5 Slump-Busters to Jolt Your Sleepy Body

Oftentimes, we feel low in energy whether at work, or just at home. Here are a few quick energy zappers to help you:

Walk around. It’s a warm quiet afternoon and you’re stuck in your office cubicle. Your mind seems to wander and you feel ever so sleepy. Snap out of it by walking around the office for awhile. If you have something important to ask an officemate, don’t call, walk to their cubicle to energize yourself.

Choose your snacks wisely. During break time, stay away from the donuts, stick to high fiber foods such as fruits and protein foods such as lean chicken, or turkey.

Read the label. When you shop for your daily diet, learn to read the labels. This will help you in the long term. Check for hydrogenated oils and trans-fat and steer clear from them. They do not provide the fuel you need for your daily activities.

Learn how to listen to your body. Some people tend to oversleep when they should have woken up earlier. This ultimately dulls their day. They feel sluggish throughout. Some people start fresh by waking early for a quick jog. But you don’t necessarily have to force yourself if you’re not a morning person. A few stretching moves will do if you regularly do it for at least 30 minutes any time everyday.

And, of course, coffee is always a good idea. Before, coffee was labeled as bad, but nowadays coffee is getting good rep due to the antioxidants it contains and the stimulation it provides for your neurons. Drinking two cups of coffee not only keeps you from energy slump, it keeps you healthy.

Controlling Your Sugar Intake

People say diabetes can’t kill you. But its complications will. You think eating candies the way you eat popcorn is not harmful? Think again. Your body does not need the extra sugar. So if you don’t watch just how much you’re getting, your body is definitely not getting the care it deserves.

Insulin is your hormone which controls your blood sugar. It helps your cell use sugar for nutrition. It makes possible the formation of fat and muscle, it stores glucose in glycogen form so you can have strength even when you starve for a little while and it stops breakdown of protein.

When your body cannot produce insulin, your glucose will build up in dangerous levels. When your blood sugar reaches above 10.0 mmol/l, it makes your urine sweet. So be very conscious of your sugar intake.

Here are a few symptoms of diabetes - You pee more often than average and you feel dehydrated. You feel stressed out and tired which is the case when you need more insulin in your body. You lose weight but in an unhealthy way. Lack of insulin will cause the body to break down and you lose muscle tissue. Among women, there might form an infection in the vagina because of bacteria and fungi buildup on blood with high sugar levels.

Definitely, a condition of diabetes should be consulted with no less than a specialist, but just so you know what you can do for your own body, adopting a healthy diet as well as regular physical exercise will help your body get through this illness.

So be sure to be wary of how much sweets you take in. If you have a sweet tooth, it might be about time that you train yourself to tune down the sugar. Try to appreciate the natural flavor of things. Sure, they might be a bit bland but at least your glucose levels won’t spike up.

One way to cut back on sugar is to cut back on carbonated drinks. Instead of putting in two lumps of sugar in your coffee, try just one. Turn down dessert if you’re already full.

Using artificial sweeteners is an option though there are a lot of controversies surrounding them.

Making Fast Food Just a Bit More Healthy

Sometimes, it’s quite difficult to resist fast food. It’s probably the grease and the salt that makes it so yummy. Especially if you’re hurrying for some quick lunch and you don’t have any choice but a hamburger and fries. Then again, those clog up your arteries and kidneys and bloat you up making you coffin-ready before you even hit 30. Despite this, you can still have a relativelyhealthier meal if you just follow these tips.

There are fast foods out there that also cater to vegetarians by havingvegetable variants of their menu. Why not limit your choices to these food items?

Request for less fatty cheese when ordering pizza or burgers. Or you can opt for a single cheese burger rather than the more calorie-laden double-cheese burger. If you can do without it altogether, then the better it is.

Choose chicken or fish products rather than beef or pork.

Avoid fries or onion rings for your side dishes. If there is a salad choice, then you would be better off with that instead. You may also want to satisfy yourself with plain salad anyway.

Try to stay away from deserts altogether or at least keep it in moderation if you are that tempted.

As for beverages, don’t even think about carbonated drinks such as cola. Ask for low fat milk, iced tea, or fruit juice. Or better yet, some bottled water would be fine.

Book Review: How Misleading Labeling of Omega-3 Foods Undermines American Health

We hear of illnesses and disabilities all the time and yet most of the time, we don’t really care. However, when reality strikes us hard and fast and we wake up on the other side of the equation, we suddenly feel vulnerable, mortal, and most of all, conscious. We start paying attention to every single detail in the way we live our lives.

Still, no one needs a rude awakening to start being health conscious. Take it from Lois Smithers in her book “The Food Industry’s Greed: How Misleading Labeling of Omega-3 Foods Undermines Health – Inflammation and Omega-6.” Smithers personally suffered from inflammation brought about by fatty acids found in Omega-6. On the positive note, a product of that ordeal is this amazing research on food labeling and Omega-3 foods.

We see those Omega-3 foods in stores and supermarkets and propaganda may have influenced us to consume them since they’re “good for the heart.” But beyond those claims, Smithers provides us with clear and easy to understand information on those details obscured by marketing and advertising schemes.

If you’re joining the health-consciousness bandwagon, then you might want tograb a copy of this book. A quick but a very informative read.

Cooking with Wine

Looking for a sizzling idea to spice up your cooking? If you’ve experimented with herbs and are ready to take on something more daring, how about using wines in your next recipes? Cooking with wine is something that’s definitely worth trying. If you’re new with this idea, and you’ve only seen it on TV, let these tips guide you into your new style.

Why use wine? Wine is enlisted in some recipes because wine brings out special flavors. If you’re strictly following a recipe, you have to follow the exact measurement, but you can add more depending on your taste buds. It’s also great for deglazing the pan while adding more snap to your dish.

Pay extra attention. If you left your cooking boil too long, most of the alcohol will evaporate. Don’t try flaming the dish too, unless you’ve got the hang of it. You don’t want to have singed eyebrows, do you?

If you’re not sure which wine to cook, use the mainstream wine. For white wine, it’s safe to use Sauvignon Blanc and for red wine, you can use Cabernet Sauvignon. Also, it is wise to not use wine which flavor you hate. Wines which are a bit fruity will make your cooking, er, fruity. So unless this is your intention, choose your wine carefully.

Don’t boil the wine when using it with meat dishes because it will make the meat tough and undesirable. You’re going for warm wine so watch the flames.

Serve the same wine. Drink the same bottle you used for cooking so the flavor will not clash. Cheers!

Throwing a Potluck Party

If you’re craving for a variety of food but you only have a budget for one dish, why not call for a potluck party? Potluck is a good way to do parties. Aside from being practical, it also has less party hassles what with all the preparations you the host have to do before the party. Let these potluck suggestions help you organize your very own potluck party. And see for yourself how easier it is.

Everyone should be given a food assignment so that they can prepare the dishes in advance. Call for a meeting and tell them that everyone will have to bring a ready dish. It means that cooking in the kitchen is not allowed. Also, handing out food assignments would prevent some of those cheap bastards to spring for the easiest ones to make.

Discuss the food preferences. The usual food during potluck parties are casseroles, cookies, pasta, and some cakes. Make sure everyone brings something delightful and special.

Appreciate the effort. So not everyone is a natural cook who can whip up a most fantastic dish. But hey, it’s a potluck party. Avoid berating any dish. Just thank everyone for bringing their food assignment.

Make sure to get everyone’s contact details before the last goodbyes. The secret to holding good parties is in establishing new friendships with new people. Your friends are most likely to bring new guests. Maximize the night by making new contacts so the next time you hold your party, you’ll have more guests, and more food bringers!

Enjoy your potluck and make sure everyone has a good time. And I bet everyone will, since all preparation is done with equal contribution.

Focusing on Metabolism to Burn Fat

Some of us don’t know what to do even after trying out all the diets searchable in the internet. You’ve tried them all — even starved yourself and still it’s the same weight problem. Is there no other way to do it? Ever had that friend who could down two family-sized pizzas in one sitting, have an ice cream and still stay slim? That’s metabolism at work for you. Fast metabolism will help you lose weight. And that it’s probably one of the best ways to shed the extra pounds. A few things you have to know about metabolism.

Different people have different metabolism rates. It’s unfair, I know but what can you do? That’s really how it is.

Analyze why your metabolism is like that. There are factors which determine why you have your particular metabolic rate. One is age. Older people tend to have slower metabolism. Another is gender. Men are believed to burn more calories than women just by being men. How inconvenient for women, right? Sometimes you have to ask if nature is gender sensitive. If you want to determine your basal metabolic rate , check with a dietitian or a fitness expert.

Also, experts also say that your metabolic rate is genetic, probably dates back to your great great grandparents. This can probably be linked to the reason why one family seems to have one body type, fat or slim. Also, metabolism increases when you increase your muscle mass. There’s also the link when problems in the thyroid gland slows down or increases metabolism.

Check Your RDA Before Loading Up on Vitamins

You can find a lot of supplements in the market but do you really need it? There are people who say that if a person eats good food, particularly following the food pyramid, then there is no need for vitamin supplements. But then it is also true that supplements enhances your health. In my case, for example, vitamins really rev up my system so that I become more productive after I’ve taken my vitamins. Placebo effect? Perhaps, but I do feel healthy.

Healthy eating is still the way to go. If you eat healthful foods, you will equip your body with the essential nourishment you need for you to accomplish your daily activities.

But then there’s stress. No matter how healthy our diet is, when stress creeps in, it will really weaken your body. Stress is a killer. When you’re stressed, your body is bound to react — you become fatigued and restless. Supplements give you extra fuel to perform better and longer.

Know about the RDA. There are different Recommended Daily Allowances for different groups of people. Pregnant women, for example, may require more vitamins and minerals whiloe children also have different needs compared to regular adults. There is also a more specific recommendation for specific age brackets.

Are you on a special diet? The different types of food diet, i.e., vegetarians and its variations, has effects on your health. Meat has many essential vitamins which a vegetarian might miss out on in the absence of supplements.
The next time you go to a doctor, ask about your RDA so you can ensure that you’re always in top shape for anything.

Things that You Should (Try to) Remember when Drunk

Do you tend to lose it all after a few drinks? We’ve all been down that road before – having more than we can handle, not remembering how we got home, and waking up with the worst headache ever. Though there are those things that you could just dread happening “the morning after” aside from the hangover of course. Here’s our take on what you should try to remember when drunk.

Are you or aren’t you drunk? You are. If you’ve gotten yourself drunk enough to render yourself unable to drive, then at least make sure you can still walk yourself home. Don’t order that last drink because you should’ve had your last a few drinks ago. If you’re drinking with friends, you might think it’s ok to get wasted because someone’s going to drive, but think again. If each one of you has the same backup plan, then you’re all going to end up sleeping in the dumps. If you do plan to get wasted, assign someone in the group to stay sober so you can get drunk and get home safely.

Don’t forget that the last time you talked about politics or your favorite baseball team, you got into a fight. Just because you love Kobe Bryant so much that you’d kill people who call him “ballhog” or “rapist,” means you should. Imagine your lack of control when drunk. A few bottles might make you forget that a particular topic is something you’ll fight for, tooth and nail. Avoid topics which usually heat you up lest you end up brawling again, then crawling home.

Don’t come home with a girl you picked up when you were drunk. First of all, you weren’t thinking straight when you decided you like her. Don’t bring strangers to your home because you might end up getting robbed, or getting an STD. Good luck on slipping on a condom if you can barely even walk.

No questions asked, the best way to get past the night is to sleep it off. You can’t do any harm to anyone or to yourself if you just sleep. The next thing you know, it’s morning. You may have a headache, but it could’ve been so much worse.

Spending Time With Our Kids, Seems Easy Right?

As a Stay at home mom we assume we have plenty of time to spend with our children. We are not like the working mom who comes home and must set aside specific time with her child if she is going to nurture that relationship. We are with them all the time, right? Yet being with them, and spending time with them are two separate statements.

One mom describes a day with her children to me recently. They went to the gym for an hour, came home and she played ball with them, and she spent the entire morning in the pool with them just the three of them. She spends time in the afternoon working with her daughter on reading. ( Her daughter is not in kindergarten and reading very well) And yes, before you say it… her house wasclean with no maid. Probably because they have not been inside pulling out the toys all day.

I have to admit that I am guilty of finding that most days I have been with my kids and not spent time with them. I keep them active, we go to the park or the swimming pool, and such, several days a week, and they love that. They get plenty of play dates. We usually go swimming or to the park with other moms and their kids, which leaves me able to talk to an adult and they get to be with kids their own age. This is good and healthy. However, when we are home… I need to clean up, and I need to call so many people, I ended up on the phone for 30 minutes rather than 10 and my daughter has tried to talk to me several times with an “I’ll be off in a minute” answer, I need to check my email, and oh I need to fold the laundry, and now I need to cook dinner. In the midst of that, my daughter has tried to talk to me and I have put her off, I had to put one in time out for hitting her sister, and the bedroom has every toy pulled into the middle of the floor. Just another thing to clean up.

Here’s the thing. I am with my kids all day, yet how much time did I spend with them? I know I am not the only one guilty of this. I recently read in Parenting magazine (August issue, Page 127) that “Fifteen minutes of one-on-one time a day with a child can significantly reduce aggressive behavior”. I probably spend that much time a day refereeing arguments between my kids. How much could that be reduced if instead I took that time to sit down with them, and facilitate play with them? If it reduces aggressive behavior it more than likely reduces whining, and discontentment. How much does it say to us, that 15 minutes a day of personal attention from their mother greatly effects their behavior? How powerful that relationship as a parent, not just a disciplinarian.

Life is just as busy for the “stay at home” mom as it is for the working mom. Our day can get filled with “to-do’s” and forget to do what is most important.My goal is to plan my “quality time” with them if need be. Turn off the cell phone, and the computer and set the dryer to air fluff. Spend 15-20 minutes a day with each of my children. I will remember why I had them to begin with, and why I stay at home in the first place. I will put them on my “to-do” list if necessary.