Royally Healthy

Closed for remodeling

2009-04-13T12:16:55+00:00

Wicked Ways is getting a much needed face lift. A new writer or two to add to the mix and some rearranging. Please be patient while the dust moves around. Thanks Bunches.

Sweet Non Sweets

2009-02-04T13:49:23+00:00

Need an idea for a eco friendly gift for your sweetie this Valentine’s Day. Why not adopt an endangered critter? You don’t actually have to have a major in Veterinary Medicine to do it either. Nope. There are several programs out there that allow you to make a tax deductible contribution toward the care of one of earths many furry, scaled or otherwise needy creatures. What better way to tell your sweetie that you think they are fabulous than to give them a retired Circus Elephant? Here are some of my favorite places where you can contribute toward the life of a non human: Save a Manatee Club 500 N. Maitland Ave. Maitland, FL 32751 www.savethemanatee.org They have several programs for adoption. $35 gets you a manatee Valentine card, a plush manatee, a color photo of the manatee that you adopt, the manatee’s biography, a membership handbook filled with yummy manatee information and a subscription to the Club’s quarterly newsletter. You can skip the plush toy for a $25.oo contribution. The adoptions help fund the club’s efforts to increase public awareness and education , manatee research and rescue. The Elephant Sanctuary P. O. Box 393 Hohenwald, TN 38462 www.elephants.com Yes. An elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. They also have several ways you can donate and help. My favorite is their “Feed and Elephant for a day” program. A $30 donation lets you pick which elephant you wish to feed for the day. YOU decide where you want to spend that donation within the sanctuary. My family has their favorite pachyderms. The best part of this facility: They aren’t open to the public. Their goal is to offer the elephants a true sanctuary with limited human contact. They have non evasive “elecams” installed so you can view the residents 24/7 though. It really is a cool place to check out. Peace River Refuge and Ranch P.O. Box 1127 Zolfo Springs, Florida 33890 www.peaceriverrefuge.org If you can’t decide on a specific animal that you would like to help, why not help several. Peace River Refuge is a sanctioned animal sanctuary. It is owned by a husband and wife team that have made it their life’s work to rescue wild animals of all shapes and sizes. My favorite at their facility is their amazing collection of large cats. They offer public tours by appointment only and if you are ever in the area, I would highly recommend making a trip to see the facility and meet Lisa and her hub. Truly amazing people. Wolf Haven 3111 Offut Lake Rd. SE Tenino, Washington 98589 www.wolfhaven.org Wolves have long been one of my favorite critters. They are by far the most mysterious and beautiful creatures that mother nature has ever created. I am bias. Get over it. Wolf Haven is a nationally known facility that rescues abandoned and captive born wolves. They pride themselves on public education and awareness of these fabulous creatures. They have several programs for donations ranging in price from $35 - $5000. They also have a pretty nifty adopt a wolf program. I know that I for one would love this more than a dozen roses any day. Hub, are you paying attention??? There are a ton more options out there. These are just some of my personal favorite critter causes. Instead of chocolate that will collect on your thighs and ass, or roses that will be wilted in a day…make an effort to give gifts that mean something to our planet. No paper waste, no polluting processing of products, just downright fabulous ways to be kind to the earth and it’s critters.

Sobe is Sooooo Yummmyy

2009-01-30T15:41:03+00:00

I once was addicted to Pepsi. Yep. Soda. When I decided that I didn’t want to drink drain cleaner anymore, I switched to Vitamin Water. Then…I looked at the label. I still will have one on occasion. Frankly, I hate the calorie load of Vitamin Waters almost as much as I hate drinking plain water but I have found a new beverage love: Sobe Life Water. I was contacted by the company and samples were sent to me to try. There is but one problem: They didn’t send enough. Not enough at all. And I am counting down the seconds until the official release on Sunday. In case you haven’t heard, Sobe will be pushing out the first ever 3D ad campaign at the Super Bowl this year. With the no calorie Life Water, all of the hype is certainly well deserved. Be sure you grab your 3D glasses so that you can enjoy these ads in their full glory. As a water goes, it tastes nothing like water. It is tastes more like a fruit juice - with no calories!!! It is lighter than juice. Life Water is sweetened with Pure Via so there is NO sugar. How is that for fabulous? I don’t want to spend time writing up my thoughts other than to tell you that I love it. It is not loaded with sugar. And it tastes fabulous. Now, for the excitement. I have one more sample pack in my possession. Still sealed up in the box it arrived on my doorstep in. And I want to send it on to one of my readers. All you have to do, is post here and ask for it. On Sunday, at halftime, I will put your name in a hat and pick a lovely winner to pass the samples on to. That simple. You don’t even have to link me up on your blog. Now, get to it. ********************* Congrats to Stephanie!!!!! You are the winner of the sample box of Sobe Life Water. Email me your snail mail so I can get this off to ya.

All Hail to Walmart

2009-01-17T10:27:00+00:00

A couple of years ago, America’s largest superstore retailer asked some of it’s worldwide suppliers to help them reduce it’s overall packaging by 5 percent. They initially focused on the packaging of part of its toy line. By reducing the packaging on these items, Wal-Mart saved over 3,000 TONS of corrugated materials, almost 1,500 barrels of oil, over 5,000 trees, hundreds of shipping containers, and 3.5 million on transport costs in one single year. Now, they are expanding their efforts storewide. Their goal is to prevent millions of pounds of trash from hitting landfills. They hope to keep almost 700,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. This little bit is equal to pulling over 200,000 trucks off the road annually. This is ONE company that is making an effort to change. Their impact is incredible. Imagine now, if every retail establishment in the world made this same effort. *sigh*

Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My!

2009-01-13T17:43:01+00:00

We aren’t in Kansas anymore Toto. Nope. We are actually going to be hard pressed to find a forest if the world keeps gobbling up resources at the current rate it is chopping. Your morning coffee, the newspaper…CHOCOLATE. It all stems from a forest. One of life’s morning essentials grow naturally in rain forests as well as a big majority of the medicinal products that are prescribed in the United States. Paper comes from forests across the planet. Can you imagine how you would take care of the morning business without your Charmin? That is the direction this planet is heading unless we take the environment more seriously. Where are all the trees going? In tropical places, trees are being used for fuel and building all of those homes people need to live in paradise. Mahogany, teak and other tropical hardwoods make great furniture don’t they? That supply has to come from somewhere. You love that juicy steak that you are eating for dinner? Well congratulations, the land that cattle grazed on was once a beautiful forest in the Midwest. Gone. The United States, even in the current economic state, is losing 1 million acres of forest annually to housing development. That is equal to a place the size of the state of Rhode Island. This hasn’t even begun to touch on the trees that are being used for paper products. Those trees get chopped, pulped and bleached all so little Johnny can do his math homework. Here is something to equate: About half of the trees that are cut down in North America are used to make paper. Our paper consumption in the United States gobbles down 12,430 square MILES of forest annually. The paper manufacturing process is the third most polluting industry in North America. And we wonder why recycling is quickly becoming so darn popular. So, what can you do about the deforesting that is taking place? Easy. Stop using paper! Really. It’s that simple. Use only products made of recycled products and cut down the amount of paper products that you are consuming. Stop using paper plates to ease up on the dish load and wash those pretty glass plates by hand. Write/copy and use two sides of the paper when you have to write. Use email and computer bound presentations whenever possible. PLANT TREES wherever you are able. We began something this year in our family this year that I am quite proud of: We have been giving the gift of trees. Checkout the Arbor Day Foundation. They send you free trees to plant in your zone just for supporting them. I passed my free trees out to family and friends. 12 trees arrived for a $10 donation. We also found a company that will plant trees on federally protected land as a gift to a loved one. So this year, my Grannie who screams about not wanting “stuff” for gifts got a beautiful tree planted in her honor. She told us that it was the most wonderful gift she had ever received. I know that changing your life is a hard thing to do. Especially if you are stubborn. However, next time you reach for that napkin, or your kids ask for paper to doodle on, take a look around you and think about what we are going to lose if you continue to be careless about your decisions.

Soy - How do I love thee

2009-01-08T12:30:00+00:00

As I sit here this morning sipping on my Vanilla Soy Latte (Thank you Jasmine for pointing this little slice of heaven out to me), I pondered whether or not this was an appropriate beverage choice for a green loving veg gal like me. I mean, I know that soy is a complete protein. It is made from plants and not animal products (ewww). I know that this Starbucks Venti Soy Latte contains less calories and fat than most people’s cup of coffee they will have when they get to work this morning. So yes, soy is way better for my bod. But….what does it do to our environment? Even though both contain the word “milk” and are a source of protein, their similarities end there. The product and the production processes are completely different even though soy milk is marketed as a substitution for dairy. Soy milk does not naturally contain calcium so it must be artificially added. Soy beans are ground, have fiber known as “okara” removed and water, vitamins, minerals and sugar are added. Milk from a cow is pasteurized and packaged. There is no doubt that both of these processes take their toll on the environment. Raising Bessy for milk consumption isn’t an environmentally-friendly task. Getting enough milk to market to the public, even less so, even the organic kind. Making soy milk is far more energy-efficient, but you also have to factor in the manufacturing process. Electricity, product etc. Most soybeans are genetically modified. We also can’t forget that most of our soy comes from South America. There are not so nice reports about what is happening to the Amazon rain forest due to our new love for soy. My vote, because I think that everyone should be putting only plant based food into their bods, is that soy wins on both the health and environmental front. So, I will happily sit here, sipping on my latte. Thankful that Starbucks doesn’t serve in styrofoam.

Paper or plastic?

2009-01-06T10:17:00+00:00

Every time we go into a grocery store, we are asked paper or plastic. What is a green going, semi aware person to say to that? Listen up so that you can become a green going and EDUCATED person. Plastic bags wind up in our oceans, get stuck in our trees, and blow around our sidewalks. Each year, more than 500 BILLION plastic bags are used. A very small part of them are ever recycled. Most people use them to move the groceries from point A to point B and then toss them in the garbage. Do you know what happens to those bags after they hit your trash bin? They wind up in our landfills where they can last over a thousand years. Eventually they begin to break down into itty bitty toxins that wind up in our soil and water. Yep, just what I want to be drinking. Thankfully, most stores are stepping up to the plate and encouraging the use of canvas bags by their consumers. I picked mine up at my local grocery for a buck a piece. Now, there are so many options out there that you can find them in any color and any size you might want. I keep some in my car and some in my house and I use them for EVERYTHING. Frankly, I am not sure how I got along without them before now. So, the next time you are asked paper or plastic, tell them you will take canvas please. If you want to snag some nifty looking bags for the next trip to the market…or the beach…here are some great places to get them online: www.reusablebags.com www.Earthwisebags.com www.4imprint.com

Weight Loss Weekend Tip

2009-01-03T15:10:01+00:00

It is a known fact that being overweight is bad for you. But did you know that it is also not good for our planet? Think about it? If a person is heavier, they are more than likely eating processed foods, visiting establishments that aren’t green, driving more and walking or biking less….it just all adds up. I know that when I was heavier, it was a result of a life of ease and convenience, plus I was lazy. I ate what I could find quickly and that usually meant *gasp* fast food. It also meant Styrofoam, plastic containers and tons and tons of paper to serve my food to me. I didn’t own a bicycle - nor did I want to. The thought of putting my fat ass on one was enough to toss me into fits of giggles. So starting today, let’s look at ways that we can better ourselves while we better the planet. Drink water Now, please, I beg of you, do not reach for a plastic bottled water bottle. Grab a glass while you are at home and drink water. If you have a filter, great, if you don’t just pour that straight from your tap. You will very rarely find an American who drinks what the government tells us we should be drinking, let alone what your body needs. Water is a filter for your body. It also hydrates your muscles and joints. It is the purest form of fuel to put in there. When I started making my switch from Pepsi to water, I just gave up one soda per day and guzzled a glass. Then, I realized that water filled my belly up and didn’t give me heartburn. I didn’t have a sugar crash from it. So drinking more of it was easier. Now, I switch back and forth from tea to water and that is ALL I drink. Ever. If this is the only thing you do to better yourself in 2009 - even switching to one more glass a day will make a difference. Stop sitting on your couch Unless you are sleeping, a still body does nothing but gather fat. I am not telling you to give up TV and movies. I am telling you to do sit ups during your commercials…or jumping jacks…or leg lifts…or bicep curls. Just during your commercials. It’s called interval training. 3 minutes every 5 - 10 minutes for an hour will burn HUNDREDS of calories WHILE YOU WATCH TV!!!! Invest in a bicycle Check garage sales, resale shops etc if you can’t afford a new one. And then ride the darn thing. My kids and I ride to our park group once per week. It’s a mile and a half away. Do you know what this 3 mile jaunt does? It saves on gas for my car. It saves the emissions that my car would normally give off. It gets our bodies outside in the sunshine where our we can produce Vitamin D that our bones need. It gets us breathing fresh air. It moves our muscles. And more importantly, it makes us laugh. Can’t beat that. If you aren’t lucky enough to live someplace where you can ride 365 days a year, vow to ride when you can or find a stationary rack and ride while you watch TV. As kids, bikes were a source of happiness and freedom. That doesn’t go away when you get older. We just sometimes forget about that. Plan your errands This isn’t rocket science but how many of you find yourself out and about every single day doing “errands”? Running all over town. Wasting gas and your time. I live in an area that allows you to be forgetful. We can just hop in the car and run to this store or that pretty easily. When I became conscious about how much time this was wasting for me, I chose one day per week to be the errand day. I made a list all week long of what I needed to do on that day and then got it ALL done. It saves much of my time and even more of my energy. Let’s not even talk about the gas issue. 2009 is a time for change for our country. We are faced with a new year. It’s a perfect time to make adjustments to better ourselves. Happy New Year All.

Oh How I Love Granola

2008-12-17T09:14:00+00:00

Granola is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. I have it at all times of the day and night. Sometimes, when I need something sweet, or salty…it takes care of both. I stopped buying granola bars about 2 months ago though. I now make my own. It’s easy breezy and because I love it so much, I am going to share my secret recipe with all of you. Hope you enjoy. Queenie’s Granola Bars - that she learned to make from Alton Brown. Heh. 8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups 1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup 3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup 1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, about 1/2 cup 6 ounces honey, about 1/2 cup 1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed 1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries. My favorite is with dried apple. I also add just a smidge of cinnamon to the toasted mixture before I pop it in the oven. Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Be careful not to let it scorch. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week. **************** The great thing about this recipe is that it is so darn versatile. You can add different spices or flavors to it and all sorts of fruit and nuts. Making it truly one of your own. These bars pack up great to toss into your bag or purse on a busy day too. Add a bottle of water or a green tea and you have a great energizing snack. Healthy on the go.

Supplements - Are they for you?

2008-12-15T09:00:00+00:00

We are all exposed to the lovely world of health and weight loss. We can’t fight it. Getting fit is sooo 2008. Right? Well, what we may not know, is whether or not diet supplements are safe, effective or right for you. Hopefully, today, you will be able to answer some of those questions. Please keep in mind as you read that the information provided here is based on these items as a supplement to your diet, not just a general consumption. I drink green tea but I don’t use it as a replacement for a meal. It is my beverage of choice. Caffeine is claimed to decrease appetite and raise your metabolic rate. There is currently no scientific evidence that caffeine is effective as a weight loss supplement though. Only that is stimulates your bod. Hmmmm….And there are some side effects. As a stimulant, caffeine can temporarily cause mild tremors, agitation, and insomnia and it amplifies the effects of other stimulants. Chromium picolinateis claimed to reduce body fat, increase muscle mass, and boost the metabolic rate. Side Effects: Can cause irregular heartbeat and if you use it for several weeks, it can cause iron deficiency or interfere with insulin activity. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a naturally occurring hormone in the human body. It metabolizes fat and converts it into muscle. Since levels of the hormone decline throughout adulthood, proponents claim that supplements not only help in treating obesity, but slow the aging process. Side effects: It can produce acne, oily skin, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and facial hair growth in women. It may promote cancer in people with a personal or family history of the disease. Garcinia cambogia (hydroxycitric acid, camboge, butta cambodia, tom rong, gambodia) is said to prevent your body from storing fat but wait..here is the good news: it can cause you diarrhea, possible abdominal pain and vomiting. Ginseng is claimed to stimulate the metabolism and help reduce the body’s response to stress. There is no scientific evidence of this fact though. Also, there currently are no side effects listed for ginseng use. Green tea is said to speed up the rate of calorie and fat burning. Science has found that it is not clearly useful for weight loss, but useful as an antioxidant. It contains caffeine and can cause mild tremors, agitation, and insomnia. Green Tea is a stimulant. Guarana (Paullinia cupana, Brazilian cocoa, guarana bread) is said to aid weight loss when used in conjunction with Ma-huang. It contains caffeine and can cause mild tremors, agitation, and insomnia. Guggul gum (didin, didthin, gugalipid) is said to release endogenous thyroid hormone. Scientific studies have been inconclusive to prove this though. Kelp (seaweed, iodine, bladderwrack, Fucus vesiculosis) is said to help the body burn fat and suppress appetite. Again, science is inconclusive to prove this. L-methionine is said to reduce the appetites of overweight people, but not those of normal-weight individuals. Go figure. Ma-huang (ephedra, desert herb, ephedrine) is said to increase energy expenditure, aid weight loss when used with guarana. Ahhh the dreaded Ephedrine - This drug is potentially dangerous. It has been linked to several deaths from heart problems and to more than 500 incidents of serious adverse reactions. Ephedra derivatives are also reported to produce acute hepatitis and other unexplained liver damage. Ma-huang can still be purchased at health food stores under this name even though Ephedrine has been banned. St. John’s Wort improves mood and there are few if any side effects. A small warning with this though, it can reduce effectiveness of indinavir, warfarin, and digoxin. It should not be taken with these drugs or with antidepressant medications. Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, bearberry) is a diuretic that is claimed to aid weight loss by increasing the volume of urine excreted. Just what I need - to pee MORE. My opinion about supplements is a strong one. NEVER EVER ALTER WHAT YOUR BODY SHOULD DO NATURALLY. With that said, I do need to tell you that I do take a multi vitamin when I have been around sick people and I will use herbal supplements if I am injured. The rest, I get from my diet. I do not take them to supplement my diet. I do occasionally take them if my bod needs a bit of help to fix itself. I completely understand that I am in the minority though. Most people will find the need to have a little boost to their weight loss efforts. If you are going to take a supplement, do your research and please know exactly what you are getting. Herbal “medications” are not regulated by the government. They can contain lots of things that you might not want to be taking. So the royal advice for all of you wicked readers before you alter your body function is to READ THE LABELS. If you are going herbal, get as pure of a product as you can possibly find. And don’t be afraid to ask the nutritionist at the counter or the health food store if you have any questions. With any luck, you can find the right combination of diet and exercise that will get you where you want to be.