Improve your life in 15…

Improve your life in….

15 seconds
Dry your hands with a paper towel in public restrooms.  A study in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that this was more effective at removing bacteria from freshly washed hands than using air dryers.

15 Minutes
Walk like a happier person. Research found that subjects who walked with good posture (upper body straight and arms swinging at a normal pace) were less likely to be vulnerable to bummer thoughts than those who had a slouchy gait.

15 Hours
Spend this much time a week doing a mentally challenging activity (say, mastering Photoshop) In a study, those who did so significantly improve their memory after three months, compared to others who spent their time completing more passive tasks.

15 Days
Take a vacation already!! A report released by the U.S. that employees who fail to use 11 to 15 days of their paid time off per year feel more stressed at work and aren’t anymore likely to score a bonus or raise than their colleagues.

 

Womens Health – Faye Brennan

 

December 1 – World Aids Day

World’s AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1st.

December 1st is an opportunity to harness the power of social change to put people first and close the access gap. Ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is possible, but only by closing the gap between people who have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services and people who are being left behind. Closing the gap means empowering and enabling all people, everywhere, to access the services they need.

World AIDS Day is observed on December 1 every year, reminding us that the fight against the AIDS pandemic is far from over. More than 36 million people have died since it emerged in the early 1980s. Today, 35.3 million people around the world are living with the virus, including 71,000 in Canada. Every day, 6,800 people are infected. Two researchers from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) tell us

Facts about HIV/AIDS

Aids is one of the most important global public health issues in recorded history. Caused by infection with HIV, a person may experience a brief period with flu-like symptoms, before a long period with no symptoms. It renders the patient susceptible to infections like tuberculosis and certain cancers.

In the final stages of Aids, lung infections and a type of cancer known as Kaposi’s sarcoma are common.

HIV is primarily transmitted via unprotected sexual intercourse, contaminated blood transfusions, hypodermic needles, and from mother to child, via pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains most severely affected, with nearly one in every 20 adults living with HIV and accounting for nearly 71% of the people living with HIV worldwide.

There are around two million deaths from Aids each year, of which about 270,000 are children.

At the end of 2013, 11.7 million people were receiving ART in low- and middle-income countries, which is around 36% of the 32.6 million people living with HIV in these regions.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, around 78 million people have been infected with the HIV virus.

HIV is treated with antiretrovirals, which work by stopping the virus replicating in the body, allowing the immune system to repair itself and preventing further damage. Patients tend to take three or more types of antiretrovirals – known as combination or antiretroviral therapy.

Antiretroviral therapy prevents the onward transmission of HIV.

Progress has also been made in preventing mother-to-child transmission and keeping mothers alive. In 2013, nearly seven out of 10 pregnant women living with HIV – 970 000 women – received antiretrovirals.

 

For more information on HIV and Hepatitis C visit http://www.catie.ca

 

Alkaline Eats – Broccoli and Potato Curry

A couple of my favorite veggies all in one Potatoes and Broccoli with the added bonus of CURRY!

This is a delicious and flavoursome broccoli and potato curry, which is healthy and alkaline at the same time.

Potatoes are very nutritious, however make sure to use fresh ones which have not been stored for ages, as they can develop fungal spots. They contain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, folate, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron just to name a few.

Broccoli is a highly alkalising vegetable and has a positive and strong impact on our body’s detoxification system. It is packed with nutrients and is rich in Vitamin C, K and A, folate, dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, calcium and omega 3 fatty acids just to name a few as the list could go on for miles.

 

Broccoli and Potato Curry

You could use a Conversion Chart or just weigh your ingredients for this recipe.

500g broccoli
800g potatoes (preferably red potatoes)
2 small onions or 1 large onion
1 can of coconut milk (preferably organic)
400ml yeast-free vegetable stock
2 tbsp coconut oil or rapeseed oil
100g red lentils
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste
Himalayan crystal salt or celtic sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into cube sized pieces. Wash the broccoli and cut into florets. Peel the onion(s) and cut into fine pieces.

Heat the oil in a large pan and gently fry the onion and potatoes for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock and curry paste. Cover with a lid and gently cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Add the lentils and broccoli and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Season the curry with salt and pepper.

Alkaline Diet Blog

 

 

 

 

 

Honey Bomb!

When any of us start feeling sick in “Angies house” we reach for Honey Lemon Tea, sleep with the onions and now use the Honey Bomb !!!!

Sounds like a silly cold and flu commercial 😀 😀

 

I’ve noticed that most of these “mixtures” contain 4 key ingredients, honey, turmeric, ginger, lemon and sometimes pepper.

All of these natural ingredients have great healing properties.

Honey is one of my favorites, it has a powerhouse of health benefits.

My sister introduced me to turmeric,  a very strong antioxidant, considered a herb that cleanses the whole body, especially the liver. It is used to support digestion, treat fever, infections and inflammations. The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin and has been proved to have similar effects as anti-inflammatory medicine. Turmeric and black pepper is a great pair to match. The black pepper helps to enhance the bioavailability of curcumin by a thousand times.

Ginger has antibiotic effects and can help digestion, detoxification, infections, inflammation, joint pain, circulation, nausea (also pregnancy nausea) and motion sickness.

Lemons are alkalizing for the body, are acidic to begin with but they are alkaline-forming on body fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH, rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections like the flu and colds.

and last but not least Pepper “the worlds healthiest food”:  black peppercorns contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell production. They are also an excellent source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as Pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin. Peppercorns are also a good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A. They are also rich in flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants like carotenes, cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lycopene. These compounds help the body remove harmful free radicals and help protect from cancers and disease.

Most of us have a virtual medicine cabinet in our your spice rack!

So here it is the “Honey Bomb” courtesy of Green Kitchen Stories.

 

Ginger & Turmeric Honey Bomb
Makes 1/2 cup

 

1/2 cup / 120 ml honey (preferable organic unheated)
2-4 tbsp freshly grated ginger (or ground ginger), depending on how strong you prefer
2 tsp ground turmeric (or freshly grated turmeric if you can find it)
1 organic unwaxed lemon, freshly grated zest
2 pinches ground black pepper

Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and add more ginger or turmeric if needed. Aim for a really strong flavor, you’ll only add a few teaspoons to a cup of water. Store the Ginger & Turmeric Honey Bomb in a glass container. Boil a cup of water and let slightly cool (to keep the benefits from the honey intact), stir in a few teaspoons of the honey mixture and drink. You can of course also add this to your favorite brewed tea.

 

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

 

 

Monkey Mind

 

I have had a lot of trouble sleeping the last couple of months, first I can’t seem to settle my mind and fall asleep and when I finally do fall asleep, I wake up 3 or 4 hours later wide awake mind racing again.

I found this article on the Caring Bridge Uplift Blog:

It’s been a long day and I’m tired. I get into bed ready for eight hours of blissful, uninterrupted sleep. As soon as my head hits the pillow my mind seems to come alive. And not just alive, but racing like I just had a triple shot of espresso. I begin rehashing the day, the year, my life. I go over the day’s interactions, reworking what I should have said or what I should have done. I worry about the stuff I have to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, and…wait! I’m trying to get some sleep—remember?

A Mind That Doesn’t Quiet

If this happens to you too, you have a bad case of Monkey Mind. It’s when your mind jumps from thought to thought, and as much as you want it to stop, it just won’t settle. It seems to be worse at night, getting between you and a good night’s sleep. It’s frustrating because the harder you try to make it stop, the worse it seems.

A mind that doesn’t quiet comes from over-activating the fight or flight response in your body from stress, anxiety, and endless worry. And when you try to slow down at the end of the day, your body is still in overdrive—it just won’t turn off.

Tips to Calm Your Mind

If your mind is jumping around like a monkey from tree to tree, what can you do to calm it down? First, realize that resisting the racing mind only makes it worse. The more you let it frustrate you, the more it will race. So, start by letting go and accepting what is. The awareness that you’re distracted or stressed is a good starting place in calming yourself. Beyond self-awareness, here are a few things that might help:

Anchor yourself to something physical. For example, concentrate on how your head feels on the pillow, or focus on how the covers feel against your toes. Try to focus on the physical sensations for as long and as deeply as you can.

Pay attention to the rhythm of your breathing. This is also moving from the cerebral to the physical, but the pattern of your breathing is both hypnotic and relaxing.

Meditate. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy or formal. You can just choose a word such as “calm” or “relax” and slowly repeat it in your mind.

Empty your mind. This one works really well for me. Think to yourself, “What’s my next thought?” Given the pressure to stop for a second and come up with an important and coherent thought, your mind will empty like a wastebasket on trash day. Try it and see how long you can keep your mind empty.

Get some help. A few sessions with an acupuncturist, an hour on the massage table, a yoga class, or a brisk walk with a sympathetic friend all are effective ways to relive stress and calm your jumpy mind.

About the Author:
Lynn Jaffee is a practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine at Acupuncture in the Park near Minneapolis, MN. Lynn is also the author of the book, Simple Steps: The Chinese Way to Better Health. For more articles on staying well, check out her blog at Acupuncture Health Insights.

My Thursday Tee Hee

and a little side note:

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

“Reflections” by Tom Hussey

I was “stumbling” today, and I found these beautiful, thought provoking photos.

“Commercial advertising photographer Tom Hussey photographed an award winning campaign for Novartis’ Exelon Patch, a prescription medicine for the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia. The highly conceptual photographs depicted an older person looking at the reflection of their younger self in a mirror.”

http://www.behance.net/gallery/Novartis-Reflections-Campaign/329834

A Libra, stuck at a fork in the road

I have a job which I like, but do not love.
Growing up I hated math.
Now that’s a big part of what I do all day.
My job is very solitary.
I am a people person.
Growing up I wanted to be a nurse, a vet. I am neither.
I like to help people, make them smile and make a difference.
I don’t feel that I am doing any of these things currently.
I have found a job that I know I’d be good at.
The job involves conducting fitness tests, and assessments, scheduling facility programs and staff, design, develop and deliver social/recreational programs to the elderly and disabled.
This I know would come with its own challenges.
I love to learn
This job requires continuous learning, to the well-being of others and myself,
My job  requires neither.
This job would require being on call, weekend and night work.
The girls are getting older and don’t need me around as much as they used to.
I work Monday to Friday 830 – 3 most days.
The pay would be around the same.
I would eventually have full benefits and job security.
I have neither now.
At the end of the day I think I would happier.
Now I come home most days feeling taken advantage of,underappreciated and defeated.
I have a funny feeling as I tap at the keys on my keyboard that I am answering my own questions…..

I am a Libra, who can be very indecisive weighing things back and forth back and forth while standing still in the middle unable to move.
I have been down the hall from deaths door twice and there is a great potential to be there again, I have learned to appreciate all that’s around me and to appreciate each day, to be happy, I find myself often unable to feel this way.
I treat others with kindness and respect and expect and deserve the same.
I need to make some changes in the best interests of my family and myself.
Life is too short and too precious to be wasted, it was not my time to go through that dark door not just once but twice, why am I wasting this gift?

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

Promise yourself

“Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.”
―     Christian D. Larson,     Your Forces and How to Use Them

≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈

Bad Day

Forgive those who insult you,
Attack you,
belittle you,
or take you for granted,
But more than this….
Forgive yourself for allowing them to hurt you