It’s Diabetes Alert Day. Take the CDC quiz

Hello guys,

 

 According to the CDC, an estimated one of every three U.S. adults has pre-diabetes, yet just 7% of those with pre-diabetes know they have it. Pre-diabetes increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This widget helps users learn whether they are at risk for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. For more information visit the CDC site here.

CDC Pre-diabetes Screening Test Widget

 I took the quiz and I am very low risk? What's did you find out about your risk for pre-diabetes?

Hydrating Fruit & Vegetable Juices + Juice Recipe

Hey guys, 

I really wanted to share this bit of information with you that I've been researching, because I know you like me and you visit my blog on a regular basis.

In this post, I wanted to share the benefits of hydrating you body again, NOT with water but with FRUIT & VEGETABLE JUICES instead.

www.liliashealthbook.blogspot.com

It is essential  that you stay hydrated so as to keep you energized, feeling well and removing waste from the body. Fruit and vegetables juices are packed with essential minerals and nutrients that you might not necessarily get from plain ole water.

The best hydrating vegetables are the ones with a high water content. These include:

Cucumber                             Celery

Iceberg Lettuce                          Tomatoes                  Zucchini

The best hydrating fruits with a high water content include:

 Melon                              Apricot                    Orange              

Pineapple                    Peach                             Cantaloupe

Foods like these with a high water content are nutrient dense, meaning that you get more nutrients for the fewest amount of calories. 

Now the Recipe:

In a juicer combine:

stalks of celery

apples

1-2 lemons ( no need to peel)

 cucumber(s)......Enjoy!

Take care,

Tips on Eating Healthier

Hello lovely people,

In this post, I have outlined a few tips for anyone who's ready to make healthier changes to their diet. These tips still hold true for me even though I eat a relative healthy diet each day.

Now that you've made the change to eat healthier, you want o make sure that you keep it that way. I hope these tips are helpful for you.

1. Make a conscious decision to eat an extra fruit or vegetable each day, whether that they are eaten in their whole form, blended or juiced. For example, I eat at least 2 fruits each day (usually a banana and orange or a banana and an apple). I've made the decision to  berries in my diet.

2. Dedicate a day to not eating any processed foods. That's no junk food, fries (unless you made them yourself), or fast food. Pretty soon you can extend that day to 2 days or more. Personally, I dedicate Saturday to only juicing and green smoothies.

3. Choose healthier snack options. I always gravitate to fruits, nuts or low fat yogurt.

4. Drink more water throughout the day instead of sugary drinks, sodas etc. Your body will thank you!

5. Plan out your meals ahead of time. This way you're more likely to eat healthier, instead of getting any and everything during your lunch break because you're hungry. I've been there and I don't like the feeling.

6. Make small changes to your diet. I don't recommend 'cold turkey,' because you're more likely to feel frustrated and overwhelmed, making it easier to gravitate to old habits. Reward yourself at each successful change. Doing so will motivate you to make more changes.

It requires discipline, dedication and focus to drastic changes to one's diet and lifestyle. However, the more you practice you have the easier it becomes, and eating healthier becomes second nature.

Stay tuned for an awesome juicing recipe using beets. I was skeptical at first...until I tried it.

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On the journey to clear skin (update): Getting rid of acne (with food)

Hello lovely people:

Remember this blog post on the connection between food and acne.

 

Well, it has being about 2 months now and I have to say that with daily fruit and vegetables juices and fruit and vegetable smoothies, I can say that I have seen a difference in a my skin. For the most part, I have less acne and what I'm working on right now is getting rid of acne scars (which is another beast). I have incorporated Aloe Vera gel  and weekly exfoliation in my healthy skin care regimen to fade the scars.

I wanted to elaborate a bit on that post to shed more light on the subject and help others take care of their skin: 

Acne is an internal problem, as in what you put inside your body, as well as what you don't put in does have a dramatic effect on the appearance of skin.

 

There are two ways that the body works to get rid of waste and toxins in our body:
1. through the colon (bowel movements)
2. through the kidneys (urination)

When it comes to the colon, diet plays a huge role in allowing the body to properly eliminate waste. This is the whole deal with fiber. Fiber helps waste move through the digestive tract to be eliminated. You want to eat foods high in fiber, such a whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to help with this process. Water is also very important. I'm sure you've heard people often say how important water is as well. Water helps the kidneys to properly get rid of waste. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water. Every organ and cell in the body needs water and there's a lot of them. So drink up on water!

How acne affects the skin

The problem lies when the body is not getting enough water and fiber via the diet. As a result bowel movements are not regular (should be everyday if you are eating the right stuff) and the kidney are not able to function optimally. If the kidneys and bowels are not able to eliminate waste efficiently, it uses the skin to do so. Elimination via the skin often manifests in bumps, cysts, pustules, acne, pimples, inflammation etc. This is why I am using quality, raw and highly nutritious foods to get at the root of this issue.

Of course there are other factors that play a role in the development of acne, such as stress, lack of sleep, hormones, certain medications etc. Find out what's causing your acne. Here's a link below.

The Clear Skin Diet: Foods that bring acne relief.

I  hope this was helpful to you. Take care. Please Comment and Follow for more posts.