Take the “Safe Driver” Pledge
Six Years Ago Today by Ilene Meckley
As we approach the Memorial Day weekend here in the United States, I urge every motorist to be a safe and smart driver. Today, May 23, I am observing the sixth anniversary of the traffic accident that changed my life.
Not a pleasant memory by any means, but the accident that put me in a hospital bed for nearly six months motivates me to encourage safe driving, especially at this time of year.
Every year on the anniversary of my accident I encourage my family and friends and newsletter subscribers to make a pledge to drive safely. Every year I am gratified by the overwhelming response.
“Please join us in this pledge”
Take the “Safe Driver” Pledge
“I pledge to be a safe and smart driver or passenger this Memorial Day weekend and every day as I share the road throughout my travels.”
“I hope you will take the pledge too.” Together we can save injury; we can save lives; we can save heartache.
To participate in this pledge
Please send your name and your pledge to ilene@ilenemeckley.comand forward this newsletter to all your friends, family and colleagues. Let’s reduce that 40,000 a year death rate by getting 40,000 or more people to take the pledge.
Memorial Day weekend
Many people lose their lives or suffer injuries because someone makes a poor choice. I want to encourage you to drive every day so that you never have to say, “I wish I had made a different choice”, “if only I had or if only I hadn’t…”
Keep in mind that approximately 40,000 auto related deaths are the result of poor choices. Of those accidents, studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Show that the individuals under the age of thirty-four years old are among the hardest hit for injuries and fatalities.
Auto accidents also cost American taxpayers the outstanding amount of 150 billion dollars, every year.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Relatable-Auto-Accident-Data-and-Reminders&id=892563>
Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer travel on the roads and highways and along with that comes lots of choices that you need to make. We would like you to join us in helping save thousands of lives this Memorial Day weekend and every day.
Make the choice to be alert; don’t drive when you are too tired.
Make the choice to pay attention to driving; don’t text, have conversations on the cell phone or with passengers all of these can be distracting (limit them).
Make the choice to have a designated driver; driving under the influence of alcohol is not only against the law, it can be deadly.
Make the choice to drive courteously; drive as though the car next to you is carrying your loved ones. It’s your choice to make!
Above is a pledge which is very important to me because I am a first hand account of what can happen when someone makes the wrong choice and how what happens to you affects everyone you know, your family, your friends, your co-workers, everyone.
Mangos, Fresh and Healthy
Mangos, delicious, nourishing, and refreshing is not only a sweet juicy tropical fruit but has powerful antioxidant properties, anticancer abilities (helps protect cells from free radical damage and reduces risk of cancer), an excellent source of vitamin C, carotenes, copper and a good source of B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and selenium.
Containing digestive enzymes, mangos help break-down proteins, combats acidity, and aids digestion. It’s reported eating mangos regularly prevents night blindness,dryness of the eyes, softening of the cornea,prevents refractive errors, and helps prevent itching and burning eyes. Among the health benefits of the mango are its anti-inflamatory properties which help alleviate asthma symptoms, relieving clogged pores of the skin (apply mango pulp to skin for 10 minutes before washing it), eating it regularly makes complexion fair and skin soft and shining,heat stroke, bacteria infections, sinusitis, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, piles (hemorrhoids) and morning sickness.
Although the most delicious of the tropical fruits and healthy, mangos should be eaten in moderation. It is also a fruit those who need to gain weight should eat because it is high in calories and carbohydrates. One medium sized mango is about 107 calories.
When choosing a mango, selection is similar to that of a peach.If the mango is slightly soft to the touch and yielding to gently pressure (ripe peach), and or emits a fruity aroma at the stems end, it is considered ripe. Look for a yellow tinge when ripe. Look for the mangos with intact skin, without any bruises and cuts. Mangos unripe will be sour in taste. To ripen mangos,leave on kitchen counter at room temperature. If you need to accelerate the ripening process, place the mango in a paper bag overnight (to increase this process even more, add an apple to the bag.) Store ripen mangos in the refrigerator but bring back to room/normal temperature just before eating to get the natural taste and flavor.
Wash mangos in cold running water and dry with soft cloth. There are videos available on you tube on slicing a mango but a quick way to easily remove the pits and cut the mangos into four wedges is the Mango Wedger. Once wedged, the flesh can easily be removed from the skin by sliding an avocado peeler or knife between the flesh and the skin. Pampered Chef has added a mango wedger to their Specialty Cutting Tool collection, making cutting and slicing easy and cleanup is a synch because it is dishwasher-safe.
Relaxation
Relaxation often comes with just needing to get away from one’s normal surroundings. Without realizing it, unconsciously, your mind is thinking not only what you need to be doing next but what you are not doing as you are trying to relax.
There are two places I can go to just forget the world as we know it. The beach is a place where I feel totally “free”. I hear the surf, smell the ocean air, see the birds flying, and watch the waves come in and go out effortlessly it seems. The cares of the day and yesterday and thoughts of responsibility just vanish.
Another place I feel that is on the golf course. The score isn’t important to me. It’s being among nature, where it’s quiet and peaceful! The green grass, the animals you can see scurrying around, the tranquility, and the beautiful sky are nice.
These places help me find the relaxation/stress-free mode my mind and body needs.
Couple the surroundings with a lifetime friend(s) and it’s priceless!
Take a few minutes to enjoy the surf, today! Your mind and body will be glad you did!
Healthy Snack For The Beach
Fruit Salad–a healthy snack for the beach?
Combine 1 cup of coconut and vanilla pudding (the small size) in a gallon zip lock bag. Take this bag, a can opener, a can of pineapple tidbits, and a can of fruit cocktail with you. Twenty minutes before it’s time to eat, open the cans of fruit, dump into the gallon bag, and gently knead the contents, placing it in your cooler until you’re ready to eat!
What is ORAC?
What is ORAC?
It stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity.
Oxygen Radicals …………… are the free radicals
Absorbent Capacity …………. is a foods ability to absorb the free radicals
The higher the ORAC score… the greater its ability.
How does Chava Vital Chocolate compare to other foods? One square (8 grams) of Chava has an ORAC score of over 37,208.
Lets compare that to well known foods
Blueberries are known for their high antioxidant value.
To get the equivalent ORAC value of one square of Chava you would need 567 grams of blueberries which is about 1.2 pounds
Or 5.3 pounds of raw spinach that’s a wheel barrel of spinach
Or 6.4 pounds of red grapes
Bacteria…yikes!
Quick Tips
At home and especially On the Remote In hotels, a potential place where bacteria and other germs may hang around is the TV remote control. Be sure to disinfect before you change the channel. Keep some bacteria wipes available at home and when you travel.
Sponge Toss
Two items in the kitchen are generally swimming with bacteria - the kitchen sponge and your dishcloth. Switch sponges often and be sure to use Clorox® Regular-Bleach as directed on your dish towels to remove bacteria.
Toilet Plume
Cover the toothbrushes. Viral aerosols enter the air each time the toilet is flushed, landing on everything in the bathroom, including toothbrushes
Quick kitchen clean
Before going to bed or after breakfast, use Clorox® Clean Up® Cleaner with Bleach on your counters and exterior appliance surfaces as directed, so that your kitchen will be clean, fresh and ready for the next time you use it.
Chocolate, An Antioxidant,Yeah!
Chocolate! There is no product in existence that can compare to dark chocolate for consumption. For the majority of us chocolate is an addiction. One billion people worldwide ate dark chocolate yesterday. They will do it again today,tomorrow, and the next day.
Excited about Chava! NCD has been added to dark chocolate!
Chocolate lovers look at the health benefits of chocolate and NCD, added together, WOW!
The fusion of NCD and a hyper-potent dark chocolate extract that has created an unheard of ORAC value of 33928. There is no other product in any distribution channel that even comes close. This incredible ORAC value has been certified by Brunswick Laboratories. This is the super food of all super foods!
STOP! There’s something about Chava you HAVE to know!
Chava, with its bold intense flavor, rich velvety overtones and smooth finish is designed to be savored in its entirety. Gourmet chocolate is like fine wine, and Chava is no exception. For the complete sensory experience, place the whole square on your tongue and let it melt slowly. The temptation to chew alone is an exhilarating exercise of restraint. Each dissolving layer will reward your patience, from the creamy organic cocoa butter to the robust cacao, and the tantalizing notes of almond and vanilla that will leave you yearning for more. The first piece is a decadent awakening of the senses, but it’s the second piece that’s truly divine. Anything less is unthinkable!
Lettuce Recall
Lettuce Recall, never fear……
The lettuce being recalled is the romaine lettuce. You can still have pretty salads and a salad that is so cool and refreshing without the fear of your lettuce being on the recalled list.
I prefer the green leaf head lettuce. I find there is no after taste, no re-tasting later during the night or feeling yucky after having eaten a salad.
The green leaf head lettuce can be found in most groceries. It is a great source of Vitamin, A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin K, calcium, iron, copper and antioxidants lutein and beta carotene. It is very low in saturated fats and cholesterol. On the charts, it would be listed as 0 for both. One cup and a half of loosely shredded is about 15 calories or a cup is about 9 calories.
Be sure to wash the lettuce in cool water and pat dry with a paper towel if you do not have a salad spinner which takes out the excess water, prior to bagging it for the refrigerator. If you take our the moisture, it should be good for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
When storing lettuce, be sure to store away from apples, pears and bananas. Ethylene gas, a natural ripening agent, causes lettuce to have brown spots and to decay much faster than normal. Discard lettuce that appears slimy or has black spots. Slimy lettuce is a sign of decomposing and the black spots are normally mold.
Of all the lettuces I have tried, I keep coming back to the green leaf head lettuce. When spun in a salad spinner after rinsing, its crispness and taste is so good. The green leaf head lettuce doesn’t bother me after eating it as many types of salad leaves do. I do not know why it doesn’t but it doesn’t. I’ve heard others say so too after trying this particular lettuce. Try it for yourself, now that romaine, is not the lettuce of choice in many areas due to the recall.
Check out my recipe section for several great salad choices–with or without the meat, they are excellent salad recipes.
Bon Appetite!
Simple Healthy Tips For Mealtime
Did you know, it’s important to spend a little time on the presentation of your meal?
You are more likely to enjoy a meal if it’s visually appealing as well as tasty.
A simple meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes can go from a hum drum look to a magnificent display by simply cooking your meat loaf in a bundt style stone or pan. Once the meat loaf is finished, dump onto a platter or in large round bowl, putting your mashed potatoes in the center. You could top the potatoes if you wish with a sprig of parsley or cilantra to add color.
Make every meal an occasion. Set the table. Use the real deal, not paper plates. Eat with your family. Sit down with them and eat together. Give yourself the opportunity to enjoy your food without distractions like television. At the family meal, you can truly connect with members of your family and hear about their day by being truly present with them.
You are less likely to overeat if you eat slowly and savour every mouthful. As you savour every mouthful of the meal, listen and savour every moment of sharing by the family during this special time together.
Bringing the family back to the table should be a goal for each of us. Meals at home are normally healthier, eaten in less of a hurry, and the reconnection of families. “priceless”!
Celebrating Another Birthday
“Celebrating Another Birthday” is a great theme for this year’s Relay For Life event! May and June are the months we think to celebrate “to honor” those fighting cancer and “to remember” those who lost the battle.
Celebrating “The Pampered Chef” way, Help Whip Cancer Campaign, is an awesome way to honor these individuals! Since Help Whip Cancer began in 2000, The Pampered Chef has raised more than $7.9 million for the American Cancer Society. Last year, the campaign raised more than $875,000 from Help Whip Cancer Fundraiser Shows and special pink-themed product sales. This year PC is hoping to raise 1 million dollars for The American Cancer Society through the sale of its “pink items”.
The a-May-zing thing is with the purchase of each “pink” item purchased, $1 goes to The American Cancer Society. This year’s limited-edition products include: Pink & White Dots Martini Glasses, Pink Color-Coated Tomato Knife, Pink & White Twixit! Clip Combo Pack, Help Whip Cancer Reusable Shopping Bag and Sweet Honey Vanilla Sprinkle, which is a delicious topper on cookies, cupcakes, pancakes and even grilled fruit.
As a breast cancer survivor my goal is to sell 500 of these items! If you would like to help me reach this goal, email me@ yvonne@getyvonne.com so I can provide you with the link through email which will help me reach or exceed that goal. Let’s Whip Cancer together!
Who can you “honor” by providing them with one of these beautiful gifts?