Tricky Thoughts about Treats

I am sitting near my front door in between trick or treaters. I am not eating even one piece of Halloween candy. I'm not smug about it. Rather, I'm wary. It's often when I make it through a time of great temptation that I wind up with a backlash shortly thereafter. It's almost like rewarding myself for being "good". But I know there's not really any good or bad. It just is. I remind myself... Halloween candy is not special. It's just abundant. This stuff exists at anytime so I don't have to fear that I'm missing something. 

Still, a little bowl with a tablespoon each of nut butter and dark chocolate chips comforts me as I sit next to a huge bowl of tiny individually wrapped confections. Now, some Gingerbread Tea. I can do this. 

Making Peace (Keto Update)

I’ve been at this for about two months so far. I’ve lost a total of 4.5 pounds. I lost the first 3 in the first two weeks and the last 1.5 in the time since. I’ve been struggling to keep my calories in range and took a few days off from tracking at all, which coincided with me baking a bunch of Grain-free (but not sugar-free due to maple syrup) cookies for sale at the Artist Market that took place last Saturday. I had about a week of consistent daily cookie-eating. At first, I was shoe-horning them into my day, displacing more nutritious food. Then, I “took a break” from counting…

That being said, I’m over it. For the most part, I do better without any type of baking. It seems to be a trigger for me. I’m not saying I won’t do it at all – in fact, I have a few things planned for this weekend’s birthday party for Cute Man – but I’ll stick to using Swerve and/or Stevia. But after that, I’m going to ease up on those types of things. There is no scenario in which having that stuff every day is a good idea. With a calorie limit, I need to focus on getting nutrient dense food into myself. 

I hate to admit how hard this is for me! I have not kicked the habit of rewarding and soothing myself with food. I go back and forth about whether that should even be goal. Is that so terrible? Can I find a way to allow for such things without undermining my goals? This is the never-ending question for me. I’ve tried The Whole 30. Talk about panic! A whole month without anything faintly resembling a treat was instructive, but ultimately painful. Is it worth the effort? Ultimately, I think not. In the big cost/benefit analysis of my life, I don’t want to choose a path that feels anything like deprivation. I have not been bad, I don’t deserve to be punished.

The beauty of the low carb and/or Paleo lifestyle has always been about abundance for me. I could do it because it felt good, right, and the trade-offs seemed worth it. When it “worked” without any counting, I felt like I’d won the lottery. Now that I seem to need the structure of counting calories and carbs, I’m rebelling a little. The way I’m thinking about it is this: I could go on not counting and just doing my best to keep my carbs low and probably maintain my weight. I could go super strict Paleo (no treats at all) and lose, albeit slowly, or, I can keep on course with my current plan which is to count, but allow some treats in a way that fits into my daily count. Really, it comes down to the treats. I admit it. Saving room for some nut butter and a few chocolate chips at the end of the day is what I’m talking about. So silly. So important. To me.

As a result, I choose option #3. I’ll count. I have to let go of the last of my internal resistance – resistance to counting, resistance to the idea of losing weight at all. Wanting to release this excess fat is not about hating my current body, but loving it enough to give it what it needs to feel safe enough to let go of the extra padding. These blocks are holding me back from getting where I want to be. I’m letting them go. Right now. I deserve to be successful and I can do this. And I will. Starting right now.

New Post on Eat Move Sleep Blog

Yesterday, the Dan's Plan blog Eat Move Sleep published a blog post I wrote about sleep, artificial light, your brain, and a free computer program called f.lux that can help us live healthier lives.  Head over to Eat Move Sleep to read it.

7 Facts That Will Transform Your Training

1) Skip stretching before your workout, your ligaments will thank you.

Latest research shows that stretching before a warm up has no benefit and doesn't bolster performance.  Start with a gentle warm up and when the muscles feel warm and loose do two types of stretching: static and dynamic. If you already train with my DVDs then you'll be already doing it this way.

2) Your body is smart.

Qigong and Kung Fu helps us to go beyond our small individual selves and find a connection with the very fabric of the Universe. It doesn't give us anything new; it simply connects us with the body’s internal power and automatic wisdom that already exists within us.

3) Not all workouts are created equal.

Shaolin Forms teach the many muscle groups in our body to work together. They are the only exercise I've come across where every muscle is engaged and we simultaneously build flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, and power. They then teach us how to move in our modern life, whether that's carrying our groceries home or climbing the stairs to the subway. Everything becomes part of our training: total mind-body wellness

4) Balancing Yin and Yang is the key to health and longevity.

It's vitally important for people of all ages to combine physical exercise with Qigong. This is like the two wings of a bird, The Qigong changes your internal body and the Kung Fu changes your external body. Qigong takes you to the peak of your power without fear of burn out.

5) Self-massage matters.

Massaging with the 108 bamboo rods of the Instant Health Massage brush create vibrations which relieve stress and tension in the muscles, help the Qi and blood to flow properly, detox the lymphatic system, and act as a natural battery charger for the body.

6) What you give, you receive.

Think of food as a medicine and fuel for our body rather than something which gives us pleasure. This helps us be more disciplined about what we eat. What we give to our body, we receive. We give it fast food, we receive energy slumps, sluggishness and sugar drops. We give it wholesome food, we receive high energy, vitality and stable sugar levels.

7) No Mud, no Lotus

Lotuses grow from mud. It's the same with us. All of our problems, all of the stuff we don't like about ourselves make up the mud so that our lotuses can take root and bloom. Beautiful lotuses can only grow from the unbeautiful. Everything we experience can be turned around and help us to become better people.

Click here to learn more.

For more information please visit: shifuyanlei.com

Grass-Fed Animal Foods and Diseases of Civilization: Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Civilizations

Vilhjalmur Stefansson was an Artic explorer known for his observations on the traditional living Inuit-Eskimo, which he lived together with in the winter of 1906-1907 in the Mackenzie Delta of Canada. Stefansson asserted that during this time he subsisted on traditional Inuit fare, based almost exclusively on flesh. In part based on less than extensive observations of the health of the Inuit, Stefansson hypothesized that a number of chronic and degenerative diseases, including cancer are diseases of civilization which can be prevented by adherence to a pre-modern diet and lifestyle. However, Stefansson did not suggest that only flesh based dietary patterns, such as that consumed by the traditional living Inuit, but also primarily vegetarian diets, such as that consumed by the Hunza may protect against such diseases.1 

The term diseases of civilization, which Stefansson has contributed to the popularization of is frequently referred to by proponents of Low-Carb, Paleo, Primal and Weston A. Price Foundation type diets. Many of these proponents have extrapolated limited suggestive evidence that obesity, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and a number of other chronic and degenerative diseases were uncommon during the Paleolithic period to suggesting that foods derived from naturally raised, grass-fed animals, as was consumed by Paleolithic humans must therefore somehow provide protection against these so-called diseases of civilization. Many of these proponents have also claimed that a vast number of scientific studies that have been used as evidence to conclude that animal foods increase the risk of such diseases have been complicated by confounding of other unhealthy foods and lifestyle factors, or by the use of unnaturally raised animal foods. This series of posts will examine the evidence to help determine whether these claimed confounding variables can actually explain the evidence linking animal foods with certain chronic and degenerative diseases, often referred to as diseases of civilization, but also as western diseases, lifestyle diseases and diseases of affluence.

In 1928, Stefansson and his colleague Karsten Anderson participated in a monitored experiment partly funded by the meat industry in which they consumed a flesh exclusive diet for the period of one year. Although the researchers concluded that these two men were in good health throughout the experiment, Anderson experienced a severe elevation in blood cholesterol, with measurements as high as 800 mg/dl on one occasion, which returned to pre-experiment levels after resuming a higher carbohydrate diet.2 A glucose tolerance test carried out immediately after the termination of the meat based experiment showed a marked rise in blood sugar in both men compared to a subsequent test carried out after resuming a higher carbohydrate diet. Glucose was detected in the urine of Anderson in the test following the meat based experiment, a marker of untreated diabetes. This abnormality was not detected in the subsequent test after resuming a higher carbohydrate diet.3

Short-term experiments such as this cannot provide adequate insight into the long-term consequences of following such a diet, as it can take many decades for diseases caused by exposure to harmful substances to become clinically significant. For example, the greatest risk of excess death from radiation-related solid cancers among the atomic bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was more than half a century after exposure.4 Furthermore, other flesh based experiments have resulted in considerably more unfavorable outcomes. For example, in 1906, Russell noted an even earlier experiment: 

A recent instance occurred in South Africa, where about twenty natives out of some hundreds who were supplied with a large amount of flesh, as an experiment, by mine-owners, died, and many others were ill.5

Cardiovascular Disease in Ancient Civilizations

The traditional living Inuit's were certainly
not immune from atherosclerosis

If a diet rich in naturally raised animal foods provides protection against cardiovascular disease as many proponents of Low-Carb type diets claim, it would be expected that traditional living populations consuming such a diet, particularly those living prior to the rapid westernization of the globe would demonstrate evidence of superior cardiovascular health compared to those populations who subsisted primarily on starchy staples, including grains, legumes and tubers. Populations who have inhabited the arctic, where scant plant matter is available throughout most parts of the year, such as the Inuit and Aleut were forced to subsist almost exclusively on hunted marine animals for extensive periods of time.1 6 This should make these populations suitable to study the hypothesis that naturally raised animal foods protect against cardiovascular disease.

Contrary to claims of the traditional living Inuit being immune from cardiovascular disease, evidence of severe atherosclerosis has been identified in several frozen mummies of Alaskan Inuit dating back to 400 CE and 1520 CE, both instances predating European contact.7 8 Atherosclerosis has also previously been identified in several artificially prepared mummies of Aleut-Unangan hunter gatherers who lived in the 18th century in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.9 10 Recently the HORUS study, which examined an additional five recovered mummies of Unangan hunter gatherers who lived in the mid and late 19th century found definite evidence of atherosclerosis in several major arteries in all three who were over the age of 25.11

When considering the findings from all of these Alaskan Inuit and Aleut mummies it becomes evident that these Alaskan natives likely experienced a greater incidence of atherosclerosis, especially given the young mean age compared to the three other ancient populations studied in the HORUS study. Unlike the Alaskan natives, these other three populations, which were the ancient Egyptians, ancient Peruvians and Ancestral Puebloans practiced agriculture and consumed grains. 

In addition to evidence of atherosclerosis from native Alaskan mummies, reports from medical officers provide further evidence of unfavorable rates of cardiovascular disease among the Inuit before the rapid transition to the western diet. In 1940, based on decades of clinical practice and reviewing reports of medical officers dating all the way back 175 years ago, Bertelsen, who is considered the father of Greenland epidemiology stated in regards to the mortality patterns among the Greenland Inuit that: 

...arteriosclerosis and degeneration of the myocardium are quite common conditions among the Inuit, in particular considering the low mean age of the population.12

Bjerregaard and colleagues performed a literature review for studies addressing the incidence of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease among the Inuit of Alaska, Canada and Greenland spanning from the 1930s to more recent decades. The researchers found that the incidence of atherosclerosis was generally similar to that of other western populations that suffered from high rates of cardiovascular disease. Mortality from stroke was found to be even higher, and mortality from all cardiovascular diseases combined was found to be similar or even higher among the Inuit. The researchers also found that mortality from coronary heart disease among the Inuit was not significantly different after adjusting for ill-defined causes of cardiovascular death, suggesting that the substantial proportion of cardiovascular deaths being classified as ‘garbage codes’, particularly in Greenland may have hidden a significant portion of deaths from coronary heart disease. The researchers concluded: 

The mortality from all cardiovascular diseases combined is not lower among the Inuit than in white comparison populations. If the mortality from IHD [ischemic heart disease] is low, it seems not to be associated with a low prevalence of general atherosclerosis. A decreasing trend in mortality from IHD in Inuit populations undergoing rapid westernization supports the need for a critical rethinking of cardiovascular epidemiology among the Inuit and the role of a marine diet in this population.12

A similar phenomenon to the misclassification of deaths from coronary heart disease among the Inuit populations has also been observed in France, which may largely explain the so-called French Paradox. Data from the World Health Organization MONICA Project suggests that the official mortality statistics for France significantly underreport deaths from cardiovascular disease compared to other countries, with deaths from coronary heart disease being underestimated by 75%. Other reports suggest that this is likely explained by a much higher rate of French doctors classifying deaths as due to ‘other causes’ than in other countries.13 14

It has been observed that among the Alaskan Inuit a higher intake of saturated fat is associated with elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and carotid atherosclerosis, suggesting that the traditional Inuit foods relatively rich in saturated fat were likely to have been detrimental to the cardiovascular health of the Inuit.15 16 17 It has also been observed that among Alaskan Inuit elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with a greater than fourfold increased risk of cardiovascular disease.18 Furthermore, rheumatic disorders that have been linked to cardiovascular disease, such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis have been found to be just as, or even more common among the Eskimo populations compared to that of the general North American population.19 20 Established risk factors, a number of which are likely adversely affected by the traditional Inuit diet can probably in part explain the evidence of severe atherosclerosis and unfavorable rates of cardiovascular disease observed among the traditional living Inuit and Aleut populations. 

In the HORUS study it was found that two of the four Ancestral Puebloan who lived in southwestern United States dating between 1500 BCE and 500 CE exhibited probable evidence of atherosclerosis, the two other both being under the age of 30. These Ancestral Puebloans were identified as being from a time when they were transitioning from hunter-gatherers to farmer-foragers, and were likely to have relied on hunted animal foods to supply at least a modest portion of their diet. An additional Ancestral Puebloan mummy aged 18-22 found from a later period after a greater transition towards agriculture did not exhibit any evidence of atherosclerosis.11

In the HORUS study the ancient Egyptian mummies exhibited the next greatest frequency of atherosclerosis, with 29 (38%) of the 76 of the mummies exhibiting at least probable evidence of atherosclerosis.11 In their book Protein Power, Michael and Mary Eades assert that the ‘diet of the average [ancient] Egyptian consisted primarily of carbohydrates’, which they suggest was ‘a veritable nutritionist’s nirvana… rich in all the foods believed to promote health and almost devoid of saturated fat and cholesterol'. These authors go on to suggesting that the carbohydrate rich diet of the ‘average Egyptian’ which they describe as being based on whole-grain wheat and barley supplemented by a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and some goats milk is responsible for the atherosclerosis and obesity exhibited by the ancient Egyptian mummies.21

The authors of Protein Power suggest that complex carbohydrates, such as wheat made the ancient Egyptians obese

There is much evidence that casts doubt on these authors description of the diets of the ancient Egyptian mummies. For example, Macko and colleagues have shown that isotope analyses of the amino-acid composition of hair from the ancient Egyptian mummies far more closely resemble that of modern westerners following an omnivorous diet than a vegetarian, and especially vegan diet.22 In addition, David and colleagues showed that evidence from hieroglyphic inscriptions on ancient Egyptian temples suggest that the elites of ancient Egyptian society, being those who were primarily mummified consumed a diet rich in flesh and saturated animal fat. These researchers addressed the confusion surrounding the diet and atherosclerosis of the ancient Egyptian mummies, asserting: 

It is important to point out that there was a marked difference between the mainly vegetarian diet most Egyptians ate and that of royalty and priests and their family members whose daily intake would have included these high levels of saturated fat. Mummification was practised by the elite groups in society, ensuring that their remains have survived to provide clear indications of atherosclerosis; by contrast, there is a lack of evidence that the condition existed among the less well-preserved remains of the [mainly vegetarian] lower classes.23

The findings of a lower incidence of atherosclerosis among the lower classes of ancient Egypt who subsisted primarily on a carbohydrate-rich vegetarian diet are consistent with observations in Egypt in the early 20th century. In 1934, Rosenthal asserted:

Of interest is the report of Ismail in Egypt, who has communicated that among his private patients, whose diet is similar to that of the Europeans, the incidence of atherosclerosis is high, while in his hospital practice, composed mainly of natives, who subsist largely on a carbohydrate diet, the incidence of atherosclerosis is low.24

It is clear that the authors of Protein Power have confused the diet of the elites of the ancient Egyptian society, who certainly cannot be considered as the 'average Egyptian' with the largely vegetarian diet of the of the lower classes who exhibit a lack of atherosclerosis, and which scant evidence suggests were obese. The findings from ancient Egyptian mummies do not support the claimed benefits of a low carbohydrate, high saturated fat diet promoted by these authors.

In the HORUS study, despite having the highest mean age, nearly 10 years older than that of the Unangan and Ancestral Puebloans mummies, the ancient Peruvians exhibited the lowest incidence of atherosclerosis, being evident in 13 (25%) of 51 of the mummies. Compared to these other studied ancient populations, the Peruvians likely relied more on staple plant foods, such as corn, beans and tubers, although did consume some domesticated and hunted animals.11

The researchers of the HORUS study suggested that exposure to smoke from fire used for cooking and25

heating may help explain some of the degree of atherosclerosis identified in these ancient populations. However, the description of the use of fire for cooking in ancient Egypt provided by these researchers would apply primarily to the lower classes of ancient Egypt which exhibit a lack of atherosclerosis, rather than the mummified elites that these researchers examined who would typically have had servants to cook for them.

Gout was known to be common among 

the Mongols of the Golden Horde

In regards to the traditional living Inuit and Aleut, it has been suggested that the extensive exposure to seal oil lamps may help explain the relatively severe degree of atherosclerosis in these populations.  These findings should however be considered in light of evidence of atherosclerosis in other populations which have high exposure to hazardous smoke but consume contrasting diets. For example, it has been observed that the Papua New Guinean highlanders have a smoking prevalence of greater than 70% for males and 20% for females while also being exposed to smoke for up to twelve hours a day due to the use of centrally placed open wood fires in their houses which lack both ventilation and chimneys. Despite such a high exposure to hazardous smoke it has been observed that the Papua New Guinean highlanders have among the lowest age-adjusted incidence of atherosclerosis of any studied population. However, unlike the Inuit, the Papua New Guinean highlanders traditionally consumed a plant based diet with carbohydrate supplying more than 90% of total energy intake, predominantly derived from sweet potatoes.26 27

Another population that have historically been documented to subsist almost exclusively on a diet derived from grass-fed, free-ranging animals are the largely nomadic Mongolians. John of Plano Carpini who visited the Mongols in the mid-13th century noted:

[The Mongols] have neither bread nor herbs nor vegetables nor anything else, nothing but meat… They drink mare’s milk in very great quantities if they have it; they also drink the milk of ewes, cows, goats and even camels.28

Smith reviewed the literature regarding the health of the Mongols from the 13th century and noted that a number of unfavorable cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity and gout were both common disorders. Smith went on to state:

Cardio-vascular problems, although not then subject to diagnosis, may be suspected as well.29

In 1925, Kuczynski reported on the nomadic pastoralists of the Kirghiz and Dzungarian Steppes in Central Asia and northern China that were of Mongolian descent. Similar to the observations of the diet of the nomadic Mongols of the 13th century, Kuczynski observed that these nomadic pastoralists subsisted almost exclusively on enormous quantities of meat and milk from grass-fed, free-ranging animals. Other authors have also come to the same conclusions regarding the composition of the diet of the nomadic pastoralists of the Central Asian Steppes. For example, Tayzhanov asserted:

…the people [of the steppe] lived exclusively on meat, fat and sour milk. Bread was added only later and even then some households did not adopt or consume this food.30

Similarly, Barfield asserted:

In good legendary style, the pure Central Asian nomads eat only meat, marrow, and milk products {preferably ferments}. They despise farmers, farming, and grain…31

These findings suggest that the diet of these nomadic pastoralists of the Central Asian Steppes was almost exclusively animal based, virtually devoid of grains, legumes and refined carbohydrates. This should make these populations also suitable to study the hypothesis that naturally raised animal foods protect against cardiovascular disease. However, not only did Kuczynski observe that these nomadic pastoralists suffered from high rates of obesity and gout similar to the Mongols of the 13th century, Kuczynski's observations further extended to the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and other dietary related disorders. Kuczynski asserted:

They get arteriosclerosis in an intense degree and often at an early age as shown by cardiac symptoms, nervous disordes, typical changes of the peripheral vessels, nephrosclerosis and, finally, apoplectic attacks. Even in men thirty-two years old I frequently observed arcus senilis.32

It was also observed that in the 1960s the prevalence of coronary heart disease among the nomadic pastoralists in Xinjiang in northern China who consumed large quantities of animal fat from grass-fed, free-ranging animals was more than seven times higher than that of other populations both within Xinjiang and throughout China which consumed significantly less animal fat.33 These observations support the suggestion that cardiovascular disease was common among the Mongols of the 13th century who subsisted almost exclusively on a diet based on grass-fed, free-ranging animals.

Dispelling Grass-Fed Fairy Tales

These findings from populations living before the 20th century suggest that similar to the findings from people studied in more modern times, a greater intake of minimally refined plant foods strongly predicts a lower prevalence of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. These findings cast doubt on the hypothesis that foods from organic, naturally raised animals protect against cardiovascular disease compared to staple plant foods. Furthermore, these findings suggest that the traditional living populations that relied predominantly on naturally raised animal based foods suffered from complications related to cardiovascular disease at a relatively young age and are poor role models for health.

Future posts in this series will further address how naturally raised animal foods influence cardiovascular disease, as well as other so-called diseases of civilization.


Please post any comments in the Discussion Thread.

How To Train Yourself Out Of Negativity

Every martial artist trains to conquer themselves, knowing that there are no real enemies outside the mind. Whether our martial art is kung fu, karate, chanting or sitting meditation, our aim is not to control others but to be such masters of our mind and body that all we have to do is control our own mind and all of our negative emotions are banished. Anger, despondency, hatred, a lack of desire to do things are all replaced by mental strength and stability.

We give up many things in order to train but we are prepared to endure hard training, boredom and lack of time in order to perfect our art, and achieve the end goal, which is to have victory over the enemy of our mind.

Our training puts us in touch with the positive side of our mind, the mind that lets go, the mind that doesn't think in endless circles, the mind that is spacious and flows.

This plants a seed of peace. The more we train, the more it grows. As the great Indian master, Shantideva said,

How could you find enough leather

To cover all of the earth's surface?

Just enough leather to cover your feet

Is like having enough to cover the whole earth

So whenever you feel angry, upset or worried, pause for a moment, tell yourself I'm not going to give into it. As soon as you can, train yourself out of your problem, train yourself out of anger, train yourself out of worry. You are doing one of the hardest things in the world, and one of the most honourable. Keep planting the seed of peace.

Want to train with Shifu Yan Lei?

Healthy World Cafe will be open for lunch Wednesday, Oct. 23!

Take a break from your day and head down to Healthy World Cafe for lunch Wednesday, Oct. 23. We'll be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. serving up healthy, locally sourced eats at First Moravian Church, 41 N. Duke St., York.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr user fotografeleen)

Here's what we're planning:

-- Vegetarian chili

-- Turkey corn soup

-- Cheese quiche with winter greens and mushrooms

-- Baked winter vegetable and bean falafel with creamed pesto sauce on a pita

-- Turkey and cranberry salad

-- Baked apples in cider

-- Salad bar

Of course, our menu is always based on what's available from our farmer friends, so stay tuned for updates!

At Healthy World Cafe, we always feature our "eat what you want, pay how you can" philosophy. The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food.

Items worth noting:
-- PARKING: When coming to the cafe for our Wednesday lunches, please DO NOT park in the private lots surrounding 1st Moravian Church.  You may park on the street (metered), or you may park at First Presbyterian Church at E. Market and N. Queen Sts., and walk one block west down Clarke Ave. to First Moravian (enter on north side).

-- TAKE OUT: Take out orders for lunch are available by e-mailing your selections (by 10 a.m. Oct. 23) to healthyworldcafe(at)gmail(dot)com.

-- VOLUNTEERING: Don't forget our switch to volunteer shifts for Wednesday's lunches: In order to better respect our volunteers' time, we'll be splitting the Wednesday lunch into two volunteer shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free, of course, to sign up for both shifts, if you wish.

If you can't volunteer for an exact shift, hey, we understand that, too! We love that you're still eager to help out when you can. We would just ask that, after signing up through VolunteerSpot, that you'd send a quick email to sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you. That makes it easier for us to plan out volunteer duties.

Check out a calendar of other upcoming events as well. 

The health benefits of honey for skin and your face

Honey is the solution to human health since ancient times. Honey is often referred to as the food of the Gods. Honey has many remarkable properties. One of the properties is a material that can be used to beautify the skin; even honey is also beneficial to free your skin of acne, so it will not interfere with your beauty. Every woman, even men also wants the healthy face and free of acne. Make honey as first solution before you try anti acne.

What are the benefits of honey for skin health and beauty? How to use honey to beautify skin?

Honey for healthy skin. Image: chickswagger.com

1. Honey (pure honey) can soften and moisturize normal skin. You can get these properties by applying honey directly on the skin surface (as a mask). Let stand about 30 minutes and then washed with cold water. Perform at least 2 times a week.

2. Honey can be used as a mask for dry skin. Honey is also of great benefit for dry skin. These benefits can you get by mixing honey with ripe bananas. Combine both to the average (if necessary use a blender). Then, wipe the surface of the skin until evenly distributed. Let stand about 30 minutes and wash with cold water. This process can be done at least 2 times a week.

3. Honey can smooth the skin dry feet and cracked. These benefits can you get by mixing 2 cups of warm milk with honey glass (ratio 2: 1) into the basin. Then, put your feet into the basin. Let it stand for 15 minutes while being massaged. These methods can also be used in the treatment of skin on the knees, elbows, hands, or parts of your body that others who want to be gentler.

4. Honey can be made into a natural lotion for daily skin care.Lotion is beneficial in maintaining skin smoothness. The trick is: mix one teaspoon of honey, one teaspoon of grape seed oil, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and three drops of lavender oil. Stir all ingredients until smooth and rub all over the surface of your skin after bathing every morning.

 

Notice the characteristics of a good honey before you buy it.Image: nativepakistan.com

5. Honey can be used as a skin cleanser and facial.This cleanser is to keep your skin by lifting dead skin cells and impurities. These benefits can you get by mixing one tablespoon of honey, one spoon of almond powder, one teaspoon of lemon juice or orange juice, and a few drops of aromatherapy oils. Stir all ingredients until blended and then rubbed across the surface of the skin once every 2 days before bathing.

6. Honey can cleanse the skin, scalp, and hair. This benefits you can get by dissolving in a glass of honey in a water bath. Use this to rinse the bath water body, head, and your hair every bathing.

7. Honey can be made as a skin freshener for normal skin.These benefits can you get by mixing honey with apple cider vinegar (vinegar) with a ratio of 5 (honey): 1 (apple vinegar). The mixture can be rubbed on the skin at least once a week.

8. Honey can be used as eksfolian (cleaning dead skin cells and impurities). These benefits can you get by mixing one tablespoon of honey in 2 tablespoons of oatmeal cereal. This mixture can be rubbed into the surface of the skin at least once a week.

9. Honey can be used as an acne medication, and even can be used as a stain remover acne scars. These benefits can you get by mixing a spoonful of honey with a little cinnamon powder. Then, apply this mixture on the acne or acne blemishes. Leave it overnight and wash off in the morning. Do this over and over again for at least one week.

Honey at spa center. Image: termemerano.it

10. Honey at spa. Honey is also used for beauty treatments in the spa center. Maybe you need to enjoy a healthy and spa as well as beautify your body at the spa center

Additional Information: Honey contains many anti-oxidants, various benefits of vitamins, nutrients and enzymes, which on the whole is very beneficial to your health. 

Honey is also believed to be beneficial to increase sexual desire, both for men and women, so that your sex life will be warm and enjoyable. Honey is a natural aphrodisiac.

Let us drink honey with the right dose, so we can get the benefits of honey for the health and life more beautiful.

Important information: Before you buy honey, make sure you buy honey with high quality. Do not be tempted by cheap prices and attractive packaging. Buy pure honey or honey that is produced by a company that already has a good reputation.

Great news. 

If you do not have time to prepare all the tips and solutions, as mentioned above, so now you can get health and beauty products for you, you can even get a lifestyle rewards for free as a holiday and enjoy a cruise to places of interest and beautiful, which will surely provide fond memories for you. Please click: 


Find out more.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Si Bi Quan

Si Bi Quan - STAMP BLOCK PUNCH FORM

 In the feature film I've just shot, Shaolin Temple students practice this form in the mountains of China, and students in the UK practice in their urban environment. One of the things I love about kung fu is how it connects us from one side of the globe to the other. One of the things I love about this form is how grounding it is, strengthening the mind as well as the body.

BENEFITS

This deceptively simple form  uses only two stances, mabu and gong bu. It builds:

Stamina

Coordination

Strengthens the legs

Acts as a gateway to Iron Leg

Centres and grounds

 CHECK LIST

Do the form slowly and check it in the mirror.

Is your body relaxed?

Are you knees slightly pushed out so they are over your knees when you're in mabu?

Are your eyes strong?

Is your centre of gravity in the middle?

Are you gently grabbing the floor with your feet. 

Don't tip the body but keep it straight.

Cautions

If you have knee or back problems then you need to keep your stance high. If you find the stance is aggravating the problem then you need to stop. There should be no pain when you do this stance.

How to improve your form

Start by doing it slowly, checking that your form is correct then begin to speed up. Practicing with a partner is a good way to push yourself but if you don't have a partner then use a stopwatch instead, do five rounds and see how long it takes you. If you don't get out of breath then you're doing it wrong! Make sure your stance  is low and don't allow yourself to rise higher.

Overview

It's a good idea for Qigong and Kung Fu students to spend some time working on this form. Our body's tend to be lazy and want to find an easy way out but regular check ups will keep us on the right path. It's also easier to feel the Qi in the Dantian when we do this form which is why even a few minutes of doing this stance will help us to feel grounded and energised. 

Want to learn more?

I teach this form in my DVDs: Shaolin Workout 1
I teach Shaolin stances in Instant Health: Qigong Workout & Rou Quan

Sleep and Genetic Obesity Risk

Evidence is steadily accumulating that insufficient sleep increases the risk of obesity and undermines fat loss efforts.  Short sleep duration is one of the most significant risk factors for obesity (1), and several potential mechanisms have been identified, including increased hunger, increased interest in calorie-dense highly palatable food, reduced drive to exercise, and alterations in hormones that influence appetite and body fatness.  Dan Pardi presented his research at AHS13 showing that sleep restriction reduces willpower to make healthy choices about food.

We also know that genetics has an outsized influence on obesity risk, accounting for about 70 percent of the variability in body fatness between people in affluent nations (2).  I have argued that "fat genes" don't directly lead to obesity, but they do determine who is susceptible to a fattening environment and who isn't (3).  I recently revisited a 2010 paper published in the journal Sleep by University of Washington researchers that supports this idea (4).

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Back in Keto-land

For the past 6 weeks, I’ve been back at it – low-carb style. I never abandoned low carb, but I did lapse into some bad habits that were undermining my progress. I also let rumblings in the Paleo community tempt me into the “safe starch” realm. I have no doubt that many folks do better with some more carbs in their life, I’m just not one of them. Sadly, I fear I’ve pretty much already ingested all the carbs I can handle! I cannot deny that the lower I keep my carbs, the better I feel. 

I am keeping my activity in line with my eating style and avoiding anything that depends too heavily on tapping into glycogen (glucose stores). I’m focusing on walking a lot more (low and slow), yoga (also pretty low and slow), and short but intense cardio (intervals) and resistance training (lifting). The former are good for general health and some minor fat burning and the latter create a good hormonal response that triggers muscle building – more lean tissue means higher metabolic rate. All of it is either fun or short enough to make it hard to talk myself out of doing. And, the leg presses are doing some wonderful things to my butt. Just ask Cute Man…

I feel strongly that for most people, a general Atkins-style low carb or Paleo lifestyle can (and possibly should) be done without counting a darn thing. Once you take out the “food without brakes” as described by the Whole 9 folks, it does pretty much fall into place. This has worked for me in the past. However, I have been struggling for close to two years now and winging it is simply not working for me. I find too many ways to undermine my plan – whether it’s Paleo treats or simply too much food or some combination, it’s just not working.

As a result, I’ve been using My Fitness Pal again to put some structure into my day. I have a calorie target, but if I am truly still hungry, I do go over it without freaking out. For the most part, it tends to average out over the course of a week, which is great to see. Check out this post about how to configure My Fitness Pal for ketogenic diets (you have to tinker). My main goal is to stay under 50 carbs a day; ideally, I stay under 50 total carbs, but as long as I’m under 50 net carbs (which subtracts out fiber), the day is a success in my book. I’m also working on titrating down my protein a bit. I want to eat enough to fulfill my needs, but not leave much over for my body to produce glucose with the excess (gluconeogenesis). As a result, the vast majority of calories are coming from fat (about 70%!) You’d think that would involve mainlining butter, but it really doesn’t. I’ve found the high water/fiber of veggies (low calorie/high volume) plus fat (high calorie low volume) is a winning combination. Add in tons of homemade bone broth and you’re in business. If you’re interested in what all I’m doing, you can find me on My Fitness Pal – SammyDs.

I have to say that it truly feels good to be feeling good again! My mind is clear, I have more energy, and my PMS and other hormonal symptoms are calming back down. I have to remember to listen to my own body first and foremost. It is so easy to be swayed by messages that my addict’s mind loves to hear. Any excuse to give into the addiction and I’m there. That all being said, I am not living a bland life. Contrary to what many Paleo purists would advocate, I do think that life is just better with some sort of treats involved! I either have small amounts of dark chocolate or whip up some sort of baked treat (gasp!) I’ve been experimenting with sweeteners like Swerveand Steviaand am enjoying having a few things I can make and enjoy within this lifestyle. My absolute favorite find is this Nutella Swirl Tea Loaf. Seriously. So. Good. Keeping track of my carbs and calories helps me keep the portions sensible. So far, this strategy is working for me. I’m following a mentality much more in line with Maria Emmerich and Vanessa Romero as opposed to a strictly Paleo one. I’m finding the balance refreshing and it’s fabulous to see the scale moving downward, to feel my clothes getting looser, and to be getting compliments again (oh, the vanity!)

How To Have A Powerful Zen Mind

Being back in China and staying close to the birthplace of Zen made me think about the Bodhidharma, and how much influence this solitary Indian monk has had upon the world. Zen has become a common word used as a marketing tool to sell all manner of things. But the true essence of Zen is to cease the endless craving 

"You might think you can find a Buddha or enlightenment somewhere beyond the mind but no such place exists." This is a very comforting quote for me because it stops the constant search and quest and puts us right where we are now. We often crave things as a way to avoid what's going on inside our mind. 

"The mind is the Buddha. Everything comes from our mind." You don't need to be a Buddhist to understand this. We all have a mind, and it's the same mind whether we follow a religion or none at all. Our mind can be very tricky at times. We all want to be happy, to feel peaceful, and whole. So, although  Damo is talking about Buddha's mind as the enlightened mind.  Because I'm just a beginner, I think of Buddha mind as the positive mind. The mind that is open and is in harmony. 

Damo spent long hours meditating every day in a cave about the Shaolin Temple, and he saw how the body got tired and affected the mind, which is why he created Qigong.Cleanse the body and the mind will follow. Even a beginner following 8 Treasures from The Way Of Qigong Volume 1 will feel the mind settling down, and a feeling of harmony will follow. 

This settled mind then goes out into the world with far more power as it's not leaking energy everywhere but has a focus and purpose. What Damo is saying is, you don't need to go to a temple in China. I practice the same Qigong in London as I practiced in China with the same mind. Whatever martial arts you do, just do it. Wherever you are is the perfect place for you. "The Buddha is a product of your mind so why look for a Buddha beyond the mind?"

For more information please visit:http://www.shifuyanlei.co.uk/