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7 Tips for Dieting Success

2009-11-07T13:42:00.001+07:00

There are lots of dieters, trying every sort of plan to lose weight and get healthier. But, rather than examine diet plans or the details of how and why low-carb diets work, here are some useful tips that can be used in any diet plan -- and, really, in any sensible approach to eating.

Tip 1: Drink 8 to 10 Glasses of Water Every Day

You've heard this one over and over. But, it isn't easy and too few people actually do it. Your body needs water to keep your system clean, to process food, to keep your skin in good shape and more. Sure, it'll use any liquid, but pure water works best. But - there's no taste, at least with pure water. This can be difficult since we're conditioned to want sweetness and flavors. But, it gets easier the more you do it. It's a matter of re-conditioning your taste buds, and yourself. Once started, you'll begin to crave water.

Drink a glass, or even two, as soon as you wake up. Especially in the beginning, those are the easy two. And they'll help you remember.

If you can't stand the taste of water, try a purifying pitcher or filter, or add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water - but no sugar or sweetener. Check out the flavored waters, too. Just keep an eye out for additives.

Tip 2: Eat Breakfast

Don't skip breakfast. If you need to go to bed earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning - do it! Breakfast is vitally important to good health and weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again.

Eating breakfast is good for overall weight loss and it helps you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day. Skip breakfast and you're more likely to binge.

Short on time? Keep hard-boiled eggs and high-fiber, low starch fruit in the fridge. If you plan to eat fruit during the day, breakfast is a perfect time to do it.

Tip 3: Eat 3 Meals and 2 Snacks Every Day

This could be a hard adjustment to make. Hey, you're busy! You already have a full-plate. When are you going to eat more?

But, exactly like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often. This also helps you curb bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.

Tips 4: Avoid White Foods

This is an easy way to remember what not to eat. If it's made from sugar, flour, potatoes, rice or corn - just say no. Yes, those rice cakes are actually an unhealthy high-carb snack.

Look for color. Buy broccoli, lettuce, bell peppers, green beans and peas, brown rice (in moderation), leafy greens like kale and spinach, apples, melons, oranges and grapes.

Not only colorful, they're also high in fiber, nutrients and important antioxidants. Eating colorful fruits and vegetables will give your diet variety as well as give you added health benefits. Eat your veggies.

Tip 5: Prepare Your Own Food

While more restaurants offer so-called low-carb menu items, many of them are not ideal low-carb fare. There are many recipes for quick and easy meals that you can prepare yourself at home. Do this as often as possible.

Cooking your own foods, you know exactly what the contents are and you'll be able to better control hidden sugar and other processed junk.

This tip saves you money too. Even if you end up going to the grocery store more often, you'll save versus eating out.

Tip 6: Eat Some Protein At Every Meal And With The Snacks

In addition to everything that's been discussed before, eating protein helps you burn more calories. Jeff Hample, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association says that, Protein is made up mainly of amino acids, which are harder for your body to breakdown, so you burn more calories getting rid of them.

Beautiful - eat a protein rich snack and lose weight. How about a few slices of turkey or ham or some string cheese?

Eating protein also helps you feel full so you're less likely to crave unhealthy snacks.

Tip 7: Invest In Good Cookbooks

Can?t figure out what to eat? Need variety? Get a cookbook. Granted, not all recipes in a cookbook are low-carb, but you'll be surprised at the number of low-carb and low-carb friendly recipes you can find in your standard Betty Crocker Cookbook.

Cookbooks are great reference tools that contain handy tips on purchasing cuts of meat and preparing meats, fruits and vegetables in new and exciting ways.

Plus, new low-carb cookbooks are hitting the shelves all the time. So be sure to take advantage of these resources to try something new, different and delicious.

So that's the seven tips, but here's an extra. Stay out of the center of the supermarket. It'll be easier to stick with your low-carb lifestyle if you learn this common thread in most grocery store designs: the healthy foods are on the perimeter aisles.

Think about it, when you go into the grocery all the healthy stuff, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products, tend to be around the stores walls. You only rarely need to enter the center aisle areas if it's a store that keeps butter and cheese in the center near the frozen foods. Usually all of the foods that you need for your low carb diet can be found on the perimeter of the grocery store.

Train yourself to start on one end of the outer aisle and work your way around. It will be much easier to avoid carb cravings and fill your basket with healthy items if you do so.

Just these few tips can make a significant difference in how successful you can be with your diet. Use them as part of your approach to dieting and a healthier lifestyle. You'll love your new self.

Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business subjects. http://www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news and diet resources. For more tips, low-carb diet information, and books and manuals vist http://www.Carb.Werkz.org

How to Make Your Own Beauty Products

2009-08-10T23:48:00.001+07:00

Few of life?s luxuries lift our spirits and promote our self-esteem as effectively as beauty products. This feel good factor more often than not comes with a hefty price tag attached to it. Add the words ?organic?, ?natural? or ?herbal? to the label and the cost is higher still. Or is it? Beauty products need not be costly. You can achieve professional results at home on a shoestring budget.

Skin care products are among the most popular beauty treatments. From cleansers to toners to lotions, the more they claim to do the more expensive they generally are. Many of the store bought products often contain toxic substances, many of which are synthetically derived from petrochemicals. These ingredients have the potential for causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, allergic respiratory reactions, and skin and eye irritations. Many chemicals found in cosmetics don't cause immediate visible signs of toxicity, but affect our health negatively over time through repeated use.

Making your own beauty products saves you money and ensures complete control over the ingredients. This is especially useful if you have sensitive or allergic skin. It is surprisingly simple to achieve excellent results with relatively little effort and expenditure. Many every day food items such as honey, eggs, cucumber, fruits, and others have been used as beauty enhancers for centuries. Eggs are very versatile. To tone and tighten skin, apply a beaten egg white to your face and rinse it off after it dries. To remove excess oil, whip an egg yolk and mix it with six tablespoons of honey to make a peel off mask. Masking is the oldest of all the beauty arts. Masks rejuvenate and revitalize skin by removing accumulated dead skin cells and restoring normal epidermal function. Regular use of a facial mask tightens pores and stimulates the circulation of blood to the face, thereby bringing oxygen and other essential nutrients to the skin.

Honey is a natural anti-bacterial agent and moisturizer. It contains trace minerals and amino acids which are beneficial to skin and hair. It may be used on the face as a mask (clover honey is recommended for dry skin, while oily and combination skin benefits from orange blossom honey) and on hair as a conditioning treatment to add shine and moisture. For a honey hair rinse, combine one teaspoon of honey with four cups of warm water and one drop of your favourite essential oil or perfume. Apply this mixture to freshly washed hair and let air dry.

For a refreshing facial, pour boiling water over dried chamomile flowers in a bowl and inhale, holding your face a few inches above the water. You can even use the left over liquid to rinse your hair with afterwards. Apart from the benefits to your skin, this treatment also has health benefits for nose, throat and lungs and is especially beneficial for colds and bronchial infections.

For an all over beauty treatment, add half a cup of powdered milk to a tub full of hot water. It acts as a skin softener. For added benefit and relaxation, add a muslin bag filled with your favourite herbs to the bath. For a soothing effect, try chamomile flowers or rose flowers. Basil, bay, rosemary, or thyme have an energizing effect. Sage and strawberry leaves relieve muscle aches and painful joints. A handful of oatmeal and two teaspoons of sea salt make an invigorating body scrub.

Massage has a relaxing effect on the body and the mind. It loosens tension and blockages and stimulates blood circulation and the lymphatic system, which plays an important role in the body?s immune system. Massage oils consists of a carrier oil (or oil blend) to which essential oils are added. Carrier oils are vegetable oils used to dilute the concentrated essential oils. They help to slow down the evaporation of the essential oils and help absorb them into the skin. For maximum benefit, ?extra virgin? or cold pressed vegetable oils should be used. Popular carrier oils include sweet almond, grape seed, sunflower, sesame, wheat germ, olive and peanut oil. Nut allergy sufferers are advised to avoid nut based oils. Jojoba oil is a very popular oil due to its nutritional properties. Its structure is very close to human sebum so it is easily absorbed. Jojoba oil allows the skin to breathe, unlike other oils. It nourishes the skin and moisturizes it at the same time. Jojoba is actually a liquid wax, not an oil.

Making your own beauty products saves you money and let's you be in control over what goes onto your skin. Even better, it?s easy and fun. Happy mixing!

Katharina Bishop is a freelance writer. She is the owner of Wondrous Gems, a business specializing in crystals and designer jewelry. http://www.wondrousgems.com

The Secret Life Of A High Fiber Foods Addict

2009-05-18T19:42:00.001+07:00

It begins with the unexplained longer hours at the grocery store. You peruse every nutritional label for the fiber count. There is a sense of smugness as you reach for one loaf after another of high-fiber whole-wheat bread so you can check which one has the highest gram count of dietary fiber. The clerks suspiciously glance your way as you inadvertently rearrange the stock on the shelves. There is an irresistible impulse to be the shopper who knows.

You openly recite the top ten high fiber foods and their subsequent fiber count while stalking the produce section. Ready or not.

Fiber count for 1/2 cup servings:

Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries : 4-5 grams

Broccoli: 4-5 grams

Peas: 7-9 grams

Sweet Corn: 5 grams

Medium Apple: 4 grams

Medium Pear: 4 grams

Medium Idaho Potato: 4-5 grams

3 Dried Figs: 10 grams

Beans: 6-10 grams

Greens: 4-6 grams

The daily minimum requirement for reaching a high fiber standard is 25-30 grams. It is a goal that few Americans meet. The average fiber consumption is about 11 grams daily. There really is no excuse for the deficit other than lack of awareness. Our society emphasizes fast food and fast eating as we rush about our lives trying to stretch out the minutes in a day. All we are stretching is our waistbands.

Here are some of the leading chronic diseases and conditions of our time: diabetes, obesity, diverticulitis, colon cancer and polyps, colitis, high cholesterol, Crohn's disease, IBS, and hemorrhoids. Every one of these conditions can be dramatically affected by choosing foods high in fiber as part of the daily diet. The risks are greatly reduced. Isn't it time you confessed your desire for better health?

It's not easy being green.

Who is out there to spread the high fiber word to others and their children? Who can reveal without judgment the importance of a high-fiber diet? Somebody must be responsible for the masses. Yes...the celery stalker, Fiberlady. Here is one of Fiberlady's favorite summertime dishes. The secret ingredient makes this potato salad different from all the rest!

South African Potato Salad

15 servings

Ingredients:

10 eggs

12 medium white potatoes with skin

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Preparations:

1. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Add whole potatoes to the water and boil until a knife is easily inserted, but they are not too soft. Drain and cool.

2. Peel and chop the eggs and place them in a large serving bowl. Stir in the green onions. When the potatoes have cooled, peel and chop then add them to the bowl. Pour in the sweetened condensed milk and stir in the mayonnaise. Sprinkle parley over the top. Chill until serving. This is best served chilled.

Per Serving: Calories: 349; Total Fat: 23.1 grams Fiber: 4.7 grams

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health

Tips For Cooking Low Carb

2009-05-15T01:36:00.001+07:00

If you are committed to the low carb way of eating, but also craving some of your old comfort foods you may still be able to satisfy those cravings with a little bit of creative substitution. Some of the foods that you used to know and love, have a low carb alternative available - the taste might be a little bit different but you will soon get used to that and be well on your way to happier and healthier eating!

Here?s some tips you can use to make your low carb cooking easier and tastier:

1. Make low carb bread crumbs for breaded foods. Foods like chicken Parmesan and stuffed peppers need to have a bread crumbs to have that full taste. While you may be able to buy low carb bread crumbs, you can also make them by using low carb bread. Simply toast the low carb bread in the oven on a cookie sheet. Once it is hard, grind it up in the food processor or blender.

2. Use soy flour or bake mix. When you need to use flour for baking or coating breaded foods, substitute soy flour or a bake mix like Atkins bake mix. You can convert your favorite recipes that use white flour to use these.

3. Use low carb chocolate bars for cookies and muffins. Now that you?ve converted your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe using soy flour, you don?t want to put in those high carb chocolate chips. Chop up a low carb chocolate bar into small pieces and use that instead.

4. Use Splenda instead of sugar. Recipes that call for sugar can be modified to use Splenda instead. It is much lighter so you will have to expirement with it and it may not work for everything but if does bake up nice for the most part.

5. Make great smoothies with low carb yogurt. Ok, well it?s not technically cooking, but if you love smoothies you can make them with low carb yogurt and fruit. Just make sure you use fruit that is low in carbs and the whole fruit not the juice as the fiber will help keep down the net carbs. Check my site below for a list of low carb fruits. Add a dash of vanilla or flavored syrup to the smoothie for added flavor.

6. For a great low carb pasta substitute use spaghetti squash. We all know that low carb pasta tastes horrible so why not try a food that is low in carbs and natural too. Cut the squash in half and bake at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes. The squash will scrape out in strings and gives the texture and feeling of spaghetti. Trust me, it taste a lot better than the low carb pasta and has about 7 grams carbs per 1 cup serving.

Lee Dobbins is owner and editor of Low Carb Resource a site which features articles on low carb and low glycemic index eating and where you can find a collection of low carb recipes

Fitness Tips How Often Should We Exercise and How Much?

2009-05-12T16:06:00.001+07:00

Being a baby boomer, I am beginning to realize just how much I have neglected over the years to stay fit. Maybe I didn't eat all of the right things as I should have or opted to sit on the couch rather than getting up and doing something. Now that I am getting older, I am beginning to realize the importance of doing some type of exercise routine as I approach my senior years. You would think that if you started exercising when you were young, that you would still be exercising later in life. If not, you should begin again. As for me, I have never been consistent in exercising and now I am realizing just how important that really was even though I neglected to do so all those years ago. For older adults and seniors, some type of exercising is mandatory to staying healthy and independent. The National Institute of Health recommends four groups of exercises that will help you stay fit both physically and emotionally.

Strength exercises are recommended to build muscles and to increase your metabolism. Before doing strength exercises you need to know a few basic facts. You can affect your blood pressure if you hold your breath doing strengthening exercises. If you are using weights, avoid jerking motions. Use steady, smooth movements to bring the weights to the correct position. Don’t lock the joints in your arms and legs. Keeping them locked in a strained position can cause injury or pain. Breathe in as you relax, and out as you lift or push a weight. Fatigue and muscle soreness will occur after this kind of exercise is normal. If you experience exhaustion, painful muscle pulls, or sore joints, these are not normal.

An exercise that will strengthen your shoulder muscles is done with small weights. Sit in a chair with your back straight and keeping both your feet flat on the floor even with your shoulders. Raise both arms to your side, even with your shoulder. Hold that position for one second and slowly lower the arms to the side. Repeat this exercise eight to fifteen times. Rest, and then repeat the exercise. If you start this exercise without weights, you can add weights as you gain strength. Cans of soup make wonderful substitutions for weights and are easy to hold on to. Increase your weight by only one or two pounds at a time.

Balance exercises are used to help build leg muscles, and this helps to keep you from falling. Hip fractures caused by falling are the most common cause of admissions for seniors. Balance exercises will help you avoid these problems. A good program to follow is the practice of yoga. It focuses on concentration, balance, and meditation. It teaches you to listen to your body and adjust your exercise accordingly. In yoga, you can start at your own level and slowly build up to routines that are more difficult. Balance exercises can help you to stay independent longer by helping you avoid falling and the consequences of any fall.

Stretching exercises will give you more freedom of movement. This allows you to be more active in your senior years. Stretching alone will not improve strength or endurance.

Endurance exercises are any activity that increases your heart rate. It could be walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or even gardening. If it elevates your heart rate and breathing, you are doing an endurance exercise. Building up your endurance is very important. Start slowly, five minutes at a time, and build up as you become stronger and healthier.

How often should you exercise and how often? In the case of strength exercises, you should work all of your major muscle groups at least two times a week. Varying your routine will ensure that you don’t do the same muscle group two days in a row.

When working with weights, lift the minimum the first week and gradually build up weight and repetitions of the movement. You must challenge your muscles to get stronger. As your body adapts to each new exercise you can gradually add weights in one to two pound increments.

When lifting weights, lift or push the weight into place and hold it for one second, then use three minutes to lower the weight. Don’t let the weight drop, for maximum benefit; you should lower the weight slowly. If you are using weights and find that doing fifteen in a row are too many for you, reduce the repetitions, and build up gradually. If you are easily doing fifteen repetitions, then you need to increase the weight. Increase weight not repetitions for the most benefit. Continue to stretch your muscles as you wait to do the next set of repetitions.

It isn’t too late to start exercising and you will feel better! Maybe I did spend too much time over the years sitting on the couch and eating all the wrong things. I am now learning my lesson! Time is wasting . . . It is time to get off the couch baby boomers and start exercising!

Geri Stogsdill is a freelance writer specializing in healthy lifestyle information. For more healthy recipe as well as dieting, fitness and healthy living tips, visit us at http://www.healthy4liferecipes.com/healthyrecipes.blog

Bananas and Walnuts: Two Essential Foods After WLS

2009-05-12T16:00:00.001+07:00

Nutritional deficiency is a serious concern for people who have undergone gastric bypass or lap-band weight loss surgery. Most patients are instructed to supplement their low-calorie diet with vitamin and mineral supplements. In addition, patients can make informed food choices to boost their nurtrient intake while respecting the restrictions of weight loss surgery.

Two foods patients should include in their diet are bananas and walnuts. Here's why:

Bananas are rich in potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining heart function and blood pressure.

Bananas help activate the stomach lining cells protecting against ulcers and acting as an antacid.

Bananas are effective in normalizing movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation.

Bananas contain a compound that nourishes the friendly bacteria in the colon and helps the body absorb calcium

Bananas are available year round at low cost.

Nutrition per 1 medium banana:
Calories: 108
Protein: 1.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 27 grams
Natural Sugar: 14.4 grams
Fiber 3.1 grams

Daily Values:
Vitamin B: 35%
Vitamin C: 18%
Potassium: 13%

Walnuts contain omega-3 essential fatty acids, a special type of protective fat the body cannot manufacture.

The omega-3 fats can improve cardiovascular health, promote better cognitive function and work as anti-inflammatory agents against asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema and psoriasis.

Walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid which supports the immune system and has several anticancer properties.

Nutrition per 1 tablespoon of dry raw walnuts:
Calories: 175
Fat: 16.7 (1 gram saturated)
Protein: 6.8 grams
Carbohydrate: 2.8 grams
Fiber 1.9 grams

Daily Values:
Omega 3 fatty acids: 90.8%
Manganese: 42.5%
Copper: 20%
Tryptophan: 15%

One way patients can get a reasonable serving of bananas and walnuts is in a WLS safe Banana-Walnut Bread.

For more terrific weight loss surgery friendly recipes link to LivingAfterWLS Recipes
LivingAfterWLS.

If You Give A Kid A Bran Muffin

2009-05-05T19:57:00.001+07:00

If you offer a bran muffin or a cup of lentil soup to a kid, you're likely to get groans and sneers. Today's children simply do not consume enough fiber-rich foods. It's just as important to your child's health as it is to yours to get enough fiber.

Foods that are high in fiber are smart and caring choices for your kids because they're filling and discourage overeating - and fiber itself has no calories. The rate of obesity in children living in the United States is glaring evidence that something must dramatically be altered in our approach to healthy eating.

Consider changes in meals and snacks that will add high fiber to the diet over a span of time. Offer a wide variety of high fiber food sources. If you change slowly to more high fiber fruits and veggies, your kids' fiber adaptation will be so much smoother (so will their bowel movements). Make sure that you introduce fiber gradually to their daily diet with lots of drinking water to move things easily along.

Fiber helps delay the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream, regulating blood sugar levels which help kids learn and behave better. It also reduces the risk for some cancers later in life.

An easy way to calculate how much fiber your kid should have every day is by adding 5 to their age. For example, if you have a 6-year-old, he or she should get about 11 grams of daily fiber. Adults and those older than 15 need 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day.

Kids tend to be most receptive to the fiber found in fruits, vegetables and presweetened breakfast cereals. Apricots, figs and prunes make wonderful high fiber snacks. They love to crack open nuts like peanuts and pistachios. Choose pears, apples and berries; peas, nuts and beans; and cereals and pancakes made with whole grain.

If bread is brown in color, it doesn't mean that it is whole grain. Check the ingredient list to see if it reads whole grain or whole as in whole wheat. Look for at least 4 grams of fiber per serving.

Get your kids to help make decisions about better eating, you might find their attitudes more open to a healthier diet plan.

Don't just set the table at suppertime. Set a good example with a lifetime of healthful eating habits.

Stephanie Shank has studied good nutrition and healthy living since her days of mothering began 15 years agowhich prompted her commitment to a high fiber diet and development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

Frankie The French Fry Hatches A Plan

2009-04-28T19:51:00.001+07:00

Frankie saddled up to the bar at the We-Stuff-Em-All Diner, official headquarters of Fat For A New America. He turned to his most portly friend, Bubba the Burger, and launched a tirade. ?If we don?t do something now, we could lose all our progress, twenty-five years of expanding and accumulating straight down the drain--if you catch my flow.? ?Did you call the others?? Bubba asked. ?Yeah. Sophie and Bunnie are on the way. I told them we needed an emergency meeting.? ?What about Mickey?? Bubba continued. ?Holy preservatives, I forgot him. Let me borrow your cell.? Bubba passed him the phone.

Sophie The Soft Drink and Bunnie The Bun waddled through the front door, followed by Mickey The Malt a few minutes later. The group moved to the corner booth, brainstorm central for all Fat For A New America founders. ?We face a potential shrinkage crisis,? Frankie began. ?We need to bind together and map out a new strategy.? ?For the love of lard, Frankie, give us a break,? Sophie started. ?We?ve already captured over two thirds of the entire population, half of them with over 30 pounds each of good ol?, genuine American-made blubber. We?re killin? `em out there.? ?You don?t get it, Sophie,? Frankie argued adamantly. ?Even though we?ve trapped the overwhelming majority, not a single one of `em wants us to stick around?so to speak. If we give them any kind of opening, we?re history.? ?Not only that,? Bubba added, ?our enemies the vegetables don?t care. They?re quite happy to be consumed and eliminated without leaving anything behind?no future, no legacy, nothing to show at all.? ?I never understood that mentality,? Mickey piped in. ?No vision whatsoever?way too small-minded, if you see what I mean.? ?Yeah, very thin thinking,? Bunnie chimed.

?For flab?s sake, enough chatter,? ordered Frankie. ?Time to glob together. We need to neutralize the threats once and for all. Sophie, you?ve been dealing with enemy number two, fruit. What?s your report?? ?Good news on all fronts,? Sophie responded. ?Operation Can `Em or Juice `Em is processing at full speed. We took out most of Poppa Pear and trapped him in chemicals inside a can, turned Abe Apple into either sauce or sugar-laden drinks and created a whole line of fake juices that confuse almost everybody into believing that they?re getting real fruit when actually the whole bottle has less than 10%. The rest is all water, sugar and colorings?perfect for fat conversion.? ?Well lumberin? love handles, that?s excellent.? Frankie wiped the grease from his brow. ?As we grow that operation, we?ll control the fruit market?get rid of those who act too fresh. Bubba, you have a another proposal?? ?Yeah. It?s called Salt, Sweeten & Stimulate?a movement that we have total control over.? Bubba gazed around the table. ?All of us play a corpulent role.?

Bubba chortled at his best pal. ?Frankie, you first. Can you add more salt to your ingredients?? ?Sure, Bubba. No problem.? ?More salt will cause more bloating since it can only stay in humans in saline. More bloating, more weight, less exercise, more need for stimulants, you get the drift?which leads me to you Sophie. Can you bump up your caffeine content?? ?Whatever the cause calls for, Bubba.? Bubba gloated chubbily. ?More stimulants, higher highs, quicker crashes, more cravings for sugar. That?s where you come in, Mickey. Can you double your sweetness?? ?For sure, my bulbous brother.? Bubba?s lips dripped with oil. ?More sugar, more fat storage, more spikes and less energy for anything that could dissolve us in any way.? Bubba drooled with gluttony. ?Bunnie, you?re last?the hostess with the mostest?the one that holds us all together. I want you to do it all?more salt to your deliciously nutritionless processed flour; a sugar glazing to the top of each bun; more sugar in the mix; and chemicals that will bind and bind and bind.? Bubba laughed so hard he almost lost his mustard. ?If we work together, we?ll form more tires than Goodyear,? Bubba gleefully declared. ?Our place in history forever anchored to their mid-rifts.?

?Outstanding,? Frankie praised. ?Truly gelatinous. But we still have to deal with enemy number one?those vile vegetables.? ?We?re making some progress, Frankie,? Bunnie chirped. ?We got ketchup classified as a vegetable in the school system and packed it full of both sugar and salt?addict `em while they?re young and defenseless.? ?It?s not the sauces I?m worried about,? Frankie espoused. ?We?ve crammed most of them with salt or sugar or both. The greenies pose our biggest challenge, Artie Artichoke, Gretta Green Bean and our archrival, Sallie Salad. If they gain any momentum, they might get into a zone. Remember, they produce slow-burning fuel and disappear without a trace?a total waste! If humans get hip, we?ll go the way of the glacier?melt city!? Frankie mopped more grease from his tubby cheeks. ?As much as we all hate salads, we need more sugar and salt on those veggies?drown their virtues in creaminess, sweetness and glutomates. We need an ally on the inside. I say we call Deirdre?Deirdre The Dressing Queen. I know that?s extreme, so let?s take a vote.?

One by one, the Fat For A New America founders thrust their pudgy hands into the center of the council and gave the thumbs up. In one voice, they began to chant, faster and faster to the final, oversized crescendo: ?Fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, fat, MOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE fat, fat!!!? ?Meeting adjourned,? ordered Frankie. ?A waist is a terrible thing to mind?let?s eat.? TO BE CONTINUED?

Author Ridgely Goldsborough co-founded The YoungSlim Lifestyle, an integrated approach to weight-management and anti-aging that can be reviewed in streaming video at http://www.youngslim.com. Ridgely can be emailed directly at ridgely@youngslim.com.

Do You Believe in the Old Ways?

2009-04-24T13:06:00.001+07:00

Pow Wow time is the Native American people's way of meeting together, to join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships and make new ones.

Today Pow Wow are held all across the North American continent, from small towns such as White Eagle, Oklahoma, to some of the largest, such as Los Angeles, California. They can take place anywhere from cow pastures to convention centers, and occur year round. These festivals last only one weekend, but usually draw Native Americans and visitors from hundreds and even thousands of miles away.

Pow Wow is also a compilation of European folk magic that crossed the color line in America. During the 1940s, cheap newsprint editions of The Black Pullet, The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, and the so-called spurious magical writings of Albertus Magnus were typically offered through the catalogues of Jewish-owned curio companies like King Novelty and Clover Horn, right alongside an assortment of policy players' dream books and pamphlets on The Art of Kissing and How to Make Love.

However today I would like to talk about a completely different Pow Wow, neither sole Indian, nor solely European, but old remedies that were passed on from generation to generation. Many of these recipes still work today, except we don?t call them Pow Wow, but natural herbs, organic herbs, holistic medicine, and/or just good old common sense. Here are a couple of non-medical examples:

To mend broken glass: take a common cheese and wash it well, unslaked lime and the white of eggs, rub all these well together until it becomes one mass, and then use it. If it is made right, it will certainly hold.

Here is another one for all you chicken owners:

To make chickens lay may eggs: take the dung of rabbits, pound it to powder, mix it with bran, wet the mixture till it forms lumps, and feed your chickens with it, and they will keep on laying a great many eggs.

Interesting. I should try this one day when I decide to raise chickens.

You have probably heard of Shamanic healing in the Amazon or the traditional medicinal plants in the modern Quepoan society in Costa Rica.

For example at the core of Shamanism is a strong relationship with Nature and an understanding that our ultimate survival depends upon this relationship. Shamans work with trees, stones, the waters, wind, and with the spirits that reside therein. Their awareness of the sanctity of life and their ability to communicate with a multitude of life forms gives them knowledge that is otherwise unavailable. Traveling in the spirit realm they receive wisdom and great power allowing them to overcome seemingly unconquerable obstacles.

In an article by the WSU Today, Prof Clark says: Based on his experiences learning from healers and medicine men takes time and participatory observation. Shamans don?t respond to direct questions asked by typical western scientists. Instead, one must become immersed in the culture and lifestyle over time to gain the greatest amount of knowledge.

Now, think of the old witch doctors who in their native lands were or in part still are healers who treat maladies caused by witchcraft. The Witch Doctor is able to ward off witchcraft or turn it back upon the supposed sender.

Just think of Africa where the traditional healers have been using ritual in combination with herbal remedies to treat Africa?s people for generations. A number of these medicines seem to be effective where modern science has failed to find a cure. Yet for some reason, modern science is regarded as infallible, as an absolute truth. It is because of this faith in modern medicine that the traditional healers in Africa are now regarded as primitive witch doctors.

In going to over the Pow Wow, I noticed lots of human as well as animal, spiritual and non spiritual spells, wards and talismans. What an interesting book and I would highly recommend it, if for nothing else but interesting reading material. Great Christmas present, since it is the season that the days get shorter, while the nights are longer.

One last recipe since we all love a good beer:

To Make Good Beer: Take a handful of hops, five or six gallons of water, about three tablespoons of ginger, half a gallon of molasses; filter the water, hops and ginger into a tub containing the molasses.

Yummy. I guess I?ll try that over the holidays.

Jaynne Nicols has done a lot of research into illness and why we get ill. One of the things she came across is that almost all illness starts in your colon. Sign up for her free newsletter Health and Wellness in the 21st Century and learn more in and through her series on health issues.

A Natural High Blood Pressure Recipe

2009-04-13T19:12:00.001+07:00

If you have high blood pressure you are at risk for a heart attack or stroke. The amount of risk depends on how high your blood pressure is and how long it has been this way. Here is a range of blood pressures and how they rate:

Normal 120/80
Border 120/90 to 160/94
Mild 140/95 to 160/104
Moderate 140/105 to 180/114
Severe 160 plus/115 plus

Regardless what your blood pressure is, it is best to always watch your diet and become informed as to how you can maintain good health though out your body.

If you have high blood pressure, here is a high blood pressure recipe using natural products and foods. This recipe will not only help your high blood pressure but will improve your immune system.

High blood pressure responds well to natural remedies and methods. Many Alternative Practitioners recommend not using drugs for high blood pressure because they can be more dangerous to your health than the high blood pressure. High blood pressure drug side effects create an increase risk of heart disease.

A High Blood Pressure Recipe for Long Life

Here is a recipe to follow to lower your high blood pressure.

Use a good mineral supplement

Use Arjuna daily for good cardiovascular health

Exercise and lose weight

Reduce the fat you eat

Eat more fiber

Take a good fish oil supplement

Mineral Supplement for a high blood pressure recipe

The minerals calcium, potassium and magnesium have all been found to keep blood pressure low. These minerals and many more come from eating fruits and vegetables of all colors. Also drink fruit and vegetables juices alone or combined to get a strong dose of minerals that shoot quickly into your blood stream.

Eat as many fruits and vegetables in the morning until noontime. This helps your body to get rid of toxins that affect your overall health.

Add these foods to your diet for minerals: bananas, figs, cantaloupe, apricots, avocados, cherries, grapes, mangos, beans, and sunflower seeds.

Exercise and Weight loss for a high blood pressure recipe

If you are overweight than losing weight and getting it into your ideal weight gives you the most benefits for lowing your blood pressure. Get into a daily exercise pattern. A treadmill or daily brisk walk will give you great benefits for lowering blood pressure.

Diet for a high blood pressure recipe

Here are some of the things that you should add or eliminate from your diet.

Reduce that amount of fat that you eat. By eating less meat you decrease the amount of fat you eat. Also eating less dairy products will decrease the amount of fat your body has to process.

Eat more fiber. You can get fiber from fruits and vegetables and bran. Eat a vegetable salad with your lunch and dinner.

Add a good fish oil supplement

Use the India herb called Arjuna. This herb is good for your complete cardiovascular system. It an inexpensive herb and it makes plenty of sense to use it.

Master this high blood pressure recipe and watch your blood pressure go down. Once you get it down, refine this recipe for more results and better health.

Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. For more tips and information on what you need to do to lower you high blood pressure or to make sure you don?t get high blood pressure go to: http://www.high-blood-pressure-remedies.com

Fe Fiber Fo Fum

2009-04-12T18:06:00.001+07:00

Jack was climbing up the beanstalk and ran into Fiberlady. She was heartily munching on some beans. He asked her what's with the high fiber food. She wiped the bean juice from her chin and replied that she was fulfilling her daily quota of 25 grams of fiber. Her handful of beans was worth about 8 or 9 grams alone. For the rest of the day, she had planned a menu that included plenty of whole grain breads, veggies, and fruit. She told Jack how simple it was to reach her fiber count for each day. Foods high in fiber are commonly grown and easily found at the local village market.

Fiberlady noticed how the beanstalk was bending unnaturally from Jack's weight, so she told him how a high fiber diet can help him lose some unwanted pounds. A fiber-rich meal is processed more slowly, which makes us feel satisfied sooner. Guess what? You eat less and lose weight.

Apparently, Jack had been consuming the classic Westernized diet of an excess of overly processed grains, sugars, and fats. At least he was getting some good exercise by climbing and climbing. He complained about the latest results of his cholesterol count. It was evident that he was unaware of the benefits of a high fiber diet. To his amazement, he learned that dietary fiber binds cholesterol and bile in the digestive tract, preventing their reabsorption and re-circulation. If less cholesterol is absorbed, the level goes down.

He discreetly mentioned that the giant was constipated causing much noisy effect around the castle. Fiberlady told him that a well-balanced diet of fiber-rich foods such as unprocessed bran, whole-grain bread, fresh fruits, and vegetables can lessen the chances of constipation. High-fiber diets increase stool size which naturally helps prevent constipation. She cautioned that without a good deal of fluids, fiber might stall and bring about constipation. He said he would share this information with the giant's great, big, tall wife who was in the habit of serving boys broiled on toast.

Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.

If the giant must, Fiberlady suggests the following tasty high fiber recipe for this semi-sweet, dark, hearty bread. Race you to the top of the food pyramid, Jack.

Molasses Oat Bran Bread
yield: 2 round loaves/15 servings

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 pinch white sugar
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup oat bran
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oat bran

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and a pinch of sugar in warm water. Set aside to rest for about 5 minutes.

2. Mix butter or margarine and molasses into yeast. Add 1 cup oat bran, 2 cups flour, and salt. Stir, and add flour as needed to make dough stick together. When dough forms a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to make a slightly sticky and moist dough. Place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

3. Punch down, and form into two round or oval loaves. Place on a greased baking sheet, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until loaves have doubled in size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon oat bran on top of the loaves.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are a nice dark brown and the bottoms of the loaves sound hollow when tapped.

Per serving: Calories: 132; Total Fat: 2.5 grams
Fiber: 4.1 grams

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

Convince Skeptics With Easy Vegetarian Recipes

2009-04-02T13:03:00.001+07:00

If you are thinking of following vegetarian diet for certain causes - religious belief, health reason, economic reason, animal rights - you will face a barrage of uninformed arguments from skeptical relatives and friends. A common argument about vegetarianism is the difficulty of preparing vegetarian meals. Don't get swayed or discouraged by this argument because there is a lot of choice for vegetarians. A vegetarian diet consists of ordinary everyday foods like grains, vegetables, nuts, and fruits. Legumes and starches like potatoes and rice are also part of the diet. Fish, poultry, and dairy products can also be incorporated depending on what type of vegetarianism you follow. These are all available in your average grocery store. Also, there is a variety of easy vegetarian recipes available in many sources. Books, magazines, newsletters, and even TV shows are veritable sources of healthy vegetarian recipes. You will not miss anything because the choices are limitless.

Vegetarian meals do not deviate much from a regular diet except for the absence of meat. Skeptics argue that this could mean missing out on essential proteins. But this is hardly true nor correct. All healthy vegetarian recipes are well-balanced. They have the required amounts of essential vitamins, minerals, and protein. Examples of protein choices are legumes, nuts, beans, fish, poultry, dairy, and the popular tofu. Calcium, a mineral often associated with milk, is not missed either. Middle Easterners and native Africans are known to have strong teeth and bones but their diets rarely contain dairy or meat. They get their calcium from vegetables and root crops. So there is no reason you couldn't get your calcium requirements from vegetarian foods. In terms of nutrition, a vegetarian diet is even superior to diets with meat. There is less fat and bacteria that enter the body which can cause heart diseases and infections. You can watch meat lover bloat and get fat while maintaining your own healthy body with vegetarianism.

After proclaiming that you are eating healthier with vegetarianism, you'd think that the non-believers will stop bugging you. But no, they're back and possibly bearing the most difficult question for hedonists. They'll ask if you're not depriving yourself of the hearty pleasure and satisfaction only the flavor of meat can give. Fret not because vegetarianism has an answer to that. When vegetarians state that there are easy vegetarian recipes, they don't just mean easy to prepare but also easy on the palate. Contrary to what the skeptics are thinking about vegetarian meals (you know, limp lettuce and carrot sticks), vegetarian meals are flavorful and varied. Recipes range from curries, soups, burgers, steaks, hotdogs, casseroles, pasta, and delicious desserts all made with true vegetarian goodness. In fact, vegetarian meals are more flavorful because they make full use of herbs and natural flavors unlike meats which use a lot of salt.

If your friends and relatives still won't stop bugging you about your vegetarian diet, get a load of healthy vegetarian recipes and cook them a feast. When they see that you didn't even break a sweat preparing the delicious feast, they'll be convinced of the ease of vegetarianism. Give them copies of easy vegetarian recipes and don't be surprised if they'll ask you to go produce-shopping in the following days.

For more valuable information on easy vegetarian recipes, healthy vegetarian recipes, please visit http://www.freevegrecipes.com

Easy Recipe For Clear Skin During Summer Months

2009-03-30T13:28:00.001+07:00

Here's a great recipe for a toner/astringent that I love to use every summer- it's especially great for combination skin. It helps clear pores from sweat, dirt, and other ickies, yet still offers some nice moisturizing benefits for a nice glow. It also feels really nice and refreshing!

1/2 cup witch hazel

1/4 cup water (Tea, especially green or chamomile, is even better!)

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 drops natural vegetable glycerine

5 drops lavender essential oil

2-3 drops peppermint essential oil

Just shake it all up really well in a small bottle. When you're ready to use it, just dab some on a cotton ball and gently wipe your face clean. Couldn't be easier!

You can adjust the essential oils to more or less, depending on your skin type. I find it's best to use in between face washings as a freshening up. I noticed sometimes using a toner or astringent right after washing your face can create an imbalance in skin that can dry it out too much - sometimes within an hour it can retaliate and be more oily than it was before! (Especially during the summer heat!)

Don't forget- sometimes half the fun in homemade beauty recipes is is being creative. If you'd like, don't be afraid to try your own unique variations!

You can visit Lisa Chambers' website at http://www.chambersessentials.com for more free information, recipes, and tips based on natural or crafty point of views.

Is South Beach for You?

2009-03-29T20:01:00.001+07:00

In an attempt to achieve the sleek summer look, many of us, myself included are looking for that little extra motivational factor to aid us in our quest to look the best.

For those of us who do not have the Godly genetics, working our bodies into summer shape is something that must start now and not down the road when it is too late! Exercise, and a balanced diet, have been proven to do the trick and becoming an exercising machine is what will work for anybody, if they put their minds to it.

For those people who try their best yet are still baffled by the lack of results, there are diet plans and diet pills on the market that can aid in your quest. Personally, I do not recommend diet pills of any kind, but their are numerous diet plans on the market that have been proven safe, effective, and quite affordable.

If you do need to shed weight for the summer, take the proper channels to do so. Do not expect to much to fast, losing weight should take time, it will not happen over night, thus the need to start your quest now, giving you two months to attain an acceptible look. Good luck!

If you are looking for up to date information from the Health World or are interested in the popular South Beach Diet then check us out.

LowCarb Out HighFiber In

2009-03-27T19:55:00.001+07:00

While at the grocery store, have you noticed that you have more choices than ever from food manufacturers? Low-fat, high-protein, low-sodium, and especially high-fiber foods have become the growing trend impacting our shopping carts, taste buds and our health. High fiber is no longer the 'neglected nutrient'. Its role in healthy lifestyles has become the buzzword for today's health-conscious consumer. The whole-grain trend has apparently surpassed the low carb movement. Fiberlady says it's about time.

Continued research encourages the food industry to develop whole-grain products that are more appealing and acceptable to you and me. By exploring new technology for grain-processing, the texture and taste of whole-grain products is being altered. There is currently marketed a fiber-enriched flour that tastes and has a similar texture of white bread. The mounting presence of dietary fiber in our food sources should easily satisfy a wide range of dietary needs, tastes and choices.

Fiberlady has curiously noticed foods such as cereals, breads and pastas, the once dreaded low-carbs, have now become the darlings of health-conscious, high-fiber food fans. There are good carbs that not only help you with weight loss and control, but also protect your health.

The percentage of products being marketed as fiber-enriched has increased from 2.3 percent in 2000, 2.5 percent in 2001, 2.8 percent in 2002, 3 percent in 2003, to 4.2 percent this year, comments Tom Vierhile, the executive editor of Productscan Online. Four years of consective growth is pretty good evidence of a trend. The revisions in the new food pyramid will help promote the trend for high fiber foods and high-fiber diets as well.

The daily recommendation of dietary fiber by nutritional experts is 20-35 grams. Studies support over and over again the health benefits of consuming high fiber foods. A high fiber diet helps to protect and prevent cardiovascular disease, reduces the risk of some cancers,aids in weight loss,lowers cholesterol levels, and helps regulate diabetes and high blood pressure.

Fiberlady recognizes that we have come along way in the evolution of our species, but we didn't get this far by eating highly-refined, processed foods. Fast food for our ancestors meant grabbing an apple off the nearest tree. There was an undeniable instinct for nutrient-rich fibrous plants.

Today, we descendants of the apes eat barely enough high-fiber foods to keep a monkey in bananas. There is a challenging road ahead to redefine overly-refined foods. The food industry needs to consciously bridge the gap in nutritional awareness among consumers. Informative websites are abundant and can address all of your high fiber questions and/or doubts.

Fiberlady wants you to raise your high fiber IQ and do the same for the people you care about, choose high fiber foods. Even if you have to read every nutritional fact on every food label on the grocer's shelf, choose high fiber foods. Think about the alternative.

Stephanie Shank (a.k.a. Fiberlady) has studied good nutrition since her days of mothering began 15 years ago which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

Healthy Food Recipes for Nutrition and a Better Life

2009-03-26T14:47:00.001+07:00

In the fast pace world today most people have settled for fast food. Which in turn has put them on a fast pace to poor health like obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and many more. I was a victim to congestive heart failure. Now I eat good nutritious food that is low in fat and sodium. I had a weight loss of 45 lbs just by changing my eating habits and now I feel great because of a low fat, low sodium diet.

The average American eats 6 to 18 grams of salt daily. Your body only needs a half gram or 500mg of salt each day. Here are some of the foods you should limit or stop eating. Ham, bacon, corned beef, luncheon meats, frozen, pre-breaded, pre-fried or smoked fish, canned foods, catsup, mayonnaise and store bought salad dressings.

Here are a few tips that will help. Avoid adding table salt to food. Use salt substitutes or herbs and spices. Eat fresh lean meats, poultry, fish, unsalted pork, egg whites and tuna canned in water. Choose unsalted nuts and use dried peas and beans. Use products made without added salt, rinse canned vegetables, beans and fish.

You also need to eat foods that are high in the good cholesterol or HDL. Foods like fresh fish, avocados, olive oil, soy beans, tofu, raw hazel nuts and almonds. These foods are high in good cholesterol HDL and help reduce bad cholesterol LDL. Also look for foods labeled organic for higher quality products.

Eating food that is low in cholesterol, fat and sodium dose not have to be boring. I have learned how to cook using various herbs and spices to liven up the flavor. When looking for new recipes I came across a great web site for cooking quick and easy foods. It also has links to other great web sites for recipes. Just go to http://www.quick-and-easyfoods.com on how to prepare great healthy and nutritious meals. You can even find vegetarian and low carb recipes to fit your needs.

Lawrence James has become an expert in healthy, nutritious foods out of necessity. He learned he had congestive heart failure after going to the hospital emergency room with swollen ankles and shortness of breath. After having a defibulator implanted he had to change his eating habits. At first the low fat low sodium meals he prepared lacked flavor and were not appealing. Over time, trial and error plus the help of the recipe web site http://www.quick-and-easyfoods.com he learned he could prepare delicious, healthy food. He now wants to help others continue or regain their health learning to prepare healthy, delicious and nutritious meals.

Unwind with Natural Bath and Body Products at Home

2009-03-25T13:10:00.001+07:00

After a long day, who doesn?t love to indulge in a warm sudsy bath lightly scented with stress relieving essential oils? Pampering bath and body products are widely available, but many contain chemicals, perfumes and dyes that are often harmful to sensitive skin. There is an alternative for people who choose to go the natural route. Natural bath and body products, including skin care products for men and children have become increasingly popular as the population demands better products and more options.

Why should we consider natural bath and body products over commercial synthetic products? Natural products are more easily recognized, absorbed and eliminated by our bodies than products containing chemicals. Also, natural products can usually be used by the whole family since they do not contain harmful ingredients.

There are quite a few natural bath and body, along with, skin care products available online. Bath and body recipes also make it possible to create quality, effective, natural skin care products right at home. Here are a couple of natural bath and body recipes to try. Keep in mind that these recipes are most often meant to be used immediately and shouldn?t be stored for more than a couple of days.

Natural Moisturizing Bath Bomb

1 cup citric acid
2 cups baking soda
1 tsp. fragrance oil
1 tsp. olive oil

Mix the first 2 dry ingredients together. Next, mix the 2 wet ingredients together, finally, mixing both wet and dry and forming into balls. Let dry for 24 hours before using.

Natural Shower Exfoliating Body Scrub

1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of sea salt
3-4 drops of peppermint oil

Combine all of the ingredients, and use in the shower. Do not use on children as scrubs can cause harm to sensitive skin.

Natural bath and body and skin care products are easily found online with a simple Google search. Many online natural bath and body product companies do not carry large quantities of stock and actually make the products as they are ordered to ensure freshness.

Sherry Frewerd is a Founding Team Leader for Marlo Quinn natural soy candles and skin care products for Women, Men and Children http://www.marloquinn.net/index.asp?consultant=15 Visit ?Natural Bath Body and Home? http://naturalbathbodyandhome.com for more information about pampering yourself everyday!

Anise (Pimpinella Anisum)

2009-03-24T12:19:00.001+07:00

References to anise date back to the sixth century BC when Pythagoras mistakenly believed that simply holding the seeds in the hand could prevent epileptic seizures. The Romans cultivated anise for its fragrance, flavor and medicinal properties. A popular Roman spice cake included anise, bay leaves and cumin. It was served after heavy meals, especially wedding feasts, and performed the dual roles of both a dessert and a digestive aid. Anise today is still widely used for its aromatic, culinary and medicinal qualities.

The spice has traditionally been used in protection and meditation incenses. It is supposed to ward off evil and sleeping on a pillow containing aniseeds will prevent nightmares. A sprig of anise hung on the bedpost will reputedly revive departed youth.

Anise is native to the Eastern Mediterranean and, although an annual, it is not easy to grow in northern climes because it requires a soil temperature of 70 degrees F. (21 degrees C) to germinate and a long, hot summer for the seeds to ripen. It also has a long taproot, which makes transplanting difficult, so it?s best grown from seed. Coriander makes a god companion plant, improving the seed formation on anise, which prefers full sun in well-drained alkaline soil. The plant is quite fragile and needs protection from strong winds. Once growing, thin the anise plants to a distance of half a metre and keep them watered during hot, dry weather.

Due to the presence of the compound anethole, aniseeds are an effective reliever of gas, bloating and indigestion, which is why they are often served after a meal, particularly in Asian restaurants. Throughout the Mediterranean, anise based liqueurs ? ouzo in Greece, pastis in France, sambuca in Italy and anisette in Spain ? are served as after dinner drinks. However, a cup of anise tea is a refreshing way to cleanse the palate and settle the stomach after a heavy meal without the added calories and alcohol of a liqueur. Aniseeds are also customarily given to children to relieve colic and nausea. The antispasmodic properties of the seeds make them helpful in countering menstrual pain, asthma, bronchitis and spasmodic coughs such as whooping coughs. Anise is an effective expectorant. It contains the compounds creosol and alpha-pinene, which have been shown to loosen mucus in the bronchial tubes. For flatulent colic aniseeds may be combined with equal amounts of fennel and caraway. For bronchitis it mixes well with coltsfoot, white horehound and lobelia.

Anise also contains the compounds dianethole and photoanethole, which are chemically similar to the female hormone estrogen. For this reason traditional herbalists have often recommended the spice for promoting milk production in nursing mothers and for relieving menopausal hot flashes. In both instances three cups of anise tea per day is advocated.

It is best to buy the whole seed for culinary use ? and grind it yourself as needed ? as already ground aniseed quickly loses its flavor and aroma. Store the seeds in airtight containers away from sunlight. If you notice that the seeds are turning brown, they are going stale and should be discarded.

Aniseeds are used to flavor cakes, breads, eggs, fruit and cheese. In Mediterranean cuisine, anise is used in meat and vegetable dishes. In savory dishes it is interchangeable with fennel for flavoring soups, sauces, fish and poultry dishes.

Don?t confuse anise with star anise, a star-shaped fruit that grows as an evergreen bush in China. The essential oil of star anise has a similar, but harsher, taste to anise and is preferred in Asian cooking. The milder flavor of anise is the choice of western cuisine.

Here?s a healthy recipe for breakfast oatcakes using the spice:

Anise Oatcakes:

?Two cups of milk (coconut or nut milk may be substituted);
?One cup of quick cooking oatmeal;
?Zest of one orange;
?One tsp. crushed aniseed;
?Two whole eggs;
?Two Tbsp. brown sugar;
?Four tsp. olive oil;
?One cup of unbleached flour;
?One tsp. baking powder;
?Quarter tsp. baking soda;
?One-eighth tsp. salt.

In a large bowl mix the soymilk, oatmeal, orange zest and aniseed. Set aside for 15 minutes to soften the oatmeal. If prepared ahead of time, store the mixture in the refrigerator.

Beat the eggs and then add the brown sugar and one tsp. of the oil while still whisking. In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together and then stir into the batter. Heat the other three teaspoons of oil in a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat. Ladle the batter into the pan, keeping about an inch of space between the pancakes. Flip once only when the top becomes bubbly. Serve with a warm berry sauce, such as blueberries.

The following Anise Cookies are delicious, but are poor keepers and need to be consumed quickly.

?1 cup of whole wheat flour
?1 cup of unbleached white flour
?Half a cup of brown sugar
?Half a cup of white sugar
?Quarter cup of melted butter
?2 large eggs
?1 tsp. vanilla extract
?One and a half tsp. baking powder
?Quarter tsp. salt
?2 tsp. whole aniseeds
?1 Tbsp. anise extract (star anise extract may be substituted)
?Quarter cup of hazel nuts or almonds, finely chopped.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil lightly two cookie sheets. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla and anisette extract and mix thoroughly. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Slowly fold the dry mixture into the wet until you have smooth dough. Drop one teaspoon of the dough at a time on to the cookie sheet. Bake for about six to eight minutes or until golden brown. This recipe will make about 36 cookies.

Bruce Burnett is a Chartered Herbalist, an award-winning writer and author of the best-selling book HerbWise: growing cooking wellbeing. Contact Bruce through his website: http://www.herbalcuisine.com

Drink Your Way to Health

2009-03-23T10:26:00.001+07:00

It's not hard to cleanse your body with healing foods. There are many detoxifying foods and herbs that may be sitting right on your kitchen shelf or in your refrigerator! You can add them to your diet every day for healthful body cleansing and renewed vitality.

Here's a wonderful detox juice drink that I make for myself frequently and it takes me only a few minutes to mix in a blender. Substitutions are listed below the recipe:

To a blender, add:

8 ounces orange juice

4 ounces pure water

1/2 cup cut-up banana, strawberries

or yogurt

1/2 inch slice of ginger (do not remove the skin!)

1 small garlic clove

1 tablespoon flax oil

1 tablespoon lecithin granules

1 tablespoon squeezed lime juice

YOU MAY ADD OR SUBSTITUTE:

a tablespoon of protein powder

a spoonful of spirulina powder

a tablespoon of Coral Calcium powder

(when adding powdered items you may want to add a little extra water or juice)

lemon juice instead of lime juice

olive oil or Omega-3 oil instead of flax oil

apple juice instead of orange

blueberries instead of bananas

I prefer the orange juice to apple, because the thick pulp seems to make a smoother drink.

I also make sure to add water to the 8 ounces of juice because otherwise the drink comes out much too thick. Sometimes I splash in a little rice milk for added flavor.

Experiment with this recipe to find the drink you prefer. It gives me a real added boost in the morning and I feel refreshed and ready to start the day. And don't forget to drink plenty of water too!

Barbara Salerno
Essence Palace LLC
www.essencepalace.com

Barbara Salerno is a licensed acupuncturist who researches and writes on a number of alternative health topics, including energy healing, acupuncture and mind-body connections. Her website http://www.essencepalace.com provides detox patches for easy body cleansing, as well as a wealth of information of the role of cleansing and detoxification in maintaining good health.

Healthy Eating At Fast Food Places Are You Kidding Me?

2009-03-22T16:43:00.001+07:00

Is it possible to eat healthfully at a fast food restaurant? The big name chains, such as McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Taco Bell want you to think so. All of these restaurants offer some type of healthy alternative on the menu to entice those who are watching their weight or simply wanting better options. But how healthy are these options? It depends on what you order, of course.

Aside from some options that can be quite healthy, such as salads, other options that may seem like wise choices may not be as great as they seem. Also avoid ordering anything in a large size, as this quickly adds extra calories and fat. Many foods also include extra sugars that quickly add calories.

McDonalds

Salads and salad dressings at McDonalds are quite low in calories and fat. A salad with dressing can go as high as 500 or more calories, but this is much lower than other choices. Salads do not necessarily mean that the nutritional value is high, however. Many salads are made with iceberg lettuce, which is primarily water. However, if you're trying to watch your weight, and find yourself with no other options, a salad can be a good choice. It won't likely make you feel full, so snacking ahead of time may be a good option to avoid other temptations while there.

Other options that seem like healthy alternatives can be deceiving. Whether a food is fried or grilled will also have a huge effect. But simply choosing between beef and chicken, for example, may not be enough. The Premium Crispy Chicken Club Sandwich has 680 calories compared to the Big Mac's 560. The key is to look for grilled alternatives and avoid the tempting sides, such as fries or desserts.

Wendy's

If you're opting for a salad, choose wisely. Just because a menu item includes the word salad does not mean it's healthy. Wendy's Taco Salad, for example, comes with almost 400 calories if you only look at the basic salad ingredients; add in the extras that come with it, and the total is nearly 700 calories. This is about a third of a day's totals on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. Even a seemingly healthy broccoli and cheese baked potato comes with 340 calories.

If you're hungry, it can be very difficult to avoid the temptations of the fast food restaurant. This can be dangerous from the sense of added fat and calories. Should you give into temptation at Wendy's and order a biggie fries, you'll be taking in an extra 590 calories and 28 grams of fat.

What about alternatives such as the low fat strawberry flavored yogurt? The yogurt itself is 200 calories, and the granola topping that comes with it is an extra 110 calories. In comparison, an average cup of low fat yogurt from the grocery store will have around 100 calories.

Burger King

Burger King provides an array of eating options through its website for those who are watching carbs, fats, or calories. Many salads listed have from between 10 and 13 grams of fat, or 90 to 117 calories from fat. Salads fall in the 400 total calorie range. The dressings will add another 70 to 270 calories, for a total of up to almost 700 calories. Again, this is almost a third of a day's total caloric intake. The original Whopper sandwich with everything on it has about the same amount of calories. Depending on the salad and dressing chosen, the salad option can actually have more total fat than the Whopper. In other words, eating a healthy salad instead of a sandwich may not provide you with the benefits you're looking for.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell offers Fresco Style options that have fewer than ten grams of fat per serving. This translates into the cheeses and sauces being removed from the item. This style can reduce total fat and caloric intake. Many items on the Fresco Style menu are under 400 calories. The key to ordering through this method is to know which items are available Fresco Style and which are not. Most items offer this option, but many do not. Ask prior to ordering.

One final word of caution when it comes to fast food: even when the options are low fat and low calorie, many are still very high in sodium content and low in fiber content. The total nutritional value is an issue. Cooking methods, such as deep-frying or leaving foods under hot lamps for extended periods can dramatically reduce a food's nutritional value. So what's the bottom line? While the occasional visit to a fast food restaurant can be enjoyable and will not create too many negative side affects, the idea that 'healthy' alternatives at fast food chains are in fact 'healthy' is questionable.

Mike Singh is a fitness instructor, who writes about health & fitness products reviews, elliptical trainers reviews, low carb diet recipes online!

Successful WLS Patients Make Right Their Nutritional Wellness

2009-03-21T22:15:00.001+07:00

It seems there are two schools of behavior patients follow after gastric bypass surgery:

The first are the patients who realize WLS is a second chance to make right their nutritional wellness and they exchange the eating habits and poor food choices that made them obese for a smarter way of eating. These patients become champions of healthy ingredients and wholesome eating making conscious choices for how they fuel their bodies. They are non-stop learners in constant quest for information to aid in their health and wellness. They are actively engaged in their own nutrition to improve their health and make strong their bodies against disease. These patients have tremendous success in long-term weight maintenance following massive weight loss.

The second are the patients who rely solely on the restrictive and malabsorptive nature of the gastric bypass to lose weight. They half-heartedly follow the program during the phase of rapid weight loss and little by little the old habits that made them obese sneak back into their daily living. You?ll hear these patients say, ?I can eat anything I want, just less of it? and they laugh. But the joke is on them because sure enough, these patients will regain weight and suffer from poor nutritional health.

Perhaps the people in the ?old habits? school think it?s a waste of effort or energy to try and eat healthy ? after all, we eat such little portions. Perhaps they think health food is seaweed and tofu and icky stuff like that. Perhaps they simply don?t have the information necessary to affect positive healthy change in their diets.

Dr. Bernard Jensen in ?Guide to Body Chemistry & Nutrition? writes, ?The old saw ?what you don?t know can?t hurt you? just isn?t true when it comes to body chemistry, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Ignorance leads to poor nutritional choices, chemical deficiencies and the kinds of diseases that prey on an undernourished body and shorten the life span. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes all take a terrible toll on life in this country, and all three of them are strongly influenced by food patterns and lifestyle habits. . . The right kind of knowledge can always lead us to a better life.?

Dr. Jensen writes, ?Hippocrates said, ?Let your food be your medicine, and let your medicine be your food.? In my opinion, the kitchen is more important to our health than the doctor?s office or the local hospital. If food selection, preparation and cooking are done wisely, intentionally and properly, very little time will need be spent visiting health care facilities.? Dr. Jensen, by the way, wrote ?Guide to Body Chemistry & Nutrition? at age 92.

Before WLS surgery I believe it is fair to say many of us ?let food be our comfort? and indeed we were well comforted ? that?s why we needed surgery. If we can change that thought to ?let food be our medicine? and treat it as such, perhaps our relationship with food will improve, our bodies will become healthier and the quality of life will exceed expectation.

It has been noted by many a bariatric counselor that patients are resistant toward learning a healthier way to live. One nurse told me, ?Some people want to have doctors take care of them. They don?t want to take responsibility for their own lives.? But she noted the patients who are eager to learn good nutrition do not regain weight, do not fight the emotional demons of weight fluctuations and they enjoy boundless physical wellness. They never suffer from obesity again.

Dr. Jensen states, ?There are arguments, disagreements, people defending their right to eat what they love. I tell them I don?t blame them and encourage them to make the change because it?s the right thing for them to do.?

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.

Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter You Have Arrived click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.

Sugaring Hair Removal How To Get The Best Results

2009-03-17T14:14:00.001+07:00

To remove the hair by the root it must be at least 1/4 inch or 6 mm long. Longer hair should be trimmed to this length.

Hair must be clean and dry before starting hair removal sugaring.

Remove all creams and oils, towel dry and then apply talcum powder to ensure the skin is completely dry.

Apply the sugaring paste in the direction of the hair growth.

When pressing the cotton strip on top of the paste, leave a small section at the end free so it will be easy to hold when pulling back.

If using a spatula to apply the paste use the edge not the flat side. This will help ensure a very thin layer is applied.

Pull the strip back sharply against the direction of the hair growth. Do not lift the strip up or out away from the skin.

Hold the skin firmly with one hand while you pull the strip back sharply with the other hand.

Treat small areas at a time when hair removal sugaring on sensitive parts of the body.

When heating the paste, either by microwave or oven, be absolutely sure the paste is just warm to the touch not hot. Otherwise burns to the skin may result.

If using hot water to warm the paste container, be sure not to allow water into the paste. Sugar paste is water soluble and will be spoiled if the container is not sealed properly and water gets in.

Note: Hair inhibitors and sugar hair removal compliment each other well. As sugaring paste pulls the hair out from the roots, hair inhibitors can have a maximum effect in disabling the hair follicle and slowing down and preventing future hair growth. Click here for details: http://www.1bodycare.com/159490-kalo

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Borage the Brave

2009-03-15T19:06:00.001+07:00

Borage has long symbolized courage. In the Middle Ages ladies would embroider borage flowers on the scarves of knights about to go off to the crusades or to fight in a tournament. An old Latin saying, Ego Borage gaudia semper ago, means, ?I, borage, always bring courage?. In the ancient world young girls would serve borage tea to shy and reluctant young men in an effort to get them to propose. Celtic warriors would add the herb to their wine to give them bravado before battle. Drinking borage today is supposed to induce psychic powers. The Roman writer, Pliny (AD 23-79) claimed that borage steeped in wine was the famous Nepenthe of Homer, which brought absolute forgiveness when drunk.

The origin of the word borage is uncertain, but it probably derives from the Latin, borra, meaning ?hair of the beast?, a reference to the herb?s bristly leaves.

Medicinally, borage has high mucilage content, making it a demulcent and a soother of respiratory problems. Its emollient qualities make it helpful for sore and inflamed skin ? prepared either as freshly squeezed juice, in a poultice, or as an infusion. The flowers encourage sweating, and the leaves are diuretic.

Borage seed oil is one of the best dietary sources of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), one of the essential fatty acids. The essential fatty acids are important in many metabolic processes, including energy production. They are called ?essential? fatty acids because your body cannot synthesize them. They must be part of your diet. A lack of GLA in the diet has been linked to many modern ailments including arthritis, skin problems and migraine headaches. Borage also acts as a restorative on the adrenal cortex, which means that it will revive and renew the adrenal glands after a medical treatment with cortisone or steroids.

In addition to the healthful qualities of its oil, borage is a very nutritious herb, rich in calcium, magnesium and vitamins A and C.

Borage is a European native, but now grows extensively throughout North America. It is becoming an important cash crop on the Prairies where it is cultivated for its seed oil. The herb is a self-seeding annual (although it will occasionally appear as a biennial) so once in your garden it?s probably there to stay. But it?s a welcome plant, being both attractive and useful. The flowers are a beautiful bright blue and star-shaped. Borage is easily grown from seed and will flourish in full sun or light shade. Borage is a favorite flower of bees.

Borage has a crisp, cucumber-like flavor and will enhance the taste of salads, vegetable, fish and poultry. Choose young leaves, as they tend to get bristly with age. The older leaves can be used for flavoring a soup or stew, but it?s recommended that they be removed from the dish before serving. Borage, Fennel, and Radish Salad

?1 fennel bulb, with top and outer portions removed, cut into thin slices
?? cup fresh bite-sized borage leaves
?3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
?Juice of ? lemon
?1 Tbsp. grapefruit juice
?2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
?1 Tbsp. flax or hempseed oil or substitute of your choice
?Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Bruce Burnett is a Chartered Herbalist, an award-winning writer and author of the best-selling book HerbWise: growing cooking wellbeing. Bruce and his wife Delaine own HerbWise Products Inc., making their own line of herbal skin therapy soaps, salves, sprays and other all-natural herbal body care products. Contact Bruce through the HerbWise website: http://www.herbwiseproducts.com.

High Sugar Meals Lead to Future Disease Not Just Obesity

2009-03-15T12:47:00.001+07:00

A new study shows that eating meals with high sugar content causes the release of damaging substances into the blood. Parents should take special note since many kids are eating high sugar meals and snacks several times a day. This behavior is setting the stage for a lifetime of chronic disease problems.

It?s all about the burn

All foods have a ?glycemic index?, which is a measure of how fast the body burns the food to turn it into fuel. Foods with a lot of simple sugars burn very quickly while foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates burn very slowly.

High glycemic foods that burn very quickly cause blood sugar to rise fast. The body reacts to this rise in blood sugar by releasing a large dose of insulin to drive the blood sugar back down. This is the reason for the ?energy crash? that you feel after eating a high glycemic meal.

Low glycemic foods that burn very slowly cause blood sugar to rise gently at a controllable rate. This way the body does not need to take drastic measures to keep blood sugar under control. You feel a smoother level of energy after a low glycemic meal and don?t feel the crash a couple hours after eating like you do with the high glycemic meal.

The danger of your personal reactor

The energy spike and crash that you feel after a high glycemic meal is because the body uses blood sugar as the primary source of fuel to make an ?energy molecule? called ATP. However, the production of ATP is somewhat dangerous because it also leaks other molecules called ?free radicals?, which in turn cause ?oxidative-stress?.

Oxidative stress can be very damaging to your cells and if left unchecked this damage leads to chronic diseases like heart disease, some cancers and even depression. The damage caused accumulates in your body in places like your arteries, heart, lungs and brain and slowly leads to chronic degenerative illness.

Luckily, our bodies have mechanisms to keep free radical damage and oxidative stress under control. We have proteins that actually capture the free radicals and ?neutralize? them so that they are no longer dangerous. However, to function properly, this system requires the anti-oxidants you get from fruits and vegetables and multi-vitamin supplements.

It?s similar to the dangers involved in using nuclear energy. This is an incredibly efficient energy source as long as nothing goes wrong. If the nuclear reactor over-heats then trouble can happen. The same happens with ATP production. When blood sugar levels are high, ATP production goes into high gear and free radical release gets out of control. High glycemic meals kick up ATP production.

It has been known for some time that eating high glycemic meals leads to oxidative stress and a new study in the July 2006 issue of The Journal of Clinical Nutrition validates that by actually measuring signs of oxidative stress in the blood after eating both low and high glycemic meals. The study found a strong relationship between the glycemic index of the meal and the level of oxidative stress markers in the blood after the meal. High glycemic meals caused high levels of oxidative stress.

Why is this important? It means that high glycemic meals that our kids eat all the time are causing damage that will likely lead to chronic degenerative disease when they are adults. Especially when you couple this with the fact that most kids do not get the anti-oxidant protection that they need from eating several portions of fruits and vegetables. It?s a double whammy; increased damage and decreased protection.

Damage control

What types of foods are causing this damage? There are many common kid?s foods that are very high on the glycemic index scale. For starters, high-sugar breakfast cereals, waffles and pancakes with lots of syrup and white toast with jam are very high glycemic foods. It?s not just sugary meals that are the problem. Foods made primarily from refined grains and white flour are just as bad. Things like white bread, macaroni and cheese, crackers and hotdog buns.

You can go a long way in protecting your kids current and future health by switching to whole grain cereals and breads and getting more fruits and vegetables into their diet. This is common sense stuff that people have known for a long time.

My hope in writing this article is that understanding a little more about the reason why ?healthy foods? are so necessary will help motivate people to act. Just picture in your head little pick axes circulating through your kids blood every time they eat these high glycemic meals and perhaps that will help you help them make better choices.

To be realistic, food choices are all about balance. It?s not going to kill you to eat poorly every now and then. You just need to understand that it?s all about risk. The more you or your kids make poor eating choices the more damage you are allowing to accumulate and the higher your risk will be for problems later in life. Act now to instill thoughtful food choice in your kid?s behavior.

A proud moment I want to end with a brief story. Last week my 9-year old son came to work with me and we had lunch in our small cafeteria. The menu choices that day were a turkey sandwich, pepperoni pizza, soups and a salad bar. I told him he could have whatever he wanted and I was very happy when he chose the salad bar. It?s not that he doesn?t like pizza or turkey sandwiches but he made a healthy choice on his own because he really likes salad.

A year ago, he hated everything ?green?. My wife and I just kept putting a small amount of vegetables on his dinner plate and offering salad when we had it. We did not force him to eat this stuff but just kept offering it. Eventually he started to eat more and more and realized that he likes salad. Now both my kids love a wide variety of steamed vegetables and eat all kinds of fruits on a regular basis.

Kids don?t like a lot of foods when they are very young but experts have told us to just keep offering them. Eventually they will come around. Otherwise, they will grow up eating fast food for the rest of their life and be robbed of good health in there older years. Please do not rob your kids of this. Give them the greatest gift you can, their health.

Dr. Simon Evans is a neuroscientist studying the interaction between nutrition, exercise and stress. He also also a passionate youth sports coach and is concerned about current trends in children's health. Visit Dr. Evans blog at http://www.feedingdreams.com to read previous articles contribute your feedback.

Choosing a Home Gym Fitness equipment

2009-03-12T20:56:00.001+07:00

Limited time due to a busy schedule of balancing work and family can prevent anyone from regular exercise at the gym. A home gym, however, could just be the solution to incorporate fitness into your daily routine. With the variety of fitness equipment available, how do you select which is right for you? Consider the following during your planning and purchase.

Fitness goals. Determine your fitness goals. Deciding your fitness goals before you start your equipment selection will help you make a wiser purchase. Do you want to perform strength training to reshape your muscles? Boost your energy or loss weight through cardiovascular exercise? If you want to strength train, decide the muscle groups you want to target. Here is a list of the major muscle groups for you to keep in mind when considering what equipment is right for you:

Pectoralis major and minor (chest)

Deltoids and trapezius (shoulders)

Latissimus dorsi, teres major and minor, rhomboid (upper back)

Biceps, brachialis (front of arms)

Triceps (back of arms)

Gluteus maximus (buttocks)

Quadriceps (front of thighs)

Hamstrings (back of thighs)

Gastrocnemius, soleus (calves)

Rectus abdominis, obliques (abdomen)

Erector spinae, quadratus lumborum (lower back)

Sternocleidomastoids, scalene, splenii (neck)

Space. Before you decide to make a purchase, designate a place specifically for your home gym. Ensure you have adequate space to accommodate everything in the home gym. You should measure the dimensions of your room, (the length, width and height) to have available when purchasing the equipment.

Equipment. After you have determined your fitness goals, shop for equipment, which will help you to meet them. Examples of equipment for aerobic exercises are treadmills, stationary bicycles, and stair-steppers. You could even invest in a television to workout with aerobic tapes or view your favorite show while jogging on your treadmill. Home gyms-fitness equipment

Strength training equipment can include free weights such as dumbbells or barbells, or a multi-station machine (also known as a home gym). If you plan to lift heavy free weights you may need a lifting partner. Your partner will help you check your form and monitor safety. For more equipment ideas, you could take a tour of a fitness center.

Cost: Ask yourself, how much money do you want to spend. Most fitness equipment can range from $500-$1000 and more if you want a total body work out. Typically, quality equipment is priced in the upper range.

A Test Ride. Always test the equipment before you buy it. Test the machines for comfort and satisfaction.

Talk to the Experts. Purchase your equipment from a fitness specialty store. These stores specialize in fitness equipment and provide a broad selection for you to choose from. Specialty fitness stores would also employ certified associates to address your questions regarding exercise equipment.

Increase your Knowledge. Be certain you increase your knowledge of weight training safety and proper technique to reduce injury. Read directions for your fitness equipment and follow them.

Remember! Choosing equipment and exercises, which are fun for you, will help you to keep at it and enjoy it. Stop by: Home gyms-fitness equipment

Denise Nero owner of http://www.fitnessandkids.com invites you to stop by for more great articles and to sign up for a free newsletter offering weight loss tips, exercise, recipes and more.

The "Perfect" $1 Protein Shake

2009-03-12T17:48:00.001+07:00

Millions of people drink protein shakes every day. They're the ideal health food: delicious, convenient, portable, and (usually) highly nutritious. Whether you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, or just improve your health, protein shakes can be an incredibly effective way to reach your goals.

A good protein shake can help you:

- increase your energy levels
- boost your metabolism to burn fat quickly (and safely)
- increase your lean muscle mass
- enhance your immune system
- reduce/eliminate your appetite and food cravings
- increase your heart health
- lower cholesterol and blood pressure
- promote healing and recovery

Unfortunately the tasty, often expensive, concoctions you get at your local smoothie shop probably aren't your best options. The recipes used at these places are geared much more toward taste than nutrition. Simply put, they're loaded with sugar -- often 30 grams or more -- and frequently have no more than 10 or 15 grams of protein. That nutritional profile is much closer to a milk shake than a protein shake!

If you really want to enjoy all the great health and fitness benefits of a protein shake, it's best to make your own. You can control exactly what goes into it and optimize it for your own goals: less calories/fat for weight loss, more protein for muscle building, etc. But maybe the biggest benefit of making your own shakes is that you can load them up with ultra-healthy ingredients that you may not eat otherwise (eg. flax seeds, coconut oil, fresh/frozen berries, etc.)

Here's my personal recipe for what I call The Perfect $1 Protein Shake -- an extremely healthy, energy-boosting, muscle-building shake you can make in about 3 minutes. If you buy the ingredients in bulk like I do, the total cost-per-shake should be about a dollar. Not a bad price for something much healthier than your average fast-food meal and just as convenient...

(Note: The following recipe actually makes enough for about 2 medium-sized shakes... or 1 really big shake! Feel free to add more or less of each ingredient to suit your own tastes and needs.)

Put all of the following ingredients into a large, heavy-duty blender and blend until liquefied:

16 oz. Low-Fat, Organic Milk -- A very tasty base for the shake with slow-digesting casein protein, calcium, and several vitamins/minerals. If you don't drink milk you can substitute soy milk or filtered water.

2 - 3 Scoops Whey Protein Powder (Generally 30 - 50 grams of protein, depending on the brand) -- If you haven't already heard, whey protein is an incredibly healthy substance that isn't just for bodybuilders. No other protein feeds your muscles or boosts your immune system like whey. Just about anyone can benefit from this amazing food! (Note: Try to avoid protein powders sweetened with the artificial-sweetener aspartame.)

1 Cup Frozen Berries -- Packed with fiber and antioxidants -- with a very low glycemic impact -- berries are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. Unsweetened frozen berries can be purchased year-around and are a great substitute for ice in any protein shake recipe.

1 Tbsp. Virgin Coconut Oil -- A good saturated fat with a variety of health benefits that is full of medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), a great source of energy.

1 Tbsp. Natural Peanut Butter -- A great-tasting, highly filling nut butter with healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Recent studies have shown that peanut butter is great for dieters because it reduces hunger and food cravings more than almost any other food.

1 Tbsp. Ground Flax Seeds -- Flax seeds contain all-important omega-3 fatty acids, a vital component to good health. They also contain lignans (powerful antioxidants) as well as healthy dietary fiber. Many people prefer the nutty flavor of ground flax seeds over the fishy flavor of flax seed oil.

1 Medium Ripe Banana -- A good source of potassium, fiber, and healthy carbs, a ripe banana is a great way to sweeten any protein shake.

Optional sweeteners -- If you want to sweeten this (or any) protein shake, two good low-calorie sugar-alternatives are stevia and xylitol, both of which can usually be found in health food stores.

As you can probably tell, my Perfect $1 Protein Shake isn't exactly low-calorie. In fact it has quite a bit of healthy fat and a decent amount of carbohydrates. But keep in mind that you don't have to, and probably shouldn't, drink the whole thing at once -- unless your primary goal is to pack on muscle (in which case you might want to drink 2 or more a day!). What I like to do is make a blender-full in the morning, drink a glass for breakfast, take some with me to have as a pick-me-up in the afternoon, and then drink the rest at night.

Remember, there are literally thousands of ways to make a protein shake. Find some recipes you really like and don't be afraid to experiment. As long as you base it around whey protein, just about any shake you make should have plenty of health benefits!

Jamie Clark is a long-time health researcher/writer who is a co-editor of FreshHealthyUseful.com. To learn more about the best protein shakes, be sure to visit: http://www.freshhealthyuseful.com/main/protein-shakes/

How To Make Bubble Bath With Inexpensive Ingredients

2009-03-11T14:33:00.000+07:00

The luxury of soaking in a hot bath is a great stress reducer for many women. By adding certain scents, bubble bath, and essential oils to the bath water, we can create a totally relaxing experience or energize ourselves once again, depending on the products we use.

Unfortunately, many of the bath products available on the market are laced with harsh chemicals that can irritate our skin or even cause infections. You have to be careful in what you purchase and actually research your product choices carefully.

An alternative choice is to make your own bath products. By combining readily available ingredients along with a selection of essential oils, your bubble bath will help to enhance the softness of your skin, aid in stress reduction, and contribute to your mental health and well being.

What Ingredients Constitute Homemade Bubble Bath?

Let's look at some of the ingredients that you'll be using to mix up your own homemade bubble bath formula.

Distilled Water - You can purchase distilled water in most grocery stores. The benefit over using this type of water over regular tap water is that chlorine, all minerals and other impurities have been removed from it.

Liquid glycerin - This is a clear, thick liquid that is extracted from animal fats and vegetable oils, and is a by-product of soap manufacturing. It's purpose is to increase moisture and softness, plus it helps to create bubbles.

Castile Soap - This type of soap was originally made from olive oil although other types of oils can also be used, such as: coconut, almond, hemp, and jojoba.

Essential Oils - There are many oils that have many different purposes so you will need to research this area. For a soothing scent try oils like lavender, rosewood, sandalwood, chamomile, and myrrh. Some of the essential oils that can help you to feel energized and rejuvenated are eucalyptus, spearmint, peppermint, and lemon oil. Oils that are especially good at softening the skin include almond and coconut oil.

Simple Bubble Bath Recipe

Here is a very quick and easy recipe that anyone can make. Once you have it mixed, pour the mixture into an unbreakable bottle. As it doesn't have any chemical ingredients to preserve it, it would probably be safe to say you could store your bubble bath for one to two months.

1 quart warm distilled Water
1 Bar castile soap, grated
2 oz Liquid Glycerin
3 to 4 drops essential oil of choice

Mix the water and grated soap together until all the soap is dissolved. It's best to use warm to hot water for this, as it helps the soap dissolve faster. Add the glycerin and essential oil stir gently. This is safe to use for kids as well.

Bubble Bath For The Winter Months

We all know how miserable getting a cold or the flu can be. Here is a wonderful bubble bath recipe to soak in when you're sick since Eucalyptus can help your body fight cold symptoms and reduce congestion.

6 drops of eucalyptus oil
3 drops of spearmint oil
3 drops of peppermint oil
1 quart of distilled water (heated)
1 bar of castile soap. (4 oz. Bar), grated
4 ounces liquid glycerin

Mix the water and grated soap together until the soap has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, stir gently, and store in an unbreakable bottle.

Women are notorious for always being on the go and putting everyone else's health first. Just remember, it is also important that you take care of yourself as well. Allowing yourself to relax is part that care. Preparing your own homemade bubble bath with favorite essential oils is one great way to do this. Now go find that novel you?ve been wanting to read, take that deliciously soothing bath and melt away the stress of the day.

Rose Smith owns Total Beauty Tips, where you can learn to rejuvenate and revitalize your body with natural skin care solutions. We feature advice, products and information that will help make your total body feel smooth, soft and fabulous. Visit http://www.totalbeautytips.com to learn more.

Undesirable Effects of Excess Blood Cholesterol

2009-03-10T14:39:00.000+07:00

Cholesterol is a fatty, viscous substance produced by the liver. This substance has many purposes inside the body and in normal amounts it is benefic for the proper activity of the organism. Cholesterol has a very important role in protecting blood cells from damage, by covering their superficial membrane. The body also uses cholesterol in producing bile acids (which are vital in digestion of fat), vitamin D and hormones (testosterone and estrogen).

The body requires very small quantities of cholesterol to sustain its normal activity. When cholesterol is produced in excess, this substance accumulates in the bloodstream and deposits in different places of the organism. Excess cholesterol adheres to the interior walls of arteries, soft tissues and body organs, obstructing the normal blood flow. Like many other fats, cholesterol can?t be dissolved by the blood and therefore it can easily build up inside the body, causing a lot of harm. If cholesterol blocks the coronary arteries it can cause cardio-vascular diseases and even heart-attack.

Many people have high blood cholesterol levels and therefore they are exposed to heart disease. Age, gender and genetic heritage are all factors of risk in heart disease due to high blood cholesterol levels. Men are more predisposed to having abnormal blood cholesterol levels than women. People with ages over 50 also have cholesterol problems, as their bodies can?t eliminate the surplus substance. Overweight people, people with internal disorders and people with diabetes have high blood cholesterol levels due to overproduction of this substance inside the body.

Apart from internal dysfunctions that cause an overproduction of cholesterol, the excessive accumulation of this substance is also facilitated by other factors like inappropriate diet, lack of physical exercise, smoking and the consumption of alcohol. Inappropriate diet rich in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates greatly contributes to blood cholesterol build up. Foods like fatty meats (pork, poultry), organ meats (heart, liver, kidneys), fat dairy products (milk, cheese, butter), chocolate, peanuts considerably increase blood cholesterol levels. Smoking also causes a lot of harm to arteries and facilitates the accumulation of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Smoking is a major factor of risk in heart disease and many people who have abnormally high blood cholesterol levels are smokers. Alcohol abuse is also a factor of risk in heart disease, as it also raises blood cholesterol levels.

Whether high blood cholesterol is the consequence of internal dysfunctions or the consequence of unhealthy lifestyle and diet, it is important to take steps in normalizing its values. Avoid smoking, the consumption of alcohol and fatty foods if you have high blood cholesterol levels. An appropriate diet rich in unsaturated fat, complex carbohydrates and natural fibers can help eliminate blood cholesterol deposits and can also prevent its excess accumulation inside the body. Regular physical exercise is another good means of improving blood circulation and hence, decongesting the arteries clogged with cholesterol.

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High Fiber Foods Squash Cravings

2009-03-09T01:08:00.001+07:00

Today is the first day of spring, the vernal equinox. Vernal translates as vigorous and fresh. Fiberlady places high value on a high fiber diet that will undoubtedly make you feel renewed and refreshed. Put some spring in your step. There are countless ways to season your life and stir your health. Start by eating more high fiber foods like squash...winter or summer.

There is an amazing variety of squash in a broad range of textures and tastes. Summer squash and winter squash are both fruits of the gourd family. Summer squash is available all winter, but of the best quality between May and July; winter squash appears in the produce departments in the late summer, fall and winter.

Related to the melon and the cucumber, summer squash comes in many different shapes, colors and sizes. It can be served raw with dips or cooked in any possible manner. Some common types are zucchini, crookneck and pattypan. The whole vegetable can be eaten including the flowers in some varieties. Its mild flavor and tender texture makes it very versatile to use in main dishes or pasta. But unlike winter squash, summer squash are more fragile and can only be stored for short periods of time.

Winter squash is different from summer because it is eaten when it is mature. The shell hardens into a tough rind and can be bumpy or smooth, thick or thin. Acorn, butternut, Hubbard and spaghetti are some of the most popular winter squash. It can be cut in halves or pieces. Take out the fibers and seeds before cooking. Bake, steam or boil the squash with the least amount of water so as to retain nutrients and flavor.

Summer or winter, squash are an excellent source of fiber. Fiberlady will remind you how fiber absorbs water and adds bulk which creates an efficient system for quickly cleaning the body of waste. This helps to speed cancer-causing toxins out of the digestive system. The fiber-rich content of squash may be helpful for reducing the discomfort of irritable bowel syndrome due to constipation or diarrhea. High fiber foods tone up your intestines which helps prevent diverticulitis.

There are as many health benefits to eating high fiber foods as there are varieties of squash. So don't squash your cravings, indulge in the delicious and nutritious flavor that squash has to offer. Fiberlady would like to offer you these easy fiber-rich recipes. And remember, no matter what the season, go for the high fiber reason.

Steamed Squash Medley with Sun-Dried Tomatoes 6 servings

Ingredients:

6 dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cups boiling water
6 small zucchini, sliced
6 small yellow squash, sliced
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl with the boiling water, and allow to sit 10 minutes. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon, and coarsely chop. Reserve the water.

2. Transfer the reserved sun-dried tomato water to a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Place the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and onion in a steamer basket, and set over the boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Discard water.

3. Transfer the steamed vegetables to a bowl, and mix with butter, sugar, pepper, and salt to serve.

Per Serving: Calories: 100; Total Fat: 4.5grams Fiber: 5.5 grams

Roasted Acorn Squash 4 Servings

Ingredients:

2 medium acorn squash
3 tablespoons butter
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Cut acorn squash in half. Roast them cut side up on a baking sheet for 50 minutes or until the flesh is just tender. Let the squash cool for 20 minutes.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter; saute the onions. Stirring occasionally, cook the onions for 10 minutes, or until they begin to brown at the edges. Mix in the garlic, coriander, and nutmeg. Cook the mixture 2 minutes more; then remove the pan from the heat.

4. Spoon the seeds and stringy middle out of the squash, and discard these. Spoon out the flesh, chop it and add it to the onion mixture. Discard the skins. Heat and stir the squash-onion mixture, then season it with salt and pepper. Serve the squash hot.

Per Serving: Calories: 191; Total Fat: 9.2 grams Fiber: 4.6 grams

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

Losing Weight? Is Your Diet A Health Risk To You?

2009-03-08T02:10:00.001+07:00

Have you noticed that fad diets rise and fall in popularity like the latest fashions or current pop songs? We?ve seen (and seen off) the soup diet; the grapefruit diet; the no carbs diet; the only carbs diet and so on. I remember as a teenager eating only hard boiled eggs for a week! I lost a tonne of weight, but I?m never going to do it again! Are you putting your health at risk by following a fad diet?

As a result of experimenting with the latest ?food exclusion? diets, many people are actually cutting out entire food groups, leading to nutritional deficiencies, which could be damaging their health! While it may seem that cutting out carbs is great for fast weight loss, there is a very real risk that it will trigger carbohydrate cravings. Have you ever experience carbohydrate deprivation? First you become edgy then start to crave carbs, especially the wrong sort of starchy crabs that are stored as fat. Many people simply give in and become compulsive, but those who hold out can suffer severe side effects. Vitamin B group deficiency is one outcome, leading to fatigue and anxiety.

Did you know the body?s main fuel source for energy comes from carbohydrates? Did you know that carbs also are the brain food used to fuel it?s function? Is it any wonder you carve high-carb, high-sugar snacks when studying hard, problem solving or using a computer? Health professionals advise that eliminating carbs from your diet is counter-productive. A much better strategy is giving your body the right type of carbs it requires.

Others cut out meat when dieting, thinking this is the way to eliminate excess fat from their bodies. By doing so they could be missing out on important vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin B12 and zinc. Iron deficiency leads to serious conditions such as anemia.

Protein is an essential building block for the body and is needed for the growth of new cells and tissues. If you don?t eat meat it is vital to get adequate protein from other sources such as soy, fish, eggs and chicken.

Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is an independent Herbalife distributor, weight loss coach and creator of the online fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For a free weight loss consultation, newsletter and resources to help you lose weight and keep it off forever, visit http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au Your online Herbalife store at http://www.weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com and for an introduction to the Herbalife home business opportunity visit: http://www.free2liv.com

Recipes for Detox Diet Intestinal Cleansing

2009-03-07T02:41:00.000+07:00

You must remove the hardened mucous that lines the bowel by using special mucous dissolving herbs that are contained in the cleanse outlined in my book. This mucous is what toxifies all the other organs. You must cleanse your body and change your diet to be free of disease.

This is where candida starts and lives, the only way to properly rid yourself of candida is to get rid of this bowel plaque. Also gallbladder (gall bladder) problems, clean the bowel first. All disease begins in the colon.

My Story

I have been doing cleansing and body detoxification for a quite a few years now and have found 2 of the most effective detox diets in the world. One of them is more extreme and requires a complete change of attitude, diet and lifestyle. The detox on this diet can be sped up and slowed down as the cleanser requires. The detox program is a hybrid of Dr Bernard Jensen's original bowel cleansing formula. It involves about 30 different herbs and of course psyllium husks and bentonite for some of that clay detoxification. This cleanse I have found gives the best colon cleansing. Generally the herbs can be taken as tincture, powdered herbs or cleansing teas. Personally I prefer to use the tincture.

The second cleanse which I developed myself is a little slower, but still very effective, and contains green paw paw (papaya) amongst other things.

I have helped a few people go through the cleansing program and the results are amazing. Mounds of mucoid plaque would come out and they would feel great afterwards.

Many people like to buy cleansing skin care, do liver cleanses and cleanse all the other organs, which is good, but you should cleanse the bowel first, as this is where the toxins in the skin and rest of the organs come from. Because the elimination channels are mostly blocked, the body has to send the toxins out through the skin and other organs. So cleanse the bowel, then the skin and the rest. My little beauty tip...

I have written a book which outlines 2 detox diets and is available for $4.95 for download at the detox site. It also contains the the recipes for both detox diets and also lots of other useful information such as food combining and the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of sickness. The book is very comprehensive and it contains all the information you need to get started.

Matthew Sirpis http://www.detox.net.au/

Herbal Home Remedies for Reducing Stress

2009-03-07T00:50:00.001+07:00

CHAMOMILE SPRITZER

Boil 4 c water
seep 3 chamomile tea bags for 5 minutes. Cool
Put into a spray bottle Keep in Fridge
Lasts about 14 days
Shake before each use.

Use cold chamomile tea bags on puffy eyes
put over eyes for 4-5 minutes

CUTICLE TREATMENT

Use 2 Tblsp of papaya or avocado with a little lemon juice mash, work into cuticles for a couple minutes.

Also you can apply canola or olive oil to cuticles do this 2x's a week

FACE SCRUB

2 tblsp oatmeal
1 tblsp almond meal
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
chamomile water

Mix to a thick paste, wet face work into skin leave on for 15-20 minutes oatmeal will fall off. Take off with dry towel, buff?won't scratch or tug skin. Rinse with warm not hot water

FEET

2 tbslp oil
1 tblsp salt
Mix and apply to feet

Put oil onto feet then add socks
Light oil-saffron or sweet almond
Heavy- hazelnut or canola

Astringent for your face:

Rose vinegar:

Steep rose petals in white vinegar for 2 weeks in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Remove rose petals and put into a glass jar and keep in refrigerator when ready to use apply with cotton balls.

Face and Body Cr?me:

Wash your face everyday with buttermilk or use you would ordinary cold cr?me avoiding eye area.

Buttermilk contains naturally occurring lactic acid, which is good as a mild exfoliate to remove dead skin buildup.

Peppermint Skin Toner:

1-pint vinegar
I pint purified water
1 c mint leaves
Place all ingredients in a glass or enamel saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a glass jar and allow to steep for 4 days strain and bottle. Be sure to label.

Herbal Quick Refreshers:

Tie fresh lavender, thyme, and sage together in a small bundle and hang near your desk or work area. Place dried chamomile, rosemary, lavender, and lemon balm in a small clothe bag. Place bags in the bathroom, under cushions or other places. Pressure and warmth will release the smell.

Cucumber mask:

1 small cucumber
Chamomile or green tea brewed 1 cup each
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 oz aloe Vera gel

Peel cucumber and puree in a blender till smooth. Strain the puree through a sieve or cheesecloth and reserve the juice. Take 2 ounces (1/4 c) each of your teas and place in a pan. (Sip the leftovers) Add unflavored gelatin and aloe Vera gel heating until the gelatin is dissolved. Add cucumber juice to the mixture and set in fridge for 30 minutes or so. Apply to face and let dry.

Peel off skin if normal and rinse off if skin is sunburned or extra sensitive.

SILKY SMOOTH SKIN:

Pour cornmeal on a wet washcloth and after you have taken a shower as a finish rub cornmeal all over your body.

CHEAP! Rubs off dead skin.

HEALTHY SOFT SKIN:

1 egg, some lemon juice, olive oil, and water. Mix in a small bowl. Wipe it on face after 10 minutes wipe off and wash face w/cold water and soap.

MAKE-UP REMOVER AND EXFOLIANT:

Equal mixtures of vegetable oil and cornmeal. Rub (softly) on face with a wet washcloth, rinse off.

ALOE VERA GEL:

Use as a hair gel, brow gel, or body lotion.

I have very dry, frizzy hair in the summer...I used aloe Vera gel on my hair and my SIL asked what I used to get it looking so curly and shiny...boy was she surprised when I told her what I use!!

BRIGHT EYES:

Witch Hazel on a cotton ball, lay down, cover eyes and relax for 5 minutes

SIMPLE BEAUTY MASK:

Mash boiled carrots with honey, put onto a clean face and let sit for 5-10mins. Rinse off with warm water.

SWEET BANANA MASK:

Mash up 1 banana really well add enough sugar to desired consistency (you can add a drop or two of essential oil, like mint, if you want to.) Spread on a clean face...let sit for a few minutes and wipe off gently with a wet washcloth.

CUCUMBER FACIAL:

Smash 1/2 a cucumber add 1 tblsp honey and about 2-tblsp oatmeal. Apply to face and let sit for 30 minutes. Wipe off gently w/clean damp cloth.

FACIAL MASK:

1/2 a banana
1/4 a cucumber
2 tblsp honey
1 strawberry
1 tsp lain yogurt
Chop then blend in a blender, spread on face. Let dry...wipe off gently.

BABY SOFT FACIAL MASK

1/4 c baby powder (I like to use the lavender bath powder)
with 1 tblsp water.
Smooth on face, leave till dry, wash off w/a damp washcloth.

Peppermint Facial Toner:

1-pint vinegar
1 pint purified water
1c mint leaves

Place all ingredients in a glass or enamel saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a glass jar and allow to steep for 4 days. Strain and bottle. Be sure to label. Use after cleansing face, apply with a cotton ball.

Herbal Facial Toners:

Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar with these ingredients:
orange peel, orange mint leaves and calendula petals
lavender flowers, lady's mantle flowers, rose petals
Rose petals, chamomile flowers, rose water
Lavender flowers, mint leaves
Calendula petals and witch hazel
lavender flowers, rosemary, mint and thyme leaves

Mix together in a bottle and use a cotton ball to apply to face.

Rebecca White is a mother to 3 boys ages 12, 10 and 4. She loves to grow herbs for cooking and medicinal uses. Rebecca owns http://www.medicinalherbguide.com where you can find many more tips and great articles on owning your own medicinal herb garden. Be sure to stop in to see books she recommends using and software that saves you time when recording your plants progress. Gardening is Rebecca's hobby and passion.

Cori's Creations Salmon Burger Atop Veggies

2009-03-06T21:35:00.001+07:00

There?s nothing more fun then being creative with food and eating healthy at the same time. I had bought frozen salmon burgers to just keep in the freezer for a quick, easy meal. An easy way to eat a salmon burger is to eat it like a regular hamburger, but since I like to get creative, I experimented a little.

You can either buy the frozen salmon burgers or you can make your own. I haven?t attempted that yet but plan on it. I?m not that crazy about the frozen ones, could be the brand though. Ok on to creating... (serving based on 1 person)... Now the veggies can be switched if you don?t like something you can replace it with something else or just leave it out.

1 salmon burger
sliced onion ( use as much or little as you like)
half a red pepper sliced in long thin pieces
half a yellow pepper sliced in long thin pieces
about a ? cup of broccoli
shredded mozzarella
grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil

In a small pan cook the salmon burger. After it?s cooked take off the heat and sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Then cover the pan for a few minutes so the cheese melts on top of it.

In another pan heat some olive oil on medium heat. Put in sliced onions, peppers and broccoli and saut?. Pour a little more olive oil on so it doesn?t seem dry. I add a little bit of salt for flavor, you can use no salt or any other seasoning to your liking. Keep mixing the veggies so they don?t burn, and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes. I like the veggies a little crunchy with the salmon burger so I don?t cook them too long. Spread veggies on a plate, put a little more olive oil over them and then sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top. Place the salmon burger on top of the veggies and dig in!

You get your protein with the salmon burger, your carbohydrates with your veggies, protein and fat with the cheeses and more healthy fat with the olive oil. It?s a well rounded meal; satisfying, healthy and delicious.

What better way to change your style of eating to a more healthy way then to be creative, enjoy experimenting. Smile your way into a better eating style for yourself.

Cori Sachais Swidorsky
Coriinformingwomen@msn.com
http://www.informingwomen.com

I Reside in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. Stay at home mom, work at home mom, author and editor of Informing Women Newsletter and owner of http://www.informingwomen.com Author of Advice from an Ordinary Woman column for the Crescent Hills NewsLetter. Have articles published at various websites such as ezinearticles.com and goarticles.com. I have lost over 35 pounds and cooking creatively has helped me to enjoy my new way of eating. Maybe it can help you too.

New Year New You Resolution

2009-03-06T02:18:00.000+07:00

The most popular New Year's resolution is to find a new job. The second, to get into shape! So, if you're starting out the new year with a commitment to lose weight or establish an exercise routine that sticks, good for you! Use the momentum of a fresh start to make things seem easier.

It's OK to wait a couple of days until the guests depart and you go back to work, but as January moves on you will want to be started by the second week so that your resolutions can start to guide you into building NEW habits. That's an important key....you will want to be braking old habits. Don't try too many at once, just pick one or two things that you know you can stick at. That in itself will build success and motivate you to keep going. Here are some ways to keep your enthusiasm high so that you'll stick with your resolution plans.

Take up lessons on a sport!

Whether you're new to a sport or just rusty, an hour or two with a tennis, swimming, or other coach can boost your enjoyment greatly. You'll more eagerly anticipate sessions if you've nailed a killer serve or developed a smooth stroke.

Be Accountable

Team up with a buddy to lose weight. Being accountable to someone else is a great motivator and will help keep you on track. Find a weight loss coach who will keep you to a programme. If you can't do either, at least be accountable to yourself by keeping a daily journal. Review each week and reward yourself for staying on track 6 days out of 7.

Toss Out the Christmas Tucker!

Yes, that's right. Get rid of all the Christmas tucker! The last thing you need around you are mince pies, left over pudding with brandy sauce, peanuts, cashews and cream! It's not a waste of food if you make a gift of it for your neighbours. Still have unopened boxes of chocolate gifts? Take them in to work and give to your colleagues.

Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is an Independent Herbalife Distributor, weight loss coach and creator of the online weight loss, health & fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For a free weight loss consultation, newsletter and resources to help you lose weight and keep it off forever, visit http://weight-loss-health.com.au Online Herbalife store at http://weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com The Herbalife home business opportunity visit: http://free2liv.com

Nutrition N' Diet

2009-03-06T01:34:00.000+07:00

Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because just about all of the consumable products purchased today from drinks to desserts have labels listing important nutrition information. Nutrition facts that can be found on any number of products will include serving size, servings per container, calories per serving, total fat, calories from fat, saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, sodium, cholesterol, potassium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugars and protein amounts. Most products display nutrition facts for individuals based on either a 2,000 or 2,500 daily calorie diet. Additional nutrition facts can be located in the ingredients, which will list starting with the most abundant ingredient in the product and ending in the least.

Nutrition facts are based on the scientific knowledge of foods and the nutrition they possess as well and the way they work within the body including in digestion, ingestion, absorption, metabolism, transport and excretion. A nutrition fact that is often confusing for consumers because of media attention is that the carbohydrates in food provide a good deal of fuel for the body and every cell. Carbohydrates are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and can be found in foods that contain starches, fiber and sugars. Nutrition facts on food like vegetables, fruits, milk, honey, table sugar, syrups and grains will have clear indications of the amount of carbohydrates contained in each product.

Nutrition facts list proteins as an important component of any consumable product because protein is a main structural part of the body. All of a person?s muscles, organs, blood, cell membranes and immune system are all made up from protein. Protein is composed of individual units that are called amino acids and can be found in foods like meats, eggs, dairy products, fish, soy and legumes (fruit or seed of any of various bean or pea plants consisting of a two-valved case that splits along both sides when ripe and having the seeds attached to one edge of the valves).

Additional nutrition facts can include minerals, which are solid homogeneous inorganic substances occurring in nature having a definite chemical composition. Other nutrition facts can show a number of vitamins, which are any of a group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism.

About The Author: Kevin Lynch is the owner of Health and Fitness website, which has tons of resources with a variety of information, news, blog and more.

Five Ways to Save Money On Organic Food

2009-03-05T22:36:00.000+07:00

Grow your own

The cheapest method has got to be to grow your own. The great thing is that it doesn?t require you to have much garden space, or even a garden at all!

We grow tomatoes, and strawberries in containers and the extra benefit is that you get total control over the growing conditions.

The best combination is to have organic soil together with organically produced seeds or plants, that way you ensure you get the full flavour and benefit.

Containers can be placed anywhere that receives a reasonable amount of daylight, which means that you can use them on balconies or other hard surfaces.

Look for your local suppliers

One of the most satisfying things to do is to buy organic food locally. That way you get the freshest ingredients for your kitchen and also get to support local businesses. With no transportation costs for the supplier too you should get very competitive prices.

Don?t forget that these same businesses will be employing local staff so you are also helping the local economy, everybody wins in this scenario.

Local markets

We visit a big monthly market held on a disused airstrip. Organic food is just one of the variety of items sold there but the prices are very, very good indeed. Of course they are all local suppliers and with several of them in one place we benefit from healthy competition and get to sample a lot of fruit!

Local box schemes

If you are unable to get out of your house or are too busy working to select your groceries by hand then why not subscribe to an organic box scheme?

You will receive, delivered to your door, a weekly selection of fruit and vegetables in season.

Farm shops

Finally, investigate whether any farms near you are operating an organic farm shop. Our local one is operated on an open farm so that you can go and see where the animals are being kept and take a look at the crops being grown.

They actually have a well-designed walking route around the farm which makes a nice day out for the kids too.

If you investigate the options above you should be able to make considerable savings whilst you and your family sample the delights and advantages of organic food.

Virginia Louise is a keen convert to the organic way of life, having two children has especially highlighted the benefits to be gained by them from eating organically.

Virginia runs an information site on the advantages of organic food where you can obtain lots of free information about what makes organic food so beneficial, where to get it and suggested recipes.

Make Your Own Low Cholesterol Diet

2009-03-05T18:13:00.000+07:00

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver. This substance has many important roles inside the body and in small amounts it is very important in helping the activity of the organism. In the presence of cholesterol, the body is able to synthesize vitamin D and hormones (testosterone and estrogen). The liver also uses cholesterol in producing bile, a substance used for the digestion of fat. Cholesterol covers the exterior membrane of blood cells and protects them from damage.

Although in normal amounts cholesterol is benefic for the organism, excessive amounts of this substance inside the body can lead to serious illnesses. High blood cholesterol levels are the main factor of risk in cardio-vascular diseases and can even cause heart failure. The surplus of cholesterol inside the body enters the bloodstream and deposits in different places of the body: arteries, soft tissues, organs. When cholesterol adheres to the inner walls of arteries, it obstructs the normal blood flow and prevents the oxygenation of the body organs.

Age, gender and internal dysfunctions are all considered to be factors that enable the accumulation of cholesterol inside the body. However, inappropriate diet also has a great contribution to blood cholesterol build up. A low cholesterol diet can help the body eliminate excess cholesterol and can prevent the accumulation of the substance in the bloodstream. A low cholesterol diet can also help you lose extra weight and improve your overall physical condition.

There are two main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat facilitates the accumulation of cholesterol inside the body, while unsaturated fat reduces blood cholesterol levels and therefore minimizes the chances of developing cardio-vascular diseases. A low cholesterol diet should exclude foods that are rich in saturated fat and include more foods that contain unsaturated fat. Simple carbohydrates contained by sweets should also be excluded from your low cholesterol diet. In order to improve your digestion, you should increase natural fiber and complex carbohydrate intake.

A low cholesterol diet should minimize the intake of animal products. Fatty meats (pork, lamb), organ meats (liver, heart, kidneys) and some dairy products (fat-rich milk, cheese, butter) should be excluded from your low-cholesterol diet. Animal products not only contain a lot of cholesterol, they are also very rich in saturated fat! Eggs, bacon, salami, sausages are rich in saturated fat and they should also be excluded from your diet too. Replace fatty meats wish fish, as it is low in cholesterol and saturated fat. Your low cholesterol diet can include some dairy products, if they contain small amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat: skim-milk, light yogurts.

Your low cholesterol diet should contain plenty of vegetables and fruits, as they are cholesterol free and a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Consume plenty of green vegetables, soy, carrots, cabbage, beans, dried peas and potatoes and fresh fruits like apples, pears, oranges, nectarines, lemons.

The best thing to do is cook your own meals. A low cholesterol diet should include plenty of home-cooked meals like vegetable soups, mashed potatoes and salads. Avoid fried meals and consider grilling or boiling your food. Also, make sure that you drink enough water, as it helps in the elimination of body cholesterol.

If you want to find great information on different cholesterol subjects check out this links. You You can find great content regarding cholesterol levels, low cholesterol diet and many more.

Natural Hair Get Creative With Homemade Recipes

2009-03-05T02:08:00.001+07:00

Do you wear your hair natural? No lye? As many will tell you, once you make a change to go natural your hair regimen must also change. This frequently includes an adjustment to the types of products you use on your coils. A number of your old stand-bys may no longer lend you the same results on your kinks as they did on your straight hair.

Product junkies will agree -- you can spend hundreds of dollars testing out the numerous products available on the market, many of which are supposedly intended for natural hair use. However, breaking the bank is really not necessary for a healthy, strong and shiny natural. You already have key ingredients in your own kitchen and bathroom!

Creating your own hair recipes not only saves money, but allows for a more intimate relationship with your hair -- you can gain a much better insight as to what your hair craves, prefers, or rejects with your at-home experiments.

Get creative! There are a few simple rules to follow to find your perfect concoctions:

* Don't mix too many things at once. Start out with simple recipes, say, mixing one main ingredient and adding a small amount of another. It's much easier to determine what worked and what didn't when your ingredients list is limited.

* Create two-ingredient mixes and try them until you find a mix that works well on your hair. If it's a perfect mix, continue using it! If it's a pretty good mix, retry the recipe with the same main ingredient then alter the secondary ingredient until you reach perfection. You may find you need to reverse the amounts used, making the main ingredient the secondary ingredient.

* If there is one particular ingredient you find most always works well on your hair, make it a staple for your hair recipes, adding it as a standard part of all your recipes.

* Alter the way you apply the mixes to your hair. Try dousing your hair with your Super Yogurt Surprise while your hair is drenching wet in the shower. Does it work well this way? Try another time by making it a bit more liquidy and spritz it on your dried hair with a spray bottle. Perhaps your hair responds better to this application.

* For ingredients, a general rule of thumb is if it's ok to ingest, it's probably ok to apply to your hair as well. Pureed fruit, honey, apple cider vinegar and many more items are great additions to homemade hair recipes.

* Take note of what works for you and how it worked. Some recipes may be better for clarifying while others make for great deep conditioners.

* Search and compare! If you're a little timid about applying egg whites to your hair, make use of resources available to you before doing so. Search the Internet for your particular ingredients. You just may find others who have tried the same type of recipe and enjoyed success or experienced a nightmare.

* Go beyond your kitchen! Many cities have well-stocked health food and natural stores with a huge selection of ingredients to boost your hair recipes. Experiment with essential oils (a few drops go a long way!), xanthum gum (a thickener, also known as xanthan), as well as conditioners and leave-ins you won't likely find at department stores and drug stores.

Remember, a recipe failure is a good thing. It lets you know what your hair simply does not respond to well. The worst likely thing that can happen with the use of your homemade products is the need to wash your hair again, so get creative!

Note: Use of homemade mixes for coloring of hair is not recommended.

Elle Paris is the owner of My Natural which provides no-nonsense user reviews for hundreds of products for natural hair care.

Foods for Healthy Skin

2009-03-04T02:28:00.000+07:00

There are certain foods that are very good for your skin and beauty. You need not to spend money on cosmetics when you can take cae of your skin at home in a natural way. eat the following foods for a healthy glowing skin.

Almond Oil
Almond oil is good for dryness of the skin and for removing scars of old pimples. Ground the outer cover of 3-5 almonds in with water and apply over the face daily.

Apples
Apply juice of green apples for fine wrinkles, cracked skin, itching and inflammations.

Apricots
Apply fresh juice of apricots on face good for sunburn, itching, and eczema.

Cucumber
Apply cucumber juice or grated cucumber over the face for skin eruptions.

Fenugreek
Apply a paste of fresh fenugreek leaves in water over the face every night and washed with warm water in the morning for preventing pimples, blackheads, dryness, and wrinkles.

Garlic
Rub raw garlic on the face for persistent pimples. The pimples will disappear without scars with repeated applications.

Groundnut Oil
Mix 1 tsps groundnut oil with 1 tspn fresh lime juice to prevent formation of blackheads and pimples .

Honey
Apply honey (1 tspn) mixed with water for all skin blemishes. This will turn your skin glowing.

Lime Juice
Apply fresh lime juice mixed to a glass of boiled milk as a face wash for pimples blackheads, and cracked skin.

Mint
Apply fresh mint juice over the face every night for the treatment of pimples, insect stings, eczema, scabies, & other skin infections.

Orange
Apply a paste of ground orange peel (dried) with water for acne/pimples.

Papaya
Apply and drink the juice of raw papaya including the skin and seed for treatment of swelling pimples, acne, or any abnormal growth of the skin. It also removes whiteheads, boils, and spots.
Rub raw or ripe papaya on your face to get a smooth and glowing skin.

More remedies for hair loss and thinning of hair are given at Foods for healthy skin & skin care treatment.

[Please note that this article is not a subsitute for medical advise. You have permission to publish this article in your web sites, ezines or electronic publication, as long as the piece is used in its entirety including the resource box, all hyperlinks (clickable) and references and copyright info.

This article has been written by http://www.fatfreekitchen.com

Visit the web site skin problems like, age spots, blackheads, whiteheads, dark circles under eyees and stretch marks for more hair loss remedies and natural beauty treatment.

What The Food Industries Dare Not Tell You About Vegetarian Diet!

2009-03-03T22:31:00.000+07:00

Let's face it: Healthy living healthy requires healthy diet.

Now, what constitutes a healthy diet?

You may agree or disagree, but it is proven that diet dominated mainly by fresh, all-natural vegetables and fruits are the healthiest.

Of late, more and more people have switched to vegetarian meals - as scientific research has shown the adverse effects of animal meat.

For example, it is proven that the most common cause of death in US is heart attack, and the risk of death from heart attack by average American is 50%, while the risk of death from heart attack by average American vegetarian is 15%; and only 4% recorded for an average American pure vegetarian.

This is because, as nutritionist explained, the high amount of animal fat present in meat, dairy and other animal products may be probable factors leading to increase of diabetes mellitus, obesity, colorectal cancer, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, which are some how linked to heart diseases.

What the meat, dairy and egg industries don't tell us is, besides these diseases, the following are also commonly prevented, consistently improved, and sometimes, even cured by low-fat vegetarian diet:

1. Strokes and heart disease
2. Stomach and colon cancer
3. Gallstones
4. Hypertension
5. Endometrial cancer
6. Kidney disease & stones
7. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.
8. Hypoglycemia
9. Peptic ulcers
10. Constipation
11. Hiatal hernias
12. Diverticulosis
13. Salmonellosis
14. Trichinosis
15. Osteoporosis
16. Hemorrhoids
17. Asthma
18. Irritable colon syndrome

(Sources: The Shocking Truth And Statistic About Your Food!)

Therefore, if you want to avoid these diseases, follow as what nutritionist have long supported the health benefits of high intake of fruits and vegetables.

You maybe concern that vegetarian diet is insufficient in meeting the daily nutritional requirements.

This is not quite true...

Take for example, milk producers' original ad campaign slogan is Everybody needs milk which was rebutted by the Federal Trade Commission as False, misleading and deceptive! The milk producer had to revise their campaign slogan to Milk has something for everybody.

Another case, males in US are conditioned to think food made from animal products as manly. Unfortunately, comparing men who eat meats, cheese, eggs and milk everyday, to men who eat these food sparingly or none at all, their risk in contracting prostate cancer is 3.6 times higher!

What else does the food industry keep hidden from you?

According to Who Health Organization, the recommended percentage of daily calories to be derived from protein is 4.5%; while the USDA's Food and Nutrition Board and National Research Council recommended 6% and 8% respectively.

Guess what?

The percentage of calories as protein in wheat, broccoli and rice are 17%, 45% and 8% respectively. So, do you think that vegetarian diet does not give you enough of to meet the daily nutritional requirement?

If nutritional requirement is a concern, you can plan your meals to obtain the essential nutrients in replacing those gained from meat, fish and poultry. For example, you can consume diets consist mainly of fruits, vegetables, cereals and grains. In order to replace meat products, you can use nuts, lentils, eggs, peanut butter, dry beans, and peas.

If needed to, you may take vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure adequate intakes of nutrients that may only be obtained from food made from animal products.

So, for your own health, and better living - stop believing what the food industries has lied to you. And eat more vegetables, fruits, cereals and grains today!

Janice Hoo has been doing extensive research on vegetarian diet and practices. She's now sharing her discovery in her latest e-report, The Shocking Truth And Statistics About Your Food which she's currently giving away for FREE at her site: http://www.VegetarianRecipeGuide.com.

8 Steps To A (Free) Mediterranean Diet Recipe

2009-03-03T17:56:00.001+07:00

We all like to have something we can come home to that is tasty and quick. What about something that is tasty, quick, nutritious, and slimming at the same time. You can eat it cold or warmed up if you like. You can prepare one or two of these each week and you and anyone else in your household can help themselves any time they like and you'll know it's doing them good.

I thought you may enjoy a quick little Mediterranean diet snack recipe that I enjoy and can be slapped together any time quickly as long as you have the ingredients handy. Keeps well in the fridge for days. Let me know if you like it and from time to time I'll send you more recipes.

With Fetta Cheese, Eggplant and Cashew Nuts In Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean recipe is used commonly not only in the Mediterranean diet regions but across the western world as well. It was once prepared for me, and I have been using it ever since. You can even eat it with the eggplant still warm and it still tastes great.

Here we go,

2 eggplant (diced)
250g penne pasta (any paste will do!)
3/4 small cup of olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup of freshly chopped mint leaves
black pepper
250g fetta cheese, grated coarsely or packet
100g unsalted cashews

Makes 6-8 servings
Change to: servings US Metric
30 minutes 30 mins prep

1. Soak chopped eggplant in cold salted water (around 2 tbsp salt to ? litre of water) for about ? hour.

2. Drain, rinse and dry off on a clean tea towel.

3. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the cubes until golden, remove and drain on paper kitchen towels. Place in large bowl.

4. Cook pasta as per instructions, drain, rinse and then add to the eggplant.

5. Mix (you can shake in an empty jar) olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, garlic, mint, and black pepper to taste

6. Pour over the pasta mixture and mix carefully and thoroughly.

7. Grate the cheese over the top and sprinkle your cashew nuts on top (the nuts are important to the success of this dish).

8. Enjoy

Author Ray Darken - Ray often writes for and works with The Mediterranean Diet. If this link is not working you can paste this one into your browser safe-and-easy-weightloss.com or if you'd like more news and broader access to diet and nutrition information try Diet Reviews & Tips. If this link isn't working, you can paste this one into your browser diet-reviews-and-tips.com

Great Way To Boost Fiber Intake

2009-03-02T22:46:00.001+07:00

I found a great way to increase the fiber in my diet- a far easier to swallow alternative to those those horrid fiber drinks! I figure I'd share for those that might find this helpful.

So what was my solution? Baking. Baking bread. Yes, I know- sounds great, but who in the world has the time nowadays?!! Problem #2 solved as well, thanks to my mother-in-law. She had given me an old breadmaker a while ago, but lost the instructions for it. For weeks I stared at the contraption trying to figure out how in the world it worked since it seemed impossible to find the instruction manual anywhere! Finally, I found a few recipes online and got a general idea of how much of what to use in my breadmaker and just dove into a few trial and errors. I can safely tell you it was worth the effort! I was shocked at how this thing worked- just dump in the ingredients and it does everything else. Takes about 5 minutes of my time and best of all there was no sink-full of bowls and baking pans to wash after!

For anyone concerned about eating healthy or increasing fiber in your diet I highly recommend you try this and make a nice whole wheat bread! Absolutely nothing beats knowing exactly what's in your food and the pride you feel because you made it. After doing a search around the net I found breadmakers typically range from $40-$100. Matter of fact, I think I'll consider getting another one...

I spent a little while trying to perfect a recipe that was as healthy as I could possibly get it without tasting like I was chewing on sawdust batter, and I finally got one together I'm pretty happy with it. Actually I think it's pretty darn tasty and I look forward to the mornings with a slice with a tad of cream cheese on it. (drool...) Anyway, here it is- enjoy!

1 and 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon buttermilk powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon safflower oil or sunflower oil

1/2 cup ground milled flax seed

1/2 cup oatmeal

1 and 3/4 cups wheat flour

one package of active dried yeast (.25 oz)

I just dump this all in on the wheat bread setting with a light crust on my breadmaker. After it mixes for a minutes or so I add about a tablespoon bread flour, only to help with the consistency. Then I walk away and let the breadmaker do it's magic!

You can find more articles by this author at Chambers Essentials- Our blog for beauty, health, home, and soul...

Natural Beauty ? Making Your Own Skin and Hair Treatments Is As Easy As 123

2009-03-02T16:47:00.001+07:00

The quest for beautiful skin and hair is prevalent among women. You can make inexpensive, natural beauty and hair treatments from ingredients you have in your home that will perform just as well or better than products you purchase in the store.

If you only have one natural beauty remedy in your pantry, make it Olive Oil. It's extremely versatile and can be used on every part of your body.

Olive oil is excellent for removing mascara. It's much better than petroleum jelly or baby oil and is beneficial to the skin around your eyes.

Use a few drops of olive oil in warm water for a wonderful at-home manicure. Apply your favorite lotion afterwards to lock in the moisture.

Beeswax and olive oil melted and poured into a small tin makes wonderful lip balm that will keep your lips soft and smooth. Dry feet can be healed after one night of this treatment.

Before bed, rub olive oil into your dry, cracked feet. Do not rinse. Then, put a cozy pair of socks on and go to sleep. Your feet will drink in the moisture and feel much better by morning.

Add a few drops of olive oil to your bath water for the best skin softener you can imagine. And, if you're feeling extra decadent, then add a few drops of essential oil for a natural aromatherapy bath.

A very small amount of olive oil applied to dry hair will condition and get rid of frizz. This is a great leave-in conditioner.

Olive oil can also work as a shaving cream for men with sensitive skin.

Don't buy those expensive Sea Salt Scrubs. Make your own. Just add sea salt to olive oil and you've got a sea salt scrub that will feel like heaven. Add a drop of essential oils if you'd like your scrub scented.

Please use caution when using olive oil in your bathtub as it will get quite slippery and you don't want to fall.

It is not necessary to pay a lot of money for beauty treatment products. The things you have in your very own kitchen can often be the best beauty products available.

Melissa B. Rayn loves to experiment with different homemade bath and body recipes. Her passion for creating beauty and spa recipes inspired her to share them with others at her website http://www.mybeautyrecipes.com

Trans Fat: What's That!?

2009-03-02T01:20:00.001+07:00

Learning the jargon is part of the weight loss journey. Depending on the weight loss or healthy eating program you are on, you will learn lots of things about food and their ingredients.

Even after 2 years of being in the weight loss/healthy eating path, I still learn something new everyday.

One term I became aware of recently is: Trans Fat.

Trans fat is short for trans fatty acid.

You can find it naturally in milk and animal fat, but in relatively small amounts. But most of the trans fat we consume is actually manufactured. It is made by partially hydrogenating vegetable fat.

Food manufacturers use trans fat because products last longer, and the flavour stability of foods, and there is no legal duty in countries like Australia for manufacturers to disclose its use in food labels.

That's concerning because studies show that trans fat is bad for your heart. It is actually worse than saturated fat (which manufacturers have to disclose in food labels). Countries such as Denmark have banned the sale of foods which trans fat is more than 2% of the total amount of fat. And the USA will require food manufacturers to disclose how much trans fat their food products contain.

Trans fat raises the level of bad cholesterol and lowers the leves of good cholesterol. The result? An effective recipe to increas the risk of a heart attack!

It is also related to arteriosclerosis, obesity, methabolic syndrome and diabetis.

You find it in meat pies, croissants, McNuggets and fries, cakes and buiscuits, and many other fast foods. An Australian conducted by Choice Magazine found that many of these foods would not be allowed in Denmark because of their high content of trans fat.

You can avoid trans fat to a point. Avoid deep fried fast foods, cakes and cookies, and spreads high in saturated and trans fat.

That is difficult to do if manufacturers are not required to disclose it. That's one more reason to cook your own delicious low fat recipes.

So, there you are. There is always something new to learn in your weight loss journey!

Yours in health,

Jeff, The Skinny Chef

Jeff, The Skinny Chef has a growing collection of low fat recipes and articles on healthy eating and weight loss. He writes his stuff in a friendly and informal manner to inform his visitors about his discoveries in his weight loss journey.

Visit http://www.Jeff-The-Skinny-Chef.com.

Nutrition Knowhow: Seven Simple Ways to Eat Healthier (with Strawberry Orange Sorbet Recipe)

2009-03-01T22:34:00.001+07:00

The key to better health is learning the difference between healthy and unhealthy nutrients. The choices we make greatly affect our health. Making a few simple healthy and nutritious changes in our dietary choices can have a profound and positive impact on our health, well-being, energy levels and life span. For instance . . .

? Healthy proteins provide the amino acids our bodies require to build and repair lean body mass (like muscles, skin, hair and nails), and are low in saturated fat, cholesterol and chemicals. Good sources include wild salmon, beans, legumes, soy products (tofu, tempeh, TVP), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts) and peanut butter.

? Unhealthy proteins are loaded with saturated fat, cholesterol, hormones, or antibiotics (like beef, lamb, beacon and sausage). While they give your body the needed amino acids, they also clog arteries and compromise your immune system.

? Healthy fats are unsaturated fats (mono and poly), omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Good sources of these fats include extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, ground flax seeds and walnuts. They help your body absorb fat-soluble antioxidant micronutrients like vitamins A, E, D, and K, and lycopene.

? Unhealthy fats are saturated fats and trans fatty acids (trans fats), like butter and margarine. These fats contribute to heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, hypertension and obesity.

? Healthy carbohydrates are high in fiber and are considered complex carbohydrates. Good sources include rolled oats, brown rice, whole wheat, broccoli, squash, green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, beans and whole fruit. These help lower cholesterol, aide digestion, regulate blood sugar and insulin levels, and reduce caloric intake.

? Unhealthy carbohydrates are high in sugar and are called simple carbohydrates, like candy, white bread, sodas, ice cream, cake and cookies. These spike blood sugar and insulin levels, and increase caloric intake (they are considered empty calories).

Eating nutrient-dense foods that are high in antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber help the body function optimally, promote overall well-being and improve digestion. These nutrients also help fight and prevent heart disease, cancer and diabetes, strengthens the immune system, slows the aging process, increases energy and improves cognitive performance.

Additionally, as we age our appetite lessens, making it even more critical to choose foods wisely. When every bit counts, picking foods with the highest nutritional profile is more important than ever.

An easy way to make your nutritional choices is to look for foods that are bright in color, for they usually contain more beneficial vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. For example, red and pink grapefruit have the heart-healthy cancer-fighting antioxidant phytochemical called lycopene while white grapefruit does not. Here are seven more simple ways to start eating healthier.

1. Switch from iceberg lettuce to romaine lettuce. Romaine lettuce has more vitamins and minerals like vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium and potassium. It also has more fiber than iceberg lettuce.

2. Eat brown rice instead of white rice. Brown rice naturally has more fiber and riboflavin, and less sugars than white rice. It is digested slower and is more filling.

3. Switch from white bread to whole-wheat or whole-grain bread. Whole-wheat and whole-grain breads have more fiber, iron and potassium. Slice per slice, they are more filling and satisfying than white bread.

4. Drink iced teas (black, green and herbal) instead of sodas. Black, green and herbal teas provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that enhance your health. Unlike sodas, you can control the sugar content when brewing your own iced teas.

5. Choose whole-grain or whole-wheat cereals with bran instead of sugar-coated cereals. Whole-grain cereals and whole-wheat cereals with bran naturally have more protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin than sugar frosted cereals. Besides having less sugar, they are metabolized slower and are more filling. So you have more energy during the day and you will not get hungry right away.

6. Switch from cows milk to fortified soymilk. Soymilk contains no cholesterol or hormones, and is extremely low in saturated fat. It also provides isoflavones and other beneficial phytochemicals that promote good health. Fortified soymilks also contain easy to absorb calcium, vitamins D and B6, and some even add extra antioxidants (like vitamins A, C, and E), folate and omega-3.

7. For dessert, have frozen fruit sorbet instead of ice cream. Frozen fruit sorbet is fat and cholesterol free and has more fiber. It is also loaded with antioxidant vitamins A and C, and contains beneficial phytochemicals.

To get you started, try Monique N. Gilbert's deliciously nutritious homemade sorbet recipe. It's cholesterol-free, and high in antioxidants, phytochemicals and fiber.

Strawberry Orange Sorbet

1-1/2 cups frozen strawberries

1/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup fortified soymilk

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon honey

Blend in a food processor or blender for 1-2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Place in the freezer until ready to serve. Makes about 2 servings

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. is a Health, Nutrition, Weight-Loss & Lifestyle Coach; Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness Counselor; Recipe Developer; Freelance Writer and Author of Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook. She has offered guidance in natural health, nutrition, fitness, weight-loss, and stress management since 1989.

Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc. has received international recognition for helping people get healthy, manage stress, lose weight and keep it off. Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates and teaches how to improve your well-being, vitality, and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity, and healthy living. For more information or to contact Monique, visit her website - http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com/

The Importance Of Following And Maintaining A Diabetic Diet

2009-03-01T19:43:00.001+07:00

A diabetic diet is a specially designed eating plan that is high in carbohydrates and low in fat. People with diabetes don't need to go out and purchase special foods to maintain a diabetic diet, they can eat the same foods as the whole family. A healthy diet based on the diabetes food pyramid is beneficial to diabetics and non-diabetics alike.

Making healthy food choices is not so hard. All it takes is a little bit of planning to include all your favorite foods. But first, you need to understand the basics of a diabetic diet.

A diabetes diet or meal plan should be based on the specially designed diabetic food pyramid. The diabetes food pyramid groups foods based on their carbohydrate and protein content and not on how they classify as a food. Foods are divided into six groups, with fats, oils and sweets on the very top (so eat less of these) and bread, cereals, pasta and rice on the bottom (so eat more of these).

Breads, cereals and the like are foods that are high in carbohydrates. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) suggests 6-11 servings per day. Sample servings are: 1 slice of bread; ? cup dry cereal or 1/3 cup of rice or pasta.

Vegetables should also be eaten in plenty as they are naturally low in fat and a high in fibre, not to mention vitamins and minerals. The ADA suggests eating 3-5 servings per day. A sample serving is 1 cup of vegetables (raw) or ? cup (cooked). Fruits are also recommended, so add about 2-4 servings, which translates to about 1 small fresh fruit or ? cup canned fruit. Eat a little less of meat and beware of foods like potato chips, candy, cookies, which have high levels of sugar and fat.

Your fat and sugar intake should be limited. The ADA suggests keeping servings very small (sample serving size is ? cup of ice cream or 2 small cookies) and to keep them for a special treat.

A quick Internet search for Diabetes diet or Cooking for people with diabetes brings up numerous dietary suggestions in the form of recipe books to buy and have at home or online diet recipes which you can print out and use. The ADA has a Recipe of the Day section with lots of great ideas targeted at those living with diabetes or friends of diabetics. As for books, the ADA recommends Mr. Food's Quick and Easy Diabetic Cooking and Nancy S. Hughes's Quick & Easy Low-Carb Cooking for People with Diabetes.

The right plan will help diabetics improve blood glucose levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and keep weight balanced. To complement your diet, add regular exercise to your lifestyle to help your body use glucose.

Dean Erickson. Journalist, and web site builder Dean Erickson lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.diabetes-diet-resources.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

10 Ways To Sneak Some Extra Fruits and Vegetables In Your Family's Diet

2009-03-01T16:00:00.001+07:00

We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren?t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they?d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we?ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to ?sneak? some extra vegetables and fruits in your family?s diet.

1.Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won?t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

2.Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child?s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband?s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.

3.Add some fruits and vegetables to your family?s sandwiches. You can add some banana, sliced apples or strawberry slices to a peanut butter sandwich. Top a turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and anything else they will eat. You can even make a sub shop style vegetable sandwich by combining several different vegetables with some mayonnaise and cheese on bread.

4.Have a salad bar at dinner. Set out a variety of chopped vegetables, some cheese and croutons as well as several choices of salad dressing along with the lettuce and let everybody create their own perfect salad.

5.Let them drink their fruits and vegetables. Keep an assortment of fruit and vegetable juices in the fridge and encourage everyone to drink them as a snack. Get creative. You could start ?family cocktail hour? by pouring everybody a glass of his or her favorite juice over ice. Add some straws, cocktail umbrellas and sit together to talk about how everybody?s day went.

6.Try this for dessert. Put a small scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt in a bowl and top it with lots of fresh or frozen fruit.

7.Offer fruits and vegetables as snacks. You can cut apples into slices and top them with peanut butter or cheese. Cube cheese and serve with grapes. Cut up some fresh veggies and serve them with ranch dip. And of course there?s ants on a log. Spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the inside of a stick of celery and sprinkle raisins on it (wow, fruit and vegetable in one snack).

8.Try some new fruits and vegetables. Pick something exotic to get your family?s curiosity. With a little luck their curiosity will outweigh their initial apprehension to trying something new. You could try artichokes, plantains, papaya, mango, star fruit, or anything else you can find in the produce department of your local store.

9.Make a pot of vegetable soup or a stew that?s heavy on veggies and easy on the meat. Both of these make some great comfort food when the weather gets cold.

10.Start ?My Veggie Day?. Each family member gets to pick a vegetable one day of the week. They qualify to pick a vegetable as long as they tried each vegetable the week before, otherwise they loose a turn and Mom gets to pick.

Incorporate a few of these ideas and you will have everyone in your family eating more fruits and vegetables in no time.

Here is another tip:
Now that everyone in the family has gotten a taste for it, make sure you always have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies available and ready to snack on.

Susanne Myers together with Christine Steendahl, owns and publishes the Healthy Menu Mailer. Each week, we provide you with 7 dinner recipes. Sign up for a free sample menu of Healthy Recipes.

Acid Reflux Recovery Diet and Recipes

2009-02-27T12:50:00.003+07:00

Curing oneself of the condition called acid reflux can be accomplished by using natural, healthy methods. I suffered from this condition for years, taking harmful, expensive PPI drugs (proton inhibitors), which only masked the symptoms. These drugs, not only had myriad side effects, but became ineffective over time. I was forced to find another answer. I wanted to cure myself without the use of drugs. My doctor was no help. He didn?t have a clue about natural healing and nutrition. After a great deal of research I discover that with the proper use of herbs, health store items, meditation, exercise and diet, one can heal themselves of acid reflux.

The first thing that I learned is that acid reflux, sometimes called gerd (gastro esophageal reflux disease), is not a disease at all. Contrary to what the medical community would have us believe, it is simply a condition, brought on by poor eating habits. Besides eating the wrong foods, not chewing food properly is probably the root cause of this ailment.

The Acid reflux condition would not exist without a damaged esophagus and a weakened LES (lower esophageal sphincter). If the condition is to be eliminated, healing the esophagus must be the first order of business.

During this reflux recovery period, eating anything which could irritate or damage the esophagus, must be avoided. Things like poorly chewed chips, crackers, cereal or any hard foods with sharp edges are culinary culprits - they cause little lacerations to develop in the esophagus. Until the lacerations have had a chance to heal, spicy foods, such as acidic tomato products, hot peppers, raw garlic and raw onions should also be eliminated from the diet. They just further irritate the condition. Smoking and drinking alcohol relax the LES, allowing stomach acid to splash up into the esophagus, thus impeding the healing process.

The key to acid reflux recovery is to eat only mild, easy to digest food until the esophagus has healed. Eat early, giving yourself at least three hours of sitting or walking time before lying down. Eat slowly and chew your food completely. And last, but not least, try to eat in a relaxed, pleasant environment.

I have listed a few of my favorite recipes that I enjoyed during my own recovery period. They can be made quickly and easily. Try doubling these recipes so that you can reheat them later in the week?..less time in the kitchen. Remember that cooking from scratch, instead of relying on convenience foods, is a better approach to good health, in general. It is also nice to know what you are really eating.

For breakfast, I believe that fresh fruit is the best way to go. I especially like melon and papaya. For lunch I eat more fruit like apples, bananas and, perhaps some almonds, or walnuts. It?s better to eat many little healthy meals during the day. I try to buy only organic fruits, however, sometimes when I am rushed, I purchase ?ready to go? containers of mixed fruit at the grocery store. Try to stay away from pineapple, as I find it hard to digest.

How about starters in the evening? Serving vegetables raw is the ultimate healthy way to present them.

Try creating a beautiful platter of crudit? (crew di tay) better known as elegant rabbit food. Serve it with a savory tofu dip. Use cauliflower, broccoli, English cucumbers, radishes, green & yellow zucchinis, Belgium endive, carrot sticks, whole small mushrooms, or whatever appeals to you. Cut the vegetables in bite size pieces for dipping. The Belgium endive is a natural edible scoop for dipping. Just cut off the ends and peel off the leaves.

Make the tofu dip by putting one package of soft or silken tofu in a food processor or blender, adding garlic powder, cumin, paprika and chopped chives or parsley for flavor and color. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add a little fresh squeezed lemon juice if the mixture is too thick. Process until smooth and creamy. If you are in a rush, ready made dips and raw vegetable platters are available in the produce sections of most supermarkets, but make a concerted effort to eat only organic, if possible.

I hope that you enjoy the following dishes. Even though I have cured myself of acid reflux, I still cook these recipes on a regular basis. I prefer food slightly under cooked. Feel free to adjust the cooking times and seasonings to your own taste.

Bon appetite!

Saut?ed White Fish On A Bed Of Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is for one serving. Increase the ingredients for additional servings as needed.

One 4oz filet of white fish (orange roughly, sole, turbot, flounder, etc)
One med. Potato
Steamed green vegetable such as broccoli, spinach, peas or asparagus
Parsley or chives for garnish
? tbsp unsalted butter, olive oil or Pam

We will start with the potatoes because they take the longest to cook and they tend to retain their heat the longest. The fish and vegetable take only minutes to cook.

Peel and cube potato. Place in cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, and then simmer until fork tender. Drain, leaving just enough cooking liquid for mashing or whipping. You may also use the vegetable broth (recipe below) instead. Add salt to taste. Hold in a warm place.

Season fish with salt and pepper to taste. Place non-stick saut? pan over med high heat. Add butter, oil or spray with Pam. When not quite smoking, add fish. Cook two minutes, turn and cook other side for two minutes, or until the filet is light brown and cooked through. If the filet is very thin, one minute on each side may be enough. (You can broil or bake the fish if desired)

Serve fish on top of mashed potatoes, surrounded by the steamed vegetables. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Vegetable Broth

This broth is very alkaline and rich in minerals. It can be served as a simple soup, or used as a stock (as above) for cooking. Cook and save the potatoes and beets to use as a vegetable side dish or to add to soup.

2 cups red skinned potato peelings
3 cups celery stalk
2 cups celery tops
2 cups beet tops
1 small zucchini or yellow squash
2 cups carrots
One small onion
Sprig of parsley
2 ? quarts distilled water

Chop all vegetables into very fine pieces. Place in water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Strain & refrigerate for future use.

Note: By cooking pearled barley in the finished broth with the addition of chopped vegetables, one can prepare a healthy soup for a first course.

Pasta Primavera

Primavera means ?spring? in Italian. This pasta dish offers a great opportunity to use all the wonderful fresh spring vegetables at your disposal. However, you can make this dish anytime of the year by using whatever fresh vegetables you can find at your food market. I have chosen a mixture of vegetables that I happen to love, for this recipe. You can use these or replace them with your favorites. During the reflux healing period, try to stay away from tomatoes, raw onions and raw garlic. I have included garlic in this recipe (*see note regarding roasted garlic). If you can tolerate a little garlic, then make sure to cook it well at a low temperature, without browning it. If you want to be a bit daring, you can add the optional cup of heavy cream. You may substitute parsley for the basil and the penne regatta for fettuccini, or another pasta. The whole family can enjoy this classic pasta dish.

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup baby peas
1 cup sliced asparagus spears
1 cup snow peas or sugar snaps
2 cloves garlic finely chopped or roasted
1 lb. penne regatta
1 tsp. salt
3 tbsp extra virgin, first cold pressed olive oil
? cup shredded basil
? cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
? cup heavy cream (optional)

Place a steamer basket in a pot with a small amount of water and bring to the boil. Place vegetables in basket, cover and steam until tender (about 4 minutes). Rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking and preserve the color, and drain.

To a large pot of boiling water, add salt and the penne regatta. Cook uncovered according to the instructions on box, preferably al dente.

Meanwhile in a large saut? pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook at a low flame for a couple of minutes (do not brown). Add the steamed vegetables and optional heavy cream and raise the heat to medium. Cook just enough to heat.

Drain the pasta and add to the saut? pan and mix well.

Sprinkle with Parmigianino Reggiano, and shredded basil. Heat the dish thoroughly and serve. If the dish needs more salt, use extra cheese instead, at the table. Serve this dish with a heart of romaine salad with lemon chive dressing (recipe below)

* Note: It takes more than two cloves of roasted garlic, for this recipe. On a sheet of alluminium foil place two heads of garlic and cut the stem end off with a knife. Drizzle a little olive oil over them and wrap tightly. Bake in a 400 degree oven for one hour. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic, into a bowl, discarding the shells. Mash well with a fork.

Another use for roasted garlic is my version of pesto sauce. I use walnuts instead of pine nuts, which I find indigestible, with the roasted garlic and basil. Use whatever proportion you like and drizzle first pressed, extra virgin olive oil into the blender. If your sauce is too thin, adjust with more walnuts, basil and garlic. If it is too thick, use more olive oil. This is all a matter of taste. Serve with your favorite pasta. I prefer linguini or fettuccini.

Lemon chive salad dressing

This is a simple, yet classic vinaigrette for green salads. Use heart of Romaine, Boston or Bipp lettuce. Make this dressing and hour or so before serving, in order that the chive flavor is fully incorporated. Remember to toss well before serving. The advantage here is using lemon juice, instead of vinegar. I find that lemon juice becomes alkaline after being ingested.

1 lemon juiced
Sea salt (pinch)
3 tbsp. extra fine sugar
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
6 tbsp. minced chives (you can?t have too many)
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine lemon juice, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Continue whisking in the olive oil, chives and several grinds of pepper. Keep whisking until dressing is emulsified.

(Note: You can make this dressing for two by reducing the lemon juice to two tbsp. and the other ingredients by 1/3.) Keep left over dressing in a jar in fridge for future use. It will keep for about a week.

Savory Lentils with Texmati Brown Rice

1 lb of organic lentils (2 ? cups), rinsed
8 cups water or stock
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme, or ? tsp dried
Organic Texmati brown rice (follow instructions on package)

To a large pot bring water and lentils to a boil. Add other ingredients. Reduce to the simmer, partially covered. Cook until tender (about 20 to 30 minutes), stirring occasionally and adding more liquid as needed.. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve over organic Texmati brown rice. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with a light green salad, dressed with the lemon chive dressing above.

Baked Chicken Breasts on Mushroom Caps with steamed broccoli and new potatoes

6 chicken breasts (either bone in or halves with skin on)
1 tsp dried thyme
Olive oil
6 large Portobello mushrooms (or enough smaller mushrooms to cover the bottom of the baking pan)
1 tbsp minced garlic
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups dry white wine or dry vermouth
? cup fresh chopped parsley

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Into a lightly oiled baking pan, large enough to hold chicken breasts, arrange mushrooms gill side down. Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt & pepper. Pour wine over mushrooms. Place chicken breasts skin side up over mushrooms and brush with olive oil.

Bake uncovered about 20 minutes, until the breasts are golden brown. If the wine has evaporated during the cooking process, add a little more (for those of you who can?t tolerate alcohol, keep in mind that it burns off during the cooking process, leaving only the flavor).

Baste the breasts with the pan juices and turn over. Cook until breasts are completely done and springy to the finger, about 15 minutes more.

With a slotted spoon, place the chicken and mushrooms on a platter, mushrooms on the bottom and breasts on top, skin side up. Skim off excess fat and spoon juices over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with steamed broccoli and boiled new potatoes. (Substitute brown rice for potatoes, if desired)

Stir fried shrimp and vegetables
Served over millet, brown rice or quinoa

3 tbsp Canola oil
1lb. raw medium peeled shrimp
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
2 tbsp Garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 cup cold vegetable broth (see recipe above), mixed with 2tbsps, cornstarch
1 package of organic millet

Into a hot wok or saut? pan pour oil until just smoking Add vegetables and stir constantly to cook al dente Add shrimp and continue to stir until just turning pink Add broth and cover for a couple of minutes until shrimp is almost done Uncover and add cornstarch mixture, stir until thickened and turn off heat Serve over millet cooked according to package instructions Season to taste with tamari light soy sauce

Note: This dish must be done very quickly, as you don?t want to over cook the shrimp or the vegetables. I have chosen Millet because it is an extremely alkaline grain. It is neutral in taste and will absorb the flavors of this dish. You may substitute brown rice instead.

For more information about healing acid reflux the natural way, go to:www.refluxgoneforever.com

Charles Stewart Richey is a self-educated expert on how to cure acid reflux disease, by natural means.

He has written an extensive report entitled, ?REFLUX GONE FOREVER?, Natural Acid Reflux Remedies?. He explains how the proper application of herbs, health store items, meditation, diet and exercise, can heal acid reflux, gerd and heartburn.

For more information go to http://www.refluxgoneforever.com

Raw Food Diet ? Eat Yourself Healthy

2009-02-27T12:50:00.001+07:00

Eating raw foods is natural. Our bodies thrive on all that is fresh and vital. A raw food diet (or increasing the amount of raw food that you eat) is bound to bring a feeling of increased wellbeing.

Raw food diets are based on unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, preferably organic, such as a variety of fresh fruits and vegies, nuts, seeds, grains, dried fruit, fresh juices and purified water.

Why Raw Foods?

Basically a vegetarian diet, the raw food diet promotes eating and drinking ?living? foods. Living foods and juices contain the maximum amount of fibre found in raw produce, fibre that can be lost in processing. Such foods are easily metabolised and tend to be lower in calories than the average diet.

Heating food above 116?F destroys enzymes in food that aid in digestion and in absorption of food, diminishing its nutritional value.

Benefits of a Raw Food Diet

A diet of at least 75% raw food offers numerous health benefits, such as increased energy, improved skin appearance, better digestion, weight loss and reduced risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

A raw food diet contains little or no saturated fats, is low in sodium, high in potassium, magnesium, folate and fibre. Raw food diets are also excellent detox diets. Different combinations of raw, living foods and juices can be used for colon cleansing, liver cleansing, kidney cleansing and skin cleansing.

The Basics of a Raw Food Diet

Any fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, beans, nuts, legumes, young coconut milk ? even seaweed ? can be menu items of a raw food diet. Your choice of foods may depend on your reasons for dieting, for example:

- sprouted brown rice slows glucose absorption and improves the metabolism

- cabbage supports healthy cellular function; radish leaves act as an anti-oxidant, as does Shitake mushroom

-carrots are a great source of vitamin A as well as encouraging healthy vision and a healthy cardio-vascular system

You can use a sprouter such as the Easy Green automatic sprouter to sprout seeds, grains, beans ? even wheatgrass. Sprouts could be called a ?super food? ? organic sprouts contain enormous levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, chlorophyll pigments and enzymes, and are the ideal natural supplement.

Sprouts can be used in salads and soups, or can be juiced. Fresh juices are a great ready energy supply and a good quality juicer, such as the Kempo Greenpower juicer, produces living juices that are full of essential nutrients.

A great juicing recipe to complement a raw food diet is carrot juice with potato, fennel and apple. Simply juice 4 medium carrots, 2 apples, 1 small potato and 1 small stalk of fennel.

Fennel has been shown to reduce and control inflammation of arthritis, it evens mood fluctuation and depressive states and has the rare nutrient called manganese, plus zinc and vitamin B complex.

The nutritional value of grains and seeds is impressive. They contain most of the vitamins ? particularly A, B, and E. They?re also fantastic natural sources of unsaturated fatty acids and lecithin, and an excellent source of proteins.

You can even use soy milk makers (such as SoyQuick) to make non-dairy drinks from different beans, rice, nuts, seeds and grains to have with breakfast. If you want something a little more substantial than soy milk you can make your tofu (or, of course, visit a good health food shop).

Essentially, the idea of a raw food diet is to eat unprocessed foods for at least 75% of the time. If the idea of raw food isn?t very appetising to you, you can warm the food a little as long as the food isn?t heated above 116?F.

Cautionary Note

As with any major change in diet, it?s wise idea to consult your doctor before beginning a special diet. This is especially true for children, pregnant women, anyone with anemia and anyone with a pre-existing medical condition.

Even natural foods can conflict with certain medications, so please ask your doctor or pharmacist if you?re taking any medication.

Because a raw food diet is detoxifying some people suffer a mild detox reaction including mild headaches, nausea and cravings. These symptoms may last for several days and you?ll get more enjoyment out of your raw food diet if you cut down on things like meat, sugar and caffeine a week or so before commencing the diet.

Last But Not Least?

A raw food diet is certainly a good way to improve your overall health and wellbeing. Like anything worthwhile it takes time, energy and commitment. Because many of the foods for this particular type of diet are made from scratch there is some preparation time involved. There are many great products on the market that can help you prepare your own living food and save you some time as well.

Combined with regular exercise, a raw food diet is also an excellent weight loss method. If you?ve been feeling ?a little off?, or just need a pick-me-up and some extra energy, then a raw food diet is certainly a good way to go.

Resources

Written by Sara Schell.
spellcastadvertising@yahoo.com.au

For more information on healthy dieting or to view Vitality4Life?s excellent range of healthy lifestyle accessories visit http://www.vitality4lifeshop.com.au/index.php.

Weight Loss Tips Healthy Breakfast Boosts Metabolism

2009-02-27T12:40:00.001+07:00

We've all known for some time that breakfast is an integral part of the day. Now research has shown that, regardless of physical activity, eating high fibre cereal in the morning at least three times a week leads to having a lower body mass index. This study followed 2,300 teenage girls over ten years, and was conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in the US.

One reason people skip breakfast is because they are trying to reduce their overall calorie intake. Whilst its important not to eat too many excess calories, having breakfast, even if its a simple smoothie, or a couple of pieces of fruit, will reduce the urge to snack on chocolate or other unhealthy options, as well as improving your performance at work and reducing fatigue. Sometimes its not just the overall calorie intake, but the types of foods we eat as well. Grab a couple of carrots instead of some toast - not only will you be getting fiber, but the phytochemicals such as carotene and other vitamins will help you get the most out of your body and your day. And if you're a bit disorganized with buying fruit and vegetables, visit the local fruit street vendor on the way to your local coffee shop before work. It beats a muffin nutritionally.

And for the final word on going overboard with calorie restriction, recent research found that even though mice will live up to 50% longer by eating less, humans don't. The most having a low calorie diet over your life would do is extend your time span on this earth by 7%.

Physiologically, having breakfast will in fact boost your metabolism. And its certainly a cheaper way to do that than investing in a bottle of diet pills.

A couple of tips for parents and expecting mothers. Early research has suggested that those mothers who eat excessively (think Britney Spears) have children who are more prone to being overweight by the time they are toddlers. This sets up food difficulties from a young age. And beware of teenagers or children who develop poor eating habits, combined with sedentary activities like playing playstation or xbox games too much, and watching television at the expense of even non-athletic activities like having a job or joining school clubs. These kids will have a greater tendency of growing into overweight or obese adults.

One key to integrating changes in your diet, whether with the goal of losing weight, or simply being more healthy, is to add variety. Its easy to get into a food rut, stuck for something tasty to eat that is also going to support our goals. Planning ahead, and doing a little research, can be one way of mitigating those moments when the urge to grab something unhealthy is driven by both hunger and unappetizing dishes.

Following are three breakfast recipes that will add a little variety to that all important meal, as well as supplying essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber.

Delicious Tropical Muesli
Serves 2 to 4. Preparation time - 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Muesli - 100gm
Wheat flakes- 50gm
Apple - peeled and grated - 1no
Low Fat or Skim Fruit Yogurt- 500gm
Mango - peeled and cut into strips - 1no
Passion fruit - pulp of 2
Flaked almonds, toasted - 11/2 tsp

Preparation

Mix together muesli, wheat, apple and half the yogurt in a bowl and refrigerate covered overnight. Divide it into four serving bowls. Top evenly with remaining yogurt, mango, passion fruit pulp and flaked almonds and serve.

Choose plain low-fat yogurt for the fewest calories. Fruit and flavored products have extra calories. Nonfat yogurt sweetened with artificial sweetener is an option for dieters. Plain yogurt is the best choice for cooking.

Terrific Mango
Serves 2. Preparation time - 10 minutes.

Ingredients

Mango- peeled and chopped -125 gram
Chopped pineapple - 1 no
Papaya- peeled and chopped- 125 gram
Kiwi fruits - chopped- 2 no
Tropical fruit juice - 150 ml
Honey- 2 tablespoon

Preparation

Mix all the fruit pieces together and pour the fruit juice and honey on top. This is an excellent dish to start your day.

Summer Special Salad
Serves 4. Preparation time - 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Water melon - 1 no (medium size)
Tomato - ? kg
Celery - 20 gram
Orange -4 no
Grapes -100 gram
Pineapple (chopped) - 1 cup
Raisins - 12 no
Salt and pepper - to taste

Salad Dressing

Salad oil - 6 tsp
Mustard -2tsp
Chopped onion - 2 no
Pepper - 2tsp
Sugar -1 tsp

Blend all the ingredients for the salad dressing in a mixer.

Preparation

Chop all the fruits and vegetables. Take the pulp out of the watermelon and put all the chopped fruits and tomatoes into the outer covering of the watermelon. Pour the salad dressing on top. Garnish with raisins. Serve chilled.

Eating fruit and vegetables raw gives you many of their vitamins undiminished by cooking processes. It also means you get enzymes which are great for helping the digestive process. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C and is also one of the few sources of lycopene, others being tomatoes, red grapefruit and guava. Lycopene is a particularly effective antioxidant.

Rebecca Prescott runs a natural health website that includes articles on green tea weight loss, cla for weight loss, and reviews of the atkins and zone diets.

Why the HAPPY DIET Works

2009-02-27T00:35:00.001+07:00

Understanding why and how the happy diet works.

There is a simple explanation and that being is you get to choose what you want to eat. Most diets today prove to be very stressful for many men and women in their quest to lose weight. This is because they are following instructions from others on what they should and should not be eating. How do these people know? What tickles your fancy?

Discover how the happy diet can work for you, what is the happy diet you ask. It is a diet carefully devised by youself with all the things that you like to eat. You get to choose your own meats fresh fruit and vegetables

Diets definitely work if you adhere to all the rules, break them then no results. Now let us get cracking on a diet that makes sense and guaranteed to put a smile on your face Just imagine your own diet with all the juicy ingredients and succulent meats that suit your palette

Always consult a doctor if you are thinking about dieting or exercising as we individuals all differ in many ways.

A little research on daily intake of carbohydrate protein and fat is an important factor when devising your own diet. I suggest you browse magazines or approach slimming informational centres to find out about your chosen foods.

Find a list of all the foods that you know you are going to enjoy using in your recipes and that are good for helping you to shed those excess pounds. Then narrow it down to the ones that you want to have on your menu.

This part of the happy diet can prove to be very educational and fun to say the least. People accept diets and all the ingredients. This way you get to delve more intimately into the choices you have made for your own personal plan.

After checking all the important factors as in i.e. consulting the doctor and daily intake of fats etc. we are now ready for the physical side of things. A few ideas to help speed up the process (exercise) try dancing round the kitchen table with the kids they make think you are mad but who cares you are on a mission to find the new you. Spring clean not once a week maybe twice. This will help hurry things along and into the bargain a cleaner house. Remember this is your plan so do it when it suits you. Results will only come if you stick to what you started out to do.

Walking a great form of exercise, why not consider salsa lessons it all helps. Do not expect results over night

For starters (Excuse the pun) throw out the frying pan. Less grease on the plate to lose weight Grilling with out a doubt is a far healthier and tastier option.

Cut down (YES) cut out (NO) you can still nibble on little goodies. Just cut down? Watch where others go wrong, most diets of course will not work if the rules are broken. Now why would you want to break the rules on the happy diet when all that is on the menu was chosen by you? (It makes sense)

Consulting a dietician is a good idea for information. Joining a book club may also prove to be priceless in your quest. Make your own recipes to suit your own taste buds.

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Hi Kacy is my name and I hope you find this information on planning your own dietary plan useful. A happy diet means a happy person, therefore a lot of smiling people!

Obesity How It Affects Your Health

2009-02-25T00:55:00.001+07:00

1. Carrying around excess body fat will decrease your energy level. Having just 10 lbs. of excess body fat is like carrying around a 10-lb. bag of lard.

2. Your heart has to work overtime to support the extra weight. Obesity has a harmful effect on your entire cardiovascular system. Your cardiovascular system includes your heart, your lungs, and all of your arteries and veins.

3. You may develop breathing problems. For example, sleep apnea is a breathing problem that causes you to stop breathing for short instances during sleep. Sleep apnea can also cause snoring.

4. Extra weight will take a toll on your joints. Obesity has also been linked to gout, which is when uric acid that cannot be excreted collects in the joints of the toes.

5. Obesity can cause infertility.

6. Type 2 Diabetes has been linked to obesity.

7. Extra weight will put you at a higher risk for certain types of cancer. Obese men have a higher risk of developing colon, rectum, or prostate cancer. Obese women have a higher risk of developing gallbladder, breast, uterine, cervical, or ovarian cancer.

8. Being overweight and obesity are associated with increased risks of gall bladder disease, incontinence, increased surgical risk, and depression.

9. Obesity can affect the quality of life through limited mobility and decreased physical endurance as well as through social, academic, and job discrimination.

10. Being overweight may have an effect on your self-esteem that, in turn, will have a negative effect on your overall health.

The Sad Statistics about Obesity

If you are overweight or obese you are certainly not alone. Obesity is a serious degenerative disorder whose severity rate is as lethal as most plagues.

Obesity is just as deadly as smoking, AIDS or any other of the slow deaths that are caused by contemporary afflictions.

The value of examining statistics is that it can help you predict your own likelihood of developing obesity in your life time or how you may have developed it as a result of gender, age, race, geographical location or other predisposing factors.A look at the following statistics will show you. Not only is the world round, it is also fat!

The Prevalence of Obesity

39.8 million American adults or more than 57% of North American adults are overweight (American Medical Association).

More than 60 percent of Americans aged 20 years and older are overweight. One-quarter of American adults are also obese (American Medical Association).

Over 300 million adults are estimated to be overweight worldwide (WHO World Health Report, 2003).

11% of children are obese in the USA (World Heart Federation Fact-Sheet, 2002).

50% of women aged 20 to 74 are overweight or obese in the US (The National Women?s Health Information Center).

Statistics about Men 24.1% of men aged 20-34 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

25.2% of men aged 35-44 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

30.1% of men aged 45-54 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

32.9% of men aged 55-64 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

33.4% of men aged 65-74 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

20.4% of men aged over 75 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

Statistics about Women

Obesity prevalence statistics by age group for women in the USA:

25.8% of women aged 20-34 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

33.9% of women aged 35-44 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

38.1% of women aged 45-54 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

43.1% of women aged 55-64 are obese in the US 1999-2000 (Health United States, 2003, NCHS)

If you believe these figures are concerning and would like to consider a path of safe and easy weight loss then you should think and act carefully today. Remember, today is a gift...that's why it's called the present! What you do today will decided how successful you are with your health and weight loss decisions.

Brighten Up Dull & Tired Skin

2009-02-25T00:46:00.000+07:00

As we grow older and are constantly exposed to the UV rays of the sun our skin starts to appear dry and dull. This is the result of the outside layer of the skin getting excessive build up and is not exfoliated on a regular basis. Build-up is especially noticed after we have spent the summer in the sun. It?s more apparent to women since we realize that our make-up doesn't look as fresh and our foundation begins to fade within a couple of hours. Our make-up and foundation is actually being absorbed into the accumulated dead skin cells, which gives a very tired and unhealthy look to the skin.

To keep your skin vibrant and healthy on a regular basis, you must have a regimen that incorporates exfoliation and nourishing the skin. Your regular skin care program does not have to be a department store or drug store solution. You can prepare an all nature skin care program right from your kitchen table and manage to get the same results if not better results that your store bought product promises.

Exfoliation:

You should exfoliate at least 2-3 times per week (daily is even better) to keep the skin?s healthy glow. One solution for exfoliating the skin in an in expensive way is to use sugar. Yes, Sugar! Glycolic acid which is found in most AHA (alpha hydroxyl acid) products is from sugar cane. You can benefit from glycolic acid by using sugar for exfoliation.

Simply mix ? to 1 teaspoon of sugar in with a small amount of your favorite skin cleanser. Wet your face and massage the cleanser/sugar mixture over your face for 1-2 minutes. Rinse your face with lukewarm water to remove this mixture and you will instantly feel a difference in your skin.

Nourish:

Give your skin a refreshing drink with a simple nourishing facial mask. The ingredients are powerful and can be found in your kitchen. Combine one or more main ingredient with a liquid ingredient for to make a wonderful facial mask. Base your ingredient choices on the health properties of each item.

Base Ingredient:

Honey ? It is a humectant (which draws in moisture) and it has antibacterial qualities that also stimulates and smoothes the skin.
Mango - Provides natural fruit enzymes which also exfoliates the skin and the oil in mangos help moisturize.
Avocado - A naturally rich moisturizer has essential fats and oils.
Oatmeal ? Moisturizing and slightly exfoliating

Liquid Ingredient:

Milk ? Enzymes and Lactose acid to exfoliate and milk fat to condition the skin.
Aloe Vera Gel ? Healing and softening.
Egg White ? tightening and conditioning.

You will want to follow your treatments with your favorite hypoallergenic moisturizer. For best results, these treatments can be done 2-3 times a week to help keep your skin youthful and vibrant.

Danielle Sims explored her library of alternative health, herbal books, and aromatherapy books and created a blueprint for making her own body wrap formulas at home. Now she offers this information in an e-book entitled Wrap Yourself Slim: Body Wrap Exposed. Monthly newsletter is also available at her web site. For more information go to Body Wraps Exposed

Lavender Essential Oil ? Recipe Ideas for the Handmade Cosmetic Crafter

2009-02-20T22:26:00.000+07:00

When it comes to manufacturing handmade cosmetics one ingredient no crafter should be without is lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) posses antibacterial proprieties, is gentle to both dry and oily skin, and has the ability to relieve such conditions as muscle pain, insomnia, headaches, burns, bug bites, eczema, psoriasis, and acne making it the most versatile of essential oils. It is also one of the few essential oils that can be used as a middle or top note in perfume due to its fresh, floral smell and affordable price.

Here are a few recipe ideas for using lavender in handmade cosmetics:

Salves, Ointments, and Balms: Lavender blended with neem seed oil or comfrey root powder produces a salve that soothes itching caused by insect bites, bruises, burns, and even diaper rash. Add cinnamon and clove for a pain relieving muscle rub ointment. Use lavender by itself as a gardener?s salve to help chapped hands or as a temple balm to aid in falling asleep and to quell headaches.

Hair Care Products: Blend lavender with apple cider vinegar and nettle herbs for a normal-to-dry hair rinse. You can also try combing rosemary, peppermint, and lavender essential oils along with jojoba and oat extract, which produce a very effective scalp oil treatment.

Bath and Body Care Products: Add lavender to toners, facial creams, and body lotions to combat acne or dry skin conditions. Lavender essential oil combined with dried lavender buds, dead sea salt, Epsom salt, and powdered milk make for a lovely bath salt recipe. Blend jojoba with rose geranium, lavender, sandalwood, and vanilla for a sweet and sexy feminine perfume oil.

Soaps: Try adding tea tree and lavender essential oils to opaque melt and pour soap base along with pumice (sprinkled at the bottom of your soap mold) for a deodorizing and exfoliating soap bar.

A word of caution, due to their volatility, research any essential oil, and always do a skin patch test before use.

Mindy Schwartz is a writer for the handmade beauty industry, as well as, the owner of a handmade bath and body business called Grayson?s Apothecary of Beauty. For more information, go online to http://www.graysonsco.com

Friends Like These Will Do More For You in a Heart Beat Without Putting Up Any Argument Whatsoever

2009-02-19T10:53:00.001+07:00

Who is your true friend?

Is it one who comes and waste you time away and have fun at your expense?

Or, is it some one who really cares for you and would do almost anything for you whether you are in trouble-- having a hard time-- or having a good time.

While you can identify these types of friends within five seconds, today, I am going to tell you about a friend or friends who will stand by your side and keep your company put energy and zest in your life, open up your mind to think clearly, take good control of your heart, lungs, joints, muscles and all parts of your body that is aching due to insufficient mobility due to lack of movement and poor circulation, no matter what your circumstances.

This friend is a prominent piece of exercise equipment. Whether it is a treadmill, stepping mills, pilates, fitness and training equipment, exercise bike or other similar equipment, they will stand by your side and be your ally once you are ready and willing to do the same for them. They do not tire. They do not complain, they do not argue or utter any words of regret or repulsion. They only are willing to help you in your quest to take the poisons and toxins out of your body so you feel on top of the world. They help you build cardio vascular action so you heart pumps blood to all parts of your body so your joints are flexible and pain free. Your muscles get tighter and firmer and not stay flabby and sag. All you have to do is use them. They are begging you for their attention. Please give it to them!

And, there are other side benefits too. Your mind would not play tricks on you like when your body is in a lazy inactive state. Instead, you mind becomes clear and alert. Your mind will think up wonderful ideas and be creative and productive. You may have a sudden the burst of energy to wash you car, clean up your garage, mow the lawn or write a poem or article and a host of productive ventures that keep your creative juices flowing---with full endurance---when you get cracking and do a bit of work out, and some vigorous exercises.

Many a life has been changed from one single incident when one is caught in a dire situation like this one. This 12 year old boy watched his father battered body in the intensive care unit reject medication, due to his obese state, that could have cost him his life. He had to stay longer in the hospital to get well and his hospital bill had piled up. His father was overweight and had an accident falling off his tractor trailer. He procrastinated about exercising and keeping fit and trim. Luckily, his Union had to pay the bill. About the son, he too was overweight?over 200 pounds?and this incident alone made him examine his own life and make quick changes to live and feel better.

He started to use his new exercise bike, run every night, do some weight training with his new exercise machines in the garage and took Karate lessons. The final tally, he lost a tremendous amount of weight?25 pounds as I write--after three months-- and is on his way to better weight control for his age.

It is never too late. You are never too old. The results are staggering once you start your exercise program.

Do not let it be --too little-- too late.

So, try some form of exercise today. And, be surprised and proud to look at yourself in the mirror every day. You will feel the positive change that will make you feel you won a million dollars!

You have only one body?one life. Treat it with respect. Treat it like a shrine. The rewards will keep pouring in for many years to come-?when you exercise your body regularly.

To the best of your health!

Trevor Adheen Your Health Advocate

The author is an advocate for healthier living through good diet, body fitness and conditioning. He is an avid researcher/teacher into the deep understanding of the human body, both in physical and psychological terms, and to pass this knowledge on to others who can benefit from the knowledge gained. Distribution This article is approved for distribution by the author, providing that it is hyperlinked back to: http://1stdiabeticsupplysuperstore.com from the distributor/webmaster's page. Trevor Adheen (c) All Rights reserved

Avoiding Nutritionally Deficient Foods After Gastric Bypass

2009-02-19T10:43:00.001+07:00

After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food. Nutritionally void foods cannot be part of the regular diet after surgery because they can cause dumping, vomiting and/or weight gain. In addition, the body is taxed by the bypassed system and to put foods into it which are difficult to process and digest only taxes the body further keeping us from feeling optimum health.

In traditional dieting we learn to avoid ?unhealthy? foods ? those that tend to least resemble their original natural ingredients and have the most added refined and artificial additives. After gastric bypass we MUST avoid these foods, it?s not a suggestion ? it is a way of life.

Top of the list of foods that must be avoided are ?white foods? ? white sugar, white flour and white fat. There are many foods that include all three items as primary ingredients including soft drinks, most breads, crackers, pasta, pastries and pastry fillings, cakes, frostings, margarine and bread spreads, jellies, sweets and candies, frozen dinners, hamburger and hotdog buns, snacks, doughnuts, pizzas, pies, candy bars, and cookies?all of which are common snacks and convenience foods. Indeed, many of these combine all three whites together?white sugar, flour, and fat! Furthermore, these foods frequently contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, texturizing and processing agents, and other additives that further detract from their nutritional stature and your health.

?White sugar? includes refined sugar cane or sugar beets having virtually all B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other essential nutrients removed. Corn syrup is also a ?white sugar,? made from processed cornstarch and essentially devoid of other nutrients.

?White flour,? analogously, is whole wheat flour minus its nutrient-packed wheat germ and fibrous bran. Nutritionally speaking, white flour a ghost-like shadow of its original whole grain.

?White fat? can include rendered animal lard, vegetable oils ?hydrogenated? to make them hard at room temperature, and refined tropical fats such as cottonseed oil. Hydrogenation is a chemical process that transforms natural fats into more saturated ?trans?-fatty acids that do not occur naturally and are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease.

For a collection of gastric bypass friendly recipes visit http://wlsrecipes.blogspot.com

Diabetes A Bad Omen Or A Fresh Start?

2009-02-19T10:31:00.001+07:00

So you?ve learned that you?ve got diabetes. Well after the initial shock, you?re stuck with dealing with the lifestyle changes that come with your diagnosis. When you go into the situation knowing that this isn?t the end but only the beginning of a new phase in your life it gives you a better perspective on life. Gone are the days of feeling like garbage and not knowing the genesis of the problem. Oftentimes, folks feel a sense of relief when they finally realize what the problem is. The stress of uncertainty lifts and the realization sets in that their life is now on a straight path. Well sort of..

Of course your new lifestyle will demand a few changes. First and foremost your doctor should have put you on a new diet. Depending on whether or not you have Type I or Type 2 diabetes you might even have to take insulin shots, ouch!! Relax, things are going to get only better now that your health is being managed correctly.

Your new diet will consist of many foods with lower carbohydrates, which can of course be a hassle if you are addicted to savories. Sure, there?s a downside, but your quality of life should go up immeasurably. A lower carb diet doesn?t exclude all of the things that you have come to love, just cautiously watching your diet will help. Moderation and constant inventory of what you are eating is essential to helping you maintain a healthy diet. After you?ve had to deal with the disease for awhile you?ll be a whiz at maintaining yourself. Foods that are high in protein such as meats and nuts will be your friends since the carbohydrate levels are very low. This isn?t to say that you should go on a ?no carb? diet, management and moderation is the key.

All in all you should be in constant contact with your physician & nutritionist while you are still in the beginning phase of the disease. They?ll give you a great beginning and be there for you as you transition into your new life.

Now go out and live it on purpose!!

Alxis Allen is a person that know how to deal with the ups and downs of low sugar conditions. With diabetes tips and secrets at http://diabetes-news-online.info she writes and teaches low sugar diets and lifestyles. In addition http://www.diabetes-news-online.info has some great diabetes health news on a regular basis.

One Size Pyramid Doesn't Fit All

2009-02-19T01:16:00.001+07:00

Even if you don't follow a high fiber menu or alot of high fiber recipes, have a half cup of orange juice at breakfast, a pear with lunch, and a salad along with a cooked vegetable at dinner. You've just met some of the standards from the new FDA nutritional guidelines, MyPyramid.

It's all very simple. Eat a minimum of three one-ounce servings of whole grains daily along with at least five servings of fruits and vegetables. For the high fiber challenged, try a whole grain cereal at breakfast rather than the sugar-laden, empty calorie brand you stock in the pantry. Switch from white to whole grain bread for your lunchtime sandwich.

In April, 2005, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) released it's interactive dietary guidleines called Mypyramid. Apparently we were long overdue for an updated version of the flawed and misleading former food pyramid. With the current growing awareness of the health benefits of high fiber food in today's diet, it's a wonder that Americans have made it this far without more effective guidelines. Or have we?

Two-thirds of Americans are now overweight, and some experts actually blame some of that on the food pyramid. The old one consisted of the Four Basic Food Groups that you remember growing up with as a kid. Too many kids today are faced with weight problems due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise.

MyPyramid is by design simple and encourages healthier food choices including whole grains and high fiber foods along with daily exercise.

Six bands of color from the peak of MyPyramid to the base indicate: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, a tiny band of yellow for oils, blue for milk, and purple for meat and beans. The widths suggest the amount of food a person should select from each group.

A little figure running up the stairs acts as a reminder to get some exercise. Unfortunately, no mention is made of the differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercise, or the role of strength training

The new guidelines distinguish between 'grains' and 'whole grains', essential when choosing fiber-rich foods. Rather than just suggesting we eat fruits and vegetables', MyPyramid suggests eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables rather than the empty calories found in fruit juices.

The guidelines include healthy dairy choices that are low-fat instead of the highly saturated fats found in some milk and cheeses. The three recommended glasses of low-fat milk, however, can add more than 300 calories a day. Not great for those concerned about controlling their weight.

Also encouraged is replacing red meat with a combination of fish, poultry, beans, and nuts offers numerous health benefits. Be aware that these foods have different types of fats.

Basically, MyPyramid emphasizes good fats,like olive and fish oil, not butter and animal fat, and good carbs,like those from vegetables, whole grains and fruits, ot from processed grains and sugars.

MyPyramid contains interactive activities that make it easy to key in your age, sex and your amount of physical activity to create a more personalized recommendation for a daily calorie intake.

No doubt in the years to come, researchers will discover new evidence that will impact more changes for a healthy diet. But the results are in and here to stay: a high fiber diet is vital to long-term health. Pyramid. Period.

Stephanie Shank is a fine artist, creating canvases in oils and acrylics. When she is not painting, she is creating great food as a gourmet, healthy foods chef. Most recently, she creates the content for her new website, High Fiber Health. And for even more, bookmark the High Fiber Health Blog for all you can digest on high fiber foods.

Sweet Low Carb Foods How Do They Do That?

2009-02-17T18:34:00.001+07:00

If you're a low carb diet enthusiast, you've probably tried some of those tasty low carbohydrate bars, candies or maybe even broke down and baked a loaf of that really easy to make and great tasting low carb banana bread.

And after getting your head around the concept of 'net carbs', you may still be wondering what are those sweeteners listed on the labels, such as mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol and others, and how they fit into your Atkins, Protein Power, South Beach or other diets.

Known as sugar alcohols, these and other low carb sweeteners are being seen more and more in diet products. And usually you can find several types in your low carb food. Although they are all effectively no to low calorie sweeteners (0.5 to 3.0 calories per gram) they are generally much sweeter than sugar, which allows even the higher calorie per gram products to be classified as low carb and low calorie sweeteners.

The reason you'll see a number of them in your low carb chocolates for instance, is simple. The food tastes better. Food technologists have found that different combinations of low carb sweeteners can have a better flavor in certain foods than when using one type alone. For instance, if you're making muffins, you want a sweetener that can stand up to the heat of an oven. But if it won't give you the texture or 'mouth feel' you'd expect, then it won't be popular, no matter how low the carbohydrate count. If you were making a chilled low carb dessert or a low carbohydrate ice cream, you'd want it to be sweet when cold. So the bottom line is taste.

Given recent attention to protein based fat replacements, which have great potential for use in all but fried foods, its easy to imagine that some new and tasty low fat, low carb, higher protein and low calorie treats will be coming soon. And that has brought out some strange concerns, such as the idea that if we're not protected from ourselves by banning these foods, we might starve by consuming too few calories from these low and no calorie dessert and snack foods.

But after looking at some of the shoppers I saw during a recent trip to my grocery store, all I could think was, where's my low carb cheesecake recipe?

Mike Boyd is an author and contributing writer for the popular http://www.healthy low carb.com, an online information source for low carb diets, free low carb recipes, diet basics,books, product reviews and informative up to date low carb dieting research low carb cheesecake recipe

No Low Carb Diet Progress? Sleep In To Get Thin!

2009-02-17T18:14:00.001+07:00

If your low carb diet is going nowhere, maybe its time to get more sleep. In a paper presented at the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, researchers found that people, who got little sleep, got fat.

Amazingly, people who averaged 6 hours a night, had obesity rates 23% higher than normal. And worse, those who slept only 2-4 hours a night were 73% more likely to be overweight. Low carb dieters and all dieters take notice. Follow your diet to the letter and get more sleep.

Lack of sleep causes you to gain body weight by activating the hypothalamus in your brain. This in tury produces chemicals that promote hunger. And no low carbohydrate or any other type of diet is going to work properly if you don't reduce your overall intake of food below what it takes to maintain your current weight.

So the next time you're rummaging through the refrigerator late at night, and cursing the fact that your low carb dream diet isn't working the way that Dr. Atkins claimed, maybe your should go back to bed and sleep on it.

You'll not only feel better, you'll wake up with the answers to your weight loss dreams.

Shawn Low is a low carb diet enthusiast and contributing writer for http://www.healthy-low-carb.com, a great source of information on low carbohydrate diets, including Atkins, Protein Power, South Beach, plus free low carb recipes, articles and reviews.

How Do You Tackle Controlling Your Weight?

2009-02-15T16:53:00.001+07:00

If you ask around, most people are on one form of a diet or another. But while losing weight may be a popular goal, for some it?s an absolute necessity. Becoming overweight or obese starts with a few extra pounds that quietly turn into 20 extra pounds, and then 40, and so on. With the extra weight comes an increased risk of heart attacks, diabetes, and some cancers. Other related health issues include:

Sleep apnea
Fatigue
Liver disease
Urinary incontinence
Depression or anxiety
Premature aging
Early death

In addition, factors like stress, heredity, and lack of activity can cause further damage. Weight loss is the most significant way to reverse and eliminate these health concerns. This can be done through exercise, eating a balanced diet, and taking supplements to increase your metabolism. Of course, you should check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. However, you can get moving today by taking short walks or bicycle rides around your neighborhood. A diet that involves all food groups will help you fight fatigue and arm your body for battle against destructive elements. Through the use of supplements, you will also increase the rate at which body fat is burned and maximize the benefits of physical activity.

You may be unsure whether or not your weight is a legitimate problem. To find out, you can use the Body Mass Index (BMI) guidelines. Your BMI is a number that will help you analyze your current health situation. Your personal BMI uses your weight and height to estimate your body composition, which directly correlates with your body fat. A BMI of less than 20 is considered low. A low BMI may indicate an underweight status that can be just as serious as being over weight. A BMI of 20-25 is considered to be good, while one greater than 25 is considered high for most people. A BMI of 30 or more places you in the obese category. To calculate your BMI, use the following formula: BMI = Weight in Pounds divided by ( Height in inches ) x ( Height in inches )x 703

Don?t let the needle on your scale advance a single notch. Everyone can learn to enjoy life to the fullest by taking control of those things that can be controlled--your weight, your reactions to stress, and your lifestyle. There are many activities and products that can help to improve the condition of our heart, lungs, muscles, and other systems.

Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation. He owns one of the UK's Leading Information Providers PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk)and also owns http://www.weight-loss-ebooks.co.uk and http://www.recipes-ebooks.co.uk

The #1 Sugar Alternative: Healthy Natural and Sweet The Ultimate Substitute!

2009-02-14T00:55:00.001+07:00

We all enjoy a little sweetness in our lives, yet there?s no getting away from the negative effects of sugar. A wealth of scientific evidence links this acidic poison to a legion of harmful consequences including immune system suppression, a rise in bad cholesterol, tooth decay, premature aging, a mal-absorption of nutrients, Candida growth, hormone imbalance and an increase in free-radicals. Sugar also contributes to obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, heart disease, vision problems and migraines and is found to feed cancer cells. With no saving graces, sugar is highly deleterious to the systems of the body.

We crave sugar if our blood sugar levels are out of kilter. This occurs by consuming sugary foods and refined carbohydrates such as white flour that are quickly converted into sugar by the body. It's a catch 22; the more sugar you eat, the more you crave. Aside physical detriments, the highs and lows of sugar addiction cause mood swings, irritability and a loss of concentration.

Artificial sweetness such as aspartame and saccharine are dangerous alternatives which break down into hazardous toxins in the body. Methyl alcohol derived from aspartame, for example, converts into the neurotoxin and carcinogen formaldehyde and formic acid which has the chemical composition of ant venom. Formic acid is used commercially in products such as paint stripper.

The synthetic amino acids that compose aspartame ? phenylalanine and aspartic acid are seriously poisonous. According to Dr. John Olney, a neuroscientist at Washington University, St. Louis, Aspartic acid (40% of aspartame) causes holes in the brains of mice. Further, phenylalanine (50% of aspartame) causes seizures and degrades into DKP, a tumor causing agent.

Aspartame has a staggering 92 official side effects and countless studies have linked it with damage to the nervous system and neurological problems. Saccharin even tells you on the package that their product can cause cancer.

Complaints about aspartame represent 80-85 per cent of all food complaints registered to the FDA. There is Strong statistical evidence which links aspartame to breast cancer. American Cancer Society figures show that breast cancer cases have doubled since 1981, the year aspartame was approved for use as a food additive.

What if there was a healthy alternative that not only tasted sweet but actually had positive effects on the body? Sound too good to be true?

Stevia is a natural sugar substitute, a healthy sweet food that, quite the opposite of sugar, can regulate blood sugar levels and improve stamina. Used for centuries in native Paraguay, stevia is now widely popular in Japan, where thorough testing has revealed its benevolent use as a sweetener. The glycosides in stevia that give it it?s sweet taste are not metabolised by the body so no calories are absorbed. Further more it hosts an array of healthy nutrients such as phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium and zinc, vitamins C and A, protein and fibre and, unlike sugar, does not cause the growth of unhealthy bacteria or fungi.

Stevia, in balancing blood sugar can actually alleviate cravings for sweet foods and has been observed to reduce the appetite if taken 15-20 minutes before eating. It has also been revealed as a diuretic that can help rid the body of excess fluid.

If looking for an alternative to sugar, this remarkable non-caloric herb is the ultimate sugar subsititute; healthy, tasty and sweet! Stevia can be found in liquid or powder form in many healthfood stores or online and there are numerous cook books available with stevia recipes.

Sweet vegetables such as carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, and superfood fruits such as berries, papaya, figs and prunes rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals, are also great substitutes when kicking the sugar habit. Vegetables high in fibre and healthy whole grains also serve to stabalise blood sugar levels and ensure a slow release of energy into the blood stream, dimishing the rushes and subsequent cravings associated with sugary foods and refined carbohydrates.

MIRACLE SUPERFOODS:
http://www.miracle-superfoods.com NATURAL NUTRITION GUIDE FOR DOGS AND CATS
http://www.pet-nutrition-guide.com

They Say "Look in the Mirror Don't See Fat See Beautiful!" That's Not Going to Make You Healthy!

2009-02-12T00:18:00.000+07:00

My husband was 241 lbs. and had a triple bypass six years ago. Today he weighs 178 lbs. and his cholesterol is 108. I never lied to him about his food; I just neglected to mention that I did things like replacing the ground beef in his chili with veggie protein crumbles (from the frozen food case) and the shredded cheddar was veggie cheese from the supermarket produce department. Believe it or not the shredded veggie cheddar tastes and melts so much better than the regular no-fat cheddar. He loves it! I finally had to tell him why he was losing so much weight. He was beginning to think there was something terribly wrong with him.

I bought a cook book with lots of creamy comfort foods that he always craved. None had the heavy cream, butter and cheese that comfort food usually has. I learned how to substitute fat-free half & half or evaporated skim milk for cream. I used margarine with no trans-fat and after a while, I didn?t need a special cookbook. It was easy to convert any recipe to low fat, low calorie, low anything.

Here?s a good example of a recipe conversion: Original recipe was made with veal not chicken. I used healthy olive oil and margarine, reduced both to 1 ? teaspoons. The half-and-half was replaced with the fat free kind.

Chicken in a Creamy Mustard Sauce:

2 chicken breasts (boned & skinned)
1 ? tablespoon flour
? teaspoon each salt & pepper
1 ? teaspoons each olive oil & margarine
? cup each diced onion & sliced mushrooms
? cup fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk
1 tablespoon each Dijon & fresh parsley
1 ? teaspoons lemon juice

Dredge chicken in flour, salt, & pepper. In a non-stick skillet heat oil over medium heat, add chicken and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked throughout (about 2 minutes per side). Remove chicken. In same skillet heat margarine until bubbly; add onions & mushrooms. Saut? until lightly browned. Reduce heat, add half-and-half, mustard, parsley and lemon. Stir constantly until sauce comes to a boil and thickens. Serve over the chicken.

Learn this method of good eating; forget the fad diets and the pills. Stop killing your husband and the kids with what you think is kindness cooking. Serve more vegetables and salad. Get healthy and then look in the mirror and be proud of your accomplishment!

Visit Helen & Syd Robinson?s site at http://www.healthy-cooking.ideatreasury.com for more tips and recipes and to claim your copy of ?6 Tips for A Healthy Dinner Out?. This special report features six easy to follow tips for having a healthy dinner at restaurants while still enjoying your meal.

Author is the owner of the website http://www.healthy-cooking.ideatreasury.com and is a line dance instructor for the Parks & Recreation Dept.

Ten Good Tips to Lose Weight

2009-02-12T00:12:00.001+07:00

Below you find a few tips that can help you in your quest to lose weight. They will not magically make you reach your goals but can help you on your way if you are determined and work hard to lose weight

1.Make small goals. It is easy to dream about a slender body and make that your goal. This goal does however often end in disappointment. It is better to make many small goals on the way. This way it is easier to reach your goals and you feel that you are making progress which makes it easier to stick to a diet.

2.Avoid junk food: Avoid eating fast food and other junk food. It?s fattening and doesn?t help you lose weight. If you absolutely must eat fast food, give yourself one meal a week when you are allowed to eat fast/junk food.

3.Avoid fried food: Don?t eat fried food but rather grill or boil your food. Avoid using extra fat. .

4.Eat Breakfast: Eating breakfast helps getting the metabolism started. You are also less likely to snack if you eat a good breakfast. .

5.Eat fish and chicken: fish and chicken is low on fat and can make an excellent weight loss diet. Avoid fat fishes. A good cheap weight loss fish is Tilapia. .

6.Start drinking water: Soda and juice contains a lot of calories. Drink water and safe a lot calories. .

7.Start taking walks: Walking one or two times a day isn?t to hard but can help you lose weight faster. All other forms of physical activities are also good. .

8.Eat often: eating many well planned low calorie meals a day helps you keep from snacking and make you feel less hungry. .

9.Don?t expect dream results: There are many diets that promises fast results but permanent weight loss takes hard work and dedication. .

10.Eat fewer carbs: Eat less pasta and bread. Reducing your carb intake is often one of the best methods of loosing weight.

A bonus tip can be to get a dog. A dog need to be walked and will help to get you more active. Never get a dog if you don?t have the time or will to care for it.

Tilapia is very good weight loss food. Visit our site to find more Tilapia recipe Article provided by William Berg

The Health Benefits of Cranberry

2009-02-11T01:01:00.000+07:00

As long ago as 1840, German doctors discovered that the urine of people who ate cranberries contained a chemical called hippuric acid. The doctors were researching the finding that these same people had a significantly lower incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as cystitis and pyelonephritis.

By the 1960s, when doctors were dispensing antibiotics like candy, the use of cranberries to counteract UTIs had fallen out of favor. Researchers claimed that tests showed the acidifying effect of cranberries and cranberry juice was inadequate to prevent infection.

However, as late as 1994, a Harvard University study involving 153 elderly women with repeated urinary tract infections showed that regular consumption of cranberry juice cocktail decreased the frequency of UTIs. In a clinical trial from Weber State University in Utah, a concentrated cranberry product in dehydrated, capsule form ? equivalent to 12 to 16 six ounce glasses of cranberry juice a day ? was found to be equally effective. Some health professionals recommend the capsules over cranberry juice because of the sugar content of cranberry cocktail and the unpalatable taste of the unsweetened juice.

For many years it was believed that cranberries prevented or cured urinary tract infections by acidifying the urine, thus creating an inhospitable environment for the Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria usually responsible for UTIs.

However, a benchmark study by a team of scientists at Rutgers State University in New Jersey, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on October 6, 1998, disclosed that condensed tannins, called proanthocyanidins, are the compounds in cranberries responsible for preventing and treating UTIs. They work, not by making the urine more acid, but by preventing the bacteria from binding to the wall of the urinary tract. This non-adherence renders the bacteria harmless. The researchers used a process called bioassay-directed fractionation to isolate the compounds, a process that took almost five years to complete.

In addition to its principal role in combating urinary tract infections, researchers are finding that cranberries may also have broad-spectrum antibiotic value against E. coli and other harmful bacteria. In a study conducted at the University of California at Irvine, two batches of soy broth, one with cranberry juice concentrate and one without, were incubated for a 24-hour period. According to the research letter published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the broth containing the cranberry juice showed a significantly lower growth of bacteria than the one without.

Dentists in Israel report that cranberries and cranberry juice contain specific compounds that can block the formation of dental plaque and potentially lessen tooth decay and gum disease. Test tube research at the University of Wisconsin indicates that cranberry juice may help keep LDL cholesterol (the bad type of cholesterol) from oxidizing. If confirmed, the consumption of cranberries or cranberry juice will help prevent the build up of cholesterol plaque in arteries, the major cause of heart disease and stroke.

Cranberries are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and potassium. Although cranberry juice contains some tannins, it will not interfere with the absorption of minerals. Furthermore, some older people with too little stomach acid, or those taking acid suppressors, may find that their ability to absorb vitamin B12 is impaired. Cranberry juice appears to enhance the absorption of this important vitamin in such cases.

Recommended Dosage

Health professionals recommend one capsule or tablet of a concentrated cranberry juice extract (400mg) two to four times per day. Two to three large (16oz.) glasses of cranberry juice may also be taken, but avoid the highly sugared cranberry ?cocktails.? It?s hard to drink too much cranberry juice. The only contraindication is that diarrhea may develop with a very high consumption, such as three to four liters per day.

If you prefer your medicine as food, try the following two recipes:

Herbal Cranberry Punch

1 quart of unsweetened cranberry juice

1 cup of fresh lemon balm leaves

? cup of fresh lavender flowers (or 1 Tbsp. of dried)

2 cinnamon sticks, broken

6 whole cloves

Bring two and a half cups of water to the boil while adding the lemon balm, lavender, cinnamon and cloves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and steep for another five minutes. Strain and combine with the cranberry juice in a pitcher. Add honey to taste as a sweetener. May be served cold or heated with more spices if desired as a mulled drink. May also be combined with other fruit juices for a variety of flavors.

Cran-Apple Crisp

4 organic apples, such as Gala, cored, peeled and diced

? cup of dried cranberries

? cup plus 1 Tbsp. of whole wheat flour

1/3 cup of brown sugar

2 Tbsp. of honey

Juice of ? lemon

? cup of whole oats

? cup of ground almonds (other nuts may be substituted)

? cup of butter, melted.

Combine the apples, cranberries, one Tbsp. of flour, honey and lemon juice and pour into a greased, eight-inch baking dish. In another bowl blend together the half-cup of flour, brown sugar, oats, nuts and butter. Pack this mixture over the fruit. Bake at 375?F for about 45 minutes until the top is brown and crisp.

Bruce Burnett is an award-winning writer, a chartered herbalist and author of HerbWise: growing cooking wellbeing. Bruce and his wife Delaine own Olivia?s Fashion, Furnishings & Gifts (http://www.olivias.ca/) in Ladysmith, BC Canada. Read more published articles by Bruce Burnett on his websites: http://www.bruceburnett.ca/ and http://www.herbalcuisine.com/

Easy High Fiber Muffins For Kids To Bake For Mom

2009-02-03T22:33:00.001+07:00

mom. mOM. MOM! The echo rings in your head. The voices carry you to a not so distant time and place. The time: early morning, May 14th. The place: your cozy bed. The delicious aroma of baking muffins wafts through the air. You wonder if you are in the wrong house. But wait. What if your lessons about high fiber foods have finally been taken to heart by your kids this Mother's Day? Could they really be in the kitchen baking your favorite high-fiber carrot bran muffin?

You think about all of the moms in the world at this very moment awaiting the special treats in store for them this day. Many of them will be served a refined flour, sugar-laden breakfast in bed. Many will wish they were at the spa, alone. How many will find their family showering them with love by serving a high fiber menu with lots of veggies, fruits, and whole grains?

Throughout the years, as the learning curve widens about the benefits of high fiber foods, smart moms have chosen foods high in fiber for their family's daily diet. There is an alarming number of today's children that are overweight. The new Food Guide Pyramid recommends that children consume 1 to 3 servings of whole grains daily. The wise mom serves (but certainly not on Mother's Day) a variety of healthy fiber-rich foods to keep her kids trim and their digestive tracts running smoothly. Fiber helps regulate blood sugar which is vital to your children's energy and digestive health. If your little ones are exposed to a diet of foods high in fiber, their instinct will naturally lean towards choosing whole foods throughout their lives.

Fibrous foods tone up your intestines which helps prevent diverticulitis. Cancer-causing toxins speed out of the digestive system more quickly when a high fiber diet is followed. By maintaining proper colon health, the risk of irritable bowel syndrome is dramatically decreased.

Researchers have found that a high-fiber diet significantly reduces blood pressure levels among people with high blood pressure or hypertension. High fiber foods offer vital phytochemicals that we need for a healthy immune system. Fiber-rich foods tend to be higher in vitamins and minerals.

After eating fiber-rich foods, there is a feeling of fullness which helps to control overeating. A fiber-rich meal is processed more slowly. Losing weight is a natural result of eating high fiber foods such as whole grain breads and cereals; fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, unpeeled apples and pears; beans and legumes like kidney beans, lima beans, and lentils; nuts and seeds; vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, swiss chard and peas.

Whatever you do, Mom, don't go near the kitchen. You know what it looks like. Dads and kids have a different approach to kitchen duty and baking is a messy business. Trust in their high fiber wisdom. (You taught them, after all.) So what if the muffins don't come out light and moist? With every bite, let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. Enjoy the pampering and the acknowledgment of your family's adoration of you. Happy Mother's Day!

Carrot Bran Muffins/Blender Method yield: 12 Large Muffins

1. Spray muffin pan with no-stick cooking spray

2. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly stir water into bran; stir in raisins, nuts, and carrots; let stand at least 5 minutes:

1 1/2 cups wheat bran (not boxed cereal flakes; just plain bran)
1/2 cup boiling hot water
1/2 cup raisins (soaked in water 5 minutes to soften; drained)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup grated fresh carrot

3. Place in blender; blend at high speed 4 minutes until smooth:

1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1 cup whole wheat pastry grain (not flour)

4. Combine and add all at once to liquid ingredients in blender and blend in briefly, but thoroughly:

1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon

5. Pour batter into softened bran mixture; blend all thoroughly, but briefly with rubber spatula or mixing spoon. Do not overmix!

6. Fill muffin cups evenly, each almost full; bake at 350?F for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool 5-10 minutes until muffins can easily be removed from the pan with a gentle tug on one side of muffins.

Per Muffin (using whole medium eggs, 1% fat buttermilk)
Calories: 189; Total Fat: 5 grams
Fiber: 5 grams

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health.

http://www.high-fiber-health.com

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work?

2009-02-03T16:32:00.001+07:00

For some people they have tried all of the famous diets. There is one that some people have not tried yet and that is the cabbage soup diet. This diet uses a strict and structured one-week menu that can help people loose weight. During this week, one day you will have just fruits and milk. The next is vegetables and milk and another one is bananas and mild. However, each day you can have all of the cabbage soup that you want.

The diet is going to work on the fact that it is low in calories. When you know the guidelines of all the ingredients to use on specific days, it will keep the calorie and fat content as low as possible without having the person loosing important nutrients. It is also said that the cabbage soup diet can rid the body of many toxins as well.

The cabbage soup diet is also not intended to be a substitution for good nutrition. It is supposed to run for seven days and then to be stopped for at least two weeks before it should be started again. This is to bring back your bodies nutrients and to get your body used to eating right.

Many people are trying the cabbage soup diet and actually liking it. It is not as bad as it sounds and it is actually served at some very fancy restaurants. The recipe is easy to make and a person can make a large supply at a time and freeze the excess for later. Once you get on this diet, you will find that having a good supply is the best thing to do so that you have it when you want.

The cabbage soup diet can be used by just about anyone that is in good health. As with any diet, it is a good idea to check with your physician first to make sure that your body is ready for this type of diet. Getting started is sometimes slow, but once you have the idea and get on the right track, you will find that the diet is one of the easiest to take and to stay on.

As with any diet, exercise is very important to loose weight. Being on the cabbage soup diet and using a good, exercise routine is the best way to get your body in shape and feel good again by loosing weight. You will also be ridding your body of the bad and letting it replenish itself with good nutrients that you need to get your body healthy and feeling fit.

The Cabbage soup diet is one of the smartest ways to loose weight and feel great. This routine is one that will be easy to learn and to stay with once you get started. You may even want to get your friends hooked on the diet as well to help them with their health.

What is the cabbage soup diet?

The cabbage soup diet has received a lot of attention in the recent years. Many people are getting on it and using it all the time. This is the perfect diet for anyone that loves cabbage and does not mind eating it for a while. When you have the right recipe for the soup, you will find it to be delicious and nutritious at the same time. The cabbage soup diet can be eaten when you are hungry. You can eat as much as you like and when you want. That is one of the best parts about this diet. You will eat it until you get full and you do not have to worry about it. The recipe is easy and anyone can make it as long as you have the following ingredients.

Handful of green onions
Green peppers
Can of diced tomatoes
Celery
Lipton onion soup mix
Bullion cubes
Head of cabbage
Any other vegetables that you would like to add

You will cut the vegetables into small pieces and cover with water. Add the diced tomatoes and boil it for ten minutes. Let that simmer and continue cooking the vegetables until they are tender. You can season it to taste with salt and pepper and whatever else you like. You will then follow a routine for the next few weeks. The first week, you should eat all the fruits and vegetables that you want. You can eat them anyway that you want and it is best to avoid beans, peas, and corn. With the fruits and vegetables, you can eat all the cabbage soup that you want.

The next week for the cabbage soup diet, you can eat all the fruits and vegetable again. The following week is going to be the one that you eat all the bananas and milk that you can handle. In addition, of course, this is along with as much cabbage soup as you would like. This is the main idea of the entire cabbage soup diet.

There are many different ideas to the cabbage soup diet and they are all are a little different from each other. Once you have figured out the one that you want to follow you will be on the right track. The one thing that usually stays the same is the recipe for cabbage soup. Give or take a few ingredients, it is standard. Eating the soup and exercising right will allow the person to loose weight and start to feel great inside and out. Most of the time, it is a very successful diet and will bring health and happiness into anyone?s life.

http://www.bestcabbagesoupdiet.com