Getting Fluffier? A Pound of Muscle is Half as Bulky as a Pound of Fat!

Are You Getting "Fluffier"? There's a reason for that!

Lots of things are contributing to the "fluffy" population. In fact about 37% of the population is either morbidly obese (about 100 pounds or more over ideal weight), or obese. This is due to many factors. Poor diet choices, stress, sedentary lifestyle and even genetics play role as well. 

It really sneaks up on you too! You may weigh the same as you did in high school, but you take up more space! Can't fit those favorite jeans anymore. You eat the same, as you always have, have watched as much TV as you always have and always fit in those jeans..but NOW you're getting fluffier? Huh? Over time we start to replace muscle with fat.

Imagine a couple of small paper bags, one with 5 pounds of jello in it and the other with a 5 pound rock. The jello will spread out and take up a lot of space, the rock is, well, it's a rock and doesn't "spread". Both weigh 5 pounds. Each takes on a shape totally different because of its composition. A pound of muscle is half as bulky as a pound of fat!!!

Sitting Is The New Smoking

Huffington Post had an article: Sitting is the New Smoking. A sedentary lifestyle is purported to be even more dangerous to our health than smoking now!! If you want to take up less space, you gotta "move your mass" and develop some muscle. Muscle dictates metabolism. In other other words, no muscle, no energy. The fluffier we get the weaker we get!

Problem is it takes energy to build muscle, but you have no energy, cause you have no muscle. Trust me, I KNOW how this vicious cycle works. I have never been an exercise enthusiast. However, stuff starts happening as we "mature" and I've come to terms with exercise,  it is now "mandatory"....and I'm even enjoying it!

Stronger

You want energy? Getting stronger is the key, rebuilding lost muscle mass, you gain youthful vitality! No matter how outta shape you are or age!!! Exercise helps every organ operate better, due to better blood flow, including our brain! Increases joint flexibility, improves posture, balance and even makes our cheeks rosier.  Exercise is the ultimate anti-aging tool! 

So how do we get stronger? Just remember to take "baby steps", moving your mass 20 minutes a day is a great start! That could simply be a walk, then over time, a brisk walk. Then add some pilates to strengthen your "core" stability. Next add in some light weights to tone your arms and gain much needed muscle. You can find a lot of exercise routines on the internet, free. The main thing is do SOMETHING physical at least 20 minutes a day. 

Healthy protein and fat choices are crucial. (we'll talk about healthy fat choices in another post) Protein "wears the pants in the family" when it comes to building muscle. When we support our body’s healthy aging, we improve our metabolism and support the elimination of toxins from our system. Another side benefit of course is to fit back into those jeans!.

HOT TIPS From Dr. Deedra Mason, ND: Something you may want to add to your fitness and health regimen.

As aging occurs, the body’s ability to build and retain muscle tissue or size is reduced, which can result in weakness and frailty. With the addition of Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) via supplementation Research has shown promotion of muscle retention in older adults. Additionally, BCAA’s during exercise, regardless of age, support muscle protein synthesis and inhibits protein catabolism (breakdown) and muscle fatigue, therefore fighting concerns of dynapenia.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) are essential aminos, as they cannot be synthesized by the human body and, therefore, must be consumed orally. If your body can't make it, you must take it. Unlike other amino acids, BCAA are used primarily by skeletal muscle, and make up 30-35 percent of the muscle tissue itself. Best source is whey and pea protein. By rebuilding our muscle mass through exercise and a healthy lifestyle, including BCAA’s-we can optimize our health and our longevity.

BCAA's bypass digestion and go straight to muscle! I've personally added BCAA's to my regimen. I make an organic whey protein shake with 4.5 g. of BCAA and drink it within 20 minutes of exercise. I also take a longevity product that contains 3.5 g of BCAA's at night. Helps me sleep better & it's helping to grow muscle while I sleep! Sweet!


I've been sitting too long writing this post. Gotta go "move my mass" and build some muscle now!

Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

What's your favorite exercise?? Do you take any supplements to boost your outcome? Please share!

Teach Your Genes to Behave

Genetics - It's Personal

Ever wonder why your friend can eat fried everything and not gain an ounce? Or how come your other friend loves to run and you do good to walk? Well, as it turns out it's in your genes.

There's been a lot of research into genetic codes in the past few years. In fact several billion dollars worth of research. And as it turns out, your suspicions have been confirmed. A LOT of what we do is in large part due to our parents and their parents and their parents ...better known as: your genetic code.

Weight , Wellness and Your Genetic Code:

Obesity is driven by a certain genetic makeup. Certain genes could make fat cells double without eating anything!. While people with other genetic makeup do well on a high fat diet!!! Genes also play a role in behavior, reward seeking and overeating. (no genetic signal to STOP eating)

Genes are related to the brain, aging, memory and dementia.  Turns out you could have a "worrier" or "warrior" gene. There is also a genetic code that can determine the likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases.

Genes also play a role in what exercise is best.  This would explain the runners vs walkers. The weight lifters vs. jumpers.

There are genetic drug and nutrient pathways that improve absorption.

Genetics is why "one size does not fit all"  when it comes to foods, exercise and vitamins or supplements.

Teach Your Genes to Behave:

So is everything just predetermined or do we have a choice in the matter? While there are certain things you can't change, like the color of your eyes, how tall you are, there are things you can change such as your path to wellness vs. disease. Once you have DNA testing done, it can provide a GPS to your health. There are certain genes that respond to lifestyle and environmental changes positively,

Discovering a personalized diet, exercise and supplementation regimen, based on YOUR genetic code, is an "ah ha" moment! "That's why I....(you fill in the blank after your test).

Whats more,  you have the ability to train your genes to "behave" in a different manner, for optimal health. In as little as 3 months, once implemented, people can begin to look and perform better!

There are many DNA tests out there. However, Gene SNP DNA Analysis is a robust test. Looking at 48 genes and 61 SNPS (variations) Ask your healthcare provider about Gene SNP DNA Analysis. Providing a report that's "all about you", based on your unique genetic makeup. Providing you and your health professional a wealth of information to comb over and get specific nuts and bolts of what's going on with YOU and exactly what YOU need to be the best YOU you can be. 

It's a "one and done test".  Surprisingly affordable, saving hundreds, perhaps  thousands of dollars of testing and "guessing" what you need to optimize YOUR health.

It's not about the genetic "cards" your dealt, but it's about knowing what they are and how to play them well!

TEST DON'T GUESS! 

Helping YOU to Select the Best Health,

Sherry

Have you taken a DNA test yet? If so, what was the outcome? Was it informative, life changing?

Stressin? How to Reduce It!

Stress - Is It Just Me?

The answer plain and simple is, NO! Speaking as a Baby Boomer, today is not the yesterday we grew up in. As a child we had a "land line" telephone. It was connected to the wall, not our hips. If the phone rang and we were home we answered it. If it rang and we weren't home.... we didn't answer it! And the world kept spinning.

Not anymore! If we can't get someone to answer the phone, we leave voice messages over and over , mindlessly thinking they can "hear it". If that doesn't work, we text, email, Tweet, Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin. Most people don't even bother to call people, they have "conversations" by text. Everyone is expected to be available to anyone, 24/7. All of which is considered "normal". Communication technology has changed our lives forever. Faster, more efficient, yet dehumanizing on many levels. This alone can cause tremendous stress in the lives of people.

Add to that the reams of news & current events information we are bombarded with daily and expected to have read or be familiar with in order to be "with it". It's mind boggling really. However, I was listening to the news the other day and it stated that a majority of folks don't listen to or watch the news anymore. Many people view it as too stressful.

Just these two factors, the ever changing communication technologies and ever changing current world or local events, can be overwhelming. Let alone caring for family, working for an employer, taking care of endless "paperwork" and paying bills. So what's a person to do to de-stress?

Coping with Stress

Stress is inevitable. There ARE ways to minimize and avoid the amount of it in our lives. (more found in the article Coping and Relieving Stress)

• Manage time and prioritize - make a to do list the night before
• Make necessary adjustments - Example: Turn off phone when doing paperwork, reading or studying. Keep it off or out of your bedroom at night. You can always return calls / text in the morning! Seriously!
• Take care of yourself- physically, mentally and emotionally. - Exercise is a great stress reducer! Even just spurts of 5 to 10 minutes throughout the day! Turn on the music & dance!
• Think about how you think about things, and make necessary adjustments to stop the "negative talk" in your head. "Today is a great day to be a great day"!
• Avoid burnout - don't be a workaholic - no one on their death bed ever wished they had worked more overtime!
• Use your support system - a friend, spouse, parent. Whoever you trust. 
• Express yourself as being grateful - for whatever you have - be grateful - because so many don't have what you're grateful for. 
• Have Goals - a dream with a deadline. Decide them and work toward them.
• Become an effective problem solver - find a solution: good, better or best. Pick one that is doable and move on.
• Reduce the amount of "news" you listen to or watch. If you watch Friday evening news, its usually a summary of what happened during the week. 
• Downtime - Just chill for a few minutes every day. Doing something that makes you feel positive and alive. 

(Personally I read the Bible daily. It's an amazing book that becomes a "new book" every time I read it, based on what I'm going through in my life at the time. It gives me strength, comfort, joy and true reflection of our purpose on this earth. It's my "GPS" in life, a true compass)

Regardless of your circumstances in life, there are easy, inexpensive, positive ways to deal with stress. Your stress may be temporary, or ongoing, but either way YOU can learn to  manage it and gain control of your life!

How do you cope with stressors? Would love to hear any practical suggestions you may have!

Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

P.S.All this talk about stress is stessin me...I'm gonna go turn some music on & dance a few minutes now! LOL

Caring for Parents, This Stuff is NOT Taught in School!

Care Giving 101 - Part 1

First off let me say, our mother had polio as a child. She was paralyzed neck down for several months at age 12. Thankfully she was a big girl and pretty much had her full growth. Even so she was told her she would never walk again and certainly have no children. As her eldest daughter of 3 children, need I say more about her determination?

So growing up, my siblings and I were accustomed to helping out around the house. Mom would say "we are going to...." (take out the garbage, mow the lawn, do the floors, clean the kitchen, you fill in the blank) which always meant YOU are going to do the following, as mom had very little body strength. But always in "control"!

It was quite "normal" for us, as children, to step up and get things done around the house. As children we cooked, cleaned, did the laundry, grocery shopping, etc in addition to school, homework and eventually part time jobs in high school...while mom and dad both worked full time. I by no means looked at it as "child labor".

Personally, I feel I'm a better person for it. Never shying away from work, it taught me good work ethics that has served me well for the rest of my life.


Care Giving 101 - Fast Forward 40 years!

Children are pretty resilient. However you're raised, you grow up thinking that's "normal". But add 40 years to the mix, having been a parent yourself, coming "home" to take care of parents, or "parenting" as I call it, is not so "normal". Somehow you have parents who are now as needy as children, yet you have the dynamics of them being your parents and it becomes a very confusing set of circumstances.

You go through school for many years, work for employers with ongoing training, you learn how to be a spouse, a parent.  But there are NO CLASSES EVER TAUGHT ON HOW TO BE A CARE GIVER TO YOUR PARENTS!!!

First and foremost I always try to remember what someone told me : "parents, like children, enjoy them while you have them" How true. No matter how old I get, I will always want my parents in my life. I can't imagine being without them. Yet I am watching them gradually fade. Both of them are in power chairs. (I call them "Powerless" chairs, because once you sit down in one, you very likely will not get out of it!)

I had the privilege of helping to care for my mother in law before she succumbed to cancer. She was one of the best friends I've ever had in life! (odd I know, but true nevertheless) But I learned through that ordeal that we all need help coming into this world and we all will need help leaving it.

Taking Care of Parents That Never Took Care of Parents

The crazy thing is a lot of elderly parents never had to care for their own parents. Their parents never lived long enough for them to do so. Consequently they really don't "get" how it is to be a caregiver to their own parents. But with life expectancy extended for many, it is now a very real possibility if you live long enough, you could be caring for an elderly parent.

We are trying very hard to keep the parents as "independent" as possible. I call it independently dependent. The horror stories you hear about nursing homes is gut wrenching. So the longer they can stay on their own the better. We'll cross that bridge if and when we have to.

It becomes a huge financial quagmire trying to figure out how to keep them in their home and connect the dots to care for them. Our mother has always been extremely detail oriented and takes the time to understand how to take full advantage of any programs our parents  qualify for. Thankfully!!! Nevertheless, all 3 of their children are jumping through hoops trying to keep up with the relentless doctor visits, errands, and grocery lists.

The Never Ending Grocery List

The grocery list can change daily, as they forget an item just after you return from 3 stores to retrieve what you thought were all the items they needed. I think they would have us go to the store(s) daily if they could! But we do keep it to 2 or 3 times a week!!! (good thing I own my own business!) They get very OCD about an item they don't have and are like a "dog on a bone" until you get it for them. They may have forgotten the item, but once they remember it, their life revolves around getting it!

60 Year Old "Children"

Funny thing is your parents will always see you as their "child". You never grow up in their eyes. You remain frozen in time somehow. Yet we are getting older, have our own issues, aches, pains, problems. Somehow parents can't quite "get that" either. They expect you to pick up that wheel chair, hoist it over your head and hurl it into the trunk with great ease. "It's not heavy" my mom will say. You "just" need to pick it up and put it in there. "You just" is her preface to anything she can't do and you need to do. You "just" need to roll up the carpet, you "just" need to paint the deck, you "just" ... "you just" get the picture?

Futuristic Health Nuts

Now I want to preface this next section with: Mom and Dad have always had an affinity for the "holistic" way of life. Throughout the years, they would talk about some crazy supplement or food. We'd dismiss it as "oh brother" and try to humor them. Then low and behold, a few months or couple years later we'd hear "Dr Oz" or Readers Digest or the news, someone else talking about the same exact supplement or food, reporting how beneficial it is and has just been discoverd!!! All the while Mom and Dad had been ahead of the curve, taking that weird supplement eating that odd food, paying absolutely no attention to any belittling of what they were doing. Now,  once again vindicated! Over and over this has been the case!! Now my sister and I joke that if mom and dad are taking something or eating something "weird" we'd better pay attention to them, it will be all the rage in a year!!!

Bowels and Weather Conversations

I live next door to them now and good thing too! I have three "shifts" daily. I go over every morning and get breakfast for them. Check on them every day early afternoon and do the night shift to tuck them in.They definitely have a "routine"! Breakfast: 2 poached eggs each and every day, hot tea for both, My dad drinks a giant mug of hot chicken broth doused with cayenne pepper, a huge cup of coffee with olive oil drizzled into it and a glass of coconut milk along with one avocado.

Mom? She has a special "cereal" made especially for her from quinoa every week, along with a cooked fruit concoction she puts on top of it. All in the name of her "bowels" , to get things moving along. This is how you KNOW you're dealing with older folks, when the conversation revolves around the weather and their bowels!!

Every day the topic is going to be about the last bowel movement and what the weather did and will do! If I were a betting woman, I'd lay down good money that will be the morning topic tomorrow!


Seeing firsthand what I've feared for years.. myself! 

I see myself in both my Dad and Mom. Genetics and environment, whatever it is, I seem to be a "mix" of the two of them. . I'm a "health nut", I catch myself saying "you just"...Talking about the weather...so far "bowels" are not a hot topic... YET! I have learned a LOT! If you live long enough you' will need help too. So be good to your parents, while you have them.. Though "parenting" has it's challenges, it certainly is a privilege to have them in my life. All things are temporary, remembering that helps me cope with "losing" them a little each day.

 My mother has a strong singing voice even to this day. One day when dad heard mom singing, my dad fondly commented with tears in his eyes, "even angels are jealous of her voice".

My dad has a great sense of humor. My mom laughs a lot. I want to forever remember them laughing at the breakfast table.They are a strange but perfectly suited couple, my parents. I'll always love them, I just hope I can continue to be a daughter that is deserving of their love.

A million years ago, when I was a child, I never imagined I would help care for my parents in their old age. Why would I? They just don't teach this stuff in school.


Are you a caregiver? What are some of the challenges you face? How do you cope? Any tips??


Helping YOU to Select the Best Health,

Sherry

Get the Yuck Off Produce! DIY Veggie Spray- Cheap!

Fresh Produce - Minus the "Yuck"

With Spring and Summer upon us, that means a lot of fresh fruits and veggies will be available. Problem is there's a lot of "yuck" on them if you pick them up from a store or market. Every thing from pesticides to germs, even if you get "organic",  they've been handled by lots of people before they reach your kitchen!

One of my "secret weapons" is GSE!


101 Uses for Grapefruit Seed Extract - GSE

Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) has a myriad uses! It's an extremely versatile product that can do everything from disinfect to purify water, as it has antimicrobial properties. GSE also has antibacterial, antifungal & antiviral properties.

You can find GSE in health food stores & some grocery stores. It's not cheap, but the bottle will last a LONG time and you can use it for so many things!

It's the perfect travel companion, as you can put a couple drops in a glass of water to purify it. (it can be "bitter" so 1 - 2 drops will do it.) I have a friend that lived in Ecuador & routinely used it to prevent dysentery. Carry a small empty spray bottle & GSE on your trip. Add a couple of drops of GSE to the spray bottle & fill it with water. Voila'! You now have a disinfectant for the bathroom toilet, sink & tub in your hotel.

GSE is a prime ingredient in my DIY Veggie Wash!!


DIY Veggie Wash

Kids would have fun helping with this one!

Every couple of months, I routinely make a DIY Veggie Wash & keep it at the kitchen sink in a spray bottle. The recipe, (see below), includes 10 - 12 drops of GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract). The "formula" is a lot like a "science experiment" with white vinegar & baking soda included in the mix. So gradually add the ingredients together into a gallon pitcher, down in your kitchen sink, so there is plenty of room for it to "grow" & even "boil over". LOL

DIY Veggie Wash: (I usually double the recipe)

1 TBSP. Lemon Juice
2 TBSP. Baking Soda
3/4 cup white vinegar
8 ounces water
10 - 12 drops of GSE

Gradually add the vinegar into the mix, stir it down to keep it from overflowing. Add to a spray bottle & you have your own inexpensive veggie wash.

Sometimes I just pour a couple of TBLS into a sink full of clean water and dump veggies in and let them "soak" for a couple minutes. Rinse and voila', squeaky clean veggies!


Do you use GSE? If so, how do you use it?

Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

Running vs Walking

Running or Walking:

It's warming up and most are getting that urge to get outdoors. Many folks are brandishing their new foot gear and headed out for some form of exercise.

I have started going to a park several times a week for 20 -30 minutes. I am a people watcher behind my sunglasses. I see some people that have hibernated all winter and are now huffing and puffing, extremely out of shape and struggling to jog. I'm very fearful I may be obliged to perform CPR on them.  Others, who have been "die hard" runners all winter long, are sprinting effortlessly. And then there's some people like me, feeling a bit guilty and just taking a brisk walk.

But should there be any guilt in "just walking"? Many faithful, almost addicted runners, would tell you it's pointless to walk.  Should you run or walk? Well, in "medical terms", "it depends".

It Depends:

There is no doubt there are benefits to both running and walking. Either way you're moving your mass, and that is really what it's all about. A sedentary lifestyle is now dubbed more dangerous to our health than SMOKING!! So just getting up and moving a few minutes several times a day is advantageous.

With running, you get your heart rate up. You expend a LOT more energy than walking, which burns a lot more calories. The jury is out about damaging your joints and  pounding the pavement. I personally know a couple of people that are running "addicts" and have suffered a LOT with knee and leg injuries. It seems the better shape you're in, meaning muscle mass, the better your body will be equipped to withstand the impact of a run.

Walking on the other hand has tremendous benefits and gives a lot of "bang for the buck".
Just 20-30 minutes a day or even 3 times a week can be a huge health benefit.

Reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. ...
It lowers disease risk. ...
It keeps weight in check. ...

Can help prevent dementia. ...
Can help prevent osteoporosis.
It tones your legs, and torso
It boosts your vitamin D levels

To mention just a few benefits.

I just invested in a new "gym membership" - some new walking shoes with yoga mat material inside of them! Like walking on marshmallows! 

So whether you choose to go for a walk or go for a run,  just MOVE YOUR MASS!!!

Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

Clean - Green - Non Toxic - Cheap!

Spring Is In The Air - Clean It!

Here in South Texas you can tell Spring has Sprung by the yellowish green pine pollen that dusts everything for about 2 weeks! Aside from indicating Spring is here, the pollen causes a plethora of side effects. From  coating cars to blowing into homes from raised windows, this stuff is a mess. Not to mention the allergies that people experience from the onset of the fine dust falling.

We all know that "Spring Cleaning" is a great time to rid the house of musty smells from winter. Our homes can be a fertile breeding ground for toxic stuff. So changing air filters, shaking out and washing throw rugs, sweeping and vacuuming dust bunnies with a new vac. bag is a start.

Clean with Chemicals?

How about those heavy duty cleaners to mop and scrub with? Do we  really need to add more toxins to the cleaning process?? Aren't we trying to rid the house of toxins? Bleach for instance seems to be a "main stay" for a lot of people. Yet the chlorine fumes are so toxic they have actually been used in chemical warfare!!!

Bleach can release chlorine gas and cause damage to the respiratory system. I've know a couple of people that had to be hospitalized using bleach combining with other cleaners! It can cause choking, chest pains, coughing, eye irritation, the list goes on and on.

Some of the top 10 most toxic things used you may have already guessed. Things like ammonia, oven cleaners and drain cleaners. But how about air freshers & anti bacterial cleaners, bad stuff!


CLEAN GREEN NON- TOXIC CLEANING

We probably can't get away from every chemical in our household, but we can greatly reduce & replace them with about 2 -4 products.

• Baking Soda- Natural abrasive & natural whitener. 100% non toxic. Won't hurt septic systems. And it's CHEAP!! Get a 5 pound bag at your big box stores for pennies on the dollar compared to other cleaners.

• White Vinegar -  Disinfectant & natural whitener. 100% non toxic. At a about $3 a gallon, it's CHEAP!!!

• Lemon juice - Natural whitener and disinfectant. 100% non toxic Can buy a huge bottle of "real lemon" and keep in the fridge if you can't get fresh lemons. I personally like to get lemons on sale, squeeze them and pour the juice into ice cube trays. Each frozen cube is about a TBLS of lemon juice. 

• Grapefruit Seed EXTRACT - GSE - this is a miracle ingredient. Natural disinfectant. I add about 10-13 drops of this into my DIY Veggie spray, it kills all the "yuck" on fresh fruits and veggies from the store. I also spray my DIY "veggie wash" in the kitchen sink as a natural disinfectant.(Watch for DIY Veggie Spray recipe on a future blog)

BATHROOM: 

Natural Soap I've used for years!

DIY Toilet bowl & bathroom cleaner: Put white vinegar into a spray bottle & baking soda into a large salt shaker. Flush toilet, spray toilet bowl inside with white vinegar, shake the baking soda on it, walk a way for an hour or the rest of the day. (I pour about a TLBS or hydrogen peroxide into the bowl water to further whiten it & about a TBLS of liquid natural soap before I walk away) Wisk the bowl. Spray a cloth with white vinegar and wipe down the lid, then the seat. Voila! Clean, no chemicals!!!

Before I walk out of the bathroom, I also spray the sink with vinegar, dust it with a good coating of baking soda. I use an old bath "puff" to clean the sink out, add a drop or two of natural soap, if you want a few "suds" to feel like it's a "cleaner".

Shower - Best trick ever is buy a squeegee for the shower & hang it in there!! After taking every shower, simply squeegee the shower walls, you will never have water stains or mildew to contend with. Takes 2 or 3 minutes, rather than laboring for 2 or 3 hours down the road. ALWAYS looks great!. Once a week, you got it, spray white vinegar & dust the shower floor or tub with baking soda - you're DIY "soft scrub". Again I use an old shower puff and scrub the tub, rinse and you're done!

Laundry

ECO Friendly- FREE & Clear Laundry

I stopped using bleach or bleach related products. When I want to "boost" my whites, I add a 1/4 cup baking soda, and half cup white vinegar. If they're really dirty, I'll add a few TBLS of hydrogen peroxided. I use a natural laundry soap that is chemical and dye free. My whites are white and zero harmful chemicals.

You can "pre-treat" tough stains with a paste of soda, vinegar & peroxide. Of course not on delicate fabrics.

Windows

White vinegar and old news papers, will give you crystal clean windows minus the "lint".

Cheap Plumber

Before you call the Plumber for a backed up sink or toilet, use a cup of baking soda, a cup of vinegar and 2 cups of boiling water, pour down the drain or toilet and listen to the "action". It's like a science experiment! When the soda and vinegar "collide, it causes a volcanic like action, that can "move" the worst of clogs.

These few ingredients, most from your kitchen cabinet, can save you hundreds of dollars in cleaning. Better yet, they will keep you and your family healthier!

What's your Green Cleaning Tip???

Helping You to Select The Best Health,


Sherry

Crazy for Coconut

Crazy for Coconut?

You'd be crazy not to be! Who knew the humble coconut could contain an apothecary of wellness beneath that bowling ball shell?

As a kid I always loved the taste of a candy bar that was loaded with coconut and smothered with a dark chocolate covering. In the past few years I've "discovered" coconut oil and the rich buttery taste is very much what I remember the candy tasting like. Imagine that something that is delicious is GOOD FOR YOU!! 

There's nothing "new under the sun". Fact is coconuts have been utilized by many civilizations. A few years ago I met a lady from Jamaica. In her beautiful Jamaican accent, she explained that everyone drinks coconut water and no one has high blood pressure on the island!

Well I don't know about "no one" having high blood pressure, but I do know the more I research coconut the more I adore it. I almost don't want to list the benefits and let the "secrets out", for fear there won't be enough on the shelves. However there is an avalanche of studies and great information supporting the use of coconut.

Coconut Water Benefits:
.
There are myriads of benefits. Coconut water (not to be confused with coconut milk or cream) is powerfully hydrating, full of electrolytes. Great to use on a hot day, without the dyes & sugar the "sports drinks" have. Downing it straight from the container is my favorite way. I have also used it in smoothies, with lime, a few drops of stevia and ice. Very refreshing! Drinking it when ill is a good idea, as many illnesses with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydrate.

Coconut water is a tremendous tool in optimizing blood pressure. There have been a few occasions when my blood pressure was up, due to stressful situations. I don't know about other folks, but on the rare occasion this has happened, I can literally feel my blood pressure going up. After drinking about 1/4 cup of coconut water, within 15 minutes, I could literally "feel" it going down. Coconut water is loaded with potassium and can help calm the entire central nervous system when things get hectic. People who have a history of high blood pressure, like my Father, drink it daily and it can help to optimize blood pressure.

Tip: Make sure you are buying a pure 100% coconut water, with no added sugars, dyes, chemicals.

Coconut Oil Benefits:

The list continues for coconut oil. Used in beauty products for years, it now has come to light, that only a small dab of the luxurious oil and the whole body can be glistening. Topically it's wonderful for the skin, but internally is where it really works its magic!

Coconut oil has anti bacterial, anti viral properties and kills off some fungi. I had the "crud" recently and gargled the stuff for a few minutes, holding it in the back of my throat and it almost immediately brought relief to my sore throat.

It's a medium chain fatty acid, so that when ingested can result in more energy throughout the day!!!

I use organic coconut oil to cook with, as it can take "high heat" and not become toxic as other oils. You can now buy "unflavored" coconut oil, if you don't like the taste of coconut in your savory dish.
I use it to bake with as well. (have to melt it a little before adding it to recipes, as it is tends to be hard at room temp.)

I put a tsp on my toast! Yumm! Add a WOW factor to air popped popping corn. Tossed with melted coconut oil and salt, it's finger licking good! And I have just discovered, dropping a bit in my hot tea or coffee is absolutely delicious!

I haven't bathed in it....yet! Hmmmm That's an idea!

Tip: Just put the container of coconut oil in your pantry. No need to refrigerate.

Coconut Flour

Wait, there's more! Coconut Flour is glutten free and is low glycemic. I'm all over the "low glycemic" part. This means it won't impact blood sugar in the negative way that flour does. Coconut flour is "low carb" and high in fiber and protein! Coconut flour turns a baked item into a "legal" treat as it won't spike the blood sugar. Consume flour enough along with a high glycemic card diet and it can lead to metabolic syndrome, which leads to type 2 diabetes.

I just found a great deal at Sam's Club - 5 lb. organic coconut flour for less than $10.00!!!

Tip: when you bake with organic coconut flour, you must add extra eggs and liquid to achieve a bakery type dessert.

Coconut Sugar

Let's sweeten the deal! Coconut Sugar is also, you guessed it, low glycemic. It can be used as a complete sugar replacement, 1 to 1 ratio. If a recipe calls for a cup of sugar, then use a cup of coconut sugar. It looks lot like brown sugar and gives a caramel color and bit of caramel taste to whatever you bake.

Tip: Coconut sugar does have about the same amount of calories as refined sugar. If you're looking for something that's low or no calorie look to other low glycemic sweeteners like stevia instead.

Coconut Milk

I love this stuff! I get the "unsweetened" in a carton and use it in smoothies, it really gives a milk shake consistency.

Tip: Just make sure you really shake it every time you use it, as a lot of the good stuff settles at the bottom.

Whipped Coconut Cream

A high quality coconut cream, left upside down in the fridge and dump into a cold mixing bowl, will whip right up with a hand mixer into a beautiful whipped cream! Add a little vanilla and stevia and voila'! You have a healthy alternative to whipped cream.

Tip: leave a couple cans upside down in the fridge for 24 hours, so the liquid will float to the top, skim it off and now you have a solid coconut cream ready to whip.

The list just goes on and on. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. But as you can see the uses for the humble coconut go way beyond flakes!

Are you a coconut connoisseur?  If so, how do you like your coconut??? Do tell in a comment below!


Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,


Sherry

Know anyone with the flu? I do, me! Now what?

Know Anyone With the Flu?

My goodness I do!! When I first started working on this blog a few days ago, I had managed to dodge it, but now I have it! I spent some time surrounded by LOTS of sick people at a conference last week-end and I suppose it was inevitable. I am "nursing" myself and have been throwing everything in the "alternative medicine cabinet" at it! I hope to push the fast forward button on this and have a very short version of it. (I'll share a couple of tricks up my sleeve in a moment)

This flu season revved up early and is to be much longer than most. I know so many folks who have had it or have it now...and it just seems to "hang on and on". Which is a hallmark of this strain going around. In fact there are a couple of traits to this flu that make it really hard to shake.

First off "they" found out early in the game that this strain of influenza, flu shots do very little to protect you from it. (more about flu shots later) Second, according to BBC News,  it seems to especially target people that are either older (65 and up) or people that have a compromised immune system. And lastly, the duration can go on and on, due to the relapse rate.

This strain of flu enters very easily into the lung and can develop into pneumonia at a fast clip. I personally know a woman who is a diabetic and on kidney dialysis, She contracted the flu, likely at a dialysis session, missed a dialysis session due to illness and landed in the hospital with pneumonia 3 days later. At that point a blood clot was on the lung and she was put into a medically induced comma for a week. The family was told she likely wouldn't make it. Well long story short, she did make it, after a month of rehab and is now home with physical therapy from there.

The list of influenza battle casualties is long. I know a couple of people who contracted the flu and have been very sick with it for a month or more, with fever, laryngitis and persistent coughing. Both of the individuals have compromised immune systems, but they are not "old". Another was my ex sister-in-law who has a history of asthma and ended up in the hospital on EXTREMELY POWERFUL antibiotics...which seems all the  medical field has in their so called "arsenal". Antibiotics and steroids. That's pretty much it.

Antibiotics are greatly overused and can lead to "Super Bugs"

According to the NIH:

 "Superbugs are strains of bacteria that are resistant to several types of antibiotics. Each year these drug-resistant bacteria infect more than 2 million people nationwide and kill at least 23,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)" 

Should I Have Gotten the Flu Shot?

A lot of health care workers would recommend the "flu shot" at the beginning of the flu season. There are several problems with flu shots. For starters the vaccine is created before the strain of the flu is even known!!! That's a lot like throwing darts in the dark.

But even more troubling are the foreign substances and toxic combinations of chemicals and harmful additives. Unknown substances which have ingredients foreign to the human body is not the best idea. The long term consequences are not completely known, and could be worse than the flu!

So What's a Person to Do?

There are very simple but powerful ways to prevent it. Hand washing and getting plenty of sleep for starters. Taking natural immune booster supplements like vitamin c, probiotics, zinc,super antioxidants makes a lot of sense, Keeping your immune system revved up will make you much less susceptible to illness in general & especially during flu season.  However if someone sneezes in your face, there is no "S" on your chest, you are not Superhuman.

"Pull out the Big Guns" - Natural Remedies I Use 


1. GET SLEEP  ;

Forget about the world around you and go to bed! No one at work thinks you're a "hero" if you come to work and infect them. You'l have a much quicker recovery with lots of rest!!!

2. DRINK WATER:

Hydration will help you rid the body of all the mucus-
cut back on caffeine as that dehydrates you.

3. GARLIC :

A natural antibiotic. I mince about a TBLS of fresh garlic and put it with a TBLS of  honey - it really doesn't taste bad with the honey.

4. Wellness Formula: 

I have been taking this product for years. It has everything and the "kitchen sink" in it. When I feel something coming on I take 3 tablets 3 times a day for a week or so. I pick it up in most health food stores.

5. Isotonix D3 with K2:
 
Vitamin D has multiple benefits, one of which is boosting the immune
system and lung function. I normally take 2 or 3 doses a week. However I double dose for 2 or 3         days when I feel something coming on. Isotonix D3 with K2 is best absorbed with a meal, as it is fat soluble.

6. Isotonix Immune (with patented Wellmune WGP) :

This is a relatively new product for me to  utilize. With nine clinical studies that confirm Wellmune's benefits for immunity in the categories of upper respiratory health, cold and flu, allergies and immune systems compromised by exercise and stress.I have taken the Isotonix Immune off and on throughout the flu season and I KNOW it has  prevented a full blown illness. Now I'm "double dosing" with it for a few days. 

Isotonix OPC-3

7. Super Antioxidants like OPC-3 & ORAC - with antiviral properties

There's plenty of documentation and studies to confirm antioxidants are important to the immune system. There's even more evidence when it comes to OPC's. I have been taking OPC's for about 15 years now. In those years I have rarely been sick. But on that rare occasion I take a blend of OPC's & add a serving of ORAC (a blend of ORAC rich fruits, like cranberry, blueberry and elder berry a known anti viral)
I have doubled up on that as well.

7. Chicken Soup

Besides being a "comfort food" there's evidence that a nice hot bowl of steaming chicken soup just might have some healing properties. (Click here for an ABC News report on benefits of Chicken Soup) Perhaps it's the steam in the nasal passages. Or the hot liquid soothes a sore throat. Whatever it is, a clear chicken broth, with lots of garlic, veggies, some organic chicken and you have a homemade elixir to nurse you back to health. Really hits the spot.

Take My Own Medicine:

Please excuse me now as I go take my own medicine: a few doses of Isotonix,, mince some garlic and down it with honey, drink a glass of water with some Wellness Formula, have a bowl of chicken soup & head to bed...I'll be better in the morning!

Helping You to Select the Best Health,

Sherry

Your Bones = Strength= Health

Your Bones, Your Strength, Your Health

You may think bones are hard and lifeless, yet bones are living, growing tissue.You can’t feel your bones becoming weaker — so like early signs of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, symptoms go by ignored.

DID YOU KNOW? Bone itself undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant formation of new bones and re-sorption of old bone.

Peak Bone Mass
In mid-life, bone loss usually speeds up in both men and women. After we reach peak bone mass, the balance between bone formation and bone loss starts to change, we lose at a faster rate than we build. In fact, in the five to seven years after menopause, women can lose up to 20% or more of their bone. YIKES!

Affecting Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can be mitigated by hormones, micronutrient load and physical activity.  As osteoporosis is more common in women than in men and in whites and Asians vs. African Americans, it is important to consider individual risk factors.

Isotonix Magnesium

Supporting Your Bones
Vitamin C lends to collagen production and flexibility of bone tissue while magnesium is necessary for proper calcium absorption. You can support healthy bone mass by consuming nutrient-rich, dark, leafy vegetables, like spinach, kale, swiss chard. Higher magnesium intake is associated with greater bone mineral density. More than 50% of our magnesium is in our bones.

In fact most of us are low on magnesium and would do well to supplement with a quality magnesium product. Minerals are best absorbed at night. I personally take the Isotonix Magnesium as it is easily absorbed and helps me sleep well at night.

Nutrients That Support Healthy Bones
In addition to bone density, it is critical to focus on bone strength. Studies have shown that combining vitamin K, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin C and calcium works more effectively to improve bone mineral density, than calcium alone.  Calcium increases bone mineral density while vitamin D facilitates the absorption of calcium, and vitamin K may help focus calcium to the right tissue.

Isotonix Vitamin D3 with K2

Not all Vitamin D and Vitamin K supplements are created equal. The best absorption is found in D3, as it is the metabolically active form of D. Vitamin K is important, but can interfere with blood thinners. Some studies have concluded Vitamin K2  does not interfere with blood thinners. Finding a Vitamin D3 with K2 is tricky.

For more information on the Isotonix Vitamin D3 with K2 Click here.


Your bones are your strength and your health. Take good care of them!

Helping You to Select the Best Health,

Sherry

What month would you rather not have Heart Health?

February is Heart Month. However isn't Heart Health important every month? Is there a month would you rather not have Heart Health?

I know several clients using the Heart Health System. All of whom are "heart patients" and are doing terrific with this system. Taking it, they feel the difference! So much so that when they run out, they NOTICE and don't want to run out!

 Read on to learn more about this powerful system that works through a combination of three incredible products!

The Heart Health System is comprised of Heart Health Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E, Heart Health TriActive™, and Heart Health Advanced LipiTrim® Ultra, all designed to promote overall cardiovascular health.

Heart Health Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E provides the three grams of EPA† (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA† (docosahexaenoic acid). Studies reveal this is the most effective amount to promote overall cardiovascular health.  Benefits include:

• Helps enhance mood
• Helps maintain normal blood flow
• Helps maintain normal cholesterol levels
• Promotes a healthy complexion
• Promotes healthy blood pressure levels
• Promotes overall cardiovascular health

Heart Health Advanced LipiTrim Ultra is composed of Sytrinol®, a patented proprietary formula derived from natural citrus polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) and palm tocotrienols, designed to promote overall cardiovascular health. Sytrinol works in the liver without inhibiting the production of CoQ10. Advanced LipiTrim Ultra is also a powerful antioxidant, benefits include:

• Promotes delivery of healthy levels of LDL throughout the body
• Promotes a normal rate of cholesterol production
• Promotes healthy levels of total cholesterol
• Promotes the normal synthesis of triglycerides in the liver

Heart Health TriActive targets three major areas, the arteries, cholesterol and homocysteine levels to promote the healthy performance of the body’s cardiovascular system. This unique formula uses a combination of natural ingredients that have been shown to safely and effectively support optimal arterial function and help maintain normal cholesterol and homocysteine levels.* Benefits include:

• Helps maintain a strong heart muscle
• Helps maintain normal levels of cholesterol
• Promotes a normal rate of cholesterol production
• Promotes absorption of healthy levels of cholesterol and bile acids from the intestines
• Promotes normal fat absorption by various lipases in the intestine

Helping You to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. 

This site / blog / products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Save $ & Time! Get Back to the Kitchen!

Get Back to the Kitchen: 

I'm not crazy about cooking. But I do it out of self defense. Everyone needs to get "back to the kitchen" to get away from the expense of premixed, chemical laden foods, dashboard dining & dining out. (not to mention the possible filth of the kitchens we order out from- yikes!)

It's not "rocket science" and it really doesn't take that much time to cook a simple, balanced, nourishing meal, honest! I'm the sort that likes to make 1 or 2 different major dishes each week and transform them each day to something "different" and just "fill in" with salads & veggies around the main course. 

For example: I'll cook a pot of dried beans, like the humble Pinto bean. Beans, (legumes), are a terrific source of fiber and vegetarian protein. They are "time released" carbs, making them low glycemic. These carbs don't impact blood sugar in a negative way. They make you feel full longer & are cheap!

I don't add ham or bacon, just cook a pot of beans well salted with some pink himalayan salt at the end of cooking. I always cook about 3 cups or more of dried beans so I'll have plenty left over for the week. They're not complicated or expensive. If you're not going to be around to watch the pot boil, put them in a crock pot and they'll be ready when you are.

Opening Act- Day 1

You can enjoy a steaming bowl of beans along with some steamed greens like kale or collard greens, or a salad. I love cornbread with beans. No mixes. Not sweet. Just wholesome fresh from the oven organic corn bread. (make cornbread in mini muffin tins & pop some of them in the freezer for the next round) That hits the spot! Yum!

Act 2 - next day
Take some of those beanie babies with some of the liquid they cooked in and throw em in a bowl, mash them up with a fork or potato masher, season them however you want.  Get some organic corn chips out onto a baking sheet, spread the beans over the chips & add fresh chopped onion, tomatoes, jalapeno & a little fresh grated cheese, slip em in a hot oven for 5- 10 minutes and now you have a super nacho supper! Or wrap the beans up in a organic corn or flour tortilla with some cheese, avocado, onions & some salsa. You decide.

Final Act  
Tired of the plain beans after a day or two? It's time to transform them to chili!   Brown 3 or 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic , a whole onion chopped & a pound of grass fed beef or bison, hit it with DIY taco seasoning while browning the meat. (super easy to make, lots of recipes for DIY taco seasoning out there!)  You can add a chopped jalapeno & / or cayenne if you like it spicy. Throw in a can of organic, bpa free, (no white liner in the can), diced tomatoes and all your left over beans, (with the "juice"), heat to a simmer and voila'! You have delicious, easy chili, top it with some sliced avocado & bam! you've just served it gourmet! Perfect for a cold winter day!

Think of the time and money you saved fixing that one pot of beans at the beginning of the week or on the weekend! 

I'm hungry, gotta get back to the kitchen now=) I'm making a low glycemic spaghetti dinner tonight! Guess what I'm doing with the left overs over the next couple days? Got any ideas?


Helping You to Select The Best Health,


Sherry

Fell flat on my face! Secret weapon for bruising!

Have you ever fallen or been in an accident that really "banged you up"? Did the bruises take forever to go away? I have. 

Ever heard the expression "I fell flat on my face"? Don't laugh... I fell on my face! Seriously, on my FACE!!! A few years ago I tripped up on a torn up drive way with an armload of stuff and sailed headfirst into concrete. As I was falling, I said to myself  "this is NOT going to be good"! 

Long and short of it, I didn't break anything, but my face looked like I'd been hit by a bus! My upper lip immediately swelled up to my nose...I looked like I had had a bad lip job, you know, I looked like a "duck". When I would walk in some place people either looked at me, like a circus act had come into the store or they would quickly turn away so as not to see the creature! LOL

Thankfully it was temporary. However, I have a history of bruising like a banana & a "slow" healer. Normally that wouldn't be a problem on a leg, arm, etc..but my FACE! What's a girl to do?? There's only so much makeup for that! So I upped my natural anti-inflammatory herbs, like OPC's and also started to use biorutin which helps stop bleeding.

one of many brands of witch hazel

THE NEXT DAY I had to host a house warming for some dear friends..already invited folks, ordered a cake, the whole "enchilada". When my friends came filing in & would see me, they would either gasp, some would politely act like nothing happened or come right out and ask "what happened to you"? 

One friend, an old timer who had raised 9 children (NINE!), told me about an old remedy she used with all those children, witch hazel. I had always heard it used as an astringent, but never used it for bruising. She assured me it would heal a LOT faster if I used it. I figured it was cheap, and what could it hurt..so I got some and saturated a washcloth with it and used ice for a few minutes and then witch hazel. The swelling went down & the bruising went away within a WEEK!!! Wow! Who knew??

Turns out Native Americans knew alot about witch hazel all along! There are many useful links on the multitude of uses for witch hazel! 

So if you ever fall "flat on your face", get up, dust yourself off and break out the witch hazel!

Helping You to Select the Best Health,

Sherry

AstaReal®- Astaxanthin - !!!

Will the REAL Astaxanthin Please Step Forward:

Click on image above to view larger version

Last week I had a post about the "dark side" of supplements. There's a lot of "junk science" out there....and some of it leads to illegal formulas. This is unfortunately part of the supplement industry &  as the consumer you need to be aware. 

Take for example, the super antioxidant , astaxanthin. 

To be sure astaxanathin is a very powerful antioxidant. It is especially effective in cardio vascular benefits as well as eye health and skin. All extremely important as we age! (read multiple benefits here:  Astaxanthin is a carotenoid with antioxidant properties, synthesized by plants and algae, and distributed in marine seafood. In other words its what helps make shrimp & flamingos pink.

AstaREAL®

Prime Astaxanthin Cardio & Visual Vitality Formula is the "real deal". It's formula uses AstaReal® astaxanthin. With high quality and stability, AstaReal® astaxanthin ranks among the purest and most powerful antioxidants available. AstaReal® uses precision cultivation techniques in state-of the-art facilities, producing only 100 percent natural astaxanthin in a purified, sterile environment.*

The providers of this product have exclusive rights to the purest astaxanthin on the market.To learn more about a pure astaxanthin with no synthetic, illegal ingredients click here: Prime Astaxanthin Cardio & Visual Vitality Formula. No back orders right now! (Although after a couple of weeks of it's initial debut it was on back order. Nevertheless the producer never resorted to synthetic, illegal means to make Prime Astaxanthin).

Nice to know there are some companies out there with integrity!

Helping YOU to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

www.selectthebesthealth.com