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How I Lost Some Excess Holiday Weight

Even if I’m careful about what I eat and hit the gym regularly, I tend to pack on the pounds during the holidays? Why? There are a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is the heaviness of the foods I consume during the winter. Living in Minnesota, rich foods such as hash brown casserole, wild rice soup, and hot fudge sundae cake are regularly offered at office and family parties. Fruits and vegetables are more expensive and less abundant and it’s easy to sit inside and not get enough exercise.

We all know that somehow it is easier to lose or maintain your weight during the summer. After all, the warm weather makes us want to do more activities outside and it is easier to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables. After gaining five pounds last winter, I decided to try and trick my body into thinking it was summer. It took me two weeks to lose the weight, so what I did to lose the weight was by no means an easy fix, but it worked and helped me gain more energy.

The first thing I did was get a full spectrum table lamp that mimics the sun’s natural rays. The lamp cost me less than $50 and fit on the table next to the couch. Every morning, I sat under the lamp for around 30 minutes. The light seemed to give me the extra energy I needed to get through the day. These lamps are frequently used by people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD. Even though I don’t suffer from SAD, I think sitting under the light each morning gave me more energy and made me want to exercise.

After sitting under the light, I exercised to a video called “Walk Away the Pounds.” The workout lasts for 60 minutes and includes low intensity aerobics that slightly raises your heartbeat.

In addition to sitting under the full spectrum lamp and exercising, I also tried to eat as if it were summer. What I mean is, although my body was craving heavy foods, I opted for light foods such as turkey sandwiches, chicken caesar salads, and fresh arugula with almonds, sun dried tomatoes, and walnuts with a vinaigrette dressing. I didn’t worry too much about eliminating carbs, but more about eating fresh, whole feeds.

Note: Sous vide cooking has been a lifesaver through this process. I used to be a slave to the slow cooker, but was terrified of it catching on fire while I was away. Then I found my Mellow sous vide and now I can cook whatever I want whenever I want from my phone, with water. However, it can be tricky getting things vacuum sealed how I want. Luckily, we found the best vacuum sealer for sous vide at Sous Vide Wizard.

I repeated this routine everyday for two weeks and lost some excess holiday weight. I don’t think it was the light that made me lose weight, but rather, it gave me more energy to work out. Working out contributed to me wanting to eat less and make more healthy choices. By tricking my body into thinking it was summertime, I was able to lose some extra holiday weight and feel great in the process.

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Fun Ways to Pack a Healthy Kids Lunch Box

It can be an endless guessing game – you have to decide what your children wants for lunch, what they will eat for lunch and what they should have for lunch. Then you must take all those things into consideration and create the best kid’s lunch box lunch! Add to that, having to put it into a lunchbox… with an ice source… just complicates the chore all that much more! Not everything needs to be very cold, but put by that blue ice, chips can get soggy! But if the sandwich is not near the ice source, warm ham or bologna is just not very tasty. And of course, only things that will fit into the size of the lunch box can even be used!

But help is on the way! It really isn’t that hard! The kids have to have a lunch for school, so better just figure out how to do it right and healthy. Knowing your child is at their best, is the only inspiration you need to create the perfect lunch box lunch. Start by taking them shopping for their very own choice of lunch box, or lunch bag….or lunch tote, lunch pail, lunch bag… metal lunch box, fabric lunch tote, insulated lunch bag or metal lunch box.. Sounds complicated but don’t worry…. the kids know exactly what lunch box they want!

It is important to pack a school lunch box with a healthy lunch that your child will eat! Talk to your child and find out they like. Make sure they know this is a serious conversation – tell them why you are asking and why they need to be honest and not give silly answers. Impress on them that this is about THEIR health so it is important that they make considerations even for things that aren’t their favorites, but they will eat. The problem is that alot of kids are finicky and picky eaters and you do have to put some effort into taking what they like, restructuring it to lunch box convenience and then ADDING IN little things that they either don’t like or have never tried – just a little something for them to try. Sometimes if other kids see that item in their lunch box, it will be the talk of the table and give your child an incentive to give it a try – who knows? They might like it! You won’t know until you try and neither will they!

How to Jazz up a School Lunch In A Box

There are a lot of things kids say they don’t like, but in fact, they have never tried the item! A school lunch box is a perfect way to introduce you child to new things – kind of like introducing to them on their “own turf”. They see other kids eating, and that often helps them to eat similar. If you want them to try wheat bread, make their sandwich with one slice of wheat and one slice of white. Most likely they won’t taste a difference and you can add wheat bread to the list of what they like and it gives you more options to use to make their lunch box lunch more healthy and even exciting!

Have Fun With A Lunch Box Lunch

A great way to look at lunch box lunches and giving your children the nutrition they need, is to have fun with it. Use your imagination to create fun things out of the usual staples. Use cookie cutters to cut the bread and lunch meat into shapes! I do this for my grand daughter and she is just the talk of the table as being the luckiest ever, as she gets her sandwiches in the shape of gingerbread boys or butterflies!

Sometimes a little of everything is more fun than alot of a few things. Give them an “assortment”. If they like several kinds of chips, take a few of each chip and put them all together in the same baggie. That way, they get a fun variety of their favorite chips! Just the thought of having all their favorites all at once… will just make the lunch box lunch something they will start to look forward to and most certainly enjoy! Do the same thing with vegetables… just sitting there eating carrot sticks is rather boring, but if you have a few carrots sticks, a few celery sticks, mixed in a few olives or cherry tomatoes, eating vegetables can be more fun and not at all boring!

Instead of baggies, invest in small plastic containers with snap lids to house smaller things or things that need to stay cold or are a bit juicy. Things get smashed in baggies regardless of how careful you are when packing them. No one wants to open their lunch to a mess! These days they have perfect size containers for just a few mouthfuls of any item.

Make the Lunch Interactive!

Instead of putting the sandwich together and then stuff it into a baggie, just put the sandwiches makings into baggies and let your child build their own sandwich! Include some dip in a lid container and a baggie of fresh vegetables or even chips. Your child will have fun dipping their food and that will keep them focused on eating it all! Always use a blue ice module for keeping required things cold. These come in all sizes and shapes.

Don’t Forget the Drink!

Drink boxes, juice bags, thermos – these are all great and easy to use. Just watch the grocery store ads and stock up when juice boxes or small containers are on sale. But, you could also invest in a thermos. Thermos’ come in lots of fun designs and character themes. Add you own choice of drink, even milk, and your child will have fun sipping juice with Hanna Montana or Spiderman! But sometimes, it might just be easier or just as convenient to include milk money in their lunch box and buy a carton of milk at school

Some Like it Hot!

Invest in a wide mouth thermos. Fill it with soups your child likes, add crackers and a spoon and a nice warm, healthy lunch they will have! But don’t stop at soups! How about stew, chili, hot potato salads… pretty much anything that needs to be hot and will fit into the wide mouth thermos, your child can have for lunch! Ever heard of hot dogs for lunch box lunch? I boiled the hot dog that morning and while still hot, cut it in half and put it in the thermos. I put just a little bit of the boiling water into the thermos to keep the hot dogs warm, but not enough to be a safety issue. Took a hot dog bun, cut it in half and put it in a baggie. Added left over baggie condiments of ketchup or mustard and your child can have hot dogs for lunch!

Fresh fruit, desserts and other “Extras”

A complete meal is not complete without fresh fruit, a dessert or just that special little thing to eat at the end. Kids like those packaged “fruit snacks” but I think they are just more junk than they are worth – they are chewy, so that stuff sits there in between their teeth all day long! But many fresh fruits are more trouble than kids wants to deal with at lunch time. So make it easy for them…cut the apple into slices or chunks (add some peanut butter to dip them in!). Peel the orange and give them just the sections (a sealed container works best here!) Just make the meal fun and easy for your child to eat and they will be more likely to eat it all! As a dessert, there a lot of yogurts, fruit cups, puddings and the like that are ready-made lunchables. These are great addition to any kids lunch so just watch sales at stores and stock up. For using these kinds of things, spread them out over a couple weeks. If they get this every single day, it will get boring. But once or twice a week, it will be a surprise dessert that they will love and look forward to!

Try some of these ideas, come up with your own and ask your child their ideas of what would surprise them or what they would like to see in their lunch box at lunch time. Your child will be enjoying their lunch box lunch every day! Always remember to keep their lunch well balanced and your child will grow up happy and healthy… and full!

Special Note: I often include a special note in the lunch box. Just a little note on a cute piece of paper with just a few words of encouragement and love… just helps them have a wonderful lunch and know Mom loves them!

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Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap , the Weirdest and Best Product in Your Local Health Food Store

Go to your favorite health food store, walk to the shampoo aisle, and you’ll probably find rows of quart-size plastic squirt-bottles of Dr. Bronner’s 18-in-1 Pure Castile Soap, each bottle with its own distinctive wraparound label filled to capacity with biblical quotes and leftist/new age political rants worthy of a full-fledged street whacko. Over 3000 words are crammed onto each label, all accredited to the mysterious Emmanuel Bronner. Although he referred to himself alternately as “doctor” or “rabbi”, he was neither.

Typical crazed label messages include:

“Eternal Father, Eternal One! Exceptions eternally? Absolute none!”

“Replace half-true Socialist-fluoride poison amp; tax slavery with full-truth, work speech-press, amp; profitsharing Socialaction!”

But, don’t be put off by the rants and raves on the label. In my opinion, Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap, in particular, is one of the most refreshing and soothing substances that you can apply to your body.

Those who are regular users of the fabulous soap and fans of the eccentric product label, here’s the answer to a nagging question:

Who’s Dr. Bronner?

According to the Dr. Bronner website, “Emmanuel Bronner was a third generation master soap maker from an orthodox Jewish family in Heilbron, Germany.” He came to the United States ten years before the Nazis “nationalized” his family’s soap factory in 1938. Although he pleaded with his father to bring the family to America, his father was a headstrong man. One day, Bronner received a letter from Germany, “You were right. — your loving father.”

When he came to the United States, Bronner moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he worked as a consultant for several large American soap companies. In the fifties, he was arrested and put in a mental institution after trying to promote his strange radical philosophy at the University of Chicago. Bronner escaped three times from the hospital and, according to his son Ralph, “fled as far away as possible, which was California.”

In the sixties and seventies, he began preparing and selling natural soaps made from family recipes, and found a receptive audience in the hippies and new-agers of the time. Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps are available in peppermint, almond, eucalyptus, aloe vera, lavender, and tea tree.

Since Emmanuel Bronner’s death in 1997, his son Ralph and other family members have taken control of the soap company. It’s still a progressive workplace where every employee receives a yearly profit share bonus, and 26% of the profits go to charity. About three million bottles of soap are sold per year.

Although the company has had buy-out offers from Big Business, family members refuse to sell. They believe in Dr. Bronner’s magic soaps.

SOURCES:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_386.html

“The Magic Man”, Laurie Arendt, Greater Milwaukee Online, URL: (http://www.gmtoday.com/content/LSW/2002/October/64.asp)

http://www.drbronner.com/story.html

“Soap Star Sparkles at Harlem School”, Laurel Walker, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, URL: (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=482038)

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Universal Health Care Not Such a Bad Idea

Almost 47 million Americans are without health care insurance while the insured are being denied certain medical procedures by their insurance companies because of specific restrictions designated by those same insurance conglomerates.

Americans need help in keeping a healthy lifestyle. They also need money to do it. That’s where health care insurance comes into play. Having health insurance saves Americans millions of dollars a year, but people are also being refused significant medical attention because insurance companies are hesitant to dole out the money needed to cover such procedures.

Ideally, health insurance should be able taking care of people, not making or keeping money. Unfortunately, health insurance companies have seemed to miss the concept of “health care.”

To them, health insurance is a business, not a charity.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton is proactively speaking out about how she plans to change the “dysfunctional [health care] system.” Clinton recently addressed her stand on designing a universal health care program for the country. While she has yet to go into specific details, she has stated that she wants it to be a collaborative effort. She is eager to hear what voters would like to see changed about the nation’s existing health care set up.

This type of leadership is exactly what democracy is all about. Deciding what types of coverage should and shouldn’t be applied to somebody shouldn’t be up to what the health insurance companies want. Health insurance should be decided by the very people utilizing it, not the groups making money from it.

The Democratic front-runner realizes that the current state of health care in this country is failing. She knows it could be better, and she might just be the person to change it. While her bid for national health care failed in the ’90s when her husband was president, she is confident that the country will be more receptive to the idea. The fact that so many people are disillusioned by the antics of health care companies, the new millennium is the perfect time to revamp the nation’s health care system.

The former First Lady was quoted as saying on a CBS affilfiate Web site that ”

With such tenacity and determination needed to face hard-edge opposition of universal health care, if anyone is capable of pushing such a controversial issue through, it’s Clinton.

It is refreshing to see that someone is finally rehashing such an important human concern. Everybody will need some sort of medical attention at one point in their lives. Most likely, a good majority of these people will not be able to afford such consideration. Shouldn’t the United States take care of its people by supporting their health needs if they are unable to afford it?

Hillary Clinton seems to think so.

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Eye Health: Natural Cataract Prevention

A cataract is a cloudy area that develops on the lens of the eye blocking light from the retina. The retina contains the nerve layer that absorbs light and signals your brain to interpret what you see. When a cataract blocks the retina vision may become impaired.

Causes of Cataracts

Causes of cataracts include exposure to direct sunlight, eye injury, eye diseases, or other health problems, such as diabetes. Cataracts sometimes develop with age, but they are not an inevitable part of aging.

Natural Prevention, but No Guarantee

There is no way to guarantee that you will not develop cataracts, but there are several things you can do to prevent the development of cataracts.

Natural Prevention of Cataracts: Protect Your Eyes

Always protect your eyes when you are in the sun. Wear hats, visors, and/or sunglasses to protect your eyes from sunlight. You should also avoid tanning beds. If you use a tanning bed always wear protective goggles and do not open your eyes while the tanning bed is on.

Natural Prevention of Cataracts: Vitamins and Supplements

Lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E have been associated with decreased chance of developing cataracts and macular degeneration.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are compounds related to beta-carotene that are present in the lens and retina of our eyes. They are believed to filter high-energy blue light which can damage eye tissue. These cartenoids also function as antioxidants to protect eyes from free radicals that are believed to break down eye tissue.

Significant absence of lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E may contribute to vision impairment caused by macular degeneration and cataracts.

Lutein is a nutrient found in dark green leafy vegetables and colorful fruits. Increased consumption of turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens, and spinach may aide in the prevention of cataracts. Squashy, peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots, and other fruits are also good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin.

Lutein and vitamin E are available in some over-the-counter multivitamins and nutritional supplements. Some supplemental “tears,” or eye moisturizers, contain these supplements.

Studies support the benefits of lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E to eye health.

Natural Prevention of Cataracts: Good Health

Maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle is important to your overall health, including your eyes. A varied diet filled with fruits and vegetables is important to your vision. Keeping diseases under control, take medications only as directed, and report any changes in vision to your ophthalmologist immediately.

Traditional Treatment of Cataracts

Surgical removal is currently the only treatment for cataracts. Vision impairment caused by cataracts may happen slowly and become worse over time.

Cataracts that do not impair vision do not have to be treated at all.

Sources:

Allaboutvision.com

” Cataracts – Topic Overview,” Webmd.com

“Lutein and Zeaxanthin May Offer Protection Against MD,”

“Lutzean,” MDsupport.org

Physicians’ Desk Reference

“Study Demonstrates Essential Role of Zeaxanthin in Eye Health” MDsupport.org

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10 Easy Steps for a Healthier Life Style

Every year, millions of people try to find ways to lose weight. There are tons of diets and programs one can choose from, but if you are just looking to shed a few pounds, I think my easy tips are the way to go.

1. Keeping Track

It’s very important to keep a log or diary of all the things you eat through out the day. Keep track of the times and even the calories

2. Make some substitutions

After you have a good idea of your daily eating habits, see what things you can substitute. Have a fruit mix instead of a brownie. Maybe drink a natural juice instead of a can of soda.

3. Take Your Time!

Learn to eat slower with your meals. When people get in the habit of eating fast, they tend to eat more than the need to. This is because our stomach delays in letting our brain know that we are full, so you might be eating a little too much.

4. Don’t deprive yourself

Sometimes a snack every now and then is a good thing, so you shouldn’t feel any disappointment when you are cheating on your diet.

5. Find Time to Exercise

There are many times through out your day that you can find time to do exercise. If you have an office job, many companies offer cheap products that you can use at your desk to get your blood rate going. Even a walk around the neighbor with a partner every other night really makes a difference.

6. Get a Scale!

You’ll never have any idea how you’re doing if you can’t measure yourself.

7. More H2O

Water is one of the best things for your body, so adding it more of it into your new, healthy life style can only help you.

8. Learn Your Calorie Limit

Using your log, keep track of all the calories you consume and make sure you don’t go over the daily calorie limit. This could be a very important if you plan to lose a few pounds.

9. Stay Away!

We all know that most fast food and soda is not good for your body at all, so stay far away! If it is part of your daily routine, you’ve got to drop it. There are many other substitutes for a fast, continent, and tasty meal. Find what local restaurants cater to healthy life-styles

10. At least One Pound a Week

Last, but not least, try to lose at the minimum, one pound a week. If you are having a hard time managing that, then you might not be putting in enough effort towards your goal or you might need to relax a bit and let your body catch-up.

Weight loss is different for everyone, but I found that these simple tips can work for most people in losing weight.

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The Youngest 2008 Presidential Candidate: Big Message, Small Girl

9,000,000 children have no health insurance, a problem that has been ignored for a long time by the United States government. This is the message brought by Susie Flynn, the nine year old girl aiming for the White House who wants to ensure that the children who have no health insurance are not ignored. And even though, according to the US Constitution, she cant become president much like Arnold Schwarzenegger, she has campaigned in front of the White House, on the side of the road, and even on television.

Sponsored by the Children’s Defense Fund, Susie’s message impacts nine million uninsured American children, most of whom live with two parents. With that kind of sponsorship, Susie has been the first 2008 Presidential Candidate with a national buy on CNN, airing during popular shows such as Headline News, The Situation Room, and CNN American Morning, getting a huge leap on even Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But why is Susie so different from the rest of the candidates? Because she has focused on something other than the war happening in Iraq. Other candidates, on average, keep repeating the same phrase with different words, “We need to get most of our troops out of Iraq.” The Iraq war may or may not be a lost cause, but Americans are certainly tired of hearing about the depressing death tolls coming from Iraq. It is already clear, by virtue of which candidates have raised the most money so far, that we will be leaving Iraq very soon.

Now that we know which direction we’ll be heading with the war, it’s nice to hear a candidate talk about a new issue. According to Ms. Flynn’s website, uninsured children are five times more likely to go 2 years without a doctor visit compared to insured children. She also points out that even though America spends nearly twice as much on health care per person than the average of industrialized countries, we still have high infant mortality rates. According to the 2005 est. CIA Factbook, the United States ranks at the 179th, while we are surpassed by over 40 countries, including Taiwan, Cuba, Liechtenstein, Canada, Germany, Japan, the UK, and most industrialized countries.

It’s a depressing statistic to know that 6.43 children die before age 1 in America, but what’s the real story behind Susie’s campaign for president? Susie is sponsored by the Children’s Defense Fund, a private, nonprofit organization supported entirely by foundation, corporate, and individual donations. (CDF has never received federal money). The Elect Susie campaign is part of their goal of passing the All Health Children Act (HR 1688), introduced to congress to simplify and expand eligibility of health coverage under Medicaid to guarantee children in all states all medically needed services. The bill also provides coverage for the pregnant woman as well for up to sixty days after the birth of the child.

In conclusion, the youngest candidate to enter the 2008 presidential race has no legal chance to win the election. But her strong message, to provide any and all children with the medical care they need, is a desperately needed focus for the nine million American children lacking health insurance.

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Tips for Getting Kids to Eat Healthier on the Go

Everyone is busy these days. In the hustle and bustle of daily activity, it is often hard to slow down for a healthy sit-down meal. Many people make a habit of driving through fast food places or eating out. Eating out is no longer saved for a special occasion. If you have children, you can encourage them to eat healthier for those days when the drive through is the only option.

Restaurant food, whether it is fast food or not is traditionally high in fat and calories-and what type of foods do most kids order at these places? Fried foods and those low in nutritional content such as chicken nuggets, French fries and burgers. Here are some tips for helping your child choose foods more carefully when eating out.

Don’t be a member of the “clean your plate” club: Most kids know when they are full. You should not force your kids to clean their plate, no matter what is on it. Instead, encourage your child to eat only until they are comfortably full.

Encourage healthy fast food options: So many restaurants now see that more parents want their children to have healthier menu options when eating out. McDonald’s now offers milk and apples instead of soda and fries. Wendy’s offers baked potatoes, oranges, yogurt and milk instead of the traditional sides. Encourage your child to choose these healthy options. You can also start them off young by introducing these foods to younger children early on.

Set a good example: If you order a plate full of high fat foods, what kind of message are you sending your child? That doesn’t mean you can never have fries again, but balance your meals with side salads and water or other healthy options. When your child sees you doing this, he or she is more likely to follow suit.

Share: Teaching your child to share is nice and healthy too when it comes to eating out. Order French Fries and share or even consider ordering healthier options off of the adult menu and splitting them with your child. Not only is it important to teach what to eat, but portion control is also important.

Teach your child to slow down: When you teach your child to eat slowly, he or she will feel full faster and learn to enjoy the meal. Slowing down means cutting the calorie intake and it’s better for your digestive system, too.

Say no to appetizers: Appetizers are meant to kill your appetite. When you order high fat foods such as fried cheese sticks or butter bread, your child will not want to healthier stuff that comes later. Skip the empty calories.

Say no to soda: Many parents get in the habit of allowing their child to order soda when they go out to eat. Water is the best choice and milk (two percent) is a good option, too. If you child does not like water, try taking along one of those sugar free flavor pouches to add to the water, or letting them add fresh lemon to the water.

Get it to go: If you can, go through the drive through and order only the main entrée such as the burgers. Then take it home and enjoy it with fresh fruit and milk that you already have at home. It saves you money and a few extra calories.

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How to Decide If You Should Be Taking a Multivitamin

Millions of people purchase multivitamins every year in the hopes of improving their health. How can you make sure you are getting are quality multivitamin? With hundreds of brands to choose from the task of finding one that is right for you can be a daunting task. Many people will be surprised to learn that not everyone needs to take a multivitamin. Paying extra for megadoses, special formulas and exotic nutrients can be a waste of money and might even be harmful to your health. So who does need to give themselves an extra boost by taking a vitamin? If you have a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and low fat dairy products than you probably don’t need to be taking a vitamin supplement. That along with modest amounts of fish poultry and low fat meat will give you all the nutrients your body needs. There are distinct advantages to getting what your body needs from food as nature intended versus a supplement. Eating plenty of good quality food will leave less room for filling yourself up with unhealthy foods. Additional benefits will include all the fiber that you get in food as well as the way in which your body interacts with food to prevent disease.

With that being said it is common knowledge that in the fast paced world in which we live with all the unhealthy choices readily available to us many of us do not get the necessary nutrients our bodies need. If you think that your diet is not the best in the world and is lacking you might want to consider a vitamin as a way to bridge the gap. There are certain other groups of people who especially should consider taking a multivitamin. If you are over 50 and believe you eat right you might still want to consider taking a supplement. As our bodies age our ability to absorb the nutrients we need becomes less efficient and it becomes harder to stay healthy. Women who are trying to conceive or who are pregnant also need extra nutrients. Those individuals dealing with certain diseases such as diabetes might want to consider the extra benefits a vitamin can provide. Research has also shown that people on a strict vegetarian diet might not be getting all the essential ingredients their bodies need to stay healthy. Be aware that some individuals may need an additional supplement as most multivitamins contain much less than the governments recommended daily allowance for calcium. Others, such as older people might need additional vitamin D depending on their diet and the amount of sunlight they receive each day.

When choosing a supplement be cautious of brands you don’t recognize. Usually buying what you think is a bargain priced vitamin will only save you between $10 to $25 a year. Stick with a name you trust and purchase from a reputable store or Internet site. Avoid vitamins that contain large amounts of certain nutrients. They will only cost you more and in some cases can be harmful to you. Large doses of vitamin C can cause stomach problems, diarrhea, and other troublesome side effects. Be leery of vitamins that promise to help you lose weight or have more energy. These types of claims usually cannot be measured so they are basically worthless. Eating right, drinking plenty of water and getting enough sleep and exercise are the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If however you find it difficult to do these things on a regular basis a multivitamin might just be what you need to bridge the gap between an imperfect world and perfect health.

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Simple Steps to Strengthen Your Immune System

How many times have you gotten sick and after a few days of no improvement in your health, called and made an appointment with your physician? Once you arrive at the doctor’s office and pay your co-payment, you spend a few moments with the doctor only to hear that you have the ever popular “upper respiratory infection” . In other words, you have a cold.

Colds are a fact of life. You will get them at times and have to suffer through a few days of sniffles and coughing. But the amount of time you have a cold is, in part, up to you. The key to getting rid of colds in the least amount of time possible is to be as healthy as possible when they strike. Staying healthy is in your best interest anyway, so why not take a few simple measures to be sure that your immune system is up to par.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is sleep. Yes, something as simple as sleeping can help keep your organs, body and mind in working order. A lack of sleep can do damage to your ability to fight off colds. Be sure that you average six to eight hours a night of sleep. If your schedule does not permit proper sleep allotment time, you need to make some changes in your life.

Drink water. Another easy, common sense thing that most of us do not do is drink enough water. Water is plentiful in this country so there is no excuse. You may not necessarily need eight 64 ounce glasses of water but it is important that you stay hydrated. Dehydration will not only depress your immune system, it will also decrease you productivity both mentally and physically.

Prepare your own foods. If you are going out to lunch everyday or getting dinner or breakfast on the go on a regular basis, there is no way to really no what you are putting in your body. Sure, you can read labels and ask for nutritional information but at the end of the day, you just don’t know what you are eating. Try to prepare as many meals as you can. Be sure to include tons of fruit and vegetables in the meals you make.

Another common sense thing that you can do to improve your immunity is exercise. You need to move. A strong body is important in the quest to stay healthy. Be sure to get in at least three, and ideally five, days of thirty to forty-five minute workouts. If you are pressed for time, break up your workout sessions into shorter sessions.

These are just a few common sense, easy things you can do to help keep your immune system strong.