Healthy News

Coffee is definitely a vice for many people and over the years, people have heard news change about whether or not coffee is actually good for you.  I choose to drink coffee every morning and when I have a hectic schedule I often make a pot of decaf at night. I do exercise caution about my quantity of coffee because caffeine does give me heart palpitations if I overindulge.

Here are a few of the benefits of coffee:

-reduced chances of developing Parkinson’s Disease

-reduced risk of diabetes

-reduced heart and liver problems

-helpful for asthmatics

-high levels of antioxidants

-mental clarity boost

-can increase an athlete’s performance

Coffee does have some negative results as well but today, we’ll choose to just acknowledge the fact that there are some great health benefits of coffee and in limited quantities can be something we’re able to indulge in unless our doctor has said otherwise.

Today marks the end of my daily dose series for now. A daily habit of mine is tea drinking. Not only do I drink black tea but I alternate between white tea, green tea and oolong (or Wulong) tea.

All  have health benefits that can include antioxidants as well as metabolism boosting properties. Tea has less caffeine than coffee and can add health and longevity to your life. I drink tea with or after meals to aid in digestion and alternate the types of tea I drink. I opt for organic teas whenever possible and my current favourite is white tea which can help prevent cavities as well as has benefits that include antibacterial. At the first sign of a sore throat, we’re drinking white tea here as it can kill strep and staph infections.

To make a great pot of tea, warm the teapot with hot water and put in fresh tea bags each time. Let the tea steep for just a few minutes otherwise the tea gets over steeped and tannins are released that make it taste bitter.  When you have leftover tea, use it in your cooking and in your plants.   Tea makes a great soup base as well as a base for gravy and the health benefits are numerous!

This is another dose of my Daily Dose series where I talk about things I take every day to improve my health. I’ve recently started taking Fish Oil. Specifically, I’m taking Marine Omega Supplement with Krill Oil.

It’s in a capsule that smells like a mixture of rotten fish and vanilla but has no flavour when I swallow it.

Benefis of Fish Oil
We don’t nearly get enough fish in our diet. Partly because our habits have changed and partly out of fear of pollution and mercury.  Shame, really….people who have fish as a main part of their diet tend to be the up there among healthiest people.

Taking a fish oil or krill oil supplement can provide the following health benefits:

•  Healthier immune system
• improved joint function
• great for skin
• heightened brain function (EPA  and DHA benefits)
• high level of antioxidants
• anti aging benefits
• cardiovascular benefits

In part three of my Daily Dose series, I want to tell you about Greens Plus. I try to take my Greens Plus every morning before I eat. Greens Plus is a brand name of a green drink that can provide a number of health benefits. The product contains a list of healthy ingredients and if you take the full dose it equates to six servings of organic green vegetables. It’s hard to get all your veggies in every day so that’s a feat in itself. There are many other helpful ingredients in the product as well.

I have to be honest. It tastes putrid. It’s a horrible green colour and if you buy original instead of Tangerine Dream, it will produce shudders until you get accustomed but the product is well worth getting used to it. I often mix it with orange or apple juice to get it down and don’t mind it so much any more.

There are some really interesting ingredients in Greens Plus like dandelion root, Bee Pollen, Pectin, green tea extract, Royal Jelly, seven positive different bacterial cultures, ginko biloba, grape extract (for reservatrol, one of the positive ingredients in red wine), and more. If you look up some of these individual products for their health benefits, you will probably be sold on Greens Plus (despite the taste.)

Apple Cider Vinegar - Another Superfood

Greetings! This is another post in my daily dose series. Yesterday I talked about organic coconut oil which I try to use as much as possible and each day I also try to get a daily dose of organic apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar needs to be organic. Most of the health benefits come from the mother which is a cloudy substance in the bottle. Using regularACV won’t give you nearly as many benefits.

(Some of) What ACV does for you:

• helps with weight management
• promotes a high pH level or state of alkaline in the body
• great for digestion including helping to prevent food poisoning and Acid Reflux or indigestion
• high source of vitamins and minerals
• detoxifies your body
• antioxidants
• good for skin
• helps your body recover after a workout
• and more.

Be aware that the high acidic content means that this product is not great for your tooth enamel. Don’t brush your teeth immediately after drinking it.

It doesn’t taste yummy on it’s own so I often mix it with apple juice, orange juice, baking soda or honey. You can also use it in various recipes including glazes and salad dressings. Because of the antibacterial properties, apple cider vinegar makes a great salad dressing! ACV and organic honey together have some pretty strong health benefits also.

There are different people with varying regimens on ACV. Taking a spoonful with meals is a great way to take it and if you’re worried about the taste or the effect on your tooth enamel you can buy apple cider vinegar capsules.

Is Coconut Oil a villain or a hero? In my researched opinion, a big hero and something that can provide HUGE health benefits. Today’s post is the first in a several part series called Daily Dose where I will talk about health products I try to incorporate into my daily life. Today, I want to tell you about organic coconut oil.

Organic coconut oil can be extremely healthy for you. It can also cook food at high temperatures a lot nicer because it has a high tolerance for heat, which makes it an excellent candidate for frying.

Have you ever fried something only to see the oil or butter burn? This doesn’t happen with coconut oil so everything turns a lovely golden and it won’t taste like coconut either, unless you buy an oil with a coconut flavour in it.

Coconut Oil Super Duper SuperFood

This oil doesn’t release trans fatty acids when heated and it contains lauric acid which can do wonderful things for your immune system. Coconut oil is being touted as a superfood with a big long laundry list of health benefits including increasing your metabolism, digestive system benefits, high level of antioxidants, antibacterial, improves the body’s vitamin and mineral absporptionand being great for your skin as well as many other benefits as well. It’s being closely investigated for extreme health benefits to Cancer and HIV / AIDS patients.

I use it as much as possible and opt for the organic option which is more expensive but allows for the optimum amount of health benefits.