Aromatherapy article
We all know the common advice about keeping healthy. Eat right, exercise and get enough sleep. Many of us think that exercise means vigorous physical activity. Although that is a great way to get in shape and stay fit it is not always possible.
Some people have health conditions that prevent them from being able to engage in activities such as aerobics, tennis, jogging, or team sports. These conditions include severe arthritic conditions, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, low blood pressure problems such as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and others. Unfortunately many people afflicted with conditions that prevent them from being as physically active as they are used to may think that there is nothing they can do to stay active. This leads to weight gain, loss of muscle tone and can even affect other body systems.
It doesn’t have to be that way. If you are unable to engage in heavy physical exercise, if even long distance walking is beyond you or yoga triggers your low blood pressure, there are things you can do to stay healthy. The first is to realize that pushing yourself to exhaustion is not going to help. If you can walk for five minutes a day that’s where you start. If you can do a few Tai Chi poses start there. It takes time to build your body back up. And your new activity level may be reduced from what you are used to, but remember, any movement that you can do is helpful for your body.
Here are a few links to some websites with information on different types of gentle exercise that you may be able to do to keep your body moving. You may need to engage in these activities with a fitness professional who can guide you and monitor your progress on your journey to health. As with any health condition please consult a healthcare practitioner before you engage in new types of physical activity.
photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tai_Chi,_Cannon_Beach.jpg
A client came to me for an appointment because she was surprised at a recent physical to discover that she had high cholesterol. She's only 31 and works very hard to provide a clean diet for herself and her family, eating organic foods, and not eating a lot of processed foods. It never entered her mind that she might have high cholesterol.
In our conversation, I shared with her some simple yet effective ways to start making heart-healthy changes to her diet. While this isn't an exhaustive list, it highlights the top five foods to incorporate for better heart health.
These dietary changes should ideally accompany other lifestyle adjustments like quitting smoking, avoiding trans-fatty acids, and introducing regular exercise into your routine.
Even just a 15 minute walk a day if that's all you can do to start. I'm a fan of using the free app Charity Miles which makes a donation to your favorite charity for each mile you walk, run, or bike. The donations are from ads so there's no cost to you. It's a win for everyone.
Here are some heart-healthy foods to add to your diet:
Flax Seed: Rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds can help reduce total and LDL cholesterol. Their nutty flavor makes them a perfect addition to baked goods, cereals, or smoothies.
Oat Bran: High in soluble fiber, oat bran is effective in lowering LDL cholesterol. It can be enjoyed as a cereal or used in baking muffins, cookies, or bread.
Cold Water Fish: Foods like salmon, sardines, tuna, rainbow trout, and herring are excellent sources of heart-healthy omega-3 oils and provide quality protein.
Garlic: Known to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting HDL cholesterol, garlic also helps reduce platelet aggregation. You can learn more about the benefits of garlic in my dedicated article here.
Foods high in Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10): Spinach is high in Co-Q10, which is important for heart (and muscle) health, as well as lutein, an antioxidant which can help reduce hardening of the arteries, spinach is a wonderful food to add to the diet. Spinach is also high in folate which is effective in reducing homocysteine in the blood and magnesium which is helpful for reducing blood pressure.
Although more greens in the diet are always a good thing, spinach isn't actually one of the highest sources of Coenzyme Q10. This can be found in beef, beef liver, seafood, poultry, avocado, nuts and seeds, lentils, and cruciferous vegetables.
Remember, being heart-healthy isn't just about what you eat; it's also about staying active. Regular physical activity, like walking, jogging, or running, is crucial for weight control, cardiac health, stress reduction, and overall mood enhancement.
If you're curious about how far you're walking or running and don't have a pedometer, consider using the Charity Miles app to track your distance while also contributing to a good cause.
Calcium is a cornerstone of good health, playing a pivotal role not just in bone and teeth strength but also in muscle function, nerve signaling, and blood clotting. Despite popular belief, fortified milk and dairy products are not the only paths to achieving your daily calcium intake. A diverse diet rich in whole foods can offer ample calcium and additional health benefits.
Adults aged 19-50 should aim for an Adequate Intake (AI) of 1,000 mg of calcium per day, a benchmark set by the Linus Pauling Institute at the University of Oregon. This goal is attainable through careful dietary choices, even without dairy.
Calcium.” Linus Pauling Institute, 2024, lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/calcium. Accessed 22 Aug. 2024.
Dark, leafy greens such as kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, and spinach are calcium-rich. For example, a cup of cooked spinach provides approximately 245 mg of calcium. Seeds, too, are surprisingly high in calcium; four tablespoons of sesame seeds offer 351 mg, surpassing the calcium content of a cup of milk.
For those avoiding dairy, plant-based milks like almond, hemp, and rice milk are viable alternatives. While the calcium in these milks is often fortified, they provide a dairy-free means to meet your intake requirements. Remember, the nutritional content can vary, so it's essential to check labels.
Beyond greens and seeds, other calcium-rich foods include sardines (382 mg per 100 g), almonds (266 mg per 100 g), and flax seeds (255 mg per 100 g). These options not only diversify your diet but also pack in additional nutrients beneficial for overall health.
Don't underestimate the power of spices. A 2 tsp. serving of dried basil contains over 63 mg of calcium. Incorporating herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, and even cinnamon can boost your calcium intake while adding flavor to your meals.
Shifting away from the idea that dairy is the only calcium source allows for a more inclusive and healthful approach to nutrition. Whether due to dietary restrictions, ethical choices, or personal preference, there are numerous ways to ensure you're getting enough calcium. This holistic view supports not just bone health but a vibrant, varied diet rich in essential nutrients.
By expanding your dietary horizons beyond dairy, you can meet your calcium needs through a balanced intake of greens, seeds, nuts, alternative milks, and even spices. Embrace the variety for a healthier, more inclusive approach to nutrition that ensures your body gets the calcium it needs for strong bones, muscle function, and more.
There’s a lot of media attention to the idea of reducing how much meat we’re eating. Including a suggestion for ditching the meat at least one day a week and switching to Meatless Mondays.
If you are a meat eater who is simply trying to eat less meat, incorporating a vegetarian plan one day a week can be a great way to get started. But it’s important that you don’t become a carbotarian and simply add lots of pasta or simple carbohydrates for your meatless meals. While getting proper nutrition from vegetarian meals requires a little more thought and effort, it is not difficult.
As a holistic Nutrition Educator I often encourage my clients to work on other areas than just food. We talk about ways to reduce stress in their lives, ways to increase exercise and to work toward living a happy, healthy, balanced life. I try very hard to practice what I preach and I thought I would share an example of that today.
According to an article I recently read, the baobab is the next superfruit. I imagine this means it should be hitting the shores of the USA any day now. No doubt to be found in a wide variety of items at the grocery store.
Apparently the fruit has extraordinarily high levels of vitamin C, nearly six times that of an orange. It is also reported to be high in calcium, potassium, and both soluble and insoluble fibers. The fruit is also anti-inflammatory and antipyretic (fever reducing).
In addition to all of the wonderful benefits of the fruit, many other parts of the tree are usable. These include the seeds, fibers, and leaves. These other products are apparently sometimes used in cosmetics and folk-medicines. Once they come to the United States they will no doubt find their way into every imaginable product.
While I am always happy to find foods that have great nutritional benefit or plants that have beneficial value, I confess to being underwhelmed at the thought of another “super” food. From açaí to goji berries to mangosteen and more, every new discovery brings a touted superfood. These are delivered to us at an enormous premium and pushed into our everyday consciousness via massive marketing campaigns to try to convince us to buy a product, any product, that has this newest discovery in it (sometimes in the most minimal quantities). In addition to the push by producers to include the newest, latest, greatest thing, by consuming, and often over-consuming, whatever this newest product is. Sometimes to the detriment of those who produce it.
One prime example of this trend is what has happened/is happening in Peru with the rise in popularity of quinoa. Farmers, feeling pressure to produce, are depleting the soil that would otherwise have an opportunity to lay fallow and recover. They are also switching not using the natural llama fertilizer as they reduce their herds to allow them to grow more quinoa. In the long run this quite possibly may lead to a reliance on chemical fertilizers which is not the best option for the soil or the plants.
While it’s interesting, and tasty, to have the availability of superfoods from other parts of the planet, don’t lose your awareness of what is available around you. Before you rush off and buy the latest baobab concoction, think more about what you eat on a regular basis. Blueberries, sweet potatoes, avocados, liver, and pumpkin seeds are among just a few of the wonderful and delicious superfood that are available in the United States. If you live outside of the US consider looking for those nutrient dense foods that are available closer to home.
Improving daily nutrition is better for long-term health than jumping on the latest-and-greatest bandwagon. Spending your food dollars for overall health, such as fresh, local, organic food is better than spending a large sum for a small quantity of any food, no matter how super it purports to be. Remember to eat well from the abundance that surrounds you.
I am not a doctor. The information on this website should not be considered medical advice and is not intended to treat, diagnose, prevent or cure any conditions, physical or otherwise. Information provided on this website has not been reviewed or approved by any federal, state, or local agency or healthcare group. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent any particular individual or professional group. © 2006-2024 Mira Dessy & The Ingredient Guru. All rights reserved.
