How are we all doing on our 2012 intentions? For all those who wish to improve their physical health this year, last week we learned how eating after 7pm affects our weight-loss efforts and this week guest blogger, Latasri, tells us about functional training, which helps make daily activities effortless! 

Any kind of exercise that is directly related to your routine activities is called functional training. So, if you are a cycling champ or a marathon runner, a cricketer or an athlete, or a simple homemaker who wishes to be fit, a mother of twins who wishes to carry your child(ren) without injuries, functional training is all that you need.

Aping the activities that we do in our routine life, therapists and physical trainers have developed exercises that put us in our comfort zone and yet help to change our lives. It is popularly known as functional training.

If your job involves a lot of running around or even repeated heavy lifting, functional training is the kind of rehab aimed at helping you perform the activity without affecting your body. As a widely accepted form of physical training, it is known to target the core muscles and strengthens them to adjust your work pattern and lifestyle.

Now, the buzzword of the fitness world, functional strength training has a broad-based meaning and significance. Therefore, it is crucial to understand it before one adapts to the regime.

Here’s a sense of what is being called the next level of fitness:

1. Works against body’s resistance: It is a routine that helps one to perform daily activities with ease. Whether it is walking, running, jumping, bending, standing, climbing, these activities need functional strength. And, in functional training it is vital that your body is trained to every specific movement of the muscles. Therefore, each time you take up doing squats, it increases your ability to rise easily from any seat, even if it’s yours from the floor.
2. Burns calories through unsupported movements: What began a decade ago, functional training is a simple discovery to physical strength by practicing movement training with resistance. These movements are objected to bring activity in the core muscle as they are mostly unsupported. For example, lifting a bag over the shoulder is equal to squat to shoulder press – a form of functional fitness training that burns calories through unsupported movements.
3. Part and parcel of our regular movements: Functional fitness is best known as a way to get our body accustomed to everyday rigorous pattern while it also helps to burn excess calories. Hence, functional training is the safest form of exercise, weight loss and to attain a fit body. If you’re unable to exercise, some trainers do suggest wearing a Flex belt or using trx training programs. This helps the body lose weight without any effort.
4. Exercise with all the safety: Functional training movements incorporate about 29 muscles of the body. It helps to continue exercising with all the safety ensuring you freedom of movement. Differing from the common forms of exercise that have one range of movement, functional training (like the most commonly used treadmill) ensure movements have resistance of planes and makes the complete body as one unit. This is also why functional training brings balance, co-ordination and focus, ensuring a mind-body connection.

Due to its simplicity and movements, which range from daily life to sports specific action, functional training is a regime that can be taken up by one and all.

About the Author

Latasri is a health and fitness enthusiast who likes to share her experiences with others. She is always on the look out for discounts and coupons for weight loss. In her website she makes available coupon for trx and flex belt coupons, two weight loss programs on Flex Belts and trx training.

I love functional training because generally you see and feel the results sooner because suddenly you notice your most common daily activities getting easier and easier to perform. What are some of your daily activities that you’d like to do with more ease and effectiveness? 

Do the things you care about sometimes cause you stress and anxiety? They do for me – even this blog. Thank goodness for HeartMath because now I know what’s going on. They have some fantastic info on healthy, balanced caring that I wanted to share with you!

First, I hope everyone enjoyed Earth Day on Friday and had a wonderful long Easter weekend. I know I did; although, I have to admit I experienced some bumps. Actually, the entire month or so has been challenging – we’re talking mini-crisis in almost every area of life!

If you follow Live Lighter, you may have noticed posting has been irregular. I’ve had to prioritize self-care in order to work through my issues and find my path once again. But despite this decision, I still struggle with my responsibilities and feel as if I’m letting others (and myself) down.

So it was extremely timely when I found HeartMath’s Earth Day message pop up in my inbox:

Cute message, eh? But what I found especially useful was the HeartMath ebook, Understanding Care where they explain the difference between care and overcare. Copyright restrictions prevent me from sharing any of the content but it’s a short, easy and incredibly valuable read. It’s a free pdf download, no email required.

On Live Lighter, we try to focus on providing information that will help us balance life. HeartMath’s ebook explains what care looks like when it’s balanced and imbalanced. It also describes their Cut-Through® Technique (which I can’t wait to try out) designed to assist us in managing our mental and emotional energies.

Oh, and make sure to read through to the end… They also share further resources and talk about technological tools that measure stress so you know exactly when you need to use a stress-management technique and how effective it was in lowering your stress!

The Institute of HeartMath cares deeply about people’s health and well-being. They partner with organizations to help people lower stress and build resilience.

Can you identify an area of your life where you’re overcaring? Please share it with us in the comments!

If you plan on spring cleaning your home (find tips in our last post How to Declutter Your Life), you’ll have the perfect opportunity to make your space work for you. Guest blogger and Neo Feng Shui specialist from Denmark, Mette Keating, is here to tell us about Neo Feng Shui®!

“Are you practicing Neo Feng Shui?” my sister asked me. “Am I doing WHAT?” I asked. My sister came by for a visit and had noticed the MAJOR clean up – purging, rearranging furniture, repainting, etc… I was in the middle of a serious spring cleaning.

I was at the end of my maternity leave and had spend a lot of time caring for my baby but also thinking about what was important in my life, how I wanted to live it and felt it was time for a change. For some reason that had naturally led me to work more consciously with my physical space and take action!

My sister provided me with a book on Neo Feng Shui which was the beginning of a completely new and wonderful chapter of my life.

You don’t have to get to that point of no return before creating a physical space that supports you in your life rather than not, just like you don’t to wait for a health issue before you start looking after your eating and exercise habits.

What is Neo Feng Shui®?

Neo Feng Shui is a brand new way of working with Feng Shui. It was created for modern people and is based on common sense and individuality. Neo Feng Shui offers simple guidelines that do not involve any particular beliefs or rules. Neo Feng Shui brings you a perspective of how your surroundings affect your lifestyle and how you easily can make changes that will greatly improve your life.

Neo Feng Shui is about becom®ing aware of all the things that make us struggle in our daily lives. It is a simple guide to learning how your surroundings affect you and the way you live. It provides you with greater understanding of how you are affected by your environment. It is also a powerful tool for personal growth and understanding.

Neo Feng Shui teaches you to ‘read’ your surroundings and also learn more about yourself, so that the unconscious becomes conscious. When the knowledge is applied, you will be able to take important steps in your life.

Neo Feng Shui®

Sagar Bohnstad and Bodil Sukul developed Neo Feng Shui in Denmark in 2000 after intensive studies of the classic feng shui. They wanted to address a loss of potential in the ancient wisdom.

Neo Feng Shui excludes the superstition, Chinese beliefs and religious additions placed on Feng Shui over thousands of years and returns to the basic interpretations of physical space, flow, colour psychology, lighting and material. It is influencing people both personally and professionally all over the world.

Tips on Neo Feng Shui to get you started:

1. Stand outside your home as if it was the first time to you are about to enter it. How are you ‘greeted’? Do you have to pass by the garbage bin? Is it easy to come up to the front door? What does the space inside your door look like? Do you have to step over boots, bags, etc. to get in? Is it crowded and disorganized?
2. Start cleaning up and make your entrance way nice and welcoming to you and anyone else entering your space. Take an observant tour of you home. Enter each space in your home as it was the first time and observe the effect it has on you. This way you find out which areas in your home need attention first.
3. Imagine that you emptied your home of everything. Then only take the things you really love and want to have back into your home. Not the things you have because of guilt or that you store for others. Give away or sell what you don’t want.
4. Pay attention to every room and space in your home. If you have storage areas, closets, allies, basements, et. make sure they are organized and that it is easy to find what you need. Remember all clutter effects your subconscious.
5. Apply things like fresh flowers, plants, pictures or items that make you feel good and happy inside, places where you can easily see them.
6. When you are lying in bed, what is on the wall you are looking at? It is the last thing you see before going to sleep and the first thing you see when waking up and should be something that inspires you and makes you feel good?

More information and free video tips or e-courses in English about using Neo Feng Shui in your home can be found on the Sagar Bohnstadt website.

About the Author

Mette Keating helps companies bring joy into the workplace with Neo Feng Shui® design. Find more on her website, InDeVision. If you are interested in applying Neo Feng Shui to your work environment in North America, please contact Mette Keating at Mette@indevision.com

Yin and Yang is more than just a cool ancient Chinese symbol. In today’s post we explore this concept and how understanding it can help us achieve more balance in our lives.

A few weeks ago we learned about the life force which makes up all things in this Universe in What is Chi? Yin and Yang is an extension of this where Chi, this universal energy, is described as two opposite energies that make up the whole.

The following information is sourced from Essential Feng Shui: Your Practical Guide to Health, Wealth and Happiness by Simon Brown.

Yin and Yang is a comprehensive way of looking at the world and how it affects you. The theory is that we can use knowledge about yin and yang energies to get more out of life with less effort.

For instance, during a full moon people tend to be more yang, which means we tend to be more social and active. If you want to throw a party, this is the time to do it! Meanwhile, if you host a get-together during a new moon, many of your guests may not show up because they are feeling more yin – more peaceful, spiritual and focused inwardly.

Here are the basic principals:

Everything is either more yin or more yang.

Yin and yang are relative terms used to compare everything in the universe. Things are more yin or more yang depending on what they are compared with. For example, resting is more yin than working, but more yang than sleeping. Yin and Yang can describe physical things or non-physical things. You need to be clear about how the terms are applied in particular cases. For example, a flame is more yang than a stone in terms of process: the flame produces heat and light. But the structure of stone is more yang than flame: more solid and harder.

Everything seeks a state of balance.

Although everything is either more yin or more yang, as an entity it seeks some kind of balance. Individually, nothing is in perfect balance, nor can it be as everything is either more yin or more yang. Something that is more yin can reach a more balanced state with something that is more yang. Often we drift either side of the middle path. For a while we become more yin and then make changes that make us more yang, and vice versa.

Yin and yang attract each other.

Things that are more yin attract other things that are more yang, rather like the poles of a magnet. As you become more yin you attract things that are more yang into your life and vice versa. A simple example is that by eating something more yang, such as dry, salty snacks, you begin to crave liquids, which are more yin. An extreme of yin or yang will attract its extreme opposite. For example, someone who becomes very yang – angry or aggressive – may end up in a very yin state – confined in a hospital or prison (because of an accident or crime).

Nothing is wholly yin or wholly yang.

Everything has some yin and some yang. Nothing is entirely one thing or the other, though everything will be more one thing or another. It is better to think of yin and yang in terms of varying shades of grey, rather than black or white. Even the most ruthless criminal will have a tender spot just as the gentlest person will have known frustration and anger. There is always something positive in a negative situation just as there is something negative in a positive situation.

Everything changes.

The relationships between things that are more yin and things that are more yang are constantly changing. Everything is always moving from being more yang to becoming more yin or more yin to more yang. For example, a person might be more yang – irritable, frustrated and pushy – but in the process of becoming more yin – relaxed, peaceful and calm. In the long term the direction you are going is more important than where you are now.

Are You Too Yin or Too Yang?

More yin people tend to be relaxed, physically supple, sensitive, creative and imaginative. However, if they are too yin, they can be lethargic, slow and prone to depression.

Conversely, more yang people tend to be alert, quick, more active, and more able to concentrate and pay attention to detail. If they are too yang they can become tense and irritable, angry or physically stiff and tight.

Some people are always more yin than most people, some are always more yang, and others will be more in the middle. With an understanding of yin and yang you can adjust these natural tendencies to your advantage by tailoring your diet (macrobiotics is specially designed for this) and lifestyle.

If you find it difficult to concentrate, for example, and your work is suffering, decide first if you are too yin or too yang. Concentration is a more yang activity, so a lack of it suggests you are too yin. The solution would be to avoid more yin foods such as alcohol, sugar and coffee, and include some mineral-rich yang foods, such as root vegetables, fish and natural soya sauce.

Intuitively and from my observations of life, this just all makes sense. We caught a bit of yin and yang in Staying Healthy in Autumn, where we learned cold weather and less sunlight triggers a more inwardly focused state in us, and more recently in Foods That Make You Strong.

What are your thoughts on yin and yang? Do any of the above principals help you understand the world better? Do you think identifying the different types of energies can help us in our healthy living pursuits?

You’ve probably heard of “Chi” in reference to the Chinese symbol yin and yang, their art of decorating, Feng Shui, or their martial art, Tai Chi. But have you ever wondered what this mysterious essence is or how it relates to health? In today’s post we find out!

Chi, Ch’i or Qi is life energy, a subtle flow of electromagnetic energy which links all things in the universe. It’s the invisible part of our world and it’s a concept shared across cultures, some describe it as: air, breath or spirit.

In China it’s called Chi, in Japan it’s known as Ki (also spelt Qi) and in India Prana. Western scientists (quantum physicists) call it the quantum realm as they study the universe at the atomic and subatomic level.

The following information is sourced from Essential Feng Shui: Your Practical Guide to Health, Wealth and Happiness by Simon Brown.

Chi stays mainly within entities such as human bodies, plants or buildings, but some of it constantly flows out and some flows in from other sources. Your own personal chi energy is always mixing with the chi energy around you. In this way you are connected to the immediate environment, and ultimately to the whole universe.

How Chi Affects Health

Certain situations produce unhelpful chi which causes problems for people, even physical or mental ill-health.

Negative Chi: Anything synthetic (fibers, building materials, artificial lighting, air conditioning) add their own artificial chi energy. It negatively influences the chi energy of occupants and could lead to mental and physical exhaustion.

Stagnant Chi: Dark corners, cluttered rooms and dampness produce slow-moving and stagnant chi energy. Living in an environment like this can lead to a slowing down of your personal chi energy, which may cause serious health problems and a loss of direction in life.

Fast-Flowing Chi: Long corridors, straight paths or several features in a straight line increases the flow of chi and can destabilize it. Fast-flowing chi energy directed towards you could push some of your own chi energy, making you feel insecure and under attack.

Cutting Chi: If chi energy passes a sharp corner it begins to spin and swirl, forming eddies and whirlpools like a fast-flowing stream passing a sharp bend. Cutting chi can occur inside or outside buildings. It can make personal chi energy spiral, leading to disorientation and confusion and, in time, ill-health. Plants and fabrics can soften sharp edges.

Personal Chi

Along the center of the body are seven concentrations of energy called chakras, similar to large organs where blood concentrates. Spreading out from the chakras are 14 paths of chi energy called meridians. These flow along your arms, legs, torso and head. Like blood vessels and capillaries, they take chi energy to smaller and smaller channels until each cell is nourished by both blood and chi energy.

While blood carries oxygen and nutrients, chi energy carries thoughts, emotions and your dreams in life. It also carries some of the chi energy from the environment. Therefore, what you think and where you think it will have a direct influence on the cells in your body.

Chi energy operates as a two-way process whereby the way you think influences your chi energy, and your chi energy influences the way you think; so your environment will influence your chi energy and that change will alter the way you think and feel.

Many factors affect the chi energy that comes into your body – among these are food, weather, the people you are with and your environment, including rooms, buildings, cities and countries. Like trees planted in the best soil for their needs, we also thrive if we are planted in an environment that has the most appropriate chi energy for us.

Chi is an ancient concept and fairly complex. Now that we have a basic understanding of this enigmatic force, stay tuned for the next post, “What is Yin and Yang?” where we learn a comprehensive way of looking at the world in terms of chi, and how it affects you.

Even though we can’t see chi energy, can you feel it? Please share with us any of your experiences with chi as you understand it.

How would you like to process negative emotions in minutes? Or find relief to physical symptoms, addictions and resolve those pesky emotional issues holding you back? In today’s post we learn about a non-invasive healing method, Emotional Freedom Techniques® (E.F.T.).

Based on the theory that “the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system,” EFT is an emotional form of acupuncture. There are no needles in this therapy, though, and once you know the basics, you can easily do it yourself – anywhere, anytime and for any issue (pretty much).

Gary Craig, the developer of EFT, explains:

…we tap with the fingertips to stimulate certain meridian points while the client is “tuned in” to the problem. To some newcomers, this may seem strange. To others, it hits the bullseye and represents a missing piece to the healing puzzle… I’ve lost count of the number of phobias, traumatic memories, guilt, grief and physical ailments that have been elegantly relieved, often in minutes, by this procedure. Even though EFT violates just about every conventional belief out there, the results remain remarkable. EFT isn’t perfect, of course. We don’t get 100% positive results. But it usually works well and the results are sometimes spectacular. And it often works when nothing else will.

For a sneak peak into some of the spectacular results obtained by using EFT, check out the documentary, The Tapping Solution. Here’s the 2:27 minute trailer:

Are you interested in details, like how do you do it and some of the particulars? Check out this Introduction to Emotional Freedom Technique video (18:49 minutes):

The best thing about EFT is that the method seems to celebrate and accept negative emotions as part of being human. We need to feel negative emotions but they cause us harm over time. When you’re ready, EFT clears energy pathways so you can process them.

Have you tried EFT? Did it work for you? And if it has, how long have you been doing it?

Fitting fitness in is always more fun when you’re trying new workouts. Guest blogger, Jamie DeSanto, tells us about CrossFit, a fitness routine that’s gaining in popularity because of it’s holistic attributes.

Simply put, CrossFit is everything! It’s strength, endurance, cardio, you name it. It’s about being so in shape that you can handle any physical obstacle that comes your way.

This type of training regimen is used by elite military and police units, mixed martial artists and professional athletes.  What might surprise you, though, is it’s also the type of training regimen used by grandfathers battling heart disease!

The key to CrossFit is a holistic approach to fitness. As much as bodybuilders with a gross amount of muscle mass are avoided, so are the marathon runners with zero muscle mass who are only fit to run long distances.

It stresses not only cardiovascular endurance but also strength, speed, balance, stamina, power, coordination, flexibility, agility and accuracy in repeating movements and processes. This form of complete fitness is not only prized in elite athletics and military operations, but in everyday life as well.

Think about it, how often does anyone need to run 26.2 miles? Only when they run a marathon, of course. Now think about the fitness required to carry your three-year-old for an extended period of time at the fair when she’s decided she’s had enough.

CrossFit achieves this complete level of fitness through interval training. What this means is there’s a focus on variance instead of repetition in each session.

Rather than just running or weight training, there’s an emphasis on activities that grow the 10 general physical skills listed above (flexibility, agility, etc.). This means activities such as gymnastics, throwing medicine balls in addition to lifting weights, and mixing in sprinting with distance running. This works to develop both aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels, when in past training programs, the two were considered mutually exclusive.

In addition, CrossFit dispels the myths of fad diets as a path to fitness. It prescribes well-rounded nutritional practices, including fat, proteins and carbohydrates. Without the proper fuel in your system, you won’t be able to keep up with even a lower level training regimen, and are only doing yourself harm.

The key here is that a good diet and a good fitness level are much better to overall wellness than a fad diet that might cause someone to lose weight, but not in a sustainable or healthy manner.

Finally, CrossFit is as right for grandfathers with heart disease as it is for champion martial artists. That’s because CrossFit’s lack of specialization, focusing on all areas of fitness, means that it’s just a matter of adjusting the level of intensity for the appropriate party. The grandfather and the martial artist have the same core needs, just like everyone else, it’s simply a matter of degree.

About the Author

Jamie DeSanto is a writer for Online Nursing Programs where you can browse the best online nursing programs in the country.

Have you tried CrossFit? How was it for you and can you add anything to this post?

Interesting question, isn’t it? In today’s post, Bindu Grandhi (The Flex Cook and author of Spice Up Your Life), educates us on the differences between spices and herbs.

When a curious student asked this question during a cooking class that I teach at a local high school, I was a little surprised. I guess what constitutes an herb and a spice can be confusing, especially when occasionally the two come from the same plant, like cilantro (an herb) and coriander (a spice).

Here’s the rule of thumb: herbs are harvested from the leafy part of the plant (although there are exceptions such as lavender which is a flower) while spices are produced from the seed, bark, root or stem of the plant.

For thousands of years, mankind has used herbs and spices not only as flavoring agents, but also in medicinal and healing capacities. They are chock full of healthful benefits and scientists believe that many of the compounds found in these plants may even prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Different cuisines have preferences for the herbs and spices used in cooking, but all chefs and cooks will agree that herbs and spices lend flavor, texture, complexity and aroma.

Here are the top 10 herbs and 10 spices I recommend for your kitchen repertoire. Remember to reap the health benefits, you need regular doses.

Herbs¹

Basil	Rich in vitamins A and K, believed to combat bowel inflammation and rheumatoid arthritis, powerful antioxidants help with cellular aging
Cilantro	A powerful natural cleansing agent that helps remove heavy metals and other toxic agents from the body; the oils aid our digestive system in its production digestive enzymes, acids and juices. and helps to stimulate digestion
Dill	Has anti-bacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties; very good source of calcium which helps prevent bone loss
Garlic	Protects against various cancers including breast, prostate and colon, improves triglyceride and cholesterol levels, disease fighter that can inhibit the growth of bacteria like E. coli
Mint	Helps with digestion and asthma
Oregano	Contains substances that help alleviate inflammation
Parsley	Protects against rheumatoid arthritis, antioxidant-rich, fights cancer, contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, and twice as much iron as spinach
Rosemary	Contains substances useful for stimulating the immune system, increasing circulation, and improving digestion; contains anti-inflammatory compounds that may help reduce the severity of asthma attacks; also shown to increase blood flow to the head and brain, improving concentration
Sage	Recommended for persons with inflammatory conditions (like rheumatoid arthritis), as well as bronchial asthma, and atherosclerosis; believed to be an outstanding memory enhancer
Thyme	Contains the oil, thymol, especially helpful for chest and respiratory problems, also acts as an antiseptic and disinfectant

Spices²

Cardamom	Known for improving digestion and stimulating metabolism
Chili Pepper / Dried Red Pepper	Contains capsaicin which puts the heat in chilies, may lower the risk of skin and colon cancers, shown to suppress appetite and boost metabolism
Cloves	Have antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and antiseptic properties; they are well known for relieving flatulence and can actually help promote good digestion as well as metabolism
Coriander	Aids in digestion, anti-inflammatory properties, contains phytonutrients that are protective against cancer
Cinnamon	Just a ¼ to ½ tsp a day lowers blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides especially in people with type 2 diabetes
Cumin	A potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant that may help stop tumor growth
Ginger	Can stop nausea and may also relieve heartburn and bloating
Mustard seeds	Contain phytonutrient compounds that protect against cancers of the gastrointestinal tract; believed to reduce the severity of asthma
Nutmeg	Contains the compound curcumin which may stop cancer from spreading, help prevent type 2 diabetes, lower the incidence of Alzheimer’s
Turmeric	Contains the compound curcumin which may stop cancer from spreading, help prevent type 2 diabetes, lower the incidence of Alzheimer’s

¹WH Foods (www.whfoods.org)
²Fitness Magazine, March 2009; WH Foods (www.whfoods.org)

Tips: Spices lose antioxidant potency with age so once opened, discard them after 6 months – 1 year. Store in a cool, dark place and close lids tightly. Store fresh herbs with a dry paper towel and place in a sealed plastic bag or container in the refrigerator – they’ll stay fresh for about a week. Wash before use.

Enjoy Mother Nature’s natural flavor enhancers – herbs and spices – and remember a sprinkle of herbs and a dash of spice a day can keep the doctor away!

Sloppy ‘Vegetarian’ Joe

This is a healthier alternative to the traditional sloppy joe. In this version, vegetables replace the meat and the combination of spices adds loads of flavor and satisfaction. I find that mini potato rolls go really well with this sloppy joe, but you can use your preferred bread choice.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 Tbsp. extra light olive oil
• 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• ¼ tsp. red chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt or salt to taste
• ½ tsp. fresh lime or lemon juice
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

12 mini potato rolls, toasted

Garnish:
¼ cup diced onions for topping
¼ cup sliced grape tomatoes for topping

Preparation

In a small saucepan, boil enough water to cover the potatoes, add the potatoes. Cook until tender. Discard the water and mash potatoes, set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomato and peas and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add the mashed potato, cumin, coriander, red chili powder and sugar, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Add salt, lime juice and cilantro. Mix well. Scoop 1/4 cup of the vegetarian sloppy joe onto each roll, top with onions and sliced tomatoes and serve.

About Bindu
Author of Spice Up Your Life, Bindu Grandhi is passionate about healthy and flavourful cooking, especially when it’s flexitarian. She shares her health knowledge with the world by providing practical, healthy and tasty recipes as The Flex Cook.

Sniffling, sneezing, itchy eyes and skin rashes are just the beginning of what many allergy sufferers experience during an attack. But over-the-counter drugs only mask the symptoms. Let’s find out what allergies are so we can find the root cause!

Although most allergies carry no immediate, severe health concerns (except for those which cause anaphylaxis, a major physical reaction which can result in death), they may end up creating long-term health issues. How? Over time allergies can weaken the immune system creating a susceptibility to disease and illness.

It’s important to do what you can to alleviate the cause rather than continue taking medication to mask the symptoms.

What’s an allergy?

From The Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Ed

An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful. The immune system is a highly complex defense mechanism that helps us to fight infections. It does this by identifying foreign invaders and mobilizing the body’s white blood cells to fight them. In some people, the immune system wrongly identifies a nontoxic substance as an invader, and the white blood cells overreact, creating more damage to the body than the invader. Thus the allergic reaction becomes a disease in itself.

Typical allergic responses are: nasal congestion, coughing, wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, and hives as well as other skin rashes. They can also appear in different forms including arthritis, depression, asthma, hyperactivity and more.

Almost any substance can cause an allergic reaction in someone, somewhere in the world. The most common allergens (substances that provoke allergic responses) are:

• pollen
• mold
• food (such as  shrimp, lobster, crab, strawberries, chocolate, shellfish, peanuts, walnuts, soy, wheat, gluten, milk and eggs)
• dust and dust mites
• certain metals (especially nickel)
• some cosmetics
• lanolin
• animal hair and dander
• insect venom
• some common drugs (such as penicillin and aspirin)
• some food additives (such as benzoic acid and sulfur dioxide)
• chemicals found in soap, washing powder, cleaning supplies and many others.

So what causes allergies?

Some scientific evidence shows that it’s genetic. (Source: The Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Ed.) Some health practitioners, like nutritional scientist Allison Tannis, say that:

There is no one cause to an allergy. Allergies are caused by a cumulative effect of many insults which over time overwhelms the immune system and other protective mechanisms in the body. Allergies appear to increase with advancing age. This may be linked to toxin accumulation that can lead to metabolic overload, thus weakening the immune system.

What exactly happens to the body in an allergic reaction?

Exposure to an antigen produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E (or IgE) that circulates in the blood. It binds to receptor sites on white blood cells, called mast cells. These cells are found throughout the body but especially in the nose, throat, lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract.

When the allergen enters the body again, it reacts with its specific IgE on the mast cells to trigger the release of chemicals, such as histamine and other inflammatory products. These chemicals produce symptoms and it can happen in any part of the body.

Dr. Tannis explains further:

Histamine is an inflammatory substance that acts directly on small blood vessels making them leaky. Fluid from the blood is able to leak into the tissue causing swelling or edema, which acts on nerve endings to cause pain. Blood vessels are also stimulated to dilate causing redness and heat. Inflammatory substances also cause smooth muscle to contract which can lead to narrowing of the bronchi reducing the ability to breathe.

Now that we’re clear on what allergies are and what causes them, stay tuned for Thursday’s post for some natural solutions to help you prevent AND treat allergies.

Do you have allergies? What are they, when did you develop them and how have you been dealing with them so far?

There’s a lot of hype about the benefits of eating a live or raw food diet. This post defines living food, it’s health benefits and why some say that it’s not as healthy as some would have us believe.

Living food is all-natural and uncooked.

We know about the powerful health benefits of natural food, but what’s wrong with cooked food?

In general, food heated over 46°C (116°F) destroys it’s enzymes and alters the molecular structure of the food, creating toxic elements which must be eliminated or stored to protect the body from damage. It’s this internal damage that causes the external effects we label as aging.

What’s the difference between live and raw foods?

Live foods contain high concentrations of “active” enzymes. Raw food, on the other hand, has sleeping or “dormant” enzymes. These unactivated enzymes are awakened when raw foods are sprouted, like nuts and seeds, which then become “living food”.

What’s so great about enzymes?

Enzymes are catalysts which activate chemical reactions. In food, they’re called digestive enzymes because they facilitate digestion and food absorption.

Living food proponents contend that enzymes are the “life-force” or “energy” of food. Cooking food, in effect, kills or suffocates the potency of food.

One major criticism of a living food diet is that these enzymes are destroyed by stomach acid which render them useless to us since nutrient absorption takes place in the small intestine. Proponents maintain enzymes are merely deactivated in the stomach and reactivated when they reach the small intestine.

Health benefits of living food

This Wikipedia article titled, “Raw Foodism“, lists the common beliefs behind raw food, the raw food movement, research, potential harmful effects of cooked food, as well as, common criticisms and controversies  surrounding raw food.

In a nut shell, the health benefits of live and raw foods are:

• Maintain youth and vitality as fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants which help process harmful toxins in the body that cause chronic disease and illness.
• More healthy as they have higher nutrient content and are more bioavailable (i.e. body can better absorb the nutrients).
• Increase immune function and aid digestion through beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms (gut flora).

What’s wrong with a living food diet?

Here’s what the critics say:

• Some foods are made more bioavailable and easier to digest when cooked.
• There is a high danger of food poisoning from living food as bacteria is destroyed when heated.
• Nutritional deficiencies are often found in those who consume all-living food diets.
• Cooking food has been a natural evolution for mankind.

It seems as if this raw vs. cooked debate is not as clear-cut as some would like it to be. Check out this intelligent article by www.beyondveg.com as they attempt to use all the known facts to reach an acceptable compromise.

Are you on one side of the fence in this healthy diet debate? Do live foods make you feel alive or do they make you feel ill? Let’s hear your thoughts and experience in the comments below.

Also, does anyone know if sprouted grain bread is considered living food?