Coconut Milk Vs Almond Milk

More and more people are becoming vegan, "fat" conscious, and sensitive to lactose. At the same time, more people are stirring away from soy milk, because of the rumors that it may lead to cancer (like everything else in the world according to someone somewhere), and leaning more towards coconut or almond milk. So which of these two is better for you? Well that depends on the person drinking the milk and their body. However, it can be said that almond milk is most likely a better for you if you are drinking one of these on a regular basis because it doesn't have the saturated fat that coconut milk does, and in our world today we are getting way more saturated fat than desired! That being said coconut milk does have some great benefits including: being rich in fiber, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6, as well has containing minerals such as iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous (The Health Benefits of Coconut Milk). To decide just how much of each milk you would want to have per week you'd have to figure out your personal vitamin, mineral, and fats levels, but a good suggestion would be: if you are having one of these milks everyday then maybe try to have almond milk five days a week and coconut milk the other two. You could also mix them! A little coconut milk in the almond milk! Again, only you and your doctor can decide what exactly you should be in taking on a regular basis, but this is just a little piece of information for you to consider when making your grocery list.

Source: Jo Lewin, BBC.com, http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk

Cold, Flu, or Allergies?

      

      A lot of people are getting sick right now and sometimes it is hard to tell what exactly you have because some common illness' share quite a few symptoms. This year has been a big flu year in the U.S., and like any other year we are always faced with colds and allergies. All three of the previously listed can cause congestion, fatigue, and respiratory issues, so which one do you actually have? Below is a chart marking out symptoms and which illness typically occur along side them.


Source:  http://newsinhealth.nih.gov/issue/oct2014/feature2

Symptoms	Cold	Flu	Airborne Allergy
Fever	Rare	Usual, high (100-102 °F), sometimes higher, especially in young children); lasts 3-4 days	Never
Headache	Uncommon	Common	Uncommon
General Aches, Pains	Slight	Usual; often severe	Never
Fatigue, Weakness	Sometimes	Usual, can last up to 3 weeks	Sometimes
Extreme Exhaustion	Never	Usual, at the beginning of the illness	Never
Stuffy, Runny Nose	Common	Sometimes	Common
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes	Usual
Sore Throat	Common	Sometimes	Sometimes
Cough	Common	Common, can become severe	Sometimes
Chest Discomfort	Mild to moderate	Common	Rare, except for those with allergic asthma
Treatment	Get plenty of rest. Stay hydrated. (Drink plenty of fluids.) Decongestants. Aspirin (ages 18 and up), acetaminophen, or ibuprofen for aches and pains	Get plenty of rest. Stay hydrated. Aspirin (ages 18 and up), acetaminophen, or ibuprofen for aches, pains, and fever Antiviral medicines (see your doctor)	Avoid allergens (things that you’re allergic to) Antihistamines Nasal steroids Decongestants
Prevention	Wash your hands often. Avoid close contact with anyone who has a cold.	Get the flu vaccine each year. Wash your hands often. Avoid close contact with anyone who has the flu.	Avoid allergens, such as pollen, house dust mites, mold, pet dander, cockroaches.
Complications	Sinus infection middle ear infection, asthma	Bronchitis, pneumonia; can be life-threatening	Sinus infection, middle ear infection, asthma

Making Education Fun

Don't you love when you come across an instructor of any sort that makes what you are learning fun and entertaining the whole time? ME TOO! As technology advances so does the amount of learning opportunities and tools by which to increase our knowledge base. Nowadays YouTube is a great way to learn new skills or information in a fun creative way. My favorite educational videos on YouTube come from "Doc Mike Evans". He talks about various health conditions, health facts, and/or tips, and does it in a creative way, which keeps you interested the whole time. It's been getting warm here in Santa Barbara and that means we all need to stay hydrated, and with the right liquids! Check out Doc Mike Evans' video on water below!

Doc Mike Evans Single Best Drink