I never really thought of proteins being something that would fill you up.
Keeping the portions low because of the fat content was something that I always heard about and believed was the right way to go for losing weight.
Of course, we all know the bread or carbs are fillers, but the grain benefits they give makes them important.
But after reading an article on the Harvard School of Public Health site, there was a paragraph that caught my eye.
It read:
"Cutting back on highly processed carbohydrates and increasing protein improves levels of blood triglycerides and HDL, and so may reduce your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other form of cardiovascular disease. It may also make you feel full longer, and stave off hunger pangs."
It makes sense when you think about it, they are more dense foods that require the body to work harder to process them, so you feel fuller over a longer time span.
They also mention to watch what goes along with the protein - the fats.
Fish, poultry, nuts, and beans are the best choices with the lowest fat content.
The beans give a double benefit - they are a veggie, and the fiber content in them is more beneficial than the slice of bread that we usually look to for fiber.
Glad I stumbled across that article - and the link to it is included above for future reference.
Water - a necessity in many areas of our life.
This element that seems so plentiful in developed countries is taken for granted by many.
Having water for drinking in many countries is just a wish - and we tend to waste it.
Living in the country, we have our own well and must be aware of what we are consuming - it has been known to go dry in the hot summer months.
We also have a septic tank that the waste water goes in - don't want to overwhelm it with too much water.
Those living in the city pay for their water coming in, and going out - so being conscientious of water usage should be a concern for city dwellers too.
One big thing we do to save water is to turn it off in the shower. After we have soaked down, we turn it to just a small dribble, and we then lather up.
Wash everything while the water is off, then turn it back on to rinse off.
This was taught to our kids as they were growing up, and it has saved us considerably.
The well never went dry so we didn't loose our precious water as our family grew, and the septic system wasn't overworked.
And it feels good to not abuse this necessity that we need in order to survive and live a healthy life.
Treasure the love you receive above all. It will survive long after your gold and good health have vanished.
- by Og Mandingo
I came across this quote and thought it was a good one to share.
Putting too much into concentrating on doing everything right in the health department is not the thing I want to be remembered for after I am gone.
The love will be the thing that lives on - and it makes it all worth while!
In my last post, I wrote about splitting and curling nails.
After doing more research, I may try something called jojoba oil.
It is an almost waxy oil that is derived from the jojoba bean or seed that grows in the Arizona desert.
The oil is most like the natural oils that we have in our skin, and the American Indians that lived in that region used it as a moisturizer.
It is readily absorbed into the skin and is used in many lotions and beauty products around the world.
Using it in it's pure form is not harmful, and only a very small bit is needed to do the job.
I will be checking a couple of online stores to see what I can find at a reasonable cost.
Finding one with vitamin E added to it enhances the effectiveness of it - makes it more long lasting.
I will do updates once I have tried it and observed how it works.
All my life I have been blessed with beautiful nails.
Strong, hardly ever breaking, they were always easy to keep filed and looking fine.
This past winter I have had a complete change in them.
Always splitting and breaking - and a couple of them have started to curl under.
Not long any more, they are down to the nubs on a few of them, and I cannot seem to get them to gain any length before they break again.
Doing some research online, this is typical as we age. The natural oils are not produced as much.
Water also takes a big toll on them - causing them to dry out, and without the oils, they split and break.
Vitamin B-12 deficiency can make them curl, as a couple of them are doing.
So, wearing gloves as I do the dishes, getting enough B-12 (meats and dairy), and rubbing some vitamin E oil on them in the evenings will hopefully help them out.
It takes a few months for the entire nail to grow out, and as they do, I hope to see improvement.
