Category: Health and Wellness Articles
Botox treatments – What you should know
The Truth About Botox Treatments
One way to fight back against wrinkles is to use injected fillers. One of the most popular injected fillers on the market today is Botox. Even though so many people use it, you need to find out the facts before you decide to try it, starting with the simplest question:
What is Botox?
We know that many consider Botox the eighth wonder of the world, but what is it really? In simplest terms, Botox is short for Botulinum toxin Type A and it comes from the bacterium, clostridium botulinum. The botulism toxin is one of the deadliest organisms on earth to humans. So, why inject it into the face?
While this toxin can lay waste to thousands if ingested, it has a feature that many have found useful in fighting the effects of aging – it reduces the appearance of wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles of the face. In the early uses of Botox, a weakened and diluted form of the toxin was normally used to inject the forehead region. This is where it was first used to combat wrinkles or frown lines that form between the eyebrows.
Today, Botox is used for other areas of the face as well. It is also used to handle muscle spasms in the face and other issues in the elderly population. So, after all this, you will need to consider the next question:
Is it Dangerous?
Botox injections are considered a non-surgical intervention for cosmetic issues but it still carries risks. The procedure is performed in the doctor’s office by a physician who has been trained in giving these injections. We have all heard about Botox parties in people’s homes but the safest way (unless a physician is administering it at the parties) is in the office where your doctor has access to treatment should something happen.
Talk to your doctor about the benefits and risks of Botox before beginning any treatment. The risk factors that you need to be aware of include: headaches, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, injection site reactions, flu-like symptoms, facial pain and bleeding. This is not a comprehensive list but mentions most of the mainly reported experiences after treatment. People with allergies or nerve trouble may not make good candidates for Botox injections.
Once you have considered the risks, and have determined (with your doctor) that you are a good candidate for Botox, the next question will inevitably be:
When Will I See Results?
Many people notice a change in their appearance right away. It all depends on the depth of your wrinkles and how many you have. In a few days, it is often apparent to patients that the wrinkles have reduced. The results often last for several months. To continue with smoother skin, you can schedule another treatment at that time.
Having one successful treatment does not automatically relieve you from the risks of a Botox injection. Each treatment should be considered anew with your doctor. For whatever reason, something may have changed in the months since the first injection; new medication, illness, or allergy. Be sure to treat each subsequent injection as if it were your first.
Botox treatment is not for everyone. However, if you are experiencing wrinkles that you want to get rid of, it could be a viable alternative. Talk to your doctor first and consider all of your options.
Essential Foods In The Battle Against Aging
When it comes to fighting the signs of aging, the solution doesn’t always lie across the pharmacy counter or in the doctor’s office. Some of the best ways to grow old gracefully can be found right in your very own kitchen.
Most of the nutrients that the body needs everyday to survive are found in the foods that we eat. Unfortunately, many of us are not making the proper food choices to keep our bodies, and skin, healthy. Making a few changes to our diet can make a big difference in how we feel and look.
Antioxidants save the day
When talking about foods to eat we’re mainly talking about the general category of antioxidants in food. How does adding foods rich in antioxidants to your diet help your skin?
The body takes on a lot of stresses in a day. One byproduct of this stress, or cellular activity, is free radicals. Free radicals are unstable substances that lack an electron so they steal it from healthy cells throughout the body. This can lead to signs of aging, disease, and pain over time. Antioxidants are natural substances that are designed to neutralize the effects of free radicals. Eating foods that contain antioxidants will lower the free radical count in your body and lessen the damage they can do.
So, what should we be eating to improve our overall health and youthful appearance? Let’s take a look at some of the foods that contain nutrients essential to fighting off the aging process:
· Berries
The mighty blueberry shines in this group, but other berries like blackberries, cranberries, and raspberries all play a part in neutralizing free radicals that damage your skin. You’ll notice a theme in these berries; they all are very colorful. Stick to dark colored berries for the best nutritional punch. Berries actually help the body make collagen, the substance that supports and plumps the skin, so adding a good portion of berries to your diet every day is a smart thing to do to battle wrinkles. Berries are also loaded with Vitamins C, E, and riboflavin, as well as being a good source of fiber.
· Green Tea
Another powerhouse in the fight against free radicals, green tea has become the go-to beverage for everything from losing weight to lowering blood pressure. Green tea is known to have anti-inflammatory properties as well as antioxidants. Not only does drinking green tea improve your overall health, but many skin creams now contain green tea extract which allows you to rub it right into your skin. Green tea is also believed to help prevent some skin cancers caused by the sun’s damaging rays. Drinking green tea daily gives you a good source of Vitamins C, D, K, and riboflavin, calcium, and iron
· Nuts
You need plenty of good fatty acids to help prevent skin dryness. Adding nuts to your daily diet will provide not only healthy fatty acids, but also Vitamins A, E, riboflavin, zinc, and selenium. The Brazil nut is an especially excellent source of selenium, which helps with the skin’s elasticity by producing glutathione which neutralizes free radicals in the body; the same free radicals that are destroying our skin’s collagen and elastin. Eat a variety of nuts, including almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pine nuts, every day to add good fatty acids to your diet along with a host of essential vitamins and minerals.
· Avocados
At first glance, you may think you should stay away from avocados because they appear to be high in fat. But, most of the fat is monounsaturated and is considered a healthy fat. Avocados are rich in omega-9 fat, a powerful skin plumper which also improves dry skin, as well as Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which act together to form a strong anti-aging team. Vitamin B6 is another free radical warrior and is essential to your skin’s youthful look and healthy overall condition. Just one small avocado gives you enough B6 to meet your daily requirement.
· Carrots
This may not often make the top of the skin-health list, but there are good reasons it should. Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene. What is beta-carotene? Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A inside the body. Vitamin A is crucial for skin cell health. You may have a Vitamin A deficiency if your skin is dry. If you have light skin, eating carrots can also provide a slight SPF sun protection. Carrots also are a good source of Vitamin C which fights free radicals and promotes the creation of collagen in the skin.
· Sweet Potatoes
Another overlooked powerhouse in the battle against aging skin is sweet potatoes. Not only do these spuds deliver a healthy dose of beta-carotene and Vitamin C, but sweet potatoes also contain Vitamin E. What’s important about the combination of these two vitamins is that they work together. Vitamin E helps regenerate Vitamin C in the body, which maximizes the effectiveness of Vitamin C. This one-two punch becomes a very effective antioxidant and offers topnotch skin protection.
· Whole Grains
Vitamins A, C, and E have taken center stage in the battle against aging skin, but there’s another player in town that’s just as important; that’s the B complex group. Eating breads and cereals that are made with whole grains, as opposed to refined grains, provide B complex vitamins which are essential for healthy skin. The B Vitamins are necessary for the growth of new cells which replace the dull, dead cells. This group of vitamins also helps protect skin against stress. A shortage of B Vitamins in your diet could result in dry, rough skin; even cracking and peeling.
· Cold water fish
This group of fish includes salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fresh tuna. These may seem like a fatty bunch of fish, but the fat is the healthy kind containing omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are responsible for healthy cell membranes. These stronger cell membranes are more able to keep water in which keeps the skin cells hydrated; and hydrated cells will give us skin that is supple and younger looking. Salmon is also another source that’s high in selenium, which we know helps the body in its ongoing battle against skin damaging free radicals.
All the wrinkle reducing potions in the world won’t help if you aren’t giving your skin a fighting chance from within. Start your anti-aging battle with a healthy diet filled with nutrient rich foods. These simple, and delicious, foods are some of the easiest things you can choose to fight the effects of aging.
Fight Free Radical Damage With Anti-Aging Supplements
Everyone shares two common fears as they age – looking old and feeling old. However, there really is no reason to be afraid. You can help yourself age gracefully in many ways, one of which is supplements.
Aging isn’t easy on the body. We can start understanding the problems of aging when we learn about free radicals. Let’s use a simple analogy to explain a little about how free radicals affect the body. Free radicals crash around like demolition derby cars, causing very real damage to your entire body. Free radical damage has been blamed for everything from wrinkles to cancer.
How do you combat this destruction? We can begin by discussing what supplements are useful in fighting free radicals:
Exploring Supplements
Supplements are typically pills, tonics, creams, or herbs that are used as a way of enhancing something, in this case, your health. There are times we don’t get all the nutrition we need from the food we eat. That’s when supplements can be helpful. Here is a short list of the supplements you might want to consider to aid your body in its battle against free radical damage:
Vitamin B complex
These complex vitamins are available in many foods, yet, for whatever reason, we don’t always eat what we need to in order to get an optimum level. You can purchase vitamin B complex in your pharmacy or favorite health food store. Look for as many alternative sources for vitamin B as you can find; sources that include food and beverages as well as supplements.
Your external environment (pollutants) as well as your internal environment (emotions) contribute to free radical damage to your body. Stress, whether caused by external forces or internal forces, causes free radicals to wage war on your body; inside and out. Vitamin B complex helps relieve stress to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. Taking a vitamin B complex internally and applying it topically have both been widely accepted as important steps toward reducing free radical damage.
Antioxidants
This is a broad category of substances used as the principle fighters in the war against free radicals. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the body rendering them inert so they stop causing damage.
The list of antioxidants includes vitamins A, C, D, E, and beta carotene. You’ll find these vitamins in many foods, but again, there are times and situations when people simply cannot get enough in the foods they eat. That’s when supplements come in handy. Check with your doctor to see if you could benefit from one or all of these supplements to help fight free radicals.
Omega-3 fatty acids
You have probably seen this one somewhere before because these little acids get a lot of press. Omega-3s help with heart and vascular health as well as increasing immunity and decreasing inflammation in the body. The most popular source of Omega-3 is cold water fish. Unfortunately, most of us don’t eat enough fish to get a good supply.
Taking fish oil supplements, specifically those that contain Omega-3s, can boost your chances of destroying more free radicals. While these powerhouse supplements are battling heart disease, you’ll also notice a few wrinkles smoothing out in the process. Omega-3s are often used in anti-aging skin creams with good reason. Stopping a wrinkle in its tracks is what Omega-3s do best, and most notably.
We’re all looking for ways to improve our health and appearance. Looking and feeling good as we age is not about vanity… it’s about being healthy. Supplements to help fight free radicals is a worthwhile investment in your youthful appearance and overall health. Be sure to consult your doctor before adding any supplement, even natural ones, to your daily regimen.
Big Dinner Out Of Little Healthy Bites
Big Dinner Out Of Little Healthy Bites – Low Carb Holiday Buffet
If your holiday buffet features large chaffing dishes filled with au gratin potatoes, heaps of stuffing, fiesta corn, and cheesy macaroni, you’re not offering much to anyone on a low carb diet. If your guests have to walk away with just a couple slices of turkey and a few celery sticks, you’re not going to feel too good about that. If you’re planning a buffet this year, you might want to figure out how you can make all your guests happy, even the ones on a low carb diet. Let’s take a look at several dishes that go well on a healthier holiday buffet.
Pretty Proteins
Starting with the main event, you can certainly roast a turkey and slice the meat, put it on a platter, and call it good. Or, you may want to present an alternative. Thin slices of turkey make the perfect “wrap” instead of using tortillas on a low carb diet. Cold turkey slices wrapped around blanched asparagus with a piece of cheese is a classic that many people look forward to on a buffet. You can change this classic up a bit by changing the vegetable to broccoli, spinach, or even cucumber. Put together a variety of wraps with different cheeses, herbs, and seasonings.
A hot alternative is to first roast your asparagus or other vegetables, then add cheese and wrap in the turkey slices. Now coat your turkey rolls with finely crushed pecans or almond meal, then lightly fry them and serve hot. And, don’t forget ham slices and prosciutto can also be used for wraps.
Another protein we love on buffets is seafood. Aside from the classic bacon wrapped shrimp, what else can we do to make our holiday buffet special? Of course you can serve small salmon filets that have been oven roasted or grilled to perfection. Cut the filets into finger food size for easy serving and have a dill sauce on the side. Coat the salmon in a ground pecan meal and fry for a sweet crunch.
Salmon and cucumber is a combination that gets rave reviews on any buffet. But, rather than sandwiches with bread, why not make something a bit simpler and low carb diet friendly. Put canned salmon, smoked or not, in your food processor with lemon juice, cream cheese, and seasonings and process until nice and fluffy. Then, serve on thin cucumber slices, either round, cut lengthwise, or on the diagonal.
Crab meat, shrimp, or other seafood is a great way to add protein to your buffet table without adding a lot of carbs. Celery sticks are a very diet friendly way to “serve” cold protein dishes. Chop the seafood, mix with mayonnaise or cream cheese, and seasonings, stuff the celery sticks and you have a tasty, protein rich food that also provides some very good carbs. Or you can marinade crab meat or other seafood in an oil and vinegar dressing and serve in a ceviche style dish for something entirely different.
If you want a hot main dish made with seafood, try forming patties or “cakes” out of the seafood, add onion, sweet red pepper, and celery, then crack in an egg, mix, and, instead of adding bread crumbs, add almond meal until mixture is sticking together, but not too moist. Then form your patties, about two to three bite-size, and quickly fry in a good oil. Serve each little cake on top of a leaf of romaine lettuce or other sturdy green like kale for a simple main dish that is easy to eat and very tasty.
Don’t forget the vegetarians in your low-carb main dish buffet menu. Black bean burgers are one option that is relatively low in carbs but very high in protein. You can use a mix of dried, cooked beans, put them in the food processor, add your celery, onions, and flavors, and blend until you can form patties. Add cilantro and other deep flavors to make them more interesting. Add in an egg to help the mixture hold together, then form your patties and fry. Serve just like you did the crab cakes.
Tofu is a also a welcome addition to the buffet table when vegetarians and vegans are looking for a filling dish to enjoy. The trick is learning how to cook and present a good tofu dish. To begin, completely dry the tofu by pressing down firmly serving-size pieces with a heavy weight between clean towels. Once dried, you want to fry the tofu, and then marinade it in the flavors you want to present. When the tofu has absorbed the flavor, it’s time to stir fry and toss into a hot or cold dish for your buffet. Roasted veggies are a perfect option, as well as mixed greens, shredded cooked cabbage, and nuts. Use your imagination and several different marinades to make your tofu dishes interesting and delicious and your guests will be very pleased.
Satisfying Sides
This is normally where the difficulty starts. Since we often think of sides at a holiday dinner as the starches and carbs, it’s hard to imagine what we can do to get away from that whole thought. The trick may be tweaking the classics, but you may also need to try entirely different dishes than you are used to.
Since sweet potatoes are high in carbs, and sweet potato casserole with the marshmallow topping is off the charts, you may think you have to avoid this classic entirely. But, there are ways to make even sweet potatoes more diet friendly. Start by thinking small. You don’t want to eat even a cup of sweet potatoes on a low carb diet. However, by making little sweet potato fritters, using almond meal for the binder, you can enjoy a couple bites of this holiday traditional food without being too concerned. You may also want to temper the sweet potato mixture with a bit of pureed pumpkin to lower the carb count even further.
You can do the same thing with white potatoes if you wish. Just make small potato puffs, reducing the high carb count of the potatoes by adding Parmesan cheese and cream cheese to the mixture. Bind with almond flour and even an egg for a real flavorful bite. Be sure to add chives or green onions for an even prettier look and delicious flavor.
Macaroni and cheese is a no-no on a low carb diet due to the pasta. However, you can make a cheesy alternative that will satisfy even the most diehard mac and cheese fan. Steam cauliflower, lightly mash, then mix in a cheesy white sauce until you reach a desirable consistency. Put in the oven in a casserole dish and top with a buttery faux breadcrumb topping, using almond meal instead of the breadcrumbs, cooking until golden brown on top. Set out on your buffet and watch it disappear even faster than your old mac and cheese did.
What do you like about the traditional green bean casserole? The creamy sauce and crunchy fried onions, right? Go ahead and make a white sauce using almond flour instead of wheat flour, that’s step one. Then cut sweet onions up into thin wedges, drizzle with olive oil, toss with almond meal, and roast until browned slightly. Quickly cook your fresh green beans, then add all the ingredients together and toss well. You have all of the elements of the classic green bean casserole without all the carbs.
Another option is to create a fun green bean wrap. Start by blanching your beans. Peel a large onion, and drop in the blanching water for a few seconds, just until you can separate the layers. Remove one layer, slice to lay open, then put some beans inside, add a dollop of cream cheese or goat cheese, and season as you like, then roll up and dredge in almond meal or crushed nuts. Lay seam side down on a baking sheet and bake in moderate oven, roasting until onion is nicely browned. Serve your little green bean casserole bundles hot with a little creamy dipping sauce.
There are numerous options for healthier, low carb buffet offerings at your holiday buffet. The trick is to look at the ingredients you can have on your diet in any main dish or side dish, then pick apart the recipe and get creative. The great thing about a holiday buffet is that everyone expects something a little different from a regular sit-down dinner. So have fun with it and enjoy!
Start Your Feast Off Right – Low Carb Holiday Appetizers
Start Your Feast Off Right – Low Carb Holiday Appetizers
What do you think of when you imagine serving your guests holiday appetizers? Usually lots and lots of creamy dips and other goodies? If you are trying to restrict your carb intake, you may be thinking you will have to skip out on all those yummy starters. However, there are ways to cut out the extra carbs without sacrificing all the wonderful flavors you want to enjoy during this festive season. Here are a few suggestions to cut back on the carbs right from the start.
Good Things Come in Small Packages
For some reason, everything seems to be getting super-sized, even appetizers. These little snacks have expanded to almost side-dish portions in recent years. One of the simplest ways to create a healthier appetizer buffet is to create bite-size portions instead of big platters of dips and spreads. You can scale them back down and still make a big splash. Tiny bites, or “tapas” are becoming all the rage, taking the restaurant business by storm. Maybe your own tapas are just what you need to scale down your holiday appetizers to a healthier size.
Instead of the large cheese logs you have made in the past, try making individual bite-size cheese balls. The same can be done with the spinach dips you currently serve in a big bread bowl. Instead, make tiny bites using similar ingredients. By offering smaller, bite sized portions, your guests will not tend to keep dipping and inadvertently fill up on appetizers before they even get a chance to sit down at the table.
Classics With a Twist
Take a look at some of your favorite appetizers and rethink the ingredients. Swedish meatballs is a great hot appetizer that’s filling and tasty. You can make them small enough to keep them healthier, yes, but you can also replace high-carb breadcrumbs with low-carb alternatives, such as almond flour and meal. Of course you can buy low-carb baking items like flour and biscuit mixes to help with the types of appetizers that require breadcrumbs or a crust.
One of my favorite appetizers is stuffed mushrooms. But, a breading-based stuffing is not on a low-carb diet. Again, rethink the classic recipe and you’ll design a stuffed mushroom that easily fits your dietary needs. Saute a little onion, garlic, and celery with flavorful sausage, then stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stuff your mushrooms and you have a low-carb appetizer that is sure to please anyone. If you want a stuffed mushroom more like the ones you enjoy at restaurants (they use more breading because it stretches the stuffing) then stir in a bit of almond meal or even finely ground peanuts. You won’t be able to tell the difference, but your figure will.
Those delicious creamy spreads and dips with the thick pieces of crusty bread alongside may be appetizing, but that bread is loaded with carbs. If your diet has you shying away from bread and crackers, can you still enjoy the spreads? Sure you can. Spinach dip, crab dip, cheese balls, and other favorite appetizers are often light on the carbs as long as you find a new ‘vehicle’ to serve them on, or in. Stuff a grape tomato with crab dip and enjoy! Spread spinach dip on a cucumber slice. Cut celery up into one or two bite pieces, fill them with your favorite cheese ball ingredients, and you have an instant low-carb alternative to cheese and crackers.
Stick With a Few Favorites
There are appetizers that are naturally low-carb. Think of your favorite protein-based appetizers and you’ll have a few ideas right away. Wrap just about any seafood in bacon, put it under the broiler, and you have a festive appetizer that is perfect for any holiday buffet. Remember ham and Swiss cheese wrapped asparagus bundles? These are the appetizers that have stood the test of time, and are low-carb diet friendly.
Also, don’t ignore the obvious; the antipasto tray. Olives, sausage, cheese, pickles, and artichoke hearts artfully arranged, can be all the appetizers you need. This is a classic that never gets boring. Be sure to include a variety of each element to keep the interest.
When the Holidays come around, we all look forward to the appetizer buffet. But, when you’re on a low-carb diet, the choices can feel limiting. The surprising and wonderful thing is… they’re not! You have a lot of choices, some very familiar, that will keep you happy as well as low-carb
