HEALTHY LIVING TIPS

It is easy to overspend when grocery shopping. It’s probably the place where we do the most impulse shopping. So we tend to buy things we don’t really need and there goes the budget. If you would like to be a more frugal shopper, here are some things that will help guide you when buying groceries.

Make A List

Most People have certain things they eat regularly. So making a basic menu plan should be fairly simple. You know you have to eat dinner 7 times this week. So write down 7 dinners. Think about what you need to make those things. Make a list. Look in your pantry and fridge to see what basics you are out of. It helps to keep an ongoing list inside your cupboard of things as you run out of them. Making a list will help make sure that you get everything in one trip. Statistics show that you spend more the more trips you make to the store. When you go in for one item that you are out of, and you come out with a whole lot of other things. Plan to go grocery shopping two to three times a month. Sometimes it will be necessary to shop in between trips to the grocery store. If you have a problem with impulse buying, then maybe try getting your milk and bread at a convenience store where there is less to tempt you.

Should You Buy Already Prepared Food

It is usually better to cook from scratch when you have a large family. When I cook for my family it is generally cheaper to not use prepared foods. A big pot of stew is very inexpensive to make, but to buy cans of stew can run into money. However, if the choice is between going out to eat or prepared foods, then definitely prepared is better.

When it was just me and my husband, it was probably cheaper to buy prepared foods rather than buy all the different ingredients that we would need for a smaller batch. The food almost always went bad before we could use it, because there just wasn’t enough people to eat it. You can only have spaghetti for so many nights in a row.

Buy Basic Food Products

It is healthier and more cost effective to buy more basic things when shopping for groceries. Buying a bag of rice will save you money compared to a box of flavored rice. The prepared foods usually contain preservatives that are not good for your body. If you prepare the food yourself, then you can control exactly what is in it. Oatmeal is allot less expensive than instant oatmeal and it is better for you. Processing takes allot of nutrients out of food and it is quite a bit more expensive. Although, if you are not willing to take the extra time it takes to cook these foods, then this tip will not be helpful for you.

Check Adds Before You Go

Check your adds regularly. This will help you to know what is a good deal and what is not. Some stores are better to buy certain items at than others. I have a particular store that always has eggs on sale for a good price. That’s the only place I will buy eggs. Grocery stores adds start on the same day every week for the most part. Planning your menus around these specials can help you save as you shop. Generally the front page of the ad has the best deals. They’re designed to get your attention and make you want to come to that store. Just because an item is in the add does not mean it’s a good deal, that is why you need to check them regularly. Buying produce in season will also help you save money. If it is something you can freeze, then do so. Out of season fruits and vegetables are expensive and not good quality.

Store Discount Cards and Coupons

Many grocery stores have cards that give you a discount on certain items, especially items that are advertised in their ads at a sale price. If you don’t have a card, you’ll be charged a higher price, which is listed in the ad in tiny print beside the item’s picture. The cards are useful to shoppers. Many stores have registers that print out coupons for future purchases of items that you have bought that day if you are using the store card. The cards are easy to get; you have to fill out a sheet with some basic information at the register or customer service desk, and then just remember to use the card when you check out.

If you get the Sunday newspapers, it often includes coupons for dollars off on groceries. Most coupons are for processed foods and new products, but you can find them for many different items. You can use a coupon while an item is on sale, so you can double your savings. It does take a little organization though. If you’re on a budget, however, you could save quite a lot of money if you buy several items on sale with coupons.

Take A Calculator

How many times have you been shocked by the price at the register and wondered what did I buy? Well taking a calculator with you to shop could help you if you’re on a budget, especially if you’re an impulse buyer or have small children who distract you while you shop. If you’re good at math, you can try to keep a running total. But if your like me, a calculator would be great. As you add an item to your basket, punch the price in the calculator. Using a calculator will help you to make wiser choices; if you see that your total is rising rapidly, you can put something back and choose a lower priced item. Using the calculator will prevent any shock at the register.

Compare Brands

Many grocery stores have their own brand name products, and these products are usually made by well-known manufacturers. Store brand products are almost always less expensive than name brand products, and if you look at the ingredients, they are probably identical. Buy one of the store brand products, taste it, and if you like it you can save money next time you need that item. You can save by buying store brands on food, over-the-counter medicines, cleaners, and other household products. It is common for stores to put all of their store brand products on sale at one time.

Larger Quantity

If a grocery store puts a nonperishable item on sale at a very low price, buy extras. Basic foods like flour, sugar, beans, rice, canned and frozen goods will last quite a while if you use them regularly. If you buy enough, then you won’t have to buy it when it’s not on sale.

Buy your snack items in bulk instead of putting money in a vending machine regularly. Joining a wholesale club means you must purchase a member’s card, but a few trips to the club can save you lots of money if you buy items you use frequently in quantity. The clubs offer samples of certain items frequently, so you are able to try something before you buy it. This is great, because you don’t want to buy a ton of something you might not like.

On Sale

Just because it is on sale, doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. If it is not something you usually eat, then it may not be a great sale for you. When Kellogg’s goes on sale, it still may not be as cheap as the private label brand that you usually buy. You can save by buying items on sale, but it won’t be a savings if you don’t like the product. Only buy food that you know you or your family will eat or you will have wasted your money. Be careful that you don’t buy large quantities of perishable items. If half of it gets waisted before you eat it, you won’t have saved any money. Always check the date on sale items. It is very common for stores to put product on sale when they are close to going out of date.

Don’t Go To The Store Hungry

Make sure you have already eaten when you go to the store. Everything looks good when your hungry and your grocery bill will show it. It’s easier to resist junk food when your tummy is full.

When you have a plan, you are one step closer to sticking to your budget.

By: angela martinez

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FREE GROCERIES

Did you realize that the colon is the body’s main channel for eliminating solid waste? If there’s a problem with your colon, what option does your body have? That’s right, none. That’s why an unhealthy colon has such widespread effects throughout your body. Any slowdowns or stoppages in your colon have both short-term and long-term negative health consequences for a wide variety of other bodily systems. Is an unhealthy colon genetic or a result of poor diet?

We’re beginning to rediscover just how important genetics can be to our health. Remember your last visit to the doctor? He probably spent more time asking about your parents and your grandparents than he did asking about you and your symptoms. There’s a good reason for this. Many of the diseases that we suffer from today have genetic links. That means that if someone in your family had a particular condition, then there’s a good chance that you have inherited a higher risk for that same condition.

It would be great if we could blame all of our problems on someone else, but the truth is that an unhealthy colon is probably the result of a poor diet, not genetics. Poor colon function is most likely caused by choices we are making when we eat. When you consider that most bad colon health is concentrated in the developed nations of the world, you begin to understand what’s going on.

You see, the best diet for our colon is a natural diet. Natural food is most easily digested by our bodies. The more you add manmade ingredients and the more you process food products, the more difficult food is to digest. This means that when the food is passed to the colon from the small intestine (where most of the digestion is supposed to take place), what remains is not fully digested. Therefore, the colon has more difficulty dealing with it.

Another cause of an unhealthy colon is the higher level of toxins in our modern environment. Many people in today’s world live a comfortable life made possible by technology and industrialization. Unfortunately, the price of this comfort is an increased level of toxins created by manmade products and industrial processes. These toxins are absorbed by the body as we breathe, through our skin, and in the foods we eat. Our physical bodies are well-designed and flexible, but they were not meant to deal with level of toxins we face today.

If an unhealthy colon is the result of a poor diet, then what’s the best diet for a healthy colon? The two words that are best to remember are fiber and water. Getting more fiber really means adding more plant-based foods to your diet. Eat more vegetables, whole grains, fruits and nuts. Fiber is non-digestible, so it will still be in the digested waste matter that passes to the colon. The fiber will help to retain water, making your stools softer. The fiber also provides roughage for the colon to “grab.” Waste is moved through the colon by a muscular action called peristalsis. Fiber helps to stimulate and strengthen these wave-like muscular contractions that move waste matter through the colon.

A great way to improve the health of your colon and to get your new healthy diet off to a clean start is to perform a colon cleanse. Many natural colon cleaners are available in health food stores, vitamin stores and online. These products provide colon cleansing that removes old fecal matter and helps to restore your colon to more efficient functioning.

Drinking an appropriate amount of water not only provides more moisture for your body, it also helps to flush out toxins. The general rule of thumb is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. But a better rule that helps you come up with a specific, personalized amount is this: divide your body weight in half, then drink that many ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink 70 ounces of water per day (140 divided by 2 equals 70).

Fluids can include herbal tea and some fruit juices in addition to water. But drinks with caffeine actually have a dehydrating effect, so you can’t count them in your daily total. And you should avoid any drinks with sugar, especially those with high fructose corn syrup.

Doctors continue to discover links between colon health and overall health every day. Numerous colon-related diseases, especially colon cancer, have been connected with an unhealthy colon. Research support is growing every day for links to other diseases in the body, including breast cancer, liver problems and brain function. Considering how serious and life-threatening these consequences can be, you should put a high priority on taking responsibility for your own colon health. There are many natural alternative foods available, so begin to change your diet and improve your colon health. There’s a very high likelihood it will help you live longer and live better.



By: Jim McDonald

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COLON PRO CLEANSE BENEFITS

Everyone who owns a restaurant or home will at sometime or another need a new oven or range for their kitchen. Perhaps the most importat decision to be made is ’should I go with gas or electric?’. The technology of both gas ranges and electric ranges has progressed to the point where what had been seen as grave limitations for gas ranges and gas ovens in the past are now either gone or immensely decreased. After a lot of research into the pros and cons of each I recently bought a gas oven and gas range. However what was the right choice for my needs may not be the right choice for you.

For me the most obvious benefit of gas ranges is the instant control of heat. The fact by itself greatly influenced my decision to get a gas range for myself. A gas range provides for a really enjoyable cooking experience. New gas ranges generally have sealed burners which make clean up a snap and reduce the chance of clogging. Clean up on older gas ranges could be difficult as food would occasionaly clog the burners when food was spilled.

In the past Gas ovens were known to have pathetic broiling perfomance and spotty heat. The pitiful broiling performance was usually due to the broiler being a separate shelf below the main oven. This has all changed now, modern gas ovens have even heat and dedicated broilers set up on the top of the main oven cabinet.

Yet another advantage of gas ovens are the by-products of gas combustion, carbon dioxide and water vapor. In most gas convection ovens, the by-products of combustion stream through the oven before going out the flue. This gives gas baking a moist heat that makes baked goods especially turn out more moist and with a better crust. Electric heat bombards the food products with a direct, dry heat that tends to produce a much drier product and therefore a product with a significantly decreased shelf life. Baked goods produced in a gas oven will typically hold for up to 50% longer versus the same product from an electric oven. This means less food waste for your restaurant and less labor cost as you don’t need cook new batches as often when using a gas oven.

For me the choice was clear, gas was the way to go. More instant heat control on the gas range and more uniform, higher caliber of product from the gas oven makes them much more enjoyable to use. Although gas ovens and gas ranges are often more to buy initially, cost to run them over time is often lower than an electric oven. On top of it all, lower labor costs and less food waste, makes a gas range and gas oven the clear choice in my mind.



By: Michael Vroom

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FREE GAS CARD