Each of us is a science experiment. We are all unique and are affected in different ways by all the things that we eat and do. Some people can eat junk food and it never seems to affect them. Some never exercise but they appear to be in good shape. For most of us, what we eat matters. When we really start to pay attention we realize that the connection between what we eat and how we feel, look, and think is huge. Do you feel groggy and lazy after lunch? Do you snap or feel irritable with your coworkers or family when you haven’t eaten in a while?
Food changes your mood. Look at caffeine and alcohol. They are the ultimate mood changers. The typical person eats a diet that is high in sugar and processed food and that leaves them in a bad mood. Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure states that “junk moods come from junk foods”. All those foods that are so easily accessible – french fries, chips, candy bars and ice cream are loaded with salt and sugar and preservatives. Some can make you feel high for a while, but then you drop like a brick as your blood sugar plummets. Ever notice how you crave different foods at different times? When we are down, we sooth ourselves with a bowl of chicken soup – comfort food. We crave protein when we are looking to be focused. We crave food that enhances romance, like spicy food, avocados, chocolate, and chilies when we are on a date. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers that relay thoughts and actions to the brain. Serotonin can make us feel relaxed. Dopamine makes us feel stimulated. When we eat, food breaks down in our digestive track and creates changes in our system that send messages to our brain via these neurotransmitters. Pasta releases serotonin and thus we feel relaxed after a spaghetti dinner. Eat too much pasta and chances are you will be dozing on the couch. Eating protein releases dopamine and nor-epinephrine in the brain and helps us to be alert. Too much protein and we get short tempered and irritable. When you eat fruits, starchy vegetables, and whole grains throughout the day, you keep your body fueled and your blood sugar level on an even keel. You also are getting vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Combining carbohydrates and proteins enhances the availability of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter said to have a calming effect and to play a role in sleep. So if you're wondering just how food affects you, keep a food journal for a week or two. Write down what you eat, how you feel, your stress level and how your body feels after the meal. This is the first step that I take with each of my clients. It is very illuminating for them to see, what they are eating and how it affects their everyday lives. Once you see what you normally eat and how it affects you then, start to add in foods that will give you more energy, help you to lose weight, and look better. This will keep your moods on an even keel and keep you alert and awake throughout the day. So what can you do to boost your mood? Exercise. You don't have to sweat it out at the gym to make a difference. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. Get organized! Sometimes clutter can make one feel overwhelmed and mildly depressed. Getting things in place can ease your mind and bring a smile to your face too! Laugh . The simple act of laughter releases endorphins and is shown to improve your mood. Even smiling will have that effect. Listen to music . Put on your favorite tunes and rock the blues away. Perhaps you enjoy soothing classical music. Dance around if you can. Set small, achievable goals . Oftentimes, if our busy lives are broken down into more manageable tasks, we can feel happiness at minor accomplishments. Volunteer . You may think that you do not have time in your busy life, but I'll bet you can find 2-3 hours a month to make a big difference in a few peoples' lives. That is a sure-fire way to feel great!
0 Comments
So what’s up will all the juicing you hear about these days?
Juice bars are springing up everywhere. You see health food stores offering juice fasting programs and you have to wonder what that is all about. So here’s the scoop! At a time when so many people are obsessed with supplements – juicing is the most complete and natural form of supplementation around. All the nutrients that a body needs are present in balanced quantities in fresh fruits and vegetables. They are best utilized by your body in their whole form not in separate supplement form. Juices supply us with the vital building blocks for cell regeneration, in this way are true longevity food. Juices tend to satisfy our thirst and therefore we tend not to reach for other less nutritious foods. They are the only beverage the supplies us with real, vital energy . Take a look at Joel Fuhrman’s Green Longevity Drink listed in the recipe section below. My husband and I drink one of these each morning and have done so for the last 21 months. It is filling, satisfying and let me tell you, keep you as regular as anything out there. Imagine chopping all those ingredients and putting them into a bowl and trying to eat them. It would take a lot of time and a heck of a lot of chewing. By juicing them your are extracting their organic water, chlorophyll and enzymes from heaping mounds of fruits and veggies without using any digestive energy.. Enzymes in fresh fruits and vegetables have the vital role of converting food into body tissue and energy. Enzymes are also involved in metabolism, so one of the more valuable health benefits of juicing is that it can increase metabolic rate. Juicing also ensures that the body is getting sufficient amounts of phytochemicals, substances in plants that are considered among the most powerful ways to combat disease. While most people do not eat enough raw fruits and vegetables to obtain the amount of phytochemicals that would make a difference, it is relatively easy to drink enough juice to obtain sufficient amounts of these powerful nutrients. In addition, antioxidants and other immune boosting nutrients are concentrated in juices. Juicing can therefore help to accelerate recovery from illness. In fact, juicing with specific combinations of fruits or vegetables can target particular conditions and improve or alleviate symptoms. A juicer separates the fiber of the vegetables, leaving you with only the pure organic water from the fruits and vegetables. The reason that this is important is that your body is able to digest more organic water without expending any energy or getting full on fiber. The enzymes go right to the cellular level to do their work. Remember, when enzymes can go straight into the cells they can go to work cleaning out the toxins that make your leaner and healthier. So what about those bottle juices? They appear to be fresh but they are not. They have been pasteurized, which kills the live enzymes. Bottle juices don’t count as green juices and should be avoided. So how about those juice bars? It is a good place to get fresh juice but don’t assume that anything you get there is good for you. Many of those chain stores are a made of blended juices with frozen, sugary fruit soy or frozen yogurt. This is distinctly different from what we are talking about as healthy. These are filled with sugar and tons of calories and contain little nutrients. So what about those green powders? They are not the same as green juice. They are lacking in organic hydration. They are better than nothing but real fruits and veggies are the key. When buying a juicer, look for one that extracts the pulp. Breville makes a great juicer. So whether you are going to start juicing at home or know of a store that you can obtain fresh organic juice, juicing fruits and vegetables is a great way to improve your health. You deserve to be Healthy! If you want to watch a great film about juicing and how dramatically it can effect your health check out: Fat Sick and Nearly Dead | a Joe Cross Film Pizza!
Where do I start. Oh yeah, I love pizza. I haven't been able to eat regular- bubbly, gooey, cheesy hot pizza for a while now. The cheese and the gluten in the crust just kill me. I won't get into the details but it ain't pretty! So I started to really play with gluten-free crust and dairy -free cheeses. I found a great crust made from almond flour that is really unsual but so savory and delicious it is a killer. Let me know if you want the recipe! Yesterday I made pizza out of Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix. I am not sure what happened but it was sticky and goey, not in a good way. It barely rose and it was nearly impossible to spread on the pizza pan. The end product looked nice but really had a bad taste and a super dense feel. I am going to play with another one tonight that uses Namaste's prefect flour blend. The recipe that I am using strongly resembles a more traditional crust. I know my pizza crusts. I really like OrganicVille's pizza sauce (their bbq sauce is great on a BBQ chicken pizza. I have also been using daiya pepper-jack and mozzarella shreds. It is gluten-free, soy and dairy free and has a nice taste. If you have a gluten-free pizza crust pass it along. I'd love to hear from you Do you or someone that you know suffer from constipation, gas, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal cramps acid reflux or indigestion?
Maybe they have migraines, skin rashes, brain fog or sleep issues. The only way to have permanent positive digestive health and eliminate all the symptoms that you are having is to change your diet and lifestyle. This four week digestive health telecoaching program will: *Help you to determine what is causing your digestive unhealthiness *Give you the knowledge you need to permanently change your health and your life *Offer simple doable steps that will have you on the road to good health in less than 4 weeks. *Includes: private health consultation and 2 private food journal reviews! *Include program workbook with information and delicious recipes! Nothing else will solve the issue: not medicine and definitely not ignoring the problem. You need to take action! I had digestive issues for 48 years and my proven step by step process has changed not only my health but that of my clients. It's easy, logical and it works! Act now: Space is limited to 10 spots! Program runs four Thursday nights in October, starting October 6th All from your own home! The cost of the program is $147 - That is less than $30 a session and includes 2 food journal reviews and recommendations and workbook! Change your health by clicking here and getting registered. Deadline is September 28,2011! You deserve to be Healthy! CONTACT ME AT 203-210-7462 MindyKannon@yahoo.com www.MindyKannon.com Follow us on Twitter Like us on Face book! So I get asked all the time why women? Why digestion?
I grew up with three brothers, always held jobs where my boss and co-workers were men. Men are easy. They are fun, don't hold grudges and pretty reasonable. So why women? Working with women has a complexity that I adore. They tend to have issues that are not commonly seen with men. They are emotional, deep and want to be heard. When empowered to demand good health and given the knowledge and the support they need they excel in a way that is really exciting to see. There is a camaraderie that I can't find in men. Maybe because I am a woman. We have a universal experience that we share with all the women that came before us. We are giving and nurturing and need someone to affirm that our health holds an importance that our busy life seems to ignore. We need an advocate that gives us permission to put our health at the forefront of our priorities. A healthy digestion is a key to good health. Without the ability to absorb nutrients efficiently and eliminate waste and toxin we function at a diminished capacity reducing our potential to achieve are life passions and goals. I love to help women customized food and lifestyle choices that support their need to address their digestive issues in a natural and permanent way. My mission is to show women that conventional medicine does not always hold the most affective and natural remedy for their digestive issues. The body will heal itself if given the right conditions. I am here to support my clients to create those conditions. Let me know if I can help you. You deserve to be Healthy! Magnesium
In a perfect world, we would get all the vitamins and minerals we need from the food we eat. Well this isn't a perfect world and much of what we eat is nutrient deficient. I rarely recommend supplements to my clients though I feel very strongly about a few. Magnesium is one I whole-heartedly advise my clients to take. Having had constipation issues for most of my life, I set out on a journey to find just the right combination of foods, exercise, fluid in-take and supplements that would get and keep me regular. Magnesium is a huge component in that formula. Besides supporting the elimination phase of digestion magnesium does a ton of other important things to keep you healthy. The vast majority of adults are magnesium deficient. Here's why. Processed foods lack magnesium! Processing and cooking foods depletes many needed nutrients. You need a certain amount of stomach acid to absorb calcium and magnesium. Certain conditions as well as antacids deplete your stomach acids. Some foods are high in oxalic and phytic acid and block the absorption of magnesium. Junk food is lacking in magnesium. Food is grown in magnesium deficient soil. Many prescription drugs cause a magnesium deficiency. Here's what to do - Eat a portion of your vegetables raw. If cooking - steam quickly so they are still crispy. Avoid eating Swiss chard, soy beans, and spinach on a regular basis as they contain oxalic acid that inhibits absorption of some key vitamins and minerals. Avoid junk food. Support organic farming. They understand the importance of the health of the soil and so their vegetables are more rich in nutrients. Eat whole, organic fruits, vegetables and clean protein. Supplement your diet with magnesium. The power of Magnesium.... (and these are just a few...) Helps with anxiety, depression, adrenal health and serotonin production. Improve or eliminate muscle pain. Protects against the toxic effects of chemicals such as food additives. Is a blood thinner keeping things flowing and preventing vessel spasms. Relaxes head and neck muscles that make migraines worse. Helps to prevent muscle spasms of the heart blood vessels thus preventing heart attacks. Reduces calcium build-up in arteries. Increases bowel function which reduces toxicity and increases the efficiency of the absorption of nutrients. As with any supplements it is important to do your research into how they will interact with the medications you are taking as well how this supplement will effect other conditions that you may have. For more information check out The Miracle of Magnesium by Carolyn Dean. This supplement has made a huge difference in my digestive health. You deserve to be Healthy! |
AuthorI am a digestive health coach. I help my clients have more energy and a eliminate digestive problems by eating food they love! Archives
September 2013
Categories
All
|