Upgrade to a better you

Start some new good habits this year.  Here are some ideas.

Do you exercise?  Add yoga or meditation to help reduce the effects of stress.  Having less stress wards off disease, according to research.

Throw on some shades any time you head outside.   Sunglasses help protect against the sun's ultrviolet rays which can damage the retinas over time.  This can lead to macular degeneration which is an age-related eye condition that leads to impaired vision or blindness.

Check your multivitamin for magnesium to help build bone strength and also helps absorb calcium.  Taking cilicon with calcium and Vitamin D improves production of collagen, which gives bone strength and flexibility.  Try taking supplements 3 times a day to give your body a more consistent flow of nutrients.

Steer clear of 2nd and 3rd hand smoke.  The particles left behind in hair, clothing and other surfaces are considered 3rd hand smoke and contain the same harmful chemicals as secondhand smoke.  Thirdhand smoke can become airborne when disturbed...

Give thanks daily to increase your happiness.  People who are happy live longer according to a study from the University of North Carolina.

Try something new this year and keep your brain active.  People who challenge their brain continually will experience less memory loss as they age than those who don't challenge their brain.  Take guitar lessons or do crosswords puzzles.  Get up off the couch and learn to dance!

Thai Yoga Massage Workshop January 28, 2012

Join us if you can Saturday from 10:00am - 12:00pm for a Thai Massage Workshop.  At this workshop you will learn basic techniques to practice Thai on each other.  This is a great way to spend a Saturday morning with a friend, spouse, sibbling or child.  You could go to lunch or grab a cup coffee afterward to allow the session to slowly sink into the muscles.
Thai massage is practiced fully dressed on a Thai massage mat.  The mat is thick and almost similar to a small mattress.  During the massage your partner will stretch and massage your muscles and take you into a relaxed state of mind.  It may at times seem almost energizing but it ends with a long resting period to give your body time to respond to the massage you just received.
Call us at 608-780-7909 to sign up!

Prepare your skin for Winter!

Moisturize your hands 2 -3 times a week.  Choose an intense moisturizer like Yes to Carrots Intense Repair hand cream.  First dampen your hands and then smooth the cream on before slipping on a pair of cotton gloves.  Leave the gloves on for 30 minutes or overnight.  Enjoy your hands!

Plug in a humidifier to add the moisture back into the air that your heating system is pulling out.  Put it in your bedroom while you sleep and keep the humidity between 30 - 50 percent.  Change the water daily and clean the machine every three days.

Licking your lips will dry out your lips faster than leaving them alone.  Try putting a salve on your lips that contain glycerin, lanolin and dimethicone.  Blistex Cold and Allergy lip soother is great for the lips.

Summer is not the only time to grab that SPF suntan lotion.  The sun shines in the winter too.  Sometimes the sun will reflect off the snow and that can be just as harmful as the sun shining on you.  Always protect exposed skin with a moisturizer that contains a broad-spectrum suncreen of at least SPF 15.

Soften the calluses on your feet with a dry foot file such as Telebrands PedEgg.  Afterwards, apply a cream with exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids like Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair foot creme.

Taking a bath in the winter will help cure the winter blues.  Skip the drying bubbles and add a capful of oil under running water.  Try Aveeno Skin Relief shower and bath oil.

Long steamy showers feel good for the moment but are very oil stripping for the skin.  Get out of the shower quickly after cleansing with a hydrating body wash.  A body wash with jojoba and cocoa butter are great for softening.

Put away products with high levels of alcohol, such as toners and astringents, during the winter months.  Clay based masks should also be avoided and they can rob skin of essential moisture.

Right after bathing pat dry with a towel while keeping skin slightly damp and smooth on some moisturizer immediately.  If you see flakes, use a thick moisturizer on that area.

Shield your skin from moisture-zapping chills.  If the weather is cold, cover up all exposed areas.  Leather guards your skin better than wool and wrap a chunky scarf around your neck made of soft fabric or fleece.

Save up to $10,000.00 this year!

Instead of bottled water which may cost $365.00 a year at $1.00 a bottle, add a filter to your tap. A filter for your tap may cost about $30.00 and for fresh water on the go, pick up a self filtering water bottle for as little as $10.00. Do you have a home phone and a cell phone? How many times a day/week/month does it ring?  Consider cancelling your home phone and put the savings toward your cell phone bill. Basic ingredients for the pantry such as flour, pasta, eggs and milk are generally the same no matter the producer. Why pay more for a brand name when you can get the same thing for less money in a generic name? Do you watch only a handful of channels available to you? Then you may be able to do without cable. If you have a Roku box, Wii or other compatible gaming consoles, you can replace your cable service with online streaming. Purchase a Hulu Plus account which gives you access to current popular shows and an archive of more than 33,000 episodes of your favorite series, plus a library of movies.   Drinking a glass of wine at a restaurant is marked up as much as 200%.  I have seen a glass of wine sold at $7.00 a glass and the bottle is sold at a local market for as low as $12.00 a bottle.  Enjoy a glass of wine at home instead with an appetizer.  You could save between $100.00 - $200.00 per year.  I often drink beer in place of wine for money savings.   Do you love manicures and pedicures?  Well, I found that polishing my own nails at home is well worth the savings.  I also paint my own flowers and designs.  I watch while I get a pedicure and go home and try it.  Of course, who doesn't love to be pampered.  Go out and have some fun and use it as a treat 3 - 4 times a year but have fun at home too....Invite a friend and have twice the fun!   Last but not least, let's talk about exercise.  How much money have you spent at expensive gyms or country clubs?  Check out the local buzz.  There is always a community pool or a hotel that you can pay once a month to swim in the pool.  How about going outside just like the mailman in snow, sleet, or rain?  I bought spikes for my shoes and I am on the road to run!  Check out your local gym or community education.  Or...try my place!   Peace to you in 2012!

Spinach, Tomato and Cheese Tortellini (cook for under $10.00)

Salt and Pepper
1 20-oz. package dried cheese tortellini
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, mincedpetter flakes
1/2 tsp. red
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Grated parmesan, optional

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook tortellini for 10 minutes or as directed.  Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and red pepper and saute' until fragrant, approx. 2 minutes.  Raise heat to medium, add mushrooms and cook, stirring until tender, approx 4 minutes.  Add tomatoes and saute'  2 minutes.  Pile spinach on top and cover.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until spinach has wilted.  Pour in broth, season with salt and pepper, stir. 
Drain tortellini, add to skillet and stir gently to blend.  Serve in bowls.  Sprinkle with parmesan, if desired.

Energize with Fall's Veggies

Detox with radishes. Radishes improve the body's ability to eliminate energy-sapping, fat-trapping toxins. Radishes increase the activity of detoxifying liver enzymes.

Balance Blood Sugar Levels with Onions. Onions help ward off diabetes according to science in the journal Environmental Health Insights. Diabetics who consumed onions experienced a reduction in blood glucose and insulin levels that were similar to those achieved with a diabetes drug.

Energize with beets. Beets improve physical stamina. After eating beets for six days, subjects were able to exercise 16% longer before tiring according to the United Kingdom's University of Exeter.

Heal your Heart with Beans. A compound in beans improves the liver's ability to metabolize cholesterol and eases the cellular inflammation that damages the heart.

Fight Fat with Brussel Sprouts. Even eaten with fatty foods, brussel sprouts help keep pounds off. A compound in brussel sprouts helps increase the hormone responsible for buring stored fat for fuel.

Make Skin Glow the Bok Choy. It also helps to fight off wrinkles. It helps guard against the UV-induced free-radical damage that prematurely ages the skin. It also improves skin hydration, elasticity and smoothness for a radiant complexion.

Find all this great healing food at you local Food Market...

Yogurt Shake Recipes for Immunity, Metabolis and Digestion

Mango-Apricot Magic

Puree in a blender, 3/4 cup diced mangoes, 3/4 cup low-fat orange yogurt, 1/4 cup apricot nectar or orange juice and 1/2 tsp. orange zest for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add a 1/4 cup of ice. Blend another 30 seconds. Sweeten with honey to taste.

Kiwi-Mint Kick

Puree 1 cup frozen honeydew, 3/4 cup plain unsweetened kefir or yogurt, 1/2 cup diced kiwifruit, 1/4 cup sliced bananas and 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh mint in blender for 30 seconds. Sweeten with honey.

Banana-Berry Bliss

Puree in a blender, 3/4 cup Greek nonfat plain yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup apricot nectar, 1/4 cup sliced bananas, 1/2 tsp. lemon juice and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest for 30 seconds.

Yogurt and kefir increases your immunity by crowding out illness-causing pathogens.

Drink 7 oz. of a fermented drink like kefir everyday will help you lose nearly 5% of abdominal fat in 12 weeks.

Reduce stomach pain and gas within two weeks and reduce bloating within four weeks by eating 6 oz. of yogurt daily.