If you are what you eat and you do not eat whole foods how can you expect to be whole. Dieting isn’t going to change your life for the better. It’s going to consume you, rip you of having time to enjoy life, and it’s going to take a toll on your health. Why not change the way you eat and learn to enjoy food? The American diet consists of “hurry up and eats” foods. These foods have been tested and retested and it has been found that they are killing us by breaking apart our bodies.
Eat whole foods remove processed foods from your life. Processed foods have added sugars, salts and other chemicals used to preserve the food that will do more harm than good when stacked on top of each other. What does it mean to be stacked on top? Food “A” has sugar, salt and preservatives in it, by itself it’s not a big deal but when you add food “B” you add more sugar salt and preservatives therefore exposing your body to twice the amount. Think about it this way if you eat to plain glazed donuts you have eaten already too much sugar and if you add a glass of orange juice you have just sent your body into sugar overload. Feeding the already over actively yeast in your body because sugar feeds yeast. The quick breakfast with Vitamin C has just become a sugar nightmare for your pancreas to deal with. If you then consume more carbohydrates for lunch like a sandwich and chips you have again loaded up your body’s yeast system and the here comes an afternoon snack of popcorn, or cookies or even crackers, more carbs and more sugars. And by dinner time you need more energy so you throw in corn or potatoes for dinner. Now most of these foods alone will not harm you but a day full of carbs will not only add pounds but compromise you pancreas and send you crashing to sleep. Foods that are processed have more sugar, more salt, and more chemicals than food cooked from scratch. OJ is good for you isn’t it, and the sandwich has meat and the what about the vegetables for dinner? Wrong… the whole orange is better, the lunchmeat has preservatives and the two are vegetables but both loaded with starch which is sugar to your body. Yes popcorn is a healthy snack, but did you load it with butter and salt? What if you ate diet cookies, their not good either because they can often be loaded with more “other” stuff and you will then overload your body with the other stuff. Yes, it’s a vicious cycle to your body, one that can lead to stroke, heart attack and diabetes without realizing the risk.
According to the article “The Skinney on 6 weight loss options by Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., Lifescript Nutritionist, published June 24, 2011 popular diets have restrictions that can damage your health. Low fat diets which are often followed by people with gastrointestinal disorders responsible for poor fat absorption rob you of variety of foods and then robe the vital nutrients your body needs. Your body needs some fats to help absorb the vitamins and healthy phytochemicals it needs. Instead of following a low fat diet change the types of fats you are consuming by adding healthier fats such as, fish, nuts, avocados, olives and vegetable oils such as olive, canola, sesame and nut. But keep them to a minimum. For more information on recommended servings of healthy foods visit choosemyplate.gov .
One of the hottest talks out there is about Gluten Free Diet. Unless you have been diagnosed by a physician and recommended that you follow a gluten free diet do not totally restrict yourself from gluten. This type of diet provides little benefit and leaves you more susceptible to nutrient deficiencies of iron or B vitamins and these foods cost a lot more. If you have been directed to follow this type of diet beware of the fact that processed foods are not fortified and are often loaded with sugar, salt and fat to make the product taste good. Buy whole foods to deal with this type of restrictions. Always consult a doctor before you make a restrictive change such as removing gluten from your diet.
The American Heart Association has recently changed its recommendations on salt intake to advice that we should only consume 1500 milligrams of sodium a day. Take a look at the salt content of the foods that you eat currently and if you make no other change to your diet or you want an easy place to start, this is the one you need to partake in! A slice of restaurant pizza often has 1500 milligrams of salt. Sodium chloride or table salt is approximately 40% sodium. By learning just how much sodium is in salt you can take identify the foods you eat that high in sodium and began to make changes to your diet.
1/4 teaspoon salt = 600 mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,200 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,800 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium
How about a vegetarian or vegan diet? A plant-based diet has many health benefits: It lowers cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, type 2 diabetes, and colon and prostate cancers, says dietitian Mark Rifkin, R.D., president of Preventive Nutrition Services in Baltimore. But it has pit falls too, such as deficiency in protein, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins D and B-12. Foods for this type of diet are often the same as the American Diet loaded with fats, sugars and oils that are not good for your body.
Then there is the popular diet of Low Carb’s that a lot of people have lost weight on. It does cause rapid weight loss but when you return to your normal eating patterns all the weight comes back and more. Typical of the yoyo effect that dieting has on you. Even though this diet can lead to weight loss you are eating foods that are typically high in cholesterol and unsaturated fats. Without carbs you then have astrological issues cropping up.
All of these diets lead to weight loss but unhealthy life styles and effects that can cause medical issues you will not have by just adopting a healthier eating routine. Put down the boxes and packages of “quick” cooking meals and pick up fruit, vegetables, whole grains and learn to cook. Use the time in the kitchen to teach your children about how to cook and in the long run you will have a better relationship with them and they will have a brighter future.
There are many internet websites with how to information on cooking with whole foods, the grocery stores are getting on board too with sales on healthier foods, in-store samplings as well as nutrition information on products they sell. Never has there been a time when making changes to your life could be so simple.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
How to Make Bubbles !
John posted pictures of Jaiden blowing bubbles on line and several people ask him how to make them. It really is easy ! I searched the internet and saw all sorts of concoctions... And I am not saying they work or don't work. But you do not need an elaborate concoction to make bubbles, even big bubbles!
Water bubbles don't last very long because the forces between water molecules tears the bubbles apart. However liquid dish soap is excellent at reducing the forces between water molecules and letting bubbles form. Molecules from dish soap will cover the surface of a bubble and let it expand without breaking. A soap bubble is a sandwich of air on the inside, a layer of detergent molecules, a layer of water and finally another layer of detergent molecules. The inner and outer layers of detergent can stretch a great deal and the water helps hold the bubble together.
Have you ever notice that bubbles have swirling colors and reflections? The colors and the reflection are because light is bouncing off both the inside and outside surface of the bubble.
Just before the bubble bursts the top part of the bubble will look like it has lots of black swirls on it. As the black swirls grow the bubble will bust.
Have you ever used different shaped bubble wands? Bubbles can only be round. No matter what shape of item you use the bubble will almost always be round.
Just before the bubble bursts the top part of the bubble will look like it has lots of black swirls on it. As the black swirls grow the bubble will bust.
Making your own solution is really a lot simpler and cheaper than buying bubbles. Go to the dollar store and buy a bottle of NON-Ultra Joy or Non-Ultra Ivory and mix it 1 cup of soap to 10 cups of water. Now this makes a good amount of bubble potion. We used a small tub with a lid so we could close the solution up. I have only had this solution for a week so I don't know how long it lasts.
To make a bubble Wand that will make the big bubbles like the ones in my pictures you will need to straight straws, not the bendable kind and about 56 inches of yarn or string. Slide 2 straws onto the piece of string and tie a knot in 0-the end. Using the straws as "handles" dip the wand into your tub of bubbles or load a cookie sheet with bubble solution. Holding the straws in your hands close the rectangle up and immerse into the bubble solution then slowing bring the frame out of the solution and open the frame carefully as you up life it out of the solution. As you pull it back towards you slowly flip the frame up or down to release the bubble. Or walk backward and pull the rectangle towards you. It does take practice but a 5 year old can master it in no time.
Water bubbles don't last very long because the forces between water molecules tears the bubbles apart. However liquid dish soap is excellent at reducing the forces between water molecules and letting bubbles form. Molecules from dish soap will cover the surface of a bubble and let it expand without breaking. A soap bubble is a sandwich of air on the inside, a layer of detergent molecules, a layer of water and finally another layer of detergent molecules. The inner and outer layers of detergent can stretch a great deal and the water helps hold the bubble together.
Have you ever notice that bubbles have swirling colors and reflections? The colors and the reflection are because light is bouncing off both the inside and outside surface of the bubble.
Just before the bubble bursts the top part of the bubble will look like it has lots of black swirls on it. As the black swirls grow the bubble will bust.
Have you ever used different shaped bubble wands? Bubbles can only be round. No matter what shape of item you use the bubble will almost always be round.
Just before the bubble bursts the top part of the bubble will look like it has lots of black swirls on it. As the black swirls grow the bubble will bust.
Making your own solution is really a lot simpler and cheaper than buying bubbles. Go to the dollar store and buy a bottle of NON-Ultra Joy or Non-Ultra Ivory and mix it 1 cup of soap to 10 cups of water. Now this makes a good amount of bubble potion. We used a small tub with a lid so we could close the solution up. I have only had this solution for a week so I don't know how long it lasts.
To make a bubble Wand that will make the big bubbles like the ones in my pictures you will need to straight straws, not the bendable kind and about 56 inches of yarn or string. Slide 2 straws onto the piece of string and tie a knot in 0-the end. Using the straws as "handles" dip the wand into your tub of bubbles or load a cookie sheet with bubble solution. Holding the straws in your hands close the rectangle up and immerse into the bubble solution then slowing bring the frame out of the solution and open the frame carefully as you up life it out of the solution. As you pull it back towards you slowly flip the frame up or down to release the bubble. Or walk backward and pull the rectangle towards you. It does take practice but a 5 year old can master it in no time.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Not so Ordinary Day !!
Today was an ordinary day… NOT ! I mowed the yard, watered the garden, picked tomatoes and peppers and then went grocery shopping in Longview… Sounds ordinary and it was till I went to the pantry to get something (and I have not a clue what I was getting) I opened the door and looked down. THANK GOD I looked down. There was a cord on the floor no wait, it wasn’t a cord. IT WAS A SNAKE…..
As you can see my pantry is the space under the stairs.
This photo was taken after the snake was out of the closest. More things sit on the floor, such as a shelf, appliances and grocery recycle bags.
Of course I moved quickly to the living room trying to contain my vocabulary!!! John jumped up and ran to the closet he saw the snake slithering back under the cabinets into the back corner. At this point he ran for a shovel and a rake. He had to get the snake out…without shooting him… What a bloody mess that would have been!! Needless to say this was going to be tricky! And that it was. First he cleaned out the closet using the rake to move the appliances; next he chased the dang thing around the back of the closet. Of course the language that snake heard should have burnt him up!! He had him trapped down with a shovel and the snake beginning to gape in hopes of deterring John. John was able to identify him at this point. He was a Cotton Mouth aka Water Moccasin.
The name cottonmouth snake is a more precise name as a water moccasin can be several different types of snakes. It is a relatively large, thick-, and fat looking snake with wide, dark bands along its body. Cottonmouth darkens with age and at some point the bands become obscured. The cottonmouth snake is aquatic, although it can be found as far as one mile away from water. The closest water source other than the bathtub for this snake is my front yard. But how the heck did it get in the house and even more how the heck did it get in my pantry.. When did it get in there? OK, so on with the story, after what seemed like forever and after Jaiden and I both resorted to sitting on the stairs John hollered open the door. He began dragging a wooden shelf out of the pantry and around the corner to the front door. As you can see he pulled the cabinet into the yard. He then took the gun and sat down to wait for the snake to come out. And I of course I had grabbed my iphone!!
John wasn’t feeling to patient so he began to dig into the cabinet and out slithered the little devil!!! ! We all watched him for a moment to see what he would do and to get a couple of photos… I wasn’t about to miss this Kodak moment. Then after taking a couple of shots of him slithering
CA-BOOM !!! CA-BOOM again !!! He was stopped dead in his tracks…. But the nerves in his neck were still jerking so CA-BOOM again !!!!! That did it one dead snake !!
YIPEE !!! I exclaimed and ran to shoot more pictures. The only good snake is a dead snake !!!
He is hanging on the fence right in front of the tank where he should have stayed!! As a warning to his friends. Mess with the best and you will die like the rest ! SNAKE BEWARES!!! My Marine is a straight shot and you don’t have a chance!!! As I am writing this Jaiden is sleeping on the floor beside me. Even after we had John scour the whole house top to bottom and no other snake was found she and I both are not excited about sleeping in her room!!!
As you can see my pantry is the space under the stairs.
This photo was taken after the snake was out of the closest. More things sit on the floor, such as a shelf, appliances and grocery recycle bags.
Of course I moved quickly to the living room trying to contain my vocabulary!!! John jumped up and ran to the closet he saw the snake slithering back under the cabinets into the back corner. At this point he ran for a shovel and a rake. He had to get the snake out…without shooting him… What a bloody mess that would have been!! Needless to say this was going to be tricky! And that it was. First he cleaned out the closet using the rake to move the appliances; next he chased the dang thing around the back of the closet. Of course the language that snake heard should have burnt him up!! He had him trapped down with a shovel and the snake beginning to gape in hopes of deterring John. John was able to identify him at this point. He was a Cotton Mouth aka Water Moccasin.
The name cottonmouth snake is a more precise name as a water moccasin can be several different types of snakes. It is a relatively large, thick-, and fat looking snake with wide, dark bands along its body. Cottonmouth darkens with age and at some point the bands become obscured. The cottonmouth snake is aquatic, although it can be found as far as one mile away from water. The closest water source other than the bathtub for this snake is my front yard. But how the heck did it get in the house and even more how the heck did it get in my pantry.. When did it get in there? OK, so on with the story, after what seemed like forever and after Jaiden and I both resorted to sitting on the stairs John hollered open the door. He began dragging a wooden shelf out of the pantry and around the corner to the front door. As you can see he pulled the cabinet into the yard. He then took the gun and sat down to wait for the snake to come out. And I of course I had grabbed my iphone!!
John wasn’t feeling to patient so he began to dig into the cabinet and out slithered the little devil!!! ! We all watched him for a moment to see what he would do and to get a couple of photos… I wasn’t about to miss this Kodak moment. Then after taking a couple of shots of him slithering
CA-BOOM !!! CA-BOOM again !!! He was stopped dead in his tracks…. But the nerves in his neck were still jerking so CA-BOOM again !!!!! That did it one dead snake !!
YIPEE !!! I exclaimed and ran to shoot more pictures. The only good snake is a dead snake !!!
He is hanging on the fence right in front of the tank where he should have stayed!! As a warning to his friends. Mess with the best and you will die like the rest ! SNAKE BEWARES!!! My Marine is a straight shot and you don’t have a chance!!! As I am writing this Jaiden is sleeping on the floor beside me. Even after we had John scour the whole house top to bottom and no other snake was found she and I both are not excited about sleeping in her room!!!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Precautionary Principle - New Murphy's Law definition
While reviewing Maria's Farm County Kitchen this morning she wrote an article on "the Precautionary Principle" As of this morning I had never heard this principle.
According to the SEHN: "The 1998 Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle summarizes the principle this way:
“When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”
What does this mean? From my prospective "If something could go wrong it will go wrong and should we let it go wrong knowing it could be wrong before the wrong is done?" Possible the new age definition of Murphy's Law.
If something I am doing is a POSSIBLE danger to my environment, or my health I should look for another way to do it. Pretty simple ! But we have chosen convenience so we can go enjoy life more.... WHOA ! Where did I get lost? When did reasonable common sense go out the window.. The moment I saw the "Easy Life" that's when I lost it.
Our environmental rules and regulations are based on the expectation that science can and must provide definitive proof of harm before protective action is taken. So in other words... you are taking your own life in your own hands ! Well then let's do that ...
What should you do and where should you start? Square One as they say !
1. Identify the things in your life that can make you sick or hurt the environment your children and grandchildren stand to inherit.
2. Rank the above things in your life as to what has the greatest chance of harm.
3. Research simple ways to change those things.
4. Start with the highest ranked thing and find alternative solutions.
5. Do something ! Do not get over whelmed by all the things you should do with all the things you can do.
The easiest of those to me to start by something I do on a daily basis.. Clean.
Now that's not just the house that's me, my family and my animals.
We wash our hands, our hair, our bodies, our clothes and our dishes everyday.
As a mother I am in charge of how we do that.
My biggest change was to throw out any chemical that had a "Poison" label on it.
If it's poisonous why would we use it?
This comes from an adult who at the ripe ole age of 3 was going to drink the bleach.... THANK GOD someone came looking for me !!!!
Replace Bleach in your house with Peroxide !! Simple, Cheap and effective
Anything you need to clean can be cleaned with it. You are not trying to genocide the neighborhood.
Next... I found out how many things you can do with Baking Soda besides bake with it. To be continued...
Next.... Old fashion Mule Team Borax !!! Now in saying this I have to admit that this isn't' a totally safe product but it's less harmful than most.
Finally buy Vinegar by the BIG gallons !!! It also will do more than you can imagine. Also to be continued.....
According to the SEHN: "The 1998 Wingspread Statement on the Precautionary Principle summarizes the principle this way:
“When an activity raises threats of harm to the environment or human health, precautionary measures should be taken even if some cause and effect relationships are not fully established scientifically.”
What does this mean? From my prospective "If something could go wrong it will go wrong and should we let it go wrong knowing it could be wrong before the wrong is done?" Possible the new age definition of Murphy's Law.
If something I am doing is a POSSIBLE danger to my environment, or my health I should look for another way to do it. Pretty simple ! But we have chosen convenience so we can go enjoy life more.... WHOA ! Where did I get lost? When did reasonable common sense go out the window.. The moment I saw the "Easy Life" that's when I lost it.
Our environmental rules and regulations are based on the expectation that science can and must provide definitive proof of harm before protective action is taken. So in other words... you are taking your own life in your own hands ! Well then let's do that ...
What should you do and where should you start? Square One as they say !
1. Identify the things in your life that can make you sick or hurt the environment your children and grandchildren stand to inherit.
2. Rank the above things in your life as to what has the greatest chance of harm.
3. Research simple ways to change those things.
4. Start with the highest ranked thing and find alternative solutions.
5. Do something ! Do not get over whelmed by all the things you should do with all the things you can do.
The easiest of those to me to start by something I do on a daily basis.. Clean.
Now that's not just the house that's me, my family and my animals.
We wash our hands, our hair, our bodies, our clothes and our dishes everyday.
As a mother I am in charge of how we do that.
My biggest change was to throw out any chemical that had a "Poison" label on it.
If it's poisonous why would we use it?
This comes from an adult who at the ripe ole age of 3 was going to drink the bleach.... THANK GOD someone came looking for me !!!!
Replace Bleach in your house with Peroxide !! Simple, Cheap and effective
Anything you need to clean can be cleaned with it. You are not trying to genocide the neighborhood.
Next... I found out how many things you can do with Baking Soda besides bake with it. To be continued...
Next.... Old fashion Mule Team Borax !!! Now in saying this I have to admit that this isn't' a totally safe product but it's less harmful than most.
Finally buy Vinegar by the BIG gallons !!! It also will do more than you can imagine. Also to be continued.....
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Settling in !
June is almost here and we are settled into Winnsboro !
School is out and we are ready for summer !
Chase has graduated - Whoop !! and looking for that first job !
Brit and Ben are settling into married life well !
Bec moves into her apt this week ! Talk about a 18 years going by so fast !
The garden is growing and starting to produce ! It feels so good to be growing our food again !
School is out and we are ready for summer !
Chase has graduated - Whoop !! and looking for that first job !
Brit and Ben are settling into married life well !
Bec moves into her apt this week ! Talk about a 18 years going by so fast !
The garden is growing and starting to produce ! It feels so good to be growing our food again !
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