Friday, February 6, 2009

FLAT BELLY DIET

HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING ABOUT THE "FLAT BELLY DIET"

A few friends of mine have tried it, and now so am I.

The ad says, "Flatten Your Belly for Good!"
Lose up to 15 lbs in 32 days while eating the foods you love with Prevention's newest diet. Targets unhealthy belly fat first. No exercise required. Lowest Price Online plus Free shipping!

Well, we will see. Today is Friday Feb 6, 2009...I will start this diet on Feb 9th and check back here on the 23rd. (15 days into the diet)

If you wish to get started...Copy and paste The Link Below

http://www.flatbellydietplan.com/uof/flatbellydietplan/nl/?keycode=084491

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SUNSCREEN AISLE

When you are looking for a sunscreen, make sure to look for the following...

A product with an SPF of 15 or higher

UVA and UVB Protection printed on the bottle

A Seal Of Recommendation from the Skin Cancer Froundation or a stamp of approval from the American Cancer Society on packaging.

Both groups are now recognizing products that do a first class job of protecting your skin!

I, myself, use SPF 45...I am very pale, and the sun doesn't like me anymore! LOL

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Learning New Stuff

MEALS AND MEDS

Just what does it mean when the directions on your medicine bottle say "take with food"
It means at the END OF YOUR MEAL, says Steven Chen, M.D..

"when there's plenty of food in your stomach"

But, if you're instructed to take medicine on an empty stomach, you should wait at least two hours after a meal, then give yourself another hour before eating again!

Monday, February 2, 2009

LOSE WEIGHT FOR GOOD

After losing just 15 pounds in 6 long months, Ray Gibney, 40, of Middletown, PA began logging his daily diet and exercise on My Health Trackers

http://www.prevention.com/cda/healthtracker.do?cm_sp=HealthTracker-_-TopNav-_-healthtracker.do

which analyzes your habits in easy-to-read charts. "My Health Trackers" helps you make sure to eat fewer calories than you burn off while exercising.

A year later, Ray is 95 pounds lighter, and has kept his weight off!

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If you are trying to lose weight for good, you should use this fun and effective method!
I just started using it...we shall see...I will update after 30 days and let you know how much weight I have lost...look for my blog on March 3rd for the update info!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Watch Out For This Balance Transfer Trap

Creditors state that a promotional interest rate will expire in a given month...only to hike it up on the very fist day of that month. This leaves end of the month bill payers stuck with a bigger balance.

To avoid this pitfall, ask customer service to confirm the exact day the promotional rate expires.

Source: Liz Pulliam Weston, author, Easy Money

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

CHEW GUM, FIGHT OFF HEARTBURN

Here's an easy way to prevent acid reflux:



Pop a stick of gum into your mouth after a meal. According to Kings College London researchers, chewing gum can reduce heartburn related symptoms by boosting production of saliva, which is alkaline and helps neutralize stomach acid.



More saliva also means more swallowing which stimulates the muscle contractions that help digest food, researchers say. Stick to sugarless gum, they advise, and if you're not the gum chewing type, a sugar free hard candy or lozenge may have a similar effect.

How Hard Should You Exercise?

A monitor can help you work out more efficiently by indicating when you're exercising in your "target training zone," which is between 50 and 85% of your mazimum heart rate.



Here's how to estimate yours:



220 minues your age = _____ (max heart rate)

Max HR x 0.50 = _____ (bottom of zone)

Max HR x 0.85 = _____ (top of zone)



As your heart gets fitter, you'll see that it takes longer to reach this zone and your pulse returns to normal faster after you're done working out.

5 EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HEART STRONG

1) Combine resveratrol rich grape juice with seltzer to help lower my blood pressure



2) Eat 1/2 cup of pinto beans a day to lower both my total and LDL cholesterol scores by about 8%



3) Track my resting pulse with a monitor to determine how powerful my heart is



Track your heart's strength: Your heart is a muscle, and it responds to exercise the same way other muscles do, by getting bigger and stronger. A well trained heart can be 30-40% larger than a normal one and pump about 50% more blood and oxygen with every beat. That means it has to beat less often and should last longer. A good, simple measure of your heart's strength is its "resting pulse," which is taken when you're totally relaxed or asleep (your monitor can record and save the data) Normal resting heart rates for adults are in the 70s (beats per minute) while those of well trained endurance athletes dip into the 40s. Generally, the slower your resting heart rate, the more powerful your heart.



4) Replace whole milk with fat free and a little half and half in recipes for a creamy taste, without the heart risk



5) Snack on 1/2 cup of pistachios (for an 1,800 calorie diet) each day to lower your LDL cholesterol by 12%



Please talk to your Dr before changing any diet/diets that he/she has you on, and make sure that your medication will not be affected.

8 EASY WAYS TO POWER UP YOUR DIET TODAY

1) Toss 1/2 cup of chopped red bell peppers in your scrambled eggs for a full days serving of vitamin C

2) Add 3 ounces of canned wild salmon to your salad to load up on omega 3 fats

3) Dust 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds onto your cereal to boost immunity

4) Top off pasta with six sprigs of parsley to help prevent fractures and bone loss

5) Stack three small leaves of spinach on my sandwich to up my vitamin A

6) Replace plain yogurt with nonfat Greet for twice the protein

7) Sip a cup of chamomile tea to rein in blood sugar fluctuations and prevent the ravages of type 2 diabetes

8) Check the nutrition label to find out whether my food pick is truly "natural"

Cranberry Juice Kills Ulcer-causing Bacteria

Cranberry juice is my lifesaver! I have been dealing with severe ulcer pain. Worse than childbirth, actually. So far, this has worked for me. I am going on my second week now without any medcation and or pain!

Why Cranberry Juice Kills The Ulcer Causing Bacteria:
The anthocyanidins in cranberry juice impart a "slippery" quality to H. pylori, a type of bacterium that causes stomach ulcers. This prevents H. pylori from taking root in the body.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The 15 Most Choked On Foods For Kids

To Prevent Kids From Choking, insist that they eat slowly while sitting down and chew food well. Also, clut food into 1/2 inch pieces or thin, short strips, and remove seeds and pits from fruit.

Make sure to watch your kids while they eat, when they are young. Here Are The Culprits!

Round, Pliable Foods: hot dogs, sausages, chunks of meet cheese whole grapes

Firm Foods: hard candy, raw vegetables (such as carrots) and raw fruit chunks (such as apple pieces)

Hard To Chew Foods: nuts, seeds and popcorn

Sticky Foods: marshmallows, peanut butter chunks, chewy candy and gum

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Valentine "Thank You" Jar Of Joy

Last Valentine's Day, Traci Curtis wanted to do something to show her appreciation to her daughter's kindergarten teacher, and decided to also include the entire class.

A few weeks before the holiday, she sent three paper hearts home with each student and asked them -- and their parents --to write a brief note of thanks on each.

Then she filled what she called, "The Jar Of Joy" (a plastic jar with pink and red hearts, with a snug lid) with enough notes that the teacher could read one per day until the school year ended.

This would be a great idea for Valentine's Day, and not just for your child's teacher. I think that you you could do this for a co-worker, friend, family member or even have your daughters friends write how much they appreciate her! (which I think that I will do for mine this year!) oh, and a few gals in my homeschool meet up group!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Send Body Toxins Down The Drain

New studies show that a 20 minute bath can flush out contaminants linked to stress, tiredness and weight gain!

Chemical hazards are impossible to avoid--just look at the wave of studies showing that toxins can leach from water bottles, laundry detergent and even pizza boxes. This may seem scary, considering that toxic buildup in the body has been linked to stress, fatigue, weight gain and mood disturbances. But avioding these symptoms is easy:

Just Soak In The Tub!

"By inducing perspiration, hot baths spur the release of toxins from waste-carrying lymph channels just beneath the skin", explains Ann Louise Gittleman, PH.D, author of The Fast Track Detox Diet. Also, some easy tub mix-ins can enhance the benefits of a bath even further.

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FEELING STRESSED?
Toss In Epsom Salts

Soaking in hot water infused with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) boosts blood levels of magnesium by up to 34 percent in one week, according to research conducted at the University of Birmingham School of Biosciences in the United Kingdom. That's great news for women, especially those who are anxious or tense. "The body requires magnesium to manufacture the enzymes quinone reductase and glutathione S-transferase, which assist in neutralizing the eliminationg chemical toxins," says Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., author of The Magnesium Miracle. "Plus, magnesium plays a key role in regulating nerve and muscle activity to protect the body against stress."

To Get The Benefits: pour the study-backed amount of 1 cup of Epsom salts into running water as you fill the tub, then soak.


ACHY ALL OVER?
Try A Salt And Soda Combo

The pH of bathwater can make a big difference in how the body eliminates toxins. "The body produces acidic waste as a natural by-product of metabolism, and waste buildup can slow the flow of lymph", says Gittleman. The result is often a backlog of toxins that can trigger cellular inflammation and lead to body aches, fatigue and brain fog." Fortunately, soaking in alkaline water can help rebalance internal pH. In fact, this soothing strategy can diminish cellular inflammation and reduce related symptoms by up to 44 percent, according to studies at Israel's Soroka medical Center and elsewhere.

To Get The Benefits:

Add 2 cups of kosher salt and 2 cups of baking soda to hot bathwater.

SUDDENLY GAINING?
Soak In Seaweed
Health expers have long known that the minerals in seaweed have a strong ionic charge that draws toxins out of bodily cells. But that's not all: seaweed also pulls in key nutirents that smooth cellulite and release trapped fat. "Seaweek particularly that bladder wrack and laminaria varieties, are rich in iodine, and element that optimizes function of the thyroid gland to speed metabolism and rev production f the fat burning enzyme lipase," says Dr. Dean. Plus, seaweed contains alginates, polymers that enhance skin suppleness and combat saggin skin.

To Get The Benefits:
A seaweed blend that delivers the perks when used once a week: Crystal Star Hot Seaweed Bat ($11 for 2oz at www.houseofnutrition.com)

MAKE SURE TO TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER IS YOU HAVE ANY HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS DIABETES "BEFORE" YOU DO THESE.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

30 Minute Workout Playlist

Here Is A Great 30 Minute Workout Playlist!

Load This Music Onto Your MP3 Player (list compiled from shape magazine)

1. "I Ran" (A Flock of Seagulls) 5:07
2. "Everything's Magic" (Angles & Airwaves) 3:51
3. "Gone" (Kelly Clarkson) 3:25
4. "Sex Type Thing" (Stone Temple Pilots) 3:38
5. "C'Mon C'Mon" (The Von Bondies) 2:13
6. "La La" (Ashlee Simpson) 3:44
7. "Who Do You Think You Are" (Spice Girls) 4:00
8. "Upgrade U" (Beyonce') 4:32
Total Time 30:30

Don't have an mp3 player. Try the iRiver E100 (from $110; www.iriver.com for stores)

BLAST CALORIES (While You Give Back)

Want to feel the sun on your face this summer, shrink your waist, and help the environment? Give one of these eco friendly activities a try.

Team up the Gramd Canyon Trust Volunteers: on a free six day backpacking trip to remove invasive trees from the banks of the Paria River. You'll work your entire body and burn 500 calories per hour. Go to http://www.gcvolunteers.org/ for information.


Take to the woods with the American Hiking Society: on a week long vacation in a state or nation park ($245, including lodging and meals: www.americanhiking.org
Between hiking and clearing paths, shoveling and repairing walls, you'll work off 480 calories an hour.

Give the seafloor a sweet during the Ocean Conservancy: International Coastal Cleanup. On September 20, colunteers will scuba dive for debris, torching 240 calories per half hour in the process. For information, visit, www.oceanconservancy.org

Gather you pals for a day of canoeing for the American Rivers: National River Cleanup. Log on to www.americanrivers.org and you'll get free bags to collect trash that ends up in our waterways. Bonus: paddling ticks away more than 200 calories per hour!

USE IT TWICE

Here are some things that you can use more than once, instead of just tossing them!


Empty Facial tissue box : corral plastic grocery bags, (if you still use them), receipts, other odds and ends.

Plastic shower cap: cover the bottom of a plant while watering to prevent leaks onto the floor.

Mesh bag from onions/oranges: wrap it around kitchen sponge to make a great scrubber.

Glass jelly, pickle, mustard jars: store leftovers. You won't buy as many plastic containers.)

Heavy duty plastic comforter bag: stash out of season clothing and linens.

Household wipes container: put a ball of string or yard in the container and thread the end through the hole in the top.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Juicy Information

You already know that your kid should get three servings of fruit a day to pack in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but does drinking juice count?

Capri Sun Juice Drink
Sugar 18g
Calories 70
Biggest Benefits: Vitamin E (10%)
Count as a fruit serving? NO

Juicy Juice
Sugar 22g
Calories 100
Biggest Benefits: Vitamin C (100%) Potassium (5%)
Count as a fruit serving? YES

An Orange
Sugar 12g
Calories 62
Biggest Benefits: Vitamin C (130%) Fiber (12%)
Count as a fruit serving? Um, YES :)

BTW - Soda Contains 40 Grams Of Sugar!

DISNEY FREE?

On your birthday, Disney is inviting you to come FREE...check out the link below!


http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/disneyparks/en_US/WhatWillYouCelebrate/index?name=FreeOnYourBirthdayPage

MEDICAL ALERT

To ensure quick and safe treatment during emergencies, now you can hand the paramedic your cell phone. Install MyRapidMD ($20 for one line, $60 for four, myrapidmd.com), so your prescriptions, insurance info, blood type and more will be easily accessible.

info from Allison baker

Sunday, January 4, 2009

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

IN NEED OF HELP:

Very Special Arts of California At Sacramento, which sponsors art programs, festivals and shows featuring people of all abilities. Among other things, the group hires professionals from the community to teach art to both regular and special education students in the Sacramento City Unified, San Juan Unified, Elk Grove Unified and Natomas Unified school districts.

WHAT THEY NEED:
Glossy brochure paper for laser printers, a file cabinet, postage stamps, 9X12 manila envelopes, toner cartridges and an image drum for an HP Color Laser Jet 2840.

CONTACT:
Alice Parente, 916-277-6747
or email vsas77@earthlink.net
or visit
www.vsacalifornia.org

SACRAMENTO AREA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

For volunteer opportunities, a calendar of charity events or posting your group's holiday needs, go to:


http://www.sacbee.com/helpingothers/