Tried & Tested Tips - Volume One

 

I love finding little tip and tricks to make life flow the way I imagine it does. I am always searching for tidbits to save time, money and energy – and I figured passing along the information would be well received. Let’s give it a go.....

Leftover Veggies: Instead of throwing them into the garbage – where they do nothing – blend them into a puree and freeze them in ice cube trays. When making soups or stews just toss one in for added flavor. This works especially great with tomatoes.

When it comes to cleaning, there is no stronger master than vinegar. I use it diluted with water in a spray bottle. When the mood strikes, I add essential oils like lemon, grapefruit and even jasmine. I clean everything from bathroom fixtures to mirrors to countertops. I even add a cup to each load of laundry that I do. It even tackles mold. Nothing cleans better and disinfects like white vinegar.

Gum Removal:  It took me an experience with gum in the hair (not my hair) to learn this tough lesson – but what a great solution to an issue that makes all moms cringe when they think of it. Gum in the hair.

The simplest solution I have tried? Egg white. I know, weird, right? The egg white is placed on whatever the gum is stuck on (usually hair) and left for a few minutes. Afterwards, simply work the gum out. Ta da! Another gum solution is the freezer. I don’t suggest the freezer for hair (brrrrr!) – but a sweater with gum stuck on it can be freed by freezing the garment and later ‘cracking’ it off once it is solid.

When buying fresh green beans, be sure they snap when you bend them instead of just bending.

Garlic Breath:  While we love garlic, the odors left behind can be brutal. I noticed that the cleaner the body (the cleaner we eat), the less odors we emit all all aspects of the ‘odor realm’.  I wouldn’t kid you. Two ways I have discovered to curb the garlic breath are coffee grounds and lemon.

Coffee grounds rubbed over the hands will remove the garlic scent trapped there. For bad garlic breath, or hand cleaner – try fresh lemon (if you can stand it). The term ‘go suck a lemon’ could apply here – but it really is an amazing solution!

Cooking Sweet Peas: Instead of adding sugar to sweeten a batch of fresh sweet peas, just add a few of the pea pods. They are a natural sweetener and save money instead of just tossing them into the composter. The added bonus? No artificial sugars.

Sprinkle area rugs and carpets with a light dusting of baking soda. It helps draw out nasty odors and freshens the room.

That concludes this Tips & Tricks post for today. Stay tuned for more coming soon.
Have a great trick to share? Comment below!

Do Diet Drinks Matter?

Diet Drinks – Do They Matter?

The answer to the question is ‘of course they do – everything matters.

Admittedly, I was ‘The Fat Girl’ who would go into a fast food place and order a double you know what with everything, super giant fries with mayo for dipping.......and a diet drink. I knew the joke – I knew it applied to me...and it still didn’t sink in that something needed to change.

So I wondered  – does the theory of ordering a diet drink, or switching from regular soda to diet make us even a smidge healthier?

The answer is no.

I started with regular soda. I drank these for over 20 years and I drank way too much. I substituted the sugary drinks for the water, tea....even coffee. I have never had a real cup of coffee in my life, yet I could pour the cold carbonation of a soda down my throat every morning. I cracked my first soda before I hit the bathroom – and sometimes, I did both at the same time. There – I said it.

I also admit that I thought I was enjoying every millisecond of it. I would chug my morning meal, then be sure to pack another for the ride to work. I figured it was all that was keeping me going, and I needed the caffeine.

What I didn’t know was the silent effects these chemicals (and that is what they are) were doing to my system. To start, a soda has a Ph of approximately 2.0. Our bodies operate optimally at a Ph between roughly 6.7-7.2. Armed with the information that dis-ease can occur in our bodies when our Ph level falls below 5.7, it should be a no-brainer to stop throwing a Ph of 2.0 into the mix.

The other factoid that I learned was that caffeine, one cup of coffee or a soda will stay in our system for up to 30 hours. Someone who drinks a pot of coffee a day is probably running on sheer caffeine. There is nothing wrong with a cup of java in the morning as long as the desire isn’t to consume every grande latte tall cappuccino espresso we come across. One soda, (based on the theory of the caffiene 30 hour rule) will do the same thing.

So when I would drink over 12 cans of soda in a day – I literally drank myself to dis-ease.

Awareness and the desire to change is all it takes to go that next step toward wellness. I always thought I was weak, without will power and destined to suffer for all of eternity.

I soon discovered I held all of the power to change....and then I did.