Category Archives: Your Fit Questions Answered

Information & resources for drinking green tea & High Blood Pressure

Nutrition, Your Fit Questions Answered

Vitality

green-tea
Iron-Rich Foods, Like Red Meat And Kale, May Hamper Green Tea’s Health Benefits
Mar 11, 2016 10:08 AM By Jaleesa Baulkman
Green tea
Consuming green tea along with dietary iron may actually lessen green tea’s benefits, study finds. Pixabay a public domain

It’s no secret that drinking green tea offers a plethora of health benefits. Recent studies have linked it to lower cholesterol and reduced inflammation in patients with irritable bowel disease (IBD). However, these health benefits might be diminished when the antioxidant beverage is paired with foods that contain iron, according to new research published in The American Journal of Pathology.

“The benefit of green tea depends on the bioavailability of its active components,” said Beng San Yeoh, first author of the study, in a news release. “It is not only a matter of what we eat, but also when we eat and what else we eat with it.”

Researchers from Penn State University examined the relationship between green tea and dietary iron in the lab using mice with inflammatory bowel disease. They found that when the beverage is consumed alongside iron supplements or iron-rich foods — red meat, olives, and kale — the tea’s main antioxidant, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), binds to the iron.

Under normal conditions, EGCG suppresses myelopeoxidase a pro-inflammatory enzyme that white blood cells release in response to a stimulus. Researchers believe this suppression contributes to the mitigation of IBD flare ups that green tea confers. When EGCG and iron are consumed at the same time, however, the iron-bound EGCG molecules lose their ability to inhibit myelopeoxidase, thus making green tea less effective, or altogether ineffective, for IBD patients.

IBD is an umbrella term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, both of which are characterized by chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Symptoms typically include rectal bleeding, persistent diarrhea, and weight loss. Roughly 60 to 80 percent of patients with the disorders also experience an iron deficiency. It’s not uncommon for these patients to be prescribed iron supplements, thus presenting them with a catch 22 if they also drink green tea for their IBD.

“It’s important that IBD patients who take both iron supplements and green tea know how one nutrient affects the other,” said principal investigator Matam Vijay-Kumar. Although the study was conducted in mice, Vijay-Kumar told Medical Daily the findings could apply to humans too, because “chemistry is chemistry.”

Based on the results, he believes there is “no way people can drink green tea and take iron simultaneously,” and have either provide the same effect — regardless of whether they’re diagnosed with an illness or completely healthy. In fact, shortly after publishing the study, he received an email from a man who took iron supplements and drank green tea. The man said he recently tried to donate blood, but was denied because it appeared he was anemic.

Source: Yeoh B, Olvera R, Singh V, et al. Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Inhibition of Myeloperoxidase and Its Counter-Regulation by Dietary Iron and Lipocalin 2 in Murine Model of Gut Inflammation. The American Journal of Pathology. 2016.

Health Benefits from University of Maryland Medical Center
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea

Health benefits of  peppermint tea
http://get.smarter.com/qa/food/health-benefits-peppermint-tea-58945bcb25b922e?ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&o=32806

Dr. Oz  on Fox news with new research on a new supplement that helps lower HBP it has green tea in the product.   Read for your self and please send me an email or respond below with your feed back.
http://lowbloodpressuremiracle.com/FoxNews/?engsec=5&clcsr=1

If you like this information please leave a comment below. If you would be so kinf to share with your friends and family.

Thank You & happy spring!
Shari

 

The four causes of Skinny Fat

Exercise, Fit Bits, Your Fit Questions Answered

I am often asked this question “what is skinny fat”? or “do you think I am skinny fat”?  

I found a great explanation in this article below! 

http://www.strengthsensei.com/the-four-causes-of-skinny-fat/

How did you like this article? If you found it helpful please leave a comment and be so kind to share with your friends!

Thank you for your subscription to this blog!

Have a great Day!

Shari

Cholesterol Lowering Foods and Supplements 2016

Nutrition, Your Fit Questions Answered

Cholesterol Lowering Foods and Supplements
By Balance 2B Fit & Shari

In studying high cholesterol for many years I am providing you with this information from my knowledge and training over the years.  I also am referencing 2 of my favorite nutrition books Prescription for Herbal Healing and Prescription for Nutritional Healing.  

Beneficial Herbs – Aids in lowering LDL and raising HDL

  • Artichoke leaves 1500 milligrams daily
  • Garlic if taking tablets 1,000 milligrams daily
  • Ginger  eat 2 tsp. with food daily
  • Milk thistle (Silymarin) gelcaps take 300 mg daily  (helps liver to detox)
  • Spirulina and/or wheat grass
  • Chlorella (also is used as a supplement)
  • Wild Yam
  • Cinnamon
  • Cayenne pepper

Eat a diet that is low in both saturated fat and calories and high in omega 3s. High heat oils include: Virgin unrefined Coconut (research on this one is still split but I love it & use all the time) Canola & Peanut oils  are good cooking choices. In general, avoid cooking oils on high heat as it is better to consume them raw. Other oils include extra virgin olive (low heat), flax, avocado & grass fed butter (not for cooking).

OILS TO AVOID Soybean, Corn, Vegetable & Cottonseed.

 Beneficial Foods for lowering cholesterol

Dark green veggies like spinach, kale, moringa leaves and brussels sprouts offer great omega 3s

alfalfa sprouts
goji berries
beets
 avocado
carrots
green apple
celery
oatbran
sweet potato
garlic
legumes
ground flax seeds
barley
chia seeds
prunes
banana
acai berries
sprouted grains such as Ezekiel bread (http://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49)

Protein Sources

Whey Protein and plant based protein (soluble fiber)
  • Mackerel
  • Lake trout
  • Herring
  • Sardines
  • Albacore tuna
  • Salmon
  • Halibut
  • Free range skinless chicken & turkey
  • Kidney beans & lentils

Good choices of raw nuts include hazelnuts, almonds, and pecans. Walnuts, especially, deliver heart-healthy fats. All nuts are good for your heart, but don’t overdo it. Just because the fats are healthy doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. A serving is 1 ounce. That’s about 14 walnut halves, 24 almonds, 35 peanuts, 18 cashews or 15 pecan halves.

**Some margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks come with added plant sterols and stanols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by 5 to 15 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237-milliliter) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol/art-20045192?pg=2

Extra virgin olive oil

Virruso C, Accardi G, Colonna-Romano G, Candore G, Vasto S, Caruso C., Nutraceutical properties of extra-virgin olive oil: a natural remedy for age-related disease? Rejuvenation Res. 2014 Apr;17(2):217-20. doi: 10.1089/rej.2013.1532.

Berrougui H, Ikhlef S, Khalil A, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Polyphenols Promote Cholesterol Efflux and Improve HDL Functionality, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:208062. doi: 10.1155/2015/208062. Epub 2015 Oct 1

Supplements  

*For the specific dosages I recommend looking them up in the Prescription for Nutritional Healing book

  • Vitamin B3, B6, B12
  • Vitamin D
  • Whey protein (with casein)
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Apple pectin
  • Calcium (I like Jarrow Bone Up)
  • Chinese red yeast rice extract (this is still controversial on how benefits each individual and their unique genetic make-up)
  • Chromium picolinate
  • Coenzyme Q10
  • Fiber *psyllium husk
  • Garlic capsules
  • L-Carnitine
  • Lecithin granules or capsules
  • Vitamin A, B, B1, B3 (niacin) C, E

Essential fatty acid supplements options below

Black currant seed oil, Borage oil, Fish oil (I like Carlson’s that include both DHA & EPA, Omega 3-6-9) and  Primrose oil

Krill Oil

Berge K, Musa-Veloso K, Harwood M, Hoem N, Burri L, Krill oil supplementation lowers serum triglycerides without increasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in adults with borderline high or high triglyceride levels, Nutr Res. 2014 Feb;34(2):126-33. doi: 10.1016/j.nutres.2013.12.003. Epub 2013 Dec 18.

Quick link for the current National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute guidelines for cholesterol
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/guidelines/atglance.pdf

Please consult your Doctor before starting anything new in your nutritional supplementation program especially if you’re currently on prescriptions for lowering cholesterol.

produced by Shari Lesser  Please contact me with any questions (720) 232-8976

If you liked this information please share my website with your friends! Any questions please contact me via email shari.balance2bfit@gmail.com

Thank you for your business!

A video on how to help gain strength with your Pull-ups and Chin-ups

Exercise, Exercise of the Week, Fit Bits, Your Fit Questions Answered

Understanding our posterior chain (back body). I work with many clients weekly on posture and gaining back strength to help with posture.  As we age we loose range of motion, flexibility and strength in our backs! It is very important to understand the mechanics of back exercises and how important form is in performing these exercises. I have found a video by Charles Poliquin on 2 good strength exercises! The pictures below will help you understand the muscle anatomy of these exercises.

chin-up chin-up2

Let me know if this information is helpful!  If you like it please share with your friends and post a comment below!
Have a wonderful day and keep lifting those weights.
Shari

 

Great article from Paul Chek – 3 Keys to healthy holiday season!

Fit Bits, Nutrition, Your Fit Questions Answered

3 Keys to a Healthy Holiday Season
by Paul Chek
When we think of the end-of-year holidays, usually we don’t think of them as being very healthy.

For some, holidays become obligations to spend time with people who drive us nuts. For others, feelings of loneliness or disconnection may drive us to fill that void with something. For the corporate giants of the world, they use holidays as leverage to get you to spend money on stuff you really don’t need.

Instead of celebrating what Christmas was intended to be — a holy day — it has become an expensive custom attached to the socio-cultural expectations of gifts (the kind you purchase). In fact, with today’s economy as it is, many people dread the approach of Christmas.

For those with food and alcohol addictions, Christmas and New Years are times when people give themselves permission to ignore their needs and dive head-long into their wants.

To give yourself a healthy holiday season, you need to be clear on what that concept truly means.

Key 1: Prioritizing Your Health
For you to be healthy during the holiday season is to be balanced. The healthy person or athlete is someone who can efficiently change direction because he or she has the internal resources and balance to do so.

Sadly, some people’s wants so overpower their needs — anything essential to maintaining one’s health and vital wellbeing — it can take weeks, months, or even years for their bodies to recover from the holidays. Once we meet our needs, only then can our wants be supported.

A healthy body is one that functions without pain or limitations. Conversely, the healthy, balanced mind is one that can entertain many ideas, even opposing ones. The healthy soul is one that makes room for others, and to love them!

Key 2: Celebrating Holidays
However, holidays aren’t limited to the ones we celebrate at year’s end. The word holiday is the fusion of the words holy and day. Viewed in religious terms, holy means coming from God. For our purposes, holy really means whole.

Think of something that is whole as equal to, and greater than, the sum of its parts. A holiday is a whole day in which you can celebrate life as something bigger and more beautiful than the sum of its parts.

So how can you do that? First, you must take care of the garbage in your life. You may not like taking out the garbage, but if you don’t, you won’t enjoy being in your home for very long as it will start stinking and attract bugs. The act of taking out the garbage, even when you don’t like it, creates a wholeness in which you can really enjoy your home.

Likewise, if we drink, smoke and eat more than we can efficiently and effectively eliminate, we begin to smell (think stinky poop) and attract bugs! Instead of creating wholeness, abusing a holiday can be the start of a long period of misery.

Creating division is no way to celebrate a Holy day. Keeping it Holy is keeping it whole! To be whole is to be better than the parts.

Key 3: Harmonizing With the Seasons
Above all, seasons represent change. New Year’s resolutions are commitments to necessary change.

Mother Nature teaches us that all life is in a constant state of change, which is exemplified by winter, spring, summer and fall because we are truly creatures of change!

If change weren’t part of her nature, our world would be in trouble. What if snow never melted? What if it stayed hot all the time and the forests and soil dried out? What if fruit never stopped falling off trees? Can you imagine all the flies, bugs, rot and stench?

During seasonal changes, I am reminded that Mother Nature, our Mother, is flexible and adaptable to change and never dogmatic. The seasons give the gift of a variety of weather environments that favor different biological rhythms and activities.

In summer, we hike and bike on ski trails, and, in the winter, we ski on them. During the summer, we are attracted to foods with higher water content as a means of cooling our bodies. In the fall and winter months, we become more drawn to foods filled with fats, protein and carbohydrates, which help keep us warm and insulated.

If you don’t adjust your dietary needs to your body’s instincts, which are driven by seasonal influences, you will have a far more difficult time adapting to change and are far more likely to become obese and sick!

Choosing how you enjoy a healthy, holiday season is up to you. Spent wisely, holidays serve as reminders:

To reconnect to our instincts.
To rekindle our relationships.
To be willing to change.
To allow the totality of you to adapt and harmonize effectively.
Choose Balance This Holiday Season
Enjoy a healthy holiday season by making your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs top priorities before your wants! In this way, you can truly experience Holy days as they were meant to be.

I use holidays as reminders to attend to my personal needs, knowing that they are best harmonized with Nature’s needs.

My priority is to maintain a healthy balanced body, mind and spirit so that every day is a holy day. I nurture my relationships with the awareness that they are mine.

I welcome seasonal changes by eating foods that grow during that specific time of year. During the winter season, I go to bed earlier because of decreased sunlight, and spend more time in quiet introspection.

That said, I sincerely wish all of you a Healthy (balanced) Holiday (whole) Season (period of necessary change)!

Love and chi,

Paul

– See more at: http://chekinstitute.com/blog/3-keys-to-a-healthy-holiday-season/#sthash.ecpR1Fqj.dpuf

3 Keys to a Healthy Holiday Season

A Very Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Inspiration & Quotes, Your Fit Questions Answered

I would like to take a moment to thank my friends, family and clients for all your support, energy and dedication this year! It is truly the most rewarding experience to witness all of your positive change. I have enjoyed all of our time together this year!  I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and nice long relaxing weekend! Thank your again for your  support from me and the girls!

Thanksgiving day pict for FB & web

 

Happy Turkey Day to you!

Nutrition, Recipes, Your Fit Questions Answered

Thank you for your support, love and shining through with your high energy and love for fitness & education!
Below I have attached a great article on 47 Thanksgiving left over ideas from Dr Axe! They are all healthy and yummy. Some recipes are easier then others,  I cant wait to try!

Be your very best inside and out!

Shari

http://draxe.com/leftover-turkey-recipes/#

Turkey Recipes

Thanksgiving is all about family and friends, and being thankful for what we have. My favorite Thanksgiving memories were sitting around a big table with my family with a big delicious turkey that my mom had been roasting all day for our dinner. And I remember the days and days after Thanksgiving of eating those obligatory turkey sandwiches and boring leftovers.

Well, say goodbye to boring!

Banish the boring turkey blues with a few of my favorite healthy and note-worthy leftover turkey recipes from around the world! These flavorful and creative recipes will break up the traditional sandwich idea and make you thankful for turkey all over again.

Note: Many of the recipes below call for turkey stock. You may substitute with your favorite organic chicken stock or broth, or simply take the bones (after the majority of the meat has been picked off), place in large stockpot, with carrots, onions and celery, and cover with water. Bring to a hearty simmer, and then turn down and do a slow simmer for 3-4 hours. Here is a tip, your stock will become cloudy if you cook it at a boil; simmer gently for the best results. Strain and use the turkey stock, as desired.

IMPORTANT NOTE:I recommend using natural sweeteners like raw honey, real maple syrup or organic coconut palm sugar to get the most nutrients out of these recipes. Also eliminate conventional cows milk and use coconut milk, almond milk or organic grass-fed goat milk or cheese, replace table salt with sea salt, and replace canola and vegetable oil with coconut oil, olive oil or ghee. You’ll find these options as well as other healthy real food choices listed in my healing food shopping list (Click Here to Download my Healing Foods Shopping List)

If you liked these recipes please share this post with your friends, and if you want even more great information from me please subscribe to my website  and share with your friends and families! I appreciate you’r help sharing the love!