Great Reasons to Eat Kale

 May 18th, 2012 

The garnish that is placed on your plate is a superstar of all vegetables that should not be overlooked. Don’t let the prickly cabbage like leafy powerhouse fool you.
Kale is number one in fighting cell damaging free radicals. This little antioxidant helps fight cancer. It has been found to help protect against breast, cervical, and colon cancer. It also is a detoxifier because of its high sulfur content. This triggers the liver to remove free radicals and other chemicals that may cause cell damage.
Kale is loaded with vitamins and minerals. It has 10 times as much lutein to help protect against macular degeneration. It also protects your eyes from cataracts  Two Cups gives you 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. It is loaded with calcium, iron, and vitamins A, C and K.
Kale is for recovery from heart disease and stroke and will help your vision. Kale should be apart of a healthy diet.

There are three varieties of kale.

Curly kale – most commonly found in the grocery store.  It has a bitter taste.  Curly kale in the winter months is sweeter and tender.

Lacinato kale  -  black cabbage, is slightly sweeter than curly kale

Ornamental kale  -  it has a mellower  flavor than curly kale

If you don’t like the bitter taste of kale try baby kale instead.  The young vegetable is more tender and less bitter since they have not fully developed yet.  Some nutritional value is lost because they it has not reached its full maturity.

Ways to get kale into your diet

Juicing

Smoothies

Salad

Topping for pizza

Steamed

Chop kale add apple and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, drizzle with olive oil add chopped walnuts and feta cheese

Foods to Eat to lower your High Blood Pressure or Hypertension

 May 17th, 2012 

Foods high in calcium and magnesium and potassium help lower the blood pressure.  Leafy greens and coniferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

Omega 3 fatty acids  cod, salmon, tuna, sardines, flaxseed, and chia seeds

Folic acid rich foods help reduce the risk of hypertension. Legumes ( lentils, soybeans, and kidney beans to name a few)

Celery helps lower blood pressure. It relaxes the artery wall and increases blood flow. It also lowers your stress

Whole grains and oats are associated with lowering your cholesterol.

Garlic and onions contain sulfur that may help lower blood pressure

Potatoes contain a bloods pressure lowering compound

Increase your vitamin C.  It is found in berries, kiwi fruit, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, guavas, kale, and acerola

Increase your magnesium. Great sources are Dark green leafy vegetables, nuts ( almonds and cashews) An Epson salt bath. Magnesium can be absorbed through the skin.

Avoid

Foods high in saturated fats-  Reduces the elasticity and healing of blood vessels

Alcohol-  Can damage arteries

Caffeine -   Can release hormones that rapidly increase your blood pressure through the bodies stress response

Sodium   Reduces potassium, is a common cause of high blood pressure

Refined sugar -   can decrease vitamin and minerals from the body that are important for controlling lipid levels and protecting blood vessels.

Menopause and foods to ease the transition

 May 16th, 2012 

Menopause is different for every woman.  Some experience severe hot flashes and restlessness, some experience no symptoms at all. Menopause occurs on average at age 51.   This change signals not only the end of fertility, but also a time of increased risk for disorders such as osteoporosis and heart disease.  By making some dietary changes some women are able to  manage these conditions better.

“I can’t lose weight anymore because of my age.” “My weight will never be the way it was when I was younger.”  Those are common things that women say as they age.  Some statistics have shown that 90% of women gain weight during menopause, with an average gain of 12 to 15 pounds between the ages of 45 and 55.  In most cases,the  extra pounds tend to cling to your midsection. Hormonal changes set the table for fiery flashes, sweaty sleeps, and libido loss, and fad dieting.   These problems weigh them down with  bloating  , fatigue,  like the two ton elephant in the room that wont go away.

Some  ways to help you are: Write down each morsel of food you put in your mouth. Even small quantities of certain foods could make a big difference in your weight.  Being accountable will help you to feel more responsible. I like the website www. sparkpeople.com    It is a great tool to get fit and  lose weight in a healthy way and it is FREE!
Muscles matter. As we age our muscles mass declines.  Muscle burns calories!  Aerobic exercise will help to burn calories and build better bones, strength training like lifting weights, will help to maintain muscle mass. About 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a few days a week will also protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and other conditions associated with aging.You may not be able to just peel off layers of  extra pounds as you once easily did. It would be  great if  they would come off  as easily as  you take  off your layers of clothing during a hot flash.  (just a joke)  Instead focus on eating healthy, exercising  and keeping a positive outlook.
The nasty  mood swings also come with the territory. One moment your happy and the next  moment you make the  exorcist look like a walk in the park.  Menopause, you are only in another phase of your life, so embrace it!  This is a great  time in life to finally get out and do some of those things you “always wanted to do” but postponed for another time. And if you need to lose weight, this is the time to start to take care of yourself.  Take a class try Zumba, and learn a few Latin American dance moves.

So what are you waiting for?   Menopause should be a just  Pause not a  stop in life. It is a start of a new journey.

Great foods to add to your diet and why

flaxseed, nuts, parsley, soy beans  Foods high in phytoestrogens help lessen hot flashes

brussel sprouts, cabbage, kale, and collards  Support bone health, protect against breast cancer and heart disease

Fermented soy  tempeh  Ease menopause symptoms such as hot flashes

Sage  Helpful with night sweats

Flaxseed  Balances hormone levels

Omega 3 rich foods like salmon, tuna, cod, and sardines  May help regulate hormone levels

Legumes (lentils, soybeans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lima beans, black beans, chickpeas) acts like a weak estrogen

Whole grains,Apples fennel, celery, parsley and nuts   high in phytoestrogens ( Asian cultures have diets high in this and rarely have menopause problems)

 Kelp, nori, kombu, wakame, arame, hikiji, and dulse      Helps maintain proper estrogen levels

Menopausal women should avoid caffeine, spicy food, hot beverages and alcohol because they can trigger hot flashes, according to MayoClinic

Magnesium Rich Foods

 May 15th, 2012 

Magnesium is a very important mineral.

• Magnesium helps the body to process vitamin D in the parathyroid gland
• Magnesium can aid in the reduction of cholesterol levels
• Magnesium can reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease
• Magnesium assists the regulation of blood pressure
• It is an important for blood sugar control, for diabetes
• Magnesium helps maintain the strength of your bones and can prevent osteoporosis
• Magnesium has been known to assist in reducing migraines
• Magnesium is believed to aid insomnia
• prevent constipation
• Magnesium helps to prevent pre-menstrual syndrome

Foods with highest amount of magnesium

Swiss Chard

Spinach

Summer Squash

Pumpkin Seeds

Broccoli

Magnesium rich foods list – Nuts

• Walnuts
• Brazil nuts
• Pecans
• Dry roasted peanuts
• Almonds
• Cashew nuts
• Flax seed
• Sunflower seeds

Magnesium rich foods list – Fruits and Vegetables

• Spinach
• Basil
• Strawberries
• Cabbage
• Baked potatoes
• Apples
• Apricots
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Corn on the cob
• Raisins
• Lentils
• Blackeyed Peas
• Lettuce
• Coconut milk

cucumbers, green beans, celery, ginger, quinoa,  black beans, oats, kidney beans, raspberries, carrots

Magnesium deficiency can effect every system in your body.

• A magnesium deficiency can lead to a loss of appetite
• A lack of magnesium can lead to irregular heartbeats
• A magnesium deficiency can cause cramping of the legs
• Not getting enough magnesium can disrupt your metabolism (want to know more about metabolism? Click here for our page on what metabolism is)
• Seizures can come from insufficient amounts of magnesium
• Nausea and sickness can be a result of not having enough magnesium
• Feeling constantly and unusually tied and weak can come from a lack of magnesium
• A magnesium deficiency can lead to muscle tremors
• In addition to muscle tremors a lack of magnesium can lead to twitches
• Your personality can be affected by an insufficient amount of magnesium, such as volatile behaviour and mood swings
• Confusion can be a result of a lack of magnesium

Black Bean Brownies

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 eggs
•  1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon  baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon   instant coffee
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8×8 square baking dish.
2. Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Looking for a natural energy drink? Try HyPerformance

 May 14th, 2012 

Natural Performance Health

What HyPerformanceTM can offer you is…
More energy
· Greater endurance
· Less muscle pain and fatigue
· More effective hydration
· Enhanced nutrition
· Faster recovery

HyPerformance contains a smaller quantity and higher quality of carbs than most sports drinks on the
market. Chia seeds are rich in complex carbs that allow for a slow release of energy to the body. Chia seeds
have the added advantages of enhancing hydration (via the absorption of water) and reducing inflammation due
to their high omega-3 fatty acid content. Coconut palm sugar, besides having a richer nutritional content than
most commercial sweeteners, also has a naturally low glycemic index, which means that it gradually releases
sugar to the body
The Value of Added Protein
Although carbohydrates are essential to the endurance athlete, the benefits of added protein are being
increasingly recognized. Exercise itself stimulates muscle protein synthesis. However, it can also stimulate
muscle protein breakdown. In the absence of nutrient intake, more muscle protein is broken down than is made
during strenuous exercise, resulting in a net negative protein balance. To increase the rate of whole body- and
skeletal muscle protein synthesis (thereby promoting a positive net protein balance), the intake of protein and/or
amino acids is essential.
Protein ingestion during exercise recovery also enhances muscle repair. In a study of cyclists performing
two sets of exercise to exhaustion, muscle damage and soreness increased in those ingesting a ‘carb-only’
beverage, whereas muscle damage and soreness were significantly reduced in the cyclists who ingested both
carbohydrates and protein. Although glycogen resynthesis relies on carbohydrates ingestion, adding protein to a
carb-containing beverage results in significantly more glycogen synthesis after exercise compared to ingesting
only carbohydrates. HyPerformance provides hypoallergenic and high-quality protein in the forms of pea protein
isolate, rice protein concentrate, and chia seed protein. L-glutamine is one of the most abundant amino acids in
skeletal muscle and can become deficient during strenuous exercise. Ingesting L-glutamine not only helps
prevent this deficiency, but also enhances cell hydration, stimulates glycogen synthesis, and exerts an anabolic
effect on skeletal muscle.

Go go their website  http://www.nph1.com/  and order.Please  tell me what you think also if  you find that it helped you recover faster from your running.