Healthy Holiday Hints

One of my biggest pet peeves is the labels of "diet" food. Many restaurants now even have a "healthy" section on the menu with the exact calories shown. While it's GREAT that we as a society are taking steps to bring awareness to healthy lifestyles, it's also naive to think that every chef measures and personalizes each portion to the exact amount that corporate has shown you via the menu. Also, sometimes the ingredients are bad for you but the portions are minuscule, leaving you hungry and irritated.

Try not to just go for what companies tell you are better, and instead go for what you know. Think about it, you wouldn't take a piece of candy from some stranger in a suit because he said it's "fat free and sugar free". Think for yourself. Take your favorite meal and make it healthy.

If you're dining out don't be afraid of telling your server what you want. As long as you say it with a smile, you'll be fine. If you're embarrassed to tweak an item to optimal health, tell your peers who you're eating with that you're lactose intolerant so you can't have anything cooked with butter and you can't have any cheesy or creamy products (cheese served at restaurants usually are the cheapest kind, therefore the most fattening), and that you're allergic to nuts so you can't have anything cooked with peanut oil. You can even tell them to let the chef know how to make something (i.e. saying "naked grill" so that they don't use any oil at all). Allergies and Intolerance's are no joke in the food industry, so rest assured you'll have the cleanest plate in the room.

Healthy Ingredient Substitutes to Make For Home
Instead of oil & butter use no sugar added apple sauce or apple butter
Instead of egg use two egg whites or 1/4 egg beater
Instead of flour use 100% whole wheat flour
Instead of Sour Cream use Fat Free Organic Plain Yogurt
Instead of Cream Cheese use Fat Free or Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of butter or oil for nonstick cooking use a Spray
Instead of Milk use Skim
Instead of regular Sugar use Molasses or no sugar added pureed fruit
Instead of Whipped Cream use Whipped Evaporated Skim Milk
Instead of Mayonnaise use Low Fat Yogurt mixed with Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of Dry Bread Crumbs (frying) use Oats or Sugar Free Bran Cereal Crushed (cook)
Instead of White Bread use 100% Whole Wheat Bread

WISHING YOU A HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!

Understand the Body & Relieving the Pain

Back/joint pain is something that 78% of Americans will suffer from at least once in their lifetime. When your body alerts you with pain, it's important to read what your body is telling you and understand why this is happening.

Back and joint pain are caused by Somatic (body) dysfunctions. These happen because of muscle imbalances (when a muscle/muscle group does more work than the opposing muscle/muscle group). For instance, if you've got a lower back problem then you are using your back to lift your torso or an item up instead of focusing on the hips and quads (muscle group above your knees consisting of Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Intermedialis, Vastus Medialis, Rectus Femoris). Knowing the cause can help you fix the problem. Focus on how your torso moves. If everything that you do is following a front or back move with your torso then you need to work on keeping your back straight and utilizing all other muscle groups first, like the legs. If one muscle is imbalanced, or does all the work, eventually it pulls bones out of alignment causing joint damage and herniation.

If you've suffered from joint pains for some time, try these two natural Cures to rebuild cartilage and alleviate pain:

• Glucose Sulfate- (1,500 mg) promotes joint healing as well as alleviates stiffness and pain
• MSM- (750 mg) methylsulfonlymethane which is a form of sulfur. Sulfur is critical for cartilage repair and health).

Find more helpful information on this subject at www.losethebackpain.com

Namaste*

Sugar Elucidation

Fact: America is highly medicated.

If you are suffering from: agitation, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, mood swings, sleep deprivation, headaches, and stomach discomfort and go to your doctor, there's a high chance that you'll walk out with a prescription for a brand of thyroid hormone replacement. Now, there are absolutely legitimate cases of hypothyroidism, however many times all that needs to be done are some little tweaks in your daily intake. Here's something to think about before shelling out a co-pay; what are you eating? If sugar is at all (and many times it's hidden) in your daily or even weekly diet, you may be experiencing its nasty effects. Here are some not so sweet facts about sugar that may leave you salty:

• Sugar desensitizes taste buds, leaving you less alert and attentive then you naturally should be
• Sugar puts stress on the adrenal glands which causes the same effects as stress does, releasing hormones that create an imbalance of your bodys "smooth sailing" systems. Released large amounts of Cortisol causes lack of Serotonin (tells your brain it's full) as well as a rise in Leptin (tells your brain you're hungry). It also creates an imbalance of insulin levels which can make you crave even more sugar.
• Sugar puts stress on your liver, which is where toxins are processed
• Sugar dehydrates your body, which creates quicker aging, a confusion in cravings, weak circulation, weak immune system, and a sluggish metabolism
• Refined sugar (anything that's not 100% organic) is not recognized by the body like natural things would be (apple, raw vegetables, etc.) and is quickly stored in the waste areas (fat cells)

When you feed your body Natural things, your body thanks you from the inside to the outside. Keep it clean*

Namaste'