Great Nutritional Facts Site - and it's free

My husband and I have always tried to focus on eating the right foods, watch our calories, and  take key supplements where needed to try to avoid the health ailments so many of our friends and family face.  It's important to understand what each food contributes to your overall health and it can be a bit overwhelming when you're trying to absorb all the information out there.

So I was excited when I ran across a free site which contains an abundance of helpful nutritional facts.  This website gives you the opportunity to search all kinds of foods and learn about their nutritional values.  You can check out over 25 categories of foods.  For example suppose you want to add more fish to your diet.  You can click on the "Finfish and Shellfish" category and it will give you all of the types of finfish and shellfish you can choose from.  Then there's three sections for Essential Nutrients, Vitamins, and Fatty Acids.  Under each category, you can click on a particular item and learn all about it.  For example, under Essential Nutrients, you can select "calcium" and read an overview of calcium, it's health benefits, problems a calcium deficiency can cause, and if there is any toxicity associated with consuming too much calcium.  What a wealth of information there is contained here. They also have a "Little known facts" section on various foods which I found fun to read.

One other interesting part of this site is their nutritional article on the benefits of alkaline water.  Basically a number of health concerns are thought to be managed simply by drinking alkaline water.  I discovered this about a year ago for my eczema.  I have certain trigger foods  (breads and eggs mainly) that if I eat too often cause my skin to break out.  While I try to avoid these foods, sometimes it's just not possible during Holiday functions or if I get weak-willed and succomb to them.  The foods apparently cause my body to get too acidic and if I drink an alkaline water after eating these foods, I can pretty much avoid the outbreak.  I personally mix a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and sip it periodically throughout the day for 3 days.  Some of the other ailments that are thought to be helped by alkaline water are arthritis, kidney problems, diabetes, osteoporosis, back pain, chronic fatigue symptoms, constipation, cardiac disorders and even cancer.  You can buy home test kits to test your saliva or urine at certain times of the day to show if your body's PH is in balance or a bit out of whack.  Your PH will normally be most acidic first thing in the morning and most alkaline around 2 PM.  I think you'll get a lot of benefit from reading the article about alkaline water and it's health benefits which explains about the body's PH in greater detail and why it's so important for it to be in balance.

I hope you'll give this website a look because I'm sure you'll find it as interesting and helpful as I did.

Some tomato growing tips

With the danger of front nearing it's end in most parts of the United States, it's time to start planting tomatoes in your garden. A good rule of thumb is when the night temperatures no longer go below 55 degrees, and full leaves have emerged on native trees.

Tomatoes can be grown in a standard garden, raised beds, patio containers or even hanging containers, as long as the plants will receive a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If space is an issue, consider tomato cages or towers for the plants to climb on.

Soil :
Get your plants off to a good start with healthy soil filled with bacteria, fungus, earthworms and other beneficial soil organisms. Compost is an excellent soil amendment. It's a good idea to test your soil's ph before amending the soil. Cheap "do-it-yourself" ph test kits are available at your garden center. Tomatoes grow best with a ph of 6.5, but will tolerate a range of 5.8 to 7. If your soil tests too acidic, it can be normalized by adding lime, or if too alkaline add some agricultural sulfur.

Location:
Select a different location in your garden from the previous year's tomato plants. This will keep your soil from becoming depleted and also helps reduce the chance of disease and insect problems. Also avoid planting tomatoes where your potato plants were the previous year, as potato blight diseases can linger in the soil and will affect your tomato plants as well.

Planting:
Place the tomato plants in the ground deeper than they come in the pot. I have had great success digging a furrow and laying the plant horizontally, burying it up to it's first true leaves. For example if the plant is 6 inches tall, leave only 3 inches of the plant above the ground. By doing this, the plant will product more roots as the soil is warmer nearer the surface. When the plants are about 3 feet tall, remove leaves from the bottom 1 foot of the plant to avoid fungus problems. Tomatoes grow in harmony with marigolds, parsley, chives, garlic, onions, carrots and peppers.

Watering & Fertilizing:
Water new plants deeply and water on a regular basis while plants are young and more fragile. A fertilizer should be applied once a month. A good natural fertilizer is dried composted manure mixed with bone meal.

Mulching:
Your plants will benefit from mulch to conserve moisture, hold the ground heat in the soil, and help control insect and fungal diseases. My personal favorite mulch is grass clippings (non-chemically treated grass only), but there are many good mulching materials available.

I'll be putting my tomato plants in during the long Memorial Day weekend. Good luck with your tomato plants, and I wish you a great harvest!

Getting your home ready for Summer

After the long cold winter and a spring that seemed reluctant to arrive here in Ohio, we're very happy that the long Memorial Day weekend is upon us as it signals the beginning of the summer season at last. All over the country, families will be grabbing their beach towels and bathing suits and heading for the beach or their backyard pools.

I have to admit with the cooler than normal temperatures this spring, I've been slow to stop using the flannel sheets but with predictions of 80 degree days ahead, it's finally time to change over to our summer sheet sets and get the house ready for the hot days and nights ahead. As a child I remember my mom and grandma changing home accessories with the seasons, the warmer more rich and plush draperies, pillows and bedding in the winter and the lighter colored, more crisp and cool feeling curtains, pillows and bedding in the summer.

With gas prices so high and people struggling because of the economy, most of us can't afford to spend the summer at a vacation home on the ocean, but you can make your home feel more vacation-like and give it a real lift through the use of a few accessories. Remember lighter weight and colored curtains, pillows and bedding will make you feel cooler when the temperatures start to climb. Bring in some fresh flowers from the garden, turn on the ceiling fans and your favorite music, sit back and sip some iced tea or a margarita and pretend you're vacationing somewhere exotic.

Protecting your family from disaster

The recent devastation caused by the tornadoes in Joplin Missouri gives everyone pause to reconsider how well we could handle a disaster of such magnitude if it were to happen in our area.

We should all have a disaster plan - everyone in the family should know ahead of time where to go within your home or workplace in case of severe weather or some other emergency situation. You should also have a predetermined place where you will all meet up if you were to get separated in a disaster situation. Have a good supply of food and other supplies on hand for an emergency. It's also wise to have an evacuation kit you can grab at a moment's notice. Planning is needed here- try to think of anything your family would need to survive a few days if you couldn't return home and services like the Red Cross were not available (food, warm clothing, sturdy shoes, medications, first aid supplies, pet supplies and extra cash).

And last but not least is your financial protection. A disaster can destroy your home, automobiles, and recreational vehicles, leaving potential financial ruin if you're not properly insured. So make sure you have adequate coverage for your home and it's contents, your autos, motorcycles, boats etc, and if you live in a flood zone check into flood insurance as your regular home insurance policy most likely would not cover flooding. And having life insurance not only provides money to cover funeral expenses. For example term insurance can provide protection for your mortgage allowing your family to continue living in their home if something were to happen to the main bread winner. And there are also plans such as available from Gerber to help you put away a few cents per day and provide not only life insurance but also a college fund for your children.

So the lesson we can all learn from last week's disaster is to get our own house in order as this could happen to any of us at any time. We learned this last year when a tornado hit about 5 miles from our home and killed several people. What plans have you made to protect your family?

how to control ants without chemicals

With all the rains we've been having, I've heard many people complaining about ants in the house, which seems earlier this year than usual. It made me wonder if there was a natural, chemical-free ant repellent we could make out of products we already have around the house. Here are some ideas that I found at a couple of sites that come highly recommended:

For inside:

(1) Mix a bit of vinegar and water in a spray bottle and wipe down your surfaces such as floors, counter tops, tables etc. Apparently the ants hate vinegar and will not cross the line of vinegar.

(2) Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of borax laundry detergent in a pan and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Add a bit of the mixture in a low sided plastic lid or container. The ants will be attracted by the sugar and will take it back to their nest, where they eat it and die. (Be cautious where you place this if you have small children or pets that might get into it also)

(courtesy of Dollar Stretcher.com)

For outside:
Combine 1 part boric acid and 2 parts of mint jelly or cracker crumbs. Place mixture in a container with a lid and holes big enough for the ants to enter. Worker ants will carry it back to the nest where it is eaten by the queen and the entire colony.
Caution - boric acid is deadly if swallowed, so use caution if you have small children or pets.

(courtesy of Recipegoldmine.com)

Still a good time to refinance your home mortgage

My husband and I have been slow to check into refinancing our home. Every time we thought about it, the same excuses came up. Owning our own business, our free time is scarce and the thought of filling out all that paperwork was daunting, along with our not wanting to come up with out of pocket expenses for closing. We wondered if we would really save that much to make it worth all the time and expense, so we procrastinated.

However, recently we've been considering doing it again since interest rates are still very low and the potential of saving money over the course of our mortgage loan. Recently I ran across a site called Streamline Refinance. They have a quick and easy process as their name says. You don't need to fill out endless paperwork as they use your original loan paperwork as their starting point. As for VA or FHA Refinance, if you already have an FHA or VHA home loan you're already approved. New home loans are also available. Their company is an equal housing lender, accredited by the Better Business Bureau and their site is hacker proof secured by SSL so your information can be transmitted safely.

Just to recap the benefits of Streamline Refinance:
*no additional paperwork
*no out of pocket expenses
*lower your monthly payment and interest rate
*VA, FHA, or Conventional refinance available
*New home loans available
*safe and secure website

Furry Tuesday #1

"Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog."
Franklin P. Jones

(photo origin unknown)

The ventriloquist and the blonde

A young ventriloquist is touring the clubs and one night he's doing a show in a small town in Texas. With his dummy on his knee, he starts going through his usual dumb blonde jokes.

Suddenly, a blonde woman in the 4th row stands on her chair and starts shouting: I've heard enough of your stupid blonde jokes. What makes you think you can stereo-type women that way? What does the color of a person's hair have to do with her worth as a human being? It's guys like you who keep women like me from being respected at work and in the community, and from reaching our full potential as a person. It's because you and your kind continue to perpetuate discrimination against not only blondes, but women in general... and all in the name of humor!'

The embarrassed ventriloquist begins to apologize, and the blonde yells: 'You stay the hell out of this, mister! I'm talking to that little shit sitting on your knee.'

Creating a bedroom retreat

With increasing daily stress we're all under, it's more important than ever to have a place you can retreat to get away from it all. The do-it-yourself programs I love to watch often feature bedroom makeovers to give homeowners a bedroom retreat as well as a calming place to work from home all in one room.

If you want to create your own retreat, start by removing any items of furniture that have accumulated over the years but actually belong somewhere else in the home. Then give the room a fresh coat of paint, keeping in mind what your new bedding and drapery colors will be as it's a lot easier to have paint mixed to match the bedding rather than trying to find bedding to match your walls. Position your bed as the focal point in the room and choose your bedding accordingly. For ideas on your new bedding, you might want to check out Candice Olson bedding or Cindy Crawford bedding. Candice Olson is an interior designer and the host of one of my favorite shows "Divine Design" on HGTV, known for her muted fabrics and other decorating accessories.

And while we're on the subject of your bed, while you're revamping your bedroom maybe it's time to look at a new headboard. A headboard in any shape or style defines your bed and your personal style. You can use almost anything for your bed's headboard, from the traditional wood or iron headboards to simply framing similar pictures in identical frames and hanging them as a grouping above your bed. It's all a matter of personal preference.

For a while the trend in window treatments was towards blinds with a simple valance but it seems draperies are making a comeback from what I've seen on the designer shows. Rich, full length draperies not only block out light for sleeping and deaden sounds from outside, but also give the room a much more luxurious feel.

If you're one of those people who like to curl up in bed and work from your laptop, consider getting an inexpensive laptop bed desk to make life easier. It gives you a surface to hold your laptop along with a place for paper and pen, your cell phone, and TV remotes so everything you need is right there at your disposal. What could be better than working from the comfort of your beautiful new bedroom.

(sponsored by become.com)

Healthy practices: cutting down on toxins in the home

Today we have a guest post by Kristy Dawson on cutting down on toxins in our homes. I hope you find it as informative as I did.

Many people seem to be taking steps to make their lives greener these days. Air quality remains a major issue, but some are unaware that one of the major battle points for toxins is inside the home. With the home being where we spend most of our time, small steps to make things more organic around the house could make the home safer and improve your indoor air quality.

Many people use paints on projects and crafts throughout the house. Unfortunately many common paints are very high in volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). VOC’s can be responsible for health problems like kidney and liver damage. Luckily, most hardware stores carry alternative types of paint that are low in VOC’s, just look for a low VOC label while shopping.

Cleaners are one of the biggest sources of toxins around the house as many of the products that are popular happen to give off high levels of chemicals. Most major stores provide organic alternatives to house cleaners. Also, another great way to find a replacement is to look into making your own cleaners. Recipes for different types of organic cleaners can easily be found throughout the internet.

Changing your air filter often is also important. The air filter is used to get rid of dust and mole spores trying to seep into the home. If a filter becomes clogged, the purpose of an air filter is essentially taken away. The clogging will cause these mold and dust spores to over flow and start spreading throughout the house.

Insulation is another thing to look into. In many cases, older homes have insulation that is full of toxins. There are a number of organic insulation options such as spray foam and cellulose. Making the choice to switch to green insulation could help prevent asbestos exposure form old insulation, as well as make the house more sustainable in the long run.

Keeping pesticides out of the house is one of the most common toxin issues within homes. The first suggestion would be to cut down on any use of pesticides on the inside of the house. After that, converting to leaving shoes outside is a great way of preventing pesticide toxins from getting in the house. One of the easiest ways for these pesticides to spread throughout a home is by being tracked in on children’s shoes from playing in the yard.

These are just a few pointers when it comes to cutting down on the toxins within the home. After all, the house is supposed to be the safest place for us and we should do everything we can to keep toxins outside. Adapting to some of these replacements and tips could do wonders in the long term for improving your home’s indoor air quality. 

Off with the Winter pounds

Are any of you like me and trying to shed the pounds accumulated over the long cold Winter? Spring is hear and soon I'll have to fit into my Summer clothes. Over the years I've tried a good share of fad diets but it always comes back to the tried and true method of weight loss - eating well and getting exercise.

My husband read an article about nutritional typing. Basically, people fall into one of three categories, those that do better on a high protein/low carbohydrate diet, those that do better on a limited protein/higher carbohydrate diet, and those that do best on a combination of the two. We've found that we both definitely fall into the high protein/low carb category. My weakness is more toward the sugary snack foods like ice cream, cookies and cakes while my husband's is more the salty snacks like chips. Personally if I know there's ice cream or cookies in the house, I become fixated on them until they're gone and then feel guilty that I ate so much.

So after a Winter of little exercise and bad food choices, we both needed to shed some Winter poundage. My husband prefers working out with weights and a regimented routine whereas I prefer getting my exercise walking with my dog Rosie, doing Spring cleaning, dancing to my favorite tunes, working in my garden, and mowing grass. The experts used to say you needed to do aerobic exercise for a set number of minutes each day but opinions are changing on this. And it's hard to find 30 to 60 minutes to set aside for exercise. We've found you can achieve good results with 5 or 10 minute here and 10 or so minutes there - you don't have to do it all at once for it to work. So whatever you like doing, just get moving and do as much as you can throughout the day - you'll start noticing a difference in how you feel.

When it comes to eating, for me the high protein/low carb method works best because I don't get hungry between meals and I don't crave the sugary treats. Normally for a high protein diet, eggs are the perfect breakfast as they have 0 carbs, the protein and fat in them slowly raises your blood sugar level, then slowly drops over 5 or 6 hours so you won't feel hungry for several hours. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to egg whites as they trigger my eczema, so I have to limit my intake to no more than once or twice a week. So my perfect breakfast is a protein shake. In a blender I combine a scoop of protein supplements, a spoonful of plain yogurt, 2 or 3 walnuts, 1 cup of water, ice cubes and some stevia to sweeten. It makes a very tasty milkshake. For variation, you can add unsweetened cocoa powder or low glycemic fruit such as blueberries, rasberries or strawberries. For lunch I usually have a spinach salad, tuna or chicken salad with celery, or a roll-up type sandwich without bread (leaf lettuce in place of the bread with lunch meat, cheese and condiments such as mustard, horseradish, miracle whip, pickles etc as long as it is low in carbs) For supper we have a generous meat portion with a side vegetable. We try to avoid potatoes, rice and corn as they are high glycemic vegetables. For a snack, try some walnuts, string cheese, cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs or anything lower in carbs. We avoid all refined foods, refined sugars and soda pop. A good substitute for soda pop is seltzer water sweetened with vanilla extract and some stevia - it tastes very close to cream soda pop. If you're interested in limiting your carbs you can easily find a glycemic index of all foods online.

So far I have lost 10 pounds. I still need to lose a bit more but I'm well on my way and my joints are feeling better too. I'm committed to reaching my goal and this time I'm not going to backslide. The key to long-term weight loss is finding your nutritional type and making it a life choice rather than a "diet." If you're also trying to lose weight, I'd love to hear what you've tried and what works for you.

Herb - Echinacea

Echinacea, also known as the Purple Coneflower, is a beautiful garden plant, and some species are used in herbal medicine as well.

While some studies claim echinacea has no affect on the common cold, it has a loyal following including my family that strongly disagree. If taken at the first sign of a cold, we've found the lozenges to be very effective and feel relief immediately. Echinacea can be taken in tablet form to stimulate the immune system and ward off infections as well. And echinacea along with goldenseal is useful for sinus problems.

Some things to consider when taking echinacea supplements: don't take vitamin C and echinacea together as they diminish the effectiveness of each other. It works well if you wait approximately 20 to 30 minutes in between. Also if taking echinacea as a preventative, it shouldn't be taken for more than 2 weeks straight - instead take for 2 weeks, then off for 2 weeks. Since echinacea can destroy the good bacteria along with the bad (similar to antibiotics) it's a good idea to take a probiotic supplement or yogurt to replenish the good bacteria in your digestive tract.

Natural fabrics for summertime fun

The weather will soon be heating up and with it come summertime activities and vacations. For these fun times, clothing should be comfortable to wear and easy to care for. You want fabric that is breathable, cool, lightweight and wrinkle-resistant.

Some good natural fiber fabrics are as follows:

Cotton:
Cotton is comfortable, cool, lightweight, breathable, wrinkle-resistant and easy to clean. It is a good choice for both adults and boys and girls clothing.

Linen:
Linen is another fabric found in many summer clothes. While it looks nice, it does wrinkle easily so make sure it has been treated to be wrinkle-resistant. Linen blends are a bit better but tend to be heavier in weight.

Wool:
Wool is probably not the fabric you think of for summer clothing, but because of its light weave, light weight wool is cool, resists wrinkling and comes in many patterns for a unique look.

Silk:
Silk is another material often used in summer wear because it is a strong fabric and drapes well. The drawback to silk is its care, usually requiring it to be dry cleaned or hand washed and ironed, although there are some washable silks.

You'll probably want to avoid heavier fabrics such as denim. Synthetic fabrics such as polyester tend to not breathe very well and retain the heat. Natural fibers are usually more breathable and make you feel cooler but some can have a tendancy to wrinkle. A good alternative is a blend which gives you the benefits of both the synthetic and natural fibers.