Some people have different ways of dealing with or reacting to stress in life. First, there is value in identifying how you personally respond to stress.
Do you get fired up or agitated? Maybe a bit angry?
Do you speed up internally while slowing down externally?
Do you become withdrawn or depressed?
Based on your answers to these questions you may find a certain de-stressing technique works better for you than others. Use this guide to find the de-stressing tips that fit your profile based on answers to the above questions.
Below is a link to an article we picked as a good read and resource for de-stressing.
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm
A basic yet essential list of the 30 best foods for good health
Learn what foods can help prevent or reverse diabetes, cancer and heart disease.1. Acorn, Butternut, and Pumpkin Squash
These squash types are loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene.
2. Apricots
Apricots are a good source of Beta carotene. Beta-carotene prevents free radical damage. Free radical damage is believed to lead to cancers. The human body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which can ward off cancer, especially skin cancer.
3. Artichokes
This vegetable contains an antioxidant called silymarin that helps prevent skin cancer.
4. Avocados
Avocados contain Oleic acid, an unsaturated fat that helps lower overall cholesterol and raise levels of HDL (High Density Lipoprotein’s) Avocados are also a good source of fiber.
5. Bell Peppers (All colors)
Bells are a sweet tasting vegetable with allot of satisfying crunch. They come in green, orange, yellow and red colors, each with varying nutrients and vitamins that are extremely beneficial to the human body and are high in vitamin A and C.
Sulfur content in bells help them play a protective role in certain types of cancers.
The red bells contain many phytochemicals and carotenoids, including beta-carotene, which provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Reds contain the carotenoid lycopene, which has been found to prevent prostate cancer, as well as bladder, cervix, and pancreas cancers. Beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid in red peppers, is believed to prevent lung cancer related to smoking and secondhand smoke. The nutrients of all the colors of bell peppers overlap so it is not always necessary to buy the entire color spectrum of bells but it is good to mix it up. Green bells are usually the least expensive in grocery stores and fits the eat plenty of green veggies category. See our article about making a delicious and simple lunch using hollowed out bell peppers.
They are good for your immune system and skin. Red Bell peppers contain the most vitamin C.
Bell peppers also contain vitamin B6, which is essential for the health of the nervous system and helps renew cells.
Bells are a good source of Vitamin E and help your hair and skin look young.
Bell peppers have been found to protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration.
Capsaicin in bell peppers reduces LDL cholesterol, controls diabetes, brings relief from pain and eases inflammation.
6. Bok Choy
This cabbage often referred to as Chinese cabbage contains indoles, brassinin and isothiocyanates. Eating Bok Choy lowers levels of estrogen and can prevent breast tumors. This is a very good veggie to eat to protect against breast cancer.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli contains Indole-3-carbinol and sulforaphane. C9H9NO and SFN may help protect against prostate and breast cancer.
8. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe’s are high in vitamins that help protect cells from free radical damage. A cantaloupe’s potassium content is almost four times that of a banana. These melons help lower blood pressure and are a good low calorie food. Cantaloupe’s have almost non existent fat content at 2 grams per melon.
9. Cilantro
Cilantro is a good green leafy addition to allot of dishes that livens up the taste of your food. Often found in Carne Asada burritos in popular southern California Mexican food chains like Alberto’s and Roberto’s.
Cilantro cleanses the blood stream of earths heavy metals like mercury and aluminum.
Cilantro would be a good choice to add to dishes containing fish since fish have mercury in them. Since eating fish is good for hearth health, cilantro is a good addition to balance it out. Salmon is an excellent source of Omega 3’s and is lower in mercury. Some fish that are high in mercury and that should be limited are orange roughy, shark and swordfish. Generally allot of the bigger fish of the ocean contain more mercury.
10. Crab
Crab is a good food source of super mineral zinc and also contains good levels of vitamin b12.
11. Cranberry Juice / Cranberries
100% cranberry juice can ward off and combat bladder infections and help prevent harmful bacteria from growing. Cranberries cleanse the liver and detoxify your body. If buying the juice make sure to get the 100% juice and not the mixtures with other berries or flavors.
12. Figs
Feel good as figs boost serotonin, a natural occurring chemical in the body that help you be in a good mood. Figs are great food source of fiber and potassium.
13. Garlic
Sulfur compounds can lower Low Density Lipoproteins in the blood stream and help your cholesterol levels. Garlic can also lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of colon stomach cancers.
14. Ginger
Ginger helps reduce nausea and other stomach ailments. Ginger products have been used successfully by women in pregnancy to cure morning sickness and other queazy stomach ailments associated with pregnancy. Ginger contains other compounds that help prevent migraines and arthritis pain by blocking prostaglandin inflammation. Ginger ale, gingersnap cookies and other products that contain real ginger will work in curing queeziness.
15. Limes/Lemons
These tangy fruits are a good source of limonene, Vitamin C and furocoumarins and are believed to aide in preventing cancer.
16. Lentils
30% of lentils calories are protein and are one of the highest protein per weight legume or nut, 2nd only to soy and hemp. Lentils contain isoflavones that can avert estrogen aided breast cancers.
17. Mussels and Clams
These shellfish are a good source of magnesium and potassium and contain B12.
18. Onions
Onion’s contain quercetin, which is one of the most powerful antioxidant flavanoids on earth. Onions can help protect against cancer.
19. Peanuts
Eating peanuts and other nuts can significantly lower risk of heart disease. Be cautious with peanuts though, some humans can be dangerously allergic to peanuts.
20. Pinto Beans
High in folate, pinto beans help prevent heart disease and birth defects.
21. Radish
Radishes raise oxygen levels in the blood stream. This root is high in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are a good source of copper, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and riboflavin.
22. Raisins
Raisons are a good food source of iron and help transport oxygen in the blood stream.
23. Raspberries
Raspberries contain ellagic acid, which helps stop cancer-cell growth. Raspberries are also high in fiber and vitamin C.
24. Salmon
Salmon is one of the best if not the best food source of Omega 3 fatty acids and promotes cardiac health.
25. Spinach
Spinach has long been associated with strength and rightfully so. This leafy green conatins Lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that help protect against cataracts and macular degeneration, a major cause of blindness in the elderly. Spinach also is a powerful antioxidant that fights heart disease and cancer. This green veggie can help reverse signs of aging
26. Sweet potato (Yam)
High in potassium and vitamin A, yams also contain folate, which prevents birth defects. A sweet potato is high in antioxidants and protects your cells from damage. Nutrients in yams reduce premenstrual symptoms and lower cholesterol levels.
27. Tomato
Tomatoes contain Lycopene, a great carotenoid, and antioxidant. It is believed that tomatoes can reduce the risk of bladder, stomach and colon cancers by 50% if eaten daily.
28. Watercress and Arugula
Beta-Carotene, phenethyl isothiocyanate, vitamins C and E can ward off cancer cells.
29. Wheat Germ
Sprinkle a bit of wheat germ on some oatmeal or yogurt if you are experiencing muscle cramps. Wheat germ contains magnesium that will help ease and prevent muscle cramps. Wheat germ contains some vitamin E as well.
30. Yogurt
Active culture yogurt contains good bacteria that is good for your digestive system. Eat yogurt when taking antibiotics because while they are eviscerating the bacteria that is making you ill they also cut into the good bacteria that you need and can cause diarrhea. Yogurt can help prevent yeast infections and improve your immune system.
*This is a basic yet comprehensive list of the best food sources of vitamins, minerals and nutrients that promote good health and reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Dark chocolate contains flavonoid antioxidants, inhibit lipid peroxidation, keep the body free of free radicals which which cause oxidative damage to human cells.
Dark chocolate helps vasculate and relax constricted blood vessels.
Dark chocolate has a low glycemic index and wont cause big spikes in blood sugar. Flavonoids in dark chocolate help reduce insulin resistance in the body by helping cells function normally and help the body use insulin efficiently. Dark chocolate protects against type 2 diabetes, helps keep circulation unimpaired and assists in keeping blood vessels healthy.
Dark chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain makes when falling in love. PEA causes the brain to release endorphins which stimulate happiness.
Theobromine found in dark chocolate hardens tooth enamel.
Try eating a small amount of dark chocolate and take notice of the feeling of calmness in the brain. Dark chocolate increases blood flow to the brain and the heart, so it can help improve cognitive function. Dark chocolate will also reduce your risk of stroke.
Most dark chocolate candy bars and candies today have been sweetened so much over years of confectionery to make its slight bitterness more pallatable and as a result loses allot of its vitamins and mineral antioxidants. To get the benefits of dark chocolate find the chocolate bars in your local grocery store or specialty market like World Market that contain at least 70% cacao as seen in the photo above.
While this article may take the guilt out of eating chocolate remember that chocolate is high in fat so its best to only consume about an ounce or 1 one ounce candy bar a couple times a week. Milk chocolate is sweeter to most but does not have the same health benefits as dark chocolate.
Here is the recipe for chicken stuffed bell.
The top of the bell pepper is easy enough to open up by cutting a circular or square pattern around the stem that sticks out of the top of the bell. You will find the bell is nice and hollow with lots of room to stuff fillings in. There will be a few seeds inside and if these are undesireable you can briefly wash out the inside with water. This will wash out the inner soft center splines with the seeds on it.
This makes a great way to hold sandwich innards without sandwiching them between a couple of pieces of bread if that is getting old. The crisp crunch is very satisfying yet not too hard and is soft enough to easily chew.
The green bell peppers are usually the cheapest and fill the green vegetable category of your diet well. The peppers are not spicy and all colours seem to have a nice but distinct flavor. Bells come in green, orange, red, and yellow colors.
Barbecue or cook up some plain chicken breast or tenderloins and squeeze some lemon over the chicken for flavor.
Stuff the chicken into the bell pepper or tear/cut up the chicken into pieces to preference to fit inside the bell. Enjoy.
Originally posted on surflook.com. A surflook original article:
Obviously I was overlooking the fact that I am getting older, do not surf nearly as much as I did when I was a grom or in my twenties, live a bit inland now with the busyness of having a young family of toddler & grom. I also was fooling myself into thinking I had bought myself allot of leeway from my earlier years of surfing allot.
*See cholesterol chart range for men and women in mg/dL U.S. and mmol/L Canada and most of Europe at the bottom of this article*
I have been lucky and active enough to always have had blood pressure, resting heart rate and other vital signs testing out in the very good or top athlete range and on my most recent trip to the doc this was no exception.
However, my cholesterol blood test this time produced results that showed my low density lipoprotein’s (LDL cholesterol) were slightly elevated and my total cholesterol was just over 200 (desired results for a man are under 200). This was a fasting blood test and I did adhere to the fasting guidelines but the last thing I ate the night before at about 8 pm was a Juicy McDonalds big mac and some french fries.
Mind you I am not bashing the burger chain and actually like the McDonalds organization. Yes I know it is almost as though I was trying to skew the results of the test. My last few tests in recent years the docs said everything looked just fine. I have learned that eating fatty foods or red meats in the days before a lipid panel can skew the results but I am not blaming the big mac though I am sure it did not help. That week I had been eating more back yard barbecue and red meat than usual as well.
Well I all but stopped eating red meat and changed my deli meat lunches to skinless plain chicken that I would cook up in one night and store in the fridge to last all week. My lunches consisted of hollowed out bell peppers filled with chicken and some fruit & veggies on the side. I also decided to try a glass of some red wine about once a week. I found that the pinot noir type of red wines are best for all the health benefits that come from red wine and not to even bother with white wine. I also did some short little sprint workouts when I could squeeze them in.
Well, two months later my tests showed a big change with my LDL cholesterol dropping over 25 points, my total cholesterol under 200 and even my good High Density Lipoproteins (HDL “good cholesterol”) up 1 point. (Good HDL’s patrol the blood stream and push the LDL along to prevent them from conglomerating and loitering in any spot along the stream).
Well I thank the Big Mac for changing my habits as had I tried to eat really healthy the week before the test I might have had different results and not changed my diet much. I think I will enjoy a good loco moco plate lunch only after a big exercise if I’m lucky enough to be in the islands again or eat at one of the Hawaiian barbecue chains in southern California.
Originally posted on surflook.com
http://www.surflook.com/how-a-big-mac-was-healthy-for-me/
Methods for preparing the prickly pear: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_and_prepare_prickly_pears/
Article touting the benefits of prickly pears from Natural Health 365 http://www.naturalhealth365.com/tag/prickly-pear-health-benefits
