Creating healthy living choices – My new favorite appliances

Calling these small units appliances may be stretching it but I use them every day and they have changed my health for the better.  Coincidently both were Christmas gifts. The first one was from my dad – a single induction burner with accompanying cookware.  My first reaction was “but dad, I already have a stove, a nice gas one that works really well.”  “Oh but this is different, it is better, I saw it on a commercial” (two for one plus shipping and handling) he said.  Reluctantly I accepted the gift bringing it to my office to experiment cooking at work.   WOW! I am sold!  ’ NuWave Precision Cook Top’ is better than any other cook top I have used.  Plugged into a regular outlet the unit has an internal fan that keeps the fire alarm from going off.  Place your pot or pan on the unit and you can boil water INSTANTLY.  No more waiting for the water to warm up, induction cooking is truly instantaneous and safe.  Once you remove the cookware the cook top stops heating the pan, you can touch the cook top and it is not hot, you will not get burned.  I have known about induction for a while and always regulated this type of cooking to the ‘good for when you get older’ category.  I knew about the safety, however I did not realize how much faster the cooking process is.  Your food starts cooking immediately after turning on the burner.  This cook top came with 2 non stick (safe) frying pans which make washing dishes a joy.  I also received a ‘pot’ that has 3” sides that can cook an entire meal.  While you are cooking your dinner, you can place the steamer unit (same size, also comes with the package) on top of the pot to steam your vegetables.  A single glass lid fits both the pot, the steamer and the large frying pan. I do not need any oil to cook my food, I am eating healthier and washing less dishes.  Plus it uses up to 90% less energy than the typical gas or electrical cook top.  I even have a fondue accessory that fits onto the pot that holds the fondue sticks (also came with the package.)  What a bargain! ($19.95 for everything). 

My second ‘appliance’ was obtained at a Christmas gift exchange from my Aunt Jane.  This small blender/mixer is cute and portable.  But since I didn’t really blend food, it took me a while to appreciate it.  Now I use it every day and it has also changed my health.  With Bella’s Rocket Blender, I can make a single serving (or half single serving) smoothie and guess what?  After blending, turn the cup over, remove (unscrew) the blade and the cup turns into your drinking cup.  There is also a top that you can screw onto the plastic cup if you want to take the juice to go.  So, besides being very small and portable, you do not have to wash a blender AND a cup, it is one and the same! My morning breakfast has changed from a ‘breakfast burrito’ to a very yummy and healthy smoothie created from Vanilla Yogurt, Vanilla Metafuel (Univera meal replacement), 4 oz of Xtra (Univera antioxidant energy product) 3 oz of Aloe Gold (Univera immune system protectant) and 3 oz of water.  When I feel wild and crazy I will add in fresh blueberries (more antioxidants) and/or cocoa nibs (more antioxidants). The last time I went through the drive through at McDonalds the cashier said, ‘where have you been, we miss you!’  ‘Sorry’, I said, 'I am working towards a healthier lifestyle!’ Between daily yoga, a healthy diet, and my life changing supplements, I am going to live forever!’ (I’m going to learn how to fly – FAME!) - I think I just dated myself,

Eating green, Christine

Water Conservation in the Wet Northwest

As my relatives in Minot North Dakota are being flooded out of their homes, I feel sadly blessed that we have been spared the wrath of natural disasters that have hit the world this year.   Who was it that said, 'take care of nature or nature will take care of you?' Actually, I think it was me.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a fanatic about water conservation.  I hit several brick walls in my efforts to implement conservation programs over a large population base, mainly because the cost of water to us is so low.  We do not have an economic incentive to conserve water.  We conserve water only when/because we want to do the 'right thing.'

Recently I received a couple publications from Seattle Public Utilities that gave me a glimmer of hope.  The first was the Drinking Water Quality Report which reported that our drinking water was very clean, that it costs us LESS than a Penny a Gallon to have water delivered to our taps, and that we have one of the best drinking water systems in the nation.  Quite impressive.  In the very last paragraph, however,  SPU noted that elevated levels of lead and copper are often found in our drinking water due to corroded plumbing systems.  ALERT!  SPU is working hard to get clean water to you, but if you actually want to drink or cook with clean water you need to confirm that you do not have corroded plumbing.  In a city that is mainly compromised of older homes, I would guess that there lots of households that have not replaced the plumbing in their homes.  Health Tip of the Day: When you remodel a kitchen or bath, due yourself a healthy favor and replace as much of the old plumbing that you can afford to.

The second flyer had a section on a new program that was MY IDEA (thank god someone is implementing it!)  Qualified customers in Seattle can get a FREE water-efficient toilet and have it installed by a licensed plumber for FREE if they meet income guidelines.  (My program did not offer the toilet nor the installation for free, so this is actually a better program) Household income for 2 people can be up to $3,273 a month to qualify. PLUS, the picture that is in the flyer is the stylish Kohler Persuade toilet.  I am hoping this is the toilet being given away, but even if not, it indicates that it is probably a Kohler toilet and that is a good thing.  American made, family owned company in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler has made an effort to meet and beat the WaterSense guidelines for water conservation and have a large array of HET's available.  HET is tech talk for High Efficiency Toilets.  Who said I wasn't a techy?  Ciao!