Health Tips

Being a bit of a “movie junkie,” I have eaten a lot of popcorn to accompany me on my cinematic journeys.  In so doing, my knowledge on the subject of popping corn is beginning to rival my college degree. But of course, I started like anyone else who has ever eaten popcorn: At the bottom of the barrel using quick-and-easy store-bought microwave popcorn.

Unfortunately, besides being unhealthy, over-processed and full of added ingredients, this popcorn always left me feeling like I just ate candlesticks for dinner and beeswax for dessert. Bottom line: A waxy mouth. Knowing this could not be the pinnacle of popcorn pioneering, I began buying popcorn seeds at the store and popping at home over the stovetop. I would add just a bit of cooking oil and salt to create a better version of popcorn than I had previously known. But this method was not without fault.

The cooking oil used to pop all these kernels was not exactly easy on the stomach. And I would have to deal with an oily pot that would need cleaning. So again, I tweaked my formula by substituting cooking oil for olive oil, and a stovetop for a microwave. Healthier, faster, and with less cleanup, this seemed a marked improvement over my previous attempts. But could I do better? I thought so.

I had never used coconut oil before, but after reading about it in several health blogs, I began to wonder if maybe this was a better alternative to the expensive olive oil I was using. This also spurred me to examine the kernels which I was popping. If I was going to make my favorite snack healthier, I needed to evaluate the primary ingredient as well. What I have come up with is what I consider the best version of popcorn I have had to date.

Totally Organic Popcorn

Ingredients

1. Organic popcorn kernels
2. Organic coconut oil
3. Naturally fantastic movie
4. Brown paper bag

Directions

Pour your popcorn seeds into the brown paper bag until the bottom has a thin layer of kernels and is no longer visible.  Take about 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil and drop onto the kernels. TIP: If you live in an icebox and your coconut oil is currently solid, warm it for a few seconds in the microwave. Coconut oil turns to liquid at 76 degrees oddly enough.

Now, fold the opening of the bag over twice, sealing it. Shake the bag around until all the kernels have oil on them, about 6-7  shakes or  1 Ferrigno shake.

Place the bag in the microwave on its side and set for two minutes and thirty seconds. Listen for when the popping stops and open the microwave if this is before the time is up. Open carefully to avoid scalding, lightly salt and enjoy.

There are many ideas emerging in the scientific field of popcorn toppings, and that in and of itself is likely another post. So for now, keep it healthy and enjoy pure and basic organic popcorn as it was meant to be. If you have any improvements to above, post as a comment so we can all further the progress of popcorn in the name of science.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a jogger and I just started training for an August 5K. Today it is HOT here in Northern Indiana. There is actually a heat advisory in effect. But today is my running day. So what do I do?

I found a few tips I’ll have to keep in mind today if I decide to run in this heat.

• Of course, stay hydrated with plenty of water.
• Choose light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. Also, synthetic fabrics will help wick moisture away from skin better than cotton and help cool your body. I’ve got a few of these shirts so I’ll make sure I keep them for extra-hot days.
• Run early or late. This makes sense. I’m not a morning person so the other night I waited until 8 p.m. to run and it was much cooler.
• Wear sunscreen. Check! I do this every afternoon, whether it’s sunny out or not.
• Don’t push it. This tip says sometimes you have to scale back your performance goals when the heat is too much. This can be hard when you know you only have so many days to prepare for a race, but health comes first!
• Make a Splash. If overheating, splash water on your face while running. Good tip, but I don’t carry water with me because I don’t usually go for that long or that far. I would definitely carry something with me if I was out for an hour or more.
• Be Educated. Very good tip! You should know the signs of heat problems so you can recognize them in yourself or training partners.

Signs of heat problems include: feeling faint, dizzy, disoriented, actually stopping sweating, or your skin turning cool and clammy. If you (or your buddy) experience any of these, slow down or stop running. If they get worse, sit down in the shade and get some help.

You can always stay inside and do a workout DVD in the air conditioning! But for those training for an event, finding ways to beat the heat help to stay on track and conditioned for that upcoming race.

Do you have any tips for hot-weather exercising? We’d love to hear from you.

I am a jogger. Not a runner; I don’t run very fast at all. But I enjoy jogging on the back roads around my house. I’ve done a few 5ks during the past three years. I do not try for an amazing time in these races; I just try to beat my last time. I would say I’m a middle-of-the-pack racer.

I started jogging outside this year in late March and ran the Komen race on May 1. After that, I took a week off to recover. Then another…..and I never really started up again. I would run a day here or there, but not enough to keep up my endurance. Now I am training for a 5k in August. I jogged twice this week and WOW, it was hard! I feel like I’ve lost everything from that race in May, which makes sense; I haven’t “trained” in a month and a half. It made me wonder, how long does it take to get out of shape?

I found on About.com: Sports Medicine that for beginning athletes, two months definitely puts you back at level 1. You lose absolutely all the aerobic gains and return to your original fitness level. For fit athletes, after three months they have only lost half of their aerobic conditioning. I would have to say I’m in that beginning category, because running 1 mile yesterday was too much work.

Here are the tips I found for maintaining fitness through breaks:

• Don’t quit completely. Try to exercise at least once per week.
• Cross Train through injuries.
• Use Circuit Training Routines for fast, high intensity exercise two or three times a week.
• Practice Efficient Strength Training methods.
• Use Fast Workouts to Maintain Fitness with Limited Time.
• Remember that Rest and Recovery can be as important as training, so use this time to recovery.
• Add 30-Second Sprints to your routine for fast fitness.
• Short, high intensity exercise burns more calories if you are limited on time.
• Maintain Endurance with Shuttle Runs

We’d love to hear your tips for maintaining fitness levels when you have to take a short break. Happy exercising!

This is what mine looks like, except I just have three of these red bumps!

It must be poison ivy season: my co-worker Nick and I both got it this weekend and we weren’t even in the same town. This is my first time getting poison ivy EVER. I actually thought I was immune to it because I’ve been a camper since I was a little Girl Scout in elementary school. I enjoy hiking, camping and gardening and have never gotten the rash that usually comes with poison ivy, oak, or sumac.

After confirming that the three red bumps on my left arm were not spider bites and were definitely a form of one of these poison plants, I started looking into this allergy. It looks like my theory is wron

g: Just because I’ve never had poison ivy in my 23 years of existence does not mean I am forever immune to the plant. It sometimes takes multiple exposures or several years to finally develop an allergic response! Up to 90% of peop

le are allergic to the urushiol oil in these plants and the more times you are exposed, the more likely it is you will break out.

This weekend I was at a friend’s house and three people there had poison ivy. They assured me it is not contagious; then I got the three “spider bites” the next day. But I had been gardening earlier that day. I’ve learned you need direct contact with the urushiol oil to get the reaction so I could have been the gardening OR my friend’s dog could have had the oil on her and I petted the dog that night. I guess I’ll never know.

Apparently poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac are the most common allergies in the country, affecting half the population. I started wondering what all

these people do when they get it! I assumed my bumps would go away within a day or two, like mosquito bites. Sadly, I’ve been told it will take a week or two. Mayo Clinic’s Web site states that it can last for up to 8 weeks! So what can I do in the meantime?

I’ve washed all the clothes I was wearing, both in the garden and at my friend’s house, to make sure if there is any oil on those items it is loooong gone. I’ve been using anti-itch cream on my arm but I’m a natural remedy girl so I looked into what else might help the itch go away until the rash goes away. Cool-water oatmeal baths can help, as well as cold, wet compresses throughout the day.  As far as plants, many sufferers have posted online that tea tree oil, aloe vera and flaxseed all really help with itching and quicker healing.

We sell a Tea Tree Therapy Cleansing Bar by Desert Essence and Florasone Cream by Boericke & Tafel. I’m planning on buying this cream to see how well it works! It is a natural alternative to cortisone creams and has a natural fragrance.

Let us know if you have any home remedies you use when poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac strikes at your household, or any stories you’d like to share. Stay safe out there!

Minute Clinic – Poison Ivy

How you can protect yourself

While yeast infections usually can be treated easily with medication, there are steps you can take to prevent them altogether.The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to reduce your risk of a yeast infection:

• Avoid tight-fitting pants and underwear in favor of loose-fitting clothes. Always choose natural materials, instead of synthetic.
• Use cotton underwear. And avoid wearing pantyhose or leotards every single day.
• After you shower, make sure the genitals are completely dry. Consider using a hair dryer on a low, cool setting.
• After using the toilet, always wipe from front to back.
• If you’re wearing wet clothing, change as soon as possible.
• Avoid douching, feminine hygiene sprays, fragranced and colored toilet paper, or deodorant tampons and pads.

Related Products on HealthDesigns.com:
New Chapter Candida Take Care: Promotes microbial balance.

Boiron Yeastaway: For yeast infections, vaginal itching, burning, and discomfort.

Integrative Therapeutics Yeast Formula: Herbal formula that supports healthy yeast balance.

Thorne Research Sacro-B: Beneficial yeast for GI tract.