Health Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Saved by the Kale

5 Foods That Will Make Your Skin Glow

August 2, 2013

This list of foods may not be the first foods that you think of when you think of healthy, glowing skin, but they pack a powerful punch! Give them a try and see for yourself.

1. Turmeric – It not only makes tasty curries but it is great for your skin. It helps to reduce irritation to the skin and prevent skin damage. Turmeric has the ability to fight free radicals and is an excellent antioxidant. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that gives it the dark yellow color and may help to prevent or treat cancer.

I recommend Indus Organic Turmeric (Curcumin)

2. Ginger – Ginger is turmeric’s cousin. It is an excellent antioxidant and is great at reducing inflammation. Make a ginger tea, and let it improve your skin from the inside out. It cleans the toxins out of your system and improves blood circulation. It also improves skin tone and helps with getting rid of blemishes. Add a little zing to your day!

3. Salmon – Salmon is one of the foods richest in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are healthy fats that nourish the skin by reducing the body’s production of inflammatory substances and decreasing clogged pores.

4. Green Tea – It contains a high concentration of polyphenols, which is a type of powerful antioxidant.. Polyphenols fight free radicals, the compounds responsible for altering cells and damaging DNA. Applying green tea topically can even reduce skin damage. If you are not sipping water then try adding several cups of green tea a day into your diet!

5. Avocados – Not only are avocados delicious they are packed with vitamins and nutrients. You can find vitamin B, K, C, and E in this wonderful fruit. The B vitamins help your body’s metabolism and its maintenance of a healthy skin tone. In addition to eating avocados there are many face mask recipes using the fruit. Avocados are great moisturizers, so if you want a glow try eating a couple of avocados a week or try a facial mask!

So if you are looking to improve your skins look and texture try adding some of these delicious foods into your diet.

Photo Credit: Barbara.K via Compfight cc

5 Easy Ways to Naturally Increase Your Energy

July 21, 2013

Mait Jüriado via Compfight

Feeling a little less energetic lately? Need a kickstart? Read on to learn some easy ways to increase your energy naturally.

1. Eat a Proper Breakfast

Let’s start with breakfast, after all it does jumpstart your day. Breaking the fast soon after rising supplies your body with a jolt of fuel that sets the tone for the whole day. So many people find themselves rushed in the morning and reach for something easy and quick, which is usually full of sugar and will leave you feeling tired after an hour and reaching for something else to snack on. Time spent planning breakfast is much more valuable than the few extra minutes of sleep you might get by skipping the morning meal.

Think outside the box. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a bowl of cereal or granola bar. Try a green smoothie, top a piece of whole grain toast with your favorite hummus, eat a bowl of fresh fruit, mash up an avocado and spread it on a piece of toast or bagel, the possibilities are endless. All of these options only need a few minutes of preparation and planning.

You will feel so much better about yourself and your nutrition knowing you started the day off right. When eating a proper breakfast becomes part of your regimen you start having ownership of it, become more consistent, and feel that you’re making a change for the better.

2. Drink More Water

Drink, Drink, Drink….More water that is! Keep a bottle, thermos, or glass of water with you at all times. When we are thirsty our bodies are often fatigued, and if we wait until we feel thirsty then we are already dehydrated. Even slight dehydration can leave you feeling tired and lethargic. When you feel tired your first thought might be to reach for your favorite coffee drink or soda to give you a quick pick me up, but it ultimately decreases energy levels further by provoking dehydration because caffeine has a diuretic effect on the body. Drinking enough water will boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue. Start by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day.

3. Just Move

Many of us are sitting for hours at a desk, staring at a computer screen. Get up and move around for a few minutes every hour if you can. Just standing up sometimes can make a difference. Another fun option might be getting a standing desk, one that you can adjust from sitting to standing. You will be amazed at what a change this could make in your daily life. On your lunch break get some fresh air take a quick 10 minute walk. When you start moving even for a few minutes it will increase your energy and boost your metabolism.

“And what is a man without energy? Nothing – nothing at all.”
– Mark Twain

4. Be Social

We are made to be social, and those of us who have strong support systems to turn to have an easier time coping stress at home or work. I don’t think we realize how much stress can really drain us. This is why one of the classic signs of depression is fatigue. By socializing with supportive happy people we can increase our energy levels because happiness becomes contagious to everyone around.

5. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to feeling good and having energy throughout the day. Your day will be much more productive and you will feel much better after a restorative night of sleep. Research has shown that we should try to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep at night, not a night of tossing and turning. It’s a good idea to give yourself time to wind down about an hour before bedtime. Read a book, take a bath, do something relaxing. You will be better prepared for a night of quality sleep. If you find it hard to shut off your mind at night and you keep thinking of things to do, then keep a list handy and write them down and then let them go!

Your Take?

What energy boosting tips do you have? What will you do to increase your energy today? Share it with us in the comments below!

5 Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily

July 5, 2013

Tea is the one of the most popular drinks second only to water. I have been a tea drinker off an on for years, mostly white tea although my true love has always been coffee. This last year I have been learning alot more about green tea and all it has to offer and let me tell you the list is long! Here are a few of the things…

1. High in Antioxidants

Green Tea contains EGCG which is a powerful antioxidant: there are more EGCG found in green tea than any other type of catechin, and it is known for being the potent antioxidant of the catechin group. Besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The EGCG in green tea has been found to be twice as powerful as resveratrol an antioxidant found in red wine. Just 1 gram of green tea leaves contains 127 milligrams of catechins. Dark Chocolate comes in a distant second.

2. Good for your Skin

The catechins found in green tea help to fight against damage caused by free radicals. UV radiation from sunlight is the most common cause of free radicals in skin cells which causes premature aging. The antioxidants in green tea slow down aging by neutralizing these free radicals.

3. Helps to Relieve Stress

So, now we know that green tea can help prevent cancer and protect your skin, but did you also know that it can help to improve your mood! Theanine, an amino acid in green tea provides a calming, destressing effect by being able to cross the blood-brain barrier, where it blocks the stimulating effects of caffeine and lowers stress and anxiety. Research suggests that drinking five or more cups of green tea daily may reduce the incidence of psychological distress by 20 percent! So, the next time you are feeling overstressed take a very minutes to enjoy a warm cup of green tea or two.

4. Helps to Burn Fat

The catechins in green tea may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat. ECGC works to stimulate the central nervous system and releases fat into the blood stream, so that the body can use the fat as fuel. This process of using fat as fuel is known as thermogenesis, and it involves the production of extra energy, the shedding of excess water and the burning of body fat.

5. Lowers Blood Pressure

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the most common form of heart disease. Research has found that if you drink 1/2 cup of green tea daily for at least a year you could reduce your risk of developing hypertension by 46%. If you were to drink 2 1/2 cups of tea each day you could reduce your risk by 65%.

These are just a few of the wonderful benefits that green tea could have in store for you. So, do yourself a favor and drink of a cup of green tea today!

A couple helpful links for more information:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/486339-does-green-tea-relieve-stress/#ixzz2M6LLdm6U

http://www.amazing-green-tea.com/green-tea-antioxidants.html#sthash.sJWODAlz.dpuf

Question:

Do you enjoy drinking tea, if so what kind?

What I Ate Wednesday

June 24, 2013

What I Ate Wednesday is a weekly peek into what I’m eating throughout the day. These are the meals and snacks that I had on Tuesday. Follow along and comment with what you ate!

My usual morning cup of coffee w/ a little stevia and french vanilla.

I didn’t have a lot of time this morning since I was getting my oldest ready for soccer camp and then I knew we were going to Panera for breakfast so I made a quicker smoothie since I knew I wanted to gets some “greens” in before Panera.

So this was Kale, Pineapple and Banana.

At Panera I had a soy mocha and a spinach and bacon souffle.

For lunch today I had a spinach salad with sweet potato chunks, broccoli, onions, avocado, and pineapple. Also had some gazpacho that I made on Monday. It was really good, this was my first time making it.

A friend sent me the Gazpacho recipe that she got from simplyrecipes.com. Here it is below.

Gazpacho Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (omit for vegetarian option)
4 cups tomato juice

METHOD

Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.

Yield: Serves 8.

During the afternoon I had 2 more cups of green tea (not pictured) and about half of this bottle of Passionberry Bliss Kombucha,

Then for dinner I had something planned to cook but I misread the instructions and I wasn’t going to have enough time to make it so we ended up with Carrabba’s takeout. I ordered the Tag Pic Pac with Shrimp which is one of my favorite dishes because it is a little lighter. The sauce is just olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic, I also got it with Whole Grain Spaghetti. With the pasta I got some Minestrone soup.

and that concludes WIAW!