Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 12-25-15 Edition

Health
Relieve Holiday Belly Bloating
5 Spices, Herbs & The Diseases They Fight
From Alzheimer’s to staph infections, here are 5 herbs and spices you’ll want to get more.
To get the most life-giving properties out of these herbs and spices, use whole or dried versions whenever possible. Also, store them in a cool, dark place.
1. Sage for Alzheimer’s Disease.
2. Allspice for Prostate Cancer.
3. Oregano for Staph Infections..
4. Rosemary for Macular Degeneration 5. Black Pepper for Fatty Liver Disease.
Things You Should Never Touch In A Hotel Room
Here are a few foods and drinks that will flatten your belly bloating fast, whether you want to squeeze into your little black dress or deflate after a night of over-indulgence.
Peppermint - To preempt holiday party bloat, sip on some peppermint tea or pop a pepper- mint oil pill about an hour be- forehand It calms down the entire digestive tract and allows gas to pass. Sipping tea post- party can also banish belchy gas.
Oatmeal -
Holiday travel
can throw off
your eating and
sleeping, and
wreck your regularity. So, pack a couple packets of plain instant oatmeal - a terrific source of sol- uble fiber - to keep bowels regu- lar.
Parsley - Water retention can make you feel bloated. When that happens, don’t pass over the parsley garnish. The herb is a natural diuretic which helps flush excess fluid out of the body, as well as provides bone-building vitamin K and immune-boosting vitamin C. Chop it up into salads or add it to your green smoothie for a belly de-bloater.
Fennel seeds
- This licorice-
tasting spice is a
digestive stimu-
lant that can speed
up food transit time and boost bile production in the gut to help breakdown foods. Keep some seeds in a baggy in your purse to pop post meal, or sip fennel tea.
Bananas - The potassium in bananas helps rid your body of
belly-bloating sodium and ex- cess water. So the morning after a salt binge, eat a banana with peanut butter at breakfast, or add it to your smoothie.
Ginger - If
you start to puff
out at a holiday
bash and don’t
have access to
fresh ginger, chew
on a strip of crystallized ginger - an anti-spasmodic that aids di- gestion and relaxes the digestive tract muscles. Ginger tea works too: Simply steep thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water.
Breakfast - Eating breakfast wakes up your digestive tract and promotes peristalsis—mus- cle contractions that move food along your digestive tract.
Coconut
water - Hol-
iday football-
watching
binges can
lead to high-
sodium benders.
Blame all those nachos and pretzels. Potassium-rich co- conut water can help counteract all that salt to accelerate the de- bloating process. Plus, the fact that it’s a beverage works double whammy on water retention.
Water - Seems counter-in- tuitive to drink more H20 when you’re retaining water, but hy- drating can actually help you ex- crete excess water. Just skip the straw which can cause you to swallow extra air.
Yogurt - When the bacterial balance in your gut is off it can cause gas and bloating. Probi- otics to the rescue! These bene- ficial bacteria found in yogurt can rebalance the gut and im- prove digestive health.
I don’t want to ruin anyone’s vacation, but here are a few things you should stay away from during your next hotel stay.
The Main Light Switch. It’s the first thing you touch when you walk into your room, and probably the ger- miest.
Note: Make sure to wash your hands immediately afterward (or use your elbow to flip the switch).
The Bathroom Floor, Sink, And Counter- tops. Contamination seems to be connected with housekeeping sponges and mops — surfaces being wiped without disinfectant with the same cleaning cloth used for multiple rooms.
Note: You brought your own antibacterial wipes, right? Take this opportunity to use them.
The Ice Bucket. Not only is the bucket pretty gross (there’s no way of really knowing the last time it was washed), but ice ma- chines can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
Note: Bring a cooler and ice.
The Remote Control. Take a minute to calm your gag reflex, and remember to pack your con-
tainer of disinfecting wipes.
Note: Give the remote a
swipe before tuning in to
your favorite network, or put
it in a clear plastic bag (which can serve as a nice barrier between you and the germs).
The Comforter And Pillows. These things are rarely (if ever) washed. The first thing you should do when you get to your room is roll the quilt or duvet to the end of the bed (or ideally, take it off). Also, be wary of those extra blankets stored in the closet; it’s tough to know when they were last laundered. The same rules apply to pillows.
Note: Consider bringing your own bedding and pillowcases to be extra safe.
The Couch.
Ever sat directly on
a hotel room
couch? Now’s the
time to stop. Why?
You never know
what state of dress
— or undress — for-
mer guests have been in while sitting on them.
Note: Just like the bedding, the couches are pretty tough to sanitize.
The Water Glasses. If the glasses don’t look dirty between guests, chances are they aren’t getting washed. If the glasses are wiped down, you never know if the cleaning staff just used the same sponge or towel on another surface.
Note: Think about using disposable cups while you’re in the room or washing the reusable ones very carefully (after you’ve wiped down the counter, of course).
More Notes: . The less you pay for a room, the more bacteria you’re sleeping with. Check the on- line reviews for any hotel you plan on staying at — that’s where you’ll get the real inside scoop.
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2015