Tag: healthy living

Start Your Day With A Spinach Smoothie

Carol 25 Comments
I originally wrote this post in 2016 but have updated it with more info and photos.

Why eat spinach?

I love baby spinach. Spinach is one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat.   It is a super food loaded with tons of nutrients in a low-calorie package. Dark leafy greens like spinach are important for skin and hair, bone health, and provide protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. Just do a search for the word spinach and you will see pages of articles  on the health benefits of spinach. Just eating one serving of spinach a day can make your brain 11 years younger.  A diet rich in leafy green vegetables help prevent cognitive decline according to recent research.   It slows the aging process.

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Self Care: Tips To Help You Sleep Better

Carol 18 Comments

Sleep deprivation is equivalent to drunk driving.

Sleep is one of the most fundamental acts of self-care.  When we get overwhelmed or stressed, sleep is usually the first sacrifice. For adults 18 – 60, 7 hours sleep is recommended, but according to the CDC , more than one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep.  Lack of sleep is not only related to how well we think but also increases our risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, depression, and death. Sleep deprivation weakens our immune systems. One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause.

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Book Review: Winter Blues: Everything You Need To Know About Seasonal Affective Disorder

Carol 18 Comments

I first read Winter Blues by Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal back in the 1980’s when the first edition was printed. It quickly became a bestseller as people were hungry for information about this newly discovered diagnosis, Seasonal Affective Disorder. Some of us have trouble in the fall as the days shorten and the days become grayer. My mother used to phone me periodically with “the blues”. She’d say, “I don’t know why I’m so blue. There’s no reason.” We’d talk for a while but I felt helpless to help her.

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Wellness: Your Diet Changes Your Genes – You Are What You Eat

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One morning I checked my Twitter feed and found an interesting link to new research on genes and health. As usual, I began clicking links from one article to another going on an amazing hunt for information. Most of us think of genes as the unchanging and stable part of us inherited from our ancestors. I learned that genes, a part of the DNA molecule, have small chemicals that attach in a process called epigenetics. When they attach to genes, they ‘mark’ the gene.  These complex chemical compounds tell the genome what to do, and the marked gene is sometimes passed on as cells divide. Read More

The Ancient Fruit, Pomegranate, Has Super Food Benefits

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The pomegranate is an ancient fruit that has been eaten for thousands of years. Originally from Persia, the pomegranate spread throughout the Mediterranean area in ancient times. Today it is widely cultivated for its beauty as an ornamental shrub and especially for its fruit. The fruit has a tough outer layer and a large center of juicy seeds. Only the seeds and juice from the seeds are edible and are extremely nutritious.
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For A Healthy Body and Mind, Eat Apples

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When fall comes, my mind always thinks of apple orchards, cider mills and fresh pressed cider. My sister’s family lives in Michigan and I love to visit toward the end of August. First, Florida is like a steam tent in August and I enjoy a break. Second, Michigan can be hot but it also gets fronts from Canada that lower the temperature to mild. Third, the beginning of September marks the opening of the cider mills.  Offering fresh apples and fresh pressed cold cider, the mills draw crowds to welcome fall. We need to remember that besides the great taste, apples are super healthy for us. Read More

Ripe Red Watermelon, A Favorite Summer Treat That Adds Great Health Benefits

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Whether at a picnic or in your backyard, if it’s summer, it’s time cut open a watermelon. Some of my favorite summer childhood memories involve family, cookouts and watermelon. I learned to eat my slice on the grass leaning forward because I couldn’t control that wonderful red juice that ran down my chin. Red, ice cold, and juicy – that’s the way I want it. I don’t even associate the pink balls in many restaurants fruit salad with the tasty “real thing”.

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Peaches, A Great Addition To A Healthy Diet Plus Peach Smoothie Recipe

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The sweet yet tart taste and fragrant aroma make peaches a popular snack. Besides being a tasty summer treat, peaches do great things for our bodies. Loaded with anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and A ,  peaches are low in calories (39 in 100 grams). They contain flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin, which help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals. This helps protect us from various diseases. Rich in minerals, peaches contain potassium, fluoride and iron. Iron helps form red blood cells. Potassium helps regulate heart and blood pressure. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Research also indicates that they help prevent obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

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