Plog (ProACTIVE Health Blog)

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the comfort food that makes trekking out in the chilly weather worthwhile. However, one of my least favorite things is the extra calories padded onto these winter comfort foods. How can you get the comfort without the calories this season? Just check out this list of updated (and slimmed down) versions of the comfort classics:

Heart-Healthy Comfort Food from Prevention.com

Comfort Food for Splurge Days or Any Day from Epicurious

Healthy Comfort Food from Eating Well

Also, check out these tips for some simple substitutions you can make to slim down your supper.

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and so is that treadmill. Winter is the get-out-of-exercise free card right? Hardly! I'll bet if Santa checked your shopping list he'd see more naughty than nice. Especially if you're hitting the heavy holiday carbs, you need to stay active to avoid falling into a health rut come the new year. Don't be a fruitcake this holiday season, try these fun winter workouts!

• Shovel the sidewalk: Oh come on, you have to do this anyway. This year, skip paying the kid down the street and just shovel it yourself. Remember to hold the shovel close to you and bend your knees when lifting anything heavier than a snowflake to keep the strain off of your back.
• Go for a hike somewhere that isn't shoveled and get some cardio in (but be sure bundle).
• Build a snowman: Take the kids out and build a snowman or two. Split into teams and see who can build a snowman faster.
• Go ice skating: Indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks are a fun way to get a work out when it's cold out.
• Go sledding: Gotta great hill nearby? Instead of setting the kids loose while perched on a bench nearby join in the fun. And when you get to the bottom of the hill race each other back up to the top.
• Have a snowball fight: And don't be a wimp, go all out in a Rambo-style snowball fight. Running, jumping, throwing, ducking, all of these things get your heart pumping to work off that gingerbread latte.
• Learn to ski or snowboard- both snowy weather classics and fun even if you're a beginner.

What's the word on your winter weather wardrobe? Are you wrapped in wool or are you feeling the cool? Sad news for our fashonistas: those skinny jeans aren't doing you any favors (even if they do make your butt look great). Winters in Chicago are about function first and fashion second, if at all. But have no fear, we'll keep you warm and looking good with our bundle-up-blog! Scroll down the list and see which profile fits you and read on for some tips on how to dress effectively for your activity, be it snow shoeing or Starbucks-ing.

1. The little ones: For children it's all about comfort, but don't be fooled by your traditional go-to fabrics for children. Though cotton is comfortable and easy to care for, it's the worst winter fabric. We recommend polyester and microfiber. Kids love fleece because it's warm and not scratchy. Remember lots of layers (layers create insulation and pockets of warm air) and an outer shell that keeps moisture out and warmth in. Lastly, mittens are better for warmth because they have less surface area than fingered gloves which makes them warmer.  And they're the perfect shape for rolling snowballs (just don't tell them that).
2. The scholars: For teenagers and college students there is the never ending struggle of not wanting to look like the Michelin Man but still dressing for warmth. This age group prefers shorter coats and slimmer fitting garments. But have no fear, there are more options than ever for thinner, insulating fabrics. Once again, encourage children to wear an under layer made of synthetic material. As popular as waffle shirts and long underwear are, they're often made out of cotton which absorbs moisture and freezes or acrylic, which doesn't breathe. We love the Patagonia down hoodie because it's minimal, fits almost any style and is super warm with the added bonus of a hood.
3. The commuters: Ah yes, well into adulthood we struggle with the winter wardrobe. How can you dress for the office and still stay warm outside? Well, first and foremost you're old enough now to know to buy a coat that covers your butt and will keep the wind out. Layers of synthetic fibers and 100% wool and alpaca are the best inner layers and anything that blocks the wind is good for an outer shell. Though long wool coats are a popular choice they offer poor wind resistance. Something lined with shearling with a nylon or other blocking shell is preferable, down jackets are always a safe choice. You'll also need boots for walking around, even if it's only to and from the train. My personal favorites are the L.L. Bean boots (if you're into that 80's yuppie thing, which I certainly am) or any boot that pulls on over your pants, which is key in the city of mediocre shoveling.
4. The athletes: Active people probably have the hardest time dressing for the season. For those of you who tough out the blistering cold to continue training you need a top-quality performance wardrobe that allows you to move and function. Start with a polypropylene or capelene under layer (ask someone at an athletic or sporting goods store). These materials wick moisture away from skin. Then you may want to consider adding a fleece light jacket under your outer layer or a quarter-zip sweater. For the outer shell you’ll want a high quality Gortex or nylon-blend jacket that has zip vents for breathing if you start to get too hot while working out. On the lower half consider lycra cycling shorts under or over the “under layer.” If it’s really cold you may want an extra pair of pants to layer on. You need a very dependable pair of water proof gloves or mittens, thick wool socks and a balaclava is probably the best headwear if you’re biking and need something to go under the helmet.

Tea may be touted by some, scorned by others, and generally ignored by the rest. Like pomegranate juice, tea has experienced an almost mythological trajectory through contemporary media. Whether it's Kombucha from whole foods, green tea ice cream, or a white tea martini, tea has been assimilated into all manner of ingestable goods. But which are the best for you? And which are the tastiest? ProACTIVE Blog is here to help to navigate the ever-growing tea aisle to find the tea to fit your personality and lifestlye!  Just skim through our personality profiles and see which tea tantalizes you:

•  The "Big Momma": No, this tea is targeted only for moms, but Kombucha's unique brewing method utilizes a "pancake" of bacteria called a kombucha mother that spores little baby bacterias and causes the tea to ferment. Little bits and pieces of the colonies float inside some of the more raw versions of the tea. If that isn't enough to whet your appetite it tastes like vinegar and soda and is pretty much my favorite tea ever. Not for the faint of taste buds but if you're feeling daring stop by whole foods and pick up the gingerade flavor (my favorite), the balance of health-boosting and energizing properties as well as fresh alert flavor will wake you up and energize you naturally.
• Red and Delicious: Red Tea is often on the outskirts, neither here nor there, not a caffeinated tea but not strictly herbal either. Also known as rooibos and always a vivid color of red, it's rich in antioxidants like other teas and is delicious hot or cold. Red Tea is said to promote relaxation and alleviate tension and nausea. This is the go-to tea for those on the fringe, try it with steamed apple cider, as a latte, or just with a bit of honey. Red tea is very versatile for those whole like a tea that can multitask.
• Green Scene: Ah yes, Green Tea, the craze that spawned another craze, and another and another.  Green tea, apparently, does everything. Depending on where you look you can find green teas that claim to cure cancer, aid digestion, fight disease, and some that are loaded with sugar though they pretend to be healthy. This is the tea of go-getters, busy people who don't have the time to sort through two hundred tea varieties at Argo and want something tasty, healthy and consistent. Be wary of bottled green teas from any major manufacturer as they're usually over-sweetened and over-processed.
• I see a red tea and I want to paint it black: For those a bit darker, who like a huskier flavor and stronger kick to their tea, the obvious choice is a rich Black Tea. Breakfast teas or spicy masala teas, these blends are suited for those a little rough around the edges looking for a bold burst of flavor and attitude. And although it's the most caffeinated of all teas, they still only have half the caffeine of a cup of coffee.
• White and Light: For those delicate dispositions we have the perfect tea for you! White Tea and other minimally processed teas possess a subtle flavor, pale color and blend beautifully a wide variety of flavor profiles. Pomegranate, citrus, ginger, you name it and there’s a white tea blended with it. Lightly caffeinated and often a tad sweet, the minimal processing of White Tea results in higher concentration of antioxidants as compared to black and green teas. So that dainty tea has some powerful health benefits. Go ahead, hold that pinky out.
• The an-tea Tea: I am, of course, talking about Herbal Teas, uncaffeinated teas brewed with unique flavor profiles out of pretty much anything that has a flavor. These teas tend to have interesting uses and properties such as relaxation and focus. These are the teas for the renegades who go off the beaten path and those that don't need their energy to come from a beverage.
• Cheers Maté: Maté is a wild shrub from Argentina that makes a delicious, flavorful tea. Maté Tea contains a stimulant similar to caffeine, although without the jitteriness or addictive tendencies. Rich in vitamins and minerals, works as an appetite suppressant, and best of all it has 100% of the caffeine in a cup of coffee (without the sudden crash).

This year ProACTIVE is taking part in the Movember festivities. Although we didn't jump on the bandwagon in time to participate entirely Dr. J. is growing in his stache and looking quite dapper (come check it out--I can't think of a better reason to schedule a check-up!). This Saturday we'll be doing chair massage at Stache Bash with all proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Hot Towel straight razor shaves for a suggested donation of $30.00 and photo booth with prop moustaches, as well as cocktails. The event will be hosted at Belmont Barbershop at 2238 W Belmont from 6:00pm to 9:00pm this Saturday the 4th and we'd love to see y'all there!

Although prostate cancer may not get the same amount of publicity and support that some other cancers receive it's a very real problem. 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1 in 35 will die of prostate cancer.

This week, however, instead of simply outlining statistics that you can easily Google I'd like make a checklist for men of all ages to stay healthy at any juncture in your life.

1. Take a vitamin that can multi-task: Yes, getting a balanced diet naturally from fresh unprocessed foods is preferable but next to impossible even if you eat perfectly. The fact is even organic freshly grown produce isn't as nutrient rich as it used to be. The soil we grow is more deficient than ever, so taking a multivitamin is important to round our your diet.
2. Let’s get (a) physical (Including cholesterol tests, blood pressure and STD screenings): Guys in their twenties need to have a routine physical and check up. Even in your twenties and thirties it’s a good idea to get your cholesterol and blood pressure checked.
3. Give yourself something to grin about: And by that I mean, of course, a teeth cleaning! It’s been shown that poor dental health adversely affects overall health.
4. Work it out: Yes you’re busy and exhausted and have about twenty other things you’d rather be doing but you need to get a workout in. Staying active and eating healthy are the best ways to keep yourself healthy now and healthy later.
5. Seriously, take your symptoms seriously: Pain isn’t normal, sudden changes in how you are feeling are something to take notice of and get checked out. Toughing it out is, without a doubt, the worse thing you can do. Headaches, back pain, urinary disturbances, mood changes, and sudden change in appetite are all things that often go ignored and they’re all symptoms in some of the most lethal diseases.
6. Don’t smoke: and if you currently smoke, quit. I know, easier said than done, but it’s pointless to do things beneficial to your health if you’re negating the positive effects with something harmful.
7. Use Sunscreen: keeping your skin healthy will help you look and feel better. Make sure to find a moisturizer with an SPF, especially in the winter when sun can reflect off of the snow.

I’d also like to make a note of another event we have coming up this Sunday, the 4^th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Here at ProACTIVE we’ll have Dinkel’s cookies and Safari Cup coffee for cookie decorating. Drink some cocoa, listen to holiday tunes and decorate some holiday-themed cookies! We’ll have $1.00/minute chair massage with all proceeds supporting Greyhounds Only greyhound rescue. We hope to see y’all there!

This week's recipe comes from our massage therapist Nicole for Spicy Butternut Squash Soup!

 Ingredients:

 2 to 3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 of a medium butternut squash, seeded

1 1/2 bell pepper (I used 1/2 each of yellow, red, and orange)

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the squash, bell peppers, and sweet potatoes with 1 1/2 tbsp oil and roast until very tender, approximately 1 hour.  Remove and let cool.  Remove and discard skin from bell peppers.

In a large pot over med-high heat, add remaining olive oil, onion, celery, carrot and saute approx. 10 - 15 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for approx. 2 minutes.  Add the sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and scoop the flesh from the squash into the pot and stir.  Add 4 cups of the chicken broth, and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, approx. 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and use a blender (or if handy, use an immersion blender) to puree the soup until smooth; if needed, add more of the chicken stock to create the desired consistency.  Mix in chipotles (to make soup less spicy, only use the adobo sauce; it adds quite a bit of heat without the peppers) and 1/2 cup sour cream.

Serves 6

Every month some cancer gets a spotlight. Aside from the media buzz and merchandising leverage associated with these months (pink batteries for breast cancer), there is a very serious problem. The reason these diseases need a month of awareness is because they are only becoming more prevalent and more deadly. November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month (LCAM) and we'd like to highlight some of the statistics and resources available on this topic.

About 219,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer in the U.S. each year – over 103,000 women and nearly 116,000 men. This is more than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined.

Smoking is one of the main causes of lung cancer, and even though smoking cessation greatly reduces the risk of cancer 50 percent of all lung cancers occur in people who have already quit smoking.

Less money is spent on lung cancer research than on research on other cancers.

For some great illustrative tables that visually represent a lot of this information check out The Lung Cancer Alliance.

Risk Factors for lung cancer include:

• Smoking
• Exposure to second-hand smoke
• Exposure to radon gas
• Exposure to asbestos and other chemicals
• Family history of lung cancer or other kinds of cancer
• Excessive alcohol consumption

Mayo Clinic has a list of 7 tips to reduce your risk of all cancers.

For more information on quitting smoking and great resources to make that effore successful check out Livestrong's site. They even have an iPhone app to support people taking the challange of quitting.

Always talk to a doctor about smoking cessation, you may be familliar with the speach that all doctors give about smoking, but are you aware of all the resources and help available? Doctors are in touch with the most current and most effective ways to reduce and quit, and they're able to help you find what will work best in your situation.

It was Benjamin Franklin's bird of choice to symbolize our country. A proud, courageous figure, respected, a bit vain, a little bit silly. It is of course the turkey. This time of year turkeys are the talk all over, from buying to cooking to serving, everyone has a take on turkey. ProACTIVE supports buying locally, buying organic, and making the most delicious turkey possible! And to help navigate the turkey terrain of Thanksgiving we've put together a list of resources and tips for tackling the turkey this Thursday (okay, not THIS Thursday but I just had to get another "t" word in that sentence).

Here's an excellent list of farms to purchase turkeys from across Illinois, and here is a list of farms closer to Chicago.

Here are some decadent main dishes and sides, as well as a guide to brining a turkey (trust me, it makes ALL the difference!)

Thanksgiving Dinner on a budget.

Avoiding and saving Turkey-day disasters!

And lastly, some Turkey Trivia.

 Enjoy! And stay tuned for some healthy holiday comfort food recipes from all of us here at ProACTIVE.

The pomegranate is a mythical fruit, making frequent cameos in historic art and mythology, and frequently touted for its health benefits. But what are the real benefits of this in-vogue fruit?

1. Pomegranates may increase blood flow to the heart and reduce heart disease.
2. Pomegranate can stop plaque from building up in blood vessels.
3. Pomegranates may slow the growth of prostate cancer.
4. Pomegranates are incredibly high in antioxidants,including polyphenols, such as tannins and anthocyanins. In fact, pomegranates may have even more antioxidant power than cranberry juice or green tea.

So, if you're ready for some proACTIVE pomegranate recipes try some of these to get your daily dose of pom:

Pomegranate Guacamole

Steak with Pomegranate and Peppercorn Glaze

Tuna Crusted with Red Wine-Pomegranate Reduction

There's nothing radical about antioxidants' ability to fight free radicals. The food revolution is well underway and the news is out about the health boosting properties found mostly in fruits and veggies but also red wine and other things we wouldn't ordinarily think of as healthy. 

Antioxidants help shield your body from harmful molecules called free radicals. Many experts believe free radicals to be a factor in the development of blood vessel disease and other conditions.

Well, that sounds good. But how do you get them? Check out our list of ProACTIVE sources of antioxidants:

• Orange you glad for beta carotene? Cheesy, yes, but foods rich in beta carotene (usually a bright orange color) like sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos are all axcellent sources of antioxidants. Some green, leafy vegetables, including collard greens, spinach, and kale, are also rich in beta-carotene.
• Learn to love lycopene. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava, papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, and other foods.
• The A List. Foods rich in vitamin A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella cheese and all do their part in battling free radicals.
• Resveratrol, it's not something you make at a restaurant. But you can order it! Resveratrol is in red wine and might help prevent damage to blood vessels, reduce "bad" cholesterol and prevent blood clots.
• See also: C. Vitamin C is a contender in the fight against free radicals and while you could run out and get a C supplement or find it in breakfast cereal, our favorite source is to just eat an orange or any of the other vegetables, poultry, and fish that also contain a high amount of the vitamin.
  

You'd have to be blind to not notice that our serving sizes are out of control. Even depictions of the last supper have engorged the size of that supper. Chain restaurants want you to believe that a burger stacked the size of your head or a plate full of fries is an adequate serving. Jenny Craig wants you to believe that a thimble of chicken is a healthy portion. Can the real slim serving please stand up? How can you navigate the dysmorphic serving sizes?  Follow these simple guidelines for the size of one serving:

• Vegetables: one cup is a serving and is roughly the size of a baseball
• A serving of cheese is 1.5 oz., or the size of three dice
• One serving of yogurt is a cup, or about the size of a baseball
• A slice of bread should be the size of a cassette tape, a biscuit the size of a hockey puck and a bagel the size of a can of tuna
• A serving of cereal fills a small tea cup
• A serving of pasta or popcorn should each be the size of a baseball
• A serving of rice is the size of a light bulb
• A serving of almonds is the size of a golf ball
• One serving of chicken or lean beef should be the size of a deck of cards
• One serving of fish is the size of a checkbook.
• A serving size of most types of fresh fruit is the size of a baseball
• A serving of butter, mayonnaise, or olives is the size of a poker chip
• A hamburger should be no larger than a deck of cards
• Soup should fill a bowl the size of a baseball
• A serving of french fries is the size of a baseball, usually about 10 fries
• A slice of pizza should be the size of 2 dollar bills

This month, to celebrate wellness and spread the word about National Chiropractic Health Month, we're offering 25% off our Standard Process Purification program. The program is a 21 day detox that we sell in the office. 

For more information or to order give us a call at 773-697-4142

*****These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.*****

This blog is some tough love for the skinny Minnies out there. The ones who have a "naturally high metabolism," can eat a bowl of pasta and a pint of ice cream in one sitting, watch TV and sit all day and grumble about climbing a flight of stairs. You know the type, and maybe you are the type. Supposedly diet and lifestyle keep these fitness anomalies in shape. And well into middle age they seem to be almost oppressively skinny without doing much work to maintain their figure. As blessed as these types may be your pant size isn't a get out of gym free card.  You still need to exercise. Why?

1. Sedentary lifestyles tend to lead to more injuries. If you're inactive your muscles don't know how to move and are more likely to overexert themselves when you do happen to move quickly or pick up something heavy.

2. Looking good isn't health. It can be a good indicator of health but real wellness is measured by your "inside and out" health. Exercise is important for keeping your body functioning properly, even if you can still squeeze into an XS from the Gap.

3. It makes you happy. Your brain is widely affected by physical activity. Exercise can make you more focused, less depressed, and more alert throughout the day.

4. You may not always be "naturally thin." Yes, that spell may wear off one day or your eating may catch up to you. If you've never worked out or been active it's harder to start later. Being active from a young age will develop the abilities your body needs to maintain a healthy weight even when your youthful metabolism wears off.

5. You never know when you'll need to lift something heavy. Being thin is great if you need to wear couture or walk a runway but real people need muscle. Even if you don't want to bulk up it's important to keep yourself toned because muscle is what holds us together.

6. Being underweight can cause just as many problems as being overweight. Working out keeps you metabolism going and you body processing and using energy. And it may require you eat more but you'll look and feel more nourished if you eat more of the right kinds of foods.

What's becoming a bigger threat than terrorism, according to some doctors and scientists?  It's not global warming, it's what's lovingly referred to as global fattening. Worldwide, generations of children are less and less active, spend more time in from of flickering screens and eat defunct foods that promote cancer, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Reports are surfacing about the psychological effects of excessive media exposure (which are not balanced out by equal parts activity). We've known about the negative repercussions of overfeeding children and not motivating them to move once in a while or turn off the tube. An alarming number of people are starving in the world, yet children in Europe and the Americas are growing at an alarming and dangerous rate. In just four years half of all children in this country could be overweight.

Solutions are available to globally and locally reclaim food and repair broken relationships with food. So then: what gives?

I'm tempted to make a bullet point list of things to do that can help fight obesity in your children and get them back into shape but it would appear that has been done and is also readily available, as well as the resources and political attention paid to the subject.

And yet, I repeat: what gives?

I do believe that in contemporary times marketing is what drives a majority of bad decision making. Lack of regulation and misinformation hamper genuine efforts to make smart, healthy, and sustainable food choices.  Busy lifestyles further complicate matters, and to top it off the healthiest and freshest foods seem to be the most expensive and the unhealthiest foods are the most produced and affordable when it comes to eating out and big-box food stores.

This issue should be on the forefront of everyone's minds because it touches on some of the most important issues of our time: social mobility, the health of a nation (and the world, for that matter), the economy of the food industry and the general inaction of politicians when it comes to focusing on issues that can potentially doom this country. This sounds very apocalyptic, and in the eyes of anyone in the healthcare and wellness industry it is.

Rather than reiterate the direct solutions to the problem, I'd like to give you some pointers on how to realistically make a change in your life, and eventually the world around you:

• Make small changes. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were unhealthy habits. A lifestyle takes time to develop. The best method to success is making small changes over an extended amount of time. Start by swapping out some of the tv time with family activities. Switch one or two dinners a week to meals with fresh produce and lean organic proteins.
• Talk, share information, have conversations. Your child may be at an age where it's tough getting through to them, but that doesn't mean they're not listening. It's not that children aren't able to grasp the concept it's that the frontal lobe--the part of the brain that controls long term thought and consequences--is not fully developed. They probably genuinely don't understand the long term effects of inactivity and an unhealthy diet.
• Make a healthy lifestyle rewarding. Children need to learn from an early age (or any age) that immediate gratification is not healthy or beneficial. The more children (and you) understand what the food is and where it comes from, the better they will be able to make smart choices when you're not around. Take them shopping and have them actively help make choices about what to buy, teach them about preparing the food in healthy ways.
• Don't leave the option for unhealthy snacking. If you keep sugary cereals, chips, freezer pizzas, and Hohos in the house don't expect kids to reach for the carrots or whole grain bagel.

It's leading cause is eating a diet high in sugars and saturated fats, it can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart attacks, and depression. It affects nearly 27% of Americans. I am, of course, talking about obesity. When I think of the plagues of modern times: AIDS, cancer, MS, it is upsetting to think that we are literally creating one with equally catastrophic impact and mortality rates.

But how can we even tell what is the norm anymore? Parents can no longer compare their children to other since the rates of childhood obesity are so high. Adults have supermodels and their critics pulling them in two conflicted dirctions when it comes to body image. How can you know what is really healthy when there are so many varied opinions on what healthful is?

To tell if you are underweight or overweight you can use WebMD's BMI calculator.  Keep in mind that these BMI calculators don't measure fat, just weight, so if you're a very athletic person your BMI may put you into the overweight category because of higher muscle mass.

In honor of National Chiropractic Health Month we’ll be blogging and tweeting about overeating and obesity this month. Please pass these resources along to anyone who may be interested!

Further Reading:

Obesity Trends (includes state-specific information)

Obesity: state prevalence and trends data (search)

Nutrition and the Health of Young People

HHS: Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Fact sheets on physical activity and health

You probably know that there's nothing wise about french fries, but is there actually a meal that can make you smarter? I've discussed foods that can support virtually any organ in your body but what about the brain? Foods that support the brain help increase its metabolism, blood flow and functionality. Below is a list of the smart food A-listers that score an A+ when it comes to brain health.

• Chew the fat: Foods with healthy monosaturated fats support healthy blood flow, and despite popular opinion dietary cholesterol is actually good for the brain!  Foods like eggs and avacados give your body the right kinds of fat and cholesterol that support brain health and keep you body from producing blood cholesterol. Avacados containoleic acid, which helps to build the coating of insulation, known as myelin (found in white matter of the brain.) Myelin helps information travel at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. Eggs contain DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that helps to form connections between neurons.
• Cuckoo for Cacao: Don't get too excited, but those studies about chocolate being good for you-- there's probably some truth to them. That doesn't mean chowing down on Hershey bars will make you smarter (quite the contrary, actually); the health benefits in chocolate are only in the purest form of dark chocolate: cacao. Before all the sugar and dairy products are added, raw cacao can improve mood and cognitive function. The best way to get it is chocolate with 85% or more cacao or a 100% organic non-alkalized drinking cacao.
• Matcha? You betcha: The EGCG in Stone ground matcha green tea is up to 137 times greater than the amount of EGCG available from other commercially available green teas. This super powerful antioxidant has been found to boost the imuune system and is even being researched in treatments for HIV and Cancer. The reason matcha, a slightly sweet powdered tea added to water, is better than soaking a regular green tea bag is because you actually consume the plant, rather than just the extract from the plant.
• Super Salmon: This superfood makes our list of must-eat foods often, and with good reason. On top of being one of the best sources of essential fatty acids, wild salmon is an excellent souce of lean protein, low saturated fat, and minimally contaminated (again, if caught in the wild). Salmon can improve brain matter, mood, support healthy arteries and blood vessels, improve the look of your skin and hairm and reduce your risk of stroke and Alzheimer's. 
• Thanks a Latte: Coffee, yes coffee, has been shown to be beneficial to brain health. However, adding tons of milk, sugar, caramel, whipped cream, syrup, and sprinkles is not going to do you any good (at least as far as brain health is concerned).
  

This is the age of multitasking, I know.  Why would you settle for just one task when you could perform three or more at once. If you don't get the point of keeping your mind on point consider this: multitasking makes our work 50% less valuable and take 50% longer to complete. So, your administrative juggling may look impressive at the office, but you'd probably get more done if you just stuck to one task.

The reason is it takes out brain a while to really begin concentrating. If you sat down at the computer to do, say, your taxes.  Blood would begin to rush to the part of your brain that controls concentration, basically the switchboard of your brain. Then your brain will begin firing the correct neurons and impulses causing you to type numbers and do math or pick up the phone and call your accountant. Regardless, the brain must first concentrate on a task before you're able to perform it to your best abilities.

So, that sounds great right? The brain gets fired up, and issues commands.  However, when you hear the familiar ding of a new message in your inbox, or your phone rings, or you get thirsty, or the cat meows, suddenly you've lost your focus and your brain is starting to concentrate on something else, thus starting the cycle over. Every time you perform another task or are distracted the cycle starts over and you must develop concentration again. This makes your work take longer, feel more taxing, and suffer from gaps in quality.

How do you avoid this and stay focused on the task at hand?

• Have a well-defined goal. Write for 20 minutes. Do three loads of laundry. Organize your desk. Set out with a clear idea of exactly what you are going to do.
• Break things into chunks. Last week we talked about chunking information to help retain it in your memory. This applies to staying focused on long term complicated projects. Separate the project into several parts and focus on just one at a time.
• Constantly prioritize. Every time you complete something, redetermine your priorities before continuing on to the next task.
• Identify distractions, and remove them. What stops your flow of work? Is it e-mails? Set aside time for yourself to check e-mails. Check them every hour if you can, or at least every fifteen minutes so you have a solid block of time to work between e-mails.
• Reward yourself, but only if you really deserve it. If you buy yourself ice cream every time you complete a project you're going to eat too much ice cream and not be much more productive than you ordinarily would. Treat yourself if you double your productivity, or if you perform something exceedingly well. You may not always reach your requisite for a reward, but that's what makes the reward, well, rewarding.
• Delegate if you can. Can someone else answer the phone for you so you wont lose momentum? Can you give smaller tasks to an assistant so you can focus on the bigger one? Can parts of what you're working on be split up among more than one person?
• Separate personal from business.  Many of us use our personal phones for business, which can cause our boundaries to deteriorate between work and free time. Yes, it's annoying to everyone at home when you take a work call. But, it's also annoying to everyone at work when you take a personal call. Set aside time during the day to deal with personal e-mails and matters and focus on work when you are at work.

Just about everyone know that feeling of forgetting something.  That unsettling feeling that sinks in as you leave for vacation or just before you leave the office for the day.  Or maybe you never even get the feeling and memory just washes away cleanly.  Either way, you've forgotten something and it's frustrating!  The human brain only has about 7 slots available for short term memory.  Try to cram much more than that and you're bound to lose something.  Since this is the 7th sentence you've probably already forgotten the title of this blog.

To conquer this cognitive limitation your brain must convert short term memories to long term ones. However, it's not always easy. More than ever we're expected to keep up with many different tasks at once; multitasking has become a vital component to just about any job these days. Try some of the following tips to boost your brain power.

1.  Don't multitask if you want to remember! If a long term project slips into your short term to-do list your brain might not convert it to long term memory.
2. Focus! Give your brain time to process the information- try to involve as many senses with an object or event if you really want to remember it. No, you can't smell this blog or taste these tips, but you can trace the words with your hands and say the words out loud.
3. Repeat! Repetition is what solidifies memory. Repeat something three times and it should be stored in your brain; just make sure the repetitions are spaced out a bit rather than cramming.
4. Grouping: The reason we can remember a ten digit phone number is because we group it into three categories so that they each only take up one slot in our short term memory. Try to group information to help yourself remember it. And if you can't group at least organize, the brain remembers things that are organized in a logical way.
5. Rest and relax! Got lots of sleep, turn off your phone and remove yourself from stimulus for a period of time each day. The reason we forget is because our brain is so overloaded with information and never has time to rest during the waking hours. Try to sit up in bed and reflect on the events of that day--not only will you sleep better but you'll retain those memories better.
6. Continue learning! It may seem like silly advice but too many adults have a know-it-all complex. If you think you've already learned everything you need to know your brain won't stay as sharp because it won't be challenged and when it comes time to learn new information you won't be able to do it as well. Take a continuing education class, take guitar lessons, read about art history, teach yourself to do something crafty.
7. Make connections! The more connections you can make in your brain the better you'll be able to retain the information. Try to connect the new information with something stored in your long term memory. If you want to remember a green coat you saw in the store make associations: Is it green like a turtle, does it feel like your favorite blanket, does it smell like wool? 

Since there's only seven tips you should have no problem remembering them, right?

When the summer starts winding down do your moods go with it? If your moods fly south like a migratory bird every winter you may have seasonal affective disorder, commonly abbreviated SAD. If winter blues means more than just what color scarf you're wearing this season check out some of these symptoms:

• Feeling sluggish, low energy levels
  
• Constant tiredness, sleeping excessively or disturbances in sleep
  
• Inability to focus, inattentive
  
• Increase in appetite, craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Desire to be left alone, loss of interest in activities
  

If, every year, you notice an onset of these symptoms in the fall lasting throughout the winter season you may have some form of SAD. As many as 20% of adults experience some form of SAD. It can be attributed to a diminished serotonin production due to lack of sunlight. Serotonin can produce a calming effect and is produced after consuming foods high in carbohydrates (which explains the correlation of depression and weight gain).

If a lack of light is dimming you moods then light therapy might be the solution for your moody months. You might consider a Lights of America desk lamp to brighten your mood. The lamps are meant to simulate sunlight and help get the serotonin pumping again. However, there are plenty of other ways to get a pick-me-up if you're down in December:

• It may sound subversive, but get outside and try to enjoy the winter. Go ice skating or sledding and trick yourself into having a little fun in the snow.
• Exercise more than you ordinarily would. On top of boosting your mood you'd burn off some of those carb craving calories.
• Acupuncture may help alleviate some of the symptoms of depression.
• Hot yoga can make you forget all about that blustery storm outside.
• A fish oil supplement can help with feelings of depression.
• It's essential to get a proper dose of Vitamin C and B, especially in the winter.
• If you think your depression might be a bit too much to handle, consult a physician about the possibility of medications to give the blues the boot.
  

Most of us have had some symptoms of depression in our lifetime. Sadness, loneliness, anxiety, helplessness, loss of sleep-- these can all be very normal reactions to events in our lives. At what point do these feelings of depression signify something greater?

Obviously, we are overwhelmed by the marketing of depression. Every television station has an advertisement for antidepressants. The condition is more talked about and more open than ever. This month we've been talking about alternative and natural approaches to happiness, but sometimes it's more than just a passing mood or feeling. How can you know if you have clinical depression?  Well, you should consult a doctor.  Often people with depression don't consider it a medical condition or think that any treatment will help.  If you're unsure it's always better to check with a doctor rather than self-diagnose.

If you notice a continuous combination of these symptoms in yourself or someone close to you it might be a good indicator that you or someone you know should talk to a mental health professional:

• Persistent and deep sadness, tiredness, or loneliness that inhibits daily life
• Constant feelings of tiredness, difficulty sleeping, or increasingly disturbed sleep
• Lost interest in things that usually bring joy
• Changes in appetite or eating habits
• Frequently low energy levels
• Aches and pains or other psychosomatic symptoms
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Not treating depression can be life threatening. One out of every ten adults with depression commits suicide. Anybody who expresses suicidal thoughts or intentions should be taken very, very seriously. Do not hesitate to call your local suicide hotline immediately. Call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or the deaf hotline at 1-800-4889.

Depression can be caused by any number of biological, genetic, situational, and behavioral circumstances. It's not always one factor either; often, a combination of things are going on that are contributing to the depression. It's for this reason that one treatment alone is often not the only or best way to handle symptoms. It's important to consider lifestyle changes that make managing depression easier and prevent symptoms or at least inhibit symptoms. In addition to medications, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, therapy is often an important component of managing depression.

Some sadness and symptomatic behavior is normal and healthy though. What needs to be considered in diagnosis and treatment is the extent of the symptoms, the duration, and the impact on daily life.

Further Resources:

National Institute of Mental Health

Mental Health America

Healthy Place