How To Keep Fruit And Veggies Fresh Longer

If you find yourself surrounded by a mountain of fruit and vegetables, you’ll want them to last as long as possible while you try to use them all up. It’s sad to know that many people tend to throw food away. If you want your produce to last longer, this post by Sparkpeople will teach you how to store them the right way.

Bananas contain ethylene. It is a colorless gas that speeds up the ripening process. I remember we once had a couple of bunches of unripe bananas on the counter and I placed one ripe banana in the middle. I left it there overnight and when I woke up, the bunches of bananas turned mostly yellow.

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Image – © Serghei Velusceac – Fotolia.com

We found a great tutorial on keeping fruit and veggies fresh longer. The link is at the end, after our additional thoughts.

If you want your fruits to last longer, don’t store ones that can easily ripen together with the unripened ones. This makes it easier for you to gradually consume all of your produce. Unless you’re planning to make desserts out of them, then it’s okay.

When it comes to vegetables, you have to remove ties and rubber bands and you should also trim the leafy ends. It’s considered good to store them in bags that have holes so that there will be proper airflow – though with vegetables such as broccoli and kale, I have managed to keep them fresh longer by adding a little fresh water to the plastic bag that they are in, and keeping them in the fridge. It’s the same principle as keeping cut flowers fresh.

Pack them loosely in the refrigerator. The more compact they are, the quicker they’ll spoil. Green leafy vegetables should be washed thoroughly before storage (this makes sense because you will be washing away mould spores and other matter that can accelerate decomposition. Mushrooms and herbs shouldn’t be washed until right before the time that you use them for cooking.

Another great tip is to wash the produce in water with some apple cider vinegar added, then rinse. The vinegar has a natural disinfectant effect and many have testified that soft fruit such as raspberries will last longer when washed carefully this way.

Another way to help store fruits is to cut them up into pieces and make fresh fruit salads. Make your own fruit combinations and store them in plastic containers. You can then bring them together, add a little bit of honey and yogurt and you have something that you can eat for snacks. It’s a healthier alternative to sugary, unhealthy desserts!

If you’re going to the grocery store to buy some food, it is a very good idea to plan your meals for the week. This can save you from buying too much stuff, or from additional trips into town.

Ok, here’s the link to the full tutorial:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1103
http://off-grid.info/blog/how-to-keep-fruit-and-veggies-fresh-longer/

(highlights by the editor)

Cleaning A New House Before Moving In: 5 Tips For Couples

Posted by: Denise Baptiste Published: Wednesday, January 6, 2016, 19:00 [IST]

Before moving into your new home, it is necessary for you to clean it, although it has no items present in it just yet! Your new home might look brand new to your eyes as well, but it is important to follow these simple cleaning tips, so that your things are placed well into a clean home. 

To get started, first you need a couple of things that will help you clean your brand new home. A stick and soft broom, a moping cloth with a long stick, a couple of cotton-cleaning cloths, a dustpan and, of course, a mask to cover your mouth to protect you from inhaling and swallowing the dust particles while cleaning your home. 

Together with this, you will also need detergent and cleaning agents to make your home sparkle and look clean. You can also add dettol to the list, as it helps to disinfect the home from bacteria and germs, especially the toilet and bathing area. So, what are you waiting for? Take a look at some of these useful cleaning tips to get started on that new house before moving in: 

Start From High To Low: Empty homes usually gather a lot of spider webs; therefore, sweep the webs carefully using a broom. Begin from the top that is the roof area and then go down to the crevices in each of the rooms. Gently sweep all the rooms and gather the dust, placing it in a bin. After cleaning the floor, mop the floor aggressively and focus on removing the floor stains too. 

Clean The Forgotten Areas: When moving into a house, try focusing on areas you know you are unlikely to tackle soon after moving in. Cleaning these areas well will help to prevent the dust from coming in for a long period of time. Areas to focus on are vents, fans, walls, attics, radiators, inside cupboards, etc. 

The Bedrooms: Since you will be spending more time in the bedroom, it is necessary to clean it in and out. Remove the dust and grime from the window panes and mop the floor till it shines. You can also clean the AC vent, if it is present in the bedroom.

Toilet Cleaning: Clean the toilet with the help of an acid, as it helps to remove the stains from the tiles and commode. You can add a touch of home remedies too while cleaning the toilet. Clean the floors with lemon and baking soda, it will make the toilet smell fresh, and make it look clean and sparkling.

Kitchen Grime: Cleaning the kitchen of a new house, before moving in, is important, as it helps to keep diseases and infections at bay. It is necessary to clean the kitchen sink with vinegar and lemon to disinfect the zone before using it and moving in your things to the house.

http://www.boldsky.com/home-n-garden/improvement/2016/cleaning-a-new-house-before-moving-in-tips-097001.html

Natural remedies at your home

At your home, you have several natural remedies available. Using the things present in your home, you can naturally cure several problems.

http://www.doctortipster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/natural-remedies.jpg

1. Garlic

Garlic is a natural antibiotic, antibacterial and antifungal. It can be used for curing different illnesses. You can mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and add it to one glass of water. Drink the water and it will help you in fighting different types of illnesses caused by bacteria and other germs.

2. Hydrate yourself and rest

Hydration is very important when you want to keep naturally fine without any type of infection. If you have a fever, it means your body is fighting against any possible germ attack. You can support your body by keeping in hydrated on water and different types of herbal teas. You also need to rest so that your body gets the extra hours for fighting the infection. Extra rest and extra water can help you in nature really eliminating and fighting several problems.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is readily available at your home. It will not only help you in stabilizing blood sugar, but will also work as antibiotic and anti-viral. If you’re sick you can add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon along with 1 teaspoon of honey and make a tea. This will help you to get relief from cough and congestion immediately. It will also lower your fever.

4. Hydrogen peroxide

When you have the first sign of cold, sinus infection, flu and ear infection, you can put little bit of hydrogen peroxide into each ear. Lie down for some time and it will work wonders for you. This is more effective in case of kids. To completely cure infection, you need to repeat the process every few hours.

5. Eliminate white foods

When you see the first signs of any illness, you need to completely remove all types of white foods from your diet. Avoid foods like grains, milk, dairy, sugars, cheese, soda, sweeteners etc. Why do you need to avoid them? These foods can suppress your immune function, which will reduce the healing ability of your body, and thereby will increase the length of the infection, and the possibility of getting sick. When you are sick, your body needs to focus on the healing part and not on digestion, and so you should eat less amount of food. Foods like fresh chicken soup and hot liquids will help you to keep your required strength.

6. Hot liquids

This is a very simple and effective treatment. When you see the first signs of illness, you need to drink more hot herbal teas and hot lemon water. The heat will boost your immune system and the same time, the herbs will reduce the infection.

7. Face steam

This is a very simple natural remedy which can be easily prepared at your home. You can make one using different types of kitchen herbs. For preparing such a face steam, first, boil 1 to 2 cups of water and then remove the water pot from heat. Add 2 teaspoons of thyme, oregano and rosemary to the water. Cover it for five minutes using a lid. Now, bring your face directly over the pot. While doing that, you can cover your head using a towel. The towel will hold the heat for a longer duration. Now, breathe in the steam. Keep at it for about 15 minutes. It has many benefits. It will loosen any congestion beside killing bacteria and viruses present in your lungs. It will also kill bacteria and viruses present in sinuses and bronchial. Sometimes, you can also use 1 to 2 cups of vinegar in the steam.

http://www.doctortipster.com/34566-natural-remedies-at-your-home.html

7 tips for a healthy day and 2016

By Laura Shelly

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with loved ones. I know the holidays can be a challenging time for sticking with a healthy nutrition and workout routine, so I hope you enjoyed the extra indulgences without any guilt. I know I did!

To me, living a healthy lifestyle means balance and moderation. Enjoy those Christmas meals without a second thought, and do your best to get back on track once the season is over. Below I’ve included 7 daily tips to follow to get you back on track for 2016. If living a healthy lifestyle is new to you, make small changes as you’re ready, and I know you’ll feel improvements both physically and mentally with consistency. Healthy eating Stock image
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and other tips for a healthy day and a healthy 2016.

• Sleep! I can’t express this enough. I try to be consistent with my sleeping habits by going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday, and being sure to get seven to nine hours per night. Sleep is the time for your body to regenerate, and is also responsible for balancing your hormones. Adequate sleep will allow your muscles to recover from a workout, will stabilize your appetite and will give you energy to function optimally throughout the day.

• Start your day with lemon water. Lemon water reduces inflammation by helping to alkalize your body, aids in digestion, clears skin and prevents the afternoon crash. I could go on and on about the benefits of lemon water. I personally add half a squeezed lemon to a cup of warm water every morning before breakfast.

• Plan ahead! By planning your day, you can be sure to incorporate healthy meals you can prepare the day before. When I’m in a good routine, I’ll cook enough food to last for a few days, and package each meal in a glass container. When you’re prepared, you can only succeed.

• Eat all food groups. Healthy nutrition is key, and I don’t believe in drastic diets. Actually, I don’t like the word diet at all. Eating a balance of protein, healthy fats, complex carbs and plenty of veggies and fruits is key to a healthy body. It’s better to establish healthy nutrition habits on the long term, rather than follow a shirt term diet that isn’t realistic for everyday life.

• Exercise! Set aside time to exercise, and treat this time like an appointment for your heart. Whether it’s getting outdoors for a walk, going to a fitness class, or hitting the weights at the gym, choose something you enjoy. As children, we didn’t view playing as work, so as adults we should attempt to do the same. By choosing an activity you enjoy, you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

• Surround yourself with positive and like-minded people. I always look at the new year as a fresh start. If any relationships are bogging you down, then perhaps it’s time to re-think them. I know I’ve moved on from these types of situations in my past, and have only ever felt better after doing so. I can truly say I love all my friends, and I always feel uplifted around them. I wish you all the same.

• Shutdown electronic devices. This is something I need to work on myself. Shutting off electronic devices at least a hour before bed allows you to fully relax and prepare for sleep. Whether it’s having a hot bath, doing some reading (using a book) or being with a loved one, try to make this a habit. Our society is far too busy, and at times too connected in my personal opinion. Taking time for oneself after a busy day and keeping electronic devices away from the bedroom will result in better sleeping habits. As a business owner, “unplugging” is something I want to work on this year.

Much love,
Laura Shelly

*Exercise of the month: Take the stairs  – after the holiday feasting, I challenge you all to take the stairs this month. Every little bit of extra activity counts!
*Healthy food of the month:  – beetroot is known to reduce blood pressure, boost energy and fight inflammation. You can add it to salads or drink it as a juice, and you can also eat the greens.

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Laura Shelly has been a certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor for 3 years, and also specializes in pre- and post-natal fitness. She has her own local business called ‘Laura’s Bombshells’ where she focuses on both in-home and gym training, as well as online training programs. Contact her via ‘Laura Shelly’ on Facebook, on Twitter @LShell86, Instagram @laurashellyfit or by email at ms.laurashelly@gmail.com for help or inquiries.

http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/6229082-7-tips-for-a-healthy-day-and-2016/

The shower secret

that can really wake you up

Add some icy cold water to your morning shower routine to really wake up 

The average Briton will take 227 showers a year, according to research.

Showers are a firm favourite with Brits, with over a third of us only taking four baths or fewer over an entire year, research from LateRooms.com suggests.

However, as many of us jump in the shower first thing in the morning in a bid to wake us up and energise us for the rest of the day, there could be a shower secret that could give you a bit more pep in the morning.

If you have a hot morning shower, the effect of the warmth could make you feel more sleepy than awake, according to Business Insider.

So, taking a hint from hot-and-cold hydrotherapy, add a small burst of ice cold water and hotter than usual water to your shower routine.

Add some icy cold water to your morning shower routine to really wake up   

This is how you can really wake up in the morning Rex

How to have an energising shower 

After finishing your usual routine of washing your hair and cleaning your body, switch the water temperature to as cold as it goes and spend 30 seconds under the shower head.

Then turn the temperature back to as hot as you can stand, without literally burning yourself. Spend another 30 seconds in the hot water. This will help increase your blood flow.

Finish off with another 30 seconds under the cold tap.

Mollie Goodfellow, Thursday 14 January 2016

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/the-shower-secret-that-can-really-wake-you-up-a6812741.html