by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips
Making dietary changes is hard work – and I’m just talking adults that desire that change. It’s a whole other ball game when we’re talking making changes for kids. I often hear about children that are “picky eaters” – what’s a parent to do when their kids want a bag of chips or some fast food nuggets over real foods?
A study published in the Eating Behaviors journal revealed that 8 – 50% of children (aged 2-11) are reluctant to try new ingredients, inflexible at mealtimes, and often unwilling to consume the recommended daily allowances of grains and produce.
There are gradual steps to take that can point children into a more balanced direction; and it is important for these children to eat better nutrition because eventually they become adults that realize later in life that clean eating is the best path to quality of life. To gently persuade your kids to a nutrilicious path, you’ll have to be creative and expansive. Create a habit for children to sit at the table and eat the item made for that meal – no special meals if a meal is not liked, and at least one bit must be explored of each meal. Incorporating good rules will allow children to become less picky.
Don’t forget to download the Metagenics Smoothie Recipes in #3!
- Engaging children at the market.
- Take them on a “field trip” to the market, and ask them to pick appealing produce. Vibrant options (rainbow carrots, purple cauliflower, red cabbage) might help them open up to new tastes.
- Discuss the benefits of various new ingredients to stimulate your kids’ interest; then at the market, ask them to list something new they’d like to try.
- Incorporate healthy ingredients into your kids’ favorite dishes.
- Tasty sauces with beets or carrots, muffins with apples, bananas, and zucchini.
- Add blueberries or oats to pancakes
- Add veggies or lentils to your spaghetti
- Serve fresh cabbage or other greens with tomato sauce
- Stir finely chopped broccoli into a bowl of macaroni and cheese
- Add a powdered probiotic to a drink to help support gastrointestinal health
- Blend fresh produce into a nutritious smoothie.
- Put your children in social situations with non-picky eaters.
- Children are more likely to sample new foods when they observe their peers eating nutritiously.
- Create a salad bar for supper.
- Get kids involved in the meal prep process. Creating a salad bar allows your children to put together colorful plates of healthy food.
- Lay out a spread of fresh “rainbow” ingredients. Red cherry tomatoes and kidney beans, Orange carrots, Yellow corn, Greens, Blueberries, and Indigo cabbage with every meal. Gradually your children will “create” a side they enjoy.
by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
By Christina DeBusk @ Healthline.com
What is Lemongrass?
Lemongrass is “a grassy perennial native to tropical and subtropical environments,” according to healthline.com. Once it is harvested, it is added to some Asian-inspired food dishes and certain medicines. You may also find it in personal hygiene products such as deodorant, perfume, body oil—and massage cream. A standout feature of lemongrass is its pleasant, citrusy scent.
Lemongrass is sold in health food stores and at farmers’ markets, and it can also be grown at home. That makes this perennial readily accessible, whether you choose to use it on a personal or professional basis, or both.
Lemongrass and Massage Therapy
When speaking of lemongrass in relation to massage therapy, clinical nutrition specialist Scott Schreiber, D.C., says it has many valuable uses. They include “muscle relaxing, helping with muscle cramps and fighting fatigue.” He also says it is a protective agent for both the therapist and the client, helping to keep skin infections from passing from one to the other.
Darshi Shah, a nutritional therapist and health coach, agrees and further explains that lemongrass can be very beneficial to clients who are struggling with “stress, anxiety and insomnia.” Additionally, if the client is dealing with some type of sprain, injury, or back pain, its muscle relieving properties can often help ease the discomfort.
Self-Care with Lemongrass
Lemongrass has practical self-care uses, too. Lemongrass is well-recognized for its antibacterial properties, which Schrieber says “are due to the citral and limonene components” found within it. These two substances provide lemongrass citrusy aroma, and also help prevent and address various infections “such as ringworm, athlete’s foot, or other types of fungus.”
One study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Medicine found that lemongrass was such a powerful antibacterial agent that it was deemed “effective against drug resistant organisms,” and research published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found it is an effective microbial against certain types of salmonella.
Shah says ingested lemongrass can also provide benefits for those who have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gut disorders, thanks largely to its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.
Lemongrass in Practice
Michelle Vargas, L.M.T., owner of The Welltree in Rhinebeck, New York, uses lemongrass in her creams and oils for “clients who feel achy, unwell or in pain [as it helps the pain] subside rather quickly.”
Vargas says her clients benefit from lemongrass “when the winter blues creep up,” because it helps ease depression and anxiety.
Tony Burris, L.Ac., an acupuncturist at Eagle Acupuncture in Eagle, Idaho, is a 20-year practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, which includes offering his clients tui na massage therapy. He’s used lemongrass and other essential and medicinal oils to help “injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover … long-lasting or even permanent relief.”
Some of his clients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Seattle Mariners, as well as Olympic medalists.
Adding lemongrass creams and oils can provide benefits to therapists and clients alike, making it a great complement to your current massage therapy products and services.
by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Dessert, Recipes
This 4-ingredient dessert is made of superfoods that are designed to nourish, satisfy, and tingle the taste buds. Ideal for many allergen-elimination diets
INGREDIENTS
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup chia seeds
2-4 dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Pour into cup and let sit a few minutes.
- Add optional fruit & toppings.
by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Health and Wellness Tips
By Lizette Borreli @ Medical Daily
We’ve all heard our moms, babysitters, and nutritionists tell us “we are what we eat.” We don’t actually turn into the bagel with cream cheese we ate for breakfast, but the nutritional content of the bagel will determine the composition of the cells in our body. This is why our bodies are only as healthy and balanced as the food we feed them. For example, when we feel fatigue, the body is lacking energy from nutrients it needs to adequately function.
In the United States, women are more prone to feeling very tired or exhausted than men. Among women aged 18 to 44, women are nearly twice as likely as men (15.7 percent versus 8.7 percent) to feel extreme fatigue. In some cases, fatigue is intense enough to interfere with living a normal life.
Marci Clow, a registered dietician and senior nutritionist at Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems, believes what we fuel our body with is certainly related to feeling more energetic and less tired all the time. Therefore, when we’re tired, eating nutritious whole foods is essential to boost energy and help us stay alert.
“Foods that are nutrient dense and combine complex carbohydrates, healthy fat and/or protein are essential; the protein or healthy fat will keep you full and delay the absorption of carbohydrate into your bloodstream plus the carbohydrate will give you a boost of energy” Clow told Medical Daily.
Below are 5 foods that help fight fatigue and keep us energized for longer.
Nuts
Nuts are an excellent source of energy and are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Macadamia nuts have the most saturated fat of all nuts, with 80 percent of their fat content being monounsaturated, which has shown to lower triglycerides and have beneficial effects on LDL and HDL cholesterol.
According to Clow, you can eat them by the handful for a snack, sprinkled over yogurt, on a salad or on a stir-fry, baked into quick breads, or as nut butter.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have been touted as the ultimate fuel for running due to the use of Aztec and Mayan tribes who used chia seeds soaked in water as fuel for distance running. A 2011 study found chia seeds can be just as effective as Gatorade before running a race. They contain the antioxidant quercetin, which has been shown to enhance athletic performance and recovery. However, even for people who are not runners, “the anti-inflammatory omega-3’s are essential for peak organ function and essential immune function,” Darshi Shah, a board-certified nutritional therapist and health coach told Medical Daily.
Oatmeal
A good hearty breakfast is one that is super versatile and perfect for fighting fatigue. Oatmeal is a soluble fiber that actually protects against blood sugar spikes and crashes later in the day. This is because it dissolves in the intestinal tract and forms a filter that slows the absorption of sugars and fats. Oatmeal is full of fiber and has some protein, which both contribute to satiety. It also contains quality carbohydrates that are stored in the body as glycogen, and provide fuel for your brain and muscles and help stabilize blood sugar throughout the day, according to Clow.
Milk
Milk has a bad rep with studies about dairy constantly showing positives and negatives. Dairy has been linked to acne and weight gain, but it actually supplies the body with water, helping us maintain electrolyte balance while we sweat. A 2012 study found drinking casein, a protein in milk, at bedtime, helps relax the muscles and lull us to sleep. However, Shah doesn’t recommend a glass of cow’s milk before bed. “Today’s dairy products are not the healthiest to consume (unless you are buying organic dairy products or managing your own cow!).” Therefore, she says the same concept of going to bed with a little protein can still be applied – a small handful of almonds, sunflower seeds, or a cup of organic Soy milk or organic yogurt (protein + probiotics) will do the trick.
Watermelon
This summertime staple can stop us from feeling dehydrated or feeling foggy and fatigued, according to a 2011 study. At 92 percent water content, it provides fuel for our bodies, and makes it a great source of water to fight feelings of fatigue. For example, when a person is mildly dehydrated, energy levels and the ability to think clearly can be effected, which are the same symptoms that can be experienced when blood sugar levels drop. Eating a slice of watermelon will boost energy by providing glucose (fuel), plus providing hydration.
“Additionally, watermelon contains an amino acid called L-citrulline which has been suggested to reduce feelings of fatigue” said Clow.
by dnshah | Jul 8, 2018 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
Have you noticed that it is strawberry season? The grocers are full of them, and many have them on sale! Here’s what you need to know. Strawberries are the dirtiest fruit in our nation right now. It’s not the kind of dirt that washes off either. Every year the Environmental Working Group comes up with the past year’s dirtiest crops in terms of pesticides. For 2018, the standard strawberry batch had at least 10 different pesticide residues…. But one particular batch of strawberries came up with 22 different pesticide residues! So strawberries tops our dirty dozen list this year at #1 – the worst crop. Consider buying organic strawberries for this reason.
A recent study in May, 2018 gives good news for anyone suffering from inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Strawberries contain an antioxidant called Pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside (P3G) which is a potent anti-inflammatory compound. It has the potential to decrease inflammatory marker levels and reduce the number of white blood cells that normally overrun in inflammatory issues. This translates into less pain and less inflammation. P3G is also a potent polyphenol, which lends to strengthening our immune system. These are great reasons not to pass on these tasty red gems when shopping. See other 2018 Dirty Dozen crops.
