To have and have not
Do you ever find yourself unhappy, dwelling on the fact that you don’t own a Bentley or a house on Lake Como? It’s natural to feel mildly envious of others’ good fortunes, but it’s important to keep that envy in check.
One of the secrets to happiness is to remind yourself of what you do have. You may not jet off to Brazil every year for Carnival, but that annual camping trip you go on with friends or family is just as wonderful in its way. And one thing we can all be thankful for is good health.
Encourage your body to be as healthy as it can be by eating well, exercising as much as possible, cutting down on stress, and allowing yourself to enjoy a little R & R when warranted.
At Solanova, we have many ways to help you ensure continued good health. Take a look at our health concern articles, with subjects ranging from back pain to heart health, and everything in between. And our highly absorbable, quality vitamins and nutritional supplements will help keep your health humming.
So the next time you feel a little jealous that you don’t have that 3- karat diamond ring or house in the Hamptons, put it in perspective. You have your friends, family and hopefully very good health to be thankful for-and therefore already possess the best things in life. Enjoy these last weeks of summer!
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Add New Comment | August 30th, 2010
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Our Salad Days
The next time you cheerfully chop up avocados, tomatoes, crisp lettuce and anything else you’d put in your “healthy” salad, beware. Even if you’re using olive oil and not ranch or blue cheese dressing, there are still calories that add up. For example, a tablespoon of olive oil has about 120 calories. Not so bad in and of itself, but stop to consider how many tablespoons you are using for a whole salad. 2? 3?
And as much as we LOVE beautiful, creamy avocados, it’s important to think about how caloric they are too. A medium sized avocado can contain up to 300 calories. This velvety fruit is a favorite and is considered a “good” fat, full of antioxidants, but again, if you’re trying to cut back on the calories, avocados aren’t going to help you. Substituting a cucumber, or a few toasted walnuts, shelled edamame, or flavorful herbs like tarragon or basil can liven up any salad without busting the calorie bank.
Or if you must have your avocado and eat it too, add less olive oil, and cut the avocado in half, which not only helps your waistline, but also your pocketbook.
It’s a really wonderful thing to commit to eating more vegetables and consuming fats that are mono-saturated, but remember if you decide to “just eat a salad” for dinner, you might be consuming many more calories than you intended.
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Take a vacation from pain!
Even if you’ve already trekked all over the globe this summer and used up more than your share of vacation time (and money), there’s still one trip left that’s worth taking: A vacation from pain.
Yep. Mr. Pain comes to visit you all too often these days, with his twinges, aches, and chronic soreness, making you really wish your address were unlisted. You’ve tried all the NSAID’s (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and other pain relievers and they either made you feel groggy, upset your stomach, or had potentially dangerous side effects. The situation seemed hopeless. Mr. Pain took off his hat and coat, and settled into your favorite armchair, making himself quite at home.
But wait. It doesn’t have to be this way. Imagine being able to live your life on a permanent vacation from chronic pain? And here’s the best part! There is an all-natural pain reliever available that is gentle on the stomach, very effective and has virtually no side effects.
This powerful, chronic pain reliever is called Nexrutine® Extra. It contains an all-natural, proprietary formula derived from the bark of the Phellodendron Amurense (Cork tree) that has been used as a valuable pain reliever by traditional Chinese medicine practitioners for thousands of years. It is solely a natural Cox-2 inhibitor, obstructing the enzyme that causes inflammation, but preserving the important Cox-1 enzyme that protects the lining of the stomach.
With a steady supply of Nexrutine® Extra, you can finally say goodbye to chronic pain forever! So tell Mr. Pain to don his hat, show him the door and wave goodbye. Thanks to Nexrutine® Extra, you have beautiful pain-free places to go. Enjoy your trip!
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An epiphany about vitamin E
It turns out that the powerful antioxidant, Vitamin E, has something else up its sleeve. While Vitamin E is thought to be very good for the immune system, and can enhance both skin and eye health, it may also help fight Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease:
In a population-based, prospective, cohort study involving 5,395 subjects aged 55 years of age and older, free of dementia at baseline, who were followed up with for an average of 9.6 years, during which time 465 subjects developed dementia, out of whom 365 were diagnosed with having Alzheimer’s disease, higher intake of vitamin E at baseline was associated with a lower long-term risk of dementia. Subjects in the highest tertile of vitamin E intake were found to have a 25% reduced risk of developing dementia (hazard ratio=0.75), as compared to subjects in the lowest tertile of vitamin E intake. The authors conclude, “Higher intake of foods rich in vitamin E may modestly reduce long-term risk of dementia and AD.”
It seems that now is the time to start (or continue) a healthy, easy-to-take vitamin regimen that includes a high quality, super absorbable, full spectrum vitamin E supplement to help ensure continued good health. In this case, “e” stands for excellent immune system protection!
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Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39163 “Dietary antioxidants and long-term risk of dementia,” Devore EE, Grodstein F, et al, Arch Neurol, 2010 July; 67(7): 819-25. (Address: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands).
Backyard Tourist
While all of your jet-setting friends are traveling to the Caribbean, Rome, or another enviable destination, you may feel forlorn at having to sit at home and watch the proverbial paint dry. But instead, perhaps this is an opportunity-an inexpensive one-to celebrate a stress-free “staycation”.
If you have some time to burn, but not a lot of money with which to burn it, take advantage of the familiar. And no, that does not mean catching up on the laundry, dishes, garage clean-up etc. Instead, give yourself permission to eschew everyday life stresses and indulge in vacation-like decadence.
Eat take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Read trashy magazines and watch silly movies that are fun, but not heavy. Give your brain a break. Hang out with friends or family, and whip up something cold and sweet in the blender. Sit on your porch or out in your backyard. Take a leisurely stroll through a park-not necessarily for exercise-just do it because it’s a lovely day. Pack a picnic and take it somewhere pretty, like a local beach, pond, or lake.
Be a tourist in your own town. Is there a museum you’ve always wanted to check out? A bar or coffee shop you’ve always meant to try? A deliciously touristy destination you’ve been meaning to see? (I’m talking about you Alcatraz Island, Mt. Rushmore, Brooklyn Bridge, St. Louis Arch et al) These places aren’t any less cool just because they’re in our backyards and easily accessible. So join the local tourist ranks and enjoy a stress-free, inexpensive “staycation”.
As they say, “When in Rome…” Do as the locals do. Bon Voyage!
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summertime can feel like a “big” deal
The birds are singing and the sun is shining brightly. So why are you feeling down again? Is it because you can’t squeeze yourself into your bathing suit, no matter how much sun tan oil you slather on? Or is it that your summer shorts make you feel like a stuffed sausage?
Yep. We’ve been there.
When the hot weather hits and the layers of winter clothes come off, there’s no place to hide. It’s frustrating we can’t shrug off the extra winter pounds as easily as our heavy overcoats.
However, the great news about summertime is that it stays warmer and lighter in the evenings. Even if you’re working like the dog days of summer, there’s still enough daylight to take a walk after work, or depending where you live, swim or even hike.
And if you live somewhere really warm, chances are your appetite may be affected. You may crave things like cold salads for dinner, and choose to eat lighter based upon what your body tells you and not just predilections for certain foods. You’ll undoubtedly drink more water and other liquids too, which can help fill you up and facilitate weight loss (as long as they’re not too sugary).
Keeping your immune system strong is key. By eating as healthy as possible, getting plenty of sleep and taking quality supplements, you are providing your body with the fuel it needs to hike, bike, swim and workout. Beware of insidious summer colds-nothing is more miserable than lying in bed on a beautiful, sunny day. Strive to stay healthy and active and you’ll be surprised how quickly those shorts and bathing suits magically become the right size for you again.
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Omega-3’s have us hooked!
It has been well established that Omega-3 fatty acids have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And new research is showing that for some cancer patients, consumption of Omega-3’s can significantly lessen the instance of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, as well as the length of hospital stay.
In a randomized, controlled study involving 203 patients with gastrointestinal or colonic cancer who underwent gastrointestinal cancer surgery, results indicate that intravenous supplementation with fish oil may significantly reduce SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) and length of hospital stay. The patients were randomized to isocaloric and isonitrogenous intravenous infusions of either soybean oil alone (1.2 g per kg bodyweight per day; n=103) or soybean plus fish oil emulsion (1.0 and 0.2 g per kg per day respectively n=100) over 20-24 h daily for 7 days after surgery. Significantly shorter length of hospital stay and fewer cases of infectious complications and SIRS were observed in the treatment group, compared with the control group. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “Fish oil emulsion-supplemented parenteral nutrition significantly reduced SIRS and length of hospital stay. These clinical benefits may be related to normalization of cellular immune functions and modulation of the inflammatory response.”
Omega-3 fatty acid can also protect against cardiovascular disease and guard against stroke. It fights free radical damage and can also make your skin look great. Omega-3 fatty acid is one nutritional supplement that has us hooked!
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Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39051, “Randomized clinical trial of intravenous soybean oil alone versus soybean oil plus fish oil emulsion after gastrointestinal cancer surgery,” Jiang ZM, Yu K, et al, Br J Surg, 2010; 97(6): 804-9. (Address: Department of Surgery and Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and Centre for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China. E-mail: jiangzm@imicams.ac.cn ).
quick-change artist
Ever heard that expression, “The more things change, the more they stay the same”? I want to tweak that slightly: “the more things stay the same, the less chance they will EVER change.”
The cold, hard fact is this: If we want to change our less-than-stellar health habits, the time is now. We all have to actually make some sort of concerted effort to do things differently in order to expect different results.
This idea is elementary, I know, but it’s amazing how many of us (myself included) don’t practice what we preach. Here’s an example:
Last year I noticed that my favorite jeans were becoming harder and harder to button. I blamed the dryer and the hot water I accidently washed them in one time (months before). Because I didn’t own a scale, I was in relative denial about my gradual weight gain. I continued to eat my-ahem-nightly bowl of ice cream. I didn’t have a lot of energy, which lead to me skipping the gym most days. The less I exercised, the more lethargic I felt and the more I ate (to keep my energy up). This became a classic vicious cycle.
One day I could no longer deny it and my favorite jeans were banished to the back of my closet, along with the other clothes I couldn’t squeeze into anymore. That day was my breaking point, my “moment of clarity” if you will. I forced myself to the gym that afternoon, and most evenings after work. I stopped eating my beloved ice cream (except on weekends), and tried my best to get enough sleep so I didn’t need to rely on food to enhance my energy.
Everyone has their breaking point, their moment of clarity. Find yours and then act upon it. It may take a little while to see some results, but you absolutely will. Changing your bad habits can ultimately change the course of your health-and life-for the better. Good luck!
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The Kind of Treat you Don’t Eat
Are you feeling deprived? Working hard, running around all day long, trying to exercise and take care of yourself (and everyone else) to the point of absolute exhaustion? And when you finally have a moment’s peace, you decide that you deserve a treat-something chocolately and gooey no doubt-because you’ve worked so hard and sacrificed for so long.
Maybe that’s not such a good idea.
If you truly are trying to live a healthy and active life, rewarding yourself (and your family) with sweet, fatty, and sugary treats is good for no one. Aside from the obvious glut of fat and sugar, you are setting a dangerous precedent: food equals reward.
Some people choose food as a reward because it’s cheap. But I would argue that’s not entirely true. Healthcare costs are rising, and what about the new wardrobe you’d have to buy after you gain ten pounds from consuming all of the treats you “deserve”?
There is a better way.
Reward yourself and loved ones with a new CD or DVD, a beautiful candle, tickets to a sports event or concert, a pound of gourmet coffee, or even with a massage or pedicure. Especially if you have kids (or grandkids), this will establish that rewards don’t have to be sugar/fat/food related.
And hey. You could even buy yourself or a loved one some favorite nutritional supplements and give the ultimate reward: Good health!
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Good fats are…great!!
All fats are not created equal. Our “good fat” friend Omega-3 fatty acid has once again proven that it is one of the heart healthiest substances around. A new study involving 51 men and women with mild hypertriglyceridemia shows that supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study involving fifty-one male and female mildly hypertriglyceridemic patients, consumption of omega-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented dairy products was found to significantly improve cardiovascular risk factors (such as omega-3 fatty acid index, AA/EPA ratio, total cholesterol, and TAG). Both groups received treatment with a) dairy products enriched with 3 g/d omega-3 LC-PUFA (intervention); and b) dairy products (control), consecutively for fifteen weeks with a ten-week wash-out phase between the two treatments. Blood samples and 24-h urine were obtained at the start and at the end of each phase. A reduction in cardiovascular risk factors was found to be associated with consumption of omega-3-enriched dairy products, as compared to control. These results add to the large body of evidence linking omega-3 fatty acid consumption to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Buy some safe, pure Omega-3 fatty acid supplements from a trusted source and load up on seeds, nuts, salmon and even collared greens and Brussels sprouts and you’ll be on your way to better cardiovascular health. And the healthier you are, the more energy you will have to enjoy all the beautiful things in life!
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