ECZEMA AND WOOL

People with eczema are usually told to wear clothing made of cotton or silk for less irritation to the skin. However. research in the journal Dermatology has found clothes made of merino wool actually improves eczema symptoms. Merino wool's soft breathable fibers reduce irritation and wick away moisture to ease the itching and inflammation caused by eczema flare-ups.

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DRY, CHAPPED WINTER LIPS?

According to NYC dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D., try a lip ointment with lanolin. He says, "It forms a breathable seal that limits environmental aggressors, softens rough skin and hydrated lips. Think of lip balm as a seal between your lips and the outside world, apply it before leaving the house to protect them from harsh winter elements like wind and cold temperatures."

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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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WHAT IS PURE CHOCOLATE & WHICH CHOCOLATE ISN'T CHOCOLATE?

Since we just came out of the holiday season where you may have received or been given chocolates, I thought we would talk about what chocolate really is. Chocolate comes from a tropical bean known as the Cacao or Cocoa Bean; the name literally means 'food of the gods' and I know many of you agree!  So do I!  To get to the chocolate that is on our retail shelves, the first process these beans go through is roasting and cracking.  This process separates the shell from the meat of the bean.  We know this meat as nibs.  The nibs are then ground which melts the naturally present cocoa butter to produce a dark brown paste.  This paste is known as chocolate liquor. This means chocolate liquor is the first of the natural products that comes from the nibs or meat of the cocoa beans.  This is pure natural chocolate without any sugar or added ingredients.  When chocolate liquor is molded and allowed to solidify, you get pure, unadulterated chocolate.  This is the unsweetened chocolate which we readily find on our grocers' shelves.  It is usually wrapped in thin papers and sold in boxes as baking chocolate.  If you are planning to bake or cook using chocolate, this is a recommended source.  At this point, you have total control over any sugars or additives going into your chocolate.  This chocolate still contains its natural cocoa butter and is approximately 50% cocoa butter.

To get Cocoa Powder, the other pure chocolate recommended for cooking and baking, the chocolate liquor or unsweetened chocolate is pressed to extract most of the cocoa butter leaving the dry cocoa powder.  This is a much more reduced-fat (it is not fat-free) product.

The extracted cocoa butter is used to produce other chocolate products such as semisweet and bittersweet chocolate.  To get these products sugar and some of the extracted cocoa butter is added to the chocolate liquor.  You can see where I am going here!  When you want chocolate, pay attention to which chocolate you are buying.  You can quickly go from a natural healthy product to one with all kinds of sweeteners and additives.

Cacao Beans 

Bittersweet chocolate must contain at least 35% cocoa butter while semisweet, the most versatile and often used chocolate, can contain anywhere between 15% and 35%.  Learn to read the labels! Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor or true chocolate. White chocolate is not true chocolate because it contains no chocolate liquor.  It consists of sugar, milk solids, and cocoa butter.

ARE EGGS CONSIDERED A HEALTHY FOOD?

Even though eggs have sometimes gotten a bad rap, they are among the healthiest, most nutritious foods on the earth. Following are a couple facts you may not know about eggs.

• One egg has 6 grams of protein with all 9 of the essential amino acids. The amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and the body cannot make them by itself.  Note that the egg white holds around half that protein while only holding a small amount of fat and cholesterol.
• Eggs are nutrient dense foods, meaning they contain more vitamins, minerals and amino acids, per calorie than most other foods. When you eat an egg, you get high quality protein, phosphorus, selenium, choline, vitamin B12 and multiple antioxidants.

So, enjoy your eggs. Of course, we know to eat all things in moderation. It's probably not a good idea to eat six fried eggs every morning like my grandpa did. He did die pretty healthy in his nineties, though.

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POSTURE DURING SLEEP AFFECTS JOINT PAIN DURING THE DAY

According to the Arthritis Foundation, how you sleep at night can affect joint pain during the day. To ease joint pain during the day, they suggest sleeping on your back at night. Are you a side sleeper? Try placing a pillow between your knees to relieve pressure and keep your hips aligned.

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SPRINKLE YOUR HEARTY MEAL WITH BLACK PEPPER

You may be surprised to know that according to an article in the journal Molecules, sprinkling black pepper onto a heavy meal helps block the absorption of artery-clogging cholesterol. In addition, it can reduce blood stickiness so dangerous clots are less likely to form. I guess it's a good thing I love black pepper.

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SOYBEANS AND SOY PRODUCTS

The soybean was called "the miracle bean" by the ancient Chinese.  And indeed it seems they knew what they were talking about.  Soy products, which come from the soybean, are quite popular in our grocery stores and restaurants today and they are known for their health benefits.  A popular form of soybeans widely available today is edamame.

The soybean is the highest of all beans in an anticancer compound known as 'protease inhibitors'.  These compounds have been shown in studies to retard cancer, lower blood cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

Today it is easy to include soy beans and other soy products in your diet.  They can be used in everything from salad toppings to snacks, side dishes to entrees, and even in our beverages and desserts.  Are you including soy products in your diet?

 

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EASY WAY TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR DIET

It is that time when millions will be thinking about their diet. They will promise themselves they will eat healthier and that they will diet.  Almost everyone reading this has made a promise like that to themselves at some point in time.  And most of those promises didn't last through a month!  Forget the diet, my opinion on that subject is all over this blog.  But eating healthier is so easy, so good for your overall health, and will eliminate the need for dieting.  Over the next few days, I will touch on simple things you can do to lighten up your meals.  I don't believe in complicated, that is just not me.  So let's get started with one of my easy tips that can make a big difference and is sustainable over time.

Switch out all your current dairy products for low-fat ones.  That includes milk, sour cream, yogurt, evaporated milk, even ice cream products.  You will hardly notice the difference in taste and within a few weeks you won't notice it at all.  You do need fat in your diet but going low-fat on dairy will be okay. As always, follow your doctor's advice over mine. People with certain illnesses or health needs especially must follow their doctor's advice.

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CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SKIN?

If you are a fan of chicken soup, you may want to eat up! One study found that eating chicken soup may be good for skin elasticity and to decrease facial pigmentation. It is claimed that chicken soup promotes healthy skin because it is rich in collagen and hyaluronic acid. So, if you love chicken soup, enjoy. It may keep your skin beautiful. My take is that more research is needed, but a good bowl of chicken soup is tasty either way.

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