Diet2health2beauty

Stress is a serious condition in America and it causes many other illnesses, from mild to severe in nature. Many people deal with stress each and every day, and consider it a necessary part of life that does not go away.Stress has many causes. It can stem from home, work or social circumstances. It can be a matter of things that get in the way of your performance, or that make you feel bad about yourself. You may have negative stress from the job you do, the place you live, debt concerns, your physical condition, mental condition, or your home life. Or, it could be that every piece is stressing you.

It’s really not a good plan to sit passively and accept what you have as your lot in life. Stress can take its toll on you both physically and mentally. People who are stressed out might experience the following:

• Confusion, inability to make decisions, forgetfulness
• Poor performance at work, at home and in social settings
• Increased frequency of headaches, stomach pains
• Anxiety & Depression
• Increased frequency of viral infections and allergies
• Physical pain in shoulders, back and neck area

Obviously, stress can be extremely harmful to your body. Don’t plan your life around stress. Find out what it is and do something about it. There are many possibilities.

Did You Know?

• 48% of Americans believe their stress level is higher now than it was five years ago.¹
• Stress causes 54% of Americans to get into fights with people close to them.
• In the last month, 77% of Americans have experienced physical symptoms related to stress.

When you discover what you don’t like in your life, try to change it to relieve stress. It’s not always an easy thing to do, but for your best health, it’s worth the effort. Following are just a few changes you might make, to relieve stress.

• You need to determine what in your life is causing stress reactions. Often in the throes of some difficulty, we can’t see what the problem is. It may be that you need to talk to another person to gain better perspective.
• Express yourself. If you’re a person who generally keeps things in, it may be that your stress will be relieved when you make the change to just talking things out. Begin by talking a little at a time if it’s new to you. You don’t want the new way of being to add negative stress. It may give you some positive stress, work through it because self-expression is not only a good way to cope, but it’s also an important part of being involved in all settings.
• Keep a journal. Another method of expression is a journal. It is a safe way to say anything that you want and writing has a way of clearing your head. It a good practice to do in the morning after meditation. It’s a great way to gain perspective, better insight into who you are and what it is that you want you’re your life, and uncover ways that you may want to change your life to relieve stress.
• Exercise regularly. This is one way to relieve stress with change that actually benefits you in several ways. When you change your life by incorporating exercise into your daily routine, you not only reduce stress but improve you physical health as well.
• Change your diet. If you have an unhealthy diet and your body is not in the best shape, change your eating habits, your menu, or your dining company.
• Plan time to do something you enjoy. If you are not one to plan activities, change to planning activities. It works in several ways. People who plan fun into their hectic schedules have stated that they get more pleasure out of an engagement than if they fell into the activity. Another reason changing to planning activities is that the planning causes the brain to focus on the events, and distracting you from other concerns. A 3rd reason to change to planning is that planning what you can removes the stress of the unknown.
• Change your home life. If you suffer from too much planning, go on an impetuous whim and indulge yourself and your family when you can. If you don’t like where you live, work towards relocating.
• Dr. Group suggests that you look at your life and if you don’t enjoy the life you have, make changes until you get to the life you want. Remember, it’s the only one you get and you really need to make the best of it.

REFERENCES

1. Information taken from http://www.apa.org/releases/stressproblem.html
2. © Copyright 1998 – 2012 | All Rights Reserved www.globalhealingcenter.com

Vitamin E is an important fat-soluble antioxidant compound that aids the body in neutralizing the harmful after-effects of oxidation of fats. Current research is even looking into the important role that this vitamin plays in stopping free-radical production, a key method of preventing the development of chronic diseases and ageing. It is also a vital element in the overall maintenance of a healthy immune system.

Some studies are even looking into its role in preventing degenerative mental imbalances such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. And while many of us may do well in taking extra vitamin E supplements, we can use an organic diet to get a large amount of the daily requirements for this powerful antioxidant lipid. In fact, there are many common foods with vitamin E. You probably have a few in your house right now.

Here are fifteen foods with vitamin E that you should strongly consider adding to your diet.

1. Almonds Almonds are one the best vitamin E foods. Just an ounce of almonds offers a whopping 7.4 milligrams of vitamin E. You can also get your vitamin E needs in the form of almond milk and almond oils. We would recommend eating raw almonds, if possible.

2. Raw Seeds Select raw seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame, are another common food with vitamin E. In fact, eating just ¼ of a cup of sunflower seeds gives you 90.5% of your recommended daily value, making them one of the best vitamin E foods you can eat daily.

3. Swiss Chard Swiss chard is easily one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat on a daily basis. Commonly known to be high in vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C, swiss chard is another food high in vitamin E. Just one cup of boiled swiss chard greens will provide you with almost 17% of your daily recommended values.

4. Mustard Greens Similar to swiss chard, mustard greens are very nutrient dense and will provide a variety of health benefits. Not only are they one of the best vitamin E foods, but mustard greens are also high in vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and vitamin c. Eating just one cup of boiled mustard greens contains about 14% of your daily dietary requirements. We would recommend eating organic mustard greens, if possible.

5. Spinach Spinach may not be your favorite veggie, but it is one of the best leafy greens you can add to your diet. Not only is it one of the best calcium foods and naturally high in folate, it’s also one of the best vitamin E foods as well. Just one cup of boiled spinach will provide you with approximately 20% of your daily needs. Try adding fresh spinach to your sandwiches to make them extra healthy.

6. Turnip Greens While turnip greens may have a slightly bitter taste, they are very high in many essential nutrients. Like the rest of the leafy greens on this list, just one cup will provide you with plenty of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. Not to mention approximately 12% of your daily requirements of vitamin E.

7. Kale Kale is another great cruciferous vegetable you should eat as often as possible. Kale is very high in many nutrients, in fact, just one cup of boiled kale can give you almost 6% of your daily vitamin E requirements. We would recommend eating organic kale, if possible.

8. Plant oils Most plant seed oils are very good sources for Vitamin E as well. The best oil with vitamin E is Wheat germ oil. In fact, one tablespoon of this oil holds 100% of your daily Vitamin E requirements. Sunflower oil is another excellent option, as it provides over 5 mg of the vitamin, and can easily be be used for cooking. Other great Vitamin-E-rich oils include hempseed oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil (with almost 5 mg of vitamin E), olive oil and safflower oil. We would recommend only buying oils that are cold pressed unrefined and organic.

9. Hazelnuts A perfect snack during a long workday, eating just one ounce of hazelnuts can provide you with approximately 20% of our daily requirements of vitamin E. For an alternative to eating nuts, try drinking hazelnut milk in your morning coffee instead of milk or flavored creamer.

10. Pine Nuts Add an ounce of these nuts to anything you please! One serving contains 2.6 mg of vitamin E. You can also use pine nut oil for added health benefits.

11. Avocado Perhaps one of the tastiest foods with Vitamin E, avocados represent natures creamiest, oil-rich food. Just half of an avocado holds more than 2 mg of vitamin E. Avocados are very easy to incorporate into your diet. We would recommend adding sliced avocados to your salad, a sandwich, or mashed up as guacamole!

12. Broccoli For generations now, broccoli has been considered one of the best detox foods, but it’s also one of the healthiest foods high in Vitamin E. Just one cup of steamed broccoli will provide you with 4% of your daily requirements. Broccoli may not be as nutrient dense as other Vitamin E foods on this list, but it is definitely one of the healthiest foods you can eat daily.

13. Parsley An excellent spice, parsley is another great Vitamin E food. Try adding fresh parsley to salads and dishes for an extra Vitamin-E kick. Dried parsley will also provide you with this important vitamin, but the fresher the better.

14. Papaya This popular fruit is most commonly known as one of the best vitamin C foods, but it’s also high in Vitamin E. Just one papaya will give you approximately 17% of your daily needs. Try adding fresh or frozen papaya to fruit smoothies, along with other fruity vitamin E foods on this list for an extra healthy snack!

15. Olives From the oil to the fruit, eating olives is an excellent way of getting your daily needs for vitamin E. Just one cup of olives can give you approximately 20% of your daily recommended amount.

These are just a few examples of foods with vitamin E. There are plenty more that aren’t listed here. Which vitamin E food is your favorite? Let’s hear your thoughts below.

Aloe Vera: The Miracle Plant

Everybody knows aloe vera is great for cuts and sunburns, even bug bites. It’s been called the “First Aid” plant. Aloe vera’s soothing gel inside the thick, succulent leaves is an incredible natural skin care “product.” But what about the rest of the body: are there benefits for your insides too? Actually there are some very powerful benefits from the aloe vera plant. No one plant offers all the health benefits of the aloe vera plant.

Aloe vera is a semi-tropical succulent plant originally from North Africa, and now grown worldwide. It looks like a desert plant. Aloe vera is one of the oldest and most popular medicinal plants known to man. It’s mentioned in ancient documents, including the New Testament, where it was used with other herbs for embalming!¹

The aloe vera plant is constructed with the basic building blocks of life, including essential vitamins and minerals, proteins, polysaccharides, enzymes, and amino acids. (Some people drink aloe vera for physical endurance and stamina, instead of energy drinks!) The bulk of the aloe vera leaf is filled with gel, which is approximately 99% water. The other 1% contains over at least 75 known nutrients including 20 minerals, 12 vitamins, 18 amino acids, 200 active plan compounds called phytonutrients, enzymes and of course, water.

Aloe vera’s incredible effects upon the skin were “re-discovered” in the 70′s and it became wildly popular. It’s now used worldwide in just about every skin and hair care product imaginable. You see, aloe vera gel is an excellent skin moisturizer. It supplies oxygen to the skin cells which in turn increases the strength and synthesis of skin tissue. It rejuvenates the skin, hydrates it, and makes it flexible.

Aloe vera is a potent natural medicine – and there is more and more evidence to show its effectiveness in the treatment of some of the most serious diseases.² ³

• Digestive Ailments

• Inflammation

• Cancer

• Diabetes

Following is a list of only some of the uses of aloe vera. The research is ongoing and there may be more to come. But right now the healing powers of the phenomenal aloe vera plant is undeniable.

• Aloe vera is an antioxidant and cancer fighter, especially colon cancer
• Reduces and stops inflammation, both internally and externally
• Oxygenates blood and energizes cells, hydrates skin and repairs skin tissue
• Aloe vera heals internal digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, acid reflux – cleanses the intestinal tract
• Reduces risk factor for strokes and heart attacks by making “sticky” blood “unsticky,” and boosts the oxidation of your blood, plus circulation
• Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits
• Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance
• Stabilizes blood pressure and reduces triglycerides

There is undeniable evidence now from scientists and herbalists about the benefits of aloe vera³. They tell us only what our ancestors have known for centuries and passed on to succeeding generations. With today’s technological advances, we know more about the dangers as well, and how to use aloe vera safely and effectively.

• Research different Aloe Vera products. Due to the increasing popularity of aloe vera, demand has unfortunately brought a lot of poor quality products to the market. The typical aloe vera liquids available in retail today are extremely weak, and most are damaged by heat and chemicals during processing. They’re formulated with less of this low grade aloe vera, which which doubles the negative impact. This is my personal favorite Organic Aloe Vera Juice.
• Read your labels carefully. Unfortunately the huge disparity in quality, efficacy, purity, and potency between all the different product brands of aloe vera is not always obvious. Read your labels and do your research. Make sure your products have a high Aloe Vera content.
• Purchase organic aloe vera plants. Be sure you get plants that were organically grown, not genetically modified or treated with toxic chemical pesticides.
• Grow your own. That way you can be sure of the organic cultivation, and they are attractive, too.