Healthy World Digest, June, #16

* Using lemon as an herbal remedy, part 2

* Split exercise workout sessions burn up 2x the calories

* Exercise beats meal manipulation for weight control

* Sex and the sun

* Herbal remedies for under arm perspiration, odor

* Spring tune up for your body

* 3 Quick summertime {health|wellness|health tips

* Fiber for life

* Recipe - Cooking with fresh parsley

By the time our next copy of HWD comes out, summer will have commenced. So we have special summertime edition with items targeted to seasonality.

Again, getting and staying healthy and fit isn't revolutionary. It's evolutionary. A little change here a little there. Be persistent, consistent and patient and you'll do just fine.

* Using lemon as an herbal remedy, part 2

We've written in past issues on how to use your humble lemon as an herbal remedy I just love these juicy, dimpled, yellow globules.

So, we got another page up on additional health benefits of lemon

Here's one. Use it as a condiment instead of unhealthy flavor enhancer and table salt. Just mix up equal parts lemon zest, garlic & parsley. You can also add fresh basil.

Flavor chicken, fish and vegetables with this healthy, scrumptious flavor enhancer.

P.S. Oh, and you get the numerous health benefits of garlic and parsley and basil to boot.)

P.S. #2 You get lemon zest by grating skin of clean lemon

* Split exercise workouts burns 2x the calories

That's right. Splitting your one hour of cardio into 2 half hour sessions, done several hours apart, burns up 2x as many calories as the one hour session.

There might be several reasons for this. One big reason is that the split sessions raise your metabolism for many more hours than the one longer session.

That's why I do a few short work out sessions throughout my sedentary days spent reading, on the PC and otherwise sitting on my rear. I just do some squats, push ups, sit ups, yoga stretches. Takes 5 minutes. I call these mini workouts, Metabolic Boosters.

* Exercise beats meal manipulation for weight control

You've read that chomping smaller meals, several times a day will stimulate your metabolism, and keep it elevated which helps burn more calories throughout your day. Makes sense, right?

But the New York Times points out that though some studies have found modest health benefits to eating smaller meals, those studies usually involved extremes.

Many fad diets and weight loss books claim 6 meals a day is a more realistic approach. But does this meal staggering really make a difference?

Not according to the NYT.

As long as total caloric and nutrient intake stays the same, then metabolism should stay the same... One study in 2009...involved groups of overweight men and women randomly assigned to very strict low-calorie diets for eight weeks. Each subject consumed the same number of calories per day, one group took in three meals a day and the other six.

Both groups lost significant and equivalent amounts of weight. No differences in fat loss, appetite control or measurements of hormones that signal hunger and satiety. Many other studies support results.

However, exercise seems to effectively increase metabolism according to research.

So, yes, eat right but exercise is King!

* Sex and the sun

As many of us head into the warm months, new research finds that an hour of sunbathing boosts male testosterone by 69%. The key is vitamin D. And, no I didn't just make up the 69%? - that's just an amazing coincidence.

Go for 20 minutes of sunshine and use your judgment when it comes to need for sunscreen and limitations on sun exposure.

* Herbal remedies for under arm perspiration, odor

I don't sweat like big, fat pig but do sweat more in the summer. Unfortunately, I can't use most anti-perspirants because they cause my skin to break out painfully.

Remember, they usually contain aluminum which serves to clog the pores. Not healthy.

What are the alternatives?

Use witch hazel. Native Americans and early settlers used witch hazel in many home remedies to treat bruises, aching muscles and skin inflammations.

Witch hazel's astringent properties make it a great odor fighter. It tightens skin tissues which reduces sweat production. The pleasant odor of distilled extract of witch hazel also helps fight armpit odors.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is often used as a natural deodorizer and cleanser.

Many people find that baking soda offsets armpit odors. It doesn't stop perspiration, but it breaks down the bacteria into something more like water.

Dust liberally with baking soda after showering. You can also put baking soda on a clean, wet washcloth and apply to underarms.

Caution: Persistently bad underarm odor may be a signal for medical attention. Body odor can signal various medical concerns including kidney and liver disease. So do consult your doctor if simple measures do not work.

* Spring cleaning for your body

That's what a targeted body cleanse can do for you.

Here's an quick and easy strategy. Take in much more fiber to clean out the colon and aloe to help ease it out. I take a tablespoon of fresh aloe right from the plant. For fiber, a few bean dishes do the job.

* 3 Quick summer health tips

Are you dragging on intentions to improve your health? Well here's a big 'Let's go!'

How about three easy to implement tips?

1) Drink water, especially in the morning

2) Having 3 - 4 small meals and a snack or two every day? Make one meal a low carb, high value meal. I toss a can of tuna in a salad. Or have an Atkins peanut butter crunch bar. Or have part skim cheese with some crunchy celery. The options are endless.

3) Again, exercise. Start now. Start at any level. Just make sure to increasingly progress.

* Fiber for life

Maybe this item should have been added to tips above. Add 10 grams of fiber to your diet, every day, cut mortality by 9%. It also decreases percentage of death from coronary disease by 17%.

* Recipe - Using fresh parsley

Here's a recipe, sort of. Fresh parsley is incredibly healthy. Full of nutrients, it also helps you lose excess fat and is good for kidney stones.

But really, apart from a little sprinkling of aged parsley from little plastic containers, in various dishes, how can you incorporate enough parsley for its health benefits?

My family had no problems using a whole lot of fresh parsley. Some examples:

If you juice, add some parsley to the apple, celery and carrot combos.

Add some chopped parsley to scrambled eggs. They go great together.

My dad loved making a chunky mashed potato dish with a whole lot of chopped fresh parsley. The key is to simmer peeled diced (2 - 3 inches) potatoes, with parsley, in just enough milk to almost cover potatoes. Cover and simmer until tender. Add a little salt, butter or extra virgin olive oil. Now, mash until it reaches a desirable consistancy. Leave some chunks in there.

The aroma, the taste. Yummy.

See you next month.

tags: herbal remedy, exercise sessions, sun and sex, exercise weight control, fiber

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