You can’t really predict when an emergency situation will occur. That’s why it’s important to always be prepared.

Having a plan in place will help adults and children stay calm in times of crisis. It can also help save your life or the lives of the people you love. Here are some basic things you can do to prepare for an emergency.

Assess the types of emergencies that could occur in your area

It’s important to look at all possibilities including natural disasters and fires.

Make sure emergency numbers are easy to find

Keep a list of emergency numbers by your home telephone. It’s a good idea to have these numbers on speed dial. Also keep emergency numbers in your cell phone. It’s important to have an ICE (in case of emergency) number listed in your cell phone. This is the number the paramedics will call if something happens to you. Most emergency workers know to look for ICE numbers in people’s phones.

Keep all important paperwork together

Have your important paperwork together. When there is an emergency and you have to evacuate your home quickly you should be able the grab your important paperwork and leave. This includes, birth certificates, social security cards, passports, insurance papers, and deeds or titles. I think it’s best to keep these things in a small lock box.

Put together a 72-hour kit

Keep a small bag in your house filled with emergency supplies in case you have to evacuate quickly. I used to live in hurricane country, so we were always prepared to evacuate. I prepared a book bag for each member of our family that contained a change of clothes, non-perishable food (like energy bars and dried fruit and nuts), bottles of water, flashlights, extra batteries, small battery powered radio, a first aid kit, toiletries including toilet paper, a book to read and some travel games (time in a hurricane shelter can be boring). I also had some cash in my bag and in my husband’s bag. This way if we did have to evacuate we could grab our bags and our lock box of important papers and go.

Have some food

Having a month’s supply of food in the house is also a good idea. You might end up in a situation where you’re stuck inside. My in-laws get flooded into there house about once a year so they always need to be prepared in case they can’t go out to the grocery store.

Make a plan

Sit down with your family and discuss emergencies that could happen and what you’ll do if they occur. Designate meeting points for your family. For example, if the house catches on fire have everyone meet by a tree across the street. That way you can know that everyone is out. You should also have some kind of plan in place in case you’re all in different locations when an emergency occurs.

Rehearse

You should rehearse your plans. If you’ve practiced, it’ll be easier for you to do when you need to. Make sure your children know alternative ways to get out of their bedrooms in case there’s a fire at night.

All of this might sound a little scary, but it’s better to be well prepared than caught by surprise. When we went over these things as a family we made it into a fun activity. If you make it fun children won’t get upset or feel afraid.

Being prepared is the best way to plan for the unexpected.

Photo by mudpig

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So I tried this recipe the other day. The hardest part about it is cutting the swede. It was so hard a few times I almost chopped my fingers off. I need to get better knives. Anyway, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 swede (rutabaga) peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 stick celery finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/2 black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 6 cardamon pods
• salt to taste

Put olive oil in a large pot and saute onion, celery, and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes. Add swede and saute for a few more minutes. Add spices and soup stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until the swede is soft.

Photo by pin add

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The holiday season can be stressful. With so many social gatherings to attend, presents to buy and meals to cook you can feel like your running around like a chicken with your head cut off. 

The holidays shouldn’t be all about stress and worry. They’re supposed to be a time of relaxation and celebration. Unfortunately for so many they are the most stressful time of the year.  If your organized and set your priorities this time of year doesn’t have to be a balancing act.

Here are some tips for beating holiday stress:

Set your priorities

This could be the solution to many of the stresses we experience in our lives, but I think it’s particularly true for this time of year. Think about what aspects of the holiday season that are most important to you. Is it spending time with family? Is having time off work? Is it eating delicious holiday meals? The less important things can slip a bit. Pick some priorities and stick to them. Don’t over book yourself with activities you’d rather not do.

Forgive

We don’t always have the best of relationships with our families. This can make the holidays even harder to deal with. Strained family relationships give you extra stress. Try to make amends with family members before the holiday season. If the person doesn’t want to forgive and forget, just try your best to be civil. Being on your best behavior won’t just help ease your holiday stress, it will help the whole family.

Delegate

You don’t have to be in charge of everything. Delegating tasks is something that comes easily for me, but most people have a problem with it. Explain to family and friends that you may need some help with certain tasks. Have everyone bring a side dish or dessert to your big holiday meal. You’ll be surprised at how many people are willing to help out.

Don’t spend too much

The holidays aren’t all about money. Don’t buy gifts that you can’t really afford. Overspending just adds to your stress later. For money saving ideas check out 10 Ways to Save Money During the Holidays.

Do something nice for yourself

Take a break. Have a spa day at home or go get a massage. These are great ways to pamper yourself. Everyone needs to take some time to relax and breathe.

Photo by willi_hybrid

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Are you looking to save some money this holiday season? Here are a few good tips.

Set a budget

Holiday spending can get out of control if you don’t plan. Decide how much you can afford to spend on each person you’re buying for and stick to that.

Shop online

There are plenty of places were your can shop for less on the internet. Try places like Half Ebay and Overstock.com. Take the time to comparison shop. It can really make a difference.

Skip the Christmas cards

Save money on mail by sending out holiday cards online. Hallmark has plenty of free ecards to choose from. I also email our family’s year end newsletter.

Read your junk mail

Those fliers you usually toss into the trash without second thought might contain information about upcoming sales and even coupons you can use for your holiday shopping.

Make it yourself

Sometimes homemade gifts are the best. If you are artistic at all you can make your own gifts. Even if you’re not artistic sometimes burning a compilation CD is a great gift. Some people might even appreciate the gift of service. Make up a coupon that is redeemable for your time helping that person with something they might need.

Give a magazine subscription

Give a subscription to a magazine you already get as a gift. Magazines offer discounts at this time of year. Sometimes you can get a whole year’s subscription for just $5.

Skip the gift wrapping counter

Wrap your presents yourself, unless of course the gift wrapping is free. If your offered a free gift box with something take it.

Deliver it in person

When you can, deliver your gifts yourself instead of mailing them.

Take advantage of grocery store sales

During the holidays the grocery store has a lot of sales. Use this time to stock up on non-perishables. You can buy extra turkeys and ham and freeze them for some other time.

Buy for next year

After the holidays everything goes on sale. That’s the perfect time to start buying presents for next year. If you do most of your shopping far in advance, you’ll avoid the holiday stress next year.

Photo by krisdecurtis

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I’ve, recently,  seen the commercials about high fructose corn syrup on YouTube. Apparently, these commercials are running on television in the States now. Here’s one in case you haven’t seen them.

These commercials like all commercials have an agenda. They are funded by the Corn Refiners Association of America, so of course they want to promote the use of high fructose corn syrup. I wanted to take a closer look at high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) to see why it is adding to the bad health in America.

HFCS first started getting used in the 1970’s to replace sugar and food products. Corn farmers in America receive government subsidies. This causes an overproduction of corn, so we have to figure out new and inventive ways to use it. The food industry discovered that making a sweetener with corn was cheaper than using sugar. Not only is it cheaper, but it’s also much sweeter. A little goes a long way. Since the 70’s, HFCS has been used in more and more products. Now it’s the sweetener of choice used in packaged foods. You can find it in:

• soda
• juice
• baked goods
• condiments
• dairy products
• candy

What’s wrong with HFCs? It’s natural. It’s made from corn. Corn’s good for you, right?

Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar that can be found in fruits and honey. In it’s natural form it is easily digested and the liver handles it well. HFCS is a super concentration of fructose that you can not find naturally. You can have too much of a good thing.

High concentration of fructose don’t stimulate insulin production and converts easily to fat. Consuming too much of it can lead to:

• insulin resistance
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• fat production

Another bad thing about it is that it doesn’t satisfy you. It doesn’t decrease your appetite. This leads to more and more consumption. When you’re consuming it, you’re only getting empty calories because it has no nutritional value.

But it’s fine if you eat it in moderation.

Good luck doing that. Because HFCS is in so many produces, it’s hard to eat it in moderation.

Researchers have found that the average American consumes 132 calories of HFCS a day. People who eat a lot of processed foods and drink a lot of soda eat closer to 300 calories of HFCS a day. Some eat as much as 700 calories of it a day. That is not moderation.

How can you avoid HFCS?

This is the solution I give for most health and dietary problem so you should know it by now. Eat real food. Eat whole foods. Cut out processed foods. Eat plenty of vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones. If you want to eat something sweet eat some fruit. There are plenty of raw food dessert recipes that will satisfy your cravings for sugar and use only fruits and nuts as the ingredients. The raw apple pie recipe a posted a while back is just one example.

Here’s a spoof of the HFCS commercial that I like.

Photo by doug88888

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There are plenty of people out there who think that they should see the results of their actions immediately. This attitude can be leave you feeling discouraged. Whether you’re trying to build a business, start an exercise program or learn a new skill, sometimes you don’t see the results you want right a way.

Impatience is natural, especially when you want positive change in your life. I can be impatient at times too. It’s natural. The thing that you have to always remember is that what’s happening in your life now is the result of actions you took days, months or even years ago.

Some changes in your life take time. For example, I’ve been doing this blog for about 11 months now. I’m constantly brainstorming new ideas to get more traffic and trying to figure out how to make my blog better. When I get a new idea to increase traffic, I try it out right away, but it may take a month or two before I see any difference in my traffic. The same idea can be applied to a change in diet, exercise or a number of other things.

Imagine you’ve already reached the goal. This is a great way to keep me motivated and helps me think of new ideas. Let’s say my goal is to run a marathon. If I start to think like a marathon runner, I’m better able to figure out how to train effectively.

Read books by people who have been successful. This is something I do to help me think like someone who has accomplished my goal. It helps me get into the thoughts of someone who’s done what I want to do.

Make friends with people with successful people. Having friends that are like the person I want to be helps me to take the actions necessary to achieve my goal.

Reward yourself. Reward yourself for keeping up good habits that move you closer to your goal.

You may not see the results right away, but sticking with positive habits is the best way to move towards having the future you’ve always wanted.

Photo by Michel Filion (aka Mike9Alive)

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We got parsnips in our vegetable box this week. I’ve never cooked a parsnip in my life and had no idea what to do with them. This inexperience makes it that much more incredible that I invented this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 3 parsnips sliced into rounds
• 3 medium carrots sliced into rounds
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 cardamon pods
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup of raisins
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt to taste

Heat oil in a deep skillet. Add onion and saute on medium heat until tender. Add ginger, garlic and all spices and cook for a few seconds stirring constantly. Add parsnips and carrots stir will so that they’re coated with spices. Add water and stir well. Let cook until the vegetables are tender. Add raisin, lemon juice and salt to taste. Remove for heat and serve over rice.

Photo by pin add

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There is an alternative to getting a flu shot this season. If you get enough vitamin D, your body can knock out the flu bug.

Vitamin D isn’t really a vitamin at all. It’s a steroid hormone that helps regulate cells and organs throughout the body. It is also one of the most powerful antioxidant.

Ideally the best way to get vitamin D is through sun exposure. During the winter months when the sky is darker and it’s too cold to spend a lot of time outside incidents of flu go up. That’s not a coincidence. It’s because your body is deficient in vitamin D.

Vitamin D helps increase you body’s ability to produce antimicrobial peptides. Antimicrobial peptides help kill viruses. When your levels of antimicrobial peptides are low, you are left vulnerable to viral infections such as the flu.

You can get vitamin D from foods too. Vitamin D is present in cold water fish such as salmon and herring. You can also get vitamin D from egg yolks and D fortified milk and cereals. If you can’t get enough vitamin D from your diet and sun exposure, you may want to take a supplement. You can take a vitamin D supplement, cod liver oil or krill oil.

Limit your vitamin D intake to less than 2,000 IU per day from both supplements and food. This vitamin can be toxic if you take too much. Signs of vitamin D overdose include vomiting, thirst, weight loss, diarrhea, and nausea.

Photo by krisdecurtis

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What you believe becomes your reality. This isn’t a new concept. You’ve probably heard it many times before. If you heard it so many times before why aren’t you applying it?

I have to admit that I didn’t start believing this until about 6 months ago. I’d been plagued with depression for in my youth. (Isn’t funny how “I said in my youth?”) Even after overcoming my depression, I still had more than my fair share of negative thoughts. Negative thinking is a hard habit to break.

Not so long along, I went through quite a difficult situation. Our international move didn’t go quite as planned. Times were tough. It was during those tough times that I realized that if I didn’t have a positive outlook, I would shrivel up and die. I needed something to look forward too. So I made something to look forward to. As I did that our situation started to get better.

Your thoughts seep deeply into your subconscious. Your subconscious mind controls many of your actions. Your actions determine you life. If you expect the worst, you behave in a way that causes the worst to occur.

It’s hard to change your thoughts. We have millions of thoughts everyday. How can you keep track of them all? You don’t have to keep track of them all. You just need to make sure you have more positive thoughts than negative thoughts at first. As you whittle down your negative thoughts it will be easier to weed them out. You need to concentrate on replacing those negative thoughts with positive thoughts. You may not believe them at first, but if you do it enough you will.

Once you change your thoughts, you’ll change you actions. Then your life will begin to change.

Photo by pincusvt

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Winter is quickly approaching and with it comes cold and flu season. I’m not an advocate of the flu shot, but I am an advocate of a healthy lifestyle to prevent getting sick.

There are foods that have been shown to boost the immune system. Incorporating them into your diet will help decrease your chances of getting sick this winter.

Garlic—Garlic contains allicin, ajoene and thiosulfinates. These compounds are great for fighting viral and bacterial, and fungal infections. It also increases circulation and helps lower blood pressure.

Kefir or Yogurt—These fermented dairy products contain cultures that feed the good bacteria in your gut. Yes, there are good bacteria. These good bacteria help regulate your immune system. Keeping them happy and well fed will do you a world of good.

Mushrooms—Mushrooms help boost white blood cell production. They also make your white blood cells more aggressive. You want your white blood cells to be like vicious pit bulls when an infection enters your blood stream. Shiitake and maitake mushrooms do the most to amp up your immune system.

Oysters—Oysters are packed with zinc. Zinc promotes white blood cell production and strengthens antibodies. If you can’t stand oysters take a good supplement with zinc in it.

Carrots—Carrots contain beta carotene. Beta carotene helps promote white blood cell and T cell production.

Spinach, Kale, and Collards—These dark leafy greens contain folate. Folate helps prevent DNA and blood vessel damage. Try this great recipe for kale.

Oranges—The vitamin C in oranges helps shorten he duration of colds.

I hope these tips will help prevent you from getting sick this winter.

Photo by SantaRosa OLD SKOOL

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