May 2010

Do you know how to keep your arteries in shape? (or to prevent them from hardening)

On your next grocery shopping trip make sure you pick up: ONIONS, CELERY and PARSLEY. (also: kale, leeks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, blueberries, tea and red wine)

You can ad them to soups, sandwiches, salads, make relishes, etc. They are rich in flavonoids (naturally occurring plant compounds, that are widely known for their disease-fighting antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties) and as a result you will cut the risk of hardening your arteries (mostly in the legs).

View the Health Tips Archive: Here

April 2010

SPRING IS IN THE AIR and it is TIME to RECLAIM your WAISTLINE.

Read about the "magical" drink may just help you to do that:

Do you wish your waistline was smaller?

Than this is a good time to turn on the kettle and pour yourself a cup of white tea.

It is made from the buds and early leaves of the same plants as green and black teas. Because white tea is less processed than green, or black tea, it has more of certain active compounds. In a lab study, human fat cells treated with white tea extract accumulated significantly less fat. In fact, the white tea extract reduced the incorporation of fat by as much as 70 percent! The tea also seemed to stimulate the breakdown of fat from mature cells. Of course more human studies will be needed to confirm it. In the meantime, I can't see any harm in trying it. Enjoy and Good Luck!

March 2010

DID YOU KNOW?

If you have a high cholesterol level problem, there is a bean, may just help you to lower it.

Research shows that CHICKPEAS, a.k.a. GARBANZOS could go a long way toward improving your cholesterol profile, or you may just try the creamy version of it: HUMMUS.

In a small study, people who ate roughly 25 ounces of chickpeas per week for 12 weeks showed an improvement in their total cholesterol levels compared with when they ate a chickpea-free diet for 4 weeks. Researchers think the fiber, protein, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in chickpeas should probably get the credit for the cholesterol improvements. And that's not all: Participants' insulin levels also improved, and they lost a small amount of weight -- without dieting or exercising. All good reasons to fall in love with this legume!

If the cold, winter weather helped you to put a few extra pounds on around your belly, here is help for you:

Foods That Fight Belly Fat,

Have you heard of FLAVONOIDS?

According to a 14 year old study: They are anti-oxidants to be found in fruits, vegetables, chocolates, tea and wine. Consuming these food items may help to improve the body's metabolic profile, therefore help to curb the belly bulge.

I hope this is a useful tip for you.

GOOD LUCK!

Have a Happy and Healthy Day!

Have you made your New YEAR's resolution? Is it to lose weight and become healthier?

If so, here is a little help for you: Budget your food as you do your money.

Count your calories.

A rough guideline for daily caloric intake:

Method 1: Figure out your present average daily calorie intake. In order to lose approx. 2 Pounds/week, reduce this amount by 1000 (daily), a total of 7000/week. (Explanation: 3500 Cal = 1 Pound, therefore 7000 Cal = 2 Pounds. Divide by the number of days/week:7)

Method 2: Multiply your ideal body weight by 10 (i.e., 140 pounds = 1,400 calories) and then add another 600 calories if you're moderately active, a few hundred more if you're very active.

Since our metabolism is very individual and different, I prefer the first method. Having said that, I leave it to you to make your choice. The bottom line is for you to be able to accomplish the result you are looking for. Remember, it took a while to pile on the pounds, don't expect them to disappear in minutes...... The slower you reach your goal weight, the easier it is going to be to maintain it.

Good luck!

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!

The subject of Protein came up in this morning's exercise class. That prompted me to do some research, just exactly how much Protein intake we need on daily basis? I found this very informative article and interview from 2006 and I like to share it with all of you.

Enjoy!

Protein 101: How much do you need?

Do you get enough? Or enough of the right kinds? Madelyn Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center offers a basic lesson in proteins.

MSNBC - Interview/Article

Pumpkin carving on your autumn agenda?

Don't forget to roast up the seeds for a heart-healthy treat.

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of a healthy fat called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a precursor of omega-3 fatty acids.This fat improves blood vessel health, reduces tissue-damaging inflammation, and has positive effects on blood fats. Before roasting, toss the seeds with a tiny bit of olive oil and, if you like to add extra flavor, sprinkle with few spices, such as, cayenne pepper,lemon pepper, or garlic.

ENJOY!

Dr. Oz on Complementary Medicine: 'Challenge the Status-Quo'

Renowned Surgeon on the Healing Power of Song, Aromatherapy, Meditation and More

By LANA ZAK

Aug. 31, 2009

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a world famous heart surgeon, is advocating another type of medicine that does not require a scalpel: complementary medicine. Complementary medicine explores treatments that do not require surgery.

Oz believes that we are only beginning to understand what contributes to healing and wants all of us to expand our definition of health care.

At New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center, every patient recovering from heart surgery is offered massage therapy and cranial touch therapy thanks to Oz's advocacy. The goal is to stimulate the flow of energy in hopes that something from Eastern medicine can make a difference in the West.

"I think that we're beginning to globalize medicine now," Oz said. "You have to take Eastern approaches and bring them to the West, and share West with the East." Music is an essential to how we feel. During surgery Oz listens to high energy songs by Bruce Springsteen, but music isn't only for the doctors. During recovery patients are invited to join in music therapy. While singing "Dream a Little Dream" with recovering patients, Oz explains that singing prompts deeper breathing and healing. "We used to spend hours asking folks to take deep breaths, and this accomplishes that goal," Oz said.

According to Oz "energy medicine" is at the forefront of healing, but he acknowledges that he is sometimes a lone pioneer in this field. "I'm sure people think that I'm out in left field you know, playing by myself," Oz admits. But for this doctor it comes naturally, he is a son of the East and the West, having spent his most of his childhood in Turkey."It's a unique country, because it truly bridges the East and the West," Oz said. "People who believe in integrated medicine and people who believe in high-tech conventional medicine." Dr. Oz on Effective Complementary Treatments

Oz says his childhood not only influenced him to embrace complementary medicine, but the impatience of youth has pushed him forward even in adulthood. Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of "The Dr. Oz Show," appears at the Sony Pictures Television TCA Luncheon on Aug. 7, 2009. Oz took Diane Sawyer inside the operating room to watch open heart surgery. "I think in many ways, that's probably one of the reasons that I've been successful as a surgeon," he said. "I was so impatient, I didn't want to wait for someone else to figure out how to fix the problems I was trying to address, so I would just create the inventions myself." "In academic medicine, the reason we stay here is to be able to push the barriers of modern thought," Oz explained.

Oz points out that many procedures were once experimental, including his own work with LVAD machines – a type of mechanical heart pump. "When we first started doing these procedures, which have become fairly mainstream now, they were called a Dracula of modern medical technology," Oz said. "These have become the norm." Oz applies that thinking to complementary medicine too. "I really think it would be cowardly to pull back and not challenge the status quo, when the status quo may not be the right way for the field to go," Oz said.

On "GMA," Oz shared some tips for combining conventional care with some more unconventional methods to achieve all-over mind-body health. Aromatherapy: Oz explained that aromatherapy treatment is the use of essential oils that can help produce a calming effect. He said aromatherapy with oils such as lavender can be used to treat insomnia, which he called "is a litmus test for how well you're coping with life." "Lavender gets absorbed through your skin," he said. "It actually bypasses the surface of your brain…it actually makes you feel viscerally very different." "It's not about getting rid of all of the medications," he added, but rather about reducing them.

Meditation: Meditating can be effective as a complementary treatment for those suffering from things like depression or hypertension. "Medications almost always do it better if they're used in conjunction with other supports," he said. Complementary medicine will be one of the focuses of "The Dr. Oz Show," which premieres on Sept. 14, 2009.

ABCNews.com's Katie Escherich and Kate McCarthy contributed to this report.

Now that finally our summer has arrived, and it is time to show a little bit more body, we really like to look our best.

Here is your short list on how to make your body burn more calories and lose those last few pounds....(forgive me, if you don't need to do that)

1. Stay with the same amount of time you normally exercise for, (try to maintain at least 30 minutes without stopping), but increase your speed, and/or intensity within the same time range.

2. Work on gaining strength related exercises also, because the more muscle mass you have, the leaner your body becomes, and therefore you will burn more calories.

3. Having said all that, don't forget your proper stretches before and after exercising to help you gain more flexibility (and therefore perform your exercises better) and for safety, to prevent injuries.

Here are a few samples of a typical calorie burning chart, bearing in mind that everyone has a different Metabolic Burning rate:

The benefits of a cool wedge of watermelon on a hot summer day?

Here are just three, great health reasons to enjoy this juicy fruit in season:

1. It's loaded with LYCOPENE. LYPOCENE is a powerful antioxidant. Research suggests that LYCOPENE may be helping to prevent cancer. Other fruits and vegetables containing LYPOCENE are: Tomatoes, Red-paprika, Pink grapefruits, Strawberries, and other red (orange) color fruits and vegetables.

2. Watermelon can be also beneficial for your skin. Watermelon is loaded with a key compound - antioxidant - credited with helping skin's healing and regenerative processes.

3. Watermelon is practically calorie-free. With fewer than 50 calories in every cup, watermelon is one smart way to satisfy a sweet tooth. It also has 141 grams of water per cubed cup to keep you well hydrated, too.

This is the time of the year, when we can really enjoy fresh, preferable locally grown fruits. Enjoy a variety of fruits, mixed in a bowl, such as apples, grapes, strawberries, oranges, and others like mangos and bananas, etc.

We all know that the antioxidants in fruits and veggies work hard to protect your body from aging and disease. But what you may not know is that those antioxidants work even harder when they have the company of other antioxidants. That’s why researchers recommend people eat 5 to 10 servings of a wide variety of different fruits and veggies every day.

I am sure you have heard before - and hopefully doing so - that a comfortable daily, 30 minutes walk will not only enhance your health, but also will help you to stay "younger" and live longer. I am suggesting now, with the hopes of the warmer weather being just around the corner, to take your routine outdoors and a notch higher by including a few spurs of jogging, or power walking too,(For example: try some 1-2 minutes jogging sessions into a long, brisk walk) making this exercise into an "interval training".

This method will help to increase your exercise capacity, an important marker of longevity and will burn more calories too. Listening to an upbeat tune on your IPOD, or MP3 will also help you to keep up the pace. Have a Happy and Healthy Day!

Which of these food or spice items are most likely to help to prevent Cancer?

1. Turmeric

2. Brussel Sprouts

3. Dark Chocolate

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: 4. All of the above.