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Healthy Halloween Alternatives

7 Herbal Remedies That Are Helpful in Treating Lupus

The Effects of Soda on Your Health and Body

Lupus Brain Fog

Yvette shares information about Lupus brain fog and simple tips on how to cope with it.

Recipe of The Month: Watermelon & Feta Salad With Serrano Chile Vinaigrette

From Athens, Georgia chef, Hugh Acheson 

 Serves 6

Ingredients  

• ½ to 1 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime  juice
•  2 Tbsp champagne vinegar
•  2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
•  1 small shallot, minced   
• 1 Serrano chili pepper, stemmed and sliced or chopped
•  Salt to taste  
• 1 small seedless watermelon 
• 1/3 lb block of feta cheese, sliced into 1/8 slices (about 12 slices) *optional 
• 1 bunch arugula, washed and drained

Directions 

In a jar or salad bottle with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, lime juice, champagne vinegar, thyme, shallot, and Serrano pepper. Shake well. Season dressing with salt to taste; chill in refrigerator. Meanwhile, slice watermelon into 3 inch squares, about ¼-inch thick. On small salad plates, begin to assemble each serving of the salad. To assemble, place one slice of watermelon on the plate; next, layer one slice of feta on top of the first watermelon slice. Repeat, layering another watermelon slice and then one more feta slice. End with a final watermelon slice on top. Place about one handful of arugula on the plate, encircling the stacked watermelon/feta. Drizzle the stack and the arugula with the vinaigrette and garnish with a few slices of Serrano pepper. Chill for 15 minutes or serve immediately.

*For those of you who don't eat dairy, the salad is also delicious without the feta.

Stay Healthy This Summer inside and Out (Article by Sandy O'Dalis)

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 2 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year, and the

occurrences are actually increasing. However, many sunscreens could be causing harm; according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 97 percent of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used chemical in sunscreens -- oxybenzone - which can cause allergic reactions, hormone disruption and cell damage.

In addition, not all sunscreens provide the protection they claim. To find a sunscreen that offers protection AND uses safe ingredients, check out Environmental Working Group.  EWG rates sunscreens based on this combined criteria, and provides a list of the top 100 that made the cut. Overall, EWG likes today’s zinc- and titanium-based mineral sunscreens because they offer excellent UV protection but do not penetrate the skin. According to EWG, “half of the U.S. sunscreens that meet the United State’s FDA rules would not make it to store shelves in Europe,” which has stricter standards.

What else can you do to protect yourself from skin damage and the threat of melanoma?

• Eat raw vegetables; they are packed with skin-protecting antioxidants/phytonutrients.
• Reduce or eliminate your consumption of processed foods and sugars, which can suppress your immune system and increase inflammation.
• Wear clothing that provides protection against UVA and UVB rays; check out products from Coolibar and Solumbra, or dozens of others available online. When in the water (or biking, hiking and running outdoors), wear a swim shirt - today’s versions are good-looking and breathable, and you don’t have to worry about chemicals or the sunscreen washing off. (Do make sure you use sunscreen on the parts of your face and body that are not protected by clothing.)
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, and wear sunglasses whenever you are outside, including when you are driving. Eyewear protects the sensitive skin around your eyes and can reduce the risk of developing cataracts. Make sure your sunglasses provide both VA/UVB protection.
• Avoid sun exposure during the hottest part of the day, 12N to 4PM.
• Avoid burning! Sunburns significantly increase your chances of developing melanoma, according to skincancer.org
• Do not use tanning booths - these are NOT safer than the sun! People who use tanning beds are two to five times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, according to skincancerprevention.org

Stay in the know... Examine your body for signs of skin damage, and get a yearly skin check from a board-certified dermatologist.

Sunless Tanning Tips for People With or Without Lupus

Sunless Tanning Tips for People With or Without Lupus.
You Can get a natural looking tan without ever going to the beach or using sun tanning beds.
.

Lupus Sun Protection Tips

Eating Healthy when you have an auto-immune disease: 5 do's

Read Food Labels to Make Healthier Food Choices

Read Food Labels to Make Healthier Food Choices

Stay Healthy on The Go and During Vacations

Is Smoking a Hookah Bad for You?

The latest craze among young adults is not going clubbing, or drinking, it’s going to a hookah lounge to smoke. A hookah is a water pipe used to smoke tobacco through cooled water. Some of my friends frequent these lounges to sit and smoke flavored tobacco that is heated in a bowl on top of the hookah then the tobacco is smoked through cooled water that runs into the pipe. There seems to be a lot of myths surrounding whether or not smoking a hookah is good or bad. I decided to do my own research to see if the myths are true or false.
In the 2013 Nicotine & Tobacco Research, researchers treated cells from the lining of human lungs with tobacco and non-tobacco smoke from a water pipe smoking machine. They found that smoke from a hookah pipe slows down and stunts lung production regardless of whether the smoke came from a tobacco or tobacco-free product.(1) I did further research and here is what I found.

• Smoking tobacco through water does not filter cancer causing chemicals like some may think. As a matter of fact, it can harm and damage the heart and lungs as much or worse than cigarette smoke.(2)
• Smoking the different flavored herbs still exposes the smoker to tar and carcinogens; it’s the same as cigarettes.
• Hookah smoke contains high levels of arsenic, and 36 times more tar and more carbon monoxide and carcinogens than cigarettes. Because it requires taking harder and longer drags when smoking a hookah in comparison to smoking cigarettes.
• One hookah session can expose you to the amount of tar and nicotine equal to one pack of cigarettes.
• Smoking hookah may cause being addicted to smoking.(3)
• Smoking a hookah is just as dangerous or even more so than smoking cigarettes.(4)
• Just because hookah tobacco contains fruit, or is soaked in honey and is smoked through water doesn’t make it safer… You’re still smoking the cancer causing chemicals in the tobacco.
• Second hand smoke from hookah is just as bad as second hand smoke from cigarettes.

As per Adrienne J. Heinz, a researcher who studies alcohol and drug use at Stanford University School of Medicine in California, “People don't generally seem to understand just how dangerous hookah smoking can be”(5) Scientific literature states, hookah has been linked with health problems including chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, oral cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease and pregnancy complications similar to those seen with cigarette smoking. You also run the risk of contracting the herpes and other viruses from sharing mouthpieces.(6) Even though there seems to be a big misconception that smoking a hookah is safer than cigarettes, let me clear the hookah smoked air of this myth. Smoking a hookah is just as harmful as cigarettes, and can potentially be worst. I started to wonder; whatever happened to going to a dance club with your friends?


Resources: 1- http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/02/24/hookah-is-not-harmless-experts-... 2- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1440-1843.2012.02194.x/abst... 3- http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2012/09/18/is-hookah-smoking-l... 4- http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2012/09/18/is-hookah-smoking-l... 5- http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/02/24/hookah-is-not-harmless-experts-... 6- http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2012/09/18/is-hookah-smoking-l...

Sugar Blues Workshop

Come join us this Sunday April 27th from 2:30pm-3:30pm for our Sugar
Blues Workshop at Mimi For Me Yoga Studio. Located at 76-11 37th Avenue
Jackson Heights, NY Telephone: 718-505-9642. Learn to get rid of your
sugar habit for good! Plus a free bonus for all participants of the
workshop. My 3 day raw cleanse. ($50.00 value) for free!

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Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Personal Growth: Becoming Your Best Self

Toasted Walnut, Edamame and Blueberry Toss

Ingredients:
½ cup raw spinach
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, toasted
2 cups cooked Edamame beans (shelled and cooked)
1 cup cooked brown rice or quinoa
Juice of one ½ lemon
1 small clove minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp dried blueberries
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon dried dill

Directions:
In a dry skillet, toast the chopped walnuts over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Let walnuts cool then chop and set aside. Cook brown rice or quinoa and edamame beans according to package directions. Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, dried dill, and garlic. Mix in cooked edamame beans, cooked brown rice (or quinoa) and stir well, coating ingredients evenly. Mix in dried blueberries and stir gently. Top with toasted walnuts and serve over spinach leaves.

Spicy Chicken Salad (no mayo!)

This is the perfect soup for a cold winter day!

 

Ingredients: 

• Two skinless chicken breasts, baked or poached and chopped.
• ¼ cup chopped red, yellow or orange pepper
• ¼ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup fresh chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1-2 very ripe avocados, cubed
• 1 clove fresh minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp chipotle or chili powder
• Pinch of pepper and sea salt

Directions:

Chop cooled chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl. Add chopped pepper, celery and spinach leaves and minced garlic; mix well with a large fork. Add the cubed avocado; mash the avocado into the chicken and vegetable mixture, stirring and mashing until you have a slightly smooth consistency. Add the chipotle or chili powder, the pepper and sea salt. Mix well. Serve on romaine lettuce leaves, unsalted brown rice cakes or toasted whole-wheat bread. (I lay a few whole spinach leaves on top when I eat it as a sandwich!)

Superfood: Spinach

One of the more exciting recent discoveries about what's in spinach is the presence of glycoglycerolipids. You may not have heard glycoglycerolipids before because people are just starting to talk about them. Glycoglycerolipids are the key players in plant photosynthesis, and new research shows that they can prevent inflammation and damage in the digestive tract. What else are you getting in a cup of spinach? Here's how it stacks up by percentage of Daily Values:

 

• Nutrient DRI/DV
• Vitamin K 987.2%
• Vitamin A 628.8%
• Manganese 84%
• Folate 65.7%
• Magnesium 39.1%
• Iron 35.7%
• Copper 34.4%
• Vitamin B 232.3%
• Vitamin B 625.8%
• Calcium 24.4%
• Potassium 23.9%
• Vitamin C 23.5%
• Fiber 17.2%
• Vitamin B 114.1%
• Vitamin B 35.5%

Learn to Read Ingredient List to Be in the Know

Have you ever looked at the front of a package and read the words "All-Natural" or "Heart-Healthy," only to look at the ingredients list and find it is packed with salt, sugar, and chemicals you can't even pronounce? The front of a food package has one purpose: to make you buy the product. It is not always fact-based and does not indicate the healthiness of the food inside. In order to know what you are truly buying, you need to understand how to read and properly interpret the ingredient list and nutrition information label on food packages. You may be shocked when you begin to discover what's really in the food you buy!

Yet learning this very simple task will help make you an informed consumer.

The key to remember is that ingredients are listed from highest to lowest proportions. That is, the first two or three ingredients are the majority of what the food contains. The last few ingredients make up very little of the product.

If you want to ensure that you are buying foods that are truly healthy - high-quality, nutritious, unprocessed - then follow the tips below.

Quick Overview: Rules for Reading Ingredient Lists

1. If you can't pronounce it, don't buy it/don't eat it.

2. Ingredients are listed in order of quantity, with the largest quantity of ingredients listed first.

3. Choose foods with less than five ingredients; this means they are minimally processed.

4. Avoid chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors.

5. Avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and trans fats

The Details: Choosing Healthy Foods by their Ingredient List

Whole Grains

Particularly for cereals, crackers, pasta, and breads, the word "whole" should appear as the first or second ingredient, whether it is whole wheat, whole oats, whole rye, or another grain. One way to double-check is to look at the fiber content on the nutrition facts panel; whole-grain foods should deliver at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.

Hidden Sugars

Avoid foods with sugar listed in the first three ingredients, and be aware that "sugar" has many names, many of which add calories without boosting nutritional value, and others that can cause stomach distress and other symptoms. Ingredients that end in the word "ose" are all forms of sugar, such as fructose, sucrose and dextrose. Other sugar sources are honey and corn sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A recent study at the University of California/Davis found that these sweeteners had a similar metabolic effect as other forms of sugar. To know exactly how many grams of total sugar a product contains, check out the Nutrient Facts label. Four to five grams of sugar is the equivalent of one teaspoon.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Partially hydrogenated oils are the primary source of trans fats, which have been shown to be even more harmful to arteries than saturated fat. Foods can call themselves "trans-fat free" even if they contain up to half a gram of trans fats per serving. Look on the ingredients list. If a food contains partially hydrogenated oils, it contains trans fats.

Artificial Sweeteners, as in Sucralose, Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame

I tell all my clients (and everyone I know) to AVOID artificial sweeteners -- they can actually increase your craving for sweets, are loaded with chemicals, and are often the source of bloating, diarrhea, and other symptoms. The Center for Science in the Public Interest warns that some artificial sweeteners can be dangerous in large quantities. A few diet sodas every day may be considered "large quantities" over the years!

Sodium Nitrite

Used as a preservative in meats, some research indicates that sodium nitrate may pose a cancer risk; another recent study suggested that nitrites and nitrates could interact with medications to damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer. The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends limiting the amount you consume by choosing nitrite-free products whenever possible.

  

Artificial Colorings in Food

Research suggests that some colorings may pose health dangers, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Artificial colorings are found in cereals, candy, soda, snack food -on and on, particularly those designed for children. They are listed on the ingredients label by their color name, such as Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, and Orange B.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a salty flavor and companies/restaurants add it to food to enhance flavor (at the expense of your health!) Some people experience "MSG symptom complex," with reactions such as headache, flushing, sweating, fluttering heartbeat, and shortness of breath.

Reading labels will help you make healthier choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

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