What's Causing Your Energy Drain?

By Jessica Setnick             

This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?  Whether it's school or after-school commitments, social or philanthropic organizations that start meeting again after the summer, end of the year plans at work, or all of the above, fall activities are demanding!  If you're like me, you know you plan too much, but you still want to be efficient, accomplish everything, and do it well.  There is no time in the schedule for running out of energy or getting sick, and "Collapse From Exhaustion" is not on the TO DO list.  But your body will stop you if you don't stop it first.  How will you know if you are running on empty?  The number one warning sign is fatigue. 

Abnormal fatigue can be a sign from your body that you are overworking, overthinking, underresting, or undereating.  (I don't know if all those are words, but they should be.)  A variety of illnesses and medical conditions can cause fatigue, including hormone disorders, depression, and pregnancy, so if you notice a dramatic or persistent change in your energy level, it's wise to consult your physician.  The good news is that if it's your hectic agenda that's leaving you drained, you can give yourself the best chance of staying well by looking at a few key areas - sleep, nutrition, hydration, and relaxation. 

As with many beneficial life habits, these four staples of health do not have catchy slogans or expensive promotional campaigns.  Bottled water brands and sleep number beds are starting to change that, but they're based on the premise that you need a very extravagant bed or water purification system, rather than the idea that you need sleep and water to be healthy.  (Common sense, you say?  How long has it been since you got eight hours of sleep and drank two liters of water in the same day?)  Most nutrition-related marketing promotes one food or food group over another, rather than the guiding principle that you faithful readers know by now: eating frequent, small amounts of a variety of foods. 

On the other hand, I'm sure you've seen and heard multiple advertisements for energy bars, energy drinks, and energy boosting supplements, promising more energy if you eat or drink the magical concoction of chemicals.  Remember what you learned in Nutrition 101: Your body can only make energy from three things: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  ONLY.  Other nutrients help your body USE energy, including iron and B vitamins, but nothing you get in a pill can actually give you more energy than eating actual food.  Caffeine, ginseng, guarana, ma huang, ephedra, and xenedrine are all stimulants that make your heart beat faster, so your brain gets more oxygen, so you FEEL like you have more energy...but it's a trap.  When the effects wear off, you will be more tired than you were before.  If you use the chemicals again, you perpetuate the cycle, or in other words, you're hooked!

Quick Tip: Real energy means calories.  If a product contains 0 calories, it's a fake. 

The good news (yes, there's more!) is that although no supplement can make up for poor habits, changing habits can eliminate the need for these potentially harmful chemicals in your body.  Easier said than done, I agree.  But start in one area, and experiment with a small change.  If you see results, you will have proved to yourself that the change is worth it!  In the coming weeks, we'll look at each of the key areas, sleep, nutrition, hydration, and relaxation, with the goal of maintaining exceptional energy throughout your day.

If you need an energy makeover, why not keep an energy log?  On 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days write down the following: What time it is each time you eat (you don't have to write down WHAT you eat); what time it is when you go to sleep and when you wake up; what beverages you drink throughout the day; any relaxing activities you did that day; and a description of your energy (highs or lows) throughout the day.  In two weeks we'll meet back and see what your results mean and where to improve!  To be continued...

Jessica Setnick is a registered dietitian in Dallas, Texas who travels the world spreading nutrition wisdom. As an accomplished speaker and writer, Jessica’s passion is promoting a positive relationship with food and eating as a key component of a healthy and happy life. Find out more or contact Jessica to speak at your event by visiting her website at www.understandingnutrition.com.
© 2004 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to www.understandingnutrition.com.

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Reading Therapy (Bibliotherapy) for Anxiety

By Dr. R.E. Freedman                             

When one falls into the loop of anxiety, they often need something to interrupt this cycle of worry. The mind stubbornly goes inward, accompanied by negative, fearful thoughts. Changing behaviors works well with this type of habit but it's been discovered that reading books is a simple and effective way to also interrupt this negative cycle of thinking.

Reading books gives the mind a chance to shift into an entirely different mode of behavior. It focuses on the story, rather than the self. This gives the mind a welcomed break from negative thought, which also affects the body. Fearful thinking releases stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, creating anxiety symptoms. By changing one's focus, less fearful thought and less stress chemical release. The mind and body have a chance to settle down and recuperate.

Studies have shown that WW1 soldiers were given bibiliotherapy as a source of rehabilitation from emotional trauma during WW 1. Through the years many have used this method with positive results. Health care workers have witnessed a definite improvement in anxiety related conditions by those who followed a course of this reading therapy.

Books that tell stories are most helpful rather than medical books which only fuel the fear of unwanted symptoms. Therefore, novels are recommended, with tales that draw one in and keep the mind occupied in a way far from inward thinking.

The results of bibliotherapy are instantly noticeable and help fuel a rapid recovery:

-The mind and body experience a well-earned rest from worry and the intrusive cycle of anxious thought. It's impossible to lose oneself in a story and worry simultaneously, and so reading immediately offers peace of mind.

- Blood Pressure is lowered because reading is similar to meditation. It calms and relaxes and even soothes a sensitized mind.

- Reading puts you on a mini vacation, away from the chaos that may surround you. All this can be achieved without leaving the comfort of your home or office.

- Reading allows you a break to quiet the mind and give it a chance to rewire. Problems are more easily solved with a rested mind.

- Reading, like meditation, grounds you and removes you from the hustle bustle of everyday life.

Using bibliotherapy is simple and very rewarding. It allows the mind and body to refresh and the rewards are unlimited. You'll find yourself looking forward to that book waiting for you on your night table. The physical and emotional relief it brings can be dramatic and consistent. It's something you can count on for maintaining a quiet and stress-free mind and body. This is your true source or relief from the stresses of everyday life, with a natural recovery method from the intrusive symptoms of anxiety.

Anxiety Busters https://www.anxietybusters.com Office Phone: 215-635-4700 info@anxietybusters.com Natural Approach, Permanent Recovery GO NATURAL

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Some Food Pairings That You Need To Avoid

By Aakanksha Vatsal                  

Can Fruits be eaten with or after a meal? which proteins can be combined with starchy foods? DO some food decrease your digestive rate? Are there some food combinations to avoid?

These are a few questions that I will attempt to address in this article. I have also described the reasons why a few food combinations are beneficial and why some of them must be strictly avoided.

Before understanding the rules regarding the best and worst food combinations, let us define every food category:

• Starchy foods: Pasta, bread, cereals, grains, potatoes/ sweet potatoes, winter squashes or pumpkin
• Non-Starchy foods: Asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, onions, brussels sprouts, artichokes, broccoli, celery, eggplant, mushrooms, leafy greens, peppers or zucchini
• Proteins: Chicken, beef, eggs, fish, seeds, nuts, beans, legumes or soy products like tofu.
• Fruits: Includes all the acidic, less acidic, sweet fruits and melons

Lets look a few food pairings or combinations that have to be avoided:

1. Latte and a croissant:

This breakfast combination consists of processed foods like croissant, which lacks fibre. This combination spikes the blood insulin levels and can lead to a serious sugar crash. It further decreases the energy production in the cells and allows the liver to store the excess calories as fat instead of using them as fuel.

As an alternative, it is better to include a whole-grain English muffin and a Black coffee in your breakfast. This combination is rich in fibre and low in fats. The caffeine in the black coffee will help the cells burn fat faster, while the whole grain muffin will cause a slow release of energy.

2. Fruits with a meal:

Fruits are a rich source of sugar and can break down at a faster rate compared to a heavy meal, which consists of meat, vegetables, starch etc. This leads to a fermentation reaction in your stomach and causes many digestive issues.

Similarly, combining some fruits with dairy can lead to bloating. Avoid eating citrus fruits with milk, however, you can eat dates and milk. Fruits must be consumed individually, and not with any other foods. The best time to eat fruits is in the mornings, on an empty stomach, with a glass of water, as it helps in detoxifying your system. You can also indulge in a fruit as an afternoon snack rather than reaching for those chips!

3. Dairy products with meat, fruits or vegetables.

Milk needs to be consumed alone. You can use a few spices like cinnamon and cardamom to enhance the flavor of milk. Avoid using milk with sour foods. The acidic nature of these fruits curdles the milk in the stomach and can lead to many digestive problems. You can eat dates and milk.

Dairy products like cheese and yoghurt with fish, eggs, beans, meat etc., must not be combined together.

On the other hand, clarified butter or ghee can be used for cooking vegetables as it displays similar properties as cooking oil.

4. Beans with dairy, eggs, fish, meat or fruit.

Though beans are very beneficial and product vital micronutrients like Iron and magnesium, they contain a high quantity of soluble fibre, which can lead to flatulence. Combining this food product with meat, eggs or dairy can become very difficult to digest and can lead to bloating.

Instead pair beans with nuts, other beans, vegetables or lentils. These need to be cooked well to aid in digestion.

5. Melons with other foods:

Melons must always be consumed on their own or not consumed at all. They MUST NOT be combined with dairy, grains, fried foods, eggs or starchy foods.

Hence, in summary, some of the food combination rules are as follows:

1. Foods that CAN be combined:

• Starchy foods can be combined with the non-starchy items

2. Foods combinations that MUST be avoided:

• Starchy foods and proteins

• One form of protein with a different form

3. Some foods that NEED TO BE EATEN ALONE

• Melons

• Dairy

These rules are based on the fact that all different categories of foods are digested at different rates and generate different by-products. For instance, the starchy and non-starchy foods can be combined together since they can be digested at the same pH level; while starches and proteins are digested at different pH levels.

Also, some foods like fruits are digested faster than proteins, and hence need to be eaten separately. If combined, it can overload the digestive system and decrease its efficiency.

Let's look at one example of an ideal food combination:

1. Breakfast: You can include a fruit bowl with bananas, berries or grapefruit
2. Mid-morning snack: A whole-grain toast with avocado, or scrambled eggs or veggies. (DO not add cheese since 2 proteins must be avoided and also dairy is eaten separately). You can have a cup of black coffee.
3. Lunch: A tofu or chicken salad with veggies like lettuce, peppers etc. You can also use a vinaigrette or olive oil dressing on the salad.
4. Afternoon/Evening Snack: You can include a fruit like apple or pear. It should be 2-3 h before your dinner
5. Dinner: Brown rice with any one protein of your choice.

These food combinations are based on the ancient Ayurvedic theories regarding which foods work best. Though, not all the rules can be practically followed, you can always try your best to incorporate a few of these rules in your daily lives. Remember to include a large variety of foods in your diets to derive the maximal amount of nutrients.

Please check my video about 5 food Pairings to avoid https://youtu.be/jD6GkBFGViU

Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you are interested in more of such content https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7mbqx8UfhuHpJc0mpDvaw/

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How Many Carbs Per Day Should I Eat?

By James Schofield 

It is becoming common knowledge that it's wise to limit the amount of carbohydrates we eat. However, it is difficult to determine what are bad versus good carbs and how many carbs per day should we consume. This article will give significant information about dietary carbohydrates and how to know how many carbs we can have in our diet.

With books such as The Keto Diet, Grain Brain, The Paleolithic Diet, The Mediterranean Diet and The South Beach Diet it is becoming apparent that a diet high in carbohydrates can be deleterious to our health. The old "food pyramid" that was used as a dietary suggestion consisting of very little fat, a bit more protein, and lots of carbs has been shown to have a paucity of scientific evidence and poor anecdotal evidence to convince anyone that it had much validity. In fact, many healthcare practitioners believe that it is the major reason why we have such poor health in the United States. Lifestyle pathologies such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and others can be directly linked to high dietary carbohydrates.

Newer guidelines have established standards that warn not to consume high amounts of "starchy" carbohydrates like cereal, bread, pasta and grains. These are the foods that can ruin health. Of all the grains, wheat is the most harmful. It contains high amounts of a protein called gluten. For many of us, gluten is an allergen that is categorized as causing food sensitivities. Gluten sensitivities or gluten allergies are very common in the American population. It is not surprising that we find a myriad of gluten-free food-types on the shelves of most of our grocery stores.

If one wants to utilize a safer grain, oats and rice would be the best recommendation. Rice and oats have little to no gluten. However, they are still problematic because they are starchy carbohydrates.

It should be said that vegetables and fruit are also considered carbohydrates. But they can be eliminated from this discussion of limiting carbohydrates. Fruit and veggies are a completely different type of carbohydrate than grain carbohydrates. Even so it would be best to consume a limited amount of fruit as some contain high amounts of carbohydrate called fructose. It is suggested that a person eat 3 portions of vegetables for every 1 one portion of fruit consumed.

How many starchy carbs should one consume a day? Many experts suggest approximately 100-200 grams/day. This amount is certainly reasonable, attainable and provides enough appetite satisfaction to work for most people.

What sometimes is difficult is to be able to measure or count the grams of carbohydrates in various foods. However, food labels on the packaging of our foodstuffs provides the knowledge required to determine how much we should consume. There are two features on a food label to look for. The first is the serving size. The second is the total carbohydrates. As an example, let's say you wanted to eat a food bar. Assume that the label said a food bar was one serving and the total carbohydrate listing was 20 grams. You would know that by eating one food bar of this type 20 grams of starchy carbohydrates would have been consumed. Another example might entail eating oatmeal. Let's say the food label notes that one serving is 1/2 cup and that one serving yields 100 grams of total carbohydrates. We would now know exactly the amount of carbs eaten. If one were to reduce the serving size to 1/4 cup 50 grams of total carbohydrates would be ingested.

By using food labels, it is very easy to determine the amount of carbohydrates/day a person takes in.

If a food label is not available it is very easy to go on to the Internet and to simply provide the browser the information of the type of carbohydrate, the serving size and asking for the amount of total carbs numerated. By using this method, it is quite simple and easy to determine the amount of carbohydrates we consume per day.

Again, 100-200 grams per day of starchy carbohydrates is a good goal to shoot for. Many of us who initially utilized this approach found that within a year we reached a desirable weight, eliminated chronic pains, had increased energy and better sleep.

This diet does not have to be excessively stringent. Most people who do not have serious metabolic diseases could certainly afford to have a "cheat day" or two each week when they could exceed the 100-200 grams of starchy carbohydrates and have some sweets.

Limiting the amount of starchy carbs, consuming reasonable amounts of protein and healthy fats and supplying our diets with plenty of organic vegetables will allow most people to obtain healthful diet. Many healthcare practitioners, dietitians and nutritionists believe that this type of diet would allow the majority of the American population to reduce lifestyle health pathologies to a point of essential national insignificance.

Dr. James Schofield is a healthy living enthusiast. To see more topics about healthy living click here. Please visit James Schofield DC's website here http://northhillspachiropractor.com.

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Is DASH Eating Right for You?

By Bonnie R Giller             

The DASH Eating Plan was created to help individuals lower or manage their blood pressure without the use of pharmaceuticals. This eating style has also been shown to help lower blood cholesterol levels, decrease inflammation, and improve insulin sensitivity. Over time, these dietary changes can help to lower one's risk of developing stroke or heart disease.

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The eating plan emphasizes nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat/non-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and less lean meats, poultry, and fish. DASH is effective because it provides good amounts of essential nutrients such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium - nutrients that have an impact on blood pressure.

Note there are additional lifestyle changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and improve heart health. Some of the changes include not smoking, moderate alcohol intake, and regular exercise.

A 2017 research article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology compared a low-sodium diet versus a high-sodium diet and its effects on baseline blood pressure. The researchers took 412 adults with pre- or Stage 1 hypertension and instructed them to consume either a control diet or the DASH diet. At the end of the study, there were significant decreases in systolic blood pressure for participants following a low-sodium DASH eating plan. In other words, the less sodium a person consumed, the better their blood pressure level.

The foods recommended as part of the DASH eating plan are naturally low in sodium which is why it can be so effective at lowering blood pressure. The research article mentioned above is one of many demonstrating the benefits of this way of eating.

With a little bit of creativity, you can make plenty of satisfyingly delicious meals abundant with fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein, and heart-healthy fats on the DASH diet. Making small, gradual changes can help build a strong foundation of healthy living.

If you aren't sure where to begin, here are 4 tips for getting started:

1. Try new recipes - The internet is a great place to get inspired and find some yummy new recipes to try. With time and experimentation you'll surely find many recipes you love.

2. Eat your fruits and veggies - The plant kingdom of foods is brimming with color, flavor, and enjoyment. You can find creative ways to use fruits and veggies in your meals. Try making smoothies, soups, stew, veggie burgers, and more!

3. Meal planning and meal prep - It helps to sit down at the start of the week and figure out what you would like to eat. Making this practice a habit can help to keep you organized and save time (which is useful if you have a hectic life!). Preparing meals ahead of time by a few days or even the night before is another way to help support you in this new journey.

4. Get moving - Exercise is important for your body to be healthy and can help to lower blood pressure. Find a physical activity you enjoy so you'll feel more motivated to stick with it. Exercising moderately for just 30 minutes each day can be beneficial.

Now that the knowledge is in your hands, you have the power to make a change in your life for optimal health. Move at a pace that works for you, practice self-love, and enjoy the experience. Keep an open mind as you try new foods and recipes; you never know what you'll discover!

Reference: Juraschek, S.P., Miller III, E.R., Weaver, C.M., Appel, L.J. (2017). Effects of sodium reduction and the DASH diet in relation to baseline blood pressure. Journal of the America College of Cardiology. Vol: 70, Issue: 23, pages 2841 - 2848. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.10.011.

Bonnie R. Giller is a Registered and Certified Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. She helps chronic dieters, emotional eaters, and people with medical conditions like diabetes, break the spell that diets have over them and reclaim WholeBody Trust™ so they can live their life to the fullest. She does this by creating a tailored solution that combines the three pillars of WholeBody Trust™: Mind Trust, Hunger Trust and Food Trust™.

Join her free Break the Spell of Diets in 3 Days online experience at https://dietfreeradiantme.com/breakthespellofdiets

Have diabetes: Grab a free copy of her eBook: 5 Keys to Manage Diabetes Without Dieting at https://brghealth.com/5keysebook/

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I Fixed 30 Depressed Years (With Food!)

By Joan Kent                  

I'd been depressed for most of my life. Before I knew the word, I thought I was just sad, but it never went away.

My life was filled with reasons to be depressed - abusive parents, mentally ill mother, and more. But this went beyond. I spent hours each week thinking of ways to kill myself.

"Depression is the most unpleasant thing I have ever experienced. It is that absence of being able to envisage that you will ever be cheerful again. The absence of hope." - J.K. Rowling

I tried meditation, personal-growth seminars, positive thinking, you name it. My mood would change temporarily, but the all-too-familiar depression always returned.

Have you ever had a problem you couldn't solve, no matter what you tried?

The Unlikely Source of My Solution

Somewhere in all of this, I had written an article for the newsletter of the fitness club where I worked. It was on insulin resistance. A woman walked in, clutching the article, and demanded an appointment with the author.

So that's how I met This Woman. She worked with drug addicts and alcoholics and kept them successfully in recovery by using the effects of foods on their brain chemistry.

Fascinating, right? I learned all I could from her, then started studying on my own. Little information was available on the topic - this was a long time ago - but I kept reading.

I've never been addicted to drugs or alcohol, but began to make changes in my own diet. My situation starting evolving.

One morning, for example, as I waited for my personal training client to arrive, I noticed I was feeling... fabulous. No other word for it. I'd never felt that good before.

Things kept getting better. My health improved. I no longer caught colds, got the flu, or had other nuisance health issues. The monthly pain I had suffered with virtually disappeared.

And the Depression?

Sometime later, I ended up in a fitness seminar with other people - mostly women - who mentioned their "down" moods and mood swings. That day, I realized I never felt depressed anymore. Never thought about it, never worried about it. It was no longer part of my life.

Needless to say, I don't miss it.

Now I have a PhD in how foods affect brain chem, and I use my powers for good! I've helped many clients with physical health problems - but have also helped my clients reverse anxiety, depression, poor focus, and mood swings. Over time, I've made it easier and easier for them to do.

Looking to clear up some resistant health problems you feel "stuck" with? Perfect! That's what I do. Just visit http://www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Transform My Health Now Consult. Discover how easy it is to make a few tweaks that bring huge results.

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.

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Give Your Coffee a Healthy, Rich and Creamy Upgrade

By George N Anderson  

We should all have health goals! After all, without your health you don't have much else. Having a couple of cups of coffee to start your morning and an afternoon pick-me-up means your health goals need to include a healthy coffee creamer.

Your java can have health benefits that are anti-inflationary, anti-oxidant, and metabolism boosting beverage. When pouring your next cup, look at that ingredient list to decide if you need to switch to a healthy coffee creamer.

What Makes a Healthy Coffee Creamer?

One made from natural coconut oil, is lactose-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free and has functional supplements. Other ingredients to avoid are sodium, vegetable oil, and carrageenan.

Good nutrition is not only about what goes into a product, but as much about what is kept out. Some people mistakenly think coffee creamer of any kind is unhealthy and adds nothing but unwanted calories. That is simply not true. A healthy coffee creamer can curb hunger cravings and promote weight-loss.

Functional Supplements Enhance Health Benefits

Healthy plants such as Citrus Aurantium (from oranges) and Hoodia (African cactus-like plant) are healthy supplements known to improve metabolism, increase stamina, and promote weight-loss.

Citrus Aurantium extract (also known as bitter orange) is a flavoring and acidifying agent and an essential oil. It has health giving secondary-metabolites (for metabolism), along with preventative health benefits (lung and prostate cancers, gastric disorders, etc.), and works as a mild appetite suppressant.

Hoodia (also known as Kalahari cactus) has a long history of traditional use by the indigenous San hunters in the deserts of southern Africa. They chew the pulp of the hoodia gordonii cactus to suppress thirst and hunger on long journeys. It is a succulent, fleshy plant of the Asclepiad family.

Coconut oil contains saturated fats (good fats) known to boost fat burning and provides quick energy to both your body and brain. It is easy to digest and promotes healthy functioning of the thyroid and endocrine system.

Key here is that a healthy coffee creamer can be tasty, creamy, and good for you all at the same time. It boosts your metabolism, suppresses appetite, and has other health benefits ranging from decreasing gastric disorders to resisting some cancers. You can't say that about packaged chemicals labeled as creamers. Chemical red flag such as dipotassium phosphate and sodium sterol lactylatered are what you don't want in your nutritional intake.

Out with the Bad and In with the Healthy

People have been drinking coffee for centuries but it comes at a price to your health with the wrong additives. It doesn't have to be that way any longer. Excellent, healthy and transparent coffee creamer is available that will hopefully kick-start your daily diet to into a wholesome and healing one that supports a long and healthy life.

For a truly creamy, delicious, and healthy creamer go with a supplemented coconut base enhanced with natural flavors like vanilla, hazelnut, mocha, and caramel.

For a truly creamy, delicious, and healthy coffee creamer, visit LeanerCreamer

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Discover the Exercise Hormone Irisin

By Carolyn Hansen

Exciting new research has proven the existence of a hormone that seems to increase during exercise and does amazing things for our health and metabolism.

Called the "exercise hormone," this muscle hormone was discovered by scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Because it's a chemical messenger it was named Irisin after a messenger Goddess. Although it's existence has been hotly debated in recent years, Harvard scientists, studying Irisin announced not long ago that the "data provided unequivocally demonstrates that human Irisin exists."

Irisin, normally present as part of a larger protein in the muscles cell's outer membrane, lies dormant and inactive until released. Exercise, and other factors help split this protein, releasing Irisin in the process.

So, now we know that Irisin exists and we also know that when we exercise our body makes more of it.

Why is this important? What does this hormone act on once we start pumping blood and our heart rate goes up?

It seems that the powerhouse hormone Irisin has the unique ability to it turn white fat into brown fat. White fat stores energy (calories) while brown fat is better for us because it's more involved in burning energy (increases our metabolism) rather than storing it. Brown fat intrigues scientists because it physically resembles muscle more than fat and plays a major role in maintaining normal weight. It also acts and behaves more like muscle than fat, which likely explains it's ability to burn fat so efficiently.

Slender people have more brown fat than obese people. Younger people have more brown fat than seniors and those with normal blood sugar levels enjoy the benefits of more brown fat than people with high blood sugar.

Obesity, a disorder of fat accumulation, is a real problem in the world today. It is the result of over-eating and under exercising. Increased Irisin levels help to increase glucose tolerance and reduce insulin resistance, suggesting it may be a real breakthrough in treating diabetes.

But, the benefits of this new, exciting "exercise" hormone don't stop there. Irisin offers other valuable benefits, such as triggering the growth of new brain neurons and activating genes involved in memory retention and learning. It also acts directly on bone, promoting its formation by increasing bone mineral density which in turn helps with Osteoporosis.

All these things are valuable and contribute to our overall health. But another, super exciting discovery swirling around Irisin is how it affects our telomeres. It seems that high Irisin levels are directly associated with lengthening our telomeres! The longer our telomeres, (telomere shortening is a genetic marker of aging) the younger and healthier our body is! This translates to us being less prone to age related illnesses and diseases such as cancer, dementia and heart disease.

With so much controversy surrounding the discovery of Irisin, it will be a while before the whole scientific community comes on board to discover how to harness the power of this unique hormone. However, that doesn't mean we have to put our health on hold until then.

If we want to enjoy the benefits of Irisin - feeling more fabulous and younger than we currently do, we must allow this hormone to work its magic now.

Since we already know that exercise increases the amount of Irisin in our bodies, exercising is the perfect place to start. It is, without doubt, the best way to boost our irisin levels. However, not all exercise is created equal.

Not surprisingly, a recent scientific discovery published in 2014, found that high-intensity exercise increases Irisin levels better than low-intensity exercise which means it must challenge the body to trigger its release.

Researchers have also discovered that rats that swam daily but were fed a high-fat diet still lost weight and suspect it is due to Irisin. Cold temperatures are another factor. It seems that the shivering we do when exposed to chilly temperatures increases Irisin, even rivaling the results of those who exercised regularly.

Irisin is a health-boosting, fat-burning, sensitizing hormone empowered to provide us with many health benefits. It is empowered to reduce body weight, boost energy expenditure, and improve diet-induced insulin resistance.

It's time to chill down the house, head to the gym and enjoy healthy fats. Our health, weight and longevity will all benefit.

Carolyn Hansen - Your Go To Health & Fitness Specialist

"I help clients take charge of their health before circumstance removes the option. If your quest for a life of true physical and mental well-being is a journey I'll put you in the driver's seat."

For tools and resources to achieve this visit:

https://CarolynHansenFitness.com

For free downloadable resources visit:

https://HealthyLifeGifts.com

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Vegetable Gardens and Organic Manure Improves Yields

By Caven Masuku  |   Submitted On January 07, 2020           

THE VEGETABLE garden which is common in both urban and rural areas is a good source of food that should be enhanced with knowledge and wisdom to sustain our families.

Most urban dwellers, especially those in low-density areas and have surplus land, are involved in market gardening.

A well-maintained garden with multiple crops like tomatoes, onion, beetroots, carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, strawberries, and green maize is not only good for the family members but also to the soil development.

Onions are crops with very little chances of being attacked by diseases because they are resistant to most diseases, which gives them an advantage.

A vegetable garden needs someone to choose the best site, planning, and soil preparation by adding manure, alkaline and nitrogen are especially if one plant's leguminous plants like peas and beans which are rich in nitrogen.

Organic manure has been shown to increase crop yields in any type of soils. It has been revealed that organic manure increases the availability of minerals such as phosphorus, which is important for root growth and the vigour of the crop.

Manure contains high levels of nitrogen and potassium which are essential for normal plant growth. Compost made up of weeds heaped together and given time to decompose is another means of improving fertility to the soil.

Curing also ensures that potentially problematic weeds residents in the manure are exterminated before contributing their seeds to the soil weed seed bank.

Curing manure includes animal manure dug from the cattle's pen and heaped for a period of 3 to 6 months. Digging and heaping the manure increases the oxygen content in manure, which triggers microbial activity in the manure heap.

Gases like methane, ammonia and many others which are produced help to weaken and destroy weed seeds as the temperature in the heap may be above 80 degrees Celsius.

Selecting different plants to grow to provide a year-round supply of food, vegetables and a balanced diet to the family in both rural and urban areas.

Experts in agriculture say that growing multiple plants together is a good measure to minimize pests and make efficient social nutrients. Pets can be confused if a person can vary the crop vegetables.

Plants belonging to the same family should not be planted in the same place for a period over a year to avoid pests and diseases to build up in the soil.

Households around October should prepare many beds and also have time to prepare the soil by adding manure watering and loosening the soil for at list three months before planting crops.

Crops like maize, tomatoes, beetroots, carrots, garlic, onion, peas and beans can be planted in different beds parallel to each other to confuse pets. Again cops should be rotated to confuse on the ground pests as well as enriching the soil in order to improve on the yield.

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Dieting Made Simple: An In-Depth Look at What You Should Be Doing

By Sean Peters            

Many patients of mine ask for advice when they come to the office regarding good diet or exercise plans for them to lose weight. What many people do not know or understand is that the concept behind dieting is relatively simple. It is easy to get distracted with all the different "fad" diets out there and if you are someone without any kind of background or knowledge on the subject, you may not know what to do.

So let's break this down a little bit. The goal of dieting for most people is, what? To lose weight in the form of body fat, right? Well with that being the case, you need to understand how body fat is formed, and then ultimately "burned away" during the dieting process. Body fat forms, or more accurately grows larger, due to excess glucose in the body. Now if you can remember back to high school biology class, glucose is one of the simplest forms of sugar and is the main source of energy in the human body. It is broken down into adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which is what feeds your cells and keeps them functioning. The problem arises when there's too much glucose and the body ends up storing that extra glucose in the fat cells as a substance called glycogen. The storage of glycogen in the fat cells is what causes them to grow larger. Just to be fair, glycogen also accumulates in the muscle tissues and the liver, but because fat loss is the main goal of dieting that is what I'll focus on.

Now that you have some insight into the build-up and breakdown of fat, we can examine exactly how we can use that information to help you lose weight. The concept is quite simple and many of you may have already surmised where I am heading with this, but in order to lose weight you need to eat less sugar and carbohydrates. Glucose is what you get when sugar or carbohydrates have been completely digested, so it makes perfect sense that you would want to cut those foods out of your diet. No sugar means no glucose. And no glucose means no glycogen production. Doing this will cause you to enter a low blood-glucose state. In this state, your body will need to find an alternative source of energy, so it will actually begin to break down the glycogen which has built up in your fat cells. As the glycogen is broken down the fat cells will shrink and you will begin to lose weight.

It is important to know that muscle tissue can also be broken down for energy too, so in order to prevent that from happening you will need to make sure that you are also consuming enough high quality protein as part of your diet. Good sources of protein like chicken, fish, and nuts are all highly recommended while on a low carb diet to help prevent any breakdown of muscle tissue.

As an example of what a good diet plan based on all of this information would look like it should be very high in vegetables and protein, with moderate amounts of healthy fat (high in omega-3), and very low in sugars and carbohydrates. What little sugar you do consume should come from the occasional fruit and not an artificial source. If you are honest with yourself and follow the plan closely, you will see the results that you have been looking for and the people in your life who see you the most will certainly take notice. This kind of diet is by no means a 'quick-fix' or the easiest solution to your weight loss goals, but it is one of the healthiest possible ways to achieve those goals and make life-altering changes to your eating habits that will sustain your progress for a long time into the future.

Dieting the right way can change your life forever!

http://www.pittsburgh-chiropractic.com/

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What You Should Know About Your Weight Loss Products

By Sunil Khari             

The urge of looking slim and trim is great. Most of us are tempted to buy weight loss supplements as we see them displayed in market in attractive packing and influential cover. The strong desire to have a toned body shape is hard to resist and hence more and more weight loss products are emerging in the market? But are all worth the cost and are superlative in quality? Are they safe to be employed? Are they FDA (Food and Drug Administration) certified? Do these products reduce your weight effectively or are potent enough to lighten your pocket only? These are some of the questions that you should ask yourself before shopping?

Ingredients that lead to Weight Loss:

A number of weight loss products are available at your drugstore, health food store, supplement store and local drugstore. Many exciting options are present online too. Before you buy them, complete your homework either by consulting an experienced practitioner or by doing research online. Milk Thistle, Calcium, fiber, Fish oil, Reishi mushroom, Gymnema Sylvestre, Guggul etc are some of the effective weight loss products that leads to phenomenal. Apart from that you can also try Alli and Choitosan that reduce dietary fat absorption. Chromium decreases your appetite and burns calories effectively. Conjugated linoleic acid decreases body fats. Hoodia reduces appetite. Guar gum blocks absorption of dietary fats and makes an individual feel full. Green tea extract reduces craving and triggers calorie and metabolism of fats. Green Coffee bean is the latest weight loss supplement that has caught limelight among overweight and fitness freaks. You can look for other countless options.

Benefits of Weight Loss Supplements:

Buy weight loss supplements and ditch many pounds and progress towards healthy weight loss.

• Psychologist boost: Fat Burning products encourage you to face obstacles on a positive note. You are less likely to succumb.
• Mental Health: You stay in invigorated state with optimal functioning of brain. Healthy brain functioning fosters better chemical reactions in the body. Mental health leads to good physical health.
• Increase in metabolism: Weight loss products lead to faster metabolism. You burn your fat quite effectively with increased energy consumption.
• A way to kick start healthy lifestyle: After you start employing them on regular basis, you swiftly turn your body into good shape.

Three Basic Ingredients in Fat Burning products:

Fibers, Vitamin C and probiotics are the 3 chief ingredients that detoxify toxins from your body and develop immunity.

• Fiber forms thick gel after mixing with water and get attached with fatty acids. It makes better bowel movement and accelerates toxins removal.
• Vitamin C decongests the bile after thinning them and perks up liver functioning by breaking down fats. It suppresses appetite and produces glutathione that assists in detoxification and reduces abdominal fats.
• Probiotics are healthy bacteria present in digestive tract that breaks toxins and help you lose weight. Best selling fat burner black mamba fat burner buy now in India

Consult your Doctor for specific conditions:

Do inform the doctor about your medical history, allergies and Herbal/Allopathic medicines/ Supplements you are already taking. Pregnant ladies, breastfeeding women or females having future planning to become pregnant should not compromise with their health and should take proper care by consulting the practitioner.

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How's Your New Health Plan Working?

By Joan Kent  |   Submitted On January 08, 2020      

The #1 resolution in the nutrition field - or maybe anywhere - is weight loss.

So how is your resolution going? Are you sticking with it no matter what? Are you up and down? Do you find yourself going in a completely different direction?

"Can't get out of bed! Send help or waffles. Just send waffles." - unknown

Why Do Resolutions Fail?

Most people fall off the Weight Loss Wagon for 2 reasons.

One is thinking of it as a Diet. Diet foods. Diet mentality. Diet portions. Lots of suffering.

"Today I bought a doughnut without sprinkles. This diet thing is hard." - CoolFunnyQuotes.com

The other reason is food cravings. Cravings can - and do - sabotage our best efforts.

Cravings are interesting. They cause people - many people - to think psychologically, or emotionally. To pontificate about food behaviors. What's "missing" in your life? Where do you need to add 'sweetness?' What's "eating" you?

My field is psychoactive nutrition, so I think chemically.

I know cravings aren't necessarily about stress, or emotions, or boredom. They're about brain chem. And my plan for helping you stick with your resolution doesn't involve crawling in your head and rummaging around in there.

It involves helping you deal with - that means get rid of - your cravings.

"I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food." - W.C. Fields

Steps for Changing Food Cravings

• Check with your doctor to be sure this strategy is appropriate for you.

• Get yourself a bottle of liquid B-complex. It should be ALL the B vitamins, not just B-12.

• If and when you have a craving, take 1 teaspoon (or whatever the dosage on the bottle says).

• Give it a few minutes to take effect.

Liquid B-complex will work; it's very effective.

The other part of this is to stop thinking you're on a diet. Diets are temporary. We can't wait to go off the diet so we can eat the things we've been denying ourselves.

What to Do Instead

• Eat real food.
• Eat protein with everything.
• Allow the protein to moderate your portion sizes. It will.
• Exercise 4-5 days a week.

Keep this going, keep eating real foods, and you'll be able to say, as Julia Child did,
"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook."

If you'd like help with weight loss or a health problem, perfect. That's what I do. Just visit http://www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. Discover how easy it is to move from how you feel now to where you'd love to be!

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar: 7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388

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