Is Your Bedroom Toxic?

 

Take a look at the picture above. Does that bedroom look toxic to you? You may have answered no and if so, I completely understand why you would answer no to my question. In fact, as I look at the picture, the bedroom looks like a healthy environment.

According to Dr. Don Colbert," We all know that sleep is the time when our body attempts to repair and restore itself. What many people don’t know is there are many toxins lurking in our bedrooms. These toxins are contaminating the environment that should be promoting health and healing."

In Dr. Colbert's September 23, 2011 health tips e-newsletter, he described a list of items that will increase the toxin levels in your bedroom and they are as follows:

• Scented candles
• Laptops
• Carpet in the bedroom
• Household cleaners and more

As I read that list above, I will be the first to admit that I need to detoxify my bedroom by removing the carpet. For more tips on how to detoxify your bedroom, read Dr. Colbert's entire article: How toxic is your bedroom. 

Photo credit

With Your Health in Mind,

Shiketa

High Corn Fructose Syrup Is Not Good For The Liver or The Heart

 

Do you drink lots of sugary drinks that are loaded with high fructose corn syrup? Have you checked lately to see if your drinks contain corn fructose syrup? The next time that you choose a tea or drink from the local store, check the ingredients. If the drink contains high corn fructose syrup, you may want to think about your heart and liver.

According to, Harvard Health Publications, "Give the liver enough fructose, and tiny fat droplets begin to accumulate in the organ. This buildup is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. If it becomes severe enough, it can cause serious liver damage."

Also, two recent studies have linked higher intake of fructose with higher chances of developing or dying from heart disease.

For more details about the health effects of corn fructose syrup, read the article,Too much fructose a hazard for heart health, from the Harvard Heart Letter.


With Your Health in Mind,
Shiketa 
If you like this blog post, you will like this, High Corn Fructose Syrup Causes You to Gain Weight

Life Without Meat

Several years ago I hosted a Health & Wellness Party at my home and invited my friend (Sheila Pryor of Achievers Step by Step) to come and demonstrate to my guest how to cook Vegan style.

At that point in my life, I was only willing to eat Vegan Style along with eating chicken and turkey. In other words, I was not ready to go Vegan and give up eating Chicken...NO WAY!

In my last blog post, Why I stopped eating meat and eating more plant based foods, I explained why I decided to eat less foods that contained animal fat and eat more whole foods.

As I write this blog post, I am on my second week of eating no meat or dairy products including: chicken, pork, beef, turkey. I must say, It's been an interesting Journey and I'm loving it. I've lost five pounds and noticed several other positive changes to  my body that I will not discuss in this blog post.

I also, want to be truthful with you, when you stop eating foods that you've been eating for 30 plus years, your body will go through a withdrawal phase. I'm not a doctor and I say this from my experience. After 14 days with no meat, I did start to feel sluggish and I believe it was because my body was craving something that it was used to getting. To get through the sluggish phase, I simply drink a smoothie made with soy yogurt or peanut butter with crackers or celery. Also, throughout the day, I snack on mixed nuts.

As I went grocery shopping today, I entered the meat department at a local Dierbergs and it felt quite strange as I entered the meat department. In fact, I stopped and stared at the meat for about 30 seconds, lol. Then I noticed a variety of soy based meats that I've tried in the past.

One of my favorite plant based meats is made by a company called Match Foods. I had the opportunity to taste a plant based roast that was made by Math about a year ago and it was stuffed with sage stuffing. It was delicious and it taste like turkey. I could hardly believe it was not meat.

As I browsed the internet this morning for vegan recipe ideas, I discovered a website titled, The Casual Vegan. The blog is written by a couple who are obsessed with eating well and living well. Check out their blog, click here.

I am really enjoying sharing this healthy living journey with you and I hope that you are enjoying it as well. I look forward to reading your comments and I hope that you have been inspired to live a healthier life!

In my next blog post, I will share with you more healthy eating tips that I will learn in my nutritional consultation with Sheila Pryor.

With Health & Wellness in mind,
Natural Living 101
Shiketa

How to Make Fresh Guacamole Salad

  


Photo Credit

 

Yesterday I met with my Nutritional Consultant (Sheila Pryor of Achievers Step by Step) to discuss a Vegan diet. At the consultation she gave me a variety of healthy eating tips including, Guacamole. 

As she recommended Guacamole to me as a great snack, I began to frown, because Guacamole is not one of my favorite snacks. So, Sheila shared with me how to make Guacamole a tastier snack.

 Are you ready to make your very own tasty guacamole salad? The recipe is as follows:

1. One Guacamole
2. Sliced Tomatoes
3. Diced Red Onion
4. Mix all ingredients together
5. Enjoy with Tortilla chips

Guacamole dip is great when it is warm or cold. Enjoy!
I look forward to your feedback.

With Healthy Living in mind,
Shiketa Morgan

Four Reasons To Eat Breakfast

 

Skipping breakfast is a bad idea

I was quite impressed to read the statistics below, because I am a big fan of breakfast. In fact, I never start  my day without breakfast. 

In the book, I can do this Diet, Dr. Don Colbert recommends that we eat breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning.  Moreover, According to the International Food Information Council, there are four reasons why we should eat breakfast:

1. Research shows that eating breakfast can improve memory, attention, problem-solving skills and reading comprehension.
2. A recent study found that 90 percent of people who ate breakfast regularly and who had lost 30 pounds maintained the weight loss for at least a year.
3. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast have high blood cholesterol levels.
4. A study found that overweight women who ate an egg breakfast had greater feelings of satiety and ate fewer carbohydrates, proteins and fats at lunch.

~Source:School-Age Notes

With Health & Wellness in mind,
Shketa