High Energy Foods

In 1835, a man in Florence, Italy, went to a doctor for a checkup. When the doctor asked if anything was wrong with him, the man replied, “I am filled with anxiety and exhausted from lack of sleep. I’ve been unable to eat and find myself isolated from even my closest friend.

After a thorough examination, the doctor concluded that the man was in excellent physical condition. He decided the man was probably just stressed out and needed to relax and have a good time. The doctor suggested that the man visit the circus that was in town then, and enjoy the hilarious antics of the star performer, a clown named Grimaldi. “You could relieve your anxiety by enjoying the fun and laughter that Grimaldi produces.”

“No, no,” replied the man, “he can’t help me. You see, I’m Grimaldi.”

Certainly as Plato once observed, “The cure of the part should not be attempted without the treatment of the whole. No attempt should be made to cure the body without the soul, and if the head and body are to be healthy, you must begin by curing the mind. In other words, we all need to be healed in the highest sense by taking care of our mind, body and spirit, and the first step, says r Deepak Chopra in his book Journey Into Healing, is to realize that this is even possible.

Yes, you can live a healthy, happy life, and be filled with positive energy… IF you decide to.

THIS WEEK'S LESSON:
Take responsibility for your own health and well-being by taking care of your mind, body and spirit.

The expression “you are what you eat” is increasingly shown to be true. Every body cell is ultimately derived from food which provides all the components and energy we need for optimum health and energy.

Last article, I shared the Top 5 Beauty Foods. This week, I will share with you the Top 5 Energy Foods.

When you have high positive energy, you will have a new zest for life and be able to do more, be more and have more!

What fools indeed we mortals are
To lavish care upon a Car,
With ne'er a bit of time to see
About our own machinery!
~John Kendrick Bangs

THIS WEEK'S ACTION STEP
Here are the Top 5 (delicious) Energy Foods that I recommend you add to your daily diet starting NOW:
1. Banana. Bananas are the ultimate healthy snack. It’s great for boosting energy levels as well as mental energy, being a source of the biogenic amines serotonin and dopamine, the building blocks of neurotransmitters in the brain. It also contains bufotenine which increases sex drive.
2. Broccoli. Contains protective phytonutrients, calcium as well as useful amounts of magnesium, vital for producing energy, for muscle function and nerve conduction. It also contains sulphoraphane, an antioxidant which has powerful anti-cancer properties.
3. Asparagus. Asparagus is high in antioxidants and low in calories, and will help keep your skin looking younger as well. It is also a very rich source of rutin, which can strengthen blood vessels, capillaries and will help support circulatory system, as well as help detox your body.
4. Nuts and seeds – walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds. Nuts and seeds are a rich source of energy in the form of fatty acids. Walnuts also contains a significant amount of beauty-enhancing omega-3 fatty acids, plus antioxidants selenium and vitamin E. Most of the nuts and seeds are also good for enhancing circulation, and relieving stress and fatigue.
5. Tomatoes. Tomatoes are by far one of the healthiest of the fruits and vegetables. It is a rich source of Lycopene, a vital anti-oxidant that helps to fight against cancerous cell formation as well as other kinds of health complications and diseases. Research has also indicated that the lycopene in tomatoes can help older people stay active longer. It is also rich in glutathione - an essential component for the survival of cells.

All the foods listed in my last article for enhancing beauty also helps in giving plenty of positive energy – avocado, berries, salmon, sweet potato and spinach. So, keep on enjoying the beauty and health foods, and you will be glowing with youth and vitality!

By the way, I've created a Healthy4Life PicBadge which you can download and put on your Facebook profile picture - Good health can be yours, just claim it!

Jessica See

My Favourite Healthy Snack

Dear Friends

One of my favourite healthy snacks is Oven Baked Sweet Potato Wedges. All I have to do is slice up a sweet potato, put the strips on a piece of aluminium foil on top of a tray, sprinkle a little sea salt and cinnamon spice, with a tablespoon of olive oil on top, and bake it in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes and viola! My tasty homemade wedges are ready for me to munch on.... yummy!

The key to looking good – whatever your physical attributes, is radiant health and lots of positive energy. To chieve both is not as difficult as it’s made out to be. It simply starts with making a decision to follow a healthy lifestyle: Eat healthy and nourishing foods; do enough physical activity; have enough rest and learn to feel good about yourself. It’s not rocket science: most of us know it. It’s just that most have NOT made the decision to do it!

Today, I’m going to focus on healthy eating. As the saying goes, “You are what you eat.” Such a simple idea, yet so many people struggle to follow it. Instead, they would rather spend thousands of dollars trying to correct what problems they eventually face with their skin, weight and health.

Of course, it can’t be denied that genetics do play a role, but it’s also been proven that we can lend ourselves a helping hand as well by watching what we consume. My genes dictated that I would suffer greatly from skin acne in my teens; but by taking care of what I eat and my skin health, I am now blessed with clear skin. When I say “skin health” I am not just referring to the skincare we use on our face, although of course that’s important too. Remember, beauty comes from inside out. If you put junk into your stomach, it will show up in your skin and your weight.


THIS WEEK'S LESSON:
Love yourself: Eat well, treat your body well, feed your mind with good thoughts.

Indeed, true beauty and wellness emanates from within. I believe strongly in head-to-toe transformation; starts with the mind, right down to the feet, taking you where you want to go. It’s not enough just to KNOW what you have to do to look good, feel great; you’ve got to DO it!

So, stand tall. When you straighten your shoulders and put a smile on your face, you already look more elegant and appealing. Suck in your tummy and you look two kilograms slimmer. And then, say to yourself: My health and how I look is my responsibility; everyday, in every way, I will get better and better.


“People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within.” – Elizabeth Kubler-Ross


THIS WEEK'S ACTION STEP
Here are the Top 5 (delicious) Beauty Foods that I recommend you add to your daily diet starting NOW:
1. 1. Avocado. When ripe, avocados are almost a complete food, supplying lots of potassium, vitamins A and E, some B and C vitamins, and a little protein and starch. It’s also a rich source of skin-protective antioxidants, especially vitamin E. It’s good for the heart, circulation, anti-aging and for anyone suffering from stress or sexual problems. It is also a natural source of glutathione. For more information on what glutathione can do for you, go to: Glutathione for Ant Aging.
2. Berries – blueberries, cranberries, strawberries and more. One thing that nearly all berries have in common is: they are great for rejuvenating both the heart and blood. They are also remarkable cleansing and purifying agents, and last but not least, have an abundance of anti-oxidants which help to neutralize free-radical damage in body tissues.
3. Salmon. Salmon is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to enhance our health and appearance by fighting inflammation, improving blood circulation and keeping the skin cells soft, smooth and supple.
4. Sweet potato. This humble tuber is an excellent source of beauty-enhancing beta-carotene, which is a powerful anti-oxidant. It also contains Vitamin A, minerals and fibre which is important for the body. In addition, it is also a source of phytochelatins which help in metal detoxification of body tissue.
5. Spinach. Does Popeye have great skin? Presumably so, as not only is this the vegetable of purported strength but also great for the skin and eyes. It is loaded with beauty-enhancing nutrients like beta-carotene, alpha-lipoic acid, vitamins C, E and B9 and minerals. Its exceptional lutein and zeaxanthin content keeps the eyes healthy and bright.

In my next article I will touch on some High Energy foods, so watch out for it! If you have comments or queries, please write to me at coach@health-coach-international.com.

Jessica See

YOU are Responsible for Your Own Health

Dear Friends

Many years ago, when I was working at a “clock-watching” job in a financial institution, I used to go on medical leave at least once a fortnight. Mind you, I was really sick – with migraine, gastric, diarrhea, flu, you name it. Now I haven’t stayed home sick for years and years – I can’t remember the last time I stepped into a clinic except for the annual health checks I go for.

No, I’m not out to discredit medical doctors – I’m sure most of them are wonderful, conscientious people. It’s just that I think we all have to take personal responsibility for own health and well-being. I believe in good health via a healthy lifestyle, and prevention rather than cure.

My friends get tired of my “nagging” but I do not intend to desist. One of them, in her mid-30s, has the most unbelievably unhealthy practices – smoking, a diet of mostly meat and hardly any vegetables or fruit, sleeping late from watching DVDs and playing computer games, no exercise… little wonder that she gets sick every so often. And when she does get sick, it’s off to the doctor and more antibiotics, and on and on it goes.


THIS WEEK'S LESSON:
Put your past bad habits behind and start anew.

As Dr Deepak Chopra says, “To have a renewed body, you need to be willing to have new perceptions that give rise to new solutions. If you look closely at your own life, you will realize that you are sending signals to your body that repeat the same old fears and wishes, the same old habits of yesterday and the day before. That is why you are stuck with the same old body.”

So if you are getting sick all the time, you have to recognize that your body is telling you something is not right, either spiritually or mentally, as well as physically. We cannot simply ignore the signals, and hope they’ll go away with a dose of antibiotics or two!


“Health is not just an absence of a disease. It’s an inner joyfulness that should be ours all the time – a state of positive well-being.” – Deepak Chopra, MD.


THIS WEEK'S ACTION STEP
So how do you get started? Here are some suggestions for the week (and days to come):
1. First and foremost, love yourself. Every morning, look into the mirror and give thanks for the wonderful person looking back at you. My friend and colleague June greets herself by saying, “Hi, Gorgeous!”
2. Take a list of all the bad habits that you want to get rid of – smoking, sleeping late and waking up late, eating junk food, etc. Then just make a decision and STOP it! 3. If you need help, write to us; our health coaches will be able to help you.
4. Feed your spirit, mind and body with good, nutritious diets. Like reading a good book, watching a good movie that will nourish the soul and put a smile on your face (like Bucket List; not a horror movie, please!), and of course eating good, nutritious food. Read my latest article on how you can nourish your body, go to: http://ezinearticles.com/?Glutathione---The-Master-Anti-Oxidant:-How-You-Can-Increase-the-Glutathione-Level-in-Your-Body&id=6453762
5. Indulge in a good body massage or foot reflexology, or a stress-free holiday. I like to go camping in the jungle – it’s so amazingly rejuvenating for the mind and spirit!
6. At least once a year, go for a detox program. For more advice on this area, watch out for future articles or write to me at coach@health-coach-international.com.

Talk to you soon!

Jessica See

Turnng Stress to Positive Energy

Dear Friends,

Stress is inevitable. Trust me, the only place where there is absolutely no stress is not the place you want to be!

Instead what we want to look for is how we can manage stress effectively and turn it into a positive motivator or engine to move us forward to the life we want to live.

THIS WEEK'S LESSON:
Discover the joy in what you do and find a purpose to the work you do.

The best and most effective way to turn workplace stress to your advantage is to discover the joy in what you do and find a purpose to the work you do. Too many people are lost in their day-to-day routine and tasks that they can’t seem to distinguish the trees from the forest. When the mountain of work they have in front of them seem to only get bigger no matter how much time they seem to be putting in to get it done.

Not enough people take the time to reflect on what is the BIG picture in terms of their career or business. Our career or business is a big part of our life as most of us spend at least one third of our time working on it from the time we embark on a career until we retire, which for some, may be our death bed! Thus, many of us are “defined” by our career and what we do, so it’s really important that we have clarity on where we are at now, and where we want to go eventually.

Once you have clarity on your purpose, then you have to take some time to reflect on which tasks or part of your job you like and which parts you dislike. Strive to be truly brilliant at areas you enjoy and are good at; and wherever possible, delegate areas you are not good at. If you can’t do that, then just understand and acknowledge your weakness as well as the fact that it’s part and parcel of the job. If you find that what you don’t like far outweighs what you enjoy, then perhaps it’s time to think of doing something else!

“The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find what it is that interests you and that you can do well, and when you find it. Put your whole soul into it – every bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have.” - John D. Rockefeller II


THIS WEEK'S ACTION STEP

In closing this week, I'd like to offer an exercise to complete in the week ahead:

Keep a daily journal detailing what tasks you do everyday at work and beside the task, rate it in terms of how much you enjoy doing it, from 1 being Not Enjoyable to 10 being Great Fun.

At the end of the week, reflect on the tasks and for those with low scores, decide if you could delegate, reinvent or simply think of getting another career!

For a detailed assessment form that you can use to assess your career, please write to coach@health-coach-international.com with Subject: Health Coach International’s Assessment - Career

Have FUN!!

Jessica See