Guest post from Cole Millen Making the Right Food Choices During Your Getaway

 A big thanks to Mr. Cole Millen for sending in such an useful article for staying healthy and on the track with the diet during travel.   He has shared some useful links about restaurants that serve healthy foods options and also some other useful links.

Making the Right Food Choices During Your Getaway

For most people, vacations are a time to splurge and live it up. Unfortunately, it can be very easy to get carried away with your eating habits. If you want to maintain your figure during your time away from work, check out the following tips to prevent weight gain and other health problems.

Prepare meals ahead of time

If at all possible, you should pack your own food for the vacation. Bringing food allows you to consciously make healthy choices while leaving the bad stuff at home. Ideally, you would take along a cooler filled with nutritious foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, lean proteins, and fresh produce smoothies. If you think about it, many healthy food choices are whole foods that do not require any prep at all. You just need pack some healthy snacks! If you dont mind cooking while on vacation, there are many quick and simple dishes that can be made with basic ingredients. Sandwiches, wraps, pastas, and dips are some common on-the-go favorites. You can even bring supplements such as multivitamins or fish oil if you fear it will be hard to eat nutritious food.

Spend your trip in a health-conscious locale 
The most important aspect of a vacation is to ensure that you are staying in a place that will allow you to maintain your healthyhttp://healthland.time.com/2012/10/01/guide-the-31-healthiest-foods-of-all-time-with-recipes/ lifestyle. Pick a destination where the people are nuts about nutrition and exercise, and "do as the locals do." The best way to locate a hotel in one of these areas is to do your research online. Many travel websites and blogs include plenty of information for those looking to eat healthy on vacation. On a recent trip to Sin City I found a great site that listed reviews for LasVegas hotels regarding their amenities and services as well as the restaurants in the surrounding area. This made it easier than ever to find the healthy places to go to eat nutritiously and deliciously on my vacation.

Dine out at restaurants that offer healthy dishes 
If packing is out of the question, consider dining out at restaurants that include healthy options on their menus. Look for keywords like "low-calorie" or "low-fat." Also strive to stick with foods that are fresh and vibrant in color. Anything comprised mainly of fruits and veggies should be a good choice unless it is covered in a rich sauce. You can eat meat as well, but go for lean cuts like chicken breast, duck breast, or sirloin steak. Fish is an excellent lean protein. Instead of ordering sandwiches with the bread or an extra side of rice or pasta, cut the carbs and go for lettuce as a vessel or a side of steamed yams. Some restaurants specialize in vegetarian cuisine, organic foods, or raw foods, so look out for these in the vicinity of your vacation spot. Try to avoid processed foods, sugary drinks, and rich desserts at all costs.

Eat less

In rare cases, you wont get much of a say about what to eat. Examples of this include going to a romantic bed and breakfast where a fixed menu is served or staying at a luxury resort where the included meals are served at an on-site restaurant. When you dont have the option to eat as healthy as youd like, the best alternative is to eat less of the less healthy stuff. Overeating is the number one cause of weight gain, and it is due to consuming an excess of calories. Since many restaurant foods are high in fat and calories, eating less would prevent you from gaining weight--even if the food isnt very good for you. Think about eating half of a plate and getting a doggy bag for the rest each time you dine out.

Stay away from alcohol 
Many people enjoy red wines, champagnes, cocktails, and beers on vacation, but these beverages are full of empty calories that do nothing but pack on body fat and weight. Avoid alcohol completely if you can. If you must drink, choose shots of straight liquor since they contain the fewest calories per serving.

Testosterone the key to your health

                                                                                     

Low Testosterone affects all- Health, Mood, and Sex. Testosterone is the male sex hormone, it is also produced in females in little amount. It does play a large role in male sexuality and reproduction, impacting such factors as sexual and reproductive function, muscle mass, and hair growth, but also has some less flashy but equally important, roles like maintaining bone density, levels of red blood cells and a sense of well-being. So it is very important hormone for your sex drive, energy level, enthusiasm, to avoid obesity, diabetes, bone strength, muscular strength and overall health. Testosterone deficiency is connected to insulin resistance, obesity, and diabetes. Each of these problems increases cardiovascular risk. Men with diabetes and low testosterone also have higher rates of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. A certain amount of testosterone may be necessary for healthy arteries because it’s converted into estrogen, which protects arteries from damage
If youre experiencing any of the following symptoms, especially if you are overweight and have type 2 diabetes, you may have low testosterone
• Sexual problems. Low testosterone can cause you to have a low sex drive and trouble maintaining an erection. According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), about 70 percent of men with low testosterone levels report erectile dysfunction and 63 percent report diminished sex drive.
• Energy problems. You may feel tired and find yourself falling asleep early in the evening.
• Strength problems. You may notice a decrease in your muscle mass, endurance, or performance at work or in sports.
• Emotional problems. Ask yourself if you feel abnormally sad or have lost interest in life.
If you recognize these symptoms, ask your doctor to check your testosterone level with a simple blood test.
How to boost your Testosterone level naturally?
1. Lose Weight
2. High-Intensity Exercise like Peak Fitness (Especially Combined with Intermittent Fasting)
Heres a summary of what a typical high-intensity Peak Fitness routine might look like:
• Warm up for three minutes
• Exercise as hard and fast as you can for 30 seconds. You should feel like you couldnt possibly go on another few seconds
• Recover at a slow to moderate pace for 90 seconds
• Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times
As you can see, the entire workout is only 20 minutes.
3. Consume Plenty of Zinc
Its estimated that up to 45 percent of adults over the age of 60 may have lower than recommended zinc intakes; even when dietary supplements were added in. It can be difficult to obtain enough dietary zinc, largely because of conventional farming methods that rely heavily on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These chemicals deplete the soil of nutrients ... nutrients like zinc that must be absorbed by plants in order to be passed on to you.
If you decide to use a zinc supplement, stick to a dosage of less than 40 mg a day, as this is the recommended adult upper limit. Taking too much zinc can interfere with your bodys ability to absorb other minerals, especially copper, and may cause nausea as a side effect.
4. Strength Training
In addition to Peak Fitness, strength training is also known to boost testosterone levels, provided you are doing so intensely enough
5. Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D, a steroid hormone, is essential for the healthy development of the nucleus of the sperm cell, and helps maintain semen quality and sperm count. Vitamin D also increases levels of testosterone, Vitamin D deficiency is currently at epidemic proportions largely because people do not spend enough time in the sun to facilitate this important process of vitamin D production.
A few years back, the recommended level was between 40 to 60 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), but more recently the optimal vitamin D level has been raised to 50-70 ng/ml.
6. Reduce Stress
When you’re under a lot of stress, your body releases high levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone actuallyblocks the effects of testosterone,
7. Limit or Eliminate Sugar from Your Diet
Testosterone levels decrease after you eat sugar, which is likely because the sugar leads to a high insulin level, another factor leading to low testosterone.7
8. Eat Healthy Fats
By healthy, this means not only mon- and polyunsaturated fats, like that found in avocadoes and nuts, but also saturated, as these are essential for building testosterone. Research shows that a diet with less than 40 percent of energy as fat (and that mainly from animal sources, i.e. saturated) lead to a decrease in testosterone levels.
9. Boost Your Intake of Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) from Foods Like Whey Proteinyoull find the highest concentrations of BCAAs like leucine in dairy products – especially quality cheeses and whey protein.    

How to keep your liver healthy

Liver is located behind the lower right area of your ribs. Weighing in at about three pounds, its the size of a football, but soft and smooth. It is part of the digestive system and is connected to the small intestine by the bile duct. Liver is our internal cleaner. It works to detox the body, helps in regulating fat and balancing our hormones, digestion and circulation. Nearly all the blood that leaves the stomach and intestines passes through the liver for processing. Anything that enters the bloodstream is filtered. But if your liver is overburdened by its more than 500 other essential activities, it can become sluggish and may even diseased or damaged. However liver can function even when up to 75 per cent of it is diseased, and it has the amazing ability to create new liver tissue.

The liver is a chemical "factory," involved in these myriad body functions:

• It produces clotting factors, blood, proteins, bile, cholesterol and more than a thousand enzymes.
• It stores the energy from the food you eat to provide fuel for your muscles.
• It regulates the levels of blood sugar and several hormones in the body.
• It removes poisons such as drugs and alcohol from the blood.

Common liver problems

Unfortunately, the liver can become damaged without your knowledge. By the time severe complications develop, it may be too late to do anything about them. At that point, your only option may be a liver transplant.

These are early symptoms of liver disease:

• Pain on the right abdomen, Bitter taste in the mouth
• Fatigue, Muscle aches, head ache, Forgetfulness, depression, poor concentration
• Allergies, Bruises that appear easily

These are more advanced complications:

• Fluid build-up in the abdomen
• Mental confusion
• Spontaneous bleeding, bleeding in the stomach or oesophagus
• Prolonged itching of the skin
• Yellow discoloration of the skin or eyes, urine, stool, bloody or tar like stool

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, is one of the most common liver problems. According to the National Institutes of Health, cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death by disease. Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis or alcohol abuse. Liver disease damages normal liver cells, gradually decreasing the amount of normal liver tissue and limiting its function. Many conditions can lead to cirrhosis, but the most common is drinking alcohol to excess.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a common liver problem that can lead to cirrhosis, or scarring, of the liver. Hepatitis is caused by one of five viruses: A, B, C, D and E:

Blocked liver

Indulging in alcohol or junk food may be fun at the time, but it will make your liver work extra hard. All the alcohol, processed foods and toxic chemical residue were exposed to get caught in the liver. When the liver becomes congested it will not filter blood optimally. It can become blocked, fatty or bloated. It will then contribute to high cholesterol and lowered synthesis of nutrients and new cells, compromising your health. This is why many alcoholics have liver failure: the organ is never given time to regenerate.

Liver helpers

Keep your weight under control. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Avoid high doses of medications or prolonged use of medications that can cause liver problems, unless youre under direct supervision by your doctor. To protect yourself from hepatitis B and C, limit the number of sexual partners you have, and always use latex condoms. Dont share razors or toothbrushes.

While the key to a healthy liver is maintaining harmony and balance, there are some foods and supplements that will help the liver do its work better.

"Ginger, most dark green leafy vegetables, beetroot and mint will all help your liver to function well.

Liver cleansers

Carrots: High in beta-carotene, they help regulate blood-sugar levels, while reducing inflammation in the body and are a good energy food.

Milk thistle: Contains an antioxidant that acts as a toxin blocker. Capsules can be taken daily for an extended period to repair the liver.

Black walnuts: Help to eliminate toxins. Finney says it can be taken in powder or capsule form, for 30 days, after which you should give it a rest.

Lemons: Cleanse not only the liver, but also the gallbladder, kidneys, digestive tract and lungs.

Garlic: Helps strengthen and cleanse the blood, while giving the liver and kidneys a spring clean.

Dandelion tea: Dandelion has been used for centuries. It is a blood purifier and antioxidant and is recommended for those with liver complaints.

Beetroot juice: Contains a chemical called betaine that stimulates the liver cells and protects the liver and bile ducts.

Get plenty of sleep: Also have infrared saunas, indulge in lymphatic massages and drink lots of filtered water.

Here are ways to boost your liver function:

1. Drink between eight to ten glasses of pure, filtered water every day.  This is the only way your liver can flush toxins out of your body. Better add half lemon in one glass of water in morning.

2.  Since the liver requires high amounts of vitamins and minerals to perform its many functions, your diet should be high in fruits and vegetables and nutrient-rich foods.

3. Your diet should be free of processed foods, artificial food additives, colours, and preservatives to take the load off your liver.  Additionally, choose to eat a diet low in refined sugar and synthetic sweeteners. Avoid margarine, shortening, commercial oils, animal fat and fried foods

4.  Eat plenty of liver-rebuilding foods, including: garlics, onions, broccoli, carrots, beets, leafy greens, and other green vegetables.

5.  While lying flat on your back, you can gently massage the liver/gallbladder area, which is located along the lower rib area on the right side of your body.  This helps improve circulation to the area.

Always consult your physician prior to making dietary changes or taking nutritional supplements.