Thursday, December 9, 2010

Final week, final blog

I remember the first day of class as if it were yesterday, it was nerve wrecking  and I didn't have the slightest idea what I was getting myself into;being the only Science Major made me freak out but now that its the last stretch of the semester, I feel very empowered and confident as I write this final blog. I have learned a great deal of self confidence in my writing  and am thankful to my classmates who made it a great experience. I would also like to thank Mr Lemmon being an awesome.

My final post is to give you  a sweet recipe that I love to make.You can get more recipes from
http://www.celtnet.org.uk/recipes   search for Kenyan food.

Green Banana or Plantain Chips
Ingredients
They can be an appetizer or a snack (the chips here are a version of American fries). Traditionally they're made from plantains but green bananas work equally well and are quite delicious.
5 small plantains (or unripe bananas)
oil for deep frying
sea salt to taste
Method of Preparation
Peel the plantains (or bananas) with a knife (not as easy as it sounds!) then cut into long thin wedges. Basically you're cutting them into chips (fries).
Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or a large wok to about 190°C . Add the plantain pieces in batches to the oil and fry until golden brown (about 6 or 7 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper, season liberally with salt and serve hot.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

My hate/love relationship with December


Don’t you just love the holidays?
It must have been a week ago, when I was walking around the stores of the Battlefield Mall and noticed a young boy around the age of nine years on the floor, crying his poor heart out. His parents were right beside him patting him to get up. I could clearly see their frustration, but they were too helpless about the situation and all the curious eyes around. Which leads to the question; What do you think about this phenomenon known as the holidays? Should I tell my child to believe in Santa? Should I raise his expectations with bigger gifts each year? Should I stop emptying my pockets at the stores that make me accumulate more debt?  Too bad we can’t avoid that headache.
We spend so much time looking for the perfect gift, looking for sales thinking that we are getting bargains, but in reality we may be paying the same price without a sale; and after all that, we either get a gift that we don’t like, or better yet we give a gift that someone else hates.
 I personally hate December. I can’t stand all the congestion in the stores, it drives me nuts looking for a parking, I hate it that we remember the poor and homeless for two weeks, and after that we forget about them until the next December. And don’t forget the crying children in the mall that want their parents to buy them gifts for Christmas.
 I usually blame it on culture shock, but it’s really very simple, I didn’t grow up with a tree or the countless gifts. I grew up knowing Christmas was when our family came together with our extended clan for a good meal and lots of laughter and fun. And when they left, you’d say, “That was fun I can’t wait for next year”.  Therefore, I find the expectations that are imposed on me very overwhelming.
While Decembers make me sick, Christmas is the one day that I love; the birth of Jesus Christ is what every Christian loves to celebrate. I just love the emotions brought about on this day and enjoy the simplicity of the moment. Christmas day signifies that January is right around the corner, hence more sun than gloom. 
 

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Just ranting

Maybe I might be the only one who focuses a lot on the health links on every magazine but in reality, I am probably sick and tired of reading the same thing everyday. I am overwhelmed at all the information out there that has been put out proclaiming that their health diets work, that certain shoes will make you work out, that I need to be counting my calorie intake, and so on and so forth. To me this is just too much. Some of this information works and others just don’t. You never know until you try, right?
As much as we digest this information, we should keep in mind that we choose what we eat. It is a personal choice between good and bad information provided by the media.
The other problem I noticed is that fact that if we don’t solve the problems about our health, we are faced with the impossible task of fixing that problem. Therefore avoid leaving things until the last minute because trying to solve an overloaded problem can become quite impossible.
I think its great that we are recognizing our eating habits. Taking control of the situation is better than avoiding it. I greatly love the idea that it has become a business model for many to use food as a tool for hope.
Anyway I hope you get my drift.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Healthy Hair

We all love our hair, we spend time washing, rinsing and styling it to get a certain look  but in reality, how much time do we spend taking care of it? shampoo and conditioner  help to provide some nutrients to the hair and scalp,  but  really; our diet is the most important thing for healthy strong hair.
The most important vitamins for your hair and scalp include, vitaminA, B, iron, zinc and omega 3  fatty acids. you can get this through eating foods such as carrots, spinach, kidney beans,  salmon, eggs and whole grains. Variety is always the best way to go when eating, because you must be able to get the three basic classes of foods.(proteins, carbohydrates and fats)
There needs to be a balance in everything for the body to work properly so keep track of what you eat and as usual, don't always depend on cosmetics;Try some of the basic home made recipes and mix it up.
Read some more on Nurture hair to health

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Amazing facts about our body

I always talk about health and how to do this and that but in reallity the key thing to remember is that we do it to maintain the human body. Our body is the most facinating machine that functions without  us knowing; so this weeks post is to inform you about that machine.

Interesting facts about our body;
  • The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of a bursting air bubble in the joints.
  • The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet.
  • You get a new stomach lining every 3 to 4 days due to strong digestive acids that corrode the lining in the stomach.
  • The largest organ of the body is the skin, it covers around 1.6-1.9 square meters and accounts for 12% of our body weight.
  • The roar we hear when we place a shell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins of the ear.
  • A baby has more bones than an adult because some of the bones fuse together  to form stronger bones, thus instead of 300 we are left with 206 bones.
  • The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second.
  • Every person has a unique tongue print
  • Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.
  • Our eyes are always the same size from birth.

 This are just a few facts that I found interesting, you can check out more on the two links below.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Are we moving forward or backward?

I recently was perusing through the New York Times magazine and came up short of breath when I read an article written by Katie Thomas titled, Running shorts, Singlet. Shoes? which talked about barefoot running. I was surprised to read all the different experiences that people shared on how running barefoot was working for them. While it worked for other, majority of the people in the article confirmed the shortcomings which included fractures and injuries and most commonly blisters.
Well, from my perception of the whole craze about barefoot running, it would be right to say that we are now starting to follow the good old days when people went barefoot, not because they wanted to, but because they had no choice. Our ancestor’s adaptation to running barefoot was because their roads were bare earth which cushions the feet, unlike the paved roads that increase friction on the soles. Secondly, people walked barefoot because they couldn’t afford it, shoes were a luxury; consequently with time they adapted to walking and running barefoot.
 Before running barefoot, keep in mind that your feet will be unsanitary, unsafe and cold. But if you really insist, i would opt for the Nike Free shoes or the Vibram Five Fingers that are becoming increasingly popular and use them as a first base so that the muscles can adapt.
Remember, walking barefoot is not the same as running barefoot so pick your poison wisely, because it might end up costing you more than just a work-out.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Painful muscle cramping

Am I just the only one who thought that fall break went by so fast?  I hope you all had a great fall break.  I didn’t do much but had a chance to take one of my friends to pick up his car at Lebanon which was just one hour away and on my way back I experienced the worst muscle cramp ever. I wanted to stop but couldn’t because I was trying to keep up with him on the highway, since there was a 50/50 chance that the car would stall on him. 

So, what would you do if you got a muscle pull on the road? 

 I decided to put my car on cruise and massaged my foot while driving. I know it’s not the right thing to do but it worked. However because my muscles were tensed up, I ended up cruising all the way.
When I arrived home, I went online to check on what to do to fix a muscle cramp, funny enough, there wasn’t a fix, however according to Khara Kanika, muscle cramps can be eliminated by regular stretching, staying hydrated and training gradually especially for people that are starting a workout routine. 

I think next time, I might just stop and stretch.


 

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Flu be gone

I am really under the weather with the flu, but am using some healthy ingredients to keep myself warm and hoping for a speedy recovery.  This post is about how I am curing my flu without using any medicine.
I started with a cup of ginger tea, as I call it.
1 Hot cup of water
1 tea bag
 1 tsp. of honey
½ a tsp. ginger (can be fresh ginger root)
Squeeze one fresh lemon.
Mix all the ingredients and enjoy.
This drink keeps me hydrated,opens up my airway and gives me a warm fuzzy feeling as it goes down my throat.
The next thing I have been doing is making chicken soup from a famous program on the food channel called Down Home with the Neely’s.  I am not a good cook, but this recipe makes me feel proud.
Another favorite is the Mastex Thermal Facial Sauna; you add a little water and switch it on. It works great for my clogged up nasal passage, it gives a good facial that unclogs the pores and only costs about 22dollars on amazon
It’s now Wednesday evening and still not feeling any better, am hoping tomorrow I’ll wake up feeling like a champ.  If not, MucinexD here I come.


Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I am very happy that this month houses both Halloween and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This means  that there are a lot of charities and events happening around to promote a good cause and a lot of color that identifies with each occasion.
Some of the things I noticed this week are;
NFL  players and their coaches were wearing pink apparel to raise breast cancer awareness. They had on pink gloves, sweatbands, and shoes that they looked so cool in. Isn't it a great thing that pink is not just for lady's anymore?
Anyway, another thing that caught my eye that is happening around school is that,  Zeta Tau Alpha is doing a Think Pink Week where they have an entire week of activities to fund raise and support breast cancer awareness. please check it out and support them by wearing pink on Friday. 
Lastly, The Springfield-Green County Library has  some more resources, that can be found on their health and wellness link pertaining to information about breast cancer. They have listed some new books to read,as well as a calendar of events  where the community can participate in raising Breast Cancer Awareness.

Hope grows when people care.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

It's Allergy Season


When I think of allergies, I think red eyes, runny nose and a box of Kleenex everywhere I go. Fall can be the worst season especially for those individuals with allergies.
To differentiate between the common cold and allergies, note that allergies usually have itchy symptoms; itchy eyes, itchy nose and sneezing. I didn’t know this for so long, I always treated it as a cold.

Some ways of avoiding allergies are;

  • Keeping doors and windows shut.
  • Dusting often; vacuum and use microfiber dust mops to clean
  • Change your air-conditioner filter, at least once a month.
  • Staying away from fields with corn, grains or places where ragweed loves to grow.
  • Be proactive, lower indoor humidity during summer. Pollen take advantage of a high-humidity summer for their autumn explosion.
  • It is almost impossible to detect and avoid pollen areas so keep your medicine with you at all times.
There are several over the counter medicines that you can get to treat allergies, they can be decongestants or antihistamines that open up the airway. However, before taking any medication for your symptoms, please consult your doctor.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Stressing out?

  Have you ever had a nervous breakdown? I’ve had so many this weekend I think I’m losing it; From tight schedules and deadlines, to belligerent people on my case.  I am already sick and exhausted preparing for upcoming tests, completing applications and to top it off, organizing a birthday party. I’m stressed out.

So, what is stress

Stress is the response to demand that is placed upon you. It can be positive or negative. Stress can be a good motivator of creativity or performance, however when it becomes a problem over a long period of time, it can cause mental and physical exhaustion, leading to illness.  Among some of the  most common illnesses related to stress include; heart attacks, high blood pressure, migraines, obesity  just to name a few.


  
Tips for relieving stress

Don’t let small things affect you.

Whether it’s a friend, boss or whoever,   don’t let it get to you. Learn how to pick your battles, If you can’t help it, laugh it off and tell yourself, it’s not a big deal.

Pace yourself.

If you have a lot of workload or deadlines to accomplish, start them early or make a list and most importantly, prioritize.

Eat healthy.

A lot of people including myself crave for feel good foods when stressed. Instead of picking up a cookie or chocolate bar, pick out a healthy snack that will fill you. Some of my favorites are granola bars, pretzels and raisins.

Lastly, do something that makes you relax.

 This can be anything you see, hear or feel that will make you feel relaxed and peaceful. I personally love to watch Golden girls, Everybody loves Raymond or  Two and a Half Men. Maybe you have one that you love. Spend at least 30min watching it. I bet it will make you forget what you were stressed about.

Laughter is always the best medicine.








Monday, September 13, 2010

Seasons Best




My agenda this morning was to make a shopping list for the week, and as I was writing I figured I'd blog on some of the fruits and vegetables in season since fall is right around the corner.
I love fall, its colorful, the weather is great and best of all I get to eat lots of pumpkin pie. Yummy!
This season is no exception, lots of colorful fruits and veggies like acorn squash, butter squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, pomegranate, apples, figs, grapes and pears.  These colorful fruits and vegetables contain phytonutrients that help improve our immune system.
As you cruise through the isles, look for fresh produce with the right colors, check for blemishes, bruising or yellowing. Slow down and smell the roses, so to speak.
A little secret when finding the best sweet potatoes is going to an oriental store. They may be on the expensive side, but they taste sweeter and also have a better texture than the domestic kind.
Its about time I hit the neighborhood grocery......

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Tasty, really tasty

Am really not as interested about my health in general, but I like reading stuff related to health. I hate working out, but being on the treadmill keeps my conscious mind happy.
This blog is about healthy recipes, picking out good food, experimenting in the kitchen as well as out and staying on top of any health related topics.

A healthy body yeilds a healthy mind, lets see if i can keep this going.