The blender: a finicky eater's friend
Things like mushy, bruised fruit, avocado, cucumber and frozen fruit can go into smoothies and don't require any added sugar, just yogurt and a liquid. It makes a good, quick breakfast, snack or dessert that mom's can tailor to their kid's taste buds. Kefir can also be subbed for yogurt and the result is comparable to an ice cream float.
Creamsicle smoothie
For a quick and easy healthy and yummy smoothie blend together canteloupe, mango, orange juice, a touch of milk and honey.
Chocolate Monkey
This smoothie makes a great breakfast idea kids will love! Blend together 2 bananas, a couple of tablespoons of almond butter, a half a teaspoon of dark cocoa, a dash of cinnamon and 1/3 cup milk.
Recipes provided by Rebecca Mullins, a North Bay-based registered holistic nutritionist.
A healthy spin on chips
Swap out potato chips for kale chips. Kale chips satisfy the same salty, crunchy craving, but are rich in nutrients like Vitamins A and C and provide protein, calcium, iron and potassium. They're easy to make. Heat oven to about 400 degrees C. Cut stems from kale and toss leaves in olive oil and sprinkle with Himalayan salt. Bake on a cookie sheet until crispy.
Trendy supplements and how to use them
Raspberry ketones
Raspberry ketones are a compound found in raspberries that give them their scent and flavour. Research has identified them as both a fat blocker and as a way to increase fat burning during exercise. Raspberry ketones are useful for people who are following a regular exercise program and want to accelerate results. Take up to 200 mg daily and make sure the product you choose is natural and pure, since products are available that range from 10 per cent to 98 per cent per capsule.
Provided by Adele Fawcett, a registered nutritional consulting practitioner and orthomolecular health practitioner at the Valley Nutrition Centre and New Sudbury Nutrition Centre in Sudbury.
Sleep for the health of it
By Dr. Tara O’Brien
Sleep. It accounts for a third of your life and a big chunk of your health and longevity. So why are you not sleeping enough?
While we often consider sleep to be a “passive” activity, sufficient sleep is increasingly being recognized as an essential aspect of health promotion and chronic disease prevention in the public health community. Under cover of night, sleep floods your veins with age-defying human growth hormone. Sleep raises an army of T cells and sends them into battle against colds and infection. Sleep resets the appetite controls that tell you to not hit the turn signal when you pass a McDonald's.
So then why are we engaged in a society-wide experiment in sleep deprivation? Average nightly sleep time during the work week in North America is down nearly 20 minutes in the last decade, to 6 hours and 40 minutes. Men ages 30 to 44 are the worst offenders. Thirty percent of them say they log less than 6 hours of sleep at night, according to a survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Snooze strategy: If you didn't sleep 7 to 8 hours every night this past week, go to bed this weekend at your regular weekday time, but don't set your alarm clock. Did you rise on Saturday and Sunday at the same time you would have on, say, a Tuesday? Then you may be one of those few people who can sleep less yet remain healthy. The rest of us mere mortals can begin to repay our sleep debt by dozing 10 hours a night on weekends and then sticking to 7 to 8 hours during the week. Your brain will use this strategy whenever you accumulate a sleep debt, says Ruth Benca, M.D., Ph.D., medical director of the Wisconsin Sleep Center. Otherwise, you want to stay consistent with your sleeping.
The price you pay for this sleep deficit is more than just lost productivity. Your health can suffer too. So wake up! It's time to shed some light on this dark territory.
Tara O'Brien HB.Sc. is a Naturopathic Doctor at PURE Wellness Group.
www.purewellnessgroup.ca
reception@purewellnessgroup.ca