AÇAI

The trendy açaí (pronounced ah-sah-EE) berry is found in a variety of products, including juice blends, smoothies, sodas, instant-drink powders, and ice cream. Touted and marketed as a super fruit that provides highly beneficial properties, the açaí berry is in high global demand in recent years.

Açaí is the fruit of a large palm tree, Euterpe oleraceae, indigenous to the Amazon and its tributaries. The açaí palm produces branched clusters of berries, containing 700 to 900 fruits. The fruit is small, round, and black-purple, similar in appearance and size to a grape but with less pulp and a larger seed.
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Grilled Vegetable Salad

Ingredients: Salad 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices 1 yellow squash, cut lengthwise and then into ½-inch slices 1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares 1 red onion, cut into ½-inch thick slices 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning (or a mixture of dried basil, […]

Five of the Healthiest Breakfast Cereals


Cheerios (Original)
Serving Size: 1 cup (30g)
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Sodium: 210mg
Carbs: 22g
Protein: 3g

Cheerios was made and marketed in 1941 by General Mills under the name “Cheeri Oats,” and the named changed to “Cheerios” because of the “o” shape. Cheerios has always been and remains a “children’s favorite cereal.” Be careful with the flavored cheerios, though, because even the multigrain Cheerios are loaded with sugar!


Mesa Sunrise Flakes
Serving Size: ¾ cup (30g)
Calories: 120
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 4g
Sodium: 130mg
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 3g

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Five Stories of Overcoming Hurts, Habits, and Hangups

The 12 steps aren’t just for Alcoholics Anonymous. They can change your life in ways you can never imagine. Just listed to how the steps changed the lives of these five people.

Overcoming Perfectionism and Workaholism

Work and worry were the watchwords in my early environment.

Family life centered around church, where I gathered many positive messages. But for some reason, my brain fastened on the negative. I heard subtle mandates in scripture, sermon, and song that drove me to obsessive/compulsive behavior: “We’ll work ‘til Jesus comes.” “Work for the night is coming.” “Be vigilant, lest you be caught unawares.” “Are you ready for Jesus to come?”

Studiously obeying these “commandments,” I became a world-class workaholic/ perfectionist, driving myself mercilessly for the next 40 years. The social and emotional consequences of my excessive behavior were enormous. When I finally accepted the fact that I was a workaholic and that this addiction was killing me, I went into a treatment center for addictive disorders. There, most of my peers were alcoholics. I could see that I was no different from them. Subsequently, I have found in twelve-step groups the guidance and support I needed to change long-standing, deep-seated, self-abusive habits into balanced, moderate, healthy living.

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Help for Overcoming Habits, Hurts and Hang-ups

Do you sometimes feel your habits and choices control you, rather than the other way around? Is there something about yourself you’ve tried to change, but you just can’t seem to experience a breakthrough? Does fear hold you back from getting the help you need?

The truth is we all suffer from circumstances, feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that can cause disruption in our lives. Often we feel like we just have to live with it, but there is hope for change. Twelve-step programs can be of assistance to you or loved ones.

The 12-steps are spiritual—not religious—tools that can be applied to any issue in life. The steps have been proven to help countless people work through unhealthy life issues that separate them from God and other people, thus freeing them up to healthy relationships in the environment in which they work and live.

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Sleep Apnea and Restless Limb Syndrome affecting your sleep?

I can fall asleep, but I wake up throughout the night and never seem to feel rested the next day. How do I get a good night’s sleep?

There are several different stages of sleep that need to be reached in order to achieve quality rest. Many things can disrupt your ability to achieve quality sleep, including your external environment and medical problems.

Your external environment
An uncomfortable bed, constricting clothing, bright lights, and noises can be distracting while you slumber. Even a disruptive spouse who snores or tosses and turns could be the reason you don’t get rest!

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Green Cleaning

With an arsenal of cleaning supplies handily available on aisle seven, plus the fact that I abhor cleaning, it hadn’t crossed my mind to make my own natural products. Yet when my wobbly nephew recently chewed the edge of the coffee table, freshly smeared with jelly, I raced to the rescue. I want him to be able to lick every surface in the house in a gross-yet-worry-free spree of toddlerness. But I’ve used commercial cleaning agents throughout my home with unspellable and potent—even poisonous—components. What residues have I—and others—been unintentionally inhaling, absorbing through the skin, or even eating?
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Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana—commonly known as stevia, sweetleaf, sugarleaf, the sweet herb of Paraguay—has remarkably sweet leaves. At a time when alternative sweeteners are in strong demand, stevia appears on stage as a big player. This sugar substitute is natural (nonsynthetic) and has zero calories.

In addition, water extracts of stevia are up to 300 times sweeter than sucrose, and the taste lasts longer than sucrose. The sweet taste is a result of two similar glycosides (stevioside and rebaudioside A) that are found in the plant’s leaves.
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Look On The Bright Side

There’s a proven connection between positive thinking and a number of life benefits, including a stronger immune system, lower stress, and better coping skills.

If thinking positively has so many advantages, why don’t we all live in a state of complete bliss and happiness? The answer is twofold: Consistently adopting a positive attitude is not always easy, and few people care to admit that they are negative in the first place.

In researching this article, I spoke with dozens of men and women in an attempt to find someone who would admit to battling negativity. My success rate? Zero. These same people were also (understandably) hesitant to talk about those they know who tend to have a more pessimistic outlook.

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Cincinnati "Chili Mac"

Ingredients: 1 tablespoon light olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 medium green bell pepper, diced 1 medium red bell pepper, diced 1 small fresh hot chile, minced, or one 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 2 16-ounce cans red or pinto beans, drained and rinsed 1-2 teaspoons good-quality chili […]