Antioxidants can help protect our bodies from the negative affects of stress, unhealthy eating habits, pollution, and free radicals. Good antioxidant sources include some fresh or frozen vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other vegetables containing vitamins A, C, E, and selenium. Fruits such as berries are also excellent sources of good disease-fighting antioxidants. Peaches, apples, plums, and melons are also great sources of antioxidants and vitamins.

Berries are considered the number 1 best source of antioxidants, and you can easily find berries and other fruit year around at your local grocery stores – either fresh or frozen. The more variety of the color of the fruit and vegetables you eat, the more complete the array of vitamins and minerals will be for your antioxidant protection.

In addition to making sure your diet includes generous amount of fruits and vegetables, taking a high quality multi-vitamin is important. A high quality multi-vitamin will help fill in the gaps for more complete good vitamin sources in your diet for antioxidant protection.

Fitting a good amount of fruit and vegetables into your diet can be easier if the snacks you eat during the day are fruit and vegetable snacks. If you have some fruit and vegetables already prepared for snacks that you keep in your desk or car, this will make it easier for you to include adequate amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits that can be easily included into your daily snack and meal plans each day.

You can include some pieces of fresh fruit or frozen fruit with a soy protein shake for your breakfast or as a dessert for lunch or dinner. Dried fruits are also a good source of antioxidants and can be handy for a mid day snack. And dried fruits have the benefit of being easy to carry with you in your car, or keep in your desk to have at hand for your healthy snacks. In your array of antioxidant good fruits, be sure to always include your favorite selections of good berries as berries are considered the number 1 good source of antioxidants. Frozen berries are available year around and easy to add to a smoothie, or add to a bowl of cereal.

Many people can benefit from monitoring the glycemic index, also known as GI, of the foods they consume throughout their day. Having a low GI foods list on hand will make this process easy and more successful. There are healthy foods that have a high GI, so being familiar with the various indexes can help a person round out their meals properly so that they will still benefit from eating the lower indexed foods along with the high.

The glycemic index of food is the rate at which individual foods raise a person’s blood sugar after having been consumed. This system ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 100. Foods that are considered low are listed at 55 or less. Medium glycemic foods are rated in the 56 to 69 range. High glycemic foods come in at 70 and above.

People of all types and health levels benefit from a low glycemic diet. The healthy and those with medically diagnosed illnesses, will both gain from the consumption kind of food on a regular basis. From diabetics and hypoglycemics to dieters and athletes, they will all find various rewards in choosing a low glycemic meal plan.

Dieters will find trying to loose weight less difficult when choosing a low GI plan. These types of foods digest slower than others so the person feels full for a longer period of time. This also makes it easier to eat less calories while at the same time not feel continually hungry, because the body’s needs are being met, not deprived. The need to starve oneself or diet strictly using will power to loose weight becomes unnecessary.

When high GI foods are consumed, the body tends to grab its energy from these foods first instead of from stored fats. That makes it much harder for people to be successful in losing weight. By choosing the lower indexed foods to eat, a person is helping the body to burn fat by going to the store of fat first to get its energy.

There are many other good reasons to consume this type food. Sports activities are performed better and people will find they have a more regulated level of energy. Additionally, mood swings can be reduced and diabetes can be controlled when on a low GI meal plan.

Not all healthy ingredients are indexed low on the GI list. But they should still be eaten because they are good for you. If consumed at meals along with low GI foods, the benefits of the low are not tainted. Low GI recipes can easily be obtained from the internet so one can create meals that are a positive mix of both types of foods.

Additionally, some lower indexed consumables are not necessarily low in fat. To help a person control and track the foods they eat, it is easy to obtain a low GI foods list from the internet. There are handy pocket guides available online so that a person can have a directory handy while grocery shopping. Prepackaged, name brand, manufactured foods are found on these lists as well as whole foods. This helps busy families and individuals to still eat healthy meals even when they do not have time to cook from scratch.

Everyone wants good health. However, not everyone shares a common definition of what good health is, though a common starting point for any definition would have to include the term “nutrition”. Proper nutrition is required to keep a human body functioning, but just what is nutrition? Simply put, nutrition is everything we consume that contributes to our health. Nutrition is all the vitamins, minerals and foods that supply the basic needs for life.

In other words, good nutrition is the key to preventing a plethora of health problems. Diet, the food we consume, can either serve to prevent disease or encourage negative health issues. Physical issues from chronic fatigue to skin and hair problems are often related to nutritional issues. A well balanced diet ensures that nutrients are properly distributed to all areas of the body. Conversely, an imbalance contributes to everything from that feeling of being too tired to get up in the morning to male impotence. The secret is to find a balance that works for maintaining a quality of life that only comes from good health.

The human body requires many elements to function properly – to have proper nutrition. At the top of the list is water, followed by carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Each of the elements has a function in keeping the human body healthy, and an excess or shortage of any one element can produce negative health outcomes. While there are arguments about which of them is most important, the simple fact is that we need to concentrate on finding a balance that meets the needs of the human body.

Diet is the primary element in maintaining a healthy nutritional balance. While some nutrients can be obtained from consuming nutritional supplements, the foods available should serve to meet the body’s normal requirements. By being cognizant of our nutritional needs, foods can be selected that meet those needs. Unfortunately, this skill does not always come naturally. Each consumer must take the time to become aware of how the human body functions and what foods allow those functions to properly occur.

Only by properly meeting nutritional needs can humans maintain health and guard against illness. And only by recognizing that the human body is essentially an engine that needs specific fuels can humans enjoy good health. Vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the fuels that keep human bodies running smoothly. By educating ourselves on which foods provide those nutrients our collective health can be improved, with a corresponding improvement in our quality of life.

First of all, I want to say that I’m not a mental health professional. I was a high school social studies teacher and in education for 34 years, and I do have Mental Health First Aid certification, but still, these suggestions are only personal opinion and do not represent professional advice.

• The first recommendation deals with sleep. Most professionals recommend eight hours of sleep per night for adults. More than eight hours may lead to depression or at least sluggishness. Less than eight hours may lead to anxiety or nervousness. However, I maintain that sleep does not have to be completed in one block of time. Personally, I sleep for about three hours, work on projects for an hour or two, sleep for another one or two hours; then I nap once or twice during the day when I’m tired. Sometimes naps last an hour, sometimes only ten minutes. I think the key is to sleep when your body tells you it needs rest. Of course, I’m semi-retired, and my schedule may not work for most professionals.

• A conscientious diet is helpful for mental stability. I recommend a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids. Those can include, most nuts and seeds, but most helpful are walnuts, sunflower seeds, ground flaxseeds, and soaked chia seeds. I like to soak my chia seeds in milk overnight and that combination ends up similar to a tapioca pudding. Cold water fish provide substantial omega-3 fatty acids – sardines, salmon, trout, char, and herring lead the parade in this area. Avocado is another helpful food in this area. Low fat proteins are helpful including beans, chicken, fish, and turkey. Of course a diet grounded around fruits and vegetables is important, and finally probiotics are helpful for digestion. Those can include pickles, sauerkraut, and yogurt.

• Another important step includes respect – respect yourself, treat yourself, and value yourself. Find a hobby like fishing; go to a nice restaurant or a movie once a month, keep a journal of your thoughts, or even go shopping.

• Exercise is another important aspect that bolsters your self-esteem and overall mental health. An outdoor walk, especially in a park or the woods – that provides, fresh air, strength, and the sun can provide much needed vitamin D to stave off depression.

• Finally, it is helpful to engage with others face-to-face. Conversation can provide a feeling of worth. It is beneficial to get off the smart phone and deal with people in person.

These five keys will not guarantee good mental health, but they will go a long way toward that end.

Never underestimate the benefits of a good education. Thomas Jefferson would have hit the nail right on the head if instead of putting, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, he instead penned the words, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Health and Education.”

Education, health and happiness are inextricably linked, according to an increasing number of studies pointing to a direct connection between education and quality of life. A conversation about quality living would most assuredly have to include references to strength, stamina, vigor… all by-products of good health.

The highway of education is paved with a fundamental and far-reaching approach to learning that forges knowledge in a variety of subjects, including health. Once you have the knowledge, it then becomes much easier to make the right decisions throughout life about health and everything else.

“Knowledge is power,” wrote author Veronica Roth. Knowledge opens doors, breaks down barriers and levels the playing field. Without it, we wander through life unaware of the possibilities around us and unsure of the decisions in front of us. With it, we are able to recognize the good and bad in things and make decisions based on observation, intelligence and informed judgment.

After learning about the concept of healthy living, and as happens with many of life’s daily responsibilities when accompanied by knowledge, a process of education ignites within us. Because our brain has absorbed information important for being healthy, we begin the process of learning how to be healthy. The cycle continues.

To answer the questions introduced from this new awareness, we then focus on those things which help us accomplish our goal of achieving and maintaining wellness. Suddenly, our brain prompts our body to make the necessary adjustments which can promote a healthy lifestyle in us. In a short amount of time, health becomes something you think about more than only when you must.

Health is primarily defined as ‘a state of complete emotional and physical well-being’. Achieving optimum health and wellness is a challenge for everybody, educated or not. However, having the knowledge necessary to attain and maintain good health, is a perfect example of how learning can positively affect every aspect of your daily existence.

Dr. Seuss had it right, “The more you read, the more things you will know. The more things you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

Ideally a life-long process, learning stimulates the brain, triggers a physical response, and helps to identify almost unlimited avenues of education. Education, in turn, creates a foundation for life which translates, almost unconsciously, across limitless aspects of life, including health and wellness.

Numerous studies have established the importance and long-term benefits of early childhood education on a person’s well-being. According to the Economic Opportunity Institute, “Early childhood learning plays a crucial role in primary education. By focusing early in childhood on prevention and protective factors, quality care and information can help children to grow up healthy.”

The report went on to state, “… quality early learning and care before the age of five has found it is associated with improvement in a range of educational and social measures, some of which have been documented many years after the care.”

While it has been proven that genetic characteristics structured in our DNA do certainly play a role in health and longevity, addressing the core issue of education – early and continued engaged learning – can provide a wide array of positive benefits for the brain, the body, and for society in general.

The generation of Americans called, for want of a better term, “baby boomers” are getting older and health issues are now a factor in maintaining quality of life.

The “baby boomers” who are classified as those Americans born directly after World War II in the period 1945 – 1950 represent an large segment of the population because of the disruption in the birth rate caused by the dislocation of World War II. As they get older, maintenance of good health and a healthy lifestyle becomes paramount in their existence.

Health Problems

The major health problems today faced by almost all members of the population and particularly “baby boomers’ fall into three major categories:

• Heart Disease
• Type II Diabetes
• Cancer

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the major killer of Americans and affects almost every American family. But the chances of heart problems increase with age. Heart disease includes heart attacks, strokes and other cardio vascular problems. High blood pressure or Hypertension is also a significant cardio vascular problem.

Type II Diabetes

Generally linked to obesity, Type II Diabetes is a major problem affecting the general population and particularly “baby boomers”. It can be fatal in many cases and seriously reduces the quality of life.

Cancer

Cancer comes in many forms and all forms are serious. Although medical treatment has significantly improved in recent times, prevention is still the best cure. Some of the most preventable forms of cancer are colon and prostrate cancer and these two forms are major threats to “baby boomers”

Modern Medicine

Modern medicine, coupled with breakthroughs in research has dramatically improved the odds on surviving all three major health issue faced by “baby boomers”. Nevertheless prevent is the bedrock of a quality lifestyle and good health. No matter how successful the treatment, it is always best to avoid the onset of disease.

What Do All These Major Diseases Have In Common?

Many types of heart disease and cancer can be prevented and type II diabetes can be avoided by maintaining a healthy life style that includes proper diet, regular exercise, reduction of stress techniques and periodic medical checkups. All these techniques are interrelated but proper diet is particularly important because of the contaminants in our environment and the adulteration with harmful chemicals of modern food processing.

Our modern food processing techniques rely of the addition of harmful chemicals and unsafe amounts of sodium and other preservatives in an effort to make our food convenient and appealing. Over the long run these products can degrade overall health and make consumers vulnerable to major diseases.

The inclusion of sugars and other flavorings also increase the chances of type II diabetes.

What is Considered a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet is considered by most medical professionals as the first step to good health. Most doctors agree that a healthy diet is one that includes greater amounts of fruits and vegetables, high fiber, and reduced amounts of red meat. Processed foods, high sodium foods, sugar based beverages and coffee should be avoided.

Tea is a great substitute as a beverage because it is high in antioxidants and low in caffeine. Tea comes in many varieties and delicious flavor and can be consumed and enjoyed without the use of sugar. Drinking at least 5 cups a day is a good way to elevate good health and a sense of well being. Tea also has been used throughout history to restore health, reduce stress and support stress reduction techniques.

The health benefits of tea are well documented throughout history. Tea emerged over 5,000 years ago as a health drink and the anti-oxidants and polyphenols have helped millions of people restore good health and maintain a healthy life style. Tea also became popular as a pleasant tasting drink any time of the day.

Baby Boomers, start living a health lifestyle through proper diet, regular exercise, reduction of stress and regular check ups. Cure disease by avoiding it in the first place.

Have you made a New Year’s resolution to exercise more this year but you just can’t get motivated to stick with the program? Have you ever thought about learning to clog? Clogging is great exercise and you can burn 500 calories an hour while you’re having fun doing it.

There are free online clogging lessons geared to the very beginning clogger with slow, repetitive YouTube lessons. The lessons are progressive, teaching the style of clogging and the basic steps that you can learn at your own pace at home. Not only will you get great exercise, but you’ll feel good about yourself in mastering the basic steps on your own and laying the foundation to be able to progress to intermediate or even advanced clogging.

If you want to be held accountable and be assured that you complete the lessons, why not invite a friend to learn with you? That way you can both get the foundation that you need to progress to the intermediate phase and have a blast doing it. When you become proficient at the basic steps, you can both join a local clogging group, rather than doing it alone. You won’t feel like a fish out of water because you’ll already know the basic steps and you will be able to keep up with the rest of the group.

Another suggestion is to learn to clog as a family unit. Clogging is very family oriented, great exercise, and allows you to spend quality time together. Heaven knows, we need more family oriented activities. Learning together and realizing your accomplishments can be so rewarding.

Have you seen the cloggers on “So You Think You Can Dance” or “America’s Got Talent”? Who knows? I may see you on one of these shows in the near future and I hope I can say you got started because you read this article.

It’s been known for some time that a good daily exercise routine can help both improve a person’s physical health and also their mental outlook as well. The body just seems to respond well to being kept in tune. But even further advancement in mind/body health has been brought about in recent years through the use of the pilates exercise method.

Joseph Pilates formulated the basic exercises that comprise the system over 70 years ago, and so the system of graceful movements is named after him. Of course, since that time many more exercises have been added and refinements made, but many of the original exercises are still in use as well.

Pilates felt that the mind and body were connected as a unit and that the mind could help strengthen and control the body’s health if focused properly. So he worked up a system of movements that must be done gracefully and accompanied with proper breathing techniques to build up the core muscles of the body and enhance flexibility in the process. His work became quickly adopted when he opened his studio in New York City and since then has been carried on and expanded after his death.

Pilates exercises try to build strength and stamina not through aerobic and weight training as much as controlled body movements that use isometric principles instead. They can be performed just about anywhere and the only really necessary piece of equipment is a mat upon which to lie down.

Although pilates may sound like a very simple thing to do, there is more to it than you may initially think. Of course, it can be very gentle for those who have been injured and need to start slowly, but for those who are long time practitioners pilates can be challenging as it calls for stretching almost every muscle in your body as you go through the movements and to even hold those stretches for a period of time.

But pilates has another very beneficial effect on one’s health as it contributes to a positive and relaxed mental outlook. That is something that many people would love to have these days, and so they are surprised to learn that pilates can help in this area. But the combination of breathing exercises and total concentration on the movements seems to help many release the worries that cloud their mind from each day’s activity as they go through their pilates workout.

So if you feel that you need to improve both your physical and mental health, why not take a good long look at pilates to see if it can benefit you? It doesn’t take much to get started, and is not expensive at all like other fitness routines. There is no time like the present to begin.

Surgical stainless steel waterless cookware is fast replacing traditional cookware made of Teflon, aluminum, glass porcelain, light stainless-steel and iron, as they have been identified through scientific research as a more salubrious and efficacious cooking medium than their substitutes. The difference between surgical stainless steel and ordinary light steel is that the former contains nickel and chromium unlike the latter.

A joint research study for evaluating waterless cookware, conducted by the Bradley University home-science student- faculty team showed that high quality Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware produced cooking results with higher rated tastes and lesser percentage contraction losses than non-stick pans used on electric-stove-tops. This cookware also was found to be the best option for cooking on induction stove-tops.

Types

There are two varieties of surgical stainless steel used to make waterless cookware- the 304 and 316 versions. The main aspect that distinguishes the two is that 316-variety has a higher amount of chromium and Nickel than 304-version; it also has an extra component- Molybdenum-2-3%. Theses additional features make 316 surgical steel able to withstand corrosion caused by Sodium Chloride. Therefore, if you reside near coastal areas with high exposure to sea salt by waterless cookware made of 316 surgical stainless stains for utensil durability. However this cookware will be costlier than those made of 304 surgical steel.

Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware could be non-vacuum, meaning it cooks food with steam at 100 degrees Celsius; The vacuum variety incorporates a steam control valve mechanism on the utensil lid so as to make cooking possible using a partial- vacuum vapor seal. This cookware helps the foods to cook by the steam they let off and by the water they were rinsed with. However, you will have to add 1/8 inch of water to meet basic steam requirements. There are 5 Ply and 7 Ply variants for use on various cooking stoves.

Features and Advantages

Both 304 and 316 ranges possess a high tensile strength of 84-185 ksi and yield strength of 42-140 ksi making them strong and durable.

This kitchenware tends to save cooking time and creates cooking fuel economies through uniform heat distribution from the heat source. This cookware cooks faster than a pressure cooker, which also involves steam cooking, because it does not require steam build-up within the vessel to cook food. Hence, it does not heating to the temperature required to boil water in a pressure-cooker.

In vacuum versions when you lower the heat as steam escapes through the valve during cooking, the firm vapor seal, a ringlet of water that develops between the lid and the pot, enables food to cook fast.

The dishes concocted in these vessels retain their nutrition, fiber and vitamin content, enzymes and juices even after cooking. In comparison to other cookware, they use 25% less heat and complete the cooking process in half the normal cooking time.

Steam cooking in this cookware eliminates the need to use oil for cooking thus saving you from obesity, cholesterol and heart diseases.

It is healthy as surgical stainless steel is impermeable in nature and prevents toxic heavy metals from leaching into the food from the vessel.

Surgical stainless steel possesses a tremendous stain resistant property. Burnt spots can be removed just by boiling water in the pot and light stains can be cleaned with cleaners and paper towel wipes.

Costs

Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware is available at reasonable prices in the USA. A complete set can be bought for approximately $500-1000. Since any type of kitchen tools can be used with this sturdy cookware, you don’t need to spend extra on special accessories for use in conjunction with the basic set. The manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their products.

Tips

Buy Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware that is heavy, as the weight implies the steel is of premium quality. Choose utensils with thicker bottoms that evenly cook the food throughout the pot through uniform distribution of heat. Thick bottoms also preserve warmth of the food longer after cooking is over.

To quicken cooking times, don’t lift the lid during the cooking process while preparing food using this cookware to prevent the inner steam and heat from being lost.

When the steam is released through the valve during cooking instead of waiting for the whistle to blow, lower the flame heat intensity. This will also have the effect of conserving energy.

Using soft, non-abrasive cleaning materials will help enhance durability and sustain the gleam of this cookware for longer durations.

If you utilize an induction stove in your kitchen look out for the 7 Ply Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware that has a carbon steel layer sandwiched between the surgical stainless steel layers for better heat distribution and cooking results.

I was walking my dog today after a storm had cleared out. It was near sunset and the remaining fluffy white clouds were starting to take on color. I felt the joy of what the evening offered and had fun walking and throwing Marty his ball. I felt the excitement and joy of his natural energy, thus making me feel the life coming back into me – the joy – the energy to enjoy what remains.

Good health is crucial in enjoying what Mother Nature throws you. To walk, to hike, to run through the woods, on trails, to the neighbors is a joy reserved for those who can.

But how can you enjoy it if you don’t have good health. A healthy body is crucial to having a good quality of life. And good health is critical for the more serious challenges in life. You need to be able to change directions in a split second or to help in an emergency.

Back to Marty – youth helps of course. He’s young, sprints like no tomorrow, rests or walks a few seconds to recover before giving the ball back to me for more sprinting to release his pent up energy. He is at the height of health, feeling joy in what he loves to do – retrieving the ball.

So how do we translate this to us? Well, what physical activities give us joy and energy? Well, for me, it’s hiking, walking, sprinting without falling down – to enjoy nature. I love to work out with my favorite energizing music to build up my strength to enjoy the good things in life. What about you? What active things do you like to do? What energizes you? How can you improve your quality of life to help you achieve it?

And, no, TV is not energizing. Computers certainly do not create physical energy. Most video games do not energize. There are some games that try to encourage activity, but, well…not enough to build lots of muscle to burn fat or to give you a strong and healthy body.

So what to do?

Your diet is important in giving you energy – life. Wholesome, natural healthy UNPROCESSED FOODS are best – fruits, vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats like raw nuts, avocados and olive oil and such. Water to flush toxins out of your system.

And exercise that helps strengthen your body, heart and lungs, builds muscle and burns fat. So how do you go about choosing your diet and exercise?

There are all kinds of diet and exercise programs out there. Some are more rigid than others. And some are simply unsafe and unhealthy. Certainly more than be covered here.

The Abs Truth Now connection has sifted through much of what is out there and will give you honest answers and great ideas on both exercise and diet. Follow this healthy six pack abs program for an overall strong and healthy body. Then go out and enjoy this good health to feel the joy and excitement of your natural energy and what excites you most. Your quality of life.

Be Healthy,

Renee’ Barnes-Orozco

P.S. Please check with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program.