have a healthy weekend!

Since it's Halloween, here is an article with ideas how to keep your kids safe trick-or-treating AND keep their calorie counts low.

Have some treats for Halloween that won't trick your diet (which look absolutely yummy).

Here are some tips on avoiding over indulging on treats.

This article says it's not how much candy you (or kids) eat, but when.

These soups and sandwiches look sooo good.

Here's some desserts for 300 calories or less.

4 ways to enjoy tomatoes.

Did you know at least half of your six grain servings a day should be whole?

This slide show has recipes for all types of whole grains you can eat.

Varying in preparation and ingredients, here are 13 100 calorie snacks.

Ever wonder how else you could use sour cream besides on a potato?
Check out these "7-ways" tips!

The art of low-fat baking...with recipes!

This slide show is full of delicious-looking recipes for two.

How about some fancy-looking 5 ingredients or less meals??

Here are some tips for staying and feeling young.

Say good-bye to love handles with this yoga pose.

Seven ways to be happier.

And finally, I think this slide show is a bit ridiculous.
Really though, who eats seven chips and three pretzels??
Well, maybe you should but...game day was made for eating :)

have a safe and happy halloween!

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count your sanitation blessings

Back in the day, people didn't know about germs. They didn't know why people would get so sick in hospitals and die...even from a natural thing like childbirth. Turns out, med students would spend the morning doing autopsies (without gloves), literally wipe their hands on their jackets, and scoot on up the maternity ward to give exams to women in labor. Ironically, they'd infect them with group A strep (the strep throat kind of strep) that the women died of they were just examining.

Women would be dragged kicking and screaming into the hospital when they went into labor, because they knew they had a 50% chance of dying there.

Ignaz Semmelweiss instituted antiseptic procedures in 1847, whereby physicians were required to wash hands in chloride solution. Interestingly enough, it did NOT go well. Doctor's were outraged that doctors, who took an oath to cure people, were in fact killing people. Throughout history, the mark of a good doctor was how much blood, puss, guts and other bodily fluids were on their jacket. They never washed them. Ever.

Fortunately for us, it was shown that when doctors washed their hands, disease rates went down.

up next: hospital infections.

symptoms

ever wonder why....

you sneeze?
get chills and a fever?
have a runny nose?

...and all those cold and flu symptoms?

here is an article on what the symptoms means, when to worry, and how to help.

have a healthy weekend!

13 easy ways to save 200 calories a day

Here's some luxurious spa ideas you can do at home!

Healthy snacks on the go.

Again, I know most of us don't have kids. But we will someday and we have little siblings. Here's another article on how to get kids to eat healthy!

health.com has these random compilation of stories around the web regarding health (hmm, kind of like this). I don't even know how to lead you into it...but here goes:

45 foods you never thought you could make (like nutella? yum -- maybe not soo healthy but...moderation!).
Here's the post to also find habits of health snackers and mini trampoline workout.
Green dating and why we never remember our dreams!

We all hope to be fit when we're old...how about wii fit?

10 no-cost ways to help with depression.

Maybe fiber is an awkward subject? Here's a great article on it though: the pros and cons of fiber.
Here's how you can tone while sweeping!

I'm not sure I want to look into this all the way: how many calories? The 14 worst health mistakes we can make.

And of course...we're only one week away from halloween! Here's some great treats you can make!

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flu vaccinations

There are quite a few things to think about when considering getting a flu shot. These can include:

1. Are you pregnant? Should you get the vaccine when you're pregnant?
2. Are you in a high risk group for complications from the flu?
3. How effective are vaccinations?
4. How safe are they?
5. What kinds are there?
6. Will you be exposed to the flu by interacting with large groups of people?
7. What is the opportunity cost of the flu/vaccine? ie if I have to pay 25$ for the shot, would I lose more or less than that if I did get sick?
8. Do you have allergies that ought to deter you from the vaccine?
9. Should I get it to protect some one else, like my children, pregnant wife/relative or elderly relatives?

There are plenty of places to get the answers to these questions. You should talk to your doctor if you are not a non-pregnant-healthy young adult. I would highly recommend using the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as a resource, instead of some other sites you can find.

They have a basic flu site with many links to different topics, a page concerning the effectiveness of flu shots and other questions concerning the vaccine, a facts page and many many more useful pages. Take the time to make an educated decisions. Risks and complications are very very rare from vaccinations, but they do happen. There is no reason why you can't enjoy a flu-free winter!

College Safety

College can be a stressful time. You have to decide your future in a few short years. You are constantly under pressure and often have to work and go to school. While there are many benefits and fun times to college, but it also can have its risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has great information dedicated to college students.

It can be hard to eat properly and get enough sleep, but with planning and dedication, you can safely enjoy your college years, and hopefully gain some good habits out of it. This link can teach you how to:

• Improve eating habits
• Avoid fatigue and sleep deprivation
• Maintain mental health
• Avoid substance use
• Have healthy relationships and prevent sexual violence
• Prevent sexually transmitted diseases

easy chicken noodle soup

4 c. chicken broth (3)
1 c. shredded cooked chicken (1 piece)
1/2 c. uncooked egg noodles (1)
1 stalk celery (1/2 c. broccoli)
1 medium carrot, sliced
pepper (a little garlic)

Heat broth, pepper, carrot and celery in medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Add noodles and chicken. Reduce to medium. Cook 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir often.

This soup was the easiest to make and it was delicious! The parenthesis is how I made it for two people. I don't like celery, nor did we have any...and we like extra noodles.

I got this from a book of adds...so I can't legitimately source it. However, it's great soup and souper easy! Enjoy!

have a healthy weekend!

Wear lip gloss? This is interesting!

Not many of us have children, but we all can be role models of health for kids!

Ten tips to cut back on sodium.

Remember how they always told us to cool down after exercise? This article is interesting, and says our gym teachers were wrong...

Eat green to go green?

The science of itching?

Does sunscreen really prevent skin cancer? Check out the specifics of what you need to be safe.

30 healthy snacks!

Cook once...eat healthy all week? These recipes look delicious and have excellent instructions attached to make them last all week.

Eat breakfast like a nutritionist!

Feeling good about money makes you happy and healthy...check out these tips!

It's a bird, it's a plane...it's...SUPERFOOD!

We're all...x-men?

We'll hear it again and again...here's the trick to cutting calories and sugar!

and just in time for Halloween time...

How do you eat a pumpkin??

7 yummy pumpkin recipes.

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four loaves of bread in one hour.

I'm serious! For enrichment, a girl in my ward shared this recipe. You can do SO much with it...and I've only tried one myself, but I tasted plenty at the activity. It would also be more beneficial if I had a heavy duty mixer or bread pans. Anyways, here is the recipe, some ideas for variations, tips for making it and a picture of the "chop pizza" Dave and I made.

10.5 cups white bread flour or wheat flour (do not use all-purpose flour) (note: we used all-purpose and it tasted fine. but, we didn't make an actual bread loaf)
.5 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt 3 rounded tablespoons saf-instant yeast
3 tablespoons liquid lecithin (note: this is an enhancer, and NOT necessary. if you do use, don't measure, just squeeze right in because it is VERY sticky)
4 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for one minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. Dough should be very sticky. Mix for five minutes. (don't add flour after it has finished mixing). Spray counter and pans with cooking spray. Shape loaves and cover with towel. Raise 25 minutes, cook 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes four loaves.

Now. There are a lot of things you can do with the dough. Here are some of the girl in my ward's suggestions/tips for a few things:


Bread:
The recipe doesn't usually call for enough water. Add enough water until your dough is, well...a doughy texture (too vague?)
When the dough is ready roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle. Then roll it up (hot dog style I guess you could say). Make sure to roll it tight so that your bread does not have any holes!
When it is all the way rolled up, seal the lose end by just pinching the dough together
When it is rolled up, "Poke in the belly buttons" (the ends-poke them with a finger) and then chop (not with a knife, just use your hand) and tuck the excess dough under so that it creates a round end to your bread loaf.
At this point, if it is not the shape you want, roll it out again and try it all again

Cinnamon Rolls
Same as bread. Roll out the dough into a rectangle.
Spread softened butter all over the dough. Top with cinnamon sugar
Then, roll (hot dog style again, just like the bread) and seal the edges
Then simply cut along the "hot dog" and you will have little cinnamon rolls
Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes
You can top with the cream cheese mixture (1 pkg. cream cheese, 1 c. powdered sugar, a little vanilla).

Chop Pizza
Split the dough however you would like.
Press dough out to a circle
Place all the toppings you want on the dough
Cover toppings with dough
Chop-no need to be exact! Just CHOP! then gather all the parts of your pizza and, place it on a tray!
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pizza 5-7 minutes before it comes out of the oven.
Back at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

*If you like normal pan pizza, just roll out the dough to the size of your baking sheet. I prefer to cook the crust all the way and then add the sauce and toppings to ensure that the pizza is cooked all the way through and will not be doughy.

Dessert Braid
Press dough out to cover an entire cookie sheet
Using a spatula, cut 1/3 of the way into the middle on both sides
Continue to do this, strips should be about 1" wide. Make sure there are the same number on both sides
Place cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture (1 pkg. cream cheese, 1 c. powdered sugar, and some vanilla) down the middle of the dough
Top cream cheese with any kind of jam or other delicious things
Now, take each piece of dough and cross it over to the opposite side. Continue to do this all the way down. This creates the braid look.
Let raise, and then bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees!


here are our chop pizzas. (I'm sure you don't have to do it this way; you could make small normal pizzas or try cal zones (that is how we folded the dough w/ pepperoni - like a cal zone)). we quartered the recipe and it made four small pizzas -- perfect! Don't use an electric beater...we just used dave's muscles and an ice cream scoop!

They were great! I can't wait to try out more ideas with the dough. It's great! Enjoy!

Here is the website from which the recipe came.

have a healthy weekend!

Isn't fall the perfect time to try slow-cooker recipes?

Just because you're stressed, doesn't mean you have to show it!

They have a lot of cool technology that can help you keep track of your health.  Maybe give this one a look?

It's been said again and again, but usually when we're upset, we eat!  Try these tips instead!

Planning on having a baby someday?  Here are some things you can start doing now to get your body ready.

You know that annoying eyelid twitch? Here's what's up.

Not that hungry? Here are some light dinner recipes. 
(Also, with in that article, check out the dressing and soup recipes!)

 Have 30 minutes?  Check out these delicious easy and quick recipes.

Why men are at greater risk for noise-induced hearing loss.

I know we can say good-bye completely to dessert.  But here are some tips for low-fat baking.

I'm not sure these recipes only take 10 minutes...they look way too good for that!

I actually just learned about this today.  When do we need antibiotics, and when is it better to let our bodies work their magic?  Did you know that we are becoming increasingly resistant to penicillin?

Six foods that can lower cholesterol (and one of them is chocolate!).

Can skipping exercise really be deadly?

Ever wonder what's in vaccines? 

This is the coolest thing!  My pyramid has a seven day sample menu of foods that give you ALL the servings recommended.  So...this can't be all you eat for the rest of your life (though, technically you could)...you should definitely incorporate these meal ideas!

image via

who doesn't love a costa vida salad??

Tips for Eating Healthy when Eating Out

• As a beverage choice, ask for water or order fat-free or low-fat milk, unsweetened tea, or other drinks without added sugars.
• Ask for whole wheat bread for sandwiches.
• In a restaurant, start your meal with a salad packed with veggies, to help control hunger and feel satisfied sooner.
• Ask for salad dressing to be served on the side. Then use only as much as you want.
• Choose main dishes that include vegetables, such as stir fries, kebobs, or pasta with a tomato sauce.

• Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes instead of those that are fried or sautéed.
• Choose a “small” or “medium” portion. This includes main dishes, side dishes, and beverages.
• Order an item from the menu instead heading for the “all-you-can-eat” buffet.
• If main portions at a restaurant are larger than you want, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
  • Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée.
  • Share a main dish with a friend.
  • If you can chill the extra food right away, take leftovers home in a “doggy bag.”
  • When your food is delivered, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
  • Resign from the “clean your plate club” – when you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest.
• To keep your meal moderate in calories, fat, and sugars:
  • Ask for salad dressing to be served “on the side” so you can add only as much as you want.
  • Order foods that do not have creamy sauces or gravies
  • Add little or no butter to your food.
  • Choose fruits for dessert most often.
• On long commutes or shopping trips, pack some fresh fruit, cut-up vegetables, low-fat string cheese sticks, or a handful of unsalted nuts to help you avoid stopping for sweet or fatty snacks.

original source here
image via

black bean dip

I made this for a housewarming party we had.  It was pretty good.  Not too many ingredients and I felt like a pro chef throwing it all in the blender.

• 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 red pepper, diced finely
• 1/2 cup prepared salsa
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, mixing until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

homemade oreos

We all know how not so great oreos are for you. (grams?  who weighs their servings...seriously?) Tricky.

Instead, how about you make your own?

Dough:
2 chocolate cake mixes
1 1/2 c shortening
4 eggs

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 - 4 c powdered sugar

Mix dough and roll into balls. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Mix filling and wait for cookies to cool before assembling

(I halved this and it made plenty.  It depends on how big you make the balls of dough). 

Also, my friend laura brought an amazing creation to a housewarming party we had.  Oreo truffles.  I don't have a recipe or a picture, but trust me, they were delectable.  

mix cream cheese and mint oreos in a bag.  roll into balls, dip into milk chocolate and freeze.  (Laura, help?)  I bet you can just guess on the proportions...not too cream cheesy but not too crummy. 

enjoy a slighly healthier alternative!

have a healthy weekend!

Is organic food better for you?

Sugar on the American Heart Association's black list?

Garlic nail polish? Banana shampoo?  Check out these all-natural beauty tips.

A few stress tips.

Healthy habits....that make you sick?

25 foods you should never eat?  (I think I've eaten a few of them)

Need some energy boosting?  Try these tips!

Facts about extra weight - myth busting article

Lose 10 pounds and never feel hungry?  Check out these low calorie recipes!

Breast cancer: worry or relax?  What can cause cancer and what won't.

Did you know that lifestyle contributes to 70% of cancer cases?  Check out how to prevent different cancers here, and how your diet plays into prevention.

Swine flu: the biggest myths

Last, this has nothing to do with a healthy lifestyle...but it's just really cool. Maybe it will help with mental health

:)