Give These 10 Power Foods To Give You Energy and Rev Up Your Engine

An Oldie But A Goodie!

Everyday that I write this blog I become more and more aware of how important the right diet is for our overall health, immune system, body weight, energy level, moods and so much more. If you are anything at all like me then you need all the energy you can get to keep up with all the things each day puts in front of you. The below foods will get and keep you going full of energy as well as giving your immune system a nice boost.

Healthy Foods To Give You A Natural Boost

**Berries-Ooooohhhh, I love berries and now I have even more reasons! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries are high in vitamin and fiber content, they're an excellent source of antioxidants, compounds that protect our bodies from the stress of day to day living, and fresh berries are kind to the waistline; they are naturally high in water and low in calories. Dried berries also provide excellent nutrition, but since most of the water is missing, their calories are more concentrated and you’ll usually wind up eating more of them.

**Citrus-Citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C; one orange has a whole day’s requirement.They’re also loaded with soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and helps you to manage your weight.

**Salmon-Cold-water fish, like salmon, mackerel and herring, are premiere sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. These are fats our bodies can’t produce, so it’s essential we include them in our diet. If you read my post about healthy hair, you will notice salmon was included in that post as well.

**Vegetables-There’s no such thing as a bad vegetable so eat up. Vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, and are a crucial component of any healthy eating plan. Orange and yellow-hued veggies like winter squash, carrots and sweet potatoes and leafy greens contain carotenoids, a pigment our body converts to vitamin A. Eating lots of these vegetables will help maintain healthy skin and hair, protect against prostate cancer, promote healthy vision and even provide protection from sunburn. Lycopene, the plant chemical responsible for the ruby red of tomatoes and watermelon, is believed to fight cancer and promote heart health. Green vegetables like broccoli and spinach are sky-high in potent anti-cancer compounds like sulforaphane and quercitin.

**Nuts and Seeds-Almonds, pecans and pistachios are rich in protein. Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids. Toss sesame seeds in a meal for extra calcium and vitamin E. Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are particularly good sources of phytosterols, also known as plant sterols, which promote heart health. These are easy to take with you for on the go energy. I take nuts everywhere and eat them all day. As I have mentioned probably a hundred times-nuts are my number one diet secret!

**Olive oil-Olive oil is an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that may lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol. It contains Vitamin E and antioxidants and is an excellent replacement for unhealthy saturated fats like butter. I take a spoon full of olive oil before eating spaghetti so the bad fats in the pasta can't make me fat. Extra virgin olive oil is also great for healthy skin.

**Tea- Recent studies have shown drinking green tea might boost metabolism, oolong teas can lower blood sugar, and black teas can promote oral health. Tea contains half the caffeine of coffee and packs a punch of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants believed to protect against heart disease, certain cancers and stroke.

**Legumes-Beans, peas, peanuts and lentils are all part of the legume family. Legumes are rich in folic acid, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc and antioxidants. Their high protein and complex carbohydrates provide steady energy that lasts for hours. Also great for vegetarians (like me) who need protein.

**Whole grains-They’re delicious, inexpensive and packed with protein, B vitamins, minerals and fiber. Some immediate benefits you might notice are stable blood sugar, less hunger between meals, and better weight management.

**Lean Protein-Protein is an important part of every diet and is found in many different foods. Lean protein, the best kind, can be found in fish, skinless chicken and turkey, pork tenderloin and certain cuts of beef, like the top round. Low-fat dairy products like milk, yogurt, ricotta and other cheeses supply both protein and calcium. I also love extra firm tofu for a great protein!
It is very clear that whole grains, nuts, low-fat dairy, and fruits and veggies are essential for so many positive benefits to our health.
ref-The Food Network

3 Super Easy Tips To Speed Up Weight Loss and Say Bye Belly Fat!



My new favorite magazine, “For Women First”, is always such a wealth of helpful and simple ways to do so many things and this latest bit of information on how to rev up your weight loss is no exception. I suppose that the two mini Snickers bars and diet Pepsi I just engulfed (yes before 7:00 a.m.) are going to have to go. Usually I am good and have fruit and green tea but remember that I am a wannabe health nut and we all have those days where the beloved chocolate and diet Pepsi vices are a must-we are all human after all. Hopefully these 3 little tips can help you out!

Eggs, eggs, and More Eggs For Breakfast –Women who eat two eggs each morning shed 65 percent more weight (and 83 percent more belly fat) than those who have a bagel of equal calories, according to a recent study. Eggs are chocked full of protein and stabilize blood sugar while increasing your metabolism by 25 percent for two hours and curb appetite to cut daily calorie intake. I despise eggs but have found if I cover them in hot sauce and cheese I can do it. I wonder if this counts? I think it should since it is all protein, right?

Vegetables At Every Meal-According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adding veggies to every meal helps women to lose 25 percent more weight than reducing fat in their diet. Veggies have low calorie density so you eat more food but consume less calories and are still left feeling full and happy!

Psyllium Powder
-Okay so the name does not bring to mind an enticing treat in the least but the people at Yale University research say that by increasing your fiber intake by 5 grams a day (equivalent of ½ tbs of psyllium husk powder mixed into a glass of water or juice) can melt 13 pounds of belly fat yearly. This is apparently double what women lose when counting calories. Fiber has the ability to slow carb absorption and balance blood sugar. If you have a better source of fiber as some fruits and vegetables you could add more of those to your diet as well.

Pharmacy of Nature!! A Fun Email Forward!

A friend of mine at work forwarded this to me in an email and I found it really fun and interesting and thought you might as well. I don't know who wrote this so I cannot give credit where credit is due and I wish I could but I hope you enjoy.......

Nature's Pharmacy! Amazing!

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the res earch shows tomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food..

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart.. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents c ervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow.
Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries

Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.

Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

Absolutely Awesome Aspirin! Car Battery, Calluses, Flowers, Rust and Pimples-Aspirin Cures It All

When I read all the below things that aspirin can do I was really, really shocked! I went out and bought a big bottle and am going to give some of these a shot. I love finding easy and simple remedies for everyday problems so I hope that this helps you too!

Bye,Bye Itchy Bug Bites-Got a mosquito or bug bite that just won’t stop itching? Moisten the affected area and rub an aspirin tablet over the bumps. Aspirin has anti-inflammatory agents that seep into the sore and reduces swelling and discomfort.

Love Your Flowers Longer- If you want your flowers to last longer just drop two tablets of aspirin in the water before adding your fresh cut flowers. The aspirin decreases the PH level of the water which is a breeding ground for bacteria and causes your flowers to wilt sooner. By adding the aspirin it makes your bouquet last longer!

Ciao Calluses!-Just mix 1 Tbs. of lemon juice with five crushed aspirin tablets and apply to your calluses and cover with a plastic bag for 10 minutes. Remove the bag and rinse with warm water. The combo of acids in the lemon juice and aspirin will exfoliate the rough layer of dead skin cells.

Rust Marks Be gone-If you hate the rust marks on your bathroom counter as much as I do just wet the area, smash an aspirin tablet and sprinkle it on the mark then wipe away after 10 minutes.

Poof Pimples To Another Galaxy-This is so easy for those nasty and rude pimples! Simply crush an aspirin tablet, add enough water to make a paste and leave on your blemish overnight. In the morning you should be on your way to clear skin!!!

Dead Car Battery??? Aspirin To The Rescue-Is your car battery dead?? Well make sure you always have aspirin in the car because all you need to do is drop two tablets into the battery. The acetylsalicylic acid in the aspirin will react with the battery’s sulfuric acid to allow a strong enough charge to start your car.

Who knew? Really cannot believe all the great things aspirin can do besides get rid of my headaches. Hurrah for aspirin!

Ref- First For Women-9/14/09

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