Healthiest You Ever

“Spinach is not only tasty, but it can help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer and arthritis. There have also been recent studies that suggest eating spinach may significantly lessen brain damage from strokes and other neurological disorders.”

Green smoothies are smoothies with greens blended into them. They differ from juices in that they’re a complete food—they still have fiber. Most people know that greens are very nutritious, but struggle to eat enough of them—they’re not the easiest vegetables to prepare tastefully while maintaining all of the important vitamins and minerals your body requires, and they can be hard to digest. Blended greens in smoothies have already been ripped apart and are effectively “predigested,” allowing for almost immediate absorption. Also, the blending process used in green smoothies actually breaks down the cellulose in the greens, making the nutrients able to be absorbed 70 percent to 90 percent more than that of a traditional salad.

Packed with green spinach and apples, this creamy green smoothie will kick your morning off with a boost of essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and an absolutely amazing taste.

1. Combine spinach, apples, and banana with ½ cup of water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined

2. Continue adding remaining water while blending until desired texture is achieved.

“Strength training is important to everyone, not only larger sized individuals, because we all need to be strong. And, it’s possible to be thin and weak.”

—Shirley S. Archer, fitness professional, Stanford University School of Medicine

The squat is one of the most important exercises to maintain a healthy back, hips, and knees. And they are considered functional strength exercises because performing repetitions of them will increase your muscular strength and endurance. You perform movements very similar to squats all day long without even realizing it. Every time you sit down and stand up you are doing a squat—on and off of the couch, in and out of the car, up and down to use the restroom.

A basic squat is very similar to sitting down and standing up from a chair, which is a great way to begin learning a squat. Find a chair or stool that is close to the height of your knees. Stand with your back to the chair. Place your heels a few inches away from the base of the chair with your feet about a hip width apart or slightly wider. Start with your arms by your sides, and as you take your hips back and down, reach your arms forward to counterbalance your weight. Very lightly touch your hips to the seat and stand back up. Keep the pressure on the heels of your feet in order to make the back of the legs (hamstrings and gluts) do more work than the front of the legs (quads). Keep the pressure on your heels and elongate the spine; avoid letting your knees go beyond your toes.

In order to build a good combination of muscular strength and endurance, you should complete an average of two to three sets with ten to twenty reps per set. Once you have developed a solid squat position with a large range of motion, you can begin to speed up the repetitions of the squat.

“I love to roast vegetables that have been sprinkled with chopped ginger and olive oil. It really brings out the flavor of sweet potatoes and all kinds of squash.”

The tang of sweet citrus and the zing of ginger make for a stimulating blend that will get your senses and taste buds on high alert. With 4 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables in this smoothie, the vitamin and mineral benefits are obvious, but this citrusy green mix is especially high in iron and folate. Necessary to optimal brain functioning, folate is especially important for pregnant and nursing women. Because this smoothie is delicious and rejuvenating, any stressful day can be turned around in no time by indulging in this treat!

1. Combine watercress, pineapple, bananas, ginger, and ½ cup water in a blender and blend until thoroughly combined.

2. Add remaining ½ cup of water as needed while blending until desired consistency is achieved.

“Individuals who engage in sixty minutes of exercise per day may need as much as 6 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight per day.”

Just like a car needs gasoline to continue to run, your body needs fuel in the form of food. If you owned a Lamborghini Diablo, you would likely recoil at the idea of fueling it with a low-grade gasoline, something that could cause the engine to seize up. Think of your body the same way. When undergoing endurance training, in particular, you need to choose high-quality fuel for your body to run efficiently.

Carbohydrates are a major source of fuel for the body, particularly when participating in endurance training. Glucose is the primary source of energy in most cells, and it’s produced in your body from the carbohydrates you eat. If you don’t eat enough carbs to generate the glucose levels needed to keep up with the energy demands of endurance training, your body will be forced to make glucose from your muscle proteins. Not all carbs are equal, so here’s a list of the healthiest carb choices:

“An instructor once told me that when there’s resistance in your body, it’s only because of the resistance in your mind. It’s about getting inside the pose. Being the breath.”

Lie on your belly with your legs extended behind you. Prop yourself up on your forearms. Your forearms will be parallel to each other with the elbows close to the waist and in line with the wrists and shoulders. Press the forearms and the palms down and observe how this grounding action lifts your chest and elongates the sides of your body. Maintaining this action, pull your elbows back on the floor without actually moving them. Feel the muscles of the upper back draw in to the back and hug your shoulder blades. Enhance this by lifting your sternum forward and up. Enjoy the openness and broadness of the top chest. Stay for several breaths and then release down and rest.

YOGA IS MIRACULOUS!

Dr. Benjamin Spock was a guru to parents for many generations. During the last years of his life, doctors told him he would never be able to walk again. Instead of resigning himself to that fate, Spock began a regimen of macrobiotics, shiatsu massage, psychoanalysis, and yoga. After four yoga classes with a master, he was able to walk again.

“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.”

When your children are old enough to run around, get out a soccer ball and take it to the yard or park. Children love to participate in activities with their parents. Whether or not you realize it, you are teaching your child even as you play games with him. As you demonstrate a competitive spirit, team cooperation, respect for the rules of the game, and good sportsmanship whether you win or lose, he learns through observation, listening, and participation. So go outside and run around with your kids. If soccer isn’t your thing, make up a game. The point is to play, set a good example, and have fun with the little (or not so little) ones in your life. Compare the following list of activities and choose your game accordingly.

LET YOUR CHILD LEAD THE WAY

Children are expert in the art of play, and they are natural-born teachers. If you are feeling stressed out, overworked, doggedly tired, take a timeout for play. It strengthens the parent/child bond. Don’t remember how? Playing with your baby or toddler can get you laughing, relieve stress, increase spontaneity, and inspire creativity. You probably don’t require a child development expert to explain to you what floor time is. Get down on the same level as your youngster and give your full attention to him or her. Permit your child to lead the way for your own inner child to come out.

The body makes a chemical known as 5-HTP from the tryptophan we get from food. The 5-HTP used in supplements comes from the seeds of an African plant (Griffonia simplicifolia). In our bodies, 5-HTP quickly becomes serotonin, a neurotransmitter (a chemical that carries messages to and from the brain) that affects sleep cycles, appetite, and mood. Extra tryptophan in our diets leads to extra serotonin in our brains, which is why the supplements are touted as a sleep aid and mood-lifter, among other things.

Foods that provide tryptophan (5-HTP) include roasted white turkey, ground beef, cottage cheese, chicken thighs, eggnog, milk, and almonds.