Choose a lite version of the Starbucks Frappuccino you love

Summer is here. The weather is gorgeous, and oooh, aren’t those balmy breezes divine? You feel as though you are on vacation all summer long and deserve to visit the nearest Starbucks for the Starbucks Frappuccino you love. But wait! Go back to the year 1995 when Starbucks introduced the original Coffee Frappuccino. Let’s take a look at the way things used to be before this famous summer drink debuted.

Coffee, just plain coffee, was on the drink menu, served black or with a little milk or cream and sugar. Back then, as they do today, people drank this addictive potion all day long and into the night.

Enter Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino. This famous 24 oz Frappuccino is still around today along with about twenty others to choose from. Even if you hold the whip, it still contains 14 teaspoons of sugar, “just” 350 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat. By today’s tasty drink standards that would be considered so last century.

Today it’s all about caramel and chocolate and sprinkles and extra whip cream! (Seriously, are we talking coffee drinks or milkshakes here?) Starbucks has recently introduced another 24 oz Frappuccino. The Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino contains a whopping 21 teaspoons of sugar, a mere 600 calories, and 12 grams of saturated fat. The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino comes with cookie bits, mocha sauce, vanilla syrup, chocolate chips and whipped cream. The Caffe’ Espresso Frappuccino packs 460 calories! Enjoy these drinks, and you’ll see your scale introduce a “fluffier” you.

Fore-going these newer versions of Frappuccino for the tried-and-true Coffee Frappuccino may actually be the best choice. But if you do choose to enjoy your favorite, yummy Starbucks cup of Joe, then opt for a lite version. For example, a Grande Frappuccino Lite contains 4 teaspoons of sugar, 110 calories, 0 grams of saturated fat. Other examples of lite versions are a Grande Nonfat Iced Caffe’ Latte’ with 90 calories or an Iced Café’ Americano with 20 calories. It is always best to nix the whip and add Stevia with 0 calories to sweeten your drink.

Now when you are feeling as though you are on vacation and visiting the nearest Starbucks for one of their yummy summer drinks, do yourself a favor and order a skinnier version. The next time you step on your scale, you’ll be glad you did.

Click on the following link to see the many Frappuccino varieties and options available at Starbucks.

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/frappuccino-blended-beverages

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy successfully for over 15 years. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com, or call us at (630) 369-5508.

Food Focus: Leafy Greens

Leafy Greens are crammed full of good nutrition

Leafy greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables to incorporate into your daily routine. Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky, absorbing the sun’s light while producing oxygen. Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens, bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

How do greens benefit our bodies? They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous and zinc. They are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K. They are crammed full of fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals. Their color is associated with spring and summer, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy. In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.

Greens aid in:

• purifying the blood
• strengthening the immune system
• improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function
• fighting depression
• clearing congestion
• improving circulation
• keeping your skin clear and blemish free

Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet. Many of us have never learned how to prepare them. Start with this very simple recipe for shiitake and kale. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new green to try. Soon you’ll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.

Recipe of the Month: Shiitake and Kale

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1-2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

1. Warm oil in a pan on medium heat with minced garlic until aromas of garlic are released, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add chopped shiitake mushrooms; stir fry for 5 minutes.
3. Add chopped kale; stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
4. Add a splash of water and pinch of salt to pan; cover and let steam for 4 minutes.

Small changes yield lasting results. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually rather than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.

Here’s to healthy eating! Please feel free to contact Debbie at (630) 470-7634 or email her at Debbie@NutritionandHealthCounseling.com if you have any questions on the material above or if you are interested in scheduling a health consultation. Visit her website at www.NutritionAndHealthCounseling.com for more information.

Autoimmune disorders can lead to sleep problems

Is your sleep interrupted by aches and pains?

Do you suffer from depression, anxiety and stress and fatigue?

Is sleep apnea a warning sign of autoimmune disorders?

Can autoimmune disorders lead to sleep problems? Studies now show this is a fact. Many people suffer from autoimmune disorders, and their pain can be significant.

Here are ten suggestions to help manage sleep problems:

1. Create a regular bedtime routine and sleep schedule
2. Use extra pillows to support painful joints
3. Enjoy good nutrition and exercise daily
4. Keep a comfortable temperature in the bedroom (Around 64 degrees is suggested)
5. Wear comfortable sleep clothing
6. Try to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night
7. Try to manage pain with routine massage therapy sessions
8. Stop alcohol and caffeine consumption well before bedtime
9. Try acupuncture, meditation or Yoga
10. Ask your doctor if changes in medication are necessary

Read more on how restful sleep can improve your autoimmune symptoms here:

http://www.everydayhealth.com/autoimmune-disorders/getting-sleep-with-autoimmune-disease.aspx

Don’t put up with sleep problems any longer! See a sleep specialist and allow them to help solve your sleep difficulties.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy successfully for over 15 years. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com, or call us at (630)369-5508.

I recently attended and spoke at the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) 23rd Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. I’ve been attending these annual meetings for many years. Here are a few interesting bullet points from this year’s meeting:

•  The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in firefighters, police officers and truck drivers is believed to be about 25-33% with about 85% of these undiagnosed! This number doesn’t compare to the 2-4% suspected OSA documented from quite outdated info. Unfortunately, if all the suspected truck drivers were being evaluated and taken off the roads until successful apnea treatment was given, our economy would suffer. This has delayed federal guidelines. For more information, check out this link:

http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2013/10/16/Obamaquietlysignsbillrequiringsleepdisorderrulenotguidance.aspx

• Living with apnea is similar to other chronic conditions and deserves constant attention. Healthy life changes in eating and exercise can only help long term outcomes.

• Sleep issues  are a top contributor to the onset of depression.

• We are getting closer to having the availability of compliance-monitoring chips that can be embedded into oral appliances. Once passed through the lengthy government approval systems, these may dramatically impact many OSA sufferers especially in patients such as truck drivers, etc. Some of this technology has been available already in Europe since 2011.

• I’m excited about a new oral device on the market and will try to get more info once available. The MicrO2 removable and changeable trays made at different distances eliminating the need for screwdrivers and other somewhat challenging adjustment hardware is exciting – so clear and light and barely noticeable!

• Teeth grinding or bruxism continues to show a link with OSA although many more studies are needed to confirm current views.

• It has been reported that even with the lowest definitions of compliance, CPAP compliance is approximately 50%.

• A new type of surgery for apnea patients is on the horizon. It is an implantable hypoglossal nerve stimulator. It will be reserved at this point for select cases of apnea sufferers who have failed oral appliance therapy and CPAP therapy. More information on this coming in the future.
• For kids at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea, Type ”A” and Type “B” kids tend to show different patterns of symptoms. Type “A” tend to have attention issues, no sleepiness/the latter – more daytime sleepiness. Even the slightest apnea scores are significant for kids and treatment should be considered. Neurocognitive impairment delay can occur. If left untreated, the following can result: behavioral disturbances, learning deficits and metabolic changes. Most importantly these changes may not be completely reversible. Bottom-line: the sooner kids with suspected apnea are treated, the better.

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois, a premiere snoring and apnea treatment center in Naperville, has been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of oral appliance therapy for over 15 years successfully. We are extremely passionate about helping individuals that have been struggling with CPAP therapy in Naperville, Lisle, Aurora, Bolingbrook and surrounding Chicago suburbs. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com or call us at (630) 369-5508.

June is Men’s Health Month. Eat more fruits and veggies.

June is Men’s Health month. Bring better health into your life this month.  Improve strength, energy and stamina. You can make your health a priority and stay ahead of your health by adding just a few steps to improve your life now.

Here are four steps to start improving your health with today:

• toss away your smoking habit
• exercise more
• eat more fruits and veggies
• get plenty of sleep

Please click the link below and read more about making new changes in your life this month.

http://www.cdc.gov/men/nmhw/index.htm

Dental Sleep and TMD Center of Illinois is a premiere snoring and sleep apnea treatment center in Naperville. We have been providing the CPAP alternative treatment of Oral Appliance Therapy successfully for over 15 years. For more information on this physician-recommended treatment option, visit www.TiredOfSnoring.com, or give us a call at (630)369-5508.