3 posts tagged “interesting”

I went to the beach over the weekend and wanted a magazine to read while i was there catching some rays. I got a magazine that i had never before seen. Its called whole living: body and soul click to view the website. I love this magazine! There are so many interesting facts and such in it!
I got the July/August issue and here is what the first page had to offer: I thought it was pretty good advice -->
Its an 'Action Plan' they give you 6 'simple ways' to better your life and the planet: Here they are:

1. Get more calcium- a new study found that eating lots of calcium-rich foods can lower cancer risks for woman. So ladies- Drink your OJ in the morning (make sure it is calcium fortified though!)!

2. Send a Message- Demand eco change now with a few quick mouse clicks. The Environmental Defense Fund makes it easy to support green legislation in congress. Log onto edf.org select the "What You Can Do" tab, and look under "Take Action" for a Web form letter to send to your local representative.

3. Green the yard- Watering the lawn daily to keep it lush strains natural resources. This July, During Smart Irrigation Month, find tips for a healthy, ecofriendly yard at irrigation.org. -The website is actually pretty interesting.

4. Use herbs- Marinate meat with antioxidant-rich herbs, like rosemary and thyme, before it hits the BBQ to reduce the formation of potentially harmful chemicals called heterocyclic amines

5. Keep Cool- Dont always resort to cranking up the air conditioning to beat the heat on summer days. Save energy by keeping a bottle of your favorite body lotion in the fridge for a planet-friendly cooling blast each time that you apply.

6. SafeGuard your home- learn easy ways to create a healthier enviorment indoors. Check out the Sierra Clubs newly relaunched Green Home Site (sieraclubgreenhome.com/home-health) to take a quiz that assesses hoqw things within your home, from air pollutants to mold to carbon monoxide to wall paints, are affecting your health. By identifying the biggest offenders, you can personalize your approach to greening your space. - I took the quiz and i am a "Home Health Pro!" Meaning Im well on my way to a healthy home, I didnt know i was well on my way! i thought i was there, so this is a good quiz to take- just to give you a look on things you might possibly be missing in your life.

The magazine also had some great recipes in it too. I will share some with  you, now i havent gotten a chance to try any of these yet, i just think they sound good- so if you end up making one and you dont like it, dont come placing blame on me! haha

Here are some recipes for fruit and vegetable infused ice cubes:

Cucumber Basil Puree-
Combine 1 cup of water, 1 cucumber (peeled and seeded), 1/4 cup torn basil, and a pinch of course salt in a blender and freeze (in ice cube trays of any kinds).

Orange Lime Mix-
Place 1/2 cups orange juice, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and i teaspoon lime zest in a bowl mix together and freeze in an icecube tray.

Lemonade Raspberry-
Dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar in 1 cup warm water. Stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice. Divide 6 ounces of fresh raspberries into an icecube tray. Place a sprig of mint in each cube. Add lemon and sugar mixture to raspberries and mint and freeze.

You can put these in your glass of water to spice it up on days that seem kind of lame.

Here is another recipe- this is actually food.

Strawberry Muffins-
Makes 12
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
"These muffins make for a delightful treat -without the guilt"

1 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/4 cup all-pourpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Toss together strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Using a potato masher, mash together strawberries-set aside.

2. In large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a glass 2 quart messuring cup or a medium bowl combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla; whisk to combine.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and the berry mixture (with juice). Fold just until combined. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar.

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin come out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool 5 mintues in the pan, then transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Per Serving: 152 calories; 1 g saturated fat; 4 g unsaturated fat; 18 mg cholesterol; 23 g carb; 244 mg sodium; 3 g protein; 1 g fiber.

Quick Fact: Did you know the strawberry technically isnt a fruit at all-at least not the red part. What we think of the berry is actually the strawberries fleshy recepticle. The 200 or so tiny golden seeds that dot the outside of each strawberry are the actual fruit called "achenes".

There is a whole section in the magazine on natural medicine. Heres a little peek into alternative things that can be used rather than pills when you have aches and pains:

1. For Mild headaches try Tiger Balm (click to view a picture). This chinese ointment contains menthol which creates a warm tingling feeling when applied. Rub it in to your neck or temples. You could also massage a few drops of lavender essentials oil onto your temples to relieve stress related head aches.

2. For Cold Cures take a dropperful of echinacea tincture -->click for pic and info<-- in water four times a day at the first signs of symtoms, until they subside. Some studies have shown that it can shorten colds, though results have been mixed. Diet matters too, eat plenty of raw or lightly cooked garlic, which contains antiviral compounds, and add thyme to soups or salad dressings. You might also try a neti pot, an Aladdin's lamp shapped vessel that you fill with warm salt water and use to irrigate congested nasal passages. A small study showed that this practice can help decrease the symtoms associated with chronic sinus infections.

So there are few sneak peaks at the natural medicine section. You'll have to check out the magazine to get the rest *__*

So all in all this is a really cool magazine with the recipes, and the interesting facts, and the different things you can do to improve your body and your life I think that you should go to the store right now and pick one up and read it front to back, i know you wont be dissapointed.
Have a happy and healthy night-and life.

Peace&Love

Good afternoon Vox family! Hope everyone is having a lovely day so far. The weather is beautiful in the Sunshine state 69 degrees and sunny, But with a nice little breeze going on. I know, i sound like a weather girl. ^_^
I happen to be really interested in art. Most people wouldn't really know that about me, even the close people in my life. But i do, i often visit deviantART just to look at some of the computer work, photography, paintings, drawings, and other beautiful work that people do. My favorites today happen to be these:

http://www.geckoandfly.com/category/optical-illusion/   ------ Check this cool website out! If your into optical illusions i think you will like it. My favorite is the Dots Optical Illusion