Healthy Eats: A Glass of Orange Juice to Keep the Doctor Away

The many health benefits inside of oranges and orange juice.

It’s pretty safe to say that we Americans love our oranges. Not only are they so well-liked because of their easy availability and absolute deliciousness, but there is simply no shortage of ways to incorporate them into our daily diets: freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning with breakfast, sliced up wedges placed on top of a delicious summer salad, blended together to make a healthy, hearty fruit smoothie.

Add all this together and it’s easy to see why this delicious fruit consistently ranks third among our nation’s favorite fresh fruits according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). However, it’s not only the physical moist, round fruit that we enjoy―orange juice is the number one choice for fruit juice among Americans and is consumed two and half times more than the next runner up, apple juice.

However, before you head to your refrigerator to grab a big, tall glass of tasty OJ to quench your thirst, you may also be interested in knowing that our taste buds are not the only things that orange can benefit.

One glass of orange juice is not only packed with our entire daily requirements of Vitamin C intake, but they are also very rich in nutrients such as fiber, folate, calcium, vitamin B6 and much, much more. These little miracle fruits are one of the best ways to protect against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, heart disease and can also help to lower both cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

So, drink up because one thing is for sure―oranges do the body good:

What Are The Healthy Benefits of Oranges?

Oranges are not only a great way to up your daily fruit intake and improve your diet, but they also have several benefits on your overall health. Here are just a few examples of the ways in which oranges can benefit you and your body:

They Help To Digest Food: Orange juice can help to undo the damaging effects that an unhealthy meal can have on your body. This is because oranges contain more than 60 flavonoid antioxidants that help to counteract your bodies reflexive inflammatory effects.

They Can Reduce Cold Symptoms: Oranges are packed full of vitamin C which can help to reduce the severity of a cold. While the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C for adults is between 75-90 mg. per day, upping your intake when you have a cold will help to shorten the amount of the time that a cold’s symptoms will affect your body.

They Increase Fat Burning: A recent study in Arizona looked at  various people with a low-blood concentration of vitamin C that were walking on a treadmill for a 60-minute session. The participants were found to have burned 25% less fat than the other participants with adequate amounts of vitamin C. This is because vitamin C is necessary to create the compound carnitine, which helps turn fat into fuel for your body.

They Promote Healthy Skin: Eating oranges and other citrus fruits that are high in vitamins and nutrients can help to prevent wrinkles and skin lines as you age.

While a glass of orange juice or a sliced up orange is a welcome addition to any breakfast meal, including these simple tasty treats will not only help to improve your diet, but it can also help keep you healthy in the long run. So, whether you prefer it in a glass, on a plate, or straight out of the peel, be sure to include a little more orange into your next meal.

How to Get Fit Using The Weight Loss Program Diet

Understanding the many benefits of this proven weight loss treatment.

The summer season brings with it a change in many people’s daily activities: traveling every other weekend to exciting vacation spots, soaking up long afternoons in the sun at the beach, switching out the sweats and Ugg boots for short shorts and flip flops and, as many people have surely noticed, a massive increase in the amount of bodies at the local gym.

The one thing that many people strive for each and every summer is a body that will look great in a bathing suit at the beach. Nothing is better than walking alongside the water, feeling healthy and happy, and radiating confidence in your favorite bikini.

However, while getting in shape and shedding some pounds may be a common goal for many people, it can be difficult to do if you’re not following a proper diet. No matter how much you run, crunch, lunge or bench, if you are not putting the right amount of food and substances into your body, you will never achieve the look that you want.

Luckily, there are many successful weight loss diets on the market, such as the Weight Loss Program Treatment, that have been proven to shed pounds and get the body in prime condition for bikini season.

What is Weight Loss Program?

Weight Loss Program, which stands for human chorionic gonadatripin, is a hormone which is produced naturally in the body and is secreted by pregnant women to ensure that their fetus is getting all of the proper nutrients it needs to develop properly. Because of this, Weight Loss Program has appropriately been dubbed “the pregnancy hormone.”

When a women becomes pregnant, her body will naturally produce and secrete Weight Loss Program as a way to both support her body as well as her child’s by utilizing her stored areas of fat if she doesn’t get an adequate amount of nutrition.

How Does Weight Loss Program Assist With Dieting?

Doctors and nutritionists have found that small doses of Weight Loss Program (in men and women alike) can help to decrease appetites and shave inches off of a patient who is struggling to lose weight. This is because Weight Loss Program treatments “trick” the body into thinking that it is pregnant, therefore opening up areas of stored fat to ensure that the body is receiving adequate nourishment.

Weight Loss Program has been used successfully as a weight loss treatment for over 30 years and it completely safe for men and women since it is a naturally occurring hormone in the body.

What Does the Weight Loss Program Diet Consist Of?

In combination with a very low calorie diet, Weight Loss Program helps candidates achieve significant weight loss goals in just a short span of time. By utilizing the bodies stored fat the way that our bodies would utilize calories, you are able to reset your metabolism, suppress your appetite and burn significant amounts of body fat.

However, before you begin this rigid diet, it is important to talk to a health and wellness expert who can help to keep you on track and maintain your goals in the future. The entire process of the Weight Loss Program diet should last over a few months and should be closely supervised by your medical doctor throughout the entire process. In the end, this beneficial diet will leave you feeling much happier and healthier than before.

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Become A Positive Motivator for You and Your Family

Five motivational tips for helping yourself and others stay on track.

Some days, you wake up and you run through tasks and chores like you’re on a mission: finishing the dishes before your kids sit down for breakfast, replying to every unread email in your inbox before your cup of coffee is empty, and successfully getting yourself, your spouse and your children out the door on time for the first time all month.

There is nothing better than getting into bed at the end of the night knowing that you’ve accomplished everything that you set out to do that day. Unfortunately, for most of us, this type of inadvertent motivational behavior is far and few.

Staying motivated and on task is a constant struggle, especially if you are responsible for being the head motivator of your entire household. No matter how many grocery lists, sports schedules, chore charts or to-do lists you may produce for yourself and your family, your motivational drive is constantly waned by negative thoughts or failure to stay on task.

Unfortunately, there is no simple solution for lack of motivation, but what separates the highly successful from the procrastinators is the ability to keep moving forward. By learning how to focus on the task at hand, pass out motivating thoughts to the rest of your family, and following simple, encouraging tricks for staying on task, you can pull yourself and others out of a motivational lull before it diminishes your productivity.

Here are five positive motivational tips and tricks that will help yourself and your family stay on track during day to day tasks:

1. Become More Confident

The strongest killer of motivation and drive is a lack of confidence. If you already believe that you are not going to finish all of your tasks, or that you don’t have the ability to complete a project, there is a good chance that you will fail. This is because the mind conforms reality to want it wants to believe. Therefore, if you are constantly thinking negatively and saying that you cannot do something, your mind will believe it. If you are truly confident about how proficient and motivated you are, your mind will generate a way to believe it.

2. Get A Partner To Help With Daunting Tasks

Having a friend or a family member present when you are trying to complete a difficult project can help motivate you to work harder and see your task through to the end. For example, if you are constantly trying to free up your schedule and go outside and exercise, but you always seem to find something else to do instead, ask one of your friends to work out with you. It’s a lot easier to put something off when you are just letting down yourself. However, you will be less likely to skip out on a task that you’ve pre-planned with a friend.

3. Trade Work With Someone Else

When many kids are assigned the same chores week after week, it is easy for them to lose interest and become unmotivated in the task at hand. Offering children the option to trade chores with their siblings or parents will change up their daily routine, making it seem less boring and arduous.

4. Reward Your Family For Victories

Nothing is more motivational than the prospect of receiving a prize or a reward after finishing a difficult task. Try laying out a specific amount of tasks or chores for your family to complete by the end of the week. Once you have all achieved your goal, celebrate with a night out on the town or a trip to a movie that you have all been wanting to see. It doesn’t matter what the reward is―the point is that it is easier to stay motivated and positive when there is an appealing prize at the end of the tunnel.

5. Let Go Of The Past

It’s easy to get down on yourself for not finishing a project or a task that you told yourself you would finish. However, dwelling on past failures or burdens can be a huge demotivator. While you may have been unproductive or didn’t do a task as well as you would have hoped, it’s important to remember that these instances are already in the past and you no longer can change them. Always remember that each day is a fresh, new start to finish any tasks that you have laid out for yourself.

At one time or another, every person encounters a period of procrastination or low energy. It is important to train your mind towards positive thinking so that you do not allow these minor hiccups to turn into mental disasters. By following these five motivational tips and tricks, you can help preserve your drive and energy while propelling yourself and your family towards success.

Natural Treatments for Growing Longer, Thicker Hair

Tips for lengthening and thickening your hair with natural nutrients.

Many people believe that their hair plays a significant role in their overall looks and appearance. If you think about it, there is a reason that having messy hair is referred to as a “bad hair day” and not a bad hair morning or a messy hair moment.

Waking up with hair that is bumpy in all the wrong places, slicked back awkwardly on one side and not holding a style for the life of it can make you feel self conscious throughout the entire day. While for most people, this hair awkwardness only lasts as far as their next shower, some people suffer daily from the “ultimate bad hair day”―hair that is constantly thin, brittle and lifeless.

While losing a few hairs in the shower or pulling out some excess strands on your hairbrush is normal, many people, both men and women, suffer from the problem of significant, and sometimes permanent, hair loss. While this can sometimes be caused by simple factors such as genetics or damaged, over-treated hair, hair loss may also sometimes be a big indicator of a person’s overall health.

Causes of Hair Loss and Thinning

The causes of thinning, damaged hair can be attributed to many different factors including disease, rapid weight loss, infections, etc. One of the most common causes of hair loss in people is heredity. If you are someone whose parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all went bald or lost their hair at an early age, there is a good chance that you will follow the same pattern.

Another outside cause of hair loss is over-exposure to chemicals or pollution. This most commonly occurs in women who have a long history of bleaching, dying, coloring or highlighting their hair. Excessively using damaging heating hair tools such as blow dryers, curling irons or straighteners can also contribute to the problem of hair loss later in life.

While these outside factors are common causes of thinning, damaged hair, one of the biggest reasons for hair loss actually comes from our own lifestyle and habits. Many people who have poor nutrition or a vitamin deficiency often have brittle, damaged or thinning hair that falls out easily. Luckily, this is a problem that we, ourselves, have the power to change through natural treatments and proper dieting.

How To Get Thicker, Healthier Hair Growth

Because missing important vitamins or minerals in your diet can cause hair loss in both men and women, one of the best ways to reverse damaged hair is by putting these nutrients back into your body.

Many experts agree that Vitamin B plays a vital role in several different areas of the body and a shortage of this helpful vitamin can result in significant hair loss. One of the most helpful nutrients in Vitamin B is B12. This particular vitamin is required by hair follicles in order to properly replicate the follicles and grow hair effectively. Another important nutrient in Vitamin B is biotin. In fact, this specific type of nutrient is so helpful in triggering hair growth that it is often prescribed alongside hair-growth supplements such as Rogaine or Ronoxidil.

Another important mineral in the body that can help to grow thicker, healthier hair is zinc. This trace mineral plays a vital role in many bodily processes such as cell reproduction, protein synthesis, hormonal balance and proper absorption of vitamins. All of these processes are essential for proper hair grown.

Watching your hair thin and fall out day after day can be frustrating and upsetting, however, maintaining a healthy, balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables while utilizing helpful nutrients such as Vitamin B and zinc, you no longer have to suffer from the “ultimate bad hair day.” Longer, thicker hair can lead to a perfect hair day for many years to come.

The Importance of Staying Hydrated in the Summer

Feel stronger, healthier & more powerful this summer by staying hydrated.

All month long in July, we will be touching on many health and wellness exercises and treatments that can help to make you a healthier, more powerful individual―both physically and mentally. While many of the articles we are going to be featuring will teach you how to stimulate your mood, your wellness and your mind, there is one vital factor that we feel it is important to cover first: hydration.

Without proper hydration, no matter how much you work out or how positive you may want to feel, your body will not be able to achieve the healthy, powerful results that you are looking for. This is because the human brain is made up 75% from liquid and requires constant rehydration and fluids. Therefore, even the slightest amount of dehydration can cause a person to feel lazy, sluggish, unmotivated and tired.

Staying hydrated is even more important and difficult during the summer months. When you combine the heat from the sun with fun summer activities such as hiking, swimming, walking and gardening, it can result in dangerous heat-related problems and an extreme loss in bodily fluids.

Why Is Water Important to Our Health?

Every single cell in the body requires constant water in order to function correctly. Just 10 minutes out in the hot summer sun can lead to sweating, a dry mouth and a feeling of thirst, which are all signs that your body is already dehydrated.

Also, not only does staying hydrated play a vital role in your cognitive performance and general well being, but it can be a helpful factor in maintaining and losing weight. This is because water helps carry out the toxins in your body which, in turn, increases your metabolism and causes you to feel full.

How to Stay Hydrated in the Summer

So, now that you know all about the positive benefits of staying hydrated in the summer, how can you ensure that your body stays stronger and healthier through the warm weeks ahead? There are several things you can do to ensure that your body gets the correct amount of water that it needs to function properly:

Drink lots of Fluids: Obviously the most efficient way to get a large amount of water back into your body is to drink water. Doctors recommend that the average person drinks at least eight cups of water a day, but each body type needs a different about of hydration. To find out how much water your body needs daily, divide your body weight by 2 and that will determine the number of ounces needed.

Water is not the only fluid source that can help you stay hydrated; juice, skim milk and sports drinks are all great ways to increase the amount of water in your body. If you don’t like drinking plain water, you could also try adding certain elements to change the taste―Lemon is a beneficial add-in that helps keep your liver healthy. Also try adding flavors such as mint, citrus fruits, cucumber, or strawberries for a different taste with the same hydration levels. However, be sure to avoid alcohol, caffeinated and sugar-filled drinks, as these can ask as a diuretic and actually may cause you to lose more fluid than you are consuming.

Eat Hydrating Foods: Often times, water-rich foods can help supplement your water intake better than just drinking water by itself. Many fruits such as watermelon and cantaloupe can help to greatly replenish the amount of water in your body. Vegetables such as celery and cucumber are also very helpful when avoiding dehydration.

No water what your favorite summer activities are―working out, swimming, walking outside, laying out in the sun―it is important that you stay cool and avoid overexertion during hot summer weather. Making simple changes in your water intake can help you to remain healthy, strong and fit all summer long.

Bring Power & Beauty to Your Eyes with Longer Lashes

The power of long lashes & tips on how to increase their length.

It’s only natural for a woman to want to feel attractive and noticed when she walks into a room. It gives you a sense of confidence and power when all eyes are drawn to you  and you look and feel your very best. While a great body or a fantastic wardrobe can really make a woman shine, one of the most attention-grabbing features of any person is their eyes.

Think about it―One of the first things you notice about a person’s face when you see them for the first time is their eyes: What color they are, what they say about a person’s emotions and feelings, whether or not they are making eye contact. There is a common saying that says “the eyes are the windows to a person’s soul,” and it can be very true.

There are many ways that a person can improve and feature their eyes:  mascara, eyebrow waxes, eye shadow, eyelash curlers, eyeliner, etc. However, while makeup can definitely enhance and improve a person’s eyes, it cannot always substitute for something that isn’t there, such as short, stubby eyelashes.

In many cultures, long, beautiful eyelashes are considered a sign of femininity and elegance. Even in the United States, many women strive for longer, fuller lashes every day through the use of lengthening mascara or false adhesives. However, while these solutions used to be the only way to achieve this highly coveted physical feature, there are now a wealth of products available for women who want envy-worthy lashes.

Why Consider Longer, Fuller Eyelashes?

There are a number of reasons why women wish for longer lashes. Most of the time, it is to enhance their eyes and improve their overall appearance. However, the benefits of longer lashes can go well beyond beauty. Eyelashes play a crucial role in the health of your eyes. They serve as a protective shield to keep foreign matter out of the eye and also stimulate a person’s blink reflex.

As you get older, time and abuse can damage your natural eyelashes, causing them to grow in thinner and more sparse than they may have when you were younger. A women’s makeup routine can also be an eyelashes’ worst enemy. For instance, sleeping in mascara or rubbing and tugging makeup remover across your eyelids can damage the thickness and growth of your lashes.

How Do You Get Beautifully Long Lashes?

There are a number of eyelash growth products on the market that can help you to achieve longer, thicker lashes in just a few weeks.

Latisse is one of the most popular, effective ways to naturally grow longer eyelashes. This FDA-approved treatment is applied topically once a day to the base of your upper eyelashes. The prescription then works by mimicking hormones called prostaglandins which lengthen the lash growth rate. Results are typically noticed after just eight weeks, with full results around week 16.

For those who are serious about growing longer, fuller lashes, schedule a consultation with your health and wellness doctor to see if this treatment options would work well for you. No longer worry about the pain and hassles of using fake eyelashes every time you want to have swoon-worthy eyes. With natural eyelash growth products, you too can have gorgeous longer lashes that enhance your eyes all season long.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Healthy Dieting

How to maintain a healthy diet that will lead to positive results.

While many people love the warm weather and weekends at the beach that come along with summer, this season also brings with it a love/hate relationship in many people, all surrounding one particular topic―bathing suit season.

Breaking out the bikinis and swimsuits often triggers a unique response in many people, and a surge in popularity at every gym in town. There is an invasion of “quick, simple diet” articles in every magazine and everyone seems to be looking for their own fool-proof answer for looking great at the beach and losing weight fast.

However, when beginning any type of diet or weight-loss program, it is important to understand the many do’s and don’ts of proper nutrition. Here are a few tips for losing extra pounds, maintaining a healthy weight and managing a safe diet routine this summer:

1. Do Understand That Dieting is Not a “Quick-Fix.”

One of the biggest reasons that people typically fail when they begin a new diet is because they expect to see noticeable improvements in a very short amount of time. However, dieting and weight-loss is a long-term commitment, not a simple, “quick-fix” weeklong program.

When beginning any kind of new weight-loss program, it is important to set realistic short and long-term goals for yourself. Making gradual changes to your overall lifestyle typically means that you are a lot less likely to give up on your diet, compared to jumping right in to a heap of unrealistic expectations.

It is also important that you are losing weight in a healthy amount of time. You should never lose more than two pounds per week. This could mean that not only is your body losing fat, but there is a good chance that it is also losing water, electrolytes and muscle. This is a surefire way to slow down your metabolism which could set you up for yo-yo weight cycling.

2. Don’t Resort to Crash Dieting or Weight-Loss “Fads.”

Dieting results that sound too good to be true usually are. While a drastic crash diet may help you to reduce weight in the beginning, it can cause dangerous problems later down the road. It can also cause you to feel week, tired and moody.

When considering a new diet, always ask yourself these questions:

• Does the diet promise quick, easy results?
• Does the diet require little or no physical activity?
• Does the diet follow rigid menu plans and strict eating methods?
• Does the diet use terms such as “miracle diet,” “guaranteed success,” or “newly discovered” resources?

If so, there is a good chance that you are looking at a fad diet.

3. Do Listen to Your Body.

You should never force your body to do something that is not healthy for it. Therefore, eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full and never, ever starve yourself. Research has shown that while you may lose weight from not eating, this weight loss is coming from your muscle tissue, not from fat. Think of it as trying to see how far your car could make it while coasting on empty. You may be able to get to where you want, but it’s not going to be good for your car in the long run. Always be sure to give your body the daily fuel and energy that it needs.

4. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

Many reasons that people decide to try quick-fix diets or extreme weight loss programs in the first place is because they are trying to look a certain way. Unfortunately, most of the time, it is a form or figure that is either unrealistic for their body, or unrealistic period. Just because clothes and bathing suits are made in a size zero doesn’t mean that you should try to fit into that size. For many people, achieving this size would lead to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Your body is your own and it works in the way that is best for it. While it may seem frustrating that some people have an easier time losing weight than others, you have to focus on what is healthy and realistic for you. However, it is important to remember that while your body may control a large fraction of your figure and size, you control a fraction as well.

If you are thinking of going on a weight-loss diet, be sure to speak with a healthcare provider for a professional perspective on which weight-loss method is best for you and your body type. No matter what size you are, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being happy with your body will help to ensure that you look glowing and healthy this bathing suit season.

GenesisPlus Laser Toenail Fungus Treatments

How to treat laser toenail fungus using GenesisPlus Laser Treatments.

Now that summer has officially begun, it is time to say farewell to your warm winter wardrobe, pack away the winter boots and slippers, and break out your cute wedge sandals and colorful flip flops for the season. However, while going shoeless on the beach may be a highlight of summer for some people, it can be a large source of discomfort and embarrassment for others.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, nearly 12% of all Americans suffer from some variety of ongoing toenail fungus each year. This infection, typically found in older individuals, can cause a person’s toenails to grow abnormally, become discolored, and may even cause pain when walking.

Luckily, new laser therapy treatments such as GenesisPlus are now available to help treat toenail fungus without the long-term treatment and hassle of oral medication and topical creams. But first, before learning about the different ways that you can treat toenail fungus, it is important to learn about the causes and treatments of this mild infection:

Where Does Toenail Fungus Come From?

Onychomycosis, better known as toenail fungus, is a fungal infection of the toes that can cause a person’s nails to become discolored and brittle. While the infection is most common in older individuals, anyone can get it, especially if toenail fungus is inherent within their family.

Toenail fungus can also be common in swimmers and other athletes who regularly go barefoot in public or have damp feet. While this infection is generally just a cosmetic problem while in its mild forms, it can cause pain and serious side-effects over time.

How Do You Treat Toenail Fungus?

Until now, many people have attempted to treat their toenail fungal infections through medication and topical creams. However, these creams typically have a very low success rate (less than 18%) and require daily application over a 9-12 month period. Like topical creams, medication can be an expensive, long-term  option for the treatment of toenail fungus. Many medications also have been known to have problematic side effects such as potential liver toxicity.

Given these facts, one of the safest and simplest treatments options available to combat toenail fungus is through laser light therapy such as GenesisPlus. This new treatment options allows for efficient treatment of an affected area, all within a short amount of time.

The GenesisPlus laser toenail fungus treatments work by applying a laser light source to the areas that are infected, targeting the fungal infection in the toenail. Once found, the GenesisPlus laser will destroy the infection by using a specific wavelength that only targets the living fungi. This allows for a relatively quick, painless treatment because infected areas are made up of dead cells―a cell in the skin that has expired.

As your nail grows out, the new, healthy nail growth will appear free of a discolored, brittle appearance. Therefore, once your nails have fully grown out, you will see the full results of the laser toenail fungus treatments.

A growing number of health and wellness centers, including the Dr. Shel Wellness and Medical Spa, offer this simple, painless laser procedure that will help to eliminate a toenail fungal infection. Call and make an appointment today so that you can enjoy the rest of your summer without feeling embarrassed about how your toes look in flip flops and sandals.