Weight Loss Update !! :)

Jan 5th 2014 - Update on my weight loss journey :) I am now down a total of 50 lbs !!! Feeling more energy every day and My doctor has lowered my blood pressure medicine :)

Summer time blues

What was to be a great summer has turned into SUMMER TIME BLUES . My husband slipped and broke his ankle last week ...Its been nothing but cooking , cleaning and taking care of him all day . I haven`t had much time for anything else , I am looking forward to his recovery , Its times like these that we learn to appreciate all the little things in life that we take for granted , Like just doing our daily routine stuff , Being able to tie our own shoes !

Take a moment each day and be thankful for what we have :) You will thank me for it some day !

Back on the wagon again

I went away on Vacation last week so I will not dare step on the scale till next week ... I am back on the band wagon again and eager to continue . I will not look back but keep looking forward . How is everyone doing with their programs ??

2 WEEK WEIGHT LOSS CHECK IN

Today marks my second week on my diet plan , I lost 7 lbs the 1st week and I am down 3 lbs this week for a total of 10lbs in 2 weeks .

I honestly was expecting a 4 lb loss but I am getting older so weight is harder to come off , I`ll be happy with my 3 lbs!


How is everyone doing ??? Is your plan giving you good results ??? Lets here from everyone !

DIET UPDATE

Feeling real good and scale is moving in the right direction . This is week 2 for me and I am not feeling hungry at all . I`ve had to make choices in the week because I was not at home , but making the right food choice is what has kept the scale moving in the right direction . I will not use the excuse of not being home to cook for myself as reason to eat junk .

My weigh in day is Thursday . I can`t wait to post my loss :)

LETS LOSE WEIGHT TOGETHER

Follow me in my Journey ...... start date January 29th 2010
I WILL WEIGH IN EVERY WEEK (Try to keep off scale till the week arrives !)

SEE YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY WEIGHT LOSS PLAN !

Here is my Plan . I will not skip meals !!  I will eat 3 meals a day plus 3 snacks a day !!  I will eat healthier!! I will reach my ideal weight !

I WILL EAT MY WAY TO A HEALTHY WEIGHT ! I WILL NOT STARVE MYSELF !  I WILL EAT LIKE A QUEEN / KING :)

FOLLOW ME for 1 month and if your happy with your results all I ask is that you donate $1.00 to my blog and please share this blog with everyone who you think can benefit from it .

PLEASE DO NOT COPY THIS FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN YOUR PERSONAL USE ...YOU MAY HAVE OTHERS LINK TO THIS PAGE TO GET THEIR COPY . THANK YOU FOR RESPECTING MY WISHES :)
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THESE ARE MY ENEMY FOODS , (I WILL STAY AWAY FROM THE ITEMS LISTED UNTIL I REACH MY IDEAL WEIGHT )

NO SUGAR,
NO SWEETS, CAKES, COOKIES , ICE CREAM
NO ALCOHOL(occasional glass of wine is okay)
NO CHIPS
NO PORK PRODUCTS
NO POTATOES
NO PASTAS
NO SODA
NO STORE BOUGHT PRE MADE SALAD DRESSINGS
NO WATERMELON
NO PEANUTS
NO PRE MADE TOMATO SAUCES
NO PROCESSED CHEESE
NO FRIED FOODS UNLESS THERE IS NO CHOICE

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THESE ARE OUR FRIENDLY  FREE VEGETABLES  :) ( EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT WHENEVER YOU WANT ...THE MORE YOU EAT FROM THIS LIST THE FASTER THE WEIGHT WILL COME OFF ) FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST , THEN FROZEN , IF THOSE ARE NOT POSSIBLE THEN USE THE CANNED .
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ALL GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES ...INCLUDING ICEBERG LETTUCE,ROMAINE LETTUCE, BROCCOLI,SPINACH , ESCAROLE ... I THINK  YOU GET THE PICTURE :)

CUCUMBERS,
CELERY STICKS,
PEPPERS,
BRUSSELS SPROUTS,
CABBAGE,
ARTICHOKES,
FRENCH STYLE STRING BEANS,
SPAGHETTI SQUASH,
ZUCCHINI ,
BEETS,
BULLION CUBES(GREAT FOR MAKING SOUPS )
LEMON JUICE,
VINEGAR,
MUSTARD
ONION,
GARLIC
TOMATO JUICE
TOMATO PUREE
CARROTS

ALL SPICES  ARE OKAY ...MAKE THE FOOD TASTE GOOD , DO NOT SKIMP ON FLAVORING THE FOODS

ALTERNATE THE VEGGIES AS MUCH AS YOU CAN SO YOU KEEP GETTING A VARIETY
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UNLIMITED COFFEE- TEA - LEMON JUICE OR DIET SODA(  I PERSONALLY PREFER NOT TO HAVE DIET ANYTHING) _____________________________________________________________
THESE VEGETABLES I WILL EAT WITH MY MEALS IN SMALL QUANTITIES  1/2 CUP TO 1 CUP SERVING)
 
EGGPLANT,
BUTTERNUT SQUASH,
PEAS,
STRING BEANS,
TOMATO,
ALTERNATE THE VEGETABLES FROM DAY TO DAY SO YOU GET A VARIETY
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PROTEIN IS TO BE EATEN WITH YOUR MEALS (3 TIMES A DAY) 

MEAT --- (NO PORK)
CHICKEN
TURKEY
BEEF HOT DOGS
CHICKEN HOT DOGS
TURKEY HOT DOGS
BEEF ..STEAK..BURGERS...ROAST BEEF
CHEESE..MOZZARELLA,RICOTTA,SWISS,COTTAGE,PROVOLONE ..BASICALLY ANY HARD CHEESE IS OKAY TO EAT ( TRY TO LIMIT TO 3 TIMES A WEEK BECAUSE IT WILL SLOW DOWN WEIGHT LOSS... I  WOULD RECOMMEND ONLY USING FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH )
NO PROCESSED CHEESE !


EGGS (LIMIT TO NO MORE THAN 3 TIMES A WEEK , NOT BECAUSE OF THE YOLKS BUT BECAUSE IT SLOWS OUR WEIGHT LOSS. ALSO USE ONLY FOR BREAKFAST & LUNCH ) ALTERNATE THE PROTEIN YOU EAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE  ..DO NOT HAVE 2 DIFFERENT PROTEINS TOGETHER UNLESS YOU HAVE NO CHOICE !
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THIS LIST IS FOR AN OCCASIONAL TREAT ...IF YOUR OUT , AT A PARTY ETC.   
(ONLY 1/4 CUP ! )

LIMA BEANS,
CORN,
CANNELLINI BEANS,
LENTILS
CHIC PEAS,
BANANAS
CHERRIES,
GRAPES
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ALLOWABLE FRUITS  LADIES - 3 A DAY IF YOU HAVE ALLOT TO LOSE YOU MAY OCCASIONALLY HAVE 4 ! :)   (IF YOU ARE A MALE , YOU CAN HAVE 5 FRUITS EACH DAY , IF YOU HAVE ALLOT TO LOSE YOU CAN OCCASIONALLY HAVE 6 !  LUCKY MEN !! 
(Fresh is always best , then frozen No sugar added , then Canned NO SUGAR ADDED !)

APPLES,
PEARS
CANTALOUPE ( 1/2 = 1 FRUIT)  
OTHER MELLON'S = (1/4 = 1 FRUIT ) 
PINEAPPLE ( 1/4 = 1 FRUIT )
ORANGE
Grapefruit (1/2 = 1 fruit)
TANGERINE
PLUM
MANGO
PEACH
APRICOT
NECTARINE

FRUIT IS OPTIONAL (IF THE FRUIT IS LISTED AS ALLOWABLE THEN YOU CAN HAVE FROZEN JUICE OF THE SAME FRUIT AS LONG AS NO SUGAR IS ADDED  ...CHECK LABELS !!  .... 1 FRUIT = 1/4 GLASS JUICE (GOOD TO USE TO MAKE A DESSERT ) 
ALTERNATE THE FRUIT YOU EAT WITH EACH DAY-- CAN EAT ANY TIME OF DAY 
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*********A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY DAY  *********

1. - 2 GLASSES MILK ( 1ST CHOICE IS NON FAT POWDERED MILK ! ITS BEST FOR YOUR    SKIN AND YOUR WEIGHT LOSS BUT IF YOU CAN NOT STOMACH IT EVEN BY    DISGUISING IT IN SOMETHING LIKE A SOUP OR DESSERT THEN HAVE NON FAT    MILK IN PLACE OF IT )
   (ANY TIME OF THE DAY , WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR MEALS , IN YOUR COFFEE OR    TEA ...ONE WAY OR ANOTHER GET IT IN THERE  EVERY DAY ! :)

2. -  1 SMALL PIECE OF BREAD OR PREFERABLY A SLICE OF AMERICAN BREAD WITH BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ....IF YOU ARE A MALE YOU NEED TO PARTAKE IN 2 SLICES FOR BREAKFAST AND 2 SLICES FOR LUNCH  _____THIS  MUST BE EATEN WITH YOUR PROTEIN !

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SMALL AMOUNTS OF OLIVE OIL FOR SALADS IS OKAY ...START USING A TABLESPOON OR 2 PER SALAD WITH RED WINE VINEGAR  OR WHITE VINEGAR  AND CUT BACK ON THE OIL AS YOU GET CLOSER TO GOAL WEIGHT .

THINK VEGGIE SOUPS FOR THE WINTER AND SALADS IN THE SUMMER :)

MEAT PORTION WILL VARY BY EACH INDIVIDUAL(decrease portions as you get closer to your goal weight ) .... WE WANT TO BE SATISFIED BEFORE GETTING UP FROM THE KITCHEN TABLE ...OUR PORTIONS SHOULD BE SMALL FOR BREAKFAST , MEDIUM FOR LUNCH AND OUR LARGEST PORTION SHOULD BE FOR DINNER . SO IF YOU ARE SATISFIED EATING 3 PIECES OF CHICKEN AT DINNER TIME ..THEN YOUR LUNCH PROTEIN PORTION WOULD BE 2 PIECES AND 1 PIECE AT BREAKFAST TIME .WE CAN THEN HAVE SOUPS AND SALADS TO GET TO THE SATISFIED STAGE :) 

***MUST WAIT AT LEAST 3 HOURS BETWEEN MEALS ***
          (meaning your bread & protein )
USE THE UNLIMITED VEGGIE LIST  OR YOUR FRUITS TO KEEP YOU GOING TILL THE NEXT MEAL ! :)

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I WILL LIST WHAT I EAT  FOR MY FIRST WEEK  AS AN EXAMPLE ....

MY MENU 
 Jan 29th 2010
DAY 1- 
BREAKFAST 8 AM ..... 1 SLICE TOAST W/ A LARGE  1/2 INCH SLICE OF ICEBERG LETTUCE TOPPED W/AN EGG 
COFFEE/MILK

SNACK  CARROT STICKS

LUNCH 12:00   SLICE TOAST ,  MEDIUM SIZED PROTEIN ( CHICKEN COLD CUTS )
LARGE TOSSED SALAD W/ONION, ROMAINE,CARROTS, BEETS OIL/VIN DRESSING ) GLASS NON FAT MILK,  1 cup boiled cauliflower 

SNACK  1 APPLE  & 1 ORANGE

DINNER  NICE LARGE JUICY STEAK W/ONION , TOMATO AND PEAS , LARGE GREEN SALAD W/CUCUMBER  OIL/VIN DRESSING   DECAF COFFEE/MILK 
  
SNACK   1/4 PINEAPPLE AND 1 CUCUMBER 
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day 2. Jan 30th 2010

breakfast - 1 pc toast w/2 ounces provolone cheese / red leaf lettuce , coffee/milk

snack- celery sticks

lunch- 1 pc toast ,  large salad w/peas , iceberg lettuce , carrots , celery  medium portion of grilled chicken   2TBSP olive oil/wine vinegar  .  an apple

SNACK - sm salad w/olive oil/vinegar dressing

Dinner - lrg bowl of Soup (made with 1 can pineapple puree, 1/2 chopped onion,few chopped carrots,2 chopped  zucchini ,3 cups water,1 bullion
tossed salad w/olive oil/vinegar dressing
large juicy hamburger w/onion

snack - orange

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Day 3  Jan 31st 2010
breakfast - small tossed salad with small piece of grilled chicken  olive oil/vinegar dressing
1 piece of toast

snack - coffee/milk

Lunch - 1 Pc toast , 2 jalapenos (roasted),  2 sm hamburgers , large salad w/olive oil/red wine vinegar dressing 

Dinner - large salad w/grilled chicken , cucumber,red onion  w/olive oil and wine vinegar dressing .
decaf/milk

snack - 1/4 pineapple
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Feb 1st 
day - 4
 1 pc. toast , 2 ounces provolone cheese , salad greens w/cucumber olive oil /wine vinegar dressing 

snack coffee/milk

Lunch - (At the DELI)
salad with iceberg,cucumber,pimento,sun dried tomato,celery Turkey Cold cuts , oil/vin dressing
****FORGOT MY PC of BREAD *****   Huge cup of coffee/milk

snack celery sticks

Dinner Large portion of roast turkey huge salad ,iceberg,cucumber,celery,red onion,olive oil/wine vinegar dressing

snack  -- can of pineapple in its own juice ...no sugar added
(note to self---- had turkey for 2 meals in a row  ! skipped a bread !  will see what happens )
snuck on scale and its  looking good :)
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Feb 2nd
day -5

breakfast
salad , iceberg, 1/2 tomato sm piece turkey olive oil/wine vin dressing  1 pc. of toast
coffee/milk

snack - Apple

Lunch - Iceberg,cucumber,celery lt oliveoil vinegar dressing , 2 boiled eggs , 1 pc toast

Dinner - beef (lrg portion ) cooked w/onion and peas , steamed broccoli

snack - orange

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Feb 3rd
Day 6 -
breakfast - coffee/milk  , 1 pc toast with 1 pc of cheese , hand ful of baby carrots

snack - Apple

lunch - Salad -iceberg,carrots,tomatoe,celery ,onion olive oil/wine vin dressing  1 pc toast Turkey leg

snack- apple

Dinner - soup w/chicken , broccoli,carrots
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Feb 4th   ------ WEIGH IN  ... Down7 lbs !!
Day 7
breakfast - coffee/milk, 1 pc toast, 1 boiled egg, few carrots 

*****Lunch -- away from home (making sopresata over Carmela&Phil )****
2pc italian bread , 2 pc sopresata, 2 ounce cheese ,2 anchovies, fried zucchini w/peppers in red sauce ,broccoli rabbe ...1 cup grapes,coffee/milk

dinner...Back on track :)   Large tossed salad w/carrots and turkey cutlets olive oil/wine vinegar

snack- apple
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How to get Sparkly Fixtures

Here is a very easy way to make your Kitchen and Bathroom fixtures sparkle with no effort at all.  

Take a little toothpaste and rub it on the fixture with a damp cloth and then just rinse .

It will sparkle like new :)

give it a try and let me know what you think.

Cookie exchange 2009

kids judging table

kids decorating

kids judging table

Last night we had our COOKIE Exchange. We enjoyed some delicious pizza , My marinated hot peppers , My sister in Laws( Carmela) Fried dryed hot & sweet peppers . , but most of all we enjoyed great family & friends time together.

The kids then had some fun decorating gingerbread cookie pops , which we then judged and gave prizes for most colorful, most icing used , least icing used , . it was fun .

My 9 yr. old gave us a magic show ...Watch out magicians of the world ! cause he is getting good at his tricks ! :)

The ladies than got judged on who had the most decorative cookie, The cookie santa couldn`t resist ( Santa loves kisses ) , the cookie with the most ingredients, the least ingredients, the nuttiest, the sweetest , the plainest .. The zestiest ..Lots of judging and a load of fun . I can`t wait to do this again .

Everyone left with a prize :) I can`t wait to do this again next year .

Winter Wonderland :)

view from our Kitchen window :)

This is our first winter in our New Home ...We started to see some flurries yesterday but nothing much . My youngest Adam already wanted to just go outside to make a snowman !  Living in Florida all his life made watching the snow come down  outside such a big treat for him .
I talked him out of going outside knowing there was more snow (blizzard ) on its way  :)  , The rest of the day was fun babysitting for my sisters kids while she did some of her Christmas Shopping .

This morning we woke up to almost 2 feet of snow ! and WOW the look on Adams face grew wider .He was so excited as soon as he woke up and looked outside that he ate breakfast in a minute and can not seem to put on his snowsuit fast enough LOL but his older brother is still asleep so he is now removing his snow suit and waiting and waiting hoping his brother comes down for breakfast soon to venture out into the snow for some real fun with snowball fights and building snow forts to hide from the snowballs . He has a lot of imagination and really makes the little things in our life more meaningful and well appreciated as they should be .

We will be spending the day sipping on Hot chocolate, roasting marshmellow's by the fire  and playing in the snow .

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow .

Going green around the Holidays

If you thought going green around the Holidays was going to be hard just look around you and think for a minute and save a tree !

wrapping presents can be fun , easy and GREEN !  Have you ever thought of using newspaper comics to wrap a present in ? be creative and make a matching bow .

If you have fabric around , use it to wrap presents .

Kids art work from school would be great to wrap grandparents presents , they would be thrilled !

Old maps would also be great for wrapping.

clothing is also a fun way to wrap ... If you have something tubular , a pair of socks would be especially fun to wrap and receive.



Old Christmas/birthday/anniversary cards can be cut up with pinking shears to make new tags for this years presents.

Any other ideas ???

Deck The Halls

Our Tree 2009


Our tree with the snow village

Tips To make your home very festive looking with very little work .

Add a special holiday touch in every room of your house .

If your putting up a Xmas tree in one room ... place your Nativity scene in a different room , Your snow village in yet another room .  Add little color by changing your doilies to festive colors  like red, blue, or green .add small holiday guest towels in the bathroom . add holiday salt & pepper shakers in your kitchen , keep it simple and elegant . As you go to each room , you will get into the holiday spirit and you`ll get to enjoy all your hard work each and every day no matter what room you spend your time in the most.

Making a list , Checking it twice !

My son`s Gingerbread House

Now that Thanksgiving is over . Time to make your list and check it twice and start looking for those bargains !

I am so out of it this year ... first my move back to NY in a Rental house  , Then the move into our NEW HOME ,  and now Thanksgiving at our house ...I have a huge family !, It just wears me out to even think of the shopping I now have to start . I am usually all done by this week yet this year I haven`t even gotten started yet. My cold is not making matters any better .

Black Fridays are for the birds , I just can`t see getting so stressed shopping in those crowds and standing on line forever just to save $30.00 !  I do try to get whatever I can from online and their specials are almost as good as the Black Fridays prices with Free Shipping included. 

My advise is ... find a bargain online and grab it !

Time for Decking the halls and really getting into the Spirit of the Holidays .

Money saving tip(laundry)

As I was doing my laundry today , I wondered how many of us ladies think of how much electric we waste when doing the laundry . I was in the habit of doing 1 load of  laundry every day to make it easier on me . 

My new way of doing the laundry is making sure I have 2 full loads to be ready for the wash at once .  Not only will you save.. water, electric, and soap  by doing less loads per week if your loads are full!, but you will also be saving on your electric bill by running your dryer one load after the other so that the dryer does not have time to cool off before your next load goes in . Also clean your lint AFTER EACH LOAD !! Your clothes will dry alot faster . Clothes should be shook piece by piece as you put them in the dryer .  If your clothes took 40 minutes to dry before  , following these steps will dry them in 20 to 30 minutes ! 

Quick Dusting Tip

Okay we all have socks with holes or some odd sock you can never find the pair to because it miraculously disappeared  , especially if you have kids . What do you do with them ? Throw them out ?  Well after washing them I wear them on my hands and go dusting !  They are so much better than paper towels . It makes dusting a breeze . dampen it with a little water and some cleaning solution and run your hands over the radiators  ! Then just toss the socks away .  Old T`shirts are great for dusting as well  , and those old towels ... I cut them up and use them to wash my floors ! , They are better than any mop head I have ever used . I cut smaller pieces to use for cleaning my bathrooms  , smaller rags are easier to clean with in smaller places and then just throw them away.


Have any cleaning tips ? leave me a comment !

GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

It seams that this is the time of year when we all start to stress over the Holidays .   I find that if I make mental notes in my head early in advance I can get through the Holidays enjoying myself more and stressing a whole lot less.

For starters , it is still weeks before Thanksgiving so of course we have plenty of time to prep! before the day arrives .. I start by prepping things for my table , I want to make a turkey centerpiece this year so this is the time to get started on that . I make a mental note of how many tables & chairs I`ll be needing so that if I need someone to bring me chairs , I`ll know it in advance. I make sure that all my table cloths are clean and ready to use .
This is when I start to write up my menu and I make a list of Items that I will need for my recipes and any paper good that I will need , then the week before the Holiday I will check my list against my pantree and mark off anything I have already bought and have on hand .
One week before Thanksgiving I`ll be baking my pies , and setting my tables .

Okay so the plan is all set now lets see if it goes smooth ! From my past experience it always goes smooth ! I won`t have it any other way !  :)

Lets not forget what Thanksgiving is all about . Give thanks to everyone and let us all enjoy our time together with friends and family .

PEACE TO ALL, and Thank you for reading ,

Nee

Stress Releaser

We all need to release some stress in our life , Every other day just  try to do one of the following  ......

JUST LET IT LOOSE   !

Turn the radio up , clear your head and just  Dance, Dance, Dance. It is great for releasing your stress and makes you feel great too !

Take a 5 minute stroll around the block and come back like a different person . You can feel the stress leave your body with each step you take .

Skip the shower and light some candles and use the tub instead ! Just relax and take a few minutes longer than your usual .

Do some Yoga ! I personally don`t go for it because just getting there is stressful for me . I just feel the need to have to move to release my stress. My brain bad ! LOL

Reading a book releases stress and takes you to places you always dreamed of  but could never afford  or never have the time to go to .

Me ? I find that the greatest way to release stress for me is crafting .. whether I am making wreaths, painting ,  knitting, or  crocheting , It just takes me to a new world and my imagination just takes over .

How do you release your stress ?

Name Brands

My 9 yr. old son came home from school all upset yesterday . He asked me whats with the Gap sign on his shirt , what does it mean ?? I told him it was a name brand etc. and he says ..Well don`t ever buy me anything that has Gap on it because everyone at school made fun of me today !! Shirts need designs on them not Gap or any other writing on them Mom  !  Can you believe that ?  What world are we living in ??  I understand that kids can be cruel at this age but this is just insane .

This is a case where you are doomed if you do and doomed if you don`t.  What are your thoughts ?

GARLIC

 OOOOOH how I love garlic , Not only in my food but also great for earaches , just slice it in half and stick it in the ear at the first sign of an ear ache . I don`t know how many trips to the doctor it has saved me .  Thank you to my Sister N Law Mindy who was the one who introduced me to the magic of the garlic cure . I have also read that it is good for high blood pressure and good for toothaches as well .

The miracle of a cucumber

Have you ever suffered from a severe headache ?? before you go for the pills  ---- Grab a cucumber out of the fridge ( must be very cold )  slice it and lay down , place 1 slice on each eye and take another slice and rub it on your forehead till the cucumber starts to warm , then flip the cucumber on the eyes to the cold side and take another cold slice and keep rubbing the forehead ....I have done this when I had such a bad headache that I felt like I was going to puke .. My headache went away within 5 minutes and if you get the feeling its on its way back just do it 1 more time !!  You will feel better in no time . Try it and let me know how it works for you .

POMEGRANATE ??

 Lately all you hear is how great pomegranate is . Anything with POM seams to be a hit.

supposedly your suppose to eat the seeds , you can chew and swallow them whole.It is best to open them under water so you don`t end up making a mess . 

the big hype ....Pomegranates contain polyphenols, they are loaded with antioxidants which reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. As always remember that fresh is always best .  If you think that eating pomegranate ice cream will benefit you ? think again ! If you want to benefit your health  better stick to FRESH only and nothing that's been processed .

A fun way to eat them is putting one in a plastic bag and roll it on your counter as you press on it and then stick a straw in it ... your teeth will not get stained and you reap all the benefits .