0 Top Secrets of Super Healthy Peoples Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick

‘Health is wealth’ but often people consider it luck to enjoy better health. Some people never seem to get sick. Well, it is not about luck. Simple lifestyle changes can do wonders for your body. What super healthy peoples are doing, the rest of us arent to keep illness at bay? Despite centuries of scientific advances, doctors still can’t tell us definitively how to stay well. So why not look for solutions from the people for whom the common cold is, well, uncommon? 

Here, 10 surprising habits of those people who never get sick—and how you can adapt them to your lifestyle for a better healthy living. These are easy ways that can help maintain a balance within your body and keep illnesses at bay.

Here are the top 10 secrets of people who never get sick.

1) Follow Proper Sanitizing Habits

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that proper hand washing is one of the easiest ways to avoid becoming sick often. Try to wash your hands with regular soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. This simple habit lowers your chances of contracting serious colds and the common flu.Take a bath daily and clean all parts of your body well. Regularly check your fingernails for trapped dirt. Also, keep your home and surrounding area clean and free of germs.

2) Detox regularly
Many chemicals used commonly today—such as phthalates, dioxins and PCBs—were absent from our environment a century ago. That might be why the rates of diseases (including cancer and liver disease) linked to toxic exposures are increasing, say experts. 

Although no long-term studies on the benefits of detoxification have been done, chances are good that your health will improve if you lower the level of synthetic chemicals present in your body. Digestive issues, fatigue, breakouts or muscle pain are often signs that you could benefit from a detox program, most of which require you to limit meats and avoid wheat, sugar, dairy, caffeine and alcohol.

3. Keep a Positive Attitude

Another secret to living a healthy life is feeling positive about your life, your surroundings and different situations that we all face in life. Having a positive attitude toward life will help you feel more happy, enthusiastic, and calm.

Research done at Carnegie Mellon University found that those with positive outlooks become less sick and are more resistant to developing upper respiratory illnesses. Also, those who don’t always think positively and have a negative attitude toward things suffer from more stress and tension. Too much tension and stress are factors that contribute to many life-threatening diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, heart problems and others.

4) Have an Active Social Life

Studies show that people who are active socially tend to have more robust immune systems and are less likely to suffer from infectious diseases. Harvard University did a study in 2008 that found that positive social attachments might protect against memory loss and other cognitive disorders.

Also, those with few friends were more likely to suffer from heart disease, depression and anxiety. So, to remain healthy you need to take time out of your busy schedule and see your family members or friends. If your friends live far away, you can call them up or chat online with them.

5) Dont Worry, Conquer Stress

Happy people who can easily manage stress very rarely get sick. A Duke University study showed that stress damages the immune system and the heart. Stop worrying, the fear and expectation of having something adverse happen actually lowers immunity. Other studies also suggest that too much stress increases your chances of contracting bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis. Hence, it is essential to learn relaxation techniques from early childhood and try to manage stress as much as possible.

Whenever you are tense or stressed, take a vigorous walk for about a half an hour. This will help you feel more relaxed. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables and sleeping seven to eight hours at night also helps. Finally, laughing often helps release endorphins in the body that act as natural stress busters.

6) Stay Hydrated

As the human body is made up of 60% water, it is true that staying well hydrated can immensely minimize your risk of becoming ill frequently. Staying hydrated helps your body maintain the proper harmony in cellular functioning, which plays a key role in transferring nutrients to different parts of the body. It also helps flush out excess toxins that enter our systems through pores and the blood stream.

The easiest way to keep your body hydrated is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. Try to drink 10 to 12 glasses of water daily to avoid dehydration. Also, eat more fruits and vegetables that are high in water content. Experts also recommend limiting your alcohol consumption because alcohol weakens the immune system and can cause dehydration.

7) Keep a Balanced pH Level

The body remains healthy when its systems are functioning midway between completely acidic and completely alkaline. In simple terms, it means a balanced pH level. When pH levels fall below the midpoint, the body suffers from a condition called acidosis, which can cause fatigue, rapid breathing, stomach problems and confusion. Acidosis can happen when you consume more meat and sugar. 

But eating more vegetables and fruits with alkalizing properties can resolve the imbalance.Include a lot of dark leafy greens, green beans, asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, coconuts and avocados in your diet. Also, avoid eating processed foods as much as possible.

8) Strive for a Well-Balanced Diet

A properly designed diet plan can lower your risk of becoming sick often. Food provides substances that keep us strong and healthy. Eat foods high in nutrients such as vitamin A and C, protein, carbohydrates, iron, essential fatty acids and so on. Eat fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables and avoid processed food items.

One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet is eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in their natural, uncooked state. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals along with antioxidants that boost your immune system to fight off diseases and keep you fit.

Research also suggests that onions, garlic, ginger and honey have antimicrobial and antiviral effects which can help prevent illness. Also, lowering your daily calorie intake can help you stay healthy and lower your risk of aging-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease.

9) Exercise

It has been found that those who spend at least a half an hour daily doing physical exercise do not get sick often. Exercise boosts your immune system and provides many other health benefits. If you do not have time or money to go to a gym, then try walking, running, jogging or cycling for about half an hour daily.

For better health, aerobic exercise is the best option because it gets your heart rate up and pushes nutrient-rich blood throughout the body. It also helps reduce the number of molecules in the body that lead to inflammatory conditions that weaken the immune system. Studies also have found that exercise reduces the risk of health problems like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, dementia and depression. Exercise also slows down the aging process.

10) Get Enough Rest and Sleep

Proper rest and sleep can do wonders for your body. When you enjoy at least eight hours of peaceful sleep every night, your body will reach a perfect harmonious balance and you will feel your best. Ample sleep and rest is one of the first steps to staying healthy. Sleep deprivation can have a degenerative effect on your mental as well as physical health.

A sound sleep of six to eight hours allows you to handle the day’s stress easier, boosts your memory power, helps keep blood pressure and cholesterol levels in normal ranges, helps reduce inflammation, prevents depression, helps manage body weight and more. It also boosts your immune system to ward off viruses and bacteria that make you ill.

These tips can make a huge difference for your body by boosting your immunity and helping you to stay fit and healthy disease free. Also, They are very easy to incorporate into your lifestyle. 

0 Top 10 Links of the Week 1 29 10 – 2 4 10

This week, its exploding soup, C3PO cereal, and lessons learned, all around. Have a wonderful Super Bowl Sunday, sweet readers. Have a beer or five.

1) The Kitchn: Why Does Soup Explode Out of My Blender?
I can’t tell you how often I’ve done this. How many more long-sleeved t-shirts must die?

2) Dark Roasted Blend: Weird Festivals and Strange Celebrations
From tomato tossing to cheese rolling to the Great Belgian Orange Throw of ’09, this collection of bizarre carnivals will amaze your friends, impress your parents, and possibly shoop.

3) Lifehacker: Store Brand Foods that Save You Money Without Sacrificing Taste
Consumer Reports just did a study comparing brand named groceries to generics. And? The generics, which cost an average of 27% less, did as well or better in most tests (except barbecue sauce, which … granted).

4) LA Times: With Master Cleanse, Clarity Gained – With a Twist
The Master Cleanse (for which you eat nothing but maple-and-cayenne spiked lemonade for ten days) supposedly clears your mind, revs up your appetite, and helps you lose weight. Writer Jessica Gelt tried it. This is her light-headed, calorie-deprived story.

5) Money Saving Mom: Lessons I’ve Learned from the Pantry Challenge
Recently, MSM readers took the Pantry Challenge, in which they cooked for a week using their pre-existing stocks of food. Guest poster Jennifer learned a ton in the process, and her observations should help any burgeoning frugalist.

6) New York Times: Six Meaningless Claims on Food Labels
In which the Gray Lady confirms that “All Natural” (and five other dastardly claims) mean absolutely nothing, like a Kate Hudson movie or promises from your landlord.

7) Ellen: Ellen is Sugar-free - Day 4
Ms. DeGeneres and one of her writers are going sans sugar for an entire week, and keeping a video diary about the ordeal. Ellen’s a vegan, so I don’t expect this to affect her too much, but the writer is having headaches and sleeping issues. Writers: oh, how we suffer.

8) Cavalcade of Awesome: The Grocery Aisle of Long Forgotten Breakfast Cereals
Go for the sweet pics of vintage cereal boxes like Waffle-Os and C3POs, but stay for the best blog banner EVAH.

9) Casual Kitchen: Mindful Chewing – How to Cut Your Calorie Intake in Half Without Feeling Hungry
Remember the olden days of yore, when your grandparents told you to chew each piece of food 20 to 30 times before you swallowed? Turns out, they were right. They were right about EVERYTHING. (Except the War of the Worlds debacle. Oh, New Jersey. You so crazy.)

10) MSN Smart Spending: Would you pay more for less Coke?
You know those new mini Coke cans? The 8-ounce dealies that supposedly restrict your calorie intake by restricting portion sizes? According to MSN, they’re “50% to 140% more per ounce than the regular 12-ounce cans,” not to mention TERRIBLE for birds and trees and such. And your health. There is no upside here.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Bon Appetit: The 10 Rules of Making Nachos
Who loves ya, baby?

Hide Your Arms: 200 T-Shirts for Food Lovers
Just in time for V-day! (Thanks to the Kitchn for the link. Speaking of which...)

The Kitchn:

Making Smoothies Easy – Tips from Alton Brown
Raw to Sweet – How to Change the Intensity of Onions
What are Light and Savory Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin?
Another week, another spectacular collection of posts from the Kitchn. These are but a few of mah favorites.

Lifehacker: Repurpose Your Rice Cooker to Make Tasty One Pot Meals
Short, sweet starter article on the beauty of the rice cooker, The Husband-Elect loves his more than he loves Batman. Which is a lot.

New York Post: Manhattan Snack Lack
Big Apple-ites are thin because we/they don’t snack. I thought it was from the constant beatings.

Slashfood: Budweiser Launches 55-calorie Beer
Yay?

AND ALSO

Axecop
Written by a five-year-old and drawn by his 29-year-old brother, Axecop is the story of a cop with an axe. Also, Unibaby, the baby with a unicorn head. Hilarious and excellent. If you read nothing else this week...

Thank you so much for visiting Cheap Healthy Good! (We appreciate it muchly). If you’d like to further support CHG, subscribe to our RSS feed! Or become a Facebook friend! Or check out our Twitter! Or buy something inexpensive, yet fulfilling via that Amazon store (on the left)! Bookmarking sites and links are nice, too. Viva la France!

0 Veggie Might Top 5 Reasons I Love New York A Recipe

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Today, my Fair Readers, is the 15th anniversary of the day my pal JBF dropped me, my two milk crates of books, and my dreams in front 201 W. 91st, New York, NY. Our journey originated in Orlando, took side trips to our respective familial homes in North Carolina and Virgina, and ended with JBF settling in Princeton, NJ and me in the Big City. Fifteen years, three apartments, and 17 roommates later, I’m still here and loving New York.

Top 5 Reasons I Love New York

1. Each neighborhood is like its own little city. Residents get to know their neighbors, the best places to buy groceries, which laudromat gives the most time per quarter, and the coffee shop with the most lenient WiFi/purchase policy. New Yorkers are as proud of and loyal to their neighborhoods as Europeans or South Americans are to their countries during the World Cup. HELL’S KITCHEN RULZ!!!1!!1!

2. Public transportation! Not only does the MTA get you from point A to point B (most of the time), it’s a world-class entertainment venue. Nowhere else can you learn cutting-edge modern dance moves, stay abreast of the hottest indie music, and have your picture made for $2.15 a pop.

3. Governors Island, the car-free, bike-loving island oasis in New York Harbor. Governors Island is dotted with art installations, criss-crossed by bike paths, and inviting for a picnic or just chilling.

4. The food, of course. In one afternoon, you can grab brunch at one of a million amazing restaurants, pick up your fresh produce at the farmers’ market, snag a homemade popsicle from a street vendor, and hit the Mexican/Korean/Indian/West African/Chinese grocery for the spices and miscellany needed to make a delicious home-cooked supper.

5. Dinner parties/potlucks/game nights in cramped apartments with brilliant friends and home-cooked food. No one who lives in New York on a work-a-day budget can afford to eat out all the time, so the best way to socialize and economize is to cook for each other. Juggling plates while 4-to-a-couch with a few folks on the floor is part of the charm. Karaoke is a bonus.

Happy anniversary, New York. I made you this mushroom quinotto.

~~~

If this post tips your canoe, swim on over to
Pumpkin Orzo with Sage
Butternut Squash Risotto
Swiss Chard with Mushrooms

~~~

Quinoa-Millet Mushroom Risotto (Quinotto)

adapted from Viva Vegan! by Terry Hope Romero
serves 4

Note: The recipe calls for white wine, but I used a substitution of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. I used a blend of quinoa and millet because I was low on the big Q; go all the way with one or the other and my blessing. I also tossed in a few beet greens, which go nicely with this dish, but I would advise against going overboard with the greens. The mushrooms should be the star.

1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in a mesh strainer
1/3 cup millet
1/2 cup apple juice + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or 1/2 white wine)
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
3 cups hot vegetable broth or stock
1 cup beet greens, shredded (or any leafy green)
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

Instructions
1. Brush or wipe dirt from mushrooms and slice into matchsticks. In a large saucepan, sautee mushrooms in half the olive oil over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Put mushrooms in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan, heat the remaining oil and sautee shallots and garlic for 5-7 minutes or until onion is translucent. Add quinoa and millet to onion/garlic mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until grains become golden.

3. Add apple juice + vinegar to deglaze the pan, and stir. Add dried spices and jalapeño and cook for another minute. Stir in mushrooms.

4. Here comes the real stirring: pour in about 1/4 of broth to grain/vegetables. Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and, stirring frequently, allow grain to absorb the broth. Then add another fourth of the broth, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process until all the broth is absorbed and the grains are light and fluffy, about 30-35 minutes.

5. Salt and pepper to taste along the way. Cover and allow quinoa/millet to rest for 10 minutes. Drizzle with lime juice, toss in beet greens, and fluff with a fork. Serve with fresh cilantro. Your guests will be impressed that you made such a brilliant, flavorful, earthy dish in such a tiny kitchen.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
282 calories, 7.7g fat, 5.15g fiber, 7.6g protein, $1.31

Calculations
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms:: 64 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $2.00
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil: 180 calories, 21g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.12
3 shallots: 90 calories, 0g fat, 9g fiber, 6g protein, $0.60
2/3 cup quinoa: 417 calories, 6.7g fat, 8g fiber, 16g protein, $0.97
1/3 cup millet: 251.7 calories, 2.7g fat, 5.6g fiber, 7.3g protein, $0.28
1/2 cup apple juice + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar: 57 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.41
1/2 tsp dried thyme: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1/2 tsp dried oregano: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 jalapeño pepper: 4 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.16
3 cups hot vegetable broth: 60 calories, 0.3g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.57
1 cup beet greens: 8 calories, 0g fat, 1g fiber, 1g protein, $0.16
1 tbsp lime juice: 4.75 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.05
salt and pepper to taste: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
TOTALS: 1128.5 calories, 30.7g fat, 20.6g fiber, 30.3g protein, $5.24
PER SERVING (totals/4): 282 calories, 7.7g fat, 5.15g fiber, 7.6g protein, $1.31

0 Top 10 Fat Burning Weight Loss Tips

(First Published as Top 10 Weight Loss Tips to Burn Fat on Technorati.)

As the number of overweight and obese Americans approaches three-quarters of all adults, dropping those extra pounds becomes a serious objective of many who are concerned with their long term health. For most, losing weight and keeping it off is a lifelong battle made more difficult with frequent on-the-run meals and failed fad diets.

Abdominal fat can be dangerous to health, as it increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes and certain cancers. Targeting belly fat has been shown to considerably reduce the incidence of health related concerns and provides for an improved level of self-esteem and confidence.

Fortunately there are a variety of steps which can help with overall weight loss and specifically eliminate stomach fat. Create your own weight reduction program by choosing from these fat burning tips.

Tip 1. Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day

Eating 2 or 3 larger meals per day causes the body’s metabolism to stall as it’s forced to process a higher number of calories. Eat 4 to 6 smaller meals each day and limit calories to no more than 300 to 400 at each sitting. Eat sensibly and avoid heavily processed foods in favor of natural choices including plenty of raw vegetables. Most important, never eat after 7 PM to allow complete digestion of your last meal before going to sleep.

Tip 2. Develop an Exercise Routine

To be successful in any weight loss plan, it’s essential to incorporate an exercise regimen. It doesn’t need to be strenuous, but must be done regularly on most days of the week. Use a combination of strength training and cardio to make it fun, and be sure to train for 20 to 30 minutes each session.

Tip 3. Eat at Home – Dine Out on Special Occasions

Most dieters have no concept of the excess calories they eat when dining out. Most restaurant meals include twice the number of calories as a home cooked meal. For weight loss to be successful, you must be able to control the healthy ingredients and quantity.

Tip 4. Drink Green Tea

Studies confirm that drinking tea, especially the less processed green tea boosts metabolism when you’re resting and specifically targets the release of stored fat. Brew the tea yourself to avoid the sugar added to prepackaged teas.

Tip 5. Drink More Water

Some dietary advocates promote the idea of drinking as much as 64 oz. of water daily. While the majority of studies don’t confirm this, they do indicate the importance of drinking water through the day. Water reduces fluid retention naturally and promotes the release of toxins from the body.

Tip 6. Eat Slowly and Enjoy Your Food

Slow down when eating to allow your brain to send the satiety signal so you know when to stop eating. You should enjoy your food and chew each bite a minimum of 20 times to aid the beginning of the digestive process.

Tip 7. Cut the Sweets and Refined Carbs

All calories are not created equal. Refined carbohydrates and sweets are broken down immediately upon eating, providing an immediate surge of blood sugar and the desire to eat again in a couple of hours. Slow release calories from vegetable and protein sources require much more energy to metabolize and are less likely to be stored as fat.

Tip 8. Use a Smaller Plate

Most dieters don’t even realize that the average dinner plate has gone from 9” to 12” in size. This means that 40% more food fits on your plate, and studies confirm that if it’s on the plate, it’s in your mouth.

Tip 9. Avoid Sugary Soft Drinks

The best place to begin cutting calories is in soft drinks. Each drink packs 150 to 200 calories, and most people consume several each day. Replacing sugared soft drinks with a no calorie substitute will result in losing 1 pound per week without any other changes.

Tip 10. Make These Changes Your New Lifestyle

Following these tips with the thought of short term weight loss can be beneficial, but it’s important to develop a totally new lifestyle which incorporates most or all of these tips. Start by making these changes for 15 days, and be strict. You’ll find that it becomes much easier as you go on, and the scale will provide encouragement.

All of these tips have been proven to deliver results. Follow as many as possible for maximum results, but don’t let one or two push you away from your ultimate goal of permanent weight loss. Losing fat, especially from the midsection is critically important to living a long and healthy life.

0 Top Ten Links of the Week 4 22 11 4 28 11

Food marketing was the hot topic this week, with excellent articles from Leo Babuta, Marion Nestle, and Jane Black, among others. Plus, we celebrate the fabulous debut of Tom Haverfoods, which will only make sense for the next month or so.

1) Zen Habits: Breaking Free From Consumerist Chains
Super-solid piece on willingly dropping out of consumer culture. The first line establishes the tone: "We are not consumers. We are people." It just gets better from there, punctuated by real, honest-to-god useful tips.

2) Food Politics: At Last, FTC Releases Principles of Food Marketing to Kids
Marion Nestle analyzes the new FTC advertising guidelines for kids, and what they mean for the general populace. Essentially, she: A) wishes this would have happened already, but B) is pretty satisfied with the progress, and C) brings up a great point – Whos holding the food industry accountable? Also worth reading, Nestles other excellent column about the insidiousness of viral marketing to kids.

3) The Atlantic:The Latest Food Marketing Trend - Fake Authenticity
Fascinating analysis of the biggest trend in food advertising right now: Health. No, really. Industry leaders are trying any way they can to promote the health benefits (virtue) of their products, whether its watermelon or Tostitos. Reading labels could get real tricky, real soon. (Moreso, even.)

4) Serious Eats: What Exactly Does Fair Trade Mean?
Educational! Picture yourself as Johnny Carson when reading this, raising your eyebrows and saying, "I did not know that" in a thick Nebraskan accent.

5) Tom Haverfoods
Parks and Rec fans! Some genius created this randomizer of Tom’s alternate food names, from Funky Soda (light beer) to Cereal Sauce (milk). All it’s missing is Ron Swanson.

6) Bargaineering: How to Save on Groceries, With and Without Coupons
Good rundown of frugal food shopping strategies, emphasizing some of the not-as-well-known basics. ("Then how are they basics?" you might ask. They just are. Go with it.)

7) The Kitchn: 15 Simple Healthy Fruit Desserts
Guess what this post is about? Yep. Zombies.

8) stonesoup: vegetarianism for carnivores - a simple idea for healthier eating
The tips are pretty standard, but nicely presented, and MAN, I want to make that eggplant-bean thing right now.

9) USDA Today: Restaurants say consumers are finally ordering healthier meals
You guys! What we’re ordering at chain restaurants? As a nation? It’s getting healthier! The president of Applebee’s even says, “I’ve been in the restaurant business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this.” We win!

10) Wise Bread: The Best and Worst Nuts, By Nutrition and Price
In which mixed nuts prevail over all, and the word “nut” is used approximately 46,000 times.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cupcake Project: Easter Cupcakes Baked in Real Eggs
This blew my mind. My clone will be typing the rest of this post.

Kalyns Kitchen: Six Years Old and Six Lessons Im Learning from Food Blogging
Happy birthday, Kalyn’s blog!

Neatorama: Every Secret Ingredient from Iron Chef America
Allez cuisine!

NPR: Shrinking Height of Poor Women Reflects Lack of Food, Health Care
Umm ... nothing funny about this one.

AND ALSO

The Daily What: Little Chefs
Kids + blenders = hee.



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0 10 top lunchbox ideas

1. The three bowl approach: fill one bowl with fruit, one with treats and one with dairy (such as tubs of yoghurt or cheese sticks). Let the kids make their own lunches by selecting one item from each bowl. Just add a sandwich, a bottle of water and lunch is ready.
2. Slice, wrap and fill: Make the most of the different varieties of bread including multigrain, rolls and buns. Try bagels, wraps, pita bread and hot cross buns or, for a treat, scones or pikelets.
3. The surprise factor: Okay, so your kid will not budge from the Vegemite sandwich. Introduce the unexpected by cutting their Vegemite sandwich with a cookie cutter. It may well be their first step in understanding that variety is the spice of life.
4. The leftover lunch: Cook a little extra dinner the night before and save for lunch the next day. Roast chicken, pasta salad, quiche, homemade pizza slices and sausages are just a few examples that are delicious cold for lunch.
5. The lunchbox: If you use a lunchbox that keeps food chilled, you can send tubs of yoghurt, small containers of dip or cottage cheese mixed with pineapple pieces to school without fear of salmonella poisoning.
6. Perfect packaging: hard boiled eggs, small tins of baked beans or tuna and the ziplock bag are a sandwichs best friend - no spills; no soggy sandwich.
7. Filling fillings: banana and honey; mashed egg and mayonnaise; ham, cheese and tomato; cream cheese, tuna, cucumber and carrot.
8. The love note: add a little message from you to brighten their day, and their lunch if theyre not going to be happy with what you snuck in!
9. No sneaking things in: Kids will be more likely to eat their lunch if they have had a hand in preparing it. See idea 1.
10. Find something new: ask other mums what they offer their kids for lunch at the Kidspot Message Board.

Popular lunchbox ideas and recipes

• Pikelets
• Browse all muffin recipes
• Muesli biscuits
• Homemade muesli bars
• Banana bread
• Monster Pitas
• Pizza Pinwheels
• Rock cakes
• Skyscraper sandwiches
• Weetbix slice
• Search all lunchbox recipes

Find advice and information on preparing school lunches

• Find healthy lunchbox tips
• Do you know what should be in a school lunch everyday?
• Tips for packed lunches
• Healthy snack ideas for kids 

_http://www.kidspot.co.nz/article+373+35+10-top-lunchbox-ideas.htm

0 Top 10 Links of the Week 7 16 10 – 7 22 10

We’re coming to the home stretch of No-Cook Month, sweet readers. Just two more dishes and a giant recipe rundown (coming Wednesday) to go. But first, before we get there, we must experience THE LINKS.

From Getcrafty.com.

1) Casual Kitchen: Dont Pay Up For That Cookbook! How to Spend Next to Nothing on a Great Recipe Collection
Fabulous post about saving big dough on recipe tomes. Between libraries, the interwebs, and your pals, there’s almost no need to buy cookbooks at all. (Except for Cook’s Illustrated books. We must always support Chris Kimball. We MUST.)

2) Salon: My new grandmothers cooking changed me forever
This is the second piece from Riddhi Shah we’ve linked to in the last few weeks, because she’s just a wonderful writer. This essay, about discovering her grandmother-in-law’s culture and traditional cuisine after some regionally-induced apprehension, is gorgeous. Please read.

3) Good Eater: Are Large-Scale Grass-Fed Beef Operations Feasible?
The answer: a surprising “yes.” The La Cense Ranch in Montana raises several thousand cows humanely, making CAFOs seems less necessary than ever.

4) Huffington Post: “Urban Homesteading”? That’ll Cost You
This account of one woman’s quest for jam jars illustrates a very important point for potential canners and aspiring jammers: start-up costs are nothing to laugh at. While you may be tempted by the plethora of beautiful, pro-homesteading blog posts, home food preservation is not an easy venture. Over time, it works out, but make sure you’re in for the long haul, or suffer the (expensive) consequences.

5) Culinate: An update on genetically engineered meat and fish
I realize genetic engineering might be impossible to escape, especially with Earth’s population growing exponentially, and food requirements increasing commensurately. But man, it makes me uncomfortable. The FDA hasn’t approved any GE animals yet, so maybe these worries are premature, but this state-of-the-industry piece makes it seem like they’re getting ever closer.

6) Eater: The Ultimate Mad Men Guide to NYC Bars and Restaurants
Draper/Holloway fans, you gotta see this. Just in time for Sunday’s Season 4 premiere, Eater created this sweet map of pubs, lounges, and various steakhouses frequented by the Sterling Cooper crew. Many don’t exist anymore, but it’s super neat to imagine the bygone era of Peggys, Rogers, and … okay, Petes.

7) Slate: 10 Tips To Reduce Your Food Waste
Sweet reader-sourced roundup of tips, guaranteed to keep your greens from wilting for just a few days longer. More suggestions in the comment thread.

8) The Kitchn: Help Me Find Healthy, Balanced Meals That Freeze Well?
If you guess what this post is about, I’ll give you ten dollars. What? What’s that you say? It’s about “balanced meals that freeze well”? Dang. What tipped it off? Oh. The title. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go take out a loan.

9) Serious Eats: How to Handle Eggplant Overload
With eggplant season upon us, you may be wondering how to handle the glorious purple bounty. Carolyn Cope has answers. Quick! Take care of it before the zucchini gets here!

10) Huffington Post: Food Magazines and Periodicals
Good summary of available foodie mags, slightly compromised by the ultra-irritating slideshow presentation. Yarg! I hate those things. (Also: mayonnaise, e-mail forwards, and FOX NY news anchor Rosanna Scotto.)

HONORABLE MENTION

Brooklyn Paper: ‘Whole’ lotta indecision! Clean-up done, but Whole Foods isn’t sure about Gowanus site
This is my neighborhood! It has to be “decontaminated” before a grocery store moves in! Um … represent?

The Epi-Log: What’s the Best Way to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?
Massive comment thread filled with suggestions. A bowl of beer works for us. They sip, they drown. Not unlike me on Super Bowl Sunday. (Im here all week, folks. Dont forget to tip your waiter.)

Food Politics: Kellogg’s drops health claims from cereal boxes (sort of)
When is a trumped-up ingredient (40% of your daily fiber!) also an implied health claim? Marion Nestle explores.

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook: Wild Plums Everywhere and Nowhere
It’s plum season! YAY! And there are such things as cherry plums? DOUBLE YAY!

The Kitchn: 10 Nerdy Kitchen Finds in Honor of Comic Con
The Empire Strikes Back space slug oven mitt is mah favorite.

Lamebook: Gouda God!
Cheese puns. They are the stuff of life.

Lifehacker: The Five-Second Rule Could Actually Apply, But Mostly Outdoors
It’s better to drop food outside than inside, as dirt germs on your food are better than chemical residue. Makes sense.

The Motherload: Freezing Blueberries in 3 Easy Steps
They forgot Step #0.5! (Do not eat all the blueberries first.)

AND ALSO

Gizmodo: Darth Vader Robbed a Bank
Only he could be so bold.

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0 Top Ten High Fiber Low Calorie Foods

BY Erika Yigzaw, ACHS CIO
Are there magic foods that we can eat all day and still lose weight? Not really. But there are some foods that are relatively low in calories yet have high nutritive value, either because they are high in fiber, phytonutrients such as antioxidants, or high in protein. These are foods to keep handy in the pantry, refrigerator, or garden and eat daily. Train your family – particularly children – to snack on these top ten foods rather than chips and sodas and you’ll be ahead of the nutrition curve before you know it!

To pick these top ten foods, I looked at nutritional value, energy density[1], and volume. I want to focus on foods that provide a lot of bang for the buck (i.e., keep us full and have high nutritional value with fewer calories than other choices). Fruits and vegetables with lots of water are often lower energy density[2] , but my primary criteria for the list is fiber. Why? Fiber is critical. Remember your grandmother telling you to eat more “roughage”? Well she was right! We need at least 25 grams a day, and ideally 35 grams a day, for a healthy bowel. I think the correlation between high fiber diets and lower cancer rates is not just from fiber but is synergistic, since most high fiber diets are high in fruits and vegetables, which are also high in antioxidants and other phytonutrients. But, fiber is clearly also very important and few Americans get enough.

Here is my current top ten list of high fiber low calorie foods:

1. Raspberries rank as one of the highest high fiber low calorie foods, at 8.0 grams of fiber and just 64 calories per serving (1-cup) (1 calorie per raspberry!)[3, 4]. They are delicious and we can grow our own here in Oregon! Yay!
2. Pears have about 5.1 grams of fiber and only 51 calories for a medium sized pear[5]. They are easy to pack in a lunch and store well. They are also easy to grow here in Oregon.
3. Apples provide about 4.4 grams of fiber, at roughly 55 calories for a small apple. Choose organic as apples are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[6]. Apples are easy to grow here in Oregon and many parts of the US, with the newer columnar varieties letting you grow pounds of fruit in a small garden or even a container!
4. Blueberries provide about 3.5 grams of fiber, and roughly 40 calories for 50 berries. Choose organic as blueberries are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[7]. Again, blueberries grow well here in the Pacific North West, although take a few years to fruit well. Mulch with wood chips as they love acidic soil.
5. Strawberries provide about 3.3 grams of fiber and average about 2 calories per strawberry. Choose organic as strawberries are on the EWG dirty dozen list 2012[8]. Grow even a few strawberry plants in a barrel or tuck them into ornamental garden beds where the foliage stays a lovely dark green throughout the summer while providing you with berries!
6. Black beans – 1 cup has 15 grams of fiber – along with 15 grams of protein – and just 227 calories[9]
7. Whole-wheat spaghetti weighs in at 6.3 g of fiber per serving and approximately 174 calories per 1-cup serving (always check the label as brands vary)
8. One cup of oatmeal provides 4.0 grams of fiber and about 60 calories per serving
9. Whole wheat or multigrain breads offer 1.9 grams per slice and about 65 calories per slice (always check the label as brands vary)
10. Cooked peas, at a whopping 8.8 g of fiber and a low 67 calories per cup serving size. Turn a cup of peas into instant soup with a stick blender and some vegetable stock.

So that’s our top ten, but there are some other notable additions:

• Boiled turnip greens, which offer about 5.0 grams of fiber per cup sized serving and about 48 calories
• Raw carrots offer 1.7 grams of fiber and 21 calories for a small carrot. Raw, fresh carrots are about 88 percent water.
• Broccoli has 5.1 g of fiber and about 52 calories per cup. Steamed broccoli is best for cholesterol lowering benefits. 100 calories of broccoli gives you 10 grams of fiber!
• Grapefruit is about 90 percent water, and one contains approximately 3.4 grams of fiber – more than 13 percent of your daily fiber needs – and about the same amount as a cup of strawberries, cabbage, cauliflower or beets. The amount of fiber in one grapefruit exceeds that found in a banana or in 1 cup of celery or bell peppers. An entire grapefruit has just 78 calories. Grapefruit also contains vitamin C and pectin[10]. Good news too – grapefruit is on the EWG clean fifteen list – meaning they are one of the 15 produce items lowest in pesticides[11]!
• Raisins, which provide 1.6 grams of fiber per 1.5 ounce serving and roughly 42 calories for a 5-ounce box. Note that grapes have more volume for the same fiber and calories so are an excellent choice! Grapes are another dirty dozen item so choose organic!
• Just one cup of barley has 13.6 grams of fiber in 270 calories – add a cup of barley to your vegetable soup for a hearty winter way to increase fiber! Plus barley is a great source of selenium[12]!

What are foods to leave out?

• Canned baked beans – a favorite in New Zealand and the United Kingdom – pack a lot of fiber per serving, but also lots of sugar and sodium.
• Processed foods – yes a processed food with added fiber is better than one without, but stick to the foods that mother nature made high in fiber for optimum health.
• Act: Using your favorite app (mine is MyFitnessPal available on the app store and at myfitnesspal.com) track your food intake and see how much fiber you’re really getting! Try a fiber day and see how much you can pack in!

Share: What are your favorite foods? Check their fiber and calorie content and add a comment!

0 Top 10 Tips to Reduce Anxiety

Everyone has frightening or anxious moments. This particular feeling can be detrimental to you because it may stop you from living a normal life. Here are my top ten tips to deal effectively with this uncomfortable emotion.

 1. If you are prone to anxiety you have two choices. Give in to it or learn to live with it. Giving into it also means that your partner will suffer the burden of your fears so, to make your lives a better place to be, find ways to eliminate or at least limit this feeling by taking responsibility for your emotions and knowing you have a choice.

2. When you wake up tomorrow start doing something right away, and keep busy all day. Taking action by doing something, almost anything, will help you work through your anxiety. Sometimes its doing the dishes or working in your garden. Other times its reading or meditating. Just sitting around and thinking about your worries wont make them go away.

3. Focus your attention on where the feeling of anxiousness is in your body and keep your attention there until the feeling moves or dissolves. For example the tension could be in your abdomen or your neck. Whenever your attention wanders, bring it back to the place in your body where the physical feeling is. Doing this for five or ten minutes can reduce, if not eliminate, the anxiety. Related Articles

 4. Anxiety will grow if its not directed into some positive action. Find someone who needs you and lend him or her a helping hand. It will almost always take your mind off your problems and fears. Helping others is actually a way of taking action and responsibility for your own healing.

 5. Talking to someone is one of the best ways to overcome your anxiety. Getting together with your family and friends, even your fellow patrons at Starbucks, and talking about what you are feeling can be helpful. If you cant talk to someone, try writing a letter or visiting an appropriate Internet chat room.

6. Exercise is another good way to keep from letting your fears overwhelm you. Sometimes gentle forms of exercise like walking and yoga can be better than a hard workout at the gym. Do what works best for you at the moment and dont worry about breaking your normal routine, that change may actually help reduce your anxiety.

7. Start a gratitude journal; write down three to five things that you are grateful for. Do this every night, it works and its very easy. Become aware of all the good that surrounds you. You can also have a releasing journal where you write about your anxiety and the actions that you can take to overcome those fears.

 8. The opposite of fear is faith. When you are anxious, a great way to get out of it is to find some faith. Believing that things will get better is sometimes all it takes to make it better. It also helps to never underestimate the power of positive prayer or visualization, if it can cure cancer it can also reduce your anxiety.

9. If watching the news fills you with anxiety - turn off the TV! The world will continue to revolve even if youre not watching it on CNN. Limit yourself to one hour a day of news and dont watch anything that may upset you before you go to bed.

10. Courage is not the absence of fear, but taking action in spite of fear. Doing something new or confronting a fear by taking some baby steps is much more positive than doing nothing. If you need a better reason pick an action that will be helpful to someone else. If you find that none of the tips above work, then you should take a serious look and consulting with a qualified therapist and physician and asking about medication. Choose to take control of your life and dont let your fears run you.

0 Top 10 scratch worry tips

Healthy canker is really one of the most central ingredients for beauty-enhancement. This article on skin tax tips is an effort to transact the 10 culminating skin care tips to you. The list of skin care tips has been restricted to 10 because anything supplementary that that would not only be difficult to remember, but further shadow the more important skin care tips. therefore let's consider what these top luxurious skin care tips are:
* Knowing your skin type is one of the very much finance skin care tail end. This is finance because not every canker care product suits everyone. In fact, all the skin care products specify the type of scrape they cater too.
* �Drink a lot of water'. This will not keep your gall wet but will help power overall upkeep of your health (and control turn your skin). It talent seem a works delicate to some, however, this is an important skin care tip.
* filter your skin generally (1-2 times unvaried). A overly effective scratch care tip that helps in getting rid of the dirt and other sharp elements from your skin. Cleansing is especially important when you have been out of your house (and hence exposed to pollutants, dust etc). This canker care tip also advocates the benefit of Luke warm water for lavation (hot and cold water, both, impel damage to your skin)
* Be gentle, after all it's your skin. Don't scrub/exfoliate too hard or too often. Similarly, don't apply too much or too countless sore care merchandise. A must-to-follow skin care tip.
* maintenance your skin dank at all times. This is one of the most important skin care tip. Don't let your skin get dry. Dryness causes the outer layer of your skin to break, leading to a rough and unattractive appearance. Use moisturisers/ emollients. Moisturisers work best when applied instance the graze is still damp.
* duck the benefit of soap on your face. Soap should only be used from below the neck. A small but important skin care tip.
* Use sunscreen to set out yourself from sun's harmful UV radiations. You can use day-time moisturisers that fall for sunscreen built into them. Use them trim when it's cloudy. UV radiations are known to cause scrape cancer, so follow this skin care tip without fail.
* A bit of bustle and appurtenant accommodate are symbolic too, not convenient for skin care but due to your health as a whole. Lack of sleep can lead to formation of wrinkles below your eyes and lack of exercise can generate your gall to remiss. Moreover, exercise and sleep also succour in beating stress. and so also being a skin care tip, this is also a health care tip.
* heal scratch dilemmas with affliction. This skin care spire is about not ignoring any abrasion dilemmas. Consult your dermatologist before you go on to use a skin care product (lest you bring about end spreading harming your skin even more).
* Beat the oppression. The harmful effects of discomposure are known to everyone, however, sometimes stating the obvious is essential too (and hence this skin hardship tip found its place here). Yes, stress harms abrasion quite. So, take a schism or coddle in a heated bubble bath or just negotiate fitting sleep.