Category Archives: Diet

H is for a Healthy Heart, Holistically

Posted on October 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

How’s your heart?  Is it healthy?  Are you taking care of your heart (and your whole body) in a holistic way?  Heart disease is one of the leading killers today.  But luckily for all of us naturally beautiful women (and men, too) there are so many things you can do to take care of your natural health and have a healthy heart.

Food is health.  As Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” The American Heart Association recommends a heart-healthy diet consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes that can help you get some more dietary fiber into your body, vital to holistic heart health. (See Previous Post – F is for Fiber-Filled Foods – A list of the Highest).

The Mediterranean-style diet which is mostly plant-based, stress reduction, maintaining a healthy body weight and regular exercise all are important in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Start with your diet and then begin a regimen of healthy supplementation with coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).  CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that can go far to improve energy production in cells and prevent blood clot formation.  Other heart-healthy supplements include garlic, hawthorn, L-Arginine, lecithin, medicinal mushrooms (reishi, maitake, and shiitake), and Vitamin C and B-complex vitamins.

Stress reduction is key to maintaining heart health.  Supplementing with magnesium can help to reduce stress, as well as relax otherwise tight, achy muscles.  Research has shown that many people with mood disorders are low in magnesium. Other mood-uplifting supplements like SAMe (S-adenosyl-l-methionine) and L-carnitine can reduce the stress that leads to heart disease. St. John’s Wort, a natural herbal remedy, as well as a homeopathic remedy called Aurum metallicum can help to lift your mood, fight depression, and keep cardiovascular disease at bay.

Popular research among medical practitioners, both allopathic and holistic, shows that fish oil, which contains omega-3′s, nourishing essential fatty acids, can help to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.  An intake of at least 500 milligrams (mg) per day of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) is recommended for healthy individuals, and up to 1,000 mg daily is advised for people already compromised with deficient heart health.  If fish is not your food of choice, you can still get a healthy dose of omegas with flax or chia seeds.  Garlic fights oxidation, which is key in the development of heart disease. Other heart-protective herbs include turmeric, cayenne and rosemary; while holy basil (tulsi) and ginkgo biloba taken together is also effective.

We’re here to promote natural health so pay attention to your diet, exercise whenever you can, and make other healthy lifestyle choices that can reduce your chances of developing heart disease.  By taking the steps necessary to strengthen your heart muscle and lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and stress levels, you can take control of your life and live naturally healthy longer.  Now that’s a naturally beautiful thing!

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E is for Eating for Energy

Posted on September 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s 3:00 PM and your body is starting to get tired and your eyes are beginning to close and you’re feeling depleted and drained. This may very well be caused by what you’ve eaten or not eaten during the day and it’s why you’re tired so darn early.  Many people who feel tired in the afternoon hours haven’t eaten breakfast – and I, In My Humble Opinion, breakfast is probably the most important meal of the whole day!  When you get up in the morning and eat a power-packed breakfast, full of protein and complex carbohydrates and a little bit of healthy fat, you can go on for a couple of energy-filled hours you need to get things done, have a little bit of fun, get some life-sustaining exercise and still have extra energy you need to get you — UNTIL YOU’RE READY TO EAT LUNCH!  That’s right, you will have much more consistent energy if you keep eating little bits of healthy food throughout the day – keeping your blood sugar levels constant, and maintaining high energy levels all day.

Certain foods give you more energy than others, so keep these on your daily menu for extra energy and oomph! -

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Oatmeal
  • Beans
  • Nuts
  • Chia seeds
  • Spinach
  • Green Tea
  • Mango
  • Tea
  • Cantaloupe
  • Peppers
  • Low fat dairy products
  • Citrus Fruit
  • Whole grains
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Tomatoes

To keep naturally healthy and also to keep your body and skin looking and feeling young, keep eating the right foods and don’t forget to eat.  Skipping meals will make your blood sugar levels dip and dive and your energy will falter and your eyelids will droop.  Not a naturally beautiful sight for women or men!  Eat well and you will stay lively and vibrant all day long.  For a mid-meal pick-me-up, carry a small bag of almonds with you wherever you go.  And don’t forget that the very first rule of natural beauty and natural health is – Keep yourself hydrated with lots of good clean water!

 

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Posted in Anti-aging, Diet, Healthy Senior Women, Natural Health

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D is for Dry Hair? Don’t Despair! Do It Yourself Care!

Posted on September 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Dry Hair?  Don’t Despair.  Your hair — your “crowning glory” – is the first thing people see when they look at you (I believe your shoes are the second thing – but that’s a whole ‘nother post!).  You want your hair to reflect all the good things about you – your natural health, your natural beauty, your radiance, your elegance.

First things first – Cut it!  Get your hair back into healthy condition by getting it trimmed and rid of the split and dead ends.  That will get you going on the right track.  To keep on the right path to a beautiful head of hair, don’t use your brush when your hair’s wet.  Invest in a good wide-toothed comb and start at the bottom of your hair no matter what length it is and don’t get stuck in the knots and pull – just gently use your fingers to unravel the clumps.  Also invest in a good soft bristle brush, maybe a baby brush, and use it gently to distribute natural oils through your hair without causing any breakage.

Cut down on the frequency of washing your hair – if it’s dry, no more than twice a week!  Check the ingredients in your shampoo and eliminate the ones that have harsh ingredients like alcohols or sodium laurel sulfates.  A soft and gentle shampoo made out of some healthy oils like almond or jojoba mixed a little bit of pure castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s is great) will keep your hair clean and shiny and healthy. Just say NO to harsh chemicals that can harm your hair!

Mayonnaise and avocados have lots of natural oils that nourish your hair from the outside.  Skip the California sandwich of avocados and mayonnaise (with sprouts in LA!) and instead, put those ingredients on your head.  Cover and sit for 15 minutes, then rinse it out with warm water.  Shiny!

Healthy fats equal healthy hair.  Deficiencies of essential fatty acids (EFAs)  can result in unhealthy hair (and body)!  Polyunsaturated, omega-3 fatty acids are the best healthy fats for ensuring your internal health and protecting against the damages caused by free radicals which not only lead to heart disease and cancer, arthritis and asthma — they also result in dry, damaged, lifeless, brittle hair!  Fish oils such as salmon and cod liver, and nuts and seeds are essential to your diet for your hair and for your health.

Drinking water is a key to natural health (see Previous Post – D is for Drinking Water).  Water will help you to get rid of unwanted fat and flab, and will help to flush toxins from your body.  Think about moisture when you want healthy hair and drink a good amount of water daily! 

Here’s a great recipe to restore the shine and moisture to your hair:

YOGURT HAIR MASK -

1/2 c plain yogurt
1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 egg
Blend all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  Shampoo as usual and apply the yogurt mixture to your hair and scalp. Leave it on for about 15 minutes.  You can cover your hair in a hot towel (put  a moist towel in the microwave to heat it up) to help it be absorbed and keep it from dripping all over. Rinse your hair out completely with warm water, and follow this with a gentle conditioner.

 

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Posted in Diet, homemade beauty products, natural beauty

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W is for Weight Loss – Wonderful Ways to Win!

Posted on August 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Winning at weight loss is possible if you follow a few simple rules!

  •  Water – drink lots of it! – Drinking plenty of good fresh water is one of the most important keys to natural health.  Water in will help with weight out  by moving everything along.  It will also keep you feeling fuller longer.  Please see D is for Drink Water – How Much is Enough
  • Don’t just sit there doing nothing – get up off your chair and move – less calories coming in and more calories burning off is how you lose weight! Get up and dance.  Learn a new sport.  Walk around the block.  Just do something, anything that requires movement.
  • Don’t starve yourself – Keep your body filled up with nutrition and energy from the time you get up until you’re ready to wind down at night You can’t be naturally healthy when you’re tired and drained from starving yourself .
  • Don’t rush, eat mindfully – Make eating a meditation of nutrition and natural health.  Pay attention to each bite and savor every morsel (see )
  • Don’t give up – Like the little engine that could, so can you.  Just keep on keeping on and you will see results.  If you fall off the weight wagon, pick yourself, dust yourself off and start all over again!
  •  ·  Don’t follow fad diets – Eating grapefruit or hot dogs only may make a dent on the scale, but it will make a dent in your natural health also.  Don’t be a follower, be a trend setter and eat healthy to lose weight.
  •  Don’t eat when you’re bored (or tired or angry or anything but hungry!)– Mindless eating is still eating!  Eating a bag of chips without thinking does count.  Fill your life with meaning and purpose, instead of just filling your mouth with needless food.
  • Do pay attention to the size of your portions – Quantity does matter, even if it’s something called “diet food” !   See previous post – Pay Attention to the Plate!
  • Do eat those healthy fruits and vegetables –  Fruits and vegetables really are good for you.  They are full of everything you need to be naturally healthy – vitamins, minerals, fiber.  And when you’re naturally healthy, you’re naturally beautiful!

 

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Posted in Diet, Mind-Body-Spirit, Natural Health

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T is for Turmeric – Truly Terrific Treatment! And Tasty Too!

Posted on August 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

It’s not often that I will tout a cure-all, but today I’m telling you to go get yourself some Turmeric!  Turmeric, or really its’ active ingredient curcumin,  is one of those first aid remedies that goes beyond the household and right into scientific research for numerous former deadly and debilitating diseases. Turmeric has been shown to act as a strong anti-inflammatory with no toxic side effects.   It’s  a powerful anti-oxidant, an incredible anti-inflammatory, a cancer reducer, and even a skin healer.  Turmeric will add some zest to Indian food, of course.  Add it to some lentils or rice or quinoa and you’ve got a terrifically tasty treat with some added treatment gusto.  I put a teaspoon or tablespoon in everything from salad to cereal – just in case!

Here’s a list of 20 natural health benefits of turmeric (and I’m only listing 20 – if you do some research of your own, you’ll find dozens more!):

  1. Turmeric is a powerful and natural anti-inflammatory that is effective without harmful side effects.
  2. Has been shown to help prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to self-destruct.
  3. Turmeric cooked with cauliflower, is effective in slowing down the growth of or preventing prostate cancer.
  4. Is a natural antibacterial and antiseptic agent which is useful in disinfecting burns & cuts.
  5. A natural anti-inflammatory and as such, a treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
  6. Research is showing that turmeric prevents breast cancer from spreading to lungs in mice.
  7. Being studied as a way to slow down or prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s by removing amyloidal plaque buildup in the brain.
  8. Turmeric is a natural liver detoxifier.
  9. It also is a cox-2 inhibitor and natural painkiller..
  10. May help in weight management by aiding in fat metabolism.
  11. Works to  prevent metastases in many different types of cancer.
  12. Is being studied as a means to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis.
  13. Chinese medicine has long used turmeric in the treatment for depression.
  14. May help in the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis.
  15. Boosts the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel as well as mitigating the side effects.
  16. Research has proven positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.
  17. Promising research is underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.
  18. Turmeric has proven to be effective against Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
  19. Aids in healing wounds and damaged skin.
  20. May help to reduce the risk of childhood leukemia.

 

 

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