growing the art of young - lifepluslifeplus.com/media/publications/final_aogy_mayjun2012_en.pdf ·...

Making Fitness Fun for KidsPAGE 26

youngthe art of

growingMAY/JUNE 2012

®

Connectingwith EarthingPAGE 24

The TruthAbout StretchingPAGE 6

15 Painless Waysto Cut CaloriesPAGE 16

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG May/June 20122

Contents

The Art of Growing Young® is published six times a year by Lifeplus® International, PO Box 3749, Batesville, Arkansas 72503, United States. Copyright © 2012 Lifeplus® International

From the Editor4

Nutritional News5

Fitness6

Nutrition14

Family Health22

24

26

Ask the Expert

28 Maximize your Metabolism

Connecting with Earthing

The Importance of DHA for Children

Natural Meats

The Truth About Stretching

31

3

16 15 Painless Ways to Cut Calories

8 Emotional Eating—Transforming Your Mood without Food

Features

Lifestyle12 Diet vs. Exercise

Herbs & Supplements20 The Science of Vitamin E

Making Fitness Fun for Kids

PAGE 8


“This is theperfect time of year to start a healthy newhabit.”

It Gets Easier

4

At the start of something new, six weeks can feel like a really long time. But time is relative. It takes us longerto put out one issue of The Art of Growing Young than it takes you to make a new habit. The more committedyou are, the faster the days will go by. And the effort you put into making a healthy new habit will reward youmany times over. Once you’ve crossed that invisible line, it will be much easier to stick to your healthy routinebecause habits are hard to break.

This is the perfect time of year to start a healthy new habit. There are no busy holidays to add stress toyour life, the kids are on vacation with fewer obligations and the days are longer with more sun giving yourbody a dose of feel-good vitamin D. During this relatively calm time of the year, you might find you havethe time and energy to get past those first six weeks. So I’d like to encourage you to start a new healthyhabit right now.

Find a calendar, look six weeks ahead and make a note that says, “It gets easier here.” Focus on that ideaand chances are, when that day comes, you will have already formed your healthy new habit because forsome of us, a habit is formed in only three weeks.

To ensure your new routine is an unbreakable habit after six weeks, make sure you pick something you enjoy.If you enjoy walking around the neighborhood, make a habit of walking every evening. If you like cookingnew foods, make a habit of cooking a healthy dinner every night.

The best time to start a new healthy habit is right now. So let’s all find something new to try and have a funand healthy new habit formed before the next issue comes out.

Did you know that it can take up to six weeks to form a new habit?That means any new exercise routine you want to start, any healthymeal plan you conceive, any new outlook on life you want to try cantake up to six weeks to be really cemented into your daily life.

Thinking about tyingthe knot but not sureif it’s right for you? Here’s one benefit you might not haveconsidered—you’ll live longer. Accordingto research, marriage can extend life byup to 30 percent. One reason is marriagetends to put a stop to reckless and dan -gerous behavior. But getting hitched alsoprovides a constant companion, whichcontributes to good health in a number ofways: it prevents loneliness, which canlead to depression; offers support duringtimes of stress; and contributes to generalhappiness, which is good for a healthymind and body.

5

Nutritional News

Help fight chronic stressby relaxing with mellow music. Accord ingto a recent study published by the NationalInstitutes of Health, daily sessions of music-guided, slow breathing significantly reduceblood pressure. During the study, peoplewho inhaled and exhaled rhythmically toslow, soothing music for 30 minutes a daywere able to lower their systolic blood pres -sure by four points after just six months.

Sleeping Sleeping your life away may contribute to ashorter life span, according to some pre -liminary research. The study found that theoptimal amount of sleep for most people is7 to 8 hours every night. Either too little ortoo much contributed to health problemsthat can actually lead to a shorter life.

Junk food cravings When junk food cravings strike, focusyour mind on the food to avoid eating it.Although this sounds contradictory, ac -cording to a seven-week study, a groupof participants used “mindfulness med -itation” to successfully suppress foodcravings. By learning to recognize, acceptand experience cravings rather than simplysuppressing them, participants were moresuccessful at holding those cravings off.Researchers believe this is more effectivebecause using willpower alone often leadsto an obsessive preoccupation with thefood.

Phytosterols There’s finally a food additive that might begood for you. More and more manufac turersare adding phytosterols to their products.A recent review of more than 80 studiesdis cov ered that getting about two grams ofphytosterols every day helped lower badcholesterol by as much as 8.8 percent in moststudies. The nutrients came from both en - riched foods and supplements. Nuts, seeds,whole grains and plant-based cooking oils—such as olive, peanut and sesame oils—alsonaturally contain phytosterols.


Fitness

“Stretching exercises canhelp improve your flexibility,

which may help improveyour per formance and

decrease your risk of injuryduring exercise.”

7

When it’s time to exercise, how much emphasis do you put on stretchingbefore you begin? And how often do you go through a little stretching exercise as you get outof bed in the morning? Many of us are guilty of ignoring the importance of stretching before and afterexercise. Stretching hamstrings and calves should be more than just an afterthought if you have a fewextra minutes. Even if you’re going to spend only a few minutes on a treadmill, taking time to stretchproperly first will help improve your workout.

Stretching exercises can help improve yourflexibility, which may help improve your per -formance and decrease your risk of injuryduring exercise. But it can also enhance yourworkout in ways you may not have realized.Whether it involves a yoga or tai chi class orsimply a series of stretches, flexibility ex -ercises benefit the body in numerous ways.But you want to be careful when you are do -ing your stretching. Never try to extend yourstretch beyond what is comfortable to you.Too great a stretch can be just as injuriousas over exercising.

Regular stretching will help keep joints flex -ible and create a wider range of movement,which can enhance many physical activ -ities—runners who stretch may have longer,smoother strides; weight lifters can find themovements required for certain lifts easier;swimmers may find they can better performa once-difficult stroke.

It’s also been shown that a little bit of lightstretching before an exercise can increaseblood flow to muscles. Once your exerciseroutine really starts to get going, these samemuscles will need to be supported with more

oxygen. Since oxygen is carried throughoutthe body by blood cells, stretching can actu -ally help the body meet this big increase indemand.

Even though it may increase blood flow whenyou need it a little bit later, don’t think ofstretch ing as a warm-up. Spend a few mi -nutes performing low-intensity exercises suchas walking or light jogging before you startstretching. Some research even suggestsstretching after exercise is far more impor -tant than before. Whenever you choose todo your stretching, be sure to include all themajor muscle groups. Focus on your calves,thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders.Pay special attention to the muscles and jointsyou will use most during your workout.

Stretching should be slow and smooth. Donot “bounce” to maximize your stretch length.This can create small tears in your musclesand ligaments. Instead, gently increase yourstretch and hold for 30 seconds and thenrelease. Feeling tension is to be expected,but if you feel pain release the stretch slightly.Repeat each stretch several times.

Stretching can improve your workout routine,but it has other benefits as well—especiallyas you age. It’s simply easier to reach the topshelf if you can fully extend your arms andlegs. Regular stretching activities through -out life will help keep this possible.

Stretching also helps maintain balance. Activ -ities such as yoga and tai chi are especiallygreat for this. These low-impact activitiesgently stretch and strengthen muscles andjoints—two critical elements related to bal -ance. Without taking measures to safeguardagainst it, balance tends to deteriorate withage, which contributes to falls. Exercise helpsmaintain muscle mass for strength, andstretch ing helps maintain balance, both ofwhich help safeguard against dangerousfalls and strains.

Stretching will not magically prevent all inju -ries. But regular and proper stretching willgo a long way toward maximizing the effec -tiveness and safety of your exercise routine,which will benefit you now and for years tocome.

The Truth About Stretching

Feature Article

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG May/June 2012THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG May/June 20128

The two biggest reasons we eat are to fill our stomachs when we arehungry and occupy our minds when we’re unhappy. From a health and nutritionstandpoint, eating for nourishment when we are hungry is the only time and the only healthy reasonfor turning to food. But that’s not always why we snack. We often look at food as a way to find comfort(consciously or unconsciously) when we are feeling sad, dealing with a problem, overly stressedor simply bored.

Emotional Eating—Transforming Your Mood

without Food

To simplify things, we can say that emotionaleating tends to happen for one of three rea -sons: a person is emotionally upset, a personis celebrating happiness or a person is bored.Although this is an oversimplification, put -ting your feelings into these three categorieswill help you better recognize and transformyour mood without turning to food for relief.

It’s not a coincidence that the strongest crav -ings for junk food occur when you are at yourlowest point emotionally. Food is one of themost powerful mood altering substancessought by people in distress. We binge oncomfort foods such as ice cream, candy barsand deep-fried meals because we find pleas -ure in tasting these unhealthy foods. It mightprovide some relief in the short term, but turn -ing to food for emotional reasons is far fromthe healthiest way to deal with stress. In fact,research has shown that foods high in fat,salt and sugar activate the brain’s dopaminereward system, just as addictive drugs suchas cocaine and nicotine do, and may truly beaddictive for people born with, or who havedeveloped, low dopamine systems in theirbrains.

Emotional eating is not necessarily alwaysdue to negative thoughts. Have you ever hada slice of cake you didn’t need during a birth -day party or celebrated a promotion with abig meal at a restaurant? In cultures all overthe world, food is very much a part of celebra -tions. In many western societies, the foodswe bring out for celebrations are the leasthealthy options available. In times past, cele -bra tory foods were scarce, and thereforenot often consumed.

Food can certainly add a delicious kick to acelebration. And there is no reason not to letyourself enjoy the taste sensations of birthdaycake on occasion. Just remember not to over -do it, and don’t let the food become the focalpoint.

Eating out of boredom can be as harmful aseating out of emotional distress. Everybodyfinds himself or herself idly snacking on junkfood from time to time. Have you ever foundyourself, on a Saturday afternoon, lookingthrough the refrigerator for a snack, only toreal ize you’re not even hungry?

No matter what the cause, once the bingeis over and we’re faced with the empty icecream carton, we often feel worse than be -fore. Unfortunately, this negative feeling canstay with a person until the next meal occursand cause yet another unhealthy choice.When you are in this mode, it will help to tryto remember the last time you did this andhow bad you felt after you overate. Then tryto remember a nonfood experience that leftyou feeling satisfied and happy.

There are many ways to transform your moodwithout turning to food. Before you can changeyour emotional eating habits, you must firstbecome more aware of your feelings. Duringquiet times throughout the day, take a mo -ment to assess your current mood. Whenyou begin to monitor your mood on a moreregular basis, you may be surprised by whatyou find, how you feel and what actions youhave been taking to deal with those feelings.

As you become more in tune with your feel -ings, you will simply be more aware of howyou feel at different times of the day. Eventu -ally you will see patterns and be able to better

9

◊These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a diversified diet.

© 2012 Lifeplus® International

The Taste of Summer!

Enjoy your favorite shake this season with the Bodysmart Triple Protein Shakes.

®

Wild Berry Boost1 Scoop (60 cc Scoop) Triple Protein Shake

Vanilla or Vanilla Unsweet8 – 11 oz (240 – 320 ml) Non-fat Milk 8 Fresh Raspberries

4 Fresh Strawberries 15 Fresh Blueberries 3 – 4 Ice CubesMix together in blender.

predict how you will react in different situa tions. The next time youcrave a snack or find yourself reaching for a pint of ice cream, stopand take a moment to assess your current mood. Are you bored orunhappy? If so, you may have just caught yourself turning to food asa way to boost your mood.Don’t worry if you find your -self in this situation. It isex actly where you want tobe because it means youare aware of your actions.Now it is time to make ahealthy change.

When you realize you arelooking for food to boost yourmood, make a conscious ef -fort to avoid snacks. Start by removing yourself from the situation.Get away from the snack bar or junk food aisle. In stead, talk to afriend, get some exercise, listen to music, breathe deeply or employany other stress-reducing, happiness-inducing activity that you findhelpful.

Exercise is a wonderful way to beat the blues because it occupiesyour mind and causes the body to release natural “feel good” chemi -cals. Listening to uplifting music, meditating, reading a favoritebook, treating yourself to a massage—there is literally no wrongactivity to turn to as long as it boosts your mood and helps you stayaway from junk foods.

As for eating out of boredom, the best way to cut down on thosecravings is to occupy your mind. It helps to be aware that thesecravings tend to strike on lazy afternoons when there isn’t much todo. If you find yourself beginning to feel listless, be proactive. Go fora walk, read a book, call a friend, turn on your favorite music—do

anything to remove yourself from your current state of mind. Phys -ically removing yourself from your current surroundings will helpeven more. Just taking a short walk can profoundly shift your mood.

A healthy diet can alsohelp you avoid the dietarymissteps that sometimescome with feeling down.There are several nutri -ents linked to mood. Bothvitamin D and omega-3fatty acids have receivedattention in studies due tothis link. One study spe -cif ically on omega-3 fattyacids found that partic -

ipants with the lowest amounts of these unsaturated fats were morelikely to report symptoms of depression and view the world negatively.

Moreover, a generally healthy diet will provide your body with thenutritional support it needs to more effectively deal with stress andsadness, which in turn will help cut down on the amount of timesyou feel the need to turn to food for comfort.

Finally, if you do find you are eating for the wrong reason, don’t letyour self feel guilty. Feelings of guilt and self-loathing are mentalpoison. Instead of beating yourself up over a candy bar, live in themoment and acknowledge the satisfaction that comes from the treat.Embrace that feeling and look forward to your next chance to makea healthy choice.

11

“Get away from the snack bar or junk foodaisle. In stead, talk to a friend, get some

exercise, listen to music, breathe deeply oremploy any other stress-reducing, happiness-

inducing activity that you find helpful.”

12 THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG May/June 2012

Lifestyle

“It’s not a question of which one is best, but of how to use both

to maximize your health and reach your goals.”

13

Is it easier to lose weight and get fit by dieting or by exercising? Who says it hasto be one or the other? Diet and exercise have been put in two separate categories for far too long.The truth is a healthy diet will complement a good exercise routine, and physical fitness will impact yourdietary needs. It’s not a question of which one is best, but of how to use both to maximize your healthand reach your goals.

Eating healthy to cut calories out of your dietis a surefire way to reach a smaller dresssize. But it’s entirely possible to be thin andunhealthy. Similarly, running five miles a daycan keep weight off, but it doesn’t neces -sarily mean your cholesterol level will be aslow as it should be. That’s why it’s importantto combine diet and exercise to keep yourbody healthy all over.

The basis of any healthy diet should be pri -ma rily fresh fruits and vegetables. Regularlyeating a wide range of these natural foodswill help ensure your body has the nutritionalsupport it needs to stay healthy. Fruits andvegetables are rich in antioxidants, which areneeded to combat oxidative stress. Becausea particularly stressful workout can increasethe body’s need for antioxidants, eating fruitsand vegetables is just one of the many waysdiet and exercise go together.

Protein from chicken, fish, lean deli meats orhigh-quality protein supplements providesthe body with the amino acids it needs tobuild and repair muscle mass after a workout.While resistance training is known to be pri -ma rily responsible for building new muscle,your strength-building workout will not benearly as effective without a diet that containsthese critical amino acids—and the best

time to consume them is 30 minutes after aworkout.

From getting dressed in the morning todriving home from work or running on thetreadmill—when it comes down to it, everyaction through out the day requires energy.The more intense the action is, the moreenergy it takes. The only way to supply yourbody with the stamina it needs for a healthyworkout is to eat foods that provide a long-lasting source of energy.

Carbohydrates provide the body with energy.Simple carbohydrates from sugar, junk foodsand refined wheat products are rapidly con -verted into blood sugar, which gives thebody a quick burst of energy followed by asluggish lull known as a sugar crash. On theother hand, complex carbohydrates takemuch longer for the body to convert intoenergy, which means they give the body alonger lasting, much steadier source ofenergy. This is what you need for an effec -tive workout. Complex carbohydrates arefound in whole grains, fruits, vegetables andlegumes.

Exercise affects diet too. The more physicallydemanding your lifestyle, the more caloriesyour body will be able to burn. Most adults

need to consume between 1,600 and 2,000calories per day. This number changes nat -u rally throughout life and can fluctuatedramatically depending on lifestyle. An Olym -pic or professional athlete may consume asmany as 10,000 calories every day. That’s farmore than is needed by the average per sonwho is concerned about his or her health. Butit demonstrates the need to properly bal ancecaloric intake with physical activity level.

Your personal goals will change how you usediet and exercise to complement one an -other. If your goal is strictly to lose weight, youwill need to exercise more and consumefewer calories. If your goal is to build musclemass, you will need to focus on consuminglean sources of protein while engaging inresistance training.

Diet and exercise can either complementone another, making both more effective, orthey can work against each other, makingboth less effective. Don’t focus on just oneaspect of healthy living. Utilizing both tomaximize your health and wellness will helpyou reach your fitness goals much fasterthan you thought possible.

Diet vs. Exercise

Nutrition


In the wild, animals eat a natural diet consist -ing largely of grasses. They may also foragefor legumes, shoots, leaves, cacti, acorns, fruitand other plants native to the area—but theirprincipal diet is often grass. This diet is whatgives venison, bison and other animals ahealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 acids.It’s also a far cry from what most commercialfarms feed their animals. In some respects,the meat we consume from beef raised ona farm is not very natural at all. But to reallyunderstand why this is so important, we needto look far back into history.

The human body requires a balance ofomega-6 and omega-3 fats. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors most likely lived on a rationear 1:1. After agriculture was developedsome 10,000 years ago, the ratio rose toabout 4:1 (omega-6 to omega-3). Today, it’sbetween 20:1 and 50:1. This is due in largepart to our practice of fattening our meatanimals with grain. When animals are sold bythe pound, fattening them with grain is acheap and easy way to make more money.This process is unnatural and changes thenutritional content of the animal’s meat. Whileanimals that are raised on a natural diet ofgrasses have a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3of about 4:1, animals that have been raisedon corn and grain have a ratio close to 20:1.That’s a big difference, and it can have amajor impact on your body’s omega-6 toomega-3 ratio. If you also consume warm-weather vegetable oils, such as corn, soy,sesame, sunflower and safflower—essentiallyall except olive and macadamia nut (which areomega-9) and coconut and palm (whichare saturated oils)—it’s easy to get your diet up

to a scary 50:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3;that’s fertile ground for inflammation!

Venison, elk, bison and other wild game gen -erally have a much healthier omega-6 toomega-3 ratio. But you don’t have to be ahunter to find these healthier sources of meat.As public demand for better options hasgrown, so have the number of farms dedi -cated to organically raised animals raisedon a natural diet of grass. These productsmay cost a little more, but as demand con -tinues to rise and more supply is developed,the prices will go down. And the little bit extrayou pay at the register is worth far more toyour body.

Most people who are concerned about theirhealth know that fish is an omega-3-rich alter -native source of protein to beef. In fact, theomega-3 content of fish is probably its big -gest selling point. However, you might notbe aware that, just like beef, the omega-3content of fish depends greatly on diet.Omega-3 fatty acids start in algae, which isconsumed by small fish, which are in turncon sumed by bigger fish. This goes on witheach successive fish containing a highercon centration of omega-3, until a fishermancatches the tuna, salmon or mackerel thatyou buy at the store.

Fish that are farm-raised are fed a mixtureof corn and soy, which renders them almostcompletely void of omega-3 fatty acids. Soin terms of the fat you get from them, theyare not much different from farm-raised beef.It’s important to take the time to inspect pack -aging to see if fish is farm-raised or wild. Or,

if you buy fresh fish from your supermarket’smeat counter, ask the attendant if the fish iswild. If it’s farm-raised, you might be betteroff skipping it.

Why is a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 bal -ance so important? The simple answer isbecause not all fat is harmful. Some fats, suchas omega-3s, are actually quite healthy. Forexample, the native Inuit people of Green -land consume a diet that is extremely richin fatty fish and seal and whale blubber. Atfirst glance, a diet so rich in fat would seemunhealthy. However, these foods are full ofomega-3s, which is thought to be the reasonthat population as a whole seems to exhibita much lower incidence of cardiovasculardisease commonly associated with high-fatdiets. Studies have shown the omega-3-richdiet eaten by the Inuit people tends to resultin relatively high concentrations of omega-3fatty acids in their blood. Even though theirstaple foods are high in fat content, it is thehealth-supporting omega-3 fat.

Good fats are an essential part of any healthydiet. Avoiding an excess of saturated fatsand all trans fats is equally as important. Oneway to help ensure you consume the rightamount of the good fats and avoid as muchof the bad ones as possible is to find sourcesof wild fish and natural, grass-fed meat. Thiswill help keep your body at the omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio it needs to thrive.

Beef harvested from commercial farms is one of the principal meats used incuisines all over the world. Lean cuts of beef and other meats can be a healthy part of diet,supplying nutrients such as protein and certain fatty acids. But not all sources of meat are the same.In fact, some meats are quite a bit healthier than others.

15

Natural Meats

Feature Article


“Make your own fresh-brewed iced tea,and sweeten it with asplash of 100 percent

fruit juice instead ofsug ar. The fruit juice hasnatural sugars and willadd a dash of flavor to

your drink.”

17

Cutting calories doesn’t require days on end of eating nothing but salad. Thereare lots of small ways to cut calories. As the days and weeks add up, these small ways can yield bigresults. Here is a list of 15 easy and painless ways to cut calories from your daily diet.

Instead of using whole milk in yourcereal, coffee and recipes, switch tononfat milk. If you just can’t make that

change, switch to 2 percent first. Once youare used to the taste and consistency of2 percent, step down to 1 percent and thenagain to nonfat for the lowest calorie milkoption.

Share your dessert. If you find yourselfending a meal with a sweet treat,offer half of it to your dining compan -

ion. This will instantly cut by half the numberof calories you would have eaten. Better yet,get one dessert and share it with the wholetable. Also consider sharing your main courseat restaurants. Often, the portions they serveare more than most people would eat athome anyway.

Cut out one fast food meal a week.Start eliminating fast food meals bysubstituting one homemade meal for

a purchased one every week. Just doing thisonce a week will help, but the more timesyou are able to substitute a healthy, home -made meal in place of a drive-through meal,the more calories, fats, sugars, salt and un -natural ingredients you will avoid eating.

Control snack sizes by pouring yourserving into a bowl rather than eat -ing straight from the bag. It’s easy to

accidentally overeat when munching straightfrom the container. By putting your snack in -to a bowl, you will have greater control overthe number of calories you take in.

Read food labels. You can learn a lotfrom the nutritional information onfood labels. Pay attention to serving

size and you may realize you’ve been eat -ing three or four servings of a snack whenyou wanted only one. Comparing labels onseveral choices will also help you find thehealthiest option.

Make your own fresh-brewed icedtea, and sweeten it with a splashof 100 percent fruit juice instead of

sug ar. The fruit juice has natural sugars andwill add a dash of flavor to your drink.

Satisfy a sweet tooth with fruit in steadof candy. Apples, oranges, water -mel on and other fruits are sweet ened

with natural sugar and provide a bounty ofmicronutrients, and they are far healthier thana candy bar full of refined sugar and satu -rated fats and no micronutrients.

Cut soda intake by drinking sparklingwater with a dash of fresh lemon orlime. You will still get the carbonation

you are used to but with only a fraction ofthe sugar and calories. Once your palate nolong er craves soda, switch again to fresh,pure water for the healthiest option.

15 Painless Ways to Cut Calories

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Forever Young®

Advanced Performance Skin Care

Boost your skin’s health and maintainits balance while addressing the signsof premature aging. Revive your skin to reveala vibrant, healthy glow and rediscover skin that ishealthy, balanced and youthful.


®

Trim all excess fat off your meat before cooking it. Or if youare eating at a restaurant, be sure to trim the fat off your steakor pork chop and set it aside before you begin eating.

Don’t deep fry anything. Bake, broil or grill fish and chickeninstead of deep frying. If you just can’t go without the friedflavor, coat your meat in a spice rub, olive oil (use a spray) or

nut crumbles and bake it to make “oven fried” chick en or fish. Yourtaste buds won’t know the dif fer ence, but your heart and waist -line will.

Ask for a to-go box as soon as your meal arrives at a restau -rant. Immediately put half of your order in the box and setit aside for later. Meal sizes at restau rants have ba l -

looned in recent years adding hundreds of extra calories to plates.Splitting one order into two meals is an easy way to cut back.

Start your meal with a salad. According to recent research,eating a small salad before the main course can reduce theamount of calories in a meal. Be careful of creamy and

sweetened salad dressings. Their calorie content can fool you.Basic vinegar and olive oil are usually the best for you.

Stop eating when you are full, not when your plate is empty.As children, many people were told to clean their plates.This concept carries over into adulthood, but it’s not healthy

when your plate consists of a burger and fries, or even just too muchfood. Stop eating when you are full and you will avoid extra fat andcalories at every meal.

Drink a full glass of water before you begin eating. Youwon’t eat as much if there is less room for the food. Thewater not only takes up space in your stomach but also

aides in the digestion process.

Buy light and fat-free versions of foods, but read the labelscarefully. Many of these processed foods have carbohydratesubstitutes in them. Switching to these healthier options is

a painless way to cut down on calories.

19

“Start your meal with a salad.According to recent research,

eating a small salad before the maincourse can reduce the amount of

calories in a meal.”

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.


Herbs & Supplements

Vitamin E is well known as an important nutrient because of its antioxidantproperties. Modern science has revealed the secret behind this powerful nutrient. Vitamin E includeseight different compounds (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), each of which has unique actionsthat complement and support one another.

The tocopherols and tocotrienols in vitamin Eare fat-soluble antioxidants, which means theyare able to travel through the areas of thebody that are made of lipids. Among theseareas are the brain, nervous system andeyes—as well as the membranes surround -ing all 100 trillion cells in our bodies. Due toits ability to permeate eye tissue, vitamin Ehas been extensively studied for its role inage-related macular degeneration. One of thereasons vitamin E is considered such a power -ful antioxidant may be due to the ways inwhich the tocopherols and tocotrienols com -ple ment, support and balance one anotherafter they enter the human body.

The tocopherols in vitamin E are named simplyalpha, beta, gamma and delta. Research hasshown that while the alpha, beta, gamma anddelta tocopherols were all effective antioxi -dants, when they were combined in a specificratio they displayed far better antioxidantproperties and were absorbed much better.This shouldn’t be surprising because scientistshave observed time after time the synergisticeffects of combining antioxidant complexes.

The tocotrienol compounds are equally impor -tant in vitamin E, although until recently theyhave been studied far less than tocopherols.In research involving many conditions fromdiabetes to cholesterol levels, the effects of

tocotrienols on the body have been exam -ined by scientists in numerous ways. Whilefurther research is needed to understand fullyhow these compounds affect the body, manydoctors and nutritional experts believe thesestudies show much promise.

It’s easy to think of vitamin E as a single com -pound. Most of the time that’s all we see onnutritional information labels. Fortunately, eventhough there are actually eight compoundsin vitamin E, the sources remain the same.Many forms of wheat and nuts and their oilsare rich in vitamin E. Palm oil is an especiallyrich source of tocotrienols. So are dark greenleafy vegetables, broccoli, mangos, tomatoes,kiwi and other fruits and vegetables.

Despite its many health benefits and theabun dance of sources, many people do notconsume the recommended amount ofvitamin E. It’s generally recommended thatpeople consume between four and 15 milli -grams of vitamin E per day, depending on age.If your diet doesn’t contain enough vitamin E-rich fruits and vegetables, it may be prudentto take vitamin E supplements to ensure yourbody is receiving the nutritional support itneeds to function at optimum levels.

Antioxidants such as vitamin E are critical tocombat free radicals, which are molecules

that have lost one electron of a pair. Theseun stable molecules will steal electrons fromother molecules in the body, causing a dam -aging chain reaction—what we call oxidativestress. To prevent and protect against oxidativestress, our bodies need antioxidants to com -bat these free radical attacks.

Oxidative stress from free radicals has beenassociated with nearly every disease relatedto aging. In some cases, the problems weonce thought were unavoidable side effectsof aging are actually more related to free-radicalbuildup and a lack of antioxidant protection.It’s clear that the antioxidant compounds invitamin E, as well as other antioxidants andnutrients, can be of great benefit to the body.

As with many nutrients, to understand fullyhow it works, we have to look much deeper.The further we look, the better we understandhow the eight compounds in vitamin E affectour health for the better.

21

The Science of Vitamin E

Family Health


“It’s often recommended that children eat twoservings of fresh fish every week.”

The Importance of DHA for Children

Because children’s bodies are rapidly growing and developing, their daily dietmust contain everything needed to support these changes and promote healthygrowth. One important nutrient is the omega-3 fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Althoughit’s only one of the many nutrients your child needs, it is an especially critical one because DHA hasbeen linked to healthy brain function and development.

DHA is important even before your child isborn. In the womb, the critical nutrient passesfrom mother to fetus through the umbilicalcord. Increased DHA intake by mothers mayhelp a fetus to develop a healthy, function -ing nervous system because DHA is foundthrough out the entire nervous system. Thisincludes the brain and synapses, which arespecialized junctions in nerve cells that sendsignals to each other and other parts of thebody, including muscle tissue.

DHA continues to be important after birth.Several recent studies have shown infants whoare exposed to omega-3 fatty acids throughtheir mother’s breast milk may grow up withstronger mental faculties. If true, this is likelydue to the fact that a significant portion of thebrain is comprised of DHA.

Closely related to cognitive function, DHA hasbeen linked to mood as well (as has the relatedomega-3 fatty acid, EPA). Higher amounts ofDHA intake have been associated with ele -vated moods in people of all ages, whichmeans an omega-3-rich diet could be espe -cially important during the tumultuous teenageyears when depression and moodiness arecommon—also a time when junk foods tendto invade teenage diets.

It’s becoming a widely accepted concept thatfor healthy emotional and intellectual devel -op ment during childhood when rapid braingrowth takes place, DHA must be present inadequate quantities.

There are high levels of DHA in the eyes too,specifically the retinas. A DHA deficiency dur -ing infancy could negatively impact eyesight.This is one reason it is critical that breast-feeding mothers have an adequate intake ofDHA (at least 500 mg/day).

To help your child consume adequate amountsof DHA, make fish a regular meal. It’s oftenrecommended that children eat two servingsof fresh fish every week. Unfortunately, fishcan sometimes be a tough sell becausemany children are picky eaters. Try differentapproaches such as fish tacos, tuna sand -wiches, salmon patties and oven “fried” (bakedwith nut crumbles or something similar) fillets.Don’t go heavy on tuna, as it tends to be oneof the higher mercury-containing fish; cannedlight tuna usually has less mercury than alba -core tuna. Limit tuna to no more than once aweek. Small fish, such as herring and sardines,have the lowest mercury and other environ -mental toxin content.

Lean cuts of meat from animals that have beengrass fed can also contain DHA. Although itmay not be in as high a concentration as fish,these meats can contribute to a DHA-healthydiet.

Some parents are worried about consumingtoo much fish themselves because of pollu -tion, let alone feeding it to their children. Butthere are enough low-mercury sources of sea -food available to give your child a selectionof tastes, including salmon, trout, halibut, cod,

herring and sardines—if they acquire tastesfor these foods as young children, they willlike them when they are older as well. If youare still concerned about the safety or yourchild just can’t stomach the thought of fish fordinner, there are several high-quality DHA-specific omega-3 supplements on the marketthat are made specifically for children. In ge -neral, high quality fish oil supplements thathave been molecularly distilled have muchlower levels of environmental contaminantsthan the fish they were derived from. Forvege tarian and vegan families, there are algae-based DHA supplements available too. Thereis simply no reason your child can’t experi -ence the benefits of DHA.

There are certain nutrients that every parenthas heard a child needs—whether it’s cal -cium and vitamin D for strong bones or ironfor red blood cells. Many doctors and nutritionexperts now believe that the omega-3 fattyacid DHA should be just as important andwell known.

23

Family Health

THE ART OF GROWING YOUNG March/April 201224

Practitioners of Earthing believe that the nat -ural electric and magnetic energies withinthe Earth have a health-promoting effect onthe body. The Earth puts out electric andmagnetic fields, which are easily transferredto the human body as long as they make di -rect contact with the skin, or through naturalmaterials such as leather, cotton, silk, rayon orwool. Unfortunately, modern synthetic-soledshoes, houses, office buildings and other bar -riers prevent the flow of free electrons intothe body.

The free electrons on the surface of the Earthare easily transferred to the human body aslong as there is direct contact. Unfortunate ly,synthetic-soled shoes act as insulators sothat even when we are outside, we do notconnect with the Earth’s electromagnetic field.When we are in homes and office buildings,we are also insulated and unable to receivethe Earth’s balancing energies.

Earthing experts say that once the bodyis grounded by direct skin contact, it will ab -sorb free electrons until equilibrium is reachedwith the Earth’s natural energies, which isenough to restore what is lost in the body’smetabolic processes.

Earthing is natural and simple. There is nofancy equipment needed. In fact, the less youhave, the better. If you can take your shoesoff, you can experience Earthing. To beginwith, find a comfortable patch of grass, sand,dirt or rock. Simply remove your shoes andstand with your feet touching the ground.That’s all it takes. The earth’s natural ener -gies will do the rest.

In their book Earthing: The Most ImportantHealth Discovery Ever? Clinton Ober, StephenT. Sinatra, M.D., and Martin Zucker discussthe many benefits they believe Earthing candeliver. They also go into depth about howto go about the practice. But it all comesdown to directly touching the earth. How longhas it been since you took a few momentsand laid down on the warm summer groundand just relaxed?

For many people, this act alone is enoughto feel a difference and experience a con -nection to something much larger. For thesepeople, understanding that they have madea connection to a way of life that spannedthousands of years can be quite emotional.Even if Earthing is not your intention, the nexttime you find yourself barefoot outdoors, take

a moment to feel this connection and youmay find your mood becomes dra mat icallybetter.

As humans living in modern times, we arefar removed from the ways of life that ourbodies are most comfortable with. Experi -encing just a small piece of our ancestors’living can be a powerful experience.

The only requirement to Earthing is a directconnection to the ground. But even if youcan’t find a safe or comfortable place for thisto occur, you can still experience the bene -fits. There are special Earthing devices thatallow you to make that connection, no matterwhere you are. From bed sheets to deskpads, there are devices that can plug intoany outlet on any structure that is properlygrounded. These will filter and direct theearth’s energies to you.

Earthing is all about connecting to the natural,subtle energies resonating from the surfaceof the Earth. As beings of energy ourselves,it makes sense that connecting to that forcecan be a positive factor in life. If you feel aconnection might be missing in your life, itmay be time to connect to the Earth.

25

Humans are more removed from nature than they have been at any point before.After centuries of life spent with a direct connection to the earth, our bodies adapted to the healingpowers of nature—a powerful force that modern living has all but eliminated from our lives. Think of allthe things that prevent you from truly experiencing your natural surroundings. Shoes, beds, houses,floors, roads, sidewalks—all of these things are unnatural, man-made barriers that get between humansand the planet from which our bodies are made. There is a new movement trying to tap back into thehealing power of nature. It’s called Earthing, and it couldn’t be easier to do.

Connecting with Earthing

Family Health


Regular physical activity is important for peopleof all ages. There is scarcely anyone alive whowouldn’t benefit from exercise. Unfortunately,even just the word “exercise” is enough tomake many people cringe. This is one reasonit is important that, as adults, we show childrenthat exercise isn’t a chore. If children are taughtthat physical fitness is a fun, exciting andhealthy part of living, they will be much morelikely to grow into healthy adults who con -tinue to engage in regular physical activity.

Children don’t need gym memberships or ex -pen sive exercise equipment to get fit. Beforethere were computers, video games and tele -vi sions in every home (sometimes even inevery room), children spent much more of theirtime outside playing. Instead of sitting on thecouch in front of cartoons, they were outsideriding bikes. Rather than drinking soda andplaying video games, they were drinking waterand playing tag. Getting back to this lifestylewill help ensure your child is healthy through -out life. But if you want your child to stayinterested, you must remember to make it fun.

Kids are naturally full of energy. Just helpingthem find an activity they enjoy will be enoughto give them an opportunity to release thatenergy and get physically fit. For many families,all it takes is setting aside a few hours a week

for playing in the park, riding bikes aroundthe neighborhood, hiking in the woods andother fun activities that get everyone moving.

School and community sports are a greatway for kids to get exercise. But if your chil -dren don’t enjoy the competitive nature oftraditional sports, work with them to find outwhat physical activities they would enjoy do -ing and work with that. If your child enjoysnature, take him hiking at the park. If your kidlikes horses, sign her up for horseback ridinglessons.

Above all else, make your child’s active timefun. If your child enjoys bike riding, don’t tryto force him or her to enjoy swimming justbecause you think it may be a better option.Focus on the enjoyment of the activity. If youare going for a bike ride, don’t focus on count -ing the number of calories you are burning.Put the emphasis on how much fun the familyis having. Because kids are so naturally ener -getic, the workout will come naturally.

Due to safety concerns in some areas, it’s asad reality that the days of kids playing out -side with each other in the neighborhood allafternoon are gone. If you live in an area whereyou are just not comfortable sending your childout on his or her bike alone for the after noon,

many schools and community organizationsoffer programs that give kids a safe place tobe active after school. If there is not one inyour area, try talking with other parents to startyour own program. Parents can take turnssu per vising the neighborhood kids in theafternoon.

It’s never too late to help your child discoverthe joys and benefits of an active life. Eventhe least athletically inclined child will feel adifference after a bike ride around the neigh -borhood or a walk around the park. If youstart simple and keep the emphasis on hav -ing fun, nothing can go wrong. Before youknow it, your child will stop asking to watchmore television and start asking if it’s okayto go outside and play.

Childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions throughout the world. Thisstartling problem has been created by a combination of unhealthy eating habits, increased time spentin front of the television or playing video games (rather than being active and running, playing and takingpart in sports and other traditional activities), and the lack of a fundamental understanding of the basicsof health and nutrition. As scary as this problem may seem, a big part of the solution can be easy formany people. We need to raise our children in homes where healthy eating and regular physical activityare seen not just as a normal part of daily life but as something fun to look forward to.

27

Making Fitness Fun for Kids

Family Health


“The most ben eficial breakfasts are rich in protein andcomplex carbohydrates, which will keep you feeling full longer

and provide a steady source of energy that will come inhandy when it’s time to work out later.”

boost energy and keep you from experi -encing a post-workout slump.

One of the biggest secrets to boosting yourmetabolism is to eat more—not bigger por -tions, but more often. Some people find thateating four to six small meals a day helpskeep their metabolic rate much steadier thanthe traditional three larger meals a day. How -ever you choose to eat your meals, don’t skipthem. People often think they can skip a mealto cut calories. They don’t realize that skipp -ing a meal can slow the metabolic rate. Yourbody doesn’t know that you plan on eatinglater, thus the signals it receives from anempty stomach lead it to react by going into“starvation mode,” which slows the metab -olism and conserves energy. This makes itthat much harder to lose weight.

Regular physical activity (both aerobic exer -cises and weight training) will help burn fat,build muscle and boost your metabolism.Eating the right foods before, during andafter a workout will give your body thesup port it needs to maximize your workoutpotential.

29

One of the biggest keys to successful weight management is managing yourmetabolism. The higher your metabolic rate, the better your body will be able to burn fat and calories.Let’s take a look at some common metabolism builders and busters that can help you get a head starton your fitness goals.

You can jump-start your metabolism andstart your day off right by eating a healthybreakfast. People who don’t eat breakfastare as much as 4.5 times as likely to be obeseas people who do eat breakfast, accordingto a study at Johns Hopkins. The most ben -eficial breakfasts are rich in protein andcomplex carbohydrates, which will keep youfeeling full longer and provide a steadysource of energy that will come in handywhen it’s time to work out later.

The term basal metabolic rate refers to thenumber of calories you burn at rest. The mus -cles in your body are slowly and constantlyburning calories even when you are asleep,but once you get them moving, the rate in -creases dramatically. So the more lean musclemass you have, the more calories your bodywill burn. Resistance training will build calorie-burning muscle mass.

Lifting weights is the most common form ofresistance training. But don’t feel that youneed to go to the gym for the bench pressto get this metabolism-boosting benefit. Anyload-carrying exercise will build muscle. Fromstrapping on ankle or wrist weights to doingpush-ups and squats, there are countlessactivities that will give your muscles the resist -ance they need to grow.

Aerobic exercise may not build calorie-burn ingmuscle, but it can help ramp up your metab o -lism. A good workout can keep your metabolic

rate elevated for hours afterward. You don’tneed to subject yourself to a grueling runto stoke your metabolic fire. It is true that theharder you are able to push yourself, themore calories you will burn. However, evena relatively slow jogging session will burncalories. The important thing is to exerciseat the level you are comfortable with andavoid overdoing it. Or you may end up with apulled muscle that prevents you from do inganything for a few days.

Once your workout is complete, grab a high-quality protein shake. After a strenuousworkout, your muscles are actually slightlydamaged—don’t worry; this is healthy be -cause the body then repairs and rebuildsthe muscles bigger than they were before theworkout. To do this effectively you needthe amino acids found in protein becausethose compounds form the basic buildingblocks of muscle tissue.

Lean deli meats or a serving of chicken orfish will help deliver these amino acids to yourbody. However, many people may prefer pro -tein shakes because they are quick andportable. The best shakes contain protein frommultiple sources to deliver the widest rangeof nutrients possible. Consuming a proteinshake that contains complex carbohydrates30 to 40 minutes after a workout will helpmaximize the body’s ability to rebuild itself.The complex carbohydrates will also help

Maximize your Metabolism


Connect with your body in a very real way. Experience plant-derived body care for every inch ofyour hands, feet, body and scalp. Nurturing blends for the shower or bath with natural aromas thatenergize, refresh and calm.

Which do you choose for your skin—clouds of chemicals or bursts of pure botanical essences? WithForever Young® Botanicals, you can rejuvenate your body with natural and herbal ingredients thatcontain pure plant aromas. The botanical benefits for cleansing, smoothing, soothing and moisturizing.

®

31

Ask The Expert

Can antioxidants help my lungs?Free radicals can accumulate in any area ofthe body, including the lungs. Your lungscan be espe cially susceptible becausethey come in direct contact with anypollutants that you inhale—whether it’scigarette smoke, smog, car exhaust, pes -ticides or any other source of free radicals.That makes vitamin C, vitamin E, OPCs andother antioxidants a vital com ponent of lunghealth. A diet rich in a variety of fresh fruits,vegetables, herbs and spices will help topro vide your body with this protection.

What is AMD, and how canI support healthy vision?AMD, or age-related macular degeneration, is a degen -erative disorder that leads to deterioration of the centralportion of the retina. It is one of the leading causes ofblindness in people over the age of 55. However, thereis evidence from some researchers that people whoconsume diets rich in nutrients such as lutein andzeaxanthin greatly reduce the risk of developing mac -ular degeneration. Other studies have shown thatantioxidant vitamins C and E, as well as the nutrientscarotene and zinc, have a positive effect on healthyvision. Antioxidants are impor tant throughout our livesbecause free radicals, if not neutralized, tend to accu -mulate in the eyes as we age. Avoiding a high intakeof saturated fat and cholesterol is also importantbecause unhealthy diets have been linked with an in -creased risk of devel oping macular degeneration.

Is pure water really better than tap water?Yes. Tap water is often disinfected with chlorine or chlora mines,which are potent oxidants that kill bacteria and viruses. Whilewe don’t want to consume these illness-causing microor -ganisms, the problem with drinking chlorinated tap wateris that even the minute amounts of leftover chlorine can harmthe beneficial bacteria living in our intestines. It also can in -crease oxidative stress from free radicals throughout thebody, placing a greater demand on antioxidant reserves.Fresh, pure water from a filter will grant the body all the bene -fits of staying properly hydrated without introducing unwantedchemicals into the digestive system.

®

Proanthenols contains antioxidantprotection based upon 50 yearsof research by Jack Masquelier,

Ph.D in Southern France.Proanthenols is not a pine bark or grape

seed product that you can find on a retailshelf but is built upon Real OPCs™, which

are concentrated extracts from specialgrape seeds and certain types of pine bark

found in Southern France.

6452


◊These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a diversified diet.

Proanthenols® 100For Real Antioxidant Protection

growing the art of young - lifepluslifeplus.com/media/publications/final_aogy_mayjun2012_en.pdf ·...

Documents