March 2007

I read something that really surprised me today:  Obesity is the fastest growing cause of disease and death in our country.  I would never have guessed that.  I’m not sure what I would have said was the fastest growing cause of disease and death (maybe smoking), but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been obesity.  We tend to associate weight more with looking better, not living longer.  A deadly mistake, it would seem.

What alarmed me even more is this statistic:   It’s attacking more than 12 million of our children.  Alarmed, yes.  Surprised, no.  American children do far too much sitting and not nearly enough moving.  They’ve also gotten incredibly spoiled in deciding what they will eat and what they will not eat.  As adults, we’ve made the mistake of trying to keep them happy rather than healthy.  Again, a deadly mistake.

Tonight, The Food Network will air a special documentary - can’t miss tv if there are children in your life.  It’s called Food Network Specials:  Childhood Obesity: Danger Zone.  Below are the air times for tonight as well as upcoming dates.

AIR TIMES:

March 31, 2007 - 9:00 PM  ET/PT

April 1, 2007 - 12:00 AM  ET/PT

April 7, 2007 -  7:00 PM  ET/PT

April 8, 2007 - 8:00 PM  ET/PT

[click to continue...]

Smart Ass Art Print
Buy at AllPosters.com

But I’m even a firmer believer in sharing with others.  Whether it’s clothing, money, food, or advice - we should never hold onto anything that could help another person.  That’s why I thought of an idea that might be kind of cool.  If you have a blog, I propose that you do this:  In an upcoming post, write about One of the Smartest Things You Ever Did.  Then, encourage your readers to do the same.

Take out marrying the right person or having great children.  Those were at the top of my list, and I’m sure they would be yours, as well. 

Hopefully, you’ll have many, many “smartest things” to choose from.  Just pick one that you think could help another person.  After you’ve written your post, let me know and I’ll link to it….after I’ve read it and gained the wisdom for myself, of course!

I’ll get the ball rolling:

One of the smartest things I ever did was instill a love of reading in my daughters.  They have been very, very successful in their studies and they score way above average on any test set in front of them.  I think a lot of this comes from the fact that they’ve always been voracious readers.  

I believe that’s what’s lacking with a lot of kids these days. We need to get back to when a book was a child’s primary handheld.

It’s not that tough to instill a love of books and reading.  Here’s what seems to have worked for us:

1. When our girls were tiny - as early as 6 months - I’d read to them.  I went all out, did the crazy faces and voices.  We made a production of it!  By the time each of our girls were 4, they were already reading.  They wanted to be a part of all the fun - so, soon, they were reading to me as often as I read to them.
2. I made Library Trips as big a deal as going to the zoo or park.  We’d go out to eat right before going to the library, and we’d talk about the kind of books they wanted to find.  Then, we’d go and lose ourselves in the library for about an hour.  They We still get excited about going to the library (and eating out).
3. When our girls were between 4 and 6, they had to be in bed at 8:30 (that may seem early, but you should have seen what time they liked to get up!).  However, we’d always tell them, You can either turn the lights off and go to bed now, or you can stay up and read for 30 minutes.  Always…always…always, they chose to stay up a little longer reading.   As they got older, of course their bedtime was moved back - but the same deal was always in place, turn the lights off and go to bed now, or stay up and read for 30 minutes.

I’d check back in 30 minutes, and if they were in the middle of a book or a chapter, I’d give them a little more time.  It was rewarding to have a child asking to stay up a little later because they were enjoying a book so much.

I’d always talk to them about what they were reading, too.  Ask questions, probe for their opinions, etc.  I’d often ask them to draw me a picture of how they pictured the main character(s) to look - anything to show that I was interested. 

Books are a wonder, in themselves.  If you can just get them into your child’s hands, the book, itself, will win them over.  For a lifelong love of reading.  That, of course, is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. 

And one of the smartest things I ever did.

“We know what happens to people who stay in the middle of the road. They get run over.” ~ Aneurin Bevan

We’re all familiar with the benefits of broccoli, nuts, orange juice, apples, bananas, and green tea.  We even try to work them into our diets as often as possible.  Fortunately, they’re  all what Alton Brown would term Good Eats, so it isn’t torturesome to do so.

However, if you’re like me you’ve always hoped for more variety - more foods to add to the mix.  The food gods were listening, and below are some of the newbies we can throw into the line-up:

1. POMEGRANATE:  This delicious, versatile fall fruit has higher antioxidant activity than red wine and green tea!   Studies show it may prevent skin cancer and kill breast and prostate cancer cells.

But it doesn’t stop there.  Pomegranate also fights Alzheimer’s disease.  Researchers at Loma Linda University found that mice who drank pomegranate juice experienced 50 percent less brain degeneration than animals that consumed only sugar water. The pomegranate drinkers also did better in mazes and tests as they aged.

Pomegranate is also great for your arteries.   In an Israeli research, a group of diabetics who drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for 3 months kept their bodies from absorbing bad cholesterol into their immune system cells (a major contributing factor to hardened arteries).

2.  KIWIFRUIT:  On the outside, this guy looks kind of homely - but he’s actually beautiful inside.  He also tastes a little like strawberrries (at least to me).  Kiwifruit are full of antioxidants and fiber, and I don’t have to tell you how your body loves that combo.

Kiwifruit works to:

Protect against free radical damage: A study at Rutgers University compared the 27 most popular fruits and determined that kiwifruit was the most nutritionally dense.

Here’s more good news from the Kiwifruit Camp:

Kiwifruit makes the short list of fruits with substantial amounts of vitamin E.  It contains more vision-saving lutein than any other fruit or vegetable, except for corn.

Kiwifruit lowers blood-clot risk:   In a 2004 study from the University of Oslo in Norway, participants who ate two or three kiwis for 28 days significantly reduced their potential to form a clot.  They also benefited another way:  Their triglycerides (a blood fat linked to heart attack) dropped by 15 percent.

3.  BARLEY:  Barley is full of soluble beta-glucan fiber in its whole kernel or refined flour form.   What does this mean for us, exactly?  :

USDA Research Studies show that this particular fiber may lower bad cholesterol by as much as 17.4 percent.  A 2004 study found that adults with moderately high cholesterol levels who went on a low-fat American Heart Association diet began to see an improvement only when barley was added to the menu.

Barley also decrease blood sugar and insulin levels.  This fact makes barley a better choice for people with type 2 diabetes.

4.  CRANBERRIES:   Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without this American berry and it finds itself among the top 10 antioxidant-rich foods.   This, of course, makes it a potent cancer protector.  It helps treat urinary tract infection and prevents gum disease.

A few things you might not know about cranberries:

Cranberries eradicate E. coli.  Cranberry juice, amazingly, can actually ALTER antibiotic-resistant strains, and, thereby, make it impossible for the ill-intending bacteria to trigger an infection.  Eating about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries yielded the same benefits.  If you haven’t tried the dried berries, you should - they’re very tart and downright delicious.  Then again, I’m one of those people who drinks cranberry juice when she doesn’t have to - I just love the flavor.

Cranberries and Cranberry juice also help prevent strokes.  Research shows that eating cranberries or juice every day can lead to healthier, more flexible blood vessels.

5.  BROCCOLI SPROUTS:  Okay, this one might surprise you - I had to do a double-take.   Broccoli sprouts are even better than Broccoli….. you know, superfood extraordinaire.   Broccoli’s offspring is surpassing it!  They contain at least 20 times as much of the known disease-fighter, sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS),  as their elders.

SGS has been shown to:

 A.  Kill tumors:  The chemical triggers enzymes in the body that either kill cancer cells or keep them from growing.

 B.  Protect your heart: People who ate about a half cup a day of sprouts lowered their total cholesterol by an average of 15 points, and women in the study raised their good cholesterol by 8 points — in just 1 week, according to a Japanese study.

C.  Save your sight: Exposure to UV sunlight can, over time, may lead to macular degeneration.  Malcular degeneration is the number one cause of blindness in US seniors.  Research at Johns Hopkins determined that broccoli sprouts can protect retinal cells from ultraviolet light damage.

6. KEFIR:   You’re probably thinking, like I was when I first read about it, “Kefir?!?!”  Kefir is a cultured milk drink, and it scores big in calcium — one 8-ounce serving contains 30 percent of the recommended daily intake — and contains more beneficial bacteria than yogurt.

Kefir can reduce food allergies.  In a targeted agricultural research, baby mice fed kefir had a threefold reduction in the amount of an antibody linked to food allergies.

More impressively, Kefir battles breast cancer.  Women age 50 and older who consumed fermented milk products had a lower risk than those who ate little or none.

With Kefir, you can avoid triggering lactose intolerance.   It contains lactase, the enzyme that people with lactose intolerance are missing, say researchers at Ohio State University.

So how about the taste? It tastes like plain yogurt, it just isn’t as thick.  For more information AND recipes, click HERE.

Have a beautiful weekend!
Joi

Information from: Prevention Magazine - the best magazine on the rack

Hey, it’s a Monday - who REALLY wants inspiration or motivation on a Monday.  How about a laugh, instead.

On a particularly hilarious celebrity blog and one of my guiltiest pleasures (I Don’t Like You in That Way - the blog’s name, not a statement), the poster (Todd) was talking about the adorable little boy Angelina and Brad just adopted.  Apparently the little guy was crying during a meeting with his beautiful new mother.  Todd raised the absurdity of the moment this way:

“You were in a Vietnam orphanage, dude. And you just got adopted by freakin’ Angelina Jolie. The only person who has a greater adoption story than you is Moses.”

Too funny. Too true.

On a serious note, I have all the respect in the world for Angelina and Brad.  Not only are they helping the precious children they’re taking home with them, they’re leading countless other people to do the same. 

While other celebs are getting falling down drunk and stoned with their money, these two are actually making a difference. If I wasn’t a fan before - and I was, actually - I would be now.

First of all, i want to give you a link to a wonderful article about making money from your blog.  It’s by Steve Pavlina who knows a thing or two or zillion about the subject.  How To Make Money From Your Blog was written nearly a year ago, but the information is as dead on now as it was then.

Here’s what amounts to my favorite piece from the whole pie:  If you do decide to generate income from your blog, then don’t be shy about it.  If you’re going to put up ads, then really put up ads.  Don’t just stick a puny little ad square in a remote corner somewhere.  If you’re going to request donations, then really request donations.  Don’t put up a barely visible “Donate” link and pray for the best.  If you’re going to sell products, then really sell them.  Create or acquire the best quality products you can, and give your visitors compelling reasons to buy.  If you’re going to do this, then fully commit to it.  Don’t take a half-assed approach.  Either be full-assed or no-assed.

Love the last part - it goes for all things in life, doesn’t it?!

Several of my blogs were put up because I truly do suffer(?) from Change-the-World-itis (This one and Out of Bounds.).  One was put up because I wanted a perfect place to keep all of my recipes and cooking passion for my daughters to feed off of. One stemmed from my love for cats.  Others were honestly put up solely for the purpose of generating income.  This is my job, after all, so making money at it is pretty much something I insist upon.  It’s the difference between shopping at Kohl’s and the Dollar General Store.  If I go into the Dollar General Store for something, I want it to be because I want to, not because I have to.

I don’t pretend for one second to know even half as much about blogging for money as Steve Pavlina.  Having said that, I have picked up a little knowledge along the way.  You truly can’t write and maintain 14 blogs without learning something along the way! 

Below are a few of the nuggets of wisdom that have fallen into my lap:

1. Don’t be afraid to take chances.  We all know that a lot of people let fear of failure keep them from even trying things in life. But when it comes to blogging, I think the #1 fear people have isn’t a fear of failing but rather a fear of making a fool of themselves.  I’m not saying that it’ll never happen, it very well might - I know I’ve made a total clown out of myself before.  But, it doesn’t hurt, heck you might even get a good laugh out of it.  If you make a mistake, you join the rest of the world and say, “I blew it…”   If you have an opinion, state it.  Don’t let the fear of what others might say or think hold you back.
2. Express yourself - not someone else.   If you want to make your blog purple and red, go for it. Don’t let conventional practices hold you back.  So what if everyone else seems to be in hues of blue or green, you’ll stand out and that’s almost always a good thing.
3. If possible, get a great domain name for your blog.  When we first started, we already had about 10 websites up.  So I used some of them as a “home” for relevang blogs (for example, my food blog went off of my cooking site, my cat blog went off of my cat site, my dream analysis blog went off of….).  I wish, now, that I had given each its own domain rather than making their url http://www.whatever/blog.   That was quite a few years ago, however, and I had no idea where the world of blogs was heading.
4. Don’t choose a subject area based on what’s most searched for or where you think the most money will lie.  If you saddle yourself down with a subject you care nothing for, or know nothing about - you’ll be miserable and your blog will die a slow death.
5. If you have a blog already up and running, go to it today as though you’re a new visitor - seeing it for the first time.  What things do you like?  What things do you dislike?  Would you be able to find everything you’re looking for?  And, the tough question - the one that might just hurt a little…. What’s your initial opinion, are you struck by the friendliness of the blog, the professionalism of the blog, or are the first words to your mind, “Someone’s desperate to make money.”  Sure, money’s cool but desperation’s not
6. My favorite affiliate programs are Commission Junction and Linkshare.  They have the best merchants and are, by far, the easiest to use.  I honestly can’t think of any reason that they shouldn’t be your one-two punch - behind GOOGLE, that is.  Which brings us to…
7. Google isn’t dead!  Sure, there are a lot of people saying that it is, but I’m here to promise you that it isn’t.  Does Google work better for some subjects than others? Absolutely.  But, if you’re clever about it - that is, if you test out different colors, different placement, and different image ads, Google will show you just how alive it is.
8. Go to forums to see what’s hot.  I started hanging out in various Style and Fashion forums a while back - mainly as a way of linking my Keira Knightley website and blog.  I admitedly also have a killer interest in the subject, including a lifelong fascination with purses and jewelry.  I couldn’t even begin to count my jewelry collection and my purses number over 100.  I’m not being all flossy, flossy - I mean, we’re not talking diamonds and Channel, here.  Anyway, while on the forums, I kept seeing subject lines that read, “Looking for new fashion blogs!,” “Anyone else addicted to fashion blogs?,” “Know of any great fashion blogs?…”  I mean, I literally saw these types of posts everywhere I went!  Then I started seeing a lot asking for specialty blogs - for shoes, jackets, formal wear, high-end, low-end, handbags (!!!), teen fashion, etc.  I set aside a day and put up a fashion blog of my own, Arm Sweets.  It’s brand new, so I don’t have any success vs. failure statistics - but I can say this, I’ve had more fun with it than I’ve had with a blog in awhile!  Forums can give you a great idea of what makes people tick - then if you find something ticking that you share a tick for, go with it!
9. Something that I sometimes have to remind myself of - this isn’t life or death. If you get a negative comment, if you never get comments, if you show up first in GOOGLE or on page 12 in GOOGLE, if you make big money or chump change - this isn’t the be all and end all of life.  If it ever gets to where it seems like it is - do me and, more importantly yourself, a favor and step back for a little bit.  Gasp! Let the blog sit for a week while you work in the yard, have a picnic in the park, work on your tennis serve, go to the movies…..  You betcha!  You, your serve, your yard, and even your blog will be better off.   I’ve said it before (I’m just not sure if it was on this blog or on Out of Bounds):   If your family sees the back of your head more than they see your face, things have gotten away from you.  Personally, my mind is frying from the positions my images take in ie vs firefox.  The fox, as cute as the little guy is, screws just about everything up!  I’m still trying to figure out if there is any theme in the world that looks the dead on same in both browsers or not - but until then, I’m not sweating it anymore.
10. Finally - don’t stress over the little details.  Most people never notice.  The longer you look at something, the more it’ll slip away from perfection.

And never, ever be afraid to ask questions.  I think speak for most people when I say that I love to receive e-mail and when someone asks a question, it’s very flattering.  It feels good to think that someone’s coming to you for your opinion and it feels even better to think that you’re helping them.  Not too long ago, I had a young man e-mail me asking what celebrities I thought were “hot” right now - he’d seen a few of our celeb sites and wanted to put up one, himself, that’d “get mad traffic.”  I felt so honored to be asked that I ran a few tests and found the most searched-for 10 celebs over the past year.  I showed him who was consistently searched for, who was currently on top and why they might not stay there…and even showed him who would have new cds/movies soon.   

His site is in the works, and I’m sure he’ll get “mad traffic.!”

Peeking out from behind my Kleenex this morning, I read something pretty disturbing.  We can, apparently, expect a particularly nasty allergy season this year. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, a mild winter will bring about an earlier, more ill-tempered allergy season.

All week I’ve been crowing, “Can you believe how lucky we were this winter?……Wow, it’s pretty weather already,“  Blah, blah, blah.  I crowed while walking at the park, I crowed while washing the car, I crowed while buying daffodils…I crowed until the sneezes overtook the words.

Spring allergies are mostly caused by tree pollen, so those of us who live in states with high tree populations (Kentucky has trees growing on top of trees) redefine the word misery this time of year.

What You Can Do

The experts advise against opening your windows or spending too much time outside.  The notion is to come into as little contact with the pollen as possible, of course.  But, as for me - I live for this time of year.  So, my windows fly open and I spend most of the day outdoors - walking, planting, weeding, picking, pruning…when I run out of things to do, I MAKE UP things to do.  Do I sneeze?  Absolutely.  Sometimes I even throw in some wheezes.

Then I come inside and shower it all off.  Personally, I take Benadryl - but some people can’t take it because it makes them so sleepy.  I guess I’ve been taking it so long that my system’s accustomed to it taking a sledge hammer to its speedometer.

If you’ve been blessed with allergies and/or asthma also, find the medication that works best for you. Also, invest in some good allergy eyedrops.  They’re more expensive, but a lot of times, you can avoid taking any medicine if you simply use the drops.  Keep the good stuff on hand - always.

Also, it may sound radical to some people, but take several quick showers a day.  Wash the pollen out of your hair and off of your person.  Change your clothes when you come inside, too.

When in the car, leaving the windows up and running your AC or fan is recommended.  The car must have an effective filter and an air-conditioner and these must be cleaned regularly.

It’s something we should all be doing anyway, but taking a good multi-vitamin daily is a key tactic in the war against allergies.  Besides it’s anti-inflammatory activity, vitamin C is also the main antioxidant in the cells of the respiratory passages, and has active antihistamine effects. Vitamin A also supports the immune system and B vitamins help to reduce nasal congestion.

Herbs for Allergies

I read a lot about herbs and natural remedies. I’m convinced that more answers can be found there than anywhere else.  The following herbs are beneficial for allergy sufferers, so experiment with them in your cooking, in teas, or by supplements.  I’m trying out several, myself, to see if any would like to take over Benadryl’s job.  I’d love for him to retire.

• Garlic - relieves congestion associated with allergies, colds and hayfever.
• Echinacea - possesses natural anti-inflammatory properties. Echinacea also helps relieve the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections and is useful for sore throats.  Completely off-topic, but echinacea also fights acne. If your teen suffers from the plague of puberty, make him/her Echinacea tea everyday - they should see a difference within a few weeks.
•  Horseradish - The “heating” properties of horseradish are what gives it its therapeutic bite.  It clears up nasal and chest congestion and helps to clear the respiratory passages and eliminate excess mucus. Therefore, it’s effective for the relief of cough symptoms and sinusitis.  Horeseradish is a key ingredient in Japanese cooking, where it’s known as Wasabi.
• Nettle - has a long tradition of use for the relief of allergy and hayfever symptoms.
• Other herbs that are known to help relieve allergy symptoms are: Catnip, Devil’s Claw, Lemon Balm, Elder, Goldenrod, Horehound, and Turmeric.

Years ago, my Sunday School teacher’s wife recommended Horehound for relief during a nasty bout of bronchitis.  She and her daughters took it regularly for their sinuses and allergies.  It helped me like you wouldn’t believe!  Horehound is helpful for wheezing, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, nonproductive coughs, and whooping cough. Horehound apparently causes the secretion of a more fluid mucus, which is more readily cleared by coughing.  It makes your coughs more productive.

Unless you have a million dollars and can move to an island in the Atlantic Ocean, allergies are a price we pay for beautiful weather.  Like flies in summer, they’re just something we have to deal with.  You swat what you can and stay out of the way of the rest.  Then you go to Starbucks and drown your sorrows.

“May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again.”

“May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night,
and the road downhill all the way to your door.”

“May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow,
and may trouble avoid you wherever you go.”

May you have all the blessings above and all the chocolate and coffee you can stand!

I know, I know, I’m probably the last person on earth to know about Newsgator Online.  It’s not the first time I’m late for something.  In fact, sometimes things fly past me so fast it’s a wonder I don’t fall down.

At any rate, I stumbled onto Newsgator Online recently.  I was searching for a new Feed Reader and Google (the Starbucks of search engines) listed Newsgator first.  So, off I went to check them out.

I registered (free, of course) and then the fun began.  I started rounding up feeds to my favorite blogs and categorizing them.  They offer a list of blogs, and I even added some of the ones they listed to my folders.  Most, however, were my own regular hang-outs.   

I love the way everything is set up and the thought of having all of my favorite blogs, websites, and news, in one place makes the time management part of my brain very happy.  It beats the heck out of scrolling through my Favorites and opening up a gazillion pages. 

This seems, to me, to be the best way to stay on top of everything - especially useful if you’re a blogger.  You can subscribe to any and all of the news feeds that pertain to your subject(s).

I heard recently that most people don’t subscribe to feeds at all.  They just try to keep track of their favorite blogs and visit them when they have the time.  As further tangible proof of my acute bringinguptherearitis, I went for weeks, months,  years before I subscribed to any.  My husband would be at the computer across the room, sorting through his reader (Pluck) with the organized percision of a chess champion.  And here I’d sit sorting through my ridiculously long list of Favorites with the organized percision of bat shyte.

Anyway, if you’d like a little more organization in your day and better management of your time, check out Newsgator Online’s Web-Based RSS Aggregator.

How do I love you, let me count the ways…..

One of the companies nearest and dearest to my heart, Starbucks, is giving out free coffeee today only - between the hours of 10:00 am and Noon.  Click HERE for proof (in case you think I’m living in a fantasy world..hey, it happens) and for a store locator, to find the one nearest you.

Hmmm, if you think about it, that’s kind of a weird thing I just did.  I mean, if you live near enough to a Starbucks to get to it in time for the free coffee, you pretty much know where it is, right?  And what person wouldn’t already know where all the Starbucks are in their state as well as the border states.  Addresses, hours, barista’s names….