Asparagus Chicken with Mushrooms

"I am so glad that asparagus is in season again. My family loves asparagus, it is pretty much the only vegetable that my picky son would eat. In order to help him eat more vegetables, I created this healthy and tasty dish that he raves about how tasty vegetables can be..." Read more at Spicy Pursuits.

Green, Not Mean, Allergen Killing, Steam Clean!

Steam cleaning machines are wonderful.  They clean without harsh chemicals.  They deodorize and sanitize.  I love my steam cleaner to get that dirt and junk out of little crevices of appliances or the toilet seat hinges.   It goes seamlessly from one room to the next.  My kitchen floors no longer have that sticky feeling after moping and have never been cleaner.  They are so clean you could eat off of them.  My fridge is sparkling inside.  My curtains are all wrinkle free and my car smells fresh again.  I can not say enough about how great steam cleaners are.   They do not do everything however.  Don't have unrealistic expectations.  When you clean something with a  steam cleaner the dirt doesn't magically disappear.  The steam knocks it loose and then you have to wipe it up with a cloth.  Old stuck on stains likely wont be removed with the steam either.  If you don't have one already I would highly recommend getting a great steam cleaner like a Steam Buggy or a Stanley Steamer.  Don't bother with those small Shark cleaners.  They don't hold enough steam to really get anything done.  Did I mention you can sanitize your toothbrushes too?  You can sanitize anything that can hold up to the heat.  Baby toys, sinks, upholstery, bath poufs.  You can clean jewelry and door knobs or mirrors and table tops.
If you have allergy's a steam cleaner is a must.  The steam kills dust mites.  You can use it on your pillows, mattresses, carpets and curtains.  Killing mites and freshening the fabric.  For a really healthy home get a steam cleaner!  The McCullough and SteamFast have great ratings on Amazon and I love my Steam Buggy.  Get one that will replace multiple cleaning implements in your house like the McCullough and Steamfast.  So you will need a upholstery/floor brush with the cloth moping cover, and a steam jet nozzle at least.  Most come standard with these accessories.

Great steam cleaner options:
McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner
McCulloch MC1246 Portable 1500-Watt Power Steam Cleaner
SteamFast SF-275 SteamMax Steam Cleaner

-Val    

You mean I can eat FAT?!

Yes you can!!!  Now, hold your applause.  Not all fats are created equally.  That's right, there are good fats, bad fats and evil fats.  Bad fats not only make you fat, but they aggravate your cells causing inflammation and they raise your bad cholesterol.

Saturated fats are the bad fats. They are solid at room temperature.  They are not "evil" because you can eat them in moderation.  Your body does produce cholesterol from saturated fats but we all need some cholesterol.  Not all cholesterol is created equally either.  There is bad and good cholesterol.
You will find saturated fats (named so because the molecules are "saturated" in hydrogen) in animal products such as whole milk, butter, cream, red meat, eggs, coconut, coconut oil, peanuts and avocados.

Unsaturated fats are the best fats for you.  They are liquid at room temperature.  Unsaturated fats will raise your good cholesterol, make you feel fuller, decrease your chance for heart disease and much more.
You will find unsaturated fats in cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, grains, almonds, canola oil and peanuts.  

You may have noticed that peanuts are under both lists.  Peanuts do have both fats and are still healthy for you! Should you go eat a truck load of peanuts??? No!  But you should eat a few handfuls a week.  Avocado's are high is saturated fat for a fruit, however they are still much lower than animal products and I would still recommend you eat them weekly.  Not six a day.  It's all about moderation with fats and eating a lot more of the good fats.

Trans fats, the evil fat.  Trans fats are processed fats.  That means they were made in a beaker in a lab (they can also occur when you burn your oil).  Never, ever eat trans fats.  They are so evil in fact, that they raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol.  They wreak havoc on your cells and create inflammation.  Inflamed cells are sad cells that cause you pain and suffering.  Trans fats also make you fat!  So please, for the love of Pete, do not eat them. You can find trans fats in anything with hydrogenated oils.  Even if the packaging says that it has "0 trans fats" it may have .99 of a gram of it and they are still allowed to say it has "0 grams". It is best to read the labels and stay away from anything with hydrogenated anything in it.      

There are 2 kinds of cholesterol.  
Bad cholesterol: LDL  Limit Saturated fats and banish trans fats.
Good cholesterol: HDL Eat more mono-unsaturated fats to raise your good cholesterol.

Here is your grocery store and dieting cheat sheet to fats:

Good
Unsaturated fats, (Mono and Poly Unsaturated.) Vegetation sources of fats. Raises good cholesterol, prevents heart disease. Decreases cell inflammation.

Limit 
Saturated fats, animal and dairy sources.  Raises bad cholesterol, contributes to heart disease.  

Bad.
Trans fats, anything with hydrogenated oils.  Lowers good cholesterol and raises bad cholesterol.  Aggravates cell inflammation.  

-Val

Walking

Walking has so many health benefits.  It can help you loose weight, ease depression, curb your appetite and get you places!  The left hand, right foot, right hand, left foot action stimulates both sides of the brain.  Walking also releases endorphins for a great mood pick-me-up.  If you walk for 30 minutes or more a day, it can definitely help you loose weight. Especially if you walk briskly and up and down inclines.  Running can be really hard on your joints and can cause you to release adrenaline.  Adrenaline can cause hardening of arteries overtime.  Walking does the opposite, it calms, relaxes, releases happy hormones and keeps you fit.  Here are some articles on the benefits of walking.

  http://walking.about.com/od/healthbenefits/Benefits_of_Walking_How_Walking_Reduces_Health_Risks.htm

Happy walking!

-Val

Vertigo

When I was about 24 I developed a severe case of vertigo and let me tell you, it was awful. One of the worst things I have ever dealt with. If you have ever suffered with a severe or mild case, you know what I am talking about. I was dizzy all the time, REAL dizziness and it was worse when I would lie down, so that didn't help. My ears rang constantly and felt more plugged than I have ever experienced. I walked leaning sideways...usually to the left which caused me to run into walls and doors frequently. I couldn't drive, I couldn't even stand to be in a moving car. It went on for weeks and weeks. I saw a doctor about it but he didn't think I had vertigo because I told him I was having a hard time grasping pencils and doorknobs. I knew he was wrong...go spin around and around then try to use your motor skills and tell me it isn't a little more than difficult...PLUS I had EVERY vertigo symptom in the book. Since then I have mild spouts of vertigo every now and then. Here is an exercise I do that really helps. It also helped to finally break up the vertigo I was having then too. I would suggest you try it even if you are unsure if you are having vertigo or dizziness from something else, like an inner ear infection etc. You will want somebody to help you that can watch a clock for you and tell you when it is time to "roll". Lie on your back, flat on the floor with your face pointing up towards the ceiling. Have your helper time you in this position for one FULL minute. When the minute is up, have your helper let you know by saying something like, "roll" "ok" "over" or whatever you choose. Now, turn your HEAD ONLY to the right but keep your body laying flat on its back. Hold your head in this position for one FULL minute again. When your helper says "ok" roll your face flat onto the floor and your body onto its belly. If you do not like your face in your floor, use a blanket. Again, hold here for one minute. When this minute is done, turn your HEAD ONLY to the RIGHT again, but leave your body on its belly. When this minute is through, roll your body back onto its back with your face facing upwards once again. Repeat this WHOLE pattern for THREE full body rolls. Holding a minute each. Each body roll will amount to 4 minutes, so 12 minutes total. Once you have completed this, do the EXACT same thing again but this time you will roll your head and your body to the LEFT. The entire exercise takes over 20 minutes. This will help the little inner ear bones to align better helping to or completely relieve the dizziness. It helps me every time. Good luck!

-Liz-

Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV

LOVE THE STUFF! It is an amazing, natural product that fulfills a lot of needs. First of all, I am not talking about the cheap stuff you buy at any store. I am talking about the raw, unfiltered type that still maintains the "mother" of the vinegar, all the good old natural parts that have not been filtered out through processing or heating. My favorite brand is called Bragg. You can find it in many health food stores and even some typical grocery type stores carry it, you just have to look around. It is more pricey than some cheap brand but hey, you get what you pay for and it is like the difference between buying yourself a dollar store doll or a real name brand Barbie...I pick the Barbie LOL. So, what is it good for? I will share what I have used it for with great results...but there is also loads and loads of uses listed online you can look into as well.


First, a beauty tip using Bragg ACV. Now, this one is tough but the benefits are SO worth it. I started drinking 1 Tablespoon of Bragg ACV every morning. It has been a health product for many years for many reasons so I thought I would try it. Here is what I discovered after only 3 days on it. For myself personally, my skin was AMAZING and I mean it. No joke, it was SO clear and SO bright and just looked a lot younger. After some research I found it contains some anti-aging properties and boy does it! Next, I noticed I had NO MORE heartburn which is a constant problem for me. I took it every morning and NO heartburn throughout the day...at all. It is also supposed to be good for heartburn and boy was it truly! It is not the best tasting stuff and it really has a kick. I mixed it with a little apple juice every morning and just drank it down as fast as I could. It is what a really strong apple ale might taste like in my personal opinion and pretty nasty...but it was only two or three swallows worth and I found the benefits worth it. I also have found 1 tsp of honey mixed with 1 tsp of Bragg ACV warmed and swallowed is really quite a good cough suppressant.


The next thing I like using the ACV for is cleaning. It works great as a cleaner on counters and floors and in your bathroom. Just use it straight, no diluting, in a spray bottle and let it evaporate back into the air after you are done cleaning with it.


Last but surely not least, I use it on my horses hooves. It is a great antifungal and kills the thrush in the hoof very well when an infection is present. With all of that said, I would recommend giving it a try! Read up on its uses and maybe you will find something it does for you that really works! I love the stuff and always have some on hand.

http://bragg.com/products/acv.html


-Liz-

Healthy Sleep Habits

Sleep is important to being healthy. I don't think most people realize how important.  Lack of sleep can contribute to weight gain and hormonal problems, not to mention grouchiness.  The same is true for our little ones.  (Men, Don't stop reading just because you don't think the child rearing isn't up to you...  If you want a happy, healthy wife and mother of your children you will want to share this with her.)  I once lived next to this strange couple who would put their baby to bed at around 6:00PM.  They swore that they just put him in his bed and he would go to sleep by himself and sleep all night... Same for naps.  They would just put him in his crib and leave the room.  No crying, no rocking, just a happily obliging baby would lie down and sleep.  I asked them how this was possible. I had no kids of my own at the time but knew this wasn't normal.  They said they read and followed a book called Healthy Sleep Habits: Happy Child. (by Marc Weissbluth) I never wrote down the name of the book, I just remembered it years later when I was pregnant with my first.  I read it while I was pregnant and thought the ideas were sound.  You can't really do anything about a baby's sleep habits the first 3 months of life.  But around 3-4 months you can start implementing the directions in the book and 2 out of 2 times it has worked for me!  My 4 month old baby goes to sleep all by himself at nap time and bed time.  He sleeps a 7 hour stretch at night and then another 4 hour stretch in the morning plus 3, 1-2 hour naps during the day.  My oldest did the same.  Guess what!  They sleep longer and longer until they are about 2 years old.  This is why I have time to sit down and write coherent blog posts.  LOL.  You can literally buy this book online for $1 plus S+H.  So, what do you have to lose but some quality time with your baby, listening to them scream and cry when you both should be sleeping?!

-Val          

CHEAP Beauty Tip! Exfoliate your face!

I tend to have dry skin on my face. Especially in the winter. It is flaky and NOT flattering when mixed with my makeup. Yes, I do use a moisturizer and a makeup that is right for my skin type...but that doesn't always make a difference when you have a less than smooth surface to begin with. I also tend to get that really annoying acne on my forehead. The kind that feels and looks like medium grain sandpaper. Well, here is a beauty tip for both of these problems and it REALLY works and it is CHEAP! I have tried all sorts of face scrubs. Expensive ones, cheap ones and I am not saying that they don't work or I don't like them, but this works better and I like it best. Now, this is so easy when I tell you, you will think...it won't work, that is too simple. But it does! All you need is a bowl, table sugar and water. Wash your face BEFORE you do this so it is free of oils and makeup. Put about a 1/8-1/4 cup sugar in a bowl and add a LITTLE water so it is like a thick paste, yet wet all the way through the sugar. You don't want the sugar to be dry. Now just rub in small circles all over your face and neck. Get those trouble areas well like your forehead, around nose and your chin. Then rinse away! So simple. If you see blood, you are rubbing too hard. :) If you can not feel any friction you are not rubbing hard enough. :) Do this two days in a row if you have a problem with the forehead acne or dry skin, then twice a week for maintenance. Just do it twice a week if you want glowing skin but don't need to work off some dry stuff or acne. It really works, and well. I do it right in the shower. Makes your skin SO smooth. PLUS it tastes good if you get some in your mouth on accident. LOL. Give it a try! You have nothing to lose unless you are allergic to table sugar. :)

P.S. There is no reason why men can't do this as well!

-Liz-

Stevia: The Sweet Herb

I could go on and on about all the things wrong with artificial sweeteners.  I mean volumes and volumes about how they cause cancer, they still make you fat and they give you diarrhea...  I'm not going to do that because you should know that a few calories is better than cancer.

Now, sugar addicts, don't despair.  You don't have to choose between eating your weight in calories from sugar or getting cancer and diarrhea!  You can try Stevia. Stevia has been around forever.  Why haven't you heard of it before then?  Well the FDA has claimed it wasn't a safe food additive. Why am I talking about it if the FDA didn't deem it safe?  Well the truth is the FDA did virtually no studies on it, therfore they did not deem it safe. It's not because they did study it and found it to be dangerous.  No, in fact many like myself believe that the reason they did no studies and even blocked it from being imported like it was some kind of crack is because it's an herb.  And you can't own the patents or copyrights on an herb.  Therefor there aren't many companies who would make massive profits on the hopes and dreams of overweight people, hoping to satisfy their addiction to sugar with a non calorie substitute.  If there are no companies making massive profits who's going to "give" you that vacation to Bermuda for 6 weeks?  (I am indeed an FDA conspiracy theorist)

So really stevia has been used forever as a sweetener, just not here (USA). If you google it online "stevia side effects", you may find some  references to a small study on lab rats where they had a slight decrease in testosterone.  I tend to believe that if you force feed anyone an excessive amount of anything it will have side effects.  But because Stevia is so sweet you only need the smallest amounts.

Now there are great Stevia products at the store.  My favorite and the most affordable is Sun Crystals. It has a small amount of sugar mixed in it.  They do this because the packets are equivalent to 2 tsp sugar in flavor and that much stevia is such a small amount it would be difficult to package.  Each serving is 5 calories.  It's really good in teas, coffee and makes really good lemonade. Just follow the recipe on the bottle of lemon juice and substitute Stevia.  You can even bake with it.  Unfortunately the flavor does not meld well with chocolate.  So I suppose we will all just have to continue using will power to keep ourselves from eating our weight in chocolate every month!

-Val

 
Sun Crystals All-Natural Sweetener, 50-Count Packets (Pack of 12)
Truvia Natural Sweetener 80 Pack

Posture Exercises

Bad posture can be corrected by stretching the shortened tendons and muscles and shortening the lengthened muscles.  It's not really a quick process but its not necessarily hard.  For rounded shoulders you need to stretch your arms back to lengthen the front of the chest and do strenghthening on your back to shorten those muscles and pull your shoulders back naturally.  Strengtheing the core can also improve posture.  You need the muscles around your spine to be in tip top shape to pull it into correct alignment.  I found a work out video called 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners.  It's not the most exciting workout, but I've found it to be quick, easy and effective.  It specifically targets posture muscles in the ab and upper body sections of the workout.  What I really love about it is you can pick and choose what workouts you want to do in the menu section and it will automatically play them.

10 Minute Solution at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Solution-Target-Beginners/dp/B0002J58NI

Remember not to do the floor exercises for your tummy if you have a diastisis.

-Val