Healthy Living – Page 6

Parsley: the Steatlh Superfood

In many dishes, parsley is just a garnish. After seeing all the benefits this humble leaf has, you may consider finding new ways to sneak it into your diet!

The reason why parsley is such a common garnish is that not only is it pretty, but parsley actualy freshens the breath when you chew it. It also reduces gas, improves digestion, and can even reduce the body odor caused by eating garlic. Garlic is really good for you so this is a nice way to mitigate it’s odorous effects.

Parsley is a mild diuretic, too. If I eat a small handful of it, it clears up the fluid in my legs quite nicely. Parsley root has a much stronger effect.

On top of that, parsley is rich in vitamins and minerals!

From Google:

Parsley contains Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

You could: Add it to pesto or other green sauces Chop it up and sneak it into soups and casseroles Put it into vegetable juices Chop and sprinkle into salad Chop and hide in pizza toppings

Or you can do what I do and just eat a handful, like a barbarian!

Benefits of Good Sleep

Healthy Living

Since I had less than four hours of sleep last night due to an overly inquisitive cat, this subject is foremost on my mind.

Many people think sleep is a waste of time. Far from it. It’s amazing what it really does for us!

Our body does most of its repair work when we sleap. Healing, recovery from illness, and growth all happen then.

Our brain not only rests, but also files away all the information we learned the previous day. If you have to take a test, you are better off getting a good night’s sleep before it than cramming all night.

Sleep also helps us with weight control. People who are chronically short on sleep tend to have more problems with weight gain, because when we need sleep we tend to eat more to compensate.

Did you know that often, there is more brain activity when we are asleep than when we are awake? The brain is busy sorting things and filing them, so that needed information will be easier to access when you next wake up. It’s kind of like running “findfast” on a Windows computer. The files are quicker to search for next time you need something.

You don’t have to get all your sleep at one time. Some people have great results with naps. And all of this talking about sleep is making me want one!

Cancer-fighting berries?

Classic Skills, Food and Cooking, Healthy Living

According to my recent research, cultures where berries and nuts are eaten most frequently seem to have the least incidence of cancer. Part of this can be traced to ellagic acid, which may have an effect on cancer cells. There have been studies done where mice have been fed ellagic acid, and they developed 45% fewer tumors.

Pure berry juice is an important source of iron and many other vital nutrients. Some of the most nutritious berries are blueberries, black currants, and blackberries. The darker, the better! The more color the berry has, the more nutrients and antioxidants it has. Berries are best eaten fresh, but you can also get them dried and in many other forms.

If you drink berry juice, try to get something without sugar or added water or flavors, if at all possible. Then you can add stevia or sugar of your own, and you will end up getting a purer food product.

Berries are good for you. Lots of nutrients, and they satisfy the sweet tooth.

Voice of the Body

Healthy Living

I was taking a little one mile walk for my lunch half-hour, and I was feeling the sun and the wind and my legs carrying me along. I realized at that moment that I had never loved my body before and why not? Because it was ugly. Because it didn’t do what I wanted. Then I realized that my poor, dear body had been doing its best with what I was giving it, not understanding the circumstances, and having no way to tell me what it needed besides with aches and pains and added weight. Every lump, bulge, hard place, and soft place a testament to my life’s journey. Now that I am making friends with my body I notice that it seems to joyfully help me along, but I have to listen to what it really needs.

I imagine a conversation with my body. It wonders why I keep feeding it when it’s not really hungry, it faithfully stores the food I give it in case of famine or a long journey. Dutifully it tries to rebuild itself with insufficient nutrients, it asks for more food in hopes that it can get what it needs, and what does it get? more junk. So it does what it can, it asks for more rest because it’s not able to continue with such poor quality fuel.

But then it’s passenger gets an idea! Better fuel! More nutrients! My body can finally start doing it’s job properly with good materials. Realizing this today, I started loving my body because it’s doing it’s best with what I give it. It carries me along and gives me a home, and even all my bulges and bumps show where my body is trying to protect me against potential famine. I love my legs, stocky and strong from a lifetime of walking. I love my teeth, poor and crooked as they are, as they still chew up my food despite lots of sugar abuse. It goes on and on, as my body and I learn to finally work together.