Many of us have those very annoying raised bumps on our upper arms.  These are known as keratosis pilaris and they develop when the dead cells build up within the hair follicles and form a little plug.
  
The easy fix:  Use a washcloth to gently scrub the area while in the shower every day.  Then smooth an alpha hydroxy-laced lotion, such as AmLactin, on damp skin.  The combination of physical and chemical exfoliation will give you smooth skin in a short period of time.  Woman’s World, 5/8/2017 

 1.        Stops middle-age spread.  Lean muscle helps you burn up to 25% more calories every day!  One study found women who lifted light weights added six pounds of metabolism-revving muscle and lost 21 pounds of fat!  Wow!

 2.        Keeps bones strong!  Strength training boosts bone mass in the spine almost 10%!  Repetitive pressure is very helpful to the spine.

 3.        Brightens your mood!  New Centers for Disease Control research shows that the risk of depression goes up for women after the age of 50.  The great news:  strength training prompts your brain to release a slow steady stream of mood-lifting brain chemicals.

 4.         Protects you from fractures!  Resistance training strengthens weak muscles and makes muscle fibers more reactive, improving your balance.   
 Camille Pagan, Woman’s World 1/26/15 

This recipe was taken from the magazine First for Women, 6/27/16
  
*note:  marinating chicken in buttermilk makes chicken juicy-good.  We should all avoid fried food when possible. This recipe is not only healthy, but delicious. 
  
 This recipe serves 6.
  
 Ingredients:
     5 lbs. boneless chicken breasts cut in half.
       Cooking spray  
     1 ½ cups buttermilk
     2 Tbs Dijon mustard
     2 Tbs. seasoned salt (I omit this and the recipe still tastes great!)
     5 cups cornflakes cereal (I use gluten free cornflakes)
     ½  cup all-purpose baking mix, like Bisquick (Bisquick GlutenFree)
     1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
     1 tsp poultry seasoning (I use paprika and pepper instead)
  
 Directions:
 1.   Discard chicken skin.  In a bowl, combine buttermilk, mustard and seasoned salt.

 2.   Add chicken; cover and chill for 2 hours.

 3.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with foil; place wire rack on top and coat with cooking spray.  Place wax paper on counter.  In processor, pulse cornflakes, baking mix, thyme, and poultry seasoning until fine crumbs form. Transfer to wax paper.

 4.  Drain chicken; discard marinade.  Place chicken on crumbs.  Using wax paper, bring crumbs up over chicken; pat to adhere.  Carefully transfer chicken to rack; coat with cooking spray.  Bake 1 hr. or until 165 F.  Let sit for 10 min.

 Calories:  506
 Protein:  60 g
 Carbs:  28 g
 Fiber: 2 g
 Sugar: 5 G
 Chol: 171mg
 Sodium: 542  * will be less if you omit 2 Tbsp salt from recipe.
 Total fat: 16 g
 Sat: 5 g
 Tran: 0g
   

Cleaning Your Yoga Mat

     It is always a good idea to clean off your yoga mat, especially if you go to a gym for your classes.  I try to clean my mat at least once a week.  I got these directions from YogaJournal.com.
 1.   Mix a few drops of dishwashing liquid and 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle.  
 2.  Spray mat (do both sides, but separately).  
 3.  Wipe clean with a clean, dry cloth
 4.  Hang to dry—air dry.
 5.  Sprinkle baking soda and allow to 15-30 minutes.
 6.  Vacuum or brush dry.
 7.  Go to your yoga class and do the down dog with confidence! 

      Living in the desert during the summer, it is hot. I try to clean and organize the inside of my house with cleaning projects when I don’t want to leave the house due to the excessive heat.          These next two “recipes” come from a little black and white book, entitled, The Humble Art of Zen-Cleaning, by Michael de Jong.  This little book is full of information; and the beauty of this book is he uses all- natural products, such as baking soda, borax, lemon, salt, and white vinegar. And these five cleaning agents are all inexpensive compared to the store-bought products.
       Polish copper
 pan using ½ of a lemon, dipped in salt.  Rub in a circular motion, and then rinse.  Repeat until the copper shines!  A mixture of vinegar and salt also works well.
       Polish brass,
 make a paste with equal parts white vinegar, flour and salt.  Leave on for on hour, and then buff with a soft dry, clean cloth. 
      Use natural products and keep the planet clean!