“What is relaxation? The mystics say it is to completely “lose yourself” or to “be in flow” in your activity, so that all internal “chatter” is stilled. Modern-day researchers have linked relaxation to a marked slowing of brain waves accompanied by clarity that is called “the awakened mind.”

But how do we achieve this admirable state, and how can we maintain it over time? Here are some of the ways that you can quiet your mind, melt away stress and approach relaxation of the body, mind and spirit:

1. “Spend some time in the silence every day.” We are surrounded by information—television, e-mail, voice mail, fax machines and pagers. Information overload can become a detriment to your health, knocking you off balance and creating a sort of artificial dependence upon these stimulations. So make time for yourself, and take a break from the info-stream every day.

2.”Reconnecting with stillness is an important component of health.” Every day, devote a little time to take yourself out of the “busyness” game. First, take away outside thoughts. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and let your thoughts float downstream like a log carried by the river. Practice meditation or relax in a hot bath with aromatherapy. When a thought comes up, just watch it float away.

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Lucy Danziger, the SELF Editor-In-Chief offers up these eight foods that fight fat! These foods apparently have “lipid-fighting powers” which will destroy fat, and subsequently keep you thin. Either way, they’re almost all really good for you and should probably be in your diet anyways.

1. Almonds- These yummy nuts are high in alpha-linolenic acid, which can accelerate your metabolism of fats. In fact, dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds daily slashed their weight and body-mass index by 18 percent, while those who skipped the nuts reduced both numbers less— just 11 percent—a study in the International Journal of Obesity revealed.
2. Berries- Strawberries, raspberries and other vitamin C–spiked fruit can supercharge your workout, helping you burn up to 30 percent more fat, research from Arizona State University at Mesa has found.
3. Cinnamon- Adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate may prevent an insulin spike—an uptick that tells your body to store fat.

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CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen’s latest article discusses the steps that patient’s need to take in order to prepare for their own doctor’s visit.

Here are the story highlights according to CNN:

• Doctors are often rushed, so patients must come to appointments prepared
• Write down top three concerns so you won’t get sidetracked during appointment
• Patients who planned and asked good questions had better health outcomes

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By now, we’ve all heard that high-fat diets are bad for our health in the long run. But what about the short-term?

A new study on rats finds that 10 days of eating a high-fat diet caused short-term memory loss and made exercise difficult. While the finding may not seem a big surprise, researchers say it might suggest that high-fat diets make humans lazy and stupid.

“Western diets are typically high in fat and are associated with long-term complications, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, yet the short-term consequences of such diets have been given relatively little attention,” said Andrew Murray, co-author of the study and currently at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. “We hope that the findings of our study will help people to think seriously about reducing the fat content of their daily food intake to the immediate benefit of their general health, well-being, and alertness.”

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There may come a time when it becomes clear that your doctor is not providing you with the best possible care. Leaving your doctor can be difficult, especially if you have built a relationship with him or her over a long period of time. But for your own health and well being, the break up is something you must do.

Dr. Samantha Collier’s five tips will help you know when it’s time to move on.

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No. 1 – Acai – Nature’s Energy Fruit

“Harvested in the rainforests of Brazil, acai tastes like a vibrant blend of berries and chocolate. Hidden within its royal purple pigment is the magic that make it nature’s perfect energy fruit. Acai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids.”

No. 2 – The Alliom Family – Onions, Garlic, Leeks Shallots and Scallions

This family of foods contains flavonoids that “stimulate the production glutathione (the tripeptide that is the liver’s most potent antioxidant)”. This substance enhances the elimination of carcinogens and toxins, and this this family of foods at the top of the list to help prevent cancer.

No. 3 – Barley

This is an ancient grain which tends to be overlooked today. It has great health benefits, a delightful flavor, and can be used in just so many ways. Try it in soups, stews, and as a rice substitute. Barley is a low-glycemic grain which is high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. This promotes a health digestive tract.

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Why Celery Will Shrink Your Waistline and How to Make this Veggie Tasty

Cream cheese, butter or peanut butter…. Is this what you put on your celery? Hopefully not as these products are not ideal for anyone hoping to lose weight. However, there are plenty of non-fatty spreads you can try… such as fat free cottage cheese, or fat-free bean dip.

Try these for a week’s worth of noshing: celery with salsa, celery dipped in fat free Italian salad dressing, celery sprinkled with cayenne pepper or paprika, celery with hummus, or celery with chopped tomatoes and basil. “Congratulations, you’ve just enjoyed a full week of fat busting, metabolism boosting celery snacks.”

Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/58028/celery_the_ultimate_weight_loss_snack_pg2.html?cat=51

According to the staff at LiveScience, a high-fat diet may make you stupid and lazy.

A new study on rats finds that 10 days of eating a high-fat diet caused short-term memory loss and made exercise difficult. While the finding may not seem a big surprise, the researcher say it might suggest that high-fat diets make humans lazy and stupid. Western diets are typically high in fat and are associated with long-term complications, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart failure, yet the short-term consequences of such diets have been given relatively little attention, said Andrew Murray, co-author of the study and currently at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. We hope that the findings of our study will help people to think seriously about reducing the fat content of their daily food intake to the immediate benefit of their general health, well-being, and alertness.

These results were published in the FASEB Journal.

Rodents were used in research as their results can mirror the results of humans. Because rats lives are shorter than humans, study effects take much less time. When rats were fed high-fat diets, their muscles used oxygen less efficiently causing their hearts to work harder. Through trials involving a maze, these rate took longer to reach the end, and make more mistakes in the process.

Dr. Gerald Weissmann, editor-in-chief of journal said “It’s nothing short of a high-fat hangover” After several days of eating hotdogs, French Fries and pizza, “our muscles and brains [go] out to lunch.”

CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen interviewed several nurses to come up with the top five tips for surviving a medical stay. Check out the number one tip:

1. Bring in a list of the medications you’re taking

This is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your safety, according to a survey of 731 nurses by Consumer Reports. It’s best to have the list in your wallet in case you’re taken to the emergency room.

Rita Kobert, a nurse in Fredericksburg, Virginia, who has a seizure disorder, told Consumer Reports she learned this lesson long ago. “If I fall from a seizure … and have to go to the hospital, I already have a printout of medications,” she said.

While I agree with the number one tip telling people to bring in a list of their medications, I have to disagree with keeping it on paper. Paper gets lost, ripped, crumbled, and illegible (especially when you have to write so tiny to fit it into your wallet). Additionally, the moment anything in your life changes, your paper copy, and any paper copies you have handed out to doctors, nurses, and loved ones are out of date. What about dealing with the confusion of trying to figure out which paper copy is the latest?

By storing your list of medications for free on MedsFile.com, not only will everyone always have the latest up-to-date version of your medical history, you can store so much more information than what fits on a piece of paper: medications, supplements, allergies, your and your family’s medical history, immunizations, procedures/surgeries, insurance information, list of emergency contacts, physicians, and pharmacies, and so much more. And it’s all FREE!

It takes just one person to be responsible for keeping the information up-to-date, but your account allows each designated family member, doctor, specialist and hospital have immediate access to this information. Forget the paper, and use a free MedsFile.com card. Turn your old, torn, piece of paper into a clean organized printout of all your medical information free for life at www.medsfile.com.

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Jennifer Warner at WebMD has given us the tip that eating more blueberries can burn up abdominal fat and improve your heart health!

She writes, “A new study shows rats who ate a diet rich in blueberries lost abdominal fat — the kind of fat linked to heart disease and diabetes — as well as experienced other health benefits like lowered cholesterol and improved glucose control even if their diet wasn’t otherwise heart-healthy… Researchers say the results suggest that antioxidant-rich blueberries may change how the body stores and processes glucose or sugar for energy, thereby reducing the risk of both heart disease and diabetes.”

I make a protein shake almost everyday. I always drop in fruit for flavor. My usual go-to fruits are a few strawberries and a banana. I’m going to have to start working blueberries into the mix more now. The rats wouldn’t lie, would they?

http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20090419/blueberries-may-banish-belly-fat