This is my ideal size, I'd love to be this shape. Not too big or too small...JUST RIGHT FOR ME!! You go J-Hud, you look fantastic!!
Friday, April 2, 2010
THINSPIRATION: J-Hud sheds extra pounds and looks great!
This is my ideal size, I'd love to be this shape. Not too big or too small...JUST RIGHT FOR ME!! You go J-Hud, you look fantastic!!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Health benefits of drinking water
- regulate appetite
- increase metabolism
- boost energy levels
- less water retention
- alleviate some headaches
- help reduce blood pressure
- help reduce high cholesterol
- ease joint pain
- decrease in risk of some cancers
- less chance developing kidney stones
- release toxic waste products
- improves skin
Drinking water and losing weight!
"Drink 8 glasses of water each day" is what we hear all the time but what weight loss benefits do we get from drinking water?
All functions within the body require the presence of water. A well hydrated body enables these functions to occur quickly and efficiently. All chemical processes involve energy metabolism and drinking plenty of water will make us feel more energetic and boost our metabolic rate.
Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster.
Drinking water is important if you're trying to lose weight, some studies have shown that thirst and hunger sensations are triggered together. If there is a slight dehydration the thirst mechanism may be mistaken for hunger and one may eat when the body is actually craving fluid. As most food contains some water, if one doesn't drink much they may be subconsciously driven to eat more to gain the necessary water supply however, you also gain the undesired effects of increased calorie consumption. Drinking more water can help to prevent overeating and benefit weight loss.
For more facts click link:::
SOURCE: http://www.weightlossforall.com/benefits-water-drinking.htm
13 ways to alleviate sniffling, sneezing and headaches
By Rachel Rabkin
Diet
It happens to an estimated 40 to 50 million Americans every year: the stuffy head, watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing that signal seasonal allergies. The good news is that you don't always have to pop a pill to feel better. "Studies show that natural approaches are effective in improving allergy symptoms," says Robert Anderson, M.D., immediate past president of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. "The best part is that you can avoid the unwanted side effects of traditional medication such as drowsiness," he says. We asked top alternative-medicine experts for diet, body and mind strategies to deal with this allergy season drug-free.
Pick up some produce
"About 20 percent of our immune cells are in the intestines, so diet plays a big role in immune function," says Carolyn Dean, M.D., a naturopathic physician in City Island, New York. Fruits and vegetables with the deepest hues, such as berries, spinach and red grapes, are highest in antioxidants, which help prevent the free-radical damage to cells that weakens immunity. Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene (also found in brightly colored produce) have anti-inflammatory properties that may help decrease the swelling in the airways that causes congestion, says Mary L. Hardy, M.D., director of Integrative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Quercitin, a plant compound found in apples and grapes, also inhibits inflammation in nasal passages.
Avoid dairy, sugar, wheat and food additives
These are known to produce excess mucus, which causes congestion and nasal irritation, according to Dr. Hardy. Cutting back will help make you less sensitive to pollens and other irritants.
Eat spicy foods
They can increase blood flow, which brings oxygen to the nasal passages and helps thin and eliminate mucus, says Dr. Hardy.
Drink water
Fluids help clear airways by hydrating mucous membranes: The wetter the membrane, the thinner the mucus and the more easily it can drain.
Choose foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Found in fish, almonds and flax seeds, omega-3's may help lessen respiratory symptoms by reducing inflammation, according to a study from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Try herbs
Be sure to check product labels for dosages, and always talk to your doctor about possible interactions with other drugs before taking anything.
Stinging nettle is a natural antihistamine that relieves irritation in the nasal passages, according to Dr. Anderson.
Sodium selenite (a form of the antioxidant selenium) helps boost the immune system and neutralize free radicals, which can spur allergy attacks, says Dr. Anderson.
Aloe, when taken in supplement form or in a saline-based nasal spray, can also help heal irritated mucous membranes.
Fenugreek eases congestion by thinning mucus, says Dr. Hardy.
Next: Body
Next: Mind
SOURCE:: www.fitnessmagazine.com/health/.../natural-allergy-relief/
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The REAL Princess Tiana:: Leah Chase shares her wisdom and her yummy gumbo recipe!
Leah Chase’s philosophy is simple and delicious: “I always say we solve the problems of the world right here in this dining room over a bowl of gumbo.”
The 87-year-old Chase is a chef, author and TV personality nicknamed the Queen of Creole Cuisine whose popular New Orleans restaurant Dooky Chase has served up fried chicken, jambalaya and gumbo for more than 50 years. She's also the real-life inspiration for the Disney animated film "The Princess and the Frog," which arrives on DVD this week.
During the 1960s, Dooky Chase was a gathering place for members of the civil rights movement. Celebrities also have flocked to her restaurant. Even President Obama has dropped by. “I served him gumbo, and the first thing Mr. Obama did was put hot sauce in my gumbo. I said, ‘Mr. Obama, you don’t put hot sauce in my gumbo.' ”
As you might imagine, the restaurant is more than just a restaurant. After it was destroyed during flooding from Hurricane Katrina, the community came together and held fundraisers for the rebuilding. She reopened the restaurant two years ago -- but is only serving lunch. (More on that below.)
Before the lunch crowd was about to descend on Dooky Chase, the imitable Chase chatted on the phone about her favorite subject — food.
Q: So what did you think of “Princess and the Frog”?
Leah Chase: I thought it was so beautiful, and everybody who knows me says I can see you in the character.
Q: I’ve caught you right before lunch.
LC: Yes. We do a lunch buffet today. We have fried chicken, jambalaya, smothered pork chops and greens, string beans and whatever.
Q: Are your lunches always served buffet-style?
LC: I hate it, but it is. I don’t like buffets. I rather you order what you want and I serve it nice on a plate for you. I like that better.
Q: So why do you do buffet?
LC: For the lunch customer, it is a quick thing. They can come in and we give them a cup of soup first and then they can go to the line leisurely or if they have a short time, they can get there in a hurry. The food is already prepared. It is better for lunch people because they get choices for one thing. We also have tuna salad, potato salad.
Q: Do you plan to eventually reopen for dinner?
LC: I am trying to open for dinner. Dinner is what I truly love. I wish I could serve breakfast and dinner. It is hard to do breakfast when you come against McDonald’s. I like leisurely breakfast. I am trying to do dinner ... I need more staff. I can produce this food between my grandson and me, but I need more staff.
Q: You married your husband in 1945 and his family owned the restaurant.
LC: My mother-in-law, she was a dynamo here. She was very unique. It is marvelous what she did here with no restaurant knowledge at all. She knew how to reach that bottom line. She knew how to make money, and she was a good cook. I worked in the French Quarter from 1942-45. I was a waitress. I loved waiting tables. I always wanted my own restaurant. Then I got married to Dooky. He had a big band then.
Q: Though there was segregation in New Orleans, I read that both blacks and whites ate at Dooky Chase.
LC: We had a strange place here. It was absolutely illegal for whites and blacks to eat together outside or entertain together. It sounds funny now. It was the law then and we just did it. But for some uncanny reason we always had whites come here. For political reasons this was the only place besides the churches they could meet with black people. If you were running for something and you were white and wanted to talk to black people, they would come here.
Q: How did the restaurant get to become a hangout for those in the civil rights movement in the 1960s?
LC: We were trying to integrate things through the NAACP. It was too slow and young people come with all kind of ideas. That is the good thing about young people — they have vision. They have very little to lose. So they would meet here and plan all of that over gumbo and fried chicken.
Q: Speaking of gumbo and fried chicken, are your patrons worried about cholesterol these days eating such heavy foods?
LC: No. People eat what they have to eat and then back off the next meal. That’s what you should do in life. For instance, growing up, we didn’t have fried chicken every day. We ate it only on Sunday so you would look forward to Sunday. You didn’t eat baked macaroni in the middle of the week — you would eat greens, rice and string beans, so you looked forward to Sunday when you had all the fancy extras. You got to do things in moderation.
Q: So I gather no one has asked you about cutting out trans fats?
LC: I go to the grocery, and if I see no fats on the label, I leave it on the shelf. I don’t know what the devil they did to take the fat out.
-- Susan King
Dooky Chase's Creole Gumbo
Note: This recipe has not been tested by The Times' Test Kitchen. Recipe from Chef Leah Chase
Ingredients
4 hard-shell crabs
1/2 pound chicken necks
1/2 pound smoked sausage
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 pound chicken gizzard
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 tablespoons flour
6 chicken wings
1/2 pound Creole hot sausage
3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound boneless veal stew meat
1 pound shrimp1 cup chopped onion
24 oysters in their liquid
4 quarts water1 1/2 pounds smoked ham
1 tablespoon file powder
Directions:
Place crabs, sausage cut into bite-sized pieces, stew meat and gizzards in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Cover and let cook in own fat and juices for 30 minutes. Heat oil in skillet and add flour to make roux. Stir constantly until very brown. Lower heat, add onion and cook over low heat until onions wilt. Pour onion mixture over meat in pot. Slowly add water, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Add chicken wings cut in half, necks skinned and cut, ham cubed, shrimp peeled and deveined, paprika, salt, garlic, parsley and thyme. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add oysters and liquid and cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat. Add file powder and stir well. Serve over rice.
Photo and Image : Walt Disney Co.
When the creators of Disney's 'Princess and the Frog' came to New Orleans in search of inspiration for their character Princess Tiana, locals pointed them into the direction of 87-year-old Leah Chase. The Creole chef known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine got to talking about her Louisiana upbringing, love for cooking and aspirations as a child to own her own restaurant. Never did she imagine that her life story would go on to inspire Disney to base their first black princess character on her; yet it did just that.
As hundreds of thousands of little girls poured out of movie theaters across the country, they walked away uplifted by a belief lived by her whole life, 'You can accomplish anything you put your mind to.' Chase may not be a household name outside of New Orleans, but her real life dreams, passions and accomplishments are in the hearts of any person who watches the film or buys 'Princess and the Frog: Tiana's Cookbook,' which Chase contributed to. After getting the chance to catch up with the fun spirited chef, it was easy to see why Disney became enamored with her real life Princess Tiana story and it's clear that when it comes to inspiring others, Chase is nowhere close to being finished.
How do you feel about being the inspiration behind this character?
I feel so grateful for that because I thought that was the nicest thing I've ever heard of. We've had these characters before and people like them but you can always feel good about yourself when you see somebody like you sometimes. That's what little black girls can see now; they can see a little black princess and that's uplifting for them. I have little girls who come and say "I want to be a cook just like you." It's beautiful how it has inspired a lot of little African-American girls. It got them thinking, "If I want a restaurant, if I want to cook, I can do that and I will do that." They know it's hard work and they know it's what you have to do to accomplish goals. I'm happy for that little movie. It really inspired a whole lot of people and it uplifted people-that is the most important thing to me-it uplifts people. It's just so beautiful.
Did the movie inspire you to create the recipes for the 'Princess and the Frog: Tiana's Cookbook'?
The movie inspired me to do more things, but I had all the recipes before. You know when you've been working in the kitchen as long as I've been-60 some years-you learn new things all the time and start from scratch. You start from what your mother teaches you and then if you like something you say you tweak it. Like if you meet people with other cultures and they talk about their food then you get ideas and you say, "That's nice but I'll do it my way." We call it 'Creolizing" everybody's idea. It's fun doing that.
Who has influenced your cooking the most?
I'll tell you that when I went to go work in this restaurant I knew how to cook because everyone that comes up in a home like I do is going to learn to cook whatever their mother cooks. So it was my mother and my mother-in-law was a good cook so you learn all kinds of things from the
people around you.
How would you describe your cooking?
For any chef, you cook the food that is you and what you're all about, and if people want to eat what I'm all about they come to me. If they want to eat Italian food and what other people are all about they go to other restaurants. I do down home cooking and just cooking that you would find in any kitchen and any home and people like that, so they come and eat it and enjoy it. It's good comfort food.
You've accomplished so much so far, what are your future goals?
You accomplish whatever you set your goals to. I never said I want to be this or I want to be that. Everyday I just do the things I like to do. I like to cook, I like to create new foods, I like to meet people and I like to feed people so that's what I do. If you do what you like and you do it well and you always have other people in mind, then you can succeed. It's never about you; it's about what you can do for somebody else. When I was coming up we were poor and didn't have much, but my Daddy gave us three things to live by: pray, work and do for others, but you had to do those three things in that order according to him. I found that all my life those three principles worked for me and I think it can work for anybody.
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