Powering Up Your Immunity

What do we need to do to help our body’s be fight off bugs? We all know that eating healthy and exercising are building blocks to this. The healthier you eat the more nutrients your body can take advantage of. The more physical activity you decrease your chance for  heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and weak immunity. What super foods should be make sure that we incorporate to our diet and what do they help with? A few of these super foods include: yogurt, oats/barley, garlic, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms.

1.) Yogurt– contains probiotics, aka good bacteria, which help keep your intestinal tract     from the “bad germs.”

Recommended daily dose- two 6oz servings

2.) Oats/Barley– contains beta-glucan which contains anti-microbial and antioxidant capabilities.

Recommended daily dose- 1 daily serving of whole grains

3.) Garlic– contains allicin, which fights off infection and bacteria. Studies suggest that individuals who eat more than 6 cloves of garlic/week lower colorectal cancer rate by 30% and stomach cancer rate by 50%!

Recommended daily dose- two cloves/day

4.) Sweet Potatoes– contains beta-carotene, which your body uses to create Vitamin A. Your skin uses Vitamin A to stay healthy. This is extremely important because your skin is the first line of protections against bacteria and viruses.

Daily recommended dose- 1/2 a cup

5.) Mushrooms – Increase the production and activity of WBC (white blood cells), which are the warriors inside of your body that help fight off any foreign invader such as bacteria or viruses.

Daily recommended dose-  from 1/4 to 1 ounce/ day

http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/power-foods-boost-immunity?s=10

Mindful Awareness

Many of us get so caught up with day to day tasks that we do not give ourselves time to breath, whether its your job, going to school, cooking, cleaning, etc. We allow stress to build up and it eventually starts to effect our bodies physically. Many of the health issues that we have may be controlled if we allowed our minds to relax. Meditation is an ancient technique that people have used for centuries. However, with the busy lives that we have today we do not even think of using this technique. We need to reconsider and make time for meditation. Meditation helps lower blood pressure, stress, anxiety, pulse, and slower respiratory rate.

If you have never meditated before here are some links and videos that you can use to help you learn. Meditating is not easy, but like every thing else, practice, and when you least expect it you will be incorporating meditation on a daily basis.

http://life.gaiam.com/article/meditation-101-techniques-benefits-beginner-s-how

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/tag/meditation

http://youtu.be/O7cXbo97p74

Beet It

We’ve all heard that eating more vegetables is good for your health, however we all know that there are certain ones that we sometimes try to stay away from. Beets is one of them.  Well here are some nutritional facts about beets and some easy and flavorful recopies to start giving it a try 😉

-Beetroot is a great source of folate, maganese, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and selenium. (These are only a few to name)

-One cup of beets can provide 11% of Vitamin C and 6% of iron.

-Due to the high nitrate content beets has been shown to lower blood pressure and slow      down the progression of dementia.

The high fiber content helps to regulate bowel movements leading to a healthy digestive system.

A quick and easy way to incorporate beet in your daily intake is making Beet-Carrot-Apple Juice.

Ingredients:

2 trimmed beets

1 peeled granny smith apple

3 peeled carrots

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Ice

Directions: Let chia seeds soak for 5 min. Blend ingredients and serve with ice for a refreshing taste.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277432.php

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/beets.html

Vegan Power- Holiday Celebration

Why is beening vegan such a fad lately? Yet the question is why shouldn’t it be?
Vegan living reduces the intake of saturated fat, animal hormones, and cholesterol. While increasing the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. The result is a reduction of the risk of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
Recently at the Kids and Kritters event hosted by Heal One World, we served a complete vegan meal, drinks and all. To say the least, many bowls were almost licked clean.

Kalefornia

Los Angeles the city of kale. Gone are the days where Kale appeared on our plates as a light-hearted side. The bitter cabbage like vegetable which is part of the cruciferousfamily of veggies, is taking the city of LA by storm.
The simple green isn’t only being consumed by weight-conscious green celebrities such as Angelina Jolie( Is that where those cheekbones in Maleficent came from?) The day-to-day public is hopping on the bandwagon.

Kale is becoming the dominant dish. From kale chips, kale soup, creamed kale, kale pancakes. The list is never-ending.

What makes Kale so unique?
It’s universal, adapts to each generation. Aside from the obvious, Kale provides a high content of vitamins A, B, C , K and fiber. A high source of the minerals; calcium, magnesium copper, iron phosphorous and last but not least, potassium!

• Vitamin K has preventative measures against various cancers.
• Kale is an anti-inflammatory food.
• It can aid against arthritis, asthma, and immune deficiencies.
• Cardiovascular health. keep your cholesterol low and your heart strong!
• A La-La-land favorite: Kale is an anti-oxidant. cleansing your system if impurities as it is filled with fiber and sulfur. Remarkable for liver health.

You can even incorporate kale into your pre/post gym smoothies….

Try it!

1 mango
1 peach
Half cup of orange juice
1 cup raspberries/strawberries
2 kiwis
Cup pineapple
Ice
pinch of ginger
Cup of kale
Spinach
Now blend. Yes mixing green vegetables into a green smoothie sounds a little “cray”, but it blends into the flavor and provides you with all the essential nutrients.

So folks, guys and girls. Little and big. Do your yoga, eat your Kale and don’t let veggists be mean to you.

Check out the food network for more Kale recipes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/kale-recipes.html

Vegan and Vegetarian Proteins. Its not all carnivorous!

The bodybuilding and health age is at its peak. Proteins are the essential factors to achieve a successful physique. Protein breaks down into amino acids, this promotes cell growth and repair.

It is a necessity to consume protein before or after a work out in order to avoid the break down of muscle mass.

However if you are not a meatist, where does that leave you? After all vegetarians and vegans need their protein too.

The majority of animal products contain a high percentage of fat which could lead to future problems involving high cholesterol. Consequently vegetarian options of protein could be the best option for the majority.

Protein based veggies.

LES  LÉGUMES, C’EST BON POUR LA SANTÉ

Green peas contain 7.9 grams of protein per cup. They can be incorporated into most dishes in order to achieve the daily recommended protein intake.

Beans

There are many different varieties of beans—black, white, pinto, heirloom, etc.—but one thing they all have in common is their high amounts of protein.

So don’t feel guilty next time you hit chipotle!

Nuts for Nuts!

Nuts are amazing for essential fat and proteins. Walnuts, cashew, pistachio, peanuts, almonds etc.

Even peanut and almond butter are brilliant plant-based proteins. Just watch out for those added ingredients such as salt and additives!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah)

Quinoa is referred to as a complete protein. Essentially this means it contains all 9 necessary amino acids that the human body needs. The body itself cannot  make these acids thus it must come from a food. Making Quinoa perfect!

If Popeye has it, so should you. SPINACH-POWER FOOD!

Two cups of raw spinach, contains 2.1 grams of protein. Despite being low-calorie most of it comes from Protein. The  health benefits of consuming spinach are numerous; lowering the risk of cancer, reducing high blood pressure, improving bone health and many more.

There are hundreds of alternatives to animal-based proteins, A vegetable raw diet, cleanses out your system and keeps you heart healthy. For additional information on vegetable proteins visit ABC’s page.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/top-13-vegan-vegetarian-protein-sources/story?id=19896734#9