Many of my friends are pulling out their Christmas tree to set up and finding out the tree is really dusty. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! It can be especially dusty if you store it in the garage or attic.
You can try putting the tree in your shower to clean it off before you set it up. DON'T try this if you have a "pre-lit" tree! Our tree is about 20 years old (before they had pre-lit trees), but it still looks fine once I fill in all the bare parts with decorations!
If you live in an area that has mild winters, you could probably just spray the tree off with the hose, then let it dry before you put it up in the house. We do the same when we put our tree in the shower, we just let it drip dry before we put it up in the living room.
It probably sounds like a lot to bother with, you may be wondering why we don't use a real tree. Well, Hubby and I and all three of our kids are allergic to trees. We're also allergic to flowers, bushes, grass, animals and some foods. Too bad we had to pass on our defective genes to our kids! But it could always be worse, right?
Many of you may have already put your tree up. If not, consider spraying it off outside if it's warm enough-only if your tree isn't flocked and isn't pre-lit.) Or give it a shower.
What you drink can be as harmful to the body as what you eat, and there isn't a shadow of a doubt that consuming too many sugar-laden beverages can significantly contribute to abdominal obesity, therefore increasing your chances of developing health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Over the past 20 years, the consumption and availability of sugar-laden beverages, such as sodas (sugar carbonated drinks), fruit drinks, energy (sports) drinks and 3-in-1 instant hot beverages have risen significantly.
Most consumers are considerably misjudging how much sugar supposedly "healthy option drinks" contain, researchers from the University Of Glasgow, Scotland, revealed in a new report.
The investigators asked 2,005 individuals across the country to estimate how much sugar some popular drinks contained.
They found that, in general, people have a tendency to slightly overestimate the sugar content of sodas (fizzy drinks), while seriously underestimating levels in milkshakes, smoothies, energy drinks and several fruit juices.
Most health guidelines encourage people to consume drinks such as orange and apple juice in order to have a healthy balanced diet.
But the findings of two teams of British researchers turn that advice on its head - concluding that fruit juices should be avoided.
The studies found that even freshly squeezed fruit juices can contain as much as five teaspoons of sugar per glass because the squeezing process concentrates their sweetness.
This is around two-thirds the amount found in a can of soda, and can contribute to obesity, as well as affect blood sugar levels and the body's natural metabolism, the studies found.
Do you know that your regular three-in-one hot beverages have an average of three to four teaspoons of sugar in each serving?
By taking two or more cups of these beverages daily, you would have exceeded your daily sugar quota recommended by the American Heart Association, which states that one should have no more than six teaspoons a day of added sugar for women, and nine teaspoons for men.
For many people struggling with their weight, reducing their intake of such drinks, and replacing them with water or sugar-free alternatives such as stevia sweetened three-in-one sugar-free beverages would be a sensible first target to help them lessen their calorie intake.
Stevia, also known as sweet leaf or Stevia rebaudiana, originates from Brazil and Paraguay, and is about 300 times sweeter than sugar, but contains no calories.
Stevia extract is made from the sweetest part of the stevia leaf, which is called Rebiana-A (Reb-A).
Stevia does not raise blood sugar levels, and is thus, an ideal choice for pre-diabetics, diabetics, and those concerned about health.
Stevia has been found to be safe.
In December 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially granted GRAS (generally recognised as safe) status to high purity Reb-A. Japan on the other hand has approved stevia as a sweetener since the 1970's.
When it comes to sweetness, no sweeteners, whether natural or artificial, can ever compare to sugar as sugar is the "gold standard" - we are used to taking sugar since birth.
However our taste buds can be retrained over time to enjoy stevia's natural sweetness.
The taste is easily acquired. It is still an excellent substitute for cane sugar.
