Monthly Archives: November 2012

Puppies Spells Stress Relief

It's that time of year for many students. Exam time. And because it's the end of the semester that means final exams. This tends to bring high levels of stress, late nights fueled by far too much caffeine, and poor eating choices. For those who have students in their life here are a few strategies that may help with stress reduction.

Know your stressors – recognizing when we are stressed is a big piece of the puzzle. We can then be proactive about it by engaging in stress-relieving activities
Stay hydrated – when we are dehydrated that simply causes physical stressors as well. Drink water to stay hydrated, not caffeinated beverages. Caffeine has been known to increase anxiety and to raise blood pressure, not good combinations for a stressful situation
Eat well – make sure to not let your blood sugars dip out of control. When this happens we are more likely to binge eat, especially on sugars, which can further destabilize blood sugar. Having small snacks that are high in protein such as raw nuts, or delicious crunchy veggies with hummus are a great way to help avoid the munchies later in the day.
Sleep – the temptation when we are stressed about impending deadlines is for us to pull an all-nighter. This can actually impair cognitive function. When we are well-rested we are better able to handle stress.
Breathe – when we are stressed we often start to breathe shallowly. This is usually an unconscious shift. By stopping to take deep, slow breaths we help to oxygenate and we also force ourselves to calm down, even if just for a little while. Try it now, take three long slow deep breaths, you'll be amazed at how different you feel.
Try whole body relaxation – this is a process where you tense and relax the muscles in your body. The entire process takes just a few minutes but can help to let go of a lot of stress. Typically the pattern is to start by tensing the muscles in your feet, counting to five, and then relaxing them. Then repeat this for the calves, thighs, buttocks, and so on all the way up the body to the face.
Take a laugh break – laughter is good for us. Watching a funny video on YouTube, telling jokes with a friend, or reading something humorous can all help to relieve stress.

Some colleges, in an effort to help with stress relief, have even started puppy rooms where students can come and hang out with puppies to get a little fur-ball therapy. The animals run the gamut from certified therapy pets to animals borrowed from a shelter. The movement seems to be growing as each year around this time there are more articles about more schools who are doing it. Some schools, such as Yale, apparently even have a therapy dog program where students can borrow a dog from the library for 30 minute sessions.

Figuring a picture is worth a thousand words, cute pictures make us smile, and that smiling is very stress-relieving I wanted to share the following.

These puppies are currently living with my friend Larry who rescued their pregnant mother from the animal shelter so she would not have to give birth there. He has taken on the commitment to raise them and find foster homes for them.

Hidden Health Costs Of Cheap Food

by MiraUncategorized

Today's post is a testimonial of sorts focusing on whole food. Written by Tracy Falbe, she shares her story and her journey toward health accomplished in part by transitioning to a low process, low chemical nutritional plan.

The value of food is not solely determined by the money paid for it. The real measures are the food’s nutritional value and its impact on your health.

My whole life I always caught colds and the flu easily. Then about two years ago I switched to eating local naturally raised eggs, poultry, and meats. No more hormone-dripping antibiotic-oozing confined animal meat for me. I began to grow a great deal of my own vegetables which I now enjoy through the winter with canning and freezing. These vegetables grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and often from heirloom stock contribute to my health. Since I got serious about carefully sourcing my diet and paying a premium for good food, I stopped catching every bug in the region. When my husband complained of how many sinus infections he was getting, I convinced him to stop eating at his workplace cafeteria, and he has not had a sinus infection since.

Our immune systems are now more robust because we are eating food with higher nutritional content. Science is beginning to quantify the paucity of nutrients in food from industrial agricultural systems. Data collected and analyzed by University of Texas chemist Dr. Donald R. Davis has revealed some startling declines in crop nutrients over the decades. For example protein in wheat and barley declined 30 to 50 percent between 1938 and 1990. Broccoli now has 66 percent less calcium, in a 2003 analysis, than in 1950.

Large scale agricultural monocultures and business models dependent on chemical fertilizers deplete soils. These fields are stripped of minerals which go unreplaced. Fertilizers generally add nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. These three elements produce growth and fruiting but do not provide a complete nutrient profile needed for good health. The soil has nothing to give to the plant. Even if a diversity of nutrients still remain in the soil, newer crop varieties bred or genetically engineered to produce higher yields more quickly do not have time to draw in as many nutrients as a slower growing heirloom variety. Often the crop is just growing big but lacking in substance. Time is money and nutritional value is sacrificed for speed.

The same problem occurs with egg and meat production. Hormones and antibiotics speed the production but at the cost of nutritional quality.

When I was always getting sick, I was suffering from low grade malnourishment that depleted by immune system. My body was lacking the minerals that had been sucked out of the fields long ago. In a grand sense I was feeling the same sickness that is in the Earth that is mismanaged by industrial food systems.

I agree with agribusiness that time is money. Therefore I double invest by spending more time and more money sourcing high quality nutrient dense food. This provides the double dividend of feeling better while avoiding expensive medical appointments and prescriptions. I also get the greater gift of time that is not wasted feeling bad or sitting in some dismal clinic waiting room.

Admittedly it is convenient to malnourish yourself. Fluffed up produce and processed foods made from “high yield” grains are abundant but have lower nutritional value. Our food system is devoted to filling the plate instead of nourishing the body. The cost of cheap food adds up with deleterious effects caused by weaker immune systems. It’s no secret that poor health follows a poor diet. Remember this truth next time you feel like you can’t afford the produce from the local organic or natural methods grower. You’re going to pay somewhere, so start with a nice dinner and see how it goes from there. I expect that you will eventually, as I did, feel better.

When Tracy Falbe is not studying seed catalogs, tending her fruit trees, or shopping the farmers’ markets, she writes novels. Building a business out of her creativity nurtures her spirit as she seeks to find value in her dreams. Discover her hard-hitting passionate epic fantasies at http://www.braveluck.com/.

Foods That Fight Sunburn

by MiraUncategorized

Eat pomegranates to ward off sunburn.

Pomegranates are a rich source of ellagic acid, which can help protect your skin from UVA- and UVB-induced cell damage, according to research from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at Texas A&M University. Aim to get the health benefits of pomegranates from whole fruits, which are a more potent form of the skin-protecting acids than juices or supplements.

Utilize it! Cut a raw potato into slices and rub a piece on your most painful sunburned spots. For a more intensive treatment, grate a cold raw potato and apply it as a poultice.]

Utilize it! Grind up a cup of oatmeal in a food processor, add it to cool bathwater, and soak. You can also wrap dry oatmeal in cheesecloth or gauze, run cool water through it, and then toss the oatmeal and soak compresses in the liquid, applying every 2 to 4 hours.

tilize it! If you’re already burned, mash a cucumber and apply it to your skin. Dian Dincin Buchman, Ph.D., author of The Complete Herbal Guide to Natural Health and Beauty, suggests cucumber can provide sun protection in a pinch, too. Grab an organic cucumber from the garden or farmers' market, peel and chop, and then squeeze the juice. Mix it with glycerin and rosewater for protection from the sun.

Guavas

Sunburn-fighting effect: An antioxidant-rich diet could help prep your skin for more potent sun protection before you even step foot outside. One guava contains about five times the amount of vitamin C, a skin-healing antioxidant, as a medium-sized orange.

Utilize it! Enjoy a guava here and there, but work more local vitamin-C-rich foods into your diet, too, including bell peppers, strawberries, and broccoli.

Tomatoes

Sunburn-fighting effect: As if you need another reason to indulge in organic tomatoes from your farmers' market or garden. Turns out the red gems help protect your skin from sun damage. In one study, volunteers who ate 5 tablespoons of lycopene-rich tomato paste daily for 3 months enjoyed 25 percent more natural protection against sunburn.

Utilize it! Indulge in fresh tomatoes and add organic ketchup to meals for a lycopene burst.

Betacarotene rich foods help protect against sun burn

coconut oil and sunburn

Aloe

Sunburn-fighting effect: Aloe is popular in many health drinks, but the succulent plant shows promise in sunburn relief, too.

Utilize it! Break off a leaf and apply the juice to your sunburned skin. (Test a small spot first to make sure you’re not allergic.) If you don’t have an aloe plant in the house, buy a bottle of pure aloe vera gel at a pharmacy, chill it in the fridge, and apply.

National Caregiver’s Month – Part 4

by Mirahabits, health

November is National Caregiver's Month. A time to focus on those who care for others, especially if that caregiver is ourselves. Dr. Vicki Bradley has created Self-Care Reminders for Caring Professionals and Family Caregivers to focus on those very special people. Part one of this series can be found here, part two here, and part three here.

But when can we care for ourselves?

I have been asked this question several times and I have an answer. We can care for ourselves now, all the time, and while we care for others. All we need to do is redefine self-care. The most helpful definition of self-care is to consider everything we do for ourselves as self-care. So, for example, the way we eat, sleep, breathe, and walk can all be ways to care for ourselves.

The following two self-care reflections are simple metaphors to encourage us to care for ourselves while we care for others. Both reflections are adapted from my book, Self-Care Reflections.

The Dance of Self and Other Care

We need to take care of us while we are taking care of them. We cannot wait until we have some free time or a vacation. We need to care for ourselves now.

We can use the metaphor of a dance to visualize caring for them and us during each day. In a dance, let's say a dance with two partners, the couple steps forward and, then, back – over and over again.

In the “dance” of self and other care, we make choices all day, every day to take care of them and us. One dance step is a movement to help ourselves. The next step is a movement to help them. We can dance through our day!

How will your daily dance steps reflect your self-care?

The Tapestry of Self-Care and Other-Care

Most information about self-care emphasizes self-care as “taking a break” (getting away from) and “venting” (talking) about the persons in our care. The underlying belief seems to be that we cannot take care of ourselves unless we separate ourselves from the persons in our care.

“Taking breaks” and “venting” can be helpful. However, self-care needs to be an ongoing interwoven part of our lives and our days – similar to weaving a tapestry.

Weaving is an art that intertwines multiple threads to form the whole fabric. Weaving together our self-care with the care of others is also an art. Our focus on both the care of ourselves and others becomes the fabric of our lives.

How will you weave the fabric of your life to include self-care and other-care?

The mission of Self-Care Reminders is to encourage caring professionals and family caregivers to care for ourselves, so we can better care for others (and we'll be happier, too). Contact Vicki to purchase the book Self-Care Reflections, a set of Self-Care Option Cards, or to schedule a “Filling up Our Wells” workshop.

Probiotic Foods

by MiraUncategorized

Recently I had a conversation with someone who had switched to a diet that included large amounts of homemade kefir. Her digestive system was not happy with the change. She was wondering why this happened as she had been drinking kefir before plus eating yogurt.

My first response was to question why she had started making kefir and why she was taking so much of it. Her response was that she thought it was healthy for her.

She's right that kefir and yogurt can be beneficial foods however

photo: Bermas66

National Cashew Day

by Miranuts

This November celebrates a rather “nutty” day, the National Cashew Day. While we’re all preoccupied with Thanksgiving planning and holiday preparations, this November 22 takes a moment to celebrate this rather tasty and very special ingredient to many of today’s recipes.

While cashews were once considered to be native to Northeast Brazil, they are said to have found their roots in ancient Africa. Grown for both the cashew seed, what we call the nut, and it's outer coating, the cashew apple (haven’t seen many of these, but they apparently contain five times the vitamin C of the average orange), it is now grown throughout tropical climates, some of the prime sources being the Philippines and Nigeria. Although less common that other tree nuts or peanuts, some people do have a serious allergic reaction to cashews.

The nut alone isn’t what it’s all about. There is far more to cashews than we think. In some countries, the juice of the cashew nut is a very popular drink, offering plenty of essential nutrients and often considered as a wholesome part of the diet. For medicinal purposes, cashews are renowned for their ability to ward off tooth infections due to the compounds naturally found in them. Parts of the cashew plants are even utilized as a medicinal aid for snake bites (such as the deadly cobra).

So, who decided that November 22 was going to be National Cashew day? Well, no one really knows. It is believed that this tasty nut has been celebrated as far back as the 16th century. Over the years, because of its integrity to so many different dishes found worldwide, the cashew gained fame amongst chefs and became a valued item, often appearing in restaurant specials. As its popularity improved during the fall season in America, November was designated a prime time for cashew flavored additions to dishes and today, November 22 has been designated as its celebrated day.

While most often available either salted or chocolate covered, cashews are so tasty that they stand up well on their own in a raw format. This is the healthiest way to eat them as a mid-day or evening snack to keep your guests preoccupied while they converse with one another. We also find them in trail mixes, a great way to keep us company while traveling on the road.

However, cashews are found in far more places than just our daytime snack packs. When it comes to preparing vegetarian recipes, the cashew has a unique place on the ingredient list. In Kerala cuisine, the cashew is a vital ingredient in the dish known as Avial, which is a thick mixture of vegetables, curd, and coconut as well. Broccoli with garlic butter and cashew is also a very prominent and tasty dish, regardless of preference. Another favored recipe is Coconut Red Lentils with spinach, cashew, and lime, which makes for an amazingly healthy dish that anyone would enjoy. Additionally, cashews are an appetizing ingredient to many sauces, especially for chicken and turkey recipes. Sauces are often thickened by use of flour or other starchy alternatives, but if you’re searching for a new flavor or want to improve the nutritional value of your meal, consider some meaty dishes that utilize the healthy cashew as a saucy alternative. This holiday season, don’t neglect to introduce this fantastically delicious and amazingly healthy nut into your mealtime recipes.

Mark Gomez is owner and operator of Gomez Catering. Gomez Catering which specializes in providing full service, off-premise catering and party planning. With an emphasis on quality, customer service, and style we can help you with any size event but we believe there are no limitations when it comes to food. What lies in your imagination is our goal to create and bring to life.

photo: Midori

National Caregiver’s Month – Part 3

by Mirahabits, health

Have you ever felt like this (I have!)

It makes sense to take good care of ourselves, so we can take better care of our family members. But what if we feel trapped? We may be looking at all those people who are not family caregivers. They don’t seem to struggle with self-care! And, then how do we manage this self-care thing, any way! Our family members may seem to need us so much that there doesn’t seem to be time for anything else.

I have two reflections that might help you. I know they have helped me. I call them “No Comparison” and “Self-Care as a State of Mind.” Both reflections are adapted from my book, Self-Care Reflections.

No Comparison

Many of us need to “think for them.” In other words, we may need to help people in our care be safe and accomplish multiple tasks. We often need to think about how to do these things for them. “Thinking for them” generally becomes a normal part of our everyday lives.

However, “thinking for them” adds an extra layer of mental activity to our lives. Imagine a day or a week or a lifetime without “thinking for them.” No, wait! Whose life would that be anyway! We need to be kind to ourselves. If we compare our achievements to another's achievements, then we need to take into account the extra layer of mental work we do as we “think for them.” Often, because we are caregivers, we have accomplished more than most people in our everyday lives.

How will you acknowledge your giving achievements?

“Self-Care” as a State of Mind

If I limit my thoughts about “taking care of me” to just specific actions, then it is like turning on and off a switch: “now I am caring for me” to “now I am not caring for me.” For example, “now I am taking time for me” but “now I am washing dishes.”

If, instead, my attitude is that I am always doing my best to “take care of me” then I feel more taken care of – by me. I am more aware of how I act in ways that are caring to me.

For example: I am “taking care of me” when I am washing dishes. It's not a vacation, but I care enough for me so that I have clean dishes.

How will you become aware of all the ways you care for you all day – every day?

Cranberries: Nature's Little Helper

by Mirafruit, healthcranberries

Cranberries don’t get as much press as they deserve. They might be sour and somewhat reclusive in traditional cooking, but their health benefits go far. Also called “bounceberries”, for their ability to bounce when ripe, these little powerfruits pack quite a bit of nutrition and health benefits aside from their well-known ability to cure a urinary tract infection.

Blocking Bacteria from Sticking Around in your Body

Proanthocyanidins, or PACs, are a natural component found in cranberries. These condensed tannins inhibit the adhesion of infection-causing bacteria within the urinary tract. Recent research shows that these PACs may act elsewhere in the body preventing other infectious diseases. According to The Cranberry Institute,

“The adhesion of the different types of bacteria that cause both stomach ulcers, and periodontal gum disease, have been shown to be inhibited in the presence of cranberry, and it is likely that others susceptible bacteria will be found as well [...] Not only may regular consumption of cranberry products help maintain health, but in the process will reduce the number of infections in a given population, and thereby the doses of antibiotics which are needed. It is becoming increasingly clear that a reduction in general antibiotic use also reduces the likelihood of the bacteria becoming resistant to those very same antibiotics, which is a public health problem of global proportions.”

It has been accepted by medical communities worldwide that antibiotics lower immune function in children and resistant bacteria has become a serious issue. Cranberries very well may be to solution here.

Cranberries: Good for your Teeth?

Plaque is simply bacteria that have attached to your teeth and gums. Much like cranberries ability to break up the adhesive purposes of bacteria in urinary tracts, cranberries contain a substance known as a nondialysable material (NDM) that has demonstrated the ability to break up oral bacteria that causes tooth decay and gum disease. According to Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition,

“clinical trial using a mouthwash containing cranberry [...] showed a two order of magnitude reduction in Streptococcus mutans colony forming units compared with the placebo group (unpublished data). A large percentage of dental caries (cavities) can be attributed to S. mutans.”

Antioxidant Packed Little Disease Fighters

These simple little berries pack a lot of antioxidants in a small space. Cranberries contain more antioxidants than any other common fruits. These antioxidants fight off the free radicals we are exposed to daily by consuming them and removing them from the body, in laymen’s terms. They are believed to fight off heart disease and cancer. Eating cranberries helps the body maintain a healthy level of antioxidants even under high stress.

Cranberries May Be the Fountain of Youth

Research supports theories that aging is caused by free radicals destroying cells in your body. It has been found that antioxidants and other phytonutrients provide protection against these free radicals that cause chronic age-related afflictions including loss of coordination and memory. As said before, cranberries are high in antioxidants. Preliminary studies in animals have shown that cranberries protect brain cells from free radical damage and subsequent neurological damage.

Cranberries are also a rich source of the flavonoid quercetin that has been shown to inhibit development of breast and colon cancers. Drinking cranberry juice has proven benefits to your heart as well by breaking up “bad cholesterol” or lipoproteins. Cranberries have also been known to reduce the bacteria associated with peptic stomach ulcers, benefit the eyes and improve cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy, and prevent kidney stones by preventing the calcium and phosphate from binding together.

Eating Cranberries

High in vitamin C, cranberries support immune function along with providing antioxidant and antibacterial benefits to your body; however, these effects are nearly depleted by the addition of high amounts of sugar. So how can you include them in your diet? Aside from drinking cranberry juice, you can mix them with other naturally sweet fruits or add a zip to your meals and use them like you would lemon. Dried cranberries can be added to an array of common foods including cereal and trail mix or if you just don’t favor the flavor you can always take a cranberry supplement. Other ways to include cranberries in your diet?

use them in a vinaigrette
throw some on your salads
grab some dried cranberries on the go
add them in bread and muffins
add them to your spicy meals
or even, make a cosmopolitan

Sauce it Up

You can make some cranberry sauce in ten minutes. Serve this with cottage cheese, yogurt, or ricotta cheese for breakfast or a snack. It’s also good with cheeses and nuts and as we all know, cranberries go great with turkey, but it also compliments a good chicken dinner or pork roast. Here is a recipe for a healthy chutney to accommodate any meat dish or add to your morning oatmeal

Kate Hunter is a writer at Everlasting Health Center, Reno’s best vitamin, supplement, herb and health food store since 1995. She enjoys organic gardening, whole food cooking, and following up on the latest health food news. Katie obtained B.A. in English with an emphasis on writing from Southern Oregon University and has been writing about nutrition, healthy living, cooking, and gardening for over nine years. She is a mother of three and spends her time baking, canning, growing and drying herbs, and, of course, reading food labels.

National Caregiver’s Month – Part 2

by Mirahabits, health

We may need a reminder to encourage self-care:

Most of us who are family caregivers know that when we feel exhausted, grouchy, or sick, then we really cannot care well for our family members. Only when we take good care of ourselves can we truly care well for them. Imagine asking someone to use a broken wheelchair or learn in a schoolroom with no books. When we do not take good care of ourselves, we are offering our family members a broken inadequate caregiver.

Below are two self-care reflections. The first reflection encourages us to think of all the ways we can care for ourselves. The second suggests a simple way to put our self-care into action. Both reflections are adapted from my book, Self-Care Reflections.

Physically-Mentally-Emotionally-Spiritually

One common way to think of our “selves” is to divide the self into four “parts” – the physical (our bodies), the mental (our minds), the emotional (our feelings), and the spiritual (our souls). To care for ourselves well, we need to care for all four parts of ourselves – our bodies, our minds, our feelings, and our souls.

Caring for All the Parts of Ourselves

Physically – how we move our bodies, eat, and drink

Mentally – how we think and learn

Emotionally – how we acknowledge and share our feelings

Spiritually – what we believe and how we live our beliefs

What are ways that you care for the parts of yourself?

Implementing Self-Care Ideas

How can we implement self-care ideas? We may have great ideas and wonderful intentions, but we may be unsure of how to make our ideas become reality. It may seem too difficult to do these things.

If someone else asked for our help, we would probably do our best to help them. We can find a way to help ourselves, too.

To take care of ourselves, we can ask the same kinds of questions we may ask about another person who needs help: What do they (I) need? How can I help them (myself) get their (my) needs met?

With practice, we can learn to implement really big and everyday small self-care ideas. Just like we don't give up on others, let's stick with it for us!

How will you implement your self-care ideas?

Persimmon Tea For Acid Reflux

by Mirafruit, healthacid reflux, persimmon, persimmon tea, recipe, tea

Persimmons are a beautiful, fragrant, sweet berry available in the Fall. Some varieties can be eaten while still slightly firm although most varieties taste best when allowed to ripen to an almost mushy consistency. Dried persimmons are a way to enjoy this delicious treat throughout the year and are available at Asian markets.

Commonly offered after traditional Asian meals as a digestion aid, persimmon tea, sometimes called "persimmon punch," also alleviates the symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. GERD symptoms occur when stomach contents rise into the esophagus, which produces irritation.

Acid reflux sufferers often experience varying degrees of heartburn, a feeling that food remains stuck in the region of the sternum, or nausea and regurgitation after meals. Various factors contribute to GERD including a hiatal hernia or a weakened sphincter between the stomach and esophagus. Certain medications, obesity or pregnancy may also create the condition.

Persimmons are known, not only for their antimicrobial properties, but also contain vitamins A, C, and ten different minerals. The tea, made from simple ingredients consisting of persimmons, ginger, cinnamon, and sugar, offers a number of health benefits that include diminishing flatulence and the discomfort that accompanies GERD.

Making the tea merely requires boiling the persimmons, adding the spices and sugar, and cooling the mixture. Some believe the secret of the remedy lies in the cinnamon and ginger components of the tea.

Cinnamon originated in China and using the bark as a spice and health remedy dates back thousands of years. The popular spice offers anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties as well as providing it's antacid properties, relieving excess gas and calming diarrhea. Ginger also has a long history in alternative medicine for relieving nausea and having anti-inflammatory properties.

Persimmon Tea

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Ingredients

2 quarts water
3 cinnamon sticks
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, sliced
1 cup dried persimmons
3 tablespoons evaporated cane juice crystals

Instructions

Simmer the water, cinnamon sticks and ginger in the saucepan for approximately 45 minutes.
Add the persimmons and cane juice crystals.
Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow the mixture to steep for one hour.
When cooled, strain the liquid, discarding the solid ingredients.
Refrigerate the concentrated tea and enjoy as needed, hot or cold.

Many people enjoy drinking the concentrated tea while others add a few tablespoons of the liquid to other beverages, which also provides symptomatic relief. Individuals suffering from acid reflux typically consume three to four ounces of persimmon tea before or with meals and before going to bed. The sweet, spicy flavor of the tea appeals to many and GERD suffers appreciate the beverage's calming effects.

This simple home remedy remains worth a try for people plagued with the discomfort associated with gastric disorders. Some claim that including persimmon tea with an acid reflux diet and lifestyle modifications may reduce the need for prescription medications however GERD patients should consult with their primary care provider before eliminating any prescription medications.

Rowena Kang is a writer and the Outreach Director for the Morgan Law Firm, a firm that represents clients going through a divorce in Austin.