Two More Foods To Help With Flu

The other two foods that help with flu are Lemons and Garlic.

Garlic stimulates the production of infection fighting white blood cells and sharpens their viral killing instincts. All you need is 2 cloves a day.

Lemons help to maintain and restore the proper pH balance in your system. Four Tablespoons of lemon juice can help maintain and internal climate where healthy bacteria thrive and the harmful bacteria and viruses do not. Also, fresh lemons are a bright fruit which is loaded with antioxidants.

Foods That Help Fight The Flu

If you're looking for ways to combat the flu, today and tomorrow I will share with you four foods that can help. Of course eating healthy is what it is all about.

First of all, increase your antioxidants by eating lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. The brighter and more vibrant the color, the better. Antioxidants are key to immune system health and its ability to ward off disease. Get at least 5-6 servings a day.

Second in the line up of things to eat is yogurt. Be sure to get the kind that is live culture and has the good bacteria in it. These good bacteria actually strengthen the immune system. The other thing about yogurt is that it can help alleviate diarrhea, prevent yeast infections and improve overall health.

I'll cover the other 2 foods tomorrow.

More tidbits on Herbs

Turmeric helps prevent joint inflammation, especially that associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Turmeric is also felt to slow the spread of prostate cancer.

Rosemary helps protect brain cells from the aging process and can also protect against cardiovascular disease.

I've written more about some of these herbs previously. Just look under the herb to see what else is good about them.

Good Herb Snippets

Here are some good things about a few herbs.

Cinnamon can help in numerous ways. Cinnamon lowers cholesterol, but more importantly it reduces blood sugar and slow the proliferation of cancerous cells in people with leukemia.

Sage was studied at the University of Georgia and they suggest that sage can prevent tissue damage caused by high blood sugar and offers some protection against cardiovascular disease.

Parsley contains Vitamin C, iron and is a good source of flavonoids, which help protect cells from cancer.

Nighttime Eating

Here are some more tips to curb nighttime eating.

Get your hands busy. Often times we turn to food if we are bored or lonely. There are a couple things you can do here. Take a walk, sign up for an evening class, take a bubble bath, or call a friend. Find a hobby. Something that will keep the hands busy, like knitting, journaling, puzzles, or sewing.

Go for liquids like a glass of water or a cup of tea instead of food. If you have to chew something, try some gum.

Clean out the pantry. Get rid of the chips and cookies and have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.

Eat dinner later. Watch portion sizes and keep it healthy.

Go to bed early. You won't be eating if you're sleeping!!

Are You A Late Night Snacker?

Are you one of those folks who raids the kitchen every night? Here are some hints to help you control eating in the evening.

Clean your teeth right after dinner. If you brush with a mint toothpaste, this can signal the brain that you are through eating for the day and reduce cravings for treats. If it helps, you can repeat it several times a night.

Close up the kitchen. After dinner, put away all leftovers, clean up, shut any doors and turn out the lights.

Don't starve yourself. If you eat healthy meals throughout the day, this helps curb the hunger at night. Also, you can set out a healthy snack like a small handful of nuts and an apple to eat before going to bed.

More tomorrow.

Warding Off Winter Colds

Some of you will not be surprised and some of you will not want to hear how to ward off winter colds. This is based on research from Appalachian State University. They found that people who do moderate exercise on a regular basis are less likely to get colds and if they do the symptoms are usually mild and last for a shorter period of time.

There is a flooding of natural cells that help find and kill viruses about 3 hours after you workout. Now the workout does not have to be a heavy workout. If the exercise is too heavy, it may actually suppress the immune system function. A gently walk for 1 hour is great.

Benefits of Butternut Squash

A great treat in the fall is butternut squash. It is packed with nutrients that help you stay well.

Beta-carotene is present in the squash and your body converts this into Vitamin A. This helps your body ward off skin disorders, age related vision loss and even leukemia.

Smoking creates a Vitamin A deficiency which can lead to emphysema. Eating food rich in Vitamin A can reduce the chances of developing this disease.

The other powerful piece about butternut squash is that it contains potassium and fiber. This is an excellent source of potassium - better than bananas. It also contains folate which helps prevent heart disease.

So get some butternut squash!

Digestive Distress Home Remedies

Here are a few home remedies for common different digestive issues.

To prevent gas, drink 1 teaspoon of olive oil on an empty stomach each morning. Not only will it help alleviate the gas, but the olive oil is rich in fats that your body requires.lemon mixed with a pinch of salt in 8 ounces of water. After meals you can try a teaspoon of honey.

To prevent constipation and achieve regularity, drink 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water twice a day.

Heartburn - a word of caution, this may be a heart problem, so if you try this and it doesn't work, seek medical attention. If you have a history of heartburn, you can try drinking the juice of 1/2 fresh lemon and a pinch of salt in 8 ounces of water before you eat. After meals, try a teaspoon of honey.

Stomachaches - again, a word a caution, this may be a more serious problem, but if you are uncomfortable and want to try it, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 4 ounces of water and drink. Usually in a minute or two, you will belch and feel better.

Vinegar and Blood Sugar

I've been asked if vinegar helps to lower blood sugar. Yes it does help lower blood sugar. The problems is that it is not the thing that you necessarily want to be drinking. The first thing is to be sure that the vinegar, whatever the type is 5% acidity. You should be able to see this on the label.

The best way to get it in, is to use it as a salad dressing. If you mix it with a little olive oil, you will get the benefits of the olive oil and the vinegar. Balsamic vinegar has the same benefits fi the acidity is there and is actually quite tasty as a salad dressing.

Tips For Stopping Smoking Part 4

Lastly, be aware of the symptoms of withdrawal. Some of these are grumpiness, restlessness, irritability, hunger, headache, anxiety, and drowsiness or insomnia. Write them down and be aware when you're not feeling your normal self. Look at the list, do any of them fit?

Before you start, write these down and devise a plan for how you will deal with it. If you're feeling grumpy, hungry or have a headache, eat some low calorie snack, like a small handful of nuts. In the early days of quitting, you may want to have some hard candy to suck on to keep the mouth busy or try chewing gum. Have a plan in mind before you start.

Tips For Stopping Smoking Part 3

Before you start, identify some activities to help yourself. These are activities that will make you feel good, healthy and energetic. For some of you it may be exercise, for others it will be something else, but think about what activities make you feel good, healthy and energetic.

Write them down and keep the list handy so that you can refer to it. Especially in the early weeks of quitting.

Tips For Stopping Smoking Part 2

Now that you have made the decision to stop smoking, set yourself up for success. Work with other family members who smoke and friends who smoke to join you in quitting. For your home, you will need to make it a no smoking zone. This may difficult if you have family members who smoke in the house. That's why it's critical to get them to join you in the decision to quit.

People who were successful at quitting, had smoke free homes. If others are smoking in your home, the likelyhood that you will succeed is very slim.

Tips For Stopping Smoking

Over the next couple of days, I will be giving you some tips to stopping smoking. You might be interested to know that there are actually more ex-smokers in the US than there are smokers today.

In my practice, I found that those who were successful in quitting, did it by quitting cold turkey and not relying on any smoking substitutes. Here are some of the things that helped them be successful.

First and foremost, tell your family and friends about your plan to stop. Set a quit date and let them know what that date is. This is really your decision piece, but by sharing it, you are letting all know what your decision is.

Picking The Right Exercise Class Part 4

I have 2 more tips for picking a class. Look for more than one class. Switching up your routine helps increase your body's ability to burn fat, and also keeps your interest going as you won't be doing the same thing every time.

The other thing that is helpful is to bring along a friend who is about at the same level as you are. When you're checking out a new class, this can be helpful to get your friend's take and take away the intimidation factor of checking out a new class.

Picking The Right Exercise Class Part 3

The next tip in picking an exercise class right for you is to determine the impact level that is right for you. If you have not exercised in some time, start out with a low impact class. Your goal should be to increase your impact level to high, but don't start there if this is your first class.

Also, consider your personality type. The loud, upbeat aerobics class may not fit an introvert as much as an extrovert. But don't be afraid to try something. The extrovert may be fitted more to the loud, upbeat aerobics class, but the quiet peaceful yoga class may be more what is needed.

Try something totally different, or something that seems intimidating to you such as belly dancing, spinning or yoga. These classes are often designed with everyone in mind so that your level of fitness is accomodated by the class. You may be surprised at what you like. Remember, if you really don't like it, you don't have to go back!

Picking The Right Exercise Class Part 2

I started talking about picking the right exercise class yesterday. Here is another thing you can do so that you find the right one for you.

Talk with the instructor. Find out what the fitness goal of the class is. Is it toning, weight loss or working on specific body parts. Also find out what the pace of the class is. Some classes will be more intense on some days and less intense on others. See if you are a fit with the instructor. If you don't like the instructor for some reason, this class is not for you. Look for an instructor that is a fit for you.