21 Tips To A Healthier You
Flu shots….think and rethink whether to have them and check out some recent research!
“Annual vaccination against influenza virus hampers development of virus-specific CD8⁺ T cell immunity in children.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880755,
“We recently demonstrated that vaccination against seasonal influenza prevented the induction of heterosubtypic immunity against influenza A/H5N1 virus induced by infection with seasonal influenza in animal models, which correlated with the absence of virus-specific CD8(+) T cell responses.”
Sugar can be a slippery slope! Once you have a few bites it will lure you back into its hold on you and before you know it your back into a routine of sugary snacks. The worst can be at the office and they might have forgotten about your goals. Be aware of what you have been putting in your mouth that will get you off track.
Never have a fruit without a protein!! A fruit is sugar and even though it’s better than fruit juice, it will still raise your blood sugar like eating sugar would do. The protein will slow that glycemic rate down and and keep your blood sugar level longer, therefore sustain a consistent energy level. For example an apple with peanut or almond butter. Or kiwi with a hard boiled egg.
Whenever possible have organic grass-fed beef and organic cream, they are both very high in a fat burning, omega 3 fatty acid that is also a great source of zinc (for the immune system) and B12.
Did you know that avocados have over 3X’s as many grams of fiber (17) per serving than a serving of cold cereal. Not to mention plenty of healthy fat and more nutrients. Cold cereals typically do not have more than 2 to 5 grams per serving, not to mention the fact they are nutrient deficient and even block certain nutrients from being digested in the body. Be generous with the avocado in your daily diet!
Eat the whole fruit instead of drinking the fruit juice! You are much better off to avoid fruit juice as it is just concentrated sugar. The actual fruit has the fiber to slow down the glycemic rate at which the sugar is absorbed into the body. But try to keep it to 2 fruits a day.
Have snacks ready and on hand. Celery with peanut or almond butter, avocado mixed with a little salsa, hard boiled eggs, apple with almond or peanut butter, organic yogurt with some stevia and flax seeds are a few to choose from. Get creative and come up with a few of your own.
Magnesium is such an important mineral! If you’re not taking a magnesium supplement then focus on magnesium rich foods such as halibut filets, cooked spinach, oatbran, pumpkin seeds, almonds, swiss chard and organic peanut butter to name a few.
Go over your health goals, re-read them and even re-write them. Post little post it notes all over as a reminder and to keep you focused.
Use a crockpot once or twice this week.
It is so time saving and the best way to cook a chicken or a roast because it slow cooks it at a low temp. Its very easy, just add a can of organic chicken broth (even for a roast) or a can of stewed tomatoes and add the meat and some root veggies. Make a salad to go with it and it’s complete.
Try something new each day this week. A new vegetable, or root veggie such as jicama, turnips, parsnips, or spaghetti squash. Have you ever tried broccoli flower?
Try out the local farmers markets in your area. Get to know the local growers and people you can get organic foods from, including free range eggs, poultry and other meats and veggies. It’s very important to support local growers and you are more likely to get better foods that you can trust.
Clean off your table so you have a place to sit down for meals. If you are like most people you might have papers and books and stuff from your everyday life piled on the table. Make your eating area a pleasant environment for you or your whole family can gather and enjoy your meal.
This is a good week to pay attention to your eating habits, what you are doing when you eat, how you eat your meals and snacks. Do you eat on the go? Do you eat while standing up or working on the computer or talking on the phone? Do you chew every bite or do you gobble it down as fast as you can. I challenge you to take time for you meals, sit down with no distractions, and focus on your food one bite a time. Make it a pleasant relaxing ritual that you enjoy. Savor each bite, focus on the taste and chew eat bite slowly and purposefully. Try it for one week and make it a habit.
Pick a book to read on health and nutrition that will motivate you!! Some of the ones I like are The Perricone Prescription by Dr Perricone, Health and Nutrition Secrets by Dr. Russell Blaylock, You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. But there are many to choose from.
Plan your snacks as well and make sure you’re not caught off guard when you’re out and about with nothing to eat when you get hungry. That will set you up for self sabotage!!
Be organized and plan your meals for the week.Make it simple and plan a protein for each meal with the appropriate amount of veggies.
Let’s start with the first couple of things to get you going. Make sure you are drinking your water! If you need to add fresh lemon juice to it that’s great, and add some stevia to taste to make lemonade. 2nd, make sure you are incorporating some movement each and every day!! 10 to 15 minutes of walking, gardening, or whatever you like to do.
Let everyone know of your plans to avoid sabotage by well-meaning friends, family, and co-workers. They think they are doing a nice deed by bringing in donuts to the office or over for coffee but will be less likely to do this if they know of your goals. Gain their support!
Let’s figure out what you want to focus on for the New Year. The end of 2011 was a time of letting go of the old and releasing the things that are holding you back.
What is your wish for the new year? Do you want to really take your health to a much higher level? Do you want to lose weight? Or is it some of both?
Take some time this week to really decide what you want to attain for the year and then we will focus on a plan to include the steps you want to take. Describe in detail what you want for your body and your health and write it all down. Gather pictures of what you want and put them on a vision board. This will be the biggest week of work to do. The rest is making it all happen!!! Happy New Year.