Grains- Dieticians suggest that you increase your intake of oats, barley and rye in 2010. For years, doctors have been telling patients that eating oats can bring down your cholesterol and recent studies show that rye can, too. The American Diabetes Association has also noted that eating a diet high in fiber and grains, like rye, can help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. Adding barley to your diet, whether it is as a side dish or inside a soup or casserole, can also lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Salmon and other oily fish- If the diagnosis is to get more vitamin D this year, then get your fill with salmon and other oily fish – such as, mackerel, sardines, herring, fresh tuna, trout and anchovies. Oily fish are some of the only food sources of vitamin D. These fish are also good for curbing cardiovascular disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of oily fish per week, but warns against eating too much more than that because some oily fish contain mercury, which can affect your brain and nervous system.

Soy- If 2010 is your year to help reduce your risk of cancer, then soy may be your answer. Research has shown that soy can ward off certain cancers as well as have an impact on your heart. According to ABC News soy can also help breast cancer survivors.

A new study published in December of 2009 suggests that breast cancer survivors may benefit from eating moderate amounts of soy products. Soy foods are rich in compounds called isoflavones, a major group of plant-derived phytoestrogens possessing both estrogen-like and anti-estrogen actions. Researchers found that a higher intake of soy food, up to 11 grams daily, was associated with a lower risk of death or recurrence of breast cancer during follow up.

The Food and Drug Administration also states that 25 grams of soy protein a day can reduce heart problems by helping to lower cholesterol levels. To add soy to your diet, you can find it in soy burgers, tofu and soy milk.

Red Wine- While you will rarely hear any doctor advising that you drink any alcohol, red wine may just be the exception. Research shows that antioxidants in red wine, polyphenols, aid in protecting the lining of blood vessels in the heart. These antioxidants come in the form of flavonoids and nonflavonoids, which red wine has more than any other food or drink.

As found on MSNBC.com thanks to its alcohol content and non-alcoholic phytochemicals, wine has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers and slow the progression of neurological degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.

However, the amount of wine you drink matters tremendously. If you drink more than what’s recommended, your health benefits are lost and health risks actually go up. Men should consume no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one drink per day, with a drink defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine, 12 ounces or 1 bottle of regular beer or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

Remember, when adding or making substitutions to your diet moderation is essential. Anything that is good for you can easily become bad for you if consumed excessively. But by following these guidelines and including these healthy food and drink choices into your diet you could be well on your way to a healthier and slimmer lifestyle.

Besides air, water is the element most essential for survival. In fact, a typical human is comprised of between 60 and 70 percent water and brain tissue is said to be comprised of 85% water. It’s reported that people can go without food for almost two months, but for only a few days without water. In addition, without water humans would be poisoned to death by their own waste products. As indicated by www.naturodoc.com, when the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, they must be dissolved in water first. If there isn’t enough water available, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones.

Water is also essential for chemical reactions during such body processes as digestion and metabolism due to the fact that it carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. In addition, it helps to lubricate our joints. We even need water to breathe. Our lungs must be moistened by water in order to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. Studies show that humans lose close to a pint of liquid each day merely by exhaling.

“Proper water intake is a key to weight loss,” says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona on www.naturodoc.com. “If people who are trying to lose weight don’t drink enough water, the body can’t metabolize the fat adequately. Retaining fluid also keeps weight up.”

If you’re wondering if you’re drinking enough water then just listen to your body. Here are some common symptoms of dehydration:

• Heartburn, stomach ache
• Non-infectious recurring or chronic pain
• Low back pain
• Headache
• Mental irritation and depression
• Water retention (ironic but true )
• Dry mouth- this is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration.

Moral of the story if you haven’t figured it out yet- we need water to survive and thrive. But exactly how much water should we drink to ensure optimum health and wellness?

According to Dr. Flaks the minimum amount of water one should intake is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day. Eight to ten 8 oz glasses is equivalent to three to four standard 16 oz bottles of water per day. But you’ll need even more if you exercise a lot of live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink an extra glass for every 25 pounds that they exceed their ideal weight.

The formula that the International Sports Medicine Institute uses is this: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you’re not active (that’s ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you’re athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight). Simply calculated, drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces. And intake should be spread throughout the day and evening.

If you’re wondering about how this might affect you bladder, then don’t worry. You may be constantly running to the bathroom at the onset of appropriate water consumption but after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and urination is less frequent but in larger amounts.

By simply paying attention and drinking more water on a daily basis you will not only be contributing to a healthier life but you could also be on your way to a healthier and leaner body.

The trouble with New Year’s Resolutions is that after time our enthusiasm to make changes tend to wane once we realize we can’t change everything overnight and the commitment to make these changes becomes less exciting and too much work. According to www.proactivechange.com 40%-45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top New Year’s resolutions are those dealing with weight loss and exercise. In addition, according to this site a mere 46% maintain these resolutions after six months.

In order to make lasting changes, there are several things that you can do to stick to your fitness resolutions and actually see the results that you’ve been wishing for since New Year’s Day 1989. By modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and coming up with an effective and realistic plan for success you can make 2010 the year that you actually did it.

Modifying your Attitude- According to exercise.about.com by having the wrong attitude about fitness you’re setting yourself up for failure before you even started. Oftentimes people consider exercise merely a punishment for bad eating habits, an obligation, painful and time consuming, boring, or impossible to sustain over a long period of time.

By modifying your attitude about exercise in general you are more likely to stick with your program and see positive results. Try out a different perspective because after all, you’re the only one that can truly change your attitude and therefore the outcome. Instead of boring or painful look at exercise as a break from a stressful day, a way to boost energy and mood, time for yourself, time for your mind to rest, a reward for your body or a way to improve your quality of life.

Here are some additional key points about exercise from exercise.about.com:

1. Sheer willpower doesn’t work- Willpower is for short-term success. Long-term success requires planning, discipline and finding new and different ways to motivate yourself every day.

2. Motivation will not magically happen- What motivates you will change from day to day. You will have to recommit to your goals each day, tweak them to fit changes in your lifestyle and attitude and find new ways to motivate yourself over the course of your entire life.

3. You will not always want to exercise and eat healthy- This is something that you will have to work on every day.

Adjust your Lifestyle- By adjusting your lifestyle you will have the best chance of success in sticking to your New Year’s fitness resolutions. Although you’ve probably heard this before, let it really sink in this time: losing weight and maintaining that weight is a lifetime prospect. You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start a diet or exercise program, old or new, ask yourself if you can sustain this diet for the long term or if your exercise program is something that you can commit to every day.

Simply put, being overweight is the fault of an unhealthy lifestyle, eating too much and not allowing enough time for exercise. This being said, one you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you’ll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal. Here’s a couple ways to do just that:

1. Figure out your bad habits- Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Be completely honest with yourself and do it without shame- this is simply a way to figure out habits that may be hurting your weight loss goals.

2. Replace bad habits one at a time- Replace bad habits with good habits. You can’t break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily morning donut and don’t replace it with something else that’s better for you you’ll drift right back to your old unhealthy habit.

This may sound easy but it’s not. Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn’t easy. You need to change your environment to make it impossible to have or even want that donut. Try these ideas:

1. Figure out beforehand what you’re going to eat instead of that donut. Stock up on breakfast foods that you like and that are healthier. Try different flavors of meal replacement bars or fruit shakes/smoothies.

2. Take stock in every bite that you put in your mouth, if it’s not healthy is it really worth it? For sure you’ll enjoy that first bite or flavor explosion but after that what do you really get out of it? More than likely all you get is fat, calories and guilt.

3. Eat before you get in the car in the morning so you won’t be starving and tempted to go through the drive thru or to your favorite bakery to pick up a bite.

4. Change your driving route so you don’t even have to pass by your favorite bakery.

5. Write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so that you are constantly reminded of your goals.

Make a Plan for Success- So thus far you’ve figured out how to change bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones and to create for yourself a healthy environment that doesn’t allow your bad habits to exist. Now you need to make a plan for what you really want.

1. Set Goals- Write down specific goals including how much weight you want to lose (make sure it is reasonable for your height and frame), a target date to reach your goals, why you want to lose this weight, and how you’ll maintain your weight loss once achieved. Remember, it’s a lifetime commitment you can’t just quit once you reach your goal.

2. Set up your program- A complete program involves cardio, strength training and stretching.

3. Ensure your success- Here are just a few suggestions regarding ensuring your success and staying consistent. Enlist family members to help you out; hire a personal trainer; get a friend to exercise with you; set aside time every week to plan out your exercise routines and meals; keep a workout bag packed and ready; keep a fitness journal to track workouts and progress; reward yourself with massages, shopping, or vacations; change your workout program every 6 weeks to avoid plateaus; revisit your goals every six months to see where you’re at and if further narrowing them down is in order.

Losing weight requires modifying your attitude, changing your lifestyle and making specific plans. You will need to change the way you think about exercise and eating, change the way you schedule your day and be prepared for what’s ahead in order to stick to your New Year’s Fitness Resolutions.

According to stress.about.com exercise is an excellent stress reduction tool for several reasons:

1. Give Yourself a Natural Boost- Exercise releases endorphins and other “happy hormones” in your body, promoting a feeling of wellbeing. It can decrease stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins giving your body a natural boost. (The same chemistry behind a runner’s high.

2. Social Support- Some forms of exercise allow you to be social, which can also be great for stress reduction. Whether you’re in a class with others, working out with a buddy, playing softball with friends or taking a walk with a friend, working out with others can make you feel good and motivate you to push harder.

3. Looking Good- Exercise can raise feelings of self-esteem and bring other benefits that improve quality of life. It ultimately helps you to lose weight, tone your body and maintain a healthy glow and smile. Whether the effects are subtle or significant this impact can increase confidence and relieve stress.

4. An Outlet for Frustrations- Exercise helps to release built-up tension in the body. When life’s annoyances build up, a high energy form of exercise like boxing, martial arts or weight training can provide a release of negative emotions.

5. Distraction- Physical activity can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity that you’re doing or put you into a Zen-like state. Exercise also usually involves a change of scenery. Whether it takes you to a gym, a park, a biking trail or your neighborhood sidewalk, a change of scenery can ultimately change your point of view.

6. Resilience to Stress- Research suggests that physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Those who get more exercise may become less affected by the stresses that they face.

With all of these benefits, it’s clear that if you can exercise you should. Below are a few exercises that help specifically with stress relief.

Yoga- Yoga is good for physical health and flexibility. It can also help get you into a meditative state.

Swimming- Swimming combines the soothing properties of water and the benefits of exercise. It’s a great way to get in shape, cool off and feel great. It’s also a wonderful form of exercise of older or injury-prone adults.

Walking- Walking is an exercise that just about anybody can do; it’s also very easy and can conform to any schedule. You can take a walk during lunch, put your kids in the stroller and take a walk around the neighborhood, etc.

So amongst all of the Holiday hustle and bustle if you feel your anxiety level beginning to rise why not take 45 minutes out of your day to get your heart rate up and a little bit of exercise? Aside from stress relief, exercise has so many benefits and could ultimately help make your Holidays a little brighter.

There is an actual physical link between your gut and your emotion. High stress and emotions can lead to stomach aches and other digestive problems due to the fact that the gut is highly sensitive and full of nerves. Francisco J. Marrero, MD, a gastroenterologist with the Digestive Disease Institute at the Cleveland Clinic explains on everydayhealth.com, “There is definitely a connection between the brain and the gut. The gut is called the little brain- it’s the largest area of nerves outside the brain.”

Stress and nerves often have very noticeable physical symptoms that focus on the digestive tract. “Anytime you’re in a stressful situation, people will get butterflies in their stomach or they may even get diarrhea,” says Dr. Marrero.

Big events in addition to small daily stressors can affect your digestive health so it’s important to regulate your stress levels. By identifying the cause of stress, understanding the gut’s natural reaction to it, and keeping stress under control you will more effectively be able to manage stress-related stomach aches and other digestive problems.
Try implementing these stress management tips to reduce your own stressors and manage your digestive health:

• Consider counseling to deal with what’s bothering you.
• Try cognitive therapy.
• Keep a journal of what’s stressing you, how you feel, and what you did to feel better.
• Don’t take on more than you can handle — say no when you need to.
• Prioritize your responsibilities.
• Put problems in perspective, and stay positive about the good things in your life.

Butterflies in your tummy are just one way that stress and other emotions can affect your overall health and demonstrates how closely related your physical and emotional health really are. But by learning how to tame your stress you will not only maintain your emotional health but you may also just calm an upset stomach.

The practice which originated in China thousands of years ago, involves the insertion of extremely thin needles through the skin, to various depths at strategic points on your body. And although Western scientists may not fully understand how or why this holistic method of healing works, studies indicate that it may provide a number of medical benefits including pain reduction and relief from chemotherapy-induced nausea.

How acupuncture works
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, acupuncture is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of the life force called chi and an imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Health results from a harmonious balance between yin and yang. Chi is believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. These meridians and the energy flow are accessible through more than 350 acupuncture points. Illness results from an imbalance of the forces. Inserting needles into these points in various combinations will re-balance energy flow.

The Mayo clinic website asserts that Western medicine has its own explanation, stating that acupuncture incorporates modern concepts of neuroscience. Many practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body’s natural painkillers and increase blood flow.

What exactly happens during an acupuncture session?
Acupuncture usually involves a series of weekly or biweekly treatments in an outpatient setting. Each visit typically includes an exam with an assessment of current condition, the needle insertion and a follow-up discussion on self-care tips.

You’ll lie down on a comfortable surface. Depending on where the needles are to go, you will lie face down, face up or on your side before the needles are inserted. The needles used in acupuncture are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. As with anything, different people experience acupuncture differently. But most patients feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people feel energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient during the procedure, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. It is vitally important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

As many as a dozen needles may need to be placed for each treatment. Once the needles are inserted, they’re usually left in place for five to 20 minutes. After placement, the needles are sometimes moved gently or stimulated with electricity or heat.

Who can benefit from acupuncture?
Acupuncture is useful as a stand-alone treatment for many conditions, but it’s also used in conjunction with more conventional Western medical treatments. For example, doctors may combine acupuncture and drugs to control pain and nausea after surgery.

Preliminary studies indicate that acupuncture may offer symptomatic relief for a variety of diseases and conditions including low back pain, headaches, fibromyalgia, migraines and osteoarthritis. In addition, research has shown that acupuncture can help manage postoperative dental pain and alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It has also been shown to offer relief for chronic menstrual cramps and tennis elbow.

According to the NCCAM website, a 2007 National Health Interview Survey estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year. Between the 2002 and 2007 survey, acupuncture use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent which is approximately 1 million people.

Pros and Cons
As with any medical therapy, acupuncture has benefits and risks. Here are a few benefits:

• Acupuncture is safe when performed properly.
• It has few side effects.
• It can be useful as a complement to other treatment methods.
• It’s becoming more available in conventional medical settings.
• It helps control certain types of pain.
• It may be an alternative if you don’t respond to or don’t want to take pain medications.

Acupuncture may not be safe if you have a bleeding disorder or if you’re taking blood thinners. The most common side effects of acupuncture are soreness, bleeding or bruising at the needle sites. If needles are reused, infectious diseases may be accidentally transmitted. However, these risks can be avoided in the hands of a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner. So it’s important to do your homework when locating a practitioner.

Whether you’re in tune with your body’s chi and/or median zones, the correlation between health and acupuncture is interesting and impressive. Check it out if you’re inclined. With a rich history rooted in thousands of years of practice, acupuncture is no longer for only the adventurous or ultra-health conscious.

The human body is an astonishing and complex machine. Chiropractic care recognizes this and rather than just feeding the body artificial remedies it relies on your body’s innate ability to heal itself from physical, mental, and emotional stress and trauma. Chiropractic is a natural remedy healing art that focuses on human health and prevention of disease through spinal biomechanics as well as musculoskeletal, neurological, vascular and nutritional wellness.

Who uses Chiropractic and for what ailments?
It is believed that nearly 15 million Americans look to chiropractic medicine ever year to heal physical injuries like lower back pain, neck pain, and certain internal disorders. Chiropractic also is affiliated with orthopedic medicine and osteopathy and is an excellent alternative for those who want to avoid surgery for injuries such as loose discs in the neck, slight scoliosis, and out of place vertebrae. In addition, chiropractic medicine has become associated with many addiction centers because of the positive effects it can have on patients suffering from the withdrawal symptoms of addiction. Chiropractic medicine benefits children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.

Chiropractic has become the second largest primary health care field in the world and is more widely accepted than any other natural remedy healing. Hospitals have chiropractors on staff regularly and there are a large number of medical doctors who practice chiropractic medicine as well. This development is huge for the chiropractic field as it serves to lessen the tension between western and eastern medicine. Insurance companies and health maintenance organizations are also recognizing patients of chiropractic for financial health benefits.

Stats
Here are a few interesting stats on the chiropractic industry provided by the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine:

• Nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population, aged 18 and older, have used chiropractic, according to The Gallup Organization. 1991.

• Nine of ten chiropractic users felt their treatment was effective, according to The Gallup Organization, 1991.

• In a two-year study completed in 1990 Britain’s Medical Research Council, chiropractic treatment was found more effective than hospital outpatient care for low back pain.

• According to records from the 1986 Worker’s Compensation Fund, the average medical patient was paid ten times more compensation than the average chiropractic patient for the treatment of low back pain.

As reported on The Today Show, oftentimes when you change your mind, you just may just change your body, too. According to Psychologist Gareth Dutton, our ‘self talk’ or ‘internal dialogue’ can make or break a health regimen.

“The problem is that many people simply aren’t aware of how destructive their thoughts are. The thing that precedes your behavior is a thought, and we sometimes aren’t good at getting in touch with our thoughts,”

Therefore, the first step in achieving your health goals is to recognize how your thoughts are undermining your plan. Then you need to challenge the negative thinking.

Here are a few foundational tips for improving your mental and therefore physical health:

• Learn to manage stress so that it doesn’t manage you

• Recognize emotions and attempt to figure out why you’re feeling the way that you are

• Harness negative thoughts- A positive outlook can improve your quality of life and give your health a boost.

• Utilize the power of auto suggestion- avoid thinking negative thoughts and vocalizing them. Whatever you think, will be.

• Let go of things in your life that make you feel stressed or overwhelmed and make time for things you enjoy.

• Express yourself rather than keeping things bottled up- Let others know what you’re feeling and if something is bothering you

• Maintain healthy relationships

• Calm your mind and body through stretching, exercising or breathing deeply

• Learn to face and accept change

Only by taking responsibility for your thoughts and your actions and by recognizing the link between mind and body will you uncover the key to feeling healthier, younger and more alive.