Healthy Revelations Blog | Healthy Revelations Tips

Awareness 101: Four Ways to Ward off Breast Cancer

October 10, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

In support of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the American Institute for Cancer Research recently estimated that nearly 40 percent of breast cancer can be prevented if all women would follow these four simple lifestyle changes.

Have one alcoholic drink per day, MAX – abstaining is even better although.
Get moving for at least 30 minutes per day – besides helping you to keep a healthy weight, exercise will also help boost your immune system and keep your hormones in check.
Watch your body weight and keep it down – fat cells produce estrogen which can only fuel some cancers.
If you have a baby and breastfeed, try to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months – this in and of itself can reduce your risk of getting breast cancer by 60 percent.

Food for Thought: Back to Lunch – Tips for Children’s Healthy Eating

October 4, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Grocery stores are filled with nutritious choices nowadays and by enlisting the help of your child when shopping for their lunch foods, he or she can learn how to make the best choices as they grow up and create meals of their own.

Be sure to check out the following areas of your supermarket and your child’s lunch will not only be filled with great tasting foods, but it will also create a healthy lunch.

The Produce Section: The produce section is always a good place to start when it comes to a healthy lunch. Choosing fruits and vegetables that your child enjoys and even some they may have never tried is a great idea and is always a good place to find those important vitamins and minerals that every child need.

The Drink Aisle: While many children would love to enjoy a sugary soft drink with their lunch, a better option is a 100 percent juice instead. Be a label reader and avoid juices with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial flavors.

The Dairy Section: The dairy section is also an area where you can find some great foods. Try low-fat dairy options, like cottage cheese, string cheese and yogurt.

The Snack Food Aisle: Many parents would avoid this aisle completely, but there are still some great lunch items that can be found in the snack food aisle. Be on the lookout for baked and not fried snacks, avoid trans fats, choose whole-wheat over non-whole grain snacks, grab some all-natural granola bars that offer whole grains, nuts and pieces of fruit all in one snack.

A Banana a Day Keeps the Doctor Away… for Women

September 30, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Everyone has heard that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but if you are a woman over the age of 50 then you should be having a banana or two along with that apple.

Recent studies show that woman over the age of 50 who ate foods high in potassium were 12 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke in general and 16 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke caused by a blood clot, or an ischemic stroke.

Lastly the study showed that women were 10 percent less likely to die, from any cause, than those who ate low amounts of food containing potassium.

Another interesting finding from the study was that the correlation between potassium intake and stroke prevention was highest amongst women who did not have high blood pressure. Therefore, nutritionists suggest that women should increase their potassium intake before high blood pressure has the chance to develop.

For women who aren’t big fans of bananas, never fear. You can get twice as much potassium in a serving of spinach, then you get in one banana. Become a label reader as many foods contain potassium that you may not know about.

Healthy Living: Snore-free Night’s Sleep

September 26, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Studies show that 30 to 40 percent of the general population snores… which means there are an awful lot of people out there not getting a good night’s sleep. Whether you snore, or your partner, there are some easy ways to alleviate snoring and catch some zzzz’s before you know it.

Tongue exercises – believe it or not there are exercises that you can do with your tongue that will help “train” your tongue where to stay in your mouth while you are sleeping to prevent snoring. One good tongue exercise to practice is making the “t-t-t-t-t” sound – sort of like you are scolding someone. This strengthens the tip of the tongue. You can also let your tongue hang out relaxed, then tense your tongue by pointing it and holding this position for three seconds.

Buy a mouthpiece – one of the most effective anti-snoring techniques is using a “boil and bite” mouthpiece. These mouthpieces form to your upper and lower teeth and pull your lower jaw and the back of your tongue forward. This process allows your airway to be opened and you to breathe easier.

Nasal sprays – there are quite a few nasal sprays on the market that claim to help curb snoring, so it may have to be a trial and error process in finding one that works for you. Some studies say that eliminating yeast overgrowth in your nostrils may reduce inflammation and nasal congestion, but it also causes snoring.

Sleep with a tennis ball – say what? Hear us out on this one… because most people snore while sleeping on their back if you provide a barrier between your body and your back while you are sleeping you will be less likely to sleep on your back throughout the night… thereby reducing your snoring. Some people suggest putting a tennis ball in a pocket T-shirt then sleeping with the T-shirt on backwards. You can also put the tennis ball in a fanny pack and then wear that backwards. If you happen to turn onto your back during the night, the ball, whether it is in your shirt or in your fanny pack, will cause discomfort and you will roll onto your side.

Fitness for All: Workouts That May Do More Harm Than Good

September 22, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Despite what many people believe, not all workouts are effective and conducive to losing weight and toning up. There are several workouts that you will see people doing at your gym any given day of the week that are ineffective.

Unless you have the best form and are using some of these machines like textbook, then you may be doing more harm than good to your body.

Here are some examples of ineffective workouts:

Behind the Head Lat Pull Downs: Unfortunately, only those with very mobile shoulder joints can keep their spine straight enough to get a good workout from the behind the back lat pull down bar. The move done wrong can tear the rotator cuff.
Lying Leg Press (with knees bent too deeply): This exercise is typically done to work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes and is done on a machine where you use your feet to push a weighted plate up and down. Unfortunately, if you bend your knees too far, then you can seriously injure your back and/or knees.
Squats on a Smith Machine: While the Smith Machine is generally an effective machine, the bar on the machine doesn’t give, which can force the body into risky positions, including placing their feet too far in front of them while doing their squats.
Using Bad Form on Cardio Machines: While using bad form is not good on any machine, using bad form on cardio equipment is a big no-no. Hunching over can throw off your alignment, jarring your spine, shoulders and elbows.
Upright Row: This exercise done by pulling weights or a barbell underneath your chin can compress the nerves in your shoulder, impinging the shoulder.

Eating Healthy: Spotlight on Spinach

September 14, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Leafy, green vegetables, like spinach, provide more nutrients than any other food.
Researchers have found at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that have been known to act as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents, combating specific cancers like ovarian and prostate cancer.
The vitamin K in spinach provides 200% of the daily value in fresh spinach and nearly 1000% of the daily value in boiled spinach.
Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, folate and magnesium.

Recipe: Spinach Lasagna

2 egg whites
26 oz of prepared spaghetti sauce
24 oz of ricotta cheese
10 oz of Lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and chopped, then squeezed dry
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated, reserve ½ cup
¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated and divided, reserve 2 tablespoons
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9-in. by 13-in.baking dish for lasagna. Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package, then rinse and drain. Combine parmesan cheese, ricotta cheeses with the egg whites, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour ¼ cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out using a spatula. Cover the sauce with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about half the cheese mixture over the noodles, and then cover with about half of the spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese. Finish this layer with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Add a second layer of noodles, topping with the remaining cheese mixture, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the reserved Parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe: Wilted Spinach Salad

10 to 12 ounces spinach, washed and torn into pieces
¼ cup minced red onion
5 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced
2 hard-cooked eggs, 1 chopped and 1 sliced
2 to 4 slices bacon
1 to 1 ½ tablespoons bacon drippings
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place prepared spinach in a large bowl. Add onions and radishes. Refrigerate, tightly covered. Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel and set aside. In a small jar or measuring cup combine drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving. When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until mixture boils. Toss the chopped egg with the greens then pour the hot dressing over greens mixture; toss again lightly. Top with sliced egg and crumbled bacon.