Thanksgiving is approaching and I am already full just thinking about how much I’ll eat that day.

Then it’ll be December when Christmas parties, eggnog and food-themed gift baskets abound.

Come January 1, I’ll make the same New Year’s resolution I make every year—get skinny!

But this year, I have an edge…

I’ve learned something very easy but has worked for me already and I can’t wait to tell you about it.

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Because it turns out that if you just pay close attention to your brain, you can “think yourself skinny.”

It’s called “dispositional mindfulness.” But before you dismiss it as some psychobabble term, all that means is that you have an acute awareness and attention to your own thoughts and feelings. This can steer how you make decisions and help you look and feel the way you want.

Today’s world is fighting against you on this. Cellphones, social media and multi-tasking are all distractions that keep us from really thinking about how we’re living. We’re basically on auto-pilot: Making decisions based on habits and routine rather than thoughtful analysis.

However good our technology seems, if you fall victim to it and put yourself on autopilot, you’re more likely to be obese than people who practice dispositional mindfulness.

Studies show mindfulness helps people overcome cravings and reluctance to exercise by making you aware of each moment and how it relates to what you do and how you feel.

Think about it this way: You’re sitting on the couch eating potato chips and watching television. You aren’t thinking about what you’re doing. The television is keeping your brain occupied. If you turned off the television and really thought about what you were doing—about the calories in the chips, about how long you’ve just been sitting there doing nothing, about the fact that you’re not even hungry—you‘d probably stop eating. You might even get up and do something else. Or, you might not sit down in the first place.

Being mindful is as easy as thinking, and the good news is that, just like with everything else, the longer you practice, the easier it gets.

It’s best to practice mindfulness throughout the day—it’s not like meditation in that you need a specific time set aside to do only that. Try to be mindful while doing daily tasks. Single-tasking is seen a waste of time in this multi-tasking world, but it’s one of the most important ways to practice dispositional mindfulness.

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Also, do tasks slowly and deliberately. Think things through and don’t just go on habit and muscle memory. Try sitting in silence, doing absolutely nothing for five minutes each day. Become aware of what you’re thinking about notice what’s going on around you.

Stop worrying about the future and focus on the present. Try to focus and enjoy what is happening as it’s happening. When you’re spending time with someone, stop thinking about what else you could be doing. Fully listen to the person you are with. Enjoy visiting.

And finally, eat slowly and savor your food. Rather than munching while driving or scrolling through Facebook, make eating an event unto itself. Savor each bite and think about the taste. In addition to eating less (and therefore weighing less over time) eating like this also aids in digestion.

Good luck to those of you who are going to give dispositional mindfulness a try. When it’s harder than you’d expected, keep this quote from Victor Frankl, famed neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, in mind, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”

The post Think yourself thin this holiday season appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Diets rich in healthy options like veggies, fish, fruit and nuts are more expensive than diets full of processed foods, meats and refined grains.

In fact, a study found that following the MyPlate Dietary Guidelines would cost a family of four between $1,000-$1,200 a month (up to $14,400 annually) depending on the age of the family members and the percentage of fruits and vegetables that were fresh, frozen and canned. For comparison, an average middle-income family in the U. S. spends roughly $6,224 on groceries annually.

But keep in mind that the cost of eating healthier is small compared to what it costs to treat chronic disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, people diagnosed with diabetes incur average medical costs of $16,752 per year, of which about $9,601 is attributed to diabetes. If at all possible, spend a little bit more at the supermarket to spend a lot less at the doctor’s office and pharmacy.

One way to stretch your dollar is to consider store brands, many of which are just as tasty as their full-priced competitors. Another way is to make sure the fresh produce you buy doesn’t spoil before it’s eaten. On average, food waste costs individuals $390 per year. This equates to $1,562 per year for a family of four. These tips can get you started:

The post 7 Smart tips to eat healthy on a budget appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But even quinoa, kale and goji berries — all considered superfoods because of their high nutritional contents — have become almost staples. They are readily available and help us reduce the risk of chronic disease, increase weight loss, ward off depression and increase energy.

With benefits like those, it’s no wonder people are waiting for the next, more potent, healthful superfood.

And there will be more coming… Only about 20,000 of a possible 70,000 or even 100,000 medicinal herbs and botanicals have been identified, and more than a few are bound to be fruits and vegetables we don’t know of yet — like these next seven you’ll be hearing more about very soon:

The post 7 superfoods to watch for (slideshow) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s no cure for dandruff, but there are some helpful treatments.

My dermatologist recommended Neutrogena’s T-Gel shampoo. It’s over the counter and a little pricey. But there are lots of other dandruff shampoos on the market including Head and Shoulders and Selsun blue.

But I’m not a big fan of medicated products. Your skin, and that includes your scalp, is a large and porous organ. Anything absorbed through it goes directly into your blood stream, and is a potential threat. This includes soaps, shampoos, moisturizers — really just about all personal care products — which, taken together, contain thousands of different chemicals with varying toxicity.

The Environmental Working Group estimates that about 20 percent of chemicals used in cosmetics could cause cancer. Some of the worst offenders include parabens, which increase the risk of breast cancer in women, and sodium lauryl sulfate, which is toxic to organs and can cause cell mutation that leads to cancer.

So if you prefer the natural route, like me, there are safer effective options. Two of them you may find in your kitchen cupboard…

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1. Baking soda is a wonder product. It cooks, it cleans and it helps treat dandruff. Once a week you can wet your hair and rub a handful of baking soda directly onto your scalp. Don’t shampoo — just let it sit for about 5 minutes and then rinse it out. You may notice that your hair seems dry when you first start using baking soda, but after a few weeks your scalp will start producing natural oils again and the dryness will subside.
2. Apple cider vinegar (APC) is another good option to fight dandruff. Plus it’s cheap, which is always a perk. The apple cider vinegar changes the pH of your scalp which makes it difficult for yeast, one of the main causes of dandruff, to grow. Mix a quarter cup of APC with a quarter cup of water in a spray bottle and spritz your scalp. Wrap your damp hair in a towel and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Then wash your hair as usual. You can do this up to twice a week. You’ll find it also makes your hair very shiny.The most effective APC is the kind that contains ‘mother.’ Not all brands do, so check the label. If it looks cloudy in the bottle, then you know you have the right stuff. Mother is a natural compound formed during the fermentation process and consists of strands of proteins, enzymes and friendly bacteria that give APC it’s natural health benefits.
3. Adding tea tree essential oil to standard shampoos is another option. You need to add 10 drops of oil for every 8 ounces of shampoo. You can also put the tea tree oil drops directly on your scalp and then shampoo your hair. You can safely use tea tree oil infused shampoos every time you wash your hair. Tea tree oil will create a cooling sensation on contact. If it’s too intense for you, you can mix it with a carrier oil, like castor oil which penetrates deeply into the skin, but it may take an extra shampoo to get it out of your hair.

Winter can wreak havoc on the scalp, but it can affect the rest of your skin too. Taking care of your skin starts in the bathroom. Because hot water and soaps can be harsh, it’s a good idea to limit your baths or showers to 10 minutes in warm water. Long soaks in very hot water can strip your skin of natural oils that the skin desperately needs, especially in the winter months.

Try mild, fragrance-free soaps to lessen the damage, and oil-based moisturizers to lock in and preserve moisture. Coconut oil is light and naturally antimicrobial, so a great choice. If possible avoid antibacterial soaps which contain a toxin banned in some states.

If you don’t sweat a lot in the wintertime, you may want to cut down on the number of showers you take during a week. If your skin is not excessively oily, you’ll find you can shower just every other day, and your skin and scalp will be much happier.

You’ve probably noticed the air getting much drier as winter creeps in. That affects your skin and scalp greatly. Using a portable humidifier to increase humidity in your house will help with dry, cracked skin. You can also boost your skin’s hydration by drinking water and loading up on foods high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon and walnuts.

I never thought medicated shampoo and a humidifier would be on my Christmas wish list, but the older I get, the higher comfort — and safety — rises on my priorities list. Stay warm!

The post Tips for touchable, non-toxic hair and skin in winter appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Lincoln’s were schizophrenia related and landed her in an insane asylum called Bellevue Place. Garcia’s were drug related. In 1989 he told Jeremy Alderson “I always keep some psychedelics around. It’s like a coffee break almost. It’s something that I fear and that I love at the same time. I never take any psychedelic without having that feeling of, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen.'”

Mine, research says, are just associated with normal brain function. They are auditory and happen almost exclusively when I’m very sleepy.

If you’ve ever been scared you were going crazy — thought you saw or heard something that really wasn’t there — don’t worry too much. You’re probably one of the 5 percent of people who, like me, experience hallucination at some point in life.

A study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) says that hallucinations, which were once seen only as symptoms of psychosis and serious mental illness, may just be the result of your brain doing the best it can to make sense of a hectic and unclear world. “It’s not a broken brain that generates hallucinations, it’s just part of how the brain works,” neuroscientist Christoph Teufel, author of the study, said.

Most people think of their eyes and ears working like a video camera recording sounds and images and sending them directly to the brain to process.

We can sure do some of that, but this isn’t exactly what’s happening.

It turns out, the information sent to the brain isn’t very detailed at all. The brain has to fill in the information gaps based on previous knowledge and context clues. Most of the time this  process goes off without a hitch and the brain fills in correct information. But when it doesn’t… welcome to a hallucination.

Study scientists think that hallucinations are results of the brain’s over reliance on old information and that sometimes the brain fills in a gap with details that aren’t really there. The brains of people with signs of serious psychosis are merely better at using prior knowledge, albeit incorrect, to fill in the gaps delivered from their visual systems.

So what’s the differences between a “normal” hallucination and the ones Mary Todd Lincoln had that got her committed?

The PNAS study is important because it supports the idea that psychosis is a spectrum disorder, not a condition that you either have or don’t have. Hallucinations seem to be normal, as long as they don’t take over a person’s life. “There’s a continuum between mental illness and mental health,” Teufel says, and we’re all on it.”

Non-disease associated hallucinations are known to manifest more often as a result of bereavement, stress or sleep deprivation. High caffeine consumption has also been linked to increased rates of hallucination. As few as five cups of coffee per day can trigger the phenomenon.

A higher than average number of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease patients report having hallucinations. If you have macular degeneration or other vision problems there is a condition known as Charles Bonnet syndrome wherein vision loss is accompanied by hallucinations.

Barring any of the aforementioned medical conditions and psychedelics, if you experience a relatively small number of mild hallucinations — like hearing someone call your name — you can relax. It’s  likely just your normal brain trying to sort things out.

The post Is your mind playing tricks on you — or is it something more? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I don’t even have cable but I still manage to watch too much. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and HBOGo… I use them all. Leslie Knope and the Parks and Recreation staff welcome me home from work and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David is the last person I see before I fall asleep. Everyone says this is a golden age of television. Too bad it’s killing me.

The Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry published research saying that people ages 18-30 who watch more than three hours of television daily risk reduced brain function later in life. There’s also a link between watching too much TV and heart disease.

That’s a real American Horror Story.

But television itself isn’t inherently dangerous. What’s really going on?

Watching television, for most people at least, equals sitting. Which means no muscle movement and therefore lower metabolism and an overall lower level of health — including brain health. Even if you’re a daily exerciser, you may still be watching too much television. “Television isn’t necessarily replacing our exercise time, but it is replacing every day, ‘non-sweaty’ movements as basic as standing and walking from room to room. The positive health effects of these seemingly negligible activities are underestimated,” says David Dunstan, Ph.D., head of the physical activity lab at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Putting all the blame for increased sitting time on TV isn’t really fair. Technology in general has made people more inactive. Jobs that once required manual labor are now controlled by computers. And even people with desk jobs use email or instant messaging instead of walking to their co-workers offices and speaking face to face.

“Modern technology has virtually engineered a lot of incidental, non-sweaty activity out of our lives,” Dunstan says.

So what can be done? I don’t want my brain to rot, but I don’t want to miss Real Housewives of New York City. And I don’t want to die of a heart attack, but my job is a “time-is-money” place where walking office to office delivering a message that could have been emailed is frowned upon.

If you’d like to watch all the TV you want, like me, without the negative health effects of being stationary, here are some ideas you might like to try:

While at your desk job:

• Park your car a little further away than usual, that way you can stretch your legs a little before you have to sit for several hours. If weather permits and you live close, have you ever considered walking or biking to work?
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator to log a few extra steps.
• Stand during phone calls.
• Drink more water. You’ll get to leave your desk to make a few extra trips to the water cooler and the bathroom.
• Use an exercise ball for a chair. Or, a chair without arms which helps you sit up straighter.
• Use a standing desk.

While watching television:

• Stand (or walk in place) during whole episodes.
• Do you use a treadmill or elliptical machine for exercise? Enjoy exercise and TV time at the same time.
• Keep a yoga mat close by and  do some floor exercises or simple stretches during commercial breaks.
• Do you have some chores you need to knock out? Doing them while watching your favorite show can make a tedious task, like ironing or vacuuming, much more enjoyable.

For me what makes these tips totally doable is that I get to enjoy my favorite shows and still get in the ‘non-sweaty’ movements I need to keep my brain healthy. Perfect for a part-time health nut, like me.

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Now we hear that cooking with vegetable oil may be cancerous.

This is a complete turnaround from when we were told that oils rich in polyunsaturated fats (think corn oil, vegetable oil and sunflower oil) were much healthier than the saturated fats in animal products.

Turns out, scientists have now found that when these polyunsaturated fats are heated up – like they would be when used to cook – they release high concentrations of chemicals called aldehydes which are linked to cancer.

A single meal of chicken fingers and fries prepared using vegetable oil contains between 100 and 200 times more aldehydes than the World Health Organization says is safe to consume in an entire day.

As if cancer wasn’t a big enough worry, a professor at Oxford University says that corn and sunflower oils hurt your brain.

Vegetable oils, which are rich in omega 6 acids, reduce omega 3 fatty acids in the brain. Professor Martin Grootveld told the BBC, “I believe the lack of omega 3 is a powerful contributory factor to such problems as increasing mental health issues and other problems such as dyslexia.”

This new evidence suggests that when you start altering the pure forms of these cooking oils, including subjecting them to high heat – and that’s in the oven, too, not just the frying pan – that complex chemical reactions take place and they morph into dangerous, toxic compounds.

For my health and my family’s, I’ve decided to run my kitchen the way my Grandma ran hers.

The words processed and refined weren’t found on any of the labels in her pantry and they won’t be found in mine anymore.

Here are some time-tested, grandmother approved alternatives to vegetable oils.

Butter: Butter simply fell victim to bad publicity. Starting in the 1970s it became the scapegoat cause of coronary heart disease. Despite millions of dollars spent on studies, scientists haven’t been able to prove that there’s a link. Butter is completely natural and essential to your health. Butter even helps to prevent diseases including arthritis and osteoporosis… both of which happen to be major cash cows for pharmaceutical companies.

Lard: Another victim of bad P.R., lard was once the “it” fat that people cooked with. Now it’s a derogatory term for fat people. But what’s really turning Americans into lard-asses isn’t actually lard—which is natural, rendered pig fat—but instead it’s the man-made crap we eat in the name of “health.” Lard is considered a stable fat and therefore doesn’t turn in to trans fat when heated.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil has only recently become popular in the United States, but people in costal Asia have been using it for years. Coconut oil raises the levels of high density lipoproteins in your body which lower bad cholesterol, boost immunity and fight aging. BONUS: Coconut oil increases your metabolism and helps you lose weight. Coconut oil has a long shelf life and is very affordable.

These healthy oils, which all produce safe amounts of aldehydes when exposed to high temperatures, also balance your hormones and improve heart health and vision. They also give you glowing skin and more energy… just like Grandma had!

The post The big fat truth about cooking oil and cancer appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

…all completely worthless?

That’s the finding published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It says millions of medical diagnoses, procedures and treatments are based on questionable scientific evidence and that in some cases the “risk of harm exceeds its potential for benefit.”

It’s being called “medical overuse.” A too-forgiving term for overdiagnosis and overtreatment. It can also be defined as a healthcare practice that patients wouldn’t get if they knew what was in it for them — which for most procedures is potentially nothing.

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I don’t know about you but that seems to go against the Hippocratic Oath’s promise to “utterly reject harm and mischief.”

Are doctors intentionally lying to patients? In this case, you have to look beyond individual doctors. Look at medical researchers, pharmaceutical companies and the medical landscape at large.

Sadly, market forces (think money) not science, are currently used to determine the standard of care.

Peer-reviewed clinical research is the main source of information used in conventional medicine today. But another study found that up to 90 percent of this research is either exaggerated or completely false.

That means that we are determining what drugs and surgeries are used based on bad intel. On the other hand, these medical mistakes and fraud also determine what treatments aren’t be used. That includes nutrients, herbs, and other natural treatments which are proven healers but are shunned by mainstream medicine.

• One overdiagnosed problem is a blocked artery in the neck. Surgeons rush to put stents in, costing thousands of dollars.

Stenting is often done as a “precautionary measure.” But a review showed that there is no data confirming that these procedures reduce the risk of stroke, which is the stated reason for the surgery and the stent in the first place. In fact, carotid stenosis screenings often lead to false-positives, which lead to unnecessary procedures, which lead to people dying unnecessarily.

• Computer tomography, or “Cat” scans are also overused. These scans use ionizing radiation and sometimes contrasting dye, both of which have negative health effects. Initial CT scans often lead to the ordering of follow up scans even though “a second CT scan rarely affects patient management.”

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that these scans are even causing cancer themselves because they involve much higher doses of radiation than did plain-film radiography.

• Flu shots are yet another unscientific roll of the dice. Pharmaceutical companies make each years’ vaccines way before they even know which strain of the flu will be the most prevalent. Research shows that even if the shots are made to fight the right flu strain, they still don’t prevent the flu in the majority of cases.

There are dozens more of these procedures that are to be avoided at all costs.

The question is, what can you do to avoid being a victim of overdiagnosis?

First, make sure your doctor examines your history and investigates your symptoms. Often, doctors order medical tests because they have become reliant on a disease-based view depending on what a technological screening tells them.

The JAMA review discovered that about 33 percent of patient symptoms don’t match up with identifiable disease, but that as many as 94 percent of diagnoses are based on symptoms and history.

JAMA’s advice? “Be cautious in using diagnostic tests to identify disease … because most disease can be diagnosed with a thoughtful history and skillful physical examination. Clinicians managing patient symptoms without obvious cause should be aware that physical and psychological symptoms co-occur, should recognize that most symptoms resolve within a few weeks to months, and should consider that serious causes of symptoms rarely emerge during long-term follow-up.”

The post Just say no to these worthless medical tests and treatments appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But I was surprised to see that many of them are not about weight.

There are low calorie diets for weight loss. Low sodium diets for people with blood pressure issues. Gluten free diets for people with celiac disease or other sensitivities.

There’s also a diet for preserving brain function. It’s not new. In fact I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but not because of what it can do for your brain health.

Did you know the Mediterranean diet can make your brain act years younger?

It helps regulate your weight, improve cardiovascular health and lessen your risk of cancer, all true. Yet the Mediterranean diet does even more for you. It also lowers your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative brain conditions.

A new study published in the prestigious journal Neurology finds that people who eat a Mediterranean diet have larger brains and reduce their brain’s age by five years.

Inspired by the dietary patterns of people who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Italy, Turkey and Spain) where people live longer and suffer less from cancer and cardiovascular diseases than Americans, the gist of the diet is to consume mainly fish, olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits and vegetables. Moderate amounts of wine and dairy products including cheese and yogurt are also allowed. You need to avoid red meat, sugary snacks, processed foods and soft drinks.

Pick seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids for this diet. Salmon is a top choice. A 200-calorie serving contains about 2,843mgs of omega-3 fatty acids. Halibut, oysters, fresh tuna, snapper, rainbow trout, crayfish, oysters and calamari are all also good picks. Canned tuna and canned sardines are not the best options, but can be considered when convenience is necessary.

If you want to give this diet a try, I’ve included a sample menu below.

Breakfast:
1 cup of Greek yogurt topped with a drop or two of honey
½ cup of blueberries
½ avocado

Lunch:
2 tablespoons of hummus plus unlimited fresh greens and tomatoes on whole-grain pita bread
¼ cup of almonds 1 medium sized orange

Snack:
Small bunch grapes
¼ cup peanuts

Dinner:
6 ounces of grilled salmon
½ cup of roasted red skin potatoes topped with olive oil and rosemary
Sliced tomato topped with 1 ounce of mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic dressing

For more natural secrets for an active, healthy mind at any age–click to read this FREE report!

The post Anti-Alzheimer’s diet also makes your brain 5 years younger appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But there are nutritional bright spots on your holiday table: If you munch on the proper nuts plucked from that piece of pie, you can undo some of the indulgences you’re likely to do.

Pecans, among other nuts, are packed with heart-healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals…

And a study at Loma Linda University demonstrates that pecans may help contribute to overall heart health and disease prevention by increasing the amount of antioxidants in the body.

Pecans have an abundance of heart-healthy fats that improve blood cholesterol when eaten in moderation. In addition, they contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc and potassium.

If a holiday meal makes you feel twice as full as a normal meal, make sure it includes pecans: The Loma Linda research shows that after eating pecans, gamma-tocopherol (vitamin E) levels in the body double, and unhealthy oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood decreases by as much as 33 percent.

Anytime you can lower your lipids with the right foods, that’s a win-win for you. That’s because you could be one step closer to giving up statins, if you’re already taking them. Cholesterol is actually beneficial to your health (especially your brain), while the statins that mainstream medicine are doling out like vitamins, on the other hand, can ruin your health.

The protein and fiber contents in pecans are worthy of praise as well. Just a 1-ounce serving can provide 11 percent of the necessary daily value for fiber. And, for protein content, a half ounce can take the place of 1 ounce of meat. Munching on handfuls of these nuts keep you feeling full and energetic while not threatening your waistline.

Just make sure to keep the other holiday treats under control. When pecans are paired with sugary or salty toppings or mixes, go easy on the trimmings. Even though pecans are a great source of nutrients, you need to look beyond the pecan pie.

The post The holiday treat you shouldn’t feel guilty about appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends all fruits and vegetables be thoroughly washed before they are eaten. But you don’t need an expensive, store-bought wash that simply replaces pesticides with other harsh chemicals. Here’s a do it yourself, Easy Health Options-approved method for getting fruits and veggies safe and ready for consumption.

Step 1: In a clean bowl or sink make a solution of one part white vinegar and three parts room temperature, purified water.

Step 2: Place room temperature produce into the solution and allow them to soak for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Air dry on a clean towel or countertop.

Here are a few other tips to remember when buying and storing produce:

• Choose produce that is not damaged or bruised.
• Bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from meat, poultry and seafood.
• Keep your refrigerator temperature set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
• Washing produce before storing may promote bacterial growth and speed up spoilage, so we recommend you wait and wash fruits and vegetables just before you are ready to eat them.

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But even quinoa, kale and goji berries—all considered super-foods because of their high nutritional contents—have become almost staples. They are readily available and help us reduce the risk of chronic disease, increase weight loss, ward off depression and increase energy.

With benefits like those, it’s no wonder people are waiting for the next, more potent, healthful superfood.

And there will be more coming… only about 20,000 of a possible 70,000 or even 100,000 medicinal herbs have been identified, and more than a few are bound to be fruits and vegetables we don’t know of yet. Like these next seven, which you’ll be hearing more about very soon:

Moringa: Moringa is a tree native to parts of Africa and Asia. The leaves of are said to be more nutritious than kale and are brimming with vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, potassium and protein. Moringa is a powerhouse medicinal herb as well. It improves asthma, arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disorders, blood pressure and more. It’s becoming more available in specialty food stores and herb shops.

Freekeh: Freekeh is an ancient Arabian dish made from green wheat that has undergone a roasting process. It is high in calcium, iron and fiber. It is not gluten-free, if that is a concern for you. Freekeh has a low glycemic index so it’s helpful in managing diabetes.

Sideritis: Sideritis, grown in mountainous areas of Greece, is an herb often used in herbal teas. It is sometimes called ironwort, mountain tea or shepherd’s tea. Sideritis can be literally translated as “he who is made of iron” and is known for its ability to heal wounds, aid digestion, strengthen the immune system and suppress allergies.

Baobab: The Baobab is a massive tree native to Africa. Like the moringa, it’s prized for its medicinal and nutritive value. The fruit is about the size of a small coconut and has a velvety shell. The pulp inside is tart and comparable in taste to a grapefruit. Baobab is loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C and used to treat asthma and inflammation. Baobab is also often used in skin and hair care products because it is rich in essential fatty acids.

Pitaya: Pitaya is native to Central America and is sometimes called dragon fruit. The bright pink fruit is loaded with vitamin B, fiber and magnesium. Pitaya is a rich source of antioxidants and is thought to help slow the aging process by fighting free radicals found in our bodies. In addition to its skin-related benefits, it also is used to lower cholesterol and help promote healthy digestion.

Amla: Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a fruit found on trees considered sacred in India. The fruit is a bit sour, but it’s very nourishing. Amla is used in many hair care products because it enriches hair growth and pigmentation. It also is linked to improved eyesight and is used to treat menstrual cramps and regulate insulin production.

Citicoline: Organ meat as superfood? Yes! Liver, heart, brain … ask anyone to eat these and the answer today would probably be “Yuck!” even though they were staples of the hunter-gatherer diet because they have the most nutrients. Citicoline is one of those, generally found in the liver or brain. It helps with memory retention, among other brain functions. It is also known to improve visual function in patients with glaucoma.

Don’t be surprised to find many of these showing up on grocery store shelves. One thing to remember is that packaged often means processed. So if you see any of these, remember to look at the label to make sure you’re getting what you’re paying for.

The post The 7 superfoods you haven’t heard of (yet) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Well, consider the mouth the doorway to the body.

Your oral health is a good indicator of your overall health and wellbeing. For example oral bacteria has been found in human heart tissue, which may be why inflammation in the mouth can lead to heart disease. Yet most dentists treat mouths as independent objects, and they rarely give advice or insight into how decisions — other than brushing and flossing — affect you.

Luckily, there is a growing number of holistic dentists. They believe that when treating teeth and gums you must also consider a patient’s diet, lifestyle and mental and emotional health.

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Who are holistic dentists?

Holistic dentists perform the same dental services as you’re used to, but with an extra emphasis on whole body (holistic) health. They clean and fill cavities, but these biological or integrative dentists are set apart because they try to minimize their patients’ exposure to harmful chemicals.

Growing concern over the effects of mercury amalgam fillings is a major factor in the rising number of Americans seeking out holistic approaches to dentistry.

If you’ve ever had a cavity filled, it’s likely been filled with amalgam. Amalgam is composed of liquid mercury and a trio of powdered alloy metals — silver, tin and copper. These types of filling have been used for over one hundred years and are, to this day, in the mouths of millions of Americans.

Unfortunately, there’s a great deal of data that now suggests that amalgam fillings seep toxic mercury into the bodies of those who have them. Mercury deposits from vapors released from amalgam fillings seep into the stomach, kidney, liver, jaw and heart. Mercury exposure is linked to kidney, fertility and neurological problems.

Holistic dentists use fillings and composites made of resin, plastic and other materials that they believe are safer than amalgam fillings.

To get an idea of how dangerous mercury exposure can be, when replacing mercury fillings with safer fillings, a holistic dentist wears a hazmat suit and gas mask. Once the mercury filling removed, it is placed in a special container that is later picked up by an EPA-licensed agent to be properly disposed of.

Meanwhile, mainstream dentists are perfectly happy for you to walk around with these things sitting out in the open right in your mouth.

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Some holistic dentists also offer an anesthesia alternative wherein a vitamin C IV is used. Craniosacral therapy, where a practitioner applies light touches to a patient’s skull, face, spine or pelvis, is also sometimes used to limit pain and stress. A holistic dentist may also offer advice on what foods and supplements could improve their patients’ health. Like a traditional dentist, limiting sugar is a common suggestion.

Unlike traditional dentists, holistic dentists also stress daily probiotic use and things like CoQ10 and increased kale consumption.

Finding a holistic dentist

If holistic dentistry is something that interests you, it’s best to get a referral from someone you know and trust. You can use the website of the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine to find a certified holistic dentist in your area. Pricing for cleanings done by a holistic dentist is comparable to that of a traditional dentist.

Because mercury is inexpensive, fillings done using non-mercury composites tend to cost more. Cleaning and routine checkups by holistic dentists are often covered by insurance policies, but plans vary so check with your insurance provider before you make an appointment.

The post Healing your mouth can heal your body appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That doesn’t seem like a lot, but over time it forms a barrier that a lot of low-income families — and seniors on fixed incomes — can’t get past. Yearly it averages to $550 per person.

But keep in mind that the cost of eating healthier is small compared to what it costs to treat diet-related chronic disease. Statistics show that the annual cost to treat diabetes is about $1,200 per person — $650 more per year than the cost of healthier groceries. If at all possible, spend a little bit more at the supermarket to spend a lot less at the doctor’s office and pharmacy.

One way to stretch your dollar is to make sure the produce you buy doesn’t spoil before it’s eaten. Another way is to consider store brands, many of which are just as nutritious as their full-priced competitors. These tips can get you started:

Store your lettuce with a dry paper towel. Lettuce leaves start seeping water as soon as they’re harvested. At the same time, bacteria and mold start growing which makes lettuce slimy and inedible. To avoid both of these issues, wash your lettuce as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Dry it in a salad spinner or by blotting it with paper towels. Once the leaves are dry, store them in an air-tight container along with a dry paper towel which will wick away moisture. Whenever the paper towel gets saturated, switch it out with a dry one.

Coat cut fruits and avocados in lemon or lime juice. You’ve seen it happen; it’s been three minutes since you cut fruit and it’s already turning brown. But there’s a fix! The citric acid found in lemons and limes inactivates the enzymes that cause foods to brown due to oxygen exposure. Just squirt or brush lemon or lime juice, whichever you like better, on sliced fruits or avocados before storing them in an air-tight container. Of course, you don’t want to cut fruit until you’re ready to eat it, but this comes in handy for when you only want half an apple or avocado, but don’t want to waste the rest.

Store bananas bunched in the refrigerator. This one was a surprise to me. I have always kept my bananas out on the counter… but it turns out that storing them in the refrigerator will keep the inside fruit fresher for longer. Warning—the skins will darken more quickly in the fridge, but the insides will still be good. Also, leaving the bunch intact — meaning not pulling one off the bunch until you’re ready to eat it — will help reduce spoilage.

Set tomatoes on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Tomatoes are persnickety. When you leave them at room temperature they ripen too quickly. When you put them in the refrigerator the water inside them can start to crystallize. Luckily there’s a “warm” spot inside the fridge that’s just right for these little divas. The top shelf of the refrigerator is slightly warmer than the rest, making it the perfect spot to store tomatoes.

Store potatoes in a brown paper bag. Potatoes turn green when they are exposed to too much light. Green potatoes not only taste gross, which is bad enough, but they can also make you sick. To keep potatoes safe, keep them in a brown paper bag in a cool environment. Definitely don’t store them in the refrigerator though — that’s too cold and can turn the starch in the potatoes into sugar.

Buy cheap olive oil; store it in a cool, dark place. Don’t spend a lot of money on olive oil. Some of the best olive oils are the cheaper brands. Bonus: There are no GMOs in olive oil and it’s heart-friendly. Store olive oil in a cool, dark place to keep it at its best.

Buy cheap (whole wheat) pasta. All pasta is made from the same basic recipe. Don’t splurge — it’s all the same. Do look for the whole-wheat version of pasta though. It’s an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and has a good amount of fiber. As of this moment, there’s not a genetically modified version of wheat, so there’s no need to buy a more expensive version labeled “organic” — on pasta, that’s just a company’s way of tricking you into paying more.

The post 7 ways to squeeze nutrition from every dollar appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that listeria germs can continue to grow in your refrigerator. And that’s really bad news if you refrigerate listeria-contaminated foods — because the germs can multiply and even spread to other foods in your refrigerator.

If you’re exposed — and very lucky — you may only experience stomach bug-like symptoms. Listeriosis, the infection that results from exposure to the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, can cause diarrhea and nausea, fever and muscle aches.

But it can be life-threatening for infants, the elderly, or individuals with weakened immune systems such as pregnant women or people with cancer, diabetes or kidney disease, according to the CDC.

You may remember hearing about Blue Bell Ice Cream pulling their products from grocery store shelves about a year ago. Their product outbreak was linked to 10 cases of listeria bacteria in four states — three of which led to deaths.

And most recently, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. has voluntarily recalled all salads packages at its Springfield, Ohio facility due to a six-state outbreak that has killed one and sickened 12.

When outbreaks like these breach a food processing plant (listeria is found in soil, water, poultry and cattle) and listeria makes its way to the unsuspecting public, the FDA keeps tabs to issue recalls and make sure the public is informed.

And the length of the FDA’s recall list is a strong indication in itself that it’s never wise to just assume your food is safe. That’s why it’s important to take extra precautions in order to keep yourself, and those you’re feeding, safe.

For starters, consider the foods you eat…

Ready-to-eat foods are especially susceptible to listeria. This includes deli meats, hot dogs, smoked seafood and store-prepared salads. You should reheat hot dogs and lunch meats until steaming hot. An internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (F) puts you in the “safe zone.”

It’s also wise to avoid soft cheeses such as feta, brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, “queso blanco,” “queso fresco” and Panela, especially if you have a weakened immune system. Pregnant women are warned not to consume it at all.

Food prep and storage…

When preparing food at home, wash all fruits and vegetables under running water before eating, cutting or cooking. Even if you plan to peel the produce before eating, you still need to wash it. You can scrub firm produce (like melons or cucumbers) with a produce brush.

Although listeria can continue to grow at in cold temperatures, it grows more slowly at 40 degrees F or below. Keep your refrigerator set at 40 degrees F or below and your freezer set at 0 degrees F or below.

Divide leftovers into shallow containers to promote rapid, even cooling. Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or tinfoil or place foods in plastic bags or clean, covered containers. It’s best to throw leftovers away after three days. The longer foods are stored in the refrigerator, the more chance listeria has to grow.

Wipe listeria from your kitchen…

Keeping a clean refrigerator helps keep listeria at bay. Clean up all spills or leaks as soon as possible. It’s especially important to clean juices from hot dogs, lunch meat, and raw meat or poultry.

Remember that listeria can spread from one surface to another. Wash food preparation surfaces with warm, soapy water. Cutting boards should be washed with warm, soapy water after each use. Nonporous acrylic, plastic or glass cutting boards are dishwasher safe.

Dish cloths and towels should be washed in hot water regularly. Don’t forget to wash your reusable, cloth grocery bags as well.

The post Are your leftovers teeming with listeria? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It turns out some patients diagnosed with migraine headaches saw a significant drop in their frequency when treated with medical marijuana. On average, the number of migraines dropped from 10.4 to 4.6 headaches per month — a number considered statistically and clinically significant for migraine sufferers.

“There was a substantial improvement for patients in their ability to function and feel better,” said Professor Laura Borgelt, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, the study’s senior author.

Scientists say marijuana has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It also triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine — neurotransmitters that cause feelings of happiness. These characteristics make it an ideal way to combat migraine headaches.

And if you need immediate migraine relief, you should consider lighting up, legally that is…

Medical marijuana for a migraine

The study showed that no matter how the marijuana was “administered,” there seemed to be benefits. But smoking marijuana appeared to best treat migraines already in progress while edible forms of the drug, which take longer to impact the body, helped prevent future headaches.

As research into its use continues, more and more doctors, and the medical community at large, are legitimizing the use of medical cannabis.

But there are roadblocks.

Even though a bill was signed in 2014 that ended the federal government’s prohibition on medical marijuana, (making it so states that have legalized marijuana wouldn’t be at risk for federal drug raids) it is still classified by the U.S. government as a Schedule 1 drug.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration website, Schedule 1 drugs are drugs with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule 1 drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.” Heroin, ecstasy and LSD are other Schedule 1 drugs.

The Journal of the American Medical Association printed, “It is time for physicians to acknowledge more openly that the present classification is scientifically, legally, and morally wrong.”

The editor of the country’s most prestigious medical journal concurred. Dr. Jerome P. Kassirer of the New England Journal of Medicine said, “The government should change marijuana’s status from that of a Schedule 1 drug to that of a Schedule 2 drug and regulate it accordingly.”

According to the DEA, Schedule 2 drugs are “substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence.” Some examples include Vicodin, Dilaudid, Dermerol, Adderall and Ritalin — all cash cows for Big Pharma.

Currently 23 states and Washington D.C. have legalized medical marijuana, given its 10,000 year history as a safe herbal remedy for a multitude of conditions. Each state has specific qualifying conditions which can be found here.

If you’re interested in learning more about medical marijuana, including how to use it and how to get it, see Dr. Michael Cutler’s detailed article here.

The post Getting high could make your migraine go away faster appeared first on Easy Health Options®.