My Digital Online Diary

If you have trouble getting your family to eat vegetables, the problem may be in your cooking method. Vegetables that are cooked to be tender and vibrant with color can look more appetizing – and possibly even taste better – than those that are mushy and pale. Blanching is a method of cooking vegetables quickly in boiling water, and it helps the vegetables to stay crisp and pop with their original color. Blanched vegetables can be eaten right away or frozen for later use.

• Wash your vegetables under cool running water in the sink. Peel any vegetables that need to be peeled, such as carrots. Remove the leaves from vegetables like cauliflower. Bell peppers and other similar vegetables should be cored. Cut the stems off of broccoli and mushrooms. Chop all vegetables into chunks that are slightly larger than bite size.
• Fill a pot that is large enough to hold all of the vegetables that you will be cooking with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
• Place ice cubes and cold water into a large bowl to use as an ice bath for the vegetables. The ice bath is used after the vegetables are cooked in the boiling water to stop the vegetables from cooking any further; since the temperature of the vegetables is raised while they are in the boiling water, they will continue to cook once they are removed from the stove, resulting in mushy and pale vegetables.
• Submerge the vegetables into the boiling water. Cook the vegetables in the boiling water for two to five minutes, depending on the exact type of vegetables you are using. For example, cauliflower, broccoli and whole mushrooms take four minutes to blanch, carrots take three-and-a-half minutes and sliced bell peppers should be blanched for two minutes. Read more… »

Mainly, depression and anxiety often occur at the same time. If your anxiety or depression interferes with your ability to function or decreases your interest in doing your favorite things, seek medical attention. A nutritious diet during periods of anxiety and depression may help eliminate your symptoms.

Complex carbohydrates may produce a calming effect by increasing the amount of serotonin available in the brain. Common foods containing complex carbohydrates include brown rice, most fruits, oatmeal, vegetables and foods that list a whole grain as the first ingredient on the nutrition label. The fiber in these foods may also help stabilize your mood by limiting sugar spikes that result when your body digests carbohydrates.

Also, foods high in protein, but low in fat, help energize your body. Increased energy levels may help relieve some symptoms of anxiety and depression. Include proteins such as seeds, fish, skinless poultry, cheese and nut butters with every meal or snack to keep you energized. Those proteins containing tryptophan, such as dairy products, poultry and peanut butter, help regulate brain chemicals and may help control your mood even more.

Emotional wellness depends on eating meals regularly throughout the day. They need to include a balance of healthy fats, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. Read more… »

Hubby followed my suggested skin care regimen that is to wash, tone, moisturize and exfoliate. Well, he is happy that he did because for three months now he did not suffer random breakouts. I’m the one applying the toner and moisturizer so I can attest to the good results he is enjoying now. But, I’m still puzzled why he still has dark circles under the eye, despite using a product.

I guess we still didn’t know the right answer for the question “how to get rid of dark circles around the eyes.” If we did, then hubby will have a lighter eye area. But, since the problem persists, then it’s a good indication we have to do more researching. Oh well, I hope we can do something about it the soonest for him to cease looking like panda bear.

The latest in eye surgery, LASIK (Laser-Assisted in Situ Keratomileusis) is used to correct your vision and reduce your dependence on devices, such as, contact lenses and glasses. It corrects refractive errors of the eyes, such as, Myopia or nearsightedness, where you have more difficulty seeing distant objects, Hyperopia or farsightedness, where you have more difficulty seeing near objects, and Astigmatism, where the image on the retina is distorted due to imperfections in the cornea.

Though the actual surgery is painless and quick, you need to know what to expect after LASIK eye surgery. Whatever you may have heard about going back to your routine schedule within 24 hours after LASIK eye surgery, it may not be the case always. You may have burning and/or itching sensation in your eyes. In some cases, there is a mild pain and you may be required to take pain killers. Your eye may water and you may have a blurry or hazy vision for a few days. Whatever you feel, do not rub your eyes.

Your eye may be sensitive to light; you may be seeing ghosts, haloes and starbursts. Normally these symptoms would disappear after a few days. If not, it is better to consult a doctor immediately. For your dry eyes, you may be required to take antibiotics, steroids and other medications. You need to use protective shields to keep anything from getting into your eyes.

If you want to really turn heads, give them something to look at both coming and going. Your goal may not exactly be “junk in the trunk,” but if you have a pancake butt or just too much sag and drag, a few simple resistance exercises can perk things up and round out your rear view.

The primary muscle that defines the shape of your buttocks is the gluteus maximus. The glut muscle attaches to the lower spine and the top of the femur, or thigh bone. The gluteus maximus works with the hamstrings to extend the hip joint. The glute also extends the pelvis on the upper leg when standing and rotates the femur outward. Movements that straighten the hip against resistance engage the gluteus maximus and stimulate muscle growth.

• Squats - there are one of the best exercises to tone all your leg muscles including your gluteus maximus. Stand with your feet shoulder-width, chest lifted. Look straight ahead as you sit backward, keeping your heels anchored, until your thighs are parallel to the floor, knees over the ankles. Return to upright, squeezing the buttocks as you extend the hips. For added resistance, use dumbbells held at your sides or a weighted bar across the tops of your shoulder blades.
• Traveling Lunges – this will take the hip joint through its full range of motion in the frontal plane, engaging your gluteus to its maximus. Stand with feet shoulder-width, toes pointing forward. Keep the chest lifted, spine perpendicular to the floor. Take a giant step forward with your right leg, landing on your heel. Keep the toes of the back leg pointing forward, allowing the back heel to lift off. Bend both knees until the front leg is parallel to the floor, knee at 90 degrees. In one smooth motion, push off with the front heel, extending the knee and hip as you step through and forward with the left leg. Alternate right and left, use dumbbells held at your sides for added resistance. Read more… »

When your insurance company doesn’t pay for cosmetic surgery because it’s elective, and you don’t have the money in the bank to pay up front, what are your options? Do you have to wait until you save up enough money before you can have the facelift, tummy tuck, or breast uplift that you want? That, of course, depends on your personal financial situation. You do, however, need to check into the options before you even go for your first evaluation.

Depending on the surgeon you choose, it’s possible you may find one who offers a payment plan right in the office. In most cases, this means you pay a certain amount down, and the doctor will agree to accept a set amount in payments each month thereafter. You want to be careful when using this option, because in many cases, the down payment is smaller in order to encourage patients to take advantage of it. However, the monthly payments may be short term, and thus much higher than what you can afford. Although this is not true all the time, it is in many cases. The reason is doctors want their money right away, and as such, they really don’t want to be stuck financing patient bills. Therefore, what they do is make it somewhat attractive by offering a payment plan, but at the same time, discouraging patients from using onsite financing because of the future high payments.

Another option is using your credit card, if you have enough available to finance your cosmetic surgery. Financing this way means you don’t have to pay a down payment, and you have low minimum payments. On the down side, cosmetic surgery is expensive, so you will tie up a good portion of your credit line. Of course, if you are financially sound and have a substantial credit line, it may not have a detrimental effect, especially if you have a card with a lower than average interest rate. If you had planned to pay a down payment, you can also do that and put the balance on your credit card. This will reduce the amount of your credit line that you tie up with your surgery. Read more… »