World Vegetable Soups Ranked: Best, Great, OK, Worst

Sinigang is a sour soup that is native to the Philippines. Its main protein ingredient is pork, but seafood and beef are just as good.  I myself prefer shrimp 😀 yummmmy!

SINIGANG Recipe

SINIGANG Soup Recipe

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Ways to Cut Calories for Weight Loss

 

pc: weightloss.itop

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Extreme Frugality: Meal Planning & Eating for Cheap!

 This was the table next to ours at a restaurant. I thought, what a waste of good food! 

 I wanted to discreetly put certain items in a doggy bag and take them home. Not for the dogs, but for me (after intense heating/recooking to get rid of germs, of course 😆)

Here are far better and healthier ways to eat for less $$

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4 )

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Teen Survey Favorite: Chick-Fil-A Restaurant & Son

It's our AJ's Birthday! 

What a blessing this guy has been. Affectionate, likeable, generous, and now happily working for Chick-fil-A as a part-timer.

For the fourth consecutive time, Chick-fil-A came out as teens’ favorite restaurant chain in Piper Jaffrey’s 39th semi-annual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey, which aims to monitor Generation Z’s spending habits and brand loyalties.

According to the findings — which were determined by analyzing self-reported data from 9,500 subjects with an average age of 15.8 — Starbucks, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ followed close behind, rounding out the top five preferred places to spend cash. - Fox News

CFA Tops Ranking in Customer Satisfaction

CFA Meets its Goal of Antibiotic-Free Chicken

Purdue University Rejects Faculty Calls to Ban Chick-fil-A

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So good: Pickles and Me

Dad would drop me off for a short stay with Grandma and Grandpa during Summer vacation.

My Grandma (lady in white, far left) loved me because she fed me, never yelled at me, and she gave me my very first pickle. 

What the heck was this little green vinegar-soaked vegetable that had the most delicious taste of crunchy, tangy sweetness? More, please! Grandma would smile and direct me to her secret stash of pickle jars in the pantry. All for me?! I was surely the most cherished girl in the world. Thank You, Lord, for such good memories! (This experience was so sweet that I brought it up in my speech during Grandma's eulogy). 

Here’s The Surprising Effect That Eating Just One Pickle A Day Has On Your Body - A W M

Pickles are popular items you’ll find on your plate when you’re eating a sandwich. These delicious and crunchy items are salty and delightful. So many people love pickles, not only because of the tangy taste they add to your meal, but because they’re an easy way to get some healthy food into your body. Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may put pickles on your hamburgers, hot dogs, or just as a spear on the side of your plate to accompany your sandwich order.

Pickles can also function as a standalone snack. We all know that – but did you know that having just one pickle a day can do something shocking to your body and your health? It’s a shocking fact that few people realize.

pc: American Web Media

One study found that pickles are an easy way to improve your health. It’s a surprise to most people. You probably always liked pickles, most of us did, but we hardly ever suspected they offer much a nutritional boost to our bodies and health. One study proved that isn’t exactly true.

Pickles are fermented food. That means microorganisms have interacted with the food to make it the way it is. Yogurt is another example of fermented food. So is apple cider vinegar. While you might find it weird to eat living microorganisms, it’s actually wonderous for your health.

When these living creatures, which are so small, you’d need a microscope to see them, enter your digestive system, they find another habitat that they can thrive in. Once there, they replenish existing bacteria that help you stay healthy. These bacterial allies, also known as probiotics, help keep your immune system strong and robust as well as your digestive system running strong and smooth.

Pickles are loaded with probiotics. You can achieve digestive wellness and get all the other benefits from them simply by having at least one pickle every day. That means that the popular side to your sandwich can do great things to your health – even help strengthen your immune system, so you’re less likely to get sick or catch an infection.

Actresses who portrayed "Pickles" on the Dick Van Dyke Show

Pickles are not the only foods that are loaded with probiotics. If you’re averse to these tangy, vinegar-loaded sides, there are other options that can help you get your daily dose of probiotics. If you’re not a fan of any of those foods, then you could take probiotic supplements.

If you worry that you may get exposed to germs or bad bacterial, enjoy a crunchy pickle could help you protect your body from harmless contaminants. Not only are pickles good for your health, can improve your immune system, but they’re also a delicious snack that satisfies almost every salt craving. What an awesome snack that is so underrated!

Are you surprised to learn that pickles have probiotics in them? Did you know that more foods than just yogurt have these billions of good bacteria?

Go have a pickle. It’s good for your health – and your gut – in more ways than one.

-- by American Web Media AWM

Surprising Effect That Eating Just One Pickle A Day Has On Your Body

Pickled Cucumber

Probiotic

fb: The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book

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Your Healthy Weight: No-Calorie-Counting Way to Eat Healthier

The No-Calorie-Counting Way to Eat Healthier --  HARLEY PASTERNAK

Say goodbye to fiber-starved juice cleanses, copious amounts of cabbage soup, and lemon-cayenne-pepper concoctions: This is the year you adopt a simple—and sustainable—weight loss eating plan.

As I mentioned in  Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind, the My 5 plan is based on efficiency—finding out which health practices pack the biggest punch—and the food component of it is no different. What’s that mean? It means you don’t have to count calories (though you can if you have time!), weigh food, splurge on exotic ingredients, or avoid restaurants. No, all you have to do is follow three, easy guidelines:

1. Eat 5 times a day—three meals and two snacks. This equates to eating approximately every three hours. Eating before you’re ravenous will help you stay in control of what and how much you eat. Studies also show that eating more frequently, compared with the conventional three-meals-a-day approach, can help keep your blood sugar and metabolism steady—both of which are good for weight loss.

2. Make sure every meal contains the “big three of satiety”: protein (seafood, eggs, chicken), fiber (veggies, fruit, seeds) and healthy fats (olive oil, avocado). Snacks, too, must contain protein and fibrous carbs. Aside from their individual benefits—protein boosts metabolism, fiber aids digestion, and fats support heart health—these three nutrients also help you feel fuller faster and for longer.

3. Ensure each meal is made up of the following: one portion of protein (fish, eggs, etc…) equal to the mass of one hand; a palmful of either a high-fiber fruit (blackberries, apples), a whole grain (quinoa, oats), or a legume (chickpeas, lentils); at least one thumb-size portion of a healthy fat (avocado, olives, nuts, seeds); and unlimited veggies (broccoli, zucchini, spinach).

Read full  FITBIT article H E R E

What feeds your soul?

No-Calorie-Counting


Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind





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List of Basic Nutrients: No FOMO Ever!

Basics for good health, Lord willing.
This pretty much sums it up!

pc: Fear of Missing Out, Shaklee

WHY?

• Helps build and maintain strong bones
• Reduces the risk of osteoporosis later in life

HOW? 

• Dairy, of course
• On a dairy-free diet? Look to nuts, seeds, leafy greens, oysters, and peas

OsteoMatrix

WHY?

• Contributes to bone health; and keeps muscular and nervous systems in top shape
• Protective sunscreen can block the body's production of Vitamin D, making supplementation important

HOW? 

• Cheese, egg yolk and salmon -- but the amount you need to eat to meet your daily requirements is challenging
• Exposure to sunlight also produces Vitamin D, but wearing sunscreen can block its production in the body

Vita-D3 High Potency

WHY? 

• An antioxidant that contributes to a longer cell life in the body
• Important for those who are exposed to environmental or toxic pollution on a daily basis

HOW?

• Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables

Vitamin E Powerful Antioxidant

WHY? 

• Aids in red blood cell production
• Getting enough folic acid is important for women as a prenatal/postnatal vitamin to reduce the risk of birth defects

HOW?

• Green peas, lentils, and chick peas

Vitalizer: Includes 800 mcg of Folic Acid

via: Shaklee

S H A K L E E 

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WHO & Bacon

Party-poopers!  Crispy, delicious bacon is what I reach for first during breakfast (or any meals) here at home, or at an all-you-can-eat Buffet.

World Health Organization Officially Declares Bacon is as Harmful as Cigarettes ...

This was based off of a decision made by the World Health Organization, to brand processed meats as “carcinogenic to humans,” deciding to list them in the ranks of other notoriously carcinogenic substances such as asbestos, arsenic, cigarettes, and alcohol.

Truthfully, the story is simplistic and it’s all based around a fallacy: an appeal to authority, the authority of the WHO.

Often, the WHO, CDC, and other government organizations have the ability to cause a media stir just based on what they say, not even necessarily what they report.

Continuing, the World Health Organization officially classified processed meats as carcinogenic in October 2015.

Read the full article H E R E

me & my plate parked by the bacon dish

WHO and Bacon

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Healthy Monday: Must Haves for a Healthy Heart

(reader discretion advised) Ask anyone what is the nation’s number one killer and most people will say heart attack. But how many know that congestive heart failure is the fastest growing cause of heart disease in North America? Why is this happening? And why are mitochondria of vital importance, particularly as we all grow older?

Congestive Heart Failure occurs for several reasons. A coronary attack might have destroyed cardiac muscle. Or hypertension over a period of years has weakened it. Or obesity and diabetes has resulted in hardening of coronary arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart. So, in addition to aging, a series of events might injure the heart.

As the “Gifford-Jones Law” states, one problem leads to another and another.

It’s mitochondria that determine how long the heart will beat. And when the heart says enough is enough, death occurs.

Mitochondria are tiny power plants present in almost all living cells that constantly produce energy. These allow cardiac muscles to beat 100,000 times every 24 hours. Or 2.7 billion times by age 70, without stopping. I’m sure most readers have experienced “brownouts,” when electricity fails, and civilization as we know it, momentarily ends. It’s the power plant that keeps cities functioning. Can you imagine the chaos if toilets failed to flush for a few days.

People can have brownouts due to malfunctioning mitochondria. These cause days when we lack energy, feel exhausted, have muscle weakness, difficulty remembering things or become seriously ill. For instance, researchers have linked Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease to ineffectual mitochondria.

Experts on congestive heart failure say much can be done to maintain healthy mitochondria and increase cardiac longevity. A workout of 30 to 60 minutes is ideal and the more intensive the better, but there appears to be little benefit beyond 60 minutes.

A limited consumption of food allows mitochondria more time to remove free radicals, the metabolic ash that’s left after energy has been consumed and which is linked to aging. Intermittent fasting is advised, which allows time for mitochondria to remove unwanted cellular debris such as old mitochondria. This might decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates also has a beneficial effect on mitochondria.

say, NO!

Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Saud University report that a healthy blood level of vitamin C protects and restores enzyme activity in aging mitochondria, which provide energy for the proper function of cardiac muscle. The report does not say how much vitamin C. But I’d suggest one scoop of Medi-C Plus, which contains 2,000 milligrams of powdered vitamin C, after breakfast and the evening meal.

A report in the publication LifeExtension says: “A deficiency of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) deprives the heart of a critical factor of energy supply and can be a key contributor to an impaired pumping of the heart.” This is because mitochondria cannot make energy without an adequate supply of CoQ10.

Researchers add that a group of international cardiologists enrolled 420 people with moderate to severe heart failure in a double blind study. They were prescribed either a placebo or 100 mg. of CoQ10 three times a day for two years, in addition to standard drug therapy.

At the end of the study those taking CoQ10 had a 50 per cent reduction in the risk of heart failure and stroke. They also had a lower death rate from both cardiovascular and other causes. The study also revealed that the heart’s muscle had become more efficient, reducing the risk of auricular fibrillation, an irregular rhythm of the heart. Medi-C Plus and other brands of powdered vitamin C along with CoQ10 are available in health food stores.

Finally, a deep massage removes toxins, improves blood and oxygen circulation and growth of mitochondria.

It’s never too early to start being kind to your heart. Dr. Michael McDonald, an expert on heart failure at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University of Toronto, says: “This diagnosis of failure usually means life-expectancy of from two to five years. Today, if you’re over the age of 65, it’s the most common reason for being admitted to hospital.”

via: The Eisenstein Group

Be Kind to Your Heart

Empowering Power Plants for Your Heart

Mitochondrion

Coenzyme Q10

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Margarine versus Butter

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings....

photo by SpooSpa

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT.

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.

Why? Because it is nearly plastic . Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Jeff Passofaro:  Do You Know the Difference?

Healthy Monday: Sunshine Vitamin D is da bomb!

We take extra Vitamin D, especially during flu season.

Vitamin D deficiency – who is at risk?

What makes your bones and teeth stronger, wards off infections and diseases, and keeps you cheerful? It’s Vitamin D, quite rightly called the “Sunshine Vitamin.” This fat-soluble vitamin is known to ward off cancers, autoimmunity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that around 50 percent of the human population, all around the world is deficient in Vitamin D and the reasons could range from low exposure to sunlight to faulty lifestyle choices. Find out if you belong to any of these vitamin-deficient groups.

Infants: In babies, Vitamin D deficiency is seen in infants who are the only breast fed. Vitamin D requirements cannot be met by human milk alone especially if the mother is low on the vitamin herself. So she has to fortify her Vitamin D intake so that her child also gets enough through her breast milk. [1]

Senior citizens: Seniors over the age of 50 are at risk for Vitamin D deficiency because of their ageing skin. When the skin ages, it stops being as efficient as it used to be before and does a poor job of absorbing sunlight and producing Vitamin D. Older people also tend to spend a lot of time indoors, which increases their risk for deficiency. This is probably why seniors face bone fragility issues. [2]

People who stay indoors: This one’s a no-brainer, but limited sun exposure can make one Vitamin D deficient. If you are used to wearing long robes due to religious reasons, or if your job demands you to suit up completely or work in the shade, you could be vitamin deficient. Also, reaching for the sunscreen every time you step out may not be a smart thing to do. [3]

People with darker skin tones: Darker skin means more melanin in the epidermal layers. And this means reduced ability to produce Vitamin D from sunlight. This can be fixed by eating a Vitamin D-rich diet or having supplements to match up to the RDA levels. [2]

Obese or people who have undergone gastric bypass: Having a Body Mass Index of more than 30 is associated with low Vitamin D levels. More the amount of fat in the body, more the chances of the fat trapping the vitamin and restricting its release into the blood. In people who have undergone gastric surgery for weight loss, the upper small intestine where Vitamin D is absorbed is bypassed. [4]

People who have trouble absorbing fat: Since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. So unless there is some fat in your gut, you won’t be able to absorb dietary Vitamin D. So, some people who fat absorption problems associated with liver diseases, cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease may end up being Vitamin D deficient. [5]

Link: Vitamin D Deficiency

References:
1. Wagner, C. L., & Greer, F. R. (2008). Prevention of rickets and vitamin D deficiency in infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatrics, 122(5), 1142-1152.
2. Del Valle, H. B., Yaktine, A. L., Taylor, C. L., & Ross, A. C. (Eds.). (2011). Dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D. National Academies Press.
3. Webb, A. R., Kline, L., & Holick, M. F. (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin. The journal of clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 67(2), 373-378.
4.  Nair, R., & Maseeh, A. (2012). Vitamin D: The” sunshine” vitamin. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics, 3(2), 118.
5.  Malone, M. (2008). Recommended nutritional supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 42(12), 1851-1858.

http://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/vitamin-d-deficiency-who-is-at-risk-k0617/

Healthy Monday: Benefits of a Healthy Weight

pc: Shaklee

Making a commitment to achieve a healthy weight is one of the best health decisions you can make. Studies have shown health benefits start to occur at about a 5 percent reduction of initial body weight.¹ For someone starting at 200 pounds, that means benefits could be seen with losing just 10 pounds! So let’s look at some specific benefits achievable with weight loss as documented in research publications:

HEART: Research has shown that a 5 to 10 percent loss of body weight can result in meaningful reductions in heart disease risk. One study of overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes found this amount of weight loss could lower blood pressure by as much as 5 mm Hg (systolic and diastolic). Blood lipids also improved along with a five-point increase in HDL cholesterol levels and a drop in triglycerides of as much as 40 mg/dL.²

BLOOD SUGAR: Many measures of blood sugar control improve with weight loss. In the same study just mentioned, a measurement of long-term blood sugar control called hemoglobin A1C may drop as much as a half point (normal is under 6.5).² Insulin resistance also improves with modest weight loss in people without diabetes.²

INFLAMMATION: Fat cells produce inflammatory molecules called cytokines, and a 10 percent drop in body fat reduces levels of these substances. Losing those extra pounds has wide-ranging effects throughout your body as inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases.³

JOINTS: Every pound of weight lost reduces the stress on your knees by four times. So lose 10 pounds and take 40 pounds of stress off your knees, hips, and ankle joints.

How to get there

Weight loss in the 5-10% range is often achieved through changes to the diet, increased physical activity, and behavioral changes such as learning to self-monitor and how to manage situations that could result in poor diet & lifestyle choices. For this approach, you want a modest calorie restriction, one that will support about 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week. For many women, that means eating about 1200-1500 calories a day; for men, about 1500-1800 calories per day. The use of meal replacements (shakes or bars) has been shown to help improve weight loss outcomes.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: The basic activity recommendation is at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity most days, and resistance exercise twice a week. “Moderate intensity” for many people means brisk walking or something comparable; you should be able to talk but not sing during the activity. Check with your doctor if you have any reasons to be concerned about physical activity.

DIET: A higher protein intake plus exercise will help maintain muscle as you lose body fat; retaining muscle keeps your metabolism higher, in addition to making you fitter. Typically, some muscle is lost when people restrict calories to lose weight. However, in a recent study that combined meal replacements with aerobic and resistance exercise, the subjects actually gained muscle while losing weight.⁴

Key takeaways for you

• Keep in mind you are doing more than changing your appearance—you are building your health! And studies suggest that for as long as people maintain most of their weight loss,the benefits last too.⁵
• Think in terms of permanent change, not quick fix. Take your time, and make changes you think you will be able to stick with.
• Many people find it helpful to track their behaviors and results. Take pictures when you start. Note how your clothes fit. Weigh in about once a week. Log your “winning streaks” of days in a row you get your brisk walk or gym visit in. Your new habits will dictate who you become.

1Alamuddin N, Bakizada Z, and Wadden TA. 2016. Management of Obesity. J Clin Oncol 34(35): 4295-4305. 2Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011 Jul;34(7):1481-6. PMID: 21593294. 3Ho TP, Zhao X, Courville AB, et al. Effects of a 12-Month Moderate Weight Loss Intervention on Insulin Sensitivity and Inflammation Status in Nondiabetic Overweight and Obese Subjects. Horm Metab Res. 2014 Jun 30. PMID: 24977656. 4Westcott W, Colligan A, Puhala, K, Lannutti K, La Rosa Loud R, Vallier S. Exercise and Nutrition Effects on Body Composition and Blood Measures in Overweight Adults. JEPonline 2017;20(1):200-220. 5de las Fuentes L, Waggoner AD, Mohammed BS, et al. Effect of moderate diet-induced weight loss and weight regain on cardiovascular structure and function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Dec 15;54(25):2376-81. PMID: 20082927.

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Received above emal via my Shaklee membership