Are You Having a 4th of July Barbacue?

We have had a few busy weekends, so have a "quiet" one planned for this weekend, except for the usual fireworks that will be set off around our lake every night for the next few nights. They already got started tonight.

I shopped today and have the place pretty well stocked with favorite barbecue foods and salad fixings, so we'll see what the weekend brings. Here are a few recipes that I've posted over the past months...years? that you may enjoy, most of them "sides" to your barbecued meat:

Quick Chicken Meal in Foil Recipe - do on the grill instead of oven

Greek Salad

Fruit Soup

Chili - goes great with a Barbecue!

A friend's "Orange Roughy Soup" Recipe

Salads we had Mother's Day that are Great Any Time!

Simple, Healthy Barley Salad

I don't think I'll be back to blog this weekend, so here's wishing you a wonderful 4th of July weekend, celebrate the things that make America great!

Energy Drinks and a Fun Contest

As a nutritionist, I haven't been a big fan of a number of the energy drinks that are on the market today...LOADED with caffeine and sugars, and so very dangerous to the body. They are popular with the younger crowd, younger than me that is...with an age range that is wide open since I'm a "baby boomer" :-)

I was encouraged by repeatedly seeing information about a BluFrog contest to FINALLY visit the site and take a look for myself. The site definitely looks fun and appealing, and I did make my way through the links to the ingredients in the BluFrog energy drink that claims to be healthier...they are pretty good...yes, some caffeine, but there are juices and natural nutrients and nothing artificial.

And the contest....that looks like fun and appealing...I wouldn't mind winning the trip to the X games in Aspen, my sister-in-law lives there, magnificently beautiful! And the Richard Petty Racing Experience sounds fun too. Here's the prizes you can win:

• An Xbox gaming system you'll have to read about.
• A Happy New Year's Eve trip to New York
• A "Blullapalooza" trip to Lolapalloza in Chicago
• A Richard Petty Racing Experience
• A trip to the winter X games in Aspen, CO

In order to win, you're going to have to take a look at the link above or below for the three ways to win, and take a look at the Sweepstakes rules...and have some fun while you're there.

Mineral Facts: Magnesium, 12 Facts, 8+ Sources

This is a start of several posts on minerals. As more posts are added on the topic, you'll be able to look at just those posts by visiting the "Mineral Facts" link in the Categories list or just below this post.

Here are some Magnesium facts:

1. 1. About 60% of this mineral is found in our bones
2. 2. Magnesium is needed so our bodies can metabolize (use) Vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium and sodium.
3. 3. Take with calcium, it helps the calcium utilize calcium properly, some suggest taking magnesium:calcium in a 1:2 ratio. So if you're taking 250 mg. Calcium, take with 125 mg. Magnesium
4. 4. Magnesium benefits the bones and teeth.
5. 5. Consider this mineral if you are having trouble with restless leg syndrome.
   
6. 6. Enzymes are important to our bodies, that's a topic for another post. For now, just know that over 300 enzymes are made more useful to the body by magnesium.
7. 7. Helps with insulin production.
   
8. 8. Magnesium comes in different forms, two of the best are Citrate and Malate. So in order to get the best of both worlds, I like using this magnesium complex.
9. 9. Magnesium has a relaxing affect on the smooth muscle tissues in the body, which may account for the following benefits:
   
10. 10. May reduce the frequency of migraines
11. 11. May reduce severity of asthma attacks
12. 12. May help with PMS symptoms
    

Food Sources for Magnesium:

1. 1. Green Leafy vegetables (central atom in the chlorophyll molecule)
2. 2. Figs
3. 3. Grapefruit (remember, Grapefruit is contra-indicated with many meds)
4. 4. Apples
5. 5. Lemons
6. 6.Peanuts
7. 7.Whole-Grain Bread
8. 8. Natural un-refined Cereal

If you are unable to eat as healthy as you'd like consider the supplement mentioned above..

350 mg. is the generally agreed to be the maximum to take in supplement form, this can vary depending upon the individual. Excess amounts may cause diarrhea.

Learning, Food for the Mind

When I took my courses to be Certified in Nutritional Counseling, I took a distance education course of study because there were no schools nearby, and I was a mom at home raising my children. At that time, we didn't have home computers and access to the internet, and the idea of learning by computer was unheard of. Distance learning through schools and programs on the internet is very accepted now, and valuable to those who cannot easily get out of the house for various reasons.

For the past couple of hours, I've been having such a great time at a very unique learning site, learn.com. At the site you can develop the Job skills that you already have, or learn new ones, tracking your progress as you learn. You can also offer courses to teach skills that you have.

I signed up, and immediately received an email clearly explaining to me everything available to me. I then did a very quick download needed for some of the courses, and then went and browsed the site for things that I wanted to know more about. Since I'm interested in health-related topics, I'm looking forward to seeing how that part of the site develops. But there were many things available to learn...from things that help you on a practical level in every-day life, to more complex and accredited courses of study.

I found so many things that interested me, and can't wait to get back. Not only is there a growing section of accredited courses, but there is a "job profiles" section where you can learn, and develop a "Skill Score", how this is done is carefully explained at the site.

You can also create courses, and receive a generous percentage of any income that is generated by those taking your course.

I have never seen a site quite like it, and encourage you to visit the link above or below and see what I mean. I'll be watching for more development of the health section, and will be exploring whether sharing some of my own knowledge is possible.

16 Facts About Vitamin A

I thought that it was high time we focused in on some of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that we find in our foods. There will be posts on other topics between, so be sure as the list grows, use the "Vitamin Facts" link in "Categories" in the sidebar to find all posts on Vitamins.

Vitamin A Facts:

1. 1. As the letter implies, it was the first vitamin to be discovered.
2. 2. It is essential to good vision
3. 3. It helps promote normal growth
4. 4. In animal tissue, it is occurs as retinol
5. 5. Fish Oils are a common source of Vitamin A
   
6. 6. In plants, carotene (beta carotene) is the precursor to Vitamin A...in other words, beta carotene, the orange color in carrots and other vegetables, has what is necessary to be converted into Vitamin A by the body.
7. 7. Needed for health of epithelial cells
8. 8. Benefits the Immune System
9. 9. Needed for reproduction
10. 10. Nursing Moms need it for lactation
11. 11. Helps in the formation of steroidal hormones
12. 12. So important to healthy skin and the tissue linings within and outside the body.
13. 13. An Antioxidant
14. 14. Absorbed best when taken with fat or oil.
15. 15. When pregnant don't exceed approx. 5,000 IU's
16. 16. Otherwise, generally best not to exceed 10,000 IUs