Spring Clean for your Mind

It’s spring cleaning time again. While we commonly think about cleaning our closets, cupboards and homes, it’s also a great time to spring clean our minds – clearing out the clutter and negativity. Give your minds a fresh start for the season! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Clear Negativity

We have about 60,000 thoughts each day and most of us experience more negative thoughts than positive. You may have a tendency toward negative self-talk and criticism. A thought can be changed, so choose what you think about! Bring your focus away from the negative to the positive. Whatever you focus on becomes your reality. (more…)

Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails

Summer is a great time to show-off your healthy skin, hair and nails! The condition of your skin, hair and nails is a reflection of your overall state of health. A variety of factors can affect their condition, including your exposure to tobacco smoke, sun damage, medications, drug use, and nutritional status.  Guess what is the best way to keep these parts of you looking shiny and healthy – a well-balanced diet! Be sure you are eating a lot of vegetables and fruits along with a smaller portions of protein, healthy fats and grains.

Sometimes vitamin supplementation is needed to support your body, especially if your thyroid gland is under stress (which can lead to pale skin, dull hair and brittle nails). Vitamin formulas for healthy hair, skin, and nails contain many of the same nutrients that your entire body needs for growth and maintenance of cells such as Biotin, the B vitamins, Vitamin D, Zinc, Vitamin C & E, and essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6). These vitamins also support the production of keratin which is the essential building block for your skin, hair and nails. Talk to your wellness practitioner about the following key supplements that can give strength and shine to your hair, skin, and nails.
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How to Treat Fatigue

“To know chronic fatigue is to know nutritional medicine.”

When exhaustion, muscle weakness, lack of energy, moodiness and/or irritability strike often, it could be a sign that you are mentally and physically fatigued. Fatigue is a common occurrence that people experience and may be a signal that something deeper is going on. Like the check engine light in a car, it is not something to be ignored. Fatigue becomes chronic when exhaustion or lack of energy lasts 6 months or more. In chronic fatigue, the fatigue is extreme and constant, making it difficult or even impossible to function at the most basic level. (more…)

High Protein Breakfast for Weight Loss

How many times have you heard the comment that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day?”   The University of Missouri recently published a study to actually show that – YES – a high protein breakfast definitely plays a role in weight management. Over a 12 week period, the research team had two groups of overweight teens who typically skipped breakfast, eat either a normal protein breakfast or a high protein breakfast. (A third control group did not eat any breakfast).

What do you think were the results? The group who ate the high protein breakfast actually reduced their daily food intake by 400 calories, lost body fat mass and had more stable blood glucose levels than the other groups. The group who ate a normal protein breakfast or completely skipped breakfast gained weight and were more prone to snacking and getting blood sugar spikes. (more…)

Top Healthiest Foods

These 15 top healthiest foods help you feel good, increase your energy and help prevent diseases. They are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients. Be sure your shopping cart has these healthy foods when you check out at your next visit to the grocery store!

Blueberries

Blueberries are loaded with Vitamin C, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants that help prevent chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Blueberries may also improve short-term memory and promote healthy aging.

Tip: Toss fresh blueberries on your yogurt or oatmeal in the morning. Buy extra in the summer and keep in the freezer for the winter months. (more…)

Cell Phone Hygiene

It’s a well-known fact that cell phones are dirty objects, but just how unclean are they? Each square inch of your cell phone contains roughly 25,000 germs, making it one of the filthiest things you come in contact with on a daily basis. That’s something to think about the next time you press your face to your phone. Dr. Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona, says this is not surprising. “Nobody ever cleans or disinfects their phone, so the germs and bacteria just keep building up. The germs that accumulate on the phones include E. coli, as well as influenza and MRSA, a germ that causes rashes and skin infections.”

Frequent use of our cell phone causes them to remain warm, creating the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. Now that many phones have touch screens, the germs are easily spread from your phone to your hands and face, increasing your chance of infections. Keeping your phone in a warm place such as your pocket or a purse, just acts as a petri dish for the bacteria to grow. (more…)

Meditation Benefits

“Maybe I’ll Start Meditating”

Have you ever said to yourself, “I think I’ll start meditating.”  But then you need to get ready for work, the laundry needs to get started, you need to get some groceries, the kids need to be picked up from school, the list goes on and on. Well – TODAY is the day to start meditating!  And here are the top 3 reasons to get you inspired…

Meditation Benefits

Reason #1 to Meditate:  Because it’s good for your body!

Scientists have found that a consistent practice bolsters your body and helps prevent heart disease, reduce pain and support your immune system. Having a stronger mind-body connection will lower your risk of diseases, help you to cope better with stress, help sleep issues and even improve your memory! (more…)

Pumpkin Health Benefits

Pumpkin is an extremely nutrient dense food, which means that it is full of vitamins and minerals but low on calories. There are many creative ways pumpkin can be incorporated into your diet, including desserts, soups, salads, preserves and even as a substitute for butter. When you go shopping for your Halloween pumpkin get an extra one to cook and eat!

Pumpkin is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family of vegetables (along with cucumber, cantaloupe and squash), and is cultivated around the world for both its fleshy vibrant orange meat and seeds.

According to the USDA National Nutrient database, one cup of pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt contains 49 calories, 1.76 grams of protein, 0.17 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and 12 grams of carbohydrate (including 2.7 grams of fiber and 5.1 grams of sugar). (more…)