Sweet Health Benefits of Maple Syrup

Go ahead and pour real maple syrup all over your pancakes. Not only will it be more delicious than the fake stuff, but you'll be doing your body a big favor.

Maple syrup is already known to contain trace amounts of B vitamins and amino acids as well as the minerals: calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron. However, new research has uncovered an astonishing sweet surprise.

While studying Canadian maple syrup, Navindra Seeram, a researcher at The University of Rhode Island, found that it contains 54 beneficial compounds. Several of these compounds posses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, known for fighting cancer, diabetes and bacterial illnesses.

Ironically, scientists found that phenolics found in this naturally sweet syrup inhibit two carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes that are important to managing Type 2 diabetes.

This mix of beneficial compounds is likened to an anti-oxidant cocktail, possessing some properties that are found in berries, some that are found in tea and some that are found in flaxseed, says Seeram.

Adding a touch of maple syrup at the start of your day may give new meaning to breakfast of champions.

This post is linked to Fight Back Fridays.

Fuel Up on a High Protein Breakfast to Cut Cravings Later

If food cravings leave you vulnerable to overeating nutrition-deprived foods, it may be your breakfast or lack of breakfast to blame.

Try starting your day with a protein-rich breakfast to curb those cravings. A new study claims it will increase fullness longer and reduce hunger throughout the day.

Researchers found that eating a breakfast high in protein turns down the signals in the brain that control food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior.

Of course, filling up first thing in the morning on a simple carbohydrates and sugar, which are found in many processed cereals, is a sure way to spike your blood sugar levels and leave you hungry well before lunch.

Forgo the Pop Tart and scramble up some organic eggs from grass-fed chickens.  According to Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Rebalance Your Emotional Chemistry and Rediscover Your Natural Sense of Well-Being,don't eat just one egg. Try three of them, which together contain 18 grams of protein.  Ross says that we need to aim for about 20 grams of protein per meal to fuel our brains with the amino acids needed to feel better and let go of emotional eating.

You can also throw in a scoop of whey protein powder from grass-fed cows into a smoothie or mix some into a homemade breakfast bar (check out this recipe, but substitute the green powder with whey protein).  Or add walnuts and chia seeds to old fashion oatmeal.  Plain yogurt and kefir can also give you a protein boost.

Researchers note that filling up on a high protein breakfast could prove to be an effective strategy to increase appetite control and help prevent overeating.

Exercise Slows Aging Process And Effects of Stress

We exercise for many reasons. Some to lose weight and get fit. Others to reduce stress and feel better. Slowing down the aging process doesn't usually come to mind, but it should.

Recent studies are finding that exercise can keep cells younger. Specifically, vigorous exercise that breaks a sweat can stop telemeres--the protective caps and very small units of DNA on the ends of chromosomes--from shortening. Aging shortens telemeres because each time a cell divides it cannot completely replicate itself. When a telemere finally gets too short, the cell dies. Shorter telomeres are linked to a wide range of aging-related diseases.

Psychological stress can also accelerate telemere shortening. Studies have looked at various stressors, including post-traumatic stress disorder, childhood abuse and care giving, and found that those who suffered from such stress and did not exercise had shorter telemeres than those without major stressors in their lives. However, the telemeres in those who did suffer from those stressors and exercised were buffered from the negative effects.

One study even found that people who exercised vigorously and worked up a sweat at least three hours a week had telemeres the length of someone nine years younger than those who are more sedentary.

So go work up a good sweat at the gym and you may kill two birds with one stone:  gaining a better figure and a younger body.

Bowl Full of Super Veggie Kale Chips

Ever since I noticed that Whole Foods gave kale a perfect score of 1000 on their nutrient density scale--the highest score possible based on micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities--I have wanted to eat more kale. Who am I kidding? Not more kale, just some kale. My world and kale's never touched until now.  Noticing that my go-to romaine lettuce scores just above 300 on Whole Food's Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), I figured I needed to expand my greens.

Kale, which contains at least 45 different antioxidant flavonoids and is loaded with vitamins A and K as well as a good supply of C, is a member of the cruciferous family like cabbage and broccoli.  It's very impressive cancer-preventive and anti-inflammatory heart benefits makes me wonder why the whole world isn't munching on this super veggie.

I am in the processing of introducing kale to my family because I am determined that my kids will grow up having it as a staple in our home along with the only other vegetables to get the top 1000 ANDI score--watercress and mustard, turnip and collard greens. So this week I started with kale chips. I dehydrated them in my oven at 115 degrees so I guess they are technically raw, preserving all of kale's amazing enzymes. However, they can be baked at 300 degrees until crispy.

These kale chips even got the two thumbs up from my 2-1/2-year-old son, who has "texture issues" with food and refuses to eat 99.5% of the veggies I put on his plate.  I almost fell over when he said, "I like these, Mommy!"

People with low thyroid may want to be aware that kale, like all vegetables in the Brassica family, contain a compound known as progoitrin, which has shown to decrease thyroid hormone production. Steaming or cooking these vegetables, instead of eating them raw, is found to reduce the goitrogens to a third, according to the Weston A. Price Foundation.

I used a large bunch of red curly kale, but you can substitute two smaller bunches of the flat green kind. Additionally, you can also add 1 tsp of honey to reduce the bitterness or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give it a kick. I kept these chips pretty simple.

Super Veggie Kale Chip Recipe
1 large bunch of red curly kale or 2 small bunches of flat green kale
2 TBSP Olive Oil or Virgin Coconut Oil
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Sea Salt (if you'd like them less salty, use a bit less)
Optional: 1 tsp of honey or 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper

Remove kale stems, pull leaves apart into chip-size pieces. Wash and remove excess water. Put kale in large bowl and toss with oil, vinegar and sea salt. If you decide to use a bit of honey, mix it with the vinegar first before adding.  Arrange coated kale leaves on parchment lined cookie sheet and dehydrate in oven at 115 degrees for approximately 5-6 hours or bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Eat this nutrient-filled chip as a snack or as an accompaniment with lunch.

Shared at Penny Wise Platter and Fight Back Friday.

Detox Lymph System to Fight Cellulite

All the cellulite cream and spa treatments in the world won't permanently erase those not-so-darling dimples on your derriere.  Some might give you a temporary fix, but only by getting to the root of the problem can you achieve more lasting results.

In addition to genetics, hormones, and weight gain, a key player in the development of cellulite is the lymphatic system, which supports all of the other systems in the body.  Lymph is a clear fluid that circulates throughout the body, bathing every cell and removing excess fluid, bacteria, dead blood cells, cancer cells and toxins.

Lymph doesn't flow through your body with a pump like blood. Instead, every move you make and every breath you take keeps it moving along.

Too much sitting, too many environmental toxins and too much stress can slow down the lymphatic system, resulting in an overload of fluids and toxins in the body, which collect in the pockets of fat around the thighs.  While combating cellulite may seem more about vanity, a healthy lymph system does more than diminish those dimples from the inside out, but it's critical for warding off disease and healing injuries.

To detoxify and keep your lymphatic system flowing try the following:

1.  Take Deep Breaths Often
2.  Exercise (Include jump roping or rebounding for the up and down movement.)
3.  Massage Your Cellulite
4.  Get a Professional Lymph Drainage Massage
5.  Dry Brush Your Skin (Use a natural fiber brush, brushing from your extremities toward the heart.)
6.  Take Breaks From Sitting At Your Desk
7.  Eat Lots of Fiber (Load up on fruits, veggies, flaxseed, beans, etc. They latch onto toxins, hormones and fat to flush out them out of system.)
8.  Sweat (A good workout can do the trick or try a sauna or a shower steam)

Sources:
Womentowomen.com
Annlouise.com
Naturalnews.com
Newhope360.com

Fusing Together Raw, Living Foods With Warm, Comforting Dishes

The raw food movement seems to be more than just a passing fad.  While my husband likens its staying power to the Atkins Diet, I beg to differ. Eating living foods may seem like a hot, new tend, but it's really an old idea. Before the dawn of refrigeration and pasteurization, more food was naturally raw and fresh or fermented.

Since I like hot soup on cold winter days made with real nourishing broth from chicken or beef bones, I honestly didn't think the raw movement applied much to me. Then I began to realize that on my path to eating more nutrient dense foods, I have naturally been increasing my consumption of living foods, which are raw.

When raw food chef and educator LindaJoy Rose, Ph.D. asked me if she could include my recipe for Almost-Raw Green Bars in a book she was writing--one that would help people incorporate more living foods into their diet by marrying raw and cooked foods together in a way that is practical and attainable, I was intrigued.  Of course, I agreed to let her include my recipe as long as I could get a copy of the book. I was thrilled when my copy of Raw Fusion: Better Living Through Living Foods recently arrived fresh off the press as well as Raw Fusion Recipes, which is chock full of delicious recipes that even picky members of your family will enjoy. One of my favorites is Rose's Raspberry Razzle Dazzle, an awesome green smoothie recipe made with green chard that even my 2-year-old son, who hates veggies, approves.

Rose doesn't expect her readers to be 100% raw food eaters, but getting closer to 50% seems like a piece of raw cake with her step-by-step guide to helping readers transition into a more plant-based lifestyle. Raw Fusion also includes contributions from some of the leading pioneers in the raw food movement, who offer their insights, experience and recipes.

You can order both Raw Fusion: Better Living through Living Foods and Raw Fusion together from RawFusionLiving.com for $29.95.

Disclosure: Vibrantglow.com is an affiliate of RawFusionLiving.com.

Sleep More, Stress Less, Slim Down, And Look Younger.

Except for the few all-nighters I pulled studying for exams in college, I've always made it a habit to get my beauty rest. I was never one who could get by on less than seven or eight hours of sleep for long periods of time. However, early motherhood, when I was up attending to babies in the wee hours of the night, was the one season in my life that was filled with chronic sleep deprivation--and it took a major toll on my body. I looked and felt awful! It seemed like the aging process was kicked into high gear with wrinkles magically creeping up around my eyes overnight. Additionally, after the birth of my youngest it was even harder to lose weight.

I learned first hand the toll that too much of the stress hormone cortisol takes on a body.  Sleep deprivation leads to adrenal glands pumping out too much of this belly fat-promoting, collagen-destroying hormone. However, getting enough sleep keeps cortisol levels down. In fact, a landmark sleep study found that those who sleep between 7.5 and 8.5 hours a night secrete half as much cortisol as those only sleeping 6.5 hours or less a night.

Too much cortisol turns tummies into fat magnets because the abdominal region contains four times more cortisol receptors than other areas in the body.  Researchers have found that women who only slept five hours of sleep a night compared to those who slept seven hours were 32 percent more likely to experience significant weight gain (we are talking 33 pounds or more!) Additionally, this group of women was 15 percent more likely to become obese over the course of this 16 year study. 

Researchers have also found that lack of sleep can cause cravings for sweet and salty foods.  Both stress and sleep deprivation make the best intentions to eat more broccoli and leafy greens go out the window. Not only are we eating more, but we end up eating foods lacking any nutritional value.  Neither our waistline nor our skin responds well to this kinds of abuse.

A number of studies have found that sleep deprivation leads to inflammation and oxidative stress. One of these studies found that women who don't get their beauty sleep experience disruptions with their skin barrier function, have more water loss in their skin and have extremely high levels of inflammatory chemicals circulating in their bodies.  If we are under chronic stress, cortisol will disrupt collagen production, making skin thinner and weaker.

If you need more encouragement to turn in early every night, then keep in mind that adults who sleep five or less hours a night have a 15 percent chance of dying early from any reason you can think of. Why? Because lack of sleep ages your body.  So turn off your computer, blackberry, TV or whatever is keeping you up at night and get your beauty rest!

Sources:
Fat Flush for Life: The Year-Round Super Detox Plan to Boost Your Metabolism and Keep the Weight Off Permanently
The Mind-Beauty Connection: 9 Days to Less Stress, Gorgeous Skin, and a Whole New You.
Your Skin, Younger: New Science Secrets to Reverse the Effects of AGE