Healthy Revelations Blog | Healthy Revelations Tips

Fitness for All: Staying Motivated in the Winter Months

November 19, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

When the weather outside is frightful, it’s easy to get lazy and to lack the motivation to even get out of bed some days. So how do you stay motivated when everything is keeping you down? Try some of these tips:

Set goals and document them. By keeping a list, you will see this daily and you will feel more inclined to want to check things off this list.
Set clear dates of when you need to complete things by, whether they are long term or short-term goals. By giving yourself a deadline, you will work harder to keep them.
Reward yourself for meeting your deadlines and reaching your goals. Whether you allow yourself to buy something nice or a day of pampering at the spa, you will work harder to do things when you know there is a reward at the end.
Listen to motivational tapes and/or read motivational books to help gain some inspiration to keep going.
Learn to breathe correctly. You will feel more relaxed and when you are more relaxed you will also be more apt to stay motivated than when you are stressed.
Keep a positive attitude. Even though it is easy to be depressed when the long, cold winter months drag on, try to remain positive and you will notice that motivation comes along with being happy.
Remind yourself that progress is what is important and not perfection. This is especially important when you are looking at your long-term goals, as they may seem like the most unreachable. Remember all of the short-term goals that you have met, and you will be more successful.
Build a support system of friends and family members that are typically motivated. By keeping like-minded people close to you, you will become motivated by just being in their presence.

Eating Healthy: Spotlight on Turkey

November 15, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

It’s that time again for Thanksgiving and while Americans eat it nearly every year to celebrate Thanksgiving, how much do you know about turkey?

Turkey is very low in fat and high in protein. It is also a good source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins.
The fat and calorie amounts vary because white meat has fewer calories and less fat than dark meat and skin.
Turkey is also naturally low in sodium. It typically contains less than 25 milligrams (mg) of sodium per ounce on average.

Recipe: Turkey Chili

2 cups chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 cup chopped green pepper

¼ cup olive oil

2 (35 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes, crushed

2 (15 oz.) cans kidney beans, drained

2 tablespoons tomato paste

¾ cup chicken or turkey stock

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon salt, plus more if desired to taste

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 to 4 cups shredded, cooked turkey meat

Sugar

Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, sour cream for optional garnishes

In a large, 8-quart thick bottom pot, cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two more. Add a bit more olive oil if needed. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, beans, oregano, salt, pepper and cooked turkey meat. Bring mixture to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for an hour.

Recipe: Creamed Turkey

3 tablespoons butter

¾ cup sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup hot chicken broth

1 small jar diced pimento, drained

4 cups diced cooked turkey

Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter over medium-low heat. Sauté mushrooms until golden and tender. Add flour; stir until smooth. Slowly pour on milk and broth, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Add pimiento, turkey, salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, but do not boil. Serve with rice or toast.

Awareness 101: It’s Movember-No Shave November

November 6, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Wondering why all of the men in your life seem to be sprouting more and more facial hair these days? Then wonder no more – it’s Movember! (Also known as No Shave November.)

The meaning behind Movember is to raise awareness for prostate cancer and testicular cancer and the movement began in Australia more than 13 years ago. Males participating not only talk about why they are participating but also get other men to start talking about men’s health and cancer awareness. Men participating are also encouraged to donate what they would otherwise spend on grooming/shaving to the American Cancer Society.

Don’t worry, ladies, you are encouraged to participate as well… you can forego shaving your legs or cancel the waxing/threading appointment that you have planned for the month.

Food for Thought: Halloween Hangover- Avoid the Sugar Rush this Holiday

November 2, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Long gone are the days when young trick or treaters travel from door to door getting fruit and popcorn from their neighbors. Instead, the new “normal” is to give out as much candy as possible and at the end of Halloween night the children’s bags are chock full of sugar-filled, unhealthy items.

Nutrition experts (and dentists) cringe every time October 31 rolls around, but this year parents can not only do their part in giving out healthier treats, but they can also be sure to monitor what their children are eating, too. We all know that too much sugar is bad for anyone, but do we know what effects too much sugar can have on our children? Nutrition experts offer the following points:

Children that consume too much sugar and too many carbs, can suffer from hypoglycemia causing fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings and frequent illness.
Too many “empty calories” can mean that children aren’t getting the nutrients they need on a daily basis.

Recent research has shown that more than 20% of school-aged children are obese and more than 50% are overweight.
Too much sugar can cause chronically elevated blood insulin levels triggering inflammatory problems and elevated cholesterol.

Now don’t get us wrong, this Halloween doesn’t have to be all “doom and gloom” when it comes to having a few treats.

Parents need to be very careful in monitoring what their child puts into their mouth and how often they are turning to sugary items. Ration the sugary products over a longer period and incorporate them with a protein snack.

Having a protein, especially before the sugar snack, will slow and reduce the rate and quantity of insulin secreted by the pancreas, thereby reducing many of the risks stated above.

Here is to a Healthy and Happy Halloween.

How to Treat and Deter the Outbreak of Cold Sores

October 29, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Cold sores on the lips can be one of the most aggravating infections that a person gets. Caused by the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1), the virus can remain dormant in a person’s body for years and then resurface … normally at the most inopportune time.

Some causes of cold sores include stress, insomnia, menstruation, too much exposure to UV rays, digestive disorders, the common cold, influenza, and dry, cracked lips. While we can’t do anything to cure our bodies of this virus for good, we can treat cold sores and deter the outbreak of cold sores if we follow these pieces of advice:

Recognize the symptoms: oftentimes you will get a stinging and burning sensation on your lips prior to a cold sore outbreak. By recognizing this major symptom, you can purchase an over-the-counter medicine and apply it before the cold sore has a chance to appear.

Practice good hygiene when using OTC medicines for treatment: always wash your hands prior to and after applying an over-the-counter cold sore treatment medicine. Apply the treatment at least 5 times a day and use a cotton swab if possible, to avoid touching the sore.

Keep your lips moisturized: dry and cracked lips are both causes of cold sores, so by keeping the lips and skin well moisturized, you can help deter the outbreak of cold sores.

Use sun block on your lips: too much exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause the outbreak of cold sores. By remembering to apply and reapply sun block or a lip balm containing sun block to your lips when you are outdoors will also decrease the number of cold sores that arise.

Eat lysine-rich foods: foods that are high in lysine also help to deter cold sores. This includes beef, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt.

In the News: How to Lose Weight This Fall

October 25, 2019 by Suzanne Costa Leave a Comment

Fall can be a time of festivals, pumpkin patches, get togethers, football games and many more events where food plays a huge role in the activities of the day. If you are like most people you want to watch what you eat during the fall season, as you know that the holidays are just around the corner – which means more overeating!

But even though fall is synonymous with fattening foods there are some fall food items that can help you to slim down.

One of these foods is the apple. Apples are low in calories and high in fiber (95 calories and 4 grams of fiber per medium fruit) and are great tasting! In a recent study, dried apples have been found to help people lose weight and lower their cholesterol.

Another great fall slimming food is the squash (and who doesn’t love squash from butternut to acorn?) Just one cup of cooked squash packs 214 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A and a third of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C. Squash are also only 80 calories per cup –compared to its more fattening fall friend the sweet potato at 180 calories per cup.

Broccoli is another great fall slimming food – a cup of broccoli is just 31 calories and 2.4 grams of fiber. Plus, experts say that when you add fresh vegetables to any food you tend to eat fewer calories so you can add broccoli to virtually any meal to decrease your caloric intake.

Lastly, there is kale. These days dark, leafy vegetables like kale is the go-to when you are talking about healthy foods. Kale is packed with vitamin A, loads of fiber and isothiocyanates that help your body to detoxify.