Did you realize that many Americans suffer from lower body pain?  One source said that 80% of Americans suffer from that type of pain.  I had no idea the percentage was that high.   I also found out that Dr. Scholl’s has some affordable solutions to help alleviate pain.  Their line of Dr. Scholl’s Pain Relief Orthotics are specially designed insoles for all-day pain relief in the feet and lower body.  They have different types of insoles which provide the following types of relief:

• Arch Pain Relief
• Arthritis Pain Relief
• Back Pain Relief
• Heel Pain Relief
• Knee Pain Relief

Dr. Scholl’s has given me the opportunity to review three of their products for Arch Pain Relief, Back Pain Relief, and Arthritis Pain Relief.  My favorite are the ones for arch pain relief.  I have higher arches, need arch support, and have some shoes that don’t have good arch support.  The added arches work great and are adjustable so I can get the amount of arch support I need!

Dr. Scholl’s has a new Facebook Page where you can find information on products, pain, treatment options, and even coupons.  “Yay!” about the coupons.  So many of us are using coupons nowadays.  Just go to “Challenge” on their Facebook site.

* I was not compensated monetarily for this article and review.  The review is strictly my opinion.

Do you have a family member that has a little trouble walking or they aren’t steady on their feet all the time? Do they make you nervous because you’re afraid they might fall? A walking cane would be a great solution to help steady them. It would give some added stability when walking in an area crowded with people such as at church or maybe at a family get-together. And it would help give them confidence being out away from home.

1001 Walking Canes.com has many styles of walking canes available, including fashionable designer canes. Some people make a fashion statement with their canes or decorative walking sticks which come in different colors, designs and unique shapes to fit any fashion. The Tuxedo Walking Stick, for example, would be perfect for a wedding or special occasion. Metallic Walking Canes are also classy looking. There is something to suit anyone’s style of walking cane.

They also have canes available for women in a shorter length, lighter weight and a more feminine design. These canes come in stylish colors and designs to go with any outfit or suit any occasion.

Not only are walking canes great for stability or making a fashion statement, but they are also excellent for hikers. These canes are available with a wrist strap, and the handle can be a straight grip or have the typical cane handle.

1001 Walking Canes.com is a family owned business which strives for excellent customer service. They ship right away and stand behind their products 100%.

I’ve read several articles recently that say many people do not get enough sleep which is important in keeping our bodies healthy.  There are many sleep aids on the market, but I personally take supplements from a health food store like Magnesium, Calcium w/Vitamin D3,  Melatonin and 5-HTP that help me get a better night’s sleep.  You can click here to read about an online site and see what they offer.  Anyone taking supplements should check with their doctor first before taking them.

I take vitamins and supplements every day.  Sometimes our son will laugh because I take several, but I can definitely tell a difference when I don’t take them.   From time to time, I will read multivitamin reviews to find out more about vitamins and what each separate vitamin does, what foods have certain vitamins in them, and what vitamins work best together.  It’s really best to take vitamins together or take a multivitamin because vitamins  interact with one another and act as catalysts.  They also need micronutrients to help absorption by the body.

Did you hear about the American Academy of Neurology’s analysis that eating chocolate may lower our risk of having a stroke because of the flavonoids?  Probably not.  I wouldn’t have known either except I got an email that had something about it.   Those who did the study say they need to do more research because it may be that healthier people just tend to eat more chocolate.  Hmm…I think most people  like and eat chocolate whether they’re healthier or not, that’s my opinion.   Whatever their conclusion, it sounds like a good reason to eat dark chocolate to me.   Although the article didn’t state what kind of chocolate, it’s well known that dark chocolate has the health benefits and the flavonoids, so it would be safe to assume they are talking about dark chocolate.   As you can see in the picture, I’ve already stocked up on dark chocolate that I use to make a healthy and tasty trail mix.
I read two interesting articles from the Hersheys website about preserving cocoa flavanols during cooking and baking and another article about the polyphenols in cocoa.  Did you know that a serving of dark chocolate has more antioxidants that blueberries and that “Dutch” cocoa  uses a process called alkalinization which reduces the amount of flavanols in the cocoa.  So it’s best to use natural cocoa which is non-alkalinized.

There are many great brands of chocolate such as Godiva, Ghirardelli, Dove, and more.  But you know what, for the price Hershey’s is a good buy, tastes great, and the chocolate chips are so versatile to use.  Remember that whatever brand you choose, just a little chocolate goes a long way as far as health benefits.

*Note – I was not compensated in any way by Hersheys for this post.  This is strictly my opinion.

Something about the fact that pesticides kill living organisms makes me wonder what effect they have on humans.  Of course, they’re not going to kill us, but logic tells me they can’t be good for us.  It only makes sense to me that they would affect us negatively in various ways.   When you read articles online, there is a considerable amount of concern about high levels of pesticides being on some of our food.

According to the Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides, there are twelve produce items they call the “dirty dozen” because of the high amount of pesticides on them.  This list was based on test data from the USDA.  If at all possible, the EWG says to buy these 12 in organic form or buy in a very limited quantity from time to time.  If organic is too expensive, then choose something off the “Clean 15″ list on the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides.  Here is a list of what they consider to be the twelve worst fresh produce items as far as the amount of pesticides on them:

• Celery
• Peaches (check farmer’s markets and ask if pesticides were used)
  
• Strawberries (I watch for Krogers to put organic on sale)
• Apples  (I buy organic either at Target or Brookshire’s.  The peeling is so healthy, and it defeats half the reason for eating apples if they have to be peeled because of pesticides.)
  
• Blueberries (we buy organic at Sam’s)
  
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers  (I buy organic at Central Market or when Krogers puts them on sale)
• Spinach (we buy organic on sale either at Central Market, Krogers or Tom Thumb)
  
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes (I try to buy organic at Central Market, whichever kind of organic potato is the best price)
  
• Grapes (imported)  (I don’t buy imported, only domestic)

Organic produce can be expensive, but if you watch the grocery ads then you can usually find it on sale, especially during the summer, at one of the grocery stores that carries organics.

We have been so busy, but our plans are to start a small garden using something similar to the Square Foot Gardening Method.  We hope to plant potatoes, okra, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and green beans.  So, we’ll see how that goes!

Now that it’s warmer weather, I see a lot of people out exercising in this awesome spring weather.  Some people may be trying to muscle up by exercising and reading muscle supplement reviews to find the best supplements to take.  Others may simply be taking a nice walk to get some form of aerobic exercise while enjoying the beauty of springtime.  That would be me.  I’m not big on exercising a whole lot, but I love to take a walk outside by a nice meadow and enjoy the beauty of nature.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lemon (riper lemons are juicier) for each large glass of lemonade
• Stevia – we use KAL brand Stevia (natural sugar-free herb which is considered by many to be the best choice for sugar replacement)
  
• Water
• Ice
• Mint leaves, fresh off the plant (I used leaves from a Peppermint Plant)
  

DIRECTIONS:

Juice the lemons.  First, roll the lemons on the kitchen counter, mashing them as you roll.  This helps make juicing easier.   Cut the lemons in half and take out all the seeds you can.  Here are a few suggestions on how to juice a lemon:

• The old fashioned way:  squeeze, squeeze, squeeze each lemon half
• Use an inexpensive juicer as pictured below.  (I bought mine in a resale shop years ago, and it’s probably considered an antique now.)

• Use a Le Creuset Citrus Juicer (Christi, I listed this one for you)
• Use a more expensive juicer (they range anywhere up to $549.00 – I don’t recommend this)

After you juice the lemons, add sweetener to taste (Stevia is what we use).  Pour over ice with mint leaves.

NOTE:  The Peppermint Plant is the very beginning of our garden this year.  I’m excited to finally start one because we had a huge garden during all of my childhood.  Our garden this year will start small.  I will be posting the progress with it under “Gardening.”

There are a lot of new procedures and surgeries available today that I don’t know much about, for example bariatric surgery.   Any type of health procedure or surgery should be researched to some degree by the patient or their family so they have some knowledge about what is going to happen.  That is what our family does.  And it’s always an excellent idea to get a second opinion which is also something we have done.  On one occasion, the second opinion revealed that the procedure was not even necessary, and the professional who gave the first decision agreed with the second opinion.  So my advice, try to always get a second opinion!

There are all sorts of herbal treatments for just about anything such as a colon cleansing herb. I’ve been having seasonal allergies really bad this spring, and so I’ve been checking into herbs that are good to help treat allergies.  Stinging Nettle (that sounds like something I’d want to stay away from), horseradish, and fresh garlic (uncooked) are supposed to be very helpful.  As miserable as I am from sneezing, eyes watering, and runny nose, I am seriously planning to try these!