Rocket Bagels

Bagels are amazing. I love them. I wish I could find more of them here. Occasionally I make them. I use THIS bagel recipe.

It's delish. DE-LISH. And fun. Who knew you could boil bread? I usually make my bagels into a rocket (salad) sandwich.

Kinda like I eat a Costco cheese pizza - with a pile of greens on top. Can't eat it plain - just too much choking on globs of bready cheesey goodness.

Anyway, try out the bagels. They're nice.

Don't forget to share!

H2O

Did you know, you are probably dehydrated right now? In fact, studies show that most of us are chronically dehydrated which is manifest in our various forms of "illness." In fact, you may want to hold off going to the doctor until you've actively re-hydrated for a few days. Chances are your "symptoms" will disappear.

Water in health has intrigued me for some time. I went through a spurt in junior high when a friend and I tried to down a gallon a day. It was amusingly difficult. For a while last year I attempted downing 64 oz. before breakfast every morning. Also difficult. I just read a book called Your Body's Many Cries for Water by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj. It's written so poorly that I'll save you the trouble and just share his highlights (you can find more on this FAQ page from his website.) He basically says,

"You are not sick, you are thirsty! 

Don't treat thirst with medications!"

He goes on to support his claims with ample research and examples. He believes we could solve most of our ailments simply by drinking more water. Seriously, we're talking high blood pressure, cancer, migraines, arthritis, heartburn, depression, high cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, allergies - the whole gamut. He has "subscribed" anywhere from 32 oz. to 3 liters a day, but his basic recommendation is "drink half of your body weight in ounces" (ex: 150 lbs, drink 75 oz.) A safe bet is 8-10 eight oz. glasses at the very least per day. Water should be taken first thing in the morning, 30 minutes before and after meals, as well as before bed. It's healthy (and weight-losing) properties will be amplified by one (or two) hour long "walks" per day. He warns that increased water intake should be accompanied by an increase in salt as well (up to 1/2 tsp. per day) to keep liver and kidneys balanced and functioning properly. And we're talking WATER, by the way, straight from the tap. Not "liquid" - so your juice, tea, soda don't count here at all.

It makes sense to me. I've watched enough documentaries to be convinced. Not to mention, our bodies are made up of 75% water, and our brains are closer to 85% water. Foggy brain? Sluggish or fatigued at work? Feel like you're coming down with something? Drink a couple glasses of water. I can't help but think how much money would we save and where would our health system be today if we all at least attempted re-hydrating before turning to medications. Water could very well be your (free) "miracle cure." Be sure to share your success with your doctor too. Let's be part of the solution, people.

Want an easy test for dehydration? Check your shade of urine:

clear = hydrated
yellow = partially dehydrated
orange = extremely dehydrated

So happy hydrating, friends! Come on, give it a try, what have you got to lose?

Greenies

Australians are really earth-friendly and energy-conscious. Very GREEN so to speak. I'd imagine it has much to do with the fact that they are in drought for years on end (2011 ended an 8 year streak when they weren't allowed to even wash their cars, let alone water their yards.) 

Some of the ways they keep it real:

clothes lines - it's kinda frowned upon to use the dryer when the good old sun can do it without any energy drain (in fact most homes don't even have a dryer)

grocery sacs - don't leave home without 'em

bike lanes criss-cross this city through some gorgeous terrain (ask Darren, he's trying out the old bike-to-work routine and his first sunrise commute was quote "glorious")

recycling: it's BIG here

even to include food - at school they promote "waste-free lunches" with containers instead of bags/wrappers, as well as collecting food waste for "chook scraps"

half-flushers - you can even "go green" when you "gotta go"

Earth Hour: you may have heard of it, an exercise started by Australia a few years ago to stimulate some worldwide eco-consience and comraderie. The drill is that everyone turns the lights out, electronics off and basically unplugs for an hour. Join us! Save the planet this Saturday 8:30-9:30 pm. (Utah folk, I'm sure you're eager to set your alarms for 3:30 am Saturday morning to participate by NOT turning on the lights or tv...)

Pretty cool ad campaign. These guys are serious about going green and I'm talking fines for run off and excessive watering. Happy to report though, I'm changing some bad habits.