Thoughts on Thursday...

Am I the only one who tries to pump gasoline to an exact, even dollar amount? Why do I do this? Why does it have to be $62.00 or $63.00?

Well, yesterday I revolted against myself and I pumped $62.48. Woo Hoo!!

Then the woo hoo turned to boo hoo, because I just spent $62.48 on gas.  I'm sick every time I fill my tank.

I love this picture...take a look at the price...amazing. Lol

Do you pump to an even dollar amount too? How's the price of gas in your part of the world?

Happy Thursday,
~Karen~

10:26 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Vitamin A and Your Eyesight

Vitamin A and Your Eyesight.  The benefits of Vitamin A is good for your eyes in 3 major ways: helps prevent night blindness, prevents cataracts (like Vitamin C) and helps to preserve eyesight. Let’s go over how Vitamin A & beta carotene benefits each one...

For Night Blindness... your retinas are light-sensitive cells that have a large amount of Vitamin A stored in it. And within your retinas you have a thing called rods and cones. Rods and cones allow you to see black & white and colors, respectively. The rods are specifically used for night vision.

Without getting too scientific, rods use the combination of a special protein called opsin and a specific form of Vitamin A (called retinal) in order to function properly. Without the Vitamin A portion... the rods would not work properly and you won’t be able to see that well in dark or in dim lighting. This is especially true as you get older.

The next one is about Cataracts. Cataracts form when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy... making it very difficult to see. Cataracts used to be one of the leading causes of blindness.

But a better way to prevent this from happening (and avoiding the surgery to fix it) is having a diet rich in carotenoids... especially beta carotene.

The antioxidant power of beta carotene wipes out the free radicals before they damage the lens.

Vitamin C is also helpful in preventing cataracts. So combining these 2 will definitely help to prevent cataracts.

And lastly is helping to preserve your eyesight. As you grow older there is a thing called Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) which causes some vision loss. AMD is one of the leading causes of blindness in people older than 65. And about 31% of Americans 75 and older has it.

One study suggests that eating just one serving of a food high in Vitamin A or beta carotene can reduce the chances of AMD by almost half! A few other carotenoids (i.e. Lutein and zeaxanthin) are also helpful in preserving your eyesight as you get older.

So if you like your eyes and want to keep them healthy for a long time... it’s best to include Vitamin A and beta carotene in your diet. Getting at least 10,000 to 15,000IU per day.


Vitamin A, Cancer & Your Heart So this may be a touchy/difficult subject to discuss... but let’s do it anyway! So far there’s strong evidence that shows that the benefits of Vitamin A and beta carotene (mostly beta carotene) can decrease your chances of certain cancers, heart disease & stroke.

Before we talk about cancer, something interesting you should know. If you’re a smoker, do not take Vitamin A or beta carotene supplements. Studies have shown that taking these supplements can actually increase your chance of getting lung cancer. Studies are still being done but stay away from Vitamin A. Taking Vitamin C is a better solution for smokers (and so is quitting smoking!!)

But other studies show a diet that includes whole food or supplemental Vitamin A and beta carotene can help prevent the chances of colorectal and prostate cancer. And may even fight off breast cancer but more studies are being done on this one.

As far as your heart is concerned... one major study involving female nurses shows the ones who got their beta carotene from foods had about 20% fewer heart attacks than those who didn’t. The nurses got their beta carotene from foods, not supplements. The verdict is still out on beta carotene supplements & heart health.

But I will say taking some form of Vitamin A and beta carotene supplement is much better than taking nothing at all.


Anything Else? Yes! Here are a few other lesser-known benefits of Vitamin A worth knowing.

Vitamin A helps in the creation of important proteins used throughout your body. This is important because your muscles are made from proteins and proteins also affect your genes.

Speaking of proteins, Vitamin A benefits pregnant & nursing mothers. The retinoic acid form aids in protein and growth hormone development for the developing fetus. They also help in forming the heart, eyes, limbs and ears.


Warning: Excess vitamin A during pregnancy is a big no-no. Talk to your doctor first before you decide on supplementing with Vitamin A.

They also aid in red blood cell formation and help to transport iron to your blood cells. This translates to more oxygen and oxygen is very beneficial for your body.

It also may help you in preventing Type 2 diabetes.

Now that we talked about all those benefits let’s go over how much you need per day.




How Much Vitamin A Do You Need? To get the full benefits of Vitamin A, get at least 10,000 to 15,000IU per day. And it’s good to get both the preformed version (which comes from animal sources such as eggs, liver, poultry & dairy) and from carotenes (these come from plant sources).

This may seem like a lot but it really isn’t.

1 large egg has around 320IU of preformed Vitamin A while 1 medium carrot has about 8,000IU of beta carotene.

I definitely recommend food sources of Vitamin A... leaning more towards getting them from plant sources.

And if you decide on taking a Vitamin A supplement then be aware that one with mixed carotenoids is best. But most of the supplements (especially multi-vitamins) come in a mixed form of retinyl palmitate or acetate & beta carotene. This works as well.But the important thing is getting at least 10,000 to 15,000IU per day to get the full benefits of Vitamin A.






The benefits of plants and fruits for health and beauty | Plants for health benefits | benefits of fruits for beauty | Traditional medicine | herbs | spices | herbs | vitamins source | source of fiber | and mineral supplements.

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The Benefits of Vitamin A

The Benefits of Vitamin A. There’s more to the benefits of Vitamin A than it being a very beneficial antioxidant for you. The Vitamin A benefits help in numerous bodily functions... from keeping your skin healthy to fighting off infection & disease (including cancer). And you should take at least 10,000 to 15,000IU a day.

Let’s go over some of the benefits of Vitamin A.

Vitamin A as an Antioxidant

Yes, one of the Vitamin A benefits is that it acts as an antioxidant. But it’s not exactly Vitamin A that’s acting as the antioxidant... it’s the carotenes. Let me explain.

Carotenes (i.e. beta carotene, alpha carotene) are the precursor of Vitamin A and are found in plant sources (i.e. carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin).

And the human body has 2 functions for carotenes... turn it into Vitamin A or turn it into an antioxidant.

About 40% of carotenes are converted to Vitamin A while 60% functions as powerful antioxidants.

This is good for you because your body will turn carotenes to Vitamin A only if your body needs it. The rest will circulate through your blood as antioxidants. This is helpful because there are some issues with Vitamin A overdose and toxicity. No need to really worry about that with carotenes.

And there are many types of carotenes that act as great antioxidants (i.e. alpha & beta carotene, lycopene). Carotenes specifically fight off the singlet oxygen free radical.

Another important thing to consider is only carotenes, like beta carotene, have antioxidant powers. The Vitamin A that comes from animal sources do not possess the same antioxidant powers as beta carotene.

The “carotene-version” of Vitamin A acts as a powerful antioxidant and you get carotenes mostly from plant sources.

Anti-Infection

One of the other main benefits of Vitamin A is their anti-infection powers. Picture this... think of an army of soldiers. There’s the frontline, the backline and everything else in between.

Now think of your body.

The frontline is your skin & the outer parts of your various tissues and organs. The backline are the more sensitive and crucial organs (i.e. brain, heart). Vitamin A helps to make that frontline stronger with growth and repair.

How does it do this?

Without getting too scientific... the frontline I mentioned that’s your skin & outer barrier is technically called “epithelial tissue.” And this frontline/epithelial tissue is mostly made of fat. And the structure of Vitamin A causes it to be a fat-soluble vitamin that benefits these fatty tissues.

And to go a little further, the frontline/epithelial tissues include your skin, the outer layer of your eyes, mouth, nose, throat, digestive tract and urinary tract. This frontline is your body’s first line of defense against disease, infection and free radicals.

Also, Vitamin A helps to strengthen the mucous membranes of your body. And the mucous membranes are another frontline defense for your body against infection.

Vitamin A is very important for keeping your frontline barriers such as the skin, eyes, nose, throat, lungs, digestive tract & urinary tract strong. This will help you fight off and protect you against infection.

Immunity Booster

We spoke on the anti-infective benefits of Vitamin A & the antioxidant properties. Another benefits of Vitamin A may also help to boost your immune system. Vitamin A plays a role in the development of lymphocytes. These are the cells of your immune system that fight off bacteria and disease. More research is being done to support this claim but a few examples to consider:• Treating measles and respiratory infections – especially helpful for children.

• Viral infections

• May help AIDS patients or anyone whose immune system is depressed by boosting their immune cells.

The benefits of plants and fruits for health and beauty | Plants for health benefits | benefits of fruits for beauty | Traditional medicine | herbs | spices | herbs | vitamins source | source of fiber | and mineral supplements.

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I Wanted to Share a Fun Blog Hop With You...

Hi everyone...Beth from the blog Plum and June emailed me with a link to a Blog Hop she's having. It's such a wonderful idea, I wanted to share it with you.

The Blog Hop participants are NEW bloggers who starting blogging in 2011-2012 with a primary focus on quilting!! Each day, the participants, who are assigned a special day, will post a wonderful project.

The best part is each day we can "hop" over for a visit and enjoy all these great tutorials. The hop started May 22nd and the tutorials so far are amazing!! The schedule is booked into October, so it looks like a fun hop into Autumn too.

If you are a new blogger, love to quilt and want to participate contact Beth or Click HERE to a link for more info. Scroll down a bit for the Hop Details.

If you've been blogging for a while and just need some fabulous inspiration, bookmark the Blog Hop or "Follow" along by clicking here to visit Plum and June.

As a side note...

The ideas are turning in my head again. To think...there are Blog Hops and Give Aways out there in blogland that aren't getting the attention they need has me thinking.

I am going to add another linking party on the SAME post as Find a Friend Friday. Each Friday, I will have 2 parties...one for sharing your blog to find new friends and the second to spread the word about Blog Hops and Give Aways. If you're having a give away or blog hop, YOU can easy link up at the party to share the fun! That way, we can have all that great information all in ONE place.

Look for it this Friday if you have a give away or blog hop you want to share with everyone!!

Thanks for stopping by here and "HOP" over to Beth's...you won't be disappointed.

Have a great day,
~Karen~

5:47 AM | 0 comments | Read More

Tool Time Tuesday...Sheet Magnets

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. You know I love sharing thoughts, ideas and great finds on Sew Many Ways. Sharing is pretty much the reason why I blog.

Well, today I want to share something with you that someone shared with me! 

At the end of March, I received an email from Dinah...a teacher in Indiana. She found a fabulous product in the hardware store that she uses in her classroom and wanted to share it with me. Dinah doesn't have a blog and has given me permission to share her tip with you!!

You know I love magnets and here is the best deal out there...

Vent Covers. Magnetic Vent Covers that is.

Magnetic vent covers are used to close off heating or a/c vents when you don't want the flow of air through that vent any more.

Vents are usually made of metal, so the magnetic sheets work great to seal it off.

What works great for me is that the magnetic sheets are BIG...8 inches x 15 inches and there are 3 of them in a package.

The BEST part is the package is about $4.50!!! You can find it in the heating section where they sell the air filters and vents.

See...3 big sheets just waiting for you to craft away.

The possibilities are endless with these sheets...sewing to hold you pins and needles, magnets for the refrigerator (Dinah used puzzles pieces glued to the magnetic sheets) and these would also work great to make magnetic games for kids in the car. They'll never lose the game pieces. Car bingo, matching games, checkers, tic tac toe etc. The best part is you can design and create the games yourself with your children.

Maybe you can add some of your ideas in the comments section too!!

Thank you so much, Dinah, for taking the time to email me with this wonderful idea...very much appreciated. Something from the hardware store turned crafty...Tool Time at it's best!!

Have a great Tuesday,
~Karen~

10:03 PM | 0 comments | Read More

Heavenly Hash or Ambrosia Recipe...

I want to wish all of you a safe and relaxing Memorial Day. Here in the states, Memorial Day honors all those who have made the greatest sacrifice for their country and all those still serving to keep our country free. Thank you to the men and woman who are serving at home and abroad and to their families who sacrifice so much.

Memorial Day is a day for family, friends and food, so I wanted to share a great picnic recipe we always have at any function. We call it Heavenly Hash, but some call it Ambrosia. No matter what the name is...it is delicious.

Heavenly Hash Recipe

One 15 ounce can Mandarin Oranges...drained
One 20 ounce can Pineapple chunks...drained
One 30 ounce can Fruit Cocktail...drained
One 10-14 ounce bag Sweetened Coconut
One 10 ounce bag Mini Marshmallows
One 16 ounce container Sour Cream

The measurements of the fruits don't have to be exact...just whatever can size you have on hand or which fruit you like more of!

In a large bowl, mix all drained fruit with coconut, mini marshmallows and sour cream. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Make a few hours before or the day before you need it to incorporate the flavors.

Enjoy!!

Have a great day,
~Karen~

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Benefits of cloves

Benefits of cloves. (Eugenia aromatica OK, Syzygium aromaticum synonymous with L.)This tree can be more than 20m high and can be hundreds of years old.  

Dense branches and leaves. The leaves are pointed-oval. Its length is about 10cm and 3cm wide. flowers clustered tip-end of the branch. Taken and dried flower buds until dark brown. Spicy fragrance, in addition to the drug is also widely used for cooking spices and herbs clove cigarettes. In addition to the flower petals, leaves are also used in treatment.

Cloves are included in the tribe: Myrtaceae

Ingredients and benefits: clove bud contains a number of essential oils, are also a number of chemical compounds such as eugenin, oleanolat acid, galatanat acid, vanillin.He is considered warm, local pain relief, help remove the wind, anti bacterial scent, eliminate stomach cramps.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), clove including medicinal plants of the world's most widely used (in the form of balsam, clove oil, etc.)Uses:

   1. Toothache:Method I: some clove leaves washed, brewed with boiling water, then crushed. Squeeze in a cloth, wet the cotton with the liquid, stuffed into the cavities of the sick.Method II: drops of clove oil to the cotton and stuffed into the cavities of the sick. Do not be repeated before 8 hours and do not use more than 2 days because it can damage the teeth.

   2. Bad Breath:5 clove washed, brewed with ½ cup water. Allow to cool. The water used to rinse out his mouth.3. Nausea:Herbs can be drunk while warm no.2 for nausea medication.

   4. Menstrual pain:2 clove, coriander 7, measuring 2 cm turmeric, peeled, washed, 1 flat teaspoon grated nutmeg. All boiled with 1 cup of water until the water a half. Strain and drink warm water.

5. Whooping Cough:

5 clove, 10 pieces of betel leaf, a piece of Chinese cinnamon washed size 5 cm, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg flat, boiled with 1 L of water until the water a half. Drunk several times a day.

6. Fever due to Malaria:

3 clove, 4 slices of ginger, 5 plants meniran its root, a piece of Chinese cinnamon size of 5 cm, all washable. Boil the water until the water glass and a half.

7. Cough:

10 clove, 10 pieces of betel leaf, nutmeg fruit of a nutmeg. All washed. Crushed nutmeg. Boil 3 cups of water until the water by half. Allow to cool. Drink 3 times a day @ 4 tablespoons. (Children half enough). Every time you add a feeling of drinking lemon juice of 1 orange slice.

8. Blacken the eyebrows:

5 cloves dried, roasted and then mashed. 5 out of hazelnut oil is burned up, then the oil is taken. Mix the hazelnut oil with subtle clove. Apply every evening on the eyebrows.

The benefits of plants and fruits for health and beauty | Plants for health benefits | benefits of fruits for beauty | Traditional medicine | herbs | spices | herbs | vitamins source | source of fiber | and mineral supplements.

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