Advice 2 Love

It’s alarming to see half of the US populations are obese and 1/3 of them are children. With the demand of daily life, we often do not have the time nor money to educated ourselves on what good for our body and what’s not. Gym membership can be an alternative, but with the growing number of unemployment, it’s more essential to get food and shelter then spend hours on the tread mills. Often times, you’ll see what is label as “junk food” being a whole lot cheaper then “organic food” in supermarket. Where does that leave us?

According to my doctor’s friend, besides the common cold and flu, headaches are one of the most common reasons why people seek out medical’ advice. Stress is the most obvious trigger, but skipping meals, not getting enough sleep, poor posture and eye strain (from watching too much TV or staring at the computer system too long) can lead to tension headaches. Also, foods high in sugar, salt, nitrates (found in meats such as SPAM and hot dogs) or caffeine can also trigger tension headache. You can help minimize these headaches by exercising, eating healthy, drinking enough water (at least 8 cups per day), taking a warm bath or just stopping what your doing at the moments and relax for 10 minutes if you feel a headache coming on. Ibuprofen are usually quite good in relieve headaches. If your problems continue, seek out a health care providers.

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Recently, I’ve been falling in love with one daily product — yogurt. Perhaps it is the sales at the supermarket or the many dozens of yogurt shops that pop up around town offering many favors to try that I just can’t resist. One yogurt shop located at Ward Center in Honolulu offers many different choices and allow you to try the favors before you purchase it. My final choices were taro, green tea and mango with some kiwi fruits and gummy bears. You are allowed to add on any other things that you want from fruits to candy and even different types of cereal. Be creative and enjoy! 

In addition to tasting delicious, yogurt are really good for you. It’s a good source of protein, potassium and vitamins B, but how do you know which yogurts are the best when you have so many selections? The first step to choosing the best yogurt is to select ones that are regular, low-fat or nonfat yogurt as these contain less fat and cholesterol. 

The second step is to choose your own sweetener. No one likes things that are bland. Some people add artificial sugars while other choose corn syrup. If you are sensitive to these products, try whole-fat flavored varieties or unsweetened yogurt and add your own fruits. Be careful that some favors contain more sugar then other. 

According to the National Yogurt Association (NYA), there is a seal that appear on their products allowing consumer to know that it contains live, active cultures high in calcium and vitamin D. For those who avoid daily products, there the option of soy yogurt. 

Try adding yogurt to your daily in-take whether it is for breakfast, snack or a late-night treat, you’ll be amazed at all it’s benefit. Comments?

While living in Hawaii, there are many reasons to enjoyed the outdoor and explored what’s new in the neighborhood. Instead of sitting at home or in a crammed office breathing recycled air, take a break and walk outside. Enjoyed the sights, smells and feel of the outdoor. 

When my parents or in-laws are out of town, I’m put in charge of taking care of their garden from watering the plants, picking up the fruits, pulling the weeds to raking the leaves. The feel of the sun, the trade winds and the occasional cheeping of the birds provide a refreshing relief to the busy city life. 

Gardening is a wonderful workout as it exercise the major muscle groups and helps to tone your body. Studies have shown that digging and weed whacking can burns 190 calories which is equal to playing double tennis. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), doing 30 minutes of gardening every day can help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke, but avoid working in the same body position for too long to prevent stiffness and always remember to pace yourself. It’s also important to drink lots of water every 15 to 30 minutes. 

Did you know the month of April is National Garden Month? It’s a good time to start on something that has been proven to help promotes health and wellness. 

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People always say that eating breakfast is really good for you. You can’t escape those cereal commercials, advertisements on the trains to work or even newspapers ads. Its is not rocket science to know that eating breakfast will make you feel better and perform well at school or work, but millions of American skip breakfast. They become tried very easily and by mid morning is grabbing a cup of coffee or drinking cans of soda fills with caffeine. It’s definitely for a healthy way to stay awake nor is it a alternatives to lose weight. Your body expects to refuel the required energy everyday starting with the most important meal, breakfast. 

Chef Sato showing us the proper way to cut a pineapple

This past Saturday at the local community college, I was taught different ways to cook breakfast meals and I would like to share my experience with you. The class was in for a special treat as we had the community college’s chief instructor, the famous Chef Grant Sato, teach the class. In addition to being a Chef Instructor and the Operational Chef for KCC’S Culinary Arts Department, Chef Sato also assists the local Farm Bureau in developing recipes and programs to promote locally grown products in Hawaii. 

Chef Grant Sato was raised in the food service environment as his grandparents own Myogaya Resturant and Ike’s Tavern in Honolulu. Chef Sato’s cooking philosophy is very simple—create flavorful dishes that highlight the ingredients and please the eyes, taste buds and soul. 

It was definitely a pack house of more then 30 students. Each of them asking many questions and eagerly taking notes. By mid afternoon, we all learned different ways of making eggs from sunny side up, over easy, over medium, over well and scrambled. Besides eggs, we also learned about creating a pineapple upside down pancake, but you can also substitute the pineapple with other fruits. I couldn’t decided on my favorite dish because all of them were pretty good. It is either between the New Wave Eggs Benedict or French Toast. 

Chef Grant Sato’s New Wave Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:
2 pieces 3 oz salmon fillet
2 pieces potato pancake
2T sour cream
2 pieces poached eggs
1/2 cup hollandaise sauce
2T chopped chives

1. Place the potato pancake on the bottom of the plate
2. Spread a thin layer of sour cream and sprinkle with half of the chopped chives
3. Heat a saute pan on high and lightly saute the salmon to your favorite doneness
4. Place the salmon on top of the potato pancake
5. Top the salmon with a poached egg and half of the hollandaise sauce
6. Serve immediately

Comments? What is your favorite breakfast dish?

I used to worked in a pretty popular building in downtown Honolulu, where the Blood Bank’s truck would come every 3 months to encouragement everyone to donate blood. We see it in advertisement ranging from radio, TV, newspaper and of course, on the internet. As we step into the doctor’s office, we are also asked to helped out too. Not only is it great to helps save someone’s life, but it also educate you on your own blood type. Do you know what your is?

Did you also know that blood type can reveal a lot about yourself? In an e-mail I received from a friend (sorry –there was no source to quote), it stated the following:

TYPE O 
You want to be a leader and when you see something you want, you keep striving until that goal is achieve. You are a trend-setter, loyal, passionate, and self-confident, but you also have the tendency to be too competitive.

TYPE A 
You like harmony, peace and organization. You work well with others, are sensitive, patient and affectionate. Your weaknesses are stubbornness and an inability to relax.

TYPE B 
You’re a rugged individualist who’s straightforward and likes to do things on your own. You are creative, flexible and can adapt easily to any situation, but your insistence on being independent can sometimes become a weakness.

TYPE AB 
Cool, controlled, well liked and always can put people at ease are your strength. You’re a natural entertainer who’s tactful and fair, but you can also be blunt and have difficulty making decisions.

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www.yoga.org

In a ever changing world, the time we actually get to spent on what we enjoyed is limited due to our obligations toward family, careers, kids and chores. In fact, I hardly talk to my friends or even hang out like we used to. There is one thing that no matter how busy life takes us, we always agreed to meet up twice a week at 24hour fitness for our yoga class. Perhaps it is the temptations of a fruit smoothies from my dear friend or the free pick up/drop off that I am so willing to come along. Nah! I really love spending time with my group of friends and they are such a wonderful bunch.

My best guy friend, Greg, introduced me to Yoga. At first, I thought that it would be a piece of cake, but it turn out to be one of the most toughest challenge for me. It require the body to be flexible, but also the willingly to let go of the daily stress and enjoy the music. Each time after class, I was soaking in sweats. As the months goes by, I realized the aches and pains I once had, were surprising gone. I am a lot more focus and alert instead of dosing off during meetings.