SELF HEALTH + HEALING

If you think you have a parasite, don't worry. You're not alone, they're more common than you think.

Yes, we all have parasites. It’s practically impossible to not come in contact with them; they are in just about everything, from food to carpet. However, having parasites does not necessarily mean they are negatively affecting you.

Parasites will always exist; they are part of the cycle of life. Even healthy individuals have them, the difference is that they are not doing harm; instead, they are doing their job

The Mediterranean diet offers many benefits to personal health as well as our environment. It is a lifestyle that enhances the quality of our lives.

While I usually maintain a very healthy eating regime (organic whenever possible, superfoods, and I steer clear  of gluten, dairy and sugar cane), I vowed to adopt a Mediterranean diet once back in the United States. I say “adopt” because the Mediterranean diet is not a diet in the traditional sense at all, but more of a lifestyle.

Traditionally characterized by vegetables, legumes, fruit, nuts, seeds, olive, and lots of extra virgin olive oil, and fish, this way of eating not only involves a low consumption of processed food, processed carbohydrates, sweets, chocolate, and red meat, but a state of being. The atmosphere and mind set are equally important. People enjoy long relaxed meals instead of fast food, warm climate, a sea breeze full of negative ions, and blue skies full of potential with stupendous clouds, worthy of Instagram. The pace of life in the region differs considerably from the ‘western world.’

For the first time, researchers show how a plant-based diet, stress management and other lifestyle changes may lead to longevity.

It’s not quite the Fountain of Youth, but it may be the river that leads to it. In a paper published in the journal Lancet Oncology, scientists found that a small group of men who made changes in the way they ate and handled their emotional needs showed longer telomeres in their cells.

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/16/eat-better-and-stress-less-itll-make-your-cells-and-maybe-you-live-longer/#ixzz2f7lYpROG

"A new study finds breakfast, lunch, and dinner are not created equal"

.By Douglas Bair

Breakfast has long been touted as the most important meal of the day—even if some choose to skip it. And lately, it seems more and more research has jumped on the breakfast bandwagon with a recent study coming from Tel Aviv University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The 12-week study examined two groups of 93 obese women who were restricted to a daily 1,400-calorie diet consisting of a balance of carbohydrates and fats. Each group’s diet split those calories differently among three meals throughout the day: Some women were assigned to consume 700 calories at breakfast, 500 calories at lunch, and 200 calories at dinner, while the numbers were reversed for the other group (200 at breakfast, 500 at lunch, 700 at dinner).

There are so many opinions when it comes to clean eating. We break it down for you with a few important and key points. Such as should protein be cut out?

When it comes to diet and fitness, one of the most popular terms you hear is eating “clean.” 

This term means more than just washing off your fruits and veggies.

Clean eating means you’re supplying your body with nutritious, healthy foods in order to keep vitamins and minerals in your body. And doing this is obviously healthy. After all, you’re giving your body exactly what it needs.

However, this isn’t a for sure way to building muscle or even to lose fat. In fact, you could eat only clean foods your entire life and still have that skinny fat look, with minimal muscles.

"No matter how healthy we are in our "normal" lives, most of us tend to loosen the reigns a little bit (or a lot) during the holidays. If you have a tendency to get into that all-or-nothing mentality, you might just wake up on January 1st wondering where all your healthy habits went."

Personally, I relate to this: I have a super addictive personality, so when I get into something, I have a tendency to go all in. With a little experimentation, though, I've found that it doesn't have to be so extreme. If you put a little intention into your self care, you can continue to show up for life in a vibrant, energetic state—even during the season of endless indulgences!

Read on to learn how to get the most out of your day for weight loss - from meals to sleep and workouts.

The simple choices we make day in and day out—such as when to exercise or what time to hit the sack—can have a huge effect on how many calories we burn, and thus, how much weight we lose. Read on to learn how to get the most out of your day. 

Read more at http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/08/your-dusk-to-dawn-guide-to-weight-loss/#4eYJMqVLtihfbSXd.99