Whiten your Teeth!

Whitening your teeth has become a fashion statement that seems to be here to stay. We all see the beautiful white smiles celebrities have, and we want the same bright smile too. You may have a healthy shade of white teeth, but compared to your friends and co-workers with bleached teeth, your teeth might just look yellow -but only in comparison.

Cause of Discolored Teeth

Simply put, colored molecules found in some foods and drinks can get absorbed in your tooth’s enamel surface. This causes your teeth to become less white with time. If you want a brighter smile, you may want to avoid red wine, coffee, tea, cigarettes, mustard, and even blueberries.

Problem with Professional Teeth Whitening

Most, if not all Teeth whitenings contain hydrogen peroxide. This is a harmful chemical that can destroy your gums and nerves and will make your teeth very sensitive.

Natural Solution to Whiten your Teeth

Here is a little homemade remedy that will brighten your smile:

1 Strawberry

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Step 1) Crush Strawberry and then mix in the Baking Soda.

Step 2) Spread Strawberry mixture onto your teeth and leave on for about 5 minutes.

Step 3) Brush and floss your teeth to clean out the Strawberry mixture.

Note: You can do this natural whitening to your teeth about once a week. You don’t want to overdo it, since the acid from the strawberry can start to damage the enamel on your teeth. Use in moderation, and enjoy your whiter teeth!

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Tags: baking soda, blueberries, coffee, mustard, natural remedy, red wine, strawberry, tea, teeth, teeth whitener, white teeth, yellow teeth

Nuts about Berries: Large vs. Half size

Anyone who is lucky enough to live in an area with a Cafe Zupas, knows that an all time favorite specialty salad is Nuts about Berries. As much as I love food for its taste…what about the nutrition and calories involved? I can only estimate, but I wanted to give an approximate calculation on what the calories were in the Large and Half sized salad.

I have picked this salad apart with the ingredients involved, and I give you some pretty good estimates on how many calories are in this salad – the Half and Large size.

Nuts about Berries: Half Size

4 cups Romaine Lettuce  = 32 calories

1/2 cup Mixed Berries = 50 calories

1 scoop Cinnamon Honey Almonds = 38 calories

1/4 cup Poppyseed Dressing = 254 calories

Total Calories: 374 calories

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Nuts about Berries: Large Size

5 cups Romaine Lettuce = 40 calories

1 cup Mixed Berries = 100 calories

2 scoops Cinnamon Honey Almonds = 75 calories

1/2 cup Poppyseed Dressing = 507 calories

Total Calories: 722 calories

Now that you know how many calories are in your salad, you can be sure to make a wise choice with your next trip to Cafe Zupas. My main concern comes from the Poppyseed Dressing. Something I have done to help with the calories in the Poppyseed Dressing is to use only half of the amount of  Dressing provided. Soon,  I hope to master a healthier (homemade) version of the Poppyseed Dressing to add to my salad.

Take it easy with the amount of Dressing you use, and enjoy your Nuts about Berries Salad!

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Tags: Almonds, cafe zupas, calories, Cinnamon Honey Almonds, Dressing, Healthy, Mixed Berries, Nutrition Facts, Poppyseed Dressing, Romaine Lettuce, salad, salad dressing

Healthy Alternatives for your Junk Food Cravings

What’s your junk food craving?

Everyone seems to have specific cravings now and again! Whether it be sweet or salty, we sometimes tend to think of the junk food as a first choice to satisfy those cravings. Here are some ways you can curb your cravings in a healthy way.

Healthy Alternatives to your Salt Cravings

•Popcorn -Homemade popcorn made with coconut oil and a bit of real salt is a wonderful treat when you need something salty!

•Jerky -When salt cravings come, it might just mean you need a little meat in your diet. Be sure to make your jerky homemade or buy the Organic or All Natural kind so that you don’t get any MSG or additives that usually come with processed meats.

•Edamame -These are an easy snack to make, and a great alternative to something like chips. Just dash on some real salt and eat fresh or baked.

•Organic Blue Corn Chips -This is a yummy snack with a touch of sea salt. You can eat these chips plain or dip into a healthy chili or fresh salsa.

Healthy Alternatives to your Sweet Tooth

•Frozen Yoghurt with Berries -An easy snack to make, just add fresh mixed berries to your All Natural Yoghurt and you should beat any
sweet cravings that you may have had.

•Fruit -Lots of healthy sugar is in fruit, and by having fruit you should be able to satisfy those cravings.

•Organic BlackBerry Sorbet bar - A delicious dessert ready to be eaten by you!

•Honey or Agave Sticks -You can usually find these Honey or Agave sticks at the health food store in lots of different flavors. More often than not, you can buy in bulk or individually. Take these with you and when  your blood sugar levels are low, this is a healthy alternative to candy.

Healthy Alternatives to your Sour Cravings

•Organic Twisted Fruit (Sour Apple) by Clif Kid -All natural fruit twists are made with real fruit, gluten-free and have no processed sugars.

•Grapefruit -A delicious and healthy way to curb your sour cravings and known to help you lose weight!

•Green Apple -This apple is a tart treat and sure to satisfy  your cravings. Too tart? Almond Butter might just be a yummy addition to this sour snack.

•Dried Cranberries -These are a great treat to take with you on the go. Be sure to buy the kind that doesn’t have anything added, since most commercial products add sugar. Buy from your local health food store and check the label before you buy.

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Stretching Before & After Exercise

You probably already know about the importance of exercising on a regular basis. Many don’t know that with every time you exercise, proper stretching should be accompanied with your workout.

Importance of Stretching

If you aren’t properly stretching with your workout, you are definitely putting yourself at risk for a serious injury during your workout. It’s always a bad situation when you can’t workout because of a workout related injury that was very preventable – if only you stretched after your workout!

Not only do you prevent injury by stretching, you also become increasingly more flexible,  stronger, bring valuable oxygen to your muscles, and  provide better blood circulation.

Stretching after your workout helps prevent muscle cramps, soreness, and allow for your muscles to loosen up.

Before your Workout

Do you need to stretch before your workout? This topic is very debated, and studies show that stretching before your workout might not be as beneficial as we all once thought. In my personal experience, I find that stretching is very beneficial for my workouts, especially since I have previously injured one of my knees in the past. I notice that I have a lot more range of movement, and my knees don’t hurt at all (or as much) during my workout  compared to me not stretching at all. My take? Listen to your body’s needs and take necessary precautions.

Studies say that having a warm up before your workout is really what helps your body get ready for that good heavy workout your about to do.

After your Workout

After your workout is when you should be stretching, which you will really notice the benefits when your muscles aren’t as tight and sore the next day.

When stretching, be sure to breath in and out slowly and allow yourself to ease into your stretch. Do not “bounce” into your stretch, as this can cause more injury to yourself than not stretching at all.

Stretching Tips

•Ease into your stretches – Be sure to ease into each of your stretches rather than quickly moving into them. Quickly moving into your stretches might cause injury in and of itself.

•Slowly Breathe in and out – Just as Breathing while working out is important, it is just as important to Breathe while you are stretching.

•Keep it in the Happy Medium – Don’t barely stretch where you aren’t really stretching at all, and don’t over do it where you end up hurting yourself. If you aren’t feeling anything, slowly ease more into the stretch until you feel it. If you are in pain, you are over doing it, and ease slowly out of the stretch until you feel moderately. The goal is to find the “Happy Medium”.

Stretches

Here are some stretches that will be helpful for you:

Glute Stretch – While sitting down on the floor, extend both legs in front of you and put one leg over the other and place the foot as close as possible to the hip. Be sure to keep your upper body upright and grab your leg and pull it towards your upper body.

Inner Thigh Stretch – While sitting down on the floor with your upper body upright, bend your knees and press the soles of your feet up against each other. Slowly push your knees to the floor, without bouncing. This stretch is more commonly known as the “butterfly stretch”.

Hamstring – Sit on the floor with both of your legs straight in front of you. Keep your toes up rather than pointed, and reach for your toes with your hands.

Calf – Stand at arms length from a wall, and put both hands on the wall. Put one foot forward and bend it towards the wall while your other foot is straight.

Quad – Stand close to a wall or other support, and with one hand balance yourself. Lift one leg off the floor and with your other hand, grab your ankles (not your toes!) and hold.

Ankles – While standing up, roll one of your ankles clockwise ten times, and then again counter-clockwise. This stretch is important for when you put a lot of weight on your ankles, such as when you are running.

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Tags: After Exercise, Before Exercise, muscle, oxygen, post workout, preworkout, Proper stretching, stretch, Stretching, tips, workout