Monday, March 29, 2010

Hero Pets


Horse Sense
Since she was a little girl, Chloe-Jeane Wendell has had a special rapport with animals. But in the two years since her family brought Sunny Boy home to their farm in Vivian, Louisiana, the 16-year-old high school junior has bonded more closely with her palomino quarter horse than anyone expected. Hit, possibly, as a colt years before, Sunny Boy was spooked by almost any human contact. "No one could catch him," says Chloe-Jeane's dad, Mark, "but my daughter had an immediate calming effect on him that allowed her to saddle him up for a ride." Sunny Boy and Chloe-Jeane quickly became inseparable. "He's a sweet guy," she says affectionately.


Photographed by Tamara Reynolds
Sunny Boy, the palomino quarter horse, protected teenager Chloe-Jeane Wendell of Vivian, Louisiana, from an out-of-control pit bull.

See a slideshow of all five hero pets

At the local Redbud Festival parade in March 2008, the whole Wendell family—Mark and wife Bobbi Jo, Chloe-Jeane, and her younger sister, Kristen, 15—decked themselves out in Western gear and trotted on their horses behind the Vivian sheriff's contingent. Chloe-Jeane rode Sunny Boy; Kristen was on her filly, Angel. A few blocks into the parade, a 75-pound pit bull shot out of the crowd right at Angel and began to attack her. When Angel kicked back, Kristen jumped off to avoid being thrown. The snarling dog then turned on the girl. Chloe-Jeane dismounted to protect her sister. "We watched in horror," recalls Mark.

When Chloe-Jeane let go of the reins, Sunny Boy started, as if to run off. But as the pit bull whipped around to pounce on Chloe-Jeane, all 1,200 pounds of Sunny Boy stopped short and jumped between them. He astonished everyone by squaring off and kicking the dog hard in the face. "I was shocked," says Chloe-Jeane. "Usually, he avoids other animals."

The tenacious dog flipped around and began tearing gashes in the legs of Mark's horse. Animal control officials moved in and finally captured the dog, which was later euthanized.

Chloe-Jeane's friends clustered around her, saying, "Your horse saved you!" Indeed, the behavior was highly unusual. "I've been around horses all my life and have not seen one take on another animal like that," says Mark.

That night, Chloe-Jeane visited Sunny Boy out in the pasture. "I gave him treats and told him how thankful I was that he protected me. I think he already knew how I felt."

Sunny Boy will likely remain a hero, as the Wendells plan to have him participate in an equine-assisted therapy program for troubled youths.

Read more at: http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/hero-pet-of-the-year/article149998.html

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Improving Breakfasts- Tips



1. Sprinkle blueberries on your cereal.
Studies show that these tiny purple berries are loaded with valuable antioxidants that can slow down brain aging and enhance your memory.

2. Eat half a grapefruit twice a week
Grapefruits are loaded with folate, which has been found to significantly reduce the risk of stroke.

3. Drink tomato juice for breakfast
Instead of orange juice, have a glass of low-salt tomato juice. It's more filling, less likely to raise your blood sugar and supplies more nutrients and fiber.

4. Mix your cereals half and half
Eating some high-fiber whole grain cereals can seem like munching on cardboard. Mixing your cereals is a great way to help meet your fiber needs, but also like the taste of what you are eating.

5. Drink a fruit smoothie
What about drinking your fruit instead of eating it? No, not in fruit juice — which is often high in sugar and stripped of the fruit's fiber — but in a smoothie.

6. Eat an Israeli-style breakfast
Instead of the sugary cereals, starchy breads, and greasy meat and eggs that make up the typical North American breakfast, do what Robyn Frankel of St. Louis, Missouri, did after visiting Israel. She switched to Israeli breakfasts: hummus, cottage cheese, tomatoes, or fruit, plus sometimes a slice of raisin bread. For the first time in her life, she's eating breakfast regularly, which studies find is critical if you're going to lose weight and keep it off.


see more at: http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/6-tricks-for-better-breakfasts/article176412.html#slide

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Family Dinner is Important

Children in families with more structured mealtimes exhibit healthier eating habits. Among middle and high school girls, those whose families ate together only once or twice per week were more than twice as likely to exhibit weight control issues, compared with those who ate together three or four times per week.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Blues Away Shake



1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1 mango (skin and seed removed)
1/2-1 cup grape juice
1/2 cup water
2 scoops ThinStick Shake

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

We reccomend a BlendTec Blender to get the smoothest smoothy!


Why do we recommend them? We have used many different high powered blenders in our labs and even in our homes. We like the ability to select the settings most compatible with the product you are blending. These blenders offer every thing from Pulse and Smoothies to Wheat Grinding. We are just so impressed with these blenders, and our smoothies have never turned out better!!

Great Skin Starts From Within

By JJ Virgin

It is more than you are what you eat - you also wear what you eat…. all over your face! One of the quickest way to look like you’ve been to the spa or a quick quiet trip to the plastic surgeon is to improve your diet. Yep, not only will you lose fat and improve your energy, a great benefit that you may not have thought about is the dramatic improvement to your complexion!

1) Be Well Hydrated. This is more than drinking your 8 -12 glasses of pure spring water each day. This also means that you are eating and supplementing with high quality essential fatty acids including raw nuts and seeds, avocados, olive oil and wild cold water fish, and that you are maintaining good acid-alkaline balance by eating non starchy veggies and/or low glycemic fruit with each meal.

2) Detoxify Daily. You need to cleanse from the inside out as well. Your skin is one of your major detoxifying organs so support this process with dry brushing before you get into the shower, taking an epsoms salts/baking soda bath several times a week, eating 5 or more servings from the rainbow of organic fruits and vegetables, pumping up your fiber intake to 50 or more grams per day and sweating through saunas and exercise.

3) Reduce Glycation. Glycation is the process where sugars bind to proteins without the need for enzymes. This process shows on your skin in the form of brown “age” spots and wrinkles and internally through inflammation. Cut out the refined carbohydrates and sugars which are incredibly aging to your skin and your body. Retrain your taste buds to appreciate the sweetness of a crisp Fuji apple or some juicy wild Maine blueberries.

4) Reduce Inflammation. All disease starts with inflammation. You can modulate the inflammation in your body through the fats that you consume. Fats high in arachadonic acid including red meat, eggs and corn are pro-inflammatory and need to be balanced with anti-inflammatory fats including fish oils, GLA (from evening primrose oil or borage oil), raw nuts and seeds and olive oil. These healthy fats, especially GLA, also help maintain good moisture in your skin.

5) Reduce Oxidative Stress. When you cut an apple and expose it to air it oxidizes or turns brown. This same process is happening within your body with each breath you take. When you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and take a combination antioxidant formula with some of the powerhouse nutrients including lipoic acid, green tea, grapeseed extract and curcumin you will reduce this oxidative stress and also reduce overall inflammation. If you aren’t getting in your 5-10 servings of organic veggies each day be sure to include a high quality green drink in your health regimen.

The Take Away for great skin? Spend as much time, money and effort on what you put on the inside as what you are doing for the outside and the results will be exponentially beautiful!




©2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Celebrity nutrition & wellness expert JJ Virgin is a public speaker, media personality, columnist and author of "Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong, and Sculpted Arms " available Spring 2010. Preorder your copy now and receive her 10 Hottest Tips to Get Slim and Sexy Fast Audio Course (a $29 value) FREE at www.jjvirgin.com.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Stick With It

TIPS FOR EASY USE

Plan ThinStick into your day: What time of day do you normally get hungry? Is it mid-morning? Drink a beverage mixed with ThinStick about an hour before the clock strikes your hunger time. Put it on your calendar or in your Blackberry for the same time every day so you’re prepared. See how surprised you are when 1:30 p.m. rolls around and you not only did not get hungry mid-morning, but you’re not even ready for lunch!
On the go: Instead of wishing you’d brought some ThinStick along, put a week’s worth in your purse or backpack every Sunday night. You’ll be ready for a craving-free week!
Frothy fun: For the smoothest drink, use one of those little coffee frothers in your glass, or a cocktail shaker. Your ThinStick break will be frothier than ever.
Sustained slimming: ThinStick works best when used twice a day. If you drink a Thinstick Shake with breakfast and before lunch, you’ll notice you’re free of the usual between-meal hunger and you’ll eat less at meals without feeling deprived.

http://www.thinstick.com/ThinStick-STICK_WITH_IT.html

Saturday, March 13, 2010

JJ's Top 3 Tips for Spring


Spring is just around the corner and it’s the perfect time makes some changes for the better. Here are my top 3 tips:

  • Start getting 20 minutes of sunshine on your bare (no sunscreen) arms and legs daily to boost your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, a super immune system and good insulin sensitivity (which supports better fat burning!)
  • Be sure your window coverings in your bedroom sanctuary can really black out the light now that the days are going to start getting longer so that you consistently get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
  • Go raw. Take advantage of your local farmers' market, chat up the local farmers for some new ideas on fun veggies to try and toss them in a salad with a flavored organic vinegar (I love pomegranate) and some extra virgin olive oil!
From JJ Virgin, Celebrity Health and Nutrition Expert

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Motivation Starts at Home

There is nothing that says "home sweet home" quite as much as making your house a place that fosters great health. I believe that your motivation starts within the walls of your casa. After all, you have complete (or at least a good amount) of control as to what comes into your house and happens here AND this is where you are spending a good chunk of your time.

There is a big difference between a home that's filled with unhealthy habits and one that is dedicated to the best you possible. Here are a few tips to make sure your home is good for your health.

>Clear Out a Space for Your Workouts. I don't care if it's a whole spare room or just a special corner in your otherwise cramped apartment. Make sure that you make your workout spot inviting. Invest in a good quality mat, a proper exercise ball and weights. Buy some cheap weights at a discount store. They don't have to be pretty ones. Put your family on notice that your workout spot is off limits to everyone.?

>Keep the Enemy Out of the House. If you can't resist chocolate, soda, chips or whatever your vice then don't test yourself. It's not called willpower; it's torture! Just make sure that the enemy is not living with you. Don't use the excuse that your kids and husband need to eat these things. What better favor could you do them than to get rid of sugary or processed foods?
Restock With the Good Stuff. Now that you actually have some counter space and fridge shelves that are free make sure you stock up on healthy treats and make them accessible to everyone in your family. Keep fresh berries in a bowl and cut up salad greens ready. If it's easy and convenient, you'll be more likely to make smart choices.

>Make Your Bedroom Your Sanctuary. You need 7 to 9 hours of unbroken, quality sleep each night. Get rid of the TVs and computers. Keep your cell phone in the kitchen or out of the bedroom. Buy beautiful linens and comforters for your bed. Kick out the critters (children and pets) and then make sure you keep the room nice and cool for great restorative sleep.
Get a Water Filtration System. You need to drink water (not soda or sugary juices), so make sure that your water is as clean and healthy as possible. You can also invest in an alkalizing system so you have ready access to pure water.

>De-clutter the closet. Lose the clothes that you are holding onto for when you drop that last 10, 20 or 30 pounds. Guess what, you are in the process of burning that fat off now and as a reward you get NEW HOT INSTYLE TOGS not those ones that are so yesterday (or yesteryear…). AND more importantly, the minute something is too big, either get it tailored to fit your new svelte bod or give it away… never give yourself the option to gain weight!

>Make your goals visual. In our Fast Track to Fat Loss Program we teach you to set inspirational goals and then get a photo of your fave celeb body and put your head on it and then post it everywhere to keep reminding you of what you want and where you are going. Carry one with you as well - think of her or him as your “protective armour of inspiration”. BTW, I have the Olympic swimmer Dayna Torres on my wall. I am going for those 6 pack abs!

©2010 JJ Virgin & Associates, Inc. Celebrity nutrition & wellness expert JJ Virgin is a public speaker, media personality, columnist and author of "Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong, and Sculpted Arms " available Spring 2010. Preorder your copy now and receive her 10 Hottest Tips to Get Slim and Sexy Fast Audio Course (a $29 value) FREE at www.jjvirgin.com.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

"Thin stick is the best supplement I have used to decrease patient's hunger I have seen nothing work better to stop night-time snacking. For patients who snack, Thin Stick is the answer. It stops hunger, period. My patients have the hardest time after dinner, sitting in front of the TV, snacking on bad food in the house. Thin Stick STOPS these cravings. Diet and exercise must be used in any weight loss protocol, and Thin Stick must be used for anyone who has snack cravings. If you don't want to be hungry for 4 hours, take a Thin Stick!"

- Jared Skowron - Senior Naturopathic Physician

ThinStick Tip

Walking for 15 minutes after dinner helps keep your calorie-burning machine in tune and serves as a calming close to your busy day.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

FAQ-


Q: ARE THERE ANY LIQUIDS OR FOODS THINSTICK DOES NOT WORK WELL WITH?

A: If a beverage is boiling hot or icy cold, the efficacy of the ingredients is lessened. If adding to hot tea or coffee, let your beverage cool for a couple of moments before adding ThinStick. High fat foods and acidic beverages are also not advised for ThinStick to work its best. The simplest and best way to use ThinStick is simply add to water, milk, yogurt or hot but not boiling coffee or tea.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Black Bean Dip

1 can black beans, drained
1/2 can drained corn
1/2-1 cup Rojos salsa
1 tsp cumin
juice of 1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste
avocados as a garnish

Mix all ingredients to make a tasty and nutritious dip.


*ThinStick Tip- use sliced jicama in place of a chip!!