Health & Lifestyle - Wellness and Lifestyle EXPO

No matter what part of the world you live in people are becoming increasingly interested in health and lifestyle.  This last weekend the Wellness & Lifestyle EXPO was held at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt, Austria.  There were tons of cool products to look at and ideas to ponder.  Many vendors had products to sample.  Of course, being in Austria this includes some wonderful wines from the local farmers!


I was able to chat with one of the ladies manning this booth for A & G Gober Weingut as she spoke terrific English ... what a treat for me ... a delightful taste of wine and a good conversation!


Then we met Fritz Muehle who produces AWESOME pumpkin seed oil ... in German it is called Kürbis Kernöl.   This thick, tasty green oil is coveted by connoisseurs around the world! With its special nutty taste, many chefs like to use to complete sophisticated dishes.  Fritz does it the old fashioned way by stone grinding the special pumpkin seeds ... this way it is truly cold pressed and retains all those terrific nutrients.

Pumpkin seed oil has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and is rich in vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, C and E ... it also contains important minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium and trace minerals selenium and zinc.  What a way to lead a delicious and healthy lifestyle!

We wandered more and enjoyed all the EXPO had to offer ...  from growing your own sprouts to enjoying a Shiatsu massage ... 


With all that was offered we can hardly wait to visit next years Wellness and Lifestyle EXPO!

Here's to your new Health and Lifestyle!
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Learn more about health and lifestyle in Austria
http://GesundheitsVerein.at

Health & Lifestyle - Chestnuts for Healthy Lifestyle!

Autumn is here, the air is crisp and I crave something warm and hearty.  What better way to welcome the change of seasons than to roast some chestnuts?  Chestnuts are a great addition to your health and lifestyle.  What is more romantic than roasting chestnuts over an open fire and sipping on a delicious wine?

A friend brought us over a large bag of these prized nuts from his parents farm and what a treat it was.

Best way to roast Chestnuts:

I have tried many ways to to roast these guys and the best method I have found is to wash, score an "X" in the flat side with a sharp knife, soak in water for about 30 minutes then pop into a 450F/220C oven.  I keep watch over them so they don't burn and monitor them as the shell peels back ... usually about 1/2 hour.


Once you remove them from the oven be careful not to burn your fingers while you peel them completely.  We enjoyed pairing the roasted chestnuts with an Austrian Blaufrankisch wine from the Burgenland region of Austria ... actually right down the road from us!

Benefits of Chestnuts:



  • Chestnuts are relatively low in calories and are rich in minerals, vitamins and phyto-nutrients that benefit health.
  • Chestnuts are mainly made up of starch unlike other seeds and nuts, which are high in calorie, protein, and fat. They are similar in nutrition composition to sweet potato, sweet corn, potatoes and plantains. They are  good sources of minerals, vitamins and some good  quality protein.
  • Great source of dietary fiber. Fiber diet helps lower blood cholesterol levels by limiting excess cholesterol absorption in the intestines.
  • Exceptionally rich in vitamin C. ... 100 g nuts provide 43 mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for matrix formation in teeth, bones and blood vessels. Being a strong anti-oxidant, it offers protection from harmful free radicals.
  • Chestnuts are rich in folates ... 100 g nuts provide 62 µg of folates (or 15.5%). Folic acid is required for the formation of red blood cells and DNA synthesis. 
  • Terrific source of mono-unsaturated fatty like oleic acid  and palmitoleic acids. Studies suggest that monounsaturated fats in the diet help lower total as well as LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol) levels within the blood. 
  • Excellent source of minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc, besides providing a very good amount of potassium.  Potassium helps counter hypertensive action of sodium, lowers heart rate and blood pressure. 
  • Rich in many important B-complex groups of vitamins. 
  • Chestnuts are free in gluten. And for the same reason, they are one of the popular ingredients in the preparation of gluten-free food formulas for gluten-sensitive, wheat allergy, and celiac disease patients.



Chestnuts offer a great deal of nutrition when you are striving for health and lifestyle.  Of course, it is always best to eat local fresh food ... food that is in season to get the highest quality nutrition.

So my friends ... here's to your new Healthy Lifestyle!
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Learn more about a healthy lifestyle in Austria
http://GesundheitsVerein.at

Health and Lifestyle - Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle ... Water, Water Everywhere


Health and lifestyle ... here is one of the BEST tips for a Healthy Lifestyle ... Water, Water Everywhere!

Would you like to live a healthy lifestyle? Imagine waking up in morning, feeling terrific and ready to jump into the new day with a clear mind and boundless energy … what could be better?

Enhancing your lifestyle with good health doesn’t have to be a major upheaval; in fact to turn your life around in one giant step is setting yourself up for failure.  The best way to begin this journey is with “baby” steps.  Begin with one change and do it long enough that it becomes a habit … at least 21 days the experts say and then add another one.  Soon you will wonder why you didn’t do this before!  You will soon be enjoying the health and lifestyle that you desire.

So my friends, here is the first tip to begin your new healthy lifestyle:

Drink Water!  Now this is really is a no-brainer, but for many is a giant obstacle.  Experts say you should drink at least 64 ounces a day … that is 1/2 gallon for those of you wondering or 8 -  8 ounce glasses … it is almost 2 liters for those of you in countries that use the metric system.  Drinking more than 64 ounces is even better!

Drinking alkalized / ionized water is the best for your body.  The benefits of alkaline water include:

Allowing your body to assimilate water better and hydrate faster because of the smaller cluster size of the water molecules
Refreshing and thirst quenching
Aids in restoring your body to its ideal alkaline pH balance
Promotes an internal alkaline environment which takes up oxygen better and helps to guard against cancers and other degenerative diseases
Helps to flush toxins and neutralize acid wastes from the body.
Boosts your energy level and improves aerobic exercise. You will also notice that your recovery times are quicker after exercise.

The best way to get alkaline water is from an alkalizing/ionizing water machine.  They sell these for $800 on up to over $4,000.  It may seem pricey, but think of the price of bottled water.  It adds up pretty quickly and in addition, having a water machine of your own saves the planet from all the plastic water bottles that is cluttering our landfills.

There are special pH powders and drop’s that you can buy to increase the alkalinity of your tap water … is this something you should try?  While they do increase the pH of your water, the jury is still out on whether they actually hydrate your body as well as the alkalized/ionized water from a water machine.  Some experts say that the water molecules created are too large to be assimilated for the best hydration.  These powders also do not remove anything from your water like chlorine or fluoride.  Both of these chemicals are not something I care to ingest  … and by the way … sometimes the taste of these powders are pretty bad … kind of like drinking sea water, but that is just my personal opinion.

Now you may be thinking that drinking RO (reverse osmosis) or distilled water is an option.  The best answer here is that both processes remove the valuable nutrients from the water leaving it basically dead and acidic.  Yes, it will quench your thirst, but you won’t be getting any of the other goodies that your water should supply.  It won’t restore your body to its proper healthy pH and it won’t enrich your body with valuable nutrients like alkaline water will.

What about bottled water you ask?  My answer is that while it can be convenient, you really don’t know what is in it.  Did the manufacturer turn on his water tap at the factory and fill up those plastic bottles?  Maybe they get their water from the local river … better hope that a pig farm or such isn’t located up stream.  What has the water been treated with, if anything? Is it any better than turning on your own water tap that is filled with whatever chemical soup that your local municipality dreamed up?  Bottled water is popular because the manufacturers have spent a ton of money on marketing and not because it is good for you.

Perhaps you are living in an area where water is supplied by your very own well.  Well water needs to be tested very carefully for nutrients, pH and any other “cooties” before you begin to drink large quantities of it.  The government does not regulate these water sources, and therefore, you need to pay close attention to the safety of your drinking water.  Many times the groundwater that fills these wells can become contaminated with pollutants. Minerals can be picked up from the rocks that your water flows over, and don't forget there can also be run off from any number of sources that seep into groundwater. Things like microorganisms, heavy metals, lead, copper, household waste, fluoride and more can all be found in traces in ground water.

I realize that all this water information is probably a lot to “swallow” (pun intended), but drinking water is one of the BEST tips in discovering your new healthy lifestyle.  Drink plenty of fresh alkalized water each day and soon you will feel amazing!


Let's drink to your new healthy lifestyle ... Bottoms UP!

Health & Lifestyle - GesunheitsMesse Breitenau 2012

Health & Lifestyle - GesunheitsMesse Breitenau 2012 held on October 6th was a huge success!

The Expo was attended by health conscious folks from all around Austria as well as the local officials.  It was 8 hours of the best health information available.


Here's to your new healthy lifestyle!
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Learn more about a healthy lifestyle in Austria
http://GesundheitsVerein.at