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energy

Woman holding energy drink
 by Victoria Santalesa

Energy Drinks May Zap Your Zing

Energy. Everyone wants more of it. In fact, if someone could put energy in a bottle and sell it, they would probably make a million dollars. Oh, wait, someone’s already tried it? Whenever you get a million dollar idea, you can be pretty sure that someone has already thought of it, and if that someone has access to the means of production, he or she has probably attempted to make it a reality – probably a lot of people. The only problem is, not all of these people are too concerned with what these products really do to the people who buy them. It’s no secret that energy drinks are big money, but are they really all they’re cracked up to be? Let’s take a closer look at the truth behind the can.

The Stats
Feel as if you’ve been hearing more lately about energy drink related visits to the emergency room? You’re not imagining things. Between 2007 and 2011, these visits doubled from an estimated 10,000 to 21,000 visits. According to a USC study of randomly sampled ER patients, a third of those who reported having consumed an energy drink suffered symptoms including everything from chest pain, to heart palpitations, to seizures. In addition, the FDA has received at least 15 reports of deaths related to the energy boosting beverages. Although there is no definitive proof linking the drinks with negative health reactions, Michael Jacobsen, PhD, says, “No one really knows how dangerous they are. They certainly raise a caution flag about drinking too much (caffeine) too quickly.” This “too quickly” may be related to the form of the drink itself. Says Jacobson, “Some contain large amounts of caffeine. And they’re consumed differently than coffee. Energy drinks are gulped, rather than sipped.”

Coffee beans

Caffeine Content
It may not surprise you to know that the active ingredient in energy drinks is caffeine. What may surprise you, on the other hand, is the amount. While some brands stop at 50 milligrams, others pack in a whopping 215 mg. To break it down, an eight-ounce cup of Joe contains about 100 milligrams and most experts advise topping out at 400mg a day max. As if that wasn’t worrying enough, energy drink manufacturers are not required to list the amount of caffeine in their products unless it’s in the form of pure caffeine. That means, if the caffeine in the drink is added in the form of tea, coffee, or natural substances, such as guarana, the amount may not be on the can, and if it is, it may not be accurate.

How Do Energy Drinks Deliver?
Ok, so we know they might be dangerous to our health, but do energy drinks even do what they’re supposed to? While it may be true that caffeine can help to improve the clarity of thought and exercise endurance, as little as 1.5 mg per pound of body weight (2 cups for a person weighing in at 150) will do the trick and more does not make it better. Furthermore, according to a 2012 Nutrition Reviews report the energy drinks’ natural ingredients, like amino acids, vitamins, and botanicals do little to increase energy.

The Bottom Line
The overall verdict on energy drinks? Overall, when consumed in moderation, they are fairly safe. However, a study presented at the American Heart Association’s 2013 Scientific Sessions found that downing these babies can raise systolic blood pressure by 3.5 points on average and can lead to irregular heartbeats which can be potentially fatal, especially if you have an underlying heart condition. So bottom line? Proceed with caution.

What do you think about energy drinks? Friend or foe? We want to get your take.

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Woman eating bowl of healthy fruit
 by Victoria Santalesa

You Should Eat More Bananas

It has been said that you should never make eye contact with another person while eating a banana. That really says a lot about bananas. Despite its physical disadvantage, not to mention a very short shelf life, bananas still rise. Perhaps it is because they have a thick skin? (ha) Joke about them as we may, bananas continue to be one of the most beloved and most importantly traded food in the world. So what is it about the yellow fruit that makes it so widely cherished? Is it the wonderful taste? The low maintenance? The ability to go so well with ice cream? Perhaps all of the above and perhaps some of the following health benefits of bananas:

Potassium
Bananas are loaded with potassium. That means they can counteract the negative effects of sodium on blood pressure and maintain heart function, lowering the risk of stroke and heart attack. In fact, even the US Food and Drug Administration has to concede that banana’s ability to regulate blood pressure is far more powerful that of any drug that produce. According to research conducted by the American Heart Association, bananas can cut the risk of stroll by 20%.

Increased Energy
If you are an avid tennis watcher, you may just find your favorite player munching on a banana between sets. That’s because the banana’s natural sugar and soluble fiber provide for a slow stable energy release. Bananas have a glycemic index of about 52, which gives them enough of a kick to the system without spiking blood sugar. They also contain about 24 g of carbs which increases with the banana’s ripeness.

Skin Conditions
Did you know banana skin can be effective in treating psoriasis and acne? Just rub a freshly peeled inside of the peel over the affected area and allow your skin to absorb the residue. The fatty acids in bananas can relieve a large variety of skin conditions.
You can also use a banana peel treatment to heal warts. Just rub a piece of banana peel over the wart and tape it firmly in place. Leave it on overnight every night for a week or until the wart disappears.

Improved Mood
If you have reservations about turkey this holiday season, you can get your tryptophan kick from bananas. The human body converts tryptophan into serotonin, which helps reduce stress,raise levels of happiness, and help regulate sleep patterns.

Vitamin B6
Just one banana contains a full fifth of the daily does of B6. That’s good news because B6 creates hemoglobin for healthy blood. It also plays a role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels,synthesizing amino acids and producing antibodies to help boost your immune system.

If you believe in the health benefits of bananas, we would love to get your input. We can never hear enough about banana appeel (appeal-get it?) We love to hear from you as always!

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Stressed woman
 by Mayank

Understanding Adrenal Fatigue

You may have heard the term “adrenal fatigue,” but what does it actually mean? Adrenal fatigue occurs when your adrenal glands are not working as they should. These glands are meant to regulate your hormones, heart rate, energy, and immune system in order to control how stress affects your body.

SYMPTOMS

  1. Not feeling rested (even when you get plenty of sleep). People who suffer from adrenal fatigue often never feel like they can get a good night’s sleep. Even if they go to bed early and wake up late, they can never seem to shake their hazy tiredness.
  2. Increased responses to stress. Because the body of some with adrenal fatigue body is having trouble regulated their hormones in stressful situations, they are more likely to feel increased levels of anxiety or depression. They can have trouble coping with situations that would not normally have as much of an effect on them, and they can’t seem to get out of their funk.
  3. Getting sick more often. Because adrenal fatigue can weaken the immune system, sufferers will get sick much more often than they used to, and it will take longer to recover each time.
  4. Weight gain. Adrenal fatigue can also cause the sufferers metabolism to drop considerably. Even though they may be experiencing a reduced appetite, the stress levels, and decreased metabolism can cause sudden weight gain.
  5. A sudden boost of energy in the evening. People without adrenal fatigue will experience a jump in cortisol in the morning, but sufferers will have the spike in the evening, which can make it even more difficult for them to get the rest they need.

COMBAT ADRENAL FATIGUE 

Change Your Diet

  • To help keep energy up, eat several small meals throughout the day.
  • Feeling tired can make it hard to cook every day and make healthy meals for yourself. It is more important than even to eat healthy, balanced meals so your body has the best chance of recalibrating.
  • Try to avoid sugar. Sugary foods can give you fast energy, but they will cause a crash later. This crash is even worse if you suffer from adrenal fatigue.
  • Cut down on caffeine. If you are relying on cup after cup of coffee to get you through the day, consider avoiding reaching for another cup when you start to feel fatigue.
  • Don’t skip breakfast. Because you are having trouble getting out of bed, you are likely skipping breakfast before rushing to work. Try to put bananas and granola bars by the door so you can quickly give your body good energy to start the day.

Try Supplements
Different kinds of supplements can help combat adrenal fatigue. B vitamins, vitamin C, and Omega-3 are among the supplements available to can help.

Hormone Replacement
Talk to your doctor about trying hormone replacement if adrenal fatigue worsens. Because your body is not producing enough hormones on its own, hormone replace can help correct some of the symptoms caused by adrenal fatigue.

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Abstract art showing beautiful use of color. q
 by Mayank

Resveralife Live Well: How to Boost Your Mood With Color

A few weeks ago we discussed tips for using color to help you control your appetite and lose weight. If color can affect your weight, why not use color for other areas of your life as well? Colors also have an impact on your mood and can help energize you, make you smile and help soothe you. You can use everything from your clothing to the color of the walls in your home to boost your mood. This Resveralife Live Well Guide from Resveralife highlights how to boost your mood with color.

Woman wearing an orange top jogging with her husband in a park.

When you Need Energy
One of the most energizing colors is orange. Orange mixes the passion and fieriness of red, it also incorporates the positive and joyful associations of yellow. Experts suggest selecting workout gear that features orange because orange is a color that helps with stimulation and enthusiasm. You know there are days when you drag your feet about exercise, so pop on some orange and increase your energy levels.

Woman wearing a beautiful red dress ready for her date.

Another color that ignites you into action is red. Red is a bit more complicated than orange, because there are many moods and feelings that people associate with red. Red is often considered a color of passion and romance. A date is the perfect place for a woman to wear red. It gets the blood pumping and can make a man’s heart race when he sees you. Additionally, red can work in your favor when it comes to energy. Because red is a physical stimulant, as we just mentioned, it is also a great color for working out or increasing productivity. Red can be a bit overwhelming if you wear it head to toe so experts suggest adding in small pops of red. Painting your fingernails red, choosing red shoes or having red flowers on your desk at work are all ways to inject some energy ad passion into your day.

Beautiful green interiors of a home.

When you Need to Relax
Green is a soothing color that is literally easy on your eyes. The color green requires no ocular adjustment and helps reduce your level of fatigue. Green is commonly associated with nature and helps you tap into your psyche on a very primal level. In addition, green can increase mental focus and can refresh your senses. This is currently the most popular color for home decorating and is also a helpful color in offices. Often you have little control about the color of your office walls, but you can surround yourself with this relaxing color. Keep a small green plant, set your desktop to a shade of green or have a few green candles sitting on your desk for a bit of refreshment and relaxation.

Woman wearing a black dress at a meeting in her office.

When you Need to be Assertive
If you have a huge presentation or an important meeting at work, black is definitely your color. You know that black is used a color of mourning and that it is an ever-present color in fashion because it is slimming, but black is associated with more. Black is a color of assertiveness and even aggression. Studies have shown that when a sports team is wearing black uniforms, they have more fouls called on them than a team not in black. You’re not looking to start a fight at work, but black is perceived as a serious and can enhance your professional persona.

Colors work on your mind in a variety of ways. Blue increases feelings of tranquility, yellow helps with cheeriness and purple is associated with nobility and elegance. Experiment with different shades of each color and find new ways to incorporate colors into your wardrobe and spaces. Change your mood as easily as you change your clothes.

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Child painting different colors on a sheet of paper.
 by Mayank

Resveralife Live Well: Can Colors Help You Lose Weight?

Think you’ve tried absolutely everything to lose weight? It might be time to reconsider. You know that the key to sustained weight loss is a sensible, healthy diet and regular exercise. However, perhaps you want a bit of a jump start on your weight loss or you want to lose those stubborn last five pounds. New research indicates that the color of your plate and food may help you reach your weight loss goals. This Resveralife Live Well Guide shows you how colors can help you to lose weight.

Woman enjoying a color therapy session in her bath.

Color Therapy
Color therapy, also known as chromotherapy, has been acknowledged for centuries as a way of healing the body. The National Center for Biotechnology Information provides a cursory view of the hypothesis behind chromotherapy:  “The human body, according to the doctrine of chromotherapy, is basically composed of colors. The body comes into existence from colors, the body is stimulated by colors and colors are responsible for the correct working of various systems that function in the body.” Every organ in the body has a distinct color. In addition to our body being composed of color, the atoms, cells and organs co-exist in the form of energy, and each has its vibrational or frequency energy. Each organ and energy center harmonizes and vibrates with the frequencies of these colors.

Exotic image of a food dish with red tomatoes and greens in the background.

Why Color Matters to Your Waistline
Okay, so our bodies are a veritable rainbow of frequencies and energies, but what does that have to do with losing weight? Researchers suggest that colors create fields of energy or electric currents that activate hormonal and biochemical processes in the human body. Some colors are more likely to increase our appetite while others decrease our appetite. So what colors help your weight loss quest and which ones can be harmful? According to ColorMatters, “blue is an appetite suppressant.” Experts theorize that this is because blue is not a common color of natural foods. With the exception of blueberries and some types of potatoes, there are very little naturally occurring blue foods. Because of this, experts believe that we are less likely to associate blue with hunger. To use the color blue to your advantage experts recommend a few tricks.

  • Add blue food dye to your food to decrease the amount you ingest.
  • Swap the light bulbs in your fridge to blue ones. This will help decrease your desire to snack when you open the doors.
  • Use a blue plate for your meals.

The color most likely to derail your progress is red. Red increases your appetite, so get rid of red dishes or placemats and use the more mellow color of blue. It is worth noting that red also increases metabolism as well as appetite, so it can be useful when used properly. Consider using red water as a tool in your healthy eating routine. The LiveStrong organization suggests making red solarized water by “wrapping a clear glass with red cellophane paper and putting the glass in the sunlight. After a few hours, the water will be energized with the color red and ready to drink.” Using color therapy may just be the trick you need to help you with your weight loss mission.

If you aren’t quite ready to jump into dyeing your food blue, you can still use color to your advantage in the kitchen. Use plates that contrast highly with the food that you are eating to help you be more satisfied with less food. For instance, keep salads away from green plates and spaghetti dishes away from red. Picking a plate that contrasts with your food can be a great start to using color to help you lose weight.

 

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Woman sleeping in bed. Woman sleeping isolated on white background.
 by Resveralife

Reasons to sleep well every night

More Reasons to Get Your Daily Sleep by Vine Vera

If you’re tired and worn out after a long day at work, and feel that you’ve to stay up to watch that late night show you are fond of, you might be better off not to. It’s no secret that scientists want you to sleep eight hours a day – that’s the sleep time you need to have for maintaining a healthy mind.

However, there are more reasons to sleep well – including the benefits sleeping has with your skin.

After a hard day’s work, the only thing we have on our mind is to get a good night’s sleep so that we can get up fresh and energized the next morning. However, did you know that not sleeping well at night can affect your health in the long term? Read on to know the 8 main reasons to sleep for at least 7 – 8 hours every night.

Vine Vera on good night sleep

Better skin – Your lack of sleep shows on your face, there’s no secret about that. The best tonic to look and feel better is to sleep well, because the metabolic rate increases as well replenishing the dead cells on the surface of the skin. Interestingly, the older you are the less sleep you may need and being younger means trying to get more sleep.

Improvises health – Getting insufficient sleep can give way to serious health problems for you in the long run. The feeling of being weak or fatigued starts setting in with irregular or less sleep. People who sleep for at least 8 hours every night are healthier and fitter as compared to those who don’t.

Better sex life – A recent study suggested that 26 percent of the people interviewed in that survey revealed that their sex life suffered immensely due to lack of sleep and being tired at night. Other studies reveal that men who do not get enough sleep have lower testosterone levels as compared to those who sleep well.

Reduces pain – Sleep has the ability to reduce any kind of pain that you might be suffering from currently. Sleep works as a medication for pain. Studies reveal that sleep loss has a direct effect on increased body pain of any kind.

Works as a mood booster – Getting a good night’s sleep helps you to feel good and be less cranky in the morning especially at work. People who do not sleep well often experience anger issues and snap at others without reason. An overtired or fatigued mind can do unwanted things while good sleep can elevate the mood and make you feel happy at all times.

Helps control excessive weight – Getting proper and sufficient sleep at night helps an individual to maintain his weight. Deprived sleep can make your body overtire and you might laze around in bed all day long instead of being physically active. Also, people who do not sleep well at night tend to be hungrier during the day and crave for high-fat and high-calories food items.

Clears thoughts – A good night’s sleep helps a person to wake up with clear thoughts in the morning. He is able to focus on his work, make lesser mistakes and also perform better in all that he does. Individuals who do not sleep well often feel distracted and make mistakes repeatedly.

Sharpens memory – When your brain is able to get the right amount of rest and that too soundly, it functions better the next day. The brain is able to consolidate the memories and process them easily thereby sharpening the individual’s memory for the future. Decreased sleep can also give rise to false memories.

And now after you had a good night sleep don’t forget to read about having a better morning.

 

 

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