Block it with B

Completely weeding out MSG from your diet is difficult but experts say, it's easy to protect yourself. One easy way is taking a daily dose of vitamin B12. This vitamin is used to make the protective myelin sheath that surrounds nerves, so it helps maintain a healthy brain. And what's really great about this vitamin is that it begins working within an hour of ingestion. So go ahead and ask your doc about supplementing with B12.

Secure Online Backup

Even with the so many gadgets available in the market, storing files have always been a big concern to most of us. It's a good thing this is not limited to hardware and having to buy your own gadget. You can find thousands of sites from the world wide web offering to secure your files. Some offer secure online backup for free, some comes with a price. This service works well with both Mac and Windows systems, and if you have multiple computers, you can save a lot of money because you can use a single account to back up all your files. It always pays to have a back up, do it now before it's too late.

Looking at the sky on Friday (28)

These photos were snapped right in front of my house whileI was at the terrace. I love watching sunsets and I'm blessed to have a beautiful view of it every day.

Happy sky watching everyone and I'm wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Treating A Cold

Drugstores are filled with products promising relief from cold symptoms. But I'd think twice before medicating. I recently read that cold medicines that mask symptoms do nothing to shorten illness. Plus, they often contain ingredients that trigger side effects like fatigue and mental fog. It's always better to rely on natural remedies when symptoms strike. Here's one way to treat sore throat and stuffiness. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 cup lukewarm water, then gargle. This solution also works as a nasal rinse to clear stuffiness. Each rinsing washes away 90 % of germs causing the infection. To treat nasal passages: Pour a bit of saltwater into your palm, block one nostril with the other hand and gently sniff the liquid into the open nostril. Repeat on the opposite side.

Mellow Yellow Monday #33

Hope these beautiful yellow flowers will brighten up your Monday morning. Happy MYM to all!

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.

Breathe Easy

If you're like most moms, then you're probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown. What with all the holiday preparations, gifts you had to wrap, all the parties you had to attend and dishes you had to prepare - just thinking all about these makes your body ache all over. You need a break mommy! Why not book for orlando vacations even just for the weekend? A good break can leave you feeling fresh and ready for the holiday tasks ahead.

Sam has seen better days

Good old Sam is acting up again. I couldn't get myself to complete my ec drops because my laptop has gotten really slow. Last week, hubs brought Sam to Gilmore to have its system memory upgraded. We thought that would help but the technician told him that even if we upgrade the system memory, it still won't work as fast because Sam is too old. For the time being, I still need Sam's service. Hopefully, in a couple of months, I'd be able to buy the pink Lenovo and give old Sam a rest.

Mellow Yellow Monday #30

Mmmm...

Outsmart Flu with Garlic

The pungent garlic doesn't only work to inhibit LDL (bad cholesterol). As a top source of immune-boosting allicin, it increases the body's production of white blood cells to fight off bacterial and viral infections. Experts recommend adding fresh garlic (chopping raw garlic is the only way to activate the antioxidant) daily to any meals. This will help cut cold risk by 57 percent.

Here's an added perk: Consuming 2 teaspoons daily of raw minced garlic can stave off weight gain. Thanks to garlic's sulfur compounds, these break down fats in the bloodstream before they can enter fat cells. Plus, sulfur combats cravings by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Filled With Joy

A few months ago, my aunt couldn't climb a plight of stairs without feeling out of breath, at 188 lbs., she was at her heaviest. So as an attempt to restore her health, my cousins asked their family doctor for help. He recommended the best weight loss pill and taught my aunt a set of physical activity. After just a few months, she felt better and is proud to have escaped scary medical conditions, including sleep apnea and hypertension. She's only halfway through her target weight but she's already filled with unspeakable joy.