Colored Cauliflowers

Posted on September 27, 2018 by admin

Colored Cauliflower is available in green (also known as Broccoflower), purple and orange varieties. Although it may look different than the popular white cauliflower, the taste is just the same: mild, sweet and nutty. The orange and purple cauliflower are higher in antioxidants than regular white cauliflower. Purple cauliflower’s true origin is not known, but the purple color is natural. It is the antioxidant anthocyanin that gives it the purple pigment.

Colored varieties such as purple Graffiti, orange Cheddar and stunning green Romanesco cauliflowers that are in many markets and produce aisles are now in a range of sizes. They are not genetically engineered but rather a mixture of heirloom varieties, naturally occurring accidents and the hybrids grown from them.

Where does the color come from?
No, they’re not painted or dyed! Purple cauliflower gets its beautiful hue, which can vary from pale to jewel-toned, from the presence of the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also found in red cabbage and red wine.

Orange cauliflower was first discovered in Canada in 1970, although it took years of crossbreeding before it was widely available. The color comes from a genetic mutation that allows the plant to hold more beta carotene. It also contains about 25% more vitamin A than white cauliflower.

What does it taste like?
Colored cauliflower holds the same firmness, crumbly florets, and texture as its white counterpart, with subtle differences in taste. Orange cauliflower is also dubbed “cheddar” cauliflower, though it tastes nothing like cheese. Its flavor is mild, slightly sweet, and creamy. Similarly, purple cauliflower is mild and slightly sweet with nutty nuances.

Benefits
It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients that can protect against cancer. It also contains fiber to enhance weight loss and digestion, choline that is essential for learning and memory, and many other important nutrients.

An article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) places cauliflower 24th on a list of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables.”

Eating more plant foods, such as cauliflower, has been found to decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion, increased energy, and overall lower weight.

Cauliflower is high in fiber and water. Both are important for preventing constipation, maintaining a healthy digestive tract, and lowering the risk of colon cancer.

Nutrition
Cauliflower is rich in nutrients and fiber.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, one cup of chopped raw cauliflower, cut into half-inch pieces, and weighing around 107 grams, contains:

27 calories
2 grams (g) of protein
0.3 grams of fat
5 g of carbohydrate, including 2.1 g of fiber and 2 g of sugar
24 milligrams (mg) of calcium
16 mg of magnesium
47 mg of phosphorus
320 mg of potassium
51.6 mg of vitamin C
16.6 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K
0.197 mcg of vitamin B6
61 mcg of folate
One cup of raw cauliflower will provide:

77 percent of daily vitamin C needs
20 percent of daily vitamin K needs
10 percent or more of daily needs for vitamin B 6 and folate

It also contains smaller amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese.

Cooking with colored cauliflower
Colored Cauliflower is perfect with just simply steamed or roasted as a colorful side dish, pureed as a low-carb mashed potato substitute or made into faux Cauliflower Fried ‘Rice’. Great for adding color to fresh veggie platters. The beautiful colors do not fade when they are cooked.

The purple and orange varieties have a slightly sweeter flavor than the white variety alone. To amp up the sweetness of all three (while keeping colors intact), break the heads up into small clusters and gloss with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 375 for about 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are caramelized. Then proceed with any recipe – using them in soups, pasta sauces, add to salads, gratins or custards. Some restaurants serve cauliflower as an entree. The sky’s the limit with this healthy, tasty, easy-to-cook crucifer!

Reduce Stress and Practice Forgiveness For A Healthier Liver

Posted on September 23, 2018 by admin

What does forgiveness have to do with your liver? Most of it comes down to your hormones. Historically, holistic practitioners tied emotional troubles to liver damage and therefore overall poor health. As you probably know, high amounts of chronic stress — which can be caused by emotional issues, relationship problems, and holding on to guilt, anger or shame — all have an impact on your endocrine, reproductive, digestive and immune systems.

case study of chronic liver disease

Research shows that changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis caused by stress promotes inflammatory response and worsens liver damage, even contributing to liver diseases. It’s not longer speculation that stress on the liver impacts hormones — it’s now been proven that the HPA axis is affected and causes changes in neurotransmitters and catecholamines.

A damaged liver is said to block healthy emotional flow, produce frustration and cause anger — and believe it or not, these have physical implications. Poor liver function has been tied to physical and psychological symptoms, including: brain fog, rib pain or fullness, dizziness, headaches, cramping, joint or tendon problems, menstrual problems, blurry vision, and digestive disorders. This can also create a vicious cycle because the more stress your under, the more dysfunction in the liver can result.

Since the liver is closely tied to the uterus, involved in regulating reproductive hormones, a woman’s menstrual cycle and libido, it’s important to let go of built-up anger and keep positive energy moving by avoiding conflict and stressing over the small things.

Effects Of Swimming In Chlorine Water

Posted on September 19, 2018 by admin

Swimming is an excellent way to stay active and fit, but if your pool doesn’t have a saline, ozone, or a structured water filter, then you’re going to be stuck swimming in chlorine. Chlorine and bromine are added to swimming pools to kill bacteria and germs, oxidizes organic debris from perspiration and body oils, and fights algae. But chlorine also creates side effects, such as red eyes, dry skin and hair, and a strong odor.

Swimming without chlorine and bromine could be like swimming in a petri dish, exposing people to all sorts of potentially nasty microbes, experts say. The immediate benefits of disinfection far outweigh any potential long-term exposure risks, according to Lindsay Blackstock, a doctoral student in analytical and environmental toxicology at the University of Alberta in Canada via email. Ms. Blackstock co-authored a paper showing that 31 of the 31 swimming pools her team tested contained an artificial sweetener that could have gotten there only through people peeing it out in the pool! And that’s the real danger: not the pool chemicals themselves, but how they mix with other chemicals that people bring to the water. Urine, along with body care products like shampoos, lotions and conditioners, interacts with chlorine to form volatile organic compounds that can be unhealthy to breathe.

After the chlorine reacts, you create a whole spectrum of potentially dangerous molecules. The ones we know about are irritating to eyes and the respiratory system.

Cass who has a history of getting UTI attacks before her surgery had a UTI attack about 9 months after she started swimming lessons. That happened 3 years ago when she was 7 years old. It was her first UTI attack in 6 years. Each time she swam in the pool, she complained of pain on her private part. Besides, she also had red eyes, a phlegmy throat and bouts of sneezing. After the UTI attack 3 years ago, that was the last time she swam in a pool.

There is also a lady at our condo who used to swim everyday for over a year. After recurrent UTI attacks, she has since stopped swimming and is now keeping herself fit at the gym. My mil who swims almost daily has had several bouts of ear infections.

I have stopped swimming for a year as I kept getting irritation in my throat after swimming. I still love swimming and plan to go back to the pool to swim occasionally. I now do strength training, brisk walking and jogging every morning.

When chlorinated pools are indoors, toxic gases such as nitrogen trichloride are released, which can be very dangerous. When we breathe in this gas it can cause severe damage to the lining of the lungs which could lead to respiratory problems or asthma. This toxic gas can be harmful at any age yet it poses the most risk to elderly people and small children.

Chlorine is popular because it handles the three main jobs in keeping a swimming pool clean: It sanitizes (kills bacteria and germs), oxidizes (controls organic debris from perspiration and body oils), and deters algae. The chemical is unpopular, however, because it has a strong odor, reddens eyes, causes allergic reactions in some swimmers, and is a known carcinogen – meaning it has been linked to cancer!

Chlorine absorbs into your skin. Too much exposure to chlorine has been linked to major health problems including reproductive disorders and even birth defects. It can cause your skin and hair to dry out and over time too much exposure can even cause wrinkles.

More research is needed to work out whether there are lasting or more serious side effects in all areas caused by chlorine, one certainty is that chlorine can dry out the eyes and make them scratchy and red. You might have experienced it.

Although prolonged contact with chlorine is inadvisable, and we have to take steps to ensure our skin and hair don’t dry out too much, chlorinated water does help stop the spread of diseases and viruses.

Benefits of Walking 10,000 Steps A Day

Posted on September 8, 2018 by admin

In recent years, the 10,000-steps-a-day regime has become entrenched in popular culture. You can barely walk down the street without someone stomping past someone wearing a FitBit. I used to wear a red colored strap FitBit during my daily morning runs. My second daughter wears a smartwatch which also keeps tract on the number of steps she walks in a day. Now my smartphone keeps track of my daily steps. Though I do not carry my smartphone when I am around the house, I can roughly gauge that I easily chalk up over 10,00 steps a day on most days. My daily grocery shopping and errands-running chalk up over 3,000 steps. My daily morning regimen of brisk walking / running adds up another 6,000 – 7,000 steps and I am certain I walk way more than 1,000 steps while I am in the house doing chores.

Ten thousand steps was first popularized by Japanese pedometers under the name “manpo-kei,” which means “10,000 steps meter, in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Today, taking 10,000 steps a day is a popular goal because some research has shown coupled with other healthy habits it can lead to a decrease in chronic illness like diabetes, metabolic syndromes and heart disease.

Some studies investigating the protective nature of exercise against chronic illnesses ranging from heart disease to stroke and various forms of cancer, such as breast cancer and reproductive cancers, suggest that somewhere between 6,000 and 8,000 steps could be the lower boundary to aim for.

Walk more worry less when walking for health. #workouts #exercise #fitness #weightloss #wellness #selfimprovement #behavior #motivation #shoes

In a recent study, postal workers in Glasgow, Scotland, who walked 15,000 steps a day were found to have had fewer risk factors for heart disease than colleagues who sat throughout the day.

While the study published in the The International Journal of Obesity, doesn’t identify 10,000 steps, 15,000 is pretty close.

At the end of the day, whether you’re walking 8,000 or 13,000 steps a day, it’s key to get moving.

steps taken in a day

Here are 10 of the most positive effects you can expect from taking the 10,000-step challenge:

1. It will boost your heart health
2. It will strengthen your lungs
3. It improves your concentration
4. It strengthens your bones
5. You’ll grow muscles
6. It helps stabilize your blood sugar
7. It can help lower blood pressure
8. It improves flexibility
9. It boosts your energy levels
10. It improves your mood

Here’s a look at how you can get started:

Get a pedometer / FitBit / Smartwatch / Smartphone with pedometer function – These devices not only monitor physical activity, but also keep people interested in physical activity. Most people get started with a program and miss a week because of life and then they quit. These monitors keep people motivated enough so they go back to a physical activity program and meet their goals.

While 10,000 steps may seem like a lofty goal, it’s easier than you think. If you are time-strapped to have proper walks / runs in sports attire, you can incorporate these activities into your daily life:

Whether it’s at work or going to the grocery store, park your vehicle at the end of the parking lot so you get additional steps.
Get up and move for 5-10 minutes every hour at work. You can make time to move during work so that you are not sedentary for long periods of time. Get up and move to break up the sedentary time, and that may be just as important as 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day.

Build up your steps

For those who are nowhere near 10,000 steps a day, the goal should be to gradually increase the amount of steps you take each day.

If you are sedentary the whole goal of the physical activity guideline is to reduce sedentary time. If you are sitting there behind a desk it’s best for you to start low in the 3,000 – 4,000 range, which is actually higher than what most sedentary people get for physical activity.

In order to avoid injury, people who have been fairly sedentary should make sure they take it slow.

Home is Where You Want to Be

Posted on September 8, 2018 by admin

Most would agree that the saying “Home Sweet Home” rings true. When you get older or have a disability, that’s still the case and potentially even more true in certain situations. To make sure individuals can live at home and have a feeling of independence and comfort, many agencies offer home care services.

What it Might Entail
Caregivers that come to a home can be asked to do a variety of tasks. Those could include assistance with daily activities, such as bathing, toileting, feeding, dressing, and moving around the home. Personal care could also include getting meals ready, assisting with or handling the grocery shopping, light housekeeping, and help with traveling to appointments.

When you work with a home care agency, you’ll first sit down and discuss the situation you’re dealing with. Whether you’re the one in need of care or it’s a loved one who you’re advocating for, staff members will listen carefully to you so they can plan for service that would meet your preferences.

It’s important that home care services be flexible, as situations could change. Maybe you’d like someone to drop by for an hour each day during recovery after a surgery, or maybe you need someone to be there for most of the day. Some clients even have someone around the clock if the situation calls for it. Whatever it is that you set up, you can do so knowing that you or your loved one will get to remain at home, living as independently as possible.

Questions are Welcomed
Not too many people are prepared when circumstances require personal care at home. It’s okay to ask questions, and it’s okay to ask agencies to be very specific in terms of how it all works with insurance, payments, and job specifications. If you’re looking for personal care services in Greenwich, CT,, there are several options, including Home Care Connectors.