Top 10 Healthy places to visit or live!

Today’s Re-Powering Information – Your environment has a great influence on your physical, spiritual and mental health. Who you are surrounded by and the environment you are in influence your mood, habits, attitude and ultimately your actions. If the first thing you do when you rise and the last thing you do before you fall asleep is listen to the local news, you will be filled with thoughts of worry, fear and negativity. If you read an enlightening book, start or finish your day in a meditative state giving thanks, you will be in a different mood.

As I have told you, I have not watched the news in about 20 years with a few exceptions like when I am by myself in a hotel room and I surf the channels as I am getting ready for my day or winding down. This past week I was in Long Beach California and in quickly surfing past the news channels, the reports were horrific, from gang killings and drive by shootings to even more very graphic violence. It was disturbing.

Last fall I was in Colorado Springs and could not help but notice the news. The talks were about the weather for hiking, the water temps for kayaking, the sunrise and sun set for the nature trails to open, the outdoor festival going on in town and so on. It was so refreshing. I was just reading a copy of Outside Magazine and saw their latest report on America’s Best Cities. It’s no wonder that Colorado Springs is listed as one of their favorites. If you are planning your next vacation or maybe your retirement or investment home, you might consider these picks. Also click on the link for the top 10 favorite small best cities. I’ve visited 5 of the 10 cities. So I have a lot to aspire to travel to.

Outside Magazine, August 2009

Best Towns 2009

America's Best Cities

Healthy. That's the word we kept coming back to. And we don’t mean a fit or skinny population; we’re talking about a city’s cultural vibrancy, economic well-being, and overall quality of life. Presenting our picks for the 10 best cities in America.

Seattle

Seattle (courtesy of Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau)

How We Ranked Them

First, we started with the 100 most populated cities in America, using public data to rank them on factors like cost of living, unemployment,

Where to Vent

Still think we screwed up by not picking your town? Let us know in our forum.

nightlife, commute time, and access to green spaces. Then we took the 28 candidates with the highest overall averages and put them through a second round of number crunching, comparing things like the percentage of the population with college degrees, income level in relation to home prices, and weather. The wild card? Our own multisport factor, which rated each of our finalists on a scale of 1 to 5 for quality and proximity to biking, running, paddling, hiking, and skiing. After adding it all up, we had our top ten.

10. Charlotte, North Carolina

9. Cincinnati, Ohio

8. Minneapolis, Minnesota

7. Portland, Oregon

6. Albuquerque, New Mexico

5. Boston, Massachusetts

4. Austin, Texas

3. Atlanta, Georgia

2. Seattle, Washington

1. Colorado Springs, Colorado

PLUS: Our 10 favorite small towns

Have an extraordinary day!

Stress – its every where

Today’s Re-Powering Information – Stress – its every where. We have physical stress, mental, emotional, environmental, chemical and mechanical stressors all around us. We have moved so far away from what is natural regarding sleeping and eating and recovering that our bodies many times are under chronic stress. Since stress is everywhere, we have no choice but to manage it as best we can. You should have an arsenal of stress relievers. Boot camp is a great one. Everyone always compliments about how fast the hour goes (most of the time) and that they leave feeling wonderful! Another wonderful and easy to apply stress reliever is breathing exercises. I have taken classes in breath therapy and can tell you first hand that your breath can make you feel very heavy, very light and completely invigorated. Read on to see some stress relieving breathing exercises. You may feel silly doing them, but they work!





Dr. Mercola''s Comments


Dr. Mercola's Comments:



As many of you already know, I am passionate about finding simple, inexpensive resources that can have profound impact on your health. And breathing is one strategy that can make a tremendous difference in how you feel and age, yet it receives little attention. After all, you breathe in and out without conscious thought. As soon as you stop, you die. Surely everyone’s got this one all figured out already?

Not really. In fact, improper breathing is more the norm than the exception these days.

So implementing a breathing technique may actually be one of the most beneficial things you can do to elevate your physical health and soothe your mind.

Actually, one of my first journeys into natural health was in the early 90’s, when I attended several week-long seminars in Southern California to learn different breathing practices. They were all very useful, but a bit complicated to perform without proper instructions and practice.

There are many different breathing practices that you can try, but here I’m going to share with you one that is both powerful and very easy to perform.

I like to do it before each meal as that ensures that I will do it at least three times a day. I also like to combine it with gratitude for my meal, so for the two minutes it actually takes to do the technique, I seek to focus on gratitude for not only the food, but all the blessings in my life.

I recently learned this one when I attended a presentation by Dr. Weil at Expo West in California.

In the presentation summary he outlined some of the best resources he’s learned over his clinical career for improving health, and topping the list, interestingly, was a breathing exercise called the 4-7-8, or Relaxing Breath Exercise.

On his site, he states:

"Practicing regular, mindful breathing can be calming and energizing and can even help with stress-related health problems ranging from panic attacks to digestive disorders."

The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise

The key to this exercise is to remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8. It’s not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Sit up straight
2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process
3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four
4. Hold your breath to the count of seven
5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound
6. That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths

You can do this exercise as frequently as you want throughout the day, but it’s recommended you don’t do more than four full breaths during the first month or so of practice. Later you may work your way up to eight full breath cycles at a time.

The benefits of this simple practice are enormous and work as a natural tranquilizer for your nervous system.

Personally, I think one of its greatest values may be gained when you combine it with your meals. Most of us eat three meals a day, so it makes remembering to do it easier. Also, I believe that combining it with the attitude of gratitude for the healthy meal you just ate, or are about to eat, can have a powerful, beneficial influence on your health.

The Health Benefits of Breathing Exercises

Self-applied health enhancement methods like the 4-7-8 breathing technique are particularly remarkable because of the broad array of real health benefits that are triggered.

Learning to breathe mindfully can modify and accelerate your body's inherent self-regulating physiological and bioenergetic mechanisms.

These changes are in large part due to the fact that you’re oxygenating your body properly as well as correcting your internal and energetic balance, and it has a direct impact your nervous system.

This in turn affects your entire body and its countless cellular functions, including all of your subtle energy systems.

The web site breathing.com offers a list of clinical studies into the health benefits of optimal breathing. One such study, which spanned a 30-year period, concluded that the most significant factor in your health and longevity is how well you breathe.

It focused on the long-term predictive power of forced exhalation volume as the primary marker for life span. According to the researchers,

"This pulmonary function measurement appears to be an indicator of general health and vigor and literally a measure of living capacity."

It’s also important to realize that much of hypertension is controlled by the way you breathe, so breathing exercises are an excellent adjunct to your other healthy lifestyle strategies to control high blood pressure.

Breathing exercises such as the one I showed you above have a positive impact on your:

* Respiratory system, which can reduce mental and physical fatigue, as well as relieve symptoms of asthma and bronchitis
* Circulatory system; improving blood circulation and cell oxygenation throughout your body
* Nervous system
* Digestive system, by acting as a pump to massage internal organs
* Endocrine system. The action of your diaphragm helps push lymph throughout your body, which helps eliminate toxic waste and strengthen your immune system
* Urinary system, by helping to eliminate fluids and massaging your kidneys
* Skin. Toxic CO2 waste is eliminated more directly through your breath, and your skin can also be positively affected by improved blood flow and oxygenation

Breathing Your Way to Optimal Health

Another obvious use for the 4-7-8 breathing technique is to use it whenever you feel stressed or anxious. It’s a powerful way to help relax your system without drugs.

Best of all, it doesn’t cost you anything but a couple of minutes of your time! And, if you commit to it, I believe you’ll be absolutely shocked, and pleasantly surprised, by how quickly and easily it can center and relax you and allow you to achieve high levels of health.

For even more breathing practices, I recommend you read the article Breathing Exercises and Self Healing, written by Roger Jahnke, O.M.D., or see Dr. Weil’s website for additional exercises.

Do something special for yourself today!

Energy Drinks and Bars- Best and Worst

Today’s Re-Powering Information - The following is from an article about the best and worst Energy Drinks and Bars. I usually get asked which bars or drinks I recommend and I also see them on the food logs so I wanted to arm you with ammunition to make the best choices – w which is always real food first! Notice there is a drink called cocaine – scary!!!



XS Gold



According to company partner Scott Coon, XS Blast was the first to focus on energy drink flavors, and first to create a sugar-free category. This drink has low calories, low carbs and the caffeine-free version has more vitamin C per ounce than a serving of orange juice. (8.4 oz.)





Electrifire



Using agave nectar as a sweetener, Electrifire has a large selection of natural juices for flavor, including cranberry, pomegranate, passion fruit, lime, orange and aronia berry. Designed to energize your entire body, this two-ounce energy drink also has water-soluble plant nutrients for cell repair. (2 oz.)



On Go



Although this one comes in a two-ounce shot bottle, it easily has the same effect as a full-sized energy drink, On Go has no carbs, only 8 calories and tons of vitamins B6 and B12. Vitamin B6 is a key building block of proteins and extra B12 has been shown to increase energy levels. (2 oz.)



Steaz Energy



This drink needs no frills because the product speaks for itself. With ingredients like Ceylon green tea, which has a fuller and stronger taste, and yerba mate, a refreshing alternative to coffee, it’s no wonder Steaz has organic and fair trade labels. Steaz is also sweetened with evaporated cane juice and stevia in their diet line. (12 oz.)





Active Ingredient: Guarana



More than 4,000 miles south of here, a Brazilian miner is taking a break to sip the most important beverage of the day. Guarana, specifically the fruit’s seeds of this climbing plant, is highly regarded as both a medicinal tonic and potent stimulant. Although the former claim lacks evidence, South Americans obtain the majority of their caffeine from guarana.



In Brazil, workers carry lumps of guarana in their pockets and grate it with a fish bone into water for a quick pick-me-up. You can easily find soft drinks, energy shots, herbal tea and supplements with ample amounts of the revitalizing supplement.



Guarana seeds contain more than twice the amount of caffeine found in coffee beans: Up to 7.5 percent of the seed contains the stimulant compared to the 1 to 2 percent concentration found in a bean of your house blend. In addition to keeping you awake, the tannins in guarana have been known to support weight-loss and enhance cognition. Although clinical research is still in its infancy, a Journal of Psychopharmacology study found that guarana likely improves memory, mood and alertness at lower doses.



Unlike coffee, the amount of caffeine doesn’t have to be listed on potentially potent guarana drinks making it easier to get to that danger zone of caffeine intoxication. Anecdotal reports, including a review in the Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy, have linked guarana to anxiety, heart rhythm abnormalities and even chest pain.







Hi Ball



As the self-proclaimed “World’s First Sparkling Energy Drink,” HiBall certainly lives up to the title with no sugar, artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners or preservatives. The taste is crisp and the energy is simple, with 75 milligrams of natural caffeine. (10 oz.)



Enviga



Past hype surrounding this energy drink has given it the image of a magical calorie burner. Although evidence on this remains sketchy, Enviga Green Tea is still a good choice for boosting energy and antioxidant levels. It has virtually no calories and contains 20 percent of your calcium RDA. (12 oz.)



Eiro



This Dallas-based company, dedicated to researching nutritional products, wanted to create a drink with natural caffeine sources. Eiro has guarana, green tea, ginko biloba and ginseng. It has no taurine, refined sugars or preservatives, giving it a leg up in providing sustainable energy. (8.4 oz.)



Wheyup



With 22 grams of whey protein in every can, This is a choice drink for bodybuilders. Low carbs (9 grams) and no sugar also make it ideal for losing weight. Whey protein increases lean muscle mass and has tons of daily amino acids. (16 oz.)



Vida Tea



This sparkling tea has a combination of three green teas and is sweetened with agave nectar. Agave is absorbed into the body without an insulin spike, so it’s a safer option for diabetics. At the World Tea Expo, VidaTea was named “Best Tea” in the Sweetened Green Tea category. (12 oz.)





Sea2O



As the title claims, this drink is totally organic and contains no caffeine. Sea2o gives you energy with agave nectar, a natural organic sugar with low impact on blood sugar and an exceptionally low glycemic index. It’s an ideal energy drink for diabetics. (10.5 oz.)









Verve



Verve has a combination of green tea, aloe and mangosteen fruit, giving it a distinct flavor. Like most of these healthier options, Verve has antioxidants like Xanthones that help fight fatigue and depression. (8.3 oz.)





LIVE



It’s pretty hard to find reasons not to LIVE with this energy drink. Featuring flavors like green tea and acai berry, LIVE is naturally sweetened with evaporated organic sugar cane juice, rather than artificial sugars, colors and preservatives. The company even donates 50 percent of your purchase to a handful of charities. (12 oz.)





FRS

(Elissa gave me this stuff and it is pretty good)



FRS stands for Free Radical Scavenger which is a term for antioxidant. The special patented formula of quercetin is designed to give you a more sustainable source of energy. Quercetin is difficult to find as a single ingredient, unless you eat 40 apples. FRS is also endorsed by Lance Armstrong. (11.5 oz.)





Active Ingredient: Caffeine



It’s in your morning latte, your afternoon tea and even your chocolately midnight snack. Consumed daily by more than 80 percent of people in America, caffeine is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, the heart and the respiratory system within an hour or less of consumption.



This stimulant acts just as it sounds and mimics the effect of epinephrine — yep, that’s adrenaline. Your heart rate will jump up, your systolic blood pressure will increase and you’ll temporarily rev up your metabolism. Thank the molecular breakdown of caffeine for this revitalization and other welcomed effects such as the breakdown of fat storage, blood vessel dilation and bronchi relaxation. In fact, this metabolic product — theophylline — is often used in asthma medication.



Medical evidence has continued to affirm caffeine’s high-octane effects: A recent study from the University of Chicago indicates that your Starbucks fix might be the reason you have become that cheerful morning person. The research shows that caffeine not only wakes you up but also positively influences mood and cognition. They also found it improves subjective well-being and behavioral performance, so you’re better able to deal with obnoxious drivers on your morning commute.



Caffeine is the real deal when it comes to boosting your energy but daily consumption, even at low doses, can quickly produce dependence and withdrawal symptoms including pounding headaches and insomnia. Never consume more than 300 milligrams a day as you quickly enter into the dangerous territory of caffeine intoxication.







Sobe No Fear



Ignore the name and be very afraid of this high fructose corn syrup-laden drink. The high levels of sugar (66 grams) and caffeine (174 milligrams) are unsettling enough, but at 260 calories per can, a few too many and you’ll be fearing the size of your thighs. (20 oz.)



Gatorade



If you’re looking for electrolytes, don’t reach for a Gatorade. Instead you’ll get 200 calories per 32 fluid ounces. It’s also packed with high fructose corn syrup. Try the leaner version of Gatorade (G2), SmartWater or a glass of good old H2O and a banana for electrolytes. (32 oz.)



AMP



One 16-ounce can contains 11 percent of your day’s calories and more sugar than four scoops of peanut butter cup ice cream. Amp also contains aspartame, the non-nutritive sweetener that has brought more than 30 years of health controversy. Aspartame dissolves into solution, and can therefore travel throughout the body and deposit within any tissue. (16 oz.)



Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino



Anyone who has read “Eat This, Not That: Supermarket Survival Guide” knows that one 13.7-ounce bottle is the sugar equivalent of a three-scoop bowl of double fudge brownie ice cream. With that much sugar, expect an afternoon crash and burn. (9.5 oz.)



Sobe Energy (Power)



One bottle has more than 250 calories, 35 milligrams of sodium and 70 grams of sugar. When you add it up, that’s nearly double the sugar found in a can of Coke. Sobe is so not worth the extra pounds of fat you could gain. (20 oz.)



Full Throttle



This Coca-Cola product has 220 calories and more than 50 grams of high fructose corn syrup. It’s basically Coke on steroids. Today we consume twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago. If you just cut down to water, seltzer, unsweetened coffee or tea one day a week, you could lose around seven pounds a year. (8 oz.)



Cocaine



This drink has three and a half times more caffeine than a can of Red Bull. And it only holds 8.4 fluid ounces. Small amounts of caffeine can go a long way, but having too much can pose a whole slew of threats to your body. Sometimes less is more. (8.4 oz.)





Red Bull



Not only was Sugar-Free Red Bull shown to give a healthy person the same blood consistency as someone with heart disease, but traces of cocaine were found in some cans of the newer Red Bull Cola. Believe it or not, Red Bull is still not the worst on our list, but these qualities definitely don’t give it five stars. (12 oz.)





Rockstar Original



With 62 grams of sugar in the popular double-size can, you might as well be drinking chocolate Rice Krispies. Americans should only consume about 40 grams of sugar a day. Combined with the 160 milligrams of caffeine, it may be a quick fix, but it won’t sustain you through the day. (16 oz.)





Monster Energy



Though Monster has a few desirable ingredients, such as ginseng root and guarana seed extract, it still gives you a clockwork crash. If you read the label carefully, it says “Serving Size 2” on one can. A total of 54 grams of carbs, sugar and 200 calories means a lot of extra time on the stationary bike. (8.3 oz.)







Active Ingredient: Taurine



The 1,000 milligrams found in one serving of Red Bull has been touted to combat mental and physical fatigue but it appears the energy drink does little to give you wings. Outside of its role as a sham energy supplement, the amino acid taurine is found naturally in meat and fish. The manufacturers of Red Bull claim that the body’s taurine production declines with extreme physical exertion but no research has yet indicated that this can be remedied by chugging a can of the drink.



What we do know about the role of taurine in the body is that it is found in skeletal muscle, the heart and the nervous system. It’s a bonafide multi-tasker: Taurine is important for efficient metabolism, stabilizing cell membranes, generating nerve impulses and it even appears to work as an antioxidant.



And while it may not zap you out of your 4 o’clock drowsiness, taurine supplementation appears to not only be safe in moderation but also medicinal. It has been used to treat epilepsy via its anti-convulsant role as a nerve cell membrane stabilizer. In Japan, taurine is often administered to treat ischemic heart disease and certain heart arrhythmias.



Although up to 3,000 milligrams of taurine (that’s three servings of Red Bull) are considered safe, little is known about the effects of heavy or long-term use — except of course that it won’t give you wings.







Luna (Clif) Caramel Nut Brownie

At a mere 180 calories, Luna — the Clif bar for women — boasts the highest amount of calcium (35 percent of your Recommended Daily Allowance or RDA) and iron (30 percent RDA) compared to all the bars we examined. It’s also chock full of antioxidants including vitamins C and E, green tea extract and selenium. (per 48g bar)





Kashi GoLean Roll Caramel Peanut



With nearly 25 percent of your fiber RDA, this whole grain bar is far from tasting like cardboard. This Kashi GoLean snack also contains 12 grams of protein from natural sources like peanuts and soy to keep your stomach growls at bay. (per 55g bar)





Zone Perfect Peanut Toffee



No need to take a multivitamin when you have a yummy Zone Perfect on hand. With more than 12 vitamins and minerals, a great taste and 14 grams of protein on board, this one will be sure to keep you fuller and more glycemically-balanced than most other bars. (per 50g bar)







Larabar Ginger Snap

Comforting just like the ginger snaps you grew up on; this ginger-filled Larabar is both tasty and soothing on the stomach. Since it contains no sodium, gluten, dairy or soy, you’ll be able to enjoy this fiber-packed treat without any worries. (per 51g bar)







Pure Bar Cranberry Orange Bar



This organic snack contains the shortest ingredient list by far and is sweetened 100 percent naturally by fruit and agave nectar. The Pure Bar’s exotic flavor is combined with walnuts, cashews and almonds to keep you full while fighting free radicals and heart disease. (per 48g bar)





Boundless Oatmega Dark Chocolate Mint



This tasty number — 190 calories to be exact — is an organic, protein-packed snack created here in Austin. Not only is it low in sugar, but all Boundless Oatmega bars contain heart-healthy ingredients such as green tea, omega-3 fatty acids and sea salt. (per 50g bar)





Powerbar: Energize Blast Berry Smoothie



The full flavor of this Powerbar comes at the expense of more than 200 calories, 24 grams of sugar and 180 milligrams of sodium. And with less than one gram of fiber, you’ll be lacking an extra movement beyond your morning jog. (per 56g bar)





Apex



This Apex bar truly is the pinnacle of a poor ingredient list. Among the first four are corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup and sugar. The 20 grams of sugar are therefore no surprise, but the 18 percent of your RDA for saturated fat and the mere one percent of potassium is sadly unexpected. (per 55g bar)







SlimFast



Your mom’s old diet fad is thankfully becoming a thing of the past. Despite the small serving size, this Slim-Fast bar includes 15 percent of your saturated fat RDA and is one of the few bars to contain cholesterol. Interestingly, despite the less than one gram of fiber, the safety information reads “excessive consumption may have a laxative effect.” (per 28g bar)







Balance Original Almond Brownie



Never judge a book, or a bar, by its cover. Although this Balance Original bar looks and sounds healthy, its specs (200 calories, 17 grams of sugar and 18 percent of your RDA for saturated fat) prove otherwise. It almost gets points for the addition of 19 vitamins and minerals, but returns to zero with its second ingredient: High-fructose corn syrup. (per 50g bar)





Snickers Marathon® Energy Bar Multi Grain Crunch



Although delicious, the Snickers Marathon takes the cake for unhealthiest bar. Consuming this one snack puts you at 10 percent of your RDA for sodium and total fat. The ingredients also read as a science experiment with corn syrup and quadratein heading up this laundry list. (per 55g bar)





Active Ingredient: Ginseng



Stimulants and amino acids are not the only ingredients in your late night energy drink. Ancient Chinese remedies like ginseng and cordyceps (see page 30) are now popping up as the new fatigue fighters. And according to William Wood and Aaron Winning, both Licensed Acupuncturists & Herbalists (L.Ac) at SoCo Clinic, not only do they work but side effects are minimal especially when compared to caffeine.



“Though these are herbs, they still have side effects and should be taken in moderation to get the best effect,” Winning emphasizes.



The third top-selling herb in the United States is also 2,000 years old in China. Herbal remedies known as ginseng are derived from the roots of either the American (Panax quinquefolius) or Asian (Panax ginseng) perennial plant. Only these two of the 11 different ginseng species are used for medicinal purposes. Their botanical name, Panax, is translated from Greek to mean “all heal” or, if you like, “panacea.”



You won’t get far at any grocery store without coming across either form of ginseng. But don’t just reach for the cheapest price tag. “You need to look for a high grade of ginseng to ensure effectiveness,” says Wood, “This is difficult to do from simply walking down the aisles of a health food store. Your best bet is to go to a Chinese herbalist who obtains their ginseng from a trusted source.”



The herb is often advertised as everything from an immunity enhancer to an aphrodisiac. Despite all the propaganda, many of these claims have not been seriously researched in the United States including those that promote ginseng as an efficient energy enhancer.



But if either were to promote vigor, Asian ginseng — particularly the red form — is thought to have stronger effects than its American counterpart possibly due to the longer harvesting period and a steaming process that locks in the active ingredients including ginsenoside.



Studies conducted in Japan and published in the Journal of Pharmacological Sciences have demonstrated that ginsenosides dilate blood vessels and help increase blood flow. Improved circulation results in better oxygen delivery and potentially enhanced stamina. In fact, these same researchers have found that red Asian ginseng helps the body resist the damaging effects of everyday stress. Ginesenoside, along with ginseng’s other active components, are thought to reduce the pituitary gland’s secretion of the ACTH hormone which stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol. Less cortisol means less stress-related complaints like headaches, stomach ulcers and insomnia.



End



Enjoy a beautiful day!