Tag: Food

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exercise Healthcare

7 Herbal Teas That Calm Anxiety

According to nonprofit organization Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the number one mental health problem in America, affecting about 18 percent of the population (40 million adults over 18 years of age).  Adding herbal teas to your daily diet and routine can be both a healthy and convenient way to soothe feelings of anxiety. Stay away from teas that contain caffeine, as caffeine is known to increase anxiety. Below are just 7 of the many natural herbal tea remedies that can help you relax.

1. Kava
Kava is by far the most well-known and well-researched herbal treatment available for controlling anxiety symptoms. Many have likened the effects of kava to a very common anxiety drug called Buspar, and kava itself appears to have all of the qualities of an effective herbal remedy – it’s non-addictive and can be taken as needed, it’s safe, and it is completely natural. However, there are a few things to note about kava tea. First, the kava tea you buy at a grocery store is not strong enough to combat anxiety. You need 300 or so kavalactones a day at some estimates, and basic teas only provide 30 to 50 – not enough to feel any effects. You’ll need to buy a more pure kava herbal tea, like the ones sold in tea shops. You’ll also need to combine it with something that has fat in it, like butter or coconut milk.

2. Passionflower Tea
Passionflower tea is “kava-lite.” It’s not nearly as strong as kava and fewer studies have confirmed its benefits, but many people swear that Passionflower has provided them with the same relaxation effects as kava without the same risk of side effects.
Because passionflower’s “dosing” isn’t quite as well known, it’s unclear whether store-bought teas provide enough of the flavonoids that make passionflower effective. Research has only focused on “drops” of passionflower extract, usually around 30 drops three times a day. In tea, the amount of flavonoids compared to a “drop” is much less clear. It’s best to start small and work your way up, seeing if there is any effect along the way.

3. Valerian Root Tea
Valerian root is unique, in that while it is not designed for anxiety, many people find that the calming nature of valerian is extremely effective for soothing anxiety symptoms. Valerian’s traditional use is as a sleep aid. Many people use valerian root to help them get to sleep when they’re suffering from insomnia.
But those same calming properties may have an effect on anxiety as well. In this case, valerian is dealing with anxiety symptoms directly, not the anxiety itself. Valerian root should be taken carefully until you know how it affects you. The tea should be taken at night at first to see if it helps aid your sleep. If you decide it is providing you with the effects you’d hoped for, try taking it during the day, but make sure that you avoid driving until you know how fatigued it makes you feel.

4. St. John’s Wort
The St. John’s wort plant has yellow flowers and is considered to be a weed throughout most of the United States. It has been used for medical purposes in other parts of the world for thousands of years. Today, St. John’s wort is continually being studied to try to validate its alleged mood-improving benefits.
Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of St. John’s wort. Some studies have suggested benefit, but other studies have not. While the true benefits of St. John’s wort are still being explored, if you do choose to use it, be sure to learn all you can and check with your doctor before taking it. St. John’s wort can interact with other medicines or supplements you may be taking and may have side effects.

5. Chamomile 
A study in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology shows that patients who received chamomile treatment experienced a significant change in the severity of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms. The herb has been used to calm nerves, decrease indigestion and calm the stomach. Steep 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile in a cup of boiling water, three times a day for about two months.
Chamomile has been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years to calm anxiety and settle stomachs. In the U.S., chamomile is best known as an ingredient in herbal tea. 

6. Peppermint 
Peppermint has several medicinal qualities. In addition to helping to calm anxiety, (mostly associated with other issues like depression), peppermint is also known to help relieve symptoms associated with the common cold, upset stomach, skin irritations, indigestion and headaches. To drink in a tea, combine 1 cup of boiling water and 1 teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves and let it steep for 10 minutes. You can drink peppermint tea about four or five times a day (between meals). However, it’s a good idea to check with a doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

7. Lemon Balm 
Lemon balm has been used to help reduce stress and anxiety, as well as increase appetite, improve sleep, heal wounds, ease pain, treat stings and other insect bites. The herb is commonly combined with other herbs, such as chamomile, to help calm nerves. Steep about a quarter to 1 teaspoon of dried lemon balm in hot water up to four times a day.

Source: CalmClinic & eHow Food 

Categories
Recipe Sports Super Bowl

Happy Super Bowl Sunday: Here’s An Idea For Your Feast

Happy Super Bowl Sunday to everyone! It’s that special day of the year for sports that has something for everyone. Maybe your team is finally in the big game or maybe you’re a diehard football fan and just want to see a good matchup. Maybe you’re the occasional fan who makes the day more interesting with Super Bowl pools or maybe you’re just in it for the commercials and the half time show. And if none of that interests you, there is still the food. Oh the glorious amounts of super eats for Super Bowl Sunday!

No Super Bowl party is complete without its share of tailgate delectable. Buffalo wings are a staple today. Other fan favorites can be chilli, seven layer dip, pizza, jalapeño poppers or whatever else you’re into. It’s a day certainly built around eating foods you don’t need a table for. Just a napkin, maybe, and your mouth. But me, I’m a burger man so today I’ll be making my take on Wendy’s bacon mushroom cheddar melt. And I don’t usually do this but today I will make an exception. I’m going to tell you just how to prepare this artery clogger of deliciousness.

The first thing we need to talk about is what we do to prepare the burgers. It’s still early so quick, run and get yourself a bottle of Samuel Adams. No, don’t drink it! Pour that brew into a ziplock bag with some sirloin burgers. Use a second bottle if one was not enough to submerge the burgers like a marinade. Sam Adams is a strong beer but it is also one of the worlds most tastiest beers and when the alcohol cooks off, it’s going to give the burger a nice sweet taste. Oh and let’s not forget that Sam Adams is made right here in the USA. So once we’ve marinated our burgers in America’s finest beer and we are ready to grill them up, only season with some salt and pepper and throw them on the grill. If no grill, use a pan. It’s all good.

I don’t want you to make a rookie mistake here, don’t flip the burgers too much, you’ll dry them out and then you might as well just buy them from Wendy’s. While you’re burgers are going or even a little while before, you should be sizzling up some bacon and sautéing some mushrooms. And in a small pot or sauce pan goes a can of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup. This soup is the perfect consistency to match Wendy’s cheese sauce.

After my mushrooms are sautéed, I like to dice em up and throw them into the soup. So once everything is done and your burgers are just about done, place a thin slice of cheddar cheese on each burger. To assemble this treat, start with your bottom bun. Place a bit of the cheese sauce on the bottom of the bun followed by your sirloin burger. Then the bacon is placed on the burger and over the bacon goes a healthy scoop of your cheese and mushroom sauce. Top with the bun and enjoy! But have plenty of napkins because its about to get messy. I hope I’ve given you guys and gals a good suggestion for your Super Bowl feast.

Everyone out there, we at EZKOOL.com wish you an enjoyable and safe Super Bowl Sunday!

Categories
Tid Bits

Pastor’s “No Tip” Note Gets Applebees Worker Fired

Another person goes to a restaurant, got served, and decides to leave a note instead of a tip. We recently told you about a guy leaving a note blaming president Obama for there being no tip for his waiter. Now, a pastor is doing the same thing. The only difference is the pastor apparently thinks the waitress should not get 18%, because he gives only 10% to God.

That’s what his note said.

The waitress posted the note on Reddit with the title “My mistake sir, I’m sure Jesus will pay for my rent and groceries.” She said the post was done to show the humor of the whole situation, but users of the site began deciphering the Pastor’s signature until his identity was known.

The pastor contacted Applebees and demanded that the waitress and managers on duty at the time he was served be fired. Chelsea (the waitress) claimed she was then terminated.

“When I posted this, I didn’t represent Applebee’s in a bad light,” she said. “In fact, I didn’t represent them at all. I did my best to protect the identity of all parties involved. I didn’t break any specific guidelines in the company handbook — I checked.”

“But because this person got embarrassed that their selfishness was made public, Applebee’s has made it clear that they would rather lose a dedicated employee than lose an angry customer. That’s a policy I can’t understand.”

Categories
job creation Politics Republican Texas

Texas Residents Are Number 2 In The United States… In Hunger

Either Rick Perry is a liar, or he just doesn’t know the residents of his state that well.

The Texas governor recently announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination to take on Barack Obama in the 2012 Presidential elections, and he often quotes his “success” in Texas as his main qualification for president. But if this new report is true, the question begs to be asked – why exactly are Texas residents the second hungriest folks in the nation?

Yes, despite Perry’s claims that Texas has the best economy in the nation, and despite his claims that his state produced more jobs than any other state, why are the people wanting for something as basic as food?

From the USDA report;

An estimated 85.5 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2010, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.5 percent) were food insecure at least some time during the year, including 5.4 percent with very low food security—meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food.

So where do Texans  falls? Well in 2010, under the auspicious leadership of Mr. Perry, 18.8% of residents reported not having enough food at some point during the year. That number was only second to Mississippi’s 19.4% who made the same claim.

This report shows the emptiness of Perry’s job creation claim. Although data shows that 4 out of every 10 jobs recently created in the nation came from Texas, something is drastically wrong if the citizens of your state still can’t afford to buy food. But there is no surprise here. Although Perry’s claim is partly correct, the fact remains the same – Texas leads the nation in minimum wage jobs.

Texas has more people earning the federal minimum wage or less than any other state and is tied with Mississippi for the highest percentage of minimum-wage workers. New York follows Texas and Mississippi by three percentage points.

Categories
Politics Republican Party (United States) United States

Republicans To Americans – E.Coli Is Not Important

House Republicans just voted to defund our only protection against E-Coli – a disease that is contracted by eating contaminated foods like fruits and vegetables. The Microbiological Data Program was responsible for the screening and testing of these food products, but Republicans have voted to shut it down.

The House last month approved a bill that would end funding for the 10-year-old Microbiological Data Program, which tests about 15,000 annual samples of vulnerable produce such as sprouts, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, cantaloupe and cilantro for pathogens including salmonella and E. coli

Defunding this agency makes it more possible for Corporations to cut corners in the food preparations industries, thus, increasing the likelihood that more contaminated produce will be served on our tables.

At a time when “48 million foodborne illness cases occur in the United States every year,” and  “at least 128,000 Americans are hospitalized, and 3,000 die after eating contaminated food,” the Republican controlled House of Representatives’ decision to defund this important food screening agency is just another example of the Republican  motto:  “Corporations Over The American People”.

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