Foods for Health: Veggie & Fruit Edition

• Artichokes helps digestion, lowers cholesterol levels, stabilizes blood sugar and protects the heart.
• Cabbage prevents constipation, promotes weight loss and helps to fight cancer
• Carrots saves eyesight and also aids in weight loss.
• Mangoes boosts memory, regulates the thyroid and protects against Alzheimer's disease.
• Oranges supports the immune system, and strengthen respiration.
• Peaches prevent constipation, aids digestion and helps hemorrhoids



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• Prunes slows aging, boosts memory, and protects against heart disease.

Random Facts of the Day

• You drive in a parkway and park in a driveway.
• You're more likely to die on your way to buy a lottery ticket than you are to actually win the lottery.
• When you put a seashell next to your ear, you're hearing the sound of your blood surging in your veins, not the ocean.
• When you eat celery, you burn more calories than you consume.

How to stay safe

Here are some general tips to help you stay safe in various places:

• Use drive-through ATMs when possible.
• Avoid wearing headphones while walking alone.
• Carry your purse in front of you, near your hips.
• Avoid keeping wallets in back pockets.
• Close the blinds before turning on lights at night. (Seems easy enough, but many people leave this simple task undone!)
• Lock your car doors as soon as you get into your car, do not delay.

Tips partially derived from The Best Years of Your Life

How to Save MONEY around the house

dailymoneysaving.com

• Refrain from turning on lights unnecessarily in the daytime! Use natural sunlight by opening the blinds around your home.
• Do not do all of your laundry on one day. Instead, split up the different loads of laundry for different days of the week. 
• Keep your house clean and organized. But, how will this save money? When you need to retrieve something from a room, instead of turning on the light, you can use the glow of your cell phone to find   what you need.
• That brings me to another important point. Charge your phones, laptops etc. at public places! For example, the mall, your school or the workplace are great places to charge electronic devices.
• Stick to a grocery list. Do not buy food/toiletry items on impulse!
• To see other ways to save money follow this link.

Foods for Health: Herb Edition

• Basil- fights cancer by inhibiting the growth of tumors.
• Goes great with salad. Incorporate it into homemade salad dressing
• Cilantro- kills food-borne bacteria such as salmonella
• Oregano- prevents cell damage. (It has a high content of antioxidants.)
• Use it when cooking soup
• Parsley- strengthens the immune system because it contains high levels of Vitamin C
• Rosemary- protects against breast cancer by reducing the amount of acrylamides in food

Foods for Health: Fruit Edition

Did you Know That? The components of fruit actually perform specific functions within the body:

• Apples protect the heart, prevent constipation, and cushions the joints.
• Avocados help to lower cholesterol, control blood pressure and improve the texture of the skin.
• Bananas strengthens the bones and blocks diarrhea.
• Blueberries help to fight cancer, stabilize blood sugar and boost the   memory.
• Cherries lessen insomnia, slows the aging process and protects the heart.
• Grapefruits protect against heart attacks, promote weight loss and lowers cholesterol levels.
• Grapes improves weakened eyesight, treats kidney stones and enhances blood flow.
• Pineapples strengthens colds, aids digestion and cures colds.
• Watermelon helps weight loss, lowers cholesterol, helps to stop strokes and controls blood pressure.

Check out which foods fight cancer  here.

Benefits of Shea Butter

Did you Know That?

sheabutterskincare.webs.com

Shea butter is made from the shea nut. It is a multipurpose item and therefore can be used on your skin, hair and face!

• It evens the tone and clarity of your skin.
• It moisturizes dry and rough skin.
• The skin and hair absorbs shea butter unlike synthetic ingredients.
• It works wonders as a sealant and therefore keeps hair moisturized and healthy.
• It also works well as a styling product, due to its ability to hold hairs or fix curly styles in place.
• It works as a natural sunscreen for the hair and skin.

Random Facts of the Day

• There are more plastic flamingos in the USA than real flamingos.
• Items transported via ship is called cargo, while items transported via car is called shipments. 
• A blue whale's heart is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle!
• Months that start with a Sunday always has a Friday 13th.
• A toothbrush within 6 feet of a toilet can get airborne bacteria from flushing.

How to make Natural Fluoride-Free Toothpaste

• Did you Know That? Fluoride is a pollutant. It is a waste product generated from copper production. 
• Fluoride is mainly found in water and toothpaste. It is toxic and causes teeth discoloration and damage to the nervous and skeletal systems.
• Here's what you need to make your own fluoride-free toothpaste:
• Mix together: 5 tsp. of baking soda, 1/4 tsp. of sea salt, 5 tsp. of vegetable glycerin, 2 tsp. of aloe vera gel and 10 drops of peppermint, cinnamon or spearmint oil into the consistency of a gel paste. 
• Additionally, there are filters that can remove fluoride from tap water.

Random Facts of the Day - 1.06.12

• According to U.S. laws, a beer commercial can never show a person actually drinking beer.
• It was illegal to sell E.T. dolls in France because there is a law against selling dolls without human faces.
• The phrase 'rule of thumb' is derived from and old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
• In Samoa, it is illegal to forget your wife’s birthday.
• In Finland, traffic fines are calculated as a percentage of the offender’s income.
• In Blythe, California, a person would have had to own at least two cows before he can be permitted to wear cowboy boots in public.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Here's to a bright New Year, here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we have!! 

2012

HAVE AN AWESOME YEAR!

Random Facts of the Day - 12.11.11

• Cherophobia is a fear of fun.
• Sometimes, octopuses eat their arms when they are under extreme stress.
• The average person spends 3 years of their life using the bathroom.
• The most shoplifted food item is cheese
• An owl has three eyelids!  

How to make the BEST Vegan Macaroni & Cheese

Did you Know That?  Vegans can still enjoy popular dishes such as Mac & Cheese, Ice Cream, Cheesecake and other delightful dishes. Here's an awesome vegan recipe. (Courtesy of VegWeb.com) This recipe does not disappoint, try it out! 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds of macaroni elbows
• How to make the "Cheese" sauce:   
•     1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
•     1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes
•     1 cup vegetable oil
•     1 cup water
•     1/3 cup  soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
•     1/4  block firm tofu (12 ounce)
•     1 tablespoon garlic powder
•     1 tablespoon paprika
•     1 tablespoon sea salt
•     1 dollop mustard (optional)

Directions: 

blog.fatfreevegan.com

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Boil the water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Add all of the "cheese" sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Once pasta is cooked, drain and put it in the baking pan (about the size of a brownie pan). Pour the "cheese" sauce over the pasta.

3. Bake until the top of the pasta looks slightly browned and crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

Random Pics of the Day 11.22.11

How to make a Herbal Hair Spray

Here's a recipe I used to make a herbal spritz to refresh and moisturize my curls. It should take less than 10 minutes to make!

1. Combine the following ingredients in a spray bottle
• Aloe Vera Juice- 2.5 oz
• Distilled/Filtered Water- 2 oz
• Coconut Oil- 2 tbsp
• Olive Oil- 1 tbsp
• Grapeseed Extract- 3 drops
• Rosemary Oil- 2 drops
2. If the Coconut Oil was solid, it will have to be heated, in order to mix with the other ingredients. Instead of using the microwave, place the spray bottle in a bowl of warm water for about two minutes. 
3. Before using, shake the spray bottle, so that the contents will temporarily mix.
4. Happy mixing!

Best Foods for Fighting & Preventing Cancer

Did you Know that? 
There are tons of natural remedies that can improve your overall health and prevent cancer!

• Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day!
• Eat more fiber: You do not need to take fiber supplements to increase your fiber intake. Instead, begin by eating more dark green, leafy vegetables.
• Eat foods that are high in carotene. These fruits and vegetables are red, orange or yellow in color. For example, carrots, yams and tomatoes are high in carotene.
• Increase your intake of antioxidant herbs: Turmeric, Garlic, Ginseng and Olive Leaf are all excellent examples.
• Avoid processed, refined, junk and fried foods!

These tips were derived from the Natural Remedies Encyclopedia

How to make Money on the Internet

• Sign up for birthday freebies. Many restaurants, clothing stores and online boutiques give discounts or totally free items away. (The freebies are not only for kids) Here's a list of awesome birthday freebies.
• Start filling out online surveys. Completing surveys online will not allow you to quit your job. However, if you have a lot of free time, its a great way to earn a little extra cash. Opinion Outpost, Opinion Place, Valued Opinions are good examples of reputable survey sites (Always check a survey site's reputation of SurveyPolice.com.)
• Swagbucks is an awesome site, to win gift cards by searching the internet using their search engine. Click here to sign up.
• Check out free sample sites. Why invest in a full-size product when you could sample a product for free. This link is for a daily free sample site.
• Finally, if you have a great idea or product. Sell it on the internet. Almost anyone can become a business owner, because of Paypal, free hosting sites and social media.

Best Natural Hair Products

Here is a list of some of my favorite hair products and how I use them:

• Giovanni Smooth as Silk Shampoo: This shampoo is super creamy and silky. It does not dry out your hair. There are different "versions" of this shampoo. (I use the one without C12-14 olefin sulfonate or cocamidopropyl betaine.)

• Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque: This product works well on chemically straightened hair or natural hair. It repairs dry, damaged ends and makes them feel healthy, moisturized and strong. However, I do not like using this product on wet hair, it makes my hair feel dry. I love the way my hair feels when I use it on dry hair. When I use it on damp  hair, I'll apply coconut oil or olive oil on top of the masque and use a heat cap for 30 minutes. I don't rinse it out. Doing this, keeps my hair moisturized for at least 2-3 days.



walgreens.com

• Aubrey's GPB Conditioner: This conditioner is truly amazing. Its so rich, thick and creamy. Also, a little goes a long way. After using this conditioner, my hair feels balanced. It is not dry or brittle, but strong and soft.






• Homemade Whipped Shea Butter: I use a hand mixer to blend Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and Castor Oil together. It works well as a styling product, moisturizing agent or sealant.



texasnaturalsupply.com

     

How to Save Money

• Turn off the television: Turning off the T.V. saves energy and you'll view less ads.
• Always review your purchases: Use your receipts! After 15 days of purchasing an item, decide if you truly need or want the item. If you decide you no longer want the item, you'll have enough time to return for a full refund!
• Drink more water: It's cheaper and healthier. It will save you money! You will not need to buy as many drinks at the grocery store. Also, it will save precious calories throughout the day!
• Try making things, instead of buying. Or try reusing items for different purposes!
• Check out and compare prices of electronics and clothes online, before you go to the mall.



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These facts were partially derived from this article. 

What are superfoods?

Super foods are natural, unprocessed foods that promote health. Here are some excellent super foods:

• Blueberries- rich in antioxidants, improves brain function, low on the glycemic index
• Broccoli- excellent in fighting cancer, slows down the growth of cancer cells, promotes healthy eyes and strong bones
• Walnuts- good source of protein, decreased risk of heart disease
• Tomatoes- improves texture and tone of skin, improves vision and can decrease the size of gallstones... Eat UP!!