Grab Bag Anti-Inflammatory Bandwagon:
Perhaps the most important topic in the general theme of nutrition right now is using food as a natural anti-inflammatory medication. Nearly every health sector from oncology to heart disease points at low-grade inflammation as a contributing, if not causative, factor. Insidious in nature, the inflammation can’t be felt or detected until disease symptoms begin to appear. Our highly-processed diets are to blame for a large part of this, and being aware of the pitfalls and their fixes can make a world of difference.
Here are Dr. Andrew Weil’s four basic anti-inflammatory diet makeover tips:
1. Consume only high-quality carbohydrates: eliminate white flour, using only whole and cracked grains, and try whole grain/buckwheat noodles such as Japanese udon and soba. Fruits and vegetables should have a low glycemic index, and most do, with some exceptions: dates, watermelon, pineapple, fruit juices, potatoes, and pumpkin are all high glycemic index foods and should be avoided or eaten in limited quantities. Also, the more processed or cooked the carb is, the higher the glycemic index; lightly cooked, “al dente” pasta has a lower index than fully cooked pasta. For fruit, the riper it is, the higher the index… so eat your bananas when they are firmer.
2. Replace your cooking oil: whenever possible, use extra-virgin olive oil or expeller-pressed organic canola oil. Avoid safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed and mixed vegetable oils, as well as butter and margarine.
3. Reduce your consumption of animal protein: Except for fish (wild – not farmed- Alaskan salmon is the superstar) and reduced-fat dairy products, animal protein should be kept to a minimum. Look to beans, legumes and whole soy products instead.
4. Increase your fiber: Try to eat 40 grams of fiber a day. It’s good for much that may ail you. This will be easy to do if your processed foods are kept to a minmum and you eat plenty of berries, vegies and whole grains.
Grab Bag Energy Generator:
WebMD suggests these 20 tips to “never feel tired again”. You can read full explanations of the hows and whys HERE.
- Have breakfast… even if you don’t feel hungry.
- Eat every three to four hours.
- Fill up on more fiber.
- Fuel your brain with omega-3s.
- Watch caffeine intake after noon.
- Splash some water on your face or take a shower when you’re feeling burned-out.
- Suit up in a “power” outfit to beat the blahs.
- Vent your feelings.
- Let go of grudges.
- Take belly breaths.
- De-clutter a corner.
- Do some good.
- Cut back on TV and computer time after 8 p.m.
- Hide your clock in your bedroom.
- Give your pet his own separate sleeping space.
- Lower the thermostat.
- Avoid alcohol 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- Get your exercise.
- Don’t toss and turn in bed for more than 15 minutes – get up and read (no TV or internet)
- Write down your worries.
Grab Bag Painless Water Saver:
This one habit alone could save HUNDREDS of gallons of wasted water each month, which translates into MILLIONS OF GALLONS as more households catch the wave:
TURN OFF THE FAUCET WHILE YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH.
So simple 🙂
Grab Bag Original Crafty Moment:
If you make or like to buy original, one-of-a-kind, handmade accessories, artwork, jewelry, etc. check out
Grab Bag Every Sunday Matters:
From the Every Monday Matters book and website:
Collect Trash
FACTS
- 250 million tons of trash is generated each year in the U.S.
- 4.6 pounds of waste is created every day by the average person.
- Common litter includes cigarette butts, plastic bags, paper, candy wrappers, fast-food packaging, bottle caps, 6-pack can holders, glass bottles, and plastic straws.
- Men and women are equally likely to litter.
- People under age 15 are least likely to litter; people under the age of 25 are most likely to litter when in a group; and, people over the age of 25 are most likely to litter when alone.
- In one single day, nearly 7 million pounds of litter were removed from beaches, lakes, and streams.
- Animals from nearly 443 species are entangled in or ingest marine debris annually. The majority of these die from starvation, exhaustion, or infection.
- People litter because:
- there is a presence of other litter.
- it’s the easiest way to get rid of unwanted things.
- littering is acceptable by people who pay taxes to have someone else pick it up.
- dumping is a social activity we learned from our parents and passed on unconsciously to our children.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
- Spend one hour today picking up litter. Or decide that every time you see a piece of litter today, you’ll pick it up and throw it away.
- If you see someone littering, politely ask them to pick it up. Or pick it up yourself and maybe the person who dropped it will see you and get the hint.
- Organize a team of neighbors, friends, co-workers, or fellow church members to pick up litter in a specific neighborhood for an hour. Have one leader purchase rubber gloves and garbage bags for the team. Make it more fun by turning the cleanup effort into a game/contest.
- Enjoy making a difference, getting exercise, getting to know people better, and having cleaner surroundings.
YOU MATTER
If every person picked up just one piece of litter today, there would be over 300 million fewer pieces of litter. If every person picked up 10 pieces of litter, there would be 3 billion fewer pieces damaging our environment. If you and your friends spend just one hour today picking up litter in your own neighborhood, you will not only pick up thousands of pieces of trash, you will also make a tremendous impact on your community. Just be sure to bend your knees.
Grab Bag Blow Dryer Hero Moment:
1. Remove bumper stickers and other sticky stuck stuff by hitting it with a blow dryer set on HOT for a minute or two, softening the glue and making it easier to peel away (works on band-aids, too).
2. Determine where windows and doors are leaking valuable heat and energy… have one person pass a lit candle next to the door or window frame joint as another passes a hairdryer along the same path from the outside. If the candle flame flickers, the joints need caulking.
Grab Bag Happy Ending:
We’ve all thought about…. but have we actually DONE anything about it? I’m talking about what we want to happen if we are incapacitated and put on life support. Your desires need to be formalized with a “durable power of attorney” or “advance directive”. Make sure you don’t just talk about it, but get it down legally. Click HERE for questions and answers about end-of-life issues and advance directives, and click HERE to download an advance directive… then fill it out, have it notarized and file with your family and another copy with your doctor or hospital.
Grab Bag Brain Game:
Grab Bag Funny Stuff:
Warning…. adult content 🙂
LK's Grab Bag 
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