Archive for the ‘AA – Lita’s thoughts’ Category

11
Mar

Protein Powder Supplements – Give Them Up For The Goat

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , , , ,

Are you using protein powder supplements?  Does your protein powder supplement contain all nine essential amino acids? Is your protein powder supplement in harmony with your body?

Let’s keep it simple.  You can describe proteins as essential and non-essential proteins or amino acids. 

Non-Essential Amino Acids: 

Your body needs approximately 20 amino acids for the formation of the required proteins.  Your body can make only 13 of the non-essential amino acids.  They are referred to as non-essential because your body can make them so you don’t need to get them from your diet. 

Essential Amino Acids: 

There are 9 essential amino acids that your body must obtain from food.

If the food you are eating supplies enough of the essential amino acids then it is called a complete protein.  If the protein in a food does not supply your body with the essential amino acids then it is called an incomplete protein.

Sources of complete protein include beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, shellfish, eggs, milk and milk products.  A low or incomplete protein will lack one of the essential amino acids.  Incomplete proteins are found in grains, fruits and vegetables.  You may combine plant proteins to include all of the essential amino acids to form a complete protein for you body.  This can be a complex task in our fast paced world and combined with our desire to keep our weight down and our cholesterol in check we may be eating less animal proteins.  This is why many of us are turning to protein powder supplements.

A protein powder supplement that you may not have heard of is Goatein ™.  This is a high quality protein powder with goat’s milk colostrum.  This protein supplement contains all of the valuable essential amino acids.   Goatein ™ protein is produced from goat’s milk that contains no chemicals, antibiotics or female growth hormones.  With respect to allergies, goat’s milk is generally tolerated far better than cow’s milk, so it triggers less reaction, even if you have allergy sensitivities.  The smaller molecules in goat’s milk are closer in size and composition to human milk and substantially less allergenic than cow’s milk protein.   Even those people who cannot digest cow’s milk find they can easily digest goat’s milk. 

There are several types of protein powder supplements available to you.  Perhaps you have allergies to cow’s milk so you avoid whey protein supplements.   Maybe you are not concerned about bodybuilding and muscle mass so you do not shop at sport fitness stores for egg or casein powder proteins.  Perhaps you are concerned about what you’ve heard regarding soy protein and thyroid disease or the highly processed procedure used to make Soy Protein Isolate.  Take a serious look to Goatein ™, a pure goat’s milk protein, as an alternative.

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17
Feb

Sleep Deprivation – No Bark About It

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , ,

We dearly love our 2 dogs BUT we made a huge mistake right from the get-go with our cockapoo, Casey Jones. 

We allowed him to sleep on our bed!! No, wait, my husband allowed him to sleep on the bed.  I would give him the boot by telling him to get down and my husband would gently pat his side of the bed inviting him back up where he would remain for the rest of the night.  It was all very funny at the time but it has turned into anything but funny with the end result being sleep deprivation.

Rather than remaining in one spot he migrates to all parts of the bed throughout the night.  I have woken up to find him lying right beside me with his head on my pillow snoring gently.  I have woken up to find him pressed against my legs so I can’t move.  I have woken up cold and shivering with no covers because he has plunked himself down in a way as to steal the covers.  I have woken up practically falling off the side of the bed because he has taken all the room.  It’s been 11 years and these wake-up sessions, resulting in sleep deprivation, have been happening at all hours of the night.

Kick him off and make him sleep somewhere else you say?  Can you teach old dogs new tricks?  We are long past the stage of wanting to go through with the hassle of having him bark, cry and scratch doors while he re-learns a new habit so in the end it is our own fault if we are suffering.  Dog lovers will understand this lame excuse.

Despite the obvious dog-rearing errors in allowing him on the pillow while I am left clinging to the edge and allowing him to take positions of authority by sprawling out and  taking up our space as well as destroying our own standing as pack leader, my point is the sleep deprivation.

This is one of the biggest problems with people not getting enough sleep.  Even having your dog in your bedroom can keep you awake at night.  Dogs will:

  • Snore;
  • Get up and shake;
  • Moan;
  • Whimper;
  • Have nightmares;
  • Wander around the room.

If you get a new pet NEVER let them sleep with you during the night on your bed.  As comforting as it may seem at first it can become detrimental to your health in the form of sleep deprivation.

If you already have this problem, then ensure you do not allow your dog to challenge you for positions of authority.  If he is stretched out in luxury, in your space, then demote him right on back to the foot of the bed or if you are brave and have the patience then right off the bed onto the floor.

Our pet sleeping in our bed with us during the night is only one of many reasons for sleep deprivation.  Sometimes it can be very beneficial to have a little help with an herbal formula.  Fido might not need it but sometimes we do.

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16
Jan

Air Fresheners – Can You Smell A Thief?

   Posted by: Lita Tags: , , ,

When you purchase air fresheners, either solid disks, liquid sprays or plug-in devices, do you consider this a luxury item on your list or a necessary purchase for yourself and your home?  This may be a frivolous purchase as well as a dangerous one.  These products are most likely robbing you of good health.

Many air fresheners mask the offending odour by providing a much stronger odour.  There is a wide array of chemical substances that may be used in your air freshener, as well as the propellants in aerosol products, and you may end up inhaling these substances along with the fragrance.   Among other health risks, these substances may be numbing your nerves, thereby, affecting your sense of smell.  Consider the following:

  • Common air fresheners contain chemicals which may affect human reproductive development;
  • Air fresheners can be dangerous when used indoors in a small space as commonly used air fresheners may emit toxic pollutants that could be at dangerous levels leading to health problems;
  • A chemical compound found in many air fresheners could be harmful to your lungs;
  • A component causing great concern in many air fresheners is formaldehyde. You bet this will destroy your sense of smell while being one of the worst offenders for respiratory irritation.  Anyone  with asthma, lung infections or similar disorders may be severely affected by formaldehyde;
  • By using an air freshener in your child’s room, together with an air purifier that creates ozone, the result in formaldehyde levels can be 25 percent higher than recommended. Formaldehyde is  considered a known carcinogen;
  • Air fresheners – particularly those scented with pine, orange and lemon fragrances can emit harmful levels of toxic pollutants into your environment.  Repeated exposure to these pollutants and  their by-products can exceed regulatory guidelines particularly in small, poorly ventilated rooms.

Add to this list an excerpt from the Australian Clearing House For Youth Studies stating cheap air fresheners are emerging as a preferred drug for many teenagers in Australia and New Zealand.  Called “huffing”, inhaling air fresheners has caused the death of three teenagers in one month in New Zealand. 

The answer is simple.  Get back to basics.  Keep things clean.  Ensure good ventilation in your bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms.  Simply open a window or use an exhaust fan if you feel the need to clear out odours.  Try a few of the following easy tips to freshen the air:

  1. You can mix 2 cups of hot water, 1/8 cup of baking soda and ½ cup of lemon juice (bottled Real Lemon works too) to make a lemon air freshener spray;
  2. Wrap some cloves and a cinnamon stick in cheesecloth and place it in a pot of boiling water then let it simmer on the stove while you enjoy the aroma.  You could also use citrus fruit in a pot with water and simmer gently;
  3. Burn 100% pure beeswax candles without lead wicks as they are made of all natural ingredients that can be safely burned in your home while actually purifying and cleaning the air.  Most people are unaware that lead is commonly used in candle wicks as a stiffening agent. Burning even a single lead containing candle wick can release harmful levels of lead and other metals into the air.  These metals can then find their way on to the surfaces in your home and into the lungs of you and your family;
  4. You can freshen up your home by boiling a small amount of water in a pan with a tablespoon of dried mint for a minute or two. This will keep your entire home smelling fresh for some time.

If you enjoy essential oils and you would like to immediately create an uplifting, fragrant atmosphere in your home or office try a nebulizing diffuser.

Keep expensive, commercial air fresheners off your luxury or necessary purchase list.  Do not allow these products into your home where they may be silently robbing you of good health.

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