National Sunday Supper Day – January 13

Sunday Supper starts off as one day a week and soon becomes a way of life.

These days families are busy with after-school activities, jobs and homework. Sunday supper has been a disappearing tradition around the country and the Sunday Supper Movement aims to bring families back together in the kitchen and around the dinner table one Sunday at a time. National Sunday Supper Day is another step toward this goal.

It’s Kiss a ginger day!

Cold & flu season tips

It’s cold and flu season and there are so many things you can do to strengthen your immune system.

I haven’t had a major cold or flu in years. I attribute that to my move out of a mold infested house, a healthy lifestyle and my Peak Performance multi-vitamins. Lifestyle and taking care of yourself does make a difference.

Here is a simple guide to maintaining health throughout the cold and flu season.

Happy Wellness Wednesday!
#wellnesswednesday #keephealthy

The Three C’s of Life:

Choices, Chances, Changes.

Are you still looking back at the past?

2018 is almost a memory and if you want to live life on your own terms, you’ll want to focus your energy on the future! So ponder these questions:

1. What would make 2019 the BEST year ever?

2. What is one dream or one unfulfilled goal that keeps coming back?

3. What are one to three things that I want to accomplish this year?

4. If I accomplished all three, what would that mean to me?

5. Who else would that impact and how?

Don’t just let this precious time of the year pass you by without answering these questions!

This can be your BEST YEAR YET, but it won’t happen if you leave it to chance. Make the choice to live your best life on your own terms by starting today. “

Choice, chance, change

Gin & Tonic Can Prevent Wintertime Colds?

We just read about a study that confirms Gin & Tonic can prevent wintertime colds. We know the Brits used Gin & Tonic to help prevent malaria in the tropics, this may be the next logical step for Gin & Tonic.

This awful winter rainy cold weather brings with it all of the symptoms of the common cold, including a runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and drowsiness. It is not something that we want, but it is something we have to endure during winter months.

If you enjoy feeling healthy and avoiding colds, there may be a solution hiding in plain sight. Many tend to reach for an antioxidant or superfood to cure a cold because of the high levels of vitamin C. It certainly can help to keep the cold away, but there may be something else you can do and it is a lot more fun! Have you ever thought about drinking a gin & tonic to help with your cold?

Some people may do it to help themselves sleep when they are sick but gin may actually be the alcoholic beverage of choice for those who are suffering. When you compare it with red wine, whiskey, and other alcoholic beverages, it has lower levels of histamine and that means fewer allergy triggers. If you plan on having a drink this winter, then the British Asthma Association recommends trying gin.

The low level of histamine is all due to the distillation process. When gin is distilled, it results in a lower histamine level but it also provides other benefits. One of those benefits is low levels of sulfites, which is also something that can help to keep your cold in check. It is also something that asthmatics would appreciate.

It’s National Shortbread Day

In our house we love shortbread, it’s a family favorite and perfect with a cup of tea. Maybe because it hearkens back to our Scottish ancestors, or just because it’s super buttery, Shortbread is a classic Scottish dessert traditionally was made with: 1 part white sugar 2 parts butter 3 parts flour.

Modern recipes deviate from the three ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and add salt. Plain white (wheat) flour is commonly used. However, ground rice or cornflour are also sometimes added to alter the texture.

Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture which is caused by its high-fat content, provided by the butter. “Shortening” is its related word that refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture.

Elevating Vitality

Sometimes, with all that we do, you just need a boost. Something to make you feel more energetic to keep up with your busy day. But with already two cups of coffee under your belt, you want extra energy without the caffeine.

Energy drinks — sugary, caffeinated beverages that are supposed to provide a quick pick-me-up — have been taking some hits lately. What do you do if you want to cut down the sugar and the caffeine?

Well, my favorite, Vitality Elevate
B-Fuel delivers the energy I need!

Vitality Elevate™ B-FUEL  contains five proven B vitamins, including 1,000% of your daily value of B6 and B12, combined with a natural antioxidant blend to give you the boost you need in a caffeine-free energy shot.

I like to keep it around for when I need a boost.

Did you know…

  • Research indicates athletes who lack B vitamins may have reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair
    damaged muscles
  • B vitamins are water-soluble and should be replenished to support a
    healthy body
  • B1 (Thiamin)—Helps the body break down carbohydrates and release the energy for use by the body
  • B2 (Riboflavin)—Helps release the energy from foods containing protein and/or fat
  • B3 (Niacin)—Assists in the production and release of energy stores, especially during vigorous training
  • B6 (Pyridoxine)—Supports over 100 enzymatic reactions, including proper nutrient metabolism for energy production
  • B12 (Cyanocobalamin)—Supports healthy production of red blood cells, the synthesis of DNA, and energy production A deficiency has been linked to fatigue, weakness and poor memory. Drinks that contain it help convert carbohydrates into glucose in the body, fighting off lethargy.

NO SUGAR • NO CALORIES • NO SUGAR CRASH • NO ARTIFICIAL COLORS OR FLAVORS

It’s cold, flu and respiratory ailment season…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to alert you about a respiratory infection that can affect your children and in some cases, adults. As it gets colder, parents make sure family members add layers and bundle up so they don’t become ill, but the CDC is warning parents to watch out for Respiratory Syncytial Virus or ‘RSV.’

RSV can start out as looking like a common cold. It is a respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms and most people recover in a week or two. But RSV can also be serious, especially for infants and older adults.

In fact, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in children younger than one year of age in the United States. It is also a significant cause of respiratory illness in older adults. Right now, the CDC says there is not a vaccine available to treat RSV. There is a medicine that can help protect some babies. This medicine (called palivizumab) is a series of monthly shots.

Know the Symptoms: Fever; Reduced appetite; Runny nose; Cough; Wheezing

Help Prevent the Spread of RSV:

Wash your hands often.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Washing your hands will help protect you from germs. Keep your hands off your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Germs spread this way. I always keep my favorite hand sanitizer, Clear Sanitizer, with me because you never know when you will need protection from germs.

Avoid close contact with sick people. Avoid close contact, such as kissing, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who have cold-like symptoms. Cover your coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper shirt sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash afterward and wash your hands.

Clean and disinfect surfaces. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that people frequently touch, such as toys and doorknobs. When people infected with RSV touch surfaces and objects, they can leave behind germs. Also, when they cough or sneeze, droplets containing germs can land on surfaces and objects. An everyday cleaner doesn’t kill bacteria and viruses. That’s why my final step in any cleanup—and in between cleanups—is my favorite Sol-U-Guard Botanical disinfectant. It is all natural and no chemicals and it works on 99% of germs!
Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and public areas when you are sick. This will help protect others from catching your illness.

For more information on RSV, please click here.

Do you know where your milk comes from?

Do you know where your milk comes from? Whether you’re trying to eat local or just curious about the origin of your milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese, the site Where Is My Milk From? will help you identify the city, state, and dairy where it was processed.

Most bottles and cartons of milk, as well as many containers of other dairy products like yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, ice cream, and even soy milk, are printed with a code. This corresponds to the state and plant where it was processed – information that is made public in the FDA’s Interstate Milk Shippers List but not very user-friendly.

Where Is My Milk From? makes it easy to plug in the code and get the name and location of the dairy. It doesn’t necessarily give you the whole picture, as the processing dairy might bottle milk from multiple dairies, but it can still be enlightening. The site also reveals the interesting fact that “different brands of milk often come from the same dairy – and the same cows.”

Locate the code on your carton or container, enter it above and click Find It. You’ll instantly know which dairy your milk came from! The same goes for your yogurt, chocolate milk, soy or organic milk, coffee creamer, cottage cheese, ice cream, and more!

Click here to check your code.