Sunday, August 17, 2008

a sweet coupon...and some fish oil

I printed off an email coupon from Central Market and took it with me this morning as I headed there a little before 10:00. You have to get there that early or it's not worth it to go. For me, anyway. You can't turn a corner or get down an aisle without wanting to pull your hair out and/or scream at someone. Early morning is much more relaxing. I can wander more around the store. Anyway, my coupon was for a FREE gallon of organic milk as well as saving $10 off a $50 purchase, $15 off a $75 purchase, or $20 off a $100 purchase. And while I could easily spend over $100 there, I try to practice self-control. I planned to spend just over $50 so that I would get the free milk, plus $50 worth of groceries for only $40! What a deal!! Well....I managed to qualify for the second level of the coupon...but I stocked up on some things I like to have around all the time such as diced tomatoes and got some new things to try, like quinoa.

I also decided that I would buy some fish oil supplements to contribute to my $50. I found some that were on sale, no less! I have been debating for a while about taking them. One of my professors swears by them. I know they help provide some good vitamins and whatnot and help coat your joints. Most importantly, though, taking fish oil has been linked to helping prevent Alzheimer's. Score! Both of my grandmothers suffered from the disease, so I figure I'm more or less doomed. To combat the chances, I eat as many blueberries as possible when they are in season (more research stats), do my People crosswords religiously, and use a deodorant without aluminum. Some days with that deodorant are better than others. I'm sort of nervous about taking these soft gels. What if they are disgusting?? The bottle recommends taking two a day. They're huge! And supposedly have no taste, but we'll see...I'm gonna try my first one tomorrow morning.

I also bought some ground flax seed. I am a big fan of Dr. Oz (you may have seen him on Oprah), and he swears by the stuff. Since he sold me on steel cut oats, which I consume about three times a week, I am expecting similar results. He recommends grinding your flax seeds so it's easier to digest, but since I found it already ground, I picked that up. You can eat it plain (um, probably not), or sprinkle it on cereal or yogurt or whatever really. If I baked, I could toss some into whatever I were baking. What does flax seed do, you ask? Well, lots! It is really good for your heart and has a significant amount of fiber per serving. It has omega-3 acids and some decent protein. All in 2 tablespoons! Again, I'll try this out tomorrow morning.

More on Dr. Oz. He is a surgeon, but is also super knowledgeable about whole-body/mind wellness. He has really great ideas about food consumption and how to get your meals to all be more or less "of the earth." Since I'm very interested in this, I enjoy listening to him and reading about him. Here's a link to his book I think I'll be getting soon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061473677/ref=s9subs_c2_14_img1-rfc_g1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0KGYREDXQQPWRSX841BT&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846.
Anyway, he's not about cutting things out all the time or counting or eating low/no fat junk. He's more about knowing how different food affects your body, what different foods provide as far as vitamins/minerals, energy, and how your body digests it all. He's into yoga and acupuncture, but I'm not really there. Yet. While I enjoy yoga when I get around to doing it, I lack major flexibility which can get frustrating (and yes, I know that if I actually did the yoga regularly, it would help) and dedication to doing it everyday. I think acupuncture is interesting and would definitely try it if I had a need. But right now my only ailments are a still swollen and itchy right hand and finger and some bruises on my knees and elbows thanks to climbing a rock.

1 comment:

clarkyclark said...

Grams, I feel like with all the research and awareness we have for eating and living more naturally we are gonna be ready to open that store soon. I'm starting to kinda feel like an organic snob these days, but I'm ok with that :) Thanks for the book link, I am gonna check it out!