Turkey vs Beef

As most of my friends & family know, I am not the most adventurist eater in the world. I like to stick to what I know I like & that's pretty much it. But as I'm getting older (and my body is changing!) I have decided to start trying new things...things that are maybe a little healthier. I have always liked turkey...I think it tastes great! However, I haven't always been so keen on the idea of eating ground turkey. I think it's because I have always seen turkey cooked whole at holidays & that's just how I have become accustomed to eating my turkey. Then a little over a year ago I was at a friends house for dinner & they decided to make turkey tacos...YUM! It changed my whole outlook on turkey! Now I will substitute turkey for anything I can & actually prefer the taste over beef!

We all know white meat is better for you than red meat but some people may not be familiar with why exactly that is, so lets do a little comparison.

• A recent study shows that N-nitrosos compounds form at a higher rate in the large intestines if a high amount of red meat has also been consumed. These compounds don't form as rapidly if a high amount of white meat has been ingested. N-nitrosos compounds have been shown to be carcinogenic & have been associated with an increased risk of colon cancer.
• Multiple studies have shown links between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease & type II diabetes. White meat has not shown the same results when studied.
• Turkey has also been known to help maintain stable blood sugar levels based on the amount of protein it contains. Turkey is able to move through the digestive system at a steady rate that allows for better absorption of vitamins & nutrients as a result of the protein levels.
• One serving of turkey contains 6% more of the amino acid tryptophan than a serving of beef and about 100 less calories. Tryptophan has been shown not to make people drowsy like most people think, but rather to help prevent niacin deficiency & raise serotonin levels.
• White meat is typically more healthy than red meat since the majority of the fat is found in the skin leaving the meat leaner.

Now to the fun part...cooking with turkey!! I try to substitute turkey breast into my meals whenever I can. You don't have to come up with new recipes, just use the ones you have with beef or chicken and change the meat to turkey.

• Turkey Burgers are one of my all time favs!! I just make them the same as I would make hamburgers. Mix my ground turkey with diced onions, a little garlic salt & maybe a little worshishire sauce. Toss it on the BBQ and top with sliced avocado & crumbled blue cheese. It's really quick & anyone that has made hamburgers before can make an amazing turkey burger!
• Turkey Tacos is also really good. When I make tacos I don't use the prepackaged taco seasoning, I use fresh spices and herbs. I will typically just toss in some cumin, coriander, Cayenne pepper, onions & garlic. Then add a little water and let it simmer down. Then top with all sorts of good stuff...lettuce, peppers, onions, cucumbers!
• Turkey Meatloaf, Turkey Chili, Turkey Noodle Soup, Turkey Meatballs...the list of possibilities goes on and on!

Start The Year Off In A Better Mood!

What could be better than starting the new year in a positive frame of thought?!?

People ask me on a regular basis how I stay as positive as I am. Like everyone else, I have a lot going on in my life. I'm going to grad school 2300 miles away from my family & friends...husband included. I'm still trying to figure out some of the little things in life, like how to start a BBQ, what to do when your tire blows out & how to truly be a strong, independent person. To some people these things may seem trivial, but to someone who has never had to do them, they can cause a good amount of stress. The things that I do different from other people are what I'm going to discuss here.

The first thing that has to happen is making a commitment & realizing why being happier is important. For me, it has been pure survival. I don't live near my family & I didn't have any friends when I first moved out to Missouri. Knowing that people don't like negative people I didn't have a choice but to maintain my positive outlook on life. I knew what I needed to do & essentially that's what I did. This one may take some conscious thought in the beginning but soon it will become second nature.

I also make it a priority to surround myself with people who I respect & who have the same traits as I want to have for myself. For me, this includes people who have a positive, upbeat personality, who have goals similar to myself & who are confident, open minded & nonjudgmental. Of course there are other things I look for when deciding who I want to share my time with but those listed are essential qualities for people who I maintain a close relationship with.

I go out of my way to read positive affirmations on a daily basis too. Facebook has some great groups that can be very uplifting. The two that I frequent are Positivity & The Power of Positivity. They both post affirmations & quotes multiple times a day. My favorite from today is a quote by Napoleon Hill. "There are no limitations except those you acknowledge. Whatever you can conceive & believe, you can achieve." There are a lot of great books out there that are only affirmations & positive thoughts as well. If you would like some suggestions just let me know...I have lots!

I also get "Notes From The Universe" emails sent to me 5 days a week from www.tut.com. It's just a short, positive email that always seems to fit what's going on in my life. It's pretty simple to sign up & it's free which makes it even better. Just go to the website, answer a couple questions, put in some things you want out of life & you're good to go! I have had days where I end up racing out the door & didn't have time to check my daily Note before starting my day. I notice a clear difference in my mood on those days compared to others, so I know this is a good thing for me to keep up with. I also decided to take this one another step further. I printed out some of my favorites, posted them on a cork board and hung it in my closet where I know I look everyday. I read a couple extra Notes every morning as I'm picking out what I'm going to wear!

Other things that have helped me out along the way...eating a healthy diet, exercising, getting adjusted, acupuncture, drinking lots of water & getting a good amount of sleep...all of which have other health benefits too!! :)

The Great Soda Debate

I know how refreshing a cold glass of Coke or Pepsi can be on a warm day, but I also know the damage it will do to our bodies. I decided to write about this because I have become tired of watching people drink glass after glass of soda & destroying themselves.

When you think of Drain-O, Bleach & Coke, which one do you think would eat away at your stomach lining more? Most people wouldn't say the Coke. But that is in fact the answer. Recently in my chemistry class we were learning about pH's & what's acidic and basic. We did an experiment where we tested the pH levels of different household cleaners & products. To my surprise the Coke had a more acidic pH than any of the other substances we tested, including the Drain-O & Bleach. Coke is so acidic that if you were to place a T-Bone steak in a bowl of Coke it would be gone in 2 days...bone & all!!

While writing this blog, I thought I would take a look at the active ingredients in a bottle of Coke Zero which happened to be in a friends refrigerator. When you have time I strongly encourage you to do the same thing with your favorite soft drink. Your list would probably look something like mine. Carbonated water, artificial coloring, phosphoric acid & aspartame were the top 4 ingredients. This prompted me to do some quick research & breakdown these things we are consuming.

Here's the product of my research...

• Carbonated Water: Although this doesn't sound too bad, it has been linked to severe degeneration of tooth enamel causing teeth to decay & in some cases wear out completely. Over the decades there has been a rise in how much soda people drink per day. Currently the national average is 60 gallons of soda per year! This increase can also be seen in children getting cavities sooner as well as adults needing dentures & major oral procedures earlier in life.
• Artificial Coloring: Most things we put into our mouth has some artificial coloring so why should what we drink be any different? There have been several bans placed on different artificial colorings leaving only a few (9 to be exact) deemed "safe" by the FDA. One of the safe dyes is Yellow 5 which is made from coal tar. There has been numerous reactions reported that were a result of consuming Yellow 5, some of which include anxiety, migraines, depression, rashes & hives as well as cold like symptoms.
• Phosphoric Acid: This is one of my favorites! Phosphoric acid is known to leech calcium from your body & bones increasing your chances of osteoporosis later on in life. It has also been shown to prevent nutrients from being absorbed into your body. More often than not, this leads to people that consume high amounts of sodas & foods containing large amounts of phosphoric acid to obesity & malnutrition.
• Aspartame: For those of you who think you're in the clear by drinking diet soda think again! Diet sodas often contain more aspartame than non diet sodas. I know that we have all heard about what aspartame is but its time to recall what it does. It contains large amounts of excitotoxins which release free radicals. Free radicals attack healthy cells in your body making you more susceptible to illness, they damage tissues & organs & accelerate the rate that diseases like cancer, arthritis & diabetes occur. There's currently 92 recorded side effects of aspartame including brain tumors, birth defects & epilepsy.

Every time I start researching something I always come upon some interesting facts. Here are some I found on soda...

1. There are 10 teaspoons of sugar per can of soda! This is 100% of the recommended daily value.
2. 45 minutes after consuming a soda, your body produces excess dopamine causing a physical response identical to heroin entering your blood stream.
3. In many states highway patrol officers carry 2 gallons of Coke in their cars because it is the best product at cleaning blood off the roads after accidents.
4. The Coca-Cola syrup has to be transported in trucks marked "Hazardous Materials".
5. The distributors of Coke & mechanics have been using the product to clean the engines of the trucks for over 20 years.

Now as promised....here are some better alternatives to soda. Water, tea & water! I know that doesn't sound all too exciting so feel free to spice it up a bit. Try adding a slice of lemon (my favorite) or orange, you can also chop up a strawberry or toss in a few cherries. I always think it's nice to find some new caffeine free teas too.

You will often hear me tell people who aren't feeling well to drink a glass or two of water. I have found through my own trial & error that water works better at relieving a headache or joint pain than Aspirin or Tylenol. My husband & I don't even keep any OTC drugs in our house anymore!! There has been studies to show the same thing, some of the results are below.

• Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day can significantly ease back & joint pain in 80% of sufferers.
• A 2% drop in body water can trigger mental fogginess, trouble doing basic math & short term memory problems.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water a day decreases a persons risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% & bladder cancer by 50%.

So that leaves us with a couple questions:

• Are you drinking enough water a day?
• Time for a glass of water....or Coke?

Sunscreen Info.

In Missouri summer has been in effect for a good couple of months, other places it's just starting to resemble summer. With the sun, comes the questions of sunscreen...what SPF do I wear? And which sunscreen is good for me?

In May of this year there was a study put out by the EWG detailing exactly these common questions. The study reports that after all research was conducted, they only recommend 39 of the 500 sunscreens on the market! So why does the Environmental Working Group only stand behind 8% of sunscreens? The two main reasons: exaggerated claims of the effectiveness of SPF 50 and higher & the use of harsh chemicals.

People often assume that the higher the SPF the better protected they are. Unfortunately this isn't the case. Although most sunscreens will protect you against UVB rays which cause sunburn, the majority do not protect you against UVA Rays. UVA Rays don't cause sunburn but it has been believed that they contribute to cancer & skin damage as they penetrate further into the skin. It's also been shown that people don't apply the correct amount of sunscreen. Because sunscreen in under applied by 3/4 the effectiveness decreases drastically. An under applied sunscreen labeled SPF 30 is said to have an actual SPF of 2.3 which is a notable difference.

When it comes to products & what we put into our bodies I'm usually one of the first to ask questions. So when I heard the effect vitamin A has & that it's put in sunscreen was no surprise to me. Vitamin A is in 41% of sunscreens, when it is mixed with the suns rays it changes biochemically & can result in cancer...the very thing sunscreen companies claim to reduce the risk of. Another harsh chemical found in sunscreen is oxybenzone. It's primary function is to convert light rays into heat but more often than not is absorbed into the skin & bloodstream. It has been shown to release free radicals in this conversion process. Although we know the effects of free radicals, the effects of oxybenzone itself are currently being studied.

Now that we know some sunscreen background, what sunscreens are good for your skin? Here are the top 10 rated sunscreens according to the EWG study.

1. Badger Sunscreen Face Stick SPF 30

2. Badger Face and Body SPF 30

3. Badger Face and Body SPF 30 Unscented

4. Burnout Kids Sunscreen SPF 30

5. California Baby Sunblock Stick SPF 30

6. California Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30

7. Coola Mineral Baby Moisturizer SPF 45

8. Doctor T's Supergoop!

9. Hara Body Care Sport SPF 30

10. Healing Scents Live Long Sunscreen SPF 15

Just A Little About Me

I would imagine that the majority of people who will be reading this already know me, how I think & essentially what I'm about. But, at some point I'm sure there will be someone new which is why I want to just do a quick introduction of yours truly.

So, my name is Megan & I'm pretty close to being 27 years old...just another couple months. I currently live in Town & Country, MO where I am attending Logan College of Chiropractic. I have worked in natural health care facilities in Washington & California for the past few years & have learned so much. I try to keep myself educated on new studies, different products & ways to enjoy a better lifestyle.

My perspective on health care, as you may have guessed, is more holistic....some have even said a little extreme. I believe in "alternative" health care & in eating a healthy, organic diet (even though I need some work in this area). I think keeping a positive frame of mind is a key factor in living a long, fulfilled life. I don't believe in putting toxic substances in your body on a day to day basis, I don't believe in most vaccines or living a negative, grudge filled life.

With that said, I'm sure you have an idea of the vision I have for this blog. I essentially wanted a place where I could informally help educate people about how to live longer while being happier & healthier in the process. So, what to eat, what supplements are best for what, what supplements to steer away from, how to be emotionally satisfied, are all things that will be touched upon among others. I also want everyone to be comfortable enough to ask a question or suggest a topic to write about. If you want to know something I will do my best to find an answer for you.

I hope that gives a good insight to what I am looking to accomplish & I hope you enjoy my view of health from a holistic perspective. :)