The Double Trouble of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

The brain is our most precious organ

Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases Without its full function, we humans simply exist, unable to relate to the world around us. The ten billion nerve cells of your brain process such uncountable amounts of information each second, they make our most advanced computers look like children’s toys. Your brain controls everything, from the merest wiggle of toes to the moment-to-moment balancing of hundreds of hormones to the microscopically regulated metabolism of all the thirty trillion cells that enable you to think, feel, and behave as a human being. When even a few thousand brain cells get damaged or die, your whole body suffers.

However, the brain (central nervous system) and our nerves (peripheral nervous system) is not out of the reach of oxidative stress. This common enemy has been strongly implicated in a variety of diseases that wreak devastating damage on the brain and nerves, known as neurodegenerative diseases. Some of these include Alzheimer’s dementia, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s chorea. There are several reasons why the brain and the nerves are especially vulnerable to oxidative stress:

* Relative to its size, the brain experiences an increased rate of oxidative activity, which creates a significant number of free radicals.

* The normal activity, which various chemicals create to establish nerve conduction is a major producer of free radicals.

* The brain and nerve tissue contain relatively low levels of antioxidants.

* Millions of nonreplicable cells make up the central nervous system. This means that once they are damaged, they are most likely dysfunctional for life.

* The brain and nervous system are easily disrupted. a small amount of damage in a critical area can cause severe problems.

The brain is the most important organ of our body. Our thoughts, emotions, and our ability to reason and communicate with the outside world are all in danger if something damages our brains. How can we best defend this most precious asset?

Aging of the brain

What causes Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer; is Oxidative stress which is the leading cause of the aging process. Nowhere is evidence stronger for this concept than when it comes to the actual aging of the brain. Several scientific studies have shown oxidative damage to the mitochondria (the furnace of the cell) and the DNA of the brain cell. This can lead to the malfunction and even death of these very sensitive brain cells.

Brain cells cannot regenerate themselves

So, as we lose more and more brain cells throughout our lifetime due to this oxidative damage, the brain simply does not function as well as it did when we were younger. In medical terms, this led to what is called loss of cognition. In lay terms, this is a decrease in our ability to think or reason. Therefore, oxidative damage to our sensitive brain cells is the greatest enemy to the functioning of our brain.

Aging of the brain is essentially the first stage of degeneration of these very important cells in our body. Just as we don’t contract other degenerative diseases out of the blue, people don’t wake up one day and have Alzheimer’s dementia or Parkinson’s disease. These diseases represent the final stages of oxidative damage to the brain. They are part of a progression that begins with the aging of the brain. When eventually enough brain cells are damaged, a disease manifests.

When a patient is first diagnosed as having Parkinson’s disease, more than 80% of the brain cells in a particular part of the brain, called the “substantial nigra”, have already been destroyed. The same is true for someone who develops Alzheimer’s dementia. These neurodegenerative diseases have been developing for over ten to twenty years.

Can Parkinson’s lead to dementia or Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s dementia affects more than 2.2 million Americans and is the major cause of admission in nursing homes. Alzheimer’s patients not only don’t know what day it is, but they also don’t even recognize their own families. Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s life expectancy can be helped with good nutrition and supplements.

Nothing is more devastating than losing the ability to think. Most folk who become senile, and develop Alzheimer’s, or other irreversible forms of brain degeneration know it is happening. Their anguish is far worse than physical pain. Progressive senility is living death, turning the most brilliant professors, the greatest athletes, and the most gifted artists, into dribbling zombies. The worst of it is, we do most of the damage to ourselves.

Anyone who has had to deal with Alzheimer’s dementia within his family understands just how tragic this is. If you have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer’s, you appreciate the fact that it’s the quality of life, not the quantity, with which most of us are concerned.

There is now great interest in the therapeutic benefits that Alzheimer’s patients could receive from antioxidants. The New England Journal of Medicine reported a study showing that high doses of vitamin E could significantly decrease the progression of Alzheimer’s dementia. Other clinical trials in which patients with Alzheimer’s dementia used various antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, and rutin (a bioflavonoid antioxidant) have also been encouraging.

Parkinson’s Disease

parkinsons A stooped posture, slow voluntary movement, rigidity, and a “pill-rolling” tremor that causes the hands to move back and forth in a “rolling” action characterize Parkinson’s disease. Public appearances by Muhammad Ali have made us all more aware of the effects of this debilitating disease.

Parkinson’s dementia symptoms have a wide variety of free radicals that are the underlying cause of Parkinson’s. The actual cell death (approximately 78%) in the area of the brain called the substantia nigra (SN) leads to decreased production of dopamine, a substance that allows the brain to function normally.

Studies indicate that patients with early Parkinson’s disease who received high doses of vitamin C and vitamin E were able to slow down the progression of their disease. They avoided taking any medication for their disease for approximately two years longer than the control group. Glutathione and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (both antioxidants) were also effective in protecting the nerves in the substantia nigra (SN) from further damage by oxidative stress.

The Blood Brain Barrier

The brain needs a barrier that separates it from the blood to permit complex nerve signaling. The blood-brain barrier is a thick lining of epithelial cells that are present in the small arteries that course through the brain. This lining is designed with very tight junctions, which makes the crossover of nutrients into the brain cells particularly difficult.

Important nutrients needed by the brain have specialized transporting proteins available that allow them to cross this barrier. At the same time, toxic substances, infectious organisms, and most other nutrients have difficulty passing through this barrier. This keeps the brain isolated with only the most essential nutrients to be able to enter. Our brain has significant protection from the dangers of the outside world.

What has gone wrong in the case of aging of the brain and neurological disease? The neurology department of the Rabin Medical Center in Tel Aviv concluded that as a result of today’s environment, the brain is exposed to a significantly increased amount of toxins, such as heavy metals, and thus oxidative stress. The antioxidant defense system is no longer completely effective in protecting this vital organ.

They believe that additional antioxidants, which particularly need to be taken in as supplements, have the reduction potential or even prevent damage from increased oxidative stress. They stress, however, that the antioxidants must be able to readily cross the blood-brain barrier.

The Right Antioxidants for the Brain

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that is very important in the protection of brain and peripheral nerve cells. It has some difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier and needs therefore to be supplied in high doses. This vitamin is important to protect the brain cells but probably not the best one for this purpose.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C can concentrate on the tissue and fluid around the brain and nerves. It can pass through the blood-brain barrier, and in fact, vitamin C levels are 10 times higher in this tissue than in the plasma. When you realize that vitamin C is not only a great antioxidant but also can regenerate vitamin E and glutathione, it becomes a very important nutrient in protecting brain and nerve cells.

A study showed that vitamin C and vitamin E given as supplements to normal patients over the age of sixty-five decreased their risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia.

Glutathione

Glutathione is the most important antioxidant within the brain and nerve cells. But this nutrient is difficult to absorb from oral supplements, and its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier is not yet clear. The best strategy at this time is to supplement the nutrients the body needs to make its glutathione (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, niacin, selenium, and vitamin B2). You also need to have those antioxidant nutrients available that regenerate glutathione, so it can be used again and again (vitamin C, alpha-lipoic acid, and QoQ10).

Alpha-lipoic Acid

The medical community is recognizing alpha-lipoic acid more and more as an important antioxidant. It is both fat- and water-soluble and it has also the ability to cross over the blood-brain barrier. It can regenerate vitamins C & E, intracellular glutathione, and CoQ10.

Another important property of this antioxidant is that it can attach itself to toxic metals in the brain and help eliminate them from our bodies. Heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and lead have been implicated in increasing the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases. These metals tend to deposit themselves in brain tissue because of the high amount of fat concentrated in that part of the body.

These metals can cause an increased amount of oxidative stress and are extremely difficult to remove from the central nervous system once they are there. Antioxidants that not only are potent but can help remove these toxic heavy metals will become more and more important in the prevention and treatment of these diseases.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a very potent antioxidant as well as one of the most important nutrients for the production of energy within the cell. Clinical studies have shown that oxidative damage in the mitochondria (this is where CoQ10 works) is an important aspect in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

As we age, the level of CoQ10 in our brains and nerve cells decreases significantly. CoQ10 may be a missing link in the prevention of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. However, more study in this subject is necessary. How well QoQ10 passes through the blood-brain barrier is not yet been fully evaluated.

Grape-Seed

Extract Studies show that grape-seed extract crosses the blood-brain barrier quite easily. It is an exceptionally potent antioxidant, and the mere fact that high concentrations can be obtained in the fluid and cells of the brain and nerve tissue makes it an ideal antioxidant for the brain.

Serotonin and memory Professors Eric Kandel and James Schwartz at the Center of Neurobiology at Columbia University have shown that memory storage can be increased by putting additional serotonin into the neuron. In humans also, we know that periods of additional serotonin release improve memory storage.

Acetylcholine and memory as memory decline with age so do acetylcholine. This biochemical deficit is especially evident in the post-Morton brains of people who had suffered the severe memory problems of premature senility or Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies using drugs to block acetylcholine synthesis in the brain, provide further strong evidence that optimum acetylcholine levels are crucial to good memory.

Acetyl-l-carnitine

The big discovery about the brain is that much of the damage to brain cells occurs by oxidation. In addition to the antioxidants, we have discussed previously, research shows that the amino acid acetyl-l-carnitine maintains brain function partly by antioxidant action.

More than 65 controlled studies show that this remarkable nutrient has profound effects in addition to antioxidant action. It improves memory, prevents brain cell loss, boosts intelligence, and restores acetylcholine metabolism. It is used in millions of doses of 1000 – 2000 mg per day throughout Europe, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, depression, and memory loss in the aged, and the improvement of cognition in normal folk.

Protecting our most precious asset Everyone desires to maintain and protect the ability to reason and think. Losing this ability is probably the number-one fear of most people. As we age, we all have this concern at one time or another.

The principle of optimizing our natural antioxidant defense system is paramount when it comes to protecting the cells in our brain against our common enemy; oxidative stress. Remember, we must focus on prevention and protection because once a brain cell is destroyed, it is not readily replaced.

The two main concepts to keep in mind are first, we must use a cocktail of antioxidants that will work in synergy while readily crossing the blood-brain barrier. Secondly, we must avoid any excessive exposure to heavy metals and other toxins in our environment. Balance is the key, and we must work on decreasing our toxic exposures as well as building up our body’s natural defenses.

It is quite obvious that the proper function of our brain and our nerves are an essential aspect of our health, and we now realize that the main enemy of this central part of our body is oxidative stress. It is paramount that we protect these sensitive cells from being damaged in the first place.

Supplementing our diet with potent antioxidants and MCT Oil that readily cross over the blood-brain barrier can effectively protect us against these horrible diseases.

Achieving Optimal Health Through Nutritional Balancing

The following information is designed to give you the information needed to truly transform YOU and the nutritional balancing; the way you see food. It is designed to put your body in HEALTH mode, which is your Natural State!

REAL FOOD -VS- FOOD-LIKE PRODUCTS Real food, which I like to refer to as “God Food”, is organically grown, whole food that hasn’t been tampered with in any way, shape, or form (i.e., non-GMO). Food-like products, or “Man-Made Food”, are products that have been manufactured in a plant to resemble real food (processed). Man-made food is also real food that has been altered with chemicals. For example, the diet of conventional beef, chicken, and turkey consists of hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs is nutritional balancing.

Detoxing And Nutritional Balancing 1

NUTRIENTS -VS- TOXINS Nutritional balancing is key for a healthy body!

“Food is the safest, most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

In a nutshell, your body only recognizes two things that you put in it (food, drugs, sodas, etc.) or that you put ON it (lotions, skincare, soap, etc.). Those two things are nutrients or toxins. That’s it. A nutrient is anything you eat that your body converts to energy, or uses as fuel. On the contrary, toxins, therefore, are anything that your body cannot use as energy.

When you overload your liver with toxins, your liver becomes “fatty” and can no longer filter the toxins properly. Your body then protects itself by pulling the toxins away from your vital organs. Since the toxins cannot be used as energy, they are stored in your fat cells. This is the main reason traditional, calorie-cutting diets don’t work. They fail to eliminate the toxins, which causes your body to regain the weight and then some. Fat cells shrink when toxins are eliminated.
ACIDIC BODY –VS- ALKALINE BODY All of the foods you ingest either support acid-alkaline balance role in chronic your body’s acidity or your body’s alkalinity. Most acidic foods are man-made foods, which are all processed (junk food). cleanse that delivers whole food-based, acidic foods support the toxicity of your body by causing inflammation. Inflammation creates most diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Heart disease, Bacteria, Viral infections, etc. Alkaline foods, or “God Food”, support the alkalinity in your body, resulting in the literal starvation of the disease process as they create an anti-inflammatory environment.

DISEASE CAN NOT LIVE IN AN ALKALINE BODY – JUST LIKE A POOL WITH NO CHLORINE

DIET -VS- EXERCISE I have been exercising regularly since age 12. I believed that exercise made up a whopping 75% of your healthy body. It doesn’t. Your healthy body is 10% genetics, 10% exercise, and 80% balanced nutritional! You cannot and will not ever be able to exercise a bad diet away. Period. Your body is a finely tuned vehicle. If you give it good fuel, it will operate at its optimum potential and take you places!
WHAT DO I DO NEXT? Balancing nutrition is the first BIG step on your quest for detoxing and maintaining a clean eating lifestyle. Baby steps would be giving up one or two things that are known to be toxic. For example, stop drinking sodas altogether (they contain more than the recommended daily allowance of sugar in just one soda; diet sodas have artificial sweeteners, which have been directly linked to many chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s).
Also, NO MORE FAST FOOD (highly processed, GMOs, sugars, etc.). Just don’t do it.

If you’re interested in taking BIG steps, commit yourself. A commitment to join a viable, reliable, truth-based detox program and stick with it from beginning to end. The recommended time frame to fully participate in your detox program is four weeks.

For most, this is the duration required to make or break a habit. This allows your body the time it needs to rid itself of harmful addictions. You will be AMAZED how quickly your body acclimates to the new YOU and your new clean-eating lifestyle!

Let’s Detox And Get Healthy Fast!

Many key elements make up a healthy body, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s zero in on our biggest concern – weight loss. We are so preoccupied with looking good, we overlook what is truly essential – FEELING good. Your body is a miraculous machine that can work at its optimum potential if we know how to maintain it properly.

I am embarrassed to say, but until very recently, I held on to the belief that it was your fault if you weren’t healthy. As my eyes and heart opened up to the truth, I became more and more aware of how advertising and advertisers tell us every day about their so-called “beneficial and/or healthy” products, when in fact they are anything but that!

We live in a world where Pop-Tarts and low-fat Hot Pockets are being advertised as a healthy or nutritious choice, and we believe them! Mineral analysis a comprehensive guide. We take their word for it!

Common Ideology = Lose Weight and You Will Get Healthy (nope) REALITY = Get Healthy And You Will Lose Weight, plus a lot of other mucky-muck…but that is a different article?

You don’t have to take my word for it. Go to the grocery store and look around. If you don’t know what the ingredients are put it back. We are not healthy. Why is that? Why do we blindly fall prey to the newest fad diet? Why do we continue to believe that cutting calories is the answer when the result is always the same – we gain it all (the weight) back plus some extra pounds too? Why? Why do we keep doing it? It doesn’t work. Period.

And here’s the why…

We plateau during traditional weight loss and fad diets, often experiencing a yo-yo effect (lose weight. . .gain it back… lose weight…gain it back) because…WE DON’T GET RID OF THE TOXINS!

Here’s a little secret: FAT CELLS SHRINK WHEN TOXINS ARE ELIMINATED!

So, what are toxins anyway? Well, toxins are anything that you put in your body (food, beverages, drugs, etc.) or ON your body (skincare, lotions, hair care, etc.) that your body can’t use as energy or “fuel”. Since the body does not know what to do with the toxin, it stores it in your body’s “white” fat cells. Food-based nutrition that supports easy Two types of fat cells has distinctive functions. Brown fat cells are specialized heat producers, while white fat cells store and release fats.

“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.”

You can’t detox your body overnight or with a magic pill, but you will be pleasantly surprised how quickly your body responds to a good detox program, which includes a clean eating diet. It takes about 21-28 days to make or break a habit. Detoxing is no different. Detox for the duration it takes to establish your newfound healthiness as a habit. What would be the purpose of detoxing if you quickly went back to all of your old eating habits and harmful addictions?

Intermittent fasting over several days or timed fasting over several hours, both promote autophagy. The type of fasting needed to jumpstart autophagy typically requires 14 to 16 hours without eating, though this is dependent on your body’s metabolism. This process is by which a cell breaks down and destroys old, damaged, or abnormal proteins and other substances in its cytoplasm (the fluid inside a cell). The breakdown products are then recycled for important cell functions, especially during periods of stress or starvation.

A good detox program will have the ability to teach you the “why” of it all so you have the power and knowledge to make better choices. It will also give you the time your body needs to free itself from harmful addictions and acclimate to its new state of optimum potential! Using the best weight keeps the energy up and helps lose fat.

You can be healthy and disease-free and live.

Cold & Flu-Friendly Foods: What to Eat When You’re…

Foods that you can take during a Cold & Flu

Since ancient times people have been victims of colds and flu and tried to find a cure for them without success. So, what helps fight colds fast? The common cold is one of the most prevalent causes of illness in the world. Most adults will have an average of two to four colds each year. During each infection, you can expect to spend approximately between 8 to 10 days coughing, sniffling, sneezing, and feeling miserable in general.

The cause of the common cold is the invasion of one of the 200 cold-causing viruses into the cells of your nose and throat. Foods to avoid during cough and cold would be heavy food. These tiny viruses are practically indestructible. Antibiotic drugs that destroy bacteria have no change with viruses. Medicines strong enough to kill most cold-causing microbes would probably kill you also in the process, says Dr. McAllister.

You have the flu, which is also caused by a virus, affects 5 to 20% of the people in the United States, of which 36,000 die each year. Fortunately, there is a flu shot that, according to studies, is effective in 70 to 90% of healthy people under age 65, as long as the match between the vaccine and circulating virus is close.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta), among people over age 65, who are living outside of nursing homes, the flu shot is 30 to 70% effective in preventing hospitalization for the flu, and also for pneumonia. And for people over age 65 who are living in nursing homes, the flu shot is 50 to 60% effective in preventing hospitalization for the flu and pneumonia, and 80% effective in preventing death from the flu.

One of the best strategies you can do is to eat all the best immune-boosting foods you can find, and there are plenty to choose from. According to research, some of the foods we daily eat contain powerful compounds that can help stop viruses from taking hold. Even when you’re already sick, choosing the right foods will ease the discomfort and possibly help you to get better sooner.

You only need a few viruses in your system to start colds and flu.

Once they are inside when your immune system doesn’t stop them early on, they multiply quickly to enormous numbers, and that’s when you start feeling sick.

One way to stop this invasion is to eat yogurt that contains Lactobacillus reuteri, which is only found in the US in a brand called Stonyfield Farm. Researchers in Sweden gave 262 people either a supplement containing this bacterium or a placebo. After taking the supplement or the placebo for 80 days, the researchers found that people who took the supplement were 2 1/2 times less likely to have caught a cold than the ones that took the placebo.

The other, less surprising way to stop microbial invasion is to eat more fruits and vegetables. These foods contain a variety of compounds called glutathione, that strengthen the immune system and stimulates it to release large numbers of macrophages, specialized cells that seize viruses and destroy them before they make you sick.

Five of the best best foods to eat when sick with flu that fight viral infections and things to eat when you have a cold and cough and cold are Avocados, Watermelon, Asparagus, Winter Squash, and Grapefruit are all rich in glutathione. Okra, Oranges, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, and Peaches are also good sources. There are bad fruits as well because of the sugar of fructose content.

Another powerful compound in many fruits and vegetables is vitamin C.

Doctors are debating for years and are still debating, whether vitamin C can help to prevent colds. When you’re already sick, however, taking extra vitamin C has been proven to relieve cold symptoms and help you get better sooner. Vitamin C appears to strengthen white blood cells, which are essential for fighting infections.

Researchers found that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day can reduce cold symptoms and shorten the duration of illness by 23%. fruit-oranges

Some of the best things to eat when you have a cold, get enough of this important nutrient you have to eat a lot of oranges, broccoli, and other foods rich in vitamin C.

Drinking orange juice, which contains 61 mg in a 6-ounce serving, is probably not your best choice because of the sugar content, but instead try cranberry and grapefruit also contain lots of Vitamin C.

Benefits from Red Wine

To put up an even stronger defense against the flu, consider filling your glass with red wine instead of juice. A study conducted in Rome found that resveratrol, the polyphenol found in red wine, actually stopped influenza cells from replicating.

The best wine to pick for this is Pinot Noir from California, which has the most resveratrol, according to research at the University of Mississippi.

It’s important to keep in mind, however, that alcohol can come with some unwanted effects. For example, drinking heavily can raise blood pressure and have other damaging effects on your health. So, if you do drink, drink in moderation.

garlic-for-colds Healthy Bulbs Garlic has always been used for treating virtually every type of infection. There is also growing evidence that it can help protect against colds and flu. Garlic contains dozens of chemically active compounds. Two of them, allicin and alliin, have proved to kill germs directly.

Garlic also seems to support the immune system, by releasing natural killer cells, which destroy even more germs.

However, to get the benefits from garlic you have to eat a lot of it, as much as a whole bulb a day to combat colds and flu, says Elson Haas, MD., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of: “Staying Healthy with Nutrition.”

Unless you have developed a taste for it, you probably can’t eat that much garlic. Microwaving or baking garlic till it’s tender, however, will take away some of the burns and sweeten the taste, says Irwin Ziment, MD, professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles. “The softened garlic seems to be still quite potent,” he added.

Hot drinks can help According to research, two traditional treatments for cold and flu – a cup of hot tea and a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup – are two of the most potent home remedies. Both of these, besides chili peppers and other spicy foods, these contain compounds that can relieve congestion and keeps the immune system strong.

Tea, foods that fight viral infections for example, contains a compound called theophylline, which helps break up congestion. Tea also contains quercetin, a compound that may help viruses from multiplying. Instead of black tea, though you may want to sip chamomile. Researchers in London found that people who drank 5 cups of chamomile tea a day for 2 weeks, had increased blood levels of polyphenols. These plant-based chemicals have been associated with antibacterial activity.

chicken-soup What food helps get rid of a cold? Chicken soup is another folk remedy that has been proven to be effective. Having a bowl of chicken soup is one of the best ways to relieve stuffiness and other cold and flu symptoms.

In laboratory studies, researchers at the University of Nebraska found that chicken soup was able to prevent white blood cells from causing inflammation and congestion in the airways.

Fruits to avoid during cough and cold, you may also like to try a hot pepper. Jalapenos, ground red pepper (cayenne), and their fiery kin contain a compound called capsaicin, which is similar to a drug used in medications against cold and flu and will help you to breathe easily again. Chicken noodle soup is best for digestion.

capsaicin

Capsaicin also can stop sickness before it starts. You can get plenty of capsaicin from hot peppers and they don’t need to be fresh to get the benefits. Mixing 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper in a glass of water and drinking it can be very effective, “it’s heating but not irritating”, says Dr. Haas.

Planning the Perfect Holiday Party

Holiday Party Planning

So, you’ve been tasked with planning your Company’s Holiday party. Maybe you’ve been putting it off? Or, you’re just not sure where to begin? Don’t worry, we’re here to help! Not only will your associates have a fun and meaningful experience, but you’ll look like a superstar for planning an awesome event!

Company Holiday Party Planning- Let’s Get Started Because the holidays will be here SOON!

Decide on your Holiday Party Style! Questions to ask yourself:

Who is invited? Just the staff or spouses & family too? Will you be inviting any clients to the Holiday Party?
Is this an extravagant affair, or would something more laid back and relaxed suit your company better?
What’s your décor style? Will you pick a holiday party theme, such as Winter Wonderland or A Christmas Story?
When is the best time to have this party? Is it a luncheon in the middle of the week, or is a Saturday night better suited for your vision? When taking Date & Time into account, make sure you consider this: Luncheons are great ways to ensure that staff will attend the party and they usually tend to be more budget-friendly. Cocktail Receptions or Weekend Evening parties are a great way to get staff to unwind, however, they usually come with a heftier price tag. Speaking of the price tag…
What is your budget? Knowing how much you have to spend is crucial to nail down before getting started. Know what your limit is so that you can plan accordingly. Don’t forget to consider that some items may come with Taxes, Services Charges, or Gratuities!

Let’s talk about The Venue!

Your budget will go a long way in determining what kind of venue you can afford. Keep in mind, that if you are late to get started planning, several venues may already be booked- especially for Friday & Saturday nights. If you run into trouble, consider hosting your party on a Thursday night as an alternative.
Will it be at the Office? Your Boss’ house? A Restaurant? Hotel? Loft? Consider the Vibe you want the party to have- your venue may go a long way in creating that feeling.
Make sure your venue can accommodate the number of guests you are inviting, as well as the space you may need for entertainment, catering, bar services, and/or staff.

Food & Beverage:

What’s your food service style? This should be reflective of the general theme and feel of your party. If it’s a more formal affair, look towards full-service catering with a sit-down dinner. If this is a more casual & relaxed holiday party, lean towards food stations. Take your budget, venue, and number of guests into consideration here, as all of these factors affect the type of catering services you provide.

Pick your menu! Keep it fun, keep it simple! Remember, not everyone will have extravagant tastes- while you may love the idea of a Raw Bar– your budget and Guest list may not allow for this. Select items that the majority of your guests will enjoy. If you need help, ask your caterer for suggestions! Sometimes catering companies will have already come up with a select few holiday menus- these can be the perfect solution for coming in on budget while ensuring the food pairs well with each other.

Holiday Party Planning 2 Beverage Service:

Here’s another area that can prove to be costly for any event. Decide ahead of time if you will have a Premium or Top-Shelf Bar Service, or if you will limit it to a few selections (like Whiskey, Vodka, and Tequila) along with Beer & Wine. Another option is to serve Beer & Wine only while offering 1 or 2 Signature Cocktails. You can jazz these up with fun garnishes and give them a catchy holiday name, such as “The Clark Griswold” or “Mistletoe Madness”. Again, refer to your budget and the number of guests attending! If you are hosting your Holiday Party at a venue where you can Bring Your Booze, refer to our article Beverage Cheat Sheet here for tips on quantities and service. And, don’t forget to offer Sodas, Water, and Coffee for those guests who will not be participating in the adult beverages.

Holiday Entertainment:

What kind of entertainment will be provided? Consider your Holiday Party Style and/or theme- what will keep things festive and fun? If it’s an evening party, will you need to hire a DJ or Band? What other activities might you want to offer your guests? Get creative! You could have different stations and offer items such as Wine Tasting or Cigar Rolling. Maybe you’d like to have a Selfie Photo Station or a photo booth? Or, consider hiring a professional photographer for the evening.
Awards & Recognition: determine ahead of time if anyone will be honored at the holiday party. Consider who will be speaking and how long they will need the spotlight. It is a great opportunity to highlight key players or teams for a job well done, as well as to recap the year and your company’s achievements.

Will you need to include any Rentals for the holiday party?

Consider if you need to rent any tables, linens, or chairs. Depending on your selected venue, they may already be included.
If you have the room available, consider adding a few Lounge Areas. You can rent sofas, chairs, coffee tables, and more to create seating pockets around the venue. These create special areas for your guests to sit in and add a fun element to the décor and vibe of your holiday party.
What do you need for entertainment? A stage? Dance floor? Speakers or audio system? If hiring a DJ, make sure you confirm what they will be providing and bringing with them for your event. In some cases, they may expect you to provide them with tables, chairs, or a sound system.
Décor items: will you be renting these from a shop or purchasing items for the event?
Catering items: make sure you check with your venue or caterer to confirm what items they are providing. Does this include plate ware, flatware, or glassware? Does it include place settings or centerpieces & décor for your tables? If they are not providing these you can rent them from a local shop.
A/V & Lighting- will you be playing a slideshow? Video? Consider if you need a screen, TV monitor, etc. Perhaps you’d like to add some special lighting around the room for an added effect?

The Details!

Design your Venue Layout! We cannot stress how important this is! Work with your event planner to determine the exact room layout. You need to determine ahead of time where guests are going to sit, where the bar(s) will be, the entertainment, and more. Your Event Planner will have the tools available to design the perfect room and give you printed copies for you and the other vendors. There are so many factors to consider here- the number of guests, size of the room, and more- don’t leave this to chance, there’s nothing worse than having a cramped room or having to move the bar to the hallway because you didn’t plan your room design before the big day.

Invitations: How will you promote your holiday party? And more importantly, how will you make sure it’s well attended? Whether it’s a small or large office party, it is imperative to get the word out! This is a perfect avenue to use to invite guests and it’s easy to use. Simply select your invitation, add the details, upload your guest list and send it! Your invitees will have a fun holiday invitation sent right to their inbox, and the best part? They can RSVP online, keeping it easy for you to see who is attending and who’s not. For added measure, consider creating a holiday poster or flyer and hanging it in the break rooms.

Gifts: it is that time of year again! Will your company be giving a little something to the staff at the party? Employees love to feel appreciated, especially during the holidays. Consider a little something they can take home. Or, instead of a gift, perhaps a charitable contribution on the company’s behalf?
Create a Timeline! You need to plan ahead of time so that your event runs smoothly. Lay out arrival and set-up times. Make sure you include all Vendors, Guest arrival times, and tear down & clean up time after the event. Other items to include in your timeline are when the bar opens/closes, food service times, and any entertainment and/or speakers that will be on-site during your holiday party.
Contact Sheet: Include a Vendor Contact sheet and have multiple copies printed out with you. You never know whom you are going to need to reach a moment’s notice and the last thing you want to be doing is digging through your bag or laptop file to try to find someone’s name & phone number. Also, make sure you have an alternative contact & phone number for each of your vendors. For example, if your Florist is running late and not answering her cell phone, make sure you can get ahold of someone else at the shop to ensure that your items are being delivered and handled according to the level of service you agreed upon.

The Week of:

Review Vendor Contracts
Confirm services, arrival times, services to be rendered, and clean up/tear down schedule
Confirm who your Point of Contact is on the day of your Holiday Party.
Review your Venue Layout, Timeline, and checklist
Lastly, Get ready to enjoy! By this time, you’ve put a lot of thought, time, and energy into planning the perfect Holiday Party for your company. Take a moment, relax, and do something to treat yourself- you’ve earned it!

Follow these guidelines and your Company’s Holiday Party is sure to be a success. Wishing you good health and lots of love this holiday season.

The Path to a Stronger Heart

Healthy Heart Secrets

Healthy Heart, from the time when the fruits of fermentation were discovered, wine has been a welcome health guest. Not only at dinner tables but also at weddings, religious rituals, and even in doctors’ offices.

Not so long ago, however, scientists began to investigate the actual health benefits of drinking wine. And the findings they’ve uncorked are enough to make any wine lover raise his glass and say “Salut!”

When sipped in moderation, particularly red wine, can help lower cholesterol and prevent hardening of the arteries and heart disease. Also, studies discovered that it can kill the bacteria that cause food poisoning and travelers’ diarrhea.

Pegusas Marketplace and Physicians don’t recommend that people start guzzling wine rather than sipping it or that people who don’t drink should suddenly start. Rather, what the evidence suggests is that moderate drinking can be a helpful addition to a healthy diet.

For many years, scientists were amazed that their French allies indulged themselves in cigarettes, buttery croissants, and fatty pates – and were still 2 1/2 times less likely to develop heart disease than their supposedly healthier American counterparts.

Researchers are still investigating the so-called French paradox, but it appears likely that the French have healthier hearts, at least partly because they prefer red wine. These wines are rich in compounds that help lower cholesterol and prevent harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from sticking to the lining of artery walls – the process that leads to heart disease. Red wines also help blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous clots.

Heart Protection keeps your pump primed in complex ways. There are several chemical compounds at work, and some of them have more than one benefit. As a start, the alcohol in red wine may be beneficial. People who drink small amounts of alcohol seem to have increased protection from heart disease, studies prove. Supplements help too!

According to research, the reason is that ethanol, or alcohol, in spirited drinks raises levels of good cholesterol, heart-protecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Beer and other alcoholic drinks have some benefits, but wine is the only one with health-promoting polyphenols.

The reason for its superior protection is that wine contains powerful flavonoids, like quercetin. Along with other potentially protective compounds, like resveratrol, it helps prevent the body’s dangerous (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing. This, in turn, makes bad LDL cholesterol less likely to stick to artery walls.

Laboratory studies have shown that resveratrol slows down aging in mice, protects against weight gain, and boosts endurance by improving the functioning of mitochondria – which are tiny power plants inside every cell of your body.

“Flavonoids in red wine are more powerful than vitamin E, which everyone knows is an important antioxidant,” says John D Folts, Ph.D., professor of medicine and director of the coronary thrombosis Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in Madison.

Keeping LDL cholesterol under control is a good start against heart disease, besides helping to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together. A study led by professor Folts and his colleagues found that when reed wine was given to laboratory animals, it eliminated potentially dangerous clots, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. “Red wine performs double duty, giving you two important benefits at the same time,” says Dr. Folts.

It’s in the color When we talk about the healing power of wine for a healthy heart, we are referring to red wine. A laboratory study at the University of California, Davis, revealed that red wines could prevent from 46% to 100% of (LDL) cholesterol from oxidizing, while white wines were less protective. In addition, laboratory studies found that white wine misses the blood clot-blocking ability.

The reason why red wine is so much superior to white has to do with winemaking. When vintners make wine, they throw everything in the vat – not just grapes but also the skins, seeds, and stems. They’re all mashed up to create a chunky mixture called must, and this contains healthy flavonoids.

“The longer the must ferment in the alcohol, the more of these compounds release into the wine, according to Dr. Folts. With white wine, the must is taken out early so that the wine never darkens. With red wine, the must is kept for a long time, and the wine picks up a lot of flavonoids.”

UC Davis researchers have found that some red wines are also rich in saponins, which lower heart disease risk by binding to cholesterol and preventing their absorption. Saponins may also cool body-wide inflammation, which could also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer.

blood clot-blocking ability

Red wines contain 3 to 10 times more saponins than whites. The richest source is red Zinfandel, followed by Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The two white varieties, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay contain less. The saponin may come from the waxy grape skins and seems to dissolve into the wine during fermentation. Wines with the highest alcohol content also have the most saponin. Wine may also maintain a healthy weight.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic followed drinking behavior and weight in 8,200 men ad women. They found that those who enjoyed one or two alcoholic beverages a day were 54% less likely to be obese than nondrinkers. Nondrinkers and ex-drinkers had twice as much chance of becoming obese. People who have a glass of wine or beer every day usually have it with their evening meal, and it could be that a drink replaces a later, high-calorie evening snack.

However, four or more glasses per day don’t make you super slim but give you a 50% more chance of becoming obese.

“Wine protects against infection,” said Scientists from Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu tested red wine, white wine, and bismuth and found that they subsalicylate against some of the meanest intestinal germs, including shigella, salmonella, and Escherichia coli, and that both red and white wines were more effective than drugs for wiping out harmful bacteria.

Headaches for some people with a tendency toward migraine headaches, even a small glass of wine can cause a lot of headaches. Red wine contains substances called amines, which cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then expand. For sensitive people, this can result in eye-popping headaches.

Although white wine contains fewer headache-producing amines than the red varieties, it doesn’t contain as many healing compounds. So, if headaches are a problem for you, you may want to ask your doctor if a nonalcoholic wine will allow you to enjoy the great taste without the pain. Resveratrol 500 mg is an age-defying formula to support your body’s youthful essence.

Know your limit The most important tip for getting the maximum healthy heart benefits from your wine cellar is knowing when to put your glass down. The daily limit is one 5-ounce glass a day for women and two 5-ounce glasses for men. Experts agree, however, that if you are tempted to overindulge, or if you have a personal or family history of alcoholism, you’re better off skipping alcohol entirely.

Go for the Gusto when you are scanning the shelves for the wine with the highest levels of heart-healthy compounds, go for the full-bodied, robust varieties. There is a close relationship between the level of tannin, the substance that makes wine dry, and the level of healing compounds in red wines.

Three of the most heart-healthy wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, and Merlot.

To your health!

Heart-Healthy

Achieving Optimal Wellness Through Healthy Habits

Healthy Habits for a Balanced Life

I like to believe there are ten healthy habits one needs to follow to live a balanced life. No matter what I am doing whether on vacation or going about my day-to-day work these healthy habits are important to me. You may be wondering what these habits are. To know more keep on reading. My friends often find me saying that everything in life is about balance. Healthy living is the equilibrium of good habits, not something extreme. So how do we achieve this balance? To start with, we must focus on consistency but don’t rush because consistency takes time. Also, take a step back to disengage from negative self-talk and try to transform that into positive self-talk.

Remember that being obsessed with anything can cause the opposite outcome. Your reality is shaped by your thoughts and when you spend too much time thinking about losing calories, what food to eat, whether or not to use social media, or simply comparing yourself to others, you end up feeling depressed and disconnected from yourself. Changing these negative thoughts into more positive ones is a great healthy habit to try and develop.

Eating healthy foods provided by Mother Nature such as fresh fruits and green vegetables is another must-do if you are trying to develop healthy habits. Cut out processed and packaged foods as much as possible. Think about how you want your day to turn out and do one or two things for your health that will benefit you in the long run. healthy_foods

Exercising moderately, eating some greens or drinking more water are easy ways to build good habits that you can swear by. Be mindful at all times and realize it’s not about yesterday or tomorrow; it’s about where you are today and at this moment – it’s all about now. Now that we have a basic understanding of what healthy habits seem like and how you can find that equilibrium in your life, let’s dive into a list of ten good habits that will make your well-being a priority.

Change your mindset.

Think of your health as a lifestyle change and a daily balancing act.

Sleep sufficiently and in good time. Your body undergoes necessary repairs when you sleep. Physical and psychological repair takes place from 10 pm to 6 am.
Be patient. It takes roughly ninety days to create a new habit. So develop patience and learn to love yourself through the process of change.
Read voraciously. Educate yourself on spiritual practices, gain knowledge about the foods you eat, read about the lives of wellness masters – there are so many kinds of literature out there.
Be mindful of your energy system. Think of your body as particles of energy and ponder over what kind of fuel you want to use to keep it functioning. Do you really want coke and chips to get into your system? I hope not because they will eventually break down your system.
Hydrate often. Drink good quality water. If you like, you can add some lemon or other fruits to it to drink more frequently.
Eat healthily. Consume natural foods and stay away from processed, packaged food. At least, 80 to 90% of the time, your food intake should be healthy.
Don’t feel guilty. When you do eat food that is not good for your health, don’t kill yourself with guilt. Remember balance is important so once in a while, you can break away from your mundane diet and incorporate some junk in it until, of course, you’ve mastered the habit of eating well.
Move around. Exercise is the best medicine – even if it’s something as simple as going for a walk or as complex as working out at the gym. Your body is meant for movement. Being in nature is one of the best things you can do for your body.
Know yourself. Get to the root of why you’re self-sabotaging if you are and foster a more loving relationship of self-worth with yourself.

Eat Healthy – Be Well.

Buy one pair of eyewear, get a second pair FREE! Shop sunglasses, readers & more with code BOGOFREE at checkout

The Benefits of Fasting: How to Fast Safely and…

Fasting Facts and how to do it Safely

People have been fasting for thousands of years for religious and health reasons, and some regard it as a weight loss tool. You’ve probably seen headlines about celebrities drinking exotic fruit juices to prepare for movie roles, and heard friends talking about their weekly fast days.

Fasting is still controversial among medical experts. If you’re trying to decide whether to give up food for weight loss or other purposes, consider these suggestions for staying safe while you fast.

Deciding to Fast

1. Losing weight. Any diet extremely low in calories will cause you to lose weight quickly, but you’re likely to gain it right back. That’s because you lose water and muscle mass, and your metabolism slows down. When you resume eating, you may gain weight while consuming the same amount of food you used to be able to manage.

2. Detoxify your body. Some diet books claim that fasting will purify your system and remove environmental pollutants. Most doctors believe that your liver and other organs do that job automatically.

3. Feel empowered. The stigma associated with being overweight can create a difficult relationship with food. You may appreciate the experience of control that comes with brief fasting.

4. Practice your religion. Many faiths include rituals based on fasting. Practitioners say it heightens their awareness and brings them closer to the divine.

5. Prepare for medical treatment. Listen to your doctor when they give you directions not to eat before certain medical tests or surgery. Proper treatment may require establishing an accurate baseline or giving your body a break from digesting food.

6. Live longer. A large body of research supports a connection between consuming fewer calories and extending your life span. The tradeoffs may be worth it for you.

Techniques for Fasting Safely

1. Drink liquids. Dehydration is one of the biggest concerns during any extreme diet. If you feel dizzy or confused, drink more water, and see your doctor if the symptoms continue.

2. Clarify your terms. There are many different kinds of fasts. Most healthy individuals can handle consuming nothing but water for up to 2 days. Fasts that allow liquid calories or eating at certain hours may be feasible for longer periods.

3. Alternate days. Alternate-day fasting is a hot trend since a British TV doctor wrote a book about his experience. You may want to experiment with his formula for five days on and two days off. Intermittent Fasting

4. Study nutrition. If you’re trying to take off weight, keep in mind that fasting is a temporary and intense approach. In the long term, it’s important to understand how to eat healthily to stay in shape. Pick up a book on nutrition and try out new recipes for vegetables.

5. Watch for side effects. In addition to dehydration, there can be other consequences to fasting. Look out for bad breath, trouble sleeping, and mood changes. You may find it helpful to decrease your level of physical activity and postpone tasks that require heavy thinking.

6. Know your risks. Some adults need to avoid fasting altogether, including pregnant women and those who suffer from diabetes. The bottom line is that there are many diets more effective than fasting if you’re trying to lose weight.

On the other hand, you may have other good reasons to stop eating temporarily. In that case, fasting may be good for your body and soul, as long as you talk with your doctor and take precautions that will keep you safe while you cut out calories.