2-Minute Kitchen Tricks for Better Health

From the easiest homemade salad dressing to a morning smoothie that does double duty.

How Breathing Incorrectly Affects Your Body in Major Ways

You may think breathing correctly is human nature. Dr. Belisa Vranich has spent her career convincing people of the opposite. In fact, she says breathing incorrectly is widespread—and has major negative health consequences. Her book, Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health makes that case and provides simple practices to transform your breathing. In this excerpt, she starts to explain why that process is so important. Oxygenate from the Inside Out Breathing: at first you might dismiss it as the stuff of pop songs, but once you realize that oxygen is body fuel at a cellular level—it’s how you nourish your brain and muscles—well, it starts making sense. A lot of sense. And you do know this: you consider buying that face cream that professes to “oxygenate,” you toy with the idea of taking supplements that promise increased oxygenation, and you drink alkaline water that promises to lower your acidity and oxygenate you better. So now consider something you could do just as quickly and more cheaply, merely by adjusting your inhale and exhale just a tad. After all, the goal of all the supplements you take, green juices you drink, and workouts you do is to oxygenate you better. So why not go to the source? How well you breathe is the best indicator of how healthy you are and how long you’ll live. “If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip,” says Dr. Andrew Weil, “it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.” RELATED: 10 Surprising Healthy Habits Wellness Experts Swear By The opposite is true as well, and even more extreme than you may realize: “All chronic pain, suffering, and disease are caused by a lack of oxygen at the cell level . . . Proper breathing nourishes the cells of the body with oxygen, and optimizes the functioning of the body on all levels,” states the eminent Dr. Arthur C. Guyton. So why hasn’t this been evident to everyone? I’ll give you three reasons: You didn’t realize you felt so crummy. Succinctly put, until you feel better, you don’t realize how bad you were feeling before. Plus, you can’t really see the damage that’s taking place. For example: when your stomach doesn’t feel good, the upset is pretty obvious in your bowel movements (or lack thereof). With breathing and oxygen, the results are widespread throughout your entire body; however, lack of oxygen isn’t something that cries out for immediate attention or needs a visible bandage or crutch. The good news: the changes will be unquestionably evident after two weeks of doing the breathing exercises that I’m going to outline. You got used to Band-Aids (and pills). Medical care usually makes us feel better right away with a pill, a shot, or surgery—but it doesn’t go to the source of the problem. As a society, we’re neither accustomed to nor taught to search for the root of the problem and solve it from there. Take blood pressure, for example: medication is highly effective, whereas breathing exercises are just as effective for lowering it without side effects by going to the source (in this case, over-arousal of the sympathetic nervous system). (Nutritious Life Note: If you’re on blood pressure medication, discuss with your MD before stopping or changing any regimen.) RELATED: What Your Doctor’s Office Test Results Really Mean The change from the healthy breathing of a child to the dysfunctional breathing of an adult could creep in over the years. A bad fright in adolescence, for example, could change one’s breathing from full to shallow. And this Shallow Breathing, reinforced by a hunched posture that is the result of years of sitting at a desk or driving, could become ingrained. A stressful event, followed by a back injury as a young adult, could lead to dysfunctional breathing, which becomes a habit after a few years; then stress and a culture of “gut-sucking” leads to sipping air haltingly, not exhaling completely, and never getting as much oxygen as is needed in order to think clearly and sleep well. Ready to breathe correctly? Check out Dr. Vranich’s book, Breathe: The Simple, Revolutionary 14-Day Program to Improve Your Mental and Physical Health, or watch a tutorial, here. Copyright © 2016 by Dr. Belisa Vranich and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Griffin.

These Smart Strategies Will Help You Manage Stress

By Elisa Haggarty for Parsley Health Chronic stress is associated with every chronic disease. It lays the foundation for hormone imbalance and inflammation. According to the American Psychological Association, 75% of adults reported experiencing moderate to high levels of stress in the past month. Nearly half reported that their stress has increased in the past year. These days there are entire wellness centers and weeklong health retreats designed to help us lower our stress levels and feel more balanced. I’m all for a relaxing getaway, but perhaps we won’t need to escape as much from our busy lives if we adopt these 5 effective ways to manage stress. RELATED: Schedule a free conversation with a Parsley Health expert to learn about our comprehensive approach to a stress reduction. 1. Stop trying to get rid of stress! Once I accepted that there will always be some form of external “stress” in my life, I relaxed into the journey and let go of how things “should be.” Over the years I’ve rewired my brain to view challenges as opportunities, which has created a ripple effect in my life that has had immeasurable benefit in my personal and professional life. 2. Understand when stress is being sneaky. In my work as a Functional Nutritionist, I teach people that stress isn’t just emotional. People often say, “but I don’t feel stressed.” Yet the crazy thing is that your body is always communicating with you. Weight loss resistance, psoriasis flare-ups, and headaches are warning signs that your body is under stress. Blood sugar spikes, nutrient deficiencies, and unmanaged autoimmunity will initiate a stress response in the body. So be on the lookout. RELATED: Work with one of our doctors at Parsley Health to help you identify warning signs of chronic stress. 3. Do a digital detox. I’ll admit, cute kitten videos and stories of triumph on the Internet are a refreshing and uplifting. But unfortunately, our digital addiction is causing unintended stress. Embrace weaving a digital detox into your weekly routine by going for walks and plan a picnic date with friends. Nature has an incredible ability to get us grounded and activate our parasympathetic nervous system. When our parasympathetic nervous system is activated, we replenish energy stores, digest our food better, and lower inflammation. 4. Ask for help. I finally realized I didn’t have to conquer everything by myself. Saving face and “pushing through” was exhausting and only added more stress to my life. There is nothing heroic about trying to do it all alone. In fact, two of the greatest ingredients for a long healthy life are community and humility. Most importantly, when I stepped up and asked for help during times of stress, I empowered others to help me, and in turn, helped them feel valued and fulfilled. 5. Dance. Moving your body to the rhythm of music has incredible effects for mood, brain function, and even digestion! Music and movement call upon every region of the brain to move in rhythm with the beat, maintain balance and remember steps. Dance also allows us to get out of fight or flight and activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which is where digestion thrives. When we allow ourselves to move freely we release much of the tension and worry that drags us down throughout the week. When the music stops, we are refreshed and more balanced in dealing with whatever life throws our way. Stress is our friend; it presents an opportunity for growth and a shift in habit formation. Lucky for us we get the chance to work with it each and every day. This piece was originally published on Parsley Health. Parsley Health is a groundbreaking medical practice of highly trained doctors and health coaches in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Parsley Health takes a smarter, whole approach to helping you live a healthy life. You deserve a better doctor. Sign up here to speak to a health expert to figure out how Parsley Health can help you achieve your goals today.

How to Strengthen Your Immune System Every Time You Eat

Got a runny nose that won’t quit? If you’re wondering how to strengthen your immune system, here’s a simple strategy: add immunity-boosting foods to every meal. (Duh!) No, we’re not just talking about citrus fruits and ginger. In this video, we share nutrient-dense foods that may help you avoid getting a cold or the flu—and you may not have heard about their special powers before. You’ll meet the vegetable that has twice the vitamin C of an orange, discover which mushrooms are the best for your immune system, and find out whether chicken soup is really the effective remedy your Grandmother promised it was. Watch the video to get smart about avoiding illness—and recovering faster when you’re already sick—now. How to Strengthen Your Immune System With Food  

How to De-stress for a Zen Holiday Season

The entire holiday season can be an exercise in learning how to de-stress. From talking politics at the table to the mania of shopping-baking-decorating to managing your budget. But here’s a tip to allay your worries: you don’t have to skip it all and book a silent retreat in order to find calm. By simply following the core principles of living a nutritious life, it’s possible to balance your hormones and tap into your inner Zen. Start with these five research-tested tips. How to de-stress during the holidays 1. Sleep Deep. Lack of adequate sleep is linked to mood disorders like anxiety and depression and also to weight gain, which can raise levels of cortisol, that nasty “stress hormone” that throws your mind and body out of whack in major ways. If you’re having trouble establishing a consistent routine amid holiday commitments, try outfitting your sleep space with tools like a Sunrise Simulation Alarm Clock, which will wake you gradually with the light of a simulated sunrise so you hop out of bed with maximum energy and keep your circadian rhythms in check. 2. Live consciously. All it takes is five to ten minutes of peace per day. Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, and in modern times has been shown to effectively reduce stress. Set aside a block of time and stick to it, whether that means just sitting still and focusing on your breath, trying a guided meditation via an app, or even going on a quiet stroll through the park. Just remember, don’t get caught up in meditating the “right way,” which will just lead to more stress. Do what is best for you. 3. Eat empowered. A sugar rush from refined carbs makes you feel good in the moment, but when the blood sugar comes down, you feel depressed and beat yourself up for having eaten that third cookie. Instead, focus on making sure your diet contains specific nutrients associated with stress relief. Dark green leafy vegetables and whole grains contain folic acid, a B vitamin, which is considered a mood stabilizer and a precursor to serotonin—a “feel good” hormone. Almonds are rich in vitamins B2 and E, magnesium, and zinc, nutrients associated with fighting the free radicals linked to stress in the heart. Plus, crunching down on them can be satisfying in managing feelings of aggression. 4. Nurture yourself. Pampering yourself may take up a little time, but the relaxation benefits will be worth it. Essential oils have been used in traditional medicine for centuries, and breathing in certain scents can make a huge difference in your mood. A couple days a week, take two extra minutes to light a therapy candle, apply a calming, scented moisturizer, or to give your pillow a spritz of relaxing lavender-scented spray. 5. Sweat often. Research has shown exercise can be a super effective strategy for reducing anxiety, and it boosts endorphins, which can make us happy and distract us from our daily worries. It also has other effects that can tangentially help you de-stress, like helping you sleep better at night and boosting self-confidence. One easy way to get motivated to move more? Try a fitness tracker like the FitBit Charge, which will give you fun feedback on how much you’re walking, running, and even breathing. Again, it’s all connected.   This blog was created in partnership with Withings.