May 17, 2012

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Living off Your Land – How to Start Your Own Garden

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Anyone who gardens will tell you that even though it’s hard work, it’s a pleasurable and stress-reducing hobby that provides a lot of satisfaction, especially when the crops mature and are ready to harvest. Gardening is fun, and with some planning, time and the right plants, a productive garden is almost guaranteed.

There are several proven steps to growing a successful garden. First you have to find the perfect location for your garden. Generally speaking, the garden area should have good sunlight for about six hours a day and drain well. As for size, a small garden that measures 25 to 30 square feet is a manageable size for a beginner. It is also useful to determine the type of soil or soils the garden area has because different vegetables grow best in specific soil mixtures.

The next step is to decide what crops to plant and how many of each to plant. A word of caution for beginners: Keep the garden simple. Pick a few vegetables that are known to do well in the local area. Too many plants can become an overwhelming experience. The local state extension office is a great source of reference for what grows best in a particular area.

The next order of business is ordering seeds. Many gardeners prefer to buy their seeds from local nurseries or stores, but others like to buy seeds from national firms because they are less expensive. When ordering seeds, check out the USDA hardiness zone to make sure the seeds will do well. The zones are located on the bag of seeds or online if ordering from a website. Here again, be careful about ordering too many seeds.

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Gardening requires tools, and even though quality tools are expensive, they’re an excellent long-term investment. There are a number of good gardening tool suppliers. For bargain hunters who want good tools at a reasonable price, check out gardening tools on eBay. Some people still prefer a hand tool for tilling, but most gardeners will agree that the one essential tool is a power rototiller. A tiller is the most efficient way to prepare the garden by turning and breaking up the soil. While tilling the soil, it’s also a good time to blend in compost to enrich the soil.

Before planting seeds, make rows using a hoe and break up any remaining clumps of soil. When planting seeds, follow the directions on the package and place seeds a little more densely than recommended. Once the seeds are planted, maintain a regular watering schedule in the early morning or evening. Keep an eye out for weeds and remove them every few days.

Next comes the fun part — harvesting the vegetables. Because different crops mature at different times throughout the summer, there will be a constant stream of fresh vegetables to enjoy. The rewards are definitely worth the time and work.

Filed Under: Organic Food Tagged With: ,

How Nutrition and Wellness go Hand in Hand

Marine of the United States Marine Corps runs ... 

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With a busy schedule for most people it’s hard to get everything done in a day plus find time to exercise and eat healthy.

What many people fail to realize is that one’s physical health and wellness, lies in a precarious balance, and by maintaining proper eating, sleeping and exercising habits, a person will feel better and typically be more productive.

Let’s review the benefits of exercise. Besides helping to maintain a healthy weight, exercise helps the body release endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the body’s natural painkiller, and by exercising more the aches and pains actually get a healthy bodily treatment. Extra benefits are more energy and more productivity during the day, simply from exercising.

Eating a healthy diet, like exercise, also has many distinct advantages for the busy individual. When you put empty calories into the body, the body runs out of fuel more quickly, thus making the days seem longer and mundane tasks seem harder. The benefits of adding more water to the diet have been well documented. The addition of more fruits and vegetables into the diet also has been proven to release healthy oxidants into the body, helping one steer clear of sickness. These same vegetables and fruits give the body healthy calories that will keep the mind and body active, thus more productive.

If everyday just seems like a chore with work and everything else involved, it’s probably time to examine your eating and exercising habits. Health and Wellness go hand in hand, it just takes a few hours per week and significant improvements are there for the taking.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Healthy Eating

You may have the false mental image that health food stores are comprised solely of unpronounceable products, tofu, and soy beans. You may also believe that those unpronounceable products, tofu, and soy beans all taste like cardboard… albeit healthy, organic, good-for-you cardboard. Don’t let health-food stereotypes fool you! There’s so much more to healthy eating than alfalfa sprouts. After a few months shopping at heath food stores, you may even find that you actually like alfalfa sprouts.

Here are some tasty, deceptively good-for-you products you’ll find in a health food store; check Canada 411 for a store near you.

Hummus

Hummus is sort of like the Middle Eastern equivalent of party dip. The main ingredients in hummus are chickpeas (or garbanzo beans, if you’d prefer) and tahini. Wait! Don’t run for the hills just yet! Tahini is just a fancy word for a sesame seed paste. Try hummus as a spread on wraps and sandwiches, as a dip for pita chips or crackers, or as a substitute for mayo in chicken or tuna salads.

Edamame

Okay, this might technically fall under the “products you can’t pronounce” category. However, these Japanese soy beans will look incredibly familiar to you, since they look just like lumpy sugar snap peas. Furthermore, they have a more savory taste than any green beans you’ve ever had. Try them steamed with a sprinkle of sea salt– and don’t forget that you only eat the beans inside, not the outer husk.

Go Explore

Ease yourself into the health food process. Try finding some familiar-sounding recipes that use healthy ingredients and sample new products that way.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

What Happens When Food Allergies Attack?

Hives on DLdoubleE's back from an allergic rea... 

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All of us have heard of Food Allergies, but when kids are very small it’s hard to tell if their having a reaction to a certain food, don’t like it, or are just being kids.

If a person has a food allergy, antibodies within the human body actually think the food is something very harmful. Once the body detects the ‘unwanted’ food, it releases chemicals into the bloodstream to ward off these perceived threats.

A child with a food allergy will likely exhibit signs of a runny nose or some itchy skin (like a rash or hives). More extreme symptoms include coughing, nausea, vomiting, severe stomach pain and difficulty breathing. While most food allergies are minor, some are extremely dangerous as they combine all symptoms into one massive problem as blood pressure drops, the tongue will swell and in many cases the breathing tube actually narrows.

Many food allergies can be detected at home, but oftentimes it’s tough to diagnose what the problem food actually is. Specialists in this area are equipped to determine what the real problems might be. These doctors usually do a skin test, in which a liquid extract of the suspected problem food is applied to the skin of the patient. If a reaction is found, then an allergy to that food is present. In more difficult cases, doctors often send blood samples to other labs for additional testing.

The good news about food allergies for kids is that with time, many of the allergies are overcome as the body simply grows out of them. Life-long food allergies are usually associated with peanuts and some types of fish.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , ,

Use the Summer Months to Expand Your Children’s Food Groups

vegetables 

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It’s no secret that parents and children alike are getting larger as processed foods, fast foods and unhealthy snacks have moved into many family’s every day rotation.

With the kid’s home for the summer, the months between school sessions are a great time to expand the Food Groups that you and your family indulge upon.

One of the biggest areas parents have difficulties with is getting their kids to eat vegetables. With Farmer’s Markets and more fresh vegetables available, the freshness of the vegetables might be enough to get your kids to try something new. Sometimes the preparation of a vegetable is ultimately the key to getting your kids to like it. While fried zucchini might not be the most healthy side dish, most kids like the fried version, and once they’ve tried it, they’ll probably like it, or at least try it when it’s prepared in a more healthy manner.

Drinking healthy choices during the summer months is another area where parents can expand the Food Groups their children partake upon. If you don’t have soda in the house, your younger kids will learn to live without. Try having ice-cold water available after a fun activity, and try having a glass of milk with dinner instead of a soft drink or other juice offering.

While summertime is fun time, it also offers a unique opportunity to get your kid’s palates interested in something that ultimately will provide a means to healthy living. Children learn to eat from what their parents are eating, so ultimately setting a good example and eating healthy as a parent, will have long-lasting effects.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , ,

Snacks for your Kids they’ll Actually Eat

Kids 

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Summer is quickly approaching, and with it, those whining moments for candy, Popsicles and the all-time unhealthy frosted doughnut.

How can you keep your kids fed, healthy and happy without giving them all the unhealthy easy-to-shelve-out junk? How can you keep them interested in healthy snacks without them whining for the latest and greatest sugary treat?

Here are some ideas you’ll want to try:

  • Try this great blog that gives you nourishing snack ideas from Cocodamia cookies to substitute sugar solutions. “Beat the sugar cravings” with the listed recipes on “Nourishing Families.”
  • “Kids Health” has a list of healthy snacks for lunch, as well as snacks for children with cystic fibrosis, diabetes, celiac disease, and more. Learn how to eat healthy and stay healthy at this terrific site.
  • “Snacks for Toddlers, Healthy Snack Ideas for Healthy Tummies” will show you not only snacks for the ever popular snack lunch, but healthy snacks you can take on your family vacation, snacks to devour after school, even smoothie recipes that you and your children will love to make as well as drink.

Healthy snacks don’t have to be bland or boring; they can be colorful, fun, and even tasty. What’s most important is that you pay attention to what your children like, and shelve the other great ideas that they don’t as much care for. Try the idea sites above to get your children on the healthy snack track this summer and then delve into some other healthy sites for additional yummy treats.

 

Filed Under: Diets Tagged With: , ,

The Best Blogs for Parents of Allergy Kids

gluten free and dairy free ranch dressing 

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Whether the allergy is cow’s milk or peanuts, it isn’t always easy to deal with cooking around food allergies. But, what if you didn’t have to? What if the recipes you put together didn’t feel as if you were missing anything? What if they were actually—good? What if you actually discovered an easy way to deal with food allergies away from home?

The cream of the crop, without the cream, is here. Take a look at the best blogs on cooking for allergy kids, on the planet.

  • “Cooking for Aussie Kids who have Food Allergies” is a great blog for parents of children with allergies to dairy, egg, wheat, and peanuts; many meal ideas provided that kids will actually eat, from snacks to fish!
  • Get the best “Lunch Box” ideas for kids taking their meal to school. General food allergy links are provided along with lunchbox ideas and products that you can’t help but want to bag up.
  • This fantastic “Gluten Free Cooking Blog” gives endless advice on eating gluten free at home and away from it. Learn how to best travel, what to do if you or a member of your family has been recently diagnosed; find out how to use herbs and spices in your cooking, even how to make a treat or two gluten free.

Having allergy kids doesn’t have to be a headache with all of the avenues of choice on the Internet.  Take a few moments to peruse these great sites, and feel to do some shopping of your own.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: , , ,

Healthy Eating Habits for Pregnant Women

Full course dinner 

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Many times during your pregnancy, you’ll hear someone say, “Remember, you’re eating for two.” Or someone might ask you, “Have the cravings started yet?” The first one is a fact; the second one is a legitimate question, and both of them can have an impact on your nutrition and wellness during your pregnancy.

If you’re using a pregnancy calendar to track your baby’s growth and the changes your body is undergoing during this time, you’ll probably already know that cravings may start as early as a few weeks before you even knew you were pregnant. Cravings are normal, but you just have to make sure you are eating a well-balanced meal.

Your pregnancy calendar can also help you understand exactly what is happening in your body during your pregnancy. There may be times that you need to increase  your intake of certain foods, such as calcium or folic acid (you really should have started this before your pregnancy, but that’s OK; it’s still not too late.)

You can also determine when you may start having pregnancy problems with heartburn or indigestion, and start planning your meals accordingly. This may include limiting certain foods, eating smaller meals more frequently, and not eating after a certain time.

Your pregnancy calendar may also help you keep up with how much weight you should be gaining. If you see you are gaining too swiftly, you can check with your doctor to make sure something with the pregnancy is not causing it. If that isn’t the problem, your doctor can help you make adjustments to your diet.

Filed Under: Diets Tagged With: , ,

What to Eat When you’re nursing a Baby

Woman breastfeeding 

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Since what you eat while nursing affects your baby, it’s always a good idea to know what you should and should not eat for your baby’s best health. Certain foods not only produce an upset stomach, like colic, but some foods don’t provide the nutrients you need and want for your baby.

What you should eat:

  • Good fats like olive oil and canola oil. Salmon is also good as is avocado and nuts.
  • Drink at least 16 cups of water a day.
  • Well-balanced meals that include all of the food groups–dairy, fruits and vegetables, grains, and meats is your best bet in keeping yourself as well as your baby healthy.

What you should limit or avoid:

  • Alcohol and caffeine. If you choose to drink alchohol, wait at least two hours before breastfeeding.
  • Spicy food may work for you and your baby, and it may not. If your baby is colicky after a spicy meal, it may be due to the spicy dinner you both ate. A colicky baby is also attributed to a mother drinking cow’s milk.
  • Broccoli, chocolate, garlic, any food that makes your baby gassy or irritable later on may need to be avoided. Watch what you eat and monitor what you are eating by writing it down.

What you should eat while nursing your baby can best be determined by how you feel and how your baby feels after the meal is over. Make the end result worth the trip by following the guidelines above.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Factors Causing Erectile Dysfunction in Teenage Boys

While not commonly a medical condition found in teenagers, teenage impotence is becoming an important issue for young men’s health. Erectile dysfunction can be caused by both physical and/or psychological issues. Whether being ashamed of having sexual feelings or simply the fear of getting their partners pregnant, teenage impotence is a growing trend in teenage boys.

Natural Methods of Curing Teenage Impotence

While many think that curing impotence is simple, and you should just buy Viagra, others feel that natural methods of curing erectile dysfunction in teenage boys are more effective. One of the most important and natural methods of curing teenage impotence is a healthy diet. Food is not only vital to our daily life but to the body’s wellbeing. If the proper foods are consumed, the body has an abundance of energy and can work properly. Regular exercise is also a natural method of curing teen erectile dysfunction as it increases blood circulation in the body and helps the body to release hormones that are imperative to its optimum development. Sleep is also important and may contribute to the natural cure of teen impotence.

Different Factors Contributing to Teenage Impotence

There are many factors that contribute to erectile dysfunction problems in teenage boys. Some of the most common factors are alcohol or drug abuse as well as a hormonal imbalance in the body. Teenage smokers also are 1.5 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction because smoking decreases blood circulation in the body. Another factor is insecurity—if a teenage boy feels insecure about his body and its parts, he may have a problem maintaining an erection.

Filed Under: Good Mental Health Tagged With: ,
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