Shoveling snow is one of
the easiest ways to injure your lower back.
The biomechanics involved in bending over to scoop the snow, lifting and
twisting and finally dropping the snow out of the drive way or sidewalk put the
spinal muscles at risk for a sprain/strain injury. The main reason for this is that the lower
back is not made for heavy lifting combined with a twisting motion. The twisting motion associated with shoveling
puts a significant strain on the lower back muscles and the discs between the
vertebrae. With a heavy enough load at
the end of the shovel the twisting motion produces a shearing effect on the
discs and an overload of the spinal muscles which causes the injury. Whenever you shovel snow, or any other heavy
substance like sand or gravel, make sure to only lift small amounts of snow at
a time. Sure, it will take longer but
you will significantly reduce your chance of injury. Taking your time to lift the proper amount
and fully turning to drop the snow rather than twisting and flinging will help
keep you low back is good shape all winter!
When the Weather Gets Cold, the Cold Drink Hot Cocoa
Hot chocolate is a great drink for when it gets super
crazy cold out… like today. Eau Claire
is sitting pretty a -8 degrees right now which is really cold! Hot chocolate can be a very healthy beverage
if made properly. Using an organic cocoa
and combining it with warm milk and some chocolate almond milk can give a
delightfully warm and flavorful drink.
Raw organic cocoa has very high levels of flavonoids, phytonutrients and
other health promoting compounds and infuses you with now only warmth but a boost
of immune system power!
Olive Oil Hummus
2 cans chickpeas, drained
¼ cup vegetable broth
Juice of 2 lemon slices
1 teaspoon sea salt
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
2 table spoons Extra Virgin olive oil
Place chickpeas and broth in a blender and pulse until
mixture is somewhat smooth. You may need
to add additional broth to keep mixture from being too solid. Add remaining ingredients and blend for 30
seconds or until hummus has desired thickness.
This makes a great chip dip or spread.
Even Yahoo Reports Something Useful Once in a While
The link below leads to an article about a beverage
almost every last one of us has had.
People who make a regular habit out of this indulgence may want to think
twice after reading this article though as this common drink may be causing
depression! Yikes!
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/sweet-sodas-soft-drinks-may-raise-risk-depression-183000091.html
Herbed Chicken Wings
Ok, I’m a Packer fan.
When the playoffs get going things get extra intense during games and
the last thing you want to be is hungry during the game right? BUT, you don’t want to spend all week eating
well just to undo it all with some tailgate food so what do you do? Here is an idea, I made these during the
Packer/Viking game this past weekend and they taste great! Not only that but they take advantage of the
heart healthy fat profile of olive oil (only Extra Virgin) as well as the
nutritional bonus of having thyme and black pepper. Don't forget that spices can have a variety
of nutrients and can add nutritional value while also adding flavor. To read an article on the health benefits of
black pepper follow this link… http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=74
Here is my recipe for a healthier version of chicken
wings.
Herbed Chicken Wings
1 lb. chicken wings
3 table spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon thyme1 teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt
Black Pepper
Herbs for Stressed Out People
It’s no secret. Many
people are stressed out this time of year.
Heck, a lot of people are stressed out ANY time of the year! In in our modern lives where we have a
multitude of things to take care of each and every day including work, family
and social obligations. We also have
more media than ever before. Facebook,
Twitter, email and more! In such busy
times it is helpful to have a backup plan other than coffee and energy
drinks. Today I’m going to go over
several herbs that I highly recommend to fight stress and help increase mental
clarity. Some of these can be found in
combination and are excellent additions to any daily routine! In no particular order…
Rhodiola-
this herb is the energy herb.
Even a small dose can supply the body with some extra energy to get
through the day and can improve mental clarity.
It is often paired with…
Ginseng- is an adoptogenic herb (ones that help
ward off the negative aspects of stress) and is known to impart a feeling of
calm energy. It works great in
combination with rhodiola to provide energy and improved concentration.
Ginkgo Biloba- this potent plant improves
circulation and lifts mood. The
increased circulation helps improve immune function and increases energy.
Smoothie Alert!!! This One Has Some Nutrients!!
If
your life is anything like mine some mornings you need something that will fill
you up and have the nutrients you need to feel like you had a good, healthy
breakfast and you need it quick! This is my go to smoothie
recipe for mornings when I know I won’t have time to make anything more than a
quick smoothie. It has plenty of heart
healthy fats so you will feel full and an abundance of other nutrients (especially Vitamin C) to keep
your system humming at full strength.
Another thing about this recipe is that if you buy all the ingredients frozen all at
once they tend to last you a long time since you are blending small amounts of
several foods every time you make it.
Red maca powder is an herb that has a stimulating effect that is not
related to caffeine.
Breakfast
Blast Smoothie
1
tablespoon each of organic, frozen
Cranberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
(2 or 3)
Mango
Red
Cherries
2
tablespoons fresh ground golden flax seed
1
cup coconut milk
1
cup almond yogurt
Dash
cinnamon
1
tablespoon Red Maca Powder
1
cup water
1
scoop of green foods formula (optional)
Put
all ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. If it is still too thick to drink easily add
more water until you achieve the desired consistency.
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