Tiny Talk and the Adventures of Plastic Mommy

Well as promised today we have brought in two great experts to answer two questions related to health and fitness. For those of your who are not aware the winner of our Hump day giveaway also won the opportunity to have two health and fitness questions that she has been wondering about answered by our experts:

About our experts:

Our experts today are Jill and Lara from TheFitDivas.com. I stumbled upon their website for my own purposes and was highly impressed with the website. The credentials of both Jill and Lara are extensive and well rounded. These two fit mommies have a passion for helping others better their quality of life and provide a great website as a resource to help you get started on your way to becoming a new fit mommy. TheFitDivas have agreed to visit us regularly and help our moms with many of our health and fitness challenges. I wanted to do a short write up on each of them but realized I would not being doing them justice. So please visit and read more

The winner of the Tea Kettle Combo was Sandy(mrsmommyy). Thanks for participating and here is what our experts had to say in response to your questions...

Do kids and adults really need supplements?

Yes. I am a huge believer in getting your nutrients from eating whole food, however I realize that that doesn’t always happen. I do feel that there are days when the body and/or the food itself can be compromised. Pregnancy, stress, lack of sleep, change in routine, traveling, etc. all can cause issues with either nutrient consumption and/or nutrient absorption. As for children, they are picky and not always willing to eat the foods they should. Also, many times they are not given the option of choosing the right foods due to busy schedules or because their parents do not eat the way they should. But, even when all of the right foods are eaten, it may not be enough. When fruits and veggies are old, filled with pesticides, grown in polluted or low-quality soils, over-cooked or over-stressed, they can lose a significant amount of their nutrients.

In all of these cases, a supplement could be beneficial and since we can't predict when these things will happen, it can be a great idea to take a daily supplement. However, please remember that they are SUPPLEMENTS. You should use them to supplement your diet and your child’s diet, not replace it. There is not one supplement manufacturer that has been able to copy how vitamins and minerals are stored and delivered to your body straight from plants.

Does green tea really do what it says?

There are no miracle foods. Drinking 7 Cups of green tea are not going to make you lose a bunch of weight if all of your other habits stay the same. But drinking green tea along with a healthy diet provide tremendous health benefits.

Green tea is the least processed tea and so provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, especially the catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. Green tea is thought to provide more health benefits than any other tea including Oolong and Black Tea.

There have been hundreds of studies done on the benefits of green tea and there are more constantly occurring. Some of the benefits already found to be true of drinking green tea include but are not limited to:

Protects against death from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Protects against coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis and hypertension.
Reduces blood pressure and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Thins the blood and helps prevent blood clots.
Protects the heart of people with acute cardiovascular disease and those with high triglycerides especially if eaten with their meal.
Minimizes damage and speeds recovery after a heart attack and stroke.
Helps prevent a number of types of cancers including prostate, breast, ovarian, colorectal, lung and bladder. It also has been shown to help slow the death rate of people with cancer.
Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes.
Protects against kidney disease.
Helps build bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Promotes fat loss.
Prevents damage to brain cells from free radicals that lead to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
May help fight the flu.

Please note that most of these studies are done with their subjects consuming up to 5 cups of green tea a day. That is a lot of tea! Feel comfortable knowing you are doing your body good by drinking even one cup of green tea, but that you should also follow a healthy diet. Drinking green tea won’t do it alone!

What is something natural to help with PMS?(Bonus question)

There are a number of herbs and supplements out there that are supposed to help with PMS. Please remember that supplements are not regulated by the FDA and can claim anything they want because of Freedom of Speech. They can not say they heal or cure but can say MAY prevent, help, protect, etc. against anything. Also, “all natural” is not always “all good”. Poisonous berries found in the woods are “all natural” but will kill you! Just remember that every time you see those two words. It is to your benefit to really find out what the ingredients are all about.

As for natural relievers to PMS – here are a few thoughts and ideas.
Drink a lot of fluids, preferably water, avoiding carbonated drinks and drinks high in sodium like soft drinks.
Drinks with caffeine have a diuretic affect which may help reduce bloating. Coffee and herbal teas (black has highest amount of caffeine), can be beneficial.
Eat foods that are considered “natural diuretics”. These are foods that are high in potassium but low in sodium and have a few other nutrients in them that combined have a diuretic affect. Some of these foods include asparagus, cantaloupe, watercress, artichoke, celery, onion, eggplant, and watermelon.
Avoid starchy foods and foods high in simple carbohydrates like sugary foods and foods made from white flours – breads, pastas, etc.
Avoid foods high in salt and sodium.
Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that have a high water content.
Move your body!

Here is a great recipe that is actually from the Flat Belly Diet that is good to drink during PMS days. I tried it and it really works.

It is called Sassy Water.

2 liters water (8.5C)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, chill in the refrigerator, and let flavors blend overnight.

Note: We have had some great health and fitness questions so please visit next Friday because the fitness diva has agree to answer a few more questions....who knows it may be yours.....

8:13 PM
Categories: Author: Tiny Talk