Lifestyle Choices

One of the best things you can do for your feet is to walk barefoot. Wearing exercise sandals is the next best thing. When your feet are free of shoes and hose they relax and stretch; exercise sandals are designed to let the feet do this. They follow the natural contour of the foot, imitating and slightly exaggerating the effect of walking barefoot. This is great for toes as they grip and then relax from the gripper bar with every step. But exercise sandals are just that—meant for exercise, not all-day wearing. You can tire yourself and develop bulky muscles in the calves if you wear them too much. (more…)

Store-cupboard staples

These staple ingredients will ensure that you are always able to rustle up a low-GL meal at a moment’s notice.

• Low-GL Get Up & Go (a delicious smoothie mix that you blend with fruit.)
• Xylitol (a naturally sweet, low-carb sugar alternative that has 40 per cent fewer calories than sugar).
• Low-sodium salt, or sea salt (to be used in moderation). -*Black peppercorns.
• Marigold Reduced-salt Vegetable Bouillon powder.
• Whole organic rolled oats and oat flakes.

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Like fingerprints, everyone has a complexion that is uniquely their own. Some people have facial skin that’s oily, others have skin that tends to be dry. And some people have skin that is dry in some places and oily in others. Your age, family history, and environment can all influence your skin type.

Knowing your skin type, and learning about the best products to cleanse, tone, and moisturize is important to having your skin look its very best. Products that make one type of skin look great can do nothing at all for another type of skin.

What’s your skin type? Check these profiles to find out:

Your skin type is oily if…

1. your skin frequently looks shiny
2. you have blackheads or blemishes frequently
3. you have few visible lines

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Reiki is a Japanese word from rei (universal) and ki (life energy). It is pronounced ray-kee and is a very gentle hands-on therapy, which focuses on promoting positive-energy flow throughout the body. Practitioners believe that by using a specific series of movements and positions the client will be able to draw energy to where it is needed in their body.

Reiki is very beneficial in helping people relax and de-stress. Inflamed skin is not touched but conditions like arthritis, back and neck pain, insomnia, anxiety, muscle cramps, spasms and other stress-related problems have all been known to find relief from reiki.

Reiki is a very relaxing and subtle therapy. As the practitioner places their hands over and on your body you will notice a deep heat radiating from them. This heat helps you relax and unwind: it can even feel like you are going into a deep trance. It is a great therapy if you struggle to meditate, relax or perform hypnosis, as it is very quietening and centering.

Soymilk is the dissolved liquid pressed from whole soybeans that have been soaked, cooked, and ground. The creamy milk can serve the same purposes as cow’s milk-but with added advantages. It is a boon for people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk You can buy soymilk in several flavors, including chocolate, carob, and vanilla, and in lower-fat versions. You also can make your own soymilk. Some brands of soymilk are fortified with calcium, vitamins, and minerals. They may also contain a natural sweetener, oil, and/or a thickener. Plain, regular soymilk by itself has a nutty flavor and is loaded with nutrients. Eight ounces has 10 grams of protein and 80 milligrams of calcium, plus iron, B vitamins, and complex carbohydrates. Street vendors in China and Japan sell soymilk made fresh daily. It is usually served sweetened as a beverage or flavored with soy sauce, onions, and vegetables as a savory soup. (more…)

Miso (pronounced meets) is produced when soybeans and a grain, usually rice or barley, are combined with salt and a mold culture, then fermented in wooden vats for up to three years. The resulting paste, which is rich in B vitamins and protein, is an essential condiment in Japan and China. Rather than starting their day with coffee, most Japanese get a nutritional boost from a cup of hot miss soup. Miss can be used to season and enrich all types of soups and stews, whether clear or creamed. It also can add nutrition and flavor to sauces, gravies, salad dressings, dips, sandwich spreads, casseroles, and vegetables. You can even marinate tofu in miso. Unpasteurized miso contains live cultures and has abundant lactic-acid-forming bacteria, protein, and enzymes that aid digestion. Also, the antioxidants in fermented soy foods-such as miso-are more easily absorbed than those in unfermented soybeans and soy products. (more…)

SOYBEAN NUTRITION

The soybean is a self-contained protein factory. Through the action of bacteria living in its roots, the soy plant can make its own nitrogen fertilizer to stimulate protein production. Research conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has shown that the soybean produces such high-quality protein that it can supply the essential amino acids the body needs daily. Soybean protein is high in quantity, as well; one-half cup of cooked soybeans contains 14 grams of protein. (more…)

There are different types of tofu, primarily distinguished from one another by their texture. Silken tofu, or Japanese-style tofu, ranges from the softest to medium-soft. Chinese-style, or hard-pressed tofu, is medium-firm to dense-firm.

The medium-firm tofu is good for slicing, freezing, and cubing. The softer form may be used the same way but it has to be drained and squeezed dry, and it does not hold its shape as well. It is best in recipes that require blending, such as mayonnaise and cheesecake. You can make tofu firmer by placing paper towels on the top and bottom of the tofu and placing a heavy chopping board on it for fifteen minutes or longer. (more…)

Taking a Dieter’s Tour of Restaurants

You may think that you must avoid certain types of restaurants or cuisine’s while you’re dieting. Not true. Keep reading if you want to be guided through various cuisine’s and food scenarios and find out what’s “safe” and what’s not.

Chinese

Depending on your order, you can get a healthy low-cal meal or a calorie nightmare in a Chinese restaurant; foods are either lean or fatty. Generally, the protein foods in Chinese cuisine - duck, spareribs, and pork-are extremely fatty, although you can also find chicken, shrimp, and lean beef.

Much of the food is deep fried - even items that may surprise you, such as vegetables in a simple stir-fry are sometimes blanched in hot oil instead of water. And the amount of oil in stir-fries can be staggeringly large. (more…)