Friendly Friday GOKI Readers, and Happy Earth Day to you.
As an inhabitant of this planet we call Earth, are you doing anything, big or small, to keep it "green"?
Do you have any tips to share with the other readers? If so, please take a moment to add a comment.
April 22, 2011 Brain Boost Tip Of The Day
THINK POSITIVELY
According to Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Making a Good Brain Great, every thought releases brain chemicals. Positive, happy, hopeful, optimistic, joyful thoughts produce yummy chemicals that create a sense of well being and help your brain function at peak capacity; unhappy, miserable, negative, dark thoughts have the opposite effect, effectively slowing down your brain and even creating depression. If you tend to focus on what can go wrong, or what is wrong, or how unhappy you are, or how someone hurt you, these negative thoughts can dim your brain's capacity to function. It saps the brain of its positive forcefulness. Dr. amen suggests writing out negative thoughts to dispel their power over your brain.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Check out this video with tips for positive thinking.
Thoughtful Thursday GOKI Readers, today's post will be short and sweet.
April 21, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
CHOOSE FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN B12
Foods rich in B12 include poultry, milk, and other fortified dairy products, clams, liver, beef, oysters, crab, and tuna. Vegetarians may need supplemental vitamins.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Here is a video about vitamin B12.
Wise Wednesday GOKI Readers, well here we are at the middle of the work week, so affectionately called "hump-day", as well as the middle of "Holy Week", which actually started this past Sunday, for all my readers who are Christians, with Palm Sunday, and today for those of you who are Jewish, with Passover.
My question is: Are you doing anything special for this Religious Holiday?
As the remainder of this week goes on, and as we all know, today's lives are generally filled with so many other obligations, that often time, what was always referred to as Holy Days of Obligation, and one was always expected to attend the services that corresponded with the Holiday, now is becoming increasingly more difficult to follow.
The sad fact is also, with more churches have closed down, whether due to lower attendance, financial hardship (due to smaller donations), or a general lack of faith, it is not clear this year, moreso than previous years how many believers will be attending church services this week.
I apologize to my readers for this off-topic comment, but I believe that I needed to at least give a nod to what for many folks is an important part of their lives, the ability to profess their faith(s), especially this week.
April 20, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
EAT KALE AND OTHER BRASSICAL VEGETABLES
Loaded with cancer fighting antioxidants, kale is, literally, one of the healthiest foods in the vegetable kingdom. Together with its cousin, broccoli, kale offers strong protection against cancer and other diseases, Kale and other Brassica vegetables contain a potent glucosinolate phytonutrient, which actually boosts your body's detoxification enzymes clearing potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly from your body. More common members of the prestigious Brassica family of vegetables include: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, mustard greens, rapini, bok choy, and broccoli rabe. With so many choices, take advantage of having one variety each day of the week.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. I regret to say I could not post a video here as usual do to technical difficulties with YouTube, did anyone else have this same problem today?
Thoughtful Tuesday GOKI Readers, I hope your week is going well so far. Today's post is my ongoing mission to share with you health tips on a daily basis, provided by my desk calender titled: 365 Ways To Boost Your Brain Power, written by Carolyn Dean, M.D., Valentine Dmitriev, Ph.D., and Donna Raskin.
April 19, 2011 Brain Boost Tip Of The Day
PLAY TRIVIA GAMES
Trivia games can be a marvelous way to see how good you are at jogging your memory. When you're digging around in those dusty corners of your mind to dig up the answer, your brain synapses will be firing, ruffling through your mental files. It's even fair to buy a game, read all the answer cards and then test how good you are at remembering something freshly learned. Read the cards often and play against yourself to see how much you improve.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Go ahead and try out a game now!
Mindful Monday GOKI Readers, I apologize for sending this post later than expected, but, such is life. Plus I just finished watching Dancing With The Stars. So my question to you is, at this point of the competition, who is your favorite to win?
April 18, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
EAT YOUR OATMEAL
Studies have shown that foods such as oatmeal that are high in soluble fiber may help to lower LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. Whether you choose steel-cut oats (the most roughly cut and least processed), rolled or "old-fashioned" oats, quick oats, or instant, all types of oats are effective at reducing cholesterol. To get the daily 3 grams of soluble fiber recommended for cholesterol lowering, you'll need to eat: 2 ounces of oat bran (2/3 cup dry or about 1 1/2 cups cooked) or 3 ounces of oatmeal (1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked).
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Check out this video about the benefits of oatmeal.
Sunny Saturday GOKI Readers, excuse me did I say Sunny? Well, as I look out my window, I have to say it's looking rather cloudy, somewhat dreary, but, alas, hope springs eternal.
April 16 & 17, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
DRINK GREEN TEA
The research on green tea and green tea extract is extensive-and impressive. Here are some findings thus far:
* Countries that have a high consumptionof green tea had lower rates of cancer.
* Green Tea can block the development of angiogenesis-the new blood vessels needed by tumors in order for their cells to colonize and grow. Animal studies showed that the consumption of two or three cups of green tea daily was sufficient to significantly suppress tumor growth.
* Smokers who drink green tea-about 3 cups daily-had less occurrence of lung damage than those who do not.
* Green tea extract can inhibit bacteria that cause periodontal disease and cavities; as a mouth rinse, it can reduce plaque.
On a personal note, I have been both a green tea drinker (afternoon tea, a custom my family has had for all my life, plus very much a cultural tradition from my native homeland of Argentina, though as is the norm-the British will take credit for bringing this custom to Argentina decades ago) and take green tea extract capsules (twice a day, breakfast and dinner). As a firm believer in natural medicine, I have taken green tea primarily for its medicinal purposes, and to boost my immune system, especially throughout this last winter season, which was so difficult this year.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Check out this video about green tea and its' benefits.
Friendly Friday GOKI Readers, the start of the weekend is upon us, planning anything exciting or starting your spring cleaning?
What ever it may be I hope you enjoy yourself.
April 15, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
CHOOSE COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES
Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy, especially for the brain and nervous system. They are found in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, starches, beans, and soy products. The only food they are not found in is meat. Carbohydrates are either simple (sugars) or complex (starches). Sugars are carbohydrates in their simplest form. Refined sugars (table sugar, jams, candy, etc.) lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Some naturally occurring sugars (fructose found in fruit and lactose found in dairy products) are found in more nutritious foods. Complex carbohydrates are many simple sugars linked together. They are found in grains, pasta, rice, vegetables, breads, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Complex carbohydrates should supply the bulk of your carbohydrate calories since they supply a bonus of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Here is an extremely informative video about carbohydrates.
Thoughtful Thursday GOKI Readers, here is another health tip which I hope will help you or someone you know and care about.
April 14 Health Tip Of The Day
TAKE VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)
Riboflavin plays a key role in releasing energy from the macronutrients to all cells of the body. Riboflavin also helps change the amino acid tryptophan into niacin, another B vitamin. Riboflavin is important in normal growth, production of certain hormones, formation of red blood cells, and in vision and skin health. A deficiency of riboflavin is unlikely but can cause eye disorders, dry and flaky skin, and burning and dryness of the mouth and tongue. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for Vitamin B2 is 1.6 milligrams for men aged twenty-three to fifty, 1.4 milligrams for men fifty
one and older. 1.3 milligrams for women up to age twenty-two, and 1.2 milligrams for women twenty-three and older. There are no reported problems from consuming too much, but again, moderation is the best policy.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Here's a musical video about this topic.
Timely Thursday GOKI Readers, I just wanted to share this video with you on such an important topic: How to Save on Gas Prices.
Wise Wednesday GOKI Readers, as we reach the middle of the work week, how are you feeling? Is the weather, where you live, warm and sunny or cold and gloomy? Hopefully springtime is treating you well and you are able to get outside and breathe some fresh air.
April 13, 2011 Health Tip Of The Day
TAKE MAGNESIUM
This mineral is an absolute must for proper brain function in that it aids neuron metabolism, helps reduce brain damage from ischemia (a lack of blood flow to the brain), and boosts the effectiveness of certain antioxidants. Magnesium may also play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, since studies show that the brains of most AD patients are magnesium deficient, but excessively high in calcium. (In healthy brains, the two minerals have a relatively equal ratio.) Every cell in the body needs magnesium. Magnesium is a requirement for more than 300 body enzymes, body chemicals that regulate all kinds of body functions. This mineral helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, keeps heart rhythm steady, and helps keep bones strong. Deficiency can result from an increase in urine output-like that caused by diuretics-poorly controlled diabetes, and alcoholism. Too much magnesium is not harmful unless the mineral is not excreted properly due to disorders such as kidney disease. The UL (upper intake level) for magnesium is 350 mg per day for adults over eighteen.
As Always, To Your Health!
P.S. Check out this video about the importance of magnesium.
