Home Maid Simple

Tag: health

Everyday Enzymes that Help Digestion

Start getting the most out of your food with the help of Everyday Enzymes.

I had the opportunity last week to talk to Dr. Liz Cruz, the creator of Everyday Enzyme’s. I’m no health nut, and struggle understanding most health-related topics. Being able to talk with Dr. Cruz about the Everyday Enzyme’s was extremely helpful to me, and I hope it will, in turn, help you.

What are Enzymes?

Enzymes are biochemical catalysts. They work to break down our food into molecules so that our body can process more of the nutrition held within.

The following are the questions I asked Dr Cruz, and her answers summarized by me.

Why make Everyday Enzymes?

Dr. Cruz works as a gastroenterologist in Arizona. She had many clients complaining of issues such as feeling bloated, not feeling that their food was digesting, acid reflux, heartburn, low energy, and feeling moody. In her words “it’s much more than just gastrointestinal.” Dr. Cruz went on to explain the phenomenon known as the Enzyme Gap, which is a study that says every 10 years our bodies enzyme production goes down. She says there are 2 ways to combat this gap. #1. Eat Healthy. #2. Eat Enzymes

For awhile she would suggest over-the-counter enzymes but found because of the lack of quality in many pills, they still weren’t helping much. So she decided to make Everyday Enzyme’s as pure and natural as possible.

What would you say is the most important ingredient in Everyday Enzymes?

This was a fun conversation that I found very telling about the product. Dr. Cruz gave it a lot of thought and finally admitted to me that she didn’t believe anyone ingredient was more important than the others. She has worked to create a pill full of different enzymes all equally important to break different nutrients.

What makes Everyday Enzymes better than eating Activia Yogurt?

This is where I learned quite a bit. Activia and other good yogurts are full of probiotics. Probiotics and Enzymes are not the same things. The probiotics add good bacteria that help keep our guts healthy, while Enzyme’s actually helped break down the food.

How will I know if Everyday Enzymes is working for me?

Everyone is different, so it depends on the individual and why they are taking it. For her clients, it should help get rid of the feeling of bloating, or undigested food. In her own words “I take them, not because I have issues, but I’m 52, and in the long run I know they’ll help me.”

So whether you’re taking them as something to benefit you, or to specifically help with gastrointestinal problems, how they show their effectiveness will be different. Dr. Cruz suggests taking them for at least 30 days, but preferably 90 days to start seeing any difference in health.

Are Everyday Enzymes FDA approved?

Since this is not a drug, but a health supplement, the FDA does not treat it the same. However, because getting quality enzymes into these pills is important to Dr. Cruz, all of the ingredients are FDA certified.

I’m Having a Cholecystectomy, how will Everyday Enzyme’s benefit me?

This was a more personal question, as I was getting ready to have my gallbladder removed, and wanted to know if there were any specific benefits I could find taking Everyday Enzymes. Dr. Cruz told me whenever one of her patients has a cholecystectomy she encourages them to take enzymes. The function of our gallbladder is basically a back-up to help with our digestion. By taking away that back-up, I can use all the extra help in the digestion tract available.

If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Cruz and the Everyday Enzyme’s visit www.drlizcruz.com/

September 7, 2018
How Daily Exercise Can Help You Burn Fat

I am sure you already know by now that exercise burns fat, but do you know how it happens? The process of weight loss is not as complicated as many fat burning products companies would want us to believe, but you need to know the inner-workings of the system to burn fat properly.

Image credit Pixabay

I battled fat for years before I learned all the nooks and crannies of the process, which is why I think you should be well-informed before starting your own journey. So, if you want to know how working out will get you slimmer, have a look at the tips below. I’ll also let you in on some of the most effective exercises for stubborn fat.

Physical Activity Creates New Muscles

Even though men are the most interested in muscle growth, the current standard of beauty has women interested in weight lifting as well. Nowadays, it’s a lot sexier to be toned and have nicely contoured muscles than being skinny, so there is no wonder more women go to the gym.

But how do we grow muscles? Well, first it’s important to know that I am talking about skeletal muscles (the ones we use to move). These are made of muscle fibers, which when put under pressure from physical exercises tears down. This is why you have that burning sensation when you work out right.

Furthermore, muscle growth doesn’t happen if you don’t allow the body to rest and rebuild. During the pause period (usually two or three days), new muscle fibers are being created, to repair the damage. As a result, the muscle becomes thicker and bigger, which is why you start to look toned.

Now, muscles burn calories even when you’re idle (sitting on the couch, for instance). This means that, as you grow more muscles, you’ll get leaner at a faster pace.

Aerobic Exercises Are Amazing Fat Burners

It is scientifically proven that aerobic exercise has a powerful impact on our brain by improving memory and making us sharper. But it is also a great way to burn fat and get leaner if you do it right.

Aerobic exercises like biking or jogging require a lot of energy and need to be done at a certain intensity and for a specific amount of time to provide results. So, if you feel you can’t get your heart racing fast enough, maybe you should consider some fat burners.

I had a chat with the guys at bestfatburners.co, and they told me that fat burners (the high-quality ones) are designed to give you a boost of energy and increase endurance for better exercise performance. So, if you feel drained before a workout, you may want to try some of these products.

Intensity Matters the Most

Scientists looking to decipher the connection between exercise and weight loss discovered that it’s not about how much you exercise; it’s how vigorously you do it. It turns out that if you do high intensity exercises, you don’t need to spend a few hours in the gym every day. Heck, you may not even have to spend one hour!

High intensity training builds muscle and bone mass, which in turn leads to fat burning, better resistance, and a leaner aspect. So, the goal is to exercise to be fit, not to lose weight. The latter part will come as a delightful bonus.

Food is Still Important

Now, if you think you can exercise and eat as many donuts as you want, you’re wrong! You still need to be disciplined when it comes to food, but if you exercise right and use the necessary products, you won’t have to starve yourself.

Food is transformed into energy, which is why you have to keep it as clean and healthy as possible (with the occasional slip).

August 30, 2018
How to Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter

How to Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter

Snow, hot chocolate, and sledding are all things we associate with the cold winter months. Runny noses, chills, and hacking coughs are also all things that we, unfortunately, associate with the winter season. Having the flu or a cold of any kind puts a damper on a season that’s supposed to be fun and filled with joy. Don’t let your family fall victim to the sickness and illness of the winter season this year. Here are a few tips to keep your family healthy this winter.

Eat consciously

Being out in the cold weather weakens your immune system. So you need to make sure that everyone’s immune system is strengthened to make up for the cold weather. This starts with making sure that everyone in the family is eating a little bit healthier. The cold season is often filled with sugary sweets and candy, which makes this task even harder. You may not be able to completely eliminate these treats, but you can add extra vitamins and vegetables to counteract the sugar.

Try adding an extra vegetable at every single meal during the day. Add bell peppers to your scrambled eggs at breakfast, or slice an avocado to eat atop your toast. At lunch, add a few different vegetables to your sandwich, such as cucumbers or sprouts. At dinner, try to make at least a third of the plate be vegetables.

Try one of these sandwiches

If you and your family have a hard time finishing your dinner greens, experiment with new ways to season them! Try roasting vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts, and asparagus, in the oven with a little balsamic vinegar and garlic. Or sautee green beans or snap peas with butter and an all-purpose seasoning mix. Packing your diet with vegetables will give you the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, in the purest form.

Keep things clean

Germs live all over your home, in places you wouldn’t think to look. Make sure you routinely clean all of these germ homes, to keep your chances of catching a virus low.

Switch plates, phones, keyboards, remote controls, doorknobs, faucets, and your car steering wheel are all places you should start cleaning more regularly, that you probably don’t think of! You can use a disinfectant cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth to displace those germs. This link has useful tips for effectively cleaning common surfaces of your home.

Immune supplements

Even cleaning up germs and eating more vegetables alone isn’t going to keep the flu from plaguing your home over these last few months of winter. To really boost your immune system and help keep you and your whole family healthy, consider adding a few immune boosting supplements into your daily diet.

Simple things like vitamin c, vitamin d, zinc, and elderberry will help keep you all sniffle-free. These are all best when found naturally in food sources, but taking a multivitamin in the morning will help keep you feeling a little bit better until we have a little more daily access to the sun. Cooking with lots of garlic will also help boost your immune system, as long as your family is okay with a little bit of garlic breath!

Related post: Health Benefits of a Pineapple Turmeric Cleanser

Stay hydrated

A hydrated body is a healthy body. When it’s not as hot outside, people tend to forget how important it is to drink lots of water throughout the whole day.

Carry around a water bottle with you throughout the day, to help you remember to drink enough water. You can also set up reminders on your phone to remember to drink all day long. Make sure to have a brimming glass of water with every meal as well, even if you’re drinking other things with your meal.

Hydration is even more important if you do find yourself sick. Fevers will dehydrate you quickly, as well as vomiting which is all too common with the flu. Staying hydrated will help you recover quickly and keep you from getting sick again this season. Taking a steamy shower or bath will also help your body get rid of some of the sickness and gunk making its home in your body, and be more ready to be hydrated. Even just sitting in a steamy bathroom will open up your airways and help you feel healthier.

January 17, 2018
The Sick Kids Basket to Keep Them on the Couch
When the kids are sick and have to stay home from school, having a sick kids basket will keep them from feeling bored. Thanks to Pfizer for sponsoring this post. The Pfizer Pediatric Platform products, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. All thoughts and reviews are my own. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click through and make a purchase.

I am not a doctor! For medical advice consult with your local doctor.

There’s little I dread more, then a kid waking up on a school day sick. Then they have to stay home. Your day is thrown off, and if you were planning any errands – restocking the empty fridge or returning overdue library books – they get thrown out the window.

Even if it’s not a school day, getting kids to rest when they are sick is a challenge. After Venice had a bout of the sickies last week, I decided it was high time we had an activity basket that only came out on sick days. Sick Just Got Real™!

I sat down with my sister in law to make this list, and while shopping at Target picked up a couple more items that stood out to me. These are all things that I would find useful no matter the sickness. From colds, flu, and strep, to broken bones and post-surgery recovery.

In My Sick Kids Basket:
- audiobooks/books
- coloring
- ball
- playing cards
- notecards
- pencils
- LEGO set
- BrainQuest
- WaterBottle
- Sanitizing Wipes
- Battery operated LED Light stick
- Applesauce squeezers
- Individual Gatorade Packs
My sick kids basket may not look like yours, but these are things I know my kids would enjoy. I tried to focus on items that could be wiped down before putting away to avoid spreading germs. – Books, playing cards, balls, LEGO pieces, LED Light and the water bottle are all washable with the sanitizing wipes stored in the basket.

Keeping the kids’ minds sharp while missing school is also important. I’m not talking stress them out because they do need to be resting, but games like BrainQuest will keep them learning in a fun way.

I also added note cards and pencils to the basket. What better way to teach them the value of handwritten notes, then when they’re stuck relying on others to care for them?

Applesauce and Gatorade should be staples in every home. If your family is like mine though, if those are sitting in the cupboard, they won’t last until someone is sick. By storing them in the sick kids’ basket I know I’ll have some when they are really needed.

As much as I love my sick kids’ basket, and it helps keep them confined to one area without getting too bored, it’s not going to help get them well. Taking another page out of my sister in laws book –and it helps her hubby is a PA – I decided I needed to start separating our medicines by illness.

I’m so tired of pulling out our Medicine Box to try and find a fever reducer, or cough suppressant. By the time I find it, or realize we’re out, the medicine box is a mess, and the kids are just dying!

Thanks to Pfizer Pediatric Products, I now have a well-stocked Cough and Cold Medicine Basket! In this smaller basket, I have all our get better needs – Children’s Advil®, Children’s Robitussin®, and Children’s Dimetapp®.

If you ask my husband, I hate taking medicine (truth), but when it comes to getting the kids better, I know and trust the Pfizer Pediatric family. With the Chldren’s Dimetapp® being alcohol free, I feel safe giving it to them.

I then added in my extras like Chapstick, Tissues, and Honey. Honey is another one of those food staples everyone usually has, but when I really need it, it’s all out. Keeping one bottle in the Cough and Cold Medicine Box will make sure I always have it handy.

Help Kids Avoid the Sickies
- Wash Hands frequently. Help teach them how important this is, and practice with them.
- Eat Healthy and Exercise. I think kids naturally rebound from, and have a hard time resting during the sickies, because they are generally fairly active. This goes for adults too. The better you take care of your body, the better chance you have of avoiding illness or rebounding faster from it
- Take Vitamin C. Don’t like taking pills, there are a lot of natural ways to boost your Vitamin C intake. I personally love this Vitamin C Boost drink.
- Probiotics! Another staple, but something you can’t really keep in the medicine box, is yogurt! Full of probiotics, they help fight those bad bugs.
The next step is keeping these baskets out of the kids reach. We have an awesome shelf in the laundry room that is even too high for me without pulling in a kitchen chair to grab. This is a safer location than under our master bathroom sink where we’ve previously stored them.

What would be in Your Kids Sick Basket?

~~GIVEAWAY~~

~~Pfizer Pediatric Products would like to send 1 Home Maid Simple reader a bundle to help keep their family healthy through coughs and colds!~~

~~Open to US 18+. Ends 4/12/16~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for more ideas to store medicine? Check out my First Aid Kit.
April 5, 2016
Can you feel the beat…to beat Polio? Spread the word by dancing and donating to Shot@Life

Black Friday is behind us, and Cyber Monday is almost here. What I look forward to every year though is Giving Tuesday – a time that truly helps remind me of all I have and should be grateful for. This Giving Tuesday I’ll be donating to Shot@Life to help kids around the world beat polio. Check out the initiative below and then join me in dancing to beat polio!

Did you know that in 1988 there were 350,000 cases of polio in 125 countries? Today there are only 51 cases in 2 countries! We have almost eradicated this debilitating disease completely!

This year Shot@Life is encouraging everyone to take to social media and share videos or gifs of you, your family, and/or friends dancing to help spread the word, and encourage those who can to donate to Shot@Life. Why dance you ask? Polio often causes paralysis, making walking – let alone dancing – impossible for some. We want to live in a world where everyone can dance!

This year Nigeria was removed from the list of polio cases. If it stays polio-free, Africa will be polio free for the first time! With your donations to Shot@Life, the UN helps deliver billions of polio vaccines to kids each year, along with other essential health care services.

Will you donate? Share your dance videos with #ShotatLife and spread the word!

November 28, 2015
Take care of your health by tracking your Heart Rate with Beets Blu

*This is a sponsored post. I received product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% honest.*

Taking care of our health as we get older becomes increasingly more important. We start seeing the effects of our childhood choices, and sometimes wishing we had made different ones. I’m taking the first step back to better health by tracking my heart rate with a Beets Blu heart rate monitor.

As a kid I enjoyed running. Cross Country was the only sport I felt I could do, because it meant a team didn’t have to rely on me. I tried softball, and while fun I felt I held the team back with my lack of sporty skills. Getting outside though has always been an important part of my life. Whether it was camping and hiking, or playing family baseball or tennis with my Dad.

One day I woke up and was an adult. I had to clean house. Do laundry. Go to work. Take school classes. Have kids. Care for them. Where did all my time go?! Moving to Indiana has been one of the best things for my body, because now I live near family who are passionate about exercise and want me to enjoy it again too.

Every Thursday my sister in law and I go running with our 2 little boys in the double stroller. She uses an app called Strava (Find me!), and helped me set up an account. When I got the Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor she showed me how to get it set up, and also explained why it’s a good idea to track your heart rate.

I’ve never used a heart rate monitor before, so was unsure what to expect. I really really liked the Beets Blu monitor though. The strap is a perfect width that when I put it on, it didn’t bother me at all. I was worried it would be too thick, or move around a bunch, but it didn’t! My next concern was connecting it by bluetooth to my phone. Would it really hold the connection?

The answer – YES! I ran a 1.5 mile and it tracked the whole thing. Using the Strava app on my phone in my arm band, I could see where my heart rate spiked while chatting and running with my sister in law, and where it slowed because we stopped to walk the hill. So cool you guys!

How will you take back your health?

November 7, 2015
Weekend Bites #29 Healthy Eating

New to Weekend Bites? Here’s the run down
Visit my cohost Debi at Practical Parenting

1. Link up your any food related post below

2. Browse the linky, visit some new blogs, and share if you feel so inclined.

3. Please only link up 3 posts. This lets us visit as many of you as possible.
4. By linking up you give me permission to feature your photos on Home Maid Simple (always linking back to you of course!)

5. Each month I send out a newsletter with the most popular links from that month – you may be featured!! This is a once a month newsletter, every first Friday of the month, no spamming involved. Subscribe!

Do you know what happens when you pick up a night job? Yeah. My house is a DISASTER ZONE! We’re all learning here though, and the kids have been fantastic about letting me rest during the day. Thankfully it’s just a temporary position I’m taking over for a friend on vacation. Another side effect is I’ve made some bad eating habits, and all the weight I currently lost, has come back plus some. Which wouldn’t really bother me, except that I know better. So this week’s features are some good healthy looking recipes you all shared. Hoping to get back on track!

FEATURES

Flourless Butternut Squash Muffins

from Healthy Helper

Balsamic Beet Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

from A Dish of Daily Life

Baked Strawberry Lemon Salmon

from Spoonful of Flavor

Paleo Almond Crusted Tilapia

from Creatively Homespun

Grab a Featured Button!

An InLinkz Link-up

April 10, 2015
The Power of a Smile

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, Colgate-Palmolive. All opinions are mine alone. #OpticSmiles #CollectiveBias.

Have you ever noticed how one person’s smile can change your day? It could be from your neighbor, your friend, your children, your mother to the cashier, waitress, or mailman. Smiles are truly powerful little muscles on our face.

A smile can say many many things, but here are 4 powerful messages I read in a person’s smile.

LOVE

When someone smiles at me, I feel loved. To me a smile is like giving a hug. We can’t go around hugging everyone that needs one (though you would be awesome in my book if you did), but we can give smiles out freely.

STRENGTH

A smile gives someone strength. We have this greeter at Walmart who always welcomes us with a smile and stickers and suckers for the kids. His smile gets me through the store in one piece, especially when I’ve got all the kids tagging along.

COURAGE

Smile’s are often given out, but by giving yourself a smile. Working those muscles out for you, you giving yourself courage. There’s the phrase “grin and bear it”, which tells us exactly this.

SAFETY

A smile from a loved one, reminds me that I’m safe with them. I can talk to them and be myself. When you give a smile, you let someone know they can feel safe around you.

See, I told you smiles are powerful! Sometimes though, we may not want to open up because we’re embarrassed. We may feel our smile judged like Yzma’s was by Kuzco. By nature humans have a tendency to judge, and the last thing we want is our powerful smiles to be in this spotlight. I took Colgate® Optic White® Express White toothpaste for a test drive, and WOW! With 2x more whitening power (vs Optic White® Sparkling Mint® TP), I was blown away with the results.

Whose teeth are these?! As you can see, I don’t have the straightest teeth in the world, but I came to terms with that a long time ago. The yellow however, often had me closing my mouth, too scared I would offend instead of uplift.

I know the power of smiles, so it’s time we use that! I printed out some of those SMILE cards above, and we headed back to Walmart to spread some love. Princess R helped me, and we left some smiles around for other customers to find. We started of course with our greeter, and ended sharing more than just smiles with some kids in need.

After Walmart we headed out to give one more smile to someone unexpectedly. Mark eats a lot of microwave noodles for lunch, and sometimes it’s soda and a poptart. We sent a quick text “Are you busy? Do you want a sandwich? We’re Outside!” He ran out to meet us with a big grin, and we reciprocated with a smile, a card, a sandwich and an apple.

Spur of the moment world changing power going on right there folks! Honestly I really should be better at sending him with lunch…we’re working on that.

Next time you’re at Walmart, spread some smiles, and pick up your own bottle of Colgate® Optic White® Express White. On 2/28 select stores will have roaming demo’s and $1 Off coupons – see if your store is on the list.

How will you change the world with a smile today?

February 25, 2015
Relax and save this Holiday Season

This post is part of
the HEALTHY ESSENTIALS®
2014 program by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. and
The Motherhood, who sent me a box of products and compensated me for
my time. Opinions, experiences and photos shared here are all my own,
and I hope you enjoy them.

Third party trademarks
used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

The holidays are upon us, and that usually means lots of shopping, baking, cooking, wrapping, running around, and last minute everything! That of course usually comes with a ton of stress as well, and sometimes indulging in way more sugar then we otherwise would.

I’ve got you covered though with the help of Johnson & Johnson’s Healthy Essentials, I can indulge (and so can you!) during this busy time of year, but with a whole lot less guilt. Did you know Splenda® makes a brown sugar blend? Neither did I until now. I’m so glad I found it though. It has made the immense amount of cookies I’ve baked and eaten a little less guilty. I decided to try out some homemade caramels this week, and they turned out wonderful!

Seriously, I love caramels. I’ve never made them at home before, because well, that’s a lot of sugar that I would end up eating. I may have been a bit too excited about the Splenda Brown Sugar…but it just totally made me smile. Are you ready to indulge in half the calories this season?

Homemade Caramels

Ingredients

1/4 cup + 2 TBS Splenda Brown Sugar

1/3 cup salted butter

1/3 cup Corn Syrup

1/3 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a pan. Cook over medium heat, while constantly stirring. When it starts to boil, cook for another 2-5 minutes. Or drop a little into a bowl of ice water. It if forms a good ball, you’re ready. Remove the caramel from the heat. Pour into a buttered 9×9 pan. Allow to cool completely. Cut, and wrap in either wax paper or plastic wrap.

Now that I have a plate full of caramels (and I may have made a second batch and just poured it into a jar for ice cream topping…), I can sit back and relax tonight. With other products like Neutrogena’s long wear makeup, and Clean & Clear’s Night Relaxing face wash, I can truly relax this season. I may have a lot of running around to do still, and many more lines to stand in at the post office, but I don’t have to let those things stress me out.

Find savings on your Healthy Essentials this holiday – up to $35 in printable coupons!

How are you relaxing this holiday season?

December 11, 2014
AlternaVites Kids Giveaway

I’ve told you all about my picky kids right? Sometimes I look at my oldest and wonder whether she actually eats anything. It’s like watching a bird pick at her food, tiny little pecks here and there. Now I do know she eats, her lunch always comes home empty from school, and if I make the right thing, she’ll clean her plate. But I do worry about getting the right vitamins, so we’ve turned to kid vitamins periodically to give a little boost. I was excited to learn about these new powder vitamins, that might make getting those nutrients just a tad easier into my kids.

Two lucky winners will receive a month supply of alternaVites Kids FREE!

Practical Parenting was recently given the opportunity to try a sample of alternaVites Kids, and had an awesome experience! Read her review.

alternaVites offer essential vitamins and minerals in powder form so there’s no need for chalky chewable or sugary gummy varieties! alternaVites Kids come in two great flavors, Strawberry Bubblegum and Raspberry Cotton Candy, and are intended as a dietary supplement for kids 4 years old and up.

For additional fun, download the alternaVites Kids activity packet.

Entry -Form

Good luck!!!

If you would like to purchase alternaVites, they can be ordered online at alternaVites.com. Starting this week they will also be available at your local Walmart! Check for store locations, and print a $2 off coupon!

Disclosure: This website was not compensated for this post. My website/blog is not responsible for fulfillment of this prize. Prizes will be shipped by the individual sponsor listed (alternaVites). This giveaway and post are not affiliated, endorsed, or sponsored by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or any other social media platforms. If you have any questions, please contact Debi with Practical Parenting.

September 11, 2014