Yum Yum Strawberies are Healthy!

I love strawberries. A lot. They are yummy and sweet and refreshing and juicy... and pretty darned healthy, too. Besides just having a bunch of good vitamins and being great jams, strawberries are appearing to be beneficial in another way: boosting red blood cells.

The boost they get is in how responsive they are to anti-oxidants. Oxitative stress (the "oxi" you are trying to "anti") is associated with various diseases.

The study was done by Spanish and Italian researchers. Subjects were given 1/2 kilogram of berries a day or roughly the equivalent of one pound. That's a lot of berry. The pound was spread throught the day and this was done for two week. The results? Blood plasma had increased antioxidant capacity and red blood cells resisted fragmentation.They are now doing the studies with a quarter to half that amount: average strawberry consumption.

How delicious! What a yummy study in which to participate. You can read more at ScienceDaily.

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Earth Week Tip #3: Get Out!

Pay attention to your vistas.

How does going outside help with being green? Well, there are a few, but don't think of it as just being green (or "blue" as I like to call it), think of it as a key to better overall health and yet ANOTHER money saving tip!

People who go out in nature have the tendency to have a better appreciation for the natural world. Not only that, but there is strong evidence that people who have more green spaces around (i.e. parks and gardens) have better cognitive functions, less anxiety, lower blood pressure, can stabalize blood sugar better, and have better immune system functionality.

You may see critters!

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COPD Eating

While I haven't done a LOONNG post in forever, this is related to the series I started about COPD. It's short and sweet. Because COPD affects your breathing, it can also affect how you eat. I was very pleased when earlier today, Health.com posted an article on how you can enjoy your meals more when suffering from one of the many conditions under the COPD blanket. Eating is super important because, according to the chief medical officer for the American Lung Association, COPD leads to hypermetabolic states. This means burning of excess calories leading to weight-loss and undernourishment.

Many of the tips may seem like common sense, but people may need to be reminded of these things. People with COPD should first and foremost quit smoking. Also, drinking anything while eating can be a bit tricky. Another good tip is to eat your largest meal early in the day and try to eat many smaller meals. The list includes many other helpful tips so if you or someone you know suffers from COPD, you may want to check it out. There are 15 very easy tips in all.

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