Striving4Zen

Omega-3 deficiency can have an adverse effect on the mood. The body inefficiently synthesizes DHA, so we need dietary DHA from sources like oily fish. It offers a rich source of omega-3s—especially preformed EPA and DHA, the most neurologically active forms of omega-3s. Awareness of omega-3 benefits is growing; there was a 5% increase in awareness of the importance of omega-3s in brain health (from 17% to 22%) between 2006 and 2007. Omega 3s have been shown to improve the mood of menopausal and perimenopausal women, too, according to a February 2009 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Source

Labels: DHA, EPA, food and mood, mood, Omega-3s, Omega-3s fish oil, study

Abdominal bloating is a very common symptom with a wide variety of causes, from something as simple as gas to something as serious as cancer. The list of common causes is long and includes overeating, gas, constipation, lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, pregnancy, and premenstrual stress syndrome.

There are as many as 413 possible causes for bloating! Most causes are simple and can be treated with dietary or other lifestyle changes like avoiding gas causing foods, eating smaller meals, or recognizing lactose intolerance.

Gas causing foods include beans, dairy, spinach, potatoes, fatty or rich foods, carbonated beverages and many more. For a more complete list, check out the Gas Prevention Diet, which also provides strategies for avoiding the gas inducing culprits. One of the most importantly under recognized conditions in adults is lactose intolerance, which can cause bloating, gas, and/or diarrhea.

Serious causes of bloating are by far less common, but should not be forgotten, especially in cases of long standing bloating that is not improved with simple changes in diet or lifestyle. Serious causes of bloating can include a variety of tumors, parasitic infections, celiac disease (gluten intolerance), and inflammatory bowel disease. Long standing bloating or bloating with other symptoms such as weight loss, weight gain, pain, nausea, or vomiting should certainly raise concern.

Thanks!

Labels: bloating, gas, healthy diet, holistic healing

The thing about sunscreens is, you are damned if you do and damned if you don’t. While protecting the skin from the sun is very important, there are hazards in using chemical and even physical sunscreens - the weight of evidence seems to be that they induce free radicals when subjected to light. Some scientists are starting to search for alternatives such as plant high in flavonoids. Many of these botanicals are being widely used for their antioxidant properties in anti-aging creams.

Ginkgo biloba

More than 40 components isolated from the ginkgo tree have been identified, but only two are believed to be responsible for beneficial effects in humans — flavonoids and terpenoids. Flavonoids (such as quercetin and rutin) have potent antioxidant effects. As an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, ginkgo has an impressive research pedigree. And at least one study has shown that it boosts collagen production. In addition, a study on rats demonstrated that ginkgo protected skin against UVB damage. Extract of gingko biloba goes by the name of EGb 761 in science labs and one test (on mice) prompted the researcher to say that “our results suggest that EGb 761 may have an important effect, both as a protective and therapeutic agent, in sunburn after UVB irradiation.

Silymarin

Silymarin is an extract taken from the milk thistle plant, containing three flavonoid components: silybin (silibinin), silydianin, and silychristine. A 2007 study by the Palacký University showed that topical application of Silymarin prevented oxidative stress caused by exposure to UVA light. Another study in 2008, which looked at the causes of UV induced stress, found that CD11b cells are responsible for many of the problems caused by UVB exposure. Applying Silymarin before or after UV light exposure greatly reduced their negative effects. Dermatologists experimented with mice under UV irradiation with or without topical treatment with Silymarin. After 48 hours, it was found that the damage to skin cells in silymarin-protected cases were a negligable 0.4%, in comparison with the unprotected skin (31.8%). A Chinese study claims that “silymarin pre-treatment reversed the effect of UV irradiation.” Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Alabama have shown that silymarin inhibits UVB-induced photocarcinogenesis in mice.

Pomegranate

Dr Murad is a pomegranate-ofile. After a small trial (on eight people), he concluded that adding pomegranate extract boosts the SPF of sunscreen formula by 20% and an oral supplement provides an additional 25% improvement in the SPF. Meanwhile, a University of Texas team found that the extract reversed UV-induced up-regulation of collagenases, specifically matrix metalloproteinases MMP1 and MMP13. The active in pomegranates is ellagic acid. In one study, it not only inhibited sunburn in young women, but also created subjective improvements by the subjects in their own complexions. Ellagic acid has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on slight pigmentation in human skin caused by UV irradiation. This is backed up by additional research that suggests pomegranates can be used to protect against UVA and UVB rays.

Polypodium leucotomos

This American fern, supposedly used by native Indians, is particularly promising as a sunscreen in pill form. Studies so far have been small, but they suggest that polypodium leucotomos can significantly reduce sunburn severity, may help prevent skin aging and decrease the risk of cancer from UV radiation. In a test on nine people with oral administration of PL, there were less sunburn cells and a trend toward Langerhans cell preservation was seen. The researchers concluded that it gave significant protection of skin against UV radiation. Sun protection pills are marketed as Fernblock and Heliocare.

Prunus Persica

A peach to you and me. According to a Hong Kong study, peach extract protects against UVB rays. Meanwhile, over in Korea, researchers found that extract of peach flowers inhibited UVB-induced lipid peroxidation, although they tentatively concluded that this might be due to antioxidant properties. A Czech study singles out peach for inhibiting UVB/UVC DNA damage and lipid peroxidation due the high concentration of phenolics.

Moldavian dragonhead and viola tricolor

An Iranian study looked at 16 botanicals, including peach, to study their efficacy against UV radiation. The two that most excited researchers were moldavian dragonhead and viola tricolor (heartsease). The first contains high amounts of phenolic acids, while the viola has a very high concentration of rutins. In the opinion of the researchers, this makes them both potential candidates for topical sunscreens.

SOURCE

Labels: ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, silymarin

From June through August, Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers will be open on Sundays from 1PM to 3:50PM. The cost is only $10, including skate rental.

After about 45 minutes, a 125-pound woman will torch close to 320 calories. (Calculate according to your own weight here.) If you're steady on your skates, bend your knees (à la a squat) to help tone your legs.

Sky Rink, Pier 61, 20^th St. and West Side

Great Tip!

Labels: activities, exercise, fun, ice skating, NYC, staying cool

Even beauty brands are taking on “inner beauty” lately.

A growing number of companies have started to explore “nutraceuticals” - water that will clear up your acne, supplements for supermodel-shiny hair - even Henri Bendel is jumping on the bandwagon. They’ve just unveiled a sleek new space to showcase their exclusive partnership with the upscale supplement brand FunctionaLab.

FunctionaLab launched with hundreds of lab-tested and health-concern specific nutritional supplements. From customized programs to antioxidant-boosted elixirs, all are aimed at enhancing outer beauty through inner health.

The space is manned by licensed dietitians who walk you through a 10-minute lifestyle questionnaire aimed at identifying what specific parts of your diet are lacking and what areas of your health and wellness you want to improve.

—MEGAN MCINTYRE

Labels: beauty, cool new product, FunctionaLab, Henri Bendel, Holistic Health, NYC, personal care, supplements

A Food and Drug Administration report released yesterday recommends stronger warnings and dose limits on drugs containing the painkiller acetaminophen, citing an increased risk of liver injury.

The recommendation covers both prescription doses and over-the-counter medication, of which Johnson & Johnson's Tylenol is the most well known.

Source

Labels: acetaminophen, FDA, medication, pills, tylenol, warning

First off, oxybenzone is an organic chemical used in sunscreens to filter UV rays and is a penetration enhancer, helping other chemicals penetrate the skin. Last Spring the CDC released a study that 97% of Americans had oxybenzone in their blood. This widely used ingredient has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage. Aside from sunscreen, this chemical is used in moisturizers, lip balms, and lip sticks.

Since oxybenzone in an ingredients in well over 600 sunscreens, it can be a challenge to find ones that don't contain it. Here are a few options:

• Natural Sun SPF 25 Sunscreen for Active Lifestyles by Aubrey Organics ($8.50/4 oz.): It is a broad spectrum sunscreen and although the label doesn't say it is water- or sweatproof, it is the brand's sunscreen for water activities.
• Oat Protein Sunscreen SPF 30 by Kiss My Face ($13/4 oz.): Water-resistant and broad spectrum, this sunscreen uses the mineral titanium dioxide to block the sun's rays.
• SPF 30 Sunscreen by Vanicream ($15/4 oz): This sunscreen is non-comedogenic, meaning it won't block your pores or cause blackheads. It is a broad spectrum sunscreen that contains titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

It pays to read sunscreen labels and look for ones that use minerals to block the sun's rays, like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. It can be difficult to find a sunscreen that is both non-comedogenic and waterproof. It might be well worth your money to invest in a sunscreen for just your face that covers both the requirements, and use a less expensive sunblock for the rest of your body. Do wear a protective hat that wicks when you're outside and active.

Source

Labels: oxybenzone, personal care, sunscreen, sunshine, toxins

No more tears, but something more harmful lurks inside?

That's what the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics would lead you to believe. The coalition of health, environmental, and consumer groups — armed with a letter signed by nearly 50 groups totaling some 1.7 million members — approached Johnson & Johnson to ask that the company reformulate its products to be free of chemicals suspected of causing cancer.

The substances in question are 1,4-dioxane (a byproduct of the manufacturing process) the preservative formaldehyde, which is slowly released by a chemical called Quaternium-15, both probable human carcinogens . . . and both found in the much-loved Johnson's Baby Shampoo, marketed as the "number-one choice of hospitals."

According to a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson:

The trace levels of certain compounds that were noted by the Campaign For Safe Cosmetics can result from processes that make our products gentle for babies and safe from bacteria growth. Many regulatory agencies around the world consider these trace levels safe.

The quantity in question in the baby shampoo is 210 parts per million of formaldehyde and a "low level" of 1,4-dioxane, amounts thought to be absorbed by the skin. But if the two chemicals were food additives, they'd have to be tested before being sold to prove they didn't contain dangerous chemicals . . . and these two would fail. Since the FDA is not involved in cosmetic product regulation, the point is (somewhat) lost but shocking nonetheless.

SOURCE

Labels: 1.4-dioxane, chemicals, FDA, formaldehyde, health and safety, Johnson's Baby Shampoo, personal care, toxic

Happy Baby, the Brooklyn-based fresh-frozen organic food company, has introduced the first organic puffs, Happy Baby Puffs ($4). The 100% natural goodies have half the sugar of existing brands and are made from whole grains, real fruits and real vegetables fortified with calcium and vitamins B and D.

The quick-to-dissolve munchies come in three flavors – Apple, Banana and Greens – that will have tots and their parents reaching for the eco-friendly containers. These containers are made from redundant materials from lilsugar favorite Method created from BPA-free, 25% post-consumer recycled materials. And for those who want their food purchases to do even more, each Happy Baby purchase is linked to a donation to Project Peanut Butter to feed malnourished children.

Great Find!

Labels: BPA, cool new product, Happy Baby, healthy snacks, organic food

The only things as important as eating the right foods for brain health are limiting your toxic exposure and enhancing your detoxification system.

Avoid Brain-Damaging Foods

The list of brain-damaging foods you need to avoid is short:

1. Processed, refined carbohydrates and sugar
2. High-fructose corn syrup
3. Toxic fats—especially trans fats
4. Food additives and preservatives
5. Alcohol
6. Caffeine
7. Food allergens (the two most common are gluten and dairy)

Eat Detoxifying Foods

If you want to enhance your detoxification and develop an UltraMind, you need more glutathione, a sulfur-like substance that transports toxins out of your body via your urine and stool. To naturally increase your glutathione, increase your intake of the following foods:

• Cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, collards, kale, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, arugula, radish, wasabi, watercress, kohlrabi, mustard greens, rutabaga, turnips)—at least one to two cups, cooked, daily
• Curcuminoids (turmeric, curry)
• Garlic (a few cloves a day)
• Green tea, one to two cups a day (boosts liver detoxification)
• High-quality, sulfur-containing protein (eggs, garlic, onions)

Take Vitamin D3

In addition to what is in your multivitamin, you should take vitamin D3 because it is significantly deficient in so many people.

Reduce Your Heavy Metal Exposure

Heavy metals are some of the most toxic chemicals in our environment. The two biggest culprits are lead (from lead paint, leaded gas, and coal-burning factories) and mercury (from dental fillings, vaccinations, and industrial pollutants).

Avoid Environmental Petrochemicals

Limit your exposure by doing the following:

• Do not dry clean your clothes.
• Avoid the use of garden chemicals.
• Buy furniture that has been built without the use of formaldehyde or other preservative agents.
• Eliminate your exposure to secondhand smoke and car exhaust.

Source

Labels: brain, cruciferous vegetables, detox, detoxify, Dr. Mark Hyman, formaldehyde, garlic, lead, living holistically, mercury, toxins

The "once you pop, you can't stop" Pringles campaign seemed kind of cute, but the catch phrase actually embodied truth in advertising. Former FDA commissioner David A. Kessler says some foods are scientifically engineered with particular combinations of salt, sugar, and fat that ultimately take you to your "bliss point" and keep you reaching for more.

The appetite is manipulated by these flavor combinations and your willpower doesn't stand much of a chance after you've had a taste. The brain's pleasure system is shot into nirvana, and then you crave to relive that moment of pleasure by eating the same junk food. But that doesn't mean you're powerless — knowing what foods trigger your bliss point will enable you to avoid them, and ultimately those cravings should vanish.

In his book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite, Kessler identifies some of the most blissful (and offensive) menu items.

Classically comforting dishes like cheese fries, buffalo wings, chicken tenders, spinach dip, and potato skins, are all designed so you want to devour the entire plate. If moderation just isn't an option when you're presented with these foods, skip the order altogether and find a creative swap instead.

For example, satisfy your desire for potato skins by ordering a healthy baked potato instead. Top it with salsa or broccoli and go light on the cheese, butter, and sour cream for a nutritious and delicious substitute. You should notice your cravings subside the more you forgo those tricky foods that entice you to keep eating.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: bliss point, cravings, David A. Kessler, eating healthy, FDA, junk food, new book

Interval training is short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by longer periods of lighter exercise. We called wind sprints in high school, or what the Swedes call fartlek or “speed play.” While interval training was designed for maximizing performance in professional athletes, the average person can greatly benefit from it as well.

If you're over 30 years old, you should have a complete physical exam before starting an interval training program.

Benefits of Interval Training

• Improves overall fitness level or the ability to utilize oxygen. The more oxygen we use, the more calories we burn
• Increases post-exercise fat burning, and calorie expenditure even at rest or sleep
• Lets you exercise for less time while achieving greater fitness, weight loss, and brain health benefits.
• Naturally increases levels of brain-function-enhancing chemicals in your body.
• Improves insulin function, which promotes fat burning, muscle building and optimal brain function.

Source

Labels: exercise, fartlek, interval training

Did you know that shiitake mushrooms have been used medicinally by the Chinese and Japanese for thousands of years?

Today, we understand more about some of the reasons why. Shiitake mushrooms contain unique phytonutrients including lentinan and eritadenine. Among lentinan's many health benefits is its ability to boost the immune system, strengthening its ability to fight infection and disease. Lentinan provides anti-cancer protection by attracting immune cells that fragment and destroy cancer cells, and has also been shown to be more effective than prescription drugs when it comes to fighting influenza and other viruses. Eritadenine has been found to lower cholesterol levels, regardless of the type of fat in the diet. Preliminary animal research also suggests that it may help prevent the development of atherosclerotic plaques on arterial walls.

Shiitake mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. They make a great addition to stir-fried vegetables seasoned with ginger and soy sauce. If you are not familiar with the wonderful smoky flavor and meaty texture of shiitake mushrooms, try an easy to prepare recipe using shiitake mushrooms.

Read More ...

Labels: eating healthy, healing with food, healthy food, mushrooms, phytonutrients, shiitake mushrooms, Traditional Chinese Medicine

After launching its successful Message on a Mirror initiative to give beauty junkies a chance to lash out at the FDA for not banning certain harmful ingredients often found in cosmetics, Best in Beauty is at it again.

This time, the advocacy group has come up with a mnemonic device to help you remember which ingredients in your personal care products should send up red flags: “Pretty Products For Healthy People Minus Many Lousy Chemical Substances,” which translates to Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Formaldehyde, Hydroquinone, Petroleum, Mercury, Mineral Oil, Lead, Colorants, and Sodium Laurel Sulfate, respectively. Yeah, it’s a little long-winded, but we’re guessing that mathematics’ “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally” took a little while to catch on, too. Give it time.

Source

Labels: beauty, Best in Beauty, mineral oil, personal care, phthalates, propylene glycol, skin care, toxins

The Laundry, a Milwaukee-based laundering service, has been making its Finest Laundry Powder ($24.95), an organic, biodegradable, additive-free, dye-free, and bleach-free detergent, for over 50 years.

The powder works with all washing machines, and with everything from fine knits to towels to tough denim. Beyond that, its packaging is environmentally conscious as well: order its sturdy reusable container with scoop once, and then follow up with plastic bag refills.

Source

Labels: cool new product, detergent, living holistically, organic, The Laundry

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that can greatly reduce and relieve pain, bruising, and inflammation if used immediately after a wide range of traumas. It comes in a variety of forms from topical creams to heal and soothe your injuries from outside in, and pills to heal you from the inside out.

The Arnica Bump Stick is in a handy go-anywhere container - keep it in your purse or first aid kit.

You can also buy Arnica oil which is great for soothing sore muscles - use it for massages.

There's also Arnica ointment, gel, or lotion if you have a bigger area that's hurt - you can rub it all over.

Arnica also comes in pill form which is great to take before surgery since it can help relieve pain and reduce swelling and bruising.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: arnica, holistic healing, Holistic Health, homeopathic, pain

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA.

Our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment.

Featuring interviews with such experts as Eric Schlosser Fast Food Nation, Michael Pollan The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto along with forward thinking social entrepreneurs like Stonyfield's Gary Hirshberg and Polyface Farms' Joel Salatin, Food, Inc. reveals surprising-and often shocking truths-about what we eat, how it's produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.

Source

Labels: Fast Food Nation, FDA, food, Inc., Michael Pollan, organic food, Robert Kenner, Stonyfield

A new study finally proves what an old Russian taxi driver once told me: Soda makes you weaker. (Seems the ingredients in your typical cola actually disturb the potassium levels in your blood, and can weaken muscles.) This is, of course, why alt beverages are big these days, and especially trendy probiotic drinks like Kombucha, a fermented tea that's got all the fizz of a soda but actually shows some health benefits. Kombucha helps the good bacteria in your gut to thrive, improving digestion, and may also help to relieve joint or muscle pain.

Try making your own. The following may seem a bit like a high school biology class, but it's easy to do, gives excellent results, and is eco-friendly and very easy on the wallet. (There's even a whole Flickr community dedicated to the DIY kombooch.) Without further ado, the first step is to grow your own living SCOBY (i.e. Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast)...

• Set a half bottle of a commercial kombucha, like GT, on your counter for one week. Cover with a cheesecloth. A thick "mushroom" like culture will grow on the top. That's your living SCOBY!
• Brew four green or black teabags in about three quarts of water. Add one cup of sugar and let it cool in a glass mason jar.
• Gently add the SCOBY and half a cup of the original, bottled kombucha. Now, rest the concoction (covered in cheesecloth) in a dark, warm place (around 78 degrees) for two weeks.

Et voila! You're now ready to drink your homebrew batch of kombucha. By the way, you can reuse the SCOBY you've cultivated over and over.

Thanks!

Labels: beverages, DIY, healthy beverage, kombucha, soda, study

We eat for our health and to feed our our bones, blood, and bowels, but some nutrients just don't play well with others. Take calcium and iron for instance. Calcium can reduce your ability to absorb iron by as much as 50%. However, calcium only interferes with non-heme iron, which comes from plant-based foods, not with heme iron, found in meat. This interplay between calcium and iron is really only important if you suffer from anemia, because although short-term iron absorption is reduced by calcium, studies have found that iron stored in the blood is not.

When it comes to calcium, fiber binds to the mineral, reducing its absorption. Studies have found that wheat fiber reduces calcium absorption by about half. If you're like most folks and you aim to get a jump-start on fulfilling your recommended daily intake of fiber and calcium with your bowl of breakfast cereal, choose cereals that feature oats or other grains since they don't seem to block the calcium.

Ultimately, if you eat a well balanced diet and aim to eat your nutrients rather than find them in supplements, you're probably getting all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need. Just think of this post as a little food for thought.

Thanks Fit!

Labels: anemia, calcium, eating healthy, essential nutrient, fiber, heme iron, iron, nutrients

Wrinkles are a fact of getting older, but there are several actions we can take to slow down the signs of aging. Living a healthy lifestyle, avoiding cigarettes, and wearing sunscreen will prevent you from aging prematurely, and standing on your head could also help keep your skin looking fresh.

Yoga poses that involve positioning your feet over your head, known as inversions, allow blood to flow to your head and improve circulation. Performing inversions can help relieve headaches and depression, increase upper-body strength, and also naturally reduce your wrinkles if practiced regularly. Don't just take it from me; here's what Countess LuAnn de Lesseps (of The Real Housewives of New York) said about her skincare regimen.

I do a yoga headstand every morning. I don't do Botox. Headstands are great for getting the circulation going and giving tone to your muscles in the face.

Source

Labels: aging, benefits of yoga, blood flow, botox, headstand, holistic healing, inversions, skin care, wrinkles

Just like what you eat can influence how you feel, how you feel can influence the quality of nourishment that you gain from the foods that you eat. The following are some of the ways in which mood and nourishment are interrelated.

When you feel stressed a cascade of different stress hormones (including glucocorticoids) can be released. These chemical messengers have modulating effects upon a variety of body systems that can impact nourishment. All of us feel stressed at certain moments, but if this stress has become an ongoing, chronic part of our life, the impact on our nourishment can become problematic.

Nutrient depletion and blood sugar regulation

One of the outcomes of chronically increased glucocorticoid levels is potential depletion of certain nutrients, including zinc, potassium, and B-complex vitamins. What this means is that if you experience chronic stress, you will want to pay special attention to these nutrients in your diet. Stress hormones, if excessively secreted over a prolonged period of time, can interfere with the functioning of insulin and promote insulin resistance. Stress can create blood sugar imbalances that have a host of outcomes upon the body, including reducing the ability of cells to be nourished by the glucose provided in the diet.

Having low moods, or experiencing depression, may also impact nourishment. Chronic depression is associated with a variety of nutrient deficiencies, including that of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, choline, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. A person experiencing ongoing depression would want to take special steps to adjust his or her meal plan in relationship to these particular nutrients.

Benefits of a relaxing meal

In addition to looking at how mood affects nourishment from a biochemical perspective, you can also look at this question from the perspective of personal experience. Think about a recent meal that you ate while being stressed, angry, or anxious. Now think about a meal that you ate when you were relaxed, peaceful, and happy. Chances are in the latter experience you felt better, more vitalized, and more nourished from the foods you were eating and were therefore enjoying the true fulfillment and nourishment from those foods. Remember that your mood is something you don't just experience on an emotional and psychological level, but something that also takes places in your muscles, nervous system, and circulatory system. All of those body components impact your digestion and nourishment.

Source

Labels: depression, digestion, food and mood, Holistic Health, insulin, living holistically, nutrients, stress

Ayurvedic medicine is designed to restore body balance so the body can heal itself without dependence on pills or powders. In Ayurveda there is a classic remedy for the digestive process called Trikatu. Trikatu actually resets the ability for you to digest your own food rather then do the digesting for you. It is a simple combination of Ginger, Black Pepper and Long Pepper:

• Ginger is perhaps one of the worlds finest digestive aids that won't overheat the digestive process.
• Black Pepper stimulates the flow of your own digestive enzymes.
• Long Pepper helps to strengthen the digestion and break down hard to digest foods - and like ginger it won't overheat the digestive process.

Trikatu can restore normal and healthy digestive function for a patient who has poor digestion (ie. gas, bloating, heavy stomach, indigestion, constipation and abdominal pain) and then steadily wean off it.

Please Note: If you have a tendency towards heart burn or acid reflux, you may benefit more from the herbal formula Cool Digest, which also strengthens digestion but cools cools acidity and heat in the upper digestive tract.

While there is a time and place for digestive enzymes as a medicine for short term use to help your digestion in an emergency, long term use is just not in your best interest. Regular use of digestive enzymes weakens your digestion because your body no longer has to do the work itself and you will then become dependent on them. It's similar to exercise - if you stop exercising you start to atrophy and become weak.

Source

Labels: ayurveda, digestion, digestive enzymes, ginger, herbs, pepper, Trikatu, zymes

You've done a killer workout, and now you're hungry. You eye the Gatorade, but realize you should probably eat a proper meal, and wonder what exactly you should do both to fill up, and to be good to your body so it'll be good to you tomorrow.

Enter a team of sadistic University of Texas researchers. In their just-released study on "recovery" foods, these crazy fools made their test subjects work out for two hours, and then they promptly biopsied each of their subjects' vastus lateralis and fed them either a fancy power drink or old fashioned cereal with milk, yogurt and fruit. After two hours, they took another biopsy to determine how the old muscles were healing.

The results: Give it up for old fashioned cereal and milk. Turns out what your muscles want is a combination of protein and carbs, and cereal and milk, even chocolate milk, do a good job of delivering these. In the end, the Texans say that the down home recovery food are your most cost effective "whole food option."

Great tip!

Labels: cereal, exercise, Gatorade

When it comes to working out, all hours of the day are not created equal.

Check it out:

MORNING:
Best for: Yoga. Your ability to perform is lowest in the morning; better to keep your exercise less intense in the a.m. hours.
Going long: When your core temperature gets high, fatigue sets in. Your inner thermometer is lowest now, so you will take longer to overheat.

AFTERNOON:
Best for: Smashing the competition.
Time for the smackdown: Some moves requiring accuracy, like your tennis serve, are most precise around 2 p.m., when it's easiest to get energized and your focus is sharpest.
EVENING:
Best for: Getting strong. Your core body temp is highest in the early evening, so your muscles will warm up more easily and you can work harder.
Scoring: For the same reason, this is also when you have the most power to make explosive movements, such as those used in soccer or volleyball.

Source

Labels: exercise, Holistic Health, muscles, tennis, working out, yoga

Bethesda Sunscreen Soap, the first all-natural SPF body bar, promises to shield your skin even after you lather up. The multitasking soap contains a combination of protective, healing and moisturizing ingredients to leave you feeling safe, clean and soft all day long.

In the shower, the FDA-approved soap deposits an invisible layer of SPF 10 on skin to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Along with that, you'll get minerals, amino acids and 50+ vitamins (including A, C and E) to promote cell growth, reduce the signs of aging and sun damage, treat acne and feed dry skin.

While it's no replacement for your SPF 30 (we hope you're slathering it on!), the $8 soap provides a base protection to make sure you're fully covered.

Thanks Vital Juice Daily!

Labels: cool new product, innovative, soap, SPF, sun, sunscreen, UVA/UVB

Researchers in Australia have found a traditional extract of Kava, a medicinal plant from the South Pacific, to be safe and effective in reducing anxiety. The results of a world-first clinical trial which found that a water-soluble extract of kava was effective in treating anxiety and improving mood. The kava was prescribed in the form of tablets.

Read full article here....

Labels: anxiety, good mood, herbs, Kava, medicinal plant, natural therapy, study

Does canned fish (salmon or tuna) have any sort of nutritional benefit when compared to fresh fish?

Canned light tuna, ordinarily made from skipjack tuna, actually poses a substantially lower risk in terms of mercury exposure than fresh yellowfin or albacore tuna. So this type of tuna-canned light tuna-is the type that's best for you to buy if you want to eat tuna relatively often, for example, about one meal per week. While canned light tuna might not provide you with more nutrients than fresh light tuna, it is still likely to be saving you nutrient supplies by allowing your body to avoid processing unwanted mercury.

A second type of fish that can have some surprising benefits when canned is salmon. Because canned salmon is often packed in its own oil, you may be getting the benefit of some extra omega-3 fatty acids. Canned salmon also includes the bones (which are safe to eat since they soften during the canning process) and these bones can provide you with some added nutritional benefits as well. For example, a 3-ounce serving of salmon has over half the calcium found in an 8-ounce glass of cow's milk.

Full article here...

Labels: calcium, canned salmon, canned tuna, fish, healthy diet, mercury, nutrition, Omega-3s

We all know that rich people eat better, but it's nice how they put it in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association: "People with higher socio-economic status and educational levels are more likely to consume a costly but high-quality diet of lower-energy-density foods." Love that tone. (Thx ModernMedicine.com.)

What we didn't know was that certain clever, rich people might be losing weight by drinking "white tea." Black teas, we just learned, are "cured and oxidized," whereas white tea is the unadulterated, virgin leaf, (and often comes complete with young leaves and flowering buds.)

German researchers are now saying that -- just maybe -- white tea slows the growth of new fat cells. Time to hit up your local Whole Foods. Meanwhile, at the other end of the socio-economic spectrum, poor people are using soup cans and dishtowels to stay in shape, and they're guzzling Hydroxycut dietary supplements, many of which are currently being recalled (by the ironically named manufacturer Iovate Health Sciences) because, well, they might destroy your liver or kill you.

Thanks!

Labels: bagged tea, burn fat, diet, Hydroxycut, Iovate Health, study, weight loss, white tea