Get Gorgeous! Circus smell can help!

A whiff of citrus is an ideal wake me up. Don't believe? Read up..

"It stimulates the area of the brain that makes us feel alert." says Alan Hirsch, M.D. ,the neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment Research Foundation in Chicago. For a jolt without the jitters, mist your body with grapefruit, tangerine or orange essential oils. You'll be perky for hours.

Spirulina - Main Superfood Ingredient

There are many spirulina health benefits that make it a very popular health food.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) is a blue-green edible algae. It is a natural whole food that has nourished people in many countries around the world for centuries. It was consumed by the Aztecs over five centuries ago.

Spirulina health benefits have been demonstrated over a long history of safe human consumption and this super green food is considered one of the world's healthiest foods because it contains a powerful combination of nutrients.

Although spirulina has been eaten by people for centuries, it was only approximately 30 years ago that scientists rediscovered this amazing superfood and have since produced hundreds of scientific studies about spirulina health benefits.

Why have spirulina heath benefits been the subject of such intense research? Because spirulina can be economically cultivated all over the globe and contains more nutrition per acre than any other grain, herb or food that is grown! This is why it is called a super food. It is an amazing health food that could actually help end world hunger and malnutrition.

Spirulina Health Benefits

Spirulina is safe for both people and animals and provides excellent whole-body nourishment. It is more than 60% protein and is 95% digestible.

Spirulina health benefits include the antioxidant support of beta-carotene, gamma linolenic acid, known for helping to promote joint health, as well as proteins, amino acids, iron, magnesium, and other minerals, vitamin B-12 and B complex and other essential vitamins, the essential fatty acid GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), and the cleansing and detoxifying power of chlorophyll, among other benefits.

Most people consume too many acidic foods, such as coffee, soda, alcohol, sugar and meat. Spirulina is an alkaline food that can help balance your body toward more healthful alkalinity.

Another spirulina health benefit is how it can help alleviate sinus allergies. In fact, a doctor and researcher wrote in the Journal of Medicinal Food about a medical study that demonstrated this benefit. The doctor noted "This is the first time that a nutraceutical has been shown to have beneficial effects on the machinery that causes human allergies." Journal of Medicinal Food8(1):27-30, 2005.

Easy to digest, spirulina provides energy and stamina for work and play, and can benefit children, pregnant and nursing mothers, adults with poor eating habits, people who are fasting or dieting, athletes, senior citizens, ill people who need more nourishment, and anyone who wants to increase their resistance to disease.

In fact, most people would benefit from adding a good source of spirulina to their daily diet. A measure of the powder mixed in fruit or vegetable juice or smoothies or a number of tablets of spirulina taken every day can support many spirulina health benefits.

The tablets can be taken anytime at home, work, or on the road. The powder can be added to a smoothie for breakfast, for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon pickup, or before dinner so you will eat less if you are watching your weight.

Are There any Spirulina Side Effects?

Spirulina is a food and has a long history of safe use. However there is a wide range in quality, because spirulina is cultivated in many countries. Some algae harvested from polluted lakes and waterways might be contaminated. Buy from a trusted source.

Today, most spirulina is being safely and scientifically cultivated in pure waters at specially designed aquatic farms. Some of the best quality product is grown in the pristine clean waters of Hawaii which is why Hawaiian spirulina is famous for its reputed spirulina health benefits.

Tips on How to Choose / Buy

Spirulina is now available in 70 countries and can be purchased from most health food outlets as well as through the internet. But before you buy, check the label or the source to see where it was grown and if the cultivation was controlled for a pure culture.

The EDGE: Train For Your Brain Power

New research presented at the 2009 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease shows how important consistent exercise is for brain function. A research team from the University of California, San Francisco, followed more than 3,000 people ages 70-79 for seven years. Subjects were placed in one of four categories based on their physical-activity history, consistently sedentary (21%), active but with consistently declining levels of physical activity (26%), active and consistently maintaining the physical activity (12%) and active but with increasing or fluctuating activity levels (41%). The researchers reported that consistently sedentary test subjects had the worst mental skills based on a standard test that measured overall cognitive function, including memory, attention span and problem-solving. Those who were active but with consistently declining levels of physical activity experienced cognitive-decline that was significantly faster than those who had stable, increasing or fluctuating activity levels.

Muscle Building: IRON SOILD

Getting bigger and stronger may be your sole purpose of heading to the gym every day, but of course you're also getting healthier. Finnish researchers examined the effects of 10 weeks of weight training on cardiovascular health in 52 previously sedentary men. Subjects trained 2-3 times per week using a variety of exercises to hit several bodyparts. Not surprisingly, their lower-body strength and lean body mass had improved significantly by the end of the study. What was surprising was that subjects also improved their times to exhaustion on a cycling exercise improved test - an adaptation normally associated strictly with cardiovascular training. In addition, the group showered significant improvements in specific measures of heart rate variation, which can be indicators of heart health

Energy Booster 4: Bison for Meat Lover!

Protein-packed bison (also known as buffalo) is lower in saturated fat - just 1 gram in 3 ounces of a lean cut - and high in omega fats than many cuts of beef. Put to pasture later in life, bison accumulates more iron than cattle and iron produces hemoglobin, which helps transport oxygen to muscles. So if your iron levels are low, your muscles don't get enough oxygen and your energy tank drains quickly. Like beef, bison provides a healthy dose of energizing B vitamins, creatine and zinc.

Tips: How to Lose Belly Fat

Eating a low fat diet with more healthy fruit, healthy whole grains -- and including wine with food – can help shed pounds and belly fat.

• Healthy eating tip # 1: Melons: At fewer than 50 calories a slice, this healthy fruit is one sweet treat you can feel free to indulge in. “Both honeydew and cantaloupe are healthy fruit choices high in potassium,” says Greaves. “This minerial keeps sodium levels in check and beats belly bloat.”
• Healthy eating tip # 2: Wine: A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that people who averaged a serving of alcohol a day had slimmer waistlines than their tee-totaling counterparts. “Drinking a small amount of alcohol with a meal may speed up calorie burn,” says Jerry Greenfield, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s author.
• Healthy eating tip # 3: Whole-grain bread: Researchers at Penn State found that dieters who ate at least five servings of healthy whole grains while following a low calorie diet shed 24 percent more abdominal fat than those who averaged the same number of calories but ate refined grains. To up your intake of healthy whole grains, swap your cornflakes for oatmeal.
• Healthy eating tip # 4: Grapefruit: Add zing to your low fat diet with this vitamin C–rich healthy fruit. Research in Public Health Nutrition found that people who consumed the least amount of this nutrient were 131 percent more likely to have larger waists than those who got the most. Other studies suggest that grapefruit can curb the insulin spikes that lead to fat storage.
• Healthy eating tip # 5: Walnuts: Increase omega 3 benefits with walnuts. Research shows that their omega 3 fatty acids lower levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, that can contribute to fat storage. To get more omega 3 benefits, sprinkle some ground flaxseed on your yogurt.

Energy Booster 3: Honey

The “sweetness of the world”- honey maybe the most popular food ever since the concept of “healthy” became an issue in the nutritionist’s conversation. The best energetic content in a food item is the one provided by honey.

Used as a sweetener for tea and coffee or other hot drinks, or simply consumed as it is, it becomes an energy pill that helps the body regenerate and be more alert. Recently, the honey was introduced in packed cereals, in power bars and in a large variety of energy drinks.