Wash Your Way To Healthier Fruits And Veggies!

    Unless you buy organic produce there is a good chance that the fruits and vegetables you eat everyday are covered in pesticides and bacteria. So, how do we continue to eat plenty of fresh produce without poisoning our bodies with these chemicals (aside from going 100% organic)? According to Dr.Oz this homemade fruit and vegetable cleaner should do the trick!

1. In a spray bottle, dissolve 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 cup of warm water.
2. Add the juice from half of a lemon.
3. Slowly add 1 cup of white vinegar. Let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally until there are no more bubbles.
4. Put the nozzle on your spray bottle and voila!- you have your very own homemade produce cleaner.

WARNING: Do not add the vinegar until the baking soda dissolves or you will have an erupting volcano of produce cleaner on your hands. Trust me on this...

Just spray your produce with the cleaner and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly and eat! :) It doesn't get much easier (or cheaper) than that!

Take The Real Age Quiz To Find Out Your Body's Real Age!

      Dr.Oz has a wonderful website called Real Age. If you have never checked it out, trust me it is worth a look. It is a great resource for research based articles on unlimited health related topics. Not only can you learn about any medical condition you can think of, but it also has a ton of articles on healthy living. As an added bonus it also has the Real Age quiz which calculates the biological age of your body based on your answers in 4 areas: health, feelings, diet, and fitness.  Once you get your results, this website will also give you tips on how you can lower your Real Age with your Personal Grow Younger Plan.
This quiz is as much fun as it is informative. I have taken the quiz 3 times. Once as my fat self, once about 8 months ago, and again today. Here are my results:

My fat self:     Chronological age: 29 years
                                     Real Age: 33.4 years

8 months ago: Chronological age: 31 years
                                     Real Age: 23.3 years

Today:            Chronological age: 32 Years
                                     Real Age: 19.6 years! (What the! I am still in shock over this one!)


Click here to take the Real Age quiz yourself! Feel free to post your results in the comments section!

Surviving The Holidays Without Sacrificing Your Health

      Well it's that time of year again. The holidays are here. For most of us this means family parties, work parties, and other holiday social get-togethers that are sure to be full of food, food, food. So how in the heck does one enjoy the holidays without completely falling off the healthy eating wagon? It's not easy and many will give in to temptation promising themselves that they will resume their healthy habits after the New Year. You don't have to be one of them. I have listed below a few tricks to help you survive the holidays with your health and waistline intact.

1. Supercharge your workout- Do an additional 15 or 20 minutes of exercise to burn a few extra calories in preparation for the extra calories you may consume.

2. Offer to bring a dish- and then make it a healthy one. This way you know that at least one dish will be heathy.  If all other dishes are covered in cheese and swimming in grease you can make the majority of your meal your healthy dish.

3.  Never go to a party hungry. If you are hungry there is no way you will be able to resist the appetizers. Avoiding appetizers is a great way to avoid extra calories. Make sure you eat a healthy snack of protein and fiber prior to leaving the house.

4. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is full of empty calories. If possible avoid it completely. If alcohol is a must for you, try to stick to red wine. It has about 100 calories for 5 ounces which isn't great but it beats the calories in mixed drinks. An added bonus: you will get heart health benefits from the antioxidants in the red wine.

5. Think of this meal as any other meal. Just because it is Thanksgiving does not mean that your body needs twice the serving size that you normally consume at dinner. Keep your turkey to one serving or about the size of the palm of your hand (without the fingers). Do not overload your plate by piling food on top of food. Do not go back for seconds. Do not take 2 or 3 rolls. As you make your plate remind yourself what your "normal" plate of food looks like and stick to that.

6. If you absolutely have to have some of your Aunt Cathy's mashed potatoes and your Uncle Ed's stuffing-go ahead. But limit yourself to just a little bit. By keeping these portion sizes small you can get a taste of your holiday favorites without having to loosen your belt after the meal is over. :)

7. When dessert time comes pick the pumpkin pie. It usually has the least amount of calories and is high in vitamin A. You can skip the whip cream topping to trim a few more calories as well.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Water You Doing To Stay Hydrated?

   Water is perhaps the most important nutrient of all. Our bodies are 60% water and require adequate hydration to perform bodily functions such as digestion, waste transportation, and body temperature regulation. Not to mention the fact that without it we would all be goners in a matter of days!

     I am sure you were told at some point in your life that we require 64 oz of water per day in the form of 8-8 oz glasses. It just so happens that there is no scientific basis for the 64 oz rule. In 1945 scientist decided that people should be drinking 1 ml of water for every calorie that they consumed. At the time the average american was eating 1900 calories a day (today's estimates put our average daily calorie intake at 2247- 2700). This 1945 water estimate also did not take into consideration the water we get from the food we eat, which for those who eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables can be considerable. (Watermelon, strawberries, tomatoes, celery, spinach, cucumbers, and broccoli are over 90% water and carrots, oranges, apples, peas, grapes, and potatoes are between 80% to 90% water.) Current schools of thought feel that water needs should be considered on an individual basis depending on activity level (those who do vigorous workouts require more water), diet (those getting water from foods do not need to drink as much water), and basic environment (those working or exercising in a hot environment will have higher water needs). The barometer most sources suggest to monitor your hydration level is the color and smell of your urine ( I know! Who wants to smell their urine?!). If your urine is dark yellow or has a strong odor, then you can assume you are dehydrated.

   Dehydration can be a serious condition. During physical activity it can lead to heat exhaustion and heat stroke which is potentially fatal. Frequent or prolonged mild dehydration increases your risk of heartburn, constipation, kidney stones, and even kidney failure. Symptoms of dehydration are dry mouth and lips, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, increased heart rate, headache, and dizziness. Mild dehydration will also negatively effect your exercise performance (like we need anything making our workout HARDER!). Experts suggest drinking water prior to and during physical activity in accordance with the amount of sweat you produce. They also suggest that post-workout you should consume 16 to 24 oz of water for each pound lost during your workout.

      Mild dehydration will not only slow your metabolism but it seems that drinking water will have a positive impact on your waistline. Studies have shown that people who drank 2 cups of water right before a meal ate between 75 to 90 less calories during that meal. Another study found that adults who drank 8 glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank just 4 glasses a day. Overall water drinkers have been found to consume 9% fewer daily calories than non water drinkers and if you prefer ice water you will burn an extra 10 calories a day by consuming 5 to 6 chilly glasses of H2O which over a years time will be a loss of about a pound! How can you beat losing a pound a year by just adding ice to your water!

     So, lets all get out there and start smelling our pee and drinking water, water, water!

*All research found in this post can be found on WebMD, Dr.Oz's Realage, Medscape, CDC.gov, and USDA.gov

14 Easy Ways To Boost Your Energy Levels

          Whether you just feel a bit sluggish from time to time or down right tired everyday, we can all benefit from these easy ways to boost energy.

1. Open the curtains. A burst of sunshine when you wake up activates special cells in your eyes that send a wake up call to your brain's internal clock.
2. Eat your lunch by a sunny window. One study found that 30 minutes in front a sunny window at midday improved scores on alertness tests.
3. Drink water. Allowing your body to get to the point where you are just starting to get thirsty (2.6% decease in hydration levels) can double your feelings of fatigue.
4. DIY massage- Pressure applied to certain areas of the body can boost alertness as much as a small cup of coffee. Try these techniques:
- Rap knuckles a few times on the top of the head
-Pinch the skin between the thumb and first finger
- massage base of the skull
- massage front of the shins
5. Eat a good breakfast- Include eggs, yogurt, almonds, bananas, or avocados in your breakfast. These foods contain tyrosine which helps make the wake up chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. Studies have shown that people with increased levels of these hormones tend to think more quickly and feel more motivated and energetic.
6. Eat a low fat lunch-  Digesting fat causes the body to release a hormone called cholecystokinin which increases fatigue levels.
7. Increase your magnesium- Magnesium is required for cells to turn the food we eat into useable energy. Incorporate these magnesium rich foods into your diet: whole grains, dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, cashews, sesame seeds, and brazil nuts.
8. Eat apples- Apples are rich in quercetin- a plant based phytochemical that has been linked to greater athletic endurance.
9. Eat constantly- Three small meals and 2 healthy snacks a day (every 2 to 3 hours) will keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day and prevent the blood sugar dips that exacerbate low energy levels. Avoid refined carbs such as pretzels, cookies, soda, candy, etc which the body burns very fast resulting in a blood sugar nose dive. Instead aim for foods that take longer to digest such as complex carbs like whole grains and fruits paired with protein sources like nuts, cheese, or greek yogurt.
10. Do a midday workout- A recent study showed that workers were less likely to suffer afternoon fatigue on days when they exercised during lunch. The good news is that the type of exercise didn't seem to matter. Whether you walk, run, or just do 10 minutes of stretching, you will reap these benefits. If you can't fit exercise in at midday, exercise at anytime of day will boost overall energy levels. Regular exercise promotes energy in several ways: it increases blood flow which increases oxygen delivery to the tissues, it produces endorphins which can help you feel more energized, and it conditions the body to make optimal use of oxygen and glucose-it's two primary fuel sources. Exercise also promotes deeper sleep and helps you fall asleep faster resulting in higher energy levels.
11. Take a catnap- NASA funded research found that a 10-20 minute power nap boosted the performance of long haul airline pilots by 34% and alertness by 54%.
12. Drink tea- Black, green, and white teas all contain the energizing amino acid L-theanine.
13. Deep breathing- Deep breathing will increase oxygen delivery to the cells which decreases blood pressure and heart rate and improves circulation which will increase energy levels. Dr. Andrew Wiel suggests doing this deep breathing technique 2x a day when feeling low on energy.
-Put the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a woosh sound. Then inhale deeply for a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7, and exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat for a total of 4 breaths.
14. Get a good nights sleep- Aim for 6.5 to 8 hours of seep. No more and no less.

 Happy energizing! :)


The above information can be found on Dr.Oz's realage.com, mayoclinic.com, and Dr.Weil.com.

Sleep Your Way To Good Health

       I feel sorry for sleep. When life gets busy sleep is the first thing we sacrifice. Even though it causes fatigue that makes every other aspect of our life more difficult, we continue to trade sleep hours for productive hours. Does this sound counter productive to anyone else??? What is the cost of this shortsighted trade?              

Chronic sleep loss can result in:
-weight gain-through impaired processing of carbs and appetite stimulation
-high blood pressure
-heart attack
-diabetes
-stroke
-psychiatric problems such as depression
-ADD
-increased perception of pain
-increased inflammation in the body
-impaired memory
-increased irritability and impatience
-inability to concentrate
-moodiness
-irregular heart beat
-decreased performance and alertness
-cognitive impairment
-and impaired immune system

      The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that each year drowsy driving is responsible for 100,000 auto accidents, 71,000 injuries, and 1,550 deaths. One study even found that reduced sleep is a greater heath risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

     So how many hours of sleep do we need? A lot of sources believe that there is no set number that can be applied to the entire population. However I found several studies that reported the optimal number to be 6 to 8 hours. One study that I found particularly interesting had over 1 million subjects from age 30 to 102 and spanned 6 years. These researchers found that people who get 6-7 hours of sleep a night have a lower mortality rate than those who sleep more than 8 hours. Another reported that people who get 7 to 8 hours a night have a 50% decreased risk of colon cancer, 48% decreased risk of heart attacks, and a 19% decreased risk of stroke than those who sleep less.

     I know that getting adequate sleep will always be a struggle but there are several things you can do to improve your sleep.
- Develop a regular sleep cycle by going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday (yes, this means even on the weekends...sigh)
-Find a bedtime routine that relaxes you and readies you for sleep-such as reading or meditation
-Stop eating 2-3 hours prior to bedtime
-Perform regular daily exercise
-Avoid caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime
-Keep your bedroom between 75 to 54 degrees based on your personal preference
-Sleep in a dark room (or wear a sleep mask) to promote melatonin production which is vital for restful sleep

I challenge you all to make sleep a priority for one month and see how much better you feel!

Happy sleeping! :)

Info for this post can be found on Health.Harvard.edu, Web MD, Sleepfoundation.org, and Health.UCSD. edu.

Breakfast Is THE Most Important Meal Of The Day-Or Is At Least In The Top 3

             There is a reason why people have always said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day-and that's because it is. Yet, a recent study by the Kellogg company reported that 66% of Americans skip breakfast! While skipping breakfast may seem harmless, there are significant consequences.

-The prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain.
-People who reported skipping breakfast had more risk factors for heart disease than their breakfast eating peers.
-Those who skip breakfast tend to have worse eating habits and are less active than those who do eat breakfast.
-Researchers found that those who didn't eat breakfast had higher insulin levels, increased bad cholesterol, and waists that were 2 inches larger than their breakfast eating peers.
-Skipping breakfast is strongly linked to obesity.
-Skipping meals makes weight control more difficult as meal skippers tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal or nibble on high calorie snacks to keep hunger at bay.
- Several studies suggest that people tend to accumulate more body fat when they eat fewer, larger meals than those who eat the same number of calories in smaller, more frequent meals.

Aside from avoiding all of the above, eating breakfast has the following additional positive effects of your health:
- A healthy breakfast replenishes the glycogen stores that supply your muscles with energy, making any workout you squeeze in easier. (and who in the heck doesn't want a little help with their workout??)
- Children who eat breakfast have been shown to have increased concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, mood, and recall. They even had higher test scores and were less likely to miss class, be tardy, or report that they were sick. The study I looked at focused on children but I am sure this is also true for adults.

While eating breakfast is a must, keep in mind that you want to keep your calories around 250 as high calorie breakfasts have been shown to result in high calorie lunches and dinners which, of course,  will result in weight gain.

        I know we are all strapped for time in the morning so here is a list of quick and healthy breakfast ideas.
-whole grain toast with peanut butter (or sunbutter for those with allergies).
-yogurt and a piece of fresh fruit
-whole grain cereal with skim milk
-high fiber breakfast bar (look for at least 6 grams of fiber and watch sugar content).
-Rebecca's breakfast sandwich: scrambled egg cooked in the microwave on whole grain toast with low fat cheese and a glass on skim milk
-For those who absolutely have to get a fast food breakfast, subway has several healthy options.

        There are not too many situations where eating actually results in weight loss and weight control. Take advantage of it and eat your breakfast. :)

The above information can be found on WebMD, Mayoclinic.com, Medscape, and Dr.Oz's realage.com.