1. It will help you de-stress
2. You’ll lose weight
3. You’ll be less apt to get sick
4. You’ll be more comfortable
5. It will help regulate your blood pressure

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original article on Yahoo! Shine by Paula Spencer Scott from Caring.ccom: 5 Surprising Reasons to Drink Water

1. BLOOD PRESSURE
   When to screen: Start at age 18; then every year
   Your target: Blood pressure under 120/80 mmHg
2. CHOLESTEROL
   When to screen: Start at age 20; then as recommended by a doctor
   Your target: Total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL; LDL below 100 mg/dL; HDL above 60 mg/dL
3. THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE
   When to screen: Start at age 35; then every three to five years
   Your target:  TSH level between.5 and 5.0 mIU/L
4. IRON (SERUM FERRITIN)
   When to screen: As symptoms (increased fatigue, lack of energy, muscle soreness, achy joints, and sliding performance) occur; vegetarians and women may want to ask about preventive screenings
   Your target:  Above 25 ng/mL
5. BLOOD SUGAR
   When to screen: Start at age 45 (earlier if family history); then every year
   Your target:  Below 100 mg/dL

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read article on Yahoo! Shine from the editors of Runner’s World | Vitality: 5 Health Tests You Need to Ace This Year

probably what caught my eye that started my latest obsession was the flavor of the first bag i saw: garlic parmesan … ooooooh! i was so excited BUT what may take away from the great flavor is the salt content — not just the amount but it just tasted too salty, so much so that i had to brush off some of the flavoring so i can “enjoy” the snack. there are many flavors so i made sure to check the salt content. all the cheese flavors have a lot of salt.

so i tried the other flavors – savory: original, everything, buffalo wings – and – sweet: cinnamon toast. my favorite savory flavor is everything and my favorite of all the flavors i tried is cinnamon toast. it is still an awesome snack. they also come in resealable baggies to make sure it stays crisp. YUM! serve them at your next party (but remember to watch out on the salt content in some of the flavors!)

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learn more about Pretzel Crisps and buy it at your local food market

but in absence of them, what can i do? then i thought, why not try making them myself? well, i tried two recipes – one with lychee puree and one with canned lychee syrup. in this trial, the canned lychee syrup jelly won out … maybe bcuz i tried the lychee puree jelly with canned lychees, not fresh lychees so i’ll have to try it again!

in the meantime, i’ll share with you the lychee syrup jelly which was jelly fun!

Ingredients

• 2 cans lychees in heavy syrup
• 2 packets (approximately 2 teaspoons each) unflavored gelatin powder

Preparation

In a large bowl, separate the lychees from the syrup by emptying the two cans of lychees through a strainer. Keep the syrup in the large bowl and setting aside the lychees in a separate bowl.

From the bowl of syrup, remove 3 cups of syrup into a small pot and heat until boiling. Keep 1 more cup of syrup (cold or room temperature) and save the remaining syrup in a storage container other use.

Pour back the 1 cup of syrup into the large bowl. Sprinkle 3 packets of unflavored gelatin powder over the syrup. Leave for 1 minute. Add boiled syrup juice into the large bowl and stir.

Pour lychee syrup jelly liquid into 6 small cups. Add 2-3 lychees in each cup. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Serve and enjoy!

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original recipe from Knox Unflavored Gelatin packets

Ingredients 

• wild mushroom stuffing
• mashed potatoes
• turkey bacon

Preparation

In a small aluminum pan, layer mashed potatoes on the bottom, wild mushroom stuffing, another layer of mashed potatoes and then top with a slice of turkey bacon. Bake in a toaster or oven until warm, approximately 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 10 cups day-old bread, cubed
• 3 cups fat free milk – or – soy milk
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, with extra for baking pan
• 3 tablespoons unsalted margarine from a tub
• 1 head garlic, minced
• 4 shallots, finely diced
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 pounds chanterelle mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped – or -
  2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms (i.e combination of chanterelle, oyster, crimini, portobello, shiitake, enoki), stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped
• 1/ cup chopped Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with oil.

Place bread in a large bowl and toss with milk. Let stand, tossing or stirring occasionally, until saturated.

Add oil and margarine to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until the mushroom have softened and the liquid released has evaporated, 8 to 12 minutes.

Drain and squeeze the bread and add to the bowl with the mushroom mixture (discard any remaining milk). Add parsley, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Stir in eggs. Then add ground flaxseed. Mix thoroughly.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Bake until heated through and golden on top, about 45 minutes.

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original recipe for Eating Well: Wild Mushroom Stuffing

1. Canned Tomatoes
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings).
Budget tip: If your recipe allows, substitute bottled pasta sauce for canned tomatoes. Look for pasta sauces with low sodium and few added ingredients, or you may have to adjust the recipe.

2. Corn-Fed Beef
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef. It’s usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don’t see it, ask your butcher.
Budget tip: Cuts on the bone are cheaper because processors charge extra for deboning. You can also buy direct from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. To find a farmer near you, search eatwild.com.

3. Microwave Popcorn
The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.
Budget tip: Popping your own popcorn is dirt cheap.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn’t good enough if you’re trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
Budget tip: Organic potatoes are only $1 to $2 a pound, slightly more expensive than conventional spuds.

5. Farmed Salmon
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it’s farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
Budget tip: Canned salmon, almost exclusively from wild catch, can be found for as little as $3 a can.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.
Budget tip: Try Wal-Mart’s Great Value label, which does not use rBGH.

7. Conventional Apples
The solution: Buy organic apples.
Budget tip: If you can’t afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them. But Kastel personally refuses to compromise.

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read article from Prevention: 7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips

1. French fries
2. Anything fried or battered
3. Pie and piecrust
4. Margarine sticks
5. Shortening
6. Cake mixes and frostings
7. Pancakes and waffles
8. Fried chicken
9. Ice cream
10. Nondairy creamers
11. Microwave popcorn
12. Ground beef
13. Cookies
14. Biscuits and sweet rolls
15. Breakfast sandwiches
16. Frozen or creamy beverages
17. Meat sticks
18. Crackers
19. Frozen dinners
20. Asian crunchy noodles
21. Canned chili
22. Packaged pudding

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read article on MSN Health by Amanda MacMillan from Health: 22 Worst Foods for Trans Fat

1: Oatmeal
What it does: Helps you avoid the winter blues
Other mood-improving foods: Whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole grain cereals, fruit

2: Walnuts
What it does: Keeps your skin from drying out
Other skin-saving foods: Salmon, flaxseed, olive oil, tuna

3: Garlic
What it does: Wards off cold and flu viruses (and vampires)
Other virus-blasting foods: Carrots, yogurt, oysters. For more protection against seasonal sickness,

4: Winter squash
What it does: Prevents weight gain
Other weight-loss foods: Artichokes, raspberries, whole grains, legumes

5: Chicken Sandwich
What it does: Keeps your energy up
Other energy-boosting foods: Peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread, Greek yogurt with fruit, whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese.

6: Chicken Soup
What it does: Helps you breathe easy
Other sinus-clearing foods: Tea, coffee, any broth-based soup.

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read article on Yahoo! Health by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding from Men’s Health: The 6 Best Foods for Winter

1. Soapy Cilantro
2. Bitter Brussels Sprouts
3. Texture-challenging Tomatoes
4. Funky Fennel
5. Icky Eggplant
6. Earthy Mushrooms
7. Strange-Looking Raisins
8. Pungent Ginger
9. Off-putting Pulp

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read article on Yahoo! Shine by YouBeauty.com: Why You Can’t Stand Certain Foods