Protect your walnut!

Movember may be over and men might be shaving their moustaches, but that doesn’t mean the importance of prostate health and awareness should be forgotten.

 I’m talking to you men! You must take care of this walnut size gland as it is an important part of your reproductive system. The prostate sits just below the bladder and circles the urethra. This is why men with an enlarged prostate tend to visit the washroom more frequently, especially at night!

 It has 2 functions:

• Helps to control the flow of urine
• Adds acidic fluid to the semen

 Prostate cancer is one of the leading cancers among men. It is extremely important to protect the health of your walnut!

Some easy ways to help your prostate are:

• Eat foods that contain zinc – crimini mushrooms, spinach, beef (grass-fed), lamb, asparagus and pumpkin seeds. Zinc helps to prevent prostate inflammation, reduce prostate cancer and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.
• Antioxidants – help to prevent damage from free radicals and reduce cancer prevalence. Eat colourful fruits and veggies like blueberries, peppers, eggplant, strawberries and blackberries.
• Beta-carotene – helps to prevent an enlarged prostate. Makes veggies like carrots, squash and sweet potatoes orange.
• Eat your tomatoes – tomatoes contain lycopene, a phytonutrient that gives food its red colour.  Helps to prevent and fight cancer, especially prostate cancer.
• Kegel – Yes this is not just something women should do. Kegeling helps to strengthen the prostate gland. Do this my squeezing the muscles used to stop the flow of urine.
• Helpful Herbs for those with an enlarged prostate
  • Saw Palmetto – helps to relax the tissues surrounding the prostate.
  • Pygeum – help with night-time urination for men with an enlarged prostate

Try these tips and don’t forget to get your prostate exam!

Snack Attack!

If you want to sustain your energy throughout the day, burn fat more efficiently, reduce cravings and balance your blood sugar you should consider snacking. Eating something every 2-3 hours can help you reduce the amount of food consumed at the main meals – you will not be so inclined to have a second or third helping! Regular food consumption provides your body with the necessary energy to perform daily tasks and simply think more clearly – prevent the fog that takes over your mind in the afternoon.

Snacking is great but grazing is a totally different story. Eating from the time you wake up to the time you close your eyes at night is not considered snacking. This grazing action can have detrimental effects – decrease digestion, store fat, weight gain. We want to eat on a regular basis but still have time between our meals – snacking.

The quality of your snack is just as important as snacking itself. After all you are what you eat! Chips or cookies may satisfy your afternoon sugar craving but these are not good snacks – they will only feed the sugar addiction.

Good snacks (including protein, carbohydrates and fat) that will help your body include:

• Hummus with some veggies or gluten-free crackers (Mary’s Crackers are great)
• Greek yogurt with some fruit and nuts
• Apple with some nut butter (avoid conventional peanut butter – I know it tastes great, but you want to try to avoid it)

Give snacking – not grazing – a try to feel the benefits! You’ll wonder why you never snacked before.

Make Your Liver Smile

The Liver is a powerful, multi-talented organ. It performs over 500 jobs/functions, one of which is detoxification and the filtration of toxins from the blood. It is important for the body to be able to detoxify toxins (environmental), chemicals (cosmetics and other beauty products), medications, hormones, along with foreign substances and allergens. A congested liver is unable to detox the body leading to decreased immunity and the presence of allergies.

It is vital to show your liver a little love and support its functioning.

Things that suppress live function:

• Alcohol consumption – excess alcohol can lead to fatty liver and inhibit proper functioning.
• Drugs
• Excess consumption of fatty foods – those high in bad fats (trans and saturated fats) such as fried food and junk food.

Liver supporting:

• Lemon Water – Help support your liver on a daily basis by drinking fresh lemon water in the morning. Squeeze half a lemon in a glass of room temperature water
• Kombucha – fermented tea that helps to cleanse the liver. Contains liver cleansing acids.
• Sulphur – consume foods that have high sulphur content. Sulphur is needed to support the phases of detoxification (convert toxins to water-soluble substances to be eliminated). Good foods include broccoli, garlic, onions, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and cruciferous vegetables.
• Vitamin C – helps support liver function and phases of detoxification. Foods include citrus fruits, bell peppers, parsley, broccoli, strawberries, raspberries, asparagus and tomatoes.

Incorporate these liver supporting foods to help your liver, increase detoxification, immunity and reduce symptoms from allergies. A healthy, happy liver makes a happy you!

The Power of Thought

Do you ever look into the mirror and say “I am beautiful”? Do you tell yourself that “you are successful and valued”? These are the words that we should be telling our self, but instead we constantly think we are not enough or don’t deserve happiness. We focus on the bad or negative things that surround us. Our thoughts and the perception we have about the world and life have a tremendous impact on our health! It’s time for a change in tides and a positive wave to triumph the negative.

Louise Hay is an influential woman in the area of perception and illness. She drives home the message that our thoughts are powerful and that everyone has the power to change their life. She explains that YOU are in control and the creator of YOUR FUTURE!

Have you ever considered that illness can be caused by or manifested from negative thoughts? This very thing has been shown to be true in the lives of ill people. There is a connection between the things we feel and our perception, to illnesses that develop. An illness may manifest from negative thoughts or holding resentment, but if we are able to work through these negative thoughts and learn to forgive, it has been shown that the illness may subside. Louise Hay’s is a perfect example of how thinking in a positive way, practicing forgiveness and loving yourself can reverse or prevent disease.

We must all consider that changing our perception or the way we think can have a huge impact on our life. Instead of thinking in a negative way or focusing on the things that you do not want in your life, switch your frame of mind and focus on the wonderful things that you are blessed with or something good that happened in your day. Our thinking has a tremendous impact on the outcome of our life. If you want positive things to happen, those are the things you must think about and bring forward. Believe in yourself and your abilities, know that you are beautiful and valued, and reassure positive affirmations daily. Trust that your positive thoughts will be heard!

Tell yourself – “I radiate success, and I prosper wherever I turn”

Experience the power behind your thoughts!

Check out Louise Hay’s book – You Can Heal Your Life

Inspiration

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – – just good food from fresh ingredients.”

– Julia Child