Health Benefits Of Spices

I found this article on Yahoo and thought it would be great to share before it disappears like so many yahoo articles do...
The information is good and simple...enjoy!

The article was written by Brynn Mannino for Woman’s Day Magazine.

Chances are you sprinkle cinnamon into your morning oatmeal or add a dash of oregano to pizza without giving the spices much thought. But did you know your favorite flavors can actually do your body good? According to Christina Suarez, master herbalist and owner of TheGoodHerbCo.com, while spices are only effective when eaten at least daily, each has its own specific health benefits. Read on to find out which additives can burn fat, ease a sore throat or help you get to sleep, and how you can incorporate them into your daily diet.

 Cardamom

Fruit of the Elettaria cardamomum plant in the ginger family.

Health Powers: Eases belching, flatulence and indigestion; treats respiratory conditions like coughing, asthma and loss of voice; aids in the elimination of toxins through your skin.

Daily Dose: Stir a few freshly ground pinches of cardamom pods into a shot of OJ or your morning fruit salad, or mix it with white or brown rice before you boil it.



Cayenne

Fruit of the Capsicum annuum plant in the Solanaceae family, along with chile pepper.

Health Powers: Eliminates gas from the stomach and intestines; soothes sore throat, cold and flu symptoms; increases metabolism for weight control.

Daily Dose: Stir into a cup of hot chocolate or any sweet juice drink for a contrasting flavor kick.

Cinnamon

Bark of a small evergreen tree.

Health Powers: Tames nausea and stomach ulcers; functions as a mild anti-inflammatory; increases insulin sensitivity to help focus fat burn.

Daily Dose: Stir into coffee/tea, yogurt, oatmeal or any boxed cereal.

Cloves

Flower bud found at the base of an evergreen tree.

Health Powers: Soothes digestive tract muscles and is a potent antihistamine.

Daily Dose: Mix into your nightly ice cream treat or sneak into mustard spread.

Nutmeg

Fruit of Myristica fragrans,an evergreen tree.

Health Powers: Improves digestion; eases the symptoms of menstruation; induces calm and sleep.

Daily Dose: Grate a small amount into applesauce or plain yogurt. (Note: It’s safe to grate the entire nut, which you can usually buy whole at the supermarket, but you never want to consume more than one nutmeg per day because too much of this potent spice can cause stomach pain, double vision and other uncomfortable reactions.)

Celery Seed

Seed of the Apium graveolens plant in the parsley family.

Health Powers: Flushes the liver of toxins; lowers blood pressure; combats water retention.

Daily Dose: Think salads—tuna, potato and egg all work—which can be tossed onto a bed of lettuce, eaten alone or spread onto bread.

Coriander

Also known as cilantro; the leaves and seeds of the Coriandrum plant in the aromatic Apiaceae family.

Health Powers: Acts as a diuretic; eases seasonal allergies.

Daily Dose: Cook into couscous and quinoa, which you can store and eat with leftovers.

Fennel

Seed of the Foeniculum plant in the aromatic Apiaceae family.

Health Powers: Calms bowel distress; supports milk production in nursing mothers; combats water retention.

Daily Dose: Add to canned minestrones and vegetable soups.

Oregano

Leaf of the Origanum plant in the mint family.

Health Powers: Loosens mucus; helps treat respiratory illnesses; and calms indigestion.

Daily Dose: Use in any tomato-based foods, like marinara sauces, pizza and soups.

Thyme

Leaf of the Thymus plant in the mint family.

Health Powers: Relaxes the muscle tissue of the gastrointestinal tract; stimulates immune system.

Daily Dose: Toss into any meat-based dishes.

Turmeric

Root of the Circuma plant in the ginger family.

Health Powers: Reduces inflammation (joints, airways); detoxifies the liver.

Daily Dose: Mix in with oil-and-vinegar-based salad dressings.

Raw Blueberry Avocado Ice Cream

I thought with summer here we could all use a good ice cream recipe.  Don't let the avocado scare you its creamy texture and rich taste make for a great ice cream. This recipe is great because it requires no cooking and only a blender to make the ice cream.  It's very simple and quick so you can spend your time having fun!  Enjoy the recipe and make it a great summer!

 

Raw Blueberry Avocado Ice Cream

soft serve style ice cream from the blender

Ingredients:

1 pint frozen blueberries
half an avocado
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
1/4 cup water, or as much needed to get things moving in the blender

(milk or soy milk may be substituted to make it creamier)

Preparation:

Put everything in the blender until smooth

Freeze for about an hour or until desired firmness

Servings: 2

Approximate Calories per serving:

Made with water 215

Made with whole milk 235

Made with soy milk 230

5 Easy Weight Loss Tips

Exercise Is Essential For Healthy Weight Loss
You should strive for five 30 minute sessions per week to maintain long term weight loss.

Keep A Food Diary
A food diary can provide a large amount of self-awareness. It can identify emotions and behaviors that trigger overeating and foster greater awareness of portion sizes.

Focus On Being Healthy .. Not On Being Thin
Many people become more successful at long term weight loss when their motivation changes from wanting to be thinner to wanting to be healthier. You should eat to give your body the nutrients it needs for optimal health.

Make Sure Portion Sizes Are Appropriate
With the advent of "super-size" meals and increasingly huge portions at restaurants, our concept of normal serving sizes is a distant memory. Be mindful of the amounts of food you consume.


Eat Slowly
It takes the brain 20 minutes to start signaling feelings of fullness. The amount of calories consumed before you begin to feel full can vary significantly depending on how quickly you eat. So slow down, take smaller bites and enjoy

Women's Strength Training Myths

I was putting together a flyer for work and thought this would be some good information to share...
The following are 10 Myths about Women and Strength Training.
Strength Training is very important to a womans health.
It doesn't have to be lifting weights.. you can do pushup, lunges, power yoga etc.

Women's Weight Training Myth #1


Weight training makes you bulky
Women do not, and cannot, naturally produce as much testosterone as men. Testosterone is one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size. Women who conduct weight training get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.

Women's Weight Training Myth #2

Exercise increases your chest size
Sorry girls. Women’s breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. You can however, strengthen and firm the underlying chest muscles which helps to perk up the breasts.

Women's Weight Training Myth #3

Weight training makes you stiff and musclebound
If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase.  Most women do not have enough of the proper hormones to get get musclebound.

Women's Weight Training Myth #4

If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat
Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that the subject’s muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.

Women's Weight Training Myth #5

Weight training turns fat into muscle
The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobic exercise and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.

Women's Weight Training Myth #6

As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want
Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while we exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do.

Women's Weight Training Myth #7

Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light
First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

Women's Weight Training Myth #8

In order to see results, you need to work every muscle individually
You actually get a better workout (as in faster results in less time) by performing compound moves. Think squats, lunges, dips, push-ups. you get double the bang for Another benefit of compound moves is that they mimic activities you're likely to perform in everyday life. This greatly reduces the chance you'll pull a muscle performing simple tasks.

Women's Weight Training Myth #9

For maximum definition, the more repetitions of each exercise, the better
You have to lift a challenging weight to see a change in the muscle. Low-weight workouts build endurance, which is important, especially if you participate in a sport, but in order to make real changes in the shape of the muscle heavier weights are needed.

Women's Weight Training Myth #10

I’m too old to start weight training
It’s NEVER to late to start weight training. Studies have shown strength improvements and numerous other benefits from weight training are possible at any age, even in subjects well into their 70s and 80s. In fact, a recent study, published in the

Journal of the American Medical Association, found that post-menopausal women can reduce their body fat, increase muscle mass, build up their bones, and improve their balance by lifting moderately heavy weights on a regular basis. Biologically, the women were about 20 years younger then they were at the start of the yearlong study.

Here are a few other benefits you may want to consider

You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.

You Will Fight Heart Disease.

You will improve your cholesterol profile & blood pressure.

You Will Be Able to Fight Back Pain and Arthritis.

You’ll be a Stronger Woman Physically and Mentally.

This video is a great example of strength training that uses no equipment.

Enjoy!

Have You Ever Wanted To Learn How To Use An AB Wheel?

Well, here's your chance!
My latest youtube video demonstrates how to use the ab wheel properly.
Using the ab wheel is a great way to tighten up the core and strengthen your mid section.
This will help flatten your stomach and support your lower back.
Be sure to check with your Dr before starting any exercise program.


you can check out more of my videos at: http://www.youtube.com/user/lrtx
I also offer personal training world wide through Skype Video Chat.
Read more about Skype Workouts at http://www.lesromack.com/