Tag: health

Protect and Cleanse Your Liver, Improve Overall Health

~ Loreeebee ~ 3 Comments

You should protect your liver as it is one of the most important organs in your body and essential for life.  Because it supports most of the other organs, a healthy liver is crucial for maintaining a healthy body.  Learn how to protect and cleanse your liver to improve your well-being.

Bad Habits

A damaged liver caused by bad habits is very serious and potentially fatal.  The following is a list of those bad habits that are the hardest on your liver:

  • alcohol consumption:  your body treats alcohol like poison, so overconsumption takes a heavy toll on the liver.
  • poor diet/overweight:  a poor diet that includes toxins from the foods and drinks you consume (sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, etc) causes your liver to overwork as it tries to process these toxins.  Too much fat in the diet causes a fatty liver, another way your liver can be stressed.
  • medication overload:  any artificial substance is toxic to the liver, including medicine.  Even over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen (Advil) can damage your liver if taken in excess.
  • smoking:  tobacco smoke is known to harm your lungs, but it also damages your liver because the toxins inhaled in the smoke are processed in the liver. [1]
  • sleep deprivation:  insufficient sleep can cause many health issues, including stress on your liver.

You can Rejuvenate your Liver if you Cleanse and Protect it!

The good news is that your liver has the amazing ability to rejuvenate itself when these bad habits are eliminated or modified.  The foods listed below have been shown to improve liver function and condition, improving your overall health.

Protect and Cleanse Your Liver

Conclusions

My liver should be well protected and cleansed as I add most of the above ingredients to my morning smoothies. I also rely on dandelion root tea once in a while to cleanse my liver, especially after an evening or weekend of partaking in some of the bad habits listed above.

What are you waiting for?  Protect and cleanse your liver today to improve your overall health.

Retirement Woes: Is it Tuesday or Wednesday?

retirement woes
~ Loreeebee ~ 4 Comments

This quote is from a post written nine years ago already; wow, time does fly. At the time I was describing the changes in my lifestyle since my retirement from the healthcare industry:

Since retiring last April, it seems I never know what day of the week it is.  I rely on my fifteen-year-old son’s school and hockey schedule to keep me somewhat on track.  My other two sons are older, can drive themselves around and so keep track of their own schedules.  The rest of the side effects of retirement are all positive…

To start, I spent a lot more time doing the things I had previously called hobbies…

I have read more books in the past year (since retirement) than I did in the previous 25 years combined.  My favorite was the Millenium trilogy from Stieg Larsson; the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the Girl that Played with Fire, and the Girl that Stepped on the Hornet’s Nest.   I had a hard time putting these books down once I started reading them, the suspenseful storyline and believable characters were gripping, from the beginning of the first book to the last pages of the third book.   Yes, I did read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, but it didn’t rate nearly as high in my books (pun intended!), and by the third one, I found the plot to be quite predictable and boring.

My other (pre-retirement) hobby was gardening, which currently moved to the front burner in the form of a new business called Gardens4u.  This was a no-brainer for me as I had spent many previous gardening seasons volunteering my green thumbs to friends, family and neighbours.  I now do gardening on a full-time basis from April to October, depending only on Mother Nature for restrictions.

I was also able to spend more time at our family cottage, and what a summer it was for living lakeside.  The water temperature was the warmest it has ever been; I’m sure I spent more time in the lake than I have in the previous 10 years combined.

In the last half of 2011 and throughout 2012 I discovered firsthand the health benefits of a wheat-free diet.  Just recently I began to share my knowledge with friends and family concerned about the same health issues.  Please share your knowledge on this important subject by visiting my blog…

Retirement takes getting used to, but I am game!

Retirement Update:

Fast forward to 2022. My interests are still the same, just evolved over time. My husband has now joined the retirement club. This means neither of us knows what day of the week or month it is. His work schedule kept me (somewhat) organized chronologically since my retirement.

Compromises

Hubby’s retirement also means lots of adjustments and learning to choose my battles. Compromise is key. For example, I have learned to find the positive aspects in his need to re-organize the kitchen cupboards after almost forty years. As long as they are decluttered, something he is not known for, I am happy. Another example? Loading the dishwasher, something I have (predominantly) done over the same forty years. Knock yourself out, dear, I have other things to accomplish.

Extended Family

We are now empty nesters. Our three sons are grown up and long gone, graduated from post-secondary schools, and doing well in the workforce. Two have purchased homes of their own and the same two are parents themselves. The third son (almost 25) is finding it harder to break into the homeowners market with the current real estate conditions, rising inflation, and a struggling economy. But that’s a whole other post, and fortunately, he has time on his side.

We are currently blessed with six (!!) healthy, adorable grandchildren. I must admit that my life revolves around them. I figure in a few years when they are all registered in school and extracurricular activities, Grandma days will be few and far between.

Gardens4U

My beloved gardening business is winding down this year, with my current focus on design instead of maintenance. I’m okay with that as garden design was my original business dream. Several of my garden designs can be viewed on my YouTube channel in a time-lapsed format. Modern technology is wonderful!

Cottage Renovations

Cottage renovations have been in our conversations for several years now but unfortunately, we have not accomplished much. My father-in-law’s declining health and subsequent passing created the first delay, then Covid and the resulting pandemic extended the delay. Hopefully this season we can get our renovation plans back on track instead of spinning our wheels. Follow the process here.

Health Issues

My health issues from the last decade have been resolved, mainly by eliminating wheat from my diet. Of course, new ones have developed this decade, as I am not getting any younger. I am finding though that regular exercise and clean eating keep me relatively healthy.

Travel Plans

Something else that moved to the back burner thanks to the pandemic was our travel plans. We did squeak in a trip to Mexico last November between covid travel restrictions. My brother’s destination wedding was a great excuse to find a way to plan the (much-needed) getaway. Hopefully, more travel is in our future.

We are counting on the next decade (at least) to be full of adventure and compromise.

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An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

an apple a day
~ Loreeebee ~ 4 Comments

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Do you believe it?  I do.   Apples are an incredibly easy, inexpensive, and delicious way to add fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your diet.

Apples have been around forever, since the days of Adam and Eve. What have we learned about the correlation between apples and good health?

The Health Benefits of Apples

Apples are fat-free, cholesterol-free, gluten-free, low in sodium, and full of fiber (with the peel on), pectin, vitamins, flavonoids, minerals and antioxidants. One apple contains approximately five grams of fiber and just eighty calories.

Which Minerals are Abundant in Apples?

Apples are full of magnesium and potassium which help control your blood pressure.   Quercetin is a flavonoid found in apples that protects your artery walls as well as your lungs.  Boron, a trace mineral that is absorbed from the soil, is also found in apples. It has been shown to be beneficial for your joints. 

Antioxidants Prevent and Stop Cancer

Research has proven that antioxidants are helpful to prevent disease and even to stop the growth of cancer cells once they are present in your system.

Apples Alleviate Constipation

Doctors have suspected for years that constipation is at the root of many illnesses. Constipation is caused by insufficient fiber in the diet. Conditions such as appendicitis, varicose veins, diverticulitis, hernias and hemorrhoids are all thought to be caused by strained bowel movements.

Most people know that fiber can alleviate these strained bowel movements. An apple a day can go a long way to keeping your body regular and free from constipation. My children can attest to the fact that anytime they complained of a stomach ache, I would always ask them when the last time they had a good poop. I would then prepare them a large bowl of sliced apples (with the peel still on) sprinkled with cinnamon.

See a previous post all about what your poop will tell you.

Pectin in Apples Stops Diarrhea

Pectin is a carbohydrate found in apples that helps our intestines when diarrhea is a problem.  This is because pectin causes food to congeal, just as it does when you use it to make jam or jelly. 

Most mothers are familiar with the BRAT diet recommended when their children have diarrhea. It consists of bananas, rice, unsweetened applesauce and toast. Most of these ingredients are bland and easy on the stomach.  The applesauce (apples without the fiber of the peel) is primarily included in this diet because of the pectin.

Now that you know just how good apples are for you, be sure to eat an apple a day to stay healthy or get healthier.

Starting today!

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