Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Good evening everyone. Merry Christmas one and all. I hope that your holiday has been as wonderful as mine. I also want to wish you a Happy New Year. As we enter into the new year, I want to wish you the best of health and travels into and through the new year. There are so many new things to learn as we make this journey we call life each and every day. I will be there to help you along the way and hope to be able to answer any questions you may have.

Here is a beautiful punch that I think you may enjoy for the season:

2 quarts of apple juice
2 liter of gingerale
frozen pineapple ice cream

This is a great treat for the holiday season.
Enjoy!

Best of health

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. I hope your day has been blessed. It is wonderful to have so many things to be thankful for. I want to send a thanks out to all my followers and other viewers for a wonderful first year on my blog page. I also want to thank all of those who have served our country or is serving our country so that I could be free. I wish everyone out there a wonderful and safe holiday.

Best of Health

Did You Know?

Hello everyone. Welcome again to Healthy Lifestyle And Wellness. It is great to speak to all of you again. Everyday I learn new things and I am getting excited to be able to share some of my new found knowledge with you. It is amazing as to how much the things we eat affect the way we feel, look and how healthy we may really be. Did you know that the claims on labels aren't always what they appear? Did you know that a diet isn't really a diet, it's a change of lifestyle? Did you know that your blood type affects what you may or may not be able to eat? Did you know that your physical activity goes hand in hand with what you eat in losing or maintaining weight? Did you know that life itself can affect how you eat, which in turn affects your health and weight? These are some of the topics we are going to be delving into over the next few weeks. Please join us in these great discussions and bring your questions to the board so that others may learn things as well.

Wishing You the Best of Health

Changes to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness

Hello everyone. New and exciting things are beginning to happen to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. As of November 15, 2010, I am the new Dietary and Fitness Counselor at the place where I work. This site will begin to be used by all my clients and I hope that you will find some exciting new discoveries. I wish for everyone to bring their questions to the site so that everyone can learn from each other. This is supposed to be fun as well as supportive. Do not be afraid to ask new questions or bring to the group fun new information. I wish the best for everyone and can't wait for the fun to get started.

Best of Health.

Welcome Back

Hello and Welcome back everyone to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. It's been a while and I am glad to be back with all of you. There are new things that I am learning everyday in my field of study and am looking forward to sharing with everyone.

I would like to invite everyone to take a look at my earlier postings and comment or ask questions to get the conversations in this site flowing. One very interesting discussion is the one on GMOs and I think that everyone will learn a lot from it. Eventually I would like to bring you some of the knowledge that I have to offer in the practice of Natural medicine so that you may have a better feel for what all may be offered in the Alternative medicine practice.

Since this our first week back in a while, I would like to give you the opportunity to ask questions that you may be interested in studying so that we can possibly delve into those areas. So please join me and learn a whole new range of information.

Until next time, I wish you all the best of health.

More about Fitness

Hello everyone and welcome back to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. Most of us don't realize how short we are on getting the exercise we need. It is recommended that we get at least 30 minutes a day of extensive exercise. While most of us have active days, few of us spend time really focusing on our bodies. I find it hard myself to do this. I want to challenge everyone this week to put exercise into your daily routine for this week and then tell me what you were able to do. Until next time, good luck.
Best of health.

Fitness

Hello again and welcome to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. This has been an interesting past few weeks as we have delved into several different topics. As you all know from my first post, I am a student at Kaplan University and I created this site for the class. However, I have decided that I will continue on with this well after my classes end next week. Please feel free to join me in discussion. Questions will help make this site go forward at a better pace.

Last week we started on the topic of fitness and activity. I asked if anyone had any ideas as to what you would considered as physical activity. There are many different activities that can be included in this list. Some examples of physical activities could include but are not limited to: hiking, swimming, walking, running, frisbee, and even housework. Many people do not realize that a physical activity could include normal everyday things such as gardening or cleaning house. These aren't what are included in extreme energy workouts though.

One of my other questions was about what you felt was the amount of high intensity physical activity that you should perform in a day. The answer to that question is 30 minutes a day. This type of activity would be in the form of swimming, running, jogging and even sports. There is a whole list of high intensity activity that you can perform a day.

Do you have any physical activity that you perform that would be considered high intensity? How often do you perform these activities? How long do you perform these? Do you feel that you are getting enough activity in your normal day? What do you think you can do to improve the total of your activity?

I look forward to hear what everyone has to say this week. Feel free to post and even ask questions. Have a healthy week and see you next time.

Lifestyle changes

Hello again. Last week we discussed a little more about GMO foods. I ended the session with a question as to what you would do to change your lifestyle. Lifestyle changes doesn't necessarily mean a change in diet. Although that may be the main point, it's not the only point. Another change may come in exercise. The more active you are the less likely you are going to deal with other health issues.

It is proven that lower activity can cause obesity, heart disease and other health issues. The recommendation for activity is no less than 30 minutes. If you had to start adding an activity in your daily routine, what kind of activity would that be? Can you give some suggestions as to what kind of activity would benefit your health? What would be a more aggressive activity and what would be a less aggressive activity? Do they all benefit your health in the same way?

I will delve into these question next week. Until then, I would love to hear what you have to say on this topic.

Food Safety

Hello again everyone. It is great to be back with all of you to discuss the safety of our food. Last week I shared with you new information about GMO foods. I even asked some questions hoping to spark some conversation. One of the questions was what your thoughts were about GMO food. In my opinion, if a food has to be tampered with to try to bring forth better vitamin and mineral value, then we should look at the root of the problem. Placing pesticides in our food so that the bugs and other things don't damage it is not a safe solution to any of the problems that the food industry may be facing. Instead of helping the consumer with a better nutritional intake, they are damaging the consumer with harmful and dangerous toxins.

My second question was, should we consume this kind of food? Absolutely not. The nutritional quality of GMO food is tampered with by genetically reconstructing it. What happened to the original quality in which was provided to us in the very beginning? Consuming this type of food can mean many health issues instead of benefits in the end. Toxic poisoning that can actually destroy the functions of our immune system as well as our organs. We already know that pesticides are not good for us. So why inject the produce with these toxins and consume them when we already know the dangers in it?

My third question was, should manufacturers inform us of their products being GMO? You bet! We as the consumer have a right to know what type of food we are eating. We have a right to make a choice as to whether we want to contaminate our own body. What right do they have to infect us with pesticides and other contaminants without us knowing? The nation wonders why they are getting sicker all the time. The cases of cancer has gone up as well as other diseases. Hello!! Stop and look at what they are feeding us. It is not required by the government for the manufacturer to inform us. The manufacturer doesn't even serve their GMO food to their employees. Why is this?

My final question was, How can we protect ourselves from GMO foods? Since it is not regulated or mandated to inform consumers of the type of food that is being provided and the consumer is left completely in the dark as to what they are eating, it is best to stay away from normal grocery store foods. I know what your asking. How can we possibly do this? There are really only 2 ways to do this. You can either grow your own food, in which I know is not possible for everyone because of where they may live, or you can buy organically. Organic food is non-genetically modified food that doesn't use pesticides. That is the reason for the food to be more expensive. It is harder to raise a crop and keep it from being damaged by bug infestation and other harms, but it is healthier all around.

I want to leave you with one question for the week. If you had to change anything about your lifestyle, what would you change?

A Step on to a Healthier Lifestyle

Hello everyone.

It's another great day to be able to share with you on Healthy Lifestyle And Wellness. Last week we concentrated on a healthy menu. Today I would like to discuss with all of you a new topic I learned about this week concerning the foods we eat. Has anyone here ever heard of GMO's? Do you know what it means? Please allow me to enlighten you. You may make your own decisions on this topic and I will even give you some info that you may look over so that you can see that I'm not just blowing off some steam. Your input would be very helpful and interesting. So please feel free to comment on the information I am about to share with you.

According to www.gmo-compass.org , a GMO is a genetically modified organism in which the genetic material has been changed in a way that doesn't happen in a normal and natural environment. It is done through a cross breading or a recombination performed naturally.The pros of GMO's are that it enhances the taste and the quality, reduces the time it takes for the plants to mature, and causes the nutrients to increase. The crops also become more productive and grows a higher resistance to diseases and pestilences. The positive end with GMO's and animals helps them to be able to increase their resistance to disease and make them stronger and healthier. It is also know to increase their productivity of milk, eggs and even their meat. Environmentally GMO's are considered friendly bioherbicides and bioinsecticides. It improves the management of waist naturally as well as conserves the soil, water and energy. The only positive effect of GMO's for the society is the security of the production of food for an ever growing population. There are controversies, however, towards the safety of GMO's. There are potential health issues that can occur such as allergies as well as the human transfer of antibiotic resistance markers within their body. Environmentally there could be problems with other organisms because of unintended cross pollination as well as loss of flora and fauna biodiversity within the soil. This can also cause piracy where only a couple of companies produces the food world wide. Ethnically it will tamper with the values of the organism, tamper with nature and may cause animals to become stressed. One other issue is that GMO products do not have to be labeled as GMO foods before being placed in the markets.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfoods.shtml
www.usda.gov

In my opinion, GMO foods should not be placed on the markets. The Bt pesticide is injected into the gene of a plant and as it develops, the gene begins to create itself within the plant to protect it from insects and bugs. The bad part about this Bt pesticide was shown evident in a test performed on rats when they were fed foods that had been grown through this process. The outcome was astounding. These rats developed cells that can turn into cancer, had smaller brains, testicles and livers. They had partially atrophied livers and also showed signs of their immune systems being damaged. In humans, it was proven that the Bt pesticide in the GMO foods could transfer into the DNA of our gut bacteria. This means that the flora in our intestines could continue to develop the Bt pesticide causing many health issues that we already know pesticides can cause. Isn't it saying something when the companies that produce these GMO foods refuse to serve them in their cafeterias? And why isn't the media opening up the whole issue of the GMO's to the public eye? To top all of this off, there is documentation that more than 10,000 sheep died within a 5 day period of eating from a field of a GM food source.

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/genetically-modified-foods-is-safe-to-eat-889239.html

What are your thought on this information? Do you think that we should be consuming these foods? Do you think that the manufacturers should be informing us if the food that they are producing is GMO or not? How can we protect ourselves from GMO's?

A Look at a Healthy Menu

Hello again everyone. I hope everyone's week has gone well and are ready to head on to another session. Last week we discussed that the first step intoa a healthy lifestyle is the foods you eat. I asked you to make up a menu for one day and I would either tweek it or I would give you a sample menu this week.

As you know, each day should consist of the five different food groups. If you are having trouble and need further information on this topic, you can go to www.mypyramid.gov to receive extra guidance. This will gude you on your weekly amounts you should consume. Today's part of the menu is to teach you the basic to making a healthy diet. Later you can learn how to look at your vitamin and mineral consumption. So let's have at it!

Breakfast:

1 cup oatmeal w/4oz 1% milk
1 cup blueberries
8oz fortified orange juice

AM Snack:

Dozen 12-grain crackers
2 slices of cheese
8oz water

Lunch:

3 oz diced, grilled chicken on top of 2 cups fresh baby spinach, 1/4 cup diced tomato, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar, 1 tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 1 tbsp ground flax seed, 2 tbsp of your favorite olive oil vinegrette. Don't forget to top with dried cranberries.
8 oz 1% milk

Afternoon Snack:

1 oz dry roasted almonds ( approximately 14)
8 oz cranberry juice

Dinner:

3 oz Salmon, grilled w/ lemon & pepper
1/2 cup lima beans
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup Cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced peaches
1 slice multi-grain bread
8 oz water
8 oz herb tea

PM Snack:

2 cups air popped pop corn
1 tbsp butter
8 oz water

Don't forget to drink water throughout the day.

Okay, so my second question was whether it's okay to eat sweets. The answer is yes, in moderation. It is important that you don't deprive yourself. This could lead you to over indulgence and further consequences. I like to get myself a handful of yogurt coated raisins or nuts to give me both a healthy treat and yet sweetness.

Now my challenge for you this week is to take a look at your menu and see where you can change. Is there anything you over indulge in? What could you do in its place? As always, please feel free to contact me.

Until next time,
Best of health

What is a Healthy Lifestyle Con't

Good evening everyone and welcome again to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. So my question last week was, what is a healthy lifestyle? This week I hope to touch base on this question. There are several areas that assist in a healthy lifestyle and the very first part I wish to discuss is the diet. Most people look at the word diet and they think of all the fads out there that we call crash diets. However, I want us to look at it as a change of lifestyle.

I don't want you to go on a lettuce and water diet. What kind of nutrients would you get from that? Truth is you would receive very little and that would end up causing you more issues with your health than having a few too many pounds. In other words, take a look at everything you eat. Is it high in fat, calories, and carbs? You should be eating well balanced meals that touch all of the food groups.

So what are the food groups? Dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat should be applied with all of your meals or caught up within your snacks. I would love to help you visualize a healthy diet and I plan to, but before I do, I would like to see if any of you out there can design me a healthy menu. I will touch up your menu or give you a sample later on.

One departing question I have for you; If you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, what kind of deserts would you find to fall into that category or do you think all treats are out?

Until next time, best of health.

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

Hello again everyone. Last week I introduced myself as well as my site. This week we are going to discuss what it is to have a healthy lifestyle. Many people think that it mainly means diet. Although diet has a large part in a healthy lifestyle, there's more to it than that. Food isn't the only substance that may enter our bodies. We often times allow toxins in. Do you know what some of the toxins are that we allow to enter our bodies and how they may harm us?

This week I want us to focus on this question and next week I will both answer as well as bring to the forefront the next part of a healthy lifestyle.

Until then, best of health.

Introduction

Welcome to Healthy Lifestyle and Wellness. My name is Tabitha and I am currently a student at Kaplan University in which I am studying for my bachelors in Health and Wellness. My goal is to be a practitioner of Alternative Medicine.

I was raised by wonderful parents who believed in healthy living. My mother grew her own garden and canned her own food for as long as I can remember. We ate very little processed foods or preservatives, as well as limited amounts of fat and calorie rich food. My mother had always used supplementations and so I was introduced at a young age.

Now I'm a mother and want to give my children the best that I can possibly give them. With the obesity, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses that are plaguing our nation, it's important to teach our children how to live a healthy lifestyle.

I would like to get some reader intake. What is a healthy lifestyle? What do you need to obtain a healthy lifestyle? Reflect on your own life for a minute. What do you personally need to do to improve your lifestyle?

Over the next few sessions we will focus on establishing what all is entailed in a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve it.