Living Well

Part 1: Vitamins - Learn What Foods Give You the Best Source 0

It’s common to hear that you should eat oranges if you need more vitamin C in your diet or have a banana if you want to get some potassium. What you may not realize is that there are other food sources with a much higher vitamin or mineral content you may be missing out on. Here we take a look at the top foods you should be eating to get the most bang for your buck to incorporate those essential vitamins and minerals into your daily diet. We’ve broken it down into two parts: vitamins and minerals. Let’s start with vitamins and be on the lookout for more on minerals later! In order to provide you with the ultimate best food choices, to make our list the food sources had to provide at least 50% of the dietary reference intake (per the USDA) in one serving. Take a look!

Vitamins

Vitamin B1

Why you need it—in general the vitamin B family helps in converting carbs into energy as well as metabolizing fats and protein. B1, or Thiamine, can help ensure proper heart and nervous system function in addition to muscle coordination. Where you can get it—fortified for thiamine breakfast cereals, white rice.

Vitamin B2

Why you need it—also known as Riboflavin, it promotes growth—think healthy skin, hair and nails! Where you can get it—beef liver, fortified for riboflavin breakfast cereals, oats.

Vitamin B3

Why you need it—Niacin aids the body in producing sex and stress-related hormones, improves circulation, and can suppress inflammation. Where you can get it—tuna, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb.

Vitamin B5

Why you need it—known as pantothenic acid, it helps in the production of red blood cells as well as maintaining a healthy digestive tract. Where you can get it—shiitake mushrooms (psst…if you don’t like mushrooms, you can get a pretty good helping of B5 in avocados and sweet potatoes too!).

Vitamin B6

Why you need it—also known as pyridoxine, it plays a role in cognitive development, immune function, and hemoglobin formation. Where you can get it—chickpeas and tuna.

Vitamin B12

Why you need it—cobalamin can be difficult for some people to maintain in their diet particularly if they do not regularly consume meat or fish, but it is essential in promoting nervous system health, cardiovascular support, and DNA production. Where you can get it—sardines, salmon, tuna, cod, lamb, scallops, shrimp, beef, clams (if these are not a part of your diet, look to other sources like yogurt or fortified breakfast cereals).

Folate

Why you need it—folic acid, or vitamin B9 helps in proper brain function and mental as well as emotional health. Where you can get it—beans, beans, and more beans! As well as lentils, asparagus, and spinach.

Vitamin A

Why you need it—retinol is majorly known to help vision, in addition to healthy development of an embryo and fetus. Where you can get it—sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard/beet/turnip greens, beef liver, cantaloupe, and pumpkin.

Vitamin C

Why you need it—absorbic acid is important for the growth and repair of bodily tissues, as well as bones and teeth, as well as promoting iron absorption. Where you can get it—yes, oranges still provide almost 100% DRI, but you can get even more vitamin C from papayas, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, and even pineapple!

Vitamin D

Why you need it—aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus (we’ll get to those later). Where you can get it—sunshine! (Okay, that may not be something you can eat, but we still love it), as well as salmon and swordfish. Not a fan? Try fortified vitamin D orange juice or milk.

Vitamin E

Why you need it—it is most known for protection in free radical damage in addition to promoting cardiovascular health. Where you can get it—sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ oil.

Vitamin H

Why you need it—biotin is especially good for promoting cell growth and as a result is often seen in beauty products for hair, nails and skin. Where you can get it—eggs, brewer’s yeast, peanuts, and almonds.

Vitamin K

Why you need it—we call it vitamin K for a reason, as the K comes from the German word koagulation for blood clotting. That is because vitamin K is most known for helping our blood to clot (yes, blood clots can be good sometimes—they are necessary to stop the bleeding when our skin gets punctured!). Where you can get it—think greens! That’s probably the easiest way to remember how to get your vitamin K, so fill up on kale, spinach, mustard/collard/beet/turnip greens, Swiss chard, parsley, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.

Finding the Right Yoga Studio: Where to Start 0

Just like any membership, the first things to consider are the location and price. If you find the fanciest yoga studio with a world-class instructor that’s 50 miles away and costs a fortune, you won’t end up going, so what’s the point? Consider how far you’re willing to travel and spend upfront so that you can narrow down your choices and go into the process knowing there’s no excuse for skipping a class.

Next, consider how involved you want to be. This means, ask yourself if you’re strictly looking for a get in and get out class or something more involved and social that offers other services such as meditation and nutrition. Along with this, you should also decide if you’re just seeking the physical aspect of yoga or if you want there to be a spiritual level to the class as well.

Once you have these squared away and you still have room for other considerations, look up different yoga styles you may be looking for. “Hatha” yoga might be for those solely looking for the physical part to yoga with a more modern approach. Bikram yoga is for those who want to very literally turn up the heat as this takes place in a sauna type of room. Or maybe you’re looking for yoga poses to help expecting mothers, then try out prenatal yoga!

The best way to go through the process of finding the right place is searching for a map of yoga studios within a reasonable commuting distance and take a trip there to get an idea of what specific yoga is offered, what else is included in membership, and hopefully be able to sample the class to see if you feel comfortable and can connect with the instructor, and see if you like the yoga style – who knew you would like kundalini yoga so much?!

15 Superfoods You Can Eat Now 0

The term superfood implies it may have superior value to other foods, particularly fruits and vegetables. So when we think of the kinds of benefits we want from this exclusive category of foods, typically we expect it to have an impressively high amount of nutrients—vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. Simply put, it helps give us that extra boost towards good health and well-being. No one knows your body better than you, so by now you might have a pretty good idea of what foods keep you lagging and tired, and we all know how energizing and rewarding it can be after eating healthy, natural, and nutrient-rich foods. Potentially the greatest advantage in eating superfoods regularly is that it’s a super-easy way to live a healthy lifestyle by consuming natural foods. The great news is you’re probably already eating some of these now! Take a look at our list of favorite superfoods and see if you can’t incorporate them into your daily diet!

Almonds contain soluble fiber, are high in monounsaturated fat while low in saturated fat, contain magnesium, and have no cholesterol—try a handful of almonds a day

Apples have no cholesterol, they do have soluble fiber, and can help keep you slim and clean your teeth while you’re at it! Like they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away

Avocados…where do we start?! They contain 10-25% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin E. This is a food that’s high in healthy fat—you only need to eat about 1/5 of an avocado to get a full serving

Beets have betaines! Never heard of it? They help stimulate functions of the liver—in addition they have no cholesterol and are high in both Vitamin C and fiber

Blueberries—can you say antioxidants? A single cup gives you 10 times the USDA’s recommendation! Additionally, being part of the berry family means they have a relatively low GI—that’s glycemic index, which helps keep your blood sugar level from spiking

Broccoli will take care of your daily recommended intake for Vitamin K and Vitamin C—and then some! Coming in at 245% and 135% of the DRI respectively, try having a cup of cooked broccoli. Steaming it? Even better!

Chia Seeds. The good? High in Calcium and Phosphorus. The great? Even higher in Fiber and Manganese. Try adding two tablespoons into a fresh fruit smoothie

Eggs are high in cholesterol, but now that we know saturated fat has a much higher impact on blood cholesterol, go ahead and have a preferably hardboiled egg and get a quick 7g of protein!

Flax Seeds are another great addition to a smoothie or even oatmeal. A lot of good is packed into two tablespoons—omega-3, fiber, protein, Vitamin B1, Manganese, Magnesium, and the list goes on!

Garlic contains both antibacterial and antiviral properties—several different compounds help your body’s circulatory, digestive, and immunological systems. They make excellent seasonings to plenty of dishes, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get at least half a clove of garlic on your plate!

Hemp Oil CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, not to mention can help relieve that annoying nauseous feeling—try having about 25mg twice daily

Kale stands for K—Vitamin K that is, since one cup of these cooked greens comes in at a whopping 1180% of the daily recommended intake! Eat some as the main part of a salad or hide it in a fruit smoothie

Salmon is considered an oily fish, which is why it’s so high in omega-3 fats, not to mention being high in protein, so cook up 2 to 3 ounces of salmon—the next two foods make great side dishes!

Sweet Potatoes have got you covered with over twice the amount of Vitamin A you need for the day, on top of fulfilling half of your Vitamin C and Manganese requirements. And there’s more! This yummy food is also high in Copper, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Biotin, Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin B3, B1, B2, and Phosphorus. Phew!

Tomatoes—let’s talk more antioxidants, specifically lycopene, which has been linked to bone health. Slice half a tomato to put over a salad, or get cherry tomatoes for a quick snack!

CBD and THC: Let's End the Confusion 0

CBD and THC—we may know them as acronyms with very long names or as letters commonly associated with marijuana, but unrightfully so. CBD actually stands for cannabidiol and THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. Although both rooting from cannabis with the same chemical formula, it is important to note that their atoms are arranged differently, therefore creating completely different psychotic effects—CBD has none to speak of. These two compounds are the main ingredients in marijuana yet THC is the psychoactive ingredient that causes the high and can explain the anxiety or feelings of paranoia associated with its use. Alternatively, CBD causes the opposite effect—a feeling of relaxation and reduced anxiety. Furthermore, it is believed that CBD creates a balancing effect to make sure the user does not get too high off of the amounts of THC. These anti-psychotic properties are the ones we can expect to see with the use of CBD, which is the substance most prominent in the CBD Hemp Oil. Therefore, we would not expect to see any effects of the THC ingredient. Since CBD can be found in hemp, it is legally imported into the United States for use in products such as our CBD Hemp Oil, a certified natural, organic, and gluten free wellness tool—not something that will get you high.