Can eating veggies make you look more beautiful?

We all eat well to provide the proper nutrients our body needs to function properly and exercise in order to provide oxygen to our tissues and increase our lean muscle mass right?? Not exactly. Vanity is unfortunately more of a motivating factor to people than achieving health. Most people eat well and exercise in order to lose weight and look better, not feel better. But even if health isn't the main goal of eating well and exercising, you should realize that looking good is a great side effect of being healthy!! A new study published in the Journal of Evolution and Human Behavior found that eating fruits, leafy greens and other vegetables gave people a healthy glow, better than suntan, due to the carotenoids present in the food. Scientists asked study participants to look at 51 different Caucasian faces and adjust the skin tones to the hues ranging from those typical of a day in the sun to the glow from a carotenoid-rich diet. "We found that, given the choice between skin color caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin color," Dr. Ian Stephen, the study's lead researcher, now of the School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus. So even if you don't eat well to build a stronger-immune system, take in cancer-fighting antioxidants and heart-healthy fiber, and allow your body to function at 100%, then maybe looking healthier is a good motivating factor to get you started on the road to achieving health.


From left: suntanned, neutral, with carotenoid coloring
According to the new study, the students found yellower faces more attractive and healthy looking. Want the glow? Try upping your intake of carrots, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupe, spinach and kale.

The latest weight loss fad isn't going to make you look healthy nor will it achieve lasting results. Diet pills and calorie restrictive diets are unhealthy and don't work long term. In order to look your best, eating well and exercising regularly need to be a lifestyle change. Remember 3 easy rules to follow in regards to food, increase the amount of good fats in your diet while decreasing the bad fats, make sure the protein in your diet comes from grass fed/organic sources, and cut out the sugar by incorporating whole grains and reducing the amount of processed, refined foods. Here's the link to a great book which can guide you through these 3 rules:

Nutrition Book

Start Eating for Three

Have you ever heard the expression “Eating for two?” Immediately that expression makes most people think of a pregnant woman eating for herself and for her unborn child. So naturally, the expression eating for three would mean that the woman is carrying twins right?! Think again..

About a year ago, I heard the expression "eating for three" and it has always been something I try to keep in mind when I am about to cook dinner or order something from a restaurant. Eating for three means that you are eating for yourself, for your family, and for God. Eating for three is a simple idea that really makes a lot a sense if you think about it.

Eating for yourself is probably the most natural concept because, well, you should want to eat to be healthy, have more energy, and look good! Eating for your family is important because when YOU eat healthier you set a good example for your family. It is also a safe bet that eating healthier will give you a better quality of life and create more time for you to spend with family. Many times parents get so caught up in sacrificing everything for their children that they stop taking care of themselves. When you neglect your own health in order to take care of your children, you are actually doing them a disservice. If you are unhealthy and develop disease in your body, what will happen to your children, to your spouse? Will they be forced to watch you suffer through life, visit you in the hospital, or worst of all go through life without out you? Although you may have never thought about it in this way, being healthy and active is the most important thing you could do for your family. Take time to take care of yourself and in turn you will be doing something amazing for your family! Eating for God may seem a bit out there to you, or it might make total sense, I guess it just depends on where you are spiritually. I’m going to say that for the purposes of this post, you do believe that God created us. With that being said, our body is not for us to destroy or do whatever we want with. In fact, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” We have to understand that our bodies are just “on loan” during our time on Earth and we need to take care of what God gave us.

You need to eat every meal for yourself, for your family, and for God. You need to respect your body by making sure that the majority of food you eat is food that is natural, created by God. The further a food product is from its natural state, the more processed it is and the more unrecognizable it is by your body. Food is meant to provide energy and nutrients which keep your body healthy and active. Everything that goes in your mouth is processed and is either beneficial or destructive to your body. Think about this when trying to decide between taking the time for a home cooked meal or grabbing McDonalds on the way home! Always remember to eat for 3.

Setting and Achieving Goals

We first wanted to apologize for the enormous span since our last blog. We have been extremely busy over the past few months and finally got some time to post a new entry.

With New Year’s day being only two weeks ago, I’m sure keeping the New Year’s resolution hasn’t been extremely difficult. In fact, a recent statistic says that 63% of people keep their resolution for up to two months. However, 25% of people give up right around two weeks according to a recent survey. For some people a resolution might include getting a new promotion or finishing a 5k race, and it would be understandable for them to maybe “resolve” this issue earlier in the year. What about the people that want to really change their lives or health by eating better or exercising more. Those resolutions are not something that will be accomplished in a matter of months. They are goals that would hopefully last a lifetime!

So how do you keep those resolutions for changing your lifestyle. A few different articles that I found have some great tips to help ensure successfully reaching your goals. If you haven’t thought about something you would like to resolve this year, maybe these tips will give you inspiration towards a few ideas. :

Be realistic: This is an extremely important factor when trying to set goals for yourself. It might not be realistic to lose 120 pounds with a one year span. The most surefire way to fall short of your goal is to make one that is unattainable. It might be better to break large goals into several small goals.

Plan ahead: Creating a plan of actions is a great way to ensure success. If I decided to run a marathon three weeks prior to the race, I might not have the best results. A New Year’s resolution, or any goal, is the same way. Try to determine what you really want to accomplish in your life and create a plan for success.

Outline your plan: The plan for success does not have to be all positive. In fact, it is highly advised to decide how you will deal with failures along the way. Knowing what you will do when you don’t feel like working out or need to have one more cigarette is an important way to stay focused on your goals. If working through these issues means having a friend or family member to hold you accountable, do it. If it means doing daily affirmations and envisioning your life after you goal has been reached, do it.

Talk about it: Goals are not like wishes. In fact, the more people you tell about your goal, the more people you will have to lean on for support. Even if you can’t get support from everybody you talk about your goal with, your odds for support can only go up with a greater number of people. Also, the more you talk about it the harder it is to forget about.

Reward yourself: If your goal is to begin working out consistently or eating a health diet, this doesn't mean that you can miss an entire week at the gym or eat an entire bag of Oreos. Instead, reward your progress by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. For example, if you have been sticking to your plan to workout consistently, maybe plan a fun outdoor activity with friends for a future workout instead of making a trip to the gym.

Track your progress: Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing an enormous amount of weight, focus on losing that first five. Keeping a food diary may help you stay on track.

Don't beat yourself up: If you have a donut one morning, don’t let it ruin the entire day. Many people will ruin an entire day of healthy eating because the messed up early on in the day. If you miss a workout during the week, forget about it and try not to miss any more that week. The University of Maryland Medical Center used the analogy of sailing to discuss this point. “You almost never go directly from point A to point B. You set a course and periodically take readings of your position then make adjustments as you go along.” Obsessing over the occasional slip won't help you achieve your goal. Do the best you can each day, and take each day one at a time.

Stick to it: Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. So for those people that give up after 2 weeks, their goal never really had a chance. It does take persistence, but your new healthful habits will become second-nature over time.

Keep trying: If by mid-February, you have completely given up on your resolution, don’t beat yourself up over it. Start over again, but go at it at a different angle! There's no reason you can't make a "New Year's resolution" any time of year.

Hopefully this year brings a lot of great success to everybody, but wishing and hoping for something to change in your life may not be the most reliable plan. Having a goal in mind that motivates you, creating a plan of action, and staying focused and positive are a much more plausible path toward success.

Resources:
University of Maryland Medical Center: New Year's Resolutions Medical Guide (April 18, 2007)
University of Maryland Medical Center: Expert Advice on Maintaining Resolutions (April 18, 2007)
Lifehacker: Ten commandments of goal-setting (December 28, 2005)
Psychology Today: The Goals That Guide Us (July 22, 2003)

Barefoot Running

The saying goes “If you want to run, all you need are a pair of shoes.” But what if you don’t even need the shoes, how about we change the saying to “If you want to run, all you need are a pair of feet!” Humans have evolved to run barefoot over the past 2 million years. When the terrain in Africa shifted from forest and woodlands to desert plains with low brush, many new food sources became available. How all of this affected the evolution of running is really interesting. Humans run at a speed that makes most animals they chase gallop. When a quadruped gallops they are unable to pant, forcing them to become overheated and exhausted in about 10-15 minutes. Although humans cannot run fast enough to catch the animal, they are able to maintain a speed that ensures the heat exhausted animal will be their next meal. So how did humans go from barefoot running to wearing shoes named “The Beast” (a motion control shoe with EXTREME support and cushioning)? Although there is a need for foot protection since barefoot running can be painful with gravel and broken glass to worry about, but why do we need all of the cushion? Modern running shoes are a fairly new concept, being about only 40 years old, but they have changed the landscape of running and the people who run. With all of the cushioning and support in modern running shoes, the human foot gets weak. This causes problems not only in the foot, but all of the lower extremities. Barefoot running can increase foot strength and a Harvard study reported that increasing foot strength by just 2% can decrease injury by 50%. The study also reported that injuries from landing on the heel while running are less likely to occur with barefoot running since there is a shift from running heal-to-toe to running on the balls of your feet. This increases efficiency because landing on your heel while running causes the forward motion of the leg comes to a standstill and the momentum must then be recreated (causing you to use more energy and run less efficiently). Shoe companies know this and are beginning to design shoes with more flexibility, less cushion and support, and more freedom. Nike has the “Free” and Vibram makes a wide variety of “Five Fingers.” If you have never tried running barefoot, I would suggest you give it a try. There is no investment needed to start, all you need are your two feet. Start slow by running a few laps around the back yard, it will take a little adjusting but the benefits of preventing injury and improving performance will pay off.

1. Practice proper form- You should aim to land to the ball of your foot and gently bring your heel down. The landing should feel springy without tightness or pain (these can indicate improper form.)
2. Alternate between sneakers and bare feet- You need to work yourself into barefoot running slowly, start by running 500 feet barefoot after your normal run with shoes on. Work your way up to a few sets of running 500 feet and gradually up to half-mile barefoot runs and more.
3. Choose your surfaces carefully- The ideal surface is a flat grass area free of rocks, such as a soccer or football field. You will eventually build up thicker skin on the balls of your feet and will be able to run on harder surfaces.
4. Consider minimalist shoes- The Nike "Free" or Vibram "5 Fingers" are a great way to work into barefoot running.
5. Try a barefoot walk- You can strengthen the muscles of the foot and ankle more when walking barefoot than walking with sneakers. When walking you do not need to worry about staying on the balls of your feet, a normal heel strike is suitable.

Harvard Study- Videos of Forefoot strike vs Heel strike

The Barefoot Professor

Our Deepest Fear- By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Mind Over Matter

We just talked about how the mind has been shown to be more powerful than morphine when we wrote about the placebo effect. The human mind is so powerful, yet most of us discount the power of positive thinking when we are in a tough situation.

I’m sure most everybody has heard the expression, “Mind over matter,” but how much do you really believe that expression. Mind over matter is the belief that the mind is more powerful than the body. Tony Robbins has even talked about through positive thinking, people can walk across a bed of hot coals. What if positive thinking could do more than just help a person overcome physical pain? What if positive, or negative, thinking could effect every aspect of your life?

There are many motivational speakers that believe that your mind does effect what happens in your life. In fact, the first universal law of attraction says, “Like attracts like.” Have you ever REALLY focused on something you truly wanted and not gotten it? If you focus on what you want on a daily basis, you can find a way to get it. I can honestly say that anything I have really wanted and focused on getting, I have gotten. I’m not talking about some fleeting thought that crossed my mind over the course of a day or two, but something that I was persistent with over weeks or months.

A vision board is a great way to help focus your thoughts on what you really want to achieve in your life. It can be clippings from a newspaper or magazine or pictures you find online, anything that is a physical representation of the goals you really want to achieve in your life. Your call to action this week is to create a visual representation of what you want in your life. While you are selecting objects, don’t try to create a plan for how you are going to get it, just focus on what you want to achieve. The how will eventually work itself out. A person I really look up to once said that you can go from Florida to California without seeing the entire path if you go a few feet at a time. Focus on what you want and if you are given an opportunity to take a few steps towards it your goal, take it. Anything can be achieved no matter how far away it may seem as long as its taken a few feet at a time.

Your Mind is More Powerful than Morphine

When health is discussed, most people immediately focus on physical well-being, but health is also a state of mental and social well-being; true health is only 1/3 physical. Even if we take amazing care of our bodies, true health can never be achieved unless we have a healthy mind.

The best way to convey the vast power of the mind is by explaining the power of the placebo. Henry Knowles Beecher, M.D., made a huge contribution to our knowledge of the human body when he discovered the placebo effect. Beecher began investigating the relationship between subjective psychological states and objective drug responses during World War II. Beecher was an anesthetist involved in treating wounded soldiers and during the height of the war morphine supplies ran out. In desperation, Beecher injected saline solution

into the wounded soldiers instead of morphine. When the soldiers were injected with the saline, they were told it was morphine and the pain would go away. To Beecher's surprise, shortly after the injection the soldiers reported that the “morphine” eased their pain. Beecher wrote about his findings, stating, “Three-quarters of badly wounded men, although they had received no morphine for hours...have so little pain that they do not want pain relief medication, even though...such is available for asking.” This vital discovery by Beecher lead him to write one of the most influential papers in medicine, The Powerful Placebo, leading to the prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials used as the standard of testing new medicines today.

Medical researchers are constantly frustrated with the fact that the drug or surgery they are testing often achieves the same results as a placebo (a fake drug or surgery). More emphasis is now being put on researching why placebos are so effective, yet the answer is simple. Your mind controls your body. Your mind is what controls the healing power in your body. Why is that a cut on our arm heals without us having to think about it, but we are told we cannot heal from an illness or disease without help? Many in our society rely heavily on medicine to "heal" the problems in their bodies and give little credit to the body's own ability to heal itself. When somebody spontaneously heals from a life-threatening disease or an illness without the use of medicine, doctors quickly credit the results as miracle, giving no credit to the body's ability fight the disease and heal itself. The fact is, we are born with an amazing healing power in our bodies, and when the body is functioning properly, it can innately heal itself. It is becoming more and more essential that the accountability of our health is shifted from "bad genetics" and a "pill for every ill" back to the individual. We need to learn when it is necessary to seek emergency medical care and when our bodies can handle it on their own. Everything you do to your body either takes away from health or adds to it; taking away life or adding to it. If we can accept that we are responsible for how well our body functions, we allow ourselves to live a life of true health, living up to our full potential and taking away the constant fear of sickness and disease. When we accept responsibility, we take back control and allow ourselves to live a life that is truly fulfilling.

References:

American Society of Anesthesiologists- http://www.asahq.org/Newsletters/1999/09_99/beecher0999.html

Mary Robinson Reynolds, M.S. http://www.makeadifference.com/publish/articles.php?c=0d14_PEC