Think of your body as a car. It needs fuel to keep going along with all of the proper fluids kept up for all it’s parts to work harmoniously.  We’ve all seen that decades old, mint condition car that some old man or woman only drove to work and back. That car will run for decades more because of the care that cautious owner put into it. After all, it was an investmet they made into something that helped them all of those years. Your body is no different. We were born with mint condition bodies that will last us for decades and give us no trouble if we take care of it. Good fuel and proper fluids needed, just like an automobile. When you don’t gas up often, the car/your body will shut down. When you don’t keep up with your oil changes or fluid replacements, parts in the car/your body stop functioning properly. When you put junky fuel and allow that gunk as well as the elements cake up within your engine block, again, the car/your body falls ill.  You know better then to put sugar or soda in your car’s gas tank so why doesn’t that transfer to what you put in the vehicle that takes you through life? Your own body? Hundreds of years ago, the human race at only what was grown or farmed. Nowadays, modern civilization’s consumption of natural products is at an all time low while “food” made in labs and factories is at an all time high. We are consuming 75% chemicals, preservatives and additives and 25% real food. And for some, the real food intake is even less.

Would you drink out of the cleaning product bottles that you store under your sink? No, right? Those or toxic, harsh chemicals! But guess what, the chemicals found in your processed foods, non-organic produce and even what happens to food when it is cooked a certain way, is just as toxic. Maybe one serving of junk food may not be the equivalent of downing 8 ounces of Draino but over time, the chemicals build up an reek havoc on your body. Just like when your car needs a major overhaul, it’s pricey and painful. It’s worse for your body because sometimes, there is no fixing the damage that has already been done.

Fast Food
Any food made that quickly can’t be good. Haste makes waste, right? Yes! Most of the ingredients used to make your value meal is pre-made, frozen garbage that is reheated by being zapped. Voila, lunch! The amount of preservatives and additives in these insta-ingredients could get that pre-packed crap through a nuclear holocaust. FYI, food is not supposed to last forever. And if it can last forever on a shelf, imagine how long it lasts in your system! Sodium and grease are the most prevalent in fast food meals. Both are the main culprits in causing high blood pressure, heart disease, cholesterol and a whole host of unpleasantness.

The more obvious red flags, however, are the insane amount of calories found in fast food meals as well as the lack of any nutritional value. Come on guys, you can’t really count french fries as a vegetable! And honestly, how can anything that is 99 cents be good quality stuff. Do you really know what’s in that “all beef patty”? The lowest grade f meat possible that barely passes FDA approval. I’m not even going to get into the horrors of the low standards put FDA holds our consumables up to. It’s mind blowingly bad and downright sickening.

Even in “moderation” fast food should be the first thing you nix! Fast food has every one of the following items on its menus so avoiding the drive through will ensure that you stay away from the horrible things I will be discussing next.

Fried Foods
Outside of the large amounts of grease found in fried foods, the best kept  and most frightening secret about them is that they are highly carcinogenic. High levels of toxic acrylamide are formed in carbohydrate-rich plant products cooked at high temperatures in pan-frying and deep-frying. Carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, cassava, yams, bananas, rice, potato chips, french fries, baked potatoes and certain bread will decompose if it is fried, then react with amino acids to produce carcinogenic compounds called Acrylamide.  Acrylamide is linked to tumors, DNA damage, nerve damage, interferes with fertility rates, and result in miscarriage. And don’t even get me started on the rest of the fried stuff like chicken, etc. Bad news folks!

In addition, cooking oils become rancid over time. Heat, light, exposure to air, and other factors can speed this process. But heat, at high levels, such as the temperatures used to fry foods, cause these cooking oils to become incredibly harmful. Many fast food joints re-use their oil over and over causing the oil to be exposed to these high temperatures numerous times, making them more dangerous with every batch. Not to mention, they don’t take proper care of these oils from the beginning (allowing them to be exposed to air and light early on) so from the get go, you’re already in trouble. If you “must” fry at home, use a high tolerance cooking oil such as coconut or safflower and mid the temperature well. But do your best to kick this habit asap!

Microwaveable Foods
I know that there is quite a controversy when it comes to microwaves. But I’m here to tell you, anything that heats your food that fast and is otherwise cool to the touch, can’t be good for you. These microwaves that are heating your quick lunch are actually transforming the chemical makeup of your foods on a cellular level. Ever notice that many things are less crispy and more rubbery when nuked? That’s because while those little waves are heating up, they have mutated your food. And mutated food not only loses it texture and taste, it loses all its nutrients too. You’re way better off buying a convection oven, steamer and/or toaster oven.

Studies have shown that after eating microwaved food, hemoglobin levels decrease. White blood cells also showed a more distinct short-term decrease following the intake of microwaved food than after the intake of all the other variants The violent change that microwaving causes to the food molecules forms new life forms called radiolytic compounds. These are mutations that are unknown in the natural world. Ordinary cooking also causes the formation of some radiolytic compounds (which is no doubt one reason why it is better to eat plenty of raw food), but microwaving cooking causes a much greater number. This then causes deterioration in your blood and immune system.

If you’re short on time, make a peanut butter & Jelly sandiwch and stop nuking your food!  ** A little ditty on microwaveable popcorn – Most popular brands contain the flavoring agent, chemical diacetyl which triggers severe lung disorder, called popcorn lung. The popcorn bags are made of paper that is coated with a chemical to keep the bag intact when heated, which breaks down to a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA), which has been linked to cancer.

Processed and Packaged Products
Most processed foods are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives. But the trouble is not just what’s been added, but what’s been taken away. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients designed by nature to protect your heart, such as soluble fiber, antioxidants, and “good” fats. Combine that with additives, and you have a recipe for disaster. Some common ingredients you will find in packaged foods are trans fats, refined grains (see below), salt and high fructose corn syrup (also see below).

Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fats because they boost your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol. That means big trouble for your arteries and heart. Remember all the lovely stuff I mentioned above in the fried and fast food sections? That’s all trans fatty crap. ugh!

Three-quarters of the sodium in our diets isn’t from the saltshaker. It’s hidden in processed foods! Sodium is necessary for life. But what happens when you eat more salt than your body needs? Your body retains fluid simply to dilute the extra sodium in your bloodstream. This raises blood volume, forcing your heart to work harder; at the same time, it makes veins and arteries constrict. The combination raises blood pressure and increases your chances for a heart attack.

Outside of all of these terrible ingredients, processed and packaged foods are normally convenience foods. Microwaveable foods, which we’ve covered to be a no-no, and not to mention canned and meals wrapped in plastic that leach bpa and other toxic chemicals into our food. Just a few more reasons to stick to a plant based diet ; ) Oh, and you save the earth too by not consuming so much disposable packaging too!

Soda
See my article on Sinister Soda – it’s pretty eye opening!

Sugary Foods
The biggie? High Fructose Corn Syrup -  Yuck! It costs less to make, is sweeter to the taste, and mixes more easily with other ingredients. Today, we consume nearly 63 pounds of it per person per year in drinks and sweets, as well as in other products. Research is beginning to suggest that this liquid sweetener may upset the human metabolism, raising the risk for heart disease and diabetes. Researchers say that high-fructose corn syrup’s chemical structure encourages overeating. It also seems to force the liver to pump more heart-threatening triglycerides into the bloodstream. In addition, fructose may zap your body’s reserves of chromium, a mineral important for healthy levels of cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar. You can check out some more on the negative effects of sugar in my Sinister Soda article as well.

Burnt and/or grilled Foods
First of all, grilling destroys vital nutrients because more often then not, grilled foods tend to be overcooked. Most food should be cooked just enough to make it palatable and easy to digest (if that much). Any extra cooking doesn’t add to the taste (it can be argued) but does destroy the most fragile vitamins. More importantly, the more cooked a food is, the higher the concentration of carcinogens in it, such as the aforementioned acrylamides.

Burnt foods are just bad all around. The amino acids in the proteins can change chemically into pre-carcinogenic forms. Similar things can happen to coffee from the process of roasting the beans. The burnt parts are highly carcinogenic, as bad as the skin on fried foods. The molecules and chemical makeup of that food item has been mutated in such a way that when it is processed by our bodies, it can have detrimental effects.

White Flour, Pasta & Rice
This is the one that may seem the least harmful of all the categories but over time, these suckers will get you! Highly processed white flour (alias “enriched wheat flour” or “wheat flour”) is missing the two most nutritious and fiber-rich parts of the seed: the outside bran layer and the germ. A diet of refined foods leaves many people malnourished, constipated, enervated and vulnerable to chronic illness. The more refined foods a person eats, the more insulin must be produced to manage it. Insulin promotes the storage of fat, making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, which can lead to heart disease. Over time, the pancreas gets so overworked that insulin production grinds to a halt, and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or diabetes sets in. Either way, the body is getting little or no fuel from the food you eat and tries to convert muscle and fat into energy.

Besides, refined/bleached flour and wheat products, is the fuel of infection and high blood sugar levels created by the consumption of these products decrease immune reservoir and response.Choosing refined grains such as white bread, rolls, sugary low-fiber cereal, white rice, or white pasta over whole grains can boost your heart attack risk by up to 30 percent.

The constant refined sugar/refined flour intake places a continual stress on the adrenals to pump out balancing hormones. This, of course, ultimately weakens the adrenals making it harder and harder for them to respond as the “emergency system” they were created to be. When real adrenal failure sets it, you really have a problem.

Does this unnatural white color cause you harm? Yes! When you are eating white bread, you are also eating residual chemical bleach. Flour mills use different chemical bleaches, all of which are pretty bad. Here are a few of them: oxide of nitrogen, chlorine, chloride, nitrosyl and benzoyl peroxide mixed with various chemical salts.

Moral of the story
I know that it may sound difficult, junk food is fun and a major part of our culture. It’s cheap, it’s pervasive and we’ve grown to be emotionally attached to it. But we can change that mentality as well as the sentimenatalty. We have to because otherwise, if we don’t change the relationship we have with our food, we may not be around much longer to enjoy any other relationships. Missing birthdays, weddings, graduations, travel, etc just because we couldn’t put down the burger. Losing loved ones that could have had years more with us because they couldn’t give up their sodas, pastas or microwave popcorn. Weigh the pros and cons and you’d be surprised how little food will matter in the long run.

Switching to a healthier diet is no longer social suicide. I’ve been proving that for over 11 years now. And not only is it not a stigma, it’s the new gourmet. So much so, that folks won’t miss their junk because their bodies will become accustomed to what “real food” is supposed to taste like again. The natural flavors in whole foods are beyond delicious and getting creative in the kitchen will awaken the senses much more then that of a microwave pizza.

Take the reigns back from your life and give your self the chance to live a long and healthy one by saying no to “fake”and poorly prepared food!

For more information, visit www.healthyvoyager.com

 Me encanta tener visita en casa, me emociona verlos y me encanta atenderlos. Pero sin lugar a dudas, cuando vienen visitas la rutina de la casa se altera.

Esta semana vienen mis hermanas a visitarme de China y se quedarán conmigo algunos días, lo que requiere ajustes en la casa, como; cama, comida extra, talvez quieren que vayamos a algún parque de atracciones, todo esto son cambios de rutina y de no organizarme la visita podría convertirse en un caos. Aquí algunos consejos para que hacer de la visita familiar una fácil.

Crea un área para las visitas. No todos tenemos un cuarto de huéspedes y a menudo decidimos dejar nuestro confort por el de la visita. Los detalles de alojamiento van a depender de la confianza que tengamos con estas, pero es importante que:

• Tengas colchas, y almohadas extras a la mano.
• Compra un colchón inflable, que sea sencillo de inflar y desinflar en caso tengas que quitar y ponerlo todos los días.
• Asegúrate que todos en la familia estén al tanto y de acuerdo con los arreglos durante su estancia.

Organiza tus días. Tener unos días o unas horas libres durante su visita te ayudará a lidiar con la visita, por eso es importante:

• Hagas un menu sencillo y compres los ingredientes necesarios. El hacer la comida en casa ya sea para comer dentro o fuera de ella, es siempre mas barato.
• Durante la visita, levántante una hora más temprano o el tiempo que requieras para atenderé tus asuntos personales como trabajo por ejemplo, o lavar la ropa, etc.. El propósito es que cuando tu visita este despierta los puedas atender y disfrutárlos.

Acepta su ayuda. A nadie le gusta tener que lavar los platos todos los días y menos si la carga aumenta con varias personas más en la casa, por eso es importante tomar lo siguiente en cuenta:

•  Sin contar con que las visitas hagan estas, acepta la ayuda que te ofrezcan para ayudar con su visita.
•  No es una falta de hospitalidad aceptar que un visitante ayude lavando los platos de la cena de todos, o si te pide usar la lavadora, dejarlo que lo haga por si mismo.
• Elige productos diseñados para ayudar a mujeres cuya vida va a mil hora como la tuya, tal como el jabón para trastes Dawn Hand Renewal con Olay Beauty, limpia efectivamente tus trastes y al mismo tiempo  transforma  tus manos a unas más jovenes y suaves después de tan solo 5 usos. De esta manera matas dos pájaros de un tiro; eres más eficaz en la cocina y no sacrificas tu belleza al usar un jabón que estrope tus manos.

Involucra a toda tu familia en recibir y atender a los visitantes. Es fácil para las mujeres de la casa cargar con la mayoría de las responsabilidades de atender a las visitas, pero si otros miembros de la familia están en edad y posibilidad de ayudar ¡reclútalos!

• ¿Tu hijo(a) maneja o tienen auto? Pueden ayudar acompañando a las visitas a algunas actividades.
• ¿Tu esposo(a) cocina rico? Pueden preparar platillos que congelar y tener listos para evitar comer en la calle muy seguido o cocinar todos los días.
• Los niños pueden mantener en compañía a los abuelos o los abuelos cuidar a los niños…

Haz actividades con tus visitas que se ajusten a tu realidad. A veces resulta una decisión difícil, pero hay que saber aceptar que la visita está de vacaciones mientras que por lo general uno como anfitrión no siempre puede salir  a comer en restaurantes o de compras por ejemplo. Organiza idas al parque, a la playa, caminatas al atardecer etc..

Disfruta la visita. Toma en cuenta que no todos tienen la dicha de que su familia los visite. Disfruta a tu familia y no dejes que el estrés arruine esos bellos momentos. Al final de todo, la visita es solo por unos días.

Tania Luviano

Tania@hotmomsclub.com

Editora General/ Sección Español.

 La gira interactiva ofrecerá espectáculos en vivo en dos ciudades de California está semana, y el público en línea viajará “virtualmente” a cada una de ellas para ver los espectáculos yser parte de la transmisión por Internet.
En cada ciudad, se proyectará animación especialmente producida en un edificio famoso de la ciudad, a través de una extraordinaria combinación de efectos especiales, proyecciones de alta tecnología y uno de los temas que se presentan en “World of Color”.

Si vives en San Diego, como yo, apartir de esta noche hasta el 25 de Julio visita www.coloresdisney.com de las 9pm a las 11:30 pm  y disfruta de la experiencia interactiva cuyo tema sera, el “Agua” con escenas de las películas “The Little Mermaid”, “Finding Nemo” y otras que se proyectarán en el U.S.S. Midway Museum del Navy Pier. 

El“espectáculo en línea” está inspirado en el deslumbrante “World of Color”, que combina música, animación, agua y una gran variedad de efectos especiales en una mágica celebración de los personajesde Disney.

Algo super divertido para tus hijos, es que cada noche pueden seleccionar uno de los tres colores representados por las Tres Hadas Madrinas de “Sleeping Beauty” – Flora, Fauna y Merryweather. El color con la mayor cantidad de votos participará en el inicio del espectáculo, junto con una estela de polvo mágico. Y al verdadero estilo Disney, el hada ganadora volará de las pantallas de las computadoras al famoso edificio y efectuará la mágica transformación del edificio con el color seleccionado – rojo, verde o azul.

El fín de la gira  en línea se proyectarán en el Walt Disney Concert Hall en el centro de Los Ángeles el jueves y viernes, 29 y 30 de julio. El tema será el “Cielo”, que se ilustrará con escenas de películas como “Aladdin” y “Fantasia”. Como previamente, la presentación por Internet en vivo se repetirá de 9 p.m. a 11:30 p.m. Repeticiones del espectáculo (no en vivo) se
transmitirán por Internet de 9 p.m. a 11:30 p.m. el sábado y domingo, 31 de julio y 1º de agosto.

La gira virtual de “World of Color” es una excelente manera de mantener entretenidos a tus hijos este verano. Y si no pueden verlo en vivo, pueden ver  las repeticiones en el sitio Web del World of Color Road Show, en español en www.coloresdisney.com
y en inglés en www.WorldofColorRoadShow.com

Tania Luviano

Editora General/Espanol

tania@hotmomsclub.com

1. Standing Lunges- Begin standing and take a big step forward.  Bend both knees while making sure your bent front knee is line with your ankle bone (so you knee doesn’t go over your toe), and your spine is straight with your head up shoulders back. Step back to original standing position and repeat on the other side. Alternate standing lunges for 2 sets of 10-15 rep. Benefits: Tones thighs and buttocks.

2. Wall Squats- Stand with your back against a wall.  Slowly bend your knees so they are parallel to the floor.  Hold for 1-2 minutes, rest and repeat exercise.  Benefits: Tones and defines thighs.

3. Wall Pushups- Stand about a foot away from a wall and place your hands on the wall shoulder width apart.  Turn your head to the side as you bend your elbows and bring your chest towards the wall.  Do two sets of 15-30 reps. Benefits: Firms arms and chest muscles.

4. Tricep Dips- Seated on the edge of your chair put your hands next to your hips on the chair.  With your feet on your floor, press your knees together.  Edge away from your seat and slowly lower your buttocks towards the ground. Bend your elbows as you lower, then press back up towards your seat but don’t sit down.  Continue to lower your buttocks and press up.  Repeat for 2-3 sets of 15 reps. Benefits: Tones back of arms.

5. Reverse Isometric Ab Crunch- Seated on the floor lightly place your hands on your knees and lean back until you feel your abs contracting.  Hold for 10-15 seconds then come back up to start.  Repeat 8-10 times. Benefits: Firms abdominal muscles.

 Sara Holliday MFT, CPT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, certified personal trainer and yoga instructor with a passion for helping moms to look good and feel great inside and out.  For more info about her national coaching and products visit www.fitbysara.com.

For more information visit www.healthyvoyager.com

Skin cancer is a fast growing epidemic in the US and it’s the most common form of skin cancer. Based on recent research, one in five people will develop skin cancer over the course of their lifetime.

This summer we all need to make sure to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun — and especially our kids!

Neutrogena and the SHADE Foundation of America — a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sun safety — are teaming up for the “Sun Proof Your Community” contest to help communities take a step to fight the growing skin cancer epidemic. They are giving away five giant sun shades to communities around the country, to be placed at children’s playgrounds, schools, parks or public community spaces — anywhere kids might risk getting too much sun!

THE SUN PROOF YOUR COMMUNITY CONTEST DEADLINE IS FAST APPROACHING ON JULY 20

All people have to do to win a sun-shade covering is write an essay stating why their favorite kid-space deserves one. These are big site-specific sun shades designed to provide more than 95 percent protection against ultraviolet rays. To enter, people should visit: www.facebook.com/chooseskinhealth. You can see shade sample photos on the www.facebook.com/chooseskinhealth site.

After the winners are chosen, the SHADE Foundation, started by melanoma survivor Shonda Schilling, the wife of former major league pitcher Curt Schilling, will work with local contractors to install the shades.

As part of the Choose Skin Health campaign, the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons is also offering free skin-cancer screenings to help stop the growing skin cancer epidemic. People can find a local free skin cancer screening by visiting www.facebook.com/chooseskinhealth.

Many people don’t realize that approximately 80 percent of sun exposure is incidental, meaning it happens unintentionally during everyday activities while walking a dog or when children are outside for recess.  Moreover, Americans still believe dangerous myths when it comes to the sun, putting them at increased risk for skin cancer.  A common myth is that people believe they don’t need to protect themselves from the sun on cloudy days.  Surprisingly, many states with the highest incidence rates of skin cancer are not typically viewed as “sunny locales,” including Washington, Minnesota and Vermont. Even on a cloudy day, up to 80 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays pass through the clouds. This is why it is crucial people nationwide, no matter where they live, protect themselves from the sun – 365 days a year.  The Sun Proof Your Community contest will help five communities protect themselves from the sun, no matter where they are located, through the donation of a shade covering.

“As a melanoma survivor, I know first hand the importance of daily sun protection and the need for communities to have areas that provide adequate shade from the sun,” said Shonda Schilling, Founder of the SHADE^® Foundation of America.  “We’re proud to partner with Neutrogena^® on their Choose Skin Health^TM campaign to educate people on the dangers of the sun and to make shade coverings a reality for five communities,” she said.

Cómo empacar objetos frágiles.

Primero forma una capa de pequeñas bolas hechas con papel periódico y cubre el fondo de las cajas que vas a utilizar para empacar, con una altura de 5 cms. Debes asegurarte que las cajas las hayas reforzado con cinta adhesiva para empacar.

Primero debes colocar los objetos más pesados, los cubres nuevamente con una capa de bolas de papel y así sucesivamente hasta llenar la caja.

Para empacar la vajilla, primero escoge cajas que sean sólidas y que no sean demasiado grandes para que las puedas levantar con facilidad. Llena el fondo de la caja con bolas de papel.

Primero intercala entre cada plato una hoja de papel, o cartón o si consigues plástico de burbujas (bullpack).

Cómo identificar las cajas

Si su contenido es delicado, no olvides escribir frágil en el exterior, así como una flecha indicadora para evitar que transporten la caja boca abajo.

Este consejo es muy importante, NO COLOQUES EL CONTENIDO DE LA CAJA POR FUERA.

De ser posible, enumera las cajas. Aparte anota en una hoja una relación de los números de las cajas y su contenido así como el lugar de la casa donde se van a colocar.

La mudanza de los aparatos electrodomésticos y los muebles

Asegúrate que las partes móviles de algunos aparatos electrodomésticos estén asegurados durante el transporte, como por ejemplo, la tapa o puerta de la lavadora y la secadora de ropa.

Descongela y vacía el congelador por lo menos 24 horas antes del día de la mudanza.

Asegura con cinta adhesiva  las puertas de los armarios, para evitar que se abran  durante la mudanza.

La compañía de mudanzas: cómo elegir

Busca las posibles compañías de mudanzas por lo menos dos meses antes de la fecha prevista. Analiza por lo menos tres presupuestos de acuerdo a tus necesidades.

Confía, preferentemente, en las empresas de mudanzas conocidas o de amplia trayectoria, lo que le asegura que su personal y equipo técnico ofrecen todas las garantías y experiencia en el área.

No confíes el traslado de objetos de valor, como joyas, documentos importantes, etc. a la agencia de mudanzas. Es preferible que los empaque usted mismo y los lleve consigo en su bolsa.

La Semana antes de la mudanza.

No te compliques la vida sobre que vestir, deja unos cuantos cambios fáciles, afuera y el resto empácalo.

El ordenar comida a domicilio una semana entera puede salirte muy caro, mejor elige comidas fáciles y rápidas como; tostadas o sándwiches de atún o salmón enlatado.

Sobre la lavada de los trastes, tienes dos opciones; Eliges trastes desechables o deja fuera  los sets de platos, tenedores y vasos necesarios. La solución es usar un  jabón de trastes que no te hagan  perder tiempo, como,  Dawn Hand Renewal con Olay Beauty que combina el poder para limpiar de Dawn y tecnología revolucionaria para el cuidado de las manos de manera efectiva;  limpia tus trastes al mismo tiempo de transformar  tus manos a unas más jóvenes y suaves después de tan solo 5 usos. Así matas dos pájaros de un tiro.

El día de la mudanza

Ten los documentos importantes a mano, puede necesitarlos durante la mudanza.

Ten un rollo de cinta adhesiva a la mano, por si se abre alguna caja

Asegúrate que le mudanza coloque las cajas en los cuartos correspondientes, es conveniente poner letreros fuera de los cuartos para que los trabajadores sepan en donde va cada caja.

Lo más seguro es que estés ansioso por desempaquetar todo cuando llegues, pero hazlo con calma y ordenadamente.

Ten teléfonos a mano de servicios  de comida rápida, como pizzas, etc. que le serán muy útiles.

Te aseguro que si sigues estos consejos, la mudanza será fácil y disfrutarás tus primeros días en tu nuevo hogar al máximo.

Tania Luviano

Tania@hotmomsclub.com

Editora General/ Español.

Beautiful skin recipes:

Green Super Smoothie

Makes: 2 cups, 1-2 servings. Busy people love smoothies-they make a quick and energy-filled breakfast; and the best part is you/and your family won’t even taste the greens.
Guaranteed!

1/4 cup coconut water (or pure, filtered water)
1/4 cup apple juice (not from concentrate)
1 small ripe banana (peeled and frozen)
1 cup frozen blueberries (or any of your favorite berries)
1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
1 Tablespoon of flax seed oil (or similar)
1/2 cup greens (spinach or chopped kale leaves)

Place all ingredients in a blender and process on medium speed until smooth. Serve immediately.

Vibrant Energy Kale

Makes: 2 servings. When kale is cut into thin ribbons and massaged in the dressing, it softens up and has a smooth texture. Perfect lunch or side dish for dinner.

8 kale leaves, stems removed
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 red onion finely diced
1/2 green zucchini finely diced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Dash black pepper (optional)

Pull the center stem from each kale leaf. Fold kale leaves in half and tightly roll them like a tube. Slice crosswise into thin ribbons/strips. Chop the kale strips
crosswise a few times, so they aren’t too long. Place in a mixing bowl
along with the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne pepper and sea
salt. Toss well with your hands, massaging the dressing into the greens.
Add the zucchini and red onion and toss gently. Season to taste with
black pepper, if desired. Stored in a sealed glass container in the
refrigerator, will keep for three days.

Papaya: This antioxidant-filled, vitamin C-rich fruit is in season and helps fight wrinkles and maintains skin’s supple texture. It also has been shown to
increase collagen production, thanks to its super nutrients, improving
skin’s strength and resiliency.

Kale and Spinach: These leafy greens are the key to great skin. They offer more nutrition per calorie than any other food and are loaded with carotenoids, which can actually
increase the SPR of your skin.

Dark Chocolate: Many studies suggest that cocoa is rich in powerful antioxidants called flavanols, which increase blood flow, and in turn enhance your skin’s vibrancy.
Always choose dark chocolate that’s at least 70 percent cocoa.

Wild Salmon: This cold water fish provides one of the richest dietary sources of age-defying, anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant, astaxanthin. It also enhances healthy blood-flow, which
gives skin a natural glow.

Blueberries: Blueberries are plentiful this time of year and are filled with tons of vitamins and minerals. This blue little berry, fresh or frozen, carries many
anti-wrinkle antioxidants and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, leaving
skin vibrant and supple.

Humidity frizz. When temps go up and your hair has got you down, here’s a quick trick for taming that mane…a dryer sheet. Didn’t think housework could be so sexy, did you?

Take a dryer sheet and lightly brush it onto your hair, smoothing it from scalp to ends. Ouila! Frizz free and ready to go (even if it’s just to go do laundry).

Here are a few more quick beauty basics from this unassuming item:

• Stinky shoes begone. Insert a dryer sheet for an overnight freshen up session.
• Fix Fido’s furry mess from your furniture by rubbing a dryer sheet over the spot. (This could create a more permanent mess on some fabrics, so test on a hidden spot first to avoid any potential stains).
• Place a fresh sheet in the bottom of a pan caked with food, fill with lukewarm water, and let sit overnight. In the morning you’ll wake from this dishwashing nightmares to a pan that’s easier to clean.
• Sachet, au chante. Place a sheet at the bottom of your dresser drawer, suitcase or gym bag to keep them smelling fresh.
• Want to keep that copy of Twilight smelling as sweet as the first day you met Edward? (Yes, we all know you read that stuff.) Stick a sheet between the pages and it won’t get musty in storage.
• Run a threaded needle through a dryer sheet right before you begin sewing to keep the thread from tangling.

For more beauty, fashion and fitness quick tips, visit Cheryl at EasyPeasyBlog.com and follow her on Twitter @cherylfenton. To become an EasyPeasyBlog Facebook fan, click here.