria I came across an article in Everyday Health "The Healthy Diet-Healthy Skin Link".  If you believe you are what you eat then you might also believe that the skin is the window to the entire body.   Makes sense.  Healthy skin is basically avoiding the foods (saturated fats, processed foods) we know are bad for us and eating the foods we know keep us healthy.  But let's drill down to a few specific foods that promote glowing, healthy skin:

Blueberries show up in most eating healthy articles.  They are rich in vitamin C providing the antioxidants that help fight the signs of aging skin.

Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon. While you want to cut fat from your diet you need some fat. Without it your skin will suffer.

Whole Wheat breads and pasta are smart food for the skin. They are the healthy alternative to refined white bread or pasta that create a spike in your insulin which is not good for the skin.  The fiber in whole grains promotes healthy digestion. Digestive problems is reflected in unhealthy skin.

Water! Of course. There are molecules in the skin that actually bind water and "plumps" the skin.  Dehydration provides the reverse affect.  Sugary beverages aren't the same as they can cause insulin levels to rise and then fall dramatically.

Green Tea is my morning beverage of choice. You get a double whammy with green tea as it provides antioxidants which fight the effects of aging and it also keeps you hydrated. Anytime is a good time for a cup of health giving green tea

Low Fat Yogurt made the list for it's "healthy" bacteria which are beneficial for digestive health.  Digestive health can improve skin conditions such as rosacea or skin inflammation.

Sweet Potatoes give you a healthy dose of vitamin A (retin "A").  Vitamin A reduces wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Broccoli and other green vegetables help fight fine lines. The richer the color of veggies and fruits, the more likely they are to contain the nutrients you need for a healthier diet.  Broccoli provides more vitamin A and C,  and both of these vitamins help fight fine lines and wrinkes.

Avocados are almost perfect for enhancing your skin.  They have the healthy fats, vitamins A and C, and fiber.

Vitamin D slows skin aging.  It isn't found in abundance in the diet but you REALLY need it for healthy skin (not to mention it helps your body absorb calcium to keep bones strong!) You can usually get enough through sun exposure but healthy skin and sun exposure seem like a huge oxymoron! "Synthetic" Vitamin D may be toxic. Synthetic vitamins are difficult for your body to absorb and end up being stored in fat.  Bioavailable D3 and other vitamins can be found on  drmercola.com or defensenutrition.com.  I trust both of these whole and bioavailable products.