Tagged as: $500, dinner preparation, easy family meals, easy healthy dinner, friends, Live, nordstrom, referer
We will be packing meals to feed 30,000 people in need here in San Diego and at the children’s center in Tanzania thanks to Dream Dinners,U.S. Bank, Solana Beach Pres. Church, and YOU!
Now we just need one hour of your time to help put these meals together!
SundayMarch 25th at Skyline Elementary (across the street from the church)
from 10:00-1:00.
Registernow before registration opens to all of San Diego!
Bring your whole family, invite your youth group, small group, and
friends! We only have about 150 openings left.
Click on the Volunteer button below and sign up yourself and your family to volunteer on
Sunday, March 25th, 10am-11am or 11am to 12pm.
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Register for each family member over the age of three.
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Use your individual e-mail address for those who do not
have one. (groups please sign up with each individual participants own
e-mail address).
Thank you all so much for helping with this exciting event!
Valerie
Are you feeling down in the dumps?
Are you irritated at how often you’ve been irritable?
Perhaps it’s time to look at the foods and drinks you consume to see if they are trashing your mood. Nutrition experts say that the foods you eat can help you feel better — or feel worse — in the short-term and the long-term.
Meal-to-meal and day-to-day, keeping your blood sugars steady and your gastrointestinal (GI) tract running smoothly will help you feel good and energetic. If your blood sugars are on a roller-coaster ride — hitting highs and lows from too much sugar and refined flour – you are more likely to feel out of sorts. This is also true if your gastrointestinal system is distressed due to intense hunger from a fad diet or constipation because you aren’t getting enough fiber and water.
Week-to-week and month-to-month, keeping your body healthy and disease-free makes good moods more likely. For example, key nutrients you get in certain foods can influence the levels of feel-good hormones such as serotonin. Other nutrients can help prevent inflammation so blood circulates well to all of your organs.
“Eating a heart healthy diet — high in fiber and low in saturated fat — is a great place to start to boost your mood. There isn’t any question about it, says Diane M. Becker MPH, ScD, director of the Center for Health Promotion at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Conversely, “a high-fat, high-glycemic load meal can make you physically feel dysfunction in your body. People who eat this type of meal tend to feel bad and sleepy afterwards,” she says.
6 Tips for Foods and Beverages That Help You Feel Good
1. Seek out foods rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid (folate).
What’s special about chili made with kidney beans and lean beef? Or a light chicken Caesar salad made with skinless chicken breast and romaine lettuce? Or grilled salmon with a side of broccoli?
All these dishes, most of them offered monthy at Dream Dinners, feature one food that is rich in folic acid (folate) and another that is rich in vitamin B12. These two vitamins appear to help prevent disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders, and dementias, says Edward Reynolds, MD, at the Institute of Epileptology, King’s College, London.
The link between higher food intakes of folate and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms crosses cultures, too. A recent study confirmed this association in Japanese men.
Folic acid is usually found in beans and greens. Vitamin B12 is found in meats, fish, poultry, and dairy.
Other dishes that feature B-12 and folic acid-rich foods include:
- A burrito or enchilada made with black beans plus beef, chicken, or pork
- A spinach salad topped with crab or salmon
- An egg white or egg substitute omelet filled with sauteed spinach and reduced-fat cheese
2. Enjoy fruits and vegetables in a big way.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with key nutrients and antioxidant phytochemicals, which directly contribute to your health and health-related quality of life.
In a one study, eating two more servings of fruits and vegetables a day was associated with an 11% higher likelihood of good functional health. People who ate the highest amount of fruits and vegetables felt better about their health.
Dream Dinners Seafood Ciopino
Dream Dinners Seafood Ciopino
3. Eat selenium-rich foods every day.
One study evaluated the depression scores of elderly people whose daily diet was either supplemented with 200 micrograms of selenium a day or a placebo. Although more research is needed to confirm the findings, the group taking selenium had higher amounts of selenium circulating in their blood and significant decreases in their depression symptoms.
Try to get at least the recommended daily allowance for selenium: 55 micrograms a day for men and women.
Whole grains are an excellent source of selenium. By eating several servings a day of whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-grain bread, and brown rice, you can easily get 70 micrograms of selenium. Other foods rich in selenium include:
- Beans and legumes
- Lean meat (lean pork or beef, skinless chicken or turkey)
- Low-fat dairy foods
- Nuts and seeds (especially Brazil nuts)
- Seafood (oysters, clams, crab, sardines, and fish)
4. Eat fish several times a week.
Several recent studies have suggested that men and women have a lower risk of having symptoms of depression if they eat a lot of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon, which is high
- Dream Dinners Sesame Crusted Tuna
in omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3s from fish seem to have positive effects on clinically defined mood swings such as postpartum depression, says Jay Whelan, PhD, head of the department of nutrition at the University of Tennessee.
Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Herring
- Rainbow trout
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna
5. Get a daily dose of vitamin D.
Does a little time in the sun seem to make you feel better? The sun’s rays allow our bodies to synthesize and regulate vitamin D.
Four recent studies showed an association between low serum levels of vitamin D and higher incidences of four mood disorders: PMS, seasonal affective disorder, nonspecified mood disorder, and major depressive disorder.
Researcher Pamela K. Murphy, PhD, at the Medical University of South Carolina says people can help manage their moods by getting at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day.
That’s significantly more than the Institute of Medicine’s Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D, which is 600 IU daily for ages 1 to 70, and 800 IU for people over 70.
Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D. So she recommends we get vitamin D from a variety of sources: short periods of sun exposure, vitamin D supplements, and foods.
Vitamin D can be found in:
- Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel
- Beef liver
- Cheese
- Egg yolks
But our primary source of dietary vitamin D is fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, breads, juices, and milk.
6. Treat Yourself to 1 oz of Chocolate
“Small amounts of dark chocolate can be a physical upper,” says Becker at Johns Hopkins. “Dark chocolate has an effect on the levels of brain endorphins,” those feel-good chemicals that our bodies produce. Not only that, but dark chocolate also seems to have a heart-healthy anti-clogging effect in our blood vessels.
In one study from the Netherlands, Dutch men who ate 1/3 of a chocolate bar each day had lower levels of blood pressure and lower rates of heart disease. The chocolate also boosted their general sense of well-being.
Lo
ve makes your heart healthier.
A study from the University of Texas found that love can reduce plaque buildup in the arteries and play a significant role in overall heart health. The study was conducted with rabbits . . . and we all know how “loving” rabbits are.
All the rabbits were fed an artery-blocking diet. Some received love and affection while other rabbits received none. What was amazing was that the rabbits that received the loving care had 60% less plaque build-up than the rabbits that did not.
Love boosts your immunity.
One study revealed that just five minutes of genuine care boosted the entire immune system. This caused an increase in immunoglobulin A, which is the body’s natural defense against colds, flu, and other bacteria. Surprisingly, even watching movies about love increases levels of immunoglobulin A.
Hold on . . . let me get out my copy of Love, Actually!
Practice the human touch.
The human touch can deliver powerful healing as it increases your body’s production of endorphins, DHEA, and growth hormone. All of these alleviate stress. Research has shown that unconscious patients who received caring touch on a regular basis recover much faster than those who were not touched. Scientists have long known that orphan babies will stop growing and possibly die from the lack of love and touch.
Connect with friends.
People rich in social and community support are much more likely to live a long life than those who are loners. Spending time with friends is an extremely positive way to better your health and can cut your risk of an early death in half.
Nurture a happy marriage.
Studies confirm that couples that are happily married live, on average, up to four years longer than their single counterparts. A happy marriage improves your outlook on life, positively affects your diet, and increases your network of friends–three of the major factors of living a long life. Married people also take better care of each other and give each other a sense of security about the future, which in turn alleviates stress.
Obviously love equals good health. If you don’t have enough love in your life, begin by loving yourself. In your relationships, share your energy, time and yourself with the people you love. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. Give love and you will get love in return.
Reference: www.insiderhealth.com
Experts say five years of our lives are spent with a common cold. (Ick!) True or not, we wouldn’t mind indulging in a few of the remedies in Jennifer Ackerman’s new book, Ah-Choo!.
CRACKING OPEN A BOTTLEThat’s right: Wine and beer may be just the ticket to avoiding a sick day. Studies don’t indicate why (alcohol might somehow limit virus replication), but they agree you should cut yourself off after one glass per night.
EATING CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
It may be good for the soul, but for different reasons than you’d expect. A component in poultry known as cysteine helps clear breathing passages. The soup part is a bonus: Pairing the chicken with hot vegetable broth staves off symptoms, too.
STOPPING BY THE NEIGHBOR’S PARTY
It seems reasonable to think that the fewer people (and germs) you’re around, the better. But research shows that people with larger social circles are less likely to fall victim to colds.
LETTING OFF STEAM
Those who work up a sweat for 30 to 60 minutes a day catch, on average, only one cold a year. But don’t try to make the rest of us look bad: Working out for more than 90 minutes a day could have the reverse effect, breaking down your immunity guard.
Reference: rachealray.com
