Healthy Thursday, Kindle Fire and Amazon

A while back I had been doing a fun post on this blog, about eating and being healthy. I stopped, but now I want to start it up again. I have lost twenty pounds with diet moderation and exercise. I want to share some of the things I have learned about myself, diet and exercise with all of you. So for this weeks Healthy Thursday tip, I am going to share that to reduce sodium in my diet, yet get that taste, I use Red Wine Vinegar on meats and cooked veggies. It is great on salads as well. You only need a little bit, few shakes, and it is awesome. You can use more on meats, because the meat soaks it up. I very rarely ever cook with salt anymore, and have limited the table salt as well, for everyone, not just me. Sodium makes you retain water, thereby inhibiting weight loss. If you have kidney disease, or any other disease, do not limit your diet without consulting your doctor or dietitian first. I am a healthy 42 yr old woman with no underlying illnesses.

I want a Kindle Fire! My husband got me a Kobo reader for Christmas, and I love it. Now I want one with all the bells and whistles. I probably will have to wait until Christmas again, but I am a very patient woman, well most of the time, lol!

Speaking of Amazon, did you know you can sign up to put items on your blog, and if anyone buys anything from your blog you will get a percentage. Be sure to read the terms, because some states it is not allowed. Now I will admit I am not a great salesperson, but I have made a few dollars doing it. If you are a better salesperson than me, what can it hurt? Just click the Amazon link to check it out.

Healthy Thursday: Beautiful Hair

There are so many products on the market that boast beautiful stronger hair. Of course most of this is not true, and your lovely hair comes from your genes more than anything else. However, there are some things you can do to help. Most important like anything else that has to do with health, is to eat a healthy diet. Your hair will show if you are eating unhealthy, or are more importantly malnourished. Take a vitamin with Biotin in it. Don't wear your hair up to bed, and don't wear it up at all if you can help it. I love Pantene shampoo and conditioner combo, it is awesome and I use it on my daughter as well. It is more expensive, but I have tried many different shampoos but I love that one the most. I have thick, coarse hair, so I also use a leave in conditioner, and do not wash my hair every day. Every other day is fine, unless you are a heavy sweater or your hair is greasy.

Healthy Thursday: Decrease Your Salt Intake

Do you know how much salt an adult human is supposed to consume? 2300 mg per day is the correct answer. Do you know that 9 out of 10, or 90% of adults consume at least twice that much each day? It is true, and I don't want to even consider children. Did you also know that your body needs sodium? It is true also, it is an electrolyte vital to the normal functioning of the human body. So how and why do we consume so much? Research shows there are three main culprits: eating out, eating processed foods, and snack foods. Chips, soda, pretzels, crackers all are extremely high in salt. Foods that you eat in a restaurant, or fast food place, are loaded with salt because we demand it for taste. It is in our taste buds it seems.

So what to do? There are many low sodium products on the market. They can be expensive, but if you can get used to them it is much better for your body. Drink extra water to flush out any extra salt you consume. Cook your own food, using the freshest ingredients, to avoid added salt. Don't cook with salt if you can help it, and definitely don't add salt after you sit at the table. Use garlic, or other spices to flavor your food, that are not high in salt. Learn to read labels. I can not stress this enough. Take a few extra minutes and read the label. It will tell you how much sodium is in the item, per serving.

Excessive salt can lead to water retention witch can cause weight gain and heart problems, high blood pressure, and kidney problems. By lowering your intake of salt, you can help your body be healthy and strong.

As I always note, this is not medical advice, it is material taken from personal experience to share with you. If you already have an underlying illness or take medications, you should always consult a doctor before using any medical information on the web. Be safe, and be wise.

Healthy Thursday: Own A Pet For Stress Relief

It is Thursday again, so that means it is Healthy Thursday. Focusing on stress relief again this week. I read somewhere once that petting a dog can decrease your blood pressure, and help relieve everyday stress. A dog is a loyal and affordable way to relieve stress. These are my two beauties Biscuit almost two years old, and Lucky just nine weeks old. While having a new puppy can be stressful for the first few weeks, due to adjustment issues, loving it and nurturing it is very rewarding and stress relieving. None of my dogs have ever been purebred dogs. I always go for a dog that needs a home, and lots of love. While we did have to put our beloved Krypto down last fall, he still remains with us everyday. If you are unsure of a shelter in your area you can go to Petfinder to find animals ready to be adopted in your area. Whether you want a dog, cat, rabbit, bird or some other furry friend, Petfinder can help you find one. Dogs can also help you get into an exercise routine, because you should walk it daily for the dogs own health. This is especially true if you don't have a safe and fenced yard for your dog to run around in. Be sure to do research on what kind of pet would be best for you and your family situation. Not all pets are meant for all families. Some dogs can actually be bothersome if you have small children or other pets. A little research goes a long ways. There are also animal rescues that allow you to adopt pets. These are a great resource as well. Love a pet and bring your stress level under control. Try it, it works!

Healthy Thursday: Reading For Good Health

I could do several posts on stress, and the effects it has on the body. Matter of fact I probably will, LOL. Today I am going to focus on reading for stress reduction. I love to read. I read every night before I go to bed. I actually read all day, since I homeschool, blog, and nursing education means I read a lot. But my night time reading is almost always purely for relaxation and fun. Did you also know that not only can reading help you to clear your mind and relax, but it can also enhance your mind and educate. Alzheimers research shows that one of the best ways to prevent Alzheimers is to continuously use your brain. Reading uses a big part of your brain not only to recognize old words but to learn new ones as well. Your brain will require you to comprehend what you are reading. Then if you decide to review the book, your brain requires you to recall what you read, and use learned writing techniques to write the review. Reading is an affordable and easy way to relax, and keep your brain young. If you have a blog, like me, you can join Blogging For Books. Once your blog has been accepted you get to choose a book, read the book, then review the book. I just did my very first review, and you can see the book I reviewed, and my review, by clicking this link. You can then rate my review. I would appreciate all reviews anyone can give me. So hurry on over, sign yourself up, read my review, and rate me. I do not believe you have to sign up to rate my review. So check it out.

Healthy Thursday: Get Some Sunlight

The sun. All living things need sunlight to grow. That includes humans. Did you know your body can not adequately produce Vitamin D without sunlight? Even if you eat food and drinks, that are supplemented with Vitamin D, it may not be properly absorbed and utilized by your body. 10 minutes of sunlight, three days a week, will help you build stronger healthier bones. You need to have your legs and arms exposed, during that time period. Leave off the sunscreen and sunblock for these 10 minutes. Then apply after you have soaked up 10 minutes of sun. Try to do this in the not so hottest part of the day. Hotter sun does not equal better sun. A quick walk on your lunch break, or eating outdoors would be enough. Your body needs the sun. Also in the dark dreary days of winter, open up curtains and let the sun come in. Germs can not grow and thrive in sunlight. It is impossible. Germs like warm, dark and moist areas to thrive. Open the window and let in some fresh air as well.

This does not mean sitting in the sun for hours at a time, during peak heat is recommended. You need to be wise, because the sun can also be dangerous. Check your daily weather report and now what the time to burn is. That means if the time to burn is 15 minutes, your skin will burn after 15 minutes of sun exposure. Applying sunscreen with an SPF of 15 should give you 15 times 15 minutes of protection, or 225 minutes of protection. If you use a lower sunscreen you would need to multiply that number by the time to burn, to figure out when you need to apply it again. Get your sun in the morning, or evening, when the rays are not as intense. Be safe, be smart, and get some healthy bones in the process.

Healthy Thursday: Stop Drinking Soda

While this sounds like a no brainer, I don't think we realize how much of our daily caloric intake comes from what we drank, namely soda and juice drinks. One can of regular soda can have up to 150 calories, and a bottle over 300 calories. If you enjoy those energy drinks, they can have anywhere from 200 and up of calories. Milk, juice, sweet tea and other drinks all have at least 75 calories per 8 ounce serving. Learn to drink calorie free, or low calorie drinks to help decrease your calorie intake., such as water, flavored water with 5 or less calories, and Crystal Light are all great options. Diet soda can be OK, but you are still getting high amounts of sodium which we will discuss another week. Plus sodas containing phosphoric acid actually deplete your bones of the calcium they need, which can increase your chances of getting Osteoporosis. You will thank yourself when you see the weight starting to come off almost effortlessly. It is worth it to change your drinking habits. I didn't even mention beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Healthy Thursday: New Blog Series

I am beginning a new series for this blog, called Healthy Thursday. I have been wanting to add a few new things, and I thought this is a good topic.

So first let me tell you a bit about myself. I am married, with two children. While I think we eat pretty healthy diets, when you break it all down, we really don't. These posts will be about my families endeavors to eat a more healthy diet. Of course you can't exclude exercise from the equation. My children are very active, I am only so so, and my husband is extremely sedentary. As we are both now in our 40's, I feel it is even more urgent to eat better and exercise. We are fortunate. Neither of us have any underlying diseases, and do not take any prescription medications. Please note this last sentence. If you are already diagnosed with and illness, and or are already taking medication, always consult your doctor before making changes to your diet or activities. Medication can be absorbed differently and be either not as effective, or have an enhanced effect by altering diet, or increasing activity. Always proceed with caution.

Check out this awesome childrens deck of cards that will teach your child all about exercise through Yoga. There are over 50 Yoga poses, for your child to learn and master. Yoga is also an awesome way to relieve stress for both children and adults. We think children do not get stressed, but actually they do. They just manifest it in different ways than adults do. These Yoga cards work well for adults as well, especially if you are not used to stretching or any kind of exercise.

Since my husband and I are set in our ways, one can assume this will not be an easy adjustment at first.