Page 1 Adopting a New Attitude: Realistic Optimism by Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD There are quite a number of motivational speakers and selfimprovement books out there with a surprisingly simple message: Believe that success will come easily to you, and it will. There is one small problem in this argument, however, which unfortunately doesn't seem to stop anyone from making it: It is utterly false. In fact, not only is visualizing "effortless success" unhelpful, it is disastrous. This is good advice to give only if you are trying to sabotage the recipient. It is a recipe for failure. And no, I'm not overstating it. But how can this be? Isn't optimism a good thing? Yes it is. Optimism and the confidence it creates are essential for creating and sustaining the motivation you need to reach your goals. Albert Bandura, one of the founding fathers of scientific psychology, discovered decades ago that perhaps the best predictor of an individual's success is whether or not they believe they will succeed. Thousands and thousands of experiments later, he has yet to be proven wrong. But there is an important caveat: to be successful, you need to understand the very vital difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed easily. Continued on Page 3… How to Maintain an Ultimate Libido By Brad King, MS MFS Do you remember what life was like when you were 20 years old? Vaguely, huh? Well, those were the days when you had the energy to shoot hoops for three hours for nothing more than something to do. Those were the days of a 34 -inch waistline and maybe some blonde highlights in the hair that grew on top of your head (not out your ears). And “ready for action” meant “ready anytime” not just for the next 36 hours like the Cialis® commercial promises. When one thinks about sexual problems like erectile dysfunction (ED), the first thing that usually pops into the mind is, “the little blue pill”. But despite the fact that ED drugs like Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) and Cialis® (tadalafil) don’t work for everyone and are associated with numerous possible side-effects, this doesn’t stop millions of men from using them. Figures show that one out of every five men over the age of 40 has tried Viagra with 48 percent experiencing at least one side effect. The problem with most ED drugs is they do nothing to increase sexual arousal. Just because the blood is pumping, doesn’t mean you’re in the mood to make things happen. This is where the “so-called” male hormone testosterone comes in. Testosterone is the key hormone of desire—in both men and women. As testosterone levels decline through age, so does libido. Studies show that low Continued on Page 4… Enjoy your love of food …with food that loves you back Issue 43 August, 2014 Inside This Issue Adopting A New Attitude: Realistic Optimism 1,3 How to Maintain an Ultimate Libido 1,4 Pea & Broad 2 Bean Hummus with Goat’s Cheese & Sourdough Health Benefits of Green Peas 2 Maca Brazil Truffles 4 Do you want to learn about more nutrition for your libido? See a holistic nutritionist. Page 2 Pea & Broad Bean Hummus with Goat’s Cheese & Sourdough Health Benefits of Green Peas By Lorene Sauro, RHN By Good Food 300g fresh or frozen peas 300g fresh broad beans, podded (no need to remove their pale green jackets) or use frozen (defrosted) 4 tbsp olive or sunflower oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled zest 2 lemons, juice of 1 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil To Serve: 8 slices sourdough bread, halved 125g/4½ oz log soft, spreadable goat's cheese 50g bag peas shoots (or use watercress) Tip the peas and beans into a large pan of salted boiling water, then cook for 3 minutes. Drain, cool under cold water, then drain again thoroughly. Put the 4 tbsp oil in a pan, heat gently, then add the garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, very gently, until the oil is infused and the garlic has softened but is not coloured. Tip the oil and garlic into a jug and cool. Whizz the peas, beans and almost all the zest in a food processor, then trickle in the garlicky oil. Add the garlic cloves, almost all the lemon juice and 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. The hummus should be swirling around the bowl nicely by this point, but not be too fine in texture. Scrape the sides down if you need to. Season well – you’ll need about 1 tsp sea salt and lots of black pepper. Add the rest of the lemon juice to taste. Spoon into a dish, swirl the top, then drizzle over the remaining extra virgin olive oil. To serve, toast the bread, then spread with the goat’s cheese. Dollop a good spoonful of hummus onto each piece, drizzle with a little more olive oil, scatter with the remaining zest, then grind over a little black pepper. Top with a few pea shoots and serve. Why Broad Beans Are Good For You by Joanna Blythman Broad beans are an excellent vegetable source of protein and fibre. This may be a winning combination for weight loss. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010 found that overweight women on a high-protein, high-fibre diet lost more weight than those on the standard high-carbohydrate, low-fat regime that currently forms the basis of government "healthy eating" advice. Broad beans are also rich in both folate and B vitamins, which we need for nerve and blood cell development, cognitive function and energy. Enjoy your love of food …with food that loves you back Green peas are such a simple food, easy to prepare and sweet to the taste, it may be hard to believe they are such a powerhouse of nutrients. However, they contain a unique variety of phytonutrients with numerous health benefits. One that has been recently discovered, coumestrol, a member of the polyphenol family, may help protect against stomach cancer. They are loaded with flavanoids and carotenes which have antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. These have been shown to help protect the heart as well as damage caused by Type II Diabetes. The protein and fibre found in peas helps stabilize blood sugar. Although they are low in fat, peas also contain Omega 3 essential fatty acid, fat soluble vitamins and lots of B vitamins. So “snap” up the fresh green peas while they are in season. Page 3 ...New Attitude Continued from page 1 Put another way, it's the difference between being a realistic optimist, and an unrealistic optimist. Realistic optimists (the kind Bandura was talking about) believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen -- through things like effort, careful planning, persistence and choosing the right strategies. They recognize the need for giving serious thought to how they will deal with obstacles. This preparation only increases their confidence in their own ability to get things done. Unrealistic optimists, on the other hand, believe that success will happen to them -- that the universe will reward them for all their positive thinking, or that somehow they will be transformed overnight into the kind of person for whom obstacles cease to exist. (Forgetting that even Superman had Kryptonite. And a secret identity that took a lot of trouble to maintain. And also relationship issues.) One of the clearest illustrations of the dangers of unrealistic optimism comes from a study of weight loss. Psychologist Gabriele Oettingen asked a group of obese women who had enrolled in a weight-loss program how likely they felt they were to reach their goals. She found that those women who were confident that they would succeed lost 26 pounds more than selfdoubters, as expected. But Oettingen also asked the women to tell her what they imagined their road to success would be like -- if they thought they would have a hard time resisting temptation, or if they'd have no problem turning down free doughnuts in the conference room and a second trip to the all-you-can-eat buffet. The results were astounding: women who believed they would succeed easily lost 24 pounds less than those who thought their weight-loss journey would be no walk in the park. (She has found the same pattern of results in studies of students looking for highpaying jobs after college, singles looking to find lasting love and seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery. Realistic optimists send out more job applications, find the courage to approach potential romantic partners and work harder on their rehabilitation exercises -- in each case, leading to much higher success rates.) Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables for August August is one of the best months for an abundant choice of fresh fruits and vegetables. Take some time this month to travel to local farmer’s markets and farm gates and seek out all your local farmers have to offer. Look for unique heritage varieties of your favourites and fill your shopping baskets with all kinds of fresh goodies. Here are some of the foods to look for: Apricots, avocados, basil, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, carrots, chiles, cilantro, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, figs, garlic, grapes, green beans, melons, nectarines, onions, peaches, peas, plums, potatoes, radishes, summer squash, tomatillos, tomatoes, watermelons, zucchini. Believing that the road to success will be rocky leads to greater success, because it forces you to take action. People who are confident that they will succeed, and equally confident that success won't come easily, put in more effort, plan how to deal with problems before they arise, and persist longer in the face of difficulty. Unrealistic optimists are only too happy to tell you that you are "being negative" when you dare to express concerns, harbor reservations or dwell too long on obstacles that stand in the way of your goal. In truth, this kind of thinking is a necessary step in any successful endeavor, and it is not at all antithetical to confident optimism. Focusing only on what we want, to the exclusion of everything else, is just the kind of naïve and reckless thinking that has landed politicians and industry leaders (and at times entire industries) in hot water. Cultivate your realistic optimism by combining a positive attitude with an honest assessment of the challenges that await you. Don't visualize success -- visualize the steps you will take in order to make success happen. Enjoy your love of food …with food that loves you back  Enhance libido  Boost performance  Increase testosterone  Maintain muscle www.pno.ca Page 4 ...Ultimate Libido Continued from page 1 testosterone can lead to ED—especially in those with blood sugar disorders. Research presented in the International Journal of Impotence Research shows that testosterone supplements should be considered in the treatment of ED. The study indicated that testosterone therapy was able to alleviate ED in 34 percent of men who were unable to experience benefits from Viagra alone, whereas 38 percent of men showed improvements by using testosterone along with Viagra. One of the easiest ways to ensure healthy testosterone levels for maximum sexual health is to lose the excess belly fat. Studies show that the sexual function is usually diminished by the degree of obesity. In other words, the fatter one becomes, the harder it is to keep up in the bedroom (no pun intended). Enhancing libido and overcoming ED naturally The following are natural ways that have been proven to help overcome ED:  Follow a healthy diet. Italian researchers discovered that those who followed the Mediterranean diet (consuming lots of fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and monounsaturated fats) the closest, tended to have the lowest incidence of ED.  Exercise regularly. Regular exercise effectively reduces blood sugar and helps to clear occluded arteries (yes even that one).  Maintain prostate health through nutrient intervention. Nutrients like betasitosterol, flower pollen extract, natural lycopene, stinging nettle root, pygeum, selenium and zinc have been shown to help maintain healthy prostate function.  Supplement with Tongkat Ali Root (in order to elevate testosterone naturally). Studies show that a water extracted 100:1 extract of Tongkat Ali Root are able to naturally elevate testosterone levels and increase libido. Brad J. King, MS, MFS, is a nutritional researcher and author of 10 books, including the new Beer Belly Blues. Subscribe to his free monthly newsletter. Maca Brazil Truffles by Elyse Clark Try these treats with libido-enhancing maca and brazil nuts 1 cup raw brazil nuts 1 1/4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 1 1/2 tbsp maca 3/4 cup date paste or soaked and pitted Medjool dates 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla powder 150 Consumers Road, Suite 210 Toronto, Ontario, M2J 1P9 [email protected] www.cahnpro.org 416.499.2660 Editor: Lorene Sauro, RHN Copy Editor: Jennifer Sexton, RHN Writers: Heidi Grant Halvorson Brad King, MS,MFS Joanna Blythman Lorene Sauro, RHN CAHN-Pro is a non-profit organization dedicated to regulating and board certifying holistic nutritionists and educating the public about making healthy choices to improve the quality of their life. All our members are trained in proper research techniques and meet mandatory requirements to maintain their certification. Our members are educators, professional speakers and practitioners. When looking for a nutrition expert, be sure it is a holistic nutritionist, Board Certified in Practical Holistic Nutrition. To find a practitioner or corporate speaker in your area, please call 416-499-2660 or email us: [email protected] Combine all in food processor (if the dough is too dry add teaspoon of water, too wet add extra coconut). Form into balls and let set in refrigerator for 20 minutes or longer. Store in an air tight container for up to one week in the refrigerator. Enjoy your love of food …with food that loves you back For numbered references in articles found in this newsletter, please refer to www.cahnpro.org