Hawaii Trip Day 6 Napali Coast Tour

One of the group tour we signed up for was the Napoli coastline tour, I was concerned that we would be on a inflatable raft instead of the nicer catamaran, it was the first thing I had asked when we arrived on the island.  We, were more than excited to see that we would we on a larger watercraft and eagerly waited for the day to arrive.  Our day started extra early, before the sun was up actually, we all boarded the cushy bus and started out in the same direction we had driven the day before.

For the balance of this story click here. 

Blogger Review: Discovering Bizchickblogs

Blogger Review: Discovering Bizchickblogs

Image Via: BizChicksBlogs

Right off the bat I find the site for BizChicksBlogs visually appealing with a crisp layout. Their posts are neatly organized and topped with a slider that showcases the premier articles. The header area has many options for finding information about the site and what they are about. At the very top you can find a detailed archive page, plus an entire page dedicated to their RSS reed and also locate the community and contributors. In the header menu you will find links to articles sorted by category, I am excited as I can see that I have a lot of interesting reading to do in what I am discovering to be an excellent resource for this chicklet.
I was really interested in the community pages as it describes who they are and how to become active with their group. Submitting your RSS feed, commenting on posts, interacting on Twitter or Facebook, reviewing their content on your blog or sending feedback posts to them are all suggested ways to get involved.

The exciting part is that once you have become active with this group you can qualify for either reader of the month or featured contributor.

~ The featured contributor will have their original work, along with a bio, avatar and IRL displayed site wide.
~ The reader of the month comes from comments and interaction, they win a $10 Amazon gift card.
These are all excellent avenues for getting yourself noticed in the blogging community while learn a lot of new and interesting things. As I look through this site my mind is filling full of ideas on what I need to do with my own blog to make it more appealing for my readers.
Also on the contributor page you learn about the BlogFrog, joining in this area also links you to bloggers with an option to install a chat widget on your site, this makes your blog more interactive and engaging for your reader.
This is a fantastic blog for any woman, the categories are all very appealing and relevant. Not only can you read about health and fitness but you can also update your style, get travel tips, discover restaurants and recipes, read their business section and learn the latest about technology. While this is a site dedicated to women, you can also find a category titled “he says” which gives men a voice as well.
Curiosity peaked, I searched the page for the link to join and become involved, I found it in the footer section and quickly checked that out as well. I have to say this site is noticeably professionally done, everything is clearly laid out and yet easy to follow and read. The join page details their expectations and guidelines for joining and contributing to their site. You must have a Gravatar, have original content and permission to use all images shown on your posts. The section discussing photo usage approval even includes tips for finding free photos to use and/or how to get proper permission. You must be a chick to be syndicated with BizChicksblogs, sorry fellas, yet men can contribute under the “he says” section, men can’t be syndicated.
So this is my first impression of BizChicksBlogs, I hadn’t heard of the site before I became involved with the BlogEngage contest but now that I have found it I am sure that I will be spending a lot of time there. Finding this resource for information comes at a time when I have been looking to reduce clutter in my home, reduce my waste stream and search for online content. I feel that BizChicksBlogs offers just that, I am getting a vibe of online magazine geared towards women, something that I have been searching for and now feel that I have found.
If you haven’t already taken the time to read BizChicksBlogs then I would highly recommend it as their content is worth your time.

The Bear Dare does P90X

Don't dare to go bare!? Still promising yourself you'll lose those holiday pounds? Struggling to get back into last year's swimsuit? Are looking for support to keep your fitness motivation up? If you answered yes to any of those question … Continue reading →The Bear Dare does P90X

Month of the Military Child: Build-A-Bear Giveaway Via: General Sarge

April is Month of the Military Child and General Sarge is proud to join with Build-A-Bear Workshop in giving one military child a military Build-A-Bear. As you know General Sarge is a Build-A-Bear himself. Since the beginning of this adventure, we’ve been thrilled, honored and privileged to have the support of the fine people connected with Build-A-Bear.

GeneralSarge.com pleased to connect with Build-A-Bear to honor a military child who’s parent is currently serving in the military.

Click below to enter:

Entering The Name of A Military Child
For the Giveaway

Month of the Military Child: Build-A-Bear Giveaway Via: General Sarge

The Inside Scoop: Shakeology, what's in there

How do you feel about disease prevention, a natural "face-lift", skin rejuvenation, memory enhancement, improved sense of well being, aid for diabetes control, an endurance aid and tool to fight cancer? It’s all in there! I encourage you to research the Shakeology ingredients for yourself but, for your convenience, here is an introduction to them.
Acerola powder (fruit) -
Camu-Camu powder (fruit) -
Pomegranate powder (fruit) -

Blueberry powder (fruit) -
Lycium (Goji) powder (berry) -
Açai powder (berry) -
Cordyceps -
Maitake powder -
Reishi powder -
Citrus bioflavonoids -
Rose Hips powder -
Schisandra powder (berry) -
Suma powder (root) -

Gingko powder (leaf) -
PROBIOTIC BLEND:

Maca powder (root) -
Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) meal -
Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) powder -
Flax (seed) meal -
Chia (seed) meal -

Hydrilla -
Apple pectin powder -
Astragalus powder (root) -
Blue green algae -
Spinach powder -
MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) -
Pea fiber -
Quinoa (sprouted) -

PROPRIETARY ENZYME BLEND:
Amylase, Papain, Cellulase, Lactase, Lipase, Protease, Bromelain - These enzymes aid in digestion, reduce heartburn problems, gas and bloating, may also dimminish allergies.

Ashwagandha powder (root) -
Barley grass -
Kamut grass -
Oat grass -
Wheat grass -
Amaranth (sprouted) (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) -
Grape seed extract (seed, 95% proanthocyanins) -

In addition, procyanidins can improve your vision, the health of your arteries and body tissues (such as the heart), joint flexibility and strengthen capillaries and veins to improve your circulatory system, act as an anti-inflammatory, and scavenges oxygen free radicals. If that was not enough, grapes contain reservatrol, which has proven to contain neuroprotective capabilities.
Green tea decaffeinated extract (leaf, 50% polyphenols) -
Holy basil powder -
Sweetened with Stevia -
For more information, including video descriptions, please visit: for the full breakout of ingredients.

(Greenberry also contains natural strawberry and raspberry flavors, while Chocolate contains cocoa and chocolate powder, with natural vanilla and cinnamon powder for flavoring.)

Gardeners be aware of the Ghost of lead products past.

Turning the Compost

As the time passes from March to April people in this corner of the New England states start thinking about summer and all that it brings.   New England summer  is a magical time full of boating, bike riding, golf, hiking and much more; including my passion of gardening.  Playing in the dirt makes me as happy today as it did as a young girl.  No longer am I pushing my brother's trucks and gadgets around; instead I am moving soil with hoes, shovels and other gardening tools.  Thoughts of the garden and soil always makes me happy but a new article has me a bit concerned as to "what lies beneath" all that green lushness.
An article I read from "Huffpost Green" titled "Urban Gardens Tainted with Lead, Arsenic" I learned that remnants of lead paint, run off from roofs, leaded gasoline and other lead tainted products have contaminated soils in urban area.  Areas closest to roadways, around the drip edge of roof lines and soil that comes in contact with contaminated wood products tend to test the highest.  It isn't a surprise to have one area of a yard test higher for contaminants than others.  Indianapolis tests show that approximately 9 out of every 10 urban gardens test positive while in Boston 4 of every 5 urban are testing positive. Surprisingly enough New York City has low levels of contamination, perhaps due to most garden soils being trucked in or being made up of good quality compost.

The good news is that the testing levels are rather low and plants don't tend to draw lead up into the plant itself.  So what is a person to do and why should we be concerned about these contaminates.  First off you should wash your hands after gardening and wash produce before serving or storing.  Don't  wear garden shoes into the house, leave the contaminated soils outside the door.

We live in an older home, more than 170 years old, which has seen a lot of abuse when it comes to questionable building products I am sure.  Now that I have read this article not only will I have my soils testing for levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium but will also ask for a test of lead and arsenic.

Treat Your Body Like a Fine Automobile

BodynSoil.blogspot is moving to a new and improved self hosted site run by Wordpress. We are really excited about the move and hope you are as well. We would love for you to follow us at our new location.. Click to follow me at: www.BodynSoil.com/blog/

Bodynsoil has moved..

Fight Against Government Flab Is Personal for These Politicians – WSJ.com

I love reading articles about people getting fit, it really excites me to see that the military has taken notice of the challenge that P90X program, which trainer Tony Horton, designed for Beachbody. Tony Horton has worked with the military before, which I wrote about on this blog previously, he also travels around the globe to work with troops as seen here in this Stars and Stripes article written by Grant Okubo.

Reading the Wall Street Journal article, written by Elizabeth Williamson and Patrick O’Connor, was very informative. Learning that this program was used by and recommended to others by a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL, well that says a lot about the workout and how much it is appreciated. A snippet from the article can be read below:

“Mr. Ryan started on P90X two years ago after two buddies—a Green Beret and a Navy SEAL—recommended it. Mr. McCarthy saw Mr. Ryan doing the workout and asked to join him, as did others. This fall, the new GOP in-crowd strutted its buff stuff on the campaign trail, waking hotel guests with the travel version of the workout—a frenzied mix of jumping, push-ups, pull-ups, weight training and 300 punishing abdominal moves.”

click here to read the entire article.

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BodyNSoil.blogspot is moving to a new and improved self hosted site run by Wordpress. We are really excited about the move and hope you are as well. We would love for you to follow us at our new location.. Click to follow me at: BodynSoil.com/blog/

Introducing General Sarge.

The chronicles of the General Sarge site have been growing since the day Private Benjamin shipped out from his home, taking a new direction in his life.  What started out as a means of adjusting to having a son leave the family home has turned into something that promises to help more than this family, but also many other families whose children are in the military.  DrRus, as he is known on Twitter, needed a way to stay connected in the first months of separation, each day he would photograph PVT. Ben's childhood bear doing PVT. Ben's favorite things. As he wrote then tweeted these posts people started to take notice and offer support and encouragement to DrRus and also to General Sarge while learning the story behind the bear.

When PVT. Ben was a young boy he knew would some day be a solder, he chose to make his childhood bear a military bear, he grew up with this bear, who, as you can see, has the wear that only a much-loved bear can have.   A new uniform, which was a holiday 2010 gift, transformed Sarge into a General.  As the days passed General Sarge traced the footsteps that his boy would take growing up: activities and chores PVT. Ben did around the house, working at the radio station with his father, visits to the recruiting center and a visit to his place of birth which was the local Build-A-Bear store.

I have been following the antics of General Sarge since the beginning and have watched as more people have taken notice.  I have had many conversations with DrRus regarding this project and how it has grown from helping a father adjust to having a son fledge the nest to setting up a means to assist families that are struggling to attend a very important honor, graduation from basic training.

Soon enough General Sarge will be attending the graduation ceremony for his boy, PVT Benjamin, then a few short weeks later he will travel again when PVT. Ryan, PVT. Ben's brother, graduates his basic training.  Yes, you read that correctly, DrRus has two sons that joined the Army who are going through basic training in two separate camps, two separate graduation ceremonies to attend in two separate locations.

This is how the mission started, when making plans to attend both ceremonies DrRus and his wife realized that the cost to travel to each graduation, only 4 weeks apart, would exhaust their travel budget.  DrRus brought up the idea of raising funds to assist, not only his family, but also to assist other families, who were in need, a much-needed cause.   So this goes out to my readers, please take a minute or two to read the blog of General Sarge and get to know him and Master Sarge, who is a new arrival to the bear brigade.  Master Sarge is a gift to PVT. Ryan from Build-A-Bear, now PVT Ryan has his own bear and General Sarge has a platoon that is growing.

We Are Moving, Won't you Follow me please.

BodyNSoil.blogspot is moving to a new and improved self hosted site run by Wordpress. We are really excited about the move and hope you are as well.    We would love for you to follow us at our new location..   Click to follow me at: BodynSoil.com/blog/

Finding a better non stick fry pan.

Who knew frying pans would be such a hot topic within a group of friends, but during a recent gathering I mentioned that we needed a new non stick pan and suddenly the room was all ears. Of course before non stick teflon there was stainless steel or cast iron fry pans, which was all I used until I met my husband. He was willing to cook but not willing to relearn the finer nuances of using cast iron, which is absolutely non stick if used properly. Now there are so many types of pans on the market to chose, with teflon becoming a hazardous material it was time to research a better way.

So after years of using teflon (eeek I never liked the stuff) I had finally convinced my husband to go green with the next pan.  The reasons why I wanted to switch were that teflon was a know carcinogen and when the pans break down you are ingesting flakes of PTFE, which, when heated emits toxic fumes, toxic enough to kill pet birds. (canary in the mine anyone)

A few weekends ago we trekked over to the kitchen store for a new pan, I thought we would try stainless steel and found a nice pan with a copper bottom.  As soon as we brought it home the pan was washed then prepped for the cooking test!  This pan was backed by a well know TV chef and I thought that would mean it would be a good quality.  Not that the pan didn't have any weight to it, it did, but the first time we cooked with it the entire side wall on half the pan scorched to the point that after 30 minutes of scrubbing I still couldn't removed the stain from the stainless steel.  I am not a stainless rookie, I have had my stainless steel waterless cookware for 30 years with not one scorch or stain, not one.  This pan was going back to the store from whence it came, blam...

Fitness Nutrition: A commonly asked Question (Via: Active.com)

Photo via: Active.com

One of the most common questions I am asked is how, when and what to eat to get better results from training.  This question is very complex as each person's dietetic needs vary based on their body composition and personal health considerations and also in which way they are training.  There is not cut and dry answer due to the variants involved which is why so many people struggle with

I found this nice article by Active.com that helps to explain a lot about eating coupled with training basics.  The article mentions the antioxidant Quercetin and while I am familiar with most antioxidants I wasn't with this so I did a quick google search to determine its origin and will give more detail about below.

I like how the author, Hana A. Feeney, MS, RD, CSSD, details the differences of the protein to explain the pro-inflammatory vs. anti-inflammatory benefits and then give nutrition ideas.  She does mention Xood,  of course I googled, which is touted as an all natural endurance training product.  I am not an endurance athlete myself so I use something called Shakeology, that is also all natural, but contains more protein plus pre/probiotics, antioxidants and phytonutrients.  That being said lets take that look at Quercetin shall we....  

Oh Crap! If your Grocer provides disinfectant wipes you should use them

I have noticed that my local grocery store has started to provide disinfectant wipes. Initially I thought it was to kill off germs from the common cold or the flu, but that isn't all that needs to be cleaned from your shopping cart.  According an article in USA Today  72 percent of shopping carts will test positive for..  FECAL MATTER!!!  50 Percent will contain E'Coli as well, not only should you wipe down your carts but wash your hands and produce when you get home.

Photo Via: USA Today by Paul Vernon AP

Why are they finding so much fecal matter on the handles of shopping carts, more than is found in bathrooms, because shopping carts are not washed or cleaned, those disinfecting wipes are there for you to do the job.  The article mentions that a recent study found that children who touch cart handles get sick from salmonella at a higher rate than others, all that hand to mouth action that, hopefully, we as adults don't do.  Who is depositing all the fecal matter on the carts I wonder, could it be the child in the seat area, perhaps it is from nature as the cart sits in the parking lot, birds, as we know, hang out in populated areas and do carry salmonella, not only are they angry birds but dirty birds too. 

Having a Happy Heart is Important

Every morning I am up a little bit early to be sure that I have enough time to workout.  The reason I get up early is that I know, historically, that life will interfere in some way during my afternoon and my workout gets pushed aside.  Often I am not overly enthusiastic about going upstairs to workout but then I think of the benefits; how good I feel after, how healthy my body looks and how much healthier I actually am.

If you have been reading this blog for awhile you are most likely aware of my family history and that my father suffered from heart disease from his early twenties, he didn't do much to reverse his condition or mend his heart during his life, he died at 57.  My mother spent her lifetime functionally obese until her late 50's then became, for the most part, incapacitated by obesity and diabetes.  My whole life I have worked to not fall prey to their legacy and to inspire others to do the same, it is working for me and I hope it works for those that follow what I am doing.

I read an article in Men's Health, one of my favorites reads, regarding the 5 new rules to a healthy heart and I wanted to share with all of you. 

People who live by Factory Farms are prone to Sickness, here's why:

Photo Via: Grist.org by Steve Wing

An EcoInteractive post this morning brought another factory farm issue to my attention.  The fact that flies and cockroaches spread disease to the communities living around these large factory farms.  This article has a lot more information concerning MRSA that I was not aware of like: MRSA kills more people annually in the U.S. than that of AIDS and that of course the fact that the H1N1, or Swine Flu, didn't actually originate anywhere foreign but right here on U.S. soils, in the state of N.C. reports Wired.com.  The irony in the fact that the factory farms that raised pork petitioned to have swine flu renamed to H1N1, so as to not give pork a bad name, isn't missed.

In this article titled: "Flies and Cockroaches carry drug resistant bacteria from Factory Farms" you can read all about the issue along with links verifying their information.  There is a pop up, a practice which I hate BTW,  when you first load the page but once you close that window you are free to read uninterrupted.

Here is a blurb from the article:

Fighting to get the Military in Shape

Photo: Brian Mosley via: NPC

The military is consulting with Tony Horton, who is building a "functional fitness" program to help reverse the obesity trend, reports NPc's online magazine.   Tony Horton, P90X fitness trainer guru,  is reported to be currently working on a multi-dimensional approach to military fitness which will  involve elements of the "X" (short talk for P90X to those not in the know); this system will involve muscle confusion that includes cardio, weight training and his much loved yoga.


  I had read many stories about how our nations downward spiral towards obesity, this has impacted our nations military in a negative fashion.  Not only are our nations enrollees too obese to enlist but, if you saw season 10 of the Biggest Loser, you witnessed some horrid nutrition being fed to the soldiers that did make it through the enlistment requirements.  After a full day of working out,  boot camp style for lean and healthy solders, they then are faced with an artery clogging heart attack worthy buffet line.  I do hope that the military also takes some nutrition tip from the X man and then the steps to revamp the military nutritional plan as well as their fitness training regime.  If the military experiences the same success as the dedicated users of the P90X program then our military will soon be a force ready to take on their adversary without pause.


If you are thinking about the military and want to get in shape to ensure you will have "what it takes" to "Bring It" Tony Horton style then click here for your own P90X program.. 

Aging well into your future

I have just read the perfect quote ...

"Through constant familiarity, we can definitely establish new behavior patterns, using our tendency to form habits to our advantage. If we make a steady effort, I think we can overcome any form of negative conditioning and make positive changes in our lives. But we need to remember that genuine change doesn't happen overnight. ---The Dalai Lama"

 

Photo via: Spectrum Wellness

Keeping fit and working your muscles is just as important as you get older than it is when you are young, but for different reasons.  When you are young keeping fit is all about looking good and hitting the beach with those rippling abs, as we age keeping fit is all about remaining as mobile and active as possible into our golden years.  Our bodies have a harder time retaining muscle tissue as we become older, after age 60 we start to lose muscle tissue at a faster rate, strength training can change that and you can start at any age.

Buy 6 excellent programs for the price of 2

I just found out how you can get 6 of the top Beachbody programs for slightly more than the price of two. Insanity, P90X, Turbo Fire, Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs and Power 90, plus the B-line bands, Weighted Gloves and all the bonus DvD's that come with these programs. Keep what you want and sell the rest, recover your costs and potentially get your product for free.. All together they total $540, this deal is for real as I have purchased it for myself. 

Buying Insanity and P90X would total $240 but for the price of $269.99 you also get Turbo Fire, Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs and Power 90.. Now that is a deal and if you aren't ready for the challenging programs like Turbo Fire, P90X and Insanity you will have Power 90, Slim in 6 and Hip Hop Abs to build up your strength and stamina.. 

Burn and earn baby...  This is how I got my abs, now isn't time you got yours!!

-----> click for details.  <------

 

Gluten Free: How too much of any good thing is still bad

For as long as I can remember people have clammered over each other for the answer to why people gain weight and more importantly, how to lose it most effectively.  We have seen all kinds of studies and tests to determine the culprit to our nations obesity epidemic.  Then after a few years and a few more studies, tests and reports later the latest greatest will be under dispute, it is a never ending cycle, that isn't my point however.   You don't need to read articles to know that something new has been discovered, walking through a grocery store and you will notice processed food labels touting the latest catch phrase.  Right now gluten free is the word of the day, you can't open the paper or magazine without reading something about it and how it will or will not help you.  Recently I read a nice article along the same lines I was thinking regarding this latest catch phrase weight loss tool, it was in Men's Health called "Is Gluten Making Us Fat?"  The "gluten free" phrase will no doubt generate sales but like fat free or sugar free product if you eat too much of anything then you will gain weight, moderation is the key ingredient to weight control.

More about the gluten free 2011 weight loss phrase du jour.. 

Click here to read Men's Health called "Is Gluten Making Us Fat?"