Why Cheese is so addictive

A 2015 Univ. of Michigan study found that the casein in cheese triggers the brain's opioid receptors, acting like a drug. This is why cheese is so addictive. Who knew, right?

Cheese really is like crack: Study reveals the food triggers the same part of the brain as drugs:

• Cheese is as addictive as drugs because of a chemical called casein
• This is found in dairy products and can trigger brain's opioid receptors
• Opiod receptors are linked to the control of pain, reward and addiction

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Ginger Lemon Water as an appetite suppressant

Fresh ginger, diced and chewed with salt to cut the astringent quality, has been a digestive aid for millennia (it's an AyurVedic remedy). It's also used as an appetite suppressant, for pain reduction and as an anti-inflammatory. Ginger... what's not to love?

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I am in love with ginger!  It all started with eating the side of pickled ginger they give you with your sushi order and from there it has grown into a full blown obsession!  I LOVE GINGER!!!    Ginger not only tastes refreshing and is so pleasing to my taste buds, it has soooooo many proven health benefits.  It's an amazing, ancient root that really does fall under the catagory of "super food".  I decided to try making my own ginger water initially to use in teas and cocktails.   I am so thrilled with the taste, however,  that I'm filling my Yeti with ice and taking the ginger water with me to watch my daughter's softball games.  It's that refreshing and yummy!  For those of you who are still back on the word "cocktail", don't you worry!  The Ginger Cocktail recipe will be coming soon.  So, without further adieu....I give you, ginger water!

Ginger Lemon Water Recipe

• thinly slice about a 2" piece of ginger root
• 1 lemon sliced
• 4-6 cups of boiling water
• Boil water and remove from heat. Add ginger and lemon to the hot water and let sit for about 20 minutes. Strain the ginger and lemon from the water and store in the refrigerator. Simple!

Ginger Lemon Water Recipe

Here are some of the ways ginger root can enhance our health:

1. Digestion/Appetite Suppressant 

There is something in ginger called phenolic compound that is known to help with gastrointestinal irritation.  Gingers beneficial effects on the enzymes trypsin and pancreatic lipase also suggest that is could help prevent nausea as well as colon cancer and constipation.  Ginger tea is also a great way to feel fuller, and is a natural appetite suppressant. It has a positive effect on norepinephrine and dopamine: two hormones that activate the part of the nervous system that reduce hunger.  

2. Pain reduction

A study involving 74 volunteers carried out at the University of Georgia found that daily ginger supplementation reduced exercise-induced muscle pain by 25 percent.  Ginger has also been shown to reduce cramps many women experience during their periods.

3. Inflammation

Ginger has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation and treat inflammatory conditions.  In a controlled trial of 247 people with osteoarthritis of the knee, those who took ginger extract had less pain and required less pain medication.  

Hopefully, I have piqued your interest in the amazing ginger root and you are willing to dip your toe in the ginger pool.  

Thirteen amazing ways the cucumber can enrich our lives:

Thirteen amazing ways the cucumber can enrich our lives:

1.
Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give
off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a
Few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers
have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks
great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10.Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemicals will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the
shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems