Archive for Uncategorized

Thyme For Some Sage Advice About Parsley

December 4, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

You sit down to dinner and you can’t wait to dig in to everything, EXCEPT the parsley. Today GenuLines looks at the humble parsley and why it’s a nutritional star!

 

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ARTICLE:

 
You may have seen that parsley on your plate and thought of it as a mere decoration. And while parsley is often used as a pretty garnish, it also has many health benefits.
 
 
parsley on cutting board
 
 
It turns out that parsley is very high in antioxidants. These chemicals help to prevent disease and improve your health in general.
 
What exactly is so special about parsley? It:
 
  • slows the aging process
  • contains powerful antioxidants luteolin, vitamin A, and vitamin C
  • can strengthen your immunity
  • helps your body repair connective tissue
  • strengthens bones and teeth
  • repairs cuts and scratches faster
  • protects you from hardened arteries and heart disease
  • discourages plaque buildup in your blood vessels
  • protects nerve cells to help prevent nervous system disorders
 
 
The natural oils in parsley are also known to fight cancer. Specifically, you can reduce your risk of colon cancer and prostate cancer.
 
You can even get some protection from the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. (though parsley consumption won’t make it a good idea to start or keep smoking)
 
Parsley can help inflammation-related diseases. These include arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autoimmune disease.
 
How much do you need to eat to get the benefit? It turns out that you only need about two (fresh) tablespoons each day.
 
This gives you the vitamins and antioxidants it provides in high levels.
 
Parsley is delicious in its own right. It makes a great compliment to many dishes either raw or cooked.
 
Raw parsley gives you you the most benefits. And don’t forget to throw a few sprigs into the juicer for a tasty and healthy drink! (you can mix the juice with something sweet like apple)
 
Oh, there’s also a cosmetic benefit to consuming parsley. The oils and texture of parsley help to clean your teeth and freshen your breath after a meal.
 
This is great when you don’t have time to brush your teeth between meals.
 
Next time, instead of leaving the parsley on the plate, go ahead and eat a bit of the garnish to get the health benefits.
 
You’ll come away with fresher breath and an army of nutrients to help keep your body healthier and younger.
 
JohnK 12-4-2018
 
 
 
 
 
man hears about parsleyOverheard: “He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.”                          ~Chinese Proverb
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for parsley
 
 
 
 

Good Thanksgiving “Chi” from GenuLines to You!

November 22, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

 

On this Thanksgiving Day, I am incredibly thankful that you are a part of the Chi For Yourself and GenuLines communities!

Rather than sending you wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving, I’m sending you all the best energies– in other words: good “chi.’

Use this time to rest and recharge with your family and friends. And keep in mind that what you think about is what you bring about!

Be well

 

JohnK 11-22-2018

chiforyourself.com home

 

graphic for thanksgiving

 

 

 

man on thanksgivingOverheard:  “If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.” 
                             ~Meister Eckhart

 

 

 

 

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Depression and “Feeling Better” With Cindy Stulberg

November 20, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

Our latest Chi For Yourself topic was depression. But it centered on a different kind of treatment. 

Woman talks depressionCindy Stulberg is the author of Feeling Better: Beat Depression and Improve Your Relationships with Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Her message is that depression can be treated by getting a better handle on your relationships. 

 

Here are some of the talking points from the show:

 

  • Interpersonal Psychotherapy or IPT
  • Four depression problem areas 
  • Social media’s effect on isolation
  • 13 signs you might be depressed
  • Step 1 you can take right away

 

If you missed the show, you can hear it by clicking on this logo:

 

radio logo for depression show

 

Be well!

 

 

JohnK 11-20-2018

chiforyourself.com home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depression And a Different Way of Dealing With It

November 14, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

For years, the first line of defense for depression has been pharmaceuticals.

 

Woman talks depressionBut on our next edition of Chi For Yourself, we’ll look at relationships as a path to healing.

Our guest will be Cindy Goodman Stulberg, co-author with Ronald Frey of Feeling Better: Beat Depression and Improve Your Relationships with Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

 

 

Be here for the interview on Thursday, November 15th at 1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern time at chiforyourself.com

 

JohnK 11-14-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Ways to Prevent Cognitive Decline

November 8, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
                                                                                                                                                cognitive impairment
I wanted to follow up on the last GenuLines post about Meditation and Brain Health with a look at tips to prevent cognitive decline.
 
What you do in your early adult years can have major repercussions on the health of your brain.
 
Making good lifestyle choices early on pays dividends.
 
Scroll down for some ideas.
 
 
 
 
 
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ARTICLE:

 
You can prevent your cognitive abilities from declining as you age. Staying away from drugs, alcohol and smoking can make a world of difference.
 
While there’s still no cure for Alzheimer’s, there are a number of ways to help slow it down. Researchers are telling us symptoms can even be reversed.
 
Suggestions include:
 
1. Stay socially active
Do enjoyable things with your friends. Or go to new places and meet new people.
 
We’re social creatures. Even a simple smile or hand shake, lets your brain release the happy hormone known as oxytocin.
 
This elevates your mood, reduces stress and boosts cognitive functions.
 
2. Step outside your comfort zone
As we age, we become stuck in a certain routine. Many adults don’t like trying new things, in general, which could be a reason why our brains start shrinking as we age.
 
As kids, we enjoyed new activities and doing things we’d never done before. But as we grow older, trying new things makes us more uncomfortable.
 
We’re afraid of rejection and embarrassment. Our brains get less stimulation, and this speeds up cognitive decline. 
 
3. Exercise, eat, sleep
Regular exercise comes with a slew of benefits. These include physical, emotional and most importantly, mental.
 
It can improve mental processing speed and memory. And it can slow down (some findings say reverse) cognitive impairment. 
 
Now exercising doesn’t necessarily mean high-intensity, hours on end, rigorous movements. It could be a simple 30-minute walk, going for a swim, gardening, or doing yoga.
 
The point is to keep your muscles engaged and your blood pumping for no less than half an hour. Maintain a well-balanced diet. Include fruits, vegetables, protein, whole wheat and omega-3 fatty acids.
 
Try to stay away from foods high in sugar, carbohydrates and trans fats. Lean toward avocado, olive oil, spices such as turmeric, curry and ginger, nuts and berries.
 
They’re rich in phytochemicals, which are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. These promote good health and can slow the decline in memory function.
 
(Technically, they help the metabolism process of glucose in the brain. They also boost cognitive signals)
 
Blueberry or concord grape juice are superstars here. They’ve been found to prevent, even reverse, cognitive impairment and neuronal functioning.
 
We all should be getting quality sleep each night, usually 8 hours. If you get less than 7 hours of sleep it could increase your risk of cognitive decline in the long run.
 
And, what you do in your early adulthood years can have a serious effect on your brain health as you age – it’s all connected. 
 
4. Listen to music
Music engages the right side of the brain. It allows you to focus more on what you’re doing and keeps your mind from wandering.
 
It also reduces stress and anxiety. What’s more, putting words to music improves memory and concentration skills.
 
5. Play games
Your brain needs exercise to to stay young and fit. Mental activities slow down cognitive decline and increase focus and concentration.
 
There’s an endless array of puzzles to choose from. You can buy them at bookstores, or do them on your phone or tablet.
 
Even adding up your grocery bill in your head is a great way to keep your brain pumped and alert. Reading, learning a new language or playing a musical instrument keep the brain in top form.
 
Another great way to create new brain pathways is to try something new. Take a different route to work or write with your non-dominant hand.
 
Your brain wants to be challenged, so why not give it what it wants?
 
A Final Note
It’s a normal part of life to experience a slight decline in your mental abilities as you age. But you have the ability to slow it down.
 
It’s never too early to start, no matter where you are in life.
 
You can keep your brain healthy, so you can age gracefully and enjoy every minute of life.
 
JohnK 11-8-2018
chiforyourself.com home page
 
 
 
 
man talks cognitiveOverheard: “We should not only use the brains we have, but all that we can borrow”
                     ~ Woodrow Wilson”
                       
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for financial
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Resilience For You and Good Brain Health, Too!

October 31, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

If you didn’t get a chance to hear the most recent Chi For Yourself interview on resilience you’ll want to take a listen.

 

woman of resilienceLinda Graham was our guest, and she talked about her book Resilience: Powerful Practices for Bouncing Back from Disappointment, Difficulty, and Even Disaster 

 

 

Talking points included:

  • Encouraging parents to help their kids be more resilient
  • Resilience as tested in the workplace
  • Affirmations and meditation toward resilience
  • The “Negativity Bias”
  • The breaking point

 

Listen to the show by clicking on this Chi For Yourself logo:

 

show on resilience

 

____________________

 

Chi For Yourself brings you lots of information on meditation. Here’s a rather long article on how meditation can help brain health.

If you want to read it in its entirety you can click on the link and be taken to the Chi For Yourself “Meditation” page

 

ARTICLE:

 

Can Meditation Help Keep Your Brain Young?
 
As we age, our brains lose weight and volume. These changes may start to occur as early as our mid to late 20’s.
 
Research has shown people who meditate lose less brain mass over time than those who do not. One finding was especially interesting.
 
 
People who meditated showed less of a decrease in their white brain matter.
 
White brain matter acts as a connector and insulator for gray brain matter. It carries nerve impulses between the functional parts of the brain. Continue reading the article

 

JohnK 10-31-2018

chiforyourself.com home page

 

 

 

 

 

Resilience and Bouncing Back: Next Chi For Yourself

October 25, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments

 

woman of resilienceOn our next scheduled Chi For Yourself, we look at the topic of resilience with our guest Linda Graham. 

Linda Graham is the author of Resilience: Powerful Practices for Bouncing Back from Disappointment, Difficulty, and Even Disaster.

 

 

Do you see yourself with one or more of these challenges?   

We get underway at 4 pm Eastern, 1 pm Pacific time at chiforyourself.com

JohnK  10-25-2018

chforyourself.com home

 

 

Do You Have A Financial Safety Net? (And How To Build One)

October 16, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
Movement in the financial markets lately can make you seasick! If you manage your own finances as I do the market ups and downs will make you wonder if you should make changes or stand pat. 
 
The GenuLines post below offers some ideas on getting your financial house in order. Read it and “reap”
 
 
financial remedy
 
 
 

Do You Have A Financial Safety Net? (And How To Build One)

 
Do you have a financial safety net? It’s something worth thinking about and setting up.
If not, now is the time to get started.
 
You can begin by putting away three to six months of living expenses.
 
Keep this money in an interest-bearing account. Know what your family needs to live on in the event your income stops.
 
Then start saving as much money as you can until you have built up this safety net.
You can shave your spending, too.
Do More With Less
Do a little less eating out. Think twice about buying the newest TV and tech gadgets.
 
To make the process go faster add any bonuses, tax refunds, etc.
 
But don’t stop there. Make it your goal to add to your cushion as often as possible.
 
Then come back and revise your numbers from time to time.
 
Your living expenses may go up or down over time. You can quickly adjust the amount you need in readily accessible cash.
Protection
Life and disability insurance are two more important parts of your financial strategy. Do you have a plan in place to continue to cover your living expenses (or those of your family) if you can no longer work?
 
Call your insurance agent and go over your current coverage. Make sure the insurance you’re paying for will pay out what you need and if not, make adjustments.
 
Now you have two legs of your plan firmly in place. Next, think about investing any additional savings in higher interest-bearing accounts.
 
Do your best to forget about accessing any of this money in the near term. Think about how handy it will be to have it when you’re dealing with an emergency.
 
Or, when you’re ready to retire.
 
And, don’t let your money sit in a bank or, worse yet, in a drawer in your house. There are lots of investment vehicles that will get you a much better return than a savings account.
 
Talk to your financial adviser. You’ll come up with a plan that’s right for you, your family, and whatever the future may hold. 
 
JohnK 10-16-2018
 
 
 
 
 
man talks financialOverheard: No wealth can ever make a bad man at peace with himself” 
                                  ~Plato
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for financial

6 Life Hacks For Better Aging

October 9, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
As we age, we look for things we can do to prevent wrinkles, diseases, and cognitive function. The good news is that there are hundreds of things that you can do to help you age An aging couplein the best way possible.
 
GenuLines looks at six life hacks you can apply to your life today to help you age better.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subscribe to GenuLines- get CHI FOR YOURSELF guest information and more!
 
 
 
 
 
1 – Stay Active:
It’s no secret that as you age your metabolism slows down. Getting at least thirty minutes of activity a day increases your metabolism. But can also help to increase bone density, putting you at a lower risk of bone injuries as you age.
 
2 – Invest In Large Sunglasses:
The skin around your eyes is the most delicate and thin skin you own. It’s also the place where wrinkles tend to appear first.
 
By wearing over-sized sunglasses you’re preventing sun damage from occurring around your eyes. And you’re also squinting less.
 
You’ll have fewer eye wrinkles as well as fewer forehead wrinkles.
 
3 – Make Time For Your Friends:
Often your schedule can be so hectic that you neglect to make time for a social life. But having a social life can help you age better in many ways.
 
Most important is lowering your stress level. Studies have shown that stress damages your skin cells, causing premature lines.
 
Stress can also lower your immune system, making it more likely you’ll become ill. As a bonus, making time for your friends also means that you’re more active both physically and mentally.
 
4 – Take Fish Oil:
 
Fish oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids. An Ohio State University study found Omega 3’s are good for joints, eyesight, and hair growth.
 
They make skin supple. And they improve your heart and immune functions.
 
If fish oil isn’t for you, you can also increase your intake of seeds, nuts, sardines, or salmon.
 
5 – Keep Your Diet Colorful:
There are foods that speed up the aging process. What you may not know is that there are also some foods that can do the opposite.
 
The list includes kale, broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, and plums. All are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can promote healthy aging.
 
(***Some of these nutrients include alpha lipoic acid, carotenoids- including vitamin A, ß-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, and retinol- CoQ10, glutathione, polyphenols, and vitamins C, D, and E) 
 
6 – Change Your Opinion Of Old:
This one’s my personal favorite. There is no formal definition of what old means.
 
The word can have many different meanings depending on the context.
 
Don’t degrade yourself by talking about your “senior moments” or the things you can no longer do. Having a positive attitude and a good mental outlook is half the battle.
 
When you tell yourself that you’re old and can’t do things, it becomes the truth. Instead, focus on all the things you can do.
 
And though it’s a cliche’, age IS only a number.
 
In today’s busy society we tend to forget to take care of ourselves. We ignore our own needs because we’re so busy taking care of everyone else.
 
Make yourself a priority. For now, begin implementing at least one of the above suggestions.
 
Practice and stick to these six. Make them part of your normal routine.
 
Take care of yourself now so you can ensure that you’ll age in a positive way.
 
 
 
JohnK 10-9-2018
chiforyourself.com home
 
 
 
 
man talks agingOverheard: “I suppose real old age begins when one looks backward rather than forward.”
 
                    ~ Mary Sarton
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for food
 
 
 
 
 
* Photo by Matthew Bennett on Unsplash
 

You’re Eating Too Much- What Do You Do?

October 4, 2018 John Uncategorized No comments
 
 
Eating is a fundamental pillar of life. Most of us enjoy it, especially when we’re having some great tasting food! 
 
But, smart eating is part of a conscious lifestyle. This GenuLines post will help you stay on track with your dietary habits. 
 
 
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ARTICLE
 
We don’t always have the best sense of when to stop eating. We have access to not only good-tasting food but food in immense quantities.
 
It’s easy to poke fun at humorous situations such as Homer Simpson eating until he can’t move a muscle. But in reality, we’re blind to the consequences of eating too much.
 
These can range from a simple mild stomach ache in the short term to more serious health risks. Think chronic obesity and its connection to cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
 
Overeating doesn’t have to be as dramatic as eating until our pants are about to burst. It can be eating more than we need in one sitting.
 
Or eating until we’re full rather than until we get enough nutrients.
 
 
girl eating sandwich
 
 
We don’t have the natural constraints our ancestors did to prevent us from over-eating. In evolutionary terms, most humans couldn’t over-eat.
 
Large-scale agriculture and food processing generally weren’t available until more recent times. Today most humans (Americans for sure) have access to more convenience food than ever.
 
So, what drives us to eat more than we need?
 
We have lots of information. We can learn to eat only as much as we need.
 
Why don’t we?
 
One key insight is the emotional connection to food many people have. Research has shown that overeating follows bouts of sadness, depression.
 
It can also come during struggles with our issues.
 
The Journal of Adolescent Health studied the eating habits of young people. The participants developed disorders like binge eating.
 
The study’s main result: “it’s important to consider depressive symptoms in overeating.”
 
We can keep track of our reasons for eating. Are we eating because we’re hungry, or because we’re wrestling with emotional issues?
 
Another consideration is symptoms of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.
 
A Medical University of Warsaw article looked at hypoglycemic symptoms. It found that people might eat more as a way of satisfying urges to increase insulin.
 
 
man eating cookie
 
 
So it’s important to eat sweets in moderation as a way of limiting consumption in general.
 
Finally, there is no better warning system than our own bodies. Excessive constipation, blockage, bloating, vomiting or stomach aches tell us we’ve had enough.
 
Add to that list our constant need for laxatives or antacids. Our level of energy and mental alertness are signs, too.
 
We all enjoy a nicely cooked meal or tasty snacks. But in biological terms, food is simply fuel. It’s the fuel our bodies consume and turn into energy.
 
Just know that we can bog down our systems with excess fuel or fuel of poor quality- aka junk food.
 
Our energy level drops. We feel sluggish and less alert. These are signs of an overloaded digestion system.
 
Final Thoughts
 
It’s a no-brainer to say that we love food, but how much is enough? Our bodies brains and emotions hold up the stop signs.
 
Being mindful of our current state can help us avoid the pitfalls. The signs are there and our brains and bodies are telling us.
 
We just have to listen!
 
JohnK 10-4-2018
 
 
 
 
 
man talks eatingOverheard: “I lurched away from the table after a few hours feeling like Elvis in Vegas – fat, drugged, and completely out of it.”
         
                         ~Anthony Bourdain
 
 
 
 
 
 
disclaimer for food
 
 
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