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Organic? What Does It Mean, And Is It Better For You?

sara — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:02 +0000

So what does organic really mean? I’ve heard a lot of guesses as to what orgainic means and a lot of them aren’t even close. It isn’t any strange process that your food goes through, if anything, it’s just the opposite. Organic means that it was produced or grown without any chemicals or additives that aren’t all natural. That’s it! So why are some people afraid of it? I think it’s because what we know or were brought up with is what we are comfortable with and years ago, unless you did research on your own, it is most likely that “organic” wasn’t a term that was used a lot.

It has, however, been getting more and more popular. I mean you know it has gone mainstream when Walmart is selling it. The US Department of Agriculture says organic sales have jumped 22 percent last year, and it’s great that we are getting on a bigger health kick in this country and educating ourselves.

Why is organic food better for us? Well, for one it’s because we aren’t putting all of those pesticides in our body that are put on fruits and vegetables to keep away insects and provide a longer shelf life. It has been proven in some studies that organic food also provides us with more energy than non organic food. So why not eat it? I do understand that for a lot of people it is the cost of organic food that keeps them away from it. It is a lot of more expensive than non organic food but all in all, our health should be more important, I mean aren’t we worth it? At least buy foods where we actually eat the skins or the enire food organic. For example apples, grapes, tomatoes, peppers etc as opposed to banans where we peel off such a think layer of it that if it was sprayed with something harmful it probably isn’t going to hurt us as much as the others. There was an article publised by Walter J. Crinnion N.D., that stated that a lof of peoples health issues and diseases can be related to all of the toxins in our body that get there via the food we ingest. So please think about this when you next go to the grocery store. Ask your self if you are important enough to spend the extra money on, is your health or that of your familys?

Healthy Food List-Where to get your daily dose of Vitamins, Part 2 of 14

nina — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:00:05 +0000

Vitamin B1: is essential in providing your body with the energy you need through the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein. It is also required for the processing of alcohol.

Energy is something that a lot of us today are lacking. Dragging ourselves out of bed, in to the shower and off to work. And most of us will run to the nearest Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for our much needed energy boost that completely fizzles out by the early afternoon.

Instead of drinking your short lived energy with all the extra calories and sugar, why not take a more natural route. There are many healthy foods that contain Vitamin B1, giving you the energy you’ll need to get you through the day.

Check out our healthy food list below:
Raw sunflower seeds (1/4 cup, 205 calories)
54 percent daily value
Cooked yellowfin tuna (4 ounces, 157 calories)
38 percent daily value
Cooked black beans (1 cup, 227 calories)
28 percent daily value
Cooked corn (1 cup, 177 calories)
24 percent daily value
Sesame seeds (1/4 cup, 206 calories)
18 percent daily value
Oatmeal (1 cup, 145 calories)
17 percent daily value
Cooked asparagus (1 cup, 43 calories)
14 percent daily value
Brussels sprouts (1 cup, 60 calories)
11 percent daily value
Cooked spinach (1 cup, 41 calories)
11 percent daily value
Pineapple (1 cup, 76 calories)
9 percent daily value

Original Source: Men’s Health

Check out tomorrows Healthy Food List for Vitamin B6

To read part 1 of this series on Vitamin A click here.

How Home Workouts Can Actually Improve Your Mental Health

Staff — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:33:30 +0000

Home workouts are becoming increasingly popular as people’s lives become more and more hectic. Home workouts are a great way to save time that would otherwise be spent commuting to the gym while you still reap the benefits of following a regular workout program. In today’s stressful world, something as simple as a home workout program can actually help to relieve stress, increase energy levels and improve overall feelings of wellness.

For someone who is constantly on the go, a home workout can be the therapy that’s needed to manage high levels of stress. For one thing, home workouts are convenient. They can be done at anytime of the day, regardless of what you’re wearing or what your hair looks like. Hey, you don’t even have to wear deodorant if you don’t want to! The point is, that a home workout should be something that’s enjoyed, not another errand to check off of your never ending to do list. If you have to leave home to work out at the gym, it becomes just another event to keep you on the go.

Home workouts, like most exercise plans, are also believed to improve overall feelings of wellness. Exercise in general is thought to increase levels of mood enhancing neurotransmitters called serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These are the same substances that are targeted by anti-depressant medications. Following a regular home workout plan and exercising everyday may also improve your moods by increasing your endorphin levels. Endorphins are produced in the brain as natural pain-relievers and are thought to improve overall moods. Duke University provided studies that showed that home workouts and exercise in general can be an effective antidepressant.

Home workouts will also increase your energy levels over time. Usually, once you complete a workout you’ll be on a post-workout high for an hour or two. If you workout at home, you can monopolize on this spurt of energy by getting organized for the day. Additionally, as you increase your fitness levels through your workout plan, you’ll also notice a significant increase in your energy levels. This occurs because regular exercise allows your body to run more efficiently, requiring you to expend less energy to complete ordinary tasks.

Some people shy away from home workout programs because they aren’t sure which ones to invest in, or they don’t think they have the discipline to work out at home. While it does take discipline to follow a home workout program, it also takes discipline to follow a workout program at the gym. Additionally, if you’re uncomfortable in a gym atmosphere, the home workout option may be the only way that you’ll be able to establish regular exercise habits. Following a home workout can be extremely rewarding and beneficial to your physical fitness and your mental wellness.

In the end, what do you have to lose besides a little bit of weight? Most home workout programs are more affordable than gym memberships and most of them have a 30 day money back guarantee (good luck finding that at the local health club). So, take that leap and give home workouts a chance. You never know, you may find it so rewarding you’ll be kicking yourself for not starting a one years ago!

Increase Your Energy Levels With Regular Exercise

Staff — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:58:31 +0000

No one wants to be overweight, out of shape, or unhealthy. However, plenty of us fit into all three of these categories. The frustrating truth is that life happens and we don’t always make our own health a priority. We are busy putting our careers, our children, our spouses and even our schoolwork ahead of our health. We get sucked into a self perpetuating cycle in which we don’t exercise, sleep or eat properly, which leads to exhaustion, which leads to lack of sleep, exercise and nutrition – you see the pattern. Whether you’re a busy executive or a stay-at-home mom, it is easy to get into this rut and before you know it, you no longer recognize the person in the mirror looking back at you. It sounds a little depressing, but don’t fret – there is hope!

If you can chisel out just a few minutes a day to devote to exercise, you’ll quickly begin to see increases in energy levels and decreases in stress levels. To start with, make a conscious decision to get short spurts of exercise wherever you can fit it in. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator or park in the far parking spaces at stores or at work instead of parking a close as you can. Try to do some crunches before bed each night and do some squats when you wake in the morning. Start with just 10 repetitions and work your way up to 50 or 100. Just do something – something is always better than nothing at all. If you commit to this in the beginning, you’ll find that as time passes, you’ll feel motivated to do just a little bit more, and then a little more after that. Before you know it, you’ll be working out for 20 or 30 minutes a day. You’ll quickly find that you have much more energy to accomplish your daily tasks. You’ll also find that you’ll sleep better at night if you’ve exercised at some point during the day. And, as a benefit of improved sleep…you guessed it, you’ll experience increased energy!

To accompany your commitment to daily exercise, try to make healthier food choices. You don’t have to plunge head first into an extreme diet plan. Simply make small changes to your existing diet. Try to think about what you’re eating before you eat it. It’s very easy for busy people to eat blindly, grabbing whatever is convenient just to ease the pains of hunger. To avoid grabbing candy and chips, buy prepackaged healthy snacks. Protein bars are great for this. So is low-fat yogurt, vegetable platters, fruit salads or cottage cheese. Improving your food choices even just a little bit will make a big difference in your overall energy levels.

It doesn’t take a lot of time or discipline to lose weight, get in shape and improve your overall health. If you can convince yourself that your health is important enough to devote just a few minutes a day to, you’ll look and feel younger and more energetic in no time at all.