Author: Melinda

Bikini Body Workouts Review

Name:Bikini Body Workouts

Website: BikiniBodyWorkouts.com

Price: 29.99

Owners: Jen Ferruggia

Overall Rank: 85 out of 100

Bikini Body Workouts, Product Overview

The Bikini Body Workouts program features three components – the diet, the workout and a supplementation regimen. Most people will focus on the workouts. The program has a boot camp type of schedule which splits the body parts up. This enables the muscles that you stressed to rest on the alternating days.

The schedule is as follows:

• Sunday: rest
• Monday: chest/shoulders/triceps
• Tuesday: quads/glutes
• Wednesday: abs and optional HIIT
• Thursday: back and biceps
• Friday: calves and hamstrings
• Saturday: 10 minutes HIIT and abs

The Bikini Body workout exercise guide has three exercises per body part. The guide is illustrated and offers thorough instructions and descriptions of each exercise. In addition to the guide, the Bikini Body Workout program features video demonstrations for you to follow.
 

The Workout program includes a mixture of body weight exercises and dumbbell work. There are traditional exercises, such as the overhead press, bench press and Romanian dead lift that are adapted to home use with dumbbells.
Jen Ferruggia designed this program with different levels in mind. The exercises have different modifications that can be made to reduce or increase the level of difficulty. For example, the program offers 3 different variations of triceps dips to accommodate a variety of fitness levels. There are also three different versions of sit ups and other ab exercises.

The program does not include barbells or machines, so it can easily be done from home. However, in order to increase the difficulty of the program, you will need a set of dumbbells which is not included in the cost of the program. This will make the workouts as effective as possible.

Resistance work is an integral part of the Bikini Body Workout program. There are added HIIT (high intensity interval training), which can assist you with even faster calorie burning. The short 10-15 minute HIIT workouts have the ability to burn as many calories as the longer cardio workouts.

 

 

Bikini Body Workouts Dietary Guide includes comprehensive guidance for planning a healthier diet. This program has a unique feature in that it divides the trainees into two categories based on the prior health choices. Ferruggia describes different types of foods and then offers advice on food selections. Her advice is rather general, such as drinking more water or reducing the alcohol consumption. There is a lot of freedom on her dietary recommendations.

The dietary guide does come with a shopping list of foods. The program recommends 3 meals and a snack daily. Jen also recommends a serving of fat per meal, consuming enough lean protein. She recommends a weekly cheat meal, which is something that is a bit controversial. It deviates a bit from my own personal dietary advice.

 

Bikini Body Workouts Supplement Guide

I found it very interesting that Jen included a supplement regimen. For this reason, I lowered my rating of her program. Supplements are not that effective for weight loss. If you are eating a well-balanced diet, you shouldn’t need supplements.

The Bikini Body Workouts recommends the following supplements:

• fish oil
• protein powder
• multivitamins

The nice thing about her recommendations are that they are affordable.

Fish oil contains fatty acids. Her reasoning is that they can be helpful for controlling food cravings. One great thing about fish oil is that it does contain omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D. It is a healthy source of fats.

The next supplement that is recommended in this program is not something that I endorse. Protein powder is recommended. This is because on a low calorie diet, it can be difficult to fit in enough protein to build muscle. I recommend eating meat. You should be able to get enough protein from meat.

Ferruggia recommends a multivitamin for overall health and energy levels. She offers recommendations for purchasing the right multivitamin and other supplements.

The issue that I have with supplements is that many of the nutrients that are listed are not really in a bio available form once you pick up the pill or powder. It is much more effective to get those nutrients from whole foods. However, good marketing will make you believe that you need a certain vitamin or mineral and many people buy them.

Despite the fat that this program includes advice that I disagree with on supplementation, the workouts are well constructed. They take into consideration safety and muscle recovery. The exercises are designed to workout the whole body, so for this reason, I find that this is still a great choice for people who are working towards the perfect bikini body.

One of the great aspects of the Bikini Body Workouts is that there is a 60 day money-back guarantee. This ensures that if this program isn’t quite right for you, you can return it within 60 days for a full refund.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: This is inexpensive when compared to other competitors.

PRO #2: It is effective for weight loss and body sculpting.

PRO #3: If you follow the program, you will see fast results.

PRO #4: Not a huge time commitment. The half hour workouts should easily fit into your day.

PRO #5: Great customer support.

PRO #6: The diet is very flexible. You won’t be concerned about eating out and not being able to find something on the diet. The recommendations are very basic, standard and easy to follow.

The Bad:

CON #1: The exercises do require dumbbell and resistance bands. They are not included in the price and you may need to purchase them.

CON #2: You may find the exercises too simple and boring.

 

Who is Bikini Body Workouts For?

Bikini Body Workouts is for the woman who wants to tone her abs and legs so that she looks great in a bikini. This plan is suitable for all levels. Do not feel intimidated by Jen Ferruggia’s physique. These workouts and dietary recommendations can be adapted to beginners. There is even a dedicated section for people who are absolute beginners.

This program does require a 3-hour weekly commitment. That is a half hour workout every day (except Sunday.) With good time management skills, even the busiest person should be able to fit this into their schedule.

It also comes in digital format. You can access this program on your phone, mobile device, laptop or desktop. You can take it to the gym or on vacation with you.

 

Bikini Body Workouts Tools & Training

The Bikini Body Workouts comes as a digital product, which can be instantly downloaded. You will have a PDF and access to videos online. The program is compatible with desktop and laptop computers as well as iphones, ipads, and all smartphones.

If you can watch the videos and follow along, you can do these workouts! The program is written with clear and concise instructions and is easy to go through.

The program is designed to take about 60 days, so you should be able to see results before your money back guarantee is up.

 

Bikini Body Workouts Support

This program offers excellent email support.

 

Bikini Body Workouts Price

This workout program sells for $29.99. This is very reasonable for a workout program that delivers results. There are plenty of programs that cost twice that amount with fitness stars. Beachbody has some great programs that are similar, but you are charged a monthly fee to access the workouts. So, I think the price for Bikini Body Workouts is very reasonable.

 

My Final Opinion of Bikini Body Workouts

I think the best thing about the Bikini Body Workouts program is that it is structured as a lifestyle change. Some information in the program is pretty basic, but if you follow it, you’ll start to change your lifestyle and that will result in a healthier body.

Bikini Body Workouts at a Glance…

Name: Bikini Body Workouts

Website: BikiniBodyWorkouts.com

Owners: Jen Ferruggia

Price: $29.99

Overall Scam Rank: 85 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! If you follow this, you will see results.

Summer is here! That means farmers market juicy tomatoes, basil, summer squash and all the other wonderful produce that comes during the summer. Many summer fruits won’t fit into a ketogenic diet, but the tomato is considered a vegetable and it does fit nicely into the ketogenic diet. A few slices of tomatoes will only add up to a few carbohydrates. Nothing tastes more like summer than a farm fresh tomato!

A Caprese salad is the perfect summer keto snack. You’ll get loads of flavor from the tomato and the basil, while the olive oil and mozzarella supply you with plenty of fats to keep you fueled up and raring to go!

This is my easy Caprese salad. I know a lot of people may want to have a balsamic vinegar reduction, but I like to keep it simple.

Easy Caprese Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Tomato – medium to large beefsteak

1 ball fresh mozzarella

2-3 leaves basil

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

sea salt (to taste)

 

Directions:

Slice the tomato into thick slices about 1/4 inch thick.

Slice the mozzarella ball.

Place the mozzarella slices alternating with the tomato slices.

Drizzle olive oil on top.

Thinly slice basil and sprinkle on top of the mozzarella and the tomato slices.

Sprinkle sea salt to taste.

(Optional: sprinkle some balsamic vinegar on top. I don’t always have vinegar on hand and find that it is tasty even without it!)

A Caprese salad is great as a side dish, an appetizer or even a snack. This recipe is a great tribute to summer and a wonderful way to enjoy your gardening efforts. If you’ve given up on the gardening, just visit your local farmer’s market and support the local farmers!

 

Redmond Real Salt Review[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B071FNYFWW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

Name: Redmond Real Salt All Natural Sea Salt
Website: Available at Amazon.com

Price: $8.49 ($0.53 / Ounce)

Owners: Redmond

Overall Rank: 95 out of 100

Redmond Real Salt, Product Overview

Redmond Real Salt is subtly sweet, has a wonderful flavor and is never bitter. It makes every bite of your food delicious. Redmond Real Salt is unrefined, unprocessed ancient sea salt. It has no additives and includes the trace minerals that are essential for your health. It is natural, just the way nature made it – nothing added or removed.

Real Salt is recommended by doctors and health professionals for its unique blend of trace minerals.

Redmond offers a variety of different packaging, sizing and grain size. This makes it suitable for different applications and usage. The convenient refill pouches and shakers are perfect for food storage and great for traveling. It can make a practical gift for an individual or family.

Redmond Real Salt is mined in the United States. The mining facilities have been located in Utah since 1958 from an ancient seabed, which has been protected from modern pollution. This means that your salt will travel fewer miles to get to you compared to Himalayan, Celtic, Malaysian, Irish and Marine sea salts. It is better for the environment in that respect.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: This tastes like regular salt. The fine texture comes out of a shaker easily, unlike some sea salt brands.

PRO #2: The price for Redmond Real Salt is very competitive. I don’t feel like I’m overpaying for a seasoning at all.

PRO #3: It is all natural. I don’t have to worry about what iodine was added to this or what minerals got stripped away during the processing of this salt.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is more expensive than conventional salt. You will have to pay a little more, but it is a much higher quality.

CON #2: You can’t find it in every local grocery store. It is available in health food stores and on the internet.

CON #3: This is not organic certified.

 

Who is Redmond Real Salt for?[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B00944ORXY” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MwygDGL2L.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Redmond Real Salt is great for the individual who wants to eat healthier. It is ideal for the person who want to add minerals to their diet naturally. Real Salt is great for people in the United States who want to focus on local products. Redmond Real Salt is mined in Utah, which means that it does not travel as far as Celtic sea salt or Himalayan sea salt. It also means that you are supporting an American company.

 

Redmond Real Salt Support

If you have questions regarding Redmond Real Salt, you can contact customer support at 800-367-7258. If you’d like to send them an email, you can fill out their contact form here: https://realsalt.com/contact/

They also can be reached through social media:

Facebook: facebook.com/realsalt

Instagram: @redmondrealsalt

Twitter: @realsalt

 

 

Redmond Real Salt Price

The cost of 16 ounces of Redmond Real Salt comes to $7.49 on their website, which is better than the $8.49 on Amazon. However, if you pay the shipping that they charge on their website, it becomes much more expensive. Shipping to the East Coast, where I live, came to $5.99. However, using the Amazon Prime feature enabled me to avoid the extra shipping charges.

 

My Final Opinion of Redmond Real Salt

I love Redmond Real Salt. I find it less expensive than the Himalayan sea salt and Celtic sea salts on the market. I also appreciate the texture of it a bit more than Celtic sea salt as it comes out of the shaker without clumping together.

I initially ordered Redmond Real Salt after I read about the water cure. The main premise of the water cure is that water and salt are essential for our health. The theory is that health conditions are due to chronic dehydration and a lack of the essential minerals that are found in sea salt. While the water cure didn’t cure all my ailments, I did feel better drinking more water and taking a bit of sea salt each day.

The taste of Redmond Real Salt was great. I liked that the texture was just as fine as the iodized salt that I replaced it with. I didn’t mind the light pink color at all. It seasoned my food just like iodized salt, but I had the peace of mind that I was getting minerals that were stripped away in iodized salt. I also wasn’t worried about consuming too much iodine by salting my foods with this type of salt.

 

Redmond Real Salt at a Glance…

Name: Real Salt

Website: realsalt.com

Owners: Redmond

Price: $8.49

Overall Scam Rank: 95 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I highly recommend Redmond Real Salt for individuals who are located in the United States. Buying locally produced foods is much more environmentally friendly.

Irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, constipation and other digestive disorders are becoming more and more common in society today. Many medical procedures and health products have been developed to address these concerns. However, very few people are discussing how to improve your digestive health with simple lifestyle changes. Lifestyle factors contribute greatly to your digestive health. If you have a very sedentary lifestyle, it is highly likely that you are going to be experiencing digestive disorders at some time in your life. This is because the abdominal muscles aren’t contracting enough to push the waste through.

Adding some simple exercises to your life can help to improve your digestion and relieve symptoms of constipation. These can be as easy as taking a walk, a few breathing exercises or even something fun, such as jumping on a trampoline.

 

Peristalsis and Exercise

It is important to understand how food moves through your system. After you chew your food and swallow it, it is moved through the esophagus. Smooth muscles then contract behind the bolus (ball of food) to prevent it from being squeezed back into the mouth.

Peristalsis is the contraction and relaxation of muscles that propagates in a wave down a tube. These radially symmetrical contractions flow in an anterograde direction. The rhythmic, unidirectional waves of contractions then form to rapidly force the food down to the stomach. There is a migrating motor complex which helps trigger peristaltic waves which push the food along. This also helps to clear out remaining food in the stomach to the small bowel and remaining particles in the small bowel into the colon.

When the contractions are not strong enough to move the bolus down the digestive tract, food becomes stuck. Constipation occurs. Ensuring that you have good peristalsis will help to keep your food moving smoothly through your digestive tract. One simple way to promote peristalsis is through movement.

Rebounding is a great exercise that will stimulate the lymphatic system, which is the body’s waste and disposal mechanism. Rebounding on a mini-trampoline provides your digestive system with the peristalsis that it needs to assist with the body’s elimination process.

Another great exercise that will ensure that your digestive tract runs smoothly is simply walking. I noticed with my dog that he didn’t poop immediately when I took him outside. Often he needed to walk around a bit. I realized that he needed to get his muscles moving in order to eliminate waste. The peristalsis occurred better when he exercised. I discovered that the same is true for humans as I started to make note of my own bowel movements.

Hydration and Digestion

Constipation is often a symptom of dehydration. To maintain ideal digestion, you want to ensure that your body has enough water for its cells and organs to function properly. A body can live without food for days, but it can not live without water. Therefore, ensuring that you are getting enough water should be of utmost importance.

One simple way to ease chronic constipation is to drink plenty of fluids each day. Staying well-hydrated should be an integral part of your plan to improve your digestion and get things moving.

Water is vital for digestion. It keeps the food that you eat moving through your intestines. Water also keeps your intestines smooth and flexible.

How much water should you be drinking. According to the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board, it suggests that women get 91 ounces of water each day from foods and drinks and men drink approximately 125 ounces. For the average, healthy person, 8 cups per day is a good goal.

 

 

 

Eat Healthy Foods

There are many opinions about what the perfect diet is for you. Many people follow a vegan diet, while others are carnivore. The most inclusive healthy diet that I’ve found is the ketogenic diet, which has been shown in studies to reduce inflammation in the body. However, if you have a healthy digestive tract, you should be able to handle foods that require hydrochloric acid, such as meat or foods that have fiber, such as vegetables.

If you are suffering from digestive disorders, one of the things that you should focus on is whole foods. Try to consume foods as close as possible to their natural state. This means meats and vegetables that have gone through very little processing.

The one type of food that you may want to consider eliminating if you have digestive problems is going to be packaged and processed food. These foods often contain chemicals that disrupt our system. They are often highly refined and preserved with chemicals that lead to dehydration and digestive problems. Packaged foods often create dehydration in the body as well as increase the rate of breathing. This can lead to constipation.

 

 

Increase Your Body Oxygen Levels

You can’t live without oxygen. For your cells to function properly, they need a balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen that happens through the respiratory system. When your body becomes deficient in these essential gases, you start to develop diseases and chronic illnesses.

Having low levels of oxygen due to ineffective breathing is a cause of constipation. Yandell Henderson, MD, Yale University, discovered that low arterial hypocapnia (low levels of CO2) caused by chronic hyperventilation resulted in the l

oss of tone in the blood vessels located in the abdominal viscera of dogs. This produced extreme intestinal congestion, which caused constipation and weight gain. Saturation of the blood vessels with carbon dioxide quickly eliminated the congestion. Yandell Henderson’s study was published in the American Journal of Physiology in 1907.

Low carbon dioxide values in the arterial blood causes issues with the perfusion and oxygenation of the digestive organs. Therefore, the performance of the digestive organs becomes impaired.

A simple breathing exercise can help you to relieve constipation in just a few minutes.

 

 

Conclusion

There are simple steps that you can take to relieve constipation and improve your digestive health. It can be as simple as incorporating a daily walk into your daily routine with nasal breathing and switching your beverage to water. These steps can make a monumental difference in your digestion and improve your overall health in the process.

Creating the habit of a simple walk during your lunch break can help to prevent you from spending hours on the toilet with symptoms of constipation.

 

 

 

 

Earthpaste Spearmint Organic Toothpaste Review[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B074RMG5CZ” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

Name:REDMOND – Earthpaste All Natural Non-Fluoride Vegan Organic Non GMO Real Ingredients Toothpaste, Wintergreen, 4 Ounce Tube 

Website: Available at Amazon.com

Price: $6.99 ($1.75 / Ounce) & FREE Shipping

Owners: Earthpaste

Overall Rank: 91 out of 100

Earthpaste Organic Toothpaste, Product Overview

Redmond Earthpaste is an all natural cleaner. It polishes away the tooth’s surface stains without any chemicals or additives. Earthpaste does not have toxic ingredients. There is no fluoride, no SLS, no coloring, no glycerin, it is also non-GMO. Earthpaste includes only real ingredients including Bentonite clay, xylitol, sea salt, activated charcoal, and essential oils. It is all natural, gluten free and vegan.

Earthpaste has no poison warning like most toothpastes. They do not add sodium fluoride as other toothpaste companies do. Every ingredient in earthpaste is safe to consume. In fact, most of the ingredients support healthy body systems. You won’t have to worry if your toddler decides to turn it into a snack!

Earthpaste is ugly. The brownish color is unappealing, however, it is one of the loveliest toothpastes you will ever try. Many toothpastes include the same chemical which is used to make paint and vinyl fences white. That is not found in Earthpaste. It looks like mud. Once you start brushing with it, you’ll discover that earthpaste doesn’t foam up. Earthpaste does not include foaming agents because they don’t actually clean your teeth.

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Has the feel of toothpaste. You can easily make the switch from regular toothpaste to earthpaste.

PRO #2: The flavor is similar to regular toothpaste. You can choose from peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, cinnamon and lemon flavors.

PRO #3: It is non-toxic. There is no not need to be concerned about swallowing a bit of toothpaste because it will not harm you. In fact, the organic clay matter will probably benefit you if you swallow it. It has adsorption properties and helps to clean up your insides.

PRO #4: A little goes a long way. I found that one bottle was lasting me a lot longer than I anticipated. You can use just a dab and it will effectively clean your chompers.

The Bad:

CON #1: The cost. It is much more expensive than generic or even brand name toothpaste.

CON #2: There is no artificial whitening agent, so if you are used to a whitening brand of toothpaste, you may be disappointed that this doesn’t whiten your teeth.

Who is Earthpaste for?

Earthpaste is for the individual who is concerned about having too many chemicals in their personal care. It is for the people who want a healthier product to clean their teeth. Earthpaste is ideal for the people who don’t want to spend time making their own natural, fluoride-free toothpaste and they want the convenience of having it in a tube.

 

Earthpaste Support
If you have questions about using Earthpaste, you can contact the owners of the product at (800)367-7258. You can also gather more information about earthpaste through their website at Earthpaste.com.

 

Earthpaste Price[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B074RMG5CZ” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51qGSh3g3wL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

The pricing is where I had to deduct some points on my review for Earthpaste. You can purchase it on Amazon in 2 tube packs for $1.60 per ounce. If you are comparing that to traditional toothpaste, such as Colgate whitening, which costs $.35 an ounce, the cost is very high for cleaning your teeth. However, these two products aren’t comparable. One is full of chemicals that you don’t want in your body, and the other is all natural.

 

My Final Opinion of Redmond Earthpaste

I love this product. I feel great when I use it on my teeth. I love the convenience of having the flavors perfectly mixed into the toothpaste instead of brushing the clay onto my teeth and tasting bland. While I don’t particularly like paying more for the product than regular toothpaste, but it does clean my teeth well.

Earthpaste is made with Bentonite clay, which has many great healing properties. It has the excellent ability to bind to heavy metals and therefore remove toxins from your teeth. It also provides minerals, which can help to remineralize teeth.

 

Redmond Earthpaste at a Glance…

Name: Earthpaste Natural Toothpaste

Website: Earthpaste.com

Owners: Earthpaste

Price: $1.60 per ounce

Overall Scam Rank: 91 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! This is an awesome toothpaste. It will help to reduce the toxic load in your medicine cabinet by replacing fluoride toothpaste.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRH8cGWtdpE

If you are new to the ketogenic diet, you may feel like you can’t afford it. Coconut flours, almond flours, avocados and bacon! Yikes! It can seem expensive. Let me reassure that you can do the ketogenic diet on a budget. In fact, you may find that the ketogenic diet saves you money because you aren’t eating nearly as much as you used to on the standard American diet.

Yes, meat is more expensive than pasta. It is more expensive than the cheap filler foods that you are accustomed to eating. However, it fills you up. It keeps you fueled better than cheap carbohydrates.

Shop the Sales and Then Look for Recipes

When you start a diet, it is common to look up recipes that you can have on the diet and then go out and buy all the ingredients for that recipe. I don’t recommend doing this. It stifles your creativity and gets you to rely too heavily on someone else’s recipe. To stay on a budget, you need to be flexible. That means adjusting your weekly recipes to what is in season and what is on sale.

Keep in mind the things that will ultimately fit into a ketogenic diet are going to be the following:

1. Meat
2. Low carbohydrate vegetables
3. Healthy Fats

You can look through the circulars to see what is going to be on sale that week and make a meal plan based off of what is least expensive. There will likely be something on sale in each of the categories above. Most likely, you’ll be able to find some ketogenic meal ideas just by looking at the pages of the circular. Many stores have online circulars, so you don’t even need to buy the paper to find out what will be on sale now.

 

 

The Meat Aisle

The ketogenic diet focuses on moderate amounts of protein. The protein and fats keep you fueled. When you enter the meat aisle, your plan of attack should be to look for the sale stickers. If it isn’t on sale, don’t buy it! Grocery stores typically have a few older cuts of meat that they will mark down to move quickly. These are still safe to eat, but you may still want to consume them within the next few days.

Some cuts of meat are often on sale. You will often find that chicken drumsticks and chicken wings are some of the cheapest cuts of meat in the store. These can be covered in butter and baking power to create a crispy baked chicken wing or leg. Another great way to stretch your meat dollar with chicken wings and chicken thighs is to master the art of chicken soup. You can either buy a whole chicken and break it down or you can use wings and thighs in your soup recipe.

The holidays provide inexpensive meat options. Around the Fourth of July, hamburgers and hot dogs will be marked down. Turkeys will be extremely inexpensive around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Look for good deals on corned beef during St. Patrick’s Day. Hams will be a steal the week prior to Easter. During the holidays, you may want to pick up some extra meat that is on sale and freeze it for later.

Inexpensive Cuts of Beef:

• Chuck roast
• Tri-tip
• Flat-iron steak
• Rump roast
• Skirt steak

These cuts of beef can be a bit tougher, but cooking them in a pressure cooker can make them very tender and tasty. Don’t be afraid of the cheaper cuts of meat. Simply look up recipes for them once you have purchased them. Lots of people online are sharing great ketogenic recipes!

 

 

The Keto Veggies

Most of the ketogenic vegetables that are easiest to fit into a ketogenic eating plan are going to be the leafy green variety. This is going to include lettuce, spinach, and kale. You will also be able to eat cruciferous vegetables on the ketogenic diet as well. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are easy to fit into the ketogenic diet.

One great way to cut your veggie bill is to buy frozen. This can save you time in meal preparation. Vegetables don’t get marked down much unless they have too many and need to move them. Frozen vegetables sometimes have coupons on them. The best deals for frozen vegetables come with the generic store brands. However, sometimes you can find coupons for the brand name frozen vegetables.

Buying frozen veggies gives you the flexibility to use them now or later. You can buy them on sale and then save them for a week when the fresh vegetables don’t look so hot.

Eat seasonal vegetables. These vegetables will be on sale when they are in season. For example, broccoli and cauliflower are cold weather crops. They will be in season in the spring and fall. Summer squash is going to be less expensive in the summer.

 

 

Get Your Fats!

The ketogenic diet is high in fats. The whole goal of the ketogenic diet is to switch your body to becoming fat adapted and running on fats. What are you eating for fats? How can you save money on fats?

• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• Avocados
• Cheese
• Heavy Whipping Cream

These are the fats that are the most common on the ketogenic diet. You may face some sticker shock when purchasing coconut oil from the grocery store. However, you can buy it in bulk on Amazon for a reasonable price. Watch your circular and pay attention to when they have sales on dairy. You can freeze dairy. Unless you have a coupon, brand name dairy is going to be the least expensive.

Search for coupons for dairy. The coupons for butter, cheese, sour cream and heavy whipping cream are easy to find. You can also combine those savings with store mark downs and sales.

Buy in bulk. When purchasing fats and dairy, it is less expensive to purchase in bulk. A large container of plain Greek yogurt is going to be less expensive than the individual servings. The cost of olive oil will be less per pound if you are buying a larger size.

 

 

Budget Friendly Keto Meal Ideas

1. Taco Salad
2. Chicken Soup
3. Chicken salad
4. Low carb chili
5. Egg salad

 

 

 

 

The Lavender essential oil uses and benefits are great and varied. When you first start using essential oils, you may not think of all the unique ways that you can use lavender or how it will ultimately benefit you.

 

Topical, Aromatic and Internal Uses

Lavender essential oil can be used topically, aromatically and internally to achieve wonderful health benefits. Some top lavender essential oil uses include:

• Skin irritation. Lavender has a soothing property which has made it a popular option for skincare products. There are many home skincare recipes that include lavender. You can use it to provide razor relief to avoid the irritation that comes post-shave. You can also cleanse and nourish your skin with an essential oil clay mask.
• Potpourri. Many dried flowers lose their scent. Don’t throw them away! Use some lavender essential oil drops to revitalize the lovely scent.
• Cuticle cream. A homemade cuticle cream made with lavender essential oil is a great way to bring moisture and health back into your dry skin and nails.
• Create a relaxing atmosphere. Lavender is widely known for the ability to promote relaxation which can lead to a restful night’s sleep. Its calming properties create a serene environment optimal for rest. Simply add a few drops of lavender to your pillows or bedding. You will inhale the aroma as you are drifting off to sleep.
• Sun burns. If you’ve spent too much time in the sun and find your skin irritated, reach for a bottle of lavender essential oils.
• Relieve tension. Lavender essential oils can aid in reducing feelings of tension when taken internally. You can diffuse lavender oil or take in internally. Its light, floral scent will help you to feel at ease and peaceful emotionally.
• Unwanted odors. Eliminating unwanted odors is one of the things that lavender essential oil does well. The fresh, floral aroma can mask any musky, pungent smells that may be living in your home. Simply spray a light mist from your lavender spray bottle into your car, linen closet or any other area that needs to smell better.
• Cooking. Lavender is used for its taste and fragrance. You can use lavender in cooking. It will soften the flavors in lemon sauces, citrus salads and more. Lavender oil also adds a flavorful twist to baked goods, desserts and marinades.
• Bee stings or insect bites. Due to its inflammatory properties, lavender essential oils can help to relieve insect bites or bee stings.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”1100″ identifier=”B00PYS7R7M” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61w%2BmcR5bqL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”418″]

Lavender Essential Oil Health Benefits

In early Egypt, lavender was used in the tombs for perfume and mummification. 3,000 years after King Tut was entombed, there was still a faint smell of lavender. Today, lavender is still widely used and promotes the following health benefits:

• Lower anxiety and emotional stress
• Reduce diabetes symptoms
• Improves brain function
• Assists in healing burns and wounds
• Improvee sleep
• Restores skin complexion
• Reduces skin inflammation and acne
• Slows down aging with powerful antioxidants
• Relieves pain
• Relieves headaches 

 

How to Use Lavender Essential Oils

Essential oils can based in many ways. You can inhale them, use them topically, and even cook with them. How you will use lavender essential oil will be based on the intensity of the scent that you want to experience and the health condition that you are trying to treat.

Inhalation Method

Calming or Sleep aid and Hay Fever

Take 2-3 drops of lavender and rub it in your cupped palms. Bring your hands up to your nose and inahle to draw the scent all the way to your amygdala gland in your brain. This will calm the mind. After doing this, rub a drop on your feet, temples, writst or anywhere for an immediate calming effect on the body.This method also works well for hay fever and in crowded spaces to carve out your own personal space.

 

Directly Apply

Bee stings, irritations, burns
Take 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil and place on a minor burn. This will decrease teh pain and irritation. I recently burned my hand on some tea and luckly had my lavender. I tried this method out and there was NO redness, swelling or pain. There was NO sign of any burn. Lavender is amazing!

Cuts

Drop 2-3 drops of Lavender oil on a cut to stop bleeding, clean the wound, and kill bacteria.

 

Combine with a Carrier Oil
Eczema / Dermatitis

To use topically on a larger area, mix several drops of lavender essential oils with a vegetable mixing oil, such as sesame, or coconut oil. This is great for eczema and dermatitis. A friend of mine who suffers from eczema swears by this!

 

Strategically Dab a Few Drops
Great for motion sickness, nausea, and sunburned or chapped lips.

To alleviate the symptoms of motion sickness, place a drop of Lavender oil on end of tongue, behind the ears or around the navel.

Rub a drop of lavender oil on chapped or sunburned lips.

Conclusion

Lavender essential oil is well worth its cost. It has so many great properties and health benefits, it is an essential oil to keep in your medicine cabinet. You may discover that you are using it every day if you are running a household with little kids and need help to relax and fixing minor burns and bruises. One of the best things about lavender essential oils is that it smells great and unlike most perfumes, it is non-toxic. You can feel comfortable using this essential oil on your family members. Due to the fact that lavender essential oils are safe to ingest at a large dose of 80-160 milligrams, you should feel confident that any lavender oil that is absorbed through your skin while treating an inflammation will be safe for your body or your children’s body. However, to avoid gastrointestinal irritation, make sure that you keep the lavender essential oil doses to a minimum. Just use a few drops in cooking.

Be cautious if you are using lavender as a sleep aid and are currently medicating for sleep disorders. Lavender can enhance the effectiveness of these prescriptions. Lavender makes many people sleepy or drowsy. It is also advised to use caution taking any essential oils when you are pregnant and in the third trimester of pregnancy.

 

If you aren’t blessed with a friend who makes their own kefir and can share kefir grains with you when you run out, you may be wondering where to buy kefir grains. I accidentally allowed mine to die and had to order some kefir grains recently. I decided to shop on Amazon and discovered Lifetime Kefir grains.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”381″ identifier=”B004RCSWGG” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41KAUI1czcL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

 

Lifetime Kefir Review

Name: Lifetime Kefir Grains

Website: Kefir Grains – Living Probiotic Enriched

Price: $8.08 + FREE Shipping

Owners: Lifetime Kefir

Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

 

Lifetime Kefir Grains, Product Overview

These are kefir grains about a tablespoon of kefir grains. The grains will enable you to make a healthy probiotic beverage. Milk kefir grains can be used repeatedly. These can be flavored with fruit or flavor extracts and can make a delicious beverage or smoothies.

You will save money over buying kefir in the grocery store. You simply add milk! You can also make kefir with alternative types of milk, such as coconut milk or almond milk.

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: You still have to keep the kefir alive once you get it, so make sure that you are continually feeding it milk or place it in the refrigerator if you want to slow down the kefir production.

PRO #2: The kefir grains make kefir from regular milk, coconut milk or almond milk.

PRO #3: The grains are hearty. You can be making kefir for years to come if you do it correctly.

PRO #4: The grains were delivered quickly.

The Bad:

CON #1: Kefir grains can die if you don’t feed them.

CON #2: Because they are being shipped to you, they could die in the process of shipping of not packaged correctly. However, I did not have that problem with my order. It arrived quickly and the kefir grains were still active and live.

 

Who are kefir grains for?

Kefir grains are great for individuals who need to improve their gut health. The grains enable you to make kefir from regular milk and save money at the grocery store. You will also have more healthy bacteria in home made kefir than you will have in store bought kefir.

 

Lifetime Kefir Tools & Training

No tools and training come with these grains. All you’ll get is the grains, so you’ll have to use google and YouTube videos to figure out how to make kefir, however, it is very simple.

 

Lifetime Kefir Price

The cost of the Lifetime Kefir grains is very competitive. It is less than you’ll find from the popular kefir culture companies. However, you’ll get a quality grain that will still be live and active. You’ll be able to produce kefir with their grains.

 

My Final Opinion of Lifetime Kefir Grains

This was my second or third time purchasing kefir grains in the last five years. I killed off a couple other sets of kefir grains by allowing them to dry out or accidentally threw them out. I had purchased my other grains from Cultures for Health, but I decided to give Lifetime Kefir a chance since they are less expensive. The product is very comparable at about half the cost.

These kefir grains produced a kefir that has a creamy texture in about 24 hours. The taste is clean and a bit sharp because it is fermented. However, I have found that adding some berries can counter some of that bitterness that naturally occurs with fermentation. [easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B004RCSWGG” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]

You can check out my hunger crushing smoothie recipe to see how I make plain kefir tasty! Check out my other post on what is kefir and how to make it.

Lifetime Kefir Grains at a Glance…

Name: Kefir Grains – Living Probiotic Enriched
Website:Amazon.com

Owners: Lifetime Kefir

Price: $8.08

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! This is a great kefir grain to purchase. The kefir grains are very hearty and will last a lifetime if you take care of them. Eventually, you’ll be able to split them and share them with your friends and family!

Dr. Konstantin Butyeko observed patients and discovered that one of the common themes among ill patients was that they were breathing quickly and with their chest. They were hyperventilating. Hyperventilating creates many problems within the body in addition to reducing the oxygenation of the body. It reduces the amount of oxygen available for every cell and organ to function properly. The body goes into self-preservation mode and suddenly, it is only utilizing the vital organs.

Chronic hyperventilation can lead to issues and health conditions that reduce our quality of life. People who are prone to seizures will trigger a seizure through hyperventilation. Breathing is mainly controlled through carbon dioxide concentrations in the arterial blood as well as the brain. Many people mistakenly believe that CO2 is poisonous. However, this “poison” controls respiration, which is fundamental for the function of our human body.

Physiological Health Benefits of Buteyko Breathing

Training your body to breathe correctly with slower, nasal and diaphragmatic breaths can have many positive effects on the body. The Buteyko Breathing Method helps to balance the gas exchange of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) in your body.

1. Improved Vasodialtion. Physiological studies had demonstrated that hypocapnia (low CO2 concentration in the arterial blood) will constrict the blood vessels and eventually leads to reduced passage of blood through all vital organs. In turn, arterial hypcapnia leads to reduced oxygen release in tissue capillaries.
2. Increased cell oxygen levels. The oxygen levels of the cell are controlled by the alveolar CO2 and breathing. Hyperventilation causes alveolar hypocapnia (CO2 deficiency). This leads to cell hypoxia, or low cell oxygen concentrations.
3. Improved Oxygen Transport. The transport of oxygen depends on vasoconstriction and vasodialation.
4. Generation of Free Radicals. Free radical generation takes place because of the anaerobic cell respiration that is created by cell hypoxia. Therefore, antioxidant defenses of the human body are regulated by CO2 and breathing.
5. Reduced Inflammation. The inflammatory response as well as chronic inflammation, are regulated through our breathing. Hypoxia leads intensifies inflammation, therefore, hyperventilation naturally will increase inflammatory health problems and CO2 is a key anti-inflammatory agent.
6. Nerve Stabilization. The calmative and sedative effects of the carbon dioxide on nerve cells lead to increased stabilization of the nervous system. A lack of CO2 in the brain will lead to spontaneous and asyncrhonous firing of neurons. We can see the impact of this in people who have seizures, sleeping problems, addictions, depression and schizophrenia.
7. Blood pH Regulation – CO2 regulates the blood pH and other bodily fluids.
8. Muscle relaxation – The relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2 levels. Hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and can trigger aggression and violence.
9. Bronchodilation. The dilation of airways, including the bronchi and broncioles are dilated by CO2. The constriction of the bronchi and bronchioles occur due to hypocapnia.
10. Rate and Smoothness of Breathing. The smoothness of breathing is controlled by CO2. A lack of CO2 will lead to “hypocapnic central apnea.” This is a scientific term to describe the origins of sleep apnea.

 

Nasal Breathing Is Key for Good Health and Stress Management

Yoga and deep breathing has long been touted as good for stress management. However, many people tell you to take a deep breath to calm yourself down. If done incorrectly, this action can have the opposite effect.

When you are feeling stressed, your breath can become faster, deepen and become noisier. Stress can trigger you to breathe through your mouth and your upper chest rather than your diaphragm. During a stressful time, it doesn’t make sense to amplify your current inefficient breathing pattern if you want to bring yourself to a state of calmness. To induce calmness, you must breathe slowly, using the diaphragm. You will want to breathe through the nose.

Nasal breathing actually directs thirty different functions in your body. Nerves in your nasal passages, which connect to the hypothalamus, sense everything about your breathing and use that information to regulate your bodily functions.

The nose releases nitric oxide during breathing. This is carried from your nose into your lungs. Nitric oxide is a gas that plays a significant role in maintaining the homeostasis, or balance within your body. Nitric oxide also sterilizes the air carried into your lungs, opens up the airways and increases the amount of oxygen taken up in your blood.

Irregular breathing through the mouth often happens due to an illness and bad habits. Mouth breathing can result in other health problems, which include asthma. Asthmatics tend to feel as though they are not getting enough air and as a result, they tend to breathe heavier. This causes a loss of carbon dioxide.

 

The Importance of Carbon Dioxide Homeostasis

It is vitally important to maintain a certain amount of CO2 in your lungs. In order to do that, you must maintain a normal breathing volume. When too much CO2 is lost through heavy breathing, it triggers the smooth muscles in your airways to constrict. As this occurs, there is a feeling of not getting enough air. The natural reaction is to breathe more intensely.

Unfortunately, breathing more intensely will cause an even greater loss of CO2, which will constrict your airway even more. This is how asthma symptoms feed back to the condition. To remedy the situation, you must break this negative feedback loop by breathing less and through your nose.

Many people incorrectly assume that taking bigger breaths through your mouth will allow you to take more oxygen into your body. However, the opposite actually happens. Deep, big breaths taken with your mouth tend to make you feel a bit light-headed. This is due to eliminating too much CO2 from your lungs. It causes your blood vessels to constrict. The heavier you breathe, the less oxygen is actually delivered through your body.

Breathing too much and through your mouth tend to go hand in hand with snoring and sleep apnea. These conditions destroy the quality of your sleep. This contributes to the downward spiral of health that is triggered through improper breathing.