Holistic Is Not A Four-Lettered WordWritten by Edgar Cisneros
If you're anything like me, then you've got a certain picture in your mind of what "holistic" is supposed to be. For me, it's conjured up pictures of holy men, or shaman, doing a ritual dance while chanting mantras, and rubbing "energy crystals" in an effort to remove evil spirits from your life. It wasn't until I started doing research for my new book, "5 Keys To Health: A Holistic Approach" when I realized that my preconceptions couldn't have more further from truth.I had originally planned to write a book on fitness. I know that's a pretty general term, but I intended it to be about how one can achieve health through physical fitness. It wasn't going to be anything fancy. It was going to be a guide for busy person, and how they can get fit, and stay that way while still being able to live a busy lifestyle. I’ve always been interested in health and fitness. As a matter of fact, I think I’m in pretty good shape. I work out with weights at least 3 days per week, and I engage in some sort of cardiovascular activity at least 2 days per week. I eat right; I stretch after every work out. I don’t smoke or drink excessively. I thought I was doing pretty well. That is, until through course of my research I came to realize that there’s a lot more to being healthy than being physically fit, and eating right. That’s when I ran into word "holistic." In past, it’s always had a negative connotation for me. I’ve always thought of it as something used by metaphysical crackpots trying to sell snake-oil. As it turns out, holistic is not what I thought it was. The real meaning of holistic is looking at whole system rather than just concentrating on individual components. So, when it comes to being healthy, it looks at every aspect of health instead of just physical. Do you realize that when we consider health, we usually look to see if our diet is right, or how often we exercise? There’s so much more to consider.
| | Top nutritional tips to support hair growth.Written by Richard Mitchell
1. Eat adequate amounts of protein.Protein is composed of amino acids essential for building of new cells, including hair. Five amino acids are of particular relevance to hair growth - cystine, cysteine, methionine, arginine and lysine. Inadequate protein intake over a lengthy period can force hair into resting phase with shedding a few months later. It is obvious then that sufficient portions of protein rich foods should form part of your daily diet. The best sources of dietary protein are lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy, nuts, grains and seeds. At least 15% of your daily calories should come from protein-rich foods. 2. Eat adequate amounts of useful carbohydrates. Carbs are an essential source of energy and help in growth of body tissues, including hair. They are an important source of B vitamins that are vital to healthy hair. It is important that you concentrate on consuming non-refined carbs rather than sugars and white flour that are so prevalent in many over-refined carb products. You should place an emphasis on consuming vegetables, fruits, whole grains, brown rice and potatoes. It is recommended that you obtain 55-60% of your daily calories from carbohydrates found in these foods. 3. Achieve a healthy balance of dietary fats. Fat is used in energy production and can be found in both animal and plant foods. Your body needs sufficient levels of fat to maintain good health. That fat should be obtained from a mixture of lean animal and plant sources. Roughly 25-30% of your daily calories should come from these sources.
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