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Free To Be You and Me

I admit that we don’t really think so much about what Independence Day really means, but we certainly value it as a special time in which our entire family comes together to enjoy each other’s company. It’s also an opportunity to get away from the rat race that each of us has created and to relax (at least as much as we can with a herd of little kids hooting, hollering, and running around having a grand time). It’s a special weekend, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

We all meet in a small town in Maine five hours from Boston, and we all look forward to the annual Independence Day parade. Every year we borrow our neighbor’s red pick-up truck that we decorate with flags and that my father drives in the parade. Stay tuned for some fun photos of a small town parade – maybe just like the one in your town – a blueberry pie-eating contest (that my husband came in second place last year and is aiming for winning), face painting, and other festivities…

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The Importance of Family Traditions

Image by Photo2217 via Flickr

We have heard that nuts are nutritious, but do you really know why? The following is some helpful information from the North Carolina Research Campus*:

Almonds – The highest nut source of vitamin E which can help protect the heart, slow aging, and improve immunity.

Brazil Nuts – The highest nut source of selenium, an essential mineral that supports thyroid health and immunity. The article warns not to eat more than four Brazil nuts per day. I poked around on the internet and it seems that too much selenium can be toxic. I’m not a doctor, so if you love Brazil nuts, do some more research on this one.

Cashews – The highest nut source for zinc, an essential mineral needed to support vision and immunity.

Macadamia Nuts – Research has shown that a handful of these delicious nuts each day can help to reduce total cholesterol by 9%. So maybe the extra saturated fat in these nuts is worth it!

Peanuts – Are not truly a nut, they are a legume. But since most of us consider them a nut, they’re included in this list. The primary benefits of peanuts is that they are high in protein and also contain the antioxidant, reservatrol, which is also in red wine.

Pecans – The highest nut source in antioxidants that help to neutralize free radicals that can increase aging and damage DNA.

Pine Nuts – The nut with the highest source of manganese, an essential mineral for bone health and the healing of wounds.

Pistachios – The highest nut source is potassium, an essential mineral that helps to maintain healthy blood pressure and fluid and electrolyte balance. Pistachios are also high in phytosterols which is a plant source that inhibits cholesterol absorption.

Walnuts – The highest nut source of omega-3 fatty acids which can help keep your skin moist among other benefits (see Zoe Foods for more information on omega-3s). Walnuts also contain a unique form of vitamin E that may help suppress lung and prostate cancer cell division.

* The North Carolina Research Campus is a group made up from eight universities who work together for the benefit of health and longevity. These include Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, NC State University, UNC Charlotte, North Carolina Central University, NC A&T State University, UNC Greensboro and Appalachian State University

Source: The “Nut” in Nutritious by David H. Murdock on the Huffington Post. David H. Murdock is Chairman and owner of Dole Food Company, Inc.

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Nutritiously Nutty Nuts – The A to Z

I am not even going to try to make this poetic because you won’t get past the first verse of: ‘Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Oh Windex, I don’t know what I’d do without you. My house is a mess, I dare not jest…’

Told you, absolutely horrid. Let me just say that the father, Mr. Portokalos, in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” is not alone in his adoration of Windex. When I first saw that movie, I thought “Someone else knows about the magic of Windex, I’m not crazy.” On the other hand, I don’t really want to be compared to Mr. Portokalos.

In case you’re curious, here’s what I’ve found that Windex can do when you decide to move beyond windows, it can clean…

• Dirt spots from rugs that I thought were permanent.
• Blood from rugs (clearly, we have a lot of dirty rugs – no pun intended).
• Scuff marks from stairwell risers.
• Marks on walls that soap and water won’t remove.
• Spaghetti sauce from a white, knit cotton t-shirt.
• Stone tile floors and grout that no amount of oxy-clean or bleach would clean despite hours of scrubbing.
• Interior of an old car where the dirt had made a permanent home in the leather creases.

And no, I haven’t tried it on a pimple just yet…

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An Ode To Windex

In their new book, “Don’t Swallow Your Gum,” Drs. Aaron E. Carroll and Rachel C. Vreeman reveal myths and half-truths about your health. If you think that drinking milk makes you phlegmy, think again because the research does not support it. Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times reviews the book and 11 of the numerous health myths demystified in “Don’t Swallow Your Gum.” Here’s 11 myths revealed and my personal experience with them…

1. “Cold weather makes you sick.” It makes no difference. Maybe people stay indoors more when it’s cold outside so the germs get to flourish and that’s what makes you sick. In my experience, I haven’t noticed a difference, but maybe that’s because my family still gets outside when it’s cold out.

2. “Green mucus indicates a sinus infection.” It does not. From my experience, I thought this was a sure sign and not just a coincidence… hmmm.

3. “You lose most of your body heat through your head.” Not true, you can lose heat through any body part that is uncovered. Perhaps our heads are just the least covered body part, and hence the myth!

4. “Milk makes you phlegmy.” Research shows otherwise. Not sure however, if you are lactose intolerant. I didn’t think I was lactose intolerant, but if this myth is untrue, then maybe…

5. “Cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis.” Good thing because all my joints crack!

6. “Birth control pills don’t work as well with antibiotics.” Common antibiotics have no impact according to the literature that the authors cite. I can’t say that I have any experience with this one luckily.

7. “Singles have better sex lives than married people.” Not true – married people tend to have more sex than single people. The authors cite a survey in which 43% of married men reported having sex two to three times per week, in comparison to only 26% of single men. Since the authors state that the numbers were slightly lower for women, I guess that all of those married men aren’t just have sex with their wives.

8. “Sugar makes kids hyper.” Parents believe this myth even though the studies show otherwise. I don’t know about you, but my kids are definitely more hyper after eating sweets. Perhaps it’s because they’re so excited that I let them eat the sweets in the first place, and they’re less hyper when I say no to sweets because they’re sulking!

9. “You should poop at least once a day.” The authors say this is only a half-truth because regular bowel movements and not being constipated are certainly more comfortable, but not everyone is on a daily cycle. (If they ate Zoe’s they would be

10. “It’s okay to double dip in the chip dip.” Don’t do it because three to six double dips transfer about 10,000 bacteria from the eater’s mouth back to the dip, and then of course it moves on to the next dipper. Perhaps we eat more dip in the cold weather and double-dipping is the cause of the increase in the number of colds, not the cold weather!

11. “Food quickly picked up from the floor is safe to eat.” When the five-second rule was put to the test, scientists found that food picks up lots of bacteria from the floor, but interestingly, less so from carpet. Hmmm, I thought some exposure to bacteria was a good thing to build up our tolerance – mind you, I’m not advocating having a meal served on the floor.

Source:

11 Health Myths That May Surprise You, Tara Parker-Pope

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11 Health Myths Revealed

When we decided to get keets, guinea fowl chicks, it was so that they could eat the ticks in our yard. I had no idea that the chicks would become such a fun family project. My girls have been waking up early so they can play with the chicks before it’s time to start their day. They eat their dinner more quickly so they can have time holding the chicks before it’s time to go to bed. I’ve never seen my girls have so much fun. I’ve even found that I spend time just watching their funny antics.

The keets do make a lot of noise. Luckily, it’s a very pleasant chirping since they currently reside in a hallway off of our kitchen.

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Chicks For Ticks and Chuckles

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The Possibilities Are Endless

And regardless of what you do or don’t do, let yourself be inspired…

Video available on YouTube, and the company who developed it, Grasshopper.com

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Do You Remember When You Were a Kid?

I had previously written about the tick problem in our area and how my entire family, not just our dog, has found ticks in many undesirable places. Given that I’m in the natural foods business, we didn’t want to spray chemicals in our yard to combat our tick population.

So, guinea fowl to the rescue… Yes, the tiny, little birds you see to your right are expected to grow up and eat all of the ticks in our yard. They’re working birds you see, not just 14 new family pets.

The guinea fowl, all 28 of them, arrived by the good old U.S. Postal Service today. (I could hear their chirping as I walked in). We had a little scare initially since they should have arrived in the 11am delivery to our local post office but did not. Luckily, a very friendly USPS employee tracked them down in the Boston hub and before we knew it, they were on a special delivery truck out to our local office. 14 of these little birds have now joined our “wanna-be” suburban farm as neighborhood friends were in for half of the guineas

After I had finished setting the birds up in their “brooder” (i.e. half of an old dog crate lined with newspaper and paper towels, a bird water feeder with lots of marbles in the base to keep the water level low so that the keets won’t drown, and Stonyfield yogurt lids filled with baby bird seed), I emailed this photo to my parents today to announce the arrival of the newest additions to our household.

My mother quickly asked, “where will you keep them?” Without missing a beat I couldn’t resist replying “but in the guest room of course, when are you going to come visit?  ”

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Our New Family Pets

Now I know he’s just a dog, but he’s not just any dog, he’s also part of our family. I also think that this 90-pound dog is also part cat since he must be in his eighth life given all of his ailments since we rescued him three years ago.

Given that I, in particular, have become so attached to Ozzie and that he seems to get sick frequently… that I thought maybe we should get another dog. I’m not sure this is a rational response to my fear of losing Ozzie prematurely, but at least it feels proactive. I’m not sure what the rest of my family will think…

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Fear – What I Do With It