Optimal Health Institute
This month’s articles:
Love the One You’re With
Poor Sense of Smell May Be Early Sign of Parkinson’s
How to Read a Nutrition Label
Keep Your Immune System Strong and Vital
Amazing Facts About Heart Health and Heart Disease
Handbags and Germs
The topics for our regular features are:
Sex: Question and Answer
Just Do It!
Get Out of the Gym – 12 Ways to Play Your Way Fit
Food For Thought
: The Law of the Garbage Truck
Frightening Food Fact
: BellyBowl
Recipe of the Month
: Vanilla Cheesecake with Berry Sauce
Supplement of the Month
: Beetroot Juice
Referral Incentive Program
Happenings
Love The One You’re With
Geneen Roth
People usually read my column or come to my workshops because they want to lose weight. They want to stop suffering. They want to be happy. I talk to them about trusting themselves and about listening to their bodies. Once you do that, I say, everything — your relationship with food, yourself, your body — tends to fall into place.
But to get them to really pay attention to their bodies, I often have to remind them of the good fortune of having a body. I have to point out that they are not just walking heads with various and sundry appendages.
“Huh?” they say. “Do you think we actually forget our bodies? The ripples on our thighs? The second and third chins underneath our chin?” Exactly my point.
We usually look at ourselves from the outside. We notice our imperfections first, and then we zero in on them, obsess about them. We are often so focused on what is wrong with our bodies that we forget to remember what is right. As if we are the sum of what is wrong with us.
A woman in one of my recent workshops said, “My mind is what is special about me. You keep saying to be aware of my body, but I hate my body. It’s fat and ordinary; freckled and lumpy. But my mind! My mind is fast and quick and sharp. I graduated summa cum laude from college because of my mind, not my body. I’d much rather forget that I have a body and live in my mind.”
But here’s the problem with that: Minds don’t exist without bodies. You need a body to be able to take action on the plans that your mind creates. Your body is where life happens to you. Your body is your home. And it’s hard to live in a home that you are constantly trashing.
A longtime student of mine was recently misdiagnosed with a brain tumor. I’d worked with her over a three-year period as she struggled with being 20 pounds above her natural weight. She hated her body with a vengeance. “I want to get rid of my thighs,” she’d say. “I can’t stand looking at them.” Yet in the two weeks between being diagnosed and then re-diagnosed — in addition to going through the cascade of denial, grief, and anger — she never once thought about cellulite, the size of her thighs, or the wrinkles around her eyes. She felt more grateful for the scent of the air, the sight of her child running, the feeling of warm water on her skin than she had ever felt in her life. When faced with the prospect of losing her body, she was suddenly aware that it was a great blessing to have a body at all.
Whenever you hear yourself treating your body — or body parts — with contempt, stop immediately and feel the human body you are sitting in. Think about the fact that you can actually take a breath, and then another one. Think about what it would be like if you had emphysema or lung cancer and couldn’t take a long, cool draft of air. Would you really give up your ability to breathe freely for thinner thighs or less underarm jiggle?
Then think about the people you know who have died, and what most of them would have given to have just one more minute in their bodies, no matter what their size. To speak to a person they love. To notice a yellow crocus poking through the snow in early spring. To walk, to run, to touch, to listen, to taste.
Ahh. To taste. Think about what it would be like not to be able to taste food, about how it would feel to lose your hunger. When my father was dying, he lost his appetite for food. Nothing, not even his favorite rice pudding, could bring back the excitement of eating. I realized then that just being hungry is thrilling.
Think about wanting to eat. Eating. And then tasting the food with those 10,000 taste buds that are miraculously situated on and underneath the tongue so that you can taste anything, everything, especially chocolate, which, as far as I am concerned, is one of the best things about being alive.
Usually, we are so concerned with calories and the glycemic index and whether we should or shouldn’t be eating this or that particular food that we don’t take time to taste it, to let ourselves really have it. Or else we are perennially multitasking: We are talking on the phone, checking our e-mail, putting on makeup, even driving, while eating at the same time. It’s difficult to appreciate the subtle flavors in seven-grain bread when you are intent on making a straight line with your eyeliner, composing that all-important business memo, or not hitting pedestrians on the street. But the upshot of constantly doing everything is that you miss doing any one thing. You miss your life while you are in the midst of it. You miss the joy of having a body while you are well enough to appreciate it. It’s like being at a feast and starving yourself.
Don’t wait until a scary medical diagnosis to take the time to appreciate what you have right now. Instead, give thanks to the body you’re in now. If you think it’s going to get better when you get thin, if you think you are going to suddenly like your body (and therefore your life) when you are 20 pounds lighter, you are wrong. A student of mine once said, “I would die to be as thin as I was five years ago — and five years ago, I would have died to have been thinner.”
All we ever have is now. If you can’t look around now and see the abundance in your life, you won’t be able to notice it in five years either, no matter how thin you are. Happiness is not about changing your circumstances but changing the eyes through which you view your circumstances.
So the next time you’re tempted to start feuding with your thighs, take a moment to thank them for helping carry you from place to place and forming the lap that held your children. When you look in the mirror, don’t grab those love handles roughly and wish them away. Remind yourself that they’re part of the body that allows you to be here to enjoy all life has to offer. When you’re reaching for a cupcake because you think you’re just a bundle of imperfections — isn’t that how it always starts? — stop and focus on the blessing of still having a body despite the years of abuse you’ve probably heaped upon it. You survived the all-red diet, the oat-bran diet, the cabbage diet — all the fad diets that had everything in them except what your body actually needed: a friend, someone to nurture and care for it, to feed it and treat it with kindness.
After all your body has done for you over the years, don’t you owe it at least that much?
Geneen Roth is an international teacher, speaker, and writer of best-selling books on emotional eating. You can visit her at
geneenroth.com.
Related Links:
Make Peace with Your Body
Worrying About Weight Doesn’t Help You Lose It
The Toss-Your-Scale Diet Plan
Good Food, Bad Food
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Poor Sense of Smell May Be Early Sign of Parkinson’s
Those with lowest odor identification scores had 5 times greater risk, study finds
An impaired sense of smell could be an early indicator of Parkinson’s disease, occurring up to four years before motor skill problems appear, recent research shows. The study, published in the February issue of the Annals of Neurology, followed 2,267 men who received olfactory testing at the Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu at least once during two periods in the 1990s. They were followed for up to eight years and, during that time, 35 of the men developed the disease.
An odor identification problem preceded the development of Parkinson’s by at least four years in these men. Decreased odor identification was associated with older age, smoking, more coffee consumption, less frequent bowel movements, lower cognitive function and excessive daytime sleepiness, but even after adjusting for these factors, those with the lowest odor identification scores had a five times greater risk of developing Parkinson’s than those with the highest scores.
The results strengthen findings from earlier studies that suggest olfactory impairment begins between two and seven years before diagnosis. Why problems with smelling accompany Parkinson’s is not completely understood; however, nerve loss and the formation of Lewy bodies — abnormal clumps of proteins inside nerve cells that are thought to be a marker of the disease — are known to take place in the olfactory structures of patients with the disease.
The study authors noted that one previous study involving brain dissection of deceased patients with neurological disease found that olfactory structures are the earliest brain regions affected by Lewy degeneration, which supports the idea that an impaired sense of smell could be one of the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease. An impaired sense of smell could also be caused by impaired sniffing, which may be another motor symptom of Parkinson’s.
Olfactory testing, along with screening for other potential early indicators of Parkinson’s disease such as constipation or sleep disturbances, could provide a simple and relatively economic means of identifying individuals at high risk who could participate in trials of medications designed to prevent or slow disease progression, the authors concluded in a prepared statement.
More information: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about
Parkinson’s disease.
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Sex: Question and Answer
Note from Sandra: As part of our focus on Healthy Relationships in 2009, we have decided to have a Question and Answer section in each newsletter. Now is your chance to – anonymously, of course, – ask any questions you may have about sex. Just email Sandra and you will get an answer to your question from either Tom or Sandra. We will answer every question, but will select one to appear in each newsletter.
Q: Can too much masturbation hurt your sex life?
If one partner is upset by the other’s masturbation and/or use of pornography it is very important to communicate about the issue and try to come up with compromises. Compromises might include viewing pornography together (which can spice up a routine sex life) or limiting the frequency of masturbation. Masturbation can actually be a solution for couples whose sex drives are “mismatched” (for example, one partner would like to have sex twice a day whereas the other is satisfied with twice a month). If you don’t feel like you can communicate with your partner about the issue you may want to consider couples counseling.
Q: What is sex therapy and what really happens in a sex therapy session?
A: Sex therapy is a form of relationship counseling that focuses specifically on intimacy and sexual problems. A sex therapist can be a psychiatrist, psychologist, a family or marriage counselor, or sometimes even a clergyman, as long as they are specifically trained in this area. As with all forms of therapy, there are specific programs designed to help couples and individuals work through their sex-related issues. The role of a sex therapist is not to change someone’s sex drive or orientation, but to help them maximize their potential for satisfaction and happiness. Generally, sex therapy is talk therapy. However, in a very small number of cases, “surrogacy” may be involved. Surrogacy is when the therapist essentially has sex with the client (or couple) to help them work through whatever the problem might be. Quite frankly, I think any therapist who practices sex surrogacy is unethical – and this type of therapy is not condoned by the American Psychological Association. In all my experience there has never been a sexual problem that could not be “fixed” through the use of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, along with appropriate “homework” assignments. It is helpful for both parties to participate, but that is not absolutely necessary. Also – as is the case with almost every relationship issue – the foundation for working through sexual issues is communication with your partner.
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How to Read a Nutrition Label
If you have a hard time making heads or tails of food labels, take our cheat sheet with you the next time you hit the grocery store. Bonus: Understanding the labels will ensure that you are getting enough daily nutrients, which help you reach your health and weight-loss goals.
If you have any questions about how to read a nutrition label, please let us know!
Serving Size and Servings per Container:
Calories and Calories From Fat:
% Daily Value:
Total Fat:
Cholesterol and Sodium:
Total Carbohydrate (Dietary Fiber, Sugars):
Vitamins and Minerals:
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KEEP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM STRONG & VITAL
Note from Sandra:
EpiCor is a yeast-derived product that was apparently discovered by accident. It seems that a group of employees from a large manufacturer of animal nutrition products had experienced unusually low sick leave rates and filed fewer claims than employees at similarly sized companies. It was suspected that this low illness rate was related to a fermented yeast culture the company was using to manufacture its animal products with, and that the employees were exposed to on a regular basis.
Consequently, the company commissioned a formal research group, not only to investigate possible efficacy, but also to examine the safety of this nutrient. During the course of their research, the group found that the EpiCor product had an excellent profile of both mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, along with essential minerals, vitamins and trace elements. It appeared to have extremely high antioxidant capability, actually higher than that of blueberries.
A number of animal studies were performed that showed EpiCor was safe and well tolerated. In a small human study1 of 15 patients, it was found that EpiCor was safe, non-toxic, non-mutagenic and not harmful to cells. When they tested the blood of these 15 individuals, it was found that the immunity markers were significantly higher than would have been expected. In a study2 published in July 2008 in the journal Urologic Nursing, individuals that supplemented with EpiCor were found to have improvement in immune function and reduced incidence of common virus-caused poor health.
Your body has many ways to protect itself from foreign invasion which go well beyond the white blood cells. Your first lines of defense are concentrated in areas of the body where outside invaders try to get in, mucous membranes such as your mouth, nose, throat and intestines. Your body produces a substance called secretory IgA (sIgA) which helps to neutralize these foreign invaders at the mucous membrane level. And tests conducted indicate that EpiCor raised levels of sIgA up to 60%.
If a harmful pathogen makes it past your sIgA defenses, your body calls in a second team of helper cells (CD4) and two different types of ‘killer’ cells-T-killer cells (CD8) and antibody-producing B cells. When a pathogen makes it into your body, the helper cell sees that the body is under attack and sends the T and B killer cells into play, producing antibodies and thwarting the invader’s attack. The more helper cells there are, the faster the immune system can spread the message to your killer cells. And it was discovered that EpiCor did precisely that. EpiCor boosted the efficiency of the killer cells and increased the ratio of helpers to killers.
EpiCor also increased the activity and efficiency of what are called NK cells. NK cells, or Natural Killer cells. They work a lot like your T and B killer cells, roaming your body looking for pathogen-infected cells. But when they find them, a process called apoptosis takes place. In simple terms, the NK cell forces the infected cell to commit suicide! You stay healthy because the pathogens and the cells they’ve already infected die off before they can spread through your system.
Epicor is also a powerful anti-oxidant, and may promote natural anti-inflammatory properties? protecting your heart, keeping your joints healthy and helping you to feel your best!
www.Vitacost.com (I’m sure it is available other places, but I know Vitacost carries it – because that’s where I found this article!).Nutraceutical Sciences InstituteÆ (NSIÆ) offers a 60 count, 500 mg product for under $25 (less than 42 cents per day).
1. An-Open-Label, Single-Dose Phase I One Month Pharmacokinetic Study, Radiant Research, Inc., Chicago, IL.
2. Moyad MA, Robinson LE, Zawada ET, Jr, Kittelsrud JM, Chen DG, Reeves SG, Weaver SE, Effects of a Modified Yeast Supplement on Cold/Flu Symptoms, Urologic Nursing, February 2008; 28(1): 50-55.
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Amazing Facts About Heart Health and Heart Disease
From the size of the heart to the timing of heart attacks, here are five facts about the human heart everyone should know
By
Reviewed by
Stephanie Watson
WebMD The MagazineLouise Chang, MD
You can feel your heart thudding away every time you put your hand to your chest, but do you have any idea what’s really going on in there or what keeps your heart ticking as it should? WebMD the Magazine asked Richard Krasuski, MD, director of Adult Congenital Heart Disease Services and a staff cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, to help explain some amazing and little-known facts about the human heart.
1. How the human heart functions
Every day, your heart beats about 100,000 times, sending 2,000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart has the mighty job of keeping blood flowing through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that feed your organs and tissues. Any damage to the heart or its valves can reduce that pumping power, forcing the heart to work harder just to keep up with the body’s demand for blood. So how do you make sure your heart is in tip-top shape? “Keeping your body in good health helps keep the heart a more efficient organ,” Krasuski advises. In other words, eat healthy, well-balanced meals and don’t skimp on the exercise.
2. Male heart attack symptoms, female heart attack symptoms
When it comes to matters of the heart, men and women definitely aren’t created equal. For instance, a man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, while a woman’s heart weighs approximately 8 ounces. Not only is a woman’s heart smaller than a man’s, but the signs that it’s in trouble are a lot less obvious. When women have a heart attack — and more than a half million do each year — they’re more likely to have nausea, indigestion, and shoulder aches rather than the hallmark chest pain. Heart disease is the biggest killer of both men and women. And both genders should heed this healthy advice: Don’t smoke, keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check, and watch for the obvious and the more subtle warning signs your heart could be in trouble.
3. Laughter: The good heart medicine
Health experts now have proof that laughter is good medicine. A good belly laugh can send 20% more blood flowing through your entire body. One study found that when people watched a funny movie, their blood flow increased. That’s why laughter might just be the perfect antidote to stress. When you laugh, the lining of your blood vessel walls relaxes and expands, Krasuski says. So have a good giggle. Your heart will thank you.
4. Stress and the Monday morning heart attack
You’re more likely to have a heart attack on Monday morning than at any other time of the week. Doctors have long known that morning is prime time for heart attacks. “We call it ‘the witching hour,’” Krasuski says. That’s because levels of a stress hormone called cortisol peak early in the day. When this happens, cholesterol plaque that has built up in the arteries can rupture and block the flow of blood to the heart. Add in the rise in blood pressure and increased heart rate from the stress of returning to work after the weekend, and you have the perfect recipe for a Monday morning heart attack. That’s why it’s important to reduce your stress levels as much as you can. Practice yoga, meditate, exercise, laugh (see tip No. 3), or spend more quality time with your family — whatever works best for you.
5. How sex helps the heart
Having an active sex life could cut a man’s risk of dying from heart disease in half. For men, having an orgasm three or four times a week might offer potent protection against a heart attack or stroke, according to one British study. Whether sex works as well for women’s hearts is unclear, but a healthy love life seems to equate to good overall health. For one thing, sexual activity is an excellent stress buster. It’s also great exercise — burning about 85 calories per half-hour session. If you find it difficult to have sex, that could be a big red flag that something is wrong with your heart. For example, some researchers think erectile dysfunction might warn of a heart attack up to five years in advance.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
The Law of the Garbage Truck
One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.
We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean he was really friendly.
So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital! This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’ ††††
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so…Love the people who treat you right.
Pray for the ones who don’t.
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Exercise…JUST DO IT!!!
GET OUT OF THE GYM – 12 WAYS TO PLAY YOUR WAY FIT!
Calorie counts reflect the number of calories burned by a 150-pound person doing the activity for 45 minutes.
1. Gardening
Calories: 204
Benefits: light aerobic; moves whole body; nature
2. Swimming
Calories: 357
Benefits: aerobic; tones whole body
3. Golf
(
4. Canoeing or kayaking
5. Rebounding/trampolining
6. Playing volleyball
7. Inline skating
8. Playing Frisbee
9. Tennis
10. Bike rides
11. Playing softball
12. Playing tag
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HANDBAGS and GERMS
Note from Sandra: This applies not only to “handbags” or purses, but also backpacks, gym bags or tote bags.
Have you ever noticed people who set their handbags on public toilet floors, then go directly to their dining tables and set it on the table? It’s not always the ‘restaurant food’ that causes stomach distress.
It’s something just about every woman carries with them. While we may know what’s inside our handbags, do you have any idea what’s on the outside?
Women carry handbags everywhere; from the office to public toilets to the floor of the car. Most women won’t be caught without their handbags, but did you ever stop to think about where your handbag goes during the day?
‘I drive a school bus, so my handbag has been on the floor of the bus a lot,’ says one woman. Others report they put their purses on the floor of the car, in grocery shopping carts, or on the floor in toilets.
We decided to find out if handbags harbor a lot of bacteria. We learned how to test them at Nelson Laboratories in Salt Lake, and then we set out to test the average woman’s handbag.†
Most women told us they didn’t stop to think about what was on the bottom of their handbag. Most said at home they usually set their handbags on top of kitchen tables and counters where food is prepared…and most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn’t be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty.†
It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked.
Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs says nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick.†
In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that’s not the worst of it. ‘There is fecal contamination on the handbags’, says Karen. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role. People with kids tended to have dirtier handbags than those without, with one exception.†
The handbag of one single woman who frequented nightclubs had one of the worst contaminations of all. ‘Some type of feces, or possibly vomit’ says Karen.
So the moral of this story is that your handbag won’t kill you, but it does have the potential to make you very sick if you keep it on places where you eat. Use hooks to hang your handbag at home and in toilets, and don’t put it on your desk, a restaurant table, or on your kitchen countertop.†
Experts say you should think of your handbag the same way you would a pair of shoes. ‘If you think about putting a pair of shoes on your countertops, that’s the same thing you’re doing when you put your handbag on the countertops.’ Your handbag has gone where individuals before you have walked, sat, sneezed, coughed, spat, urinated, pooped or vomited. †
Do you really want to bring that home with you? The microbiologists at Nelson also said cleaning a handbag will help. So, wash cloth handbags and use leather cleaner to clean the bottom of leather handbags.†
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FRIGHTENING FOOD FACT:
BellyBowl
“Love the pasta. Devour the bowl,” urge the ads for Domino’s new BreadBowl Pasta.
Some restaurants serve soup in a round loaf of bread with its insides scooped out. Domino’s opts for pasta. Is that brilliant or what?
What’s not to love about a giant serving of salty white-flour carbs stuffed with salty white-flour carbs like Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Carbonara (with bacon and Alfredo sauce), Italian Sausage Marinara (with Provolone cheese), Pasta Primavera (with Alfredo), or Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese?
You gotta give Domino’s credit. Other companies may be going bankrupt. But by getting customers to order an entrÈe instead of part of a pizza, the chain is looking out for its bottom line…and yours.
If you devour an entire BreadBowl Pasta – like each family member in the TV ad does – your bottom (and belly and hips) will take notice. You can’t expect 1,340 to 1,480 calories to slip by those famished fat cells. And your arteries won’t forget the more than a day’s worth of saturated fat (22 to 29 grams) or sodium (1,820 to 2,840 milligrams).
But will your brain notice that you just ate the equivalent of an entire Domino’s medium hand-tossed 12-inch cheese pizza?
You can save 800 calories (and $1) if you order the (still unhealthy) pasta bowl-less. It comes in a takeout-type tin in a box that says “Next time, try BreadBowl pasta baked inside the bread bowl. It’s even tastier…and the name makes more sense”.
Our guess: the tin costs Domino’s more than the bread bowl.
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Recipe of the Month
Vanilla Cheesecake with Berry Sauce
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time
The crust is held together using mostly egg white, which has virtually no fat and the same binding properties as butter.
: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Chilling Time: at least 6 hours
Nutritional Info (per serving):
Calories: 174 Carbs: 15 g Sodium: 435 mg Fiber: 1 g
Fat: 6 g Sat Fat: 4 g Protein: 14 g Cholesterol: 35 mg
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
One and one-quarter cup vanilla wafer cookie crumbs
One Tablespoon butter, melted
Three Tablespoons + One and one-quarter cup sugar
One and one-half pounds 1% cottage cheese
One package (8 oz) reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
One-quarter cup whole grain pastry flour
One large egg
One Tablespoon vanilla extract
One Pint mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries
One-quarter cup strawberry all-fruit syrup
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray
Place 1 egg white in medium bowl. Beat lightly with fork. Add cookie crumbs, butter and 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Toss until crumbs cling together. Press into bottom and 2 inches up sides of prepared pan.
In food processor, combine cottage cheese, reduced-fat cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese. Process until smooth. Add flour and the remaining one and one-quarter cups sugar. Process until sugar is dissolved.
Add egg, vanilla extract, and the remaining 2 egg whites. Process just until blended. Pour over prepared crust.
Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in oven 30 minutes. Cool on rack. Cover and refrigerate at least six hours.
In medium bowl, mix berries and syrup. Crush a few berries with back of wooden spoon. Let stand 5 minutes or until a light syrup forms. Serve over slices of cheesecake.
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Supplement of the Month
Beetroot Juice May Boost Stamina
Study Findings Could Apply to Athletes, Elderly and Others
Beetroot juice can boost physical stamina and increase exercise endurance by up to 16 percent, a new British study shows.
The researchers found that nitrate in beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to a degree that can’t be achieved by any other means. The findings could benefit endurance athletes, elderly people and those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases, the study authors suggest.
The study included eight men, aged 19 to 38, who drank 500 milliliters a day of organic beetroot juice for six consecutive days. They then completed a series of tests on an exercise bike. The same tests were repeated after the men drank the same amount of a placebo (blackcurrant cordial) for six days.
After drinking the beetroot juice, the men were able to cycle for an average of 11.25 minutes — 92 seconds longer than after consuming the placebo drink. The men also had a lower resting blood pressure after they drank the beetroot juice, the researchers found.
The study was published Aug. 6 in the Journal of Applied Physiology.
“Our study is the first to show that nitrate-rich food can increase exercise endurance,” corresponding author Andy Jones, a professor in the University of Exeter’s School of Sport and Health Sciences, said in a news release from the university.
“We were amazed by the effects of beetroot juice on oxygen uptake because these effects cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training. I am sure professional and amateur athletes will be interested in the results of this research. I am also keen to explore the relevance of the findings to those people who suffer from poor fitness and may be able to use dietary supplements to help them go about their daily lives,” Jones added.
He and his colleagues don’t know the exact mechanism that causes nitrate in beetroot juice to increase stamina, but they suspect that nitrate may turn into nitric oxide in the body, leading to a reduction in oxygen uptake and making exercise less tiring.
More informationguide to physical activity.
– Robert Preidt
SOURCE: University of Exeter, news release, Aug. 6, 2009
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Referral Incentive Program
As a nontraditional medical practice, we are very dependent on word of mouth advertising. We need your help to get the word out about our philosophy of health care and the services we provide. †We pride ourselves on comprehensive assessments and personal treatment plans. †If you have found working with us beneficial, we would like to offer the following incentives for you to refer your family or friends to us for a similar experience. †
a microdermabrasion treatment †
††††††††††††††††††††††††or
2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Microdermabrasion Series
microdermabrasion treatment
††††††††††††††††††††or
a 1-hour massage
††††††††††††††††††††or
2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Hormone Evaluation Package
a microdermabrasion treatment
a 1-hour massage
2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil.
Full Evaluation Package
a microdermabrasion treatment
a 90-minute massage
2 bottles of omega 3 fish oil
– For every referral who completes a full evaluation and enters our monitoring/mentoring program, you can earn all of the following: – For every referral who completes our hormone evaluation and enters our monitoring/mentoring program, you can earn a combination of any two of the following: – For every referral who signs up for a 6-visit microdermabrasion series, you can earn:
Luncheon referral/tour
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HAPPENINGS!
GROUP WALK:
THURSDAY LUNCHEONS:
HEALTHY CHANGE SUPPORT GROUP:
Please join us for a forum to ask questions, provide feedback and get support from your fellow OHI members and Tom, Sandra and Jeff. The group will meet at 5:30 the 2nd Wednesday of the month (September 9th). Please RSVP, as the group will be cancelled if we don’t have at least 3 or 4 attendees.Every Thursday we offer tours of Optimal Health Institute along with a healthy lunch with Tom and Sandra. We answer all health-related questions – from hormones to supplements. If you feel like you’ve benefited from our services, then please invite a friend or family member to join us for lunch. You are welcome to come and bring a friend or two, or give us the contact information and we will call and personally invite them to learn more about what we do.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK
You can submit your questions (anonymously, of course) to Sandra at slk@optimal-health.net Additionally, we still want you to brag about your successes – whether in the area of healthy lifestyle changes or just life in general. This can be anonymous as well.
As always, we wish you Optimal Health,
Jeff
Sandra
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