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Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

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Here’s a simple and quick recipe for homemade red wine vinaigrette.

I rather enjoy salads on a daily basis. I use to add creamy dressings, such as ranch to enhance the salads taste. I was amazed one day when out of curiosity I read the labels nutritional facts. I thought I was eating healthy because of the green salad that I was consuming on a daily basis. I was so wrong, the amount of fat, sodium and preservatives in the store bought dressing was astounding. What I then realized was how the dressing was destroying the benefits of my eating healthy leafy greens. I thought myself such a fool! I decided to make my own salad dressing from simple ingredients that I had in my cupboard. To my amazement, I only used five ingredients to make the best salad dressing of my life!!! Here’s my recipe for my homemade vinaigrette salad dressing.

Red Wine Vinaigrette
Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Red wine vinegar
Salt
Olive Oil
Italian seasoning
Water

Instructions

In a container with a lid combine:
1 cup olive oil (brand of your choice, I prefer extra virgin olive oil)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar ( I like vinegar )
2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
1-2 teaspoons of salt
1 tablespoon water

Shake contents vigorously. Taste before applying to your salad to ensure it suits your taste. Add more ingredients of your liking such as chopped garlic, dijon or spicy mustard to add to flavor. Enjoy your homemade red wine vinaigrette!!!

 

Posted by Eve

Health Tip: The Health Benefits of Papaya

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There are some awesome health benefits to adding the tropical fruit papaya to your daily diet.

  • Photo Credit: Flickr: Janine
    Photo Credit: Flickr: Janine

    Papaya, has a digestive enzyme called papain. Papain assists in the digestion and the fiber in the fruit also helps prevent constipation. It is recommended that you consume 4-5 servings a day.

  • Papaya also contains a high amount of vitamin C and therefore protects you against poly arthritis. It also contains vitamins A and E which aides your immune system to function at its best.
  • I also learned that papaya is an outstanding source of recommended daily fiber. It helps with weight loss because the fiber in the fruit makes you feel full and it is also low in calories. Also, the digestive enzyme, papain, increases your metabolism, digests fats and mimics carbohydrates in your body.

I purchase 2 large papayas from my local grocers, weekly. I generally first peel, cut the fruit in half and remove the seeds. I then slice the papaya into long slices and store them in a airtight container in my refrigerator. I either add them to my daily smoothie or eat some slices in the morning along with my breakfast. I even at times enjoy the fruit as an evening snack.

I hope you enjoy the health benefits of papaya as much as I do every week!

Posted by Eve

Health Tip: The Health Benefits of Red Beets

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I recently discovered some health benefits of red beets. I learned that:

  • Red beets contain a chemical called betalains, that is said to kill cancer cells, according to a study named “Anti Cancer Agents In Medical Chemistry” written in March, 2011.
  • Red beets help improve athletic performance and lower the risk for heart disease. Since the chemical betalains is what causes the beet to be colored red it is said to be the most healthiest beet to consume.
  • Beets also, contain a high amount of fiber, so you feel more satisfied after consuming them.
Photo credit: Flickr: notahipster
Photo credit: Flickr; notahipster

I prefer to purchase organic raw red beets from my local grocer instead of the ones that are repackaged in a jar or can. I soon learned that i do not care for the taste of the raw uncooked red beets. So, I came up with the perfect solution! I simply put some beets into my daily smoothie that consists of kale, blueberries, strawberries and protein powder that I sweetened with a few drops of liquid stevia.

The size of your beets can vary, so you should use your own judgement as to how much to add to your smoothy. I generally, after purchasing my beets wash, peel and chop it into chunks. I then store the beets in an air tight container at the bottom of my refrigerator to stay fresh. I generally use 3-4 chunks per day in my smoothie. I don’t find the flavor of the beet to be overwhelming. What I do believe, it that it gives the smoothy a earthy mellow flavor that is pleasing to my pallet.

So these are the health benefits of red beets, which may convince you to try incorporating them into your diet. Note: if you plan to eat the red beets daily as I do, don’t be concerned if you see a slight reddish color in your urine. It is simply the red beets. Always consult a doctor or professional dietician before making changes to your diet.

Posted by Eve

How to Manage Going Back to School as an Adult

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There are many reasons why going back to school as an adult could be the best decision you’ll ever make. Maybe you’re tired of not earning enough money at your current job or feel like your current position is a dead end job.

For myself, I felt like a robot in the the corporate world with no chance for advancement. So, I chose to return to school to learn a new trade. It was challenging to juggle my adult responsibilities with school work (kids and all). Also, as an adult you must work in order to pay monthly bills and sometimes also to pay for school, so money is tight. Along the way, it became easier as I figured out ways to make the new journey painless as possible. It took much thought, yet I found a few ways to make it work for me.

Write Everything Down & Be Prepared to Multi-Task

The first thing I did was to put my priorities in order, by writing everything down on a piece of paper by order of importance. The categories were work, school work, household chores and socializing.  I quickly learned to multi-task. For instance, while on my lunch break at work I would catch up on my school work. Always bring your lunch to work so that you are not wasting precious time leaving the building (and spending too much money on fast food). I brown bagged it every day during the semester, making sure that I was eating energetic foods.

Accept Help from Others

The next lesson I learned was how to accept help from others. For instance, family, friends, class mates and instructors. For example, my girlfriend helped me with my studies from beginning to end, which was a major help. We did this as we prepared and ate dinner. I then made friends with some of my classmates. We would agree to meet on some weekends to assist one another with any problematic work from school. I found my instructors were very willing to provide some time after class to answer any questions that I had.

Minimize Minor Activities

While going to school as an adult, I had to limit the amount of time spent on relatively minor issues, like household chores. I made every effort to clean up after myself at home and do chores every Sunday for one hour only but I realized that everything didn’t have to be “spic and span” for the time being. As for socializing, I choose to limit my outings with friends and not talk endlessly on the phone. I learned to keep my eye on the prize, graduating. Every day that I went to work was a reminder of why I was working so hard going back to school as an adult. I had my highs and lows, yet I never gave up. I managed to graduate and am now looking forward to my bright future. Sometimes you have to make temporary sacrifices to have long-term comfort and success.

Posted by Eve

How to Convince Aging Parents that Assisted Living Can Be a Good Thing

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For years my siblings and I have been trying in vain to explain to our aging parents that they require assistance with their daily activities. We first had an in depth conversation with our parents on the benefits of assisted living. We explained that the most important factors are their safety and security. They are both currently experiencing major health issues, that makes it dangerous for them to venture out into their neighborhood.

We felt that it was dangerous for them to do the basics, such as: grocery shopping, banking, doctors appointments or just enjoying a beautiful day outside. For example, our dad’s vision has been steadily declining for years. He even shared a story of how he was harassed by a group of teens (or so he thought), while simply getting the mail. They had rummaged through his pant pockets in the hallway on the way to the mail box in his apartment building. Worst of all was that he could not identify his attackers to the police. Needless to say, we were all sad to hear that story. Our mom then shared an unfortunate story of how during one icy winter day, she had an issue of her own. She went out to purchase groceries and as she was about to step off the curb, she slipped on black ice falling to her knees. Keep in mind that she had just had reconstructive knee surgery two months prior. That fall had set her healing process back for weeks. We were extremely concerned after hearing both of their stories.

So with love and compassion, we began to explain how living in a senior-assisted living home would benefit them. First, we explained to them that they would have round the clock care from a nurse on duty. They would also have transportation available to take them to doctors appointments, purchase groceries, social outings etc. They would also have a dining hall to socialize with other seniors. We even told our dad that they would teach him how to navigate in and outside of his apartment with his walking stick.

At the end of the loving conversation our parents finally admitted that the senior living facility sounded like a good idea. Thankfully, they are now awaiting their move-in date and are excited to have a better quality of day to day life.

It takes patience and understanding, but with basic reasoning it’s possible to convince even a stubborn elderly parent that assisted living may be the way to go.

Posted by Eve

How to Get Rid of Mouth Ulcers: Simple Solution

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There are so many people who want to know how to get rid of mouth ulcers. I’ve tried everything — this was the simple solution that worked for me.

A couple of years ago I started to get an annoying problem — mouth ulcers. These are non-contagious sores that appear in your mouth suddenly and seemingly out of no where. Though they aren’t a serious issue, they can be painful and annoying, so of course I immediately looked up how to get rid of mouth ulcers.

I quickly found that a lot of other people have this problem. Here are a few theories about what causes mouth ulcers:

– IBD (irritable bowel disorder) symptoms

– Crohn’s disease and Coeliac  (also related to digestive issues)

– allergies (dietary and skin irritants)

– hormonal changes

– some type of immune system deficiency

– vitamin B12 deficiency

– iron deficiency

– certain medications like NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)

There are many theories online for how to get rid of mouth ulcers and ease the pain. The only solution that actually worked for me was to gargle with Peroxyl.

Peroxyl is an oral rinsing agent that kills bacteria that can lead to inflammation and gum disease. It clears the bad bacteria to give the mouth ulcers a way to heal more quickly. I just swished with it every night (twice a day might even be better) and a few days later the symptoms were almost completely gone. Read the directions completely and consult with your dentist to ensure that this over the counter (OTC) dental product is right for you.

So if you’re desperate to know how to get rid of mouth ulcers, try Peroxyl. It’s a little expensive for a mouth rinsing product, but totally worth it to heal your mouth ulcers faster.

Also, to prevent mouth ulcers try changing your diet first, taking more vitamins, investigating possible allergies and then see your doctor about other possible causes (like IBD and Coeliac).

 

Posted by Jade

 

* Always consult your doctor before trying a new product, diet or diet.