Garlic is a very pungent ingredient for many dishes and has many health benefits. I, being a lover of cooking and trying new recipes, use garlic regularly in my meals. It is truly good for you, though maybe not for your breath. Garlic, according to Wikipedia, is claimed to help prevent heart disease including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It even helps to regulate blood sugar levels and decrease complications of diabetes. You can throw them in soups, roast them with vegetables, marinate them for meats, and add them to mashed potatoes. Here are two recipes that I love that use garlic as a central ingredient. Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinegar Infused Garlic Dip

3-4 bulbs of garlic
2 Tbsp dried basil leaves
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Peel garlic into cloves and finely chop.
Heat up a non-stick frying pan on high. Pour the olive oil into the pan and let it heat up. Turn the heat down to medium high. Add the garlic and let it slowly turn golden brown. Stir constantly. This will take about 4-6 minutes.
Remove garlic and oil from the heat and pour into a bowl/container.
Add the basil and stir around.
Add the balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy w/ bread or on a salad!

Seasoned Red Potatoes with Garlic Cloves

1 large bulb of garlic, peeled into individual cloves, then halved
10 small red russet potatoes, cut into quarters with skin intact
1 Tbsp Italian herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil)
¼ Tbsp salt
¼ Tbsp pepper
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and put into an oven-safe glass dish. Place dish into oven and cook for 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring contents with a wooden spoon once or twice. Remove after 45 minutes and let sit for 2 minutes. Enjoy as a delicious side dish.

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If it were a perfect world, you and I would be eating about 9 different fruits and veggies a day, exercise often, and love it.  However, the world is not perfect, and neither are the humans living in it.  Fruit and veggies can be delicious, but sometimes putting the time and effort to prepare or purchase such a variety can be a task few can achieve and maintain.  Here are some vital nutrients we need, where to find them, and the alternative: a multivitamin.

Calcium Every woman is at risk for developing osteoporosis and we need at least 1,000 milligrams a day.  You can find calcium in milk, yogurt, cheese and canned salmon.

Vitamin D This vitamin helps calcium get absorbed into your body to maintain bone strength as well as promoting your immune system.  You need at least 400 International Units a day and can be found in fortified milk, cod liver oil, salmon, and swiss cheese.

Folic Acid You need this especially when you are preparing for a child or are pregnant already.  Studies have shown that a lack of folic acid can be linked to developmental problems for your child.  You need 400 micrograms a day and you can find these in leafy greens and legumes.

Iron Essential to your body for transportation of oxygen throughout your body, muscle maintenance, and prevention of anemia, you need 18 milligrams a day.  Iron is usually found in lean beef, spinach, shrimp and, yummy, liver.

These are only a few vitamins you need.  So unless you eat a lot of fruit, nuts, veggies and drink milk daily, then perhaps an “insurance” plan would be a multivitamin.  You don’t lost much from taking one a day and it will give you all the essential nutrients you need for a healthy life.  However, you still need to eat healthy and exercise, as well as avoid smoking and excessive drinking.  What a multivitamin does is give you the vitamins you may have missed that day, not a day pass to indulge in chocolate all day.  You can find some great multivitamins at your local food store.  Ultimately, it is being aware of what your body needs and making the conscious effort to treat it as your temple.

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The average adult requires about seven to nine hours of sleep. It allows time for your body to heal itself and rejuvenate for a new day.  If you are getting less sleep but find yourself needing naps, coffee, or other stimulants to keep you up during the day, read on.

When you are sleep deprived, a roller coaster of negative effects occur in your body.  Your blood pressure increases, which spikes up your risk of stroke and heart disease. Levels of insulin resistance also increase, causing blood sugar levels to go up higher than normal, therefore leading to higher chances of diabetes. Your production of antibodies go into decline, making your immune system more susceptible to illness, allergies, and feeling overall like crap. With less sleep, you demonstrate poor memory, slower reaction time (which explains a lot of car accidents due to lack of sleep), and decreased cognitive ability. Occupational and Environmental Medicine once did a study in 2000 that showed people who have not slept for 17-19 hours demonstrate the same motor and cognitive skills of a person who has a blood alcoholic content of 0.05%, with a decrease in alertness by 77%, response speed by up to 15% and reaction time by 200%.


If that doesn’t scare you enough, that is just the beginning.  When your blood pressure goes up, your levels of cortisol also go up.  Cortisol is a hormone that instigates the stress response.  So here you are, sleepy, and you are stressed for no reason but the fact that you are sleepy.  Your body is trying to keep you stressed so you stay awake.  If you think that’s good, think again.  Being constantly in stress mode, you actually make your body agitated and unable to function normally.  Therefore your  metabolism goes down and you start gaining weight.  Studies have shown that increases in cortisol levels demonstrate an increase in abdominal fat and overall weight gain.

So why do you need your beauty sleep? Not because for beauty’s sake.  Your health depends on it.  A beautiful snob is gorgeous inside and out.  Here is how you can get better sleep.

Get a routine. Have a consistent sleeping schedule, even on the weekends.  To help you get to sleep easier, try reading a light book or magazine before bed or listen to soft music.

Don’t worry, be sleepy. When you are worried, you end up having horrible sleep.  Your body just can’t get into the deep sleep it needs to rejuvenate.  Make time before bed a key time to just be at peace and quiet.  Try relaxation techniques also.  Forward bending yoga poses, such as the child’s pose, is great.

Turn off the tube.  In fact, don’t have a TV in your room.  The light from the TV can make your body’s natural clock think it’s earlier than it is, making sleep difficult.  TV programming is usually stimulating, so it only keeps your body awake instead of calming it down.

Eat well. Avoid heavy and spicy meals before bed.  Also don’t drink so many fluids right before you sleep, or expect visits to the toilet in the middle of the night, which messes up your sleeping patterns.  Liquids definitely include alcohol and caffeine, which both end up interfering with your sleep.  Foods that help you sleep include whole-grain, low-sugar cereals, granolas, and bread with peanut butter or some turkey.  A banana helps and even some low-fat milk or yogurt.

Make your room a place to sleep.  Make sure your bed is large, soft and welcoming.  Invest in cozy comforters and super soft sheets.  Eliminate unnecessary noise.  If neighbors keep you up, you can turn on a fan to make some sort of white noise to block them out.  Keep your room dark by turning off the lights and using your window blinds effectively to block out street lights.  Keep your room at a comfortable temperature and make sure you have enough ventilation.

Lastly, exercise regularly. Morning and afternoon exercise is considered better, as evening exercise may stimulate the body.  However, any exercise is good, so fit it in to give your body a “thanks” for all it’s doing for you during the day.  Check out our older article regarding catching some more zzz’s.

Your body is your temple.  Treat it well, and it will do the same for you.  Happy sleeping!

Special thanks to a friend who helped provide some useful research for this article.

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I recently started going to a pilates studio and I am loving it! I tend to call myself a yoga-lover, but adding some pilates for core strengthening and toning is great for every body.

Pilates focuses on mind-body movements that improve flexibility, agility and has shown to decrease lower back pain. It uses a floor mat and exercise equipment to challenge your body in a safe environment.

I’ve used Winsor Pilates before, but nothing compares to a class with an instructor to guide your movements. My abs feel tighter and my arms and thighs look more sleek after a few weeks. It takes hard work, but it’s totally worth it. Prepare for summer with pilates and find a studio near you!

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Image Credit: www.pilates.com