Garlic: It's a superstar for our health!

Many of us avoid eating garlic when we are with friends and for good reason, but did you know that garlic is one of the most valuable fooods on earth? Here are just some of the the many benefits of Garlic:

1. Lowers Blood pressure.
2. Lowers serum cholesterol levels and aids in digestion.
3. Useful in treating many illnesses and diseases including cancer. It is a ptent immune system protector and natural antibiotic.
4. Effective against fungal infections (such as athlete's foot, systemic candidiasis and yeast infections.
5. Good for the the heart and colon.

These are just a few of the many benefits. Garlic can be consumed in many ways. Cloves can be baked or roasted. Raw garlic can be added to many foods such as guacamole, or salsa. Garlic can be added to olive or canola oil for cooking or used for sauteing. If you don't like the smell or taste you can purchase odorless garlic capsules (Kyolic is one brand). So next time your cooking or eating out...don't forget the Garlic!! It's a superstar for our health!

Why Sleep is important to your Wellness.

Like many of us sleep seems to be the first thing we give up when we are under time constraints of getting things done for our family, jobs and ourselves. What many of us don't realize is that sleep is essential for our health & wellness. Sleep is essential to our survival and much more. Studies show that rats deprived of sleep die within two to three weeks, a time frame similar to death due to starvation.

Most adults need between 8 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Lack of adequate sleep can have serious consequences. Some of these include:

Decreases in:
Performance
Concentration
Reaction Times
Learning

Increases in:
Memory Lapses
Accidents & Injuries
Behavior Problems
Mood Problems

How can we get more sleep?
1. Exercise regularly. Many sleep experts say exercising 5-6 hours before you go to bed can actually help you sleep.
2. Set a regular bedtime. Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time every day can also help establish sleep patterns.
3.Relax your mind. Avoid violence or scary movies or tv shows at night before you go to bed.
4. Avoid Caffeine & other stimulants (such as alcohol and nicotine) before you go to sleep.
5. Create the right sleep environment. Studies show that people sleep best in a dark room that is slightly on the cool side. Close your blinds or curtains and turn down the thermostat in your room.

Exercise can increase your happiness

People that exercise, whether that's an aerobic class, walking, a sport, yoga or pilates, feel healthier and better about themselves and enjoy life more. Research has proven that exercising 3 times a week for 30 minutes can be just as powerful as taking psychiatric drugs. Exercise vastly improves our mental health.

Research finds that exercise and physical activity has the following benifits:
- Increases confidence
- Improves self image
- Directly increases happiness
- Increases overall energy levels

What's the best exericise to do? Trick question. It's the one you enjoy and want to do. If you are a beginner exerciser remember to start slowly and listen to your body. Increase the time you exercise gradually (i.e. start with 5 or 10 minutes and gradually work your way up to 30 minutes).

Eat foods rich in L-carnitine!

L-Carnitine is an amino acid manufactured in your liver. It helps facilitate fat metabolism, increase energy in muscle cells and promotes fat loss. It also can help increase circulation in the brain and prevents fat oxidation in the brain. This is important in preventing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's dieases. What foods are rich in L-carnitine?
Fish
Poultry
Wheat
Avocado
fermented soybeans

Vegetarians are more likely to be deficient than nonvegetarians because it is not found in Vegetable protein.

Vary Your Exercise for Fun and Safety

Many times we pick an exercise we enjoy and we continue to do that exercise week after week. Two problems can result when we don't vary our exercise. First, by performing only one time of exercise we are more prone to muscular injury and over use snydrome. Second, we can eventually get bored and stop exercising all together.

Follow these simple exercise tips for fun and safety:

1. Pick at least two to three exercise activities you enjoy doing and vary them each week to keep it fun and fresh.

Here are some ideas:

Walking

Aquatics

Weight training

Circuit Classes

Outdoor sports and exercise classes

Biking

Dancing

Running/Jogging

Swimming

Tennis

Surfing

Gardening

Fitness Classes

Rock Climbing

Pilates/Yoga- Breathing Exercises

Rollar Skating

Skate Boarding

Skiing

2. Make sure you are using different muscles weekly. If you are varying your exercise this will happen naturally. Make sure you focus on core training at least 1 to 2 times a week. Over use syndrome happens when you perform the same activity everyday, every week, every month.

3. Listen to your body. If you have not been active for a while, start out slowly. Check with your doctor if are on medications or recovering from a injury. Find out if any exercises are contraindicated. If you overdo it you will be more likely to give up in the early days because of aches and pains.

4. Most of all have Fun and Be Safe!!

The Power of Fruits & Vegetables

With the New Year here many of us want to improve our diets and eat more fruits and vegetables. We know it’s healthy, but why?

• Fruits and Vegetables are powerful antioxidants that fight oxidation in the body.


• Research has shown that that diets containing a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of diseases such as cancer, hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and obesity to name a few.


• Fruits and Vegetables help protect our DNA and enhance our immune function.
  
• They can also lower our homcysteine levels (a precursor to disease that is measured in the blood).

Unfortunately, very few of us are able to eat the recommended 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Here are eight great ways to increase your fruits and vegetables in your diet everyday!

1. For breakfast add your favorite fruit (such as blueberries, strawberries, peaches, bananas, etc.) to your cereal, oatmeal, & smoothies.

2. Pack an apple, orange, grapes for a mid-morning snack.

3. When you are eating a sandwich, pile it up with veggies first. Start with organic lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, avocado, and artichoke hearts. It fills you up and is a great way to add fresh fruits and veggies to your diet.

4. Snack on crunchy raw vegetables like carrot, celery and jicama sticks, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower florets. If you don’t like the taste spruce it up with some yummy low fat dips or things like peanut butter for your celery.

5. If you don’t like veggies add them to your fruit smoothies…things like carrots, beets, celery, wheat grass can make your smoothie nutritious & delicious!

6. Dehydrate your fruits and veggies to make yummy snack packs. Things like bananas, apples, peaches, sweet potatoes, green beans are good choices. Dehydrating takes some time but it’s worth it. If you buy fruits and veggies already dehydrated read your labels. A lot of them will contain extra sugar and additives.

7. Top pizzas with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, spinach, basil and grated zucchini.

8. Supplement your Fruits and Veggies with whole food supplements like Juice Plus (http://www.nutritionwithjuiceplus/). Juice Plus contains 17 different raw fruits and vegetables in a capsule, chewable or gummie form. It's a great way to get whole food nutrition.

Start today adding more fruits and veggies to your diet and your body will thank you for years to come!!!

What is your Wellness Vision?

We all want to be active, look great and be healthy into our 90’s & beyond but what does that look like for you? These are some responses I have received over the years from my clients:

-I want to delay aging
-I want to have peace of mind
-I want to feel more energetic and alert
-I want to be healthier so that I can prevent disease
-I want to be more balanced

When I ask most of my clients if they have created a Wellness Vision for themselves they ask “what’s that?” First, it’s important to understand the definition of wellness.
Wellness is much more than the opposite of illness:

-Wellness is the state of being in good health or at your best health;
-Wellness is the condition of good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and life habits;
-Wellness is the mastery of one’s wellbeing- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

The mastery of health and wellness doesn’t happen naturally. We need to plan and take action to improve or maintain our health. A Wellness Vision is our written plan.

Here are five simple steps and get started on your Wellness Vision today!

1. Start asking yourself questions. Who do I want to be when it comes to health, fitness and wellness? What do I want to do consistently- exercise, eat well, relax more? What do I want to have happen (i.e. weight loss, greater fitness, less stress, better health, more peace of mind)? Why does this matter to me?
2. Look at any obstacles. What are things that could get in the way?
3. Develop strategies to overcome obstacles. What are some realistic strategies that will increase my confidence in my ability to succeed?
4. Write it down!!! A wellness vision includes general statements that address the longer term (six months, 1 years, 2 years, 5 years, etc). Write down your answers to the questions above and be sure to include a realistic timeframe.
5. Take action everyday. Revisit your written wellness vision weekly. Take small steps each day towards your goals.

Make your wellness a priority today and for the future. It’s an investment that is priceless.