Fruitful Friday Tips With HHWN

 

Enjoying A Healthy Lifestyle With

 Bryant and Anita Hewitt

Hewitt Health Wellness Network

Friday December 27, 2013

Food To Chew On:

Friday - Sour Perfectionism

Psalm 1:4 (KJV)

 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Thought For The Day:

Lord, give me a hopeful attitude based on your grace. May that grace radiate from me with contagious joy!

Happy Fruitful Friday…. We are focusing on having a Healthy Heart and Exercising by using Yoga…so here are some wonderful tips that will keep you on the right track.

 Medication-free strategies to help prevent heart disease

Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain is mostly fat rather than muscle. This excess weight can lead to conditions that increase your chances of heart disease — high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. 

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI), which considers your height and weight in determining whether you have a healthy or unhealthy percentage of body fat. BMI numbers 25 and higher are associated with higher blood fats, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. 

The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, for instance, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have:

• Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101.6 centimeters, or cm)
• Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88.9 cm)

Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10 percent can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes.

·         

Get regular health screenings

High blood pressure and high cholesterol can damage your heart and blood vessels. But without testing for them, you probably won't know whether you have these conditions. Regular screening can tell you what your numbers are and whether you need to take action.

• Blood pressure. Regular blood pressure screenings start in childhood. Adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every two years. You may need more-frequent checks if your numbers aren't ideal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury.
• Cholesterol levels. Adults should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years starting at age 20. You may need more frequent testing if your numbers aren't optimal or if you have other risk factors for heart disease. Some children may need their blood cholesterol tested if they have a strong family history of heart disease.
• Diabetes screening. Since diabetes is a risk factor for developing heart disease, you may want to consider being screened for diabetes. Talk to your doctor about when you should have a fasting blood sugar test to check for diabetes. Depending on your risk factors, such as being overweight or a family history of diabetes, your doctor may recommend first testing you for diabetes sometime between ages 30 and 45, and then retesting every three to five years.

Yoga Exercises

·        Relax after finishing Surya Namaskar 

As you finish your last round of Surya Namaskar, lie down and relax your entire body. For best results, it is advisable to lie down in Yoga Nidra, giving the body enough time to assimilate the effects of the stretches. However, if you are short on time, you can relax for a few minutes in Corpse Pose, for complete rest to the mind and body.

·      

  The secret is in putting effort and then letting go

Last, but surely not the least, this is the most important tip to enhance your Surya Namaskar experience. Like every yoga posture, when you start doing Surya Namaskars in the beginning, you will need to put in a little effort. That effort is required, as it helps channelize the Rajoguna or restlessness in the body and then what remains is simple harmony or Sattva. So Rajoguna gets exhausted with exercise and Sattva leads you to meditation – the feeling of letting go.

Including all of these in our daily practice of Surya Namaskar can make the experience a complete sadhana – one which includes asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), mantra (chants) and chakra meditation. Ever thought Sun Salutation could be so much more than physical exercise for weight loss?

A Healthy Menu For

Friday

For breakfast, have four egg whites cooked in olive oil with 1 cup peppers, tomatoes and chopped broccoli along with whole-wheat toast and a glass of milk. For lunch, make a sandwich with 2 tbsp. of almond butter, sliced banana and a whole-grain wrap. At dinner, celebrate with homemade pizza -- make your own dough with water, olive oil and a mixture of whole-wheat and white flour. Top with no-salt added tomato sauce mixed with minced garlic and dried oregano, part-skim mozzarella and plenty of fresh vegetables. Have a large green salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as well. For snacks, enjoy air-popped popcorn and a glass of red wine.

 

Thankful Thursday Tips With HHWN

Hewitt Health Wellness Network

Enjoying A Healthy Lifestyle with

 Bryant & Anita Hewitt

Thursday December 26, 2013

Food To Chew On:

Thursday – Overcoming Cynicism

Psalm 1:3 (KJV)

 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Thought For The Day:

The only way to overcome cynicism is to replace it with God’s authority, guidance and strength.

Thoughtful Thursday Tips…  After a wonderful holiday we all need to be mindful about the food we eat and ask ourselves is it good for my Heart? How much fat, oil (fatty oils), fast foods, how is it cooked? All that goes into what we consume on a daily bases… and all of us are guilty for making poor choices about our bodies… so today we are going to be more mindful about our intake… it is never too late to begin again…. Or I might have blown it today. So start tomorrow  by making healthier choices… it's  that simple. Be encourage you can do it. :)

So we are going to talk about heart healthy and yoga exercises today … have a wonderful day and evening…

Medication-free strategies to help prevent heart disease

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Eating a special diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan can help protect your heart. Following the DASH diet means eating foods that are low in fat, cholesterol and salt. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products, which can help protect your heart. Beans, other low-fat sources of protein and certain types of fish also can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Limiting certain fats you eat also is important. Of the types of fat — saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fat — saturated fat and trans fat increase the risk of coronary artery disease by raising blood cholesterol levels.

Major sources of saturated fat include:

·        Red meat

·        Dairy products

·        Coconut and palm oils

Sources of trans fat include:

·        Deep-fried fast foods

·        Bakery products

·        Packaged snack foods

·        Margarine's

·        Crackers

Look at the label for the term "partially hydrogenated" to avoid trans-fat.

Heart-healthy eating isn't all about cutting back, though. Most people need to add more fruits and vegetables to their diet — with a goal of five to 10 servings a day. Eating that many fruits and vegetables can not only help prevent heart disease, but also may help prevent cancer.

Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, may decrease your risk of heart attack, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure. Some fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are a good natural source of omega-3s. Omega-3s are present in smaller amounts in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, soybean oil and canola oil, and they can also be found in supplements.

Following a heart-healthy diet also means drinking alcohol only in moderation — no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women. At that moderate level, alcohol can have a protective effect on your heart. More than that becomes a health hazard.

Yoga Exercises

·        Surya Namaskar is best done with mantra chanting

Through their power of vibration, the Sun Salutation mantras have a subtle yet powerful and penetrating effect on the mind and body. Each of the 12 Surya Namaskar poses have 12 corresponding mantras recited in honor of the Sun. Further, as you do each posture, take your attention to the particular chakra (12 chakras for every posture). For example, in the first pose (Namaskarasana), we take our attention to the Anahata Chakra located at the heart level. Doing your Sun Salutations with mantra chants and awareness on chakras, adding a feeling of gratitude, adds a profound spiritual and meditative aspect to your practice.

·        Sun Salutation can be a warm-up or a stand-alone exercise

Choose your own yoga plan

For busy yogis – Sun Salutation → Relax in Yoga Nidra

If you have more time – Warm-up stretches
→ Sun Salutation (start slow, go fast, wind up slowly)
→ Intense yoga postures → Relax in Yoga Nidra
→ Finish with pranayama & meditation

The latter works best for those who are pressed for time. A few rounds of Sun Salutation can provide a comprehensive body workout in a span of 10-15 minutes! As a routine practice, 6 sets or 12 rounds of Sun Salutation are sufficient. You can also do it as a warm-up exercise, before getting into Padma Sadhana or other intense yoga postures. If you are practicing Surya Namaskars as part of your warm-up, you can do them at a somewhat faster speed. When you practice them as part of the yoga posture practice, you can keep slow to medium speed. After a few rounds, the body feels light and flexible and the stretches in the active yoga postures become deeper. If you have backache, avoid practicing Sun Salutations at a fast pace.

A Healthy Menu

Thursday

Make a yogurt parfait with plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of low-sugar granola and 1 cup of fresh fruit for breakfast. Enjoy a homemade turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun for lunch and have a baked sweet potato on the side with low-fat pudding for dessert. Broil 3 1/2 oz. of tilapia seasoned with lemon pepper and have with 1 cup of quinoa cooked with 1/2 cup of mushrooms and 1/2 cup frozen peas. For snacks, cut up a red bell pepper and eat with 2 tbsp. of hummus -- check the sodium content -- and a banana with 1 tbsp. of natural, no-salt-added peanut butter.

Flexing Friday Tips With HHWN

Hewitt Health Wellness Network

 Enjoying A Healthy Lifestyle with

Bryant and Anita Hewitt

Friday December 20. 2013

Food To Chew On:

Friday – The Failure of Success Without God

Psalm 73:17 (KJV)

 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Thought For The Day:

Three resolves: no more comparisons with unbelievers who have material abundance, greater compassion for the plight of their eternal lives, and unqualified love and prayer for a chance to share the true abundant life in Christ.

Flexing Friday Tips, as we learn more on how to eat right and exercise and be consent we will see the results in our clothing and you will see it on the scale.

Heart-healthy diet: Steps to prevent heart disease

Plan ahead: Create daily menus

You know what foods to feature in your heart-healthy diet and which ones to limit. Now it's time to put your plans into action.

Create daily menus using the six strategies listed above. When selecting foods for each meal and snack, emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Choose lean protein sources and limit high-fat and salty foods. Watch your portion sizes and add variety to your menu choices. For example, if you have grilled salmon one evening, try a black-bean burger the next night. This helps ensure that you'll get all of the nutrients your body needs. Variety also makes your meals and snacks more interesting.

The health and wellness craze is nothing new in Europe where beauty and wellness business has boomed for thousands of years. The options are definitely more old world than new age and utilize some of the most atmospheric locations including the old bath houses of England and Spain, salt springs in Germany or the thermal waters of Romania. Most emphasize thermal springs, relaxation, socialization and light exercise.

Top Health and Wellness spas in the world.

3.       Bavarian Salt Springs, Germany

Bad Reichenhall has attracted attention since the Bronze Age for its concentrated salt springs, which have been used both as a commodity, and for therapeutic purposes. Today visitors can alleviate back and joint pain at a number of complexes. There’s Rupertus Therme, an indoor-outdoor bathing complex where you can drink from the city’s 55 brine wells or catch your breath in a salt inhalation room. Local spas make the best of the brine and there’s a variety of salt-based treatments ranging from salt massages to exfoliating salt scrubs.

A Healthy Menu For

Friday:

For Breakfast:

1 banana soy shake*
1 cup oatmeal

For Lunch:

3 ounces tuna salad*
2 slices whole-wheat bread
lettuce with tomato slices
carrot sticks
1 cup fat-free yogurt

For Dinner:

3 ounces Dijon chicken*
1/2 cup roasted vegetables*
1 piece brownie*