Author: Melissa

Melissa lives online at http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com where she blogs about her journey to a location independent life and how to make the perfect chocolate chip cookies. She is enthusiastic about all things entrepreneurial, having coffee with friends, helping creatives build a lifestyle around their art and sending snail mail.

Categories
Health

Is Sitting Lethal to Health?

In the past few years, the action (or inaction) of sitting for multiple hours a day has received criticism from many sources including the New York Times, personal fitness bloggers, doctors from the Mayo Clinic and several renowned medical journals.

What is it about sitting that causes so much harm (and excitement in the media)?  According to studies, sitting for long periods of time, day after day can lead to:

  • Slower metabolism
  • Weight gain
  • Decreased insulin production leading to increased risk of Diabetes type 2
  • Increased risk of premature death
  • Possible increased risk of cancer

Additionally, Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise Journal reviewed a study by Louisiana researchers at Pennington Medical Research who found people who sit for the majority of the day increase their risk of having a heart attack by 54%.

According to Dr. Hamilton who extensively researches and studies metabolism and was interviewed for the NY times article, sitting is “lethal”.

He has studied weight gain and loss for years and states that sitting is dangerous because, “your muscles go as silent as a dead horse.”  When we sit, the body literally stops working like it normally would.

Even more interesting about Dr. Hamilton’s studies is that a person’s current body weight or exercise routine doesn’t seem to make a difference.  Sitting for several hours each day equally harms the person who is 30 pounds overweight and the ultra-trim runner.

This means the 30 minute daily run probably won’t counteract the poor effects of sitting.  It is the extended time sitting, not the brief periods of exercise at the beginning of the day that cause the problem.

The good news?

Reversing the lethality of sitting can be just as easy as getting up every 30 minutes or so and taking a stretch, a walk down the stairs, strolling to the water fountain or striking up a tree pose in the cubicle (maybe when no one else is around).

Sounds like a great reason to take a few “stretch” breaks during the day.

Not only will it make you more productive by re-awakening your muscles (and your level of alertness), you’ll live longer.

Melissa AuClair blogs at www.launchyourcreativelife.com.  After reading about the extensive harm sitting can cause she integrates activity (and more coffee breaks) into her work day.  Follow her on twitter @melissauclair

Categories
Health

Beat the Heat: How to Avoid Dehydration during Hot Weather

Before moving to the East Coast a friend told me, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.  It’ll change.”

She was right.  I’ve never experienced the quick shifts in weather the New England terrain brings.  One of the consequences of quick weather changes is the ill effect severe weather can have on our bodies.  We can be huddling under an umbrella one day and sweating the next day as temperatures rise 20 degrees.

Dehydration is one of the negative effects of hot weather.  Children and older adults are at higher risk of dehydration because their bodies do not communicate their need for hydration as quickly as young and middle aged adults.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of dehydration include: fatigue, dizziness, dark colored urine, lack of hunger, flushed skin, intolerance for heat and even a dry cough.  Other sources note the presence of irritability is another sign of dehydration (watch for this in children as they can’t always explain their thirst).

Keeping healthy water levels inside our bodies is essential for maintaining our internal temperature, cushioning joints and ligaments and getting rid of internal waste.  If there is not enough water inside our bodies, our brains let us know something is wrong through a parched mouth and feeling sluggish, flushed and tired.

Prevent Dehydration with Prevention

How can we tell if we are dehydrated?  The rule of thumb most doctors and health professionals go by is, ‘if you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated.’

It’s easy to rush outside in the good weather and forget to bring an extra water bottle.  However, don’t enjoy the weather at the expense of you and your family’s health:   Here are 6 ways to avoid dehydration this summer and continue with summer fun:

  • Drink 16-20 ounces of water before physical activity outside.
  • After intense activity, the American College of Sports medicine encourages rehydration instead of consuming large quantities of liquid.

Studies show drinking a lot of water or fluid at once causes one to urinate more; the body cannot distribute a lot of fluid at the same time. However, rehydrating by drinking 6-10 oz. of fluid every 10-15 minutes allows the body to refuel its fluid loss more efficiently.

  • Be aware of the dehydrating effects of alcohol and caffeinated beverages.  Drink water to make up for fluid loss.
  • Bored with plain water?  Try adding slices of different fruit.  Try watermelon, lemon, lime, cucumber and sprigs of mint to jazz up water.
  • Freeze a few water bottles and carry them around on hot days to drink cold water all day.
  • Fresh fruit such as watermelon, apples and grapes contains water.  Encourage kids and adults to snack on fresh fruit instead of dehydrating, salty snacks.

Melissa AuClair is a RN who blogs about freelancing and women in creative businesses at http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com.  She enjoys eating watermelon, adding fruit to water and big green salads during the summer as a way to stay hydrated.  Follow her on Twitter @Melissauclair

Categories
Beauty Health

High Heels Falsely Blamed: How to Minimize High Heel Aches

Ladies, if you thought giving up high heels would be necessary to minimize or avoid bunions and other toe problems, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Kind of.

High heels do not cause bunions or hammertoes after all.

High heels do cause a lot of other problems including strained calf muscles, shortened tendon muscles, posture problems and twisted ankles.

But according to Dr. Marian Hannan, leader of the recently published study, “Blame Your Parents for Bunions,” she argues that bunions and other toe maladies are more genetically inheritable than environmentally caused.

The largest study of its kind, Harvard Medical School looked at over 1,000 men and women with toe problems.

Wearing high heels may exacerbate bunions and hammer toes (the pressure on the arch and toes aggravates pressure and pain), but the fashionable shoes doesn’t cause the problem.  The leaders of the study conclude, “Our study is the largest investigation…of common foot problems confirming that bunions and other toe deformities are highly inheritable.”

This news is helpful but it still leaves many women in a quandary:  what to do about the pain and irritation bunions and hammertoes cause?  Surgical problems are available but results are not guaranteed and recovery time is lengthy.

According to feet experts, the most helpful actions to soothe aching feet and prevent worsening conditions (while still wearing your heels) include:

  • Soak the feet in warm to hot water and Epsom salts.
  • Wear heavily padded insoles in heels.  These act as a shock absorber.
  • Act like a runner- stretch out before and after wearing heels.
  • Put your feet up and give them regular breaks from heels.
  • If wearing heels is a must, choose to pay a bit more and buy higher quality shoes with a thicker heel.

Many people might argue that giving up high heels would be the most logical approach to the problems of aching feet.

Perhaps it is.  But as Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.”  The sentiment is still felt by many women today.

What can we say?  Old habits die hard.

Melissa AuClair blogs about freelancing, drinking coffee and working towards a location independent lifestyle at http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com   She still wears high heels to her day job. 
Categories
Food And Recipes

Key Lime Pie in 3 Easy Steps

Key lime pie is a delicious dessert that is deceptively easy to make.

My mom and I love this dessert and I used to make it every spring and summer for her when I visited.  If you enjoy a citrus twist in your dessert, I think this will be go-to recipe for you.  (It could even turn into one of your “signature dishes”).

A side note about this dessert- use whatever dish you have available:  A traditional pie plate is wonderful but I will use an 8×8 for key lime squares if I don’t have a pie plate on hand.  An additional reason to use an 8×8 is to scoop the pie into champagne glasses for a fancy dessert at an event or elegant party.

Home Cook’s Note: there is a printable recipe at http://www.bakeperfectcookies.com

Step 1- Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Take 12 graham crackers and put them in a large Ziploc bag.  Take a rolling pin and roll over the graham crackers until they are finely crushed.  *If you don’t have a rolling pin, use a drinking glass cup.

Melt 2 Tbs. butter. In a medium sized bowl pour in the graham cracker crumb s, melted butter and 2 tsp. sugar.

Mix the ingredients together until they are a crumbly, moist mix (I often use a fork to accomplish a streusel looking mix).

Dump the mixture into the pie plate or 8×8 bake dish.  With your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup, press the graham cracker mixture firmly on the floor of the pie pan and up the sides about ½ inch.

Bake at 350 for 14 minutes.

Step 2- Make the filling

While the crust is baking, mix 3 egg yolks in a bowl.

Add in 1 14 oz. can of condensed milk. With a whisk, mix the egg yolks and condensed milk.

In a measuring cup, pour ½ cup of key lime juice.  If key lime juice is unavailable, regular lime juice will suffice just fine.  Add in half of the key lime juice (1/4 cup) to the egg yolk and milk mixture.  Whisk the juice in.  Then, add in the other half.

Take one lime and grate 1 tsp zest. 

A quick lesson about zest:  After washing the lime, grate just enough of the outside layer to get the green off.  Once you see white, stop grating.  It’s not unusual to grate ½ of the outside of the lime to get a tsp. of lime.

Add the zest to the mix and whisk a few times.

Your pie filling is ready!

Once the pie crust comes out of the oven, pour the pie filing into the crust and put it right back into the oven for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, pull out the pie and allow it to cool for 20 minutes.  Then, put the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for chilling.

Step 3 Top it Off and Serve!

Take a pint of heavy whipping cream and beat it until it starts getting stiff.  (Regular whipping cream will work too- you have to beat it a little bit longer).

You can tell the whipping cream is ready by doing this test.  Stop the beaters.  Take the end of the beater and dip it into the whip cream and quickly pull out the beater. Do little “mountain peaks” remain in place?  If the whip cream doesn’t keep its form, keep beating.

When the mountain peaks appear, add in 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 heaping Tbs. powdered sugar.  Mix in just until blended.

Now for the fun part; throw the whip cream onto the pie. If you have some extra zest left, sprinkle it in the middle for an aesthetically pleasing touch.

Note:  If you are serving the pie individually, as I did in champagne glasses, scoop the pie into the glasses before adding the whip cream.

The first time I made this dessert I felt a little scrambled.  I had never made a pie like this before and the technique of making a pie crust and filling is different than a batch of cookies. However, once I discovered how easy it was I had so much fun making it again and again.

People think you’ve slaved over this recipe!  It tastes better than many key lime pies I’ve tasted in restaurants (and made quite a few dollars for).

Hope you like it.  And, if you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to email me at Melissa@bakeperfectcookies.com

Categories
Health

How to Keep Excellent Eyesight Part 2

This is the 2nd part in the series “How to Keep Excellent Eyesight: 15 Ways to Prevent Blindness.” In a world where the cost of healthcare continues to rise and getting health care is more and more complicated the best thing we can do is prevent health problems from coming.

The cynic can always find a loophole or a reason why personal efforts are not worth the effort.

However, I am and will remain a huge believer in preventative medicine.  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.  Enjoy.

8.   Be aware of the effects of diabetes on the eyes.

When not managed, diabetes is dangerous for eye health.  Out of control sugar levels wreak havoc on the eyes, leading to diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the USA today.

And it is preventable.

Be proactive in keeping blood sugars under control, enjoy a healthy diet and maintain a regular relationship with the optometrist to diabetic retinopathy.

There is constant research being done to help us understand these diseases better and find cures.

Hope for diabetic eye disease cure may be on its way.  The University of Michigan Kellog Eye Center has identified a specific protein that regulates the leaky blood vessels which cause the vision impairment in diabetic eye disease.  Researchers believe they have found a way to block the damage done, preventing the vessels from leaking and stopping the vision problems.  “We still have a long way to go…but the results are very promising,” one of the lead authors stated.

9.  Taking care of your eyes helps decrease your chance of falling and hip problems.

Fix your cataracts and avoid hip surgery?

Yes, according to researchers there is a big connection between eyesight and how well we live, especially as we get older.

Having cataracts removed may decrease your risk of hip surgery.  Victoria Tseng from Brown University, Rhode Island, states that people with better vision decrease their risk of falls at significant levels.  She and her colleagues state they found that cataracts are “one of the most common causes of fracture-related visual impairment.”

10.  Decrease or stop smoking.

Smoking is hard to quit but the positive influence on your health is magnanimous.

Smoking affects many parts of our bodies and our eyes are not immune.

Researchers from China concluded an extensive study showing the correlation between smoking and different kinds of cataracts.

Age-related cataracts are the most common kind that comes from smoking (that scientists can tell).  While cataract removal remains one of the most successful surgeries in the Western World, there is a notable cost attached that some people cannot afford.  Preventing cataracts in the first place by not smoking is important for quality life and vision at all stages of life.

11.   Avoid Computer Vision Syndrome.

If we have poor posture at our work desks, not sitting close enough OR too close to the computer screen, our eyes work harder to make up for the difference.  Computer vision syndrome can result in eye weariness, headaches, red eyes, dry eyes and changes in vision.

To avoid computer vision syndrome, do the following:

Make sure you are seated correctly at your work station, approximately two feet away from the screen.  Feet should be flat on the floor.  Eyes should focus straight with shoulders back and neck in a upright position.  For more information on computer vision syndrome, check out http://allaboutvision.com/cvs

12.  Protect the eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

The harmful UV rays of the sun don’t only burn our skin.  Exposure to the harmful UV rays can lead to burning around the eyes, increased risk of cataract development and other eye problems.  Protect your eyes with UV protective sunglasses.

13.  Some of the most successful operations in the United States are for the eyes, helping many people return to a high quality life.

Cataract surgery remains one of the most successful elective surgeries in the United States.

In the past advanced cataracts would interfere with vision and quality of life.  Today, there are easily removed and individuals continue on with hardly a break in their routine.

Add in the advances of Lasik and Orthkeratoloy procedures and more adults are enjoying better vision today than ever before.

14.  Indulge in fish and lean meats.

Eating fish and lean meat can help protect the eyes.  Salmon and other fish are filled with the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.  Multiple studies show how omega-3 fatty acids can directly protect the eye from wear and tear.

15.  Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.

We are holistic beings.  Our different body systems affect one another.  If a body system is not functioning properly, it has the potential to infect other parts.

High blood pressure will cause problems for every part of the body because each organ needs the life giving nutrients and oxygen the circulatory system brings.   High blood pressure is nicknamed “the silent killer” because the effects of unrelenting and uncontrolled high blood pressure are often symptom-less until the damage has been done.

When blood pressure is high, the circulatory system running through the eyes wears down and gets weaker.  Optometrists can assess blood pressure when he or she looks into your eyes with their equipment.

Take charge of your blood pressure now and keep your eyes healthy and your vision bright for the future.

Conclusion

Just like having a healthy blood pressure, having good vision has a little bit to do with genetics and physiology.  There are some things in life we can’t outrun.  Some eye problems, like glaucoma and macular degeneration, have a genetic component that scientists haven’t figured out how to fix.

The good news is that a lot of your vision depends on habits, not genetics.

Even if there are some variables in the genetic pool working against you, we can fight them with today’s excellent technology and scientific knowledge to overcome them.

Blindness is mostly avoidable today.

If we our conscious of our lifestyles and practice preventative healthy only a few people should suffer from blindness in old age from unpreventable factors.

Most people today who will be blind in their later years could have taken steps to stop it from advancing so far.  Blindness is becoming an avoidable malady.

Protect yourself. Protect your loved ones.  Take care of your eyes.

You can read more of Melissa AuClair’s writing at http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com 

 

Categories
Health

15 Steps to Excellent Eyesight for Life Part 1

 

Today, the World Health Organization estimates that 75% of blindness is preventable.

Yet the number of people who will experience severe eye diseases leading to blindness- diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma- continues to rise.

You and I don’t have to be one of the people who suffers from preventable blindness.

By incorporating proactive action steps into the daily life, we can enjoy excellent eyesight to the end of  life.

The eyes are the only muscle we have that gets weaker with more use.  Some vision loss is normal and hard to prevent.  However, severe vision loss leading to blindness does not have to be an outcome for most people living in the United States today if you follow essential actions.

This article will look at how each of us can achieve excellent eyesight for life.

Here is Part 1 of 15 Actions to enjoy good eyesight for life.

1.  Keep your appointments with the optometrist.

This is one of the most proactive steps you can take to prevent blindness.  Optometrists have diagnostic equipment that can see problems coming “down the pipes” of the eyes before the symptoms ever show.

Optometrists can see if diabetes is causing wear and tear on your retina or whether your eyes are showing signs of developing glaucoma.   Once the symptoms of these diseases show up, treatment is limited.

Early detection changes this.  Early detection allows doctors to watch, treat and prevent potential eye problems from developing into severe problems.

For people under forty, the American Optometry Association recommends a checkup every three years.  People over 40 should see their optometrist every two years unless recommended otherwise by their doctor.

2.  Eat fruits and vegetables – lots of ‘em.

Logically we know we need to eat more fruits and vegetables but we don’t do it.

It cannot be overemphasized that the benefit of a diet high in vegetables and fruits on our health is astonishing.

The more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the better it is for your eyes!  Red and yellow peppers, carrots, pumpkin, spinach and berries are full of antioxidants and nutrients that will help you feel better and see better.

3.  Avoid tired looking eyes by adding the right eye-friendly supplements. (And enjoy healthier eyes too!)

What you eat may help your eyes perk up in their appearance.  Foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin have been shown to boost eye health by strengthening the retina.  Look for green leafy vegetables; they are naturally high in lutein and zeaxanthin.

4.  Know the signs of unhealthy eyes!

When something is not normal, such as a discoloration of the eye, check in with the optometrist.  For example, yellow eyes are not normal.  If you or a loved one has yellow-colored eyes, you need to see your optometrist or doctor right away.  The body usually gives us clues when something goes awry- when the “whites” of the eyes change to a yellow, it signals a potential problem that needs to be addressed.

5.  Indulge in unusual vegetables.

Did you know that kale is noted as a great vegetable for vision health?  Not only is it high in antioxidants (like its chard, spinach and beet green family members mentioned in the diet section), but it has one of the most concentrated amounts of vitamin A.  Just one cup of kale yields an entire day’s worth of needed Vitamin A (481mcg).  That is TWICE as vitamin A than other leafy greens, leading to kale being noted as the eye’s favorite vegetable.

6.  Don’t ignore unusual vision changes.

Vision changes need to be followed up with your optometrist.  Don’t brush off signs or appearances that seem out of place.  Your body is trying to tell you something is not right.

7.  Are your eyes twitching?

Get rid of twitching eyes!  Bothered by painless, but annoying, twitching of one or both eyes?  You may need to check your sleep routine or caffeine intake.  Too much caffeine, too little sleep or too much stress can cause involuntary twitching in the eyes.  If the twitching increases, be sure to see your optometrist- occasionally twitching can be the sign of a more significant problem- dry eyes, pink eye or blepharitis- that requires additional treatment.

8. Be aware of the detrimental effects of diabetes on the eyes.

Diabetes is potentially dangerous for eye health.  Out of control sugar levels wreak havoc on the eyes, leading to diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness in the US today.

And it is preventable.

Be proactive in keeping blood sugars under control, enjoy a healthy diet and maintain a regular relationship with the optometrist to diabetic retinopathy.  There is constant research being done to help us understand these diseases better and find cures.

Hope for diabetic eye disease cure may be on its way.  The University of Michigan Kellog Eye Center has identified a specific protein that regulates the leaky blood vessels which cause the vision impairment in diabetic eye disease.  Researchers believe they have found a way to block the damage done, preventing the vessels from leaking and stopping the vision problems.  “We still have a long way to go…but the results are very promising,” one of the lead authors stated.

Melissa AuClair worked as a RN for 8 years in acute care hospitals.  The best part of being a nurse is empowering people to care for themselves- and prevent health problems in the future.  “It’s so much easier to maintain good health than reverse lifestyle health problems.  It takes discipline, but that discipline gives people freedom to live high quality, active lives.”  Melissa can be followed on Twitter @Melissauclair  She blogs about lifestyle and freelance work at www.launchyourcreativelife.com   

Categories
Beauty Fashion

Do You Have a Gift for Mom’s Day?

You can give a great gift for mom and not break the budget.  Here are a few gifts that are easy to find and a bit different from the traditional Hallmark card and bouquet of flowers.

Fun Fashion Gifts for Mom

Think: “spot of color.”

This season is full of accessories from shoes to scarves that are bright, colorful and fun.

It might be hard to pick Mom a winning wardrobe piece.  But accessories are fun, easy and (usually) affordable.  I really like the scarf idea.

1.  Fun and Colorful  Scarf

Scarves of every shape and color are popping up in stores.  You can spend as much or as little as you want.   From department stores to Anne Taylor’s Loft, scarves are priced from $12.95 to $39.50.

2.   Fun, high end costume jewelry

High end fashion jewelry is a step above Claire’s.  It’s quality without the gems (or the cost).  Go for something fun and trendy by shopping at Anne Taylor Loft, department stores (the jewelry on the rack, not under the glass) and look for the sales!  This is when all the procrastinators can benefit from late shopping.

The pickings may be a bit slim but the sales will be good between now and Mom’s Day.

3.  A trip to Paris….or not.

Has  mom always wanted to visit (or revisit) the City of Lights?  Get her the next best thing- a book that will transport her mind to beautiful Paris!

Check out these books:

“Lessons from Madame Chic: 20 Stylish Secrets I Learned While Living in Paris” is a fun book by Jennifer L. Scott about translating Parisian fashion culture into our American lifestyles.  On sale at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and bookstores in both ebook and print formats.

Another fun read for moms who love Paris and cooking.  While “My Life in France” is the story of Julia Child’s early years, it was not published until after her death.  The books was co-written by Julia and her grand-nephew.  Julia passed away in 2004 and her nephew finished the book (and wrote a very touching introduction).  “My Life in France” was published in 2006.

3.  Make Mom brunch!

I’m all about families returning to the kitchen and cooking together.  As Julia Child was known for saying frequently, “Cooking together is such fun!”  Instead of asking mom to cook, make her a cup of coffee and invite her to sit in the kitchen and talk while you cook!

If you have siblings in town, get them involved too.  Have someone take pictures.  Put on some music.

It’s Mom’s Day!  Have fun!

4.  For many of us, our moms are not close enough to see or visit.  Stick a card in the mail.  For extra fun, remember a funny memory or recall something special she did in the past and thank her for it.  Include a picture of when you were a kid.  Sometimes it’s the little things that touch a mom’s heart the most.

5.  Do something with all those photos!

Shutterfly is offering a 40% discount on photo books this week!  For less than $15.00 you can give your mom a hardback book full of pictures of you, the grandkids, memories, quotes, letters, etc.

This is a fun gift that will not be forgotten!

These are so much fun to do.  (warning:  they are also a bit addictive!)  Check out http://www.shutterfly.com

O.k. so this won’t get her by this Sunday.  But, you can do what I’ve done in the past and make a “It’s Coming!!!!” card with a picture of the gift.

BONUS:  When in doubt, Amazon.com is a fabulous source of gift items. Plus, with their expedited shipping items, you can get mom’s gift to her in time.  So whether it’s a “I Love Lucy” DVD, the latest James Patterson novel or a fancy cookware gadget, Amazon mostly likely has it and can deliver.

Melissa AuClair blogs at www.launchyourcreativelife.com, a website for location independent women creatives.   This week she’s working on recipe development and photo styling Mom’s Day desserts to be featured on her latest endeavor www.bakeperfectcookies.com (with a book soon to follow).  You can follow her at Twitter @Melissauclair

Categories
Food And Recipes Mexican food

Great Grandma’s Spanish Rice: A Recipe for Cinco de Mayo

Great Grandma V came to the United States from Mexico to begin a new life.  She adopted many of the American traditions, learned English and started her own business.  She acclimated speedily to the USA, adopting many of the American ways of life.

However, Grandma’s cooking remained authentically Mexican.

I loved eating her food and I am thrilled to have some of her recipes to make.

Here is here recipe for making Great Grandma’s Spanish rice.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups white rice
1 onion
1 bell pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 whole cloves
fresh tomatoes sliced
2 Tbs. oil
4 cups of water

Directions:

In a large saute pan, place the heat on medium high. Add the oil and rice. While the rice begins to sauté, chop up the onions and garlic and add them in. If the rice is looking too brown, turn down the heat to medium.

Chop up the bell pepper and add that to the saute. Follow up with the spices.

A note about tomatoes: The type of tomatoes you use doesn’t matter- it can be small cherry tomatoes, medium Roma tomatoes or the large Heirloom tomatoes. Slice them and add them to the mix. Stir up the rice mixture. (The kitchen should be smelling amazing by now!)

Once everything has sautéed for about 10 minutes, add in the water and cover the rice with a lid. turn the heat down to low!

Set the timer for 25 minutes. When the timer goes off, open the lide slightly to make sure all the water has cooked down. Remove from heat/

Leave the lid on the rice until it’s eating time.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Melissa AuClair loves to cook and bake. This week, it’s Mexian all week long to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! You can follow her baking adventures at www.bakeperfectcookies.com Follow her on Twitter @Melissauclair

Categories
Food And Recipes

How to Simply Meal Making and Eat Healthier

As a food writer and home cook, I love to cook.  But that doesn’t mean I want to spend every night in front of a cookbook and hot stove working on a recipe from Julia Child.

So I took an idea of Tim Ferris’s (author of The Four Hour Workweek):  simplify meals and diet by eating very similar things over and over- and ran with it.

He did it with weight loss and muscle gain as a goal.  I’m doing as a way to get back more time.

As a result, I spend less time thinking about what to make, move faster through farmer’s markets and the grocery store and spend less time preparing food.  Plus, I still enjoy what I eat as much as when I labored over what to make.

As an added bonus, I eat healthier because I’m not running for takeout because “there’s nothing at home to eat.”

You can do this too.  It takes a bit of organization and planning.  One day may be spent in more prep work (like today as I focus on a Cinco de Mayo theme) but most days of the week turn like clockwork.

If you feel overwhelmed by meal preparation, bothered by how much money is spent on take-out meals or simply want to eat healthier food, try this out and see if you can make it work for you.

  1. Figure out what you like to eat.
  2. Focus your meals around it every single week.
  3. Shop only for these foods.
  4. Switch it up every 6 weeks or so.

If this method seems like it might get boring, it’s not..

First the premise is that you eat things you enjoy.  This doesn’t mean chowing down on pizza every night.

It means eating foods that are healthy and likable.

If you are part of a large family, adding rituals around meal preparation can work very well at keeping budgets and diets in check.

Make a large pot of spaghetti sauce on Monday for Spaghetti Monday.  Use half the sauce and buy frozen raviolis for a Italian Wednesday.  Tuesday can be a Simple Chicken and Vegetable Stir fry with rice.  Thursday is soup and salad night.  Friday is homemade pizza night.  And so on and so forth.

This is how my week is looking:  I love salads.  I could eat a salad every day.  So I do.

I buy very similar ingredients (it sometimes varies depending what is the freshest looking at the farmer’s market.

Since it is Cinco de Mayo tomorrow there is a big pot of my Great-Grandma’s pinto beans simmering.  I’ll add chicken and Spanish rice to the menu for tomorrow night and eat the leftovers for the rest of the week.

Breakfasts will consist of alternating between cold cereal, cottage cheese and fruit or eggs.

Lunch will be baby carrots, almonds, a slice of hearty bread I made (banana bread this week).

I’ll have a salad most days, alternating with the leftover Mexican food.  If I want I can use the chicken, beans and chips to make a taco salad.

Oh, and I’m testing recipes for a cookie book so there is a solution for desserts and what to bring to social events.  🙂

If grocery shopping and meal preparation is exhausting, the bill for food keeps getting higher or you want to cut back on eating take-out food, try following your own designated menu for a few weeks.

As Thoreau said, “Our life if frittered away by detail, simplify! Simplify!”

Enough frittering with details about meals, shopping and preparation.  Get on with the important things:  enjoying a meal with your family, working on a startup, taking a walk; there are many excellent things to pursue.

Melissa AuClair writes about pursuing the location independent lifestyle at www.launchyourcreativelife.com.  Readers can learn how to bake near-perfect cookies (and why baking is part of a happy, full life) at www.bakeperfectcookies.com 

 

Categories
Health

Coffee Can Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence?

Drinking coffee is good for your health.

We’ve heard these studies before but now a new published report takes the claim a bit further.

This study reveals consuming an extra cup may stop or prevent the reoccurrence of breast cancer when taken with Tamoxifen.

Sound far-fetched?

Researchers at the University of Sweden don’t think so. They say it may be true: drinking coffee may help prevent the return of breast cancer.

Following 300 breast cancer patients for five years, researchers asked some to take Tamoxifen (a medication used for the treatment for early and advanced breast cancer) with coffee while the rest of the patients in the study refrained from coffee consumption and took their Tamoxifen on its own.

Participants in the study who drank two or more cups of coffee plus the Tamoxifen after breast cancer surgery had half the rate of cancer recurrence than that of the participants who did not drink coffee.

The researchers theorize that coffee acts to “activate Tamoxifen and make it more efficient.”

The connection between coffee consumption and a decreased risk in cancer is not new.
Other studies show coffee may slow the progression of cancer cells. Coffee has also been connected to a decreased risk of developing certain kinds of cancer including skin and colon cancer.

Lund University Associate Professor Helena Jernstrom stated, “We would like to know more about how lifestyle can interact with breast cancer treatment.

This is researcher talk for: we need to do more trials and research.

In the past year other studies pertaining to coffee and its effect on health have been published. Positive benefits of coffee drinking include:

• Decreased risk of diabetes
• Increased metabolism
• Increased heart health
• Longevity
• Decreased risk of stroke

Of course, if one doesn’t normally drink coffee, this study is not a green light to begin. Always check with your doctor before significantly altering your diet.

After all, going from no coffee to multiple cups of coffee may result in something you don’t want: a negative effect on the nerves!

Melissa AuClair blogs at www.launchyourcreativelife.com  She has worked in multiple areas including 8 years on medical-surgical floors as a RN.  She loves a good cup (or three) of coffee every morning. 
Categories
Food And Recipes

How to Make a Fabulous Zucchini Dinner

Spring is officially here and with spring come different vegetables to eat, cook and enjoy.

I want to share one of my absolute favorite vegetarian dishes with you.  It’s fairly easy to make, but after tasting it, your friends and family will think you are a gourmet cook- it is that good.

But first, a story.

My beloved grandfather, Grandpa H, was a cook in the navy during World War 2.  He cooked for an enormous amount of people day in and day out.   As a little girl I loved listening to the stories about the grueling schedule, the massive quantities of food made and the different meals he made as a navy cook, like roasting 100 turkeys for Christmas dinner or making dozens of cinnamon rolls (from scratch!)

The experience in the navy combined with working in high end restaurants in San Francisco, CA gave him an edge and special knowledge of working with food for the rest of his life.

Grandpa H.  could go to a restaurant, eat a meal and figure out the cook made it.  He could discern what spices were used.  He figured out the method and the ingredients.

Grandpa didn’t tell anyone his insight into a restaurant meal; if he liked something he went home and made it.  If he didn’t like something, he would just change it.  And it would taste great, better than the restaurant.

The following recipe was developed in just this manner.  The restaurant serving Baked Zucchini has long since closed its doors- probably several decades ago.  And to be honest, I don’t know the name of the restaurant.

So now I call this recipe, “Ed’s Baked Zucchini” in honor of my grandpa.

Ed’s Baked Zucchini

Budget Friendly:  Yes, especially if the vegetables can be bought at a Farmer’s Market

Complicated:  Medium, but doable for the novice home cook

Dishes Required:  Medium

Time:  An hour plus baked time.  However, once you make it a few times, it’s a fairly easy to put together and I’m confident you can do the prep work in about 25 minutes.  (my time to do it now).

First, you want to gather all your ingredients.  It’s easy to forget something as the mixing, sautéing and preparing begin.

Ingredients

4 Large Zucchini (the bigger the better)
6 slices of bread (whole wheat bread works really well) cubed into small pieces
1 onion
2 heads of garlic
2 Tbs. butter or olive oil
2 eggs
¼ salt for sauté
½ Tsp. Salt
¼ Tsp. Pepper for sauté
2 Tsp. (heaping) Italian Seasoning
½ cup Monterey Jack Cheese
Parmesan cheese
Paprika

Instructions

Cut the ends of the zucchini and slice them lengthwise, like a loaf of bread.  Set a large pot of water (Dutch oven size) on the stove to boil.  Add the zucchini and put the lid on.  Wait for the water to boil and then stick a fork into one of the spears of zucchini.  It should be firm but easily pierced.  (It takes about 25 minutes for this.   Another way to know the zucchini are almost done – the whole kitchen will fill with the fresh aroma of zucchini, much like fresh corn when it is boiled).

While the zucchini is boiling, chop the onion and garlic until they are in very small pieces.  In a small sauté pan, place 2 Tbs. of butter or olive oil and the onion and garlic.  Add the salt and pepper.  Allow the mixture to sauté for about 7 to 9 minutes.  The onions will become light brown and quite fragrant.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the cubed pieces of bread, the cheese, the Italian seasoning, ½ tsp of salt.  Add the sautéed onions and garlic.

By this time, the zucchini should be done.  Drain the water and have a 9×13 baking dish ready (you may need an additional 8×8 depending how long the zucchini are).

Take the zucchini and scoop out their soft fleshy insides and add it to the mixing bowl.  The zucchini are HOT.  I typically hold the hot zucchini with one hand wrapped in a hot pad (just toss the hot pad into the wash when done).

Place the shells of the zucchini in the 9×13 baking dish.

Mix together everything in the mixing bowl.  Add in the eggs.

Spoon the mix into the zucchini shells.  Top with crumbled parmesan cheese.  (My family used Kraft Parmesan Cheese for years).  Lightly sprinkle paprika on top.  (optional- it is nice for color)

Bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

This is one of my all-time favorite spring and summer recipes.  The process sounds complicated but it is more labor intensive (chopping an mixing) than difficult in technique.   To cut down on the work, grab a friend or family member for help.  Between two people, the chopping, mixing and dishes will be done in no time!

And then you can get on to the best part- the eating!

Don’t let the “vegetarian” aspect of this meal fool you.  It’s a fairly filling dish.  All that is needed is a lovely side salad.  Add a strawberry shortcake for dessert and it’s the perfect menu for a weekend meal.

Melissa AuClair works by day as a skin care and cosmetic consultant and a blogger and writer moving towards a location independent lifestyle by night.  You can follow her on Twitter @melissaauclair or on her blog http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com/blog 
Categories
Beauty

Protecting Our Biggest Organ

Spring is coming through to the East Coast and it’s time to get out and enjoy the beautiful (albeit, still a bit chilly) weather.

While you enjoy the weather- jogging, walking, biking, picnicking or chasing your kids and grandkids in the park- don’t forget to protect your skin.

Skin care simply means caring for your skin, our biggest organ, the one that protects us from an onslaught of potential hazards and diseases. Skin care has two goals:
1. Protect
2. Prevent
We can help prevent skin cancer and accelerated aging of our skin by protecting the skin from what is considered by doctors and skin experts as the skin’s number one enemy: the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Not to be contradictory, but a little bit of UV exposure is good. Natural sun light helps our bodies to make vitamin D, a substance necessary for bone strength and to fight certain diseases such as jaundice, rickets and psoriasis. Exposure to early morning light helps wakes us up and may even help ward off depression.

It’s the darn UVA and UVB rays that cause havoc on our skin.

The World Health Organization states, “Prolonged human exposure to UV solar radiation may result in acute and chronic health effects on the skin, eyes, and immune system.” The World Health Organization reports 2.5 million types of skin cancer diagnosed each year. Many are preventable.

Two types of damage harmful UV rays can incur: damage caused by sunburn (the scientific term is erythema) and the damage cause by photoaging. Photoaging is a fancy way of saying early wrinkles and sagging skin due to too much sun.

It’s Easy to Keep Skin Beautiful and Protected
We’ve all heard the statistics. But do you know how easy it is to take avoid preventable skin cancer and early wrinkles and sagging?

It takes about two minutes to protect skin in the morning and at night. You need two minutes twice a day and some very basic skin care products: a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer.  There are other helpful products but these three are the essentials.  Look for products that are free of alcohol, paraben and added fragrances.  These products are more gentle and nourishing.

Protecting the skin- specifically your face and neck where most of the exposure hits- entails is washing the face, using a toner and basic protective moisturizer and an eye cream. Make sure the day cream has a SPF in it (or use a SPF on top of the moisturizer). Day creams act to protect the skin while night creams work to restore the stress of the day and heal the damage of the day.

We have enough on our plate to worry about. Skin cancer and premature aging don’t need to be among our list of concerns.

Beauty = healthy. Healthy is clean and protected. Wash, Tone, Moisturize. Two minutes. Easy and breezy and done.

Melissa AuClair works by day as a skin care and cosmetic consultant and a blogger and writer moving towards a location independent lifestyle by night. You can follow her on Twitter @melissaauclair or on her blog http://www.launchyourcreativelife.com/blog

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