Eating Spinach for Internal Health

Spinach is a food that every household should have on their dinner menu. Popular spinach salads, cooked spinach, and spinach recipes do more than simply taste great as they also encourage greater health. They also have health benefits for those who want to work on their insides as much as their outsides. Incorporating a little spinach into your diet will do wonders for your general health.

According to Medical News Today spinach offers benefits for improving blood glucose levels, reducing cancer risks, improving blood pressure, preventing asthma and strengthening bones. The benefits of spinach move far beyond its tastes and encourage greater blood control and lower the risk of developing cardiovascular issues.

Developing health eating habits is about knowledge, habit, and practice. It is not enough to know about healthy eating without implementing the practice and habituating that practice to formalize a habit. As we become familiar with what foods are healthy and which ones are not we begin to naturally seek out and purchase certain types of foods.

For many people cooking healthy food is something that can be difficult do because of time and money constraints. It is just easier for people to buy a microwavable box of their favorite food or stop by their local restaurant; worse to even buy fast food. So creating a habit around eating healthy food is as important as buying that food.

An advantage of spinach is that it is also a source of protein which means those who are trying to build their muscles can find a source of protein in something leafy. It isn't a huge amount but most of the calories within spinach are made of this protein so in augmentation with other sources there is a benefit. It is better to consume protein in a low calorie meal than a protein bar.

Spinach is only part of a healthy diet. Exercise, variety, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy all contribute to health. The process of living healthy requires you to spend time thinking about the alternatives for your diet. Spinach is a good augmentation for salad and can be used to develop some low fat dies. Boil it and use it as a side dish on a regular basis.

Healthy Living: Lentil Soup as a Body Scrubber

Lentils are considered a super food that does more for the body than most other food types combined. As a legume, lentils are one of the easiest beans to prepare and can go a long way in keeping your body fully stocked with energy producing fiber.  Cooking lentil soup allows the intake of natural nutrients along with a great way to satisfy hunger throughout the day. 

Lentils lower cholesterol and improve heart health (1).  The higher volumes of soluble fiber lower cholesterol and reduce risks of heart disease and stroke by scrubbing arteries. The soluble fiber develops a gel-like substance in the digestive tract and collects bile that contains cholesterol and pushes it out of the body (2). 

We know that protein is important for encouraging muscle strength. Lentils not only provide protein (18g per cup) but also stabilize blood sugar levels helping keep insulin from bouncing around (3). The slow release of nutrients and fuel acts as a buffer against quick shots of blood sugar that helps maintain weight.

Bowl 309 calories

Ingredients:

-2 cups of lentils

-4 cups vegetable or beef broth.

-1 medium diced onion

-4 cups water

-3 celery stalks sliced

-1 large diced tomato

-2 carrots sliced

-2 garlic cloves or garlic salt

-Black pepper and oregano to taste.

Directions:

-Soak lentils in water for 2 hours to soften and then drain.

-Stir lentils and all other ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on medium heat for 8 to 10 hours.

Healthy Living: Drinking Water Helps You Lose Weight

Water is the lifeblood of our bodies so it is natural we should consume enough water to ensure that the 60% of us that is liquid is adequately supplied. Water apparently has additional benefits that not only encourage the interactivity of our chemistry but also helps us lose weight. Don’t jeopardize your fitness plans by ignoring the simple no hassle activity of drinking water. 

A study mentioned on CNN shows that water can help people lose weight (1).  In the study, 48 obese men and women drank two 8 oz. of water before each of their three meals along with a low calorie diet. Half drank the water before their meals and the other half didn’t. At the conclusion of the study (3 months) the group that drank the water lost 15.5 pounds when compared to 11 pounds in the control group. 

We know that 4.5 pounds isn’t that much but even a pound a month for a person in the normal range of weight adds up to 12 pounds a year. Any extra pounds are more than you would have lost if you didn’t drink more water. If you are interested in fitness it is just a few extra pounds you didn’t have to work for. 

Drinking water also encourages the chemical compounds in your body to interact in the way they were designed (2). Before soda pop, alcoholic drinks, smoothies, and chocolate milk was the idea of plane old water. All other types of drinks require the body to clean out or use up the compounds. 

Drinking water is a habit that becomes easier the more times you do it. Most people don’t drink enough water and are chronically dehydrated. That dehydration constricts your blood vessels and the movement of nutrients within your body. You also can’t filter the pollutants out of your system as fast as you can when you are hydrated. Get into the habit and carrying a reusable water bottle around; especially around eating time.  

Five Miracle Foods that Support Weight Loss and Health

Food provides the essential vitamins and nutrients our body needs to function effectively each day. It is difficult to know which foods are really beneficial and which are just part of the latest fad. I have provided five foods you should consider incorporating into your diet to enhance your other activities.

 

Most of us know that foods like pizza, processed hot dogs, and pasta primavera are not that good for us. Then what? It is not enough to know which ones should be avoided without knowing which foods are beneficial for swapping.

 

Some food protects our bodies from diseases, others provide the right chemicals we need to function well and others regulate our fat storage. Eating foods that improve health, support muscle growth and help control fat storage is helpful in achieving fitness goals.

 

Eating the right food can make a lot of difference. Image if you were provided food that burnt calories simply by doing something natural to us. The five foods below help burn calories and support other areas of your health at the same time.

 

The Five Foods

 

Greek Yogurt: High protein, burns calories digesting, and stays longer in the stomach (1). 

 

Avocados: Improves cellular communication with fat hormones and helps reduce total storage (2). 

 

Black Coffee: Black coffee is known to be an anti-oxidant and have some improvement in weight loss when used in moderation (3). 

 

Brown Rice: Brown rice is full of fiber and nutrients. It is absorbed slowly into the bloodstream giving the body a chance to properly process it (4). 

 

Tomatoes: Foods heavy in tomatoes provide an anti-oxidant, fights cancer and regulates weight loss (5). 

 

Another source of information is http://www.healthdaddy.org/2014/08/fat-burning-foods.html

Kenpo: Using Anvil to Clear your Wrists

An opponent may attempt to grab your wrists to thwart resistance and force you in a direction of their choosing. They do so to pull you into a car, house, or other area you may not want to go. Understanding a few basic moves such as the Anvil and modified Anvil will help to keep your wrists clear and your options open. 

The purpose of the Anvil moves is to clear your wrists and strike the opponent thereby turning their attack into your counter-attack. During the wrist pull out it is necessary to use some force with a twist to loosen the grip and create a release. Try and pull out through the thumbs which are much weaker when compared to the other digits on the opponent’s hands. 

The front snap kick in the Anvil should be either to the stomach or groin. A proper kick to the groin will immobilize the opponent quickly leaving enough time to get away. While using the modified Anvil you should consider hitting the solar plexus to knock the wind out of your opponent leaving them gasping for air. If you practice it enough you can combine a sequence of punches with a snap kick that knocks the opponent backward onto the ground. 

Anvil-(Opponent grabs both wrists from the front)

-Step back with the right foot as you simultaneously rotate your wrists upward to release grips.

-Brush opponent’s hands aside using palms.

-Snap kick with the right foot to the opponent’s abdomen. Reset. 

Modified Anvil (Opponent grabs both wrists from the front)

-Step back with the right foot as you simultaneously rotate your wrists upward to release grips.

-Snap opponent’s arms away from the center of their body by chopping downward and outward from their outstretched arms.

-Deliver three punches (right, left, right) to solar plexus.