Colder weather generally signals the upcoming cold and flu season, but did you know that it's not the cold weather that makes you susceptible?
 
The viruses that make us feel so gross this time of year enjoy the heat so are actually a result of the much closer quarters we share with everyone while we try not to go outside! Keep your immune system ready and your body healthy by following these tips for the season.

1. Wash your hands! Just like your mom used to say, washing your hands frequently, and especially before meals, is one of the best ways to make sure you'll stay healthy.
2. Get your flu shots! Immunizing yourself against the flu will not only keep you happy and healthy throughout the season, it will also help prevent the spread of the viruses to others.
3. Get enough sleep! Healthy sleeping habits lead to a healthy immune system. If you are avoiding a good night's rest, you may be putting yourself at risk for a nasty cold.
4. Keep exercising! Maintaining healthy habits will keep your body in shape to fight off the cold and flu viruses of the season.
5. Eat right! Make sure that your body has all the help it can get in the form of proper nutrition. Maintain your intake of essential vitamins and minerals, and limit your intake of sugars.
6. Smoking and drinking won't help. Both nicotine and alcohol disrupt sleep and health habits alike, which make them enemies of the season.
7. Look into the benefits of a Colonic! When the body encounters allergies or germs, it wants to get rid of these toxins by producing body fluids; hence the sneezing, watery eyes and noses during allergy season. The colon plays a role in throwing out toxins but if it is backed up, symptoms can intensify and affect the rest of body.

In order to do all of the things we do throughout our lives, our bodies rely on a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, along with some essential vitamins and minerals. But while carbohydrates that come from foods like potatoes, bread, and squash provide the energy our bodies need, that energy truly comes from sugar. Our bodies break down carbohydrates into glucose (sugar) for proper processing. Straight sugar (ie: from your soda), are a faster way for your body to get the energy it thinks it needs. This is why sugar is such a huge problem in this country and across the world. When we can get so much sugar so easily, we process far more than our bodies need! Unfortunately, those same bodies that crave sugar suffer as a result.

Insulin, which many people know only in its relation to diabetes, is actually the vehicle your body uses to deliver glucose energy to your cells. Sugar triggers the production of insulin so that the sugar can be used. However, too much sugar will produce enough insulin that your cells will become resistant and the sugars are left to wander through your bloodstream, eventually leading to diabetes or weight gain.  

Natural sugars can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables (along with the carbohydrates that break down into glucose), but in vastly smaller quantities than we get from sweetened drinks and candies. One 20 oz bottle of soda has the same amount of sugar as eleven servings of strawberries, but without the filling quality of those fruits. Sugar is not something that can or should be completely cut out of a diet, but since it’s found naturally almost everywhere, added sugar is unnecessary and potentially very harmful!

●      Sugar is easily processed, which causes a flood of insulin.
●      Sugar’s relationship with insulin is a leading cause in the rise of diabetes.
●      Insulin in the blood blocks your body’s natural ability to tell when it’s full, leading to overeating.
●      Sugar is a leading cause in Fatty Liver Disease.

Resources: http://www.mindbodygreen.com ; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandon-drenon/eat-more-food-and-less-ca_b_5322104.html ; http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/ ; http://www.womenshealthmag.com/ ; http://www.sugarstacks.com/ ;

Coconut is all the craze these days. I found this article that I think covers what makes coconut oil so different. I have started cooking with it and it has changed my life. As you know, ‘heart healthy’ olive oil has long been front and center. But now the healthy fat spotlight is on coconut oil, which is considered one of the healthiest oils on earth.
 
So what makes coconut oil so healthy? As it turns out, coconut oil contains the highest concentration of a particular fatty acid known for its health benefits. To read about some of the healthy properties of this special fatty acid, go here:

http://www.wisechoicemarket.com/coconut-oil/

When cooking, what oil do you usually reach for? Vegetable oils, which for many years have been promoted as healthy, truly aren’t meant for cooking. And in fact, due to high heat extraction, most vegetable oils are damaged before you even buy them! On the other hand, coconut oil is highly stable for cooking. Read more here:

http://www.wisechoicemarket.com/coconut-oil/
 
Happy reading!