I never had a chia pet, but I can assure you I wanted one and thought they were ridiculously cool. Although many things have changed since then, such as my makeup, the fact that I discovered strapless bras, thongs, and frizz control, I still think chia seeds are ridiculously cool.

A few years ago, I got really into flax seeds and flax meal. I am still a huge fan of flax, and use it often, but I have to admit that I am a little obsessed with chia seeds right now. According to Dr. Oz “chia seeds are ‘super’ because, like a superfruit, they deliver the maximum amount of nutrients with minimum calories. They have several of the same benefits as the more well-known “super seed” flax, but unlike flax seed, you don’t need to grind them to reap the health benefits. The nutritional benefits of chia include fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and much more – even protein!”

It is crazy to think that the chia seeds we eat are the very same ones that grow a carpet of grass onto terracotta figurines! Chia seeds make a great addition to oatmeal, pudding, smoothies, or even tea. The seeds turn gelatinous when they come into contact with liquid, giving them a consistency similar to baby tapioca. This only happens if they sit in liquid for a period of time longer than 10-20 minutes. If you add them to a smoothie and drink it right away you don’t even know they are there.

I have been enjoying the health and taste benefits of chia seeds in two ways lately. The first is in an overnight oatmeal recipe adapted from Oh She Glows. I usually double or triple the recipe so that I can make it for a few days. I have kept it up to three days in the fridge. It doesn’t last too long because even though my husband is not of a fan of some of my healthier recipes, he LOVES this, and actually told me I had to write a post about it!

Overnight Oats

• 1 cup vanilla almond milk (can use vanilla soy, or dairy, but if using dairy you may need to add a drop of vanilla extract or honey)
• 
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons raw chia seeds
• 
1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)
• 1/3 cup raw oats

Mix all in a covered container and refrigerate for two hours minimum. If you like, add in berries, slivered almonds, sliced bananas or sunflower seeds when you serve it.

I have also been making chocolate chia pudding with two simple ingredients, chocolate almond milk and chia seeds. All I do is mix one cup of sweetened chocolate almond milk with three tablespoons of the seeds, stir and let sit covered in the fridge for a few hours until it becomes a thick pudding. It lasts a few days, and I enjoy a few spoonfuls every day as an afternoon snack. Yum!

Dr. Oz wrote that he has been making chia pudding with fruit juice, and I may try that next.

By the way, did you know they sell chia pets in the shape of Barack Obama and Homer Simpson now?

Originally posted on Daughter In Law Diaries.

I would never think about skipping a doctor’s appointment for my child, but I realized that I completely missed last year’s exam at my gynecologist. At the ENT, I was told that I needed speech therapy for my vocal nodules, or I would eventually need surgery. My first thought was that I could never fit speech therapy appointments into my already over-scheduled weekly calendar for myself, even though I do go once a week for my son. The sad thing is, when faced with possible surgery, I immediately thought that two days in bed recovering sounded like a dream. I told the doctor to let me know when I should check into the hospital. How did I get to the point that surgery seems like a vacation?!

October is the time as women, that we finally need to vow to ourselves to spend 5 minutes a month paying attention to our own bodies. Yes, you observe every crevice, birth mark, and freckle on your child. You lovingly regard the intricacies of your partner’s body, but do you know what your own breast tissue feels like?

It is now or never Ladies! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we owe it to ourselves to commit to a monthly self breast exam.

According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, “Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important. While mammograms can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes.”

Breast Cancer awareness is more than just wearing pink. Giving a self breast examination is easy, and incredibly important. These step by step instructions from breastcancer.org demonstrate how in a few short minutes you can empower yourself to be an advocate for your body.

Step 1:

Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your shoulders straight and your arms on your hips.
 Here’s what you should look for:

• Breasts that are their usual size, shape, and color
• Breasts that are evenly shaped without visible distortion or swelling
• If you see any of the following changes, bring them to your doctor’s attention:
•      Dimpling, puckering, or bulging of the skin
•      A nipple that has changed position or an inverted nipple (pushed inward instead of sticking out)
•      Redness, soreness, rash, or swelling

Step 2:

Now, raise your arms and look for the same changes.

Step 3:

While you’re at the mirror, look for any signs of fluid coming out of one or both nipples (this could be a watery, milky, or yellow fluid or blood).

Step 4:

Next, feel your breasts while lying down, using your right hand to feel your left breast and then your left hand to feel your right breast. Use a firm, smooth touch with the first few finger pads of your hand, keeping the fingers flat and together. Use a circular motion, about the size of a quarter.

Cover the entire breast from top to bottom, side to side — from your collarbone to the top of your abdomen, and from your armpit to your cleavage.

Follow a pattern to be sure that you cover the whole breast. You can begin at the nipple, moving in larger and larger circles until you reach the outer edge of the breast. You can also move your fingers up and down vertically, in rows, as if you were mowing a lawn. This up-and-down approach seems to work best for most women. Be sure to feel all the tissue from the front to the back of your breasts: for the skin and tissue just beneath, use light pressure; use medium pressure for tissue in the middle of your breasts; use firm pressure for the deep tissue in the back. When you’ve reached the deep tissue, you should be able to feel down to your ribcage.

Step 5:

Finally, feel your breasts while you are standing or sitting. Many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery, so they like to do this step in the shower.

Cover your entire breast, using the same hand movements described in Step 4.

Are you committed to a monthly self breast exam?

Originally posted on Daughter In Law Diaries.

The 1-31 on my desk

OK…deep breath…GETTING ORGANIZED. It feels totally overwhelming doesn’t it? Putting systems in place is half the battle, but keeping them up wins the war. I don’t know about you, but I feel very unsettled, and have trouble concentrating if my surroundings are not in order.

A few years ago I hired an organizer, Marcie Baker Turrin of Ship Shape Houston to help put a few organizational systems in place. She did a wonderful job, and I found that I got more done with someone spurring me along, in addition to knowing that I was paying an hourly rate. I didn’t want to waste a minute!

Five years later, I am still using many of the tools that Marcie suggested, namely the Pendaflex 1-31 organizer. This is seriously the best organizational tool I have ever seen.

Open to a certain day, I have a wedding!

Like many of you, I am inundated with invitations, notices, and random papers that can easily become piles on my desk. The 1-31 changed all of that! It is a flat accordion file that takes up minimal space, and has slots for each day of the month. You slide in what you need to do on a particular day, be it a party invitation, bills to pay, or a reminder to yourself. You simply open to that day, and your daily tasks or places to be are all organized in a central location. No more random papers and invitations floating around your desk or kitchen, and no more piles! The 1-31 has become the hub of my office.

I have been using my 1-31 religiously, and I can truly say that this small item changed my organizational life. Trust me, you need it! This also makes a great gift for a sister, mother, MIL, or friend. They will love you, even more! Order now from our Amazon store!

http://daughterinlawdiaries.com/2012/09/11/best-organizing-tool-ever/.

Stephanie has a life-long passion for health and nutrition, and she is driven to share her knowledge with people ready to make positive changes and achieve optimal health. She designed three and five day juice cleanses for Good Life Gourmet, in New York.

Participants drink five different juices per day for the duration of the cleanse. Nothing else. If a participant is desperate they may snack on raw cucumber or celery.

“This allows you to consume more fruits and vegetables than you could ever normally eat,” Stephanie explained. “Most people start with three-day cleanses, and may move to a five day at some point.” Juice cleansing, Stephanie said, detoxifies your body. “It gives your digestive system and your body as a whole a rest.”

“Toxins are stored in fat,” she continued. “And the more toxic a body is the more fat it holds onto.”

Besides jump-starting a diet, Stephanie Korn said juice cleanses can improve skin, promote energy and decrease inflammation.

“How people feel during the cleanse is completely personal,” she said. “Some are starving all the time and others get a ton of energy.”

Before starting a cleanse, she suggests cutting down on red meat, alcohol and coffee first.

Even though a typical cleanse starts at three days, you can get an idea of what it is all about by trying one day. “It may help you commit to a three or five day cleanse if you know what to expect. You will prove to yourself that you can do it,” Stephanie adds.

The following is a one day juice menu designed by Stephanie. All juices are approximately 16 ounces, with the exception of the nut milk that you end your day with. Get ready to plug in the juicer and drink up!

Juice 1

• 3 large red apples (of your choice)
• 2-3 cups spinach
• (in equal parts)

Juice 2

• 1 medium red beet
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 navel oranges, peeled
• ¼ bunch flat leaf parsley

Juice 3

• 4 large carrots
• 2 large red apples
• 1/2″ piece fresh ginger

Juice 4

• 1 cup kale
• 3 cups spinach
• 2 pears
• ½ cup  pineapple

Juice 5

There are two options to end your day with. If you haven’t had enough, you can make another green juice of

• 1 large cucumber
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 pear
• 2 green apples
• 1 lemon

Or you can make almond or cashew milk. You will need to mix this in a high speed blender.

• ½ cup almonds or cashews soaked in two cups filtered water for a minimum of 2 hours, then drained
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons raw agave nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut oil

If making your own juice is not for you, most cities have health food stores or restaurants that offer the option to purchase prepared juices.

Happy juicing! Be sure to comment if you try this cleanse, and let us know what your favorite juice was.

Originally posted on Daughter-in-Law Diaries.