Sunday Snippets

Tidbits of information I picked up this week:

• Real Simple magazine listed the 30 healthiest ingredients in their February 2011 issue: almonds, avocados, barley, black beans, blueberries, broccoli, bulger, chard, chicken breast, edamame, eggs, EVOO, kale, kidney beans, kiwi, lentils, mushrooms, oatmeal (steel cut or old fashioned), oranges, peanut & almond butters (natural), pumpkin, quinoa, sardines, skim milk, spinach, sweet potatoes, walnuts, whole grain pasta, wild salmon, yogurt (nonfat greek).
• Ten minutes of hand squeezing, 3 times/week can reduce blood pressure as much as a standard anti-hypertensive pill in as little as 5 weeks! To do, squeeze a tennis ball with either hand for 2 minutes, relax for 1 minute and repeat 3 times. (Good Housekeeping, February 2011)
• Recent studies have shown that when we pay for food with a card - credit or debit - we are more likely to make unhealthy choices! Researchers believe this is because we feel the "pain of payment" more strongly when we use cash, and are therefore less apt to spend it on unnecessary choices. (Glow, February/March 2011)

• If you have a pet, check out this very comprehensive HSW post about potentially dangerous items for your pet that may be lurking in and around your home - I didn't know avocado, macadamia nuts or aloe vera could hurt my four-legged buddies... 
• Are you one of the folks who miss the old Avalon Mall Craft Fair/Flea Market? It returns at the CLB Armoury beginning Sunday March 6 from 11:00am to 3:00pm.

Enjoy the sun!