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A Healthy Diet for Healthy Skin

Thursday, September 9th, 2010

If you want to have healthy skin, you could spend a fortune on expensive creams and lotions, but they will never completely make your skin look its healthiest. For healthy skin, you have to have a healthy diet. Everything that you put into your mouth affects how your skin looks. Your skin not only benefits from topical creams and lotions that you may put on it, but also from the dietary nutrients and vitamins that you take into your body on a healthy diet.

So, what exactly is a healthy diet for your skin? There are certain nutrients and vitamins that you need to consume on a daily basis to get healthy skin and support it healthy.

A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables that have antioxidants will give you healthy skin. Eat fruits and vegetables daily that contain antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids. These antioxidants befriend the skin to maintain it’s firmness. When you can acquire your skin to possess it’s firmness as you age, you give the appearance of healthy skin. Try to aim for at least 2-3 servings in your healthy diet of fruits and vegetables that believe antioxidants, such as blueberries, tomatoes, and pomegranates.

Build sure that your healthy diet includes omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help to keep the skin supple and also helps to diminish blotches and inflammation on the skin. Omega-3 fatty acids contain anti-inflammatory properties which can actually help with some skin conditions such as rosacea. They also have hydrating power that makes your skin explore plumper and healthy. If you can’t get your daily does of omega-3 fatty acids through foods such as salmon, cod, flaxseed, or walnuts, then you can take a fish oil supplement.

Many people who want to soothe irritated skin will apply olive oil directly to their skin to make it appear moisturized and healthy. But that is not the only way to use olive oil to get healthy skin. Having a healthy diet in which you win olive oil can also help give you healthy skin. When you consume olive oil, be it when you make you stir fries or eat your salads, the olive oil works to help protect the skin against discolorations caused by conditions like rosacea and acne. Olive oil has plenty of polyphenols in it and when they are absorbed by the body they help to protect the skin and keep it looking healthy and even. So, not only should you consume olive oil for a healthy diet for your body’s health but also for healthy skin.

Remember that everything that you put into your mouth will affect the way your skin looks and how healthy it is. Have you ever noticed that when you go off your healthy diet, your skin looks lackluster and boring? This is because you are depriving your skin of the healthy nutrients and vitamins that it needs to give your healthy skin.

Filed in Healthy Eating | Tagged Healthy Diet, Healthy Foods | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ten Unique Healthy Lunch Ideas for Kids

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

These lunch ideas may take a couple times of eating before your child really warms up to them, especially if your child is not used to eating healthy foods! It will be easier for your child to get used to eating food like this if you start out feeding a variety of different foods in infancy, but even picky eaters may warm up to these foods if they are presented right!

1. Feta Chicken Roll Ups, Sliced Cherry Tomatoes, and Carrot Sticks
To make the Feta Chicken Roll Ups you’ll need: 1 grilled or baked chicken breast, 1 whole wheat tortilla, shredded lettuce, feta cheese, and creamy Greek dressing. Spread a very thin layer of creamy Greek dressing over the entire tortilla, then lay down the shredded lettuce. Next pile on the cheese. Then cut up the chicken breast and lay it on top of the other ingredients. Don’t pack the tortilla too full of ingredients, or it won’t roll up tightly. Roll the tortilla up and slash into about 5 pieces. Then chop the cherry tomatoes in half. Arrange the plate by placing the roll ups in the center in a circle shape surrounded by the cherry tomatoes, expend the carrot sticks around the edge of the circle shape to acquire a “sun” with the food. You may want to add a little bit of extra creamy Greek dressing or ranch dressing for dipping. If your child will eat black olives you can add these to the roll-up.

2. Toasted Tomato Cheese Sandwich on Whole Wheat with Peanut Butter Apple Slices
To make the toasted tomato and cheese sandwich you’ll need 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of tomato, and one slice of Colby cheese (or any other cheese that your child likes; but keep in mind that “American” cheese is heavily processed.) You don’t need butter for this sandwich, you can just assemble and toast in a sandwich press or in a non-stick pan. Butter just adds unnecessary fats to your child’s meal. To assemble the apple slices, use an apple cutter. Then dip each apple slice in peanut butter, or provide around 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for your child. Try to buy the all-natural peanut butter, because the others have unnecessary added ingredients. If you want to get creative you can exercise a cookie cutter to make shapes out of your sandwich, but you might have to gain 2 sandwiches if you are going to do this, because cutting with a cookie cutter takes a lot out of the sandwich!

3. Squished Black Beans and Brown Rice, Red Pepper Slices, and Vanilla Yogurt
To make the squished Black Beans and Brown rice you’ll need black beans (it’s better to use dried because they are unsalted), brown rice, and 1/2 of a red bell pepper. If you choose to consume canned blank beans make obvious you rinse them to get most of the salt off. After cooking your black beans either add a little bit of the cooking water and squish with a fork, or exhaust a blender to gently mix them. Put the sad beans over the cooked brown rice. Crop the red bell pepper and lay on top of the squished black beans and brown rice. Serve with store bought vanilla yogurt.

4. Inaugurate Face Hamburger on Whole Wheat, Broccoli and Cauliflower Trees, and Unsweetened Applesauce
To make the open face hamburger you’ll need 1 slice of whole wheat bread, or 1/2 of a whole wheat bun, very lean hamburger meat, 1 slice of Colby cheese, 1 slice of tomato, and 1 slice of lettuce. You can cook the hamburger using little or no fat lift using Organic Cooking spray. Melt the cheese over the hamburger and top with the lettuce and tomato. Set the hamburger on your bread or bun, and slash into pieces so your toddler can pick them up. Serve with raw Broccoli and Cauliflower trees with a little bit of ranch dressing for dipping if your child likes it. Also offer unsweetened applesauce for dessert.

5. Cornflake Coated Baked Chicken Strips, Sugar Snap Peas, and Seedless Watermelon Chunks
To execute the cornflake coated baked chicken strips you’ll need 1 egg, 1/2 cup of cornflake crumbs, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips. Beat the eggs, and combine the cornflakes and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken strips into the eggs, and then into the cornflake mixture. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and bake for about 16 minutes in a 425 degree oven. You may also want to spray the top of the chicken strips with spray to keep them from burning. This recipe will make about 6 chicken strips or enough for 2 to 3 servings for your toddler. Benefit with steamed Sugar Snap Peas and Seedless Watermelon Chunks.

6. Spinach and Ricotta Whole Wheat Ravioli with Honeydew and Cantaloupe Balls
Since Ravioli is so hard to make, you are in luck! You can hold Spinach and Ricotta Whole Wheat Ravioli at many health food stores, fresh and ready to cook! If you can’t find this trusty type of Ravioli, any Ravioli with spinach will do! Cook the Ravioli according to the package directions and serve with Honeydew and Cantaloupe Balls.

7. Vegetable Beef Soup with Whole Wheat Pasta and Peanut Butter Apple Slices
You can also buy healthy Vegetable Beef Soup, since it takes a long time to make soup from scratch. Accomplish sure that the soup is uncouth sodium. Campbell’s makes a good low-sodium Vegetable Beef Soup. Serve the soup over cooked Whole Wheat Pasta and with Peanut Butter Apple Slices. You can either dip the apple slices in peanut butter yourself, or leave that up to your child!

8. Whole Wheat Pita Bread Vegetable Pizza with Mango Slices
To make the Whole Wheat Pita Bread Vegetable Pizza you will need 1 Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, and your choice of vegetables. Assemble like you would a pizza and bake in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. The choice of vegetables will depend on what your child likes, but try to lean towards vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, or broccoli. Slice a unique mango to abet alongside your Pita Pizza.

9. Sweet and Sour Chicken with Chinese Vegetables (Baby Corn, Water Chestnuts, Broccoli, and Cauliflower)
You can buy decent Sweet and Sour sauce at natural food stores like Trader Joe’s, or you can make your believe. Cut up Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast tenders and cook them in this sauce, and serve a little bit of sauce on the side. You can retract the Chinese Vegetables in a bag ready to be steamed at glowing much any grocery store (they are made by Freshlike)- or you can lift them all current separately and steam them yourself. Since the Sweet and Sour is fairly sweet on its own, there is no dessert included with this meal.

10. Sweet Potato Jacket with Peas and Strawberry Yogurt
To make the sweet potato jacket, wash a medium sized sweet potato and prick with a fork a couple times.Bake the potato in your oven for about an hour or until tender. Then prick the potato open. You can mix the insides of the potato with a LITTLE bit of butter if you’d like. Serve with steamed peas (don’t consume canned, they have too much sodium.) and Strawberry Yogurt.

Filed in Healthy Diet | Tagged healthy lunch, Healthy Meals | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dieting Tips and Healthy Living

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Our health is of the upmost importance. You can’t always tell by the arrangement we treat our bodies, but it is truly best to treat your body like a temple, as the saying goes. Healthy lifestyle and choices play the biggest roles in our life. We can choose to over-indulge in extra calories like sugar and alcohol, all of which adds no nutrients. Or we can just wake up and realize that obliging, healthy living is the way to go. Like many people I have a child and I want to live a long, happy, healthy life, for her, and for myself. This is another reason why I have set myself into a new mentality. One of health and fitness. As many people do after the holidays, I establish myself on a diet and began working out.

Drink water

This is distinguished to fully moisturize your body. You can drink well water, tap, or spring. Or if you just have a thing against water, try flavored water. As an alternative drink tea, instead of sodas, to give yourself more calories devoted to right nutrients. Limiting alcohol consumption is always a good notion as well. Your liver will thank you later! You can also add lemon to your own water (I use well water) and it helps to add flavor.

Portion Control

Do not skip meals, as this impartial causes you to be too hunger-deprived to follow through with your diet. Always eat something for breakfast, as it truly is the most important meal of the day. You need breakfast in order to procure the right start each day. Instead eat several small meals, in small portions throughout the day. Well balanced meals are essential. Be certain to eat slowly and savor eat bite. You will gawk that you will be more full, and sooner. You can also purchase Weight Watchers or other prepackaged meals and read the calorie count on the box. Smart how many calories that you consume will help you to net how many you need to burn off.

Exercise

This is vital to help burn off extra calories that you have stored up. You don’t have to kill yourself working out, but being more active will certainly help you maintain a healthy body. Don’t like exercise? Then try smaller things like taking short 20-30 minute walks a few times a week. That combined with healthy lifestyle and portion control will help. Also Aerobics or swimming is a grand alternative for people who dislike typical exercise techniques. Just becoming more active in your day to day life will make all the difference in the world. Counting steps with a Pedometer is also helpful for me. Staying busy will also keep you from binge eating, you won’t have time to bored, and overeat. Do some form of working out, at least three times a week.

Attitude & Approach

Your current frame of mind will be what determines your success. If you try hard, stay focused, and find control in your life you can also accept it for your body. Be a yes person and develop a can-do attitude. If you consider you can, you truly can! Attitude is what holds most of us back in our life. A positive attitude in life wins more often than negativity.

I have had really good luck with the Slim-Fast Chocolate Royale Shakes. They are actually really good, surprisingly, and they seem to help me avoid overeating. I have one before each meal so that I get full faster, with less calories. I highly recommend them!

Sources Cited:

http://www.health.com

http://www.healthyliving.com

Filed in Healthy Lifestyle Tips | Tagged cooking light tips, fitness tips, Healthy Living Tips | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Seven Best Healthy Living Blogs

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Most of us want to improve our lives on some level. Whether it’s eating better, fitness, life balance, or just finding a few minutes of inner peace, it’s often hard to know where to start. These blogs featured here, are written by real people on their gain hobble to living their best life. Below are seven of the best on the internet in all aspects of life. Where do you want to improve?

1. Cranky Fitness
- You have to love a blog with a host that calls herself Crabby McSlacker. From the About Page:

Blog topics at Cranky Fitness include general health, fitness, nutrition, personal development, disease prevention, aging, and whatever else the authors happened to feel like whining about on a given day. You can browse the archive by topics, located on the sidebar if there’s anything in particular you’re looking for.

Nobody on CF is a doctor or a health professional, but a lot of us struggling with motivation or any part of the “get fit” process can definitely relate to a lot of the material on this residence. Even though regular publishing of the blog ended in March, the archives are great, and there is yet to be another blog that captures the mood of Cranky Fitness and is equally realate-able.

2. The FatMan Walking

- Another inspirational fitness blog, this is about a man that decided to walk across America and change his life along the way. From the About Page:

Why I walked from San Diego to NYC

My name is Steve Vaught, and this is my website, TheFatmanwalking. It is a anecdote of my life over the last couple of years, beginning with my fateful decision to walk across America to lose weight and regain control of my life, the fallout of that decision, and my life since.

Like Cranky Fitness, Steve’s blog isn’t updated every day, but just sitting down and reading about his incredible journey will surely inspire you to do fair your 45 minutes on the treadmill.

3. Laurel on Health Food

- As a certified Holistic Health Counselor, Laurel talks about nutrition, healthy eating, and educational facts about health food. From the site:

Laurel on Health Food is a blog about nutrition, healthy eating, and health food. It summarizes articles in the news, lists healthy recipes, offers tips and personal feedback on healthy eating, and reports on nutritional research.

Her research is handy, and takes the guess work out of a lot of the terms you might hear thrown around. Especially sizable if you’re ready to walk into a Health Food store for the first time and want to be armed with a little knowledge.

4. Gardening Nude

- My fellow Chicago Now compatriot, wins for best title. Of course people are going to click on something called ‘Gardening Nude’! But Shawna’s talking about being ‘metaphorically naked’. Sorry, dudes. From the blog:

Stripping away the excuses, the emotional baggage, the stress, and tending the garden which is your life is just the beginning of what gardening nude is about. It is also living greener and healthier, both mentally and physically, by practicing positive lifestyle choices. An significant component of the gardening nude lifestyle is building community – both personally and in the business world – which focuses on doing righteous for humanity.

Great gardening tips, and going green ideas. Updated regularly, so definitely one for the bookmark page.

5. Live Lighter

- Another inspirational blog, this one is about a woman’s journey of living an unhealthy lifestyle and turning it all around. Losing 43lbs and 43 inches in a year. From the about page:

Live Lighter is a holistic health blog for women (and the men who adore them…), who survey the benefits of health and want the freedom that comes from achieving total balance of body, mind and soul.

This blog reads very conversationally, and can be a great tool for you to turn your lifestyle around too.

6. Jungle of Life

- Written by Lance Ekum, this blog navigates your way through the “animals” of life and helps you balance it all. From the about page:

So what is “The Jungle of Life”? Good seek information from… Life can seem like a jungle sometimes, overgrown with all the “things” that are in our life. The animals that bewitch us (debt, busy-ness, work, family, etc) lurking around every corner. Here at “The Jungle of Life” I’m looking for you to walk through this jungle with me as I inspect at ways to tame this jungle we call our lives. Join me on the journey as we survey more about who we are and what makes us each unique.

This blog is fun, updated often, and not at all preachy and acting like he’s got it all figured out and you should elect him supreme guru. A lot of people can relate to a busy father of three in the Midwest trying to balance it all.

7. The Inner Peace Project

- My newest most approved healthy living blog comes from lifelong friends Ashley and Megan as they take us on a journey to inner peace and true balance in an environmentally friendly way. From Their Story:

Greetings, Peace Seekers! Hello and how do you do? We are Ashley and Megan, full-time friends (since the fifth grade!) and part-time child wranglers (actually Ashley is a professional momma and wife, while Megan represents the single women). We are two urban cowgirls on a mission to search and part the not-so secrets behind accurate balance of the mind, body, and spirit, while trying to relieve our planet in our free time.

It’s great because married, mothers, and single women are both represented, and no one feels left out. Well, except maybe the dudes, but it wouldn’t hurt them to read it either. Some really great info and quips on this blog, that you really don’t see anywhere else. A great read.

There you have it, the lucky seven of Healthy Living blogs. Whether you’re looking for fitness, food, lifestyle, balance, or just a little inspiration along the way, these are some great tools for the arsenal!

Filed in Healthy Living | Tagged eating healthy articles, Healthy Living Articles | Permalink | Comments (0)

Healthy Living- Quick and Easy Ways to Keep Your Home Free of Mites and Bacteria

Monday, September 6th, 2010

Some extremely miniature microorganisms that we cannot even see can be a big threat to our health. They are responsible for many allergies and food prone illnesses. So how can one keep the home free of them? Read on the article for small and simple steps that would create a big and significant difference in the quality of your life.

Protecting the bedding and clothing from mites and bacteria

Buy the synthetic allergen proof covers for your bedding. The allergens and mites cannot survive on these covers. Lock in your mattresses and pillows in them to minimize the chance of skin exposure to them. Wash the towels, bed sheets, and undergarments with hot water.

Lowering the bathroom bacteria and mite threats

Never forget to keep the toilet seat lids down. If you do not glean time regularly to scrub clean the toilet seat, spray with a disinfectant regularly. Make a solution of water and white vinegar and attach it in a spray bottle. Spray it on the sink and the bowl after each use. Soak the sponges, poufs, and tooth brushes in a disinfectant solution once every week.

Keeping the kitchen from being a bacteria or mite nursery

Keep a spray bottle of water and white vinegar in the kitchen too. This solution is extremely useful to be customary in the kitchen even if your countertops have exposed raw food items. For my kitchen, I make an even safer and more powerful cleaner. I use lemon juice instead of vinegar and add in some salt. However, if you do not have a home grown lemon plant, this solution is going to be very expensive. The cutting boards should be immediately washed and immersed in vinegar solution after use. Do this religiously because the cracks and crevices of these boards are bacteria’s celebrated breeding places. The sink and the kitchen drain can also be disinfected by pouring a cup of vinegar in them. If you want a cheaper alternative, just put boiling hot water down the drain. I eat a hardboiled egg every day, so after the egg is being boiled, I throw the water (when it is level-headed boiling) in the sink every morning. In addition, make sure that your refrigerator does not impose any health risks.

Keeping the flooring bacteria and mites free

If you have, bare floors unbiased wipe them with a disinfectant solution once in a day. Keeping the carpets free of bacteria and dust mites is one of the hardest things in the world. However, vacuuming twice in a week can help. If you live in a high traffic area, design sure that you vacuum even thrice in a single week. Use a vacuum cleaner with a powerful motor to design sure it sucks all the dust into it.

Along with practicing, the above mentioned tips allow the sunlight and fresh air in the home regularly. Also, make sure that you are wiping the toys, telephone, computer keyboards, and other frequently used items with a disinfectant regularly. Put the stuff toys and cushions in the freezer overnight to kill the bacteria and mites accumulated in them.

Remember most of the bacteria love moist surfaces. So perform sure that your sponges, dusters, and wipe clothes are allowed to dry between uses. Wiping a surface in the morning with a sponge that has remained wet or moist overnight will only spread the germs instead of cleaning.

So have a home free of bacteria and mites; ensure the health of the whole family.

Click here to read more articles by the same author.

Filed in Healthy Living | Tagged health magazine articles, Healthy Living Articles | Permalink | Comments (0)

Controversial New Diet is Helping Many Lose Weight with a Hormone Found in Pregnant Women

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Can a hormone found in pregnant women really help you lose weight? According to Ed and Jennifer McNair it can and does. Ed and Jennifer have both fought their weight all of their lives.

HCG helped them lose weight. Jennifer lost 50 pounds and Ed lost 60 pounds. They got the hormone from a clinic in Utah. Along with a 500-calorie a day diet they have lost weight without exercise. Jennifer said that exercise made her tired. They are ecstatic with their new bodies.

They are now receiving their HCG hormone from online from unknown places. You can bewitch HCG orally or by injection. I might add that they paid $800.00 a month for the HCG hormone initially.

Dr. Margaret Bedde says that the diet is very safe and promotes it gleefully. She says that when pregnant women do not have enough food for their health, the fetus will accept the nutrition that they need. When a non-pregnant person uses HCG for weight loss the body opens locks on stored up body fat. This is what causes a person using this hormone to lose weight. They will not having flabby fat hanging off of their body after this loss.

Dr. Cathleen London says that this diet is extremely dangerous. Keri Gans of the American Dietetic Association agrees that this diet is dangerous. Considering that this hormone can be obtained online from sources unknown makes it even more suspect.

Shalom Shick loves the diet and has lost 55 pounds. She now helps other people lose weight with her HCG hormone diet. According to her she is not ever hungry even though she is restricted to a 500- calorie a day diet.

The HCG hormone is used in males who are developmentally delayed. It feeds testosterone which helps young men develop properly. The argument is that the HCG hormone is used in small doses for weight loss and is completely harmless.

I am inclined to agree with the experts who have this diet is dangerous. Dr. London says that healthy weight loss should be done with a 1 to 2 pound a week loss with a healthy diet and exercise. Anything that is worth achieving is going to be slow and usually not easy.

This is honest another fad diet as far as I am concerned. I think that HCG hormones should be in pregnant women not in men and women who are not pregnant. If I could eat 500 calories a day I would be skinny too. I would also be very sickly and unhealthy. If losing weight were easy there would be a lot of skinny people in America.

It would be interesting to see what the long term affects of this diet would be. Maybe they will even get a baby out of the deal. Ed could be the second “man” to give birth to a baby in the world!

Filed in Healthy Diet | Tagged Lose Weight, lose weight calories, lose weight diet, lose weight fast | Permalink | Comments (0)

How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle While Living in a Dorm

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

Living in a dorm room can be a fun and exciting experience or one of the worst things you will ever experience. Going away to college is something many students inspect forward to. To finally be away from your parents and make some decisions on your own is very appealing. One thing that can make your experience more enjoyable is remaining healthy throughout your semesters.

First step to remaining healthy is to take care of you. Gracious hygiene is a must. Brush your teeth, floss, wash your hair, and shower regularly. All these things should have been a part of your daily routines before going away to college but this is a reminder just in case. Showering may be a limited different than you may be use to at home. Be sure to bring slippers to wear in the shower and try to prevent your body or rag from touching any part of the shower stall. Liquid soap is better than bar soap so there are no worries about it slipping and falling in the stall. Often these stalls are shared by numerous students and though they should be cleaned regularly, all types of bacteria can build up within them.

Washing your hands is another way to eliminate germs and bacteria. You may not notice but there is bacteria everywhere, when we touch door knobs, your dorm room phone, on the keyboards in the computer lab, and just about anywhere else especially if it is something touched by many throughout the day. For this reason be sure to wash your hands before and after eating. If for some reason you are unable to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer. I would recommend keeping a enormous bottle of sanitizer in your dorm room and a small/mini bottle in your backpack, purse, or even pocket to have with you wherever you go.

Try to maintain a good sleeping habit. Get enough rest as possible. This can be difficult when attending college but it is possible. Manage your time with a schedule to organized when assignments will be done, meeting times for clubs or sports, etc. and try to stick with it in order to give yourself enough resting time. Anytime you can squeeze in a nap, do so. Be sure to communicate with your roommate to discuss appropriate times to have visitors and about maintaining noise levels within your dorm room. There is nothing fun about trying to sleep with five other people talking and blasting music a couple feet away from your bed. If need be you can always make a noise complaint to your RA or buy some ear plugs.

Dress appropriately according to the temperature inside the room. Your may be cold all the time and your roommate is hot all the time or vice versa. This can cause windows to be open during the winter or having the heat on so high your room feels like a sauna. No one wants to catch a cold or pass out from heat exhaustion. If it is cold, sleep with a warm blanket.

Diet and employ is another way to maintain healthiness. Keep a balanced diet. Though tempting and widely available around college campuses, reduce fatty and sugary foods. For snacks try fruits and vegetables. Buy a mini refrigerator if not already available in your dorm room and stock with healthy foods to have close by. Employ at least a few times a week. You may choose to go to the gym or follow a work out video but I would recommend getting involved in a sports team such as football, basketball, track, swimming, baseball, etc. If sports are not your thing try a club that is active. I was in a club that was a dance team. I think it may have helped me keep off the so called freshmen fifteen.

You might exercise most of your daily hours inside your dorm room so it is a splendid idea to keep it clean. For those of you who hated cleaning your room at home or had the luxury of mom to clean it for you, this next tip may seem difficult for you to do. Retain the floor in your room clear to prevent the hazard of tripping. Use a hamper for dirty clothes and a closet and or dresser drawers for clean clothes. I remember my dorm room days and stepping onto my roommates dirty clothes while I got out of bed was not something I enjoyed. Throw away or refrigerate leftover food instead of leaving it out in your room. Check the expiration date on foods regularly and discard them also. Take the garbage out frequently, at least once a day. This helps to eliminate bacteria build up and odors. Try washing your bed sheets at least twice a week. Exhaust disposable plates, cups and utensils to build clean up easier. If using non disposable dishes, wash them with dishwashing liquid and a sponge. You may have to wash your dishes in the bathroom sink, because there is usually no kitchen within the dorms or other sinks you can consume. Dust surfaces and sweep and mop your floor. Disinfectant sprays and or wipes are helpful to exercise. I recommend using Lysol disinfectant spray.

To obtain living in the dorm a little easier, talk with your roommate. Discuss sharing cleaning duties in the room so you are not the only person doing everything. Encourage your roommate to keep a healthy lifestyle. If your roommate is healthy that is less of a chance that you can catch an illness from them. It’s also helpful in keeping yourself on the healthy path when you have someone else to do it with.

Lastly is the dreaded sex talk. You may have heard if from your parents already but sex plays a big portion in your health. Abstinence is the best plan to protect you from STD’s and pregnancy. Of course not everybody chooses abstinence, so if you choose to have sex be sure to use protection such and condoms and dental dams. Look out for bumps and sores on lips and genitals of your partner. Limit the number of sex partners you have. Talk with your partner about yours and their sexual history. Do not be afraid to discuss what feels comfortable and what does not during any sexual act.

All of the things I have discussed are huge ways to keep healthy while living in a dorm away at college. They can reduce injuries and illness like the common cold or the flu. They can lower stress. They can also prevent or lower your risk of catching STD’s or other infections. This may all seem like a lot but your life is worth it.

Filed in Leading A Healthy Lifestyle | Tagged heal healthy eating active living, Healthy Eating Active Living, healthy eating active living alabama, healthy eating active living california, healthy eating active living nh | Permalink | Comments (0)

10 Tips on Losing Weight and Getting Back into Shape After Giving Birth

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

I am a 30 year dilapidated mother of three beautiful girls and am 6 weeks postpartum. I wished that I would have known more about losing my baby weight after having my first daughter. I struggled with losing weight with her for years. It wasn’t until after I joined the Army and exercising regularly that the pounds started coming off and I was finally able to fit back into my old size. I want every mother to feel good about themselves after giving birth to their child. I know that there are so many emotions that take place after delivery that I would like for every mother in the post delivery state to follow the following tips on shedding the baby fat pounds.

1. It all starts while you are pregnant. When you are pregnant with your little bundle of joy, you need to think about eating healthier and don’t listen to the myth that you are eating for two. This is where most women earn the mistake of thinking that they need to eat more because they are pregnant and make the mistake of doing so. Eating healthier and incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet will help you obtain a healthy weight accumulate during your pregnancy that will be easier to shed after delivery.

2. While you are pregnant continue your level of activity. Don’t just become a couch potato. Don’t run any marathons but take walks around the block. If you have other children then take them with you. Or if you need fresh air then the dash will do you good. No matter what, the small bit of spend will help invent you and your body feel better about themselves.

3. Breastfeeding helps you to shed your baby weight faster. I didn’t breastfeed with my first child but I did with my second. Breastfeeding helps your uterus to contract back to its normal size faster and you experience less bleeding. While you are breastfeeding, your body loses more calories to produce milk for your baby. Think about giving breastfeeding a try if you haven’t understanding about it.

4. If you can’t breastfeed due to medical reasons or just by choice then get clear you stick to a healthy diet. For my third child, I was unable to breastfeed because of health issues. However, to help me lose weight I stuck to a low sodium diet. I watched my sodium intake and ate less meat and sweets. I practiced portion control and substituted fruits instead of candies.

5. For light exercise during my immediate postpartum period, I took walks with my new baby in her stroller during the day. I would walk a couple of blocks and even to the nearby Wal-Mart which is a few blocks away. The fresh air did me and the baby some good.

6. I have enrolled with my toddler daughter in a mommy and me dance class. Every Wednesday for an hour we both learn tap and ballet moves. This gets me moving and I get to spend time with my older child so she doesn’t feel left out.

7. Low impact aerobic exercise is great to launch off with. My husband bought me an elliptical for indoor use. I get on the elliptical for about 30 minutes at a time on various levels of difficulty. This is great for when the weather is bad or you have extra time while the baby is sleeping and you are watching television.

8. Bike riding is another wonderful consume to help you shed that baby weight. My toddler daughter is learning how to ride a tremendous girl bike and sometimes I take her on rides with me on my bicycle. We both enjoy the time together.

9. Being prior military, I enjoyed running. Once you are cleared for more activities after your 5 week checkup, then you are free to do more high impact exercises. Everyone is different but running 2 miles in the morning helped me to lose weight. It was definitely hard to pick up back into it but once you are in the zone then running and getting succor into shape is easy.

10. Swimming is a good exercise to lose weight. You can retract the whole family to the pool. Swimming can be done inside when the weather is terrible or outside when it is sunny. Either way swimming a few laps will firm parts of your body up.

I certainly hope that these tips helped you get a grasp on losing weight after giving birth. I believe that the most important thing that you have to do is settle a program and stick with it. The above are tips to get you started. No one tip is going to work alone. For example, breastfeeding is not going to shed all your excess baby fat. You have to consume a combination of breastfeeding, eating healthier and implementing consume into your daily life. I know that it sounds like a lot but if you have the will power to stick to a program that fits your lifestyle then you should see the weight slowly but surely come off.

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Some Advice and Precautions for Cooking With Edible Flowers

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Positively identify the edible flowers.

If you are not clear dont eat them.

Never eat flowers that have been treated with chemicals or pesticides.

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Did you know that not only can you smell the beautiful fragrances, and feel the delicate textures of a flower, but you can also find pleasure in the taste! The rose is best known as the most, appreciated flower around the world. Since flavor is affected by such factors as soil and temperature, it is advisable to taste a petal of the rose or any other flower before you decide to exhaust the flower as food. The irascible of the petal may be somewhat bitter. If it is you can cut out that part, or eat only the outer part of the flower. There are numerous dishes that can be enriched by roses. You can try them in salads, with some still cheese, chopped nuts, or use the smashed petal of the red rose as an extra ingredient in your favorite sauce to add a exiguous more flavor and color. Roses can also enhance the flavor of ice cream and your favorite beverage. For beverages space a petal or a small flower in each compartment of your ice-cube tray before pouring in bottled or filtered water. Then freeze as usual. Then exhaust the ice cubes in your favorite beverage.

Another flower the squash blossom or (Cucurbita pepo the botanical name) has been used for food in America since the 16th centuries. Before you cook the flowers remove the outside prickly leaves. Pistils can be taken off or left one. When used in entrees and soups, the mild flavor of squash blossoms goes will with olive oil, tender corn, and squash itself. If you want an even stronger flavor, you can sauté the blossoms with some onion, garlic, herbs, and spices of your choice. You can even stuff the flowers with a mixture of cheese, onion and herbs. Then close the raze and dip the blossoms in an egg mixture of whisked egg whites to which yolks have been added. Finally, dip the blossoms in breadcrumbs, deep fry them and luxuriate in the very unique flavor.

The Garden Pansy has sunless characteristic spots on the petals, which give them an unusual appearance. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the garden pansy is usually thought to be a cultivated form of the wild pansy, or Johnny-jump-up, colored purple, white, and yellow. Although this flower is edible it can be toxic in large amounts. It is ample if used as a flavor enhancer for vegetables and fruit salads, or in your favorite soups.

What about the Vivacious Daylily? This short-lived flower must not be confused with other flowers of the same family, Liliacae. Their colors range from yellow to red, and have long been used in the kitchen. This flower when lightly cooked can be served as a vegetable. Or you can combine its petal with ingredients of your choice to make a light paste and then fry it.

The yucca flower, which grows especially in arid or semiarid climates, is very rich in vitamins and calcium. But you should only eat the petals, which you should boil before eating to take away the bitterness. The lemon blossom, orange blossom, and the mint flower are worthy additions to beverages, salads, and desserts.

However before you start tasting flowers, there are several important precautions you should take, since some flowers are poisonous. First identify the edible ones positively. If you are not sure then do not eat them. Never eat any flower that has been treated with pesticides or any other chemical. (This would be true of flowers bought from florists, garden centers, and some nurseries. You should eat only flowers grown organically and far from the roadway. People who have asthma or a plant related allergy should not eat flowers. Make sure to wash and disinfect the flower before eating.

There are several different websites that you can visit that have recipes that use flowers. One website is starchefs.com. They have several recipes and tips. There is also GardenGuides.com, which sells the flower seeds that you can plant at home yourself. If you decide to give cooking with flowers a try remember to bewitch all of the necessary precautions and savor.

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