Double Chocolate Lactation Support Cookies

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If you’re a new mom and breastfeeding like me, you want to make sure your milk supply keeps up with your baby’s needs and something to keep up with your wild appetite due to increased caloric needs while breastfeeding. Enter lactation support cookies, of course! There is a classic recipe on the web, however it contains loads of white flour and white sugar, and those don’t support good health one bit.

Here is a no-bake version with tons of healthy ingredients plus the beneficial ingredients of oats, flax, and brewer’s yeast all noted to support good milk production. Plus no baking means more time for you to bond with your baby!!

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cup rolled oats

2 T. ground flax

1 T. brewer’s yeast

1/3 cup honey

2 T. coconut oil

pinch pink salt

2 T. organic cacao powder

¼ cup hemp seeds

½ cup dairy free chocolate chunks

2 T. water

Optional Topping: ¼ cup unsweet coconut flakes

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor except water and chocolate chunks. Pulse until well combined.

2. Add in the water if batter needs it then pulse in the chocolate chunks.

3. Scoop out cookie batter by the tablespoon with a mini ice cream scoop and roll in coconut flakes.

4. Serve immediately or store in a glass container in the fridge.

Yield: 16 Cookies

 

I get all of my ingredients from Vitacost.com. Use my referral code to save $10 off your first $30 purchase!

Referral code: https://goo.gl/sQVF0r

An Apple a Day Keeps Cholesterol at Bay

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We’ve all said it before…”An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

But did we really believe it?

Well, it’s true.

Research from Ohio State University finds eating a single apple each day for four weeks can improve your LDL cholesterol by an amazing 40%.

These low density lipoproteins are often pointed out as the “bad guys” when it comes to your heart health. But they are critically important to your health. They travel through your bloodstream and do their best to repair damage to your arterial walls.

However, they do have a “dark side.”

“When LDL becomes oxidized, it takes on a form that begins atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries,” said lead researcher Robert DiSilvestro, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State University.

The research involved a group of healthy patients who ate apples less than twice a month.

During the four-week study, 16 of the participants ate a large Red or Golden Delicious apple daily. Another 17 participants took capsules containing 194 milligrams of polyphenol extract – a type of antioxidant found in apples. The final 18 subjects took a placebo containing no polyphenols.

The placebo had no effect on oxidized LDL cholesterol. Taking capsules containing polyphenols had some effect. But it wasn’t nearly as much as eating a fresh, ripe apple.

According to DiSilvestro this could either be because there are other things in the apple that contribute to the effect. Or these bioactive compounds might be better absorbed when they’re consumed in foods.

No matter which is true, the evidence is clear…

An apple a day really does keep the doctor away!

Dana Nicholas is a writer, guest blogger, and consultant for Nutri Health Supplements. Dana is passionate about helping people enjoy more active, vibrant lives through nutrition and supplementation. Visit Nutri-Health at www.nutri-health.com

Kabocha Squash with Sorghum Stuffing

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Comfort food in the form of something that is actually good for you. Enter winter squash! Abundant this time of year, warm and filling. Add a delicious stuffing and you’ve got a satisfying meal.

 

Ingredients:

1 kabocha squash (or acorn squash if not available)

For stuffing:

1 cup sorghum cooked according to package

1 T. avocado oil

1 shallot, chopped

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 bunch dinosaur/lacinato kale, chopped

¼ tsp. each turmeric and herbamare

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Rinse squash and bake whole for 50-60 minutes until cooked completely. Set aside to cool before cutting in half and removing the seeds.

2. Meanwhile, rinse sorghum and cook with 3 cups water 50-60 minutes until done.

3. In a medium skillet, heat avocado oil and cook veggies with turmeric and herbamare. Cook until veggies are softened to your preference. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Toss cooked veggies with 1 cup of cooked sorghum.

5. Fill each half of kabocha squash with stuffing.

6. Serve warm.

Yield: 2 servings

Extend Your Life by Staying Connected with Others

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It’s well-known that people who are overweight or obese face some serious health risks as they age. However, it turns out obesity may not be nearly as dangerous as being lonely.

In a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, loneliness expert John Cacioppo revealed some startling information.

It turns out feelings of extreme loneliness can increase an older person’s chances of premature death by a whopping 14 percent. That’s about twice as high as the risk of dying early from obesity.

Does this mean you’ll die early if you live alone?

Certainly not!

It’s not solitude itself that poses a negative outcome. Rather, it’s a personal sense of isolation; based on your own feelings and emotions.

“Older people living alone are not necessary lonely if they remain socially engaged and enjoy the company of those around them,” says Cacioppo.

During their research, Cacioppo and his team identified three core dimensions to healthy relationships.

§ Intimate connectedness – having someone in your life that affirms who you are.

§ Relational connectedness – experiencing face-to-face contacts that are mutually rewarding.

§ Collective connectedness – a feeling that you’re part of a group beyond your self.

How can you keep these connections intact?

Stay in touch with former co-workers, take part in family traditions and share good times with family and friends. These opportunities keep you connected to the people you really care about… and the people who care about you.

“Retiring to Florida to live in a warmer climate among strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea if it means you are disconnected from the people who mean the most to you,” said Cacioppo.

Writer Bio

Dana Nicholas is a writer, guest blogger, and consultant for Nutri Health Supplements. Dana is passionate about helping people enjoy more active, vibrant lives through nutrition and supplementation. Visit Nutri-Health at www.nutri-health.com

What Your Aching Joints and Digestive Discomfort May Have in Common

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Your intestinal lining serves as a highly selective barrier with microscopic pores that absorb essential nutrients from your food while blocking harmful pathogens, large food particles and waste products from entering your bloodstream. But what happens when your digestive lining becomes damaged and more porous?

The unfortunate result is called leaky gut syndrome or intestinal permeability, a condition that can lead to unpleasant digestive symptoms like bloating, gas and cramps along with seemingly unrelated maladies like chronic sinus infections, achy joints, skin rashes and even brain fog.

What makes treating leaky gut so difficult is that there is no diagnostic testing for it. Nor is there a way to determine the exact cause of increased intestinal permeability. For some patients, Crohn’s or celiac disease is at the root of the problem. When these conditions are effectively treated, the symptoms of leaky gut disappear.

However, in many cases leaky gut cannot be traced to an underlying condition or known causes of intestinal permeability like food allergies, radiation treatments or certain drug use. This is when patient and physician must put on their thinking caps and look for lifestyle factors that may be causing or contributing to the condition.

Some possible culprits include:

  • Chronic stress
  • Yeast overgrowth caused by too much sugar consumption
  • Bacterial imbalance in the gut
  • Parasite infection
  • Excessive alcohol intake

Once one or more of these factors are controlled or eradicated, the various symptoms of leaky gut may disappear or become significantly reduced. But it’s important to remember there is no cure. Many doctors that successfully treat patients with leaky gut find an integrative approach that includes certain nutritional therapies, dietary modifications and stress reduction techniques works best.

Here are some lifestyle strategies that have been shown to help.

  • Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet with the goal of healing inflamed intestinal tissue and reducing other inflammatory symptoms in the body. This includes eliminating sugar and artificial sweeteners, dairy products and gluten in favor of anti-inflammatory omega-3 rich fatty fish coupled with high-fiber, antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.
  • Maintain healthy gut bacteria (probiotics) that are crucial for strong immunity and the absorption of water-soluble vitamins your body needs. Natural sources of probiotics include fermented foods like sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables, Greek yogurt, kefir, miso and tempeh. A high-quality probiotic supplement taken daily is also recommended by many doctors.
  • Improve intestinal permeability by taking L-glutamine supplements. Healthy quantities of this semi-essential amino acid can be produced in the body under normal circumstances, but with physical trauma, it may be deficient and lead to increased intestinal permeability. Supplemental L-glutamine has been shown to improve intestinal permeability in malnourished children and people with inflammatory bowel disease.
  • It’s well-known that chronic stress can lead to a variety of intestinal ailments and even produce toxic metabolites that lead to other health problems. That’s why learning to reduce your stress with meditation, exercise and even a sense of humor is so important.

While many people see noticeable improvement in their leaky gut symptoms in about 6 weeks, in extreme cases it can take months or even years for a damaged intestinal lining to heal. The key is to find a caring physician with experience in treating patients with the symptoms of intestinal permeability and then working closely with her to successfully heal your gut.

Melanie Segala is the past editor of the alternative medicine reference book, Disease Prevention and Treatment, and the author of numerous health-related articles. She is currently a health writer for BlessedHerbs.com nutritional supplements.

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/features/leaky-gut-syndrome?page=2

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/could-leaky-gut-be-troubling-you?page=2

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898551/

http://www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com/benefits-of-l-glutamine.html