Tag: protection

Reishi Mushrooms Tea by Traditional Medicinals

Wellness with Reishi Mushroom

by Cara, posted in Articles

For centuries, cultures around the world have revered mushrooms in spiritual ceremonies, as a staple food, and as powerful sources of herbal medicine. With over 1.5 million species identified, only a fraction have been distinguished as “medicinal mushrooms.” Among this group reigns reishi – known to many as the “Queen of Mushrooms” or “Mushroom of Immortality.”

Living up to its illustrious titles, reishi’s wellness benefits have been touted for 4,000 years by eastern sages, Chinese emperors and holistic practitioners alike. Today, there is a good deal of research on reishi and its therapeutic potential in supporting the immune system. With widespread use in supporting a normal immune response, reishi also helps keep the body in balance.*

As an adaptogen, reishi has a deeply rooted history of use to reinforce the body’s capacity to adapt to stress, and as a result, support a healthy immune system.* Understanding reishi’s ability to affect change over time, traditional Chinese practitioners administered reishi as a daily tonic to fortify the body and balance Qi (vital energy).

Traditional Medicinals’ Reishi with Rooibos and Orange Peel tea captures the power of reishi in a surprisingly delightful sweet and citrusy blend. Unlike the white button mushroom’s familiar “shroomy” taste, reishi’s flavor profile is earthy, robust, and grounding. Traditional Medicinals’ herbalists masterfully paired reishi with the natural sweetness of rooibos and bright citrus peel. The result is the perfect grounding cup of tea for all times of the day.

Medicinal mushrooms are not only good for supporting our health, but also for positively impacting the environment. Today, mushrooms are being studied in fascinating research related to environmental clean-up, sustainable building materials, and even saving the honeybees.

For sustained immune support, consider adding this dose of wellness to your daily health routine throughout the year. Its deeply grounding nature makes it suitable for any time of day. For an acute immune boost, reach for Echinacea Plus or Echinacea Plus Elderberry – both featuring herbs to fire up the immune system in the moment you need it most.*

Pour yourself a mug and drink to good health with the “mushroom of immortality.”

Sponsored by Traditional Medicinals

Heart-healthy foods.

How to Improve Your Heart Health

by Cara, posted in Articles

February is American Heart Month. It is never too late to start on your heart-health journey and starting is an important step everyone should take to live a longer and healthier life. Poor heart health can lead to many serious complications such as heart disease, heart attack, heart failure and even strokes. To many, it may seem difficult to start on this path to a healthier heart, but it is easier than most may think. Even small changes can make drastic reductions in your risk for cardiovascular diseases. The key takeaway: it takes a change in your diet and lifestyle long term to have a healthy heart.  Keeping up a healthy pattern is the only way to reduce the risk.

According to the American Heart Association, the important things to do in order to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease are:

  • Live tobacco free.
  • Eat less nutrient poor foods, which are foods high in calories and low in nutrients.
  • Eat a variety of nutritious foods. (see below!)
  • Try to only consume the number of calories that you will burn. To do this either eat less calories or exercise more. It is recommended to do 150 min of moderate exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

While the above are great suggestions to get someone started on their journey to a healthier heart, these may seem like big tasks to accomplish. Here are some small steps to help you accomplish these goals:

  • Control portion sizes. Most of the time we eat way more than the suggested serving size without realizing it.
  • Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into meals and snacks. This will boost the amount of nutrients you are consuming and will help reduce the hunger and cravings for less nutrient dense foods.
  • Reduce your sodium intake.
  • Try selecting healthier alternatives such as whole grains or low-fat options.

Here are a few heart-healthy foods to try and incorporate more into your diet:

  • Fish
  • Nuts
  • Berries
  • Seeds such as flaxseeds and chia seeds
  • Oats
  • Legumes (beans and lentils)
  • Soy (tofu or edamame)
  • Dark chocolate
  • Fruits (oranges, cantaloupe, papaya)
  • Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale)
  • Vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, red peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus)
  • Whole grains
  • Avocados
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Green tea

Sources:
health.clevelandclinic.org
heart.org
mayoclinic.org
healthline.com

Vitamin C Rich Foods: Citrus, Broccoli, Strawberries

Tackle Cold & Flu Season with Vitamin C & Immune Support

by Cara, posted in Articles

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin well known for its role in supporting a healthy immune system.  Vitamin C is not made by your body, so it must come from foods you eat.  Vitamin C is found in many foods, not just oranges and orange juice.  Other sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits, strawberries, kiwi, potatoes, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, broccoli, and Brussel sprouts.  You can eat these foods raw or cooked.  However, prolonged exposure to heat or storage can cause nutrient loss.  To ensure the most nutrients, eat them as soon as possible after buying them, or if cooking them, steam or microwave them for a short time.

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) varies by age and sex.  For adult men the RDA is 90 mg/day.  Adult women is 75 mg/day.  * Pregnant and lactating women have higher recommendations, smokers have an added 35 mg/day to RDA vs non smokers.

Below are the amount of Vitamin C in some popular foods:


(National Institute of Health, Vitamin C Factsheet for Health Professionals)

There is research that shows Vitamin C is necessary for growth and repair of tissue in the body, helps heal wounds, repair and maintain healthy teeth, skin and cartilage and improves the absorption of nonheme iron (the form of iron present in plant-based foods). Insufficient vitamin C intake causes scurvy, which is characterized by fatigue, inflammation of gums, widespread connective tissue weakness, and capillary fragility (when the smallest blood vessels, capillaries, become weak).

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which fights free radicals in the body which can prevent or delay certain cancers and heart disease and promote healthy aging.  High doses of Vitamin C may be linked to shortening the length of cold symptoms.  However more research is needed and there are risk with high doses of Vitamin C supplementation, so check with your doctor.     

Woman with coffee mug in front of people exercising

Sun Protection for Every Age

by Lisa, posted in Articles
Three generations of people walking in the sun

Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson

Your skin changes as you age, and so do the ways you need to protect it from the sun. A baby’s skin, for instance, can be up to 30 percent thinner than an adult’s, and as we reach middle age and beyond, the skin can thin and become increasingly sensitive. And since sun exposure can, over time, lead to skin cancer and premature skin aging, it is important for people of all ages – from infants to the elderly – to take the proper steps to mitigate those risks.

Here’s how to protect yourself and loved ones of all ages from too much sun exposure.

Infants – Under six months, babies should be kept out of direct sunlight. Dress your baby in breathable clothing that covers the whole body and a hat. Consult your physician for sunscreen use in children six months.

Babies – Babies older than six months should still keep sun exposure to a minimum and should use broad-spectrum sunscreen (meaning it protects against UVA and UVB rays) when outdoors.

Toddlers – Be diligent about applying broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every two hours with busy toddlers. Use water resistant formulas when your child is sweating or swimming.

School-age children – As kids go to school and participate in activities away from home, it is harder to make sure they are using sunscreen. Talk to children about sun safety at recess and during sports. Apply sunscreen at home and ask your child, teachers and coaches to make sure it is reapplied when they play outside.

Adults – Wearing sunscreen for outdoor activities is an obvious must. But because sun exposure can lead to skin aging and increases the risk of skin cancers, it’s also a good idea to wear sunscreen for everyday activities including driving in your car or walking the dog. To minimize the effects of long-term sun exposure, using a daily moisturizer with SPF is a good everyday protection.

Older adults – Our skin gets thinner, drier and more vulnerable as we age. Regularly using a broad-spectrum sunscreen when outdoors is a must, and long sleeves and wide-brimmed hats are a good protective measure as well.

©Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2016

Woman with coffee mug in front of people exercising

Healthy Hair Tips for Summer

by Lisa, posted in Articles

Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson 

Summer is one of the harshest seasons on hair. With it comes sunlight, humidity, and chlorine or salt water from swimming. Despite all this, healthy hair is possible with just a few healthy hair tips – here’s how.

How to Protect Hair from Chlorine
Nobody wants chlorine hair! Chlorine can strip hair of natural oils and remove the coloring in dyed hair. It can even turn blond hair green. One of the best defenses is wearing a swim cap to protect hair from the harsh chemicals. If the damage is already done, it is best to consult a professional stylist to see if the damage can be reversed or at least hidden with fresh color. A gloss or glaze treatment is less expensive than a full color and may fix the brassiness of chlorine damaged hair.

How to Protect Hair from Direct Sun
Sun not only bleaches hair, it can also create dry, damaged hair. One trick is to apply a hydrating oil mask to the hair once a week. The best sun protection for hair is to wear a hat outdoors or apply a UV blocking serum to hair before stepping outside.

Salt Water and Hair
A little salt water won’t hurt hair. In fact, a dip in a salt water pool or the ocean can be beneficial. A simple towel-dry and scrunch adds beachy waves to hair. A lot of time in salt water is another story. It can make hair hard and dry, and it can damage color. Applying a serum that is made specifically to protect hair from salt water is key. A pre-shampoo conditioning treatment and leave-in conditioner before a dip can help too. If hair has already been damaged by salt water, a leave-in conditioning treatment may soften the hair follicle.

How to Protect Hair from Humidity
Humidity can make even the straightest hair frizz. A straightening serum used before a straightening iron keeps hair smooth and can also be used as one of your anti humidity hair products. The serum can also make the style last much longer. If straightening isn’t an option, an anti-frizz serum might work. This serum works best when a small, pea-sized dollop is squirted into one hand, the hands are rubbed together vigorously, and the serum is massaged through the hair, starting at the roots and working upward.

Summer doesn’t need to be hard on hair, now that you have these healthy hair tips! Follow these summer tips and you’ll have healthy, beautiful hair throughout the hot months and straight into autumn.