It's Dinner Time-Again?

Maybe getting back into the school routine has put an end to the late night barbequing or maybe its still just too hot to turn the oven on!

Either way, here are some tips to help make dinnertime cool, but still nutritious & delicious!

                                      Cool Down & Enjoy the final days of Summer
For most of us, the last thing we want to do in August is heat up the kitchen cooking dinner!  There is still plenty of sunshine to enjoy, last minute family outings, and other summer activities keeping us busy.  Now add in schooling, extra- curricular activities, sports, etc. and the thought of getting into a (hot) kitchen is not on anyone's wish list!  For me, this time of year offers the most difficult routine to get back into.  Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to feed the family a cool, healthy, and nutritious meal, still enjoy the sunsets, and beat the heat.

Here are some ideas:
 
Salads-Chock full of...everything!

A salad certainly doesn't simply mean a chunk of iceberg lettuce, tomato and dressing. (yuck!)   A cool, crisp, crunchy salad on a hot day is very refreshing. And, in the summertime our bodies need additional hydration so give it what it's craving by making a salad your main dish.
To make a meal out of a salad, include cooked chicken, shrimp, tuna, avocado beans, tofu, cheese, and/or hard-boiled eggs for protein.  Add in loads of  fresh vegetables, and event fruits. Top with your favorite healthy dressing.  Gathering, washing, and cutting (supervised of course) are fun for the kids too. For full nutritional benefit, make your salad colorful and top with bits like Enjoy Life's Perky's Crunch Flax.  Yum!

Sandwich Night
Every family might think about making sandwich night a weekly tradition~ if for no other reason than to give the cook a break! Another quick, cool, and healthy dinner option that avoids turning on the oven.  Got creative kids?  Let them gather up all of your family's favorite sandwich fixings & let them go to town.  It may not be your idea of a delicious meal, but you might be surprised what they come up with.   And think outside the breadbox:  Consider offering flour/corn tortillas, English muffins, bagels, pita breads, large whole-grain crackers, etc. Or no bread at all:  red, yellow, green peppers, large mushrooms, or thick sliced apples make great customized sandwich "ends"-fill with nut butters, hummus, cream cheese, natural lunch meats & sprouts.


Plug It In ~ Smaller Appliances
If your craving a hot meal, (I totally get it...its about this time of year I crave a bowl of home-made chili)
use a smaller appliance. An electric griddle, wok, toaster oven or crock pot create less heat than your stove and oven. There are lots of quick, healthy and delicious crock pot recipes-and so easy...just throw in the ingredients, turn it on, and walk away. See Eating Well dot com.  And a carryover from sandwich night, how about open-faced sandwiches, mini grilled pizzas on bagels or English muffins, or Panini's filled with everything from left-overs to gourmet cheeses on the griddle.  Another quick tip/treat, use a small mixer to make delicious and protein packed mini smoothies for desert or after school.  Lots of great recipes out there or create your own.  I use Shaklee's Energizing Soy Protein as it is safe, non-GMO, and mixes well.



Go Raw
More than a trend, the Summertime is a wonderful time to experience the health benefits of eating more raw fruits and veggies. Even if you don't want to commit to a raw foods diet long term, pick up a raw food cookbook and experiment with some of the recipes or visit  Meatless Mondays to learn the many reasons we might want to avoid eating meat at least once each week, and review/try their delicious recipe ideas.



 Go Outside-
To the grill, that is. This is a no-brainer but worth mentioning.  Grilling your meats, veggies, tofu, fish, kabobs, etc.outside on the grill will allow you to enjoy the outdoors and keep the heat out of your kitchen. Serve a nice cold fruit salad for dessert. Refreshing!


Whatever way you choose to make your cool Summertime meal, be sure to include all the food groups.  As you can see on the chart, our plates should be full of a variety of mostly vegetables, some fruits, grains, and protein, with a bit of dairy (or calcium is what I like to say).  Make it fun, enjoyable, nutritious, and delicious. And then go outside and enjoy the last of the warm summer nights! Be cool~

To your health, 

Re-use that Paper for Weed Control!

Instead of purchasing expensive landscape cloth, using poisonous herbicides, or spending hours pulling weeds, re-use packing paper or newspaper and mulch to control unsightly/unwanted weeds!

"Layering" with packing paper or newspaper is an excellent method of weed control. The garden plastic that many people choose actually prevents adequate air circulation, and consequently rots the soil underneath the plastic. Using paper allows the soil to 'breathe' and improves the health of the earth and plants.

                                Super Simple steps to creating a weed free area:

1.  Save packaging paper & newspapers:  (Keep paper folded in a dry & safe area until ready to use)
 

2.  Locate an area in your garden or yard you want to keep weed free & mulched:

 3.  Lay paper directly over the soil:  (You do not have to pull any weeds)

4.  "Layer" paper in a slight overlapping style & use several layers until area is thickly covered:

 

 5.  Place 3" to 4" of  mulch over layered paper. (Do not pile mulch too closely to trunk)

 

6.  Finished!  You may want to use stones or edge around area to keep mulch in place:

 

Layering is truly simple, cost-effective, and works great!   Whether you are looking to reduce weeds in your favorite flower bed or around shrubs and tress, you will enjoy how well layering works, plus reusing packaging paper and newspaper is good for the environment.  

Happy Gardening~  

Migraine Relief~A Holistic Approach

Suffer from migraines? 

You'll be thrilled to know dramatic relief can be simple and risk-free!




For those that have suffered with migraines, you know that Migraines are much more than just intense headaches. While headache pains are part of a migraine, there are other symptoms as well. These include nausea, dizziness and sensitivity to light. Treating migraines is not so easy, but there are various natural techniques and alternative treatments that can ease the pain migraines cause.

Most people try to get rid of pain in their bodies by using medications, but this may not be the best solution. Drugs usually have many unwanted side effects and long-term, may cause harm. On the other hand, natural methods typically offer health benefits. Before or in addition to taking meds, try these natural suggestions. Keep in mind that not every method will work for you.  You will just have to try different things and see what the best is for you.
If you get a migraine, here are a few tips that have been known to immediately relieve pain. 

See if any of the following work for you:

• take a bath or shower
• lay down and rest in a dark room
• stay away from any bright lights
• place something cold on the back of your neck
• drink water or tomato juice
• eat if you haven't eaten for a while
• massage your neck and shoulders & relax the muscles in your body
• rub Shaklee's mentholated Joint Health Cream on back of neck or temples
• Product Link  http://gaskell.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=31051

Stress on the spine may cause migraines. If your neck bones aren't in just the right spot, a chiropractor can gently push them back into place.  Interview your local chiropractors and find one that fits for you! 
And, did you know?  Dr. Shaklee was a chiropractor!  He went through chiropractic school with his friend, B. J. Palmer, the father of chiropractic care.

Many of the foods you eat may actually trigger a migraine:

• Chocolate
• Pineapple
• Avocado
• Beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• MSG (Mono-sodium glutamate)
• Pork
• Cheese/Dairy
• Caffeine
• Coconut
• Process Meats/Foods
• Shrimp
• Artificial Sweeteners/Ingredients/Colorings
• Refined Sugars (white sugar, white carbs., etc.)

Try eliminating 1 or 2 foods you may have eaten within 24 hours of having a migraine. You may be surprised to learn that you have a sensitivity to a certain food or ingredient that is causing your migraines.

Adding in additional B-Vitamins, Fish Oil, Calcium and Magnesium in combination have also proved to offer significant relief, reduced frequency and even elimination of migraines.

The "must have" migraine trio:


   
Many people find that taking 2-6 of each of Shaklee's OmegaGuard, OsteoMatirx, and B-Complex offers Migraine relief.

To your health,