Friday, December 20, 2013

The #AcidReflux Grocery Shopping list and other information. #Silentacidreflux #GERD

This post is from another blog of mine that I thought i'd share on this one, as this is more the niche it belongs in. Over the years I have learned a lot about acid reflux and how to deal with it naturally by changing your eating habits. 

Do you have GERD? Then you need to read this! I have been battling with GERD aka Acid reflux on and off for years, and now surprisingly (which shouldn't be so surprising) after slacking on my healthy eating, it has graduated to Silent Reflux. This is where it affects your larynx, without as many symptoms or they are confusing ones. This is not to be confused with heart burn. It is far worse. It doesn't burn, but it's still doing damage. It's just not letting you know. Often times this is happening to you, but there is no sign or very few or a LOT of symptom, such as chronic cough, hoarse throat, postnasal drip and the feeling of a lump in the throat. These are TOO often confused with allergies or even asthma. for years I was told I had non-allergic rhinitis!! I had all of the symptoms and it greatly dissipated when I began eating non acidic foods and healthier in general, whilst losing weight. Now, it is back with a vengeance because I decided to get lazy, or lets be honest, I just ate like 99% of the population. I can't do that. My body is very sensitive and honestly, I am thankful that it is. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have the warning signs.

If you are someone that suffers with this, know that there is a cure aside from medicines. Those are great for short term, but the importance lies in keeping away from all acidic contents, certain fruits and veggies and all caffeine and carbonated beverages. Even club soda, as it serves as a kind of hot air balloon by latching onto the bad acid into your esophagus and Larynx, where it eats away at it. Literally.

Acid is a huge epidemic in our packaged food ridden life. It was introduced into everything to kill the bacteria that causes food poisoning. This happened in the 70's when there was a huge outbreak of  it. Unfortunately it kills poisons while slowly killing us. The percentage of people with acid reflux has skyrocketed in the last few decades after the introduction of extra acids. There is solid proof of this. If you suffer from acid reflux, stay away from all packaged foods whenever possible. Acid is your arch nemesis. Alkaline is your best friend. This has the ability and often does turn into cancer down the line.

To find out specific details on this deadly disease, watch this episode of  Dr. Oz. It will explain everything. If it weren't for this show, I would have never stumbled across this information in my google searching. TONS of people suffer from the same symptoms and always leave the doctor bewildered. I  urge you to please consider this. Watch all the parts! They go to a mall and test random people and you will be floored by their findings! 



Print out the following and bring it with you to the grocery store.


                   What you need to avoid for a month or more, depending on the severity.


 You can slowly reintroduce these things in moderation, but not for a long while. You need to calm down your system and bring it back to a normal PH:
  • Caffeine of any kind
  • Mint
  • Strawberries
  • Oranges
  • Tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Club Soda 
  • High fat foods 
  • Lots of oils 
  • Fried foods
  • Citrus acid and any citrus derivatives in packaged and canned foods. READ LABELS. Avoid ANY acid. Vitamin C fortified means it's got more acid. 
  • This isn't a full list, but you get the gist. Avoid all citrus fruits, acid, alcohol, caffeine and anything you are unsure of, just look  up its PH level. It needs to be alkaline on the scale. 
What you can eat:

                   Fortunately, the Grocery Shopping List for allowable foods is a lot longer.  Note: Sometimes cheese and dairy can cause the same symptoms, so if taking away the acids in your diet doesn't work, try eliminating all dairy. Though this usually does the trick.

Apple- juice, dried or fresh
Banana
Pears
Potato
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Corn
Beans
Lentils
Mushrooms
Parsnips
Peas
Spinach
Kale- Any green vegetables are safe! 
Squash
Green beans
Brown Rice
Multi-grain or whole wheat bread
Bran Cereal
Oatmeal
Corn Bread
Graham Crackers
Pretzels
Rice cakes
Feta cheese
Goat cheese
Fat-free cream cheese
Fat-free sour cream
Low-fat soy cheese
Skim milk
Egg substitute
Egg whites
Skinless chicken breast
Extra lean steak
Extra lean ground beef
Salmon
Fish – no added fat- Do not fry your meat! Broil, bake or steam only.
Ginger
Manuka Honey
Basil
Cilantro
Chamomile tea


ALSO
  • Avoid eating too close to bedtime. Try to leave at least 2-3 hours after a meal, before you go to bed. 
  • Avoid lying down after meals.
  • Eat small regular meals. Overeating is a big cause of it. 
  • Do not wear tight clothing that may increase the pressure on your stomach.
  • Raise the head of your bed by 4-6 inches may help reduce night-time acid reflux.

Follow the GERD Diet to a T and you will feel better in as little as a week! 



Good Luck and Health be with you! 

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Meat replacement with #Gardein #Review & #Giveaway !


Gardein was the inspiration for this post and I received samples for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

When one tries to cut their meat consumption significantly to almost nothing, they want to be creative when it comes to cooking. This is what I did over a year ago and saying it's a challenge is putting it lightly. Not experimenting with things is the quickest way to get bored and go back to your old ways. I am constantly on the look out for new and exciting meat replacements on the market and it's important that those be healthy.

Gardein carries by far and wide, the most exquisite soy derived meat replacements on the market, and I have tried quite a few. When I took my first bite of their version of Chicken strips, I was immediately hooked. In fact, it was my dinner for the next several nights. I thought, there's no way they can all be this good. I can't impress upon to you just how wrong my assumption was.

Baking and stir frying these dishes was so convenient and fast for me to do. I love the simplicity and the fact that I am still maintaining my health. 

The first dish I made was the Crispy Chicken Filet's and my god were they scrumptious. They tasted almost 99% like real chicken. 


 Each bag comes with enough for two people and is perfectly filling when you have bread, rice or a salad along with it. 


Teriyaki Chicken strips. I added fresh broccoli, herbs and the sauce packet that came with it. It's a very sweet and sour type of taste that is soooo yummy. Very reminiscent of Asian cuisine.


Chicken filet's once again, but this time with  fresh Broccoli, fresh Portabello mushrooms and garlic sauteed in balsamic and apple cider vinegar. The sauce packet really complimented the flavors nicely! 


And here is the Steak Strips alternative, which is the closest I have ever tasted to actual steak. It's amazing. I made some pasta and sauteed some fresh broccoli in herbs and mixed everything up in their steak sauce.

This product is like something I imagine a mad scientist taking years to perfect in his laboratory. Countless nights experimenting with ingredients and concoctions only to fail, until that one glorious night when they finally found the secret ingredient. I know that sounds a bit overzealous, but when you taste these you will know why. Absolutely everything I tasted from this company tastes almost EXACTLY like real meat. Especially their steak alternative and chicken pattie alternative. I could not believe just how akin to meat it actually was, even in it's consistency.  

There are endless ways to cook with these and although somewhat pricey, they often have coupons, plus sales every few weeks at my local Target! even at it's regular price, which is $3.99 at Target, they are still worth the money. I usually get them when they go on sale for around $3 and then apply  a $1 coupon. Not bad at all! 

And now I get to offer one of you lucky people from my audience a chance to win 3 free bags to try out Gardein's many yummy flavors, along with some nifty buttons and sporks with the company logo! 


Good Luck! 

Giveaway open to U.S. & CANADA!

Starts 12-19 12 am EST Ends: 1-2 12 am EST

Warm up your holidays with this easy and fast recipe for Tropical Island #Chex Party Mix

Sponsored by Platefull Co-op & General Mills
Have you ever tried the classic Chex Party Mix? It takes just 15 minutes to make in the microwave and is a delicious gluten free snack the whole family can enjoy! Now, there is a twist on this famously easy recipe and it'll get you in the mood for the warm months ahead. The Tropical Island Chex mix is another fun way to eat your Chex and warm up the holidays with a tropical flair! This recipe is also pretty healthy to boot at just 160 calories per serving! 




Courtesy of Betty Crocker
Ingredients:
  • 8  cups Rice Chex® cereal
  • 1   cup shredded coconut, if desired
  • 1   cup dried banana chips
  • 1   package (7 oz) dried tropical fruit mix
  • 1   jar (3 oz) macadamia nuts
  • 3   tablespoons butter or margarine
  • 1/4    cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4    cup frozen (thawed) pineapple or orange juice concentrate



Directions:

1. In microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in brown sugar and pineapple juice concentrate. Microwave uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until hot; stir. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until mixture just begins to brown.Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container. 

2. Oven Directions: Heat oven to 300°F. In ungreased large roasting pan, mix cereal, coconut, banana chips, tropical fruit mix and nuts. In 1-quart saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar and pineapple juice concentrate over medium heat until hot. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Bake uncovered 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.  

3. In large microwavable bowl, mix cereal, coconut, banana chips, tropical fruit mix and nuts.
  
If you plan on making this sweet and tangy snack, don't miss out on the  deals you can get on some ingredients, only at Publix. Why not make a Tripical Chex mix for yourself and family. It's something new and different and would make a great party snack for New Years. If you Google all over you'll find that the general consensus is that this is a well liked fast and easy recipe! 
11/14—12/31: Save $1.00 off 2 Chex cereals, find coupon in the “All The Trimmings” coupon booklet, available now until 12/31/13 in Publix stores.
12/12—12/18: BOGO on the following Chex cereals:
  • 14.25oz Chocolate Chex
  • 13.75oz Apple Cinn Chex
  • 13.5oz Cinn Chex
  • 14oz Corn Chex
  • 13.8oz Honey Nut Chex
  • 12.8oz Rice Chex
  • 14oz Wheat Chex
  • 13.5oz Vanilla Chex

Saturday, December 14, 2013

What can I do with expired coffee beans?



Is your coffee too gross to drink? In my search about expired coffee, I encountered so many creative ways to re-use coffee beans and ground coffee when it is too rancid to prepare. Take a gander at this list and see if you can't do some of them. I have already tried out one of these. Using coffee to disguise bad smells is one of the best in existence! 


  • Natural hair enhancer for Brunettes
  • Compost for gardens-once ground
  • Some say the caffeine in coffee is a good cellulite combat. i have yet to try, but here is the recipe:
1 part ground coffee beans
mixed with 2 parts brown sugar
a big dash of vanilla extract
enough oil to make a sludgy paste
Store in a pretty jar and use to exfoliate your legs. Let it soak in for an hour, then shower off. Apply more another hour for a stronger effect. 
  • Some use it in recipes you wouldn't think of, like barbecue sauce and confections. Experiment and see what you come up with! 
  •  Is your child in a play where he will act as an older gentlemen? Get some Vaseline and some ground coffee beans. Smear the Vaseline all over your youths chin and smush coffee beans on it. It will perfectly mimic chin stubble! This is a silly, but clever one and it's proven to work, but watch out if you are prone to clogged pores!
  • Exfoliate by grinding the beans half way and using it with your favorite facial cleanser. Some people swear by this as an exfoliant. 
  • Absorb odors. Apparently coffee is a great odor eliminator! Just put some in a jar and poke holes in the top or put it in a mesh sachet tied up. 
  • Scent replenisher. One person swears that if your nostrils are overcome by different smells all at once, he sniffs a jar of coffee and the next scent he smells, is the only one. 
  • Get rid of bad smells by sprinkling some in a garbage can.
  • Use the beans to make crafty and yummy smelling candles. There are plenty of projects if you Google for them. Here is one: Get some cheap glass votive holders. Fill them with some beans and then place a tea light in the middle. These make beautiful center pieces for fall or anytime and give off a lovely coffee aroma.
  • You can also make a more involved project where you make an actual coffee infused candle. Here is a complete tutorial. Get acquainted with candle making as a whole, before attempting to do this! 
  • Another great project is brewing not so great tasting coffee and then using it as a dye for papers and clothing.  If you want something to look old and weathered, this would be perfect for that. 

Some awesome ideas for you there and i'm sure there are more floating around. If you have any, add them in the comments.

And now I leave you with an oldie but goody that fits the occasion: 

"Keep It Fresh!" 

Easy and #cheap recipe for Spiced nuts! #McCormickBaking

Sponsored by McCormick. All opinions are my own. 
There are the decadent and detailed time consuming recipes for the Holidays, and then there are the cheap and easy ones that are still really tasty. Of these are the classic spiced nuts or candied nuts as some call them, which are among my favorite holiday treats! You'll find many recipe variations for these, but I am a fan of the tried and true version made with All Spice as the main ingredient. 




This spiced nuts mix gets the spiciness from cinnamon and allspice. I Omitted the seasoned salt in this, as I wanted it to be more sweeter than herbier. It was replaced it with some sea salt. I did purchase the Lawrys Seasoned salt for the first time and used it on veggies. It was really good! Another new go to seasoning for me!

We all love to binge on the super fattening but oh so gloriously yummy Holiday foods, but there is another choice. This recipe is tasty and it has health benefits to boot from all the nutrients of the nuts. A great way to keep it significantly healthy during the holidays and still get that satisfaction of a desert.




Ingredients


Makes 3 1/3 cups or 18 (3-tablespoon) servings.


  • 1 egg white
  • 3 cups nuts, such as almonds, cashews, peanuts and pecans. I used walnuts, almonds and pecans. 



Directions

  • Preheat oven to 250°F. 
  • Mix sugar, cinnamon, allspice and seasoned salt in small bowl. 
  • Beat egg white in large bowl until foamy. 
  • Add nuts; toss to coat well. 
  • Add spice mixture; toss to coat nuts evenly.
  • Spread nuts in single layer on lightly greased baking sheet.
  • Bake 1 hour, stirring once. Cool slightly and break apart. 
  • Cool completely. Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks.


Nutritional information


(amount per servings)


Total Calories: 169


Sodium: 137mg


Fat: 13g


Carbohydrates: 9g


Cholesterol: 0mg


Protein: 4g


Fiber: 2g

These work great as a snack at parties and when displayed in a pretty bowl, they make a nice centerpiece! 

Enjoy! 

Friday, December 13, 2013

#Organize your #Kitchen -The Spices Conundrum


The Spice Stack by Youcopia is the inspiration behind this post. I received it free for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Prior to order of the chaos in my kitchen, I had one of those turn table spice holders you see above. It was nice, but still left a lot to be desired. The sizes have to be just right to fit in it and that never happens.  Or you'd have to fill up and re-label the existing bottles, which you have to wait to finish them up. Obviously not going to happen either. I'd have it shoved in the back to make room for more counter space too. It was barely help for my disorganization and I still had 20 odd other spices I needed to organize. I put them in tins, but that just took up more room! I will say it was a step up from just putting bottles in the cupboard, which half of would be shoved so far back that I'd end up buying duplicates forgetting I had them! 

Guess what my favorite past time is? When the bottles have a mind of their own and jump out of the cupboard. None of you can tell me that hasn't happened. Especially at the most inopportune time, when you're cooking! 

Well, I kissed ALL those problems goodbye with ONE product.



The original spice stack came into my life and all was right in the world. It fit perfectly in my cupboard, but with absolutely no room to spare. I was almost afraid it wouldn't fit judging by the size of it. The specific measurements are Height- 8.5” Width- 8.0” Depth-10.9” So as you can see, it is rather large. This is the size that is supposed to fit into any standard size cupboard. 

See how much room this baby has? It doesn't skimp on design or innovative concept. Trust me when I say this thing is nothing short of amazing and for the price ($24.99 on Amazon!)  It is incredible what you get. The Original Spice Stack holds 18 spices. Even the more larger, longer, thicker and irregular shaped spice bottles. OR you can stack the smaller ones and hold double that! 


This heavy duty plastic spice holder is incredibly easy to use. Especially in the midst of cooking. I don't have to fish for things while my food burns anymore! Yes, that did happen. I'm not too proud to admit it. To use, all you have to do is pull out the drawer containing  the spices you need. Then when done, put the spices back and push it back in. It is very durable, not at all flimsy! 

As you can see, I use a wide variety of spices and flavoring that come in different sizes and shapes and to my delight, they ALL fit perfectly! 



This is one very fast efficient way to organize your spices in a snap and save A LOT of room for other things. I absolutely love having something so convenient as a go to and plan to buy another one soon. They come in different sizes and stainless steel  to appeal to everyone's fancy.  It includes drawer labels as well, but I didn't need those at the moment. I use my spices enough that i know what is where. I could see this working well as an arts and crafts holder too! 

I saved the best for last though and that is the fact that there's no assembly required! It comes fully equipped and ready to use with non skid feet! They're also stackable!  Honestly, this is probably my top favorite product of this decade. It has saved me so much trouble in the kitchen. The spice stack IS all it's stacked up to be.  I know it will solve your spices conundrum too! 

Stay tuned for more kitchen organization where I get a little more creative and stylish. 


Monday, December 2, 2013

#Win a $100 Bonefish Grill Gift Card!

I have an awesome giveaway for you guys from my fellow blogger Confessions of a messy mamma. Who needs a free night out to dinner with the family? I don't think there's one person who will say no to that! Enter  the RC  below for your chance to win $100 to Bonefish Grill! 

WIN A $100 GIFT CARD TO BONEFISH GRILL!




Sponsored by: Bonefish Grill


Disclosure: This blog  has not received compensation for this giveaway and is not responsible for prize shipment.
From now until December 31st if you purchase 
$100 in gift cards and receive another $20 gift card 
to give as a gift too (or enjoy it yourself).



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