The good news, however, is that as soon as we quit, our bodies begin to heal themselves. Just think, after only 20 minutes your heart rate and blood pressure will drop. Within hours the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal and within weeks your circulation and lung function improves. The list of benefits goes on and on.

  Believe me, as an ex smoker I can vouch for this. Even though I’m a boomer,  I still have better lung function than I did as a smoker 16 years ago. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel drugged and sluggish as I did when I smoked. I wake up refreshed and ready to take on any new challenge or event the day may hold!

Wouldn’t you like to feel like that again? Well, with Smoke Deter you can. It’s a homeopathic remedy to get you thru the stop smoking process.  The easy application of the spray under your tongue can help alleviate the anxiousness and anxiety associated with stop smoking withdrawal. It is just as effective on the other withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, insomnia, aches and pains. 

Remember, the physical withdrawal symptoms are temporary but the physical rewards of kicking your nicotine habit will last the rest of your life.  Being a boomer  means the best is yet to come!

Start the New Year off as a new, healthier you! Your heart and lungs will thank you! Smoking Deter is the smoking aide to help you achieve your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking for good!

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Bed Bug Alert app for the Apple iPhone lets users input data on bed bug invasions and view where others have reported sightings nationwide.

Adam Kotkin, CEO of Apps Genius, developed the $1.99 app.

Information about bed bugs is gathered from more than a hundred sources.

Users of the app can also report their bed bug discoveries  through the “Report Bed Bugs” tab on the app.

Thanks to Apple iPhone we now have yet another way to stay one step ahead of the nasty bed bugs.

Do you have a bed bug report?

Boomers, check your medicine cabinets and sniff your Tylenol!

McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced the voluntary recall of the 50 count caplets citing musty or moldy odor. The odor is thought to be caused by trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole.

The product lot number, BCM155, can be found on the side of the product. The UPC code is 3 0045-0297-51 8. 

Of course, any of you who have the caplets should stop using them.

If you purchased the Tylenol 8 Hour caplet recalled for musty odor,  you can call the company’s hotline at 888 222 6036 for a Tylenol product coupon or refund or you may also go here to fill out an online form.

Pictsweet Company of  Tennessee issued the voluntary recall after learning that some of the vegetable packages could contain glass fragments.

The products being recalled contain green peas that were sent to Kroger stores in the southeast United States and to Walmart locations nationwide.

The following products are involved in the recall:

Great Value12 ounce Steamable Sweet Peas

UPC: 78742 08369

Best by Dates: July 20, 2012;  July 21, 2012

Great Value12 ounce Steamable Mixed Vegetables

UPC: 78742 08026

Best by Date: July 15, 2012

Kroger 12 ounce Green Peas

UPC: 11110 89736

Production Codes: 1440BU, 1440BV, 1440BW, and 1600BD

Kroger 12 ounce Peas and Carrots

UPC: 11110 89741

Production Codes: 1960BD and 1960BE

Pictsweet issued the frozen vegetable recall and advised consumers not to eat the products but to return them to the place of purchase.

As boomers, we all know there’s that “certain age” we hit when we realize we’re just not functioning the way we use to. Our metabolism slows to almost a crawl. As hard as we try to lose weight we just can’t seem to get our metabolism reved up enough to meet our goals.

Relax! There’s a product out there now called Resveratrol Select and it may not only boost your metabolism but benefit you in many other ways!

We’ve all  known for a while that resveratrol, an antioxidant compound found in sources such as grape skins and cranberries, has been proven beneficial for a healthy heart and longevity.

Now with Resveratrol Select you can lose weight, fight fatigue, speed up your metabolism and much more! You’ll look and feel younger!

Resveratrol has been featured on many of the major networks and research on it has been going on for years. Perhaps you caught the segment on 60 Minutes?

Being a boomer means we want to look and feel as good as we possibly can! We have lots to do and places to go! Learn all you can about Resveratrol Select and take advantage of the free lifetime membership for an online fitness program and free ebook of weight loss tips.

If you’re suffering from “stalled metabolism”, jump start it with Resveratrol Select and let all its other great benefits work for you too!

Zemco Industries of Buffalo is recalling 380,000 pounds of lunch meat to be used in sandwiches sold at Walmart stores nationwide. The meat may be contaminated with Listeria, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The luncheon meat was used in Marketside Grab and Go sandwiches.

The products involved in the recall include:  

• 25.5-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches BLACK FOREST HAM With Natural Juices Coated with Caramel Color” with the number 17800 1300.
• 28.49-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches HOT HAM, HARD SALAMI, PEPPERONI, SANDWICH PEPPERS” with the number 17803 1300.
• 32.67-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches VIRGINIA BRAND HAM With Natural Juices, MADE IN NEW YORK, FULLY COOKED BACON, SANDWICH PICKLES, SANDWICH PEPPERS” with the number 17804 1300. 25.5-pound cases of “Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches ANGUS ROAST BEEF Coated with Caramel Color” with the number 17805 1300.

The packages also have vendor number “398412808″ and the USDA mark of inspection. The meat products were produced from June 18 to  July 2, and have “use by” dates ranging from August 20 to September 10,2010. 

Walmart is encouraging customers to return products using the recalled luncheon meat for a full refund.

Listera in food can cause high fevers, severe headaches, stiff necks and nausea in the young, frail or people with weak immure systems. The USDA says in rare cases it can be fatal.

Zemco Industries, the Walmart luncheon meat supplier who issued the recall, is located in Buffalo, New York.

I’ve found the perfect one for you from Cuisinart, famous for their frozen yogurt and sorbet makers. You’re going to love it and your family will too!

Yogurt may help to improve your immune system and it’s also a good source of protein and calcium. It’s low in fat and calories.

Peach Frozen Yogurt

Preparation time: 5-10 minutes: 20 – 25 minutes chilling times. Optional 2 hours to” ripen” in freezer.

Makes 8 servings.

1 can (15 ounces) peaches packed in juice
2 cups lowfat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup sugar

Drain peaches, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. In a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse to chop the peaches. Add the vanilla yogurt, sugar, and reserved peach juice. Process until smooth and the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour the peach yogurt mixture into the freezer bow, turn the machine ON, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. If desired, transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours to “ripen”.

Nutritional info per serving:
Calories 101 (7% from fat)
Carbs      21 grams
Protein     3 grams
Fat              1 gram
Sat Fat      0 grams
Chol            3 grams
Sodium    39 mg 
Calc       100 mg
Fiber           0 mg

Tip: Make a memory for your family and serve in chocolate cups.

Who loves frozen yogurt? Everyone will after tasting this homemade peach frozen yogurt recipe. Enjoy!

If you are not familiar with fibromyalgia, it is a chronic pain condition and because it is such a complex condition, it is often  hard to treat.

66 fibromyalgia patients took part in the clinical trial at Tufts Medical Center. After 12 weeks of tai chi, the patients did significantly better in measurements of pain, fatigue, physical functioning, sleeplessness and depression than a comparable group given stretching exercises and wellness education.

The patients received twice weekly tai chi classes and a DVD
 to practice with 20 minutes daily. One third stopped using medication, compared with one-sixth in the stretching group!

I think this is a great alternative therapy for fibromyalgia. It is definitely a gentle way to try to control pain, it’s inexpensive and if you join a group you can also meet some new people!

If you suffer from fibromyalgia, perhaps tai chi could help lessen your pain. Ancient tai chi for fibromyalgia is certainly worth a try!

The nasty critters are back with a vengeance. In fact, it is reportedly so bad in the state of Ohio, that some residents have taken to sleeping in the streets.

New cases of bed bugs have increased 500% over the last few years.

What Do Bed Bugs In Your Home Look Like?

Inspect your home for these blood sucking parasites! They have a round body and flat profile. Their color changes before and after feeding so their colors can be anywhere from a brown to a dark red or even orange color. They are smaller than 1/4″ (size depends on whether or not they have fed) so they the bug itself is hard to spot. The  ink-like streaks from their droppings are easier to see.

Bed bug bites look like little red bumps, flat welts or skin lesions. Skin rashes are also common. Although there seem to be no diseases that are passed through bed bugs, the itching and scratching from the bites can be extremely bothersome. Also, their feces can cause problems for those of you with allergies and asthma.

The bugs usually start biting and sucking your blood right before dawn. An anesthetic is injected by the bed bugs so the person being bitten never notices them. Then an anti-coagulant is used to keep the blood flowing until feeding is complete. How gross is that?

If your home is infested, the EPA recommends reducing clutter, sealing cracks and crevices, vacuuming often, drying infested clothes at high heat and using special mattress covers. When you travel always inspect your motel or hotel mattresses, box springs and headboards for the signs of bed bugs! You can even get a special heating device that will treat your entire suitcase for you.

OK, now that I’ve given you some hints to recognize bed bugs in your home and bed bug bites on your body, I’m off to thoroughly inspect my own home!

According to an article in the NY Times, researchers have discovered that in truth, smoking causes long-term stress levels to rise. The only stress smoking relieves is the withdrawal between cigarettes.

The study, conducted at the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, observed 469 people who tried to quit smoking after being hospitalized for heart disease. At the beginning of the study, the subjects had similar levels of stress and generally believed smoking helped them to cope.

A year later, 41 percent had managed to stay quit of cigarettes. The scientists found that the quitters had “a significantly larger decrease in perceived stress,” roughly a 20 percent drop compared to the ones who continued to smoke and showed little change.

The scientists’ theory was that the continuing smokers were dealing with uncomfortable cravings between cigarettes multiple times a day, while the quitters, after the initial withdrawal, had greater freedom from nicotine cravings and therefore did not have that additional  significant source of stress.

The keyword in that last paragraph, I think, is “freedom.” As an ex smoker myself, I still relish the wonderful feeling of freedom from nicotine.

I’ll go one step further than the scientists and point out that the expense of cigarettes is a stress factor in itself. Combine that with the stigma associated with smoking today and you can add more stress.

Smoking is a tough habit to quit but we all know the benefits of quitting. It’s important for our health and the health of our families. Find a stop smoking program that will help you kick your habit once and for all.

Believe me, I sympathize with you if you still smoke and feel it is helping you to cope. But ask yourself, does smoking make you feel less stressed or are you fooling yourself?