Tips for Your Boomer Years

Get Healthy with Tasty Chia Seed Recipes

Tiny chia seeds offer a powerful nutritional addition to your diet. How much chia seed should you eat per day? About 2 to 3 teaspoons of chia seeds offers B vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, protein and more.

How Do You Use Chia Seeds?

Chia seeds can be added to just about any food, such as yogurt, pancake or muffin batter, or sprinkled over cereals or added to your morning smoothie. Or you can try these tasty chia seed recipes:

Luscious Chia Seed Smoothie

1 Tbs Chia Seeds
3/4 cup fruit juice
1/2 banana
2 oz yogurt

Add chia seed to juice and wait for chia gel to form. This usually takes a few minutes. Add rest of ingredients and blend until smooth.

Chia gel can be made with water and kept in the frig too, ready to add to any recipe. Simply use 9 parts water to 1 part chia seed and put in a shaker bottle. Shake well several times to prevent clumping and store in the frig.

Chia Seed Guacamole

1 Avocados
1 scoop chia seeds
1/2 juiced lemon
1 TBS onion, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS Olive oil

Mash avocados, then stir in remaining ingredients.

Chia Seed Quesadilla Recipe

1/2 scoop chia seeds
2 Flour Tortillas
Butter or Ghee
1 cups shredded cheese

Heat a skillet. Spread butter or ghee onto tortillas.

Place one tortilla in skillet, butter side down and sprinkle cheese on top.

Place second tortilla on top, butter side up.

Saute both sides of tortilla until it’s golden brown.

Serve.

Chia Seed Pancakes

2 scoops chia seeds
pancake mix
fresh blueberries or strawberries

Mix pancake batter according to directions. Add chia seeds and fruit.

Heat skillet and add batter.

When bottom side is golden brown, flip and cook other side.

Top with fresh fruit and serve.

Chia Seed Stir Fry

Chicken or beef strips
1 scoop chia seeds
cut up veggies for stir fry
Sesame oil
Soy sauce-low sodium

Mix chia seeds with soy sauce and wait one minute for gel to form.

Heat skillet with sesame oil. Add meat and saute until golden brown.

Add veggies and chia soy sauce mixture. Stir fry until veggies are tender.

Serve with rice.

Easy Banana Chia Seed Snack Recipe

1 banana
1 scoop chia seeds
2 Tbs shredded coconut
1 Tbs cocoa powder

Peel the banana and roll it in the coconut, chia seeds and cocoa powder.

Slice coated banana into pieces and serve.

As you can see by these chia seed recipes, it’s possible to add them to just about any dish.

Where to Buy Chia Seeds?

These delicious chia seed recipes came from Omega 3 Chia Seed, which is available on Amazon.com. I’ve been using this brand for about a year and find good quality for the price. Amazon also carries several other brands of chia seeds too.

Many health food stores also sell chia seeds.

Anti-Aging Workout Video Is Fun to do at Home

Carol Argo’s anti-aging workout video Anti-Aging Method with Carol Argo offers a unique total body

workout that blends the best of Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates and dance that is suitable for beginners to the experienced fitness expert. As we age, our workouts should include these aspects so we can remain flexible and to keep our bodies youthful and free of pain from stiff joints, and help us improve balance to prevent falls. These exercises offer a great anti-aging program that you can do at home to accomplish all these goals.

This anti-aging workout video features three different workout options - a comprehensive total workout which lasts 50 minutes, a brief energize & dance workout with is 20 minutes, an all-floor Yoga & Pilates session of 27 minutes and bonus six minute program of Chair Yoga. Carol Argo’s Anti Aging Method
is easy to fit into any type of schedule and received the highest viewer ratings on Amazon.com.

Exercise as we get older, or exercising to keep us young, is absolutely essential to improving our senior years. The earlier you begin, the better you will feel and the better you will age. Aches and pains are common as we age, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates keep us flexible and pain free. If you’re free of pain from stiff joints, an aching back or knees, your quality of life is so much better. Balance exercises are essential as we age as well, to keep us from breaking hips and other bones.

All it takes is getting into the habit of exercising several times a week. You’ll notice the difference in the way you feel in just a week or two.

If you’re new to fitness and want to improve flexibility, reduce stress and feel more energetic, The Anti-Aging Method is a terrific place to begin. If you’ve been doing fitness workouts for a while, or are looking for a workout you can do conveniently at home, The Anti-Aging Method is an essential addition to your fitness video library.

Exercises for Balance - Do These Every Day for Healthy Aging

No matter what your age, balance exercises are some of the easiest and most important exercises you can do on a daily basis. As we age, our brain “forgets” how to balance, leaving us susceptible it falls and broken hips in our senior years. It’s easy to prevent these falls by doing balance exercises daily.

Balance exercises strengthen core muscles, which in turn, hold you upright and protect you from back pain.

The easiest and least expensive balance program is simply to stand on one foot for as long as you can and then switch feet. If you have trouble at first, lightly place one hand on the counter to steady you. As time goes by, you won’t need the steadying hand anymore.

Do this balance exercise while you brush your teeth each day. Once you get really expert at this exercise, do it with your eyes closed.

Think of all your daily tasks that would allow you to do balance exercises at the same time - washing dishes, cooking, talking on the telephone.

Here are some free yoga standing poses from Yoga Journal. Any of these, done daily, will greatly improve balance.

From personal experience, I can say that yoga improves balance tremendously. Many poses involve balance and yoga strengthens core muscles. Here’s a helpful yoga DVD to get you started or find a class at your local YMCA or rec center.

The New Yoga for Healthy Aging is also a good book to get you started on using yoga for balance exercises.

Tai Chi is another great exercise for improving balance. If you don’t have a class near you, try Tai-chi Exercises for Seniors, a DVD which shows you how to practice tai chi at home.

Many people like the bosu ball for balance exercises. When I went to my chiropractor for a therapy session, however, the therapist did not recommend using the bosu ball at home as it’s been connected with many falls and injuries. If you want to try this form of balance exercise, find a certified instructor to teach you how to do it safely.

Here is a slide show of simple balance exercises from the Mayo Clinic.

Other helpful tools for balance exercises.

DVD on Senior/Elderly Balance Exercises Using a Chair

Total Body Balance Ball Kit from Gaiam.com

If you’ve checked into the cost of stylish eyeglasses lately, you might think finding quality frames and lenses for a

great price is difficult to do. If so, check out the eyeglasses at Zenni Optical, your online optical store where you can get fashionable frames with quality workmanship, plus your prescription lenses, for under $25 in most cases.

You want your eyeglasses to be stylish and the choice of the perfect frames is a very personal fashion statement. Zenni Optical offers all styles from rimless, half rimmed and full rimmed frames, to stainless steel, titanium and aluminum.

Do you need bi-focals or progressive lenses at a discount price? Zenni Optical offers bifocals starting at $25 and progressive lenses starting at $37. Where else could you find fashionable, quality frames and lenses for that price?

Need sunglasses? Zenni Optical offers 7 different tints, starting at just $4.95, offered as an upgrade to the already low prices.

Finding well made, stylish glasses at a discount price does not have to be difficult. Check out the terrific frames at Zenni Optical and you’ll soon be ordering all your eyeglasses from them.

Read a review of Zenni Optical’s eyeglasses for more information.

I love finding online coupons and getting free samples of products. I’ve been a member of Start Sampling.com for quite some time and have found lots of great money saving coupons there. Sign up is totally free and here’s just some of the money saving coupons and tips they offer:

Just some of the current free samples available at Start Sampling are for Prilosec, Head and Shoulders, Loreal products, Remedy Life, which is an email ezine on health and healthy aging which also offers free samples and coupons, Dove Products and many, many more.

Do you use discount coupons when you shop? What a great way to save money! Start Sampling also offers dozens of coupons such as a $2 coupon for Nivia body wash, Pup-Peroni and Milk Bone dog treats, $1 coupons for Kellogg cereal, Keebler crackers, Buddig lunch meats, Aunt Jemima syrup and lots more. Just clip and print these coupons every time you go to the grocery store. You can even get these coupons sent to your cell phone!

Other Start Sampling goodies include forums, games, helpful hints and recipes. free newsletters and ebooks.

Features now available at Start Sampling are forums to give reviews of products or read what others are saying. Whenever I buy something new, I usually check customer ratings and reviews and Start Sampling has a new section called Vocal Pont.com where you can sign up and read and write these reviews. Free product samples and coupons are available here as well and sign up is free.

Check out our other articles on saving money, senior discounts and money saving coupons.

How do you know if you need a digestive enzyme supplement? Your body needs digestive enzymes to help you absorb and assimilate all the nutrients you take in, either from eating healthy food or taking nutritional supplements. Our body products digestive enzymes but as we age, we produce less and less, meaning if we want to keep our weight, energy and digestion in good working order, we probably need a digestive enzyme supplement.

Do you find you can’t enjoy foods you once ate all the time, like lettuce and beans? If you suffer from

indigestion and heartburn frequently, have IBS or other digestive problems, and especially if you are over age 50 (there’s a reason older people have more digestive problems), you probably need digestive enzymes.

Do you also suffer from lack of energy or inflammation? Inflammation in the body can cause many health issues, from asthma to joint pain. Your body may be lacking in important enzymes which help break down the food you eat so that you get the most nutrients possible. When your body stops producing these important digestive enzymes, even if you eat a healthy diet, you won’t be absorbing the benefits, which only adds to your health problems.

Did you know that your immune system may also be suffering because it is expending it’s resources to complete the digestive process of the food in your blood stream? These days, with illnesses like H1N1 around, digestive enzymes are extremely important for building a healthy immune system.

I’ve been taking digestive enzyme supplements for about 3 months and the all too frequent heartburn and indigestion I was suffering from are now a thing of the past.

I’ve even been giving digestive enzymes to my 9 year old Labrador retriever. She’s been slowing down and lacking energy and the digestive enzyme supplement is helping her to break down her food and receive more nutrition. I break up an enzyme capsule and sprinkle it on her food and she’s been enjoying her daily walk so much more!

Since our bodies slow down on producing digestive enzymes, a good supplement can help digestive problems. Health guru Dr. Andrew Weil recommends digestive enzymes to aid cases of severe indigestion as does Dr. Mercola.

How do you find the best digestive enzyme supplement? The digestive enzyme supplement I use is sold by Dr. Mercola. Dr. Mercola supplements are high quality and priced to fit your budget. You can even save 10% by putting your supplements on auto-ship, which you can cancel anytime.

Giving your body the best digestive enzymes will increase quality of life by improving energy and digestion, building a better immune system and even increasing longevity.

More about digestive enzymes.

This past year, we’ve been remodeling our kitchen but we are still looking for a new kitchen sink to complete it. I recently found

stainless steel kitchen sinks on a website called Mr. Direct, which offers many sinks for under $100. When we’ve already spent several thousand dollars on a kitchen remodel, we welcome the chance to save some money as we finish up.

Besides 81 different stainless steel sinks, Mr. Direct also offers bathroom sinks and fixtures, shower and tub faucets and other accessories, all with same day shipping and great prices. If you love those new glass bathroom sinks, he has those too in various styles.

So whatever your remodeling needs might be, check out Mr. Direct and save yourself some money on your kitchen remodel or just to spruce up the look of your kitchen with a new sink.

I always love giving gift baskets for the holidays or a special

occasion because you can tailor the basket to the gift recipient. Does someone on your gift list love coffee or tea? How about chocolate? Maybe they’re into health and fitness.

GiftsWish.com has a huge assortment of different gift baskets for any occasion. Whether you need a corporate gift or a gift for your grandma or Aunt Suzie, you can find the perfect gift idea here.

One gift basket idea I especially loved was the Healthy Choice Baskets. These are filled with healthy items like Stash Premium Green Tea, mixed nuts, dried fruits, sugar free preserves and delicious sounding East Shore Key Lime with Ginger Mustard.

Other unique gift basket ideas I liked on this website were the International Gift Baskets. Get a Taste of Italy gift Basket, a Taste of France Gift Basket or a Bavarian Delight Gift Basket. Great idea for the world traveler or arm chair traveler on your gift list.

If you don’t find a basket that’s perfect for your special occasion, you can also create your own custom gift basket at GiftsWish.com. . Simply choose a basket, choose the items you want to include (any number of items from 5 to 20) and add it to your shopping cart. It’s as easy as that to get a unique, one of a kind gift.

Make the holidays simple this season and choose a gift basket for everybody on your gift list.

I started drinking lots of green tea about 10 years ago and I feel it really gives my health and immune system a boost. Recently I started drinking more white tea, which is higher in antioxidants and lower in caffeine than other teas. It has a light delicate flavor which lends itself nicely to flavored ice tea drinks too.

White tea is made by picking the young buds and leaves of the tea, while green tea is made by picking the more mature leaves.

I found a useful website dedicated to white tea. White Tea.com has articles about brewing white tea, plus articles on the types of white tea and all the benefits of drinking it. Plus, you can order a white tea sampler, white peony tea and silver needle white tea.

Since white tea has a milder flavor than green or black tea, you can use it in fruity drinks. Mix 2 cups of white tea with equal parts pomegranate juice or berry juice, like blueberry. Add ice and you have a beautiful party drink that your guests will love.

Need holiday gift ideas for spouses, kids and grandkids? I like to do my shopping all in one place if possible and for holiday gift shopping, I often turn to Shop.com Looking for the perfect gift idea for the cook on your list? Why not get an Oilless turkey fryer?

Here in Texas, deepfried turkey is a holiday delicacy but cleaning up the oil can be a big mess. Where can you dispose of so much oil? That’s why, when I see this oilless turkey fryer, which uses infrared heat, I knew this was what my husband was getting for Christmas this year.

If you’re looking for nostalgic gifts for the baby boomers and seniors on your list, Shop.com has a great selection of nostalgic board games, nostalgic radio shows, and even an old fashioned hot dog cart!

My daughter also collects Barbie Dolls. She never really played with them, but rather saw them as an investment so each and every year, I look for the latest in collectible Barbies. This Wedgewood Collectible Barbie was one of her favorites. Shop.com has the 2009 holiday Barbie as well as other collectible Barbies.

For holiday gift shopping, I really like using SHOP.COM because it’s an easy-to-use online shopping comparison site. SHOP.COM basically does all the work for you by scouring the internet and working with nationally known stores to get the best deals and bring them to their customers. No matter what type of gift you’re looking for, whether it’s toys, clothing, housewares, electronics and more, they have it.

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