Want Healthier Cells?

I'm a night owl and an early bird, but its not a good combination for my health. I just read an interesting article - "Want healthier cells in just 8 hours? Then get some solid shut-eye tonight" - read more here.

On that note, I'm going to call it a day and hit the hay.

How Good Is Your Food?

Find out about the nutritional value of your favorite food or recipes here. Each food is analyzed and given calorie count, nutritional information, and a letter grade.

This site has many other helpful tools for diet and exercise. A tool that helps you determine how many calories you need daily to go from your current weight to your desired weight by a certain date in the future. It takes into account your age, activity level, and gender.

Hand Washing

I found this article and this article about hand washing and wanted to share them. About 10 years ago I took part in a hand washing experiment for a company that manufactures antibacterial soaps and the product (that I'm not allowed to mention) failed. From what I understand its best to just wash your hands frequently with hot water and soap. I tell my kids to sing "Happy Birthday" during the lathering up time to ensure they've done a good job.

Recently, my husband told me that I ruined my son. I asked why and he said that when he went to the bathroom to wash his hands at a restaurant he refused to touch the door knob with his bare hands after washing and insisted on opening the door with a paper towel. That's my boy :)

Southwestern Chicken Vegetable Soup

I found this recipe in a little book called 50 Ways to Pamper Yourself. Since this is officially the cold and flu season it might come in handy for someone. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to when the whether cools down - it was in the 80s here today. I will definitely be adding some chicken breast to my soup.

A very warming, spicy soup that serves up immune-boosting nutrition and opens sinus and bronchial passages, allowing for freer breathing. Try to use organic ingredients. This soup freezes well, and the recipe makes approximately 15 cups.

1 medium size white onion, diced
20 cloves garlic (not elephant garlic), minced
2 celery stalks, sliced very thin
8 cups homemade chicken stock
3 carrots, sliced very thin or cubed
2 medium-size potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder or 1 habanero pepper, diced and seeded
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper, oregano, savory, rosemary, or thyme to taste

In a 4-quart stock pot, saute the onion, garlic, and celery in olive oil until transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and then cover and simmer for an hour. Eat a bowl whenever you feel the need for feasting and fortification.

(taken from - 50 Ways to Pamper Yourself by Stephanie Tourles page 67 - Copyright 1999 by Storey Communications, Inc.

Schedule in Health

The following is taken from my 2008 Women's Monthly Planner for October 2008. It is published by The Positive Line.

Good health calls for a take-charge approach. Follow your healthcare practitioner's recommendations for clinical breast exams, mammograms, and breast self-exams, as well as tests for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Detecting problems early often allows for more treatment options. Your health is in your hands, so take on the responsibility for yourself and those who love you.