Good Living with Aprilanne

When it heats up outside use our healthy living guidlines when cooking on the grill!

When things starts heating up outside it’s our cue to fire up the grill and start cooking outdoors!  Now while I’m not aiming to be a total killjoy here - it is important to report that the process of cooking meat, poultry and fish on the grill has been proven to cause the formation of carcinogens known as HCAs (Heterocyclic Aromatic Aminies) and PAH’s (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons).  We all love to BBQ, and cooking on the grill is a quick, easy, and fun way to prepare meals - so here are a few steps you can take to decrease the cancer risk when grilling:

1. Use fruit marinades such as orange, lemon, lime, etc., and anti-oxidant rich herbs and spices such as cumin, rosemary, oregano, etc., and marinating meats and poultry at least an hour before cooking to reduce carcinogenetic damage up to 90%!

2. Using fresh foods such as garlic, onions, rosemary, tomatoes, etc. that contain antioxidants to protect one’s DNA from the carcinogenic damage caused by the Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines HCA’s and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons – PAHs formed when grilling meats, poultry, and fish.

3. Cooking in tinfoil to prevent the fat drippings and subsequent production of PAHs that are deposited back onto the food by smoke and flare-ups.

4. Using smaller cuts of meat so they take less time to cook; flipping frequently to promote faster cooking and prevent HCAs from forming.

Ultimately you are in control when it comes to the foods you eat and prepare for yourself and your family so do take a few extra moments when grilling to include some of the ideas above to protect yourself and loved ones from the carcinogens created when grilling meat, fish, and poultry.  Carcinogen byproducts are not formed by the way when grilling vegetables - so be sure to include lots of great roasted veggies such as colorful peppers, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini and enjoy them all completely guilt free!  Enjoy - Aprilanne 

This information is offered to provide general good living tips and guidelines and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease or illness.  Please check with your doctor or health care provider before starting any new heath  regimen.  Yours in good living, Aprilanne

Aprilanne Hurley, CN is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifestyle.  Please forward your personal health and nutrition questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com.

Aprilanne’s Grilled Pizza Recipe
 

Check out CA Living’s Insider’s Guide to Paring Wine and the BBQ on CAInsider.com NOW!  And try marinading your meat in the Olive Salsa Verde

It's Bikini Season - Beware the "Fad-Diet Syndrome"

It’s that time of year again when the temptation to go a “diet” can be so strong many people find themselves with all good intentions to eat right and loose weight throwing caution to the wind and going on the latest and greatest “fad diet” out there. 

Naturally your intentions to eat right, exercise, and loose weight are admirable and with adherence to the proper diet plan will ultimately deliver success.  The problem is, most “fad diets” can be disguised as “quick weight loss  miracle plans” which may unfortunately set people up for failure from the get-go because they are too rigid, promise unrealistic outcomes, and/or do not have the proven scientific research behind them to support their outrages weight loss promotion claims.   So how can one distinguish between a fad-diet and a wholesome, healthy weight loss strategy? If a diet you are considering has any or all of the following components proceed with caution:

Tell-tale Signs of a “Fad-Diet:”

1.   The diet offers inflated marketing claims of ultra-quick weight loss (more than a few pounds a week).

2.  The diet restricts certain food groups completely - “No carb” diets fall into this category which recommend you eat a diet full of health harming saturated fats in the form of eating all the full fat cheese, dairy, and animal proteins you want while eliminating heart healthy grains and legumes, and health promoting fruits and veggies.

3.  The diet requires you to consume specific foods only such as eating only grapefruits, bananas, cabbage soup, all liquids, or large quantities of fat and protein for extended periods of time for instance.

4.  The diet requires dieter to purchase specific weight loss supplements, drink powders, prepackaged foods and bars, etc. which can be an impractical  “eating lifestyle” to adhere to and/or maintain over a long period of time. 

5.  The diet does not promote exercise and claims you do not need to be physically active to loose weight on the diet.

While the above list is rather abbreviated to get the message out to avoid “fad-diets” like the plague - it does encapsulate nicely the top “diet pitfalls” to avoid when considering a diet plan to loose weight.  To complete the picture, below are the signs of a healthy diet - one that will offer you the most rewards for your efforts and the best results in your quest to loose weight and feel great this season:

Attributes of a Healthy Weight Loss Plan:

1.  The diet allows you to eat all of the food groups in moderation - without limiting your intake of food groups that are proven to enhance and longevity such as fruits and vegetables, beans and legumes, whole grains, etc.

2.  The diet plan is one that you can sustain (stay on) for long periods of time - ask yourself:  “will I be able to easily stay on this diet plan for “the rest of my life?”  If the answer is “yes” you may have found the perfect diet plan for you as long as it includes the rest of the points on this list!

3. The diet encourages the use of functional foods and healthful herbs, spices, servings of organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean protein sources such as chicken, eggs, and wild caught cold water fish, etc.

4.  Consumption of good fats such as monounsaturated fats  found in nuts, olives/olive oil, and fatty fish such as salmon for your omega 3’s are encouraged as part of a healthy eating plan.

5.  Exercise is promoted and required daily/weekly to keep you healthy and help you burn calories in order to loose weight.

The information in the above list has also been provided in an abbreviated fashion in order to get the message of  “healthy dieting” out there, and while loosing weight is not easy for many people the following simple, tried and true weight loss formula will help you in reaching your weight loss success goals:

ENERGY IN - (minus)  ENERGY EXPENDED = CALORIES/WEIGHT LOST OR GAINED. 

Calories/Energy consumed in the form of food - minus - Calories burned through exercise/activity equals = Calories/Weight lost or gained depending on whether a caloric deficit or surplus is created.

While it would be fantastic if everyone consumed a diet rich in nutrition and antioxidant rich fruits, vegetables, fish, lean protein and monounsaturated (good) fats - no matter what the calories consumed consist of - if a person of normal/average metabolism consistently expends more calories in energy (such as exercise) than they consume they will loose weight accordingly.

3,500 calories equals a pound of weight - when we burn 3,500 calories more than we have eaten we loose a pound. “Calories in - Calories Burned” = a successful weight loss strategy when you consume less calories than you burn or burn more calories than you consume.

If you are interested in getting more reliable, “No BS” information on  “Dieting,” “Weight Loss,” and “Healthy Eating” - including details on our new diet book underway please subscribe to our RSS Feed for ongoing posts - there’s much more to come!  Enjoy - Aprilanne

Related California Living with Aprilanne primetime TV segments now available for online viewing:

Watch “Toned-By-Tonight” Online 

Watch “Beach Body Workout” Online

Aprilanne’s Top 10 Foods Proven to Enhance Health & Longevity 

Aprilanne Hurley CN - is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifecycle.  Please forward your private nutrition, dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post a public reply - thank you!

Health information on this site is provided to enhance the nutrition and wellness of the general public.  It is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Please check with your health care professional prior to starting any new diet or exercise regimen - thank you.  Yours in Good Living, Aprilanne

Watch along as we get the Inside Look at how to make Fresh Tomato Sauce as seen primetime on California Living to go with our Authentic Italian Meatballs with Graziano Perozzi of Sonoma, CA.

Time to Make Meatballs with Aprilanne!!!

Aprilanne Health Tip:  This recipe for Fresh Tomato Sauce is easy, quick, and makes a tomato sauce so incredibly tasty for spaghetti, pizza, and Italian baked dishes you will never suspect it is actually good for you!

Tomatoes are a major source of the Antioxidant Lycopene which is thought to reduce the risk of Cancer by 40 % - notably prostatem lung, and stomach cancer and increase survival.  Here’s an interesting tip - concentrated tomato sauces like the ones found on pizza and in pasta sauce have FIVE time more lycopene than fresh and canned and jarred tomato sauces have THREE times more the antioxidant value of lycopene than fresh tomatoes so there is no excuse to always have this power-food on hand any time you want or need a lycopene boost! 

Fresh Tomato Sauce 

Compliments of Graziano Ristaurante & Vodika Lounge, Petaluma, CA 

1. Cut a small X on top of 4 ripe, large, on the vine tomatoes - place in boiling water (boil for approx. 2 minutes to blanch - remove from water and pull off skin - dice.

2. Place approximately 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive in a large saute pan and saute 3 large shallots, minced.

3. Once onions are clear in color - add diced tomatoes to pan - one 8 oz. glass of white wine and approximately 8 oz. of water.

4. Add 1 bunch loosely cut fresh basil and 2 tsp. each sea salt and black pepper.

5. Simmer about 2 hours - the longer it cooks the thicker the sauce will be. 

6.  Serve over your favorite pasta and a side of our our Authentic Italian Meatballs and ENJOY!!!  Aprilanne

Aprilanne Hurley CN - is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifecycle.  Please forward your nutrition, dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post a reply below - thank you!

 Health information on this site is provided to enhance the nutrition and wellness of the general public.  It is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.  Please check with your health care professional prior to starting any new diet or exercise regimen - thank you.  Yours in Good Living, Aprilanne

Discover The “Fountain of Youth” ~ Look and feel younger, live longer – sound too good to be true? 

Man’s quest for the proverbial “Fountain of Youth” can be traced as far back as the time of  Alexander Romance (could be as early as the 3rd Century and even further if you count Biblical references) when Herodotus‘ a Greek historian chronicles tales of discovering “healing waters” from a fountian located in the land of the Ethiopians.

Other “fountain of youth myths” were introduced to the New World by sixteenth-century historians who “expanded” upon the Spanish Explorer Ponce de Leon’s account of discovering the “Fountain of Youth” in 1513 on what he thought was an island - which is now Florida.

Present day – we have access to a plethora of health and beauty products and treatments promising to “take away the years” and halt the signs of aging.  Health food stores are brimming with supplements, specialty foods, and “potions” promising anti-aging and longevity boosting benefits to those consuming their contents.  Plastic surgery has become an acceptable option to looking younger, and research and drug companies search to create medications to help us live longer.  There are as many exercise machines and fad diets out there now as there are shapes and sizes of people trying to loose weight with them.

And naturally – consumers snatch it all up with intense fervor as the promise of eternal youth and happiness is worth every hard earned dollar spent – assuming of course,  these products actually do deliver on what they promise.  Unfortunately, as we have all experienced – this is not typically the case, and all we have to show for our investments are empty promises, deflated hopes, and shattered dreams of attaining that ellusive state of “everlasting youth.”

Aprilanne offers the secrets to living a longer, healthier, and happier life with CA Living’s Top 10 Foods!

Now what if I told you - the secrets to living a longer, happier, and healthier life are available to you right now and are literally just a mere click away – and all FREE for the taking?  I know, you may be wondering “what’s the catch?”  Well – there is no catch.  I’m not pushing any magic pills – secret virility potions – fancy creams - or body altering gadgets.   Just click here to watch “CA Living’s Top 10 Foods Proven to Enhance  Health & Longevity. “  You can also check out other great Health & Wellness info. and a printed version of our Top 10 Foods for Helath & Longevity! 

The ironic thing is – many, and perhaps even ALL of the foods on CA Livings Top 10 Food List such as red grapes, olive oil, nuts, etc., have been important staples in man’s diet dating back long before the “Fountain of Youth” myths even started to surface – proving that the solution to man’s quest to find the “Fountain of Youth”  has possibly been within reach all along.

Click here to watch “CA Living’s Top 10 Foods Proven to Enhance  Health & Longevity”

Print version of -CA Living’s  Top 10 Foods

Of course, for some, having the answers to attain good health, happiness, and enhanced longevity just may not be enough - as it is the very “thrill of the chase,” the richly rooted folklore, and the ongoing search for a literal “fountain of youth” that keeps this age old quest alive.

For these “die-hards” -  perhaps a check in to see what Magician David Copperfield is up to is in order - as back in 2006 he claimed the “fountain of youth” existed within the boundaries of a few islands in the Bahamas he purchased where reportedly “the waters had magical,  life altering healing powers” breathing new life into dead leaves and “near dead” insects…hmmm.  Now while I’m always one for giving someone the “benefit of the doubt” folks – let’s keep in mind this guy made his living tricking people with his “illusionary” skills and play it safe for now by calling on the proven super powers of garlic, spinach, tomatoes, and array of other healthy foods available to us right now – no strings attached!  Enjoy ~ Aprilanne

Aprilanne's Top Ten Foods for health and longevity.

Proven “Top Ten Foods” for Health & Longevity!

Watch Aprilanne’s Top Ten  Foods for Health and Longevity On-Demand Now!

As seen on CA Living’s  “Health & Wellness” Special - below is a list of the Top Ten foods science has proven can make you healthier and help you loose weight when eaten as part of a nutritious diet in moderation and live longer:

 1. TOMATOES – TOMATOES ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF THE ANTIOXIDANT LYCOPENE – LYCOPENE REDUCES THE RISK OF CANCER BY 40 % - NOTABLY PROSTATE, LUNG, AND STOMACH CANCERS AND INCREASE CANCER SURVIVAL – AND HERE’S AN INTERESTING TIP – CONCENTRATED TOMATOES SAUCES LIKE THE ONES FOUND ON PIZZA AND IN PASTA SAUCES HAVE FIVE TIMES MORE LYCOPINE THAN FRESH TOMATOES AND CANNED TOMATOES HAVE THREE MORE THAN FRESH SO –THERE’S NO EXCUSE TO ALWAYS HAVING THIS POWERFOOD ON HAND ANY TIME YOU WANT A LYCOPINE BOOST!

2. OLIVE OIL – IT IS A MAJOR PART OF THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET – SHOWN TO HELP REDUCE DEATH FROM HEART DISEASE AND CANCER – HEART ATTACH SURVIVORS ON A MEDITERRANEAN DIET HAD HALF THE DEATH RATES OF THOSE ON AN ORDINARY LOW-FAT DIET, RECENT RESEARCH SHOWS. THE REMARKABLY LOW MORTALITY RATES AMONG MEDITERRANEAN POPULATIONS IS ATTRIBUTED TO OLIVE OIL – WHICH IS ALSO HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY.

3. RED GRAPES – THIS CATEGORY INCLUDES RED GRAPE JUICE AND WINE. CERTAIN RED GRAPES HAVE MODERATE ANTIOXIDANT POWER WITH PURPLE GRAPE JUICE TOPPING OTHER JUICES IN ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY – HAVING FOUR MORE THAN ORANGE OR TOMATO JUICE – RED WINE HAS ABOUT THE SAME ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY AS PURPLE GRAPE JUICE OR TEA. FRENCH RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT DRINKING RED WINE IN MODERATION INCREASES LONGEVITY – BUT AS WE JUST TOLD YOU – YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE SAME ANTIOXIDANT BENEFITS WITH GRAPE JUICE IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE ALCOHOL.

4. NUTS – RECENT HARVARD UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUND THAT EATING MORE THAN 5 OUNCES OF NUTS A WEEK CAN CUT HEART ATTACK DEATHS IN WOMEN BY OVER 40 PERCENT – AND HELPED PREVENT DEADLY IRREGULAR HEARTBEATS IN MEN. ALMONDS AND WALNUTS LOWER BLOOD CHOLESTEROL – AND NUTS ARE HIGH IN FAT – MOST IN THE GOOD TYPE MONOUNSATURATED AND OR OMEGA -3 FATTY ACIDS – SO IF YOUR WATCHING YOUR FAT INTAKE KEEP PORTIONS TO ONCE OUNCE.

5. WHOLE GRAINS THE MORE WHOLE GRAINS YOU EAT – THE LOWER YOUR ODDS OF DEATH A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA STUDY REVEALS. – MIDDLE AGED WOMEN WHO ATE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE WHOLE GRAIN FOOD PER DAY HAD A 15% LOWER DEATH RATE TAN WOMEN EATING LOTS OF REFINED PROCESSED GRAINS. LOOK TO INCLUDE MORE WHOLE GRAIN DARK BREADS, AND CEREALS SUCH AS ALL BRAN AND OLD FASHIONED OATMEAL INTO YOUR DIET. WHOLE GRAINS CONTAIN ANTI-CANCER AGENTS AND HELP STABILIZE BLOOD SUGAR AND INSULIN WHICH MAY PROMOTE LONGEVITY.

6. SALMON AND OTHER FATTY FISH – THESE CONTAIN HIGH AMOUNTS OF THE TYPE OF FAT – OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS – THAT PERFORMS MIRACLES THROUGHOUT THE BODY – FIGHTING VIRTUALLY EVERY CHRONIC DISEASE KNOW – WITHOUT IT YOUR BRAIN CANNOT THINK YOUR HEART CANNOT BEAT PROPERLY - YOUR ARTERIES CLOG AND YOUR JOINTS BECOME INFLAMED. YOU NEED AT LEAST AN OUNCE OF A DAY RO TWO SERVING OF FATTY FISH A WEEK – BOTH RED AND PINK CANNED SALMON – SARDINES – MACKEREL HERRING AND TUNA ARE RICH IN ESSENTIAL OMEGA – 3’S.

7. BLUEBERRIES – ONE OF THE BEST ANTIOXIDANT-RICH FOODS SAY TUFFS UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS. BLUEBERRIES ARE SO POWERFUL IN RETARDING AGING IN ANIMALS THAT THEY CAN BLOCK BRAIN CHANGES LEADING TO DECLINE AND EVEN REVERSE FAILING MEMORY. – AIM FOR A HALF-CUP OF FROZEN OR FRESH BLUEBERRIES A DAY.

8. GARLIC – GARLIC IS PACKED WITH NUTRIENTS KNOWN TO HELP FEND OFF CANCER, HEART DISEASE, AGING, AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS – GARLIC HAS PROLONGED CANCER SURVIVAL IN TIME AND EXTENDED ANIMAL LIFE SPANS ABOUT 5 PERCENT – WHICH IN HUMANS MAY ADD ABOUT FOUR YEARS - HERE’S A TIP FROM RESEARCHERS AT PENN STATE – LET CRUSHED GARLIC ‘REST ‘ ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE COOKING IT TO PRESERVE IT’S DISEASE FIGHTING AGENTS.

9. SPINACH – THIS SUPER HEALTH PROMOTER IS SECOND AMONG VEGETABLES ONLY TO GARLIC IN ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY. IT IS ALSO RICH IN FOLIC ACID, WHICH HELPS FIGHT CANER, HEART DISEASE, AND MENTAL DISORDERS. BOTH RAW AND STEAMED CONTAIN HIGH ANTIOXIDANT AND OTHER ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT COUNT.

10. TEA – GREEN AND ORDINARY BLACK TEA PACKS THE SAME AMOUNTS OF ANTIOXIDANTS AND HAVE EQUAL BENEFITS EXPERTS SAY. HARVARD RESEARCHERS RECENTLY FOUND THAT DRINKING ONE CUP OF BLACK TEA A DAY CUT HEART-DISEASE RISK IN HALF. BE SURE YOU MAKE YOUR ICED TEA FROM BAGS OR LOOSE TEA – BECAUSE ACCORDING TO TESTS AT TUFTS UNIVERSITY THE BOTTLED AND INSTANT TEAS CONTAIN MINIMAL ANTIOXIDANTS.

Watch Aprilanne’s Top 10 Foods for Health and Longevity

*This information has been provided as a general healthy living guide - it is not intended to treat, cure, evaluate,or diagnose illness or disease. Please check with your doctor or healthcare provider before starting any new exercise or diet regimen and enjoy!

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We welcome your comments please email us: info@insidelooktv.com

Authentic Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti can be yours!

A little background on this recipe:  Grandma Rose’s generation did not use measurements in recipes, but rather cooked with their senses, how the food looked, tasted, and even felt, adding more cheese, or spices etc., to perfect the texture, consistency, and flavor of a dish. With this in mind, the following recipe is the official recipe known as  “Grandma Rose’s Authentic Italian Meatballs,” compliments of Joe Mack, Grandma Roses’ eldest son, who recommends tasting one as soon as it’s cool enough, “because that’s when they taste the best.”

Get in touch with your “Inner Italian” and give it a try…Buona Fortuna!

2 pounds of chopped beef, veal and pork
2-3 eggs depending on size, slightly beaten
1/2 cup plus of finely chopped onion
3 slices of white bread or 2-3 hotdog rolls, chopped finely - About 1/2 cup of skim milk or more - Very big bunch of Italian Parsley chopped fine/leaves only
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Heaping tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Soak chopped bread in milk till it is nice and mushy

2. Add eggs, parsley, onions, cheese, salt and pepper and mix well

3. Add chopped meat and mix well using your *hands; there is no alternative

*Fun Fact # 1 -Grandma Rose would never wear nail polish when cooking for fear that it may chip into the food she was preparing..

4. When thoroughly mixed, form into meatballs by rolling in your palms. You should make 18 to 24 meatballs.

5. Place meatballs in lightly oiled, olive of course, cookie tin and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Do not overcook. The meatballs may be browned in a frying pan; however, the baking is easier and probably healthier.

6. When cool remove meatballs from pan and scrape off any fat that has formed. Did you make more than you need or want to freeze some to enjoy at another time? Try Joe Mack’s Freezing Trick - by laying them out on a cookie sheet and covering to freeze for later use. Check back periodically for additional “Authentic Italian,” Wine Country Cuisine, and “California Living” inspired recipes to try out!

Watch  “Making Meatballs with Aprilanne” now On-Demand on Aprilanne.com

Graziano Perozzi’s Fresh Tomato Sauce and Meatballs Recipes as seen on California Living with Aprilanne primetime:

Graziano insists on using fresh ingredients for the best flavor and nutrition!

First you make the Fresh Tomato Sauce:

1. Cut a small X on top of 4 ripe, large, on the vine tomatoes - place in boiling water (boil for approx. 2 minutes to blanch - remove from water and pull off skin - dice.

2. Place approximately 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive in a large saute pan and saute 3 large shallots, minced.

3. Once onions are clear in color - add diced tomatoes to pan - one 8 oz. glass of white wine and approximately 8 oz. of water.

4. Add 1 bunch loosely cut fresh basil and 2 tsp. each sea salt and black pepper.

5. Simmer about 2 hours - the longer it cooks the thicker the sauce will be.

Now, you “Make The Meatballs!”

(Recipe makes enough for 4 people):

1. Mix 1 lb. each of ground lean beef and ground lean veal in large mixing bowl.

2. Add 3 eggs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, sea salt and black pepper to taste (2 tsp. each).

3. Mix in 3 cloves garlic, minced and 1 shallot finely chopped.

4. Add 1 bunch chopped fresh Italian parsley.

3. Mix all ingredients together well using your hands; there is no alternative to do it right.

4. When thoroughly mixed, form into meatballs by taking a nice sized chunk of meatball mixture and rolling in your palms. You should make 8 to 10 nice sized meatballs. Set aside formed meatballs and set up a pan with some flour in it to roll them in as outlined below…

5. Lightly roll each meatball in flour and place in frying pan with enough olive oil in it to brown them - which should take approximately 3 - 4 minutes. Discard extra oil from the pan ~ add a few ladles of the Fresh Tomato Sauce you made above onto your freshly browned meatballs, sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or fresh chopped parsley and Mangia!!! Serve alone, or as a side dish with your favorite pasta.

Watch “Making Meatballs with Aprilanne” On-Demand!

Try our original Authentic Italian Meatball & Red Sauce recipe Grandma Rose’s “Baked Meatballs” recipe from the Southern part of Italy here…

Aprilanne and Hilary Newsom filming "Step Out on the Town for a Cause" Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

Endorphins are those “feel good” chemicals that get released in our bodies when we exercise (among other vigorous activities), are in pain, laugh, and do something nice like volunteer or help out others in need - which has been dubbed the “helpers high.” 

HeroesHappen.com recently lauched it’s “Find the Hero in You” - Public Awareness TV Campaign and “Volunteer Match Making” Website to encourage people of all ages “unleash their inner hero and volunteer.”      

Click here to go to HeroesHappen.com to watch this Public Awareness Campaign produced promoting Volunteerism featuring Masi Oka - star of hit TV series “Heroes” and program supporter Captain Maggie of the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry on location in beautiful Tiburon, CA!  

Get On-Board with Captain Maggie & Crew - the fresh air will do you a world of good!

Oh, and the dose of Negative Ions you will get out on San Francisco Bay with Captain Maggie’s crew will also boost your endorphin production - making you feel happier, more relaxed, and ready for anything you encounter on your mission in Life…Enjoy!  Aprilanne

Visit CaptainMaggie.com and get your FREE companion Ferry Ride Ticket! 

HeroesHappen.com

Information on Hilary Newsom’s 2010 11th PlumpJack/LINK Golf Classic supporting breast cancer research and education.

 Endorphins

 Masi Oka

Health Benefits of Negative Ions

“Get Glowing” with Milk & Honey Bath you make at home…

California Insider Aprilanne get's the Insider's Guide to a Beauty Regimen that goes back to Cleopatra times.

There is one beauty regiment that goes back as far as the times of Cleopatra - Ancient Queen of  Egypt - the Milk and Honey Bath, and women have been indulging themselves with milk and honey baths for centuries since.

There is something very  relaxing and therapeutic about taking a bath, and while the though of going to a spa to indulge in one is appealing, this is one “spa treatment” you can easily prepare to enjoy in the comforts of your own home!

Combine the ingredients below in a large bowl and then transfer to a decorative jar to keep in your bathroom.  You can simply scoop out a few cups of it to dissolve in a warm bath anytime you want to relax with a skin softening experience…ENJOY!

1/2 cup liquid honey
3 cups powdered milk
lavender buds (added for color and fragrance)

Why it works:  The lactic acid in the milk - which is an alpha hydroxy acid exfoliates the dead skin cells off while you soak as the  emollient properties of the honey sooth and soften the skin resulting in a wonderful 2 part skin revitalizing experience.  The lavender buds add a relaxing aroma, and you can substitute or add other fragrances such as rose or gardenia, etc.,  depending on what scent you are in the mood for.

In addition to soaking in a relaxing emollient bath formula that was customized precisely for me during my spa day at the Oceano Coastal Spa for California Living,  I also received a dry brush application, which has additional skin purifying and exfoliating effects and was treated to an anti-aging Acai Body Facial to further soften and moisturize my skin - it was pure heaven folks…check it out:

Watch Aprilanne;s primetime look at the Oceano Coastal Spa Now On-Demand!

According the the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition “women who ate an ounce of full fat cheese daily gained fewer pounds over time than those who did not eat full-fat cheese daily. ” According to this research, “whole-dairy contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which may boost your metabolism.”

Many varieties of cheese offer decent amounts of bone strengthening calcium and muscle supporting protein.  I think the real trick to including cheese into your everyday diet is adhering to the adage:   “everything in moderation.”  You see, the problem is an actual serving of cheese is rather small  with a single ounce serving about an inch long and a half inch wide.  Now I ask you - have you ever just had one piece of cheese and said to yourself - okay that was my cheese allotment for the day?  Didn’t think so! 

To make the most of your cheese endeavors the suggestions below offer some interesting cheese tidbits to keep in mind when buying, serving, and eating cheese:

• Make the most of your cheese serving by using a grater as shredded portions appear more substantial.
• Lactose intolerant?  You may want to stick to firmer cheese varieties which usually have less lactose.
• Soft, fluffy cheeses have less fat content and fewer calories than hard cheeses because they contain more water.

Did you know that in France entire courses and even entire meals revolve around cheese?  Some cheeses even taking on the role of a dessert item to be  savored with a fine glass of wine or port.

A simple, elegant entertaining idea is to host a Wine & Cheese Pairing Party during which you and your guests pair up your favorite cheeses with the right wine selection.  For “Wine & Cheese Pairing Party & Entertaining Tips” check out my recent Food & Wine post on CAInsider.com and Enjoy!  Aprilanne