On the other hand, complex carbohydrates (examples:  Specific examples include millet, oats, wheat germ, barley, wild rice, brown rice, buckwheat, oat bran, cornmeal, amaranth, apricots, oranges, plums, pears, grapefruits, prunes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, turnip greens, eggplant, potatoes, yams, corn, carrots, onions, all types of lettuce, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, artichokes, asparagus, lentils, kidney beans, black beans, peas, garbanzo beans, soy beans and pinto beans) with their long-chain molecules are more slowly broken down into absorbable sugars.  This factor, along with the valuable micronutrients present in those more complete foods, serve to maintain a better, constant level of blood sugar.

Keeping this in mind, here are some ideas for breakfast:

* Choose from these fresh fruits that are low in sugar:

Cantaloupe      Strawberries        Watermelon       Melons            Apricots

Blackberries    Grapefruit             Guava                Oranges        Papayas

Peaches           Plums                     Raspberries       Tangerines      Kiwis

Apples              Blueberries           Cherries              Grapes             Mangoes

Pears                Pineapple              Pomegranates

Avoid bananas and dried fruits such as raisins because they are too high in sugar.

Note – some people simply do not function well on fruits and therefore will need to avoid even those with low carbohydrate content at least initially in their health restoration.

* 1 cup of low-fat, plain yogurt (Greek yogurt has a tremendous amount of protein) or organic Horizon or Stonyfield.  Add a handful of raw, unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, pecans, ground flax seeds or sesame seeds.  You can also add a small amount of fruit preserves to add a little bit of sweetness or add some fresh fruit.  Avoid all pre-flavored yogurt as they contain a large amount of high fructose corn syrup (which is not healthy).  I guarantee if you like yogurt and you add you own ‘flavors and additions’, you will consume much less sugar than any store bought flavored yogurt.  Absolutely avoid all yogurt that is listed as low or no sugar because they have artificial sweeteners.

* Having some hard-boiled eggs available is a quick and easy start to the day.  Combine it with a piece of fruit.

* Make a smoothie – see our Smoothie Recipe

* A quick meal replacement shake – 2 scoops of powder and cold water in a shaker cup and you are out the door with it.  These mixes are available from my office.  Contact us if you want more information about these shakes.

* Cooked cereal – especially millet, buckwheat, oats, quinoa and brown rice. You can add fruit or a little maple syrup for sweetness.

* Steamed high water content vegetables and several tablespoons of ground flax seeds or sesame seeds.  Top with any spices or a healthy dressing.

* A wrap with turkey or chicken and some lettuce, spinach, carrots, etc.  This may sound like a strange suggestion for breakfast – but there are no rules that you can’t have it for breakfast.

* 1-2 eggs (soft boiled or poached) along with some steamed high water content vegetables.  Add any herbs or natural seasonings.  Skip the toast.

* Egg omelette with vegetables, spices – again, no toast.

1. Dim or turn off bright lights.
2. Position yourself on your back on a firm surface (the floor does nicely) with knees flexed or your lower legs over a couch or the seat of a chair or simply place a large pillow or rolled blanket under them.
3. Flatten a pillow or rolled towel beneath your head and gather it behind your neck to provide comfortable support.  This is not necessary if you use a contoured pillow.  Many find it useful to have a friend or family member assist them by reading the following instructions the first few times they do this, until they get familiar with it.
4. Close your eyes and breathe rhythmically..IN..1..2..3..4, HOLD..1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8, OUT..1..2..3..4, HOLD..1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8 and continue.  This alters your brain wave patterns and facilitates relaxation.  Concentrate on drawing your breath from deep in your abdomen and lower rib cage.  (You should feel your stomach rise high on each deep inhalation – see The Fresh Air Relaxation Connection).
5. Let your body go limp.  Imagine yourself to be a jelly fish floating in a calm, clear blue sea or an angel floating on a fluffy white cloud as you continue your rhythmic breathing.
6. Now as your inhale, start with just your toes and contract the muscles in them firmly, maintaining the contraction for the duration of the eight count, while at the “HOLD”, in your breathing.  Then relax your toes slowly as you exhale all of the tension from your body and feel the sensation of relaxation that follows.
7. Proceed next to contract your toes and foot muscles.  Hold them tight for the eight count following your next inhalation, then let them relax slowly as you exhale every bit of tension from your body.  Note the soothing wave of relaxation which spreads over you.  Continue your slow even breathing.
8. Now contract your lower legs, feet and toes all together.  Hold those calves tight for your eight count, then let them relax and note the feeling of true relaxation as it spreads throughout your lower limbs.
9. Continue this pattern, adding another adjacent part of your anatomy to the intense contraction with each subsequent cycle, being sure to relax slowly and totally each and every time, noting the spread of wonderful and soothing relaxation.
10. The last cycle (there should be approximately 10, including the following parts: toes, feet, calves, thighs, hips/pelvis/buttocks, abdomen/chest, back, shoulders/arms, neck/scalp, face and tongue) with the final addition of the scalp and face, will complete your sequential contraction of every possible muscle and the subsequent relaxation of your entire body.
11. Lie still when you are done, continuing your rhythmic breathing and enjoy the sensation of total body relaxation for as long as possible.
12. This is an excellent time to review a mental list of all the blessings in your life and think about any action you want to take to improve and maintain health.

NOTE: One of the keys to total relaxation is concentrating on the contraction of each individual body part and its subsequent relaxation, while keeping your mind clear of all other thoughts.  Simply focus on the rhythm of your breathing and the feedback from your various body parts as you consecutively contract and relax each of them.

• The quality of the air you breathe is so important because of the vital oxygen which it contains.  Your blood and all your cells must be oxygenated regularly or death occurs.  In your lungs there are a billion tiny air sacs, where your blood is purified, supplied with oxygen and sent to the rest of your body.  As you breathe out,  you expel carbon dioxide and other toxic waste gases.  Proper breathing eliminates as much as 75% of your body’s wastes!

• Exercise greatly assists in both the oxygenation of your cells and the elimination of their wastes.  Go for a walk, a bike ride or another outdoor activity each and every day.  These activities are even more beneficial when near a beach, a park or lush vegetation, where the quality of air is superior.

• The best source of air is the outdoors, of course, away from large cities.  Nature constantly purifies and cleans the air.  Plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, while rain and oceans constantly recycle and clean the air all over the world.

• Keep a window open in your house and have numerous plants around to help cleanse the air.  If you sleep in a room with the windows and doors closed, you will be breathing in air that has less oxygen and more carbon dioxide…this is not desirable.

• Another important consideration is the fresh air/relaxation connection.  When breathing in deep from low in your chest, your body receives more oxygen.  How you breathe affects how you feel.  When you breathe deeply from low in your chest, it is a full complete breath and relaxation follows immediately.  Go ahead – try it!  People generally breathe from their upper chest and wonder why they feel constantly “stressed”.

• The more quickly and shallow you breath, the more tense you become.  You become more peaceful and relaxed when you take a deep, slow breath.  Breathing affects your emotional state; it accesses different states of mind.  This deep “abdominal breathing” as we refer to it, is the key to relaxation and to improving the oxygenation of your body.

Deep “Abdominal Breathing” Exercise (for beginners) 

• You can be in either a sitting or lying down position.  If sitting, keep your spine erect, sit with your back straight and reach for the sky with the top of your head.

• Place your hands on your abdomen – one above the navel and one on the navel.

• Breathe in – and focus on “filling your abdomen with air” – feel the navel swell out first, then feel your breath slowly rise up into your chest, expanding your entire rib cage.

• As you breathe out, the hand positioned above the navel will sink in first, followed by the lower positioned hand.

• You can now experience deep abdominal breathing taking place.

• Conduct this deep breathing exercise for at least 5 minutes daily – you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results.

• As you breathe in, count to four, hold for a count of four and release the breath over a four-count:   IN..1..2..3..4  HOLD..1..2..3..4  OUT..1..2..3..4.

• Note the wave of relaxation which comes over you.

• Once you have mastered the above exercise and successfully incorporated it into your daily routine, I suggest you proceed to the “Deep Relaxation Exercise” (which will be published early in April).

*     MOVE  WELL     *     EAT  WELL     *     THINK  WELL     *

Copyright © 2012 Health N Wellness Solutions

Benefits:

Like aerobic conditioning, which improves your cardiovascular system and help decrease body fat, strength training has many advantages as well.  Increasing your strength through progressive resistance training (using heavier weights as you get stronger) provides the following benefits:

1. Fat loss and improved body composition – With each pound of muscle you gain through strength training, your metabolic rate raises about 50 calories per day.  That means the added muscle will help you burn the fat and sugars which you ingest, instead of storing them.  Muscle tissue has a high energy requirement for maintenance, repair and synthesis.  Thus, strength training works along with aerobic conditioning to help you lose excess body fat.  Since your metabolism tends to slow down at a rate of 3-5% per decade, it is even more important to train our metabolism to be more efficient.  After age 20, people who do not engage in strength training, will lose approximately one pound of muscle every two years.  For example, someone who is 38, who doesn’t strength train and weighs the same as he or she did at age 20, will have 9 pounds less muscle and 9 pounds more fat.  This negatively affects both appearance and performance of course, yet it happens insidiously enough that few people are motivated to consciously counter this trend until years after the fact.
2. Injury prevention – Overuse injuries occur when someone participates frequently in one activity, using only a select group of muscles and leading to a muscular imbalance.  Strength training can help prevent this because when properly instructed, you can balance out the muscles by strengthening the weaker muscles.  Strength training also improves the shock-absorbing quality of muscles, which helps prevent shock related injuries such as shin splints.
3. Improved physical capacity – Strength training is as important for non-athletes as it is for athletes.  Working at a desk, computer or a piece of machinery all day can cause considerable stress on your neck, upper and lower back.  Strength training can increase the body’s ability to sustain long periods of both physical and mental stress such as those encountered at most work stations in today’s workplace.
4. Quick and effective results – Research indicates that individuals beginning a properly supervised strength training program, can increase their performance up to 50% within a few weeks of training.  Results should be apparent to you (and others) after 4-8 weeks.  All you need is 20-30 minute workouts 3 times a week, with a 48 hour rest period between strength training workouts (to allow sufficient time for the muscles to rebuild).

Strength Training Myths:

There are many myths that exist with respect to strength training.  These myths usually prevent people from starting a strength program that would enhance their self-esteem and increase their vitality.  Here is an example of the more common myths that exist:

Myth #1:      People who lift weights will get muscle-bound.

Fact: “Muscle-bound” refers to a loss of flexibility and mobility in the area of muscular development.  In fact, if strength exercises are performed through a full range of motion as they are supposed to be, flexibility will improve.

Myth #2:      When strength training is stopped, muscle turns to fat.

Fact: Muscle and fat are not interchangeable.  When muscular athletes stop exercising, their muscles gradually atrophy or diminish in size.  If their eating habits are not modified, they may put on additional fat, simply from taking in more calories than they require.  Muscle can no more turn to fat than bone, hair or any other tissue can.

Myth #3:      Women who lift weights will become big and muscular and end up looking like men.

Fact: The muscle development seen in some male weightlifters is physically  impossible for women to achieve (without taking steroids), due to hormonal differences.  The improved muscle tone, which results from a well-balanced strength routine, serves to enhance the natural feminine body lines, not detract from them.

Myth #4:      Strength training saps your energy.

Fact: Any type of exercise, including strength training, eventually increases the amount of oxygen you take in and circulate through our bodies by increasing the number of capillaries in the muscles.  This will increase your energy and you will feel lighter and more energized and have enhanced immunity to disease.

Myth #5:      You need to join a gym to strength train.

Fact: This is not true.  With a minimum investment, you can gain tremendous improvement at home with simple-to-use, low-cost strategies.  The format of  your strength training programs will vary depending on your individual goals.  Your healthcare consultant can help you set up a strength training routine that will make your workouts enjoyable and effective.

If you have a particular injury that prevents you from strength training, contact the office for an evaluation and recommendations so you can start this essential activity.  If you have been told to avoid strength training due to an illness such as heart trouble, contact the office for recommendations.  Everyone can do some strength training and gain the benefits without exception.

Contact my office at 875-2225 if you would like a recommendation to a work-out facility we work with and trust.

Chewing your food properly mixes it with enzymes and antibodies found in your saliva.  These enzymes are the first stage of digestion and the antibodies help protect you from food born infection.
Don’t drink a lot of liquid with your meal.  No other living thing drinks while they eat.  If you drink a lot of liquid with your meal, you dilute these vital enzymes and acids so you compromise digestion.  Drink 30 minutes before or 30-45 minutes after your meal.  Sip only enough water to keep your food and mouth moist.  This step alone will help those who are presently suffering heartburn.

 
Avoid all other “drinks” during dinner – especially any soft drink or beverage sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

 
Take the minimum of 15-20 minutes to sit down and with a grateful attitude eat your meal.

 
Don’t lie down for at least 45-60 minutes following a meal to prevent stomach contents from flowing back up into your esophagus.

 
Minimally cooked foods still contain natural enzymes and co-factors that support digestion.   Don’t eat dead, processed, over-cooked food.

 
Chronic stomach problems or constipation or gallbladder problems and positive colonoscopy findings always indicate a chronic on-going stomach problem and it needs to be corrected.

 
If you have chronic stomach concerns and have not been tested for H-pylori infections, talk to your doctor and get tested.
If you:
-         have already been diagnosed with GERDS,
-         are on routine over-the-counter or prescription drugs for upper or  lower GI symptoms,
-         have a family history of GI cancer,
-         have had endoscopy exams or GI imaging studies,
-         have positive findings on a colonoscopy,
-         have gallbladder problems or have had your gallbladder removed

then you:
need to be evaluated and proper recommendations made to support digestion and support healing of your GI system or you will suffer chronic health problems and declining health for the rest of your life.

 
Contact my office if you want to find the answers to address the cause of your problem – do not cover up your problems and suffer the long term consequences of poor digestion and drug side effects.

Eat Well – Move Well – Think Well

Copyright © 2012 Health N Wellness Solutions
Dennis Mutell, D.C.

Health N Wellness Solutions / Doctors Chiropractic Group

832 East Boston Street, Suite 8 Covington, LA 70433 985.875.2225

www.HealthNWellnessSolutions.com

Fish flesh is naturally tender and should be cooked only a short time.  Overcooking dries and toughens the fish.  To eliminate fishy odors and taste, brush the fish with lemon before cooking.  Broiling, baking, steaming, grilling and sautéing are all good methods of cooking fish.

Broiling: Fish fillets require 5-10 minutes to cook without turning.  Fish steaks and whole dressed fish require 3-10 minutes on each side.  Brush broiling pan with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking and season with lemon juice and herbs.

Baking: Baking fish requires about twice as long to cook, but it also prevents the fish from drying out.  Prepare as above and bake it at 350 degrees.  Fish is done when the fish loses its translucency and flakes easily with a fork.  It is not necessary to turn the fish.

Steaming: Use a minimum amount of liquid and cover the pot tightly.  Wrap the fish in cheese cloth to avoid breaking when removing it from the pot.  Use a standard vegetable steamer.  Time carefully!  Fish that is less than 2” thick requires 1 minute of steaming for each ounce.  Fish over 2” thick requires more time depending on the variety.  Herbs, celery, onions and other seasonings should be added at the beginning so that the flavors have a chance to permeate the fish.  Salt and/or lemon juice should be added after the steaming is completed.

Grilling: Prepare charcoal grill until coals are hot.  It is best to have indirect heat so you will need to push the coals to the sides of the grill.  Place fish on hot, oiled grill surface.  If skin is on, place skin side down first.  Remember to watch the fish carefully.  When it releases cleanly from the grill surface, turn the fish for a few more minutes and remove.

Sauteeing: In a hot pan with some olive oil, place fish, skin side down.  Cook until just lightly browned on skin side, then turn fish and cook a few minutes more.  Remember to always start with a hot pan.

Preparation of the fish: Use any combination of herbs: garlic, ginger, parsley, basil, cilantro, chives and spices: pepper, thyme, rosemary, fennel seeds, coriander, oregano.  Use lemon juice, lime juice or even balsamic vinegar.  Use sea salt to taste.

Be creative – use soy sauce with a little olive oil and your choice of herbs and spices to marinate fish before cooking.

Ocean fish is best – try:

Salmon

Ocean char

Halibut

Haddock

Cod

Sole

Pollock

Note: When possible, try to get wild caught fish and avoid farmed fish.

*   MOVE  WELL   *   EAT  WELL   *   THINK  WELL   *

Copyright © 2011 Health N Wellness Solutions

19 to 24 : Minimal health risk

25 to 26 : Low health risk

27 to 29 : Moderate health risk

30 to 34 : High health risk

35 to 39 : Very high health risk

40 plus: Extremely high health risks

© Health ‘N Wellness Solutions

Body mass index

———————————- Vegetables —————————————

3 Percent: Asparagus, bean sprouts, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, swiss chard, cucumber, endive, lettuce, mustard greens, radishes, spinach, watercress

6 Percent: String beans, beets, brussel sprouts, chives, collards, dandelion greens, eggplant, kale, leeks, okra, onions, parsley, red peppers, turnips

15 Percent: Artichokes, parsnips, green peas, zucchini, yellow squash, carrots

20 Percent: Dried beans, lima beans, corn, white potato

25 Percent: Sweet potato, yams, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash

————————————- Fruits ——————————————-

3 Percent: Cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, melons

6 Percent: Fresh apricots, blackberries, cranberries, grapefruit, guava, melons, lemons, limes, oranges, papayas, peaches, plums, raspberries, tangerines

15 Percent: Apples, blueberries, cherries, grapes, mangoes, pears, fresh pineapple, pomegranates

20 Percent: Bananas, figs, prunes, all dried fruit

Those on a lower carbohydrate program may generally choose:

All of the 3% and 6% vegetable selections that you wish, the 15% to 25% vegetables in limited quantities and only one type at each meal.  They are nutritious and should generally be included in your diet unless your Wellness Consultant has told you otherwise.  Fruits should be eaten separately from other foods and in the morning is best.  Limited quantities of the 3% or 6% fruits daily, small amount at any one time (1 cup), watching citrus and melons for intolerance.  The 15% to 20% fruits may be selected but only in small portions at any given time (example: ½ banana, 1 small apple, 3 prunes).

Eat a large variety, including many different types, but rotate them as much as possible.  Avoid eating the same foods day after day.

*   MOVE  WELL   *   EAT  WELL   *   THINK  WELL   *