#453 – Debriding Garlic Cloves

There have been days that have gone by when I felt like something was missing. Then, I realized that I hadn’t had garlic. You see, I come from a long line of garlic-lovers, so it’s a must-have in our kitchen.

My husband is the official garlic squisher in our household, but I usually help by prepping the cloves.

Below, is the Garlic Peeler, which is basically a cylindrically-shaped rubber mat.

It’s not as effective, but you can also cut a large square from that grip-type shelf liner.

Here’s another trick, which I have yet to try. They assure you that you can peel a head of garlic in less than 10 seconds by using two bowls. Note: if you’re flaring, the whacking and the shaking may pose a problem.

Related post: Garlic: The Bulk Squeeze.

#452 – Readers’ Roundup of Resources 6

The village that cares to raise a child is the same one that helps build a community of care in the blogosphere.

Below, you’ll see some of the comments my lovely readers have cared to share on A Rheumful of Tips (ART).

On Au Revoir, Not Adieu, Pay It Forward has shared a success story with the use of natural treatments.

Deb reinforces the value of using an electric pepper mill on Gadget Tuesday Giveaway – Rotato, Potato, Beets… .

On A Leg To Stand On, Beth Havey reminds us about “comfortable function”.

Not exactly the Hokey Pokey, but Annette offers up a suggestion that improves balance, but also creates different neural connections on A Leg To Stand On.

When I read the inspirational responses to the question I asked in my giveaway, Tea(se) Your Taste Buds + a Giveaway, I immediately felt that sense of awe and ahhhh. Perhaps you will, too.

Lene is a font of information, and I’m glad she splashed some on Walk and Roll and on Over-Package This!

On Tea(se) Your Taste Buds + a Giveaway, Dorlee has a good alternate use for tea.

RA Cellist reminds us to keep our pets safe on Therapy Dog?

If you want to know more about what the ART villagers are offering, please check out Readers’ Roundup of Resources 1 to 5.

It’s giveaway time! All you have to do to enter is to answer one question on A giveaway for another piece of the address your stress puzzle. Stress – it’s in you to change.

#451 – Radishes lead to nutritional data

There they were – bright red globes of radishes that enticed me to drop them into the shopping basket.

When I got home, I wondered about the nutritional value of radishes, so I did a Google search. I landed on this page – Self Nutrition Data, which allows you to search for a particular food item. In addition to the regular nutrition facts, it also gives you a Glycemic Index (G.I.) rating and an Inflammation Factor.

In case you want to know, radishes are mildly anti-inflammatory.

Have you entered my giveaway for a copy of Manage Your Stress?

#450 – A giveaway for another piece of the address your stress puzzle

Manage Your Stress

“We know today that the story of our genes is much more intriguing, complicated, and adaptable than we ever imagined. In fact, our genes appear to be much more sensitive to the environment around us, and that environment may influence whether our genes will or will not activate. The combination of our surroundings and our genetic predisposition impacts us from the very moments we enter the world, and even in the womb itself.”

This quote is from the enlightening chapter on epigenetics in Manage Your Stress (Joseph S. Shrand, MD, with Leigh M. Devine, MS). It’s a quote that I feel is relevant to my predisposition to and development of RA. A combination of the world events that my parents lived through, that affected their relationship with each other and us children, addictions and personality traits, which consisted of a lot of negative feelings, including intense worry and feelings of never being enough.

I have been able to become my own gate-keeper, thanks to the stress techniques I regularly deploy, even when I’m not stressed. Every day I practice what I preach and build up resilience. Think of it as filling your pantry shelves with preserves marked ability, capability, endurance, performance – things that allow you to do well when the world has other plans.

In helping to build up your pantry of stress management goodies, I am delighted to be given an opportunity to review this book, then offer it as a giveaway. We all need reminders to take ourselves seriously enough to lead a designed-by-us life, not one that is dictated by Stress Uncontrolled.

Filled with plenty of links to case studies, Manage your Stress will open your eyes to the deleterious effects of stress, but it won’t leave you hanging, wondering “What next?” In a user-friendly format, you’ll learn how stress impacts your immune system, cardiac system, your gastrointestinal tract, how you sleep, and your brain function. You’ll get a good grounding in things you can do to start making a difference – now. This book is not only about “overcoming stress in the modern world”, it is also about being well by developing good living habits, with information on nutrition, relationships, time, structuring your home life, and so much more.

As I tell my clients, when you have knowledge, about not only how stress impacts you, but more importantly, what to do about it, plus the practice of practising your new behaviours, you can expect to see a change – one that will leave you feeling better – in ways that may delight you!

If you are puzzled by what to do about your stress, enter this giveaway for your own copy of Manage Your Stress.

How to Enter and Rules:

1. To enter the giveaway, explain how you know when you are stressed. (To leave your answer, click the green Comment link, below.)
2. Entries must be received by midnight PDT, on Sunday, May 19, 2013.
3. In order to enter, you must have a Canadian or U.S. mailing address.
4. For extra entries to the draw, let’s get social:
   - On Twitter share the following: I just entered a #giveaway for a copy of Manage Your Stress  from @AuntieStress. You can, too! http://wp.me/p1OifR-1OZ
   - On Pinterest share a comment or repin the giveaway on my Giveaways Board
5. One winning entrant will be drawn from a hat. You will be notified via email. Your name will appear here, on Twitter and on Pinterest.