Good to know how beer and coffee gives us different outcomes. Read about it below and see if you agree!
Your brain on BEER vs. COFFEE
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Author Archives: Miss P
MENOPAUSE TEA
Menopause marks the end of menstruation, which happens at around the age of 50. There can be disorientating side effects such as hot flashes and memory loss. Clary sage is a great mood enhancer and also balances the hormones, place a few drops on to a handkerchief and inhale as required throughout the day. To reduce the incidence of night sweats, take a bath before bed, simply add a few drops to a warm bath.
MENOPAUSE TEA
Motherwort is a traditional remedy for helping ease the body through the transition. Drink motherwort tea as often as needed, prepared in the tetsubin cast iron teapot:
1. Steep 25g. (1 ounce) dried motherwort in a cup of boiling water.
2. Leave to infuse for ten minutes, strain and then drink while still warm.
You can also try:
NETTLE TONIC
1. Place several handfuls of nettle tops in a large saucepan
2. Cover with boiling water
3. Boil for 30 minutes
4. Strain through a muslin cloth and drink as needed.
CELLULITE NATURAL TREATMENTS
Dimples on the face are usually considered attractive, dimples on your thighs and buttocks, not so much. Cellulite is very common for women and has been for years. That’s why our grandmothers found ways to deal with it.
Cellulite shows up when a pocket of fat beneath the skin pushes on the connective tissue, creating a cottage cheese effect. Women are particularly prone to cellulite because their connective tissue is softer than that of men. Usually the troublesome bumps appear on the buttocks, hips and thighs. Try the following natural homemade treatments:
To make effective massage oil, pour a little more than ¾ cup of wheat germ oil over a handful of fresh ivy leaves and let steep for two weeks in a sealed container in a warm location. Strain and mix in 2 drops of rosemary oil. Rub into your trouble spots daily, using circular motions.
Other oils such as cinnamon, lavender, chamomile, clove, rosemary, and sandalwood, can be mixed with a base oil to create massage oil for cellulite patches.
Potatoes possess remarkable healing powers, including the ability to tighten your connective tissue. To take advantage of this, peel one raw potato and spread thin slices onto the skin affected by cellulite. Cover with cotton cloth and let work for 15 minutes.
Create your own mixture to tighten the subcutaneous tissue by boiling about 3 tablespoons ivy leaves in 1/2 liter of water for 2 minutes, then strain. Moisten cotton cloths with the cooled liquid and apply to the affected areas once a day for 20 minutes.
Massaging sea salt into your moist skin can also be effective. Do it after taking a shower, then rinse off with warm water.
Also remember, that diet and exercise are also key to preventing cellulite. First and foremost, people carrying excess pounds must slim down.
From: Natural Remedies for Healthy Living , The Readers Digest Association,2011
Smoky Baby Back Ribs
Smoky, sticky, falling-off-the-bone ribs are easier than you think.
- PREP: 15 MINS
- TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS
- SERVINGS: 6
INGREDIENTS
- 2 racks baby back pork ribs (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
- 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning
- 3 tablespoons smoked or sweet paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
- Chipotle Sauce (see Cook’s Notes)
COOK’S NOTE
Chipotle Sauce
Stir together 1 cup chili sauce, 1/4 cup chopped chipotle chiles in adobo, and 2 tablespoons honey.
COOKING DIRECTIONS
- Prep the ribs: Depending on how the butcher has trimmed the ribs, there may be a tough, rubbery membrane on the underside. If so, score meat between bones (being careful not to cut the meat) and pull membrane away.
- To cook on the grill, set up grill for indirect cooking: arrange heat source (charcoal or gas) on one side of grill and heat to medium-high.
- Combine brown sugar, 1/3 cup salt, 1 teaspoon ground pepper, Cajun seasoning, paprika, cayenne, and ground mustard. Reserve half the rub for later use (store in an airtight container, up to a month). Working with 1 rack at a time, lay a large piece of parchment-lined foil on a work surface, place rack on parchment, and liberally coat both sides with rub.
- Place rib packets on cooler side of grill, standing them upright on long sides. Cover grill and cook until a knife can pierce meat with no resistance, about 2 1/2 hours (if using a charcoal grill, add a couple handfuls of coals every half hour to maintain 300 degrees).
- Fold foil and parchment around ribs, crimping the edges together to form a packet.
- Remove ribs from grill, unwrap, and brush with Chipotle Sauce. If using a charcoal grill, lift grate to carefully spread out hot coals. On a gas grill, place ribs directly over heat source. Grill until sauce is bubbling and ribs are lightly charred, 2 minutes per side, brushing with more sauce if desired.
- To cook in the oven, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place rib packets on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until a knife can pierce meat with no resistance, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove ribs from oven. Heat broiler. Unwrap ribs, place on sheet, and brush with Chipotle Sauce.
- Broil until sauce is bubbling and ribs are lightly charred, about 5 minutes, brushing with more sauce if desired.
The Beginning of the Insanity
Imagine there was a time when bottled water didn’t exist in our catalog of popular commodities. Perhaps the trend started in 1976 when the chic French sparkling water, Perrier made its introduction. There it was seductively bottled in its emerald green glass amongst the era of disco and the spectacle of excesses . . . who could resist right?!
What could be more decadent than to package, sell and consume what most consider (in the western world) a common human right easily supplied through a home faucet! It wasn’t until the 1990s when bottled H2O became an everyday common sight and a symbol of our cultural desire towards fitness and “health-consciousness”. Even today health enthusiasts claim drinking water often helps to “detox and boost the metabolism!”
There have been controversies about chemicals leeching into the water from the soft plastic material of bottles, but the FDA determined the containers “do not pose a health risk to consumers.” IBISWorld reports that the “U.S. is the largest consumer for bottled water in the world, followed by Mexico, China, and Brazil”.
PUMPKIN SPICE CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE
INGREDIENTS
3 cups of sifted all purpose flour
2 cups of granulated sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
3 sticks of softened butter
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
6 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp, of salt
mix ins:
1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts
2/3 cup of English toffee bits
spices:
2 tsp. of cinnamon
1/2 tsp. each of allspice and ground ginger
1/4 tsp. of ground nutmeg
OR:
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and generously butter and flour a tube pan with a removable bottom. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy.
Add the cream cheese and pumpkin puree and whip until fully incorporated. Next, add the eggs one at a time alternatively with the dry ingredients mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all ingredients have been added, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes stopping periodically to scrape the sides of the bowl. Be careful not to over mix the batter or it can make the cake dry. Fold the toffee bits and toasted walnuts into the batter by hand.
Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared tube pan and bounce the cake pan on the counter a few times to remove any excessive air bubbles from the batter.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 1 1/2- 1 3/4 hours. Oven temperatures vary, so, always test for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester. Cool for one hour in the pan before removing the outer cake pan. Cool completely before removing the bottom of the pan. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea, coffee or with a drizzle of caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Cook’s note:
To toast the chopped walnuts, place onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Cool completely before adding to the cake batter.
LUCKY PENNY VASE
The Penny Vase
After we moved into our new place I noticed that our book shelf needed something on it to fill the gap between it and the ceiling so I started collecting vases and bottles to use for décor. This big beautiful blue floral vase was left in the house by the previous people – the colour didn’t fit with our current decor so I spiced it up by covering it with pennies. And since Canada has phased out the penny I thought this was the perfect ode to the penny. Continue reading
15 FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE BRAIN
The Human Brain
The human brain is the most amazing and baffling organ of our body, as well as the source of many mysteries. Although the human brain makes only 2 percent of our body weight it has over 100,000 miles of blood vessels! It’s the source of every pain we feel, and yet it doesn’t have any pain sensors inside! The brain develops at the rate of 250,000 neurons per minute in early pregnancy! Check out some unbelievable facts about the most fascinating structure of the world, the human brain:
Continue reading
How To Hypnotize Yourself & Manifest Your Dreams
Meditating Girl
Self-hypnosis is a wonderful and powerful wellness technique for setting and helping to manifest your nearest and dearest personal intentions.
1. Before you enter self-hypnosis, choose a suggestion. Read it 20 times and reduce it to a short phrase. Find a safe, quiet place where nothing will disturb you, silence your phone, and get comfortable in a chair. Pick a spot on the wall or ceiling or picture yourself in a positive setting.
2. Letting your eyes close, slowly count to five as you slowly, progressively relax your body from the top to the bottom, scalp, face, shoulders, etc.
3. Picture a chalkboard. Imagine the number 50, breath in and out, then erase number 50. Imagine the number 49 breath in and out, then erase number 49. Erase the numbers from the chalkboard, one at a time while taking 50 breaths.
4. When all 50 numbers have been erased, begin repeating your suggestion to yourself.
5. You then awaken yourself: come up just like coming out of a daydream or you can drift off to sleep if you would like to.
Be sure to orient your suggestions to that which you want, and not oriented against what you do not want.
Some examples of positive suggestions are:
- I am a very confident person.
- I enjoy abundant health and energy.
- My self-esteem and positive self-image improve daily.
- I am calm and relaxed in all situations.
- There is no limit to what I can accomplish with the power of my mind.
- Every day in every way, I’m getting more and more relaxed.
- Every day in every way, I’m getting better and better.
- I am balanced in mind and emotion.
- I feel good about myself and about my accomplishments.
- Positive thinking brings me the results I desire.
- My memory improves daily.
With this tool, you can enjoy a sense of positivity and grounded optimism that manifests in amazing ways in your daily life. Be well.
Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com
5 lesser-known benefits of having a beard
From sprouting a little scruff to going straight-up Zach Galifianakis, there’s good reason to take a break from your razor this summer—and not just because it can speed up your morning routine. Research shows that growing a beard is actually the key to keeping you younger-looking, naturally moisturized, and cancer-free. Here, five doctor-approved reasons to let your beard grow. 1. Sun Protection According to recent research from the University of Southern Queensland, beards block up to 95 percent of the sun’s UV rays, which can play a huge role in preventing basal-cell carcinomas (the most common form of all cancers). Key stats to know: Four out of five cases in men appear on the face, head, or neck and the sun is to blame for up to 90 percent of the visible signs of aging. So while facial hair won’t keep your forehead from developing Jack Nicholsonesque creases, it will keep the bottom half of your face looking young. If you are growing a beard and want need shaving products for your neck and face go to shavingforbaldmen.com they have high quality products for great prices. 2. Blemish-Free Skin Forgoing the razor doesn’t just hide blemishes—it actually prevents them. “Razor rash, acne, and folliculitis [hair-follicle inflammation] are often the result of shaving,” said Dr. Shannon C. Trotter, a fellow of the Osteopathic College of Dermatology and a dermatologist at the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “Razors can irritate the skin or even spread bacteria, causing an infection of the hair follicle.” If you have some irritated skin and you are looking for a dermatologist in NYC here is a great dermatology clinic in NYC. 3. More Masculinity There’s a reason you’d never steal a lumberjack’s lady: The more facial hair a man has, the more masculine both men and women perceive him to be, according to research published in Evolution and Human Behavior. If pure, unadulterated masculinity is what you’re going for, let your beard hang low. If you’re looking to impress the opposite sex, skip the razor for 10 glorious days in a row; the study found that’s the length women find the most attractive. 4. Natural Moisture You probably didn’t know your face has its own built-in moisturizing regimen—it’s called your sebaceous glands (oil glands for short) and, according to Trotter, it secretes a natural oil that keeps skin moisturized. A thick beard not only prevents you from rubbing it off of your face, it also protects the face from wind exposure, which leads to redness and dryness (just in case you were planning your next high-altitude climb). 5. Trapped Allergens Your nose hairs trap more than you think they do. In addition to what you see in a tissue, nose hairs trap pollutants that could actually cause your body harm. So the more hair you have under your airways (read: the bigger your beard), the more pollutants you’re snaring every day, according to Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, Allergy and Asthma Care of NY medical director. Just be sure to treat your beard like any other filter and wash it regularly.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com