Ape Health

In the second part in a series on fighting depression , we are going to take a look at vitamin alternatives to prescription drugs that can help remedy depression.  Often times, being depressed for no apparent reason is actually your brain trying to tell you that it is deficient in certain vitamins and nutrients that you are not getting through your diet (rarely will your body tell you that it is deficient in Prozac, so don't be fooled). B Vitamin Deficiencies B Vitamins are naturally found in whole, unprocessed foods.  That being the case, you can see where many people now days are probably deficient.  Common names for your B-Vitamins are thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folic acid, and cobalamin.  If you are suffering from mood problems, insomnia, or depression, Vitamin B deficiency could be to blame.  A lot of people find that taking a daily B Complex vitamin improved both their mood and general well being. Nature Made Sup...

According to the CDC, 1 in 10 Americans report that they are currently suffering from some form of depression.  Further, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that a staggering 18% of the U.S. population suffers from some form of anxiety disorder.  Meanwhile, Americans are spending tens of billions of dollars each year on prescription anti-depressant medication.  These drugs often times cause dependencies and carry other risky side effects. There are many alternative, natural, and safe remedies for depression that you may not get from your doctor.  In this first article in a series on depression, we will take a look at the cheapest and easiest anti-depressant you can get - natural sunlight. After decades of of hearing how bad the sun is for us, people are now suffering from the effects of a lack of sun exposure.  According to this article on HowStuffWorks, A chronic lack of sun exposure has been linked to fertility problems, severa...

Sometimes you just want to shed the pounds quickly, and you don't really care about long term weight stability.  Perhaps you have a reunion coming up, or an important job interview.  Whatever the reasoning, millions of people just want a quick and easy weight loss method and they don't want to wait for results.  For them, an ultra low carb diet will most likely do the trick.  Just beware of the discomforting side effects. So I recently did a bit of vacationing, and like many people who travel, I came home to find an entirely different number on the scale than the one I had left behind.  Fast food, soda, and gas station goodies has all taken their toll on my waistline.  Coupled with the steady increase of pounds I have been experiencing since turning the big 3-0, I decided that it was time to take control of my weight and institute a diet change.  And like most people, I wanted quick results.  And also like most people, ain't nobody got time for ...

Graham Cracker Crust 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup sugar Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients together and press evenly across bottom of a inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes; cool and fill. You may also buy a pre-made crust  Cheesecake Filling 2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt 1/2 cup sugar pinch of salt 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 T cornstarch Optional: Sliced strawberries for garnish Preheat oven to 350F. In a blender or food processor, combine the eggs, sugar, yogurt and vanilla. Blend until smooth, then add cornstarch and pinch of salt and blend again. Pour filling into crust in a 10 inch springform pan, and bake for 35 minutes. When the cheesecake is done, it will still be jiggly in the center but will have a “done” look to it. The edges of the cake will start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Make sure you don’t overbake.

Green Smoothie 1 cup fat free milk ½ cup fat free plain yogurt 1 banana, frozen and chunked 1 T peanut butter powder 2 cups fresh spinach 1 cup ice cubes (optional) Thin Mint ½ cup milk 1 cup spinach leaves 10 mint leaves, chopped ¼ cup raw cacao seeds 1 t peppermint extract 1 banana, frozen and chunked Cinnamon Apple 1 cup apple juice 1 pear 1 apple 1 cup fresh spinach 1 t cinnamon ½ cup ice Blueberry 1/3 cup frozen blueberries 1 frozen banana 1 T lemon juice ¼ cup tea or water Carrot Fruit Smoothie 1 cup spinach 1 apple 1 banana ½ cup chopped carrots ½ cup orange juice ½ cup strawberries Kiwi 1 kiwi ½ cup pineapple chunks ½ cup green grapes ¼ mango ¼ cup water ½ cup spinach Pumpkin Smoothie 1 small can pumpkin or yam 1 ½ cup yogurt ½ cup milk 1 banana 1 t cinnamon Apple Pie ½ cup pumpkin puree 1 banana 1 apple ½ cup apple juice 1 ½ cup yogurt 1 t cinnamon 1 t nutmeg PB&J 1 banana 2 cups strawberries 4 T pea...

A healthy dip, great with sliced cucumbers or zucchini. Substituting the cream cheese with a greek style coconut yogurt makes an excellent dairy free option. Ingredients: 5 c cauliflower florets, cooked 1/4 c reduced fat cream cheese 1 T anchovy paste 1 T lemon juice 1 t Worcestershire sauce 1 t Dijon mustard 1 t minced garlic Instructions: Puree  ingredients in a food processor In a pan add a teaspoon of olive oil, pine nuts and chopped red peppers Pour cauliflower mixture in a bowl and garnish with nuts and peppers Yield: 10 Calories: 35 Protein: 2 g Carbohydrates: 4 g Fat: 1.5 g

Ingredients 2 T olive oil 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp 1 onion, chopped 1 c grape tomatoes, halved 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 c dry white wine or chicken broth 1 c chicken broth 1/4 c chopped basil or parsley 2 T lemon juice 1 T butter Instructions Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook shrimp until golden brown then transfer to plate Cook onion until golden brown Stir in tomatoes and garlic, cook until tomatoes are wilted Pour in wine and cook until about half is evaporated Add broth, basil, lemon juice and butter, and return shrimp to pan Cook until heated through Yield: 4 Calories: 255 Protein: 24 g Carbohydrates: 8 g Fat: 11.5 g