A Simple (Spicy) Solution

My nearly ninety year old Father-in-law who inspired me to write these posts LOVES  hot spicy food.  I will never forget the time we took him to The Buffalo Wing factory and to everyone’s amazement, he ate The Flatliner (the spiciest sauce that only a few dare to try).  Is this one of his savvy secrets to longevity? Maybe so and here’s why:

Cayenne Pepper Who knew that Cayenne pepper is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese and B6 and dietary fiber. The high concentration of beta –caroteine supports a healthy immune system, critical during cold and flu season. Capsaicin helps to break up mucus congestion in the nose and the lungs. Not only is it also good as an anti-inflammatory and for pain relief, but also provides heat that may speed up metabolic rate to burn excess fat and acts as a mild appetite suppressant. Some studies have shown capsaicin a phytonutrient in cayenne pepper to induce the reduction of tumors.

The anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties may benefit digestive health which may be why Cayenne and the use of dried red chili peppers have been shown to be associated with the reduced risk of stomach ulcers.

The University of Maryland Medical Center states that capsaicin may help with weight loss, heartburn and improve circulatory problems. Cayenne pepper may reduce blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and platelet aggregation and increase the body’s ability to dissolve fibrin thus preventing plague build up that can lead to atherosclerosis. This may be why cultures where hot peppers are used liberally have a much lower rate of heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism. These are reasons enough for me to include in my morning routine, how about you?

RECIPE:
Heat water in a glass teapot or on a stove, then pour water in mug then:

1. Chop up ½ to 1 inch of ginger root or sprinkle 1 tsp ginger powder into mug with hot water. Let is sit for a couple of minutes to steep. When the mug is not too hot to pick up then
2. Squeeze ½- 1 lemon juice into the mug
3. Sprinkle a pinch of *cayenne pepper powder to tolerance

Take some deep belly breaths and feel grateful for giving yourself this time to drink up all these health benefits.

I also hope you will consider joining me and other authors and health coaches in our first Self Health Movement Retreat this fall in Asilomar, California. Bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.

You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you! Here’s some of what we will be offering:

1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside studio spaces.
2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges
3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!
4. You can choose workshops from over a dozen authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website
5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines, and bonfires to music.
6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.
7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

Please let me know how I can best assist you or inspire you as you discover optimal health and wellness. 

With Love & Gratitude,
Lisa

A Simple Solution - Ginger

Last week we discussed why lemon was beneficial to add to morning cup of warm water instead of the normal “cup of joe”.  This week let’s talk about the benefits of Ginger.

Ginger is also an anti-oxidant and an anti-inflammatory spice used for centuries to treat nausea and in herbal medicine helps eliminate intestinal gas and soothes and relaxes the gastrointestinal tract.
Ginger has been used safely to relieve nausea and vomiting for motion sickness, during pregnancy and before and during chemotherapy.

Here’s a few excerpts from Worlds Healthiest Foods on Ginger:

Ginger contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are believed to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience reductions in their pain levels and improvements in their mobility when they consume ginger regularly. In two clinical studies involving patients who responded to conventional drugs and those who didn't, physicians found that 75% of arthritis patients and 100% of patients with muscular discomfort experienced relief of pain and/or swelling. [1]

Gingerols, the main active components in ginger and the ones responsible for its distinctive flavor, may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, suggests research presented at the Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, a major meeting of cancer experts that took place in Phoenix, AZ, October 26-30, 2003.

Ginger Induces Cell Death in Ovarian Cancer Cells. Lab experiments presented at the 97th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer, by Dr Rebecca Lui and her colleagues from the University of Michigan, showed that gingerols, the active phytonutrients in ginger, kill ovarian cancer cells by inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death) and autophagocytosis (self-digestion).
Ginger extracts have been shown to have both antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects on cells. To investigate the latter, Dr Liu examined the effect of a whole ginger extract containing 5% gingerol on a number of different ovarian cancer cell lines.

Exposure to the ginger extract caused cell death in all the ovarian cancer lines studied.
A pro-inflammatory state is thought to be an important contributing factor in the development of ovarian cancer. In the presence of ginger, a number of key indicators of inflammation (vascular endothelial growth factor, interleukin-8 and prostaglandin E2) were also decreased in the ovarian cancer cells.

Conventional chemotherapeutic agents also suppress these inflammatory markers, but may cause cancer cells to become resistant to the action of the drugs. Liu and her colleagues believe that ginger may be of special benefit for ovarian cancer patients because cancer cells exposed to ginger do not become resistant to its cancer-destroying effects. In the case of ovarian cancer, an ounce of prevention—in the delicious form of liberal use of ginger—is an especially good idea.

Immune Boosting Action

Ginger can not only be warming on a cold day, but can help promote healthy sweating, which is often helpful during colds and flus. A good sweat may do a lot more than simply assist detoxification. German researchers have recently found that sweat contains a potent germ-fighting agent that may help fight off infections. Investigators have isolated the gene responsible for the compound and the protein it produces, which they have named dermicidin. Dermicidin is manufactured in the body's sweat glands, secreted into the sweat, and transported to the skin's surface where it provides protection against invading microorganisms, including bacteria such as E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections), and fungi, including Candida albicans.

Ginger is so concentrated with active substances, you don't have to use very much to receive its beneficial effects. For nausea, ginger tea made by steeping one or two 1/2-inch slices (one 1/2-inch slice equals 2/3 of an ounce) of fresh ginger in a cup of hot water will likely be all you need to settle your stomach. For arthritis, some people have found relief consuming as little as a 1/4-inch slice of fresh ginger cooked in food, although in the studies noted above, patients who consumed more ginger reported quicker and better relief.

Description

The spice ginger is the underground rhizome of the ginger plant, known botanically as Zingiber officinale. The plant's botanical name is thought to be derived from its Sanskrit name singabera which means "horn shaped," a physical characteristic that ginger reflects.

Whfoods.org
[1] http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=72#healthbenefits

I also hope you will consider joining me and other authors and health coaches in our first Self Health Movement Retreat this fall in Asilomar, California. Bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.

You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you! Here’s some of what we will be offering:

1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside studio spaces.
2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges
3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!
4. You can choose workshops from over a dozen authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website
5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines, and bonfires to music.
6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.
7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

 

Please let me know how I can best assist you or inspire you as you discover optimal health and wellness.

With Love & Gratitude,Lisa

A Simple Solution - Morning Beverage

Last Week, we talked about the importance of water and starting your day off with a full glass at your bedside.  Now I want to add another healthy habit to your morning routine and explain to you why this will benefit you.

My nearly ninety year-young father in law wanted to know of a new simple solution to lower inflammation and help combat his arthritis.  So I shared with him a cleansing practice common with health coaches.  Instead of morning coffee, try drinking warm water with lemon, ginger and cayenne.
I want to share why this is effective.  If you are like me, then you will be more compliant doing something when you fully understand the benefits.

If the thought of cayenne is more than you can stomach, then just start with lemon or ginger or just start with lemon.  The important thing is to BEGIN with something.

Why lemon, ginger and cayenne?  First let’s start with Lemon:

Lemons and limes are not only an excellent source of vitamin C, they also are a good source of potassium and include calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and folate.  We are the only mammals that do not produce our own vitamin C when under stress (when are needs are greatly increased.)  We must get Vitamin C from food.  It is one of the most important antioxidants protecting the body from damage from free radicals giving us anti-aging protection.

Why is this important? Free radicals cause inflammation and painful swelling which is why lemons are good for relieving symptoms of arthritis. Lemons and limes not lower inflammation and have an anti cancer effect.  Several research studies have shown lemons and limes to positively affect cell cycles including apoptosis, (necessary in cancer prevention) and boost special immune cells called monocytes.  Limes also have a special flavonoid with antibiotic properties.  In West Africa, several villages use limes added to water and rice in meals to prevent the spread of cholera, a common bacterial illness.

Do you like me have a genetic predisposition to heart disease?  Free radicals can damage blood vessels making it more likely for cholesterol to build plaque on arterial walls.  Vitamin C helps to prevent this progression and the damaging effects caused by our high carbohydrate standard American diet leading to diabetes and heart disease.

Of course, we’ve all heard of how essential vitamin C is to a strong immune system.  If you have frequent colds, flu’s or infections try adding a lemon to your water every morning.

I also hope you will consider joining me and other authors and health coaches in our first Self Health Movement Retreat this fall in Asilomar, California. Bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.
You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you! Here's some of what we will be offering:

1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside studio spaces.
2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges
3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!
4. You can choose workshops from over a dozen authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website
5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines, and bonfires to music.
6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.
7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

Please let me know how I can best assist you or inspire you as you discover optimal health and wellness.

With Love & Gratitude,
Lisa

A Simplest Solution - H2O

Last week I shared my Father in Law’s video on how he restored his ailing eyesight.

He asked me about another simple solution that he might try and so I shared with him a common protocol among health coaches.  First thing in the morning, drink a glass of clean filtered water.  Put it by the bedside so you have it handy to help rehydrate the body after a good night of restful sleep; essential to health and wellbeing.

Why is water so vital for optimal health?  Here are some interesting facts and estimates:

1. It is estimated that the body is 70% water, the brain is 75% water and the blood is 92% water; dehydration can cause dizziness and headaches
2. 2% drop in body water can create difficulty concentrating and effect short-term memory.
3. Three quarters of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
4. We often mistake hunger for thirst. Try drinking water before grabbing an unhealthy processed carbohydrate. It can stop hunger pangs.
5. It can lower joint and back pain as water is required for synovial fluid.
6. Mild dehydration slows the bodies metabolism.
7. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.[1]
8. Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
9. Water is required for nearly every part of the human body to function efficiently from carrying nutrients and oxygen to all the cells in the body, to converting food into energy and to protect and cushion vital organs.
10. Water is required for breathing.

Water that is fluoridated and includes chlorine can compete with iodine required for the thyroid. You may want to consider drinking spring water out of glass bottles or filtered water. This is MY favorite glass water bottle that I fill with filtered water and take with me everywhere I go

I also give this as a gift to my private coaching clients. Can you challenge yourself to try drinking ½ your body weight in water today?  How about this week?  Try it and document how you feel and what changes that you notice in your body.

[1] http://www.thewaterexpress.com/Water-Facts-And-Tips.htm

Carpe diem!

Lisa

PS

Do you want more Simple Solutions?  Consider joining me for our first New Self Health Movement Retreat in September 25-28th in California at Asilomar in Monterey, California. I promise you will leave with simple solutions you can implement at home, plus some new found friends and savvy secrets.

There is also a one day Saturday pass available as well.  Please hurry because the rooms book up fast at Asilomar and I want to be sure my VIPs (Very Important People) are there!  I have partnered with 15 other authors and health coaches to offer a long weekend of knowledge transfer for you. Tara Gesling and her story of going from 5 years in a wheelchair to the healthy woman she is today is amazing and inspirational! So is Emma Galland, CEO of Gogi Fit's recovery from Graves Disease at the age of 30.

Here’s what you will enjoy:


Read more and register with our special rate HERE.  You can also bring your spouse or a friend who wants to enjoy the refuge by the sea while you partake at the conference for a reduced rate of $1.  There are nearby golf courses, shopping and the quaint towns of Monterey and Carmel by the Sea.
You definitely deserve this and I would LOVE to spend this time with you!

1. Yoga and yoga dance classes offered on the beach and inside.

2. Personalized small health coaching groups to help you walk through obstacles and health challenges

3. Discover my Seven Steps to Inspired Wellness in an informative, experiential session where you will leave inspired and empowered to take back your health and understand the process to meet personal goals. We will walk through how to go from “Overwhelmed” to “Empowered”!

4. You can choose workshops from over a dozen authors and health coaches. The conference outline is on our website

5. You will enjoy amazing gourmet food, seafood, California wines and bonfires to music.

6. Saturday night we will witness the lunar eclipse while listening to live music under the stars on the beach.

7. You will enjoy luxury accommodations, with chimneys in the rooms, wooden floors, trees and the beach to help you relax fully and recharge.

ABOUT LISA JACKSON, RN, CHC, RYT
Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker, retired RN, certified health coach and yoga teacher. Her book, Savvy Secrets: Eat,Think & Thrive; Seven Steps to Optimal Health,is a self health book to enable healing from within.  Her goal is to inspire wellness and to help others look and feel their best at any age. Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement, the International Health Coach Association and the Wellness Inspired Network. She is the mother of four adult children, soon to be Grandmother, and believes that optimal health should not be a secret! When she is not coaching, speaking and writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance at every opportunity.