A Perfectly Healthy Day. . . . . There's an App for That!

A Perfect Day Of Apps - Your trusty sidekick can boost your health. Here's how

You love your cell phone. So much that you’d even marry it—or at least forego some of life’s greatest pleasures for it. In fact, one-third of American adults would rather give up sex for a week than their phones, and 55 percent would rather give up caffeine, according to a survey by the mobile GPS company TeleNav. 

But don’t panic, there’s no need to choose. In fact, the plethora of apps available to you means loving your cell phone can be a big boost for your health. Check out these five easy-to-use apps that will get you through the day with a

Keeping Fit:  Endomondo     

Starting your day with some exercise is always a good call, and research shows that working out with a pal makes you more likely to keep at it. But what if your ideal gym buddy lives in LA and you’re in NYC? This fitness app lets you challenge friends far and wide and even send them pep talks in real time. Plus, it tracks your distance, speed, and calories. Think of it as a way to engage in some healthy competition with your bi-coastal bestie. (Available for iPhone and Android, free) 

An Exerciser's Best Friend An Exerciser's Best Friend

Eating Easy:  My FitnessPal       

You've heard it before: Calorie counting is a vital part of weight loss. But who wants to drag a notebook around all day to jot down each bite? MyFitnessPal takes the number crunching out of your healthy eating equation. Enter your weight loss goal, and then click on what you eat throughout the day (pick from 1,100,000 foods), and the app keeps a running tab. (Available for iPhone and Android, free)

Staying Perky:  Caffeine Tracker    

Can’t survive without that second (or fourth) cup of coffee in the afternoon? Caffeine Tracker will help make sure that you can enjoy a couple of energy bursts during your day without sacrificing sleep. Just enter in your caffeinated drink of choice—coffee, cola, or tea—and watch the graph to see when the energizing compound will exit your system. (Available for iPhone and Android, .99 cents)

23 Ways To Eat Clean 

Getting Busy:  My Days    

Whether you’re trying to have a baby, not have a baby, or simply monitor your periods, My Days app can help. The app asks you to put in your periods and, er, other fun activities to help map your ovulation and fertility. (Available for iPhone and Android, free)

Hitting The Hay:  Relax and Sleep     

Sometimes, a little bit of white noise can be all you need to catch some zzz’s. Now you can turn your phone into a white noise machine with the Relax and Sleep app. Choose from more than fifty ambient sounds, such as loons on the lake, the hum of an air conditioner, or the sound of a beating heart, and get ready to drift off to dreamland. (Available for Android, free)

Beginning Healthy Eating - Use your plate as a guide - replaces food pyramid

What people consider healthy eating is constantly changing, so it’s important to read recent research and stay up-to-date on what is happening.  For example, the food guide pyramid that we learned in school so many years ago has changed numerous times.  It currently looks like this:

Current Healthy Eating Guidelines are easy to find if you’re just willing to take the time.  One suggestion that many experts give is to have a plan each week for what you’ll eat.  Plan out at least dinners, if not all meals.  This helps eating healhty because you can be prepared with all the ingredients you need instead of deciding what you want one night, realizing you don’t have what you need, and ordering pizza instead.

  Another important aspect is to not deprive yourself from eating foods you like.  When you do that it just creates a bigger crave and when you finally do eat that thing, you’ll binge on it, creating an even worse situation than if you just ate a little once in a while. 

Snacks are a big part of why people aren’t healthy.  It’s not a mealtime and they just want something small to hold them over until dinner.  This video below will help you learn how to snack healthy!

Break These 5 Bad Eating Habits Today!

From: Town Square Buzz

Habits, good or bad, they are part of our daily behavior. 
And when it comes to eating, these habits can greatly increase the chance of becoming overweight. Below are 5 really bad eating habits that you can change today. Work on them every day until they’ve been replaced with healthier practices!

1. Bad Snacking
Snacks are great between meals to help you get to the next one. But don’t fall victim to buying foods labeled as “snacks” in your grocery store. Foods like crackers, cookies, chips, 100-calorie packs and granola bars won’t satisfy you. In fact, they’ll likely sabotage your nutrition plan, creating a negative effect on your blood sugar, cravings, body fat and energy.
 

Try this. Start each week by preparing snacks ahead of time. Fill several sandwich bags with nuts, raisins, seeds, cut vegetables or fruit.

2. Eating Somewhere Other Than the Table
Studies show families that dine around a table together on a regular basis eat healthier and are less likely to have overweight children.
 

Try This: Set a goal for a number of times you will eat around the table each week. Start small, just once if you need to, and build up your frequency. Over time, it should become a habit most nights of the week.
Focus on how and what you eat. Enjoy the meal fully, without distractions. No phones, computers or televisions allowed.

3. Eating Too Fast
The average person spends less than twenty minutes eating each meal. Eating fast poses a huge problem for your body’s natural hunger and satiety signals. It often leads to overeating.
 

Try This: Eat Slow. Allow yourself at least 30 minutes per meal. Every bite you take should be savored. Put down your fork between bites and chew at least 20-30 times. There is a time and a place where a meal or snack might need to be rushed, but that shouldn’t have to be at every meal.

4. Multitasking While Eating
Do you work through lunch? Fold laundry or pay your bills as you eat dinner? We are a multi-tasking society! We live in a nation of poor nutrition choices, which have played a huge part in our obesity problems. That alone justifies the need for eating to be a solely task in itself.
 

Try This: Take a break! Really practice not doing anything else while eating, unless it includes conversing or engaging with other people around you. Take the time to enjoy your meal. Fewer distractions will allow you to think clearly about your healthy food choices.

5. Poor Planning
You may have every intention of eating healthy, but you have to plan it. Our lifestyles set up a situation of easy-access, unhealthy food choices.
 

Try This: Healthy people meal plan. Plan your dinners a week ahead of time and stick to your plan. This naturally builds a healthy grocery list. Don’t forg

Publix helps fund Salad Bars for Schools

Publix Super Markets Inc who was recently ranked No. 1 for corporate citizenship reputation earlier this month and was named among the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine is working with two organizations to bring salad bars to 39 schools in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee, Supermarket News reports.

The Lakeland-based grocery chain joined forces with United Fresh Foundation and Produce for Kids to fund the salad bars, an effort expected to benefit more than 20,000 students. Since 2002, Produce for Kids, an Orlando based company has raised more than $3.7 million to benefit children’s non-profit organizations and educate families about healthy eating with fresh produce.The project is part of the Nationwide project "Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools" initiative.

The collaboration has resulted in the largest produce contribution to date, “Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools,” will provide our children access to healthy fruits and vegetables every day at school. The contribution will benefit more than 20,000 students and to date over 824 Salad Bars have been granted. 
United Fresh President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Stenzel noted that childhood obesity is a nationwide problem, but that it occurs at a higher than average rate in the Southeast. Fruit and vegetable consumption among children is the Southeast is also lower than the national average.
“We are proud to have Produce for Kids and Publix Super Markets join us in helping schools in the Southeast,” Stenzel said in a press release. “These 39 salad bars will increase students’ fruit and vegetable consumption and provide healthier options at lunch.”

Publix Director of Media and Community Relations Maria Brous said the goal of the collaboration is to get children to develop a love for these healthful foods. “Foods that are colorful and fresh are tempting to the eyes and tastebuds. When children are exposed to fruits and vegetables from a salad bar, they are more likely to eat and enjoy them,” Brous said.

Did You Know?

824 salad bars have already been granted to schools across the country!

9 Healthy Tips to Surviving BBQ Season

From: Eat without Guilt

It’s summertime and the season for firing up the grill for BBQ’s.  But if you’re trying to watch your weight, the big spread of food can bring about stress and it’s easy to overeat or feel stuffed.  With all of the chips, hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, and mayo-laden potato salad around it’s no wonder.

Fortunately, I have some easy tips to help you stay on track, while keeping it healthy, enjoyable, and tasty:

1)  Make or bring a healthy appetizer. Though we all enjoy chips, dips and nachos, personally I’ve found once I dig in to them (especially when I’m really hungry) it can be hard to stop.  So instead I make it a habit to bring a healthy appetizer like veggies and hummus.

Good and easy choices are cut up (or baby) carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell pepper strips.  This way there’s at least one healthy snack to munch on while the grill is firing up.

2)  Fill your plate with the healthy items first. Instead of sitting down to a plate of high calorie ribs as your first course, load up on salad and veggies before you hit the grilled meats.  If I’m hosting the BBQ, I always prepare an easy healthy side-dish, like tomatoes & feta, or a black bean salad.  You’ll not only get a healthy, low-calorie dose of antioxidants, you’ll be less likely to overeat the higher calorie foods.

3)  Be mindful and eat slowly. It’s easy to get caught up in the energy (with the noise, music, and kids running around) but remember, the BBQ is a time to relax.  So sit down (no standing!) and take the time to enjoy the food.  Don’t just eat away mindlessly as that’s one of the easiest ways to overeat.

4)  Don’t deny yourself. If you’re dying for a hamburger, go ahead and have one.  And if you really want that potato salad (though it’s not the healthiest choice) be sure to take a small portion (see number 6 below).  If you deny yourself you’ll just end up overeating as you won’t be satisfied.

5)  Get rid of the “scarcity” mentality. It’s not like you can never have the foods again.  Years ago, I would stuff myself at a Fourth of July BBQ thinking that if I didn’t eat it now, I’d never see it again.  Then I started to realize that it was foolish.  It’s not like I  won’t ever see a burger on the grill again!

6)  Watch portion size. Here are 3 easy points of reference:

•  A tennis ball (or use your clenched fist as a rough estimate) = about one cup.  This measure is useful for sides (like potato salad, pasta salad, or cole slaw). Best to aim for 1 cup total of these starchy (and often calorie-laden) side dishes.

•  A deck of cards or your cell phone (provided you’ve upgraded in the last 10 years!) = about 3 ounces of meat.  Yup, that’s one serving.  This measure is useful for things like steak.

•  Your thumb = about 1 tablespoon.  This is handy when you’re trying to estimate salad dressing or a spread.  Remember, oftentimes salad dressings can have 50-100 calories per tablespoon, and mayo is about 100 calories per tablespoon. So be wary of how much your using.

7)  Watch those liquid & alcohol calories. Sweet and sugary drinks (think: margaritas and frozen daiquiris) can have a few hundred calories.  Not to mention after downing a few, you’re likely to lose a bit of self-control around the food (and we’ve all been there!)  I really enjoy a good beer or glass of wine, but I’m sure to not overdo it.

8)  Don’t forget to hydrate (with WATER, that is). Especially if you do have a drink or two of alcohol, switch it up with water.  I often find with clients that they forget to drink water when at a celebration, like a BBQ.  And try to skip the soda too.  Just go for nature’s best pick — water.

9)  Go easy on dessert. Sure, you can have dessert, but have a plan of attack.  I often wait a while after eating before digging into dessert to give my body a chance to digest and feel full.  I also scan the dessert table and do one of two things:

•   choose one that I really fancy  OR

•   choose two and take a small piece of each

Also, if there’s something healthy like fresh fruit being served, I take that first — but I do leave room for something a bit “guilty” — it is a celebration after all!

So go ahead and enjoy the food, just be smart about what you eat and how much.  Depriving yourself will get you nowhere fast, and one of the biggest mistakes people make when starting a healthy lifestyle.

It all comes down to making smart choices, not overdoing it, and taking the time to truly enjoy the food and the company of others.  Just come prepared, and you won’t have to stress over blowing your healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Smoothies need the right ingredients

From: Antioxidants for health and longevity

Healthy smoothie recipes can produce drinks that are the most nutrient-dense meals on the planet. They're also just about the quickest, too! The secret to a healthy smoothie recipe is knowing which ingredients to use — and which to avoid.

Healthy smoothies contain only natural, whole foods, in a form that's easily digested and assimilated. They're loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. There's no better way to give yourself an abundant, long-lasting supply of energy!

The good news is that anyone can make perfect healthy smoothies — recipes for smoothies are very flexible. You can experiment and switch ingredients to suit your taste and substitute your favorite beverage, fruit or vegetable.

The most common liquids people use to make smoothies are milk, yogurt, fruit juice, soy milk or some type of nut milk. Of all these choices, dairy-substitutes such as rice milk, hemp milk, coconut milk and almond milk are your healthiest ones, unless you use plain water. The only objection I can make about them is that they're factory-made, packaged beverages, essentially processed foods.


Make your own healthy smoothie starter!  If you have one of the more powerful blenders such as the BlendTec or VitaMix, you can make the freshest and healthiest smoothie starters in the world. They're easier to make than you'd think — and it only takes a couple of minutes.
You can use either of these as a substitute for milk in any healthy smoothie recipe — or drink them as is. They only keep for a day or so in the refrigerator, but they're so quick to make, it hardly matters.

Almond Milk Smoothie Starter

Combine the following in your blender:

• 5 parts water
• 1 part raw almonds,
  soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (opt.)
• stevia — sweeten to taste

Blend until smooth and strain
through a nylon-mesh nut bag
to remove the almond meal. Sweeten with stevia, if desired.

Coconut Milk Smoothie Starter

• 4 parts water
• 1 part shredded coconut
• stevia — sweeten to taste

Pre-soak dried, shredded coconut in water to soften it up (optional). Blend until smooth and strain out the coconut meal with a nylon-mesh nut bag.

(our note) if you have to use a sweetener ONLY USE a Stevia based product, all other sweetners are chemicals, even though they may say made from sugar by the time they get done with the refining process it is pure 100% chemical that has caused cancer in lab rats. There are many forms of Stevia this could be "Truvia" regular or "Raw Stevia" or any generic Stevia such as "Pure Via" . True Original Stevia can be very costly so there are a lot generic alternatives. 


Read the rest of the article here and see how you can add antioxidants and coconut oil for glowing skin and herbs and spices for flavor.   

Valentines Special : The Truth about your heart

What's your risk of having a heart attack or stroke?

Your answers to the following questions can help determine your risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. Based on your answers, we've also included recommendations to help keep you healthy.

Click HERE to take the test.

1. Stop smoking. Quitting smoking is the single most important thing a person can do to live longer. If you are a smoker, you are twice as likely to have a heart attack than a non-smoker. But from the moment you stop smoking, the risk of heart attack starts to reduce. With public smoking bans recently introduced, there has never been a better time to give up.

2. Cut down on salt. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Avoid foods like crisps, salted nuts, canned and packet soups and sauces, baked beans and canned vegetables, pork pies, pizzas and ready meals. Many breakfast cereals and breads that appear healthy also contain high levels of salt, so keep your eye on these too.

3. Watch your diet. A healthy diet can help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, and can also help increase the chances of survival after a heart attack. You should try to have a balanced diet, containing plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, oily fish, starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice. Avoid foods like biscuits, cakes, pastries and dairy products that are high in saturated fats and sugar.

4. Monitor your alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage the heart muscle, increase blood pressure and also lead to weight gain. Binge drinking will increase your risk of having a heart attack, so you should aim to limit your intake to one to two units a day.

5. Get active.The heart is a muscle and it needs exercise to keep fit so that it can pump blood efficiently round your body with each heart beat. You should aim for 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a day. If this seems too daunting, start off gently and build up gradually. Keeping fit not only benefits your physical health - it improves your mental health and wellbeing too.

6. Manage your weight. The number of people who are overweight in Britain is rising fast - already more than half of the adult population is overweight or obese. Carrying a lot of extra weight as fat can greatly affect your health and increases the risk of life-threatening conditions such as coronary heart disease and diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, start by making small, but healthy changes to what you eat, and try to become more active.

7. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your GP. The higher your blood pressure, the shorter your life expectancy. People with high blood pressure run a higher risk of having a stroke or a heart attack. High levels of cholesterol in the blood - produced by the liver from saturated fats - can lead to fatty deposits in your coronary arteries that increase your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diseases that affect the circulation. You can help lower your cholesterol level by exercising and eating high-fibre foods such as porridge, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables.

8. Learn to manage your stress levels. If you find things are getting on top of you, you may fail to eat properly, smoke and drink too much and this may increase your risk of a heart attack.

9. Check your family history . If a close relative is at risk of developing coronary heart disease from smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, obesity and diabetes, then you could be at risk too.

10. Make sure you can recognise the early signs of coronary heart disease . Tightness or discomfort in the chest, neck, arm or stomach which comes on when you exert yourself but goes away with rest may be the first sign of angina, which can lead to a heart attack if left untreated.

The Healing Powers of Fresh Juice

Tropical Tuesday
The healing powers of fresh juice

The great thing about living in Florida is that there is always an
abundance of vegetables and so it always the perfect season
to dust off the Juicer and get it and your motor purring.

Article & Pic:  Mother Nature Network
http://www.miniurl.com/s/05Q

 Juicing your fruits and vegetables has long been thought to have healing powers. Providing an abundance of quickly absorbed nutrients, juicing has been touted to help cure everything from stomach ulcers to strengthening the immune system due to the high concentration of phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals in fresh fruits and vegetables.

For healing or detoxification purposes begin to change your diet by eliminating processed, over cooked food. Eat whole organic fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, and eat a mostly vegetarian based diet including fresh juice at least 1-2 times per day. As a good reference book, my favorite resource and a classic in the lexicon of juicing is medical anthropologist, John Heinerman’s, Encyclopedia of Healing Juices.

Prepare your produce before processing through a juicer and make sure that your produce is organic as it is suspected that pesticides and herbicides can concentrate in the juice. You can drink the juice straight, dilute half with water, or add fiber or protein powder to make a healthy shake. One important note is to always drink the juice right after juicing to ensure receiving the maximum nutritional value.

Here are 15 fruits and vegetables beneficial to your body:

1. Carrot juice strengthens the eyes and helps clear up skin eruptions.
2. Celery juice is known for its power to clear the skin, as is cucumber juice.
3. Cabbage juice helps the gastrointestinal tract, as well as, helping to heal stomach ulcers.
4. Ginger juice helps with inflammation in the body, such as arthritis and is known to remedy nausea.
5. Lemon juice is excellent for counteracting a high-fat, animal protein rich diet. Helps the liver in its daily detoxification process.
6. Apple juice helps to relieve constipation, heal the intestines, and softens gall stones.
7. Radish juice benefits the thyroid gland (in small amounts and mixed with other juice).
8. Grape juice helps to purify the blood, inhibits herpes simplex and influenza viruses; and can be used as a remedy for hepatitis.
9. Kale and Collard juice strengthens the bones due to high levels of calcium, potassium & Vitamin A.
10. Pomegranate juice can be used to destroy intestinal worms, sooth gum and mouth ulcers, and strengthen the gums.
11. Parsley juice neutralizes acid blood pH and helps alleviate allergies, cellulitis, mercury poisoning and skin problems.
12. Pea juice helps dissolve blood clots and alleviates symptoms for celiac disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
13. Plums/Prune juice helps alleviate constipation and can be used for liver disease.
14. Tomato juice helps restore health to the liver, and can be used to treat diarrhea and chronic indigestion.
15. Watermelon juice alkalinizes the blood, and can be used to treat urinary problems, edema, and canker sores. Its diuretic properties benefits the kidney’s and bladder. Juice the rind with the flesh for a sweet, thirst quenching drink.

Healthy Brain Tips - Top Ten

Its Manic Monday what a great day to talk about "Feeding the Brain"!!The Brain is probably the most important organ in the human body.  The Mayfield Clinic says it best when it says that "Nothing in the world can compare with the human brain. This mysterious three-pound organ controls all necessary functions of the body, receives and interprets information from the outside world, and embodies the essence of the mind and soul. Intelligence, creativity, emotion, and memories are a few of the many things governed by the brain." so FEED your brain!!

Article is abbreviated please read the whole article HERE 

Eat the Rainbow Fix your Homocystiene Cool the Heat Stop the Sugar Chill Out

Get an Oil Change Rest Up Get Moving Clean House Use Your Head

Eat the Rainbow

Believe it or not, your brain rusts as you get older. The end result is Alzheimer’s, or as one of our patient’s called it, “old timer’s disease”. 

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Fix your Homocystiene

Many Americans are vitamin deficient. We are the most overfed and undernourished country in the world. The meat, sugar, alcohol, coffee and cigarettes we consume in excess all deplete us of critical B vitamins that are needed to keep us healthy. Without adequate amounts of folate, B6 and B12 we are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and depression, not to mention heart attacks, strokes, breast, colon, cervical, lung and prostate cancer. 

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Cool the Heat

If your brain is aging quickly or your memory impaired your brain is on fire! Many things fan the flames of inflammation – hidden infections, allergens, environmental toxins like mercury and lead, emotional stress, lack of exercise, excess sugar and animal fat and most commonly a fat belly! Those little fat cells in your ever-expanding middle are little factories for inflammation. A blood test, C-reactive protein, is the best way to tell if you are on fire. If your level is greater than 1.0, then you should begin to cool the heat. 

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Stop the Sugar

The sugar epidemic (an average of 150 lbs per person per year) is directly responsible for obesity in 2/3 of Americans. Diabetics have four times the risk of getting dementia. Too much sugar leads to high levels of insulin [link to healing / insulin resistance] in your blood. That makes you gain weight around the middle, raises your blood pressure and leads to rusting [prevention / rust] and inflammation [prevention / heat]. 

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Chill Out

Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a renowned Stanford neurobiologist, explained the dangers of stress in his book Why Zebra’s Don’t Get Ulcers. The zebras are busy eating grass until a lion starts chasing them. Then they go crazy, running all over the place, until the lion kills a zebra. Then all the other zebras relax and go back to grazing while the lion eats his dinner right next to them. 

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Get an Oil Change

Most of your brain is fat – but not the kind that comes from hamburgers or Twinkies. Even though most of us have been taught that fat is BAD, without the right kind of fat our brains can’t function; our memory and thinking become impaired, we get depressed and are even at higher risk for dementia and Parkinson’s.

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Rest Up

Most of us who have pulled an "all nighter", or lost a night’s sleep know how poorly our brain works when deprived of sleep. The trend of super-caffeinated, sleep-deprived Americans is a deadly problem. When we lose sleep, or don’t sleep at regular times, our brain hormones become imbalanced, leading to higher cortisol (one of our stress hormones), and lower growth hormone (a healing and repair hormone).

Learn more about how to improve sleep.

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Get Moving

Exercise should no longer be considered a luxury or indulgence. It is THE most important anti-aging medicine known. Not only will it help to prevent Alzheimer’s, but also almost every other age-related disease. It is a natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and stress buster. 

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Clean House

Hidden environmental toxins can put us at risk for premature brain aging and dementia. We know that lead exposure in children lowers IQ and reduces performance. Two recent studies highlighted additional dangers of mercury and lead.

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Use Your Head

The well-known aging nun study showed that nuns using more complex sentence structure and thought patterns were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they aged. Many other studies have shown that using your head – whether it is reading, doing crossword puzzles, games or being actively engaged in intellectual pursuits reduces your risk of dementia. So don’t forget to use your head and exercise your brain!

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This article is abbreviated please read the whole article at  http://www.ultraprevention.com/