Eat healthy foods to boost the immune system and prevent illness. I take supplements in addition to eating as many whole foods as possible throughout my day.

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Probiotics can help your body in so many ways. Basically their job is to balance the bacteria in your gut. Keeping the gut bacteria in balance offers many health benefits, these are the 5 I think are the most awesome.

Probiotics help to boost your immune system by keeping the bacteria in your gut balanced. When your gut bacteria is out of balance – and the “bad” bacteria takes over  – then you are more likely to get sick. By keeping the gut bacteria in balance your body is able to stave off attacks from the “bad” bacteria and keep you healthy.

Our digestive system is more powerful and important than doctors had realized in the past. These days doctors are very aware that keeping your gut in balance helps your body in many different ways. One of the most powerful is by helping you digestive process. 

All of these benefits build upon one another – improving your digestion helps you to remove toxins from the body and helps you to lose that stubborn weight – helping you to achieve that healthy fit body you have been dreaming of.

The probiotic brand that I use Klaire Labs can be purchased on Amazon.

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Even those who are on their feet during their workday face challenges – they’re busy, they turn to sugary food to keep them going and it’s difficult to break the weight habit. There is good news, though, here are five fitness tips for the busy professionals among us.

1. Sleep Well

It’s the greatest thing you can do for your health. Not only does it improve your focus on overall performance the following day, but it means you are more likely to make the right dietary decisions. When you choose the right foods you feel better, you’re more likely to have the energy to do those exercises, your mood improves, and it can even influence your sex life. Make sure to create an environment that is peaceful and allows you to get a full night’s rest.

    2. Plan Well

If you want to maintain your fitness you have to plan ahead. One of the biggest downfalls of any lifestyle is the inability to maintain it. So, if you know you’re prone to grabbing junk at lunch, make sure you prepare your lunch the night before (the same goes for your breakfast and dinner). If you constantly forget to grab your gym bag, leave it at the door or somewhere you will see it for when you need it. The magic number when it comes to moderate exercise is 150 minutes – it’s easier to achieve than you think.

   3. Switch Up Your Commute

Provided you live fairly close to your workplace – you can leave the car at home and hop on a bike or just walk. Not only will it save you money, it also helps protect the environment. Look at you, thinking of others and improving your health! If it is not possible to take a different mode of transportation, then consider taking a different route, that doesn’t allow you to pass places that may tempt you. And park at the back of the parking lot at work, so you get in a few more steps easily.

4. Lunch Break Performance

Consider going for a walk on your lunch break – the fresh air will do you good. You can walk to a park to eat lunch or walk to a healthy eatery where you know there’s time for you to dine well and get your steps in. It will also provide you with an energy boost, you will find your afternoon at work goes in quicker, too. If the weather doesn’t allow you to go outside, perhaps you can climb the stairwell or walk inside.

5. Travel Well

If travel is a regular part of your business then you know just how difficult it can be to exercise and to eat well. The first thing you should do is start keeping a food diary – then you can track what you’re eating while traveling, as it’s easy to lose track. When it comes to exercise, check ahead to see if your hotel has a gym. If it doesn’t, you can track a path to walk or jog and see if there is a gym in the vicinity. These days there are many apps that allow you to take your workout with you when you travel.

Work gets busy, but there are plenty of ways you can find time for fitness. In addition to the tips above, you can skip the elevator and always choose the stairs. You may be surprised at how many calories you burn doing the housework. To save time, try to find a gym that’s on your way home from work – you can slip in a few nights a week for a quick workout. Start your day with a short yoga session, eat a healthy breakfast, and tackle the day with the energy and vigor it deserves.

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If you abide by these easy tips they’ll help you to stop your food cravings before they begin.

 1. Take the Time to Prepare Nutritious Food

It’s no secret that our lives are more hectic than ever, we are doing all we can to do everything – it’s really easy and handy to get food on the go. But, most of the time that fast food is filled up with sugar and fat.

Having good food at home – or that you can easily take with you on the go is essential. Pinterest can be a great resource for quick and easy meals that are still heavy on nutrition.

Take time daily to nourish your body, and this can be a simple as merely cooking healthy and nutritious meals at home. This way you know precisely what’s going into your body.

 2. Stick to a Healthy Balanced Diet

This means sticking to a healthy balanced diet – not a strict or restrictive eating plan. If you want to lose weight, then increase your healthy food intake and reduce your junk food intake and you will be surprised by the effortless results you can achieve.

If you find that you are having digestive issues, adjust the time you eat and/or the amount of the food you’re consuming in a single meal.

 3. Spice Up Your Meals

The food you get when you eat out is full of fat as well as a variety of seasonings to enhance the flavor. Cooking at home may seem bland, but it doesn’t have to be. Cook with a variety of foods and experiment with spices and seasonings. Adding flavor doesn’t have to mean spicy, think sweet, sour, tangy, earthy, etc. 

The truth is eating bland and tasteless food day after day will actually increase your food cravings. Don’t let it happen to you.

 4. Exercise to stop your food cravings

The next time you are in danger of giving into your food cravings, stop and go for a quick (or long) healthy walk instead. If walking is not your thing, you can substitute whatever activity you prefer.

The truth is, you’re often eating out of boredom or stress and exercise also helps both of those problems as well. Your brain will make your think you want ice cream, but take a nice 15 minute walk, and I bet you won’t still be craving the ice cream (again insert whatever food is your downfall). Instead of eating, release the energy in your body.

You will be pleasantly surprised at what a break and a change of scene can do for your mental health – as well as your physical health.

If you really can’t fight that craving, indulge, but don’t go overboard. Take a few bites and then move on. You can also try to eat less every time you feel your cravings coming on – slowly re-training your body get used less to satisfy it. Even better, find healthy alternatives to satisfy your cravings, so you don’t have to feel like you are depriving yourself.

Once you stop food cravings, you’ll feel happier, more energized and balanced.

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Feelings and Emotions

We all have feelings and emotions, but many of us have a hard time coping with them. We don’t want to go through the pain of facing those emotions, and we don’t want the baggage and long conversations that arise while trying to deal with those problems. Most of us would rather down a pint of ice cream to get that emotional high before going back to our lives.

The problems arise when eating is the only way you cope with emotions, even good ones. You’re stressed, so you have to eat to feel better. You feel good, so you eat to congratulate yourself. It becomes a vicious cycle that leads to obesity and health problems. The crux of emotional eating is the ability or fear of dealing with emotions.

Common Foods

Emotional eating wouldn’t be nearly as bad if you grabbed carrot sticks instead of chocolate, or lettuce instead of cake. However, we often look for foods with the most fat and sugar to take the edge off. That’s because these foods give us a spike in dopemine, serotonin and other hormones that make us feel good. That’s because our bodies want to eat, and putting on weight will help us survive the winter (at least, that’s what our instincts say).

There’s nothing wrong with eating cake every now and then, but there’s a point where this type of eating becomes a major issue.

When it’s a Problem

The problem with emotional eating is that it can quickly spiral out of control because you’re getting an emotional high without using illegal drugs or items that are stigmatized by society (like cigarettes or alcohol). Do you find yourself eating just because of how you feel, even if you’re not hungry? Or, eating without realizing it? Are you hiding your food or eating habits by sneaking food into your house or eating in strange places, like in your car or bathroom?

Most of all, is emotional eating making you feel guilty, and the only thing you can do to respond to that guilt is eat more? It’s a problem when your life becomes about food, and all you’re thinking about is the next meal, regardless of how hungry you actually are.

Conclusion

We all eat to make ourselves feel better, and that in itself isn’t a major problem. However, it becomes a problem when you can only feel better through food, and you’re doing your best to hide your habits because you know you’re doing something wrong. There are many treatment options available for this type of eating, but you need the courage to make these changes to better your life.

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Moringa is Full of Nutrients

This amazing plant has a ton of essential vitamins and minerals along with some of the most neglected phyto-nutrients around. One of the reasons I like moringa so much is that since it comes from a natural source the human body has a much easier time absorbing and utilizing the healthy payload of vitamins and minerals. These are a few of some of the notable nutrients found in the moringa powder.

Vitamin A

As far as vitamins go, vitamin A is the vitamin least likely to be invited to parties. The reality is that vitamin A deserves quite a bit of praise for its ability to keep your eyesight functioning. I used to work for an eye doctor that treated patients with macular degeneratation, and one of the first steps was to get them onto a vitamin with plenty of vitiamin A, since it is so important for eye health.

Vitamin A is also very good at making sure that your skin cells reproduce properly instead of creating strange malformed copies that result in rough patches or lumps and tumors. And lets face it, we all care about how our skin looks especially as we age, so this helps our skin from the inside out. And Vitamin A is also used to reduce acne, which can still be an issue even as we move well past those teenage years.

In some cases, vitamin A has helped fight damage that has been called by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). It also preserves the health of your mucous membranes, which helps keep your body lubed in the right areas and expels foreign agents that can cause irritation. This can be even more beneficial during cold and flu season. And Vitamin A can help to support bone health, which can be very important for post menopausal women.

Folic Acid

Folic acid, or B6 has a major role in keeping the body healthy. Most people are aware  that B vitamins are essential for protecting the human body from permanent damage and risk of other serious conditions. One of the things it’s known for is protecting against cardiovascular disease and stroke. Folic acid does all of this by being essential to our ability to produce and maintain new cells.

Folic acid can also help to prevent changes in your DNA that can lead to cancer, so why not make sure your are getting folic acid in your diet, and if you can get these benefits and more from moringa powder.

I have to admit, I was most familiar with folic acid for pregnant women. When you are pregnant, folic acid could be a hefty line of defense against birth defects, while keeping your delicate circulatory system healthy for the connect between you and your baby. It is also used to treat anemia, so if you have risk factors for anemia, better to get started now.

Zinc

One of the well-known aspects of zinc is that it can help you get past a cold a little more quickly, becuase it helps to regulate immune function. This also allows zinc to help us reduce the risk for age related chronic illnesses. And of course as we age we begin to worry about our cognitive health, well good news zinc, can help to improve learning and memory.

Many men will be displeased to know that low levels of zinc are connected to a lack of libido as well, so getting some moringa your diet might be what you’re missing.

On another note, zinc is also extremely important for children. Children who grow up low in zinc can experience ill effects like slow growth, and late puberty. So share that moringa powder will all the members of your family.

The post Why Do You Need Moringa In Your Diet? appeared first on Healthy Mature Aging.

If you’ve been hearing about the amazing things that moringa powder can do for you, like I have, then you’re probably curious about how you too can get work it into your diet. Well, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s relatively easy.

If you would like to know more about moringa powder in general, click here.

Here are four ways to use moringa powder to foods you are already enjoying. Pick which one suits you best and get healthy.

1. Add Moringa Powder to Fruit Juice

One of the easiest ways to get the dose of moringa that you’re looking for, is to mix it
into your favorite fruit juice. Mix in a half teaspoon, but don’t add too much more than that because it could ruin the flavor of your juice.

If you do find that the taste is too bitter, try adding a warm teasspoon of honey to retain a pleasant flavor. Make sure the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00CMQD3VS” locale=”US” tag=”winslintermar-20″]honey[/easyazon_link] is warm so that it can blend more efficiently, cold honey will just stick to the glass and not help you improve the flavor or your juice.

2. Sprinkle Moringa Powder on Your Salad

This another easy way to ingest moringa powder. Make your favorite salad that has a wide variety of flavors like a cobb, or waldorf salad. Once the salad is completed, you can simply sprinkle a half teaspoon over the top of it.

The multiple flavors from the salad should cover the flavor of the moringa pretty easily without having to add any other ingredients. A tangy or sweet dressing will also make sure that you don’t get any of the bitterness when you take a bite.

Don’t forget the teaspoon scoop, this is my favorite because it fits the moringa powder bags, and gets into those corners, it is also perfect for your spice jars too.

[easyazon_image align=”center” height=”160″ identifier=”B01GW7E6PE” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/31O4dEiPEBL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”winslintermar-20″ width=”160″]

3. Add Moringa Powder to Your Morning or Evening Tea

Making a tea with moringa powder is a pretty fast and simple venture. Moringa powder should be placed into water that you’ve already boiled. You just don’t want to put the moringa into the water while it’s boiling because the heat from the boiling process reduces the nutritional value.

Let it steep for at least 5 minutes, and then you can pour yourself some fresh moringa tea. This is a great idea if you have tea every morning during your self-care routine or while relaxing before bed. It is an easy reminder to use it daily.

4. Sprinkle Moringa Powder onto Your Cooked Meals

Since I’m already working on cooking more meals at home, this is another great way to add moringa powder effortlessly. I find it is easiest to add the powder to meats, as soon as they finish cooking. For example, if you make fried chicken, then you will want to sprinkle the moringa powder over the top of the chicken when it is freshly draining, but slightly cooled compared to when you first pull it out.

You can also add the moringa powder to any food that is slightly wet or very damp, this allows the powder to attach to the surface and ensures that you injest all of the powder.

As you can see there are many ways to add moringa powder to your diet and start improving your health. It is true that the taste of the powder is bitter, the above ideas show you that you can find ways to mask that taste while still getting all the health benefits that you desire.

I would love to hear about your own experiences using morniga powder in the comments below.

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Because of these issues, doctors are not prescribing antibiotics as readily as they once did. Studies increasingly show that over-use of pharmaceutical antibiotics is allowing the target pathogens to develop resistance to the antibiotics.

There is a real concern that this could lead to the development of ‘super-bugs’ that are impervious to any known antibiotic, which potentially could result in outbreaks of infections for which there is no remedy.

My mother was recently treated for sepsis, which is when the infection enters the blood stream, thankfully the pharmacutical antibiotics were needed in this case, and they did their job. And now that she is home from the hospital, she can can use foods that provide support to the immune system to continue to feel stronger and to help her fight off future infections.

Incorporating foods and herbs that have antibiotic properties into your daily diet can prove to be extremely helpful.

Although this does not eliminate the need to take antibiotics prescribed by your doctor, if and when required, eating foods with antibiotic properties will help ensure that your body will be able to fight infectious bacteria on it’s own.

These antibiotic food and herb sources will assist in building up your body’s immunity and thereby reduce the need to take synthetic antibiotics for minor health problems that may arise.

Natural Antibiotic Food #1: Garlic

Garlic has antibacterial and antiviral properties which have been used for centuries in treating both minor and major illnesses. Garlic contains sulfur compounds which are commonly used as key elements in antibiotics.

You can use garlic to help fight flu, colds and bronchitis. You may eat 2-6 cloves of raw garlic every day. Another great way I get garlic when I’m feeling sick is on pizza (extra garlic actually- and spinach too), I get the benefit of comfort food and the garlic I need to boost my immune system.

However, if you find it hard to ingest raw garlic cloves, you can purchase garlic capsules and take them with meals.

[easyazon_link keywords=”garlic capsules” locale=”US” tag=”winslintermar-20″]These are some of the best selling garlic capsules on the market.[/easyazon_link]

Garlic can also be used topically, you can use the juice from the crushed garlic, or pierce one garlic capsule, and apply it directly to the affected area.

Natural Antibiotic Food #2: Echinacea Tea

Echinacea tea is commonly used to ease the symptoms of the common cold. This herb is a known infection-buster, as it helps improve an individual’s defense system in the fight against bacteria. Echinacea can help boost the immune system.

Here is my favorite [easyazon_link identifier=”B00KPTGZ5U” locale=”US” tag=”winslintermar-20″]Echinacea Tea[/easyazon_link]. This is an easy to steep tea bag, and I love tea when I don’t feel well, so I find this an easy way to incorporate antibiotic foods into my diet.

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However, it should not be used on a continual or long-term basis.

This is especially true when you are using liquid extract, rather than bagged teas. For liquid Echinacea extract, the recommended dosage is 3 to 15 drops mixed in water, three times a day. For cases of acute infection, Echinacea liquid extract can be taken every two hours. And should be stopped when you are feeling better.

Natural Antibiotic Food #3: Honey 

Long before synthetic antibiotics were even developed, honey was commonly used as an antibacterial treatment in almost all cultures around the world. The reason honey is so amazing is because it contains enzymes that have the ability to prevent the growth of bacteria.

Those who practice Chinese medicine believe that honey is capable of harmonizing the liver and in neutralizing toxins. Honey is used for many health issues including relieving painful wounds and stomach ulcers. Seasonal allergy sufferers should get their honey locally sourced if possible, it is supposed to help reduce your symptoms better.

I don’t love honey, but I have grown more accostomed to the taste as I have matured, and if I am sick, I reach for the honey, because it works for me.

Research reveals that honey derived from the manuka flower helps prevent the streptococcus pyogenes from hindering the wound healing process. This it the honey that the Kardashian family has endorsed and it has become quite pricey, but if you still want to try it, [easyazon_link identifier=”B00AAVK4KA” locale=”US” tag=”winslintermar-20″]click here[/easyazon_link].

Natural Antibiotic Food #4: Cabbage

Cabbage contains cancer fighting sulfur compounds, and just like many other fruits and vegetables, cabbage contains vitamin C which is also a natural antibiotic.

Cabbage juice is popularly used for treating stomach ulcers. If you have a stomach ulcer, drinking one half cup of fresh cabbage juice up to three times a day for two consecutive weeks, will help improve your symptoms.

And don’t forget the benefits of fermented cabbage, aka sauerkraut. Fermented foods help to improve your digestive system, which helps to boost your immune system too.

But let me be honest, this a natural antibiotic food that I recommend, but I don’t follow my own advice. It turns out, I hate cabbage. I keep trying – but honestly – it is not growing on me. But it is so good for you that if you like cabbage, please keep on eating it up and stay healthy.

Take charge of your health with the addition of these natural antibiotic foods and herbs into your arsenal, you can be prepared to fight minor ailments that may crop up. However, always consult your doctor first. Don’t go self-diagnosing or administering natural antibiotics, especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing medical conditions.

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