by Cascade Ice on August 10, 2011
Ever get up and forget what you got up for? The occasionally forgetful moment is common for most people, especially if you are really busy.
Did you know (according to Health.com) memory loss can begin as early as your 20s? There’s no need to panic, though! There are steps you can take towards protecting your memory.
- Don’t skip the carbs. Your brain and body needs carbohydrates to stay in tip-top shape.
- Work out. It increases blood flow to your brain. Try to do it before your day begins to kick start your memory before work!
- Use a different font. Deviating from you regular font occasionally can improve your memory! Since it is not the font you are used to seeing, you have to focus on it more.
Which of these steps do you think you’ll try to help protect your memory?
by Cascade Ice on July 19, 2011
The Flavorful Life is featuring several “healthy living journey” stories from Cascade Ice fans around the country, where guest bloggers tell us their thoughts on how they face challenges and come up with new ideas to pursue better health and fitness lifestyles. The following is the latest update from Dawn Sievers of Knoxville, TN, and blogger for “The Healing Morning”
Fennel? Calming, you say? Yes, I do! Fennel is one of those overlooked vegetables, not all that common here in the southeastern region where I live. I have to go to a specific grocery store to find it, but it is well worth the extra trip. Once I began to research the health benefits of fennel, I found that it has been an ages old remedy for a wide range of ailments.
Fennel provides an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber. It is also a very good source of folic acid and phosphorous. In addition, fennel is a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and manganese.
So, how is it calming? Consumption of fennel has been proven to release endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the feel-good chemical that helps calm fears and anxiety levels. You may have heard of “runner’s high” that marathon runners feel after running long distances. I don’t know about you, but I’d just as soon find a different method to access endorphins than tormenting my joints with marathon running! And I can report from my own experiences in my kitchen that fennel does give a sense of calm, without the carbohydrate overloads that you would have with chips, pasta or potatoes.
Fennel also aids in digestion and is often eaten at the end of a meal, in raw form. The taste is similar to licorice, and is stronger in raw form, milder after being cooked. My favorite method is cutting the fronds (leafy, feathery greens at the top of the bulb) off, splitting the bulb in half and brushing with balsamic vinegar, then grilling. You can also save the fronds and snip them into salads for a light, licorice flavor. Being a Cascade Ice Water fanatic, the other day I had leftover fennel fronds in the refrigerator and I snipped them into a glass of Cascade Ice Strawberry Lemonade – it was delicious!
Has anyone out there made any special dishes with fennel? Please share below!
by Cascade Ice on June 27, 2011
The benefits of getting a good night’s rest are virtually endless. You wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day when you get a good amount of shut-eye.
According to a recent article in the New York Times, a good night’s sleep can help you concentrate more effectively and can help your short-term memory. A recent study even showed that getting more sleep can make you appear more attractive. Imagine that!
Studies have even shown that losing sleep can negatively impact your health and can make losing weight more difficult. People who get less than seven hours of sleep a night are 15 percent more likely to be obese. This is partially because those who stay up later typically eat during those hours. Also, exercising is more difficult when you are exhausted, so be sure to catch up on those Z’s.
Having trouble getting to bed early? Try going to bed 10 minutes earlier every night, pretty soon it will add up to an extra hour of sleep! Here’s to a good night’s sleep!
What do you do to make sure you get 7-8 hours of sleep per night?
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Healthy Living
by Cascade Ice on June 15, 2011
The Flavorful Life is featuring several “healthy living journey” stories from Cascade Ice fans around the country, where guest bloggers tell us their thoughts on how they face challenges and come up with new ideas to pursue better health and fitness lifestyles. The following is the latest update from Dawn Sievers of Knoxville, TN, and blogger for “The Healing Morning”
Craving sweets? Try eating artichokes. Yes, I’m serious! For those of you who have been following me here at The Flavorful Life, you know that I’ve been revamping a lot of bad habits in the past year. One thing that I will admit I don’t have a problem with is sweets; they’ve just never been a trigger food for me. I do, however, have many friends who fight that battle, so I started doing some research and stumbled across the suggestion that eating artichokes can curb the craving for sugary foods. It turns out that artichokes are rich in insulin, a substance that increases immune defense mechanisms, helps stabilize blood sugar levels and helps to support the liver and pancreas.
What do the liver and pancreas have to do with sugar cravings? When both organs are overloaded with sugar, they become “sluggish” and are not as efficient with their proper function, which is to process and flush toxins from the body. Thus begins that vicious cycle we’re all familiar with – junk food-itis!
Artichokes are also chock full of health benefits, containing fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and other trace elements important for a balanced system. It can also slightly lower the blood sugar, improve the appetite and digestion, is diuretic (meaning it helps to flush excess fluid retention) and may help some migraine conditions (most especially those caused by toxins in the blood). All that in a humble little vegetable! Give this one a try next time the old Sugar Devil strikes and see how it works for you.
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Healthy Living
Ever get up and forget what you got up for? The occasionally forgetful moment is common for most people, especially if you are really busy.
