Tag: health

A break-up is something that nearly everyone has dealt with at one time or another. Sometimes it was the best thing that could have happened, and for some it is the worst thing that will ever happen. Regardless of where you stand, it is still difficult to close a chapter on your life when you loved someone. Piecing yourself back together won’t be easy, but taking the time you need to regroup is important. These are some things you should to do regain your “self” again after a break-up.

Read a few good books

Losing yourself in an imaginary world of words is something many can appreciate. Head to the local bookstore and choose a few that you think may be of interest to you, and start reading! The library will serve the same purpose and may even offer you more freedom because it is free to residents. I love using books as a place to escape. It helped me get through one of the hardest break-ups. It is amazing how something so simple can do so much good when you are trying to keep your mind occupied.

Change up your look

A make-over is always fun! Take yourself out to the salon and get a new cut, color, or style. For some reason, women associate change with their hair. If you feel like chopping it all off, go with it. The nice thing about hair is that it grows back. Look through your wardrobe and find a few ways …

The second description is the more accurate. My father has been in the Veterans medical system for years, and during that time we have witnessed dramatic improvement. Twenty years ago a Vet could get dramatically different care, depending on which facility he or she might go to. That seems to be far less the case now. The Vet can expect more standardized care across the nation. My mother recently went through a long series of hospital stays at various private hospitals, and I think overall my father fared better at the Veterans facilities. There seems to be much more of a tendency to treat the patient over just watching the bottom line.

Presently, my father is being cared for at the Veterans hospital in Denver, Colorado. Each time I have visited I have been impressed by the level of care of the facility and the staff. Previously he had been in the hospital in Portland, Oregon. I was equally impressed by the level of treatment he was given there. In both facilities the staff took the time to inform us (the family) each step of the way about each procedure they wanted to do, and they took the extra time to make sure we understood. Each time I went home I felt like I was leaving my father in the hands of people who were very much concerned with a successful outcome for him.

I think that the private health care system in America could learn from the Veterans system …

The cost of healthy meals in Franklin County schools is rising. That has some worried because nutrition budgets won't allow for much more.

In efforts to help fund the increase in costs, the Franklin County School Board of Education has come up with a plan. They are asking for $25 per student in funds to make up for the predicted shortfall. The Board sees that if the state's entire 1150 plus elementary schools participate, the anticipated funds would exceed $12.5 million.

The healthy meal plans call for more fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and high-fiber foods.
Some examples are french fries having to be baked instead of fried and serving yogurt for breakfast instead of other fat-ridden items. Vending machines have also always been a problem for students. The machines have recently undergone some changes. Snack cakes are now gone and the usual potato chips have been replaced with baked chips. Even the drink machines have replaced a lot of caffeinated beverages with either water or fruit juices.

Franklin County Schools Director for Child Nutrition Jama Stallings told a local newspaper that "students in the schools are adopting better eating habits as the system has moved away from high-fat, high-calorie meals and snacks."

Another concern in pricing and lack of funds is waste. In order to get federal funding, students must get particular items with meals, whether they want it or not. That leads to food being wasted. Young students, for example, are bad about getting an apple with their meal, …

Chicago is known for delicious foods, offered up in a romantic city atmosphere. But what about those who want to be able to stick to their healthy eating plans, but still enjoy a fine dining experience? Well those friends are about to be shown a few of the best, right here in this list!

Crofton Wells
www.croftononwells.com
535 North Wells Street
Chicago, IL
312.755.1790
Lots of filling, appetizing selection served up in absolute style. Enjoy interesting first courses like the Baby Octopus, $13, with a healthy and light chickpea puree. Or try the restaurant’s delicious signature crabcake, $16, made with real butter and a splash of yellow pepper, and served with a micro herb salad. The other entrées are mouth-watering, too, like Wild Salmon, $32; and Amish Chicken, $28. They also offer a wonderful menu of vegetarian selections, like the quinoa-corn johnnycakes, $12, made with mushrooms, avocado, etc.; or try the tastysummer risotto, $21.00, with a medley of grilled zucchini and yellow squash.

Green Zebra
www.greenzebrachicago.com
1460 West Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL
One of your best bets in the Chicago area when you want pure style mixed with a vegetarian menu. The menu selections are unique, just like the dining atmostphere, but go ahead and keep your expectations high because the taste that will meet you is sure to meet and exceed them. Try delicious creations like a tasty starter, the Shaved Green Papaya with salted mango, cilantro, and perfectly grilled scallion, $9; or enjoy something heavier like the Sweet …

What's more comforting than a big piece of cheesy, meaty lasagna? The flavors meld together to create a dish that's sure to make you forget a stressful day at work. Of course, you have to wonder how many calories and fat are in this comfort food classic. While, many lasagna recipes may not be healthy, that doesn't mean that you can't make healthy lasagna.

Lasagna, of course, start with ground beef. In order to make this dish healthy, you must look for a healthy ground meat. While you can use ground turkey, or even chicken, I highly recommend using 93% lean ground beef. This ensures that the flavor of your favorite dish stays as authentic as possible.

When it comes time to add sauce to your ground beef, remember that many store-bought sauces as loaded with sodium. Instead, why not consider making your own sauce? This doesn't mean using canned, store-bought tomato products either (which are also loaded with sodium). You should use the freshest ingredients possible. This is another great reason to have a garden and to do home canning each summer. That way, you're always able to make healthy pasta sauce for lasagna and other Italian dishes. Of course, lasagna wouldn't be very tasty without all those cheesy layers.

When it comes to making the cheese filling for your healthy lasagna, be sure to mostly use low-fat ingredients. You can find low-fat ricotta and cottage cheese. By using these two ingredients alone, you will make your lasagna healthier. …

A summer get together wouldn't be the same without potato salad. Unfortunately, this popular summer side dish is loaded with fat and calories. While many people choose to reinvent potato salad by using a healthy vinegar-based dressing, this isn't necessary. It's easy to make a healthy mayonnaise-based potato salad, if you know a few tricks.

First of all, don't peel your potatoes. Many people peel their potatoes before boiling them. But, did you know that most of the nutrients are in the skin of the potato? When you leave the peel on, you are actually adding nutrients to your potato salad. Just be sure to thoroughly scrub the skin to remove excess dirt.

As your potatoes are boiling, you will need to make the dressing for your potato salad. While, regular mayonnaise is a big no-no, light mayo is perfect for your healthy potato salad. I highly recommend using Kraft Light Mayonnaise. This is one of the only low-fat mayonnaises that taste close to the regular version. Next, add fresh cracked pepper and sea salt. Sea salt is healthy, because you use much less of this high-flavor salt. If you like a tangy flavor, you can also add mustard to your healthy potato salad dressing. Still, the most important note you need to remember is to only use enough dressing to lightly coat the other ingredients.

You might think you should avoid adding hard boiled eggs to your healthy potato salad, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Hard …

So far, it is not all bad news. Well at least not for everyone. Medicare Part B premiums will not increase this year. However, for some California residents it may as well because the state will no longer pick up the bill for their Medicare Part B premiums. Social Security benefits recipient will receive the largest cost of living increase granted in 26 years…5.8%. So all is not totally loss…but these small gains will be offset by another Senior Citizen health care increase. A very important one! Medicare Part D premium and co-payments will increase for many of them. Medicare Part D covers prescription drugs.

Medicare and its various programs provide health care coverage for over 50% of the senior citizen population in the U.S. This is the only affordable health care option available to many of them. With the great majority of them living on a fixed income, even the slightest increase in one of their monthly expenses can result in cataclysmic ripples thru their economic well being. With 48 of the 54 available Medicare Part D plans expecting to raise premiums anywhere from 8% to 63%, it is not difficult to understand the anxiety and scary scenarios concerning basic survival that is plaguing some of the seniors.

Add to this, a decrease in the number of no premium due Extra Help plans, beneficiaries increased co-pay responsibilities and a move to encourage enrollment in generic drugs programs even though many brand name drugs have no generic alternative, and it …

The health benefits of chocolate have been debated for years. There is little doubt that cocoa does offer some antioxidant effect. According to Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. from Mayo Clinic, cocoa beans contain flavanols, which can assist in repairing cell damage from heart disease. Eating chocolate may also help lower blood pressure. It all sounds real good, but don't jump on the chocolate band wagon just yet.

Dark Chocolate

Of all forms of chocolate, dark chocolate has the most health benefits because it contains the most cocoa. When you walk down the candy aisle at the local store, you may see bars displaying the percentage of cacao. This is the amount of cocoa in the product. The more cacaos the bar has, the more antioxidants it contains. Overall, one square of dark chocolate has more benefits that some fruits, such as strawberries. In fact, dark chocolate contains 8 times as many antioxidants as strawberries.

Xocai

At least one corporation has turned healthy chocolate into a business. Xocai is marketed by MXI Corp. for its antioxidant properties. According to the manufacturer, Xocai improves oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). Now I don't know what that means exactly, but it sounds nifty. Brunswick Laboratories tested the Xocai products and did support the reports coming from MXI Corp. The problem is Bruswick doesn't know what ORAC means either or how much is a good thing.

Weight Loss

One strategy that MXI Corp. uses for the Xocai products is weight loss that focuses on meal …

With the price of food skyrocketing at an alarming rate, it is becoming difficult for families to stretch their budgets. Everybody has seen articles online and in magazines on how to save money at the grocery store. Some of these tips may sound similar to those articles and some might be something new to think about.

Eliminate junk food

Do your shopping without the distraction of kids or spouses. Taking these people along on a shopping trip will make junk food magically appear in the cart that was not on the list. This is an old tip but one worth repeating. It is very important.

Water or milk instead of soft drinks

If people would only use colas and sodas as a treat, so much money could be saved. A healthy diet requires water and a lot of it. This is something you can get right from your tap at home. If you are concerned about the quality of your tap water, purchasing a filter to improve the quality of that water is still going to be cheaper that the amount of money spent on soft drinks. Milk is something that children should be drinking. Having milk in the house that is competing with soft drinks only makes that milk go bad because nobody drank it. That is a waste of money.

Purchasing fresh fruits in quantity

When fruit is in season, it is so much cheaper to purchase. This can be purchased in such quantities some of it can …