Summer Care Tips

It is summer once again and the scorching heat is not good for us. The seasonal change will bring viruses once more and will make a lot of people sick. Combat your health with these tips for the coming hot summer months:

1. Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to mild to serious health conditions which can also be detrimental to your health.

2. Cover yourself with protective clothing and accessories

Combat the harsh UV rays. Use light clothing to deflect the rays and use hats, sunglasses too. Getting sunburned can lead to dry, scaly skin.

3. Slather sunblock lotion

One way to protect your skin from getting the harmful rays is applying sunblock lotion. This will lessen the effects of the harmful rays and will not make your skin dry. Using sunblock lotion can also help in preventing skin cancer.

4. Eat juicy fruits and fresh vegetables

Have a balanced diet but incorporate more juicy fruits and vegetables in your diet to keep you hydrated while getting the necessary vitamins and minerals.

5. Wipe your perspiration

It cannot be helped to sweat like crazy during summer. Always carry a spare handkerchief or small towel to wipe your perspiration. Always make sure your back is also wiped to avoid any respiratory problem. And when you are outside, don't rush to get in the airconditioned room or building. Stand for few minutes near the door to give your body temperature time to adjust.

Health Nut - Food for the Heart

Photo credit: diet.lovetoknow.com

Eating green salad with a healthy drizzle of olive oil is a good lunch meal for the heart. Aside from the green salad, here are more food to consider adding in your palate for a healthy heart:

1. Fruits like strawberries, cranberries, red grapes, oranges and plums (among a few)

These fruits are rich in flavonoids which is are great antioxidants in helping minimize inflammation. Inflammation is one of the bad processes that can happen to your heart. To avoid that, have a hearty-full serving of colorful fruits.

2. Avocado

Although is also a fruit, it is rich in fats that are helpful in lessening the bad cholesterol. Have this though in moderation as you would taking fats.

3. Rye, Wheat, Multi-Grain breads

These breads are rich in fiber and magnesium. Fiber aids in lessening hypertension.

4. Salmon

This deep-sea fish is a good source of omega fatty acids which help lower bad cholesterol and keep blood pressure within range. It is also a healthy source of protein.

5. Nuts

Nuts such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts are loaded with heart-friendly fats. Substitute your chips with a palm-sized serving of these nuts instead.

Quick Eat-Right Rule

"If your food can go bad then it's good for you. If it can't go bad, it's bad for you."

~David Zinczenko, author of Eat This, Not That

Health Nut - Safflower Oil

It is very beneficial to eat salad because of the loaded fiber and vitamins and nutrients. Salad is packed with good nutrients as long as we do not use dressings which are high in sodium, fat and sugar.

Safflower oil mixed with vinegar is a great combination to aid your weight loss. In a study, a small amount of safflower oil everyday had a stomach fat trimming effect on a population of women with diabetes.

Safflower oil is rich in essential omega-6 fatty acid called linoleic acid.

Health Nut - Be Kind To Your Knees

As we age, our bones and muscles degenerate. It is very vital for us to eat healthy and keep fit to maintain proper well-being.

One part of our body which we need to keep healthy and well lubricated is our knees. We should eat green salads as part of our daily meal. Green vegetables like cabbage, spinach and swiss chard contains Vitamin K which is good for our joints. It also helps reduce the risk of joint damage.

It is good to have your Vitamin K fresh by having these green vegetables as part of your staple rather than taking supplements.

So, the next time you visit the grocery, head on to the fresh produce and do your joints and knees some good, loving favor.

Health Nut - Quick Heart Health Check

This measure won't take 5 seconds of your life. For only 2 seconds, you can find out if your heart (and even arteries) is healthy.

Try sitting down and legs stretched in front of you. Now, do this - touch your toes. Did you manage to reach your toes?

Well, you're lucky if you did because that means your vessels are still limber and elastic because if they are, it is better to maintain blood pressure at normal. However, if you can't even go past your legs then it's high time to hit the running tracks, exercise and proper and balanced nutrition eating habits.

Health Nut - Boost Immunity this Cold Season

Winter is upon us and not long from now, we will be experiencing seasonal changes that will affect our immunity.

People here always get sick when the seasons change because the wind coming from another region brings dusts, pollens, migrating birds and their bacterias and what-have-yous. The sudden change in the temperature also exposes people to other natural elements like extra moisture and cold draft. The human body have to adapt to all these and re-adjust to be able to battle the coming of the colder months.

So, even before the cold weather bites, try to follow these simple tips to boost immune system:

1. Eat apples - why you might ask? Well, apples contain pectins which are good in boosting the levels of immune-supportive proteins.

2. Get inoculated - I cannot stress this enough. Be prepared and have yourself and family vaccinated for influenza and other boosters which can aid immunity.

3. Wear warm clothing if the weather is cold and keep the head warm by wearing cap if you have to do a jog at the park early morning or in the evening because of the cold draft.

4. Exercise - a quick strut can boost one's immune system and the sweat helps in releasing toxins out of the body.

5. Have a good night's sleep - getting at least 8 hours of sleep a day will help stave off the sniffles during the cold season. Why not enjoy your comforter and bed a little longer?

Health Nut - Smart Treats

According to studies, these 3 treats can make you smart when you indulge on them regularly. The line up is as follows:

Wine, Chocolate and Tea - These trio are high in flavonoid which has a memory boosting punch, fights free radicals and enhance communication between brain cells.

Health Nut - Mulberry Tea

I just bought 2 boxes of Mulberry Tea from Bangkok. My friend has recommended it to me. She swears by its potent health benefits. I was a little dubious because I never heard of Mulberry tea before. I checked the Internet and found out that it is indeed very beneficial in one's health. The following are some of the benefits of drinking Mulberry tea:

1. Has the ability to block sugars. So, it is a good drinking option for diabetic people.

2. Helps in reducing hypertension

3. Aids in eliminating bad cholesterol

4. Serves as an anti-oxidant

5. Relieves constipation, cough, colds

6. Helps cure anemia

7. Acts as diuretic by flushing fluids and toxins from the body

8. Contains high levels of potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosporus

I should have bought the entire shelf of Mulberry tea while I was in Bangkok! It is so hard to find this kind of tea here in Dubai and even in the Philippines.

So, if you can find one, do try it for your health's sake.

Health Nut - Healthy Colon

I had honestly gone through an enema at one point in my life. I needed to detoxify and that was one of the natural ways of cleaning my colon. It sure is not one I will fancy discussing over a cup of coffee but with so many processed food these days and manic activities we all engage in, it is fitting to note that our colon needs TLC too.

Vitamin D will do wonders to our colon. Although it cannot afford the luxury of a good sunbath but a dose of Vitamin D will surely perk it up. This vitamin gets synthesized by our bodies when we soak up on good sun rays. After which, Vitamin D acts in making out-of-control cells go towards apoptosis which is a programmed cell death to eliminate possible problems.

So, soak up some good rays and give your colon a good break.

Health Nut - No Aching Joints

I have reached that age (or must I say, I have reached the pinnacle of my weight dilemma!) where my joints are starting to ache a wee bit specially when it is cold or when I am on a stationary position for so long.

Back when I was slim, trim and very healthy, I did not feel any of these aching symptoms nora slight sensation. I noticed when I started piling the pounds, my joints started to ache and sometimes they ache so bad.

I went to the doctor to have my blood chem checked and it still registers as normal. However, the doc advised me to lose pounds because my weight is putting a burden on my joints. OK, simply put - I am fat!

Here is a juice which can give your joints certain comfort - Orange Juice. Yes, that OJ thing can give you the beta-cryptoxanthin which aids in reducing the risk of polyarthritis. Not only that, it is loaded with Vitamin C which is another important nutrient needed to have healthy joints.

So, get your juicers out and squeeze those oranges dry.

Health Nut - Great Breakfast Meals to Burn Fat

I am eager to weak skinny jeans once again. It will take time for me to lose the much needed weight so I have to incorporate a good exercise with my diet plan. When I say diet, that means eating properly and not skipping on any meals. And portion-controlled eating too.

Studies show that having these food as part of your breakfast can aid in burning fat. These food are: eggs, yogurt and cereals. Why does it have to be breakfast? Well, our morning meal is the most important meal of the day if you want to control your appetite and lose weight. Here are the reasons why these 3 food must be added in our breakfast meal:

Eggs: They contain protein which makes us full so it curbs our appetite.

Yogurt: Calcium-rich food which helps in inhibiting fat storage in our small intestines and aid in digestion.

Whole-grain Cereals: Rich in fibre. These cereals help control blood sugar level and lessen belly fat.

So, don't skip your breakfast! Eat healthy!

Health Nut - Prenatal Vitamins

Pregnancy is one of the most elating feeling a woman can experience in her lifetime. I enjoyed being pregnant. I love the subtle changes happening to my body while going through the various stages of pregnancy.

Being pregnant does not entail just eating the right food which will give the proper nutrients a growing baby and mother need. A pregnant mother must also compliment her diet with prenatal vitamins so that she does not miss out on the important folic acid, calcium, iron and other important vitamins and minerals she and the baby will need while pregnant.

So if you have a "bun in the oven" and want to ensure the baby's health is just right, do not skip on your prenatal vitamins.

Health Nut - Walk! Walk! Walk!

This is the time to stop being a Grade A tater and start moving those muscles! Walking is one of the best exercise one can engage to. It is free. You can do it anywhere and there is plenty of time to do it.

Start walking to work if you live nearby your office. Walk in the park. Walk the dog. Walk in the mall even if you don't have to shop. Just keep walking if you can avoid driving.

Walking improves blood circulation and helps tone our muscles. It also builds up one's resistance and endurance.

Let's walk for a good health!

Start Healthy Living Now

OK, no more tricking myself and making plenty of excuses to delay my weight loss plan which I started many moons ago. I keep getting side-tracked and my focus is waning. Not for 2010!

This is not a New Year's resolution. I just want to live a healthy life by losing weight for myself and my family. I feel okay though given that I have been doing brisk-walking lately. I feel that there is more room to improve and excel on my goals for the year. My primary concern is to live a healthy life so my family can emulate what I started.

Losing weight is not an easy task and I am sure that I will be met with a lot of obstacles and temptations to achieve my goal weight. I know for sure that it will be a long arduous task but I will get there. I said it before and I will say it again, "slowly but surely."

Burn Baby! Burn!

Before you think ahead, no, it's not my rendition of one of the popular songs of the 70's. I am talking about wanting to burn belly fat. I have gained significant amount of weight during the past year and I am slowly shedding it off. Like the adage goes, slowly but surely and that is what I am doing right now.

I have been regularly walking my Millie and running at the treadmill at least twice a week for half an hour. My weight budges ever so slowly probably because my metabolism has slowed down due to age. Anyway, I have kept track of my eating habits and what I actually put in my mouth every meal. I must say, this taking down notes on the food I eat really works like a charm because whenever I am about to take chips and sodas, I am reminded of the kind of food entry I will put in the diary and that is bad! Shame on me! So, I stick to this practice and I am good.

Health Nut - Lung Lifter Food

I should have known that this particular wonder food does wonder on lungs and I would have improved mine.

The soy is the wonder food which gives a boost to our lungs. It is rich in protein, low in fat and high in fibre too. You can get your source of soy from soy milk, tofu and edamame.

Recent Japanese studies show that those who have regular soy intake as compared to those who does not have soy have slashed the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD.

(source: Realage.com)

Health Nut - Good Frozen Food

Who said we cannot have nutritional serving of frozen food? Not the ice cream and popsicles folks but I am talking about the frozen berries. Yes, these frozen berries are packed with healthy anti-oxidants just like the fresh ones. During the cold season, they are good source of Vitamin C, A and calcium.

Health Nut - Put some Zs in your Life

Zinc is a mineral good for boosting your skin condition because of its effect on the regeneration of skin. This regeneration happens from the inside out which is beneficial to ageing and problematic skin.

This wonder mineral is found in protein-based foods. Start putting the Zs in your life to a healthier looking skin.

Health Nut - Anti-Ageing wonder

Is there really a "fountain of youth?" And if there is, will you have sip from the fountain that will make you youthful forever? Well, sorry to burst your bubble. That is not going to happen. We are for merely mortals and the time will come where we will all return to dust. However, we can "delay" the signs of ageing by taking precautionary measures, right?

Xango juice is known to encourage anti-ageing. This juice is made from mangosteens which are rich in xanthones. Xanthones are antioxidants associated with anti-ageing. Our bodies are exposed to the elements and these elements contain free radicals responsible in damaging the tissue in our bodies. Taking antioxidants will not really make you youthful forever but it does assist in the delay process.

Xango juice is available in health food shops.