Looking at the sky on Friday (27)

The sun hid under the clouds and it looked like it was going to rain hard because the clouds were so dark and looked heavy. I'm glad it didn't.

Have a great weekend everyone. Happy sky watching!

The Balancing Act

Protect yourself for future fractures by practicing your balance skills now. Broken bones caused by falls are a major reason many older people become disabled. Start with this easy test: Stand barefoot on a flat surface while a friend times you and protects you from falling. Close your eyes and bend one knee, lifting the foot about 6 inches off the floor. See how long you can hold the position without teetering. Experts say, a healthy adult should be able to hold this position for at least 15 seconds. Practicing this test often can help build up your balancing skills. Doing Pilates or tai chi will also help.

Smile with Confidence

So many people are using teeth whitening but they don't know all the facts about it. This keeps them from possibly benefiting by whitening their teeth. Some of us may not realize that there are teeth whitening methods at various cost levels. The good thing is, you do not have to continue being embarrassed because of your discolored teeth. The choices vary from the easy-to-use and affordable dental strips to the pricey treatments of dental whitening. With a bit of research, you can find clinics that offer treatments at affordable prices, such as Plano cosmetic dentist.

Wondering whether teeth whitening is worth the cost and inconvenience? The answer is YES because of its many benefits, boosting your self confidence and making you feel more attractive, to name a few.

Mindless Eating

Chocolate was the one thing that always eased my tension. And my relentless juggling act of managing the store, chores and parenting had me rummaging through the fridge quite often. Do you think appetite suppressant pills will put an end to emotional eating? I've been meaning to try one of these just to break the cycle. I've done some readings about stress overeating and found that appetite suppressants actually helped some women win the battle.

Oh no! Another price hike!

As of 12 midnight, the oil price hike was implemented by the 3 major oil companies here in the Philippines. And because of that, I'm sure prices of goods will increase including medicine. It's a good thing my dad has a Medicare supplement insurance and it covers both brand name and generic prescription drugs at participating pharmacies. He is diabetic and I'm sure you know how expensive his medicines are. This kind of insurance provides protection for those who have very high drug costs or from unexpected prescription drug bills in the future.

Oklahoma Lawyers

When facing criminal charges, having the proper legal representation in Oklahoma courts can make a significant difference in legal matters. And when the stakes are high, choosing the right lawyers is the key. The Law Offices of Slane Phillips website allows you to choose an Oklahoma attorney responsibly for effective results. With their lawyers having track records of dealing with certain types of cases and with years and years of trial experience, you can be sure to get positive results in or out of court. Choose from among their list of highly competitive lawyers and give yourself the legal experience you certainly deserve.

Mellow Yellow Monday #32

Happy Mellow Yellow Monday everyone!

Soy and Whey Benefits

In addition to aiding in weight loss and increasing energy, soy and whet each provide an array of bonus health perks due to their very different antioxidant profiles. Here's what you can get when you add soy and whey to your daily diet.

Erase signs of aging. Soy is rich in isoflavones, antioxidants that boost production of collagen, the connective tissue that increases skin's elasticity to make it firmer, stronger and younger looking.

Eliminate cramps, mood swings and hot flashes. Soy contains natural plant-based estrogens called phytoestrogens that balance hormonal fluctuations. Recent studies show that consuming 20 grams of soy protein daily ( equivalent to three 8 oz. glasses of soy milk or two 4 oz. servings of tofu) reduced cramps, mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats by 40 %.

Short-circuit stress and end mood swings. Whey is packed with the amino acid tryptophan, a building block of the brain's mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin. Consuming just 20 grams of whey daily ups brain levels of tryptophan by 48 %, increasing serotonin and helping you feel calmer.

Replace fat with muscle. Following exercise with a whey shake or glass of skim milk can double fat burn. According to research, subjects who took whey gained 40 % more lean muscle, enough to help them burn up to 50 % more body fat.

Looking at the sky on Friday (26)

Have a fun and great weekend everyone!

Mellow Yellow Monday #31

How about dining in this cozy little restaurant?

Looking at the sky on Friday (25)

It's been cloudy and rainy the past days because of a low pressure area. So when the sun started to shine the other day, I took out the camera and made a shot. It was gone again after a few minutes.

Click the badge for more gorgeous sky photos. Happy sky watching!!!

A Cup of Spinach a Day

Tiredness does not stand a chance against spinach's abundant stores of magnesium and potassium. That's because magnesium flushes fatigue-inducing sodium from cells and ushers in potassium, which is essential for converting sugar into energy. Consuming a cup of cooked spinach everyday could double your energy levels in as little as one week.

But Popeye's pick does not only give you energy, 1 cup of raw spinach delivers 200 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin K. The nutrient helps reduce calcification of the arteries (a leading cause of heart disease) by 95 percent in three weeks. This green is also packed with vitamins A and C, nutrients that thwart the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol), preventing it from accumulating on blood vessel walls.s

And if you're one of those who suffer from chronic headaches, noshing on spinach every day can reduce the frequency and severity by up to 50 percent. This is because of spinach's riboflavin, a B complex vitamin that makes the brain more resistant to headache triggers like stress.

But what I love most about these yummy greens is the fact that it makes you slim. A cup packs only 41 calories and delivers 25 percent of the daily recommended dietary allowance of calcium, which binds to fats in the intestines and shuttles them out of the body before they can be absorbed. Plus, calcium suppresses the body's output of calcitriol, a hormone that promotes fat storage in the belly. Regularly consuming spinach helps melt pounds twice the usual rate.

So you see, there's more to it than just energy. Eat them every day and you're on your way to a slim and healthy body.