ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Immunity Boosters

If you’re in the mode of stockpiling face masks, hand sanitizers, chicken soup, cold and flu medication, I would like for you to consider this: Your best protection against common airborne illnesses starts within. When you build a strong immune system from the inside out, and don’t sabotage your healthy status with habits that hinder your body’s ability to fight off infection and illness you are able to maintain a state of well-being during the most challenging times. Of course its also very necessary for you to wash your hands as often as possible with good old fashion soap and water.

During this time of year there’s a lot of talk about the Immune system and keeping it healthy and well. But you may be wondering just how do I do this. What do I need to do to keep myself and my family health and well? Do the “things” I hear about movement, herbs and all that natural stuff really work?

Here’s the deal…

Sitting around and doing nothing AKA lack of physical exercise can reduce immunity in two ways. It can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep and can lead to obesity. Now if you are someone that sits at a desk all day, this lack of movement can leave you and your immune system feeling sluggish. But wait here is a simple solution; regular, moderate exercise will make a difference and you will feel the effects immediately. It is best to aim for a daily brisk walk of 30 minutes a day. If you can’t get 30 minutes at one time, you can break this up into 3 10- minute walks. And if you can’t get out for a walk do 3 sets of 10 jumping jacks every 1 ½ to 2 hours. Exercise is great because it increases leukocyte levels in the body and these are the cells that fight infection and keep our bodies healthy and well.

It’s also a great idea to eat as much whole foods as possible, especially organic fruits and vegetables. Choose fruits and veggies for their antioxidants components and their nutrients that protect the cells from free radical damage. Free radical cellular damage has (www.youtube.com/rochelemarielawson) been implicated in heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, and arthritis. Free radicals can also interfere with your immune system causing you to be more vulnerable in both the body and mind. Another benefit of eating whole foods… They help you manage your weight.

Short-term stress may initially boost immunity but chronic stress does the opposite. Chronic stress depletes your immune system exposing your body to a floodgate of stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline; which causes havoc on the body and the mind. Learning relaxation techniques, perhaps through yoga, meditation www.meditationsforbliss.com or tai chi, can also boost your immune system and improve your sleep too.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Can Omegas help you lose weight?

Losing weight can be a struggle, but incorporating more essential fatty acids into a balance diet may help you shed some pounds. Though it may seem counter-intuitive to say that adding more fats to our diets will help us lose weight, the science behind this seems to support this theory.

Essentials for Good Health

Omega-3’s essential fatty acids provide a wealth of health benefits. They are an important part of many processes in the body, and research suggest they can help prevent heart disease and stroke as well as help protect the body against cancer.

Are you wondering, So What’s The Catch? Well here it is; our bodies can’t make omega 3s so we must get them through food sources or supplements.

The three main types of these beneficial fats are Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), which are typically derived from oily fish like wild salmon and tuna, and alpha Linolenic Acid (LNA), which is found in certain vegetable oils, like canola, soybean and olive oils, as well as in walnuts, flax seeds and green, leafy vegetables. Another good reason to eat your leafy green vegetables.

Omega- 6 fatty acids work to reduce inflammation, protect against heart disease and help lower LDL (Bad) cholesterol levels. They also help keep bones healthy and aid the body in regulating metabolism. Omega 6s, like omega 3s, also come from food sources. Omega 6s can be found in safflower, corn and soybean oils.

In addition to all the wonderful things omega 3s, essential fatty acids do, they have been shown to support weight loss and weight management, as well. Recent studies have shown that obese women, who received a dietary supplement containing EPA and alpha lipoic acid (ALA) as part of a weight loss regime, lost significantly more weight than a placebo group.

In addition to weight loss benefits, omegas help to manage levels of stress hormones in the body and perhaps help us to be in a better state of mind when it comes to managing our weight. It has been found that people that take fish oil supplements have lower levels of epinephrine and cortisol. They also perceive themselves to be less stressed.

My word of wisdom to you are this; If you are on the fence about adding omega 3s to your diet, I highly suggest that you reconsider and give your heart a chance. The benefits of taking omega 3s far out weigh you not taking them, so do your body a favor, help it out by adding omega 3s to your daily intake of nutrients. Your heart, mind and waist will thank you.

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Enjoy!