TIP # 11

Don't forget to laugh. Laughter truly is the best medecine.






-Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

-Laughter boosts the immune system.

-Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

-Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

-Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Be smart, stay healthy!

TIP # 10

Get some fresh air.



If you are cooped up inside all day, take a few minutes to get outside and see the sun. A little time in the great outdoors can improve your mood and help you relax.
A walk in the park is always invigorating.

TIP # 9

Replace the phrase "I have to" with "I get to"






Even the most miserable of tasks seem easier and less stressful if you get to do them. It's kind of like a reward. Oooeee, I get to make cold calls today. It gives you a positive feeling." By removing that feeling that you "have" to do something, you've reduced some pressure and stress.

TIP # 8

WAKE UP 15 MINUTES EARLY IN THE MORNING




15 minutes is hardly going to make a dent in your night's sleep. Especially if you followed the tips about getting a good night sleep. But an extra 15 minutes in the morning means you are little bit less rushed, you have a little more time to get organized, get ready for your busy day. You will then start your day much less stressed out. If nothing else it will give you time to have a quiet relaxing start to your day.

Starting your day in a maximum stress situation does not fare well for your well being. It will make you grumpy, tired, anxious and everything coming your way will appear to be more stressful than it really is.

So get that extra 15 minutes and start your day with a smile

Be smart, stay healthy!!!

TIP # 7

STAY AWAY FROM JUNK FOOD!!!

I know it seems that the convenience of fast food would make sense when you are so busy and have too many things to do. Cooking is probably the last thing on your mind.

Junk food is high in fats, sugar and chemicals and this will only drag you down. What you need is more energy, better health. A good diet will help you provide this.

Remember if you put lower quality oil and gasoline in your car, it will give you a much worse performance than if you fuel it with good quality products. Same goes for your body.

You can eat some healthy meals without spending a lot of time preparing them.

• Be organized: take time to wash and organize your food when you get home from the grocery store. It makes it easier when you are ready to cook
• Have some good recipes to rely upon (Rachel Ray is famous for her quick healthy meals),
• Purchase good healthy food and snacks (if you don't have junk food on hands it makes it difficult to eat it)
• Make more than you need for one meal, divide and freeze the rest in single portion. You will have a quick meal ready to go for another night. Just take out in the morning and it will be thawed out by the time you get home.
• Crock-pots are wonderful. You can get everything ready the night before or early in the morning and have a delicious meal waiting for you when you get home from work or a long day shopping
• Don't have gazillions of Christmas goodies sitting around the house. If you enjoy making Christmas cookies, share them with others
• Make sure your pantry is stock with good solid healthy basics to help you complete most recipes. It's not fun to be missing one or two key ingredients when you are trying to complete a meal.

Be smart, stay healthy

TIP # 6

THINK ABOUT 1 THING AT THE TIME

Your mind can only deal with one thing at a time and if you introduce more that two goals to you mind, you will surely end up feeling stressed. The only reason large projects seem stressful is because you try to think of everything you would need to accomplish at once. You should divide a large project or problem into small steps and execute those steps one at a time. This will make you more productive and you will not feel overwhelmed, therefore you will avoid getting stressed.

Remember.... how do you eat an elephant?? One bit at the time!!!

TIP # 5

LISTEN TO MUSIC

If you're feeling overwhelmed by a stressful situation, try taking a break and listening to relaxing music. Playing calm music has a positive effect on the brain and body, can lower blood pressure, and reduce cortisol, a hormone linked to stress.

TIP # 4

WORKOUT

Working out produces endorphin (your happy hormones). Happy people do not get depressed.

Working out makes your body work better and healthier. A body in tip top shape can handle stress a lot better.

Working out makes you feel better mentally.... "Yes, I got my workout in, I did it".... especially the days you don't feel like working out.

Only a few minutes per day will enhance the quality of your day. Just do it!!!

Be smart, stay healthy.

TIP # 3

GET A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP!!!

Sleep is so very important. It's time for your body to heal and recharge. If you let worry deprive you of sleep, it will create a vicious cycle. The less sleep you have, the more stress you have.

If you suffer from chronic insomnia, seek help. You may have some underlying health issues that prevents you from experiencing a good night sleep.

For occasional sleep disturbances here are a few ideas to help you out:

• keep regular hours, try going to bed at approximately the same time every night
• 
  
• do not eat after 7:00-8:00 at night. Digesting food will hinder your sleep.
• 
  
• have more 'calming" activities before bedtime.... ie. Do NOT watch the news but instead maybe read a good book, have a soothing hobby.
• 
  
• try some calming teas like chamomile, lavender, etc
• 
  
• try a hot bath or shower
• 
  
• do not drink caffeinated products from late afternoon till bedtime
• 
  
• write any thoughts or to-do list down before bedtime so they will not occupy your mind all night long. You may even want to keep a notebook on your night stand.
• 
  
• when you are lying in bed, take time to review in your mind all the things you are grateful for in your life
• 
  
• meditation, yoga have great calming capacities
• 
  
• increase your light exposure during the day. Make sure your circadian rhythm is well set
• 
  
• turn your TV and computer off at nigh. Not only does the light suppress melatonin production, but TV can actually stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it.
• 
  
• make sure your bed in comfortable
• 
  
• keep your room cool with adequate ventilation

Be smart, stay healthy!!!

TIP # 2.

Learn to say "NO"

Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.

Tip #1

Set up priorities!!! Create a list.

Not everything is urgent. But if you start thinking so you will drive yourself crazy trying to complete every item on your to do list. Set up a ranking system of priority.

• What is a true emergency?
• What needs to be done immediately?
• What can wait till tomorrow?
• What can wait till next week?
• What is something I want to get done but really do not need to get done?
• What can I delegate?

Write your list down. Scratch out the items off your list as they get completed. You will feel better about having accomplish the real priorities and you may even have time to get a heads up on tomorrow's priority list.

At night you can take a look at your list and see how much you truly accomplished during your day. You will sleep better and feel much less stressed out about the things that did not get done.

Merry December!!!

Tis the Season to be jolly and merry and share in some quality time with our loved one... in theory.

But Christmas time has become more synonymous with "STRESS".

In honor of keeping the spirit of Christmas and spreading goodwill toward all, I will post tips on how to reduce stress in your life. Take time to apply them and you will have a much more enjoyable Season!!

Fructose anyone??

The fructose content of the high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) used in many popular soda brands has been sorely underestimated. Around 100 years ago the average American consumed a mere 15 grams of fructose a day, primarily in the form of fruit. One hundred years later, one fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams per day, largely in the form of soda.

Fructose at 15 grams a day is harmless (unless you suffer from high uric acid levels). However, at nearly 10 times that amount it becomes a major cause of obesity and nearly all chronic degenerative diseases. Instead of consisting of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, many soda brands, including Coke, Pepsi and Sprite, contain as much as 65 percent fructose, nearly 20 percent higher than originally believed.

According to one study, the mean fructose content of all 23 sodas tested was 59 percent -- higher than claimed by the industry. When you consider that Americans drink an average of 53 to 57 gallons of soda per year (depending on the source of your statistics), this difference in actual fructose content could make a huge difference in your health.

Calories VS workout

Thinking about indulging in a Big Mac, large fries and a Coke? Sure no problem... you'll work it off in a good workout and no harm done right??

Do you know that you will need to jog or do high impact aerobics for THREE hours to just burn off the calorie content??

And we are not even counting the damage to your health here.

Still want to indulge???

LAUGH !!!

Protein is your friend

You need protein! About half of adults get no protein in the morning because they skip breakfast entirely, which is another reason breakfast skippers tend to put on pounds. They haven't eaten since the night before, so their bodies get panicky by mid-morning, wondering when/if the next meal is coming. The result? Their bodies start storing calories instead of burning them.

Successful weight loss, which includes not gaining back your hard-lost pounds, is about staying full, not going hungry. Hunger and cravings are your enemies. Feeling full and content are your allies. Morning protein and fiber? They’re your secret weapons.

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A NEW STROKE INDICATOR

A NEW STROKE INDICATOR

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator -The Tongue

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ......she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Remember the '3' steps, S.T.R.

Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

1. S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

2. T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)

(i.e., It is sunny out today.)

3. R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

KEEP THAT SPONGE CLEAN

that handy kitchen sponge can harbor more than moisture—things like foodborne pathogens, yeasts and molds. So Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Beltsville, Md., have tested several methods for reducing risks from harmful microbes hiding in reused sponges.

At the ARS Food Technology and Safety Laboratory in Beltsville, microbiologists Manan Sharma and Cheryl Mudd and two student interns did the testing. First, they soaked sponges at room temperature for 48 hours in a solution made from ground beef and lab growth medium to attain a high level of microbes (20 million per sponge) to simulate a very dirty sponge.

Then, they treated each sponge in one of five ways: soaked for three minutes in a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution, soaked in lemon juice or deionized water for one minute, heated in a microwave for one minute, placed in a dishwasher operating with a drying cycle—or left untreated.

The scientists chose these methods because they're commonly used in most household kitchens. They found that between 37 and 87 percent of bacteria were killed on sponges soaked in the 10 percent bleach solution, lemon juice or deionized water—and those left untreated. That still left enough bacteria to potentially cause disease.

Microwaving sponges killed 99.99999 percent of bacteria present on them, while dishwashing killed 99.9998 percent of bacteria.

As for yeasts and molds, the sponges treated in the microwave oven or dishwasher were found to harbor less than 1 percent (0.00001 percent). Between 6.7 and 63 percent of yeasts and molds survived on sponges soaked in bleach, lemon juice, deionized water or left untreated.

Thus microwave heating and dishwashing with a drying cycle proved to be the most effective methods for inactivating bacteria, yeasts and molds on sponges. These simple and convenient treatments can help ensure that contaminated sponges don't spread foodborne pathogens around household kitchens of today's busy families

Is your TV killing you?

Every hour spent watching TV, DVDs and videos as an adult reduces life expectancy by almost 22 minutes, a study suggests.

And viewing TV for an average of six hours a day can cut short your life by five years.

The research claims that a sedentary lifestyle is as bad for health as smoking and obesity, because of the dangers posed by inactivity and the greater opportunities it offers for unhealthy eating.

The academics conducting the study set out to calculate the overall risk to life expectancy from watching television. Their research involved more than 11,000 people over the age of 25.

Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, they concluded: ‘TV viewing time may be associated with a loss of life that is comparable to other major chronic disease risk factors such as physical inactivity and obesity.’

This finding is also comparable to risk factors such as smoking, with other research showing that one cigarette cuts 11 minutes off a lifespan – equivalent to half an hour of watching TV.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, said it was ‘biologically plausible’ that prolonged TV viewing results in disease and premature death. Other work suggests that sedentary behavior is linked to obesity, high levels of bad blood fats and other heart disease risk factors, and more opportunities for grazing on junk foods.

In another meta-analysis, published earlier this summer in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers suggest that spending just two hours a day in front of the TV raises your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease by 20 percent. Add another hour to your viewing time, and you also significantly raise your risk of premature death from any cause.

One researcher, Dr. Aric Sigman, has identified a slew of negative effects he believes can be blamed on watching television:

• Obesity
• Delayed healing
• Heart trouble
• Decreased metabolism
• Damaged eyesight
• Alzheimer's disease
• Decreased attention span
• Hormone disturbances Cancer
• Early puberty
• Autism
• Sleep difficulties
• Increased appetite
• Limited brain growth
• Diabetes

Watching TV also has a major impact on your brain chemistry. In fact, the longer you watch, the easier your brain slips into a receptive, passive mode, meaning that messages are streamed into your brain without any participation from you. (This is an advertiser's dream, and likely one of the reasons why TV advertising—particularly ads directed at children and teens—works so well.)

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sally Davies, said: ‘Physical activity offers huge benefits and these studies back what we already know – that a sedentary lifestyle carries additional risks. We hope these studies will help more people realize that there are many ways to get exercise.’

Another study shows that exercising for just 15 minutes a day can increase your lifespan by up to three years.

It can reduce the risk of early death by 14 per cent, with each extra 15 minutes reducing all-cause death rates by 4 per cent.

Exercise also protects against cancer, although the benefits peak at 100 minutes a day, says the study in The Lancet medical journal.

It involved more than 400,000 adults taking part in a medical screening programme in Taiwan, whose progress was followed between 1996 and 2008.

The experts found that if individuals engaged in low-volume daily exercise, one in six all-cause deaths could be postponed.

Sources: Daily Mail Online August 16, 2011 and Dr Mercola

Be smart, stay healthy

Protect your eyesight

Free radical damage from age and environmental factors can keep your eyes from functioning optimally. There are natural common sense things you can do to help preserve our healthy vision.

1. Quit smoking. Smoking creates a lot of free radicals in your system and hinders your health in general and your vision as well

2. Keep your cardiovascular system in good health. High blood pressure can cause damage to the blood vessels on your retina

3. Normalize your blood sugar. Excessive sugar in your blood can pull fluid out of the lense of your eye, affecting your ability to focus.

4. Eat plenty of dark green vegetables. Kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens being the highest on the list.

5. Omega 3 and Krill oil are your best friends. Consume a lot of food containing Omega 3 such as: fresh wild salmon, walnuts, flax seeds, halibut, chia seeds, etc. Do not forget to use a good quality supplement as well.

6. Use a good quality anti-oxidant as it will help get rid of the free radical causing havoc in your body.

7. Lutein, zeaxanthin, bilberries and black currants have been shown to protect and enhance vision.

Take good care of your eyes and they will stay healthy for as long as possible.

Be smart, stay healthy!

Worth your weight?

If health reasons won't motivate you to lose weight how about financial reasons. Obese people spend approximately

$485 more on clothing, $828 on extra plane seats, and $36 more on gas each year than their thinner counterparts.

An overweight driver burns about 18 additional gallons of gas a year

Carrying extra weight?

Part of my training routine is using a weighed vest and weighed shoes. It is always a tough training session as I just added about 20 lbs to my normal weight. But like swinging with 2 bats, it only makes me stronger, better, faster.

It always amazes me when I take off all this extra weight. I feel so light from one second to the next that it almost seems like I could fly. My step is much lighter and walking becomes easier.

Even though my workout is more difficult than without the extra gear, I still do not truly realize how heavy the whole get up was until I remove it. My body/ mind got used to it. But it made my heart pump harder, my legs and back work much more and my lungs scream for air.

Most of us have gained weight at one point or another. And it always creeps up on us. One pound here, one pound there… pretty soon we carried 10-20 lbs too much. We get used to it gradually. We do not realize how much harder we have to work to carry this extra weight. We do not realize how much harder it is on our hearts and lungs. One extra pound requires one extra mile of blood vessels. That’s a lot more pumping action for your heart.

Try walking around for an hour with weighted gear (a backpack filled with rocks will work). When you take it off you will see firsthand what taking off weight means to your body. What are you getting used to that you should not?

Be smart, stay healthy

Unwanted bed fellows

Dust mites are microscopic animals related to other mites, and ticks,

They occur where human beings live, and where the humidity is optimal for their life cycle.

House dust mites feed and grow almost exclusively on the dead, shed skin cells that we humans shed daily by the hundreds of thousands.

While your bed is the chief place the majority of house dust mites reside, the mites can also survive in pillows, overstuffed furniture, even rugs and carpeting. The place where your pet sleeps is also a hot spot. Fido and Fluffy shed skin cells (dander), too.

Dust mites are known for causing allergies in millions of Americans

Good news is, they’re harmless unless you have allergies or asthma.

To keep their count down, wash your sheets in hot water regularly, and fluff your pillow in the dryer on its hottest setting. Wash your pillows regularly and replace them annually. Vacuum and turn your mattress at least every 6 months.

The most recent information on dust mites suggests using a combination of physical measures - including pillow and mattress covers, washing bedding in hot water and carpet removal - rather than chemical treatments.

Be careful who you share your bed and pillow with.

Be smart, stay healthy

Healthy dips

Summer time... picnics... finger food.... easy dishes
We can still keep it healthy.
Here are some delicious healthy dips. Use vegetables instead of chip and you have a winning combinations:

Sweet-and-Spicy Yogurt
Protein-packed Greek yogurt makes this curry dip satisfyingly thick, while fresh peaches add a rich sweetness.

1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp diced ripe peach
1 tsp lemon juice
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 ring red pepper, chopped, for garnish
1 tsp chopped green onion, for garnish

In a bowl, stir together all ingredients except garnish. Chill up to 2 hours to allow flavors to develop. Top with red pepper and green onion before serving.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS. Per serving: 42 cal, 1 g fat (<1 g sat), 3 g carbs, 165 mg sodium, <1 g fiber, 5 g protein

Cheesy Tomato Dip
Naturally lower in fat than other cheeses, feta makes an ideal base for this Mediterranean-inspired dip. It also subs nicely for mayo to kick up a turkey sandwich.

1 tomato, quartered, seeds removed
6 oz feta, crumbled
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)

In a food processor, chop tomato. Add feta in small batches, blending to combine. Pour in lemon juice and oregano; blend again. In a bowl, fold olives into cheese-tomato mixture. Top with sun-dried tomatoes.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS. Per serving: 122 cal, 9 g fat (6 g sat), 3 g carbs, 495 mg sodium, <1 g fiber, 6 g protein

Cool Cucumber-Herb Dip
Try this as a refreshing alternative to onion dip. It'll spare your breath and your waistline.

1 Tbsp diced shallot
1/2 cup chopped cucumber, seeds removed
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tsp white-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a food processor, combine shallot and cucumber; discard extra liquid. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream with shallot-cucumber mixture. Stir in vinegar, herbs, and salt, then add freshly ground pepper to taste. Refrigerate up to 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS. Per serving: 82 cal, 6 g fat (4 g sat), 5 g carbs, 186 mg sodium, <1 g fiber, 2 g protein

Lastest research on eating habits

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans...

5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.


CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

WHY EXERCISE?

Age old question… should I or shouldn’t I exercise? And why?

The majority of people do it as a mean to reduce weight.

But in a recent study, researchers took a group of sedentary, overweight men and women over an 18 months period, and trained them to run a marathon. The men lost just a few pounds, and the women in the study, averaged no change to their weight. One reason may be that people tend to increase their caloric intake as they increase their exercise. Proper diet and exercise go hand in hand when it comes to weight loss. Do not think that because you just ran 5 miles, you can sit on the couch, eat an entire deep dish pizza and wash it down with a large milkshake. This will not promote weight loss.

But exercise by itself has tremendous benefits, much more than just weight loss.

Here are a few:

· It increases your energy levels: the more energy you use, the more you have.

· It improves the quality of your sleep: exercise helps you get to sleep more quickly and to achieve a more restful sleep.

· It helps combat chronic disease: exercise helps improve your circulation, your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and has been linked with delayed onset of dementia.

· It improves your mood: it reduces the tension associated with anxiety and promotes relaxation. It also produces endorphins which allow you to feel a sense of power and control over yourselves that allows you to persist with activity for an extended time. Endorphins have been shown to control feelings of stress and frustration, and to reduce symptoms associated with eating disorders. Endorphins basically give you a natural high.

· Exercise leads to the release of certain neurotransmitters in the brain that alleviate pain, both physical and mental.

· It is a Powerful Anti-Cancer Strategy. More than 200 population-based studies have linked exercise to your risk for cancer. More recently, a 2009 study showed that men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer. These findings suggest that muscle strength is just as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to offering protection against deadly tumors. One of the primary reasons exercise works to lower your cancer risk is because it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risk. It's also been suggested that apoptosis (programmed cell death) is triggered by exercise, causing cancer cells to die.

· It helps to slow down the effects of aging. Exercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. Aerobic exercise also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults

· Exercise is an important way to manage diabetes. Not only can exercise help you achieve beneficial weight loss, but every time you exercise, it helps to lower your blood sugar and helps your cells accept insulin more efficiently.

· Numerous studies have shown that regular, moderate-to-vigorous exercise can help prevent or delay the onset of osteoporosis by increasing your bone density.

If none of this motivates you to take the first step toward implementing a regular fitness regimen, I don't know what.

If you don’t know where to start you can seek professional advice. But quit procrastinating. Get off that couch and get moving… it’s a great way to start. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at the time!

Be smart, stay healthy!!!

GRASS FED BEEF

GRASS FED BEEF

Most people think that beef is just beef. It isn’t always so. A cows diet can have a profound influence on the nutrient content of its products, be it milk or meat.

· Grassfed products tend to be much lower in total fat than grainfed products. For example, a sirloin steak from a grassfed steer has about one half to one third the amount of fat as a similar cut from a grainfed steer. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66.5 pounds a year), switching to grassfed beef will save you 17,733 calories a year—without requiring any willpower or change in eating habits. If everything else in your diet remains constant, you'll lose about five to six pounds a year.

· Although grassfed meat is low in "bad" fat (including saturated fat), it gives you from two to six times more of a type of "good" fat called "omega-3 fatty acids." The health benefit of Omega are numerous and worthy of an entire blog itself. Stay tuned.

· The meat and milk from grassfed ruminants are the richest known source of another type of good fat called "conjugated linoleic acid" or CLA. When ruminants are raised on fresh pasture alone, their milk and meat contain as much as five times more CLA than products from animals fed conventional diets.

Health benefits of CLA:

· Promoting fat loss

· Fighting cancer

· Increasing your metabolic rate

· Promoting normal thyroid function

· Delaying onset of diabetes, and improving management of adult-onset diabetes

· Helping maintain normal cholesterol levels

· Helping maintain healthful triglyceride levels

· Enhancing your immune system

· The meat from the pastured grassfed cattle is four times higher in vitamin E than the meat from the feedlot cattle and, interestingly, almost twice as high as the meat from the feedlot cattle given vitamin E supplements.

In humans, vitamin E is linked with a lower risk of heart disease and cancer. This potent antioxidant may also have anti-aging properties. Most Americans are deficient in vitamin E.

Enjoy your beef but choose wisely.

Be smart , stay healthy