Please Help , Baby Chihuahuas on the way !

My fiancée’s Chihuahua is pregnant. We are looking for info about the delivery and care of the little puppies. Any helpful suggestions or links to informative websites would be greatly appreciated. Hope everyone is having a wonderful and relaxing sunday 🙂

Best wishes ~ william

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Yummy Bananas !

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas.. He said the expression “going bananas” is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

This is interesting.
After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again..

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes.

But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet..

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers.. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

SEX: Men should eat three bananas before intercourse and, this will boost their erection for an hour!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe…polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !!!

This was emailed to me today, I’ve read about Bananas quite a bit and agree that they are amazing !

Thanks for stopping by , now it’s snack time , go grab one 🙂

Namaste ~ william

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Fresh is where it’s at …

When it comes to cooking meals the one thing most Chefs agree on is to use fresh ingredients. All too many people these days have relied on convenience when it comes to cooking. Fast and easy , just hit the closest fast food joint or pop something in the nuker for two minutes and there’s your meal. It’s no wonder there are so many eating disorders and such.

Thankfully in the last few years there has been a resurgence of healthy eating and cooking. Led by Chefs from around the world people have started to actually enjoy planning and preparing meals again. Trying out different ingredients and styles and having a lot of fun.

One of my favorite Chefs these days is Jamie Oliver. He has some fantastic books , tv programs, a great and informative website as well as a cool new app for the iPhone ! The App is called 20 minute meals and is the perfect start for people venturing into the realm of exploring food. The recipes are quick and easy and provide a wonderful variety. There are all sorts of videos including a number on the basics in the kitchen. One of his best books for tackling the issue of this age is : Jamie’s Ministry of Food. The problem facing the UK is the same as North America and this book provides helpful ideas on eating healthier.

Links :

Jamie’s Ministry of Food

Jamie Oliver’s Website

Jamie on Twitter

20 Minute Meals App for the iPhone

American Road Trip

Sample Recipe :  fragrant thai chicken & noodle broth

ingredients

• 600ml chicken stock

• 2 chicken breasts, thickly sliced

• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced

• 1 x large piece galangal, finely julienned

• 2 green chillies, sliced

• 200g rice vermicelli

• 4 small heads pak choi

• Handful mange tout

• Coriander leaves, thai basil and sliced chillies, to garnish

Preparation :

1, Add the stock to a saucepan, bring to the boil, then add the chicken, shallots, galangal and green chillies and lower to a simmer for 8 mins, until chicken is cooked.
2, Add the rice vermicelli, pak choi and mange tout. Cook for 2–3 mins till the noodles are done. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with the herbs and extra sliced fresh chillies to serve.

fragrant thai chicken & noodle broth

Enjoy and have a happy week !

Namaste ~ william

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H1N1 priority list ???

The news here in Alberta and all over Canada lately has been the H1N1 vaccinations and how everything has been so disorganized. Every day news stories are popping up and it’s become an embarrassment to the Canadian Government. This is a prime example :

http://tinyurl.com/yc4ojss from the Edmonton Journal

My favorite is when the hockey team Calgary Flames made headlines for skipping lineups for the flu shots while emergency personnel such as firefighters are still waiting ???

http://tinyurl.com/yc4ojss from the Calgary Herald

Alberta Health Services has put together an excellent resource concerning the H1N1 virus and what to look out for as well as what you can do to help prevent the spread of it :

http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/658.asp

It’s too bad things were so unorganized but hopefully this flu bug will pass quickly. Where I work one of our recent safety meetings involved the flu and what we should look out for as well as try to do to avoid it. With a few hundred people working on our job site the flu bug has been making it’s rounds for the last few months, luckily nothing too serious so far. I’ve been trying to give my son good advice and he’s been really good at keeping his hands washed all the time and trying to minimize the dangers.

Best wishes to everyone out there , stay safe and have a good Autumn ~ Namaste ~ william

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