Wellness
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Steps for a Healthy Heart
We probably don’t think too much heart disease in our busy day-to- day lives, but it is one of the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. Over 60 million Americans currently suffer from the disease. (Source: Alternative Medicine.) It is unfortunate that it is thought to be a “man’s disease,” as the same number of men and women die each year of heart disease. In a 2005 survey, 36% of women did not identify themselves to be at risk. (Source: www.cdc.gov.) Heart health became front and center in my life this fall after being hospitalized for four days due to a virus that…
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Fun Craft: Christmas Family Trees
Christmas trees – they serve as both the main Christmas season decoration & a great bonding tool for family during the holiday season. Decorating them with your family enjoying carols & laughs along the way is one of the things I look forward to all year round. But why not take a twist to the traditional tree with your little ones? Nothing is cuter than a set of tootsie trees hanging on the wall. Materials: Non-toxic paint – green & yellow Black or brown marker pen Canvases – one for each family member Small items to decorate your tootsie trees – we used stick on jewels How To: First of…
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Festive Meringue Cookies
Last week I needed a gluten-free cookie for a Christmas party. I wanted a cookie that was easy and fast to whip up, but I also wanted something that looked fun, festive, and pretty. I came across a recipe in my files that I had made for my daughter’s wedding. I remembered that is was indeed easy, and it turned out so pretty. I made the cookie in yellow for the wedding, but I figured that it wouldn’t be hard at all to make it white or red for Christmas. As a matter of fact, you could make this cookie any color you wish, and you can make a variety of shapes…
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The Importance of Staying Hydrated
This is the time of year that many people are stressed out trying to get everything ready in time for the holidays and it can take a toll on our health. One of the most important steps you can take to ensure you stay healthy through the holidays is to drink more water. This might be hard to believe but after reading “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water” by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj through my masters program in nutrition, I don’t quite look at water in the same light. It is such a fascinating book for many reasons, but the Dr. makes recommendations on how to naturally prevent and reverse such conditions…
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Delicious Nutty Ball Cookies
Holiday time wouldn’t be the same, at least in our household, without some holiday cookie baking. Each year, I always try some new recipes that I’ve torn from my cooking magazines or printed off from my favorite blogs. But I always open my tattered binder of family favorites…the ones that make a comeback appearance in the cookie tins I give as gifts each year. Nutty balls are just that – the type of recipe typed with a typewriter on a recipe card that reads “here’s what’s cookin'”. I don’t have the original card; that would be in my mom’s collection as I have been making them since I was…
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The Eight Days of Hanukkah
Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday that is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. This year Hanukkah starts at sundown on December 8th and lasts until December 16th. The story of Hanukkah is quite beautiful and is one of miracles and of overcoming Greek influence over the Jews in the Land of Israel. Antiochus, the Greek ruler, forbade any Jewish religious practices, so a small group of Jews called the Maccabees revolted against this power. This group…