ABC's Of Happiness

Balancing many intentions and actions at once

As with most mornings, I wake and look to daily inspirations, meditations, affirmations, and prayer to start the day. I found this one today and thought others would appreciate it as well. 

Have a Happy Life!

Medicinal Teas

                                    Teas for Better Health

Medicinal teas are easy, natural ways to help relieve numerous ailments such as PMS, hot flashes, mood-swings, and fatigue. Here is how to brew your next batch.

For dried herbs and supplies, try Jean's Greens or Mountain Rose Herbs.

Single Ingredient Teas Leaves and FlowersPour a quart of boiling water over 4 tablespoons of the herb, cover and steep for 20 minutes, and strain.

Roots, Berries, or BarkSimmer 4 tablespoons for 20 minutes, then strain.

Tea BlendsFor teas that call for multiple ingredients, you'll save time by making a large batch of dried herbs.

• To make a blend, follow the ratio in the recipe, using 1 ounce of dried herb per "part"; for example, if a formula calls for one part each of nettle and oat tops and 1.4 part peppermint, combine 1 ounce each of the first two ingredients with 1.4 ounce of the last. Mix well, and store your blend in an airtight glass container.
• Teas for Better HealthTo make a quart of tea, a good daily dose for many conditions, pour boiling water over 4 tablespoons of the mixture in a quart-sized heat-proof jar (such as a Mason jar). Cover and steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the herbs out. Will keep refrigerated for two to three days.

Tea Recipes for Women's Health

PMS Relieving Nettle TeaPour a quart of boiling water over 4 tablespoons dried nettles (plus a tablespoon of spearmint or peppermint for flavor); steep for at least 20 minutes, and strain. Drink 2 cups or more daily.

Cramp-Relief TeaAdd 5 to 6 tablespoons of fresh or dried ginger to 1 quart of water; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add honey and lemon to flavor. Sip hot throughout the day.

Pregnancy-Prep Tea BlendCombine 1 part each of dried tea nettle leaf, raspberry leaf, lady's mantle, and cut-and sifted ginger. Drink 3 to 4 cups daily.

A Fatigue Fixing Tea BlendMix equal parts nettle, raspberry leaf, oat tops, and lemon balm with 1/4 part each of cut-and sifted licorice and ginger. Drink 3 cups daily.

Hot Flash Cooling Tea BlendCombine equal parts sage, blue vervain, and motherwort with 1/2 part peppermint or spearmint for flavor. Drink throughout the day as needed.

Happiness Tea BlendCombine equal parts hawthorn (berries, leaf, and flowers), lemon balm, St. John's wort, blue vervain, and oat tops. Drink 3 to 4 cups daily.

Read about the 10 best herbs for women's health.

Exercising for Leg Strength - What's Best

Exercising for Leg Strength - What's Best

http://ffmolemed.blogspot.com Leg Press vs. Clockwork Lunges Leg Press You may feel like the Incredible Hulk while loading weight after weight onto the leg press, but according to Lauren Gould, ACE-Certified personal trainer and the founder of 80/20 Wellness, your impressive poundage isn’t practical. In part because the machine only targets a single large muscle group, “the strength you gain on a leg press doesn’t translate into everyday activities,” she says. “Think about it: when have you ever been sitting, just pushing something with your legs?”

Clockwork Lunges

Engage every muscle in your legs and challenge your core with this variation on lunges. “Enjoy the variety while you develop the kind of strength that you’ll notice next time you take the stairs or carry a heavy load,” Gould says. As the lunges become easier, simply add hand weights to continue to see full-body results.



SMART WAYS TO EAT YOUR VEGGIES

Optional ways to eat veggies

Eating at least some vegetables raw ensures you are digesting beneficial enzymes and water-soluble vitamins(C and the B's)

• Boil oxalate-rich veggies (spinach, Swiss chard, beets) if you are prone to forming calcium kidney stones since most of the oxalates release into the cooking water.
•  If you have a condition such as irritable bowel or Crohn's disease, steaming can make veggies easier to digest. Steaming also increases antioxidant activity in bell peppers, green beans, broccoli, and spinach and makes beta-carotene in carrots easier to absorb. 
• Roasting meats and vegetables is a safer alternative to grilling, which can char foods, resulting in carcinogens called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), toxins created when foods containing sugars and protein are burned (that goes for baked goods too).

 

Eat smart each day!

A Better Flu Vaccine

Can anything be done to avoid another rough flu season? 

NIH scientists are using some unconventional thinking to come up with a better flu solution -- a universal vaccine that would protect against multiple strains of the virus, so it wouldn't be necessary to vaccinate every year. 

On the newest edition of BioCenturyTV on the web This Week, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases explains why the approach -- "unnatural immunity" -- could be the way to fight influenza -- and HIV.

Visit the BioCentury TV website to learn more: www.biocenturytv.com

Rustler’s Rooste World Famous Swordfish Marinade

Combine all marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Marinate swordfish steaks for 2 hours. Sear on grill for about 1.5 minutes on each side.

1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1 cup Orange Juice
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1 cup Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Chopped Garlic
1 Tbsp Dry Oregano
1 Tbsp Dry Parsley
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Black Pepper

1 inch thick Swordfish Steaks

Found on House Smarts TV