Swine Flu Phenom.

I find it disturbing that just when we should be focused on something outrageous that our government is pulling that the government gives us something to focus on so we sort of forget about 1) war, 2) inflation 3) healthcare, etc. This year, it’s SWINE…. a few years ago, it was SARS, before that it was Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Swine flu. From Dr. Nany Schneiderman telling health care workers just to “get their DAMN shot” to the some states making it mandatory for hospital workers to get their vaccine, the world is going a little mad with this thing. If you’re a healthy person and practice safe hygiene including handwashing, gripping door handles and knobs with your sleeve pulled down and covering your hand, wiping your shopping carts down with at the door disinfecting wipes and good nutrition skills (plenty of water, fresh fruits and vegetables … stay away from empty calories (sweets and alcohol), then you should be just fine against the swine flu. I did all of this and still got the swine flu (although I did shop somewhere where they didn’t have those wipey things), but with all the natural health practices I do when I start to feel sick, I was down for the count for less than 48 hours. Four days into it and you’d never know I had it!

Double up on your multi-vitamins during cold and flu season, pile on the garlic into just about everything you eat, eat lots of onions too, throw together a berry smoothie everyday, sleep, watch your alcohol intake (it tears down your immune system, apart from a glass or two of red wine a week), eat two servings of raw fruits a day (the enzymes aid in digestion and keep your intestinal tract clean which is key to health), MOVE (get a little exercise everyday even if you’re marching in place at commercial times). Drink plenty of GOOD CLEAN WATER — forget the city water that comes out of your tap; it’s likely to make you sicker and tear your immune system down. To really build up your immune system, take Astragalus. It’s a Chinese herb that works with your deep immune system. The Chinese make a big pot of this soup during the winter season and eat it once a day. It works. I’ve used it for years.

Don’t forget to get the stress out of your life by: hot baths, walks, candles (these calm down any house), reading, holding family game night, playing with (and paying attention to…) your pets, journaling, painting, scrapbooking…. anything that relaxes you and doesn’t cause undue stress or drain on your energy will nourish your body and spirit. And these two tiny little things can keep you well throughout the winter months.

gloria

MJ burnout and Oh My God, high-caloric drinks!

Enough MJ already. The man was a gifted performer. So was Sinatra. There’s good news on the horizon, Project Runway starts up again soon, and we’ll get back to important conversations!

MSN had an article about the worst drinks on the planet. I’m guilty of loving peppermint mochas from Starbucks, but I’ve had to ask for soy milk because I’ve discovered dairy gives me migraines. Lovers of Cold Stone Creamery’s peanut butter and chocolate milkshake (PB&C) should be aware that the more appropriate name is “potbellies and cardiovascular disease.” It has more calories in it than you should eat in a day and 3-4 days worth of fat grams (depending on what you set you limit to per day). This drink scores the number 2 slot, if you want to know which drink equals 29 Fudgesicles and a stick and half of butter, go to MSN.

I’m thinking this summer is the nicest spring to summer transition since I can’t remember when. Temps in the 70s, some rain, but not torrential, flowers not wilting (and neither am I). Wish I could have this weather year round, but I think I’d have to move to Palm Springs. California is beautiful with the sun, sand and surf, but I like getting my tax refunds too much to let the state hold onto them for me!

Found lots of new tools to manage Twitter: Tweetgrid, Tweetscan, AskTwitR, TweetVolume, iTweet, Twitterfox, Twitterfeed, Twitterpatterns…. lots to discover and use! I already make use of Tweetdeck, check it out if you haven’t yet. You can even see your friends’ updates in Facebook and post to both Twitter and Facebook at the same time!

gloria

Eating Healthy Without the Fuss

A fairly good guide to follow

When you go to your cupboard or refrigerator, do you have a difficult time knowing exactly which foods fit into your healthy food plan? Do you simply grab anything, hoping that the nutrition labels’ claims of “whole grain,” “low fat” and “low sugar” are true? Have you tried to teach you kids what to eat, but they forget and go for the chocolate or the chips?

As busy people we live on the go and eat on the go. For most people, a nightly family dinner is something unknown. What goes with that often are nutrition unknowns. We must rely on clever packaging and hope we are not being led down the yellow brick path to unhealthy eating. By law, the FDA allows nutrition labels to be “off” by 30%. This means that a product that touts “100 calories” could be more than 130 calories; 33 grams of sugar becomes 44 grams and so on. If you wish to eat healthy you simply must spend time in the grocery store reading labels.

When you bring your purchases home, how can you remember which foods you bought for their most valuable nutritional content? If you have just spent two hours in the grocery store reading labels, you may forget which food had what in it. One of the easiest ways would be to label the foods and that’s where Easy Diet Labels come in. (www.easydietlabels.com)

Easy Diet Labels is the no fuss way to knowing every time the greatest benefit of any given food on your shelf. Once a week after your shopping trip is all the time it takes to label your foods. You will never again stand in front of the fridge wondering if that container of yogurt is a better choice than a high-fiber, low-fat cookie. You will know which food choices are low in sugar, high in fiber, low in fat, or danger foods that you should eat only once in a while because you will have labeled it with an Easy Diet Label.

Easy Diet Labels make it easier to stay on track with your diet, no matter which diet plan you follow. Perfect for diabetics, the elderly who frequently forget to eat well and those on the latest diet food plan, Easy Diet Labels works with them all. Kids love them because they are colorful and easy to read, and they always know they are making “parent approved” snack choices just by looking at the label! Involve the kids into labeling the foods when you open your shopping bags, they will love sticking the labels on the packages and remember which foods are the good choices for them.

One of the most beneficial aspects of Easy Diet Labels is they allow you to label the “danger” foods – the ones you should eat only once in a while, but still want to have as a treat. The “Not on My Diet” labels allows you to label those foods that one member of the family insists on being in the house, but is a bad choice for you on your food plan.

Remember, good food choices begin with label reading and two of the ingredients to avoid in your food purchases are “partially hydrogenated oils” which are trans fats and “high fructose corn syrup.” Current ad campaigns aside, high fructose corn syrup is actually a preservative which keeps foods fresher longer. Unfortunately, this very common preservative made from corn is causing people’s waistlines to expand. Partially hydrogenated oils clog up your arteries with arterial plaque. Avoid these ingredients at all costs. Yes, you may have to give up some of your favorite products, but lately food companies have been listening to consumers and are rethinking and reengineering their food ingredients to meet the demand for healthier foods. Easy Diet Labels helps you label those products that are good for your heart, high in antioxidants and low in sugar. Truly by labeling your good food choices, no longer will you be standing in front of the cupboard wondering what to choose to stay on your diet and lead a healthier life.