Simple Steps for Increased Energy

Persistent mild fatigue or a chronic lack of energy due to day-to-day stressors or hectic schedules can often be addressed with simple preventive steps. In addition to regular exercise, quality rest, and a supplement routine designed to promote energy, try these dietary tips for a natural energy boost:

1. Eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables (preferably organic) for their protective phytochemicals and micronutrients needed for optimal metabolism.
2. Become a grazer. A large meal can trigger the body to release more insulin, resulting in low blood sugar levels and a fatigue-inducing slump. Eating smaller meals or healthy snacks throughout the day can help keep blood sugar levels steady.
3. Stay hydrated. Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue - drink purified water or other healthy liquids throughout the day.
4. Snack right. Choose healthy snacks that contain some protein, carbohydrates, and beneficial fats or select whole foods that are low in fat. Good options include a handful of unsalted nuts, fresh or dried fruit, yogurt, vegetable sticks, and whole grain bread or crackers.
5. Eat more fiber. Navy beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils are all rich in fiber, which slows the release of insulin and helps maintain a steady supply of energy.

Five Steps to a Healthy Mouth

Gingivitis, inflammation of the gums with resultant recession of gum tissue and damage to teeth, is a common condition of middle-age. Often it necessitates painful, costly surgical treatment. If your dental hygiene habits aren't the best, keep in mind that a little effort can go a long way. Maintaining a healthy diet, not smoking, and practicing good oral hygiene can prevent most gum disease. Try the following:

1. Get in the habit of using dental floss at least once a day (such as when you brush in the morning or evening). Use unwaxed dental floss if possible, and get it under the gum line to scrape the tooth surface. If you have the opportunity, ask a dental hygienist to teach you how to use it.
2. Whenever you have a chance, wash your hands and massage your gums with your fingertips. You can also stimulate your gums by running the end of a round wooden toothpick under the gum line.
3. If your gums are sore, mix hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to a paste and work this mixture into and under them with a toothbrush. Leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse.
4. Use a goldenseal mouth rinse.
5. Have your teeth and gums cleaned by a dental hygienist twice a year, and get treatment for any pockets of infection that are discovered.

Miso Soup

Miso soup is the Japanese version of chicken soup - a combination soul food and comfort food. It is traditionally eaten at breakfast in Japan as a daily staple. Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, and is full of antioxidants like vitamin E, as well as protective fatty acids.

It's healthful and delicious, and the Japanese say that the linoleic acid in miso promotes soft skin. The soybeans miso is made from also contain isoflavones and other elements that provide protection against some forms of cancer. To preserve these properties, miso should not be boiled. Add it to a soup after it has been removed from direct heat.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
3 slices fresh ginger root, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
5 cups water
4 tablespoons miso (dark or light, available at natural-food stores)
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Heat canola oil in large pot. Add ginger and onion. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes and add carrots, celery and cabbage. Stir well.

2. Add water, bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer covered till carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Place miso in a bowl, add a little of the broth from the soup, and stir into a smooth paste. Add more broth to thin the mixture, then add the miso to the soup. Let rest for a few minutes.

4. Serve in bowls with chopped raw scallions and a few drops of roasted sesame oil. You may wish to remove the sliced ginger before serving.

Food as Medicine: Miso is a particularly valuable food for vegans. The bacteria in miso synthesize vitamin B12, a difficult nutrient to obtain from diets that contain no animal products.

4 Steps to a Healthy Heart

Maintaining the right mix of healthy lifestyle habits is the best way to achieve optimal cardiovascular function. Incorporate the following into your daily routine to help promote the health of your heart:

1. Exercise. Regular exercise helps maintain the health of blood vessels, strengthens the heart muscle itself, and can help reduce heart disease risk factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and stress. Aim for 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobic activity on most days of the week. For individual guidance, consult a personal trainer.
2. Lose weight. If you are overweight or obese, even modest weight loss can significantly lower cardiovascular risks.
3. Don't smoke. Smoking is the major preventable risk factor for heart disease, and has negative health consequences for your entire body, from your taste buds to your energy levels to your skin. Seek support and guidance in quitting.
4. Manage stress. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and homocysteine levels. Practice breath work, meditation, guided imagery, visualization or another relaxation technique, and participate in regular moderate exercise (including yoga and T'ai chi), stay social, and laugh often.

Strategies for Teeth Grinders

Are you waking in the morning with sore cheek muscles, loose or temperature-sensitive teeth, a headache, earache, or jaw pain? If so, you may be grinding your teeth or habitually clenching your jaw in your sleep (or even during waking hours). Known as bruxism, this is a fairly common problem caused by a misaligned bite (malocclusion) or nervous tension or suppressed anger. Left untreated, bruxism can eventually wear down your teeth.

If your dentist has found your bite to be normal, you may be stressed out or internalizing your anger. There are a number of ways to relieve stress or rage: Biofeedback training specifically aimed at reducing jaw muscle tension can be helpful. Breathing exercises are a must: they are an effective stress-reliever. Daily physical activity, such as a brisk 20-minute walk or practicing tai chi or yoga can also make a big difference. In addition, avoid consuming alcohol late at night. It has been shown to make people clench their jaw more frequently.

Food and Stress: Two Simple Tips

If unhealthy stress is impacting your overall health, take action.

Start by identifying the problems and situations that create stress and learn to manage them with general techniques of stress protection, such as breathing exercises, regular physical activity, and prudent supplementation. In addition, make these two dietary changes:

• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish such as salmon, black cod, or sardines are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids - a deficiency in these essential fatty acids has been associated with increased anxiety and depression.
• Don't drink alcohol as a means to cope with stress. It is potentially addictive and not a healthy way to neutralize stress.

A Fruit For Wrinkles?

I've long recommended eating berries for their health-protective fiber and antioxidants. But new information about ellagic acid - an antioxidant found in numerous fruits, especially raspberries, strawberries and cranberries (as well as vegetables and nuts) - points to berries' potential as a topical application to help prevent collagen destruction and moderate the inflammatory response. A great deal of well-designed research shows that many compounds in berries, whether applied to the skin or eaten in the form of whole fruit, are among the most protective nutrients your body can utilize. Until topical ellagic acid based preparations are widely available, eating berries regularly is one of the best, not to mention tastiest, moves you can make for overall health.

5 Tips for Healthy Vision, Part 2

Last Wednesday I covered five lifestyle measures to promote healthy vision, and today I discuss five more. Add these to an antioxidant-rich diet and a prudent supplement routine to help maintain visual health:

1. Work in a well-lighted area. While dim lighting may not harm eyes, it can cause temporary eyestrain. When you do use artificial illumination, use full-spectrum light bulbs, which mimic natural light.
2. Keep your computer screen clean, at or below eye level, and about two feet away from your eyes.
3. Take frequent breaks. Look away from the computer screen or other reading materials every 10 minutes for about 10 seconds at a time. In addition, get up and move around or do some stretches every two hours or so.
4. Get enough sleep. Fatigue can increase eyestrain, while rest refreshes tired eyes.
5. See your eye doctor regularly. To catch potentially serious eye problems early, people ages 40 to 64 should have their eyes examined every two to four years and those who are age 65 and older should be tested every one to two years.