Sleep More...Argue Less...Protect your HEART!

Sleep More * Argue Less * Protect YOUR Heart

"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." 

-Maya Angelou

As many of you know, I am an Independent Beachbody Coach.  I am still trying to launch my own personal fitness goals and make them happen and to be honest, I have good days and I have bad days! 

So, I wanted to have a little fun about health.  Some facts that I have found on the internet that can help us all with Sleep, Blood Sugar and the benefits of Going for a Walk!

Just Tart Cherry Organic Cherry juice b R. W. Knudsen

Sip yourself Asleep

File this one under "bizarre but worth a shot": Tart cherry juice could get you more shut-eye. In a small new study, insomniacs who drank 8 ounces of the stuff twice a day slept an impressive 84 more minutes per night than they did when given a placebo juice.  (SAY WHAT?)  Previous research has pointed to the cherries' naturally occurring hormone melatonin as the key soporific ingredient.  Look for juice made from Montmorency tart cherries, which have the highest concentration of this wonderfully snoozy compound.  CRAZY right!  (Source: Experimental Biology 2014 annual meeting)

So, to sum it all up- SOUR CHERRIES MAKE YOUR SLUMBER SWEETER! 

Romantic tip: Watch your Blood Sugar

You know that special kind of cranky you get when you skip lunch!  It might put your love life in jeopardy.... 107 married couples followed a study and found that the lower a person's blood sugar, the more he or she took it out on a partner!  (This effect was true regardless of gender- eek!)  

So, you haven't eaten in 4 hours- the glucose in your blood drops precipitously- Brain cells don't have a backup glucose storage system, so the brain is the first organ to detect that you're running on empty- CUE BRAIN FOG!  - Adrenaline kicks in, speeding your heart rate (an evolutionary thing- so you can hunt down food, of course!) - your system becomes flooded with STRESS hormone, causing anxiety, headaches, and the shakes- Sans Fuel, your brain diverts energy from any efforts at self control- Anger, Aggression, and a BIG Mood Swing get free rein- COMMENCE SPOUSAL SQUABBLE!!

How to FIX IT?  - Reach for something WHOLE GRAIN, with more than 5 g of fiber to keep you satisfied.  Avoid high-sugar foods, which will send blood glucose into free fall later and restart the hanger cycle. 

How do you Prevent it?  Eat EVERY 4 hours! Carry a prevention snack on your at all times in case of emergency- WHOLE GRAIN, remember!

Source:  PNAS

Let's MOVE

Here's some old advice:  Go for a walk to clear your head.  New research from Stanford University confirms that moving forward is an effective strategy for freer thinking. Walkers had 60% more creative ideas than their seated peers, and they did not even have to go outside (or break a sweat) to get results - a leisurely treadmill stroll facing a boring blank wall worked too!

Researchers think that walking might hog enough of our brainpower to let in ideas we'd normally filter out. No need for a treadmill desk, by the way; the creative edge lasts even after you stop ambling and sit!

26%  is how much lower the risk of heart failure is among optimistic older adults, compared with the most pessimistic party poopers, according to a new study.  SOURCE: Circulation: Heart-Failure

Hold the FRIES

A diet HIGH in certain fats could up your risk of two types of Breast Cancer, according to a new decade-long study of more than 337,000 European Women.  This is the first study to pinpoint a specific association between diet and the cancers linked to estrogen levels gone haywire, which represents up to 60% of breast cancer cases.  The researchers advise keeping your saturated fat to a minimum of replacing it with monounsaturated fats (found in foods like olive oil and avocados).  Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute

The KINGs of the Vegetable World...

Did you know that bok choy, Brussels sprout, kale and cabbage (cruciferous) are the Kings of the Vegetable World?  If you eat then, you owe them for lowering your inflamation levels, per a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  Women who reported eating more cruciferous vegetables had up to 25% lower levels of markers of inflammation than those who didn't partake. Eating more veggies, period, also cuts inflammation, but no category had a great impact than the cruciferous kind!  (Eat your Brussels Sprout!!) 

All day Energy?

So, if you are like me, you get up and take your B12 vitamin to help your body get through the long day you have ahead of you! 

Well, I recently have been "playing with my food" and trying to find Clean Eating that I actually like.  How can I eat clean and get energy to last ALL Day? (I feel like this is a Quest!)

Here is a little Clean Eating Energy guide I think is Perfect! (just saying!)

7 am  Skip refined carbs- they zap energy and can impair cognition later in the day. Go for 1 scramble egg and a cup of Muskmelon!

9:30 - 11:30 am  This is when cortisol levels (and energy) naturally dip a bit, so coffee has its biggest impact here!

10 am - Go nuts!  Go for 1.5 oz of almonds- you might find yourself less hungry feeling throughout the rest of you day!

1 pm- Lunch Time! Add half an avocado to decrease appetite by 40% for up to 5 hours. (Wouldn't that be yummy in a salad too!)

2 pm- Water time! Sip water or herbal tea between your meals to fight dehydration. Did you know that women report more headaches and poorer moods- Drink up Ladies!

3 pm- Fight the slump (I so get into the slump) with a light but yummy snack.  Try Greek yogurt with blueberries and a drizzle of honey -or- carrots and humus.

6 pm- Keep dinner balanced but not too heavy- don't go for greasy or spicy because that could cause sleep issues and leave you groggy in the morning. (Brown rice, Brussels Sprouts and Fish or Chicken?) 

8 pm- Time for a light, carb-rich snack!  This will help you sleep and allow you to wake up refreshed.  My idea is a banana!!

Seems like a lot of food throughout the day right! Balance is most important! It is hard to start eating right after you are so used to eating whatever, whenever you want. 

Let's talk Clean Eating and HONEY

So, I am getting into this Clean Eating thing that is all the talk around the Beachbody coaches water cooler, right!

Honey Hoopla

Sometimes that golden goo doesn't come straight from the bees. (I know, some of you are scratching your head in amazement!)  Honey is one of the MOST adulterated foods on earth, many companies mix it with cheaper sweeteners, like corn syrup or sugar to cut costs but still call it HONEY on the label.  The FDA recently got wise to these antics and announced guidelines that call for full disclosure when honey's cut with anything else.  If you want the REAL THING, look for PURE honey on the ingredients label- and re shelve anything that list "honey blend" as an ingredient.

See, this is why when doing the Clean Eating Thang- it is important to 

CHECK YOUR LABELS!

Amazon Flat Skewers $19!

Tidbit:  We all love grilled vegetables (think Kabobs) but seriously, who is OVER your veggies falling off of you skewers into the open fire below?  I found FLAT skewers and they are NOTHING SHORT of AHMAZING! Seriously, nothing falls off because instead of the round tiny skewer, we are all used to, these babies are FLAT and about a half inch in diameter and are perfect!!

I found mine at Amazon- they come in a set of 6 and cost only $19- well worth it I might add!

(I love grilled cherry tomatoes and mushrooms- think this is on my menu for dinner tonight!)

I am looking for suggestions and ideas on more Clean Eating recipes!  Email me your ideas to have them featured on my BLOG!  KAM0900@yahoo.com!

Thanks everyone! Hope we all learned something new today! 

~KEL