The Power Of Leafy Greens

Food is what I consider to be the foundation of health. Speaking for myself, at one time I was hitting the gym religiously and still had a gut. Case in point is when I would take on any all-you-can eat specials!


Today, I make sure I pick the best greens and other ingredients for my salad. My salad dressing is simply oil and vinegar, and sometimes some lemon juice. I try to limit my sodium by using spices such as turmeric, black pepper and garlic salt.


We are in the middle of a kale revolution, as everyone seems put kale on their shopping list. Here are some ideas for kale salad. Because of its affect on the thyroid and high vitamin K content, kale should be limited to 3-4 times a week.


I am practically addicted to this greens and beans recipe. I tend to mix the greens and will use kale, spinach, beet greens, chard, etc., in one pot full!


Knowing your leafy greens and their nutritional value may or may not teach you something. For instance, I did not consider broccoli a leafy green but I did know that iceberg offers minute nutrition. More on the health benefits of the healthy leafy greens here.

Workout Smarts

Do you want to cut out wasted time on getting fit? Then learn 8 moves to keep you fit. For women there are workouts for specific body types. For men there are training guides.


Most of us can use all the tips on fitness that we can get.


There are no more excuses to working out no matter where we find ourselves. The trick is to take the 'short-cuts' and 'lazy' out of it. Working out at work, for instance, just got easier.


No matter what our age, strength training is an essential regiment to our wellbeing. Learn about the benefits and  equipment in a strength training user guide.


When it comes to working out, safety should be a given. The proper execution of beneficial exercises and knowing the exercises that do more harm or are useless will help you reap the rewards. I've had to eliminate exercises, and also change my execution because I was doing it wrong. Here are exercises that can do more harm than good.

Gyms and Workouts

I went from a 30 minute to a close to 60 minute workout at the gym. At this point I am evolving and have added more exercises while eliminating a few. Since I have more time, due to my schedule, to spend in the gym, I tend to take my time. I hope to eventually spend no more than 45 minutes on my entire workout.


Most people have limited time at the gym, so it pays to know the ways to save time. I always workout in the morning, but maybe I should workout at night after work. Learn ways to supercharge your gym workout. Number 23 is what I was talking about.


The experts weigh in on getting the most from your exercise routines. The important thing is to develop a routine that works for you. Here's how to build your own exercise routine.


A good fitness resource site can be found here. It can generate a workout based on your workout level(beginner or advance) and time you want to spend exercising.


If you like learning and watching ways to do different workouts, here are free workout sites.

Weighing In On Weight Loss

Sometimes no matter what we do to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. The first thing to do is to check and see if you may be sabotaging your weight loss.


If you want to start small, there are little things you can do to lose weight.


If you add exercise, as you should, to your weight loss plan, here are ways to burn 150 calories. You can also get tips from Dr. Oz. You can still eat and lose weight with the right foods if done right.


The important thing about losing weight is to do it in a healthy manner. Not only is it about diet and exercise, but it is also about lifestyle change.


When looking for weight loss foods, start with a high protein and high fiber content. If the fiber is greater than the sugar, that is a plus. Low fat and sodium are on the opposite side, but potassium is a plus.


Eat smaller meals throughout the day and consume them in 2 or 3 hour intervals. I start with yogurt at 6 am followed by an egg at around 8 am. By around 5 or 6 pm I am no longer hungry for the rest of the night. I highly recommend meatless days, where no meat is consumed. It does help in weight loss and I go meatless at least 1 and as many as 4 days a week.


If I were to pick the best exercise to lose weight it would be something that can't really be duplicated in the gym. It involves stairs and/or hills. I live on the 15th floor and at least a couple of days a week, I use the stairs. When I worked in a park, I would briskly climb the hills. At first I was out of breath, but after awhile I wouldn't even work up a sweat. The reason was because I was losing weight.


I know what you're thinking. There are gym equipment that can duplicate them. True, and they do burn the calories and shed the pounds. I am getting away from most machine training because they aren't as effective as free weights and kettlebells. There is also a problem with some machines possibly being dangerous. More here.


So you can use the treadmill and stair climber at the gym, and you will get a good workout. Try real hills and stairs equivalent to your gym workout and you might be surprised at the difference.

The Juicing Issue

I have a Nutri-Bullet and I love it. I can make some of the best tasting drinks and smoothies using nothing but vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts and seeds. At first I was making a juice concoction every day. But soon I went back to the old fashion way-I eat it!


That is not to say that I still don't have my health juices, but I just limit it to 3 or 4 times a week. Juicing helps the body absorb vital nutrients, that many people may not be able to absorb from food. Food still serves in helping our digestive system from the esophagus to the colon.


I was kind of shocked to find that I was right. I would not recommend a total liquid diet to anyone, because food serves its purpose.

Health Journal 10

Once you determine that you want to be slim and fit, you must acquire and live with some healthy habits. An overall healthy lifestyle requires change, unless you are already there.




All men should familiarize themselves with the best exercises for men.  I am not leaving the women out!




Lower your diabetes risk with chocolate and berries. Sweeet!!!!




Find the herbs and spices that are associated with longevity. Spices and herbs can also help with a variety of diseases from diabetes to Alzheimer's and even cancer.





It may be a surprise to know that doctors are more in favor of medical marijuana than consumers.




Loneliness can lead to premature death in older adults.


Find the right supplements for your health needs.

Food Label Flaw

In this entry I wrote about the new food labels. I wrote, "After all the FDA is changing the already confusing Food Labels and it can go either way. A 20 oz. of soda becomes a serving just to show you the calories in an entire bottle? My guess is someone who drank a six-pack will continue to consume a six-pack!


All they did is cut out the Servings per container, because most people can't do the math, apparently according to their actions. I do like the Vitamin D label because I live in a cold northern state that lacks sunshine in the winter."


At this time the main flaw is that there isn't an established intake for sugar. Since it is established that the major cause for obesity is sugar, there is no dietary reference intake (DRI) for sugar. How much is too much?


We should also note that most obese people really don't even look at food labels. Maybe that is another flaw!

Cancer's Ironic Twist

Never in a million years would I have ever thought of a cure for human cancer coming from an unlikely source. Scientists at La Trobe University have found a cure in tobacco plants!


The cancer fighting protein in the plants called NaD1, seems to defend the plant from fungal infections while fighting cancer in humans and other animals. This is truly an ironic twist that may be telling us that the cure for what ails us comes from the plant that gave it to us.


So tobacco is a cancer fighter that can cause cancer when combined with fire. We have truly taken a giant step in the fight against cancer.