Friday, May 24, 2013

Answers to some of your questions!

I am not a medical doctor, I'm just sharing my healthy routines in matters of stress and overall lifestyles, enjoy!

1) Is it true that by eating natural fruits you can increase your chance of getting diabetes?
Not necessarily. It is usually based on your genes and your lifestyle may influence it as well.  These days, Americans love fruits, so much so that we might actually be over eating them! When it comes to natural fruit, they have many benefits such as vitamins and antioxidants, but a lot of sugar comes with it as well. Therefore, moderation is key here. Like anything else, you should not overeat anything, as that is not healthy and can lead to health problems later on. With diabetes, there are two kinds: Type 1 diabetes is usually genetically based and Type 2 diabetes is possibly gained by lifestyle including diet and environment. Ultimately, the natural sugar in fruits can increase blood sugar so small portions should be fine for the average person. You can monitor your blood sugar, and ask your doctor if you have any specific questions. If you eat a lot of fruit consistently, you can possibly increase your blood sugar, which may or may not increase your chances for diabetes, depending on the individual. Basically, it is good to have personalized guidelines according to your daily fruit intake so that you can control how much sugar you are ingesting into your body. Also, it depends on the fruits you chose. Grapes and bananas, for example, have a lot of sugar in them, while berries have much less. So, you can modify your choices accordingly. Most importantly, every person is different. Some people just can not have too much sugar, as their previous diets might have been carbohydrate based. It is wise to test your blood sugar before and right after eating fruits, so you can see whether or not you have to be cautious about it affecting your overall health.

2) I have difficulty falling asleep at night, do you have any advice for it?
Some great things to do before you go to sleep is make a routine for yourself. It should not be a one time thing. Try to not watch television or go on the computer right before you sleep, as that will excite you and not clam you down. Also, maybe listen to some soothing classical music to calm your nerves. Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing are also great techniques that get you ready to sleep and reduce your stress that makes it hard to fall asleep in the first place. While there are teas that typically relieve stress, homeopathic remedies are also great. Some of those include, Escholtzschia Californica (Callifornia Poppy, which help you if you can not fall asleep of wake up in the middle of the night, and Passiflora Incarnata (Passionflower), which might help you if you have insomnia. So, overall, you will need to adjust your sleeping patterns in a way that benefit your sleeping and stress levels. A mix of yoga and homeopathy can benefit you as they both focus on the whole body as a way to heal and calm. 
3) I have a question about coconut oil, people say it is healthy but how exactly can you incorporate it into your daily diet?
Coconut oil is great and can be used in many different ways. You can take a table spoon with your meals, use it as body lotion, add some into your tea, or make treats with it. It can make you lose weight as well, as it has great digestive properties. You can even use it as makeup remover or make deodorant with it! It really is handy these days, as it is healthy and practical. Put it on your feet if and toes you have athletes foot. Enjoy your coconut oil, as it has many health benefits and increases brain function. 

4) What is the quickest way to calm down in an anxious or nervous situation?

Well, we all know that there are stressful and anxious situations that make us feel unstable. If we are internally strong, we would feel less of that nervous energy. That being said, we must be able to calm down our minds. Our minds can ultimately control how we react to anxiety. This tactic is a long term idea that can sustain our nerves. Therefore, the quickest way to clam yourself down in a stressful situation that has the potential to make you nervous might include deep breathing. This makes you focus on yourself. Next, try to put your attention and focus on something that does not make you nervous, like a good book, a comedy, or some homeopathic remedies (# 2 ^). Another quick way to cal down might be to take an old toy that you used to play in your childhood, and just play with it. Might sound odd, but its actually soothing. A piece of dark chocolate can also calm you down as it has a natural calming molecule (PEA). My favorite way to cal down quickly would be to inhale 3 deep counts positive energy and exhale 3 counts the negative thoughts and energy. 

5)  Lately I heard that adding Chia seeds to your diet can be healthy?

True, these days, more and more people are finding great and valuable health benefits to incorporating chia seeds into their daily diets. While traditionally we have been taught that flax seeds are great for our immune health, chia seeds can be a great addition. We know that flax seeds are great for us with the added omega 3 fatty acids, but sometimes it might be a bit harsh for us to digest that fiber with people who have sensitive digestion. While chia seeds also have that omega 3 component which can protect our immune systems against inflammation, it may also be easier on our overall digestion. Chia seeds are a whole-grain, which the body absorbs as seeds. Flax-seeds, however, do not get absorbed by the body that way. Weight loss is one major concern for people. Chia seeds have known to inhibit food cravings which is great for people who do not want to gain weight. In addition, chia seeds may reduce your blood pressure, possibly, if eaten over a long period of time. Chia seeds can also add some hydration to your body, which improves circulation, oxygen, etc. In terms of diabetes, these seeds might possibly even control your blood sugar. Overall, chia seeds should be considered as a new food to add to your lifestyle for healthy doses of protein, fiber, calcium, and antioxidants. Some great way to use your chia seeds would be to add them in your blended juice, eat them raw, or even add them to your main dish of  food at dinner time. Be creative here, and enjoy the healthy aspect of chia seeds!



6) Favorite food: healthy food is tasty food, my favorite snack would be almonds.

7) In terms of alcohol content, not sure which brand or amount for each, so I won't comment so as not to misinform you.

8) Singing or talking, we can say good things or bad things. Not all songs are happy songs. Therefore, we should treat our fellow humans with respect and be kind to one another and not speak or sing with violence.

9) Depending on the type of diet you have, when eating salad, it's better not to add salad dressing. An alternative could be to add a splash of apple cider vinegar once in a while for that added taste. While its not too bad, it really does depend on the type of dressing. I'd say stay away from the dressings that have unnecessary fats. Another good thing is to add some extra Virgin olive oil or a piece of organic cheese or chicken for protein into the salad to make it a complete meal!

10) For stiff joints, exercise can always be modified and the same positive result can occur. Depending on what kind of stiff joints you have, I would say when excising, try yoga in a seated position. There are many YouTube videos that can show you great exercises to strengthen your muscles and not really affecting those joints. Pilates can be another option. They make you more flexible, easing those joints. If you do not want to do excercise of cannot of the pain, walking is the best thing you can do. It increases oxygen to all the joints. Just half an hour a day at least, it will make your circulation better. Eating some coconut oil is also a great option, as it can alleviate the pain and add some comfort. Spreading that coconut oil on the stiff joints might also be good. Flax-seed oil is another great thing, as it gets absorbed and gives you many omega-3 goodness! Sometimes drinking a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar can help too. Physical therapy is another idea. There are many ideas and some things work better for different people. It is all about trying something healthy. While it is similar to exercise, they are professional and can help you in a positive way as well. Just be sure to talk to your doctor before trying something new if you are injured.

11) Many people have been asking about being skinny. This is not a big issue. If you are eating healthy and feel good, your weight will go according to plan. Everyone has a different body structure. The important thing would be to love yourself for who you are! After that, make sure you eat a healthy diet with lots of good protein (meat, cheese, beans, etc.) Also, to lose weight and keep it off do not eat after 6pm, as digestion decreases when the sun goes down. In addition, make sure to get movement in your day every day, whether that is walking, running, working out, yoga, etc. Make your body sweat a bit every day and you are doing a good thing.

12) Acne is a big issue these days. This is also a sign of imbalanced hormones, to an extent. Now you know why teens are so wild with acne running around. Their hormones are out of whack and they are just insane sometimes! Anyway, that is natural and it eases down as they get older. However, if it gets so extreme, it would be wise to get some sort of treatment for it. Therefore, you should try different things until you find one remedy that works great for you. Sometimes cleaning your face with soup and then putting a bit of coconut oil might actually help. Laugh, but it still can have some progress. Another thing would be to use baking soda. This has actually helped a few close friends of mine. You mix is with water and just dabble it on your face every day or so. Lemon juice is another great option. Put it on your face where needed. Organic mud masks sometime help too, as they could clean out the pores from within. Glam glow is a great product on the market for now. Do not forget that using make up can easily make you have more acne. Also, the foods you eat are also a big factor. Stay away from oily food such as fried and sweets such as sugar and chocolate.

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