Very interesting folks. Check it out today.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Friday, January 27, 2012
Ame's EcoDrink Benefits Opinion - Lose Weight, Gain Energy, Let's Talk . . .
So I was reading information on the web regarding EcoDrink and I came across a very opinionated blog page. Now, I don't have a lot of information about sucralose, so I thought that I should look it up. I wouldn't want to be uneducated. However, upon reading up I found nothing to substantiate her claims. There really is no definitive research results showing that sucralose is bad for you at all. It increases pH in the waste of test rats and that was their biggest side effect. Come on. It's all just hype.
Now I understand that aspartame has certainly hurt people, but there is no aspartame in here. That's not the same compound at all. We are talking about sucralose. It is also known as Splenda. I've read the stories by mass mails about a woman that drank diet soda (with aspartame) and thought she was dying because her body was not working right. Her sister told her to stop drinking diet soda and she was miraculously cured! Hooray!
Honestly, I don't believe that story. If you were dying would you really keep drinking "diet" drinks? Like, "I'm dying but I've got to keep my girlish figure." Wouldn't you start eating healthier, trying to keep yourself as healthy as possible? Drink tea with honey and whatnot? Anyway, I digress.
My input? That energy that Sandy has is a result of several things. First of all the vitamin B12. That is the "energy B". If you consume 100% of your vitamin B12 (6 micrograms) for the day you will indeed feel better. A tiny amount of B12 will go a long way. You do not need 31,000%, as some products would have you believe. Your body can't even absorb, let alone process that much B12 and if it does you'll feel jittery. All you need is 6-10 micrograms to feel good all day.
The second thing really helping Sandy is that ecoDrink has so many electrolytes. The potassium alone is 400 mg. That is a great dose and will make a leg cramp go away three minutes after you drink it. However, those electrolytes do so many things. Hydration keeps your organs and blood pumping smoothly. That means a few things:
1) Your heart doesn't have to work so hard to pump your thick blood around. (That's more energy for you.)
Now I understand that aspartame has certainly hurt people, but there is no aspartame in here. That's not the same compound at all. We are talking about sucralose. It is also known as Splenda. I've read the stories by mass mails about a woman that drank diet soda (with aspartame) and thought she was dying because her body was not working right. Her sister told her to stop drinking diet soda and she was miraculously cured! Hooray!
Honestly, I don't believe that story. If you were dying would you really keep drinking "diet" drinks? Like, "I'm dying but I've got to keep my girlish figure." Wouldn't you start eating healthier, trying to keep yourself as healthy as possible? Drink tea with honey and whatnot? Anyway, I digress.
Here's my two cents on EcoDrink and her blog post:
I will comment on the FDA part, but to be clear are you saying that it's not good for:
1) The immune system: Anti-oxidants like green tea, lycopene, lutein, grape skin extract, acai berry and alpha lipoic acid have all been proven to strengthen the immune system and in many cases prevent cancers. Perhaps you should read up on them.
2) Healthy eyes: Lutein has proven to improve overall eye health.
3) Joints: Hydration is important for your body's muscle and joint functions.
4) Skin: Hydration and good vitamin health have both proven to keep the skin healthy.
5) Bone health: Hydration and vitamins like calcium (in ecoDrink) are important for bone health.
The reviewer implied that EcoDrink would make you fat. Well, the only review I saw on her website regarding fat praised the product stating:
" . . came across EcoDrink Complete Multivitamin at Costco the other day. It cost $19.99 for 30 packets — 15 berry flavor and 15 orange flavor. You mix it with water in the BPA free shaker bottle that is provided, and it gives you enough for two people (or a big dose for one person).
It's got:
- Zero Calories
- Zero Carbs
- Zero Sodium
- Zero Caffeine
- Zero Sugar
What?? Zero sugar. Why is this drink so grossly sweet that we could barely drink it. Oh, of course! It might have zero sugar, but it’s loaded with Sucralose, the artificial sweetener that is shown to overexcite and kill off our brain cells! We should know better by now to REALLY look at the labels and not leave it up to the manufacturers to have the contents CLEARLY stated."
Uh, the contents ARE clearly stated on the side of the box. All of the ingredients are in the same size print. Also, how does less than 1% of sucralose make it "loaded"?"As an aside, the side panel has blurbs about how this product helps with heart health, a healthy immune system, healthy eyes, joints, and skin, and bone health. Then right below that in little tiny print, it says: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration“. Hmm, interesting."
I will comment on the FDA part, but to be clear are you saying that it's not good for:
1) The immune system: Anti-oxidants like green tea, lycopene, lutein, grape skin extract, acai berry and alpha lipoic acid have all been proven to strengthen the immune system and in many cases prevent cancers. Perhaps you should read up on them.
2) Healthy eyes: Lutein has proven to improve overall eye health.
3) Joints: Hydration is important for your body's muscle and joint functions.
4) Skin: Hydration and good vitamin health have both proven to keep the skin healthy.
5) Bone health: Hydration and vitamins like calcium (in ecoDrink) are important for bone health.
The reviewer implied that EcoDrink would make you fat. Well, the only review I saw on her website regarding fat praised the product stating:
Patty says:
Ooooh. Patty forgot to mention that you can freeze ecoDrink in ice cubes and then use those to make smoothies. That's my favorite. I add strawberries and a scoop of yogurt or ice cream. It really keeps you going in the morning.
Anyway, I digress. Here are some more reviews with feedback on using the actual product.
My input? That energy that Sandy has is a result of several things. First of all the vitamin B12. That is the "energy B". If you consume 100% of your vitamin B12 (6 micrograms) for the day you will indeed feel better. A tiny amount of B12 will go a long way. You do not need 31,000%, as some products would have you believe. Your body can't even absorb, let alone process that much B12 and if it does you'll feel jittery. All you need is 6-10 micrograms to feel good all day.
The second thing really helping Sandy is that ecoDrink has so many electrolytes. The potassium alone is 400 mg. That is a great dose and will make a leg cramp go away three minutes after you drink it. However, those electrolytes do so many things. Hydration keeps your organs and blood pumping smoothly. That means a few things:
1) Your heart doesn't have to work so hard to pump your thick blood around. (That's more energy for you.)
2) Your organs and muscles will operate to their maximum efficiency because they are well lubricated. (It's like not doing an oil change on your car. You can't expect an engine to run forever on thickened, dirty oil. Right?)
3) Your brain is kept working correctly when your electrolytes are balanced. That's what mood-lifting water drinks have. It's just added electrolytes in your water.
Oh, and before I forget. The packaging on ecoDrink says it "reduces leg cramping" for liability reasons, but I can give you my personal opinion. A half packet of ecoDrink will take away any leg cramp in about 3 minutes. Seriously. Three minutes! This is extremely important to me. If you get charlie horses in the middle of the night you know what I'm talking about. I know because I use it for just that. It's my main reason for buying and using ecoDrink. Leg cramps no longer keep me up all night. I just have a half of a glass of ecoDrink when any cramp comes on and it is gone and I'm back asleep in no time.
aimee says:
I read all the huff about a tiny bit of sweetener in this vitamin drink, but do any of you eat BBQ sauce, ketchup, granola bars, bread, teriyaki sauce, spaghetti sauce……?
I honestly found the Eco vitamins about 8 months ago at Costco and I add 1 packet to a large container of water, because is is a sweet and drink it through out the day, I am 42 and have to travel between LA and San Diego for work weekly, I was exhausted, I don’t have the energy I once did as a 20 something.I also am a very healthy eater, no meat, fried food, processed food, lots of who green foods and fish. I noticed a HUGE difference in my energy level not a little change a drastic change, I did not really notice until I ran out of the product and was too busy to get another box, but about a week into not taking one packed a day I really notice a big drop in energy. I have taken all sorts of vitamins through out my life but honestly have not felt the energy level and clarity I do with Eco vitamins. I also do not EVER drink caffeine so i know the difference between natural energy and the jitters or a sugar high. Also my 65 year old mother who refuses to swallow a vitamin and rejected every other vitamin drink i tried will drink it and felt better too!
My advice? Believe the end consumers; Those who use it and actually can review it objectively. Don't believe the hype or exclude something from your diet just because you heard something from someone who is very opinionated.
On a side note: Do you think that peanut butter really causes cancer? Of course it does if you only eat peanut butter and you are injected with it 20 times a day. (I'm not making that up. They really did that to rats.)
Some artificial sweeteners are bad. I get that, but does that mean that we shouldn't even take our vitamins and electrolytes? Is 0.07% sweetener too much for you? . . . Is it so much that you would keep a healthy item out of your diet? Are you going to eat that broccoli, spinach, those blueberries and all the other things you'd have to eat in a day to get this much nutrition? I doubt you can.
Does that mean that people who drink caffeinated soda every day are better off drinking that stuff than drinking ecoDrink? Does it mean we'll gain weight on ecoDrink? Absolutely not.
Don't give ecoDrink a bad rap because other sweeteners like aspartame have been overused and over consumed. Drinking twenty diet sodas a day is not good for anyone. Seriously.
Why are people always looking for a cure all? Everything in moderation people. Don't eat too much sugar and you won't get fat. Don't jaywalk on the freeway if you don't want to get hit by a car.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Heavenly
Heavenly Cheesecake
| 1 | cup vanilla wafer, chocolate wafer, graham cracker or gingersnap cookie crumbs |
| 2 | tablespoons butter or margarine, melted |
| 3 | packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened |
| 1/2 | cup sugar |
| 3 | eggs |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla |
| 1 | bag (12 ounces) white baking chips, (2 cups), melted |
| 1/2 | cup half-and-half |
| Cut-up fresh strawberries, if desired | |
| Fresh mint leaf, if desired |
- 1Heat oven to 325°F. Mix cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press evenly in bottom of springform pan, 10x3 or 9x3 inches. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
- 2Beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, melted baking chips and half-and-half until blended. Pour over crust; smooth top.
- 3
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center is set; cool 15 minutes. Run metal spatula around side of cheesecake to loosen. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 48 hours. Remove side of pan. Top cheesecake with strawberries. Garnish with mint leaves. Store covered in refrigerator.
Lemon Tart Tested Recipe | |
 | |
| This beautiful Lemon Tart consists of a buttery shortbread crust, a creamy smooth lemon filling made with fresh lemon juice, sugar, and cream cheese, all covered with lovely swirls of whipped cream. Now, if you serve this tart the day it is made the tart's crust will be nice and crisp and you will taste the full tanginess of the lemon filling. Absolutely lovely. But if you store the tart in the refrigerator overnight, the shortbread crust will soften a little and the flavor of the lemon filling will mellow slightly, so all the textures and flavors of the tart seem to blend together. Again, absolutely lovely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday, May 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Gwen Donates a Million to Japanese Disaster Relief
Gwen Stefani Donates $1 Million to Tsunami Relief
Gwen Stefani has donated $1 million to Save the Children’s Japan Earthquake-Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund.
“I’ve been inspired by Japan for many years and have a true love, appreciation and respect for the Japanese people and their culture,” the 41-year-old No Doubt rocker shared. “The disaster in Japan is beyond heartbreaking and I want to do anything I can to help. I would never be able to make a gesture like this without the love and support of all the fans over all these years.”
Next week, details about a charity auction will be announced - fans can bid on the chance to meet Gwen at a special fundraiser! A limited edition Harajuku Lovers tee designed by Gwen will also be available next week, with 100% of the proceeds going toward disaster relief in Japan.
Also, a charity auction will be announced next week where fans can bid on the chance to join Gwen at a special fundraiser in Los Angeles. Also available next week, a limited edition Harajuku Lovers T-shirt designed by Gwen will be available through nodoubt.com with 100% of proceeds benefiting the relief effort in Japan. Plans for further fundraising initiatives are also in current discussion. Those who wish to participate more immediately may donate now at www.savethechildren.org
Gwen Stefani's History with Japan
Gwen Stefani has been inspired by Japan since she first toured there with No Doubt in 1996. Not only did she immediately fall in love with the country and it's people, Gwen found a special connection to a district in Tokyo known as Harajuku, an area that thrives on creativity, music, art and fashion. The youth culture of the Harajuku district have been a constant muse for Gwen, inspiring both her clothing line called Harajuku Lovers and the song "Harajuku Girls." Throughout her career Gwen has borrowed heavily from Japanese culture for many of her creative endeavors.
About Save the Children's response to children and families affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan:
Disaster Impact on Children: Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Children are always among the most vulnerable during emergencies. Children in the hardest-hit areas are in need of basic supplies such as food and clean water. With concerns over nuclear safety, there is a risk that problems with supply lines could grow worse. In addition, initial assessments have confirmed that over 5,500 schools have been damaged and it is anticipated that the opening of schools for the new term on April 5 will be delayed.
Conditions facing children and families are so extreme that they are developing a three-year strategy—based on their initial on-scene assessments—to first help provide essential relief items and launch child protection activities, and then help restore children's sense of security and normalcy and advocate for their inclusion in emergency preparedness planning.
"We are very grateful to have such a generous donation from Gwen Stefani for our relief efforts in Japan," said Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children "Save the Children has been in Japan for 25 years and we are working closely with our teams on the ground to address the immediate and ongoing needs of children and their families whose lives were turned upside down by this tragedy."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Ame's Banana Bread
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.
Spread slices with honey or serve with ice cream.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Pure Evil
Their very name strikes fear into the hearts of mother's everywhere: ants. Now ants are not just the kind of creatures that seek out food and run off on their merry little way. No. No. No. They are obsessed, non-relenting to the point that they could drive any normal person insane. I am talking compulsion to the point of being evil.
They are like miniature spawns of Satan himself. Completely aggressive and persistent. You caulk a hole and they find another hole in your house. . . . and there is always another hole, always another entrance from their world to yours. They never, ever stop. Like the Terminator. They just keep coming. There is no stopping them.
I recently came across a product that I would happily endorse in the fight against these evil doers. I mean I sprayed this product all over my basil plant, which they were living in. Oh yes! Oh yes people. They made a nest inside my house plant. I kid you not. I was beyond upset and disgusted. Some little teenage ant queen thought she could conquer my house and take my plant as her castle. Bitch did not know who she was dealing with.
Muhahaha! But see? She had no clue. She was not prepared for me. Nope. Anyway, I sprayed the entire pot with EcoSmart and those little buggers all crawled out of my pot and died right there. Oh. I couldn't possibly contain my joy when I vacuumed those little bastards up.
EcoSmart is completely organic, so it's safe for your home, your kitchen, bathroom, anywhere your kids or pets play. It's basically herbs and a lot of citronella. I mean your house will smell like mint for a while but who even minds that so much? I just make some nice mint tea to drink while I rejoice. :D
And now? Now I wait until they find another hole so that I can spray it ASAP. I lurk, waiting for my opportunity. They seem to have disappeared, so I wait. Now who's evil? :D
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Katie & Lexi's Wishlist
Lexi and Katie's wishlist. I'll be adding things to this page as they request more.
Cool Dog, School Dog
Tinka, a golden retriever, is "a joy dog, a boy's dog, a chews-a-brand-new-toy dog." She loves her boy and doesn't like being left at home. When Mom isn't looking, the "spring-and-sprint-and-streak dog" races to school finding her boy in his classroom. Although she makes the teacher unhappy by messing up the room, the students are delighted to see Tinka.
Lexi didn't want to return this book. She is completely addicted to it. So having this book would mean a lot to her.
Where to buy? Shop DealOz.com -->
Tinka, a golden retriever, is "a joy dog, a boy's dog, a chews-a-brand-new-toy dog." She loves her boy and doesn't like being left at home. When Mom isn't looking, the "spring-and-sprint-and-streak dog" races to school finding her boy in his classroom. Although she makes the teacher unhappy by messing up the room, the students are delighted to see Tinka.
Lexi didn't want to return this book. She is completely addicted to it. So having this book would mean a lot to her.
Where to buy? Shop DealOz.com -->
Friday, November 26, 2010
Could You Care Less? You Sure?
When one usually states "I could care less", they usually mean "I could not care less". [e.g. "I could care less about this conversation."]
In order for one to "care less" about a subject, they must first care about it somewhat. Saying "I could care less about ... " does indeed imply, nay dictate, that there is some degree of care.
I've put together a handy chart to help visualize...
At zero interest you care so little that you couldn't possibly care any less. It can easily be seen that, in absolute terms, there is no caring at the zero marker. It is impossible to care less than that amount.
So for those of you unsure you may now be able to annoyingly correct your friends. How rewarding. :P
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
About Me
- Ame
- I am a bit funny, crazy, sometimes serious and usually wise. I'm very creative and artistic. However my greatest gift in life is common sense.
I have been drinking half a pack a day for week now. I noticed increased energy. I have also started eating less and DO NOT crave chocolate, which is very weird for me. Nobody told me that is one of the benefits so I am not sure if it is related or not, but this is the only thing that has changed in my routine.