Health Benefits of Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus has many positive effects on the body. It is a diuretic which helps to reduce bloating and lower blood pressure, especially in mild to moderate hypertension patients. Studies prove it to be as effective as the anti hypertension drug Captopril. When patients drank two cups a day for a month, their systolic blood pressure lowered. It also contains bioflavonoids which lowers cholesterol, improves body circulation and protects cells from free radical damage. Hibiscus contains the electrolyte potassium, calcium and vitamin C which help raise the body's immune system. It also contains antioxidants which provides cardiovascular and overall health benefits. Antioxidants are helpful in flushing out fat, and protect the heart and blood vessels from damage.

If one is looking to lose weight, manage their blood pressure and cholesterol, or simply live a healthier life, Hibiscus tea is an affordable, great tasting way to do so!

Functional Training

Functional movements integrate all major muscle groups from head to toe. They do not require heavy, expensive machines, and can be performed almost anywhere. Some of the many tools used in functional training are, single-leg exercises, Swiss balls, and BOSU balls. These tools offer a proprioceptively enriched (unstable) environment and doing exercises in an unstable environment forces the body to recruit more muscles to stabilize itself, and thus, muscular coordination is enhanced. The use of machines further restricts the movement in an effort to isolate a muscle, however humans rarely move one muscle at a time along a single plane. Everyone uses functional movements in everyday life. Activities such as walking upstairs, carrying groceries, picking up dropped keys, carrying children, crossing the street or getting out of a parked car are all examples of this type of movement. Most orthopedic injuries occur while people are performing the normal activities of daily living outside the gym, so it is important to strengthen these muscle groups.

Riceworks snacks!

Recently I stumbled upon a delicious and healthy snack by Riceworks. They produce gourmet brown rice chips with 5 different flavor options.


The following are all the nutritional benefits:


- Excellent Source of Carbohydrates

- Good Source of Energy

- Low Fat (Especially Saturated)

- Low Salt

- No Cholesterol

- Heart Healthy

- Low Sugar

- No Gluten

- No Additives

- No Preservatives


Riceworks is available at most grocery stores including Whole Foods, Kroger, Walmart, Costco, etc. Instead of grabbing a bag of Lays potato chips, go for the healthy, savory brown rice snacks!

Oatmeal pancakes

The best breakfast is one that has enough fiber and protein to keep you full until your next meal. Oatmeal and egg whites are at the top of the list.


The following is a recipe using these two main ingredients:

• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 6 Egg whites
• 1 Tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 Tsp of Stevia (calorie-free sweetener)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, spray non-stick cooking oil on the pan, and pour the batter. Wait for one side to harden before flipping the pancake over and in minutes you will have a delicious and well-balanced morning meal.

Importance of Sleep

According to the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, at least 40 million Americans suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders and another 20 to 30 million experience occasional sleep problems. Chronic sleep loss can contribute to health problems such as weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite. Other side-affects include high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system’s power.


Today more and more people are getting less than 6 hours of sleep when in fact they need 8 or 9. Making sure you get enough sleep at night will help to prevent sickness and daytime disfunction. 

Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases but your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health also play a role. 

Changing bad habits can cure your insomnia or sleeping problems:

• Cut back on caffeine products, especially in the afternoon/night
• Drinking alcohol or smoking before bed interrupts sleep
• Taking naps during the day makes it hard to sleep at night
• Try to have a regular sleep schedule
• Stay away from big meals at night because your digesting may keep you up  

Ketosis

When people eat less carbohydrates, the body turns to fat for energy. This is called Ketosis. In order to "trick" the body into burning fat for energy, one must take in very few carbohydrates for approximately 2-3 days straight, and then consume moderate carbs on the following day.

On the low-carb days one will only need about half of a cup of oatmeal for breakfast and a 6-8 ounce sweet potato for lunch. The rest of the day will consist of eating lots of protein and veggies. Egg whites, chicken and fish is the best forms of protein. While on a low-carb diet, drink lots of water and eat plenty of fiber and healthy fats such as flax seeds, olive/sunflower oils, almond butter, etc. 

On the moderate carb day, one should consume small amounts of carbs throughout the entire day.

It is good to cut carbs out every night at around 6-7 pm, because the access carbs will turn into sugar, which will turn in to fat. If one would like to measure the amount of fat loss during ketosis, Ketostix is used to test urine for ketones, or fatty acids.

Food for Life

Food for Life is the most healthy alternative to breads and pastas. Different from other breads, Food for Life sprout all of the grains prior to using them in their products. During the sprouting process, enzymes are released from the grain making it a living, nutrient-rich, food. The products are certified organic, which means they are grown without pesticides or chemicals, have easily digestible gluten, and made without flour. Instead of going for that white enriched bread, next time look for Food for Life's products and experience the "live grain difference"