FROZEN MARSHMALLOWS FOR OUCHIES

If you have little ones around, you know bumps, bruises, scrapes will happen. Keeping a bag of marshmallows in your freezer might be a good idea.

THE ANSWER TO YESTERDAY'S QUESTION

 Did you make a guess at the answer to yesterday's question? Did you play sneaky and look up the answer? For those who waited for the answer, the answer is number 2, the ears. Strange as it may sound, the ears can lengthen over time because of gravity and skin elasticity changes. Now, how many of you went to the mirror to look at your ears?

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A RATHER FUNNY QUESTION

How about a little levity today?  Today, just for fun, this post asks a question. Here is the question:

Which body part tends to become slightly longer as you age? Which number is your guess?

1. 1. Nail Beds
2. 2. Ears
3. 3 Teeth
4. 4 Hair follicles

Check back tomorrow to see if you were correct.

1. 
   

AN UNUSUAL USE OF VEGETABLE

Well now, who would have thunk it? 😏 The next time you get a splinter under your skin, get out the vegetable oil. Soak the area of the splinter in vegetable oil for around 5 minutes. This will soften the skin allowing a quick and painless splinter extraction.

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EASY SAFE HOMEMADE BUG SPRAY

I got this off the internet several years ago. It had great reviews and comments then and continues to be a favorite post.:

Soak orange peels in vinegar for two weeks in a sealed mason jar. Then pour the vinegar into a spray bottle. Use for cleaning or bug spray. This is great for ants!

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PERFECTION QUOTE FROM VINCE LOMBARDI

I like this quote attributed to the late, great football coach Vince Lombardi: "Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence."

We can apply this to our health, diet, etc. We know we aren't perfect. We diabetics plan or chase perfection in our eating habits, exercise, etc but we will slip up from time to time. We may not be perfect but we can be excellent. The same can be said for fighting most illnesses. We aren't perfect in that the battle continues but with our doctors, loving family and friends, etc we can often reach excellent days.

Don't give up.  As you chase perfection you will often catch excellence in the process.

BUCKWHEAT

Many people think buckwheat is a cereal grain. Actually, it is a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel which makes it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein gluten. Buckwheat is available as a gluten-free whole-grain flour.

Some of the health benefits of this healthy food are:

• Controlling cholesterol - Buckwheat's beneficial effects are due in part to its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin. Flavonoids are phytonutrients that protect against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. These compounds help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively (platelets are compounds in blood that, when triggered, clump together, thus preventing excessive blood loss, and protect LDL from free radical oxidation into potentially harmful cholesterol oxides. All these actions help to protect against heart disease.
• Keeping the cardiovascular system healthy.  Buckwheat also contains almost 86 milligrams of magnesium in a one-cup serving. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery while lowering blood pressure.
• May contribute to the regulation of blood sugar.  Canadian researchers, publishing their findings in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found new evidence that buckwheat may be helpful in the management of diabetes.  Buckwheat is also a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.
• Aids digestion.  Buckwheat has a high fiber content which helps to regulate bowels and moves toxins quickly and efficiently out of the body.  And this may help to prevent colon cancer.
• Buckwheat also has anti-inflammatory properties which our bodies always need.

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POTS AND PANS

Many doctors, especially cancer specialists, discourage the practice of cooking in aluminum or nonstick coated cookware. They recommend cast iron and stainless steel. Something to keep in mind when purchasing new pots and pans.

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MINT AND WATER FOR COOLING OFF

Extreme summer heat prompts the body to produce stress hormones which trigger the release of fatigue-triggering toxins. Here is an easy trick for a quick cool-down and thus revving up your energy levels. Mint is the answer as it contains menthol which activates cold-sensitive nerves in the mouth. Try this trick - chew a piece of mint gum and then drink a glass of water. This will cause the water to taste much colder.

Another benefit of mint is that it can be used to curb your appetite. Before reaching for that tempting treat, take a whiff of mint. The mint helps suppress your appetite by preventing production of the "hunger" hormone ghrelin.

INEXPENSIVE HOMEMADE ICE PACKS

NOTE: My personal notes: Double bag to prevent leaks. Before loading bag take a sharpie and write, "Contains alcohol - do not ingest."

 

SEASONING MIX WITHOUT SALT AND SUGAR

This is a recipe from my diabetic blog but it is good for almost everyone. Why not give this a try to eliminate salt and sugar from your seasoning mix?

HOMEMADE SEASONING MIX FOR CHICKEN, STEAK, BURGERS, ETC

Here is a great seasoning mix you can make at home without using any salt or sugar products.  Add this to chicken, fish, or meats before grilling, baking, etc.

1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/2 cup cracked black pepper

Note: All this spices are from your spice rack, not fresh.

Combine the above ingredients and store in a zip-top plastic storage bag or an airtight container.

Yield: about a half cup of seasoning.

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WHAT IS MEDICINE?

 

WHAT THE SCALE WON'T TELL YOU!

Source: First for Women 2012

 

REFRIGERATOR TIPS

For food safety, set your refrigerator to 40 degrees and your freezer to zero.  Also, it is important that you not put large containers of warm leftovers in the fridge. They may warm other foods around them and they will not cool down quick enough to kill bacteria.

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HOW TO SUBSTITUTE OLIVE OIL FOR BUTTER

Did you know that 1 tablespoon of butter has more than 3 times the saturated fat of 1 tablespoon of olive oil? This is an easy substitution to make to cut back on the saturated fat in your diet!

HOW TO PROPERLY MEASURE FLOUR

The proper way to measure flour, especially when baking, is to lightly stir the flour, using a spoon. Then you spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup. Use a butter knife, spatula or other straight edge item to  level the flour. It is important to avoid shaking the cup as this packs the flour.

I suggest avoiding enriched all-purpose flour. It comes from red wheat and is bleached and refined. Try white whole wheat flour. It comes from white wheat and is a whole-grain item. You can always use almond flour or other low/no carb flours. Measure them all as above, unless the recipe tells you otherwise.

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Picking Up Germs in the Grocery Store

I came across this old post from 2013. l think the addition of hand gel and/or antibacterial wipes was a great addition to stores during the Covid pandemic. I am glad they are still available. Shouldn't we have always been using them?

Would you believe the grocery store is one of the easiest places for you to pick up germs?  With cold, flu, and virus season upon us, remember these tips when going to the grocery store.

• Take advantage of the hand-wipes available by the door.  Clean the handle of the shopping cart when you go in and get a second wipe for your hands.  You probably handled your cart before you used the wipes!  When people with dirty hands touch your cart or someone sneezes, coughs, or blows their nose while pushing the cart, it is being exposed to germs.  (Remember this applies to shopping carts in all types of stores, not just grocery stores!
• Meat packages often leak and thus contaminate your cart and anything else nearby in the cart.  Place your meats on the bottom of your cart.  If they leak, they won't contaminate other nearby foods, specially produce.   Also, they will be the last thing you put on the conveyor belt so if they leak there, they won't contaminate your other items.  If the conveyor belt is wet or it appears the last person's meat leaked, ask the cashier to clean the belt. Fresh meats can contain all sorts of stomach causing problems.  Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a microbiologist at the University of Arizona, spends a lot of time studying germs in public places.  He states that studies show 70% to 80% of shopping carts studied nationwide contained E Coli.
• Wash fresh vegetables and fruits before using them to eliminate any germs they may have come in contact with.
• By the way, one of the easiest places for the above germs to hide is in your cloth grocery bags.  If you use those, be sure to wash them after each use!

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SATISFY FOOD CRAVINGS WITH GUM

Pamela Peeke, M.D. is the author of The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction.  She makes the suggestion to overcome food cravings by chewing gum.  "You'll be putting a food-like substance in your mouth, giving your jaws something to do and stimulating the production of serotonin."  She also suggests you choose gum with xylitol.  Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute which helps protect your teeth from cavities. The photo below is an example only. It is not a brand endorsement.

BLOOD SUGAR TESTING TIP

Being a diabetic I always give a second glance to anything I see about diabetes.  I was surprised to learn recently that probably the number one mistakes diabetics make in testing their blood sugar is where they test!    I was surprised by the headline but as I continued reading, I realized this is probably true.  Okay, a show of hands here, how many of you diabetics poke your fingertip or the pad of your finger when testing your blood sugar?  Ouch, no wonder that hurts.  You are poking the most sensitive part of your finger with a thin needle! Always poke your finger over to the side where it is not so sensitive and you won't be using that spot to touch things all day long.  A simple tip but a mistake I didnt realize so many people make.  And no wonder we make that mistake.  That's how most doctors, nurses, etc show us to do it.  I know I did that the first few months and soon learned the side of the finger is better.  If you haven't learned this yet, give the side of your finger a try at your next testing!  Here is an example of how so many do it the wrong way -Of course this is a personal preference thing so do whatever works best for you.

REMINDER

I like to remind my readers from time to time that I am not a doctor nor nutritionist.  The articles you read on this blog are researched from various medical sources.  I never post my opinion unless I state clearly that it is just my opinion, so you can trust what you read here.  However, keep this in mind, we are all different and each of us has our own nutritional needs.  Food has a tremendous influence on our health and we should really think of our foods as medicines, whether good or bad.  But keep in mind that what you read here should not replace your medicines or your doctor's advice.  You should always consult your doctor regarding major changes in your diet or your exercise routine.

Just remember that everything you put in your mouth will affect your body for better or worse!

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