Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Apr 18, 2011, 8:02 pm
Thankfully, I've never been a patient in a hospital. I have, however, visited a few people over the last couple of months. While driving to the hospital, I alway pass a billboard that touts this message: The hospital I typically visit was voted one of the best by U.S. News for 2010-2011. I briefly...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Feb 2, 2011, 8:44 am
Mamapedia is quickly becoming my favorite daily deal site! The current featured deal is an Eat Cleaner pack that includes Wash + Dryer Kit, Biodegradable Wipes, Jumbo Reusable Fresh Produce Bag, and Martha Stewart Magazine Subscription. According to the site, Eat Cleaner "safely cleans fruits and ve...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Feb 1, 2011, 6:39 pm
I forgot to mention this when I did the gardening post about gathering supplies... Annie's has a new program called Root 4 Kids. As part of the promotion, you can register to receive a free gardening gift pack when you buy 2 Annie's Homegrown or Annie's Natural products. The gift pack includes glo...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Feb 1, 2011, 9:33 am
Do house cleaning and home maintenance often seem to get in the way of LIFE? I don't know about you, but it's so hard for me to find a balance. Either I'm having a great time loving life and my home is a mess or my house is neat and tidy while my social life has hit rock bottom. I don't feel like I ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 31, 2011, 4:19 pm
What better way to eat healthier than to grow your own produce? Yes, I know it's still winter and there is quite awhile before I will get any bounty from a Spring garden. However, it is time to start preparing and planning for it. I'll be planting a few cool-weather crops next month, and I am workin...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 28, 2011, 10:34 am
It seems like no matter what I do, I'm always rushing around in the morning like a crazy woman so that I won't be late. And yet, after all the craziness, I'm often still late. I normally start the morning with the best of intentions. My alarm clock is set a little bit early just so I have enough tim...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 28, 2011, 9:34 am
Here's the ongoing series of Baby Steps to a Healthier You. Rather than dramatic overnight changes, I encourage you to take smaller, more manageable steps. Do as much or as little as you feel comfortable with, and allow yourself some flexibility. 1. Pack a Snack 2. Keep Junk Food Out of the House 3...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 26, 2011, 3:42 pm
You know those people who eat the tops off of muffins and often leave the bottom for someone else? Yeah, I'm sometimes one of those people. Annoying, right? You reach for a muffin and the bottoms are all that's left. Well, I wanted to make muffins this morning but really only wanted the crispy tops...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 25, 2011, 9:36 am
When I first started eating healthier, I realized something about myself: I have very little self-control when it comes to food. I was so used to eating anything I wanted whenever I wanted. I admit it, I used to eat a whole bag of mini Reese cups in 1 day! It didn't take long to discover that in ord...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 24, 2011, 11:13 am
Abe's Market is said to be the online marketplace for great natural products. Items fall into a range of categories, including food, baby & kids, health, bath & body, the home, and even pet care. Many products are from small, lesser known companies, and the consumer can learn more about individual...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 24, 2011, 9:12 am
I wrote recently about talking with your doctor before accepting a prescription for antibiotics. Today, let's move on to testing. A couple of years ago, I went through a myriad of tests - blood and urine tests, endoscopy, MRI, CAT scan, ultrasound, etc. Through it all, the doctors learned I was "...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 20, 2011, 12:51 pm
If you have just a few spare minutes on the Internet, blog giveaways are great to enter. Unlike national sweepstakes or giveaways directly from major brandnames, blog contests typically have much fewer entries. Here are a few of the I've seen throughout Blogland today: ZOOM Organic: Zoe Juice Health...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 19, 2011, 8:33 am
I've begun to distrust the overuse of antibiotics. If a doctor prescribes them to me again, they must be 100% sure that I won't get better without them. Sure, the medicine kills the bad bacteria that makes us sick, but tit also destroys the good bacteria that keep our intestines in-line. Last tim...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 14, 2011, 10:59 am
The power never went out, Thank God, but I've been out playing in the snow instead of posting. I know for you northerners, it's not a big deal. But this was the most snow I've ever seen in this area (at 5.5"...)! Sledding, snow angels, snowmen, an igloo, snow cream - we did it all. The house was a c...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 13, 2011, 6:51 pm
I had a free subscription to Kiwi magazine for a year and was disappointed when I know longer received it. That's why this deal excites me so much! It's particularly geared towards families with kids, but I don't have kids and still like the mag. Mamapedia's deal for the next 5 days is a year's subs...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 10, 2011, 7:52 am
We just got a bunch of snow during the night! I'm in the South, where snow is fairly uncommon and the power almost always seems to go out for a couple of days. Just letting you know if I don't blog for a bit, it's because I have no electricity. I'm praying it doesn't go out though, because it's COLD...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 8, 2011, 4:44 pm
I've posted a bit about how we need to fight back against some of the policies the US government is accepting (like in the post What Happened to America's Fighting Spirit), but it greatly saddens and disturbs me to see how low some Americans have stooped in that fighting. I just read a Yahoo article...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 7, 2011, 10:50 pm
As a people, we have become obsessed with Health. There is something fundamentally, radically unhealthy about all this. We do not seem to be seeking more exuberance in living as much as staving off failure, putting off dying. We have lost all confidence in the human body. ~Lewis Thomas, The Medusa a...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 7, 2011, 11:59 am
I feel like I've been posting quite a bit about our healthcare system lately (like 18 Ideas to Reform Healthcare and Sarah Palin Pushing Cookies), so I've vowed to myself that this will be the last one on that topic for a little while. I fully believe the first step in a healthier nation will have...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 6, 2011, 5:48 pm
I have a confession: While I rarely eat Snickers now, I think their commercials are brilliant. In modern society, we want everything right this second, so their motto "Hungry? Why wait?" was perfect. Their latest catch phrase - "You're not you when you're hungry" is equally compelling, as shown in ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 4, 2011, 9:36 am
Stress and lack of sleep have gotten the best of me, so now I'm battling a cold. To fight back, I upped my defense this morning with a good 'ol smoothie: 1 orange 1 apple 1 small frozen banana a handful of frozen strawberries a handful of kale Put in a blender until pureed. I normally cringe at the ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 3, 2011, 1:03 pm
Java at Never Growing Old hosts a blog-hop of Meet Me on Monday. Every Monday, you get to know a little bit about fellow bloggers with a few questions that she posts. Sounded like fun, so here it goes! Questions: 1. Do you have any New Year's resolutions? I have ongoing goals, but I've never done ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 3, 2011, 9:03 am
First, Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, or Happy Holidays! A few weeks ago, I watched a documentary on the Revolutionary War. History doesn't usually hold my attention, so I was honestly surprised by how interesting it was. My favorite part was about Baron ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Jan 2, 2011, 8:46 am
I had the flu once when I was a child. I still remember the pain behind my eyes and the way the room spun when I tried to stand up. To avoid this, the CDC says the number one preventive measure is to receive a flu vaccine. I’m not a scientist or medical professional, but I have my doubts about thi...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 28, 2010, 7:02 pm
Reader's Digest has described 18 ideas for reforming health care to make it more affordable. With my rant about Obama claiming a slower rise in health care costs still in my mind, this list intrigued me. I don't agree with every single idea, but there are some noteworthy ones and are definitely wor...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 27, 2010, 12:17 pm
I don't normally comment on political proceedings (except my rant about Obama slowing the cost of healthcare) because, frankly, much if it is over my head or is too messed up to invoke a comment. However, I read an article recently about Sarah Palin bringing cookies to a fundraiser at a Pennsylvania...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 8, 2010, 8:29 am
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.     1 Corinthians 10:13 Sometimes this verse helps when I'...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 6, 2010, 8:17 am
I picked up a friend in my car today and was overwhelmed by cigarette smoke and perfume the moment she opened the door. In general, the perfume had a good fragrance. A few years ago, I may have even asked her what kind it was and where she bought it. Now though, I can feel the familiar pressure buil...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 3, 2010, 11:33 am
WE HAVE A WINNER!!! The random number generator picked...#6 Betsy. Congratulations Betsy! What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word hemp? The drug? Hemp jewelry? How about milk? "Whoa...what?" was my first reaction when I heard about hemp milk. After being diagnosed with a mi...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 3, 2010, 9:36 am
Photo credit: Eat Better America I love smoothies...honest and truly, wholeheartedly love them. They're cold, refreshing, and make a great start to a day. They were also my first step towards a healthier lifestyle and made my daily headaches disappear. Here's a secret: Smoothies are also a grea...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Dec 1, 2010, 10:23 am
It's December 1 and as promised - I'm back! I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving. Are you ready to hit the gym now to work off all of that food? I know I ate much more than I had intended...but let's move on. Companies listen to customer comments and suggestions, plain and simple. They have ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 20, 2010, 8:54 am
I'm sorry for the lack of updates in November. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and silly me thought I could write a 50,000 word novel in one month and still keep up with blog posts. Obviously, that hasn't worked. Rather than stressing over it, I'm going to take a brea...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 15, 2010, 9:09 am
Wow it was a rough week last week, but today is the start of another and it's going to be great! To kick it off, I'm going to share some ways to add vegetables to your breakfast. I grew up on sweet breakfasts of waffles, cereal, Pop-tarts, muffins (sweet as cupcakes), and cinnamon rolls, but I've re...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 9, 2010, 2:48 pm
The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 9, 2010, 2:07 pm
For the full Healthier on a Budget series, click here. For starters, have you joined the Swagbucks craze yet? It's a great search engine where you earn points for searching the Internet. Friday is MegaSwagbucks day when even more points are given out for searches. The points can be cashed in for a v...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 3, 2010, 9:06 am
When you stay at a hotel, are you drawn to the ones with free continental breakfasts? I know they're not really free since breakfast is included with the cost of the room, but there's something about not having to hand over an extra $10 that early in the morning that makes for a great start to the...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 3, 2010, 8:17 am
"Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." ~Mark Twain I'm not a doctor by any means, but my advice is to be wary of the "latest and greatest"  cures or "miracle drugs," whether from pharmacists, doctors, herbists, or naturalists, and to use common sense when reading health...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 2, 2010, 7:49 am
Isn't it great to live in a country where we can freely vote for our government officials without the fear of violence or harassment? Unless I want to tell them, no one else has to know I voted for so-and-so or that I'm for or against the amendments. Sometimes it feels like I'm voting for the lesser...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 1, 2010, 12:24 pm
For the full Healthier on a Budget series, see here. I’m certainly not talking about everyone, because there are many people – even in America – who are starving and malnourished. However, many of us eat too much so the most cost-effective way to save money on food is to eat less. Let’s star...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Nov 1, 2010, 9:44 am
HAPPY MONDAY! I'm linking this post to Making Your Home Sing Monday, and this week's theme is "learning the value of little minutes." Well I’m really trying to manage my time better and especially not waste it all on the Internet. My home needs some love today since I didn’t do ANYTHING to help ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 27, 2010, 10:37 pm
It seems like every blogger is posting something about pumpkins - from the canned pumpkin shortage (is that happening again?) to carving and painting to preserving and baking. For once, I'm following along because this was the first year I actually cleaned and cooked my own pumpkin. For the few year...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 25, 2010, 4:03 pm
For the entire Healthier on a Budget series, see here. Other Stores Lots of great deals can be found at places besides just typical grocery stores. Look at stores like Aldi’s for cheap produce or Big Lots for organic or natural packaged foods. Neither accepts coupons, but 2 to 3 times each year, B...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 25, 2010, 11:05 am
I have a confession - I'm posting a menu plan and yet don't have a CLUE what we're eating for dinner in this house after Wednesday. I need to do a little shopping because broccoli is about the only vegetable we have right now. Anyways, here's my general ideas for now. Breakfast 1. Veggie ScrambleÂ...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 24, 2010, 9:44 am
Nikki and I were tossing around some crazy blog topics, and we thought it would be fun(ny) for her to embarrass herself with this one: My family and I haven't taken many pictures over the last few years, and I've started to cringe when a camera is brought out. I don't feel like I look "my best" too...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 22, 2010, 8:58 am
Here's Nikki for you again: I'm a people pleaser and want to say "yes" to everything that's asked of me. I really do believe it's better to give than receive and love seeing people's reactions when something good is done for them. For over a year though, I allowed it to be all about me and did nothi...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 22, 2010, 8:31 am
For the full Healthier on a Budget series, click here. Many "healthy eating" guides recommend shopping just the perimeter of grocery stores. All I can say is their grocery stores must not be set up like the ones I shop at. Typically, right by the entrance is BOGO or other sale items that are heavily...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 21, 2010, 10:19 am
My family likes waffles better than pancakes. I wish I was a homemaker who made batches of healthy whole wheat waffles to keep on hand in the freezer, but frankly, I'm not. I have yet to invest in a waffle iron, and I confess - I bought a box of Eggo waffles last time they were on sale. I know, it's...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 21, 2010, 10:10 am
For the full Healthier on a Budget series, click here. I can't stress this enough! Having a plan for meal-times will lead to healthier and cheaper meals. You won't have to scrounge through the cupboards to throw something together at the last minute, and you won't be rushing to the store right befor...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 20, 2010, 6:41 am
My husband says it when he massages the knots out of my shoulders. My chiropractor says it when he adjusts my spine. My family physician said it when she learned about the mild anxiety attacks last year. The gastrointerologist said it when he found out about my digestive issues. Everyone says I've g...
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Dakota Sommers posted an article on Eat Healthy. Live Well - Oct 20, 2010, 6:23 am
For the full series of Healthier on a Budget, click here. Know What You Have When you know what's in your cupboards and freezer, you won't have to pay extra for doubles of an item you forgot was shoved to the back of the pantry. I like to keep a list on the fridge and by the pantry so I can write do...
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