Healthy Seafood - How Do You Like Yours?

We just returned from a 10-day trip to the gulf area of Florida. One of the things we love the most about going to this area is the fresh seafood! Seafood is loaded with essential oils that our bodies don't make on their own but we need. According to some studies, eating a small amount of seafood daily can cut the risk of death due to heart disease by nearly 20%! On our trip we caught Redfish and Spanish Mackeral (and sharks, which we threw back) and one of the boys in our group went scalloping and bought back a bag of fresh, unshucked scallops. The Redfish was my favorite but I didn't try the scallops since they ate them raw and I wasn't about to do that. We also purchased fresh shrimp, although it's not peak season for it, they were still wonderful! My hubby steamed his and had them with cocktail sauce while I made mine into a scampi, of sorts. I just minced fresh garlic, and sauteed it in butter. Then I added some white wine and the fresh shrimp. After just a few minutes (don't over-cook your shrimp!) add grated Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and a dash of Old Bay Seafood Seasoning. Serve with a salad and some whole grain bread and you've got a tasty, but fairly healthful meal. Now, although I thought it was quite tasty, I think for it to be a contender for The Great American Seafood Cook Off it will need some tweaking, any suggestions? If you're not familiar with the Great American Seafood Cook Off, it is one of America’s most prestigious culinary competitions and it not only showcases the chef's art, but it promotes the value of domestic seafood, and the simplicity of cooking seafood at home. Only domestic seafood is used because it is not only easily sustainable, the freshness of local seafood makes the dishes delectable. It's held Aug 2-3 at the New Orleans Memorial Convention Center and tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. If you get to go, let me know about it! I'd also love some more great, healthy, EASY, seafood recipes! If you have one, be sure to share!

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What To Do About PMS

Yesterday I was griping about something my husband did when he said, 'Man you're in a bad mood,' followed by, ' Ohhhh, I know why!' Those words only served to make me angrier but the truth of the matter is, there are days when I am PMSing and I am just plain irritable. (I just don't want it pointed out to me!)

So, what are we to do when we find ourselves moody, bloated, and cramping? Here are a few tips I found in the April 14, 2008 issue of Woman's World that I'm willing to try. Let me know if they help you too, or if you have any other suggestions.

If your problem is Moodiness:

• Try walking 30 minutes four times a week. Doing this was shown to help up to 80% of PMS sufferers erase their blues, irritability and other monthly mood problems.
• Boost your B. Make sure your multivitamin contains 100 mg. of vitamin B6. This nutrient revs production of the brain's mood-boosting chemical serotonin. A daily does of B6 has been shown to ease the emotional discomfort of PMS for up to 88% of woman. Foods rich in B6 include chicken, eggs, fish, peas and walnuts.

If your problem is Cramps:

• Use a heating pad or heat wrap. Heat improves blood flow to tender tissues, which, helps whisk away pain-triggering prostaglandins. And, it works more quickly and just as effectively as taking ibuprofen -- but without negative side effects.
• 2.5 grams of fish oil plus 400 IU of vitamin E taken daily soothes pain for up to 60% of women by blocking the production of hormones that cause inflammation.

If your problems is Bloating:

• Try 250 mg. of dandelion extract in capsule form or 20 drops of the tincture, three times daily. There's evidence that the natural hormone balancers in this herb quickly, yet safely, flush out excess fluids.
• Salt worsens the problem because it works hand-in-hand with aldosterone to trap water inside cells. So hide the salt shaker!

If you have Disrupted Sleep Cycles during PMS:

• One night just before your PMS normally strikes, go to bed at 9:00 p.m. and get up at 1:00 a.m. When researchers had PMS-prone women to try this odd trick, 80% said it erased their symptoms!

In addition, studies show a magnesium-rich diet can cut premenstrual bloating, anxiety, breast pain and headaches by almost 90%. Good sources include trail mix, (235 mg.) halibut, (182 mg.) spinach, (157 mg.) pumpkin seeds, (151 mg.) and Kellogg's All-Bran. (109 mg.)

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Two Awards In As Many Weeks!

This one is courtesy of Moomettesgram’s Musings!

The owner of the site, Cindi, kindly made me one of the winners in the catagory of, best WAHM site - Blog.

The award is given to celebrate how far women have come - and how much farther they can go!

I will be proudly displaying it in my sidebar within the next few days!

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What To Eat To Feel Better

You know the wrong foods can effect your waist-line, but did you know that they can also effect your moods? Here's an interesting news clip I found that will help you figure out what to eat to get more energy, to become calmer, to help with depression, and to improve your concentration.

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I Received An Award To Put On My Shelf!

OK, so it's a virtual award, but still very much appreciated! My thanks goes to Charla at Healthy Home Blog who bestowed it upon me. The Healthy Home Blog is blooming with ideas for home, health, and happiness. Everything from cancer, to dieting, to recipes, to weddings. The award comes from the “Arte y Pico” blog, and now I’m supposed to pass on this award and here are the rules:

1) Pick five (5) blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language. 2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone. 3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself. 4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of “Arte y Pico” blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

Now the hard part, the five blogs I would like to pass this award on to are:

• Elizabeth at http://www.weightlossmoves.com/
• http://icdisease.today.com/
• Angie at http://angiespangies.com/ (In case you were wondering, this is not my blog! We just happen to have the same name. Wow! I'm not the only Angie in the world... and I sure can't cook like this Angie!)
• Tom at http://blog.freefitnesstips.co.uk/
• http://healthyperspectives.blogspot.com/

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Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred - Review

This post could also be titled, "So You Think You Don't Have Time To Workout? - Have I Got A Workout For You!"

At the recommendation of a friend I recently ordered Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred. I received it Monday and have done it twice and have to tell you, I love it, and boy am I sore! I'm the type that does well working out at home with workout DVDs. I actually got really fit a few years back (ok, more like 10 years ago) by working out to Cindy Crawford's - Shape Your Body Workout. That home workout received a lot of flack because Cindy doesn't use the best form and she flies through the strength exercises instead of taking her time. However, I knew how to do the exercises properly and enjoyed the routine she used and would just pause it when she got ahead of me. I looked better then than I ever have! (or probably ever will)

But after 10 years, the same routine gets a little old, so I went to the gym for a while and then there was the months I did nothing, and then I started to just do my own routines at home and walk. So now I'm excited to get a DVD I like again! If you don't know who Jillian Michaels is, she has been one of the trainers on NBC's hit series The Biggest Loser. The DVD has three complete 20-minute workouts which progress by level of intensity, using an exclusive 3-2-1 interval system. 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of ab work. You do that routine 3 times and add a warm-up and cool-down and your done!

It's very challenging, and I've only done level one! However, it's not too hard to get throough because each exercise is only 30 seconds long. So you just tell yourself, it's only 30 seconds, I can do this for 30 seconds.

There's no fancy equipment required. Just a set of hand weights and a mat if you're on a hard surface. So it's easy to take with you to workout anywhere. I'm taking it, and my portable DVD player, to the lake this weekend in order to keep it up while I'm away.

The cardio is very basic, jumping jacks, butt kicks, jumping rope, and punching, (on Level 1) but it will have you sweating! I was literally dripping by the end of the workout.

So, if you don't think you have time to workout, surely you can find 20 minutes in your day to devote to your health. In that short time you'll still get a great workout with Jillian because she combines moves for small muscles with those for large ones and keeps your heart rate up the entire 20 minutes.

You can watch a clip of the DVD at Amazon.com, and Jillian also has her own website at http://www.jillianmichaels.com/index.aspx where you can find out more about her and also take advantage of her diet and exercise plans.

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