This post is connected to the previous two. First was posted on January 8, 2010 under title ‘Secrets to Live Longer and Healthier Life’ where a well-known health expert, Dr. Oz explained the most valuable ingredient in red wine, resveratrol. The second post was devoted to simple advices about how red wine can help you to stay young and live longer.

Today’s post will give a great power–knowledge to choose the best wine at the best price. If you love red wine and decided to buy it for today’s dinner or the coming weekend, before you buy this sunny drink, at first, watch and learn four tips on tasting wine like a pro from San Diego and Temecula Wine Country in California Frank Mangio, columnist of www.TastingWineTV.com

And this is not all. You are still not ready to buy a good bottle of wine. Listen to what experts from Wine Spectator tell you about FOUR S’s in wine tasting. After that you’ll be a well informed buyer and can call yourself a wine afficinado.

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Researchers have found that resveratrol in red wine  is almost an Elixir of Youth and can help to extend your life. Take a guess. How many people of age more than 100 years old live today in the United States? You’ll be surprised to find out: 84.000 people. They are so lucky to live a whole century and see so many changes in life, science, medicine, history, art, and technical progress that happened during this time.

Dr. David Sinclair, a scientist from the Harvard University, and co-founder of Sirtris Pharmaceuticals found the secret how to stay young and live longer with help of red wine. To be precise, with help of resveratrol that was discovered in dark grapes and red wine. Now watch what he tells Barbara Walters, co-host of the show “View” about this powerful ingredient. To be honest with you, I would drink a glass of good French or Italian red wine to get my dose of the Elexir of Youth–resveratrol than eat it in pharmaceutical capsules.

Today is Saturday. Relax, get good rest and good sleep after working week. Pour yourself a glass of rich, burgundy color Cabernet Sauvignon with tones of black currants on palate, sip it slowly, and enjoy your weekend.

by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN

Did you start off this year with your new resolutions for a healthier and greener 2010? After all, you think about it. Just don’t delay.  Set up your goals for good health, joyful life, success and better You. Here is my List of New Year’s Resolutions-Mottoes  that will help you keep yourself motivated to build your good life:

1. Life is a beautiful gift given to all of us. We should use it properly.
2. Be kind and try to do something good for somebody right now. Don’t delay because we will not pass the same way again.
3. Be an attentive listener and motivator if family members or your friends share their ultimater secrets, goals, and dreams with you. never put them down. The consequences can be unpredictable.
4. Be positive and constructive. Be straightforward and encouraging. As a result, something great can come out of it.
5. Look at the sunny side of everything in your life and be optimistic. Your optimism will become reality.
6. Make your life an example of health, happiness, and prosperity. This will give you an opportunity to become a knowledgeable advisor and expert.
7. Be generous. Share your rich experience with those who would like to take advantage of it.
8. Be really responsible for your life and follow your heart.
9. Our life is a gift twice: once for ourselves and once for others.
10. Our life is a mirror in which we can see good and bad. Our health is a shield–physical and mental. Our physical health has an influence on our spiritual life, but our spiritual power gives you the discipline required to maintain our health.
11. Our health and our well-being rest in our hands.
12. Think only of the best and build your long and happy life, based on the laws of Nature.
13. Chase your goals and perform good deeds.
14. Be strong and have the guts to say “No” when you feel that something is not right. The world will not change to suit your preferences.
15. Be a very good sport to your family and friends. Love, inspire, amuse, and believe in them. It is mutual. You’ll get the same treatment back.
16. Consider every day as a small life and each day as full and perfect.
17. Be confident that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. Be strong against fear.
18. Be noble and mighty against jealousy and anger.
19. Help others in need of your help, and just do it!
20. To live a long, healthy, and happy life is an art–l’art de vivre.

References: Photo “Green Silhouette” by Petr Kratovchil; Mama’s Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Life and the Pleasures of Natural Living by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN, Aurora Publishers, 2008, pages 5-6

Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

Many healing herbs, plants and flowers have been traditionaly used for centuries in our homes to treat a variety of minor illnesses and injuries. What if you’ll put together your 2010 Green Pharmacy of safe and useful herbs that can be used to treat different ailments and conditions during New Year.

1.  Raspberries are my favorite berries, a good source of vitamin C. I love to eat them fresh, to put into my hot tea. When one of the members of my family has cold or flu  –1-2  teaspoons of raspberry preserve in a cup of tea helps to get rid of fever  and magically promotes fast recovery.
2. Nettle, a blood tonic and cleanser is diuretic, tonic , and astrigent. Nettles are  a good source of iron, and especially good for people with anemia. This herb can be drunk as an infusion. Some people cook nettles like spinach. Experts don’t recommend to inhale the nettles’ steam because it contains the formic acid that gives this herb its sting burning your skin. The nettles are also thought to be good for the scalp and hair.
3. Chamomile is a favorite calming and relaxing  herb for adults and for children’s complaints.  Make hot chamomile tea to help cure sleeplessness and soothe  digestion.   Chamomile lotion or cream is useful for inflammatory skin conditions, and chamomile shampoo is beneficial for healthy hair (more…)

Opinions of others or your plans for the new year mean very little if you did not prepare yourself mentally and physically to achieve your goals. “Am I ready and motivated to achieve my New Year Resolutions?” Ask yourself this simple question and try to answer it honestly. Probably you’ll start it today, on Monday, isn’t it? Some people say, “Monday is always a difficult day!” Sometimes this day is not really easy. Imagine, you just came from a great vacation or had merry holidays with lots of guests, and now you are really tired from all this commotion. But today is Monday, and you have to go to work. C’est la vie! Get the year off to a new start!

Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, Richard Wiseman, has gained international reputation for his research into quirky and unusual areas of human mind. Watch what he advices you about keeping your motivation in achieving New Year Resolutions.

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Shopping, gift wrapping and gifts’ giving, eating and celebrating White and Blue Christmas is already behind us. Oh, these holiday dinner tables full with delicious foods… Who could resist them? If you feel guilty after consuming lots of absolutely fabulous meals and think about loosing weight you gained during holidays, please don’t. 

Cardiac surgeon Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of “The Dr. Oz Show” suggests as one of his best tips to cut portions in half. “On average, we only put on a pound or two over the holidays,” he says. “It’s less catastrophic that many realize. But if the extra food we eat during holidays is added to all of the other weeks of the year when we’re eating too much, then it becomes a problem for us.” He recommends a consumption goal over the holidays instead of a diet of depriviation. “Focus on eating 100 calories less per day,” he says. “That’s a half a soft drink or a little less pie.”

First of all, start jogging or walking at 7:00 AM. Make your health a priority, but don’t starve. Forget about any strict and ’severe’ diets that will make you feel hungry, angry and unhappy. Don’t punish yourself.  There are so many healthy foods you can add to your daily or holiday menu that are beneficial for you.

by Mandi Odoerfer

When you diet, it’s easy to think only about calorie count and not about the nutrients the foods you eat are providing you. When you’re cutting calories, it becomes even more important to make sure that you’re eating foods that will give your body everything it needs. Luckly, there are many foods that will help you lose weight that are still full of vitamins and minerals. Here is a list of some healthy diet foods.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a negative calorie food, which means that it takes more calories to digest it that it contains. This makes it a perfect addition to a healthy meal while you’re dieting. It’ll give your body plenty of nutrirnts like vitamins K, A, and C, as well as potassium and protein.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans aren’t just low in calories. They also pack in an incredible amount of protein, which will help fuel your body and keep you feeling full for longer. Kidney beans have plenty of other nutrients to offer as well, like folate, fiber and manganese.

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Hot debates about healthy and unhealthy foods are going on and on.  Obviously it would never stop because we’ll never have a piece of mind until we’ll know the truth.  Food experts, media and consumers are on incessant search for right answers. Recently Prevention magazine conducted a food safety survey asking people  one simple question: What foods do you avoid? As you head into the big holidays and you plan to buy lots of foods, this information will help you to make healthy choices.

1. Canned Tomatoes

I loved to add Del Monte Organic Diced Tomatoes (canned) to my soups and other vegetable meals. I don’t do it anymore and took out this product from my grocery shopping list. You may be surprised what the experts in food and nutrition can tell you about certain foods loaded with toxins and chemicals they won’t eat themselves. Many people don’t realize that some food products they often buy in a store may sabotage their health and wellness. 

The problem: According to the expert Frederick Vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A, the problem lies in the resin linings of tin cans containing bisphenol-A, a synthetic extrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. “You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says von Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The solution: Choose and buy tomatoes in glass jars (which don’t need resin linings), such as brands Biomaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several type in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe and Pomi. What a waste of  USDA  approved organic tomatoes, if they are packed in resin-lined tins and double priced in comparisson with non organic tomatoes!

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“If you are not feeling well, if you have not slept. chocolate will revive you. But you have no chocolate! I think of that again and again! My dear, how will you ever manage?” — Marquise de Sevigne

Do you usually bring a fruitcake as a gift to the Christmas party? This year make some changes in your holiday list  and include new  inexpensive, healthy and elegant gifts–a collection of the best gourmet chocolates from around the world. I am sure, your family members, friends and hosts of the holiday parties never expected to have it for Christmas or New Year, but would love to have it. Give them a collection of the best gourmet chocolates that are known worldwide for centuries.

Many famous actors, writers and other personalities are big fans of the  fine chocolate. They consider it one of the must-to-have everyday healthy foods, giving energy, vigor and a feeling of joy.

• “My favorite thing in the world is a box of fine European chocolate which is, for sure, better than sex,” thinks Alicia Silverstone.
• Sharon Stone declares, ” I’m a chocolate fiend, but only dark chocolate.”
• John Travolta said once, “I probably have some sort of chocolate five times a week. There’s definitely a change it does to the chemistry of the body. It’s my favorite feeling. I live for it.”
• “Biochermically, love is just like eating large amounts of chocolate,” these words came out from Al Pacino playing John Milton in the Devil’s Advocate.
• “What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate,” confessed Katherine Hepburn
• Sandra Bullock has her own opinion about how chocolate is important in your life, especually for women. She said,  ”Chocolate is the greatest gift to women ever created, next to the likes of Paul Newman and Gene Kelly. It’s something that should be had on a daily basic.”

According to Baron Justin von Liebig, “Chocolate Is a perfect food, as wholesome as it is delicious, a beneficient restorer of exhausted power. ” So, restore somebody else’s exhausted power, give them hope for the best New Year ahead, inspiration and a smile.

Buy good quality, dark chocolate for yourself and give it as an elegant gift. You can put together this fine ’collection” for $$5-10-$15-$20-$25. It depends of how much you want to spend. As Sandra Boynton, a children’s author, said, “the greatest tragedies were written by the Greeks and by Shakespeare. Neither knew of chocolate. The Swiss are known for nonviolence. They are also known for superb chocolate.”

The source of chocolate, the seeds of the cacao (cocoa) tree are known and used by many different cultures. First, in prehistoric Central America, then in Mayan and Aztec civilization, then around the world “the chocolate news” were spread by the great colonial powers. But we know that cocoa beans are an important part in gastronomie, in  religious ceremonies, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, medical practice, economic development, farming, and social history.

Here is the List of 24  holiday bittersweet gifts–fine chocolates. I chose the best chocolates, containing not less than 60% of cocoa. The reason for that is simple: the higher percent of cocoa is in chocolate, the smaller percent of sugar it has. So why you don’t  gain weight by eating even five times per week this kind of chocolate. Isn’t sound healthy to you? Read my previous post about the benefits of eating fine, dark chocolate.

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by Svetlana Konnikova, MA, AN

“The Nine Powers Herb,” elecampane (Unula helenium), is one of the most important herbs recognized by the Romans, Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons. The ancients used elecampane as natural medicine to cure diverse ailments from digestive upsets and dropsy to skin, liver and respiratory problems.  

By the nineteenth century this amazing herb became very popular healer for stubborn coughs and congestion, colds, bronchitis, neuralgia, and skin problems. Today elecampane is regarded as almost a cure-all for bronchitis, asthma, cough and respiratory complants. In Russia elecampane root is called the “nine powers herb” and considered there as an excellent lung tonic, expectorant, restorative, and warming; a healer for weakened lungs, stubborn coughs, sleep problems; fatigue following colds and flu, and headaches provoked by upper respiratory conditions.

There are so many natural plants you can add to your stock of herbs to complement elecampane in your homemade natural medicines: astrigent like mullein; elder flowers as a phlegm-reducing herb; wild lettuce as a cough suppressant, yarrow with its analgesic, anti-inflammatory, astrigent, and stomach-tonic properties, and echinacea with its immune-boosting power that has been proved to increase body resistance to infection.

However, the winter herb elecampane is really outstanding in this green crowd because it has the nine healing powers. Let’s see how how this healer can help us. Probably you noticed that if your children are prone to allergic reactions, they often get sick with colds. Prepare them to fight it with help of elecampane root that loosens stubborn phlegm and treats congestion, particularly in children.

1. Slice thinly a small elecampane root. Boil one teaspoon for 15 minutes in one cup water. Cool, filter, and drink one-two tablespoons three times daily. Make it fresh every day.

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Are you a dreamer? Whether you call yorself a dreamer or not, experts say that everyone has several dreams every night. Only those dreams that occur right when you wake up, you are likely to recall. Many are just forgotten. Do you know that how you remember your dreams depends upon your health, your personality, your motivation,new skills, and the part of the world you live in.

I know some people that learned to use their dreams to solve problems, stimulate creativity and desire to be better, and improve their relationships. Other people often ignore and forget about their dreams. Either way, the dreams will come every night for a couple of hours to help you store your memories, sort your feelings, new skills you acquired during day, and to rest your brain.

“Dreams are illustrations from the book you soul is writing about you,” said Marsha Norman, an American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist, who received the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Night, Mother. The dreams have sparked many genius ideas of the world’s most famous and talented people that later were transferred into the timeless books, music, art masterpieces, brilliant innovations, scientific discoveries and positive actions.

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