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Taptutor Session 8- Five Count Rif
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Author: Monica
“Sugar? Spice? No It’s Pumpkin…So Nice”
Pumpkin Seeds eaten raw have some amazingly super health benefits!
Pumpkin seeds contain a vast amount of proteins, manganese, fibers, potassium and phosphor. They also are important for the immune system because of their high level of zinc. And what do you know, like other things that are good for the immune system, they also help in the fight against cancer.
Other benefits of these amazing little seeds are as follows: they repair our body’s damaged DNA, help to control diabetes and make our vision better.
The substances in the pumpkin seeds that have been used for treatment of various types of cancer in its early stages are Cucurbitacins. These give the seed its potent anti-inflammatory properties also. The zinc and phytosterols in pumpkin seeds help in the prevention of prostate cancer development. They are also beneficial in DNA repair.
What else?
Well, so glad you asked. If the above benefits are not enough, pumpkin seeds also contain a large amount of nicotinic acid, trigonelline and D-chiro-inositol. Nicotinic acid and D-chiro-inositol have been proven to control blood sugar, and D-chiro-inositol prevents the onset of diabetes also.
Since these little seeds also contain a lot of zinc, a lot of the common cold prevention products try to copy or mimic their zinc fighting action. Zinc is so great for the immune function that the National Institutes of Health recommends 8 mg of zinc per day for women, which is about one cup of pumpkin seeds.
Last but not least, zinc allows vitamin A to travel from our liver to our retina (in the eye) to make melanin. Melanin is a pigment that protects our eyes.
Try the below tasty recipe in reference number 2 if you are like me and not SO excited about eating the seeds raw. Of course you get the best health benefits eating them as is, but I guess I would rather get some of the benefit than none at all due to the thought of eating them raw… not too exciting! This is one thing that I have reviewed that I am not so eager to try again as is….however, the great minerals and nutrients as well as health benefits gained from them are too great to let you all sleep on them.
References:
- http://complete-health-and-happiness.com/eating-raw-pumpkin-seeds-repair-dna-control-blood-sugar-spikes-improve-our-sight/
- http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/cinnamon-sugar-roasted-pumpkin-seeds-recipe.html
Taptutor Session 7- Basic Time Step
Pearly Whites Not So White?
You know, through the years our teeth can take a beating just like the rest of our body through just normal every day trauma. Even trying our best to take care of them, over time, they lose that beautiful bright color that we once had as young children. Well rest assure, there are some simple and inexpensive things we can do to enhance the appearance of our teeth, thus enhancing our smile! It won’t even take a lot of time….just 3 minutes!
What you will need:
The juice from 1/2 of a lemon (preferably organic)
1/4 cup of baking soda (if you are preparing for Passover/Pesach, be careful that this goes out with the other Chametz)
Instructions:
Squeeze the lemon juice over your baking soda.
The mixture will begin to bubble and you should allow it to sit for a few minutes.
Use a cotton ball to place the mixture onto your teeth.
Only allow the mixture to stay on your teeth for about one minute.
After a minutes, brush your teeth as you normally would do to remove the acidic mixture. Warning: Do not let the mixture stay on your teeth indefinitely, it could cause erosion on your teeth. Just remember that even natural products can have some adverse effects.
Check out the third reference on how often you should use the mixture.
I challenge you to try it and send in your before and after! Tell how it worked (or maybe how it didn’t work) for you!
My Before Picture:
Will post an after pic in a few weeks.
http://www.loveme.com.ng/2015/10/see-how-to-whiten-your-teeth-in-just-3.html
http://everydayroots.com/teeth-whitening-at-home
http://www.wikihow.com/Whiten-Teeth-With-Baking-Soda
Tap Session 6- Paddle & Roll/Paradiddle
Getting a little faster and adding to our knowledge in this session! Practice, practice, practice!
All About Chia Seeds
You all probably remember the famous “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia”. How many of us grew those chia plants back in the day and had no idea what it was? Well, I have just become a user of these cool little seeds. Top 8 reasons why to incorporate Chia Seeds into your daily diet:
- One big reason is you get a lot for doing so little. Chia seeds are packed with so many nutrients and very few calories. They contain 11 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, 5 grams of Omega-3s out of the 9 grams of fat, 18% of the recommended daily allowance of Calcium (RDA), 30% of the RDA of Manganese, 27% of the RDA of Phosphorus, a generous amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3/Niacin, Potassium, Vitamin B1/Thiamine and Vitamin B2.
- In just 1 ounce, you get a power-packed 137 calories (this is just 2 tablespoons). Since a lot of these calories are fiber and may not be used by the body, these ends up being about 101 calories per ounce. Chia seeds are usually grown organically and considered a “whole grain” food. They are non-GMO and also gluten free without any manipulation.
- Chia seeds have been found to have a high amount of anti-oxidants
- As mentioned earlier, almost all of the calories are from fiber. Since fiber won’t raise your blood sugar level, eating chia seeds doesn’t require so much usage of insulin because only a small percentage is actual carbs. Fiber absorbs a lot of water and eating these seeds in other foods and drinks will “fill you up” so to speak. This may lead to you eating fewer calories, thus, it may help in weight loss.
- Chia seeds are high in protein which helps to keep you full and suppress apetite!
- They are high in Omega-3-Fatty acids
- May reduce your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
- They contain nutrients that are healthy for bones. This is important to me since I made a decision not to drink or give cow milk to my family. I wanted another source of calcium and phosphorus. These nutrients also include magnesium and protein in which Chia seeds contain a great amount.
- These little seeds may cause improvement in Type 2 Diabetes patients due to their ability to significantly lower blood pressure and a marker for inflammation.
I hope you will give these little seeds a try, but before doing so, just consider that it is best taken in small amounts like an ounce or so mixed in with other food and drink. Also, please consult your healthcare provider before introducing anything new. This just keeps them in the loop and helps you to be safer!
References:
Taptutor Session 5
Check out these new steps and combinations to build on your knowledge of the taps steps we have done so far!
Go Bananas Over Bananas!
There are so many health benefits to this simple fruit that comes in its own To Go package. Out of all of the fruits that we eat in our home, this one is the one that I can never keep an adequate supply of. Of course, that makes me happy as the Head of the Nutrition Department as just one of the hats that I wear in the household. Why do I love bananas….?
- If you are watching your weight, they are very helpful. There are about 110 calories in a medium size banana and this yields about 30 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber. The fiber and a type of starch that you do not digest helps to fill us up and helps us to not get so hungry. This makes it a great in between meals snack.
- Eating bananas will increase your intake of vitamin C. This is important because vitamin C providse an antioxidant effect, helps to protect collagen that helps to hold bones, muscles and other body tissues together, and is used to absorb iron and folate which keeps our gums healthy and aids in healing.
- Bananas are important for our intake of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is important for healthy cells because bananas help us make nonessential amino acids. This wonderful fruit also helps produce insulin (for regulating our blood sugar), hemoglobin and antibodies that help in fighting infections.
- Have diarrhea? This fruit is recommended by dietitians and physicians in the BRAT Diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast). It will help to bulk up the stool so that you get relief from diarrhea.
- Bananas provide a lot of potassium, about 420 mg. As you may know, potassium helps to lower blood pressure, which will help to decrease our risk of stroke. We gain about 10% of the recommended daily adult requirement of potassium from a medium size banana (about 4,700 mg).
- Bananas are a mood booster due to the magnesium in them. If you are low on this nutrient, you may be more likely to be depressed, anxious or irritable. Who wants that? Just a small banana will provide about 27 mg of magnesium. Men need 420 mg and women 320 mg of magnesium per day.
- Bananas may help to influence serotonin levels, however, there is also some information that demonstrates that bananas may also help with sleeplessness because they contain magnesium and potassium.
- Have an itch or a bug bite? The peel of the banana can be rubbed on the area. This can also be used for psoriasis patches or poison ivy to help to relieve the itch and promote healing.
- Did you know that you can eat the banana peel….don’t know if I want to try this one but good to know. The peel can be boiled for 10 minutes to extract even more fiber, antioxidants and nutrients. After cleaning the peel then boiling, put it through the juicer or blend it with other fruits and veggies.
- And finally, bananas have a healthy amount of Vitamin A, iron and phosphorus.
One of my favorite quick dessert recipes that will not break the budget…Banana Cinnamon Cake with Coconut Cream (coconut cream and cinnamon optional).
You will need the above ingredients, but don’t be afraid to experiment on the amounts:
- Just 1 medium or large banana
- 1 large egg (or 2 medium is best)
- 3 tablespoons of oil ( I prefer sunflower oil)
- 1 1/4 cups of white granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Baking powder (1 1/4 packets) which is about 2 1/2-3 teaspoons
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream
- (Optional tablespoon of cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of coconut cream- not pictured)
- Flour (as you add it will be about 2 cups but I like a thick batter so you may want less)
- About 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
- About 1 cup of water (again, depends on the consistency of the batter you are comfortable with)
Directions:
Smash the banana, add your egg(s), sugar, sour cream, oil cinnamon (optional) and coconut cream (optional). Stir until you get a creamy like consistency. Add baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir. At this point, it will look something like this:
Now add 1/2 of your flour to make the mixture like the consistency of pancake batter. Stir or mix with a hand mixer for about a minute until all lumps are gone. If you sift your flour, you should do this first. Add about 1/2 cup of water and stir until the mixture is well blended. Repeat the process of adding the rest of the flour, mixing, adding the rest of the water, and mixing. Now you will have a batter that is rather thick looking like a pound cake. Pour the mixture into a medium size baking dish and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Times may vary depending on your oven but do the toothpick test before taking it out.
Let the cake cool and if desired, add your favorite icing and toppings or just eat it as is. Hope you enjoy this half naughty and half healthy quick dessert! Comment and let me know if you tried it and the results and feel free to let me also know how you tweeked the recipe to put your own spin on it. I would love to share it on my blog!
References:
- http://appforhealth.com/2013/05/health-benefits-of-bananas/
- http://www.livestrong.com/article/230722-banana-nutrition-guide/
- http://www.medicaldaily.com/health-benefits-bananas-and-their-peels-10-unusual-ways-use-entire-fruit-296454
- http://www.lifescript.com/food/articles/0/14_banana_health_benefits_you_might_not_know_about.aspx
Tap Session 4
Continuing on with Tap Session 4 where we learn how to incorporate toe step and cramp roll into a combination! Keep practicing and please subscribe to my YouTube!
Taptutor Session 3
- The pace is picking up a little….keep practicing and add these new steps to your workout!
Please remember to do the warm-up as well as sessions 1-2 before doing this one and remember….practice makes perfect!
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