Good News For All You Popcorn Lovers!

Hi everyone! Recently I was talking to my best girlfriend, Mollie and I was explaining to her that I have gotten hooked on popcorn! I told her I used to be a potato chip kind of girl, but now I'm in love with popcorn. I was referring to the microwave kind that is real low in calories per bag, the mini portions. She was explaining to me that I needed to be careful because of the carb count and that I could easily pack on the pounds if I didn't watch it. She went on to say that if I am going to be eating popcorn every day, that I should at least invest in an air popper. That's all it took for me to make a beeline to my local Walmart to purchase exactly that! It has been the best little investment in my snack routine and today's news that came out all over the internet confirms that I made one of the best choices when it comes to snacking! According to a new study, popcorn may have fruits and vegetables beat when it comes to antioxidants. I would have never imagined this. The study suggests that one serving of popcorn has more antioxidants than a day's worth of fruits or vegetables in the average American diet. The study's author is a chemist by the name of Joe Vinson. He stated that popcorn may be the perfect snack food! According to Vinson this is because it is the only snack food that is 100 percent whole grain and whole grains have much more fiber than most vegetables and fruits. When something is labeled "whole grain" in America it only has to be 51% whole grain, therefore the more whole grains a food has the higher the health benefits. Antioxidants play a key role in protecting against cancer, heart disease and other diseases. In addition, they also help to combat free radicals produced by the body in response to things such as exposure to cigarette smoke and radiation.
As with any food you consume though, the key is to be careful not to cover it with unhealthy toppings such as salt, butter and oil. Get creative! Believe it or not, I love mine with Louisiana hot sauce, or tabasco sauce with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Delicious! You can also try cinnamon, curry powder or dill for an interesting taste combination. As with everything, eat it in moderation and do not use it to replace your broccoli and apples just yet, because those give you nutrients you can't get anywhere else. Instead, eat popcorn as a way of trading up on your snacking and doing away with the unhealthy ones you usually reach for!
Have a healthy week everyone!

The Health Benefits of Coffee

Good morning everyone! Its about 9:00 am here in Texas and all I can say is I am so grateful for that hot pot of steaming coffee brewing in the kitchen! I didn't always like coffee, but about 35 years ago when I was a newbie employee at the Telecom Giant I used to work for I got used to pouring myself a cup or 2 every day just to get an energy jolt. Ever since then, it has become a habit I just can't live without. I can't even imagine not starting my day every morning with a couple of cups. Recently there have been studies that indicate that having a cup or two every day is actually beneficial to your health. This is good news for folks like me, because it would have been terribly difficult to give up something so tasty.  New studies show there are quite a few benefits to drinking coffee.  Some of these include giving you the ability to think clearly, lowering depression risk in women, lowing prostate cancer risk in men, protecting against Parkinson's disease, type 2 diabetes and liver cancer. Also, new research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference shows that coffee could help to ward off basal cell carcinoma, the most common cancer in the world! Another benefit is that coffee is full of antioxidants which we all need. Keep in mind though that you should still go by the old maxim, "everything in moderation" because heavy caffeine use (4-7 cups per day) can cause problems such as anxiety, sleeplessness and irritability. Also, remember that anything you add to coffee, such as cream and sugar can add unnecessary calories to your diet. Ok, I've got to go, looks like my pot is ready!      Have a healthy day everyone!

Mental Fitness is as Important as Physical Fitness!

Hi everyone! The funniest thing happened to me the other day when I was visiting my family in Houston. We were all sitting in a restaurant having lunch when out of nowhere a woman came up to our table and greeted me warmly. "Hi Nancy! How are you girl?" I stared at her and drew a blank. I was completely mortified because she obviously knew me very well. My unease was apparent so she quickly told me who she was. Turns out she was a teller at my local bank back home in my little town who just happened to be visiting friends in Houston.  Even though this happened several days ago, I still feel so badly for this woman because I felt I was being rude for not recalling her name when she approached.  I also still feel the tinge of humiliation for being unable to recall her name. The truth is that as we get older our mental acuity is not as sharp as when we were young. Mental fitness is like physical fitness. Just as we should walk, bike, swim, etc. for our physical self we should practice exercising our minds as well. Growing older does not automatically mean you will lose your ability to think clearly, remember facts or be able to reason, but most people find that their memory slows down a bit as they age. Very often, however, the memory loss is related to stress, depression, medications, poor nutrition, changes in life such as retirement or even at times, grief. Research indicates that eating foods rich in antioxidants such as fruits and vegetables may help prevent the natural decline in brain function that comes with age. Research also indicates that exercise is one of the keys to keeping your mind sharp as you age. It helps to preserve the blood supply to the brain.  Regular exercise can help us all maintain quick reaction times and improve our brain power. The old adage is absolutely true, if your don't use it you lose it! Some suggestions for keeping your memory sharp are:

• Build routines into your day. Having a routine helps you remember more!
• Make lists. This helps your mind stay free of clutter. I keep a notepad by my bed to clear my mind before going to sleep.
• Do crossword puzzles or play on-line games with friends. I play Words with Friends daily on my computer or iPad. I have a first generation iPad, but am really looking forward to the new one coming soon. Recently, Apple unveiled its third generation iPad, which has been simply named "new iPad." It boasts remarkable features like Retina display and packs 4G LTE technology, which will enable faster streaming and downloads and should make playing games and working on-line crosswords much easier for all of us.
• Try making associations, especially visual connections, between what you are trying to learn and what you know.  Experts say the more ridiculous the associations, the better the chances of recalling things.

I hope what happened to me never happens again since it was so embarrassing! I plan to follow my own advice to keep my mind sharp in the future and hope you do too! Have a happy and healthy week everyone!