Have you tapped into the power of visualization? Your mind is your body's most powerful too!
The most powerful thing you can do is get into action! Move your body. Next is the power of visualization in creating your bikini body.
Watch this video to learn how to put visualization into practice.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this video with your loved ones and I love hearing from you in the comments below.
Are you losing hair? Do you need to clean your hair brush more often because it is filling up faster?
The American Academy of Dermatology says that 40% of us will have thinning hair by the time we are 40.
In fact, hair loss happens to two out of every three women.
TweetThough you may think that you’re losing your hair as a result of aging, that is probably not what’s happening.
Our hair gets thin as a result of an underlying health problem.
A lot of times it is a result of either a nutritional deficiency or an imbalance in hormones.
That means that when you take the right steps and make some lifestyle changes, you may be able to reverse the process.
One of the top causes is a thyroid condition known as hypothyroidism. Our thyroid makes hormones known as T3 and T4. They are responsible for hair growth. They also are what gives our hair its color.
When our levels of T3 and T4 get too low, it can do a lot of harm.
It can slow our metabolism and make us gain weight. It can make us feel that we are losing energy. It can turn more of our hair gray. It can also make us lose hair on our head, and from our eyebrows too.
Another thing that can cause hair loss is stress.
The loss of hair from stress is also caused by a hormonal imbalance. In this case, the problem is high levels of cortisol.
Our bodies are only built to withstand cortisol in short burst. When it is present on a constant basis, it can lead to a number of health concerns, including metabolic syndrome and blood sugar imbalances. It can also cause hair loss.
So what’s a person to do?
The first step in dealing with each of these issues may be to talk to your doctor.
If you are stressed, try yoga, meditation, and exercise. Turning to a diet that includes more plants can also help to lower cortisol levels.
You can also try these natural remedies for hair loss:
1. Increase the amount of protein you are eating. You can add more chicken or salmon. Or try adding legumes, nuts, and high-protein grains like quinoa.
2. Vitamin B-3 (also known as niacin) is said to increase blood flow to the scalp. Foods high in B-3 include chicken and tuna.
3. Vitamin E is also good for circulation and can boost blood flow to the scalp.
4. Try a scalp massage using essential oils like lavender or rosemary. They are good for blood flow and stress at the same time!
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this info. with your friends and I love hearing from you in the comments below. Have you been faced with hair loss or thinning?
Salt is an item that we take very much for granted. It is on every restaurant table and in every kitchen cupboard. Yet it has always been valued. It flavors our food and preserves it. People have chosen where to live based on whether they are near to a source of salt.
In fact, the word “salary” comes from the Latin word for salt because it is how Roman soldiers were paid.
We think of salt as being unhealthy, but that is not true. In fact, humans need salt to live.
The American Heart Association says we need 500 mg of salt per day to be healthy.
TweetSalt helps to control our blood pressure and sends important signals from our nerves to our muscle fibers. While too little salt can lead to dehydration, too much salt can lead to us retaining too much fluid. It can lead to high blood pressure and hypertension.
It's important to watch how much salt you eat. It is also helpful to eat the right type of salt.
In the last few years, sea salt has become more easily available, and that’s a good thing, because it has many benefits over table salt. Though at its most basic level, all salt is sodium chloride, there are some important differences between the two.
As its name states, sea salt comes from an existing body of sea water. It is created by using the sun to evaporate liquid or by using a faster vacuum process.
It can be refined or unrefined.
Table salt comes from deposits of salt that were from bodies of sea water that once existed, but do not exist anymore. After the salt is mined, it is dissolved in water to wash it, then evaporated using a vacuum so that crystals form.
All trace minerals and sediments are removed, and it is treated with substances that keep it from caking. Sometimes potassium iodide is added.
There are a number of things that make unrefined sea salt a healthier choice as a source of sodium.
It has not been rinsed of other elements, and that means that it can contain calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and iodine. Each of these are important to your health.
Another advantage that sea salt provides is the fact that it is made up of larger crystals. This registers as a saltier taste on the human tongue, leading to using less and cutting sodium intake.
Find Out the Deadly Truth Behind Iodized, Kosher and Commercial Seal Salt
In addition to table salt and sea salt, you can also buy Himalayan pink salt or Kosher salt.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I hope you will leave me a comment below. What kind of salt is in your shaker?
Get that Bikini Body you always wanted for the Summer, in Spring, doing this 10-minute full body workout without using any equipment.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this quick, effective workout with your friends and I'd love to hear from you in the comments below.
Apple cider vinegar has long been known as a fix for whatever ails you. This kitchen staple is used to treat the sniffs and sneezes of common colds.
It's also a cure for stomach cramps, hiccups, a sore throat and more. Its health benefits come from its high levels of proteins, enzymes and healthy bacteria.
How does it stack up against apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is made by taking crushed apples or cider and adding yeast. This turns it to alcohol. Bacteria is added to the mix, and the whole thing turns into the acid that is vinegar.
To make coconut vinegar, the same process is used. Instead of apples, coconut sap is used.
Both of these vinegars are cloudy when you buy the organic, unfiltered version. This is because of something called the “mother”.
The “mother” is a bundle of proteins, bacteria and enzymes that is the source of both liquids’ health benefits.
Coconut vinegar is new to the United States, but people in the Philippines have used it for years.
TweetIt has many of the same health benefits as apple cider vinegar. These include:
One study showed that obese people who added one tablespoon of vinegar to their daily diet lost 2.6 pounds over 12 weeks.
They also lost belly fat and cut inches off their waists. Those who added two tablespoons of vinegar lost an extra pound.
So, when it comes to comparing the two, which is better for you?
Both are good, but the coconut vinegar offers a few more benefits.
The most important of these may be the easiest to understand – it just tastes better! Coconut vinegar is a bit sweeter.
It also doesn’t have the same bite as apple cider vinegar. That makes it easier to add to your daily diet.
Plus, coconut sap has many more nutrients than apples. That carries over into the vinegar.
Together these help your body make protein.
They help the blood cells that carry oxygen and make antibodies that help boost your immune system.
When buying coconut vinegar, make sure that you choose organic, unfiltered vinegar made from coconut sap.
There are vinegars on the market that are made from coconut water, and they do not have the same nutritional value.
You can use it in any recipe that calls for vinegar for a sweeter, milder taste. You can also use it as a daily detox by adding one tablespoon to one cup of water each morning.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your loved ones and I always love to read your comments below. Have you tried coconut vinegar?
When and how to have a cheat meal? Cheat meals shouldn't make you feel like a cheater!
It's okay to eat white sugars or carbs sometimes, just not every single day. That's why I like to call them Free Meals, not cheat meals. I'll be discussing when and how to have your free meals so you don't feel guilty.
Oh and here's a 90-second trick I do AFTER I have a cheat meal.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word about “cheat meals” with your friends and I love hearing from you in the comments below. What's your go-to meal for “free day?”
Diastasis what? Most who haven't experienced it, have also never heard of it. Even some who have it, have never heard of it.
It’s a problem that comes most often with pregnancy.
As the uterus expands, the tissue that runs down the middle of your belly muscles gets thin to make room for the baby.
Sometimes it stretches then goes back into shape. Other times the stomach muscles get so stretched that they don’t go back.
Diastasis Recti has been described as having your six pack turn into a three left, three right pack.
In the worst cases the organs behind the muscles can actually bulge out, but most people don’t get it that badly. In most cases, it’s what keeps them from being able to button their jeans months after they’ve lost their baby weight.
In fact, a lot of people don’t even know that they have it.
If you have been trying to lose that belly and aren’t sure whether you have diastasis recti, it is easy enough to find out, and fix it.
People who have had more than one pregnancy – or who have more than one baby at a time – are most likely to have diastasis recti.
You are also at risk if you are over 35 or have poor muscle tone. The first sign that you have it is that your stomach isn’t as flat as it used to be.
To be sure, you can lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Put your fingers on your belly button and lift your head an inch or two off the floor.
Press down and see if there is a gap between your left side and right side stomach muscles.
Move your hands a few inches below your belly button and check again. Then move them a few inches above.
The gap can be anywhere from up high, just under your breasts, to down low.
The official definition of Diastasis Recti includes a gap of more than 2.7 centimeters.
TweetYou can do some exercises while you are pregnant to prevent yourself from getting it, but if it’s too late, don’t despair.
Start out by knowing how big your gap is so that you can track your own progress. You can do this using your fingers to gauge how wide and how long it is.
After you know your starting point and your doctor says you are okay to exercise, your goal will be to strengthen your core – but you have to do it in the right way!
What NOT to Do:
Crunches are the absolute wrong thing to do and can make the situation worse.
Stay away from movements that make you bend backward or stretch the abs.
You want to avoid anything that makes your stomach muscles bulge, including lifting heavy weights.
Instead, start off easily by getting used to pulling in your stomach muscles and engaging them. You should be able to do this for ten seconds while still breathing normally.
After you’ve mastered this you can move on to marching in place with your core held steady and upright, and stomach muscles engaged.
Planks are the gold standard exercise for fixing this problem, but it is important that you use the correct form.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this with your friends and I welcome your comments below. Have you experienced Diastasis Recti?
Do you cook with rutabagas?
Do you even know what one is?
Most people have heard of them, but don’t know what they are.
They're often a “forgotten” vegetable but I'm going to give you some good reasons to remember them!
A rutabaga is a root vegetable. It is a cross between a turnip and a cabbage. They look so much like turnips that they are often mistaken for them.
You can tell rutabagas from turnips because they are bigger and are part white and part purple.
Rutabagas are in the same vegetable family as cauliflower, broccoli, bok choy and kale.
Cruciferous vegetables are high on the list of foods that the American Cancer Society says people should eat.
Rutabagas are high in antioxidants and in vitamin C. In fact, one cup of rutabagas contains more than half of the RDA of vitamin C! They're also rich in beta carotenes, potassium and manganese.
1. Rutabagas can make a big improvement in your digestive health because they're very high in fiber.
2. Their high levels of vitamin C boost your immune system.
3. Their potassium lowers blood pressure.
4. Their combination of fiber and potassium help to lower your cholesterol.
5. They also have calcium, zinc, magnesium and phosphorous which all help build strong bones.
And last but certainly not least:
6. One of the most important things that rutabagas do is provide complete protein and amino acids.
TweetPotatoes offer 3 grams of protein per cup while Rutabegas offer only 1.5 grams per cup. This can be a source of confusion because potatoes do have all nine amino acids, but they don't have an adequate amount of all of them to be considered a complete protein.
That makes rutabagas an especially good choice for vegetarians.
They’re also a natural treatment for cancer because they contain a number of sulfur-containing compounds.
Rutabagas are a great food source for people who have diabetes. This is because they’re lower in carbohydrates than other starchy foods.
Want to compare the nutrients in potatoes and rutabagas?
Potato (1 cup boiled) Rutabaga (1 cup boiled)
136 calories 51 calories
31.4 grams carbs 11.6 grams carbs
2.6 grams fiber 3.1 grams fiber
17% RDA potassium 10% RDA potassium
34% RDA vitamin C 53% RDA vitamin C
11% RDA thiamine traces of thiamine
11% RDA niacin traces of niacin
23% RDA vitamin B-6 traces of vitamin B-6
The two are prepared in very similar ways. They can be roasted, mashed, or fried, and both are great in soups or stews.
There is a real difference in taste. A rutabaga is sweeter than a potato and is also less starchy.
Rutabagas keep for a long time as long as they are kept cool. You can put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, or even in a cool cellar. Before cooking them, they should be washed and peeled.
You can make them using just about any recipe you already have for potatoes. Here’s one of our favorites:
There's certainly nothing wrong with eating potatoes but rutabagas are a great way to change things up a bit. Next time you're in the produce aisle grab some rutabagas to treat your taste buds to something different.
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please help me spread the word about rutabagas and I want to hear from you in the comments below. Do you cook with rutabagas?
When you’re in the midst of a bitter cold winter, it’s hard to find much of anything to be grateful for.
After all, who wants to spend time worrying about slipping on ice or struggling to stay warm.
Though you may prefer to just stay inside where it’s warm, drinking hot chocolate, at some point, you’ll have to go outside.
If you’re out there and find yourself shivering, take heart in knowing that it’s actually good for you.
We all know that our core body temperature is supposed to stay right around 98.6. We know that when we are sick our core temperature rises. It’s how the body fights infection.
The body works hard to stay at 98.6, so when our core temperature falls below that mark, it works to bring it back up to where it belongs.
Our brains constantly monitor our skin. If our bodies are too warm, it sends a message to make sweat to cool us off.
When we are too cold it sends a message to warm us up. It does this by making our muscles contract in bursts. That’s what we see when our bodies shake and our teeth chatter.
It’s the brain’s version of exercising our body. It also sends us a message that we should get ourselves to shelter and find warmth.
So now we know that shivering is the brain’s way of making sure we take care of ourselves. Beyond that, there’s another way that it can be good for us.
As it turns out, shivering is a great way to increase the amount of brown fat that we burn.
TweetBrown fat is the fat that makes those adorable rolls on baby’s arms and legs. It keeps them warm specifically because they can’t shiver, but in adults, it does something different.
Adults use brown fat to generate heat to burn calories. When you exercise, you contract your muscles in the same way that shivering does.
This movement creates a hormone called irisin that makes white fat cells act like brown fat cells. That means that we are burning calories at a higher level, and more efficiently.
Let’s look at the numbers and see what the science means in real life.
A study conducted in 2013 showed that people exposed to mild cold that did not induce shivering still burned more calories than they would in a comfortable room – but not that much. So turning down your thermostat is not going to help you lose weight.
By contrast, 15 minutes of shivering from the cold burns around 100 calories. This is a result of both the muscle movement and changing your white fat cells into more efficient fat burners.
If you’re exercising in the cold, or even shoveling snow, you can figure that you’ll burn 210 calories for each half hour.
After all this talk of cold weather, you might want a nice mug of hot chocolate to drink. Try this healthy version:
Healthier Hot Chocolate
1 cup almond milk
2 tsps. cacao powder
1 T pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of sea saltCombine all the ingredients into a saucepan over high heat. Stir until smooth and enjoy!
Yours in health,
Danette
P.S. Please share this info. with your friends and I always love hearing from you in the comments below. Do you avoid going outside during the Winter?
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.