Author: Louis

Fitness and Wellness Professional
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THE Powerful Lemon Drink

A powerful beverage I’ve been drinking every day for the last 2 weeks to improve my cardiovascular health is THE Lemon Drink.  For being such a simplistic beverage with only 2 ingredients (warm water and fresh-squeezed lemon juice), it delivers a powerful punch of benefits beyond cardiovascular health.

 

The lemon is loaded with phytonutrients, such as flavonoids and antioxidants, and is mostly known for liver detox and support.  Sure, these are good benefits like supporting your body’s natural detox pathways, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing fat buildup in your liver cells.  But, the benefits go beyond this.

The lemon’s natural acids help to stimulate bile production (bile is a fluid made by the liver that helps break down fats and carry waste out of the body), which assists in breaking down fats more efficiently and improves digestion.

Additionally, it helps improve gut health.  This is huge since your gut is where health begins and is mostly responsible for your overall immune functioning.  It helps to support a diverse gut microbiome, lowers inflammation, and enhances mood disposition.   This is most likely why I had a general good feeling every day from just 1 week of consuming this drink.

And finally, there are cardiovascular health benefits, which is why I originally started drinking The Powerful Lemon Drink.  These include:  helps to regulate blood sugar levels; supports healthy blood flow and circulation, maintains healthy cholesterol balance, and reduces oxidative stress and inflammation. 

Below are a few tips to drinking The Powerful Lemon Drink:

  1. Make sure you squeeze enough lemon juice into your 8 – 12 ounces of warm water.  Otherwise, it’s just lemon-flavored water.  Aim for at least half a lemon per serving.
  2. Let it steep for at least 5 – 10 minutes in order for it to fully absorb the Vitamin C and other nutrients.
  3. Drink first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and do not mix with food; it does not mix well with stomach acid.
  4. Don’t add any sugar or artificial sweeteners; the only exception is stevia.
  5. Drink it every single day; once in a while won’t have very much of an effect. 

 

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Getting Through Setbacks

It was exactly 3 months since I had my heart attack, and things were going well .. . . till I had my first setback.

I was exercising every day, walking, lifting weights, swimming, going to work, and all of my normal activities.  Then, all of a sudden, one night I was watching a Boston Celtics vs. NY Knicks game lying down on my sofa, and then I became extremely dizzy and felt like passing out.  It was a scary feeling because it was unexpected, and I didn’t know how serious this incident was going to be.

My wife, Cida, immediately called the paramedics, and they arrived at my house within 2 minutes (Sugar Land has great municipal services).  Fortunately, everything checked out fine with me.  The paramedics checked my blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and even did an EKG.  I was relieved, but Iwas wondering what prompted this episode.

Since it was late in the evening, I could not contact my cardiologist to discuss further.  I had to wait till the next morning.  This was an uncomfortable situation because I really didn’t know what was wrong with me.  Scary thoughts went through my mind for the first time, such as, “what if I don’t wake up?”

I knew this was the evil one trying to instill fear in my mind, leading to despair.  If I didn’t have self-awareness of this, I may have been drawn towards despair.  Thankfully, I did not.

A few things to think about afterwards:

First, I had to remind myself that a setback is a reminder that healing is a journey and not an immediate thing.  Seeking a cure is short-term and something that is physical, such as an Achilles Rupture Tear.  This type of physical injury will eventually get better.  The cardiac arrest with my heart, both in a physical sense, but more importantly, in a spiritual way, is a matter of healing.  This can take much longer and is dependent upon the Graces of God.  The theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity are absolutely essential for healing.

It also helps if you surround yourself with positive people who follow the Faith.  Pray the rosary and ask for their prayers too.

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Hearty Parmesan Baked Chicken

Serving: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts, skinless
  • Pink salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • ¼ cup crushed pork rinds

How To

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degree F
  2. Take a large baking dish and coat with ghee
  3. Pat chicken breasts dry and wrap with towel
  4. Season with salt and pepper
  5. Place in baking dish
  6. Take a small bowl and add mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning
  7. Slather mayo mix evenly over chicken breast
  8. Sprinkle crushed pork rinds on top
  9. Bake for 20 minutes until topping is browned
  10. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition (Per Serving)

  • Calories: 850
  • Fat: 67g
  • Carbohydrates: 2g
  • Protein: 60g