Immune System

...now browsing by tag

Healthy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies – Yummm

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Halloween is the time when we have to remember that our kids are not the healthiest in the world and we must protect them from diabetes, obesity and heart disease which are are on the rise among children.

So, I would like to share with you this Healthy Recipe I found at www.foodnetwork.com

Why is it healthy?

Just in case if you don’t know, spices, like ginger and cinnamon boost our immune system helping fight with cold and flu.

Dark molasses are a great substitute for sugar as well as a good source of iron and B vitamins.

As for raisins, they can protect our oral, dental and bone health, be helpful for our vision and beneficial if you have constipation, weight gain or anemia.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin puree

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Bon Appetit!

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Related Articles, Podcast and Video:

Healthy Gingerbread Cookies

Create Your Own Healthy and Delicious Pie

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Headache Migraine Relief, Healthy Recipes, High Blood Pressure Remedies | No Responses »
Tags: Alternative Medicine, Baking, children, Cold, Cooking, Diabetes, family, Flu, Halloween, health, health tips, Healthy and Easy to Make Recipes, Holistic Wellness, home-made facials, Immune System, nutrition, Obesity, Spices

Chocolate Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

As we know, chocolate and its main ingredient, cocoa, are very healthy for us. Chocolate contains flavonoids which can boost our immune system because of higher level of antioxidants, it can also protect us from heart attack and stroke by lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving our mood. Did I mention that chocolate can even improve our skin?

Here are two recipes to make us feel and look fabulous:

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (about 250 grams) of good-quality semisweet chocolate ttss_bittersweetchocolatetruffles_01_h

1/4 cup all purpose cream (or whipping cream)

1 teaspoon strong coffee

Cocoa for dusting

Directions:

Melt the chocolate. Warm up whipping cream in a saucepan. Add one teaspoon coffee to cream, stir, and remove from heat. Mix all the ingredients and stir well until thicken. Put into refrigerator for at least for thirty minutes and then form into truffle-sized balls. Roll the truffles in the cocoa. Lay out on waxed paper and refrigerate again before serving, but serve at room temperature.

Chocolate Home- Made Facial

Ingredients:

1 tsp cacao

½ tsp honey

1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt / kefir or 1 tbsp avocado 42-16638055

1 tsp oatmeal powder

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Apply on the face, gently massaging it so that oatmeal can start exfoliating the dead skin cell layer. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off with luke warm water.

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Beauty Remedies, Healthy Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: Antioxidants, Blood pressure, Dark Chocolate, Heart Disease, home-made facials, Immune System

How to Drink One Extra Glass of Water and Burn 500 Calories a Day the Easy Way

Friday, January 9th, 2009

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

There are two simple things you can do to keep your yearly natural cleanse resolutions to get healthier and lose weight: cleanse smart by drinking more water and keep moving.

And I am not talking about vigorous exercises or 8 glasses of water every day.

To change our habits, we need to change our lifestyle, to change our lifestyle takes longer than we expect, that is why all diets fail. Let’s be realistic: to change something in your life and stick to it takes more than a week or two, and even more than two- three months, am I right?

Easy Detox Weight Loss Results

If you ask me how to start drinking more water and move more the easy way, I would say:

start your day with a glass of water before breakfast and get a puppy – just kidding about the puppy … or not.

Why and how to drink more water:

First filter it: don’t accept the propaganda that municipal water is safe to drink.

We lose water every day by breathing, sweating, urinating, having bowel movements – this is how our body achieves a natural cleanse from its toxins.

Did you know that headaches and migraines can be caused by dehydration? Headache fatigue, nausea fatigue,dizziness, fatigue, muscle cramps, tingling of the limbs are the symptoms of dehydration?

To drink more water is easier than you think. Let me explain how: drink a glass of water (warm and with half a lemon if you like) before breakfast and a cup of tea during or after breakfast. It is already two glasses, and you haven’t even started your day yet! It is simple, isn’t it?

How to start moving without sweat.

First, why a puppy? In addition to my 13year old Aussie, we adopted another one year old puppy a couple of weeks ago. And guess what? With the same routine (two 40 min. walks a day) I started losing weight, because our walks are now at a faster pace. They say young kids keep us young, well, young dogs keep us healthy .

But you obviously don’t have to get a puppy to burn 102 cal. in 30 minutes by walking or 136 cal. by playing with him. There are other options for you.

Walking by itself will help you burn a lot of calories – maybe that is why European women are slimmer.

Walking and calories

up stairs - 272 calories in 30 min
down stairs – 102 calories in 30 min
inside at work gathering things – 102 calories in 30 min
for pleasure – 119 calories in 30 min
under 2 mph (very slow, strolling) - 68 calories in 30 min

Don’t have time to walk? What about going shopping:

non-groceries - 78 calories in 30 min
groceries, without cart – 85 calories in 30 min
groceries, with cart – 78 calories in 30 min

carrying – groceries – 85 calories in 30 min

It is all about moving. You can burn calories even without leaving the house:

ironing – 78 calories in 30 min
cooking – 85 calories in 30 min
washing car – 102 calories in 30 min
vacuuming, around home – 119 calories in 30 min
sweeping, inside (e.g., floors) – 112 calories in 30 min

washing dishes – 78 calories in 30 min
mopping – 119 calories in 30 min
multiple household tasks, light – 85 calories in 30 min vacuum
cleaning – light (e.g., dusting) – 85 calories in 30 min

Don’t want to clean a house? Well, I can understand it. So what’s left?

Kissing and hugging. They will help you burn calories (34 cal. in 30 minutes), reduce stress and boost your immune system.

And speaking about reducing stress, sex will help you both with stress and calories: 30 to 50 calories in 30 minutes! So, more sex = less calories and less stress – please have it in mind.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to move and burn calories. Start with baby steps, keep it simple and you will be surprised with the results:

one extra glass of water before breakfast gives you extra 365 glasses of water a year;

moving 30 minutes a day can help you burn extra 3000 or more calories a month!

Let us be smart and take simple steps to feeling and looking fabulous.

And, as usual, don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

P.S. If you feel like getting some help, motivation and support with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Program for Women, contact me and let us talk…

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Detox, Tips to Lose Weight | 7 Responses »
Tags: Calories, Dehydration, Detox, Immune System, lifestyle, stress, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

Winter Super Foods to Stay Healthy through the Cold and Flu Season

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Because we are what we eat, it is very important to eat more winter super detox foods to help our body detoxify and reduce stress.

I. Whole detox foods rich in anti-stress vitamins and minerals can fight stress illness and you should try to incorporate them in your diet to have less stress.

Magnesium
It has been found that people who exhibit stress illness have low magnesium levels. A deficiency of magnesium interferes with transmission of nerve and muscle impulses, causing irritability and nervousness.

For more magnesium, eat more apples, dried apricots, avocados, brown rice, garlic, grapefruit, lemons, leafy vegetables, millet, nuts, sesame seeds, salmon (wild caught).

Calcium
Our body needs a proper balance between magnesium and calcium to have a healthy stress response. Healthy foods rich in calcium are almonds, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, figs, kale, kelp, mustard greens, oats, prunes, sesame seeds, salmon, seafood, sesame seeds, tofu, plain yogurt / kefir.

B6.
Studies show that people who are depressed have low levels of B6 and serotonin. Eat more avocados, bananas, fish, spinach, walnuts to get more Vitamin B6.

B12.
As we know, B12 deficiency can contribute too many anxiety disorders caused by stress, such as hormonal imbalances, blood sugar fluctuations, chronic fatigue, depression, irritability, moodiness, nervousness. To eat more salmon, seafood, sea vegetables (if we don’t eat meat) will help. A detailed plan with suggestions for reducing stress overload you can find in my eBook “ DeStress-101-Survival Kit for Busy Women”

II. The second step in helping us feel better and be healthier during Winter is to boost our immune system with winter holistic detox.

For a quick detox drink, drink more water (filtered of course!) – it helps us eliminate more toxins. You can also drink teas with Dandelion, Nettles, Ginger, Burdock Root.

Also, try sifting from the most congesting foods (sweets, diary products, bread, fats, fried foods, refined flours, meats, hydrogenated fats, drugs) to the least (fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes),which can help with holistic detox cleansing of your body to bring it into balance.

And we don’t need an excuse to wait for spring to a herbal cleanse of our bodies, because we can use healthy detox super foods, such as apples, beets, celery, squashes, garlic, carrots, onions, green leafy vegetables, lemons, oranges, parsley, seaweed, beans as well as detoxifying spices like turmeric, coriander, fennel, cumin right now.

We need to include these fantastic detox whole foods in our routine and use one or two every day. Why? Because these detox foods can purify our blood, purify and protect our liver, and cleanse our intestines. More on Super Simple Detox – in the detox eBook “Detox – 101 “

Never forget that it is also very important to avoid certain foods if you want to stay healthy and not to get colds. My article “Super Foods to Avoid...” has a list of foods to stay away from.

It is Winter, so slow down, relax and enjoy.

And, of course, let me know if you need some Holistic Counseling or e-Coaching to take your first step to a Healthier and Happier You.

Meanwhile, breathe, smile and be happy,

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Detox, Healthy Recipes, Stress Relief | 1 Response »
Tags: Apples, Holistic Detox, Immune System, nutrition, stress, Super Foods

Hug Therapy to Reduce Stress, Fight Cold and Flu, and Avoid Seasonal Depression

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

It is the most stressful time of the year – time of the cold and flu, holiday anxiety and stress, seasonal depression as well as one of the most stressful times ever in our economic history. My suggestion: let us hug! Are you a hugging person? Actually it doesn’t matter, because if hugging is a challenge for you, it might be even better – we all need challenges from time to time, am I right?

It is a Holiday Time, time of giving, so let us give hugs to people we love and people we know, and maybe even to people we don’t know. Let us try this simple stress-relief tool as many times as we can during this month. Deal?

I would like to share with you the article about hugs by Michael Clutton.

“Hugs are very different from handshakes. Hugs are a way of expressing love and healing for the soul. Sometimes, when there are no words that will help a situation, a simple hug will.

Not only are hugs nice, they are much needed. Hugs can relieve pain and depression. They can make you healthier and happier. Hugging feels good and overcomes fear. Hugs are a crucial part of human communications. Hugs are a healthy, genuine way to express affection, friendship and love. It is never be wrong to hug a friend (of either gender) or your child, sibling or parent.

Hugs are also proven to be medically beneficial. First used with autistic, withdrawn children, “hug therapy” is used to teach basic trust.

Hugs are good for any occasion: birthdays, holidays, greetings, good byes or sometimes just because you want to. When you get a hug, you feel warm, fuzzy and complete. The hug of another person expresses a certain feeling of union and caring. They’re a friendly way to express appreciation of another person.

There are group hugs, tender lover hugs, around the waist hugs, kissing hugs, sweet and tender hugs and yes, even the grab-ass hug. There is the awkward “lean in” for the timid and the breathtaking squeeze-you-till-your-eyes-pop hug.

Not to be overlooked, there’s also the lingering, head on shoulder version often used during joyful reunions, such as a soldier returning from long duty. Mutual rocking or a gentle swaying motion often accompanies this incredible hug.

Hugs show love with speed. It helps the body’s immune system, keeps you healthier, cures depression, reduces stress, induces sleep, is invigorating, has no unpleasant side affects, is all natural and is 100% wholesome.”

As a stress relief tool, hugging will help us boost our immune system, fight cold and flu, increase our energy level and avoid seasonal depression.

Let us hug, breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Healthy Recipes, Healthy Relationship and Sex, Stress Relief | 2 Responses »
Tags: Anxiety, appreciation, children, Cold and Flu, family, Friendship, health, Healthy Relationship and Sex, Immune System, love, Seasonal Depression, Sleep, stress, stress relief technique, wellness

Ayurvedic Immunity Boosting Spice Recipe

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Ingredients

1/4 part ground cinnamon

1 part ground black pepper

1 part ground dry ginger

2 parts ground turmeric

3 parts ground cumin

3 parts ground coriander

6 parts ground fennel

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and put into a container or a glass jar in a dark cabinet. Every time you cook, prepare this mixture to sprinkle on your vegetables, rice or any dish: sautee one teaspoon of mixture in one tsp of ghee (purified butter; you can find it in Whole Foods or any Health Store) for a couple of minutes until you can smell the aroma, but be careful and don’t burn the spices. Season with sea salt if needed.

Use this recipe on a regular basis to boost your immune system during cold and flu season.

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Healthy Recipes, Prevent Cancer | 1 Response »
Tags: Alternative Medicine, Ayurveda, Cold and Flu Season, Cooking, Health Recipes, Holistic Wellness, Immune System, nutrition, Spices, women's health

How to Sleep Better During the Cold and Flu Season

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Thanksgiving is over and so is Black Friday. Do you feel tired, stressed out and a couple of pounds heavier? If you want to feel better, you have to take care of your stress overload. And the first step to reducing stress is having a better sleep. A better sleep will help you to reduce stress which will boost your energy and immune system to stay healthy during cold and flu season, and even to loose some extra pounds.

Here are some tips on how to get a better sleep:

1. Have physical activity.

Sleep is not just for your mind- sleep is nature’s way of resting your body, too. If your muscles are not tired because you are getting no exercise during the day, there is less physiological reason for sleep. Once you feel the fatigue in your muscles, you’ll know you are almost certain to sleep better. Even a 30-minute walk might surprise you with the results.

2. Stretch and yawn.

Studies show that simple stretch and yawn help ready the body for sleep. Try it every day and you might be surprised.

3. Eat more food rich in Magnesium.

Magnesium helps the body make serotonin, which helps in producing melatonin (the hormone that helps us to relax and sleep). A spoon of walnuts with a little bit of honey around 8:00pm-9:00pm might help. Foods rich in Magnesium are almonds, apples, apricots, brown rice, garlic, leafy vegetables, spinach, salmon, etc. More on stress and sleep

4. Go to bed around 10:00 pm.

There are two reasons. First, according to Ayurveda,(from Sanskrit literally means “science of life” or “practices of longevity”) there are cycles that are the most beneficial for certain activities. Sleep from 10:00 p.m. till 6:00 a.m. allows the body to rest the most. It also helps with metabolism, so if you want to loose some weight try to sleep more by getting to bed earlier.

Second, studies show that nighttime exposure to light may elevate breast cancer risk by suppressing production of melatonin, a brain hormone that is made during darkness and that normally peaks at night.

5. Have fresh air in the room.

A lot of people underestimate the importance of fresh air in the room during your sleep time. Study shows that indoors air is one of the most toxic air around. The fresh air will help promote sound sleep while stale air and toxins escape from your window.

6. Get a foot massage.

Ask your partner, or you can do it yourself and it will help you relax as well as improve circulation. More on massage

7. Have a home-made facial.

Home-made facial is one of the best relaxation techniques, because you kill two birds with one stone: you not only nourish, cleanse or rejuvenate your face but also have to lie down for at least ten minutes – I call it facial meditation.

Try an uplifting mask made of kiwi and honey (mash one kiwi and add 1/2 tsp of honey, mix and put on your face for 15 minutes) – it is delicious. While lying, don’t forget to think about something very pleasant. More home-made facials.

8. Have a cup of bedtime tea.

You can always treat yourself to a cup of bedtime tea with Lemon balm or Chamomile flower.

Pampering / taking care of ourselves we do our bodies a big favor: we reduce stress which is priority number one if we want to feel and look fabulous, especially during a cold and flu as well as holiday season.

Never forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Healthy Recipes, Stress Relief | No Responses »
Tags: Ayurveda, Breast Cancer, Cold and Flu, health, Holistic Wellness, Immune System, Massage, Meditation, nutrition, Physical Activity, Relaxation, Sleep, stress, Toxins, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes, Whole Foods, women's health