Steel-cut Oats

Nothing beats morning hunger like carbs, but the feeling of satiation doesn't last long. After only half an hour after eating, you crave for more. I recently came across an article about steel-cut oats, they're also know as coarse-cut oats, pin-head oats, Scotch oats, or Irish oats. Although they take a longer time to prepare, they have a lower glycemic index than that of regular oats.

Adding steel-cut oats to baked goods can extend the time it takes for your system to digest home-baked carbs. This is because steel-cut oats contain 2 grams soluble and 4 grams insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber is the most common kind and you've probably heard that it lowers LDL [bad cholesterol]. Soluble fiber on the other hand, plays a major role in digestion. It dissolves in water and forms a kind of gelatin in the gut. This dramatically slows digestion and allows the sugars in the treat to reach the bloodstreeam little by little. This does not only result to a feeling of fullness, but it also gives you a steady supply of energy that lasts four to five hours.

The next time you're baking your own bread, add steel-cut oats or when you're buying, ask the baker if they have some goodies with steel-cut oats.

Photo credits: Wikipedia

"Restricted"

I recently read about a recent study made by some medical professionals, they came to a conclusion that banning of R-rated movies does not only spare our kids from sex and violence. Their inclination to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes may also be avoided. They found out that teens and tweens who were restricted from watching such movies were less likely to try smoking and drinking than those kids who watched.

Hubs and our son love to watch action and war films. They would ask me to cook popcorn or prepare some snacks on weekends so they have something to munch on while seated on their favorite Faux Leather Armchair watching their favorite war films. As soon as I found out that those stylish arm chairs were on sale, I ordered immediately so they would be comfortable during their bonding time. Anyways, back to the story.

Although we allow him to watch those movies, we make sure he is supervised. It was such a relief to know that kids who were supervised are also at a lower risk for these behaviors. We parents should take the entertainment media more seriously and make an effort to find out what they're really watching and carefully consider the kinds of behaviors these films are modeling for our kids. It's not so bad to allow them to watch as long as you supervise. I'd rather allow my son to watch at least in my presence. It's better for us to expose him to it rather than have somebody else do it.

WW # 20 - The Thinker

Do-it-yourself Decaf

There is no doubt that drinking green tea does a body good, but having five or more cups a day can give you the jitters. Too many may pump your body with enough caffeine to induce it. But wait, I'm not saying you lessen your intake, you can still enjoy it as much as you can and still benefit from its disease-fighting antioxidants. How? Make it decaf. Steep the tea for 30 seconds, then dump out the water (along with the caffeine). Pour in new water and steep for three to four minutes more , then sip and enjoy. You'll eliminate 90% of caffeine, yet still benefit from it.


photo credits: www.asia.ru

Awards Galore!!!

Yeehah! Three lovely ladies who are very dear to me gave me the first award. I'd like to thank Cheryl of Pancakes to Pearls, Shydub of Simple Happy Life and Polly of Random Ramblings for graciously giving me the Blog Love Award.

The next one, The Butterfly Award, is again from Cheryl and Rose of All About Cakes. This Butterfly award has been going around for some time and this is not the first time I have received this but I'd like to thank both ladies for passing it on to me.

The Triple Awards came from Lanne of Crocodile Soup for the Soul. Thank you my dear for sharing the Lemonade, Sisterhood and Best Friends awards with me.

The last three awards are from Polly. Thank you again Polly, you really are a darling! I truly appreciate that I'm never forgotten when it comes to giving awards.

I'm passing these awards to more beautiful bloggers, feel free to grab them all or choose the ones you like.

Karen @ Karen & Gerard Zemek
Harriet @ I Am Harriet
Enchie @ Sweet Nothings
Blueviolet @ A Nut in a Nutshell
Duni @ Lovely Purses
Sandee @ Comedy Plus
Toni @ It is nap time

The Stamp Champ

For all your rubber stamp needs, visit Rubber Stamp Champ. It's your online resource for rubber stamps, including self-inking stamps, address stamps, hand stamps, custom rubber stamp, notary stamps, numbering stamps and machines, embossers, inks, pads and many more. The site has a design wizard that will help you customize your own rubber stamps in whatever size, shape and color you want. Check their specials and avail of discounts, the site also offers free shipping on orders over $10.

Don't be too complacent

I got a call from my aunt in New York last night. She was emotional while telling me about the burglary that happened earlier. Some people broke in their house while they were out with my cousin, who's visiting from Japan. A lot of their possessions where stolen, Rolex watches, jewelries, plasma tv and even my uncle's elliptical was not spared. Their security system did not even scare off the burglars. I am just thankful that nobody's home when it happened, at least nobody was hurt. We shouldn't be complacent in hard times like this because our homes are not safe from burglars.

WW - Waiting for More Eggs

You can view more Wordless Wednesday photos. Happy WW to all!

New Found Way to lower HB

Want to know the secret in an inexpensive, effective and free of side effects way of lowering your blood pressure? Relaxation Response, and it only takes 20 minutes a day! It's a simple practice that once learned can relieve stress and tension.

The Masachussets General Hospital Heart Center conducted a study which consists of focusing on a word, sound or prayer to help the body enter a resting state with lower heart rate, breathing and blood pressure. It turned out that those who practiced the relaxation response for 20 minutes a day for eight weeks were over four times more likely to get off one of their medications. We all know that once you have high blood pressure, you have to take medication for maintenance. High Blood pressure runs in my family and this relaxation response can help a lot.

Ultimate Paintball

One of the things my son is looking forward to this coming summer vacation is playing paintball sniper with some of his friends. When he asked for permission if he could join his friends, hubs and I readily agreed because we know that it's not only going to be fun but he will learn a lot from it. You see, paintball is a strategic game and you have to think fast to outwit your opponents. This early, he's already looking for a paintball gear. He wants to have an idea how much it would cost so he could save some of his allowance. Isn't he sweet? I was so touched, I wasn't expecting that from him.

Veggies for Men

Several months ago, I posted an article about the benefits of vegetables to men, but here's another great reason why men should eat more veggies, eating meat can lead to impotence. Meat, eggs and dairy products contain cholesterol that can clog the arteries, affecting blood flow around the body. This greatly influences the heart and the rest of the body's organs, including the penis. To avoid impotence, encourage your husbands to eat more vegetables.

Get Rid of Toxins

Are you getting confused? Every time you search for diet pills, you see more and more labels touting the all-natural, lose weight fast, curb your cravings, lose those fats forever, qualities of their products. It's pretty hard to determine which one of those would really work for you and some companies are just jumping in the "pill fad" to make some bucks.

If you're on a hunt for something that will help you lose weight and not make you feel sick or nervous, try Orovo detox. Some of its users say it sustains hunger better, they've been dropping weight and they feel more energetic even without much exercise.

Do it for yourself.

Every time a new year begins, we all have that one or two things that we would like to fix about ourselves. But whether it is quitting smoking, breaking a pattern of unhealthy relationships, eating right and exercising more or deciding to get the best diet pills, you have to have the desire to change for yourself. If you are going to do it for somebody else, forget it because it won't last. It's one of the reasons why people break new year resolutions. If you want to change, you have to want it for yourself.

WW - The Curly Poinsettia

3 Awards

The Little Prince's mummy and Lanne at Crocodile Soup shared their triple awards with me. Thank you Ladies! I truly appreciate that you thought of me.

Here are the rules for the recipients:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I wish to pass these awards to:

Boleh! Boleh!
Happy Moments, Happy Thoughts
My Children N Me
My Barefoot Journey
On The Verge
Irresistible Fascinations
Nisha's world and baby Alisha
Ness Journal
Kidd Designs
UmmiRosma

IT Consulting Services

Whether we admit it or not, we are facing recession. We hear news about big businesses closing down, cutbacks on employment, prices of goods continue to escalate, and collection has gotten really tough. Businesses and families alike are getting nervous, wondering how long this will last.

For a business, either big or small, to survive in this kind of situation, one should look for tools or services on how to optimize their business performance. Something like what manhattan it consulting offers. Someone who would assist you in running your business efficiently and effectively using proactive network maintenance and support programs. They are one of the nation's leading IT Consulting firms and they will help you find the right IT solution and make it work for you. I am not talking about having an in-house IT Department. Neither am I saying that you have to be an IT specialist to succeed. The company offers services that will take care of all your technology needs so you can focus more on your business.

Give your company the edge and get the most comprehensive IT outsourcing solutions that will enhance your IT capabilities and give you the knowledge to handle any aspect of your technology needs. Click on the link for more info.

Sleep and Sweets

Getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night ensures the lowest risk of diabetes. If you only get five hours or less, the risk almost doubles. A new study shows that losing just an hour of sleep a night lowers insulin sensitivity, increasing the risk of diabetes. Oooops, I am so guilty of this, I normally have 5 to 6 hours of sleep daily and a nap in the afternoon. That also explains my cravings for sweets because I also read that when we are deprived of sleep, our body craves for sweets and fatty foods.

To lower the risk of diabetes, experts suggest staying away from sweets and fatty snacks during the times that we don't get enough sleep. Exercise is also recommended to help the body process sugar normally.

Holiday Pounds

It's the time of the year again when a lot of women are stressed thinking how to lose the "Holiday 10" [or 20] they gained during the Christmas season. After splurging on cakes and cookies, I'm glad I'm back to normal eating, but the hard part is losing those extra pounds. A friend told me I need something like Decaslim to shed off the pounds naturally and increase my overall health. I have not considered taking the pill to lose weight but after reading the reviews and researching the ingredients, I think I need this fat burner.

WW 17 - The War Room

Put Out The Fire

Are you suffering from heartburn/acid reflux? Overeating or too much food in the tummy or too much pressure on the stomach causes heartburn. But don't worry, it has nothing to do with the heart, it's merely an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acid. I have also read that occasional heartburn is not serious but chronic heartburn may indicate something serious and may lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease.

If you're worried about it, stay away from fatty and oily foods, tomatoes, chocolate, coffee, garlic, onions, citrus fruits and peppermint. Stress and smoking are also great contributors.

To sidestep it, follow these easy steps: SLEEP ON YOUR LEFT SIDE. According to experts, the esophagus curves as it enters your stomach and sleeping on your left forces it into a sharper angle. That way, acid can't rise easily. EAT MORE PROTEIN. Protein is a muscle builder and it can strengthen the sphincter, the muscle at the end of the esophagus, that can prevent stomach acid from rising. BEND WITH YOUR KNEES, NOT YOUR BACK. Bending at your waist puts more pressure on your stomach and that can force acids up, causing heartburn.