It is my belief that starting the day with a breakfast of sufficient protein and healthy fats, sets you up for a positive and productive day. This essential resource fuels your body, giving you the power to move, think, and keep on living, but achieving the complex needs of your body can be harder than you expect. The first meal of the day will always influence the way you feel for the hours that follow, with a lot of people feeling bad without realizing that it’s because they’re not taking their first meals seriously. A good first meal keeps you from experiencing an energy dip and being ravenous by mid-morning.…
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5 Good Morning Habits to Start Your Day Off Right
Good morning habits are crucial to starting your day off right! Mornings are busy, especially if you have a job and/or a family. Rushing around in the morning and trying to get where you need to be on time is a pain in the butt, and it makes everything start stressfully. Instead of rushing to get yourself out the door in the morning, you need to slow down and start thinking about how you can plan your day better. The right habits will make you start your day well, feeling good and confident about what’s ahead. Your morning sets the tone for the day What you do in the…
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Health Benefits of Chocolate
Yes, it is true – certain kinds of chocolate actually have health benefits. Cocoa beans, like all seeds, are rich in nutrients that support the plant during development. They are especially rich in saturated fats, which contribute to high cholesterol levels and heart disease. However, cocoa butter contains a particular fatty acid, that our bodies immediately convert into unsaturated fat. Therefore, chocolate is NOT thought to pose a risk for heart disease, in fact, cocoa is very rich in antioxidant compounds, which accounts for about 8% of the weight of cocoa powder. The higher the cocoa solids content of chocolate, the higher the antioxidant content. Any added sugar, milk, or…
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Does Milk Really Do a Body Good?
Humans have been consuming milk for thousands of years. Around the world, people drink milk from many different animals including cows, camels, goats, llamas, sheep and buffalo. During the depression, my mother said, they survived on fresh goat’s milk. Milk packs a nutritional punch, containing protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin D. However, it also contains a very high amount of sodium. Most milk sold in the United States is PASTEURIZED, which means the microorganisms that cause salmonella and hepatitis, as well as spoilage, have been destroyed by heating, followed by a quick cooling. Pasteurization eliminates the possibility of diseases and gives the product a longer shelf life. Dairy…
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8 Ways to Lower Bad Cholesterol and Triglycerides
A recent health checkup indicated a jump in my LDL, or bad cholesterol numbers. My husband, recently evaluated due to a new health program at work, was told his triglyceride numbers were too high. What are LDL and triglycerides? LDL or low-density lipoprotein is the “less desirable” type of cholesterol in your body, (that is how I remember which is which). LDL causes plaque build-up in arteries, which causes blood to be restricted and can result in heart attacks, heart disease, and strokes. I have a family history of heart disease and my father has survived several heart attacks – so this is cause for concern for me. Ideal LDL…
