ⓒ iStockPhoto - AlexRaths

In ancient times, cinnamon was more expensive than gold. It is processed from the cinnamon tree, a small evergreen tree. Cinnamon is an excellent source of minerals, fiber, manganese, vitamin C and K and iron. Numerous health benefits of cinnamon were known even thousands of years ago. The Indian and Chinese traditions have revered the astonishing healing power of it centuries ago. Its superpower was used to treat health conditions like indigestion, cramps and colds. Additionally, cinnamon was considered as a spice which may help to improve energy, vitality and circulation in the body.

The best thing is that it can be added anywhere at any time! You can add it to the pancake batter, cake mix or cookie mix or sprinkle it on your favorite drink or bun, doughnuts or pretzel. Cinnamon can be obtained in stick or in ground form. Cinnamon sticks can be stored up to one year where as ground cinnamon doesn’t hold much after six months. You can buy a ground cinnamon pack from the store which is as good as the freshly grounded cinnamon. (continue reading…)

ⓒ iStockPhoto - LajosRepasi

There is a close similarity between choosing a right gym and a new restaurant. You often visit a restaurant referred by your friend, and if you like the restaurant, you go there again and again. The same is the case with a good gym. If it goes with your own personality and keeps you motivated, you feel like going there every day. You visit the gym on a regular basis to exercise. Joining a gym is also associated with a large financial commitment, so it becomes even more important to do some research work before you choose a gym. Be picky, spend some time talking with friends, visiting gyms and browsing internet. Shop around and select the best one for yourself.

Here are a few points to be taken care of while choosing a gym:

Facilities

When you first visit the gym, schedule a tour and bring questions. Look at the equipment and other amenities. The machines are indicator of the maintenance level of the gym.  Try to get an appointment during the time when you exercise usually and notice if members have to wait around the popular machines at the times you would be exercising. Find out if there is any time limit to use the cardio machines. There are few gyms which do not allow to use the cardio or other popular machines for more than a specific time limit. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - meikla

It is often thought that heart diseases occur more in men, but American Heart Association (AHA) states that heart disease kills more than 500,000 women annually. In 2001, over half of the people who died from coronary disease were women. The National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute claims that out of ten American women aged 45-64, one has some form of heart disease. In women over the age of 65, these numbers double.

Dr. Massimo Guisti of Cardiovascular Associates of Virginia, PC says that, “Women still think they cannot have coronary disease. Women are more afraid of ovarian or breast cancer, but coronary disease is the actually the leading cause of death in women.” (continue reading…)

ⓒ Janet Harriett

People are looking for organic as it is difficult to find any fruits and vegetables grown without a whole load of chemicals. But its not that you always have to look around and find all the organic food, which may be costlier than the non-organic one. Washing food items can only remove dirt, bacteria, insects and the pesticide residue, but not the whole of it because these chemicals are absorbed by the fruits and vegetables. Some other chemicals form bonds with either with its skin or core, thus washing does not help much in such a case. Peeling off may help a little bit but doesn’t eliminate the chemicals totally. By just switching to a few organic fruits and vegetables, you can reduce the amount of pesticides going into your body. The fruits and vegetables listed below are grown with so many chemicals that you pose a real thereat to your body by consuming them on a regular basis.

Strawberries

It is said that the strawberries grown with chemicals are so full of them that the fruit itself can be ground up and used as a pesticide!! An estimated 65 percent of various agro-chemicals including pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, weedicides, herbicides etc are used over strawberry crop. For example, for getting rid of fungus, methyl bromide, a chemical responsible for depleting the ozone, is used. This chemical can cause poisoning and neurological disorders. It has been kept in toxicity Category I compound by EPA classification. The strawberries plants are drip-fed on chemical fertilizers and the chemicals to kill all microorganisms and other living things in the soil. (continue reading…)

ⓒ iStockPhoto - sjlocke

Halloween is yet another hurdle one has to maneuver regarding food allergies.   It can be “tricky” but it is important to have a plan that covers school parties, trick or treating and beyond.  In order to make this celebration a not-so- scary one, check out a few of these suggestions.

School Parties

• Attend the party to insure proper safety.
• If you can’t be there, speak with the teacher in advance.  Bring in safe snacks that your child can eat.
• If you don’t want your child to feel left out by eating something entirely different, you can provide a safe snack for the entire class instead.  (Check out Dr. Lucy’s cookies, www.drlucys.com).  Each individually wrapped package comes with three cookies and is very tasty.
• If you are friendly with any of the other parents, encourage them to bring in safe snacks, i.e. apples, grapes etc.
• If the class receives goody bags, encourage room parents, and/or the teacher to fill them with small prizes instead of candy/food.  Pencils, erasers, small activity books, key chains all make great gifts.  (continue reading…)
  

ⓒ iStockPhoto - LajosRepasi

You might be just a beginner or may be experienced in your exercise regimen, but there are many mistakes most of us make while workout. These mistakes become a part of our exercise routine like bad habits, and can lead to injury, joint pain and delayed or no results. In order to get maximum benefit out of the hard work you put in during exercise to remain fit, it is very important that you identify problem areas.

Avoiding the Warm Up

Warming up before beginning the strength training or other work out may sound so boring and like a waste of time, but the warm up is a very important part of the exercise regimen, with many benefits. It should be the base of any fitness plan. Warm ups prepare muscles and connective tissue to loosen up and bear with the stress during the exercise. Your muscles work better because of blood flow toward the muscles, giving better results. Joints are lubricated, which decreases the chances of joint pain. If you skip warming up consistently, you are at high risk of injury and delayed result gains. (continue reading…)

©iStockPhoto.com - Ahmad Hamoudah

Back to school activity/preparation was somewhat bittersweet for me this year as my five-year-old (a.k.a my baby), trotted off to kindergarten.  I simply dreaded it.  In fact, I think I cried when the back-to-school Staples commercials began airing in August.  Nonetheless, we encourage our children to achieve these milestones, so, I suppose we can’t complain when they actually do it.  Like most parents, I was plagued with the standard questions such as; will he like it or not?  Will he make friends?  How will he cope in such a big environment?  However, since my child suffers from food allergies, the questions were even more complicated.  Who gets the Epi-Pen? Is there a food policy? How can I keep my child safe?

Food allergies are very daunting, especially when you have no daily control over your child’s environment.  This is where a plan is integral to your child’s safety and your piece of mind.  Since school has already started, you may have done many of these already…but just to be safe, review this list and make sure you have covered all your bases. (continue reading…)