DAY 22 – Peppermint Can Curb Your Appetite and Relieve a Headache
Did you know that the scent of peppermint can curb your appetite and relieve a headache? It’s true.
Curb Appetite: In a study from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia – People who regularly smelled peppermint ate 23 percent fewer calories per week.
Relieve Headache: In this double-blind study, researchers found that an ethanol solution containing 10% peppermint oil was as effective in relieving headache pain as 1,000 mg of acetaminophen. In another study, 32 people with headaches massaged peppermint oil on their temples. The results showed that the peppermint oil significantly relieved their pain.
I love all things peppermint. Here are some ways you can introduce the scent of peppermint into your daily life…
Peppermint Oil – Keep some in your purse or at your desk and smell it periodically throughout the day.
Enjoy a cup of Peppermint Tea.
Carry some peppermint gum or mints with you.
Grow your own peppermint.
Have a candy cane.
Bath & Body Works even has a Twisted Peppermint Christmas edition. You can get lotion, shower gel, body spray, hand soap, and hand sanitizer.
Another way to curb your appetite with peppermint is to brush your teeth. I know that sounds strange, but if you are in between meals and feeling hungry, try brushing your teeth. It really works.
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DAY 23 – Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
For many of us, Thanksgiving can begin a downward spiral of unhealthy eating and weight gain. The best way to avoid this, is to start the holiday season with healthy eating habits.
Here are some healthy eating tips for the holiday season…
Avoid overeating by not going to holiday dinners or parties hungry.
Drink plenty of water (with lemon) before and during holiday parties.
It’s getting cold outside, but you should still try to get out in the sun for a few minutes each day. And taking a walk outside to burn off some of your excess holiday calories is a great way to do that. It’s good for your health too.
Did you ever wonder why the sun makes you feel good?
It’s because the sun actually triggers an increase in the “feel-good” chemicals in your brain (serotonin). Serotonin helps control sleep patterns, lift your mood, and even increase your sex drive.
Sunlight also helps the body to make its own vitamin D, which is crucial to good health. Vitamin D not only makes strong bones and healthy teeth, but it also keeps the immune system working, increases energy, and sharpens you mentally.
So…Don’t let the cold weather keep you inside this holiday season.
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DAY 25 – Will You Be Having A Glass of Wine with Thanksgiving Dinner?
Can red wine contribute to good heart health?
The answer appears to be – yes. And it’s not just red wine, white is good too.
In moderation, wine seems to increase our good cholesterol (HDL) while decreasing bad cholesterol (LDL). And red wine also contains antioxidants.
If you have asthma or are prone to migraines, it’s best to avoid red wine.
So, a glass of wine with dinner can be good for your heart health. However, the benefits of wine do not outweigh the risks associated with drinking too much alcohol. But, how much is too much? Here is the recommended amount for health benefits…
Men: No more than two drinks per day.
Women: No more than one drink per day.
One drink is defined as a 5-ounce glass of red or white wine, 12 ounces of regular beer (1 bottle) or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
If you’re like me, and drinking even one glass of wine doesn’t really appeal to you. Try some pomegranate, grape, or cranberry juice in a fancy wine glass.
Will you be having a glass of wine with Thanksgiving dinner?
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DAY 26 – Dr. Oz on Oprah: Being Grateful Is Good For Your Health
Dr. Oz was on Oprah the other day, talking about longevity and good health. I thought it was interesting that “being grateful” is actually an important aspect to good health.
Dr. Oz says that showing gratitude is another reason why people in these communities have such long and healthy lives. “If you’re grateful for the things that have always happened to you, sometimes they’re not always good, but you find lessons and meaning in them,” Dr. Oz says. “Hope isn’t about a good outcome. It’s about making sense of stuff. And these people have made sense of their life, and they do it all the time.”
Research shows that simply focusing each day on three to five things for which you can be grateful will increase your health and happiness. Everyone has something to be grateful for. Just being alive for one. Having a job, or enough money for lunch, or a roof over your head are all things we can be grateful that we have, but we often take these for granted.
For an even stronger dose of health and happiness, express your gratitude to someone else. Holding the thought of gratitude for a good friend will benefit you. Expressing that gratitude to the friend will benefit both of you.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to recognize all the little things in our lives that we can be grateful for. And, if it’s people in your life that you are most grateful for…Tell them.
I think my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner are the leftovers. But if you’re watching your weight or trying to eat healthy, leftovers can be your enemy. Here are some healthy recipes for your Thanksgiving leftovers…
Do you have a favorite healthy Thanksgiving leftover recipe? Is so, I hope you’ll share it with us in comments.
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DAY 28 – Try Some Yoga
Did you ever want to give yoga a try, but it seemed like too much of a commitment? Well if you’re like me, and you’re a bit of an emotional eater, learning a couple of yoga poses may be just what you need. Yoga can help you focus on what your body needs, reduce stress, and curb your emotional eating.
Here is a pose you can do in less than two minutes, it’s called Downward Facing Dog. Give it a try for a couple of days and see if you notice a difference.
DAY 29 – Dance To Some Christmas Music & Burn Calories
Are you too busy with holiday cooking and shopping to find time to workout?
Well, you don’t have to make time for the gym to burn off those extra calories. A fun way to get some exercise in and still keep up with your holiday preparations, is to dance around the house to your favorite Christmas music.
Sound silly?
Yes. But it is fun, and it does work.
Listening to Christmas music is already a tradition for many families. Just make dancing to the music part of your tradition and have a healthy holiday.
I didn’t understand the importance of BMI until last year around this time. It was getting cold and I couldn’t fit into any of my jeans. I figured I had gained a couple of pounds, but when I got on the scale, it turned out I gained over 20 in less than a year. I was surprised by the number, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. That is, until the day I decided to check my BMI with a BMI calculator.
I knew I was “overweight” and I was under no delusion that my BMI would suggest anything different. With your BMI number, you are put into categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese. After calculating my BMI number, I was shocked to see that my weight gain had bumped me out of the “overweight” category and into the “obese” category. Since I already have a multitude of health problems that are all exacerbated by being overweight, there was no way I could ignore my weight anymore.
Finding out my BMI was the catalyst I needed to start getting serious about losing weight and making healthier food choices. I never began an “official” diet, but I did make a conscious effort to begin to eat more healthy.
In addition to making healthier food choices, I began to use Isagenix (nutritional supplements) several weeks ago to help with my overall wellness. All of these things, have thankfully contributed to my losing over 20 pounds.
Even with my weight loss, my BMI still puts me in the “overweight” category. To get to a healthy weight, I still need to lose about 15 to 20 pounds. My plans are to continue what I am doing, and then kick it up a notch as my New Year’s Resolution.
Do you know your BMI? If not, you can check it with this BMI calculator. If your BMI puts you in an overweight or obese category, losing weight may be the best thing you can do for your overall health.
