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Category: Health & Wellness

Caffeine Awareness Month

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March is Caffeine Awareness Month, which comes at a time when caffeine from coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate bars, and other foods and beverages is an especially buzz-worthy topic for consumers around the world.

I love coffee and chocolate and have a tendency to consume one or the other (sometimes both together) daily. A day without chocolate is a day without sunshine! Both are considered sources of caffeine.

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) published recommendations mentioned caffeine 414 times, and provided an evidenced-based guideline indicating caffeine consumption of up to 400 mg/day, or approximately three to five 8-oz. cups of coffee per day, can be incorporated into healthful, daily eating patterns.

While the DGAs are primarily centered on coffee, there are several sources of caffeine that can contribute to this recommended 400 mg threshold.

Ever wonder which foods contain caffeine and how much is recommended for you?  Let’s take a quick look at a few common food and beverage sources and how much caffeine they contain:

  • An 8.4-oz. energy drink, a 20-oz. diet cola, and a shot of espresso, all sources of caffeine, contain about the same amount as a cup of coffee (80 mg).  Other recognizable choices include:
  • A cup of green tea or a 12-oz. can of soda, both of which contain about 40 mg of caffeine.
  • A 1.5-oz. chocolate bar, which contains about 10 mg of caffeine, whereas a darker chocolate bar the same size contains about 30 mg of caffeine. (No wonder I prefer dark chocolate!)

So know your sources of caffeine and the amounts.  It all adds up across the day.

What’s your favorite chocolate or coffee?

Healthy snacking

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Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to constantly deny yourself of all those delicious treats and snacks forever.

Making and eating healthy homemade snacks can be easy with GC Control Brownies and muffins. and… are they ever delicious!

To make basic muffins:
Preheat oven to 350°
1 egg beaten well
1/2 cup milk
1 cups GC Control any flavor
1 tsp. baking powder
Splash of Vanilla
Thoroughly blend all ingredients in a medium bowl.
Prepare muffin pan by spraying or brushing with a non-stick oil
Pour mixture into muffin pan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Yields 4 – 6 muffins

Breakfast muffins.
I have these for breakfast or as a snack with coffee or tea.
Preheat oven to 350°
2 cups GC Control any flavor ( I used Apple Cinnamon)
1 tsp baking powder 
3 whole eggs
1 cup water or milk 
Bake for 20 minutes.
Yields 12 muffins

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 400°
2 cups GC Control Chocolate
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup 2% milk (can also use fat free)
Mix all ingredients together and pour into baking pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.

GC Control Chocolate Mousse
1 scoop GC Control Chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Vigorousl shake ingredients until well-blended
Pour into glass.

GC Control Peanut Butter Cup
4 tbsp Coconut oil
8 tbsp GC Control Chocolate
Small amount of Peanut butter or Almond butter
Melt oil and mix with GC Control until smooth
Fill six muffin cups with half the mixture
Place dollop of nut butter in center of each half-filled muffin cup
Fill muffin cup with remaining chocolate mixture
Freeze for 30 minutes and enjoy
Store in refrigerator

Attain Pudding
1 scoop Attain Shake mix (any flavor)
3 tbsp water
Add ingredients to small ice cream size dish
Mix vigorously until thick and smooth.
Freeze for 20 minutes
Enjoy!

Healthy Gingerbread And French Vanilla Cookies
Preheat oven to 400°.
1/2 cup Unbleached Flour
2 scoops GC Control Gingerbread
1 scoops GC Control French Vanilla 
1/3 cup Eggland Eggwhites
1 cup Organic So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk
1 TB Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
2 TB Organic Earth Balance Butter
1tsp Organic ground ginger
2 tsp pure baking soda
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon

In large bowl add all ingredients.
Use electric mixer on low for 3-4 minutes.
Put mixture in the fridge for 5-10 minutes to harden slightly.
Spray two flat rectangular trays with non stick Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Yield: 30 cookies.
Each cookie has 28 cal, 3g carbs, 1g fat, 2g protein, 1g fiber and 1g sugar.

National Day of Unplugging

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The second Friday in March is the National Day of Unplugging and today just so happens to be the day.

So for 24 hours (ideally from sundown to sundown) we take a break from technology by unplugging, unwinding, relaxing and doing things other than using today’s technology, electronics, and social media. Take a break from technology and use #NationalDayOfUnplugging to post on social media the day before to spread the word.

How do you plan to unplug?

You do have options

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When it comes to colorectal cancer screening, you have options.
Decide which screening test you prefer: https://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/shared-decision-making/colorectal-cancer-screening

True or false?

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True or false?
You need to get tested regularly for colorectal cancer starting at age 50.

Answer: True. The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is to get tested regularly starting at age 50.

Learn more: http://1.usa.gov/11Y4avWTweet This!

Children’s Nutrition and Health

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It’s National Nutrition month and it may come as a surprise to find out that today’s children undernourished. They may be overfed, but they are still undernourished because, children, for the most part, do not eat well. They commonly choose foods high in fats, sugars, and salt—foods that have little, real nutritional value. The top choices among kids are hot dogs, chicken nuggets, French fries, pancakes, pizza, cookies and ice cream. It isn’t the most optimal menu for growing children and it’s definitely not conducive to good health.

This creates a domino effect that results in 97% of children suffering from some form of malnutrition. One in three children ages 2 to 19 is obese or overweight. That’s triple the rate of just a generation ago. Many suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes in children has increased by 21% in the last 10 years! This is caused by poor nutrition and three out of every four children not getting 60 minutes of exercise each day. The result? Childhood obesity health costs over $14 billion a year.

This article from Precision Nutrition will further explain some guidelines and strategies for assuring that your child is well fed and healthy. Supplementation can replace some of the vitamins and minerals missing in your children’s and grandchildren’s diets. Make sure to choose supplements that are safe and effective. Learn more. . .

Watch what you eat

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It’s National Nutrition Month® and each March the focus is on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Are you an organ donor?

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Essential Oils and the common cold

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Did you remember to buy Oregano to help combat the cold & flu this year?

If you did, we can offer a few ways to use the oil to help you feel better. 1. Steam Inhalation:
Add two drops of oregano oil to a bowl of boiling water, place a towel over your head and breathe in the powerful vapors for five to ten minutes. The moist steam helps to loosen and drain mucus in the nasal passages and the antibacterial properties of the oil help to fight infections and relieve cold symptoms.

2. Use in a diffuser:
I love my diffuser, in fact there is one in almost every room. I add several drops of oregano oil to your diffuser (I like to use ten or twelve) and breathe in the medicinal vapors. It’s great for cold and flu season.

3. Inhale directly:
Feeling stuffy at work? A deep sniff of oregano oil directly from the bottle is a great pick-me-up and can help open up the airways.

4. Sore throat:
Add a few drops of oregano oil to a glass of warm water and gargle with the blend. The antibacterial properties of the oil will help to ward off bacteria and the anti-inflammatory properties will help to soothe an aching throat. Make certain not to swallow the oil mixture. Oregano essential oil is extremely potent and therefore should always be diluted before applying directly to the skin. Do not use internally is not considered safe for women to use during pregnancy, however consuming fresh oregano in leaf form, or as a dried spice while cooking, is okay.
Make a Healing rub: Add five to eight drops of oregano oil to one or two teaspoons of coconut oil (which is solid at room temperature) and rub on the chest as a soothing balm for respiratory tract infections and coughs. You can also rub this balm on the soles of the feet for added benefit.

Not only can oregano help with colds and flu, it can also help with wart removal.It’s best to apply oregano oil with a carrier oil topically: Mix three to four drops of oregano essential oil with one teaspoon of a carrier oil. Apply the blend with a clean cotton swab four to five times a day and make sure to use a clean swab if you are treating more than one wart so you don’t spread the infection. After treatment cover the wart with a tape or bandage so it is not fueled by oxygen. Within a week or two you should be able to notice a sizeable difference in the size of the wart.

Benefits and Needs for Fiber

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While there is a wide range of foods that provide fiber, in today’s world, it is difficult for most of us to consume enough fiber to satisfy the daily minimums. An article from Food is Medicine, shares twenty foods that provide high levels of fiber.

Today’s Western diet probably satisfies only about half of the recommended amount of fiber that you need. As the article states: this is a big deal because high fiber foods guard against a number of diseases like cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Many processed foods are “fiber enriched”, but these are not the most desirable source of this valuable (and indispensable) dietary need.

The article makes the case for foods high in fiber as the best way to satisfy your needs, it also admits that it is unlikely that you will be able to with diet alone. It also identifies the probability that you will need a supplement to meet your daily requirements. It also points out that the quality of the supplement can and will make a big difference.

An effective supplement will contain a recommended balance of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber provides bulk in the digestive system which helps the elimination process, expelling carcinogens and toxins from the bowels. Soluble fiber is actually retained in the bodily system, creating a gel that prolongs elimination so that key nutrients can be absorbed more efficiently.

Some fiber supplements do not contain soluble fiber at all. Still, others do not contain enough insoluble fiber to do the job properly. It is important to have the correct balance of both. As has been stated, a healthy diet is best and this list of high in fiber foods will give you a handy guide for healthy meal planning.

The company with whom I am associated offers a complete array of supplements and high-in-fiber snacks that allows me to effectively control my fiber intake daily. They all contain both insoluble and soluble fiber. I am convinced that my good health is as a result of these indispensable products. Here’s to your health! 

High fiber foods article