I truly believe that fruits and vegetables perform a key role in our lives today and that our diet is pivotal to our wellness. A diet that consists of fruits and vegetables is far superior to all the other kinds of food that we eat.

“He who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything”

- Arabian Proverb -

And you better believe it. The world’s leading medical specialists are more and more saying how having a predominantly vegetarian diet has the potential of reducing a string of heart problems, fights cancer, helps induce fat loss and generally improve your health and wellness…

But there’s more to it than that.

My Journey To Healthy Living

My name is Mohana Gill and I was born in Burma, spent many years of my life in Melbourne, before settling down in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was never an overtly unhealthy person – I enjoyed the multitude of foods available down under and especially here in Malaysia and was never really concerned all that much about what I put in my body.

I have three sons, Sanjeev, Anil and Rakesh. In our family food has always played a significant role. From the time they were babies food was always prepared  at home. My husband and the boys enjoyed a variety of food and were very discerning in their tastes.

Of all my children Sanjeev was the one who was most passionate about food and relished each and every meal. It was fun and heartwarming to see him devour food laid before him. During holidays from boarding school in Melbourne and later from University he would approach each meal with relentless fervour. Our many friends enjoyed taking him out because he would enjoy all genres of food, from hawker stalls to fine dining. I was constantly thinking of ways and means to satisfy his wide ranging appetite.

Read More…

There's a health craze rocking the world (North America and Western Europe at least). But amidst all the calorie-counting and fat-burning, we're letting our trust get the best of us.

Think about the last time you went grocery shopping. You probably saw signs like these all over the place: "99% Fat Free", "Low Fat", "Healthy Alternative", or "Non-Fat".

Unfortunately these signs aren't always true. In fact, they could be warnings that you should look further into their nutritional break up.

Find out how the biggest corporations are tricking you and the rest of the world with their creative math and need for profits.

This video left me pretty miffed. What are your thoughts about this form of manipulation?

It's still early but before you know it, it'll be Thanksgiving, then the winter holidays, then New Year's, and if you're Chinese, Chinese New Year's.

Yes, that means there'll be a lot of fun and excitement, but it also means there's going to be a long string of excessive eating.

So to prep you for this onslaught of food, here are 3 ways you can keep the weight off while maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet. Read More…

This weekend, a whole bunch of us from the FinerMinds team and MindValley had the amazing opportunity of going to see Tony Robbins at his famous Unleash The Power Within seminar. It was 4 days of self-awareness, fun, and insight followed by fatigue.

For those who've never gone to one of Tony's events, they're incredible. And extremely exhaustive. You're basically jumping up and down and screaming for 4-days straight. Not to mention the long hours.

But it's worth it. Self-discovery aside, one of Tony's most important talks was surprisingly about health!

Most of the time, your health or diet are just side notes to the more important stuff like releasing negative beliefs or discovering your passions. But at Unleash The Power Within, Tony dedicated an entire day to just health and diet.

It was a pretty eye-opening speech. Not to mention a little gruesome. Images and videos of debeaked chickens and the disgusting conditions in which they live in sent quite a chill down all our spines. The information was packed and the value was more than enough to last a lifetime, but at the end of the day we were asked to do this 10-day challenge. Read More…

Nobody likes to be told that they're unhealthy (least of all me) but at some point you have to come to terms with what you're doing to your body.

After all, it is a temple, isn't it?

So if you're ready to have a health check, then step up and take the How-Healthy-Are-You Quiz. While it won't give you a detailed medical opinion of your health, it'll give you a rough idea of where you stand on the health-o-meter.

After you finish answering these 7 short questions, scroll down to see your results.

It doesn't end here though. Next week, we've got a special treat for you guys (healthy or not) that's going to be really fun. Read More…

With start of Ramadan approaching on Saturday, I thought it'd be apt to put up a guide to the benefits of fasting. Whether you're religious or not, fasting is something that has permeated every culture, religion, and history.

And for good reason. It doesn't matter if you're doing it for religious reasons or health reasons, fasting can be a way to rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul.

Enjoy these 5 benefits and if you're currently fasting or will be in the near future, drop a comment. I'd love to hear what your reasons were for your decision.

1. Retune your digestive system

Not many people know this but fasting can be a way for you to give your digestive system a tune up. According to Dr. Naomi Neufeld, an endocrinologist at UCLA, "You re-tune the body, suppress insulin secretion, reduce the taste for sugar, so sugar becomes something you're less fond of taking." Read More…

Ever hear the phrase, "You are what you eat"?

There's a lot of truth to that and when you think about how you eat as well as what you eat, you might be surprised at what it says about your personality.

It's more than just counting calories and fat content.

Check out this article as it goes through the 7 core aspects of eating. How do you relate to each aspect and what can you eat to improve that area?

Eating with Soul: The Ultimate Seven Steps to Complete Nourishment

From ExploreYourSpirit.com

“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” – Adelle Davis

Eating is an act that no human being can truly escape. We eat throughout the day, many times per day, taking in thousands of pounds of food on every year. One way to view eating is simply an act that provides the body with energy. Another aspect is what we eat and how we eat are anchored more deeply into providing insight as to what in our lives needs healing. Even though I am a nutritionist that has been trained to look at food as calories, what I have discovered is that foods and eating are vehicles to our personal growth.  When someone tells me about their eating, I immediately see the connection to the rest of their lives. Read More…

Yes, that's right. Sugar.

The bitter sweet addiction that goes on all around us everyday, everywhere. Think about it. When we go to any fast food chain, just look at the sizes of the drinks.

It's a little bit crazy. That's why I'm bringing up this article and documentary. It'll get you thinking the next time you put those two scoops of sugar in your coffee or tea.

From slavery to sugar cartels, it's a documentary you can't miss.

The “SUPER SIZE ME” Sugar Addiction

by Angelique from TheHealersWay.com

Dear Angels,

WARNING: Sugar is a drug. I am serious.

A friend of mine, Morgan Spurlock, made that film Super Size Me.

Little did I know before he made it that he would go on to prove how bad McDonald’s was for you. Even though many of us already knew, like his then girlfriend Alex, now wife. Read More…

Before you pop another pill, take a moment to think about all the amazing things nature has given you.

Fresh water, clean air, sweet fruits, and the list goes on. So Mother Nature certainly isn't going to hold back when it comes to your health.

There are a million natural things out there that can make you feel a whole lot better but here are 5 extremely useful, easy to find, and fun to eat foods and herbs that'll kick start your day and make you a healthier being.

1. Cinnamon

The thought of cinnamon brings back such nice memories. Cinnamon buns and apple cider.  Ahhh. But on the health side, cinnamon is a miracle worker.

This old school spice can help you control your blood sugar (which is linked to heart disease). It also prevents vomiting, relieves flatulence, and is useful for those suffering from diarrhea. On top of reducing your blood sugar level, it also brings down the cholesterol.

Ways to eat: Throw some cinnamon into your coffee, lattes, hot chocolate, or baked goods. Read More…

Most Americans think that people gain about five to ten pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. This is actually wrong. On average we gain about a pound during the winter holiday season. But don’t celebrate yet!

The bad news is we don’t take this ‘holiday’ pound off come January. We slowly accumulate weight through our adult years, which contributes to obesity later in life, as reported in a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

According to NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D., "These findings suggest that developing ways to avoid holiday weight gain may be extremely important for preventing obesity and the diseases associated with it.”

Prior to this study, it was known that Americans gain an average of 0.4 to 1.8 pounds each year during their adult lives. The unknown part was whether they gained weight at a steady rate throughout the year, or just at certain times, such as during the winter holiday season.

To find out just how much of this weight occurred over the holidays, they measured the weight and collected other health information from 195 volunteers. Compared to their initial weight in late September or early October, the volunteers gained just over a pound by late February or early March. Most of the weight gain occurred during the six-week interval between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

"Although an average holiday weight gain of less than a pound may seem unimportant, that weight was not lost over the remainder of the year," Dr. Yanovski, the lead scientist, said. When 165 of the study volunteers were weighed a year after the study began, they had not lost the extra weight gained during the holidays, and ended the year a pound and a half heavier than they were the year before.

The researchers believe that knowing that people actually accumulate a large proportion of their yearly weight over the winter holiday season may prove useful in treating obesity.

How to Shed the Holiday Pound

Now that the holiday season is winding down, we want to help you shed the holiday pound (or more).

Taking a hard look at your diet is a good place to start. Chances are you’ve been indulging in second helpings of holiday goodies for a last month or more. This is less than ideal for the waistline.
There are some easy changes you can make that will help you lose at least a pound, which will help you reduce your chances of obesity over the long-term.

The video below features Dr. Clay Hyght, a nutrition and training consultant, who is going to elaborate on 7 nutrition fundamentals that will help you maintain a healthy weight.

1. Prepare your meals in advance
2. Eat every three hours
3. Do not eat to get full
4. Eat lean protein with each meal
5. Eat natural foods
6. Do not drink beverages the contain calories
7. Have only one cheat meal per week