Your blood sugar will be sure to salute you this Independence Day if you grill up some of this: eggplant. Purple-skinned eggplant is full of phenols that help your body better use blood sugar. And that’s great, because you don’t need extra blood sugar running around. Too much in the bloodstream could wreak havoc with your organs. But that’s not all eggplant’sgot . . . More Phenol SuperpowersIn addition to favorable effects on blood sugar, eggplant’s supercharged phenols may also inhibit an enzyme tied to high blood pressure. Plus, the phenols have antioxidant actions. Go purple power!
RealAge
Ways to Do Eggplant RightYup, eggplant sure is one heck of a disease fighter -- and it’s quite versatile to boot. You can feature it in a crowd-pleasing main course or a side dish. For delicious eggplant recipes: http://dolkarwellness.com/RecipeEggplantPanini
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Purple Plant That’s Great for Your Blood Sugar
Thursday, June 26, 2008
TUMERIC: A SPICE FOR LIFE
The popular Asian cooking spice, turmeric, may prevent diabetes and help beneficially influence body composition, according to a study slated to appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Endocrinology.
Previous research has suggested that turmeric and its anti-oxidative ingredient, curcumin, can help reduce inflammation, help heal wounds and relieve pain.
For the most recent study, researchers from the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center evaluated the use of turmeric on rodent models and found that those treated with the popular curry spice were “less susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes” based on the findings of a blood glucose level test and an assessment of glucose and insulin tolerance.
In addition, the researchers report that obese mice given turmeric exhibited “a small but significant decline in body weight and fat content” and showed “significantly reduced inflammation in fat tissue and liver” when compared to obese mice not given the spice.
The inflammation mechanism associated with obesity is due to the production of macrophages, a type of immune cell manufactured in fat tissues. These macrophages are in turn thought to produce cytokine molecules, which are thought to cause inflammation in the heart and pancreas and are also associated with increased insulin resistance in the muscles and liver.
As a result, the researchers hypothesize that by suppressing the activity of these macrophages with turmeric, it may be possible to reduce obesity and some of its related ailments.
Now granted, this all took place in rodent models and it’s not yet clear whether the effects would carry over to humans (and even if they did, whether consuming that amount of the spice would pose other curry-related problems!), the researchers note that the spice “could nicely complement our traditional therapies as a natural and safe treatment.” Even so, a spice that pacts an anti-oxidative punch, may stave off inflammation and has the possibility of altering our body composition for the better… and all for nominal calories? We say it sure beats the heck out of ketchup!
Alastair Bird, Carlos Lorenzo Flickr Photos (CC)
http://www.dolkarwellness.com/
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
THE SWEET TREAT GOOD FOR YOUR HEART
Try something exotic…add a little lychee to your fruit salad. Not only will it delight your taste buds, it will also tickle your ticker. When scientists recently measured the heart-helping polyphenol content of fruits popular in France, strawberries were number one….followed by lychees and grapes.
The Top 10
Who would have thought lychees would become such a French favorite? But the top polyphenol-spiked fruits there, in order, are: strawberries, lychees, grapes, apricots, apples, dates, cherries, figs, pears, and white nectarines. The small, heart-shaped red fruit is now going global and making an appearance in U.S. markets, too, especially during the summer. I first met them when I was in Thailand. I was walking through the open market and a vendor gave me one…it was love at first bite!
Two More for Your Ticker
In addition to impressive amounts of polyphenols, lychees also have heart-smart vitamin C and potassium – which is a godsend to your blood pressure. www.dolkarwellness.com
Monday, June 16, 2008
A STORY WE CAN CONTEMPLATE
Marie was a young sales rep who spent more time on an airplane than in her home. It was Friday evening…she was extremely exhausted and she was in an airport waiting for her plane. She decided to get some coffee and a pack of cookies for dinner.
Finally, she sat down with coffee and cookies in hand and settled into a good book. The cookies were sitting between she and another passenger so she reached over to grab one. After she did, he also dipped his hand into the pack. This irritated her that he would take her cookie without even asking but she didn’t want to be rude so she went on with her book.
A couple minutes later, she reached for another cookie and so did he. This went on until there was only one cookie left in the pack. He picked up the last cookie, broke it in half, took one half and left the other half for her. This really made her mad…how dare he eat her cookies and act so rudely!
She boarded the plane and when she sat down, she reached into her purse for her gum and found the unwrapped roll of cookies. She felt so bad because not only was she eating someone else cookies but she got angry at them for eating what she thought were her cookies. This man had shared with her without a thought of anger or selfishness. The problem is that she had no way of apologizing to him acting so childishly.
The Moral of the story is that there are four things that can never be recovered:
The stone…..after it is thrown
The word…..after it is said
The occasion…..after the loss
The time…..after it is gone
We are all amazing human beings….why sweat the little things?
Meditation can help keep us centered....
www.dolkarwellness.com
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
WHO WE ARE and WHAT WE DO
We invite you to sit back and be nurtured! There are lots of pathways HOME - you choose the one that fits YOU!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
PEACHY PROTEIN SHAKE
1 Serving French Vanilla Formula 1
8 oz Milk or Soymilk
1-3 TBSP Personal Protein Powder
for better Protein intake (optional)
1 Tsp Brandy Flavoring
1 Peach
Blend Well & May your day be just “PEACHY!”
Monday, June 9, 2008
TO FEEL REFRESHED, TRY SOME PRESSURE
1. Lightly tap the top of your head several times.
3. Use a thumb to massage the back of your other hand; rub the fleshy spot where the thumb joins the hand.
4. Massage the front of your legs, just below the knee.
Rub these points clockwise and then counterclockwise for 3 minutes. After that -- presto! -- you're awake.
Using acupressure to modify alertness in the classroom: a single-blinded,randomized cross-over trial. Harris, R. E., Jeter, J., Chan, P., Higgins, P., Kong, F. M., Fazel, R., Bramson, C., Gillespie, B., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2005 Aug;11(4):673-679.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
MY GRAND FATHER’S WORDS OF WISDOM
To me, my “Pa Pa” (as we called my grandfather) was one of the greatest men alive. He had strength, integrity, and a soft heart. I asked my Grandmother one day why she chose to marry him. She said, “That’s an easy question….your Grandfather is one of the most honorable men I know!” She told me this story about their courtship:
One day my Grandfather was working on his father’s farm when he cut his leg with an ax. He had a date with my grandmother that evening so he wasn’t about to let “a little ax” wound stop him from spending time with his sweetie. Not only did he have a significant gash in his leg, but he walked three miles to pick up his car….then drove to pick up my grandmother. He arrived at her house with blood on his trousers! At that moment, she knew she would marry him.
My most memorable time with him related to grocery shopping! He and I went to a store to pick up some things for dinner and when he paid for them, the clerk gave him too much change so he gave it back.. I asked him why he did that….no one would have ever known. His answer was: “That’s dishonest – only a person with a lack of integrity would do such a thing!”
I asked him what the word “Integrity” meant to him and his answer sank into my heart – even as a 12 year old kid:
“Integrity means doing the honorable act…..even when no one is watching.”
His wisdom has stayed with me throughout my entire life and helps me retain my internal strength and honor. My wish is for all beings to find this integrity deep within their hearts and serve as a role model for younger people. It will give them a foundation to build on in this very complicated world we live in. It’s a way of touching their hearts.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
YOU CAN THINK YOURSELF THIN
Here's a novel weight-loss strategy. Before you take one single bite, think about your last meal -- every detail. It may sound silly, but there's science behind the idea.
People in a study who thought about their last meal before snacking munched less. So before your next nibble, picture your lunch plate. Mind over MatterIt made no difference how tempting the treat. When people were asked to remember what they had for lunch that day prior to eating a popcorn snack, they ate less of the munchy stuff -- regardless of whether it was seasoned or served plain. All of which suggests that appetite may be linked to food memory cues.
Daily Strength for the Dieter:
Give yourself some superhuman willpower with these tricks for resisting dietary temptations:
1. Scrap the three squares . . . and eat smaller, more frequent meals. This will speed up your metabolism….keep fueling the engine – and it will burn off the fat.
2. Take a nap. Sleep deprivation can cause one to over-compensate with food – it’s comforting.
3. Drink lots of water. It may sound strange but many times we misinterpret feelings of thirst as feelings of hunger. Drink water first, and then if you’re still hungry, have a healthy snack of fruit or veggies.
RealAge
ARE YOU EATING SMART??? Dolkar Wellness can help. Contact us NOW!!
Use Visualization to slim down….it WORKS.
