Friday, September 25, 2009

Healthy Lifestyle Changes to Avoid Allergies








Can you avoid allergies by living a healthy lifestyle? There is much research to prove having a healthy immune system may help you avoid allergies. So what are you to do to help your immune system, and does this mean all allergies will disappear?

You may be able to avoid some allergies by improving your lifestyle. Smoking, drinking alcohol and other habits that stress your immune system may cause you to have more allergies than others do. Are you willing to make the changes needed to feel better. What about the allergies you can't avoid?

If you are currently allergic to grass, pollen, ants-you may need extra help. Don't throw away the epi-pen. If you have allergies you will be exposed to beautiful green things that make you sneeze, itch, or swell as long as you live on this planet.

Think about this for a few minutes: Are you willing to add a few healthy foods to your menu to possibly improve your immune system? Will you take a few minutes each day and exercise enough to give your immune system a lift? These things are simple but can help you have less reaction to some things that bother you now.

Improving your immune system will probably not help you outgrow your allergy to chocolate or wool. However, a stronger immune system could help you have less reaction to seasonal changes. This would be a big help to most of us.

Need help understanding how a healthy lifestyle will help you live a better life? Read our other posts on health issues.


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property of Pat Anthony.                                                                   





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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Eggs on the menu?

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If you purchase eggs on a regular basis you no doubt realize they can expire at some point. Eggs cartons must have a use by date stamped clearly on the carton.

What you may not know is there is also a code that states what date the eggs were packed. You should see this information along with a USDA seal, which tells you the plant where the eggs were gathered has been inspected.

The code you are looking for contains three numbers. If the eggs were collected on the 12th day of the year-January 12th-the code will read 012.  A carton of eggs the is stamped 365 was packed on the last day of the year-December 31st.

The code is based on the Julian calendar, so 30 days would equal a month.

Another tip about eggs and freshness I was told about 100 hundred-If you are not sure an egg is fresh-Fill a medium size bowl with water, and place the raw whole egg in the water. If it sinks to the bottom, the egg is fresh. If it floats-toss it! Don't ever think you can eat eggs that are not fresh and not get sick. It is too big a risk to take to save one egg.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Children and fruit!

Many children simply don't eat correctly, and are not interested in fruit. As adults it is our responsibility to see kids get the fruit they need. While schools and day care centers can include a toaster tart as a fruit, I have a problem with this.

A tablespoon or two of some fruit product surrounded by worthless bleached flour and tons of sugar are not what any precious child should be given instead of real fruit. If you forgot to get it right during you child's younger years, then begin now-even if the kid is 15!

Add fruit to items you prepare. You can easily put pureed berries and bananas in pancake or waffle mix. Fruits can be added to drinks you serve on a regular basis. Consider adding some sliced fruit to the table with dinner. Eventually you could achieve the goal of just 2-3 servings daily. This still is not enough, but it is a start.

When baking cakes or making muffins replace a portion of the liquid required with some applesauce, or other fruits you have pureed. We do this with cookies as well, and no one has noticed.

Try some dried fruit pieces if your kids don't seem to like fresh fruit. Offer kids the opportunity of helping you make cookies or other foods that will include some fruit. Handling the foods may eventually give the kids a sense of ownership, and a desire to try other pieces of fruit. Letting younger ones pick fruit items while in the grocery store is often a step in the right direction. Kids usually want to try what they have purchased.

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Which water is better?

You've heard all the water commercials you can stand. It does not matter what the commercials tell us, we all have our favorites, and nothing will convince us we are wrong.

If you are buying water in plastic bottles, what does it say on the label? I have to laugh when people are buying purified water from a community source. Does that mean tap water a company filtered before putting in a plastic bottle is the same as you have coming through your faucet? Okay, get a water filter for your kitchen faucet and do it yourself!

Water that is from a spring, or a mountain stream may seem more appealing. Is it better for you? If you have a well at your home, your water already comes from a spring. What about the mountain stream? If the water heads down the mountain, won't it eventually be in the aquifer, and therefore in other streams, wells and springs?

If water truly seeks its own level, does it eventually mingle so that it is all the same? Do you understand water filtered at your home, which saves you major money-could be the same quality as what you are shelling out your hard earned dollars to purchase.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Healthy Ways to Get Fit




I had the opportunity to listen to a lively conversation between two women who were striving to lose weight. One woman had a baby recently, and decided she would like to improve her appearance. Another woman had struggled to lose an extreme amount of weight, and she proudly shared some of her experiences.

The woman who had lost weight mentioned a pill she uses, which I won't mention. I do know that this pill can be purchased over the counter, and has some unpleasant side effects. For instance, if you eat anything with fat in it, you may experience anal leakage. What! Who would sign on for this?

After the dieting woman left, I suggested the woman who had not started her life change yet choose another path. Here it is: Eat one serving of fruit before each meal. If you do not like fruit, then eat a serving of vegetables before each meal.

Sound too simple? It works for millions of us. Eat the food GOD gave us and put down the toaster pastry!

The woman who is choosing to use food to get healthy will be starting a new blog! When she does, I will be sure to keep everyone in the loop by giving her link here.


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Thursday, September 3, 2009

Healthy Food For a Healthy Life


What exactly is healthy food? Can food be healthy? A person can be healthy, and healthy people often use the expression healthy food, but it is incorrect. And what foods will help you maintain good health? Why do some eat terrible foods and appear to be healthy?

It seems some just have the genes that will allow them to abuse their body in any way they want, and they survive with clear skin and great biceps! For the rest of us, foods need to be consumed that are fresh, clean, and grown in good soil. How do we know if the food we purchase is any of these things? We don't.

Maybe we should grow our own food. It is getting a little late in the year, so it may be the time to think about winter crops. What grows well in your area in the cool weather? Something to think about. With the economy the way it is, maybe we should all do it to help our budgets!

It seems we can't possibly eat all the foods we need to get the nutrients required to be healthy. Many people like to juice, or use supplements. For me, both work. I don't take the supplements I like daily, but I do take these often.

Some feel we should puree extra vegetables and add these to soups or casseroles so that we would be getting more nutrients. Maybe I'm a bit lazy, but that is not something I am willing to do very often. I prefer to eat vegetables raw, or steamed a little.

Be sure to eat what fresh produce you can. There really is no replacement for food. And eating food is more enjoyable than swallowing pills.

If you have a recipe you would like us to feature on this blog, let us know in the comment section. Or, if you want to request a vegan recipe, let us know that, too.



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