Posts Tagged ‘healthy eating’

Do hamburgers piled high with bacon, cheese, and more bacon make you queasy?  Are you fundamentally opposed to fried Twinkies?  Does the thought of a donut, cake and frankfurter party platter give you the willies?  Yes? That’s good. That’s very, very good.

We all have our weak moments when a chocolate bar or a basket of French fries is the only thing that will complete us.  But it’s extremely important to temper that kind of scary eating.  We all know that consuming a ton of sugar and fried foods will make us gain an unconscionable amount of weight, thereby potentially creating health problems.

And we can also get quickly accustomed to eating high fat foods, which can make it even harder to get excited about carrots and hummus again.  Our advice?  Only give in to decadent foods on very special occasions.  That way, the food you cook at home, the food you keep in the fridge, and the food you naturally gravitate toward at the supermarket will undoubtedly be healthier and replete with nutrition.

Train your palate to enjoy lean cuts of meat by adding a dry rub, or a tangy marinade.  Encourage yourself to eat more vegetables and fruits by seeking out more creative ways of preparing them.  Splurge on a fancy olive oil and balsamic vinegar set for finishing dishes, or use lemon, lime and a pinch of sea salt to flavor veggies without overpowering them (or adding any extra fat).

With a little creativity and discipline, you can eschew most of the fatty, sugary foods out there.  Leave the really scary eating to the kids on Halloween.  If you’re lucky, they may save you a Butterfinger or Hershey bar.

For improved digestion and better absorption of vitamins and minerals, try our Probiotic Buddies™ supplement with 10 billion viable “good” bacteria per vege-capsule!

We all know that Curcumin (an extract of Turmeric), is a delicious spice that can brighten up many dishes, but a new study now concludes that supplementing with Curcumin can also help reduce the chances of colon cancer:

So go ahead and spice things up!  Not only does it taste great, but Curcumin may very well help us increase our immune power.

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To help ensure joint and cardiovascular health try our Curcu-Gel Ultra 500, with natural supplement properties.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39284 “Chemopreventive effect of dietary curcumin on inflammation-induced colorectal carcinogenesis in mice,” Villegas I, Sanchez-Fidalgo S, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 Sept 16; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain).

When it comes to either chronic health conditions or a troubling diagnosis, many of us feel powerless in the face of what is happening to us or to a loved one.

But the fact is the body is an amazing, resilient piece of equipment, and given the proper fuel, rest, and care, it can help us fight disease and perhaps overcome insurmountable odds.

We, however, need to help our bodies.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.  The body regenerates as we rest, and if we can’t squeeze in more than a few hours, we may lose some of this benefit.  Lack of sleep can also affect how (and what) we eat, stress level, and our motivation to exercise, which in turn can make us even more lethargic.

Don’t underestimate a daily walk or a trip to the gym a few times a week.  Exercise helps to keep our blood pressure and stress level down, it can contribute to a stronger immune system, and can make us produce more endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone.  Not to mention, exercise tends to keep our weight in check, making us look and feel great!

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and cutting back on sugar and fats can help give your body the proper nutrition and fuel it craves.  Taking nutritional supplements can also contribute to better health.

If you or a loved one is struggling with a health condition or disease, eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising as much as possible all help to empower our bodies to be as strong and resilient as they can be, even when facing adversity.  Be strong and be well.

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To help enhance brain function and strengthen your immune system, try our omega-3 fatty acid supplement Omega-Gel®.  And for superior and powerful antioxidant protection, take our Rubi QNol® CoQ10 with Ubiquinol.

I tried something crazy last month.  At first, it was simply impetuous, but now I’ve continued to do it and have actually seen results.  I’m wearing things I had no hope of squeezing into before and feel better than I have in years.

I take my dinner plate, and I cut it in half.  Yep. That’s the secret.  I load up with all the food I think I want and then divide half of it into Tupperware to take to work the next day for lunch.  Not only does this save me roughly $50 a week in lunch costs, but I’ve also lost about 6 pounds with minimal effort.

I don’t feel deprived-I’m eating what everyone else eats for dinner.  But I’m eating less.  And I’ve discovered something fascinating.  Less is actually plenty.

I’m enjoying another unexpected result from this food experiment.  I have more energy.  I no longer experience that stuffed feeling of remorse as I push away from the dining room table, ready for a nap on the couch.  Because the better I feel and look, the less I want to gorge myself.  It’s a very simple concept.

In addition, I feel so good that I find I want to do more to enhance my health.  I am starting to actually look forward to going to the gym-albeit with trashy magazine in hand-and am dedicated to cutting down on the caffeine, alcohol and sugar in general.  My sleep patterns have improved, and frankly, so has my outlook on life.

Sound dramatic?  Maybe.  But it’s working.

Are you ready to find your catalyst for better health?  Try something unexpected and see what happens.  You may just find yourself $200 a month richer and a size or two smaller.

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Try our natural stress-reducing supplement Relora® to feel more rested and fend off food cravings. And for improved energy and enhanced heart health, take our acclaimed Super QNol® CoQ10.

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 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!

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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For superior omega-3 fatty acid antioxidant protection, try our Omega-Gel® supplements.

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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To ensure restful, peaceful, healthy sleep patterns, try our Dual-Release Melatonin®.  Experience enhanced energy while strengthening the heart with our Carni QNol® supplement.

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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For improved sleep patterns and more energy, try our Dual-Release Melatonin.  Enjoy the heart health and fat burning elements of our Carni QNol® supplement, with Ubiquinol.

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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To discover a healthier you and find all of your favorite nutritional supplements, visit our homepage.

If you’re still struggling to shed some of those unwanted winter pounds, you’re not alone.  It can be very trying to get rid of excess weight, especially if you aren’t an enthusiastic dieter-and let’s face it-who is?  But now there is some evidence that Omega-3 fatty acid can help lower your triglyceride levels and make you healthier.  Too good to be true?  Better health is just a nutritional supplement away!

It turns out that Omega-3 fatty acids can lower triglyceride levels, increase HDL “good” cholesterol and reduce joint inflammation and some symptoms of Arthritis.  It can also help to reduce the risk of stroke and lessen the symptoms of hypertension as well as decrease the chance of other cardiac complications.

As you’re weaving in good eating and exercise habits into your daily, healthy lifestyle, couple these positive efforts with a quality Omega-3 fatty acid nutritional supplement.  Taking a safe, filtered, high quality supplement will ensure that you are deriving the most health benefits from fish oil, but without the potential dangers from mercury in fish.

A fish fry is fine once in a while, but it’s also smart to seek out other foods that are rich in Omega-3’s.  Cantaloupe, broccoli, nuts and cauliflower are but a few excellent sources of Omega-3’s.  Hit that bike or treadmill and grab a healthy source of Omega-3 fatty acid.  Your heart will thank you!

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For antioxidant protection and  superior absorption, try our Omega-3 fatty acid antioxidant supplement Omega-Gel®.

Reference:  http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38955“Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid dose-dependently reduce fasting serum triglycerides,” Musa-Veloso K, Binns MA, et all, Nutr Rev, 2010; 68(3): 155-67. (Address: Cantox Health Sciences International, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. E-mail: kmusa-veloso@cantox.com ).