Succeed With Healthy Meals

Sunday, April 26, 2009

The biggest excuse I hear when it comes to eating healthy, is it's much easier to eat unhealthy. Well having a quick healthy meal is just as easy to come by then having a quick unhealthy meal. Lets take a look at some of the main reasons people have this negative thought engraved into their mind. At then end I will share a quick healthy recipe I have used for ages.

Fast food restaurants and advertising are the worst factors when trying to eat better, healthier meals. Turning on your television or computer to see advertisement after advertisement from the hundreds of eat quick and unhealthy franchises makes it hard to focus on choosing healthier foods. In order to kick the notion that eating healthy is hard, a number of factors can come into play. Everyone should realize it is just as easy to create a quick healthy meal.

Knowing what healthy food is, is usually up in the air. Getting a basic knowledge of what is and isn't healthy can quickly change your eating patterns. A quick healthy meal is something that may take a bit to learn but when it is learnt, can make all the difference in the world. There are many different sources for finding out healthy alternatives, so take a look around and learn what is good for you to eat.

Being organized is another big thing for seeing success in eating better. You are probably thinking, how can being organized help me eat better? Well, it has been known for years that having foods planned in advance will help you stay on track and succeed. By this, I mean, wright out what you are going to have each day.Even do it for a week at a time. The only way to make this work though, is being organized, and have all the food available to you when it comes time to cook. It's to easy to mess up and not have the right food at home, next thing you know, you will be sitting in the nearest fast food drive thru.

A trick I use to help make it even easier on myself not to fail at this, is do everything all at once. What that means is, usually I will choose a day where I have a bit of free time and do a big batch of something for the whole week. This makes it easier to whip up a quick heathy meal on the go. An example is, I will take out 10 chicken breasts, season and cut them, and then fry them up in a pan. After all the chicken is cooked, I throw it into a container and toss it in the fridge. Now, I have chicken to make a quick healthy meal all week. I usually will cook something that will work for many different meals. It is easy to use chicken in any type of meal.

Now for the free recipe. This to me is a simple quick healthy meal that anyone can create and enjoy. What I will do is just explain how I put it all together. I won't say how much of the ingredients I use because it will be different for each individual that makes it. Make your portion as big or as little as you want. So, the meal is going to be a Chicken Caesar in a Pita. I take a chicken breast out of the freezer; put it into the microwave for a minute to let it thaw out. Cut it into little chunks of your desired size. I use some olive oil, granulated garlic powder, and some hot sauce to season the meat. Throw the meat into a medium heat frying pan. I stir the meat regularly, after about 5 or so minutes the chicken should be done. From there, I cut up some roman lettuce and grate some cheese. I will mix the chicken, cheese and lettuce in a bowl and add some caesar dressing on top. Put a lid on the bowl and shake it up until fully mixed. Once mixed, I fill up a pita with the contents of the bowl. And there you have it, one quick healthy meal. The total time for all this is about 10 - 15 minutes at the most.

Aromatherapy | Oils

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Aromatherapy is a method of using the aromatic oils which have been distilled from plant sources to engender a feeling of well being both physically and psychologically. Safe and correct use has been shown to benefit the physical and mental well being.

There are many aromatherapy oils which are used in the art of aromatherapy and these are too lengthy to list here. However, there are many benefits to be had from aromatherapy oils but you need to understand that there can be some drawbacks for use in aromatherapy although many people say there are greater benefits.

There are two ways in which essential oils are used in aromatherapy. These are by inhalation and by application to your skin.

Inhaling aromatherapy oils is where the vapor given off by the oil is inhaled into the lungs. This is thought to incite the brain and cause it to trigger a reaction to the oil. It is also thought that there is a physical well being by breathing the vapors directly into the lungs. Remember that safety is of the utmost importance and always follow the manufacturer's instructions as otherwise a reaction, possibly very severe can take place. It is important to remember to consult a trained specialist before using aromatherapy oils.

The other method of using aromatherapy oils in is by application to the skin. It is thought that when oil is applied to the skin it is absorbed into the blood stream and is useful for many health, beauty and hygiene conditions. Again, I must stress the safety aspect as aromatherapy oils are usually very strong and it is important that they are always diluted before you use them. To dilute them a carrier oil is needed and these are oils such as grape seed oil, sweet almond oil and apricot kernel oil.

Another way that aromatherapy oils can be used is to act as an insect repellent. We are all familiar with the use of citronella in candles. I find these excellent as a way of keeping bugs at bay.

Aromatherapy oils can also be blended together and this can be done with a carrier base but not always. Combination oils can have even more benefits in aromatherapy as they then offer a combination of uses. The Internet has many sites where you will be able to find recipes for blending together different oils with their uses listed as well.

The term aromatherapy is a fairly recent phrase first thought to have been used in the 20th century but the practice of aromatherapy has been around for well over 1000 years.

The Egyptians are thought to have developed a way of distilling oil from cedar wood and the Chinese have used plant and herbal incense from a very long time which they burned to give a feeling of well being.

René-Maurice Gattefossé, A Frenchman, is first thought to have used the term aromatherapy after he supposedly treated a nasty burn with the nearest liquid to hand which turned out to be oil distilled from lavender. This wound healed quickly and it left no scaring. This started his in-depth research into essential oils.

We are now becoming more aware of natural products after we have relied on synthetic drugs for many years and aromatherapy is growing in popularity. Most of us prefer to use natural products, such as aromatherapy oils, to sooth and heal our minds and bodies. Gattefossé would have said, Long Live Aromatherapy, but he would have said it in his native French. Using essential oils for aromatherapy is natural and is an excellent way to help calm and sooth our troubled 21st century lives.

Understanding Massage Therapy

Monday, March 30, 2009

We've all heard of massage and many of us have even experienced it, in one form or another. By a masseuse who happened to be an amature, loved one or professional. If the person knew what they were doing, you came away feeling like a million bucks. But what is massage, really!

Massage or massage therapy as it has come to be known in our time, began with the ancient Egyptians, then the Greeks and finally the Romans. Yes these ancient cultures used massage therapy for both healing and pleasure. The science of massage therapy had also spread to other early cultures such as India, China and Japan. The last three went further by integrating it to form an integral part of their systems of medicine and healing.

Massage is the organized form of touch. It is performed by the hands, elbows and forearms gliding over the skin and applying pressure to the underlying muscles by a system of movements. These movements involve stroking, rubbing, pressing and kneading. Massage is not a panacea, but can greatly aid in the normal functions of the body and restore balance as well.

How Massage Works

Massage works by the body responding to the various touch techniques given to it. These touch techniques causes the body to engage in there normal functions. Massage itself, acts like a natural stimuli for the body to respond with positive effects in many different ways. Some of these therapeutic effects are, stimulating the circulation of the blood and lymph, loosening of muscular tension, toning and firming the muscles.

When fibers stop sliding over each other easily, it's most likely the cause of people not getting enough exercise, too much exercise, physical or mental tension. These factors cause the drop of any increase in muscle tone. The waste products from muscular activity, like carbon dioxide, lactic acid and urea, build up in the muscles. Massage therapy fosters drainage of those wastes, therefore restoring there normal functions.

Massage therapy also fosters the drainage of lymph, causing better circulation of the blood. Because of this, the skin looks much better than if drainage was difficult. Why bother with the how the skin looks? Because the appearance of the skin, is usually a good indicator of a persons inner condition. In reference to muscles, massage therapy has a good effect on the fibrous tissue surrounding the joints.

The effects of massage upon the autonomic nervous system gives birth to the feeling of relaxation. How? By stimulating the sensory nerve endings located within the skin, signals are sent to the brain by the central nervous system. This in turn produces the experience of feeling good. Once again because of this action, a new reaction takes place by causing a significant reduction in the body's stress level. When a person is relaxed, abdominal breathing becomes more natural. I can assure you, your abdominal organs appreciate this. It's quite clear that the nervous system plays a crucial role in massage therapy. It's also responsible for the vascular system, since it controls it. A decrease in efficient drainage and supply of blood, is caused by a reduction of vascular.

Massage works by reducing stress, managing the body's waste products, fostering normal bodily functions, providing a sense of well being and boosting mental health.

The Logic of Massage

The gradual development of massage therapy into a full blown art and science can be determined as only logical. When we fall, bruise or sustain any sort of physical injury, we usually tend to touch it. Even if that act produces no form of healing solution, or does it? Touch in itself is very comforting to us. It reassures us, make us feel loved and accepted. Whenever someone is in pain, we tend to want to hug, hold or touch that person in someway. Somehow sensing that the very act of physical contact will contribute to the overall holistic health of the person. Guess what? You are correct in that assumption.

Studies have shown that, touching among other comforting and intimate contact, does assist in the overall recovery and health of a person. Whether that person is in need of physical, mental, emotional or spiritual healing or comfort. In looking at the big picture, I see massage therapy continuing to play an important role in human history for a long time to come. What are you waiting for, join the minions.

Alternative Medicine - New Way to Lose Weight

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Weight loss is one of the big topics-no pun intended-on the late night television circuit. While flipping through the channels after 11p.m., you are likely to come across several advertisements for weight loss pills and diet supplements, each promising to assist you drop those unwanted pounds and remove stubborn belly fat once and for all.

Let's face it, if these pills really worked, America wouldn't be the top overweight country in the world.

There are types of alternative medicine, which can help with weight loss, however, and with great results. While no alternative medicine is a magic solution, practicing these principles can help you become more limber, feel more energetic, and the end result-or side effect if you will, is weight loss.

Take yoga for example. The low impact stretching involved with yoga will help you feel less stressed, and as a result less likely to over eat as a result of depression or anger. Acupuncture has exact pressure points in the ear which help reduce cravings, and detoxifying teas and herbs can help you feel healthier, and the side effect would be thinking twice before deciding that you want to "pollute" yourself again with oily and fatty foods. In this regard, alternative medicine is wonderful for loosing weight.

The majority alternative medicines for weight loss come in the form of detoxifying teas, energy supplements, and vitamins. The exercise and diet plans are the basis, as they should be, for safe and effective long-term weight loss. There is no magic potion to lose weight. In fact dropping pounds and keeping them off requires regular daily exercise and a change in eating habits, period.

However, to get you ready for weight loss, here are some alternative medicine detoxifying teas and interesting supplements.

Take turmeric, ginger, and lemon-about a half teaspoon each and the juice of half a lemon, and boil it all in 2 cups of water. Drink every morning as a detoxifier before you start your diet.

All diets should consist of fresh fruits and vegetables, and buying a juicer is a great way to make a habit out of eating healthy. Please see your doctor before starting any kind of diet plan.

Visit your local food co op or herbalist, they can get you set up with all sorts of alternative teas and nutrition advice, and can refer you to a good homeopathic doctor who will evaluate you as to what your individual nutrition needs are.

Bovine and shark cartilage are two dietary supplements to hit the alternative market. Both have been used for years outside of the United States and Britain, but now are big business in the health food stores.

The most popular form of alternative medicine for weight loss isn't really medicine at all, rather behavior modification through hypnosis. Hypnosis doesn't make you rely on will power, that's one of the reasons it's so popular.

How hypnosis works is that it examines what is subconsciously holding you to the thinking and eating habits that keep you overweight. Hypnotists believe that if the root cause of the obesity can be alleviated, the patient will naturally begin to lose weight. It is actually a very efficient form of alternative medicine, and overall can cost much less than trips to day spas and expensive over the counter weight loss pills. Through hypnosis you can let go of fears that keep you from eating healthy, and begin to allow a positive energy flow through you, causing you to want to stick to the new way of eating and exercising.

Diet

Friday, March 20, 2009

Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume
by: Steve Smith



The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's

manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune

system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine

deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions

throughout the developed world.

Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because

the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil

from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing

de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine

commonly consumed.

Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean

creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the

West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is

readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may

also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But

in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on

iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.

So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using

iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low

levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the

US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries,

where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury

alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of

the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences,

particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however,

regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less

serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by

the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.

Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in

the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and

tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in

ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive

thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where

this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a

sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal

functioning of the immune system.

But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of

avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to

affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in

children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of

severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even

where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also

have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for

learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.

Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed

a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to

220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly,

however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or

enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and

the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for

adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.

With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use

liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further

supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable

quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly

necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful

insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in

the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in

this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any

deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.