You may have heard about GMO's or "Genetically Modified Organisms". Please click on the below link to read a short article explaining the pro's and con's of these plants and animals that we eat.
http://www.naturalbalance.citymax.com/5216157.html
GMO corn is the reason you don't see very many Monarch butterfies any more. Monarch butterflies eat the pollen off of corn, and when GMO corn became widspread we lost about 80%-90% of our Monarch butterflies. That's just one species that was affected by one GMO crop.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Own Your Health
“Own your health”. This is the new catchphrase in the natural health industry lately. What does it mean? It means you can’t get healthy until you want to get healthy.
1. Decide to make changes in your life to become healthy.
2. Learn about different ways to attain your goal(s).
3. Learn what you must do to make those changes.
4. Substitute bad habits with good habits.
5. Practice saying “No, thank you”
6. Figure out what keeps you from wanting better health.
That last one is a key point. Once you figure out why you like being less-than-optimally-healthy, it helps to prevent you from slipping into those old bad habits. Also, there are many people who like being sick. It’s true.
You can use these same points when owning any addiction. Go through the list again while thinking about not smoking, or not eating too many sweets, or not drinking too much alcohol, or exercising more, or spending more time with friends/family, or not spending too much money.
Insert anything that you want to change, figure out how to do it, and then there will be nothing that can get in your way except your own lack of self control.
* People may not like being sick, but they like the attention.
* People may not like to smoke, but they like the nicotine buzz.
* People may not like being over weight, but they like the sugar rush and, in some way, like the bad feelings they get when their blood sugar is low.
* People may not like to be in debt, but they like the power they feel when charging their 1,047th knick knack on their credit card.
* People may want to spend more time with friends/family, but it’s easier to sit at home and watch TV, or maybe their egos want their friends to come to them.
* People may not want to have a screwdriver at breakfast, but it gets them emotionally through the first few hours of work.
Trust me; I know all of these things, and most of them personally.
1. Decide to make changes in your life to become healthy.
2. Learn about different ways to attain your goal(s).
3. Learn what you must do to make those changes.
4. Substitute bad habits with good habits.
5. Practice saying “No, thank you”
6. Figure out what keeps you from wanting better health.
That last one is a key point. Once you figure out why you like being less-than-optimally-healthy, it helps to prevent you from slipping into those old bad habits. Also, there are many people who like being sick. It’s true.
You can use these same points when owning any addiction. Go through the list again while thinking about not smoking, or not eating too many sweets, or not drinking too much alcohol, or exercising more, or spending more time with friends/family, or not spending too much money.
Insert anything that you want to change, figure out how to do it, and then there will be nothing that can get in your way except your own lack of self control.
* People may not like being sick, but they like the attention.
* People may not like to smoke, but they like the nicotine buzz.
* People may not like being over weight, but they like the sugar rush and, in some way, like the bad feelings they get when their blood sugar is low.
* People may not like to be in debt, but they like the power they feel when charging their 1,047th knick knack on their credit card.
* People may want to spend more time with friends/family, but it’s easier to sit at home and watch TV, or maybe their egos want their friends to come to them.
* People may not want to have a screwdriver at breakfast, but it gets them emotionally through the first few hours of work.
Trust me; I know all of these things, and most of them personally.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Sassafras tea
If you have time this weekend why don't you take a walk in the woods near your house, bring along a ball of string or yarn, and tie a piece around 20 or so very little sassafras trees before they all lose their leaves. Then, over the winter, you can pull one up by the root every weekend or so, "skin" the root (I use my thumbnail) and chop it up small, and then simmer it in 2 or 3 cups of water for about 15-20 minutes.
It makes a tasty hot winter time tea, and it's known for its anti-microbial virtues. And I like the way it smells while it simmers.
* Tastes like mild root beer
* Good for the whole family
* Free!
It makes a tasty hot winter time tea, and it's known for its anti-microbial virtues. And I like the way it smells while it simmers.
* Tastes like mild root beer
* Good for the whole family
* Free!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Vacation for mental health
Head on over to my “Imaginary Maggie Knits!” blog for some entertainment on my current vacation.
My family often took vacations together, and not only are vacations good for family health, they're also necessary for mental health. My father always told me the same thing he told every employee he had: Go on vacations! You have to have something to look forward to, otherwise you become encompassed by your work and your life is, well, stale, to put it nicely. It doesn’t matter if you go 2000 miles away or 20 miles away. If you can’t afford a fancy vacation then borrow a tent from your neighbor or your cousin, grab the kids, and head off to the nearest state park for the weekend. Not only will you get to know your family better, you’ll certainly meet some neat people.
That being said, head on over to http://imaginarymaggieknits.blogspot.com/ and live vicariously through me until you can get on the road yourself.
My family often took vacations together, and not only are vacations good for family health, they're also necessary for mental health. My father always told me the same thing he told every employee he had: Go on vacations! You have to have something to look forward to, otherwise you become encompassed by your work and your life is, well, stale, to put it nicely. It doesn’t matter if you go 2000 miles away or 20 miles away. If you can’t afford a fancy vacation then borrow a tent from your neighbor or your cousin, grab the kids, and head off to the nearest state park for the weekend. Not only will you get to know your family better, you’ll certainly meet some neat people.
That being said, head on over to http://imaginarymaggieknits.blogspot.com/ and live vicariously through me until you can get on the road yourself.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Worth the investment in time
Below is a link to a very long but informational and sometimes entertaining article about the basic truths of nutrition. It really embodies everything I’ve learned about nutrition over the past 20 years and puts it in palatable form (pun intended).
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5070&en=c68ce221c481f56b&ex=1171083600&pagewanted=all
--
I cannot disagree or argue with any single point that is made here. It is very long, and you may want to read it in sections (I did), but it brings to light so many great points that I hope you find the time to finish it.
Love to you all,
Maggie
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/28/magazine/28nutritionism.t.html?ei=5070&en=c68ce221c481f56b&ex=1171083600&pagewanted=all
--
I cannot disagree or argue with any single point that is made here. It is very long, and you may want to read it in sections (I did), but it brings to light so many great points that I hope you find the time to finish it.
Love to you all,
Maggie
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Be Decadent
Little things we can do to lower our calorie intake: Coffee, for instance.
Most of us drink coffee. Most of us drink the crappy coffee that is given to us at work, and we also have the same crappy coffee at home that our parents drank. Of course we put sugar and cream in it; it’s lousy coffee.
That being said, what do you think about drinking coffee without sugar or cream in it? Nasty, right? But wouldn’t that be a great way to reduce the calories we consume? I mean, how many calories a day do we drink? The answer is: drink good coffee and you don’t need to add anything to it to make it taste good. This accomplishes two things at once: you consume fewer calories and at the same time you feel like you are pampering yourself with an truly exceptional cup of java.
See how simple that is? Good whole-bean coffee isn’t THAT much more expensive than crappy coffee. I buy a French Vanilla flavored whole bean coffee and grind some (in a $10.00 coffee grinder that I got at Target) right before I start the pot of coffee every morning. The whole house smells like vanilla, and it seams decadent to drink it. Put the rest of the pot in a thermous and go!
Most of us drink coffee. Most of us drink the crappy coffee that is given to us at work, and we also have the same crappy coffee at home that our parents drank. Of course we put sugar and cream in it; it’s lousy coffee.
That being said, what do you think about drinking coffee without sugar or cream in it? Nasty, right? But wouldn’t that be a great way to reduce the calories we consume? I mean, how many calories a day do we drink? The answer is: drink good coffee and you don’t need to add anything to it to make it taste good. This accomplishes two things at once: you consume fewer calories and at the same time you feel like you are pampering yourself with an truly exceptional cup of java.
See how simple that is? Good whole-bean coffee isn’t THAT much more expensive than crappy coffee. I buy a French Vanilla flavored whole bean coffee and grind some (in a $10.00 coffee grinder that I got at Target) right before I start the pot of coffee every morning. The whole house smells like vanilla, and it seams decadent to drink it. Put the rest of the pot in a thermous and go!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Russian "Conquor the World" Soup
This is the healthiest soup I have ever eaten. Every time I make it I get the overwhelming desire to conquer the world! And this is the perfect fall harvest soup to gear you up for a long winter.
Ingredients:1-1/2 cups thin sliced potatoes
1 cup thin sliced beets
4 cups stock water (water that the beets and potatoes are cooked in)
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 Tblsp. butter
Large Dash: caraway seeds, salt, pepper
1 can tomato puree
1 large carrot (or some mini carrots)
3 cups chopped cabbage
2 or 3 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Honey
Cook potatoes, beats and 4 cups water in saucepan until tender, about 20 minutes. Save the water. Sauté onions in butter in a large kettle. Add spices, carrots and cabbage. Then drain the stock water from the beets and potatoes into the large kettle, and cook covered until it is all tender, about 20 minutes. Add everything together and cook another 30 minutes.
Garnish with sour cream, dill weed, and/or chopped tomatoes.
I don’t know why this is so much better when you cook it in two pots, but it is. I’ve tried it in one pot a couple of times, and it’s just not the same, probably because the onions don’t get properly sautéed. Enjoy!
Ingredients:1-1/2 cups thin sliced potatoes
1 cup thin sliced beets
4 cups stock water (water that the beets and potatoes are cooked in)
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 Tblsp. butter
Large Dash: caraway seeds, salt, pepper
1 can tomato puree
1 large carrot (or some mini carrots)
3 cups chopped cabbage
2 or 3 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tblsp. Honey
Cook potatoes, beats and 4 cups water in saucepan until tender, about 20 minutes. Save the water. Sauté onions in butter in a large kettle. Add spices, carrots and cabbage. Then drain the stock water from the beets and potatoes into the large kettle, and cook covered until it is all tender, about 20 minutes. Add everything together and cook another 30 minutes.
Garnish with sour cream, dill weed, and/or chopped tomatoes.
I don’t know why this is so much better when you cook it in two pots, but it is. I’ve tried it in one pot a couple of times, and it’s just not the same, probably because the onions don’t get properly sautéed. Enjoy!
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