Lose Weight and Inches in Simple Steps

blue tape measuring on clear glass square weighing scale

January 16, 2022January 31, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

While it is not easy to lose weight, there are several simple steps to make it less complicated. The trick is sticking to your plan. Once you see results it gets easier to keep going.

Control Fat Storage to Lose Weight

Fat storage is directly linked to two hormones; insulin and cortisol. Insulin is controlled by the food you eat, and cortisol is controlled by the amount of stress in your life. Increases in either or both of these hormones cause your body to store fat. Unfortunately, poor food choices and stress often occur together, and like the chicken and the egg story, which one comes first is debatable….

Eating the wrong carbohydrates (sugar, bread, pasta, cereal, crackers, processed snacks, etc) causes increases in insulin in your body. Eating good carbohydrates (quinoa, fruit, vegetables, bread with sprouted grains) controls your blood sugar and insulin levels. Learn about high and low-glycemic index foods.

To help keep your insulin level in check and keep your body in a fat-burning zone, follow these simple steps:

Read Food Labels

Avoid processed and packaged foods like cereals, muffins, chips, crackers, genetically modified corn, soy and wheat, hydrogenated oils, canola oil, corn syrup, margarine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners.

These products not only increase your blood sugar and insulin levels, but they are also treated as foreign toxins in your body, causing inflammation in many organs. Avoiding these products will not only make you lose weight, but other health issues such as eczema, asthma, arthritis, will improve too.

Stick to the Outer Aisles in Grocery Stores

The outside aisles or perimeter of the stores contain the fresh produce, meat, dairy etc, while the inner aisles typically hold the bad stuff.

Clean out your Kitchen Pantry

Get rid of any of the above high glycemic index foods

Reduce Stress to Lose Weight

To control cortisol levels, try to reduce the stresses in your life by following these steps:

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep deprivation stresses your body. If you cannot get enough at night, try to sneak in a nap during the day, since even a short 30-minute nap is beneficial for you.

Get Some, but not too Much Exercise

An exercise regime that is too strenuous will temporarily stress your body, causing a spike in your cortisol level. Your exercise regime does not have to be complicated or expensive. Go for a brisk walk every day, or at least every second day.

Surround Yourself with Positive People

Negative people are stressors you do not need.

Spend More Time Doing the Things you Enjoy

Take up a new hobby or rediscover an old one.

Good Fats Burn Body Fat

Avoid margarine, canola, and hydrogenated oils. Instead choose eggs, olive oil, avocado, almonds, coconut oil, and cold-water fish.

Stay Hydrated

Dehydration is your enemy! Drink lots of water. Carry a water bottle around with you while running errands, chauffeuring your kids, and especially while exercising. Add a splash of lemon juice to your water to liven up the taste.

Don’t forget though:

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Propagating Plants From Seeds: What I have Learned

March 27, 2021September 15, 2022 ~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

Anyone who has tried propagating plants from seeds will tell you the process is not as easy as it seems. Each year I give it a try, without much success. The ideal time to start the process is six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area when they can be planted outdoors.

This year I started way back in the fall with my oldest granddaughter. We have had some success, but not much.

Since then I have researched more and tried different techniques. I can get the seeds sprouted but the sprouts always flop over and shrivel up.

My latest attempts (it has been a long winter) have been more successful, using these techniques:

Humidity

Humidity is a must to coax the seeds to sprout. I have several mini greenhouses and peat pellets that are perfect for for achieving humidity levels the seeds require. This is especially important as most homes have lower humidity levels during the winter months.

Labels

My granddaughter convinced me to use labels to differentiate the seedlings in their rows within the greenhouse. She noticed my memory is not as good as hers, so thought the labels would help me remember what I planted. She was right.

Grow or Heat Lamps

Once the seeds sprout, the seedlings need heat and light. This can be achieved by keeping the seedlings in a warm window, rotating them often so they grow straight up and not tilted towards the sunshine. Or, you can create warmth and artificial light with a grow/heat lamp.

I am using a desk top in a south facing, sunny window as my propagation station.

Hydrogen Peroxide

With the humidity comes the growth of mold and mildew on the soil surface. Both are disastrous to seedlings, causing them to wither away.

Cleaning all your (previously used) containers before use with undiluted 3% hydrogen peroxide will sterilize them, reducing the chance of mold. You can purchase hydrogen peroxide in your local grocery store or pharmacy and pour it into a spray bottle, or already in a spray bottle here.

Spraying the soil surface daily with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water (1:4) once the seeds have sprouted will keep mold at bay. This solution will also kill any fungus gnats (the tiny fruit fly-like bugs) hovering around your baby plants.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is not just a tasty and aromatic ingredient in your spice cabinet. Sprinkling it liberally on the top of your seed pellets, before the seeds sprout, will help control mold growth so the seedlings have a fighting chance breaking through the soil.

Transplanting

The use of peat pellets make it simple to transplant the seedlings into larger containers. I just squish them into a pot filled with soil. The size of the new container will dictate how many pellets I transplant into each container.

I like to use a premium potting soil with lots of moisture retaining ingredients to enhance drainage, aeration and add some nutrients.

This is when I use the hydrogen peroxide solution described above to keep the bugs away.

Sticky Bug Catchers

In between the spraying of the peroxide solution, sticky bug catchers work great too to capture the little fungus gnats that like to hang around the plants. They are durable and harmless to kids and pets.

I also use these bug traps in my house plants to keep other insects at bay. They work on the fruit flies and mosquitoes that are more prevalent around here in the summer months…

Conclusions

A heat source might be a good addition to my experiments as my house does cool off at night. I am considering purchasing heat mats to place below each container to maintain a more consistent temperature for the seedlings. I would love some feedback on these.

There are lots of seeds that can be directly sewn into your gardens and outdoor containers. Of course, they have their own issues. Birds, wandering grandchildren, overgrowing established plants are just a few.

Obviously I could use advice to improve my rate of successful propagation. If any of you have had greater success in propagating plants from seeds, please pass it on!

Oh, and the labels work well outside too to remind me where I planted which seeds.

Made in Canada

April 6, 2020April 5, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

When the dust settles, we must plan ahead to ensure we are better prepared for a health and economic disaster like the one we are currently dealing with. Hopefully, the powers that be in our country are realizing that we must manufacture more at home, with incentives to produce and buy locally. Dependent on the kindness and generosity of others is not recommended when the chips are on the table, and the world is reeling. Unfortunately, discovering who you can and cannot rely on for help is often a bitter pill to swallow.

This may seem like a drastic statement, coming from someone like me who tends to support and see the best in others regardless of who they are and where they live. Self-preservation takes over at some point though, especially when we are seeing acts of greed and unsanitary practices that are adversely affecting the whole world.

Everyone knows COVID-19 started in the wet markets of China. The disgustingly unsanitary practice of selling “fresh” meat on the streets has to stop. If you agree, please sign this petition. How many viruses are we going to let take over the world before something is done to prevent them at their source?

What can we do at the grassroots level? We can start by paying more attention to the origin of the items we purchase. From food to clothing to PPE (personal protective equipment) to household items, our Canadian standards for all of these things are much stricter, something we take for granted.

Do your due diligence, and look for the made-in-Canada labels! You could not miss the label on the stainless steel set of pots and pans I recently purchased. Sometimes though, you have to look a bit harder, but all products (for import and export) must be labeled with their origin. Not “packaged by,” or “assembled in”, but “product of” or “made in.” Even products sold online have their “country of origin” listed, somewhere. You can even google the information. For example, recently I looked up “canned mushrooms made in Canada” and found out they are available at some Canadian Tire stores and my local Canadian Super Store.

This COVID-19 virus should be a wake-up call heard around the world. From a Canadian standpoint, our economy should be able to rely on us manufacturing and consuming Canadian products as much as possible. You should have the same concerns about supporting your local and federal economy where ever you live. Globally, the health of all of us may depend on it.