Remember growing up being told to drink your milk for strong bones? Now a days, we all are concerned about taking our calcium to prevent osteoporosis. The government even raised the RDA for calcium from 500mg to 1,000mg per day. You would think that our bones would be rock solid and no longer an issue to contend with in America. What if I told you, as a rule, our calcium intake is sufficient?
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An Oldie, but a Goodie!
What do you do when you are hit with a virus, a cold, or any other – itis? Well, most people head to the drug store for a box of pills: Sudafed, aspirin and other decongestants. While others put there stock in more traditional herbal remedies. They can be very effective, if given early. All these may have a place in the average medicine cabinet provided it’s not too serious. But perhaps you should consider a more natural effective option. One that will boost your immunity, even when you feel good. I’m referring to Vitamin C.
An Easy Way to a Healthy Holiday
The holidays are upon us! Thanksgiving is over and the rush of Christmas begins, followed close behind by New Years! Whether the holiday season brings joy or sadness, family gatherings or solitude, stress or excitement, one thing is to be sure; there will be food. Probably lots of it! Whether you are hosting a gathering or contributing to one, you want the food to be tasty and delicious. The easiest way to accomplish this is by using real ingredients. But what exactly does that mean?
What’s In Your Medicine Cabinet?
With the onset of school and cooler weather, my mind turned to stocking our medicines for the winter. Unfortunately, we were blessed with our first bout of colds before I could replenish our stock! I’ve never liked using over-the-counter medications. They usually contain fake sugars, food coloring, and often only mask the symptoms instead of dealing with the illness. Aside from that, most medications have little to no effect on me, so I usually consider it a waste of time to take them. Others are overly sensitive to medications and experience adverse side effects. When you’re sick, it doesn’t help to give yourself extra problems!
Dirty Dozen, Clean Fifteen
In several past articles, we’ve addressed the dangers of pesticides, how to read organic labels and the benefits of purchasing locally. Very few, if any of us, can afford to purchase everything organic, so you may be sitting back and wondering what are the most important areas to focus on.
Local Harvest
With the quickly passing signs of spring, we are headed full steam into summer. With summer comes lots of sun, and fresh air, and the opportunity for fresh fruits and vegetables. For some that means planting a large garden, for others it means visiting the local, pick-your-own farm for fresh strawberries and blueberries, and for others, it means visiting the local farmer’s market.
Seeded Wheat Baguette
I’ve recently been baking breads and experimenting with some different recipes. I’ve never owned or used a bread machine. I do believe that they are probably very convenient, but I also know that there’s nothing like mixing up some dough and kneading it by hand. It sounds like a big chore, but honestly, it takes a very small amount of time to mix some flour, yeast and a few other ingredients and knead them for less than 10 minutes. Yes, there is that rising time and forming time, but I just put on the timer, and forget about it until the buzzer tells me it has risen. Bread really is very simple…
Scrumptious Seeds
Last month, I wrote about the many nutritional elements of tree nuts. This month I would like to touch upon seeds. Nuts are actually the seeds of trees with a hard shell, so many of the same benefits of tree nuts will be found in the similar nuts of plants. Pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds are all very well known. You may already be enjoying them as snack or as an ingredient of your baking or cooking.
Nutritious Nuts
Most people either love or hate tree nuts such as pecans, walnuts, cashews or almonds. We really enjoy them at our house and primarily eat them as a healthy, afternoon snack. There are many different kinds of nuts, and they all contain similar benefits to a person’s health. When most people think of nuts, the first thing that comes to mind is fat. While it is true tree nuts contain fats, they are primarily mono saturated fats, also known as good fat. Instead of causing you to gain weight, eating nuts will actually help you lose weight and keep it off!
Avocados
Avocados are a wonderful fruit that contain a powerhouse of health. Typically grown in the southern hemisphere, avocados are also grown in California and Florida. The two types of avocados are Haas avocados, which have dark, bumpy skin, and the Fuerte avocado, which is larger and has a smooth green skin. They have a pale, greenish-yellow fruit with a single stone, and a delicious buttery rich taste.
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Organic Labeling
Organic items are hugely popular in stores right now and product lines are continuing to expand and grow. Big companies want to get in on the money-making band wagon that the organic craze has produced. But what exactly does “organic” mean and is it truly better than non-organic?
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About Allison Hammett
Allison is wife to Roland, who is senior pastor at LVBC. She is also mother to four children – Margaret, Isaac, Esther and Titus. She enjoys reading, sewing, and experimenting …