Month: June 2016

Categories
Lifestyle

6 Natural Remedies For Seasonal Allergies

An allergy is a sensitivity to a foreign substance, also known as an allergen. An allergic reaction occurs when the body’s immune system interprets a relatively harmless substance as an invader. Allergy symptoms—including runny nose, itchy eyes and throat, and headache—are really your body’s own immunity putting its defenses up against an allergen.
Fortunately there are steps that you can take to reduce your allergy symptoms—especially for those who are averse to taking strong allergy medications. Let’s take a closer look.

Common Seasonal Allergy Triggers

Spring allergies can last from February all the way until the early summer, depending on the climate that you call home. Allergens—including pollen from trees, grass, and ragweed—thrive when the nights are cool and the days are warm. Pollen is often the most problematic during the morning hours. Mold is another common allergen. It’s strongest when the air is hot and humid, during the summer months. Fall allergies occur from August through early November and can include ragweed, weeds like sagebrush and pigweed, as well as some forms of mold.

Reducing Your Symptoms

Knowing your triggers helps to deal with seasonal allergies. For example, knowing when pollen counts are high and staying inside during these times can be helpful. Weather forecasts will often include pollen counts as a part of their broadcast. Also, consider taking a shower if you’ve been outdoors when counts are high so you can remove pollen and mold spores from your body.
Here are some other steps you can take to reduce your symptoms:

1. Use a neti pot.

Irrigating your nasal passages using a neti pot cleans out any buildup of allergens that have gotten into the nasal passages. Regular use of a neti pot can reduce congestion and sinus pain. To use a neti pot, heat up one cup of distilled water and dissolve 1 teaspoon of neti pot salt in the warm water. (You can purchase neti pot salt at your local health foods store.) Next, add half of your salt water to the neti pot. Place it against your right nostril and tilt your head to the left. Let the water flow out of the left nostril and then switch sides. Do this every day during allergy season to maintain flow and clean out your sinuses.

2. Sample local honey.

The theory behind consuming local honey is that those who suffer from seasonal allergies caused by pollen will establish an immunity toward pollen by consuming it in the form of honey. Consume a teaspoon of local, raw honey daily and make sure it’s produced during the season of the allergies for which you suffer. It doesn’t hurt that honey is a pretty sweet solution. Children under age 1 should never consume honey because its spores can cause botulism in a baby’s developing immune system.

3. Invest in saline spray.

A saline spray is another way to clean out your nasal passages to prevent allergens from making their home inside your nose. Plus, saline spray is cheap. Spray in your nostrils daily during allergy season.

4. Try eucalyptus oil.

Eucalyptus oil has anti-inflammatory qualities, and it’s known to be particularly beneficial for the respiratory system. Add to a carrier oil like coconut or avocado oil and apply directly to the skin. Make sure it’s diluted properly (follow manufacturer’s directions).

5. Sip on peppermint tea.

Peppermint tea is a double whammy for combating allergies. The steam from the tea opens up the nasal passages, and the peppermint oil from the leaves has anti-inflammatory qualities.

6. Install HEPA filters.

HEPA filters keep some of the allergens that ail you out of the indoor air. From dust mites to mold spores, pollen, and pet dander, it’s all about keeping the air clean. HEPA filters are found in most air purifiers, but the key is to choose a purifier unit large enough to clean the room you’re in.
Allergies can really bring you down when symptoms amp up, but by taking a few simple steps to clean your nasal passages, clean the air, and combat the inflammatory response that allergens can cause, you can avoid being afflicted by the overwhelming symptoms that take their toll on you. And next year, you might even avoid taking the strong medications that you’ve been forced to resort to in the past.
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Categories
Nosh

Frozen Foods: A Dieter’s Friend

Frozen foods often get a bad rap. Some people say they aren’t as tasty, are too highly processed, or just plain cheap. I say the opposite: Many frozen foods are tasty; they are often frozen at the height of ripeness; and I think cheap is good. If you are trying to lose weight but you turn your nose up at frozen foods, I want you to take a second look at this underrated dieter’s friend.

I purchase quite a bit of frozen food—but not highly processed frozen foods. You won’t find any frozen diet dinners, boxes of frozen lasagna or macaroni and cheese, or frozen breakfast foods in my freezer. I buy frozen fruit, vegetables, chicken, veggie burgers, fruit popsicles, and sometimes ice cream.

If you aren’t sure how frozen foods can benefit your weight loss efforts, I’ve put together a short list.

1. Long Shelf Life

Frozen foods have a long shelf life, which can save you money and ensure you have healthy food on hand at all times. Have you ever bought a container of fresh strawberries and forgotten about them? They go bad very quickly. If you have frozen strawberries on hand you can still make that smoothie or add strawberries to your oatmeal.

2. Nutritionally Sound

Some people believe that freezing makes fruits and vegetables lose their nutrients. But the American Frozen Food Institute indicates that many frozen fruits and vegetables have almost identical nutrients as fresh because of the methods used to quickly cool and freeze the foods.

I have to say though: always read the ingredient label. Look for fruits and vegetables that don’t have sauces or added sugars. And when purchasing frozen meats or grains, look for those with little or no preservatives.

3. Versatile

Frozen foods are incredibly versatile. Vegetables can be used in soups, as side dishes, and in salads. I buy large bags of frozen stir-fry vegetables and use them in fajitas, Asian stir-fries, and soup. Frozen fruits are great in smoothies, eaten by themselves, or used as a base for homemade popsicles or drinks. Remember that making meals from scratch, whether with fresh or frozen foods, is a way you can control your calories.

4. Always in Season

If you try to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, you know that it is almost impossible to find locally grown cucumbers in the dead of winter unless you live in a very southern region. Frozen fruit and vegetables allow you to eat foods that aren’t in season year-round.

5. Diet Friendly

If you choose wisely, you can find a variety of frozen foods that are diet friendly. For example, here are 10 diet-friendly frozen foods:

  • Black-eyed peas
  • Lima beans
  • Mixed vegetables
  • Strawberries or other fruits
  • Rice and grains (usually partially cooked)
  • Plain potatoes
  • Fish
  • Chicken, natural beef, or organic vegetable burgers
  • Bread products such as Ezekiel Bread
  • Sherbet or sorbet

6. Easy to Repurpose

You can repurpose and repackage frozen foods into individual homemade frozen diet meals very easily. Put some frozen vegetables, chicken strips, and homemade sauce into a divided container and freeze. Take the container to work with you and microwave until cooked through. It’s cheaper and healthier than purchasing a traditional diet meal.

Categories
Nosh

What Drives You To Make Bad Food Choices?

If you are like many dieters, you sometimes experience that inevitable feeling of disappointment with yourself after eating a food or meal you know isn’t good for your diet. Do you ever stop to wonder what drives you to make bad food choices when you know better? Here are six possible reasons and solutions to go along with them.

1. Tired of So Many Decisions

A top reason for making bad food choices is being tired of having to make so many decisions when it comes to food. Throughout the course of your dieting day you may have to decide:

  • What to have for dinner, snacks, lunch, and breakfast for yourself and maybe even your family.
  • Where to take the kids for a quick meal and whether you will eat whatever fast food they do.
  • Whether you have exercised enough.
  • Do you weigh your food or not?
  • Did you remember to record your snack from this morning?
  • Should you eat just one of the doughnuts your coworker brought?

That’s a lot of decisions just for food alone. Sometimes you may just give up thinking about making good choices and eat whatever you want—even if it is bad for you.

To avoid falling into this trap, try sticking to a similar diet each day and plan your meals ahead of time. Having fewer food decisions to make each day can make it easier to say “no” to bad foods that tempt you.

2. Stress

Stress is a known trigger for bad food decisions. One client of mine said that eating candy was like a sedative when she was under stress. In some ways I think she’s right. Eating candy or whatever bad food appeals to you can make you feel better—temporarily.

To combat stress eating, you need to do two things:

First, identify stressful situations while they are occurring.

Second, wait 30 minutes before eating anything.

Once you have trained yourself to wait until eating after a stress-filled situation, you will be able to remove some of the emotional eating and make reasonable food choices.

3. Food Cravings

Food cravings come on strong and fast. And that can make you eat whatever you want right then, whether it is cupcakes, chips, or a large coffee dessert from Starbucks.

The good news is that the strategy for fighting food cravings is similar to handling stress. Train yourself to identify situations that trigger cravings and wait awhile until you eat. Often the cravings will pass and you will feel successful and in control.

4. Burning the Candle at Both Ends

If you are the type of person who stays up late and gets up early without much sleep in between, you may find it very difficult to resist junk foods. Sleep deprivation increases your appetite and lowers your ability to make good food choices.

Fix this problem by establishing a regular bedtime, not trying to catch up on sleep on the weekend, and managing your workload. I know it’s easier said than done, but it will help your weight loss once you figure out a healthier sleep–wake cycle.

5. Social Pressure

Friends are terrific but they can pressure you into making bad food choices. When I was losing weight I had situations where friends came out and told me to “loosen up and enjoy the moment.” And in case you were wondering, they didn’t want me to go zip lining or participate in a crazy game but instead eat the same bad foods they were eating when we were out together.

I came to realize that my weight loss and health were more important than my friends’ desire to have company when they made poor food choices. It took some time but eventually my friends realized I was serious about my health and they respected my decisions.

6. Living in the Moment

It’s easy to get carried away and eat more than you intend when you are celebrating holidays, toasting a retiring coworker, or on vacation. It’s okay to indulge now and then, but regularly doing so will always backfire when it comes to weight loss.

Before you head to the party or take off for vacation, decide how strict you will be with your food choices. Allow yourself an indulgence or two but place limits on yourself. You will be glad you did when the event has passed and you are still on track with your diet.