Q: How much exercise do I need each week? 
Summer fun can come at a high price – sunburns.
If you do get burned, there are a few ways you can find relief at home. If you have second degree burns with blisters or your burns cover a large area of your body, check with your doctor.
Otherwise, try these easy comfort methods while your skin heals.
You can expect a sunburn to last 1-3 days, and often the damaged skin will peel and slough off.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so prevent future burns by slipping on a shirt, slapping on a hat, and slopping on sunblock.
Garlic is a proven herbal remedy that has been used since ancient times. At first glance, garlic may seem like an ordinary herb that can help aid digestion, but recent studies show that garlic has the ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition, garlic also has been touted for its antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer characteristics.
It is unfortunate that despite garlic’s seemingly huge potential, the evidence of its effectiveness is mixed. In a 2007 study, three garlic formulations were tested and compared to see which was most helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. The researchers concluded that none of the three were effective enough in lowering cholesterol levels.
However, it is important to take note that this recent study contradicts earlier ones that prove garlic can lower cholesterol over the short term and that it might have potential heath benefits, including slowing the advancement of coronary artery disease and even lowering blood pressure. The benefits of garlic are still being hotly debated because of the conflicting test results. Therefore, there is no consensus as to whether garlic supplements should be prescribed.
Despite that lack of concrete research study, a lot of people have testified to the benefits of garlic. It is a good thing that garlic has no known side effects, so patients who want to try this herbal alternative may do so without any problems. But similar to any other herb or food supplement, the patient needs to be sure that garlic will not interact adversely with other prescription drugs.
You have probably heard of some healthier sugar alternatives such as Sucanat, maple syrup/sugar, honey, Stevia, or Blackstrap molasses; if you haven’t already, check out the article below by Melissa titled Sugar Alternatives. You’ve also probably heard of the artificial sweeteners that usually do more harm than they do good, such as Splenda or other sources of Aspartame. However, I have found a sweetener that I believe is even better than honey or molasses!
It’s called agave syrup. It is a sweetener that is commercially produced in Mexico, and it comes from agave plants. It’s sweeter than honey, but it is much less viscous. Also, it does not crystallize, which I find is a huge plus. It is produced by getting the juice from the core of the agave, filtering it, and then heating it to hydrolyze the carbohydrates into sugars. It is made up of the sugars fructose and glucose.
Even though it usually does not come in the hard crystal form, that does not matter in a recipe. A third of a cup of agave syrup can be used to replace one cup of sugar in a recipe.
My friend, who is a vegan, loves to use agave syrup. It is all natural and also delicious. It does get to be a little pricey (I buy it at a health food store), but it is worth it. Also, it works really well in cold drinks (unlike sugar, honey, maple syrup, or some other viscous sweetener). Of course, it dissolves just as well in hot drinks!
I always try to stay away from the artificial sweeteners because I know that they are not that good for me. However, too much white sugar is not great either! It’s hard to maintain the healthy balance, but I find that agave syrup definitely suits my needs.
Did you know that feeling sleepy in the afternoon is part of the normal human circadian rhythm? Humans typically have two periods in which they feel intensely sleepy. One is usually in the very early hours (around 3 in the morning), and the other is in the early afternoon, about ten hours after the first. You know that taking a nap can help increase your productivity and your mood, but do you know that there is a proper way to take a nap?
If you want to increase your concentration, take a short nap of about twenty minutes. If you want to boost your creativity, take a nap that is about 90 minutes long—or long enough to give you a good dose of REM sleep.
You want to sleep either less than forty-five minutes or more than ninety. If you wake up in between the two, you’ll feel groggy and out of sorts because you are interrupting a deep sleep cycle.
Go ahead and lie down. It takes as much as fifty percent longer to fall asleep when you are sitting up (as with airplane flights).
Try to regulate your temperature, the warmer you are, the more you’ll sleep, but the cooler you are, the harder time you will have falling asleep in the first place.
Use white noise to drown out the background noise that accompanies sleeping during the day (kids playing, dogs barking, etc)
Try not to take a nap too close to the time you want to go to bed for the night because you might have a hard time falling asleep. Pay attention to your natural circadian rhythms, and take a nap when you feel sleepy during the afternoon.
You know that naps can be beneficial and now, thanks to these helpful hints, you’ll know how to make the most of your naptime!
There has been some buzz about salmonella. Over 800 people across America have become sick from it. The reports are that raw tomatoes are to blame. In a previously posted article entitled “Food Poisoning“, the causes and effects of food poisoning were addressed thoroughly, but what everyone needs to be aware of now is prevention.
While the investigations among tomatoes have yielded negative results up to this point, the investigators still believed tomatoes are at the root of this problem. Regarding the current situation, it would, of course, be wise to avoid raw tomatoes. Don’t forget that products containing raw tomatoes also might put you at risk. (This would include salsas, salads, and even guacamole.)
Most of you know that raw eggs can potentially contain salmonella. I know it’s tempting, but keep away from the uncooked brownie and cookie batter! If you absolutely love eating cookie dough there are actually egg-free recipes available online. I tried one recipe I found, and I thought it was just like the real thing!
One reminder is to keep your raw meats separate from your vegetables. Using designated cutting boards for both is ideal to avoid cross-contamination. Always wash your vegetables (and your hands!), even if you plan on removing the peel. Furthermore, when picking out vegetables, avoid those that seem discolored, damaged, or simply different than the usual.
Another reminder is that even cooked foods can be contaminated if left unrefrigerated. Cooked food left at room temperature for over 2 hours actually should be thrown out because it is no longer safe to eat. In higher temperatures, this timeframe becomes even smaller. You may want to double-check your freezer to see that it is at or below 0 F to keep the bacteria from growing. Your fridge should range between 32 and 40 F.
Keep those simple things in mind, and you can make your food preparations as safe as possible for you and your family.
