How bathroom posture affects your health. - Slate Magazine

How bathroom posture affects your health. - Slate Magazine

8 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure | Caring.com

I am one of the lucky people that has an excessively low blood pressure, perhaps, because I drink a lot of green tea which has been found to lower the risk of developing heart disease! For people that have a history of high blood pressure and those that want to maintain good cardiovascular health, this article from Caring.com can help you to incorporate in your diet foods that can lower blood pressure.

8 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure

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By Nikki Jong, Caring.com contributing editor

Last updated: October 13, 2011

Plant-based diets and diets high in fruits and vegetables are strongly associated with lower blood pressure -- so much so that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) officially recommends adopting healthy eating practices as one of the primary actions to take to prevent or lower high blood pressure and hypertension.
DASH, which stands for "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension," is the eating plan recommended by the NIH. It features foods that are low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol, with a particular focus on fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy. The eight foods on this list are DASH-approved. Not only are they packed with nutrients that support overall health, but they also help lower blood pressure. Here's how:

1. Celery

Mark Houston, a physician and medical director of the Hypertension Institute of Nashville at Saint Thomas Hospital, recommends celery to patients as a natural remedy for lowering blood pressure. This recommendation isn't anything new: Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have been prescribing celery or celery root to patients with high blood pressure for more than a century. Studies have shown benefit in animals as well as humans.

How it works: Celery contains phytochemicals known as phthalides, which relax the muscle tissue in the artery walls, enabling increased blood flow and, in turn, lowering blood pressure.

How much: Research suggests that eating four stalks of celery per day may be helpful in lowering blood pressure. For a boost of protein, add a tablespoon of unsalted peanut butter or almond butter; both are high in monounsaturated fat (the heart-healthy kind).

2. Cold-water fish

Cold-water fish are rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, which are famous for their cardiovascular benefits. In particular, omega-3s lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Wild (not farmed) salmon, tuna, mackerel, cod, trout, halibut, herring, and sardines are among the best sources.

How it works: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids: The human body can't make them, so we need to get them from the food we eat. Omega-3s act as a natural blood thinner, making it easier for your heart to pump blood around your body. Less viscous (thick) blood is also less likely to form clots in veins and arteries.

How much: According to the joint guidelines from the FDA and the EPA, two six-ounce servings per week of most cold-water fish is a safe amount for most people, including pregnant women and nursing mothers, to reap the health benefits with minimal risk from exposure to toxins. If you bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder, or take blood-thinning medication, talk to your doctor about potential complications.

3. Broccoli

Nutritionally speaking, broccoli is a red-carpet regular, connecting the worlds of scientific research and natural health. This cruciferous veggie is hailed as a super-food because of its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. And when it comes lowering blood pressure, broccoli sells itself.

How it works: Broccoli is a potent package of fiber, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin C, all nutrients that help lower blood pressure. One cup of steamed broccoli provides more than 200 percent of the vitamin C you need each day. Researchers aren't sure how, exactly, vitamin C helps. Theories range from the vitamin promoting the excretion of lead to calming the sympathetic nervous system to protecting nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow. But the results are the same: Antioxidant vitamin C helps normalize blood pressure.

How much: For the myriad health benefits you can reap from regular consumption of broccoli, most people would do well to eat at least one serving a day. For variety, eat it raw with salsa or hummus, or steamed with olive oil and lemon. If you have a juicer, run the stalks and leaves through for a spicy green sipper.

4. Dandelion

For more than a century, dandelion has been used as a cure-all for countless conditions and ailments in cultures around the world, particularly in its native Asia and Europe. The entire plant is edible, from leaves to roots. And in addition to lowering blood pressure, it's good for the liver, eyes, and skin.

How it works: A natural diuretic, dandelion helps reduce blood pressure by releasing excess sodium without the loss of potassium (as occurs with some over-the-counter diuretics). This is doubly important because excess sodium raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels, while potassium helps regulate it. Dandelion is also loaded with magnesium, which dissolves blood clots and stimulates the production of nitric oxide, helping to relax and dilate blood vessels for better blood flow.

How much: Eat fresh dandelion greens in a salad, sauté dandelion roots in a stir-fry, or drink dried dandelion in a tea. Incorporate dandelion into your diet as often as you can; it's really good for you, and in any form you find it (except on your lawn), chances are that it's organic -- grown without harmful pesticides or herbicides.

Disclaimer: Please discuss your health with your doctor for proper guidance on lowering your blood pressure.

Source: 8 Foods That Lower Blood Pressure | Caring.com

green it yourself: recycled wine rack – Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Here is another green living project from Michelle Kaufmann. If you are a serious wine collector, you probably need a proper wine storage room with proper temperature controls. However, for occasional wine drinkers, Michelle's recycled wine rack may just do the trick for you.

green it yourself: recycled wine rack

What’s greener than organic wine? Storing organic wine in a wine rack made from reused materials. This DIY wine rack is super easy to make, plus the geometric design gives it an awesome modern look. If you already have the cans you need to make it – great! Otherwise you can just buy some the next time you’re at the store and then plan a few meals around the food that comes inside. Once the wine rack is finished just stock it with your favorite organic wines and invite a few friends over to enjoy some of that vino and, more importantly, admire your amazing handiwork.

Source: green it yourself: recycled wine rack – Michelle Kaufmann Studio

green it yourself: reclaimed wood cutting board – Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Another tip on Green living from Michelle Kaufmann.

green it yourself: reclaimed wood cutting board

Reclaimed wood is a fantastic green material. Using reclaimed wood not only gives new life to old wood but also saves a bit of virgin wood from being harvested. Everything from furniture to siding to cabinetry can be made from reclaimed wood, which comes from sources like old buildings, railroad trestles, fallen trees, old docks, and barrels from breweries and wineries. For a fun adventure, try collecting reclaimed wood on your own or just find a local lumber or scrap yard where they collect and sell it. You can search Buildingreuse.org to locate a place near you. Making your own cutting board out of reclaimed wood is a fun and useful way to get familiar with reclaimed wood.

Source: 

green it yourself: reclaimed wood cutting board – Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Smart (wired), eco (green) and prefab homes designed by San Francisco architect Michelle Kaufmann. Prefab homes are partially built in a factory and then assembled at the building site. The advantage over site built homes is cost (less waste) and better quality control. 

Michelle collaborated with Sunset Magazine on one of its "Idea Homes. She has tips at her website on do-it-yourself projects such as the "Smart Fire" fireplace project that involves the use of glass rocks.

Click on the link below to learn more about Michelle's work.

Michelle Kaufmann Studio

Fast & Fresh warm drinks - Sunset.com

It is that time of the year when those of us living in colder climes nest by staying at home and cuddling with a book by the fire. We eat delectable soups and keep warm with hot drinks such as hot cider and hot milk with cocoa. Here are ideas from Sunset Magazine on a variety of ways of making your warm drinks a lot more interesting! Enjoy!

Click on the link to learn more: Fast & Fresh warm drinks - Sunset.com

Low-impact closet tour - Video - Sunset.com

I like this - a simple, clean and well-organized closet. As we grow older, we realize that we don't need all of the junk that we have accumulated. Make your life simpler -- downsize and save your money for more important things.

Click on the link to view the video: Low-impact closet tour - Video - Sunset.com

Low-impact laundry room tour - Video - Sunset.com

The best take away from this video  is the use of microfiber cloths and cloth napkins. You can pick good quality cotton and linen cloth napkins from estate sales for pennies on the dollar!

Click on the link to view the video: Low-impact laundry room tour - Video - Sunset.com

Low-impact kitchen tour - Video - Sunset.com

Clever idea about the use of mason jars to store meat and fish instead of plastic bags that dont keep the food flavor as well. I keep all the Mason jars that I get from Trader Joe's and other spaghetti sauces and I reuse them for storing dry grocery tiems such as beans and farina. Now I have another good use for them. Very clever!

Click on the link to view the video: Low-impact kitchen tour - Video - Sunset.com

Low-impact bathroom tips - Video - Sunset.com

I like the bit about the home-made tooth powder made from baking soda and Stevia. I am not sure what Stevia -- a natural sweetener -- brings to the table, perhaps it just sweetens the baking soda? Not necessary in my opinion.

Low-impact bathroom tips - Video - Sunset.com

For almost a year now, I have completely cut out white rice, white flour and white sugar from my diet. However, it took a while for me to get used to brown rice. I tried both basmati brown rice and jasmine brown rice and eventually settled on jasmine brown rice which is easier on one's stomach. However, there are so many other varieties of brown rice that I am yet to test. There is one thing that I know. There is no going back to white rice again!

Here are some great ideas from Mark Bittman on how you can use brown rice in creative ways beyond just a side dish, fried rice or joloff rice.

Brown Rice: Not Just for Hippies Anymore

Yunhee Kim for The New York Times; Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Deborah Williams.

Brown rice finally makes its way into the main course.

By MARK BITTMAN
Published: November 10, 2011

In 1969, I ate my first bowl of plain, boiled brown rice, then proceeded to live on it for a week, replicating the diet of a hippie girl to whom I hoped to demonstrate my sex appeal. (It didn’t work.) Twenty years later, brown rice became a minor but regular part of my repertory.

Mark Bittman is The Times Magazine’s food columnist and an Opinion columnist. Visit Mark Bittman’s blog »

Now brown rice has not only lost its hippie stigma; it has also become sort of de rigueur, though it’s mostly relegated to a dull side dish served underneath or next to something more interesting — stir-fries, stews, chili — a worthy if obligatory “healthful” substitute for white rice.

It need not be this way. There are dozens of brown-rice varieties, because “brown” simply means “hulled but not stripped of bran layers.” Brown basmati has the same nutty aroma as white, with more chew; most brown short-grains release starch, just like arborio; most brown long-grains cook just like “regular” rice; and black, mahogany, purple, red — all those novelty rices are “brown” and can be treated in pretty much the same ways, and those ways are myriad.

Like white rice, all brown rice must be cooked in liquid, but depending on timing and ratio of rice to liquid — plus, of course, what you add to it — the final dish will vary considerably. Add water to cover by about an inch and a pinch of salt to long-grain brown rice, cover, simmer until the rice is tender and dry and you have the perfect base for a hearty salad. Sauté the rice in oil or butter before adding liquid, and you have pilaf. (The toasting results in perfectly fluffy, separate, flavorful grains.)

Things get really interesting when you use short-grain rice and go for something closer to a creamy, porridgelike stew that makes a terrific breakfast (add even more water for congee) or basis for dinner. Or, add slightly less water, cook until the grains burst — this usually takes at least an hour — and you end up with a thick batter for pancakes: no eggs, flour or dairy required.
Or boil it, eat it plain and see if you become a chick magnet.


1. PILAF

Garlic and Parsley
Cook 1 tablespoon minced garlic in 2 tablespoons butter for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups brown basmati (or other) rice and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Garnish: Chopped parsley.

Sausage, Red Peppers and Onions
Use olive oil instead of butter. Cook 1 sliced onion, 1 sliced red bell pepper and 8 ounces sliced or chunked Italian sausage in the oil before adding the garlic. Substitute basil for the parsley.

Shrimp, Scallions and Snow Peas
Use neutral oil (like corn) instead of butter. Cook 1/2 cup chopped scallions in oil before adding garlic. Add 8 ounces peeled shrimp (chopped, if large), 1 cup snow peas, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Garnish: Chopped cilantro.


2. STEW

Fried Egg and Chives
Combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice with 3 cups water over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and partly cover. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until the rice is tender and thick, 45 to 60 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped chives. Meanwhile, fry 4 eggs in 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Serve the eggs over the rice. Garnish: Chopped chives.

Jerk Chicken
Skip the chives and eggs. First, sear 4 bone-in chicken thighs in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add 1 chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes; add 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon minced habanero chili, 1 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, rice and the water; proceed as above. Garnish: Thyme leaves.

Coconut and Molasses
Skip the chives and eggs. Substitute 1 can coconut milk for 1 1/2 cups of the water and add 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut to the rice. Serve drizzled with molasses.


3. SALAD

White Bean, Lemon and Tomato
Combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice with 2 1/2 cups water over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 40 to 45 minutes. Chill if time allows. Toss with 1 cup cooked white beans, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped dill, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Garnish: Chopped dill.

Grape and Ricotta
Substitute ricotta cheese for the white beans, grapes for the cherry tomatoes, basil for the dill and 1 chopped small shallot for the garlic.


Broccoli, Pine Nut and Sage
Steam 2 cups broccoli florets until just tender, about 5 minutes; shock in ice water, then drain and chop. Substitute 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts for the white beans, the broccoli for the cherry tomatoes and 1 tablespoon chopped sage for the dill.


4. CAKES

Parmesan and Scallions
Combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice with 3 cups water over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, until the rice is starchy and soft, about 1 hour. Chill for at least 1 hour. Stir in 1 cup grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup chopped scallions and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Form into patties and cook in olive oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides. Garnish: Grated Parmesan.

Carrots and Parsnips
Skip the cheese, scallions and parsley. Instead, stir 1 cup shredded carrots, 1 shredded small onion, 1/2 cup shredded parsnips and 1 tablespoon minced sage into the rice; proceed as above. Garnish: Chopped parsley.

Caramelized Leeks and Spinach
Skip the cheese, scallions and parsley. Cook 2 chopped leeks in 2 tablespoons olive oil until very soft and brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 3 cups chopped spinach and cook just until wilted. Stir the leeks and spinach into the rice; proceed as above. Serve with lemon wedges.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/magazine/brown-rice-is-not-just-for-hippies.html?src=me&ref=general

You can prevent, and even reverse, heart disease . . .

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FREE video reveals the very same strategies heart expert Dr. Chauncey Crandall uses with his own patients — many of whom now live without the fear of heart disease
or dependence on expensive, side effect-laden drugs.

Click on the link to view the video:
You can prevent, and even reverse, heart disease . . .