No More Colds

No matter what you do to stay healthy, inevitably people get sick during the winter time. So how do you stay healthy when everyone around you is sick? Follow these easy moves to avoid getting sick this winter. Read more...

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Real World Cold Cures That Work

There are natural and homemade remedies for just about every disease and condition out there.  Home remedies date back to thousands of years ago and almost every country in the world.  Such home remedies contain bark, twigs, extracts, herbs, seeds and almost any component of plants.  These natural home remedies are still in existence today but do they actually work? Or is it just tradition and superstition that make us continue to use these family home remedies. Read more...

Want Healthier Looking Skin, Eat These Foods

We’ve all heard the saying you are what you eat but what most people don’t realize it’s true. Food is necessary to provide the body with nutrients and those nutrients present themselves in every cell including the skin. By providing your body with the proper nutrients you can banish breakouts, prevent fine lines, and get glowing skin. Eat these foods to have healthier looking skin. Read more...

8 Reasons to Drink Water With Lemon

It’s a fact that water is essential for healthy living. Its benefits to the body are unmatched by any other food or beverage. However, there is a way to enhance waters health benefits within the body.  By adding lemon to your water you can increase the benefits to your body and overall health. Lemon is full of its own vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which provide a host of therapeutic properties such as antibacterial, antiseptic, and blood purifying. So next time you order water add a slice of lemon to brighten your day and benefit your body both inside and out. Read more...

Making Exercise a Healthy Habit

Most people don’t like to exercise. But even if you don’t like to exercise, it is essential for optimal health, and our bodies need exercise. Exercise is vital for many reasons; it prevents disease, improves stamina, strengthens muscles, bones and ligaments, enhances flexibility and helps to control weight. You don’t have to be fitness obsessed but there are plenty of ways to be make exercise a healthy habit. Read more...

Stay Hydrated This Summer

With so many options of beverages to drink now a days, water is still the healthiest option out there for our health. Why is water so important? For several reasons. The human body is approximately 70 percent water. We lose water through perspiration, aspiration and respiration. This water needs to be replenished or else you become dehydrated, which can lead to nausea, headaches, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue, sluggishness, abdominal cramps, muscle cramps, and dry mouth. Read more...

Eat These Raw Foods For Better Looking Skin

Although the concept of eating raw food has been around since the 19^th century, it is only in the past decade or so that the raw food diet has become more popularized by actors, chefs, nutritionists, and authors. Raw foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are filled with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, fiber, which are not only great for your health but they do wondrous things for your skin. The nutrients are delivered through the blood to our cells, resulting in cleaner blood and healthier cells, by flushing out the toxins. These raw foods help to clear complexion, diminish wrinkles and brighten appearance, which in turn makes you look younger, with softer, firmer and glowing skin. Read more...

Healthy and Inexpensive Foods

With so many options for food to eat now a days, it’s easy to grab something quick and easy. The problem is that although these foods usually taste good, they are usually high in calories and have no nutritional value. Real food is better for you because it is healthy. They contain more nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, protein and more. Plus the foods on this list tend to be cheaper. Read more...

Coconut Oil Benefits On Weight Loss

Coconuts and their counterpart’s coconut water and coconut oil are on the fast rise in the health and beauty industries, being touted as a cure all. Although, the benefits of coconut oil are still being researched and cannot be definitively stated by the American Heart Association (AHA) or the US Governments Dietary Guidelines, the benefits of coconuts can be seen in the populations such as the Tokelauans in the South Pacific who consume coconuts as a dietary staple.  So if coconuts are beneficial to our health, so should its counterpart, coconut oil. Read more...

Interval Training, The Right Exercise for You

Although interval training has been around for years, it has all of sudden become the “new” workout regimen that everyone is turning to these days. Mainly because interval training allows you to get the same or even more benefits with less time involved. Which for most people is key in today’s fast paced world. Not having the time is the most common reason people don’t exercise, or don’t exercise as much as they would like. Read more...

The Year of The Egg

2014 was recently named the year of the egg for American restaurants by restaurants.com president and CEO Christopher Krohn. Although egg used to get a bad rap for being high in cholesterol, their image has taken a turn for the better. Read more...

Use Technology to Keep Your Weight Loss On Track

Technology is everywhere. So why don’t you use it to your advantage? There are tons of health and fitness applications available both free and at a cost that help to track your calories in, calories burned, heart rate, sleep and more. These apps are available on your IPhone, IPad, Smartphone, tablet, and many other wireless and Bluetooth capable devices. They provide you with valuable information about the food you consume, the exercises you are doing and how you are sleeping.  These applications vary widely in what they provide but are a great way to keep your weight loss on track so you can meet your goal. 

Too Much Sugar

Refined sugar is essentially empty calories. Unfortunately many of the foods that we love to eat contain sugar and yet they have no nutritional benefit. What's worse is that most Americans eat way too much sugar. The problem occurs when we eat these foods instead of nutrient dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy. We completely miss out of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients but we still get all the calories, making us fatter, unhealthier and more at risk for disease. While sugar gives us empty calories without any nutrients we put ourselves at risk for lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, stroke, depression, etc. The best thing you can do for yourself is cut back or cut out as much refined sugar as possible.

Exercise To Reduce Your Risk Of Disease

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. On average 50 million Americans are living sedentary lives. This puts them at increased risk for healthy problems and an early death. Exercise not only increases overall circulation throughout the body, it builds muscles, burns calories, improves mood, self esteem, and reduces the risk for disease. Aim to get 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Make it fun, something you enjoy doing, such as gardening, playing with your kids, walking the dog, bike riding, hiking, etc. This will make it easier to fit it into your daily schedule.

Whole Grains For Better Health

Grains are one of the 5 building blocks that make up a healthy diet. However 40% of Americans do not regularly eat any whole grains. Whole grains unlike their less noteworthy counter part refined grains contain the entire grain kernal, the bran, germ and endosperm. The refining process removes the bran and the germ which also removes the dietary fiber, iron and many B vitamins. Whole grains contain vital nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients to help fight off disease and maintain a healthy body. By consuming more whole grains you can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce blood cholesterol levels, reduce constipation and diverticulitis, help with weight management, improve nervous system function, reduce iron-deficiency anemia, build stronger bones and protect your cells from oxidation. Some examples of whole grains include brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, popcorn, quinoa, whole wheat bread, pasta, crackers, or wild rice. Include more whole grains in your diet on a daily basis.

Why We Are Dependent On Water

Everyone's heard it; water is one of the most important nutrients for the body. Well, it's true. The human body can survive without food a lot longer than it can survive without water; about 30 days longer (give or take). That's because the human body is made up of water, 50-70%. It transports nutrients throughout the body, helps to eliminate toxins and waste, regulates temperature, lubricates joints, relieves fluid retention, etc. Water is fundamental to how the body functions on a daily basis. And if you don't replenish your bodies water supply by drinking water, and eating foods like fruits and vegetables it can wreak havoc causing symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, stress, etc. That's why human survival is dependent on water. To get adequate water replenishment,  drink your body weight in ounces, everyday.

Women Should Lift Weights Too, Even If They Are Light Weights

Many women think that if they lift weights they will look bulky or masculine. This is absolutely incorrect, since women do not and cannot naturally produce as much testosterone as men do, which is one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size. In actuality lifting weights is a great way to gain muscle and help to burn fat. And since muscles burn more calories at rest, than fat does you want more muscle on your body than you do fat. Of course everyone wants the least amount of fat on their body; such is the American obsession with losing weight and being skinny. Lifting weights to fatigue, even light weights stimulate production of new muscle proteins.  So women get out there and start lifting your weights.

Avoid Getting Sick This Year

This is the time of year that everyone is getting sick, from young to old to everyone in between. No one likes being sick or wants to get sick. If you work in an environment around young children, with the elderly or even in an office setting you are more prone to catching the common cold, flu or this year's virus infection. So to avoid getting sick, wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. By keeping your hands clean throughout the day you are 2/3 less likely to get sick. If your skin dries out use an antibacterial lotion to keep your skin moisturized and those germs at bay.

Start Your Week Off Right!

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Monday morning, probably the worst day of the week! No one likes going back to work Monday morning. On Sunday, everyone is dreading having to start the work week over again. One reason Mondays are so dreaded is because they are the furthest day away from the weekend. Even though Monday is so hated, if you start the day off right, there is no way you can have a bad day. Make sure you get enough sleep the night before so you are not tired the next morning. That means going to bed a decent hour. Most people need between 6-8 hours of sleep, so make sure that you choose a time that gives you the rest you need. When you wake up, do some light exercise, go for a jog, take your dogs for a walk, etc. Exercise gets the blood pumping through the body, increases your metabolism and helps the body and mind wake up. Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast to again start your metabolism, replenish your energy and repair your muscles. Remember to replenish your water intake as well. Follow this routine and I guarantee you won't dread your mornings any more. Have a great week!

What a great morning!

Wake up. Go for a 2 mile walk. Make an egg sandwich for breakfast. Now that's what I call a good morning. Exercising in the morning helps to speed up the metabolism and ultimately help you wake up. Breakfast is the most important meal. So eating something healthy will get your morning going. Plus the protein from the eggs will help you get through your morning all the way to lunch. So you can avoid sneaking in unhealthy sugary snacks or carbohydrates. Plus I got to do it with my spouse which kept it fun and competitive.
Get a head start on your morning by exercising and eating a healthy breakfast!