Iced Tea and Antioxidants

Unless you've been living in a cave for the last 10 years, you've no doubt heard that teas (hot or iced, black or green) are good sources of antioxidants. And it's true. Which is good news for me, given that I drink tea 3 meals a day, and usually a lot in between: hot for breakfast, and iced for lunch and dinner.

(And I'm from the South, which means we drink it heavily iced. And even if the snowflakes are falling outside, we still fill the glass with ice. I do commit a minor Southern heresy, because I usually drink iced tea unsweetened -- I've grown fond of the slightly bitter taste).

But at least one website is now saying that iced tea is not a good antioxidant source. Where they get this from, I don't know, because it's not true. Both hot and iced teas are good antioxidant sources.

I dislike saying this, because I don't like thinking of food as medicine. (Nothing irritates me more than people who brag about, say, drinking a glass of wine every night "because it's good for me.") Enjoy your food, eat good stuff, and don't worry about it all the time. But this is one case where a food people have enjoyed for thousands of years and is enjoyed today by billions of people is good for you.

How to make your life easy

A few weeks back, I woke up, and it was a beautiful day, and we decided to go to the beach for the day.

Now if you live 3 blocks from the coast, it's a no-brainer: you get up and go.

But we live 200 miles away. And we didn't have a place to park, and we didn't have stuff to eat, and we didn't have reservations at the place where we ended up eating dinner. But we went and we had a good time.

Life can be like that. Life isn't nearly as complicated as we sometimes want to make it. And the secrets to looking good and living longer aren't that hard.

Do the easy stuff -- which is at least 95% -- and the rest will take care of itself. Get enough sleep (for you: I'll talk later on about how much sleep is enough), eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise, do some deep breathing every day, keep a good attitude, and laugh a lot.

There. That's what you have to do to look and feel years younger than you are. It's not all that hard. Don't complicate your life. Don't mess it up with a whole lot of scheming and worrying. Just do the easy stuff. Life takes care of the rest.

Another oatmeal recipe: this time for pancakes

Now I've got to say that I don't entirely approve of this recipe. It uses white flour, and that's just not really good for you. Which is not to say that I've convinced my wife: I make a similar pancakes some Sunday mornings, and I use whole wheat flour and she's not that fond of the results.

But I give you this one for 2 reasons. First, it's an excellent video introduction to pancake making. Second, even if you follow it exactly, and use the white flour, at least it gets you eating oats, and I know that for some of you, oatmeal is not up your alley. So watch this, and find yourself getting hungry.

How to make oatmeal in your hotel room

Since I'm sort of on a oatmeal roll today, here's a youtube idea for healthy eating in your hotel room:

Getting Your Day Started

You've been told it since childhood. And now science is confirming what your grandma said: oatmeal is good for you.

It lowers your cholesterol, it's relatively high in protein, and it's got fiber.

But maybe you have the problem my wife has: she doesn't like oatmeal. And all of these benefits are beside the point if you don't like the taste.

If the oatmeal you ate when you were a kid was a slimy bowl of ugh, here's a chance to have another try. This recipe is good. And it's easy. And it's one bowl, because you do everything in the microwave.

Put a handful of oats in a microwavable bowl. Add maybe a quarter teaspoon of salt. (Don't leave out the salt. In the first place, salt is good for you -- despite the nonsense you've been told -- and lots of foods just don't taste right without it. Oatmeal is one of them).

Now add some flavoring. I put in a spoonful or so of applesauce, and another spoonful of cottage cheese, which gives it added protein and calcium. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon, which tastes good as well as being good for you: cinnamon helps keep blood sugar under control. Next add a spoonful of honey and a spoonful of peanut butter. Finally, cover the mix with water, cover it with a plate, and nuke for one minute.

Take the bowl out (be careful! it will be hot!) and stir the mix. If it's too dry, add a bit of water. (You can also use milk in place of part or all of the water). Nuke for another minute.

Now take it out and let it sit for 5 minutes. You've got to trust me on this one. Oatmeal is lots better when allowed to sit. If you like, add a few raisins, and then sweetener. I use some Splenda, but brown sugar is also good, as is stevia.

The secret to morning beauty

Most people are not pretty in the morning. Especially when they first get up. And especially as they get older.

Why are most people's faces so unattractive in the morning? Think about what's been going on. These people have been asleep for 6, 7, 8 hours or more. Their faces should be relaxed and beautiful.

But there's another side working against them. Because they've also had no (or very little) water for a long time. Often as much as 10 or 12 hours, since most people don't drink much water in the evening, because they don't want to wake up to use the bathroom during the night.

The secret to restoring a fresher, youthful face in the morning is water.

When you wake up, fill a pitcher (maybe a half gallon) with warm tap water. Drink that water quickly -- in about 15 minutes.

The warm water will quickly re-hydrate your body, giving your face a more youthful glow, as well as providing much needed water for all of your body functions.

What works, what doesn't

My bias is to "natural" remedies.

I put natural in quotes because lots of natural things are bad for you. A rattlesnake is natural: I wouldn't recommend a close association with one. Cyanide is natural, and if swallow a spoonful, you won't be with us long.

So when I say natural, here are some things I look for.

First, I look for ones that do the job. Natural is swell, but if it's not taking care of your problem, it's no good.

Second, I look for ones that have minimal side effects. One of the problems with most medicines (the ones you get from a prescription) is that the side effects can be brutal. The cures I suggest are ones that might not work for you (almost nothing is universal) but there's almost no downside.

Third, I look for things that are pretty easily accessible. If it's only sold in a roadside shop in Tibet, there's not much point in talking about it.

Using Water to Help That Killer Stomach

So you've got indigestion. Or heartburn. Whatever you want to call it, it's no fun.

As you're doing a remedy, ask yourself a quick question: "What did I eat or drink or do today that's different?"

Getting the right answer to that kind of question will help you avoid the problem in the future.

Quick remedy? Drink 2 glasses of lukewarm water. The water should feel pleasantly warm to the wrist, maybe 90 degrees or so. Drink the water fairly quickly (say 5 minutes), and remain standing for a few minutes after drinking.

Doesn't help? Over the next few days, we'll be looking at some other natural remedies for your stomach discomfort. Stay tuned.

Who Are You?

Glad you asked.

I'm Jim Huffman. I'm an RN (registered nurse) and I'm not only a nurse, but I write and consult about health and longevity issues.

I have one book under my belt so far: it's entitled Dare to Be Free: How to Get Control of Your Time, Your Life, and Your Nursing Career. It's a guide for nurses wanting a better life and a better career.

I live in North Carolina, and I'm blessed with a wife, and 4 beautiful children.

And I welcome your questions and comments. Let's help each other out.

How To Live Forever

People say they would like to live forever. Of course that's not true.

Not really. No one wants to live forever -- or even a long time -- if living a long time means feeling miserable while you do.

So this blog is about living a long life: and looking young and feeling young while you do it.

Helping you live a long life, and enjoying that long life: that's a good goal in my book. I'm glad you've come along for the ride.