Some listeners ask for a recap of our podcasts so they can refer to it later. So, here you go. (Don’t forget to listen to the podcast for more details and information, though.)

Natural Ingredients for Energy

There are ingredients to look for, and to be aware of, in energy drinks, gels, and supplements:

• A lot of energy products are very high in sugar. This is a concern not only because of calories, but also because sugar is just not healthy for you. Another concern is the artificial sweeteners in energy products.
• Look for herbal ingredients that are proven to be safe.
• Specific ingredients to look for are the B vitamins, vitamin C, yerba mate, goji berries and açaí. These provide energy and a lot of benefits.

The B vitamins and vitamin C are helpful for energy:

• The B vitamins help the body convert food into fuel and play an important role in the nervous system in helping to make the neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers in our brain.
  • B vitamins are easily destroyed when foods are processed, which is one reason many people are deficient. They are also depleted during stress.
  • They are water soluble, so they are not stored in the body for long and need to be replenished daily.
  • The B vitamins B-12, biotin and folic acid are particularly essential for energy.
• Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, is important for immune system, is an antioxidant and is also needed for building strong muscles. Natural vitamin C is found in acerola cherry and açaí.

Some star energy product ingredients include:

• Yerba Mate is a South American herb that has high levels of antioxidants and xanthine alkaloids. These are natural stimulants that occur in herbs like this (including caffeine, theophylline and theobromine). Yerba mate has been used for centuries in South America to promote mental clarity and sustained energy.
• Goji Berries are packed with antioxidant carotenoids. That’s what gives them their bright color.
• Açaí (ah-sigh-EE) is a berry, and it’s a source of antioxidants and fiber, certainly needed for energy.
• Green Tea has a 5000-year history in China-and recent research associations-with health, energy and alertness. This is based on its antioxidant content and caffeine content which promotes alertness.

Many energy products contain caffeine.

• Some energy products do contain caffeine while others do not. This is from either added or from caffeine-containing herbs, which contain it naturally. Check the ingredients.
• Just because something’s natural, you still need to be aware of the ingredients.
• Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others; some get rapid heart rate and other symptoms from caffeine. In those cases it should be avoided or in very low doses.
• Dr. Cass recommended no more than 150 mg of caffeine per serving. For some people 100 or less is better. (For comparison, a cup of coffee has somewhere between 100-150 mg of caffeine.)
• Bottom line is safety first. People are tempted to guzzle energy drinks, which is not a good idea. You have to use judgment. Notice how your body responds.
• When used all the time, energy products do not give the same bang as when used periodically.

If you’re a fan of Physicians Formula, check them out on Twitter!  You can find them @PFCosmetics.

This will be the Physicians Formula destination for:

• Weekly contests
• Celebrity makeup artist Joanna Schlip’s “Schlip Tips”
• Sneak peeks of new launches
• All things makeup

Give ‘em a follow!

Zoe Saldana is one of Hollywood’s of the moment actresses and while she looks like she’s sporting something dangerously close to a “mom jean”, I think she looks fresh, natural and pretty on the cover of Essence.  That is her “look”, after all.

What say you?  Are you feeling this Cover Girl? 

You know the spiel about whole grains, right? But do you know the spiel about spelt? Pardon my German, but in honor of my ancestors from Deutschland, I take great pride in “spieling” about spelt; it’s one of my favorite grains. In fact, it’s so good it was recognized in ancient times as a fundamental health food brimming with exceptional qualities. Let me explain.

Spelt is a distant cousin to our modern day varieties of wheat. According to Wikipedia, its earliest archaeological evidence comes from an area north of the Black Sea during the fifth millennium BC. However, the most abundant and best documented evidence says it originated in Europe where its popularity eventually spread to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Spain. In the German language the word for spelt is “Dinkel.” It’s a fact that dinkel was so important that towns were named in its honor – there’s Dinklehausen and Dinkelsbühl. These days, unripe spelt is dried and eaten as Grünkern, which means “green grain.”

St. Hildegard von Bingen was a visionary, mystic, musician and herbalist who taught natural ways of bringing balance to body, mind and spirit during the 12th century in Germany. She taught of the many gifts of consuming spelt including its ability to confer a happy mind, a joyful spirit and a cheerful disposition. Spelt lies at the heart of her teachings on good nutrition as she believed it to be the best and most easily digestible grain one could eat. Even today her teachings on spelt remain highly regarded.

European immigrants originally brought spelt to the U.S. where it was grown until 1900 when it was replaced by newer hybrids of wheat that produced higher yields and were easier to harvest and process. Recently, spelt has regained popularity. It has a wonderful nutty flavor, a delicate taste and a good nutritional profile. In fact, spelt has more protein than conventional wheat and is often better tolerated by wheat-sensitive individuals. (Spelt does have gluten, though, so it is not appropriate for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.) Spelt delivers fiber, a complex of B-vitamins, phytonutrients and important minerals such as iron.

To cook whole spelt, soak overnight in water to cover. Drain and rinse. Cover with fresh water and simmer, covered, for about an hour. Longer cooking is fine too and results in a soft, split-open kernel, which is makes a great bowl of hot breakfast cereal. When baking with spelt flour, remember that because spelt is more water soluble than regular wheat, it’s a good idea to use a little less water or liquid in your recipe.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

• Cook up a pot of spelt pasta. Try these recipes for Spelt Pasta with Walnuts and Roasted Cauliflower, Macaroni Salad or Chicken Tetrazzini.
• Choose spelt breads, tortillas, crackers and English muffins. Try these awesome Tofu Fajitas with spelt tortillas.
• Use all or part spelt flour in baking breads, muffins and cakes. Here are a couple of recipes to get you started: Blueberry Spelt Muffins or Sunflower Cherry Oatmeal Bars.
• Serve hamburgers, hotdogs or veggie burgers on spelt buns. Here’s a recipe for Mushroom Cheddar Vegetarian Burgers.



• Buy the whole grain, soak overnight, drain and rinse; cook in fresh water until tender. Combine with other grains such as brown rice, cracked wheat, buckwheat, barley and wild rice. Great as a whole grain salad with chopped veggies and olive oil vinaigrette.
• Add a handful of cooked whole spelt to soups or stews in place of or along with rice or barley.
• Add it to casseroles in place of rice or other grains.
• Baking your own bread? Mix in whole cooked spelt for a chewy addition.
• Love oatmeal? Look for rolled spelt flakes for breakfast, or use them just like you would old-fashioned rolled oats in cookies, pancakes, muffins, breads, etc.
• Spelt flour makes great cookies. Try your favorite chocolate chip recipe, or try this Chocolate Dipped Marcona Almond Biscotti.

Because spelt contains less of a compound found in gluten called gliadin, it may be easier to digest than wheat for sensitive people. However, it DOES contain gluten and is NOT okay for anyone with celiac disease or any gluten sensitivity or allergy.

Have you tried spelt? Got a favorite recipe? I would love to know.

Sometimes just seeing the phrase, “I love you,” is enough to distract me from eating and helps me keep on track. It turns out that sometimes I try to eat instead of just letting myself experience positive emotions.

Animated GIF via: * Your daily gif blog *: For That Special Someone!

Read on…


Dear Jennifer,


My name is Kevin and I’m 17 years old.  I know this might not be your
particular area of expertise, but since you deal with beauty and
self-image issues I thought you might have have some good insight on an
experience I recently had. It involved a girl I had just met at a
dance. We talked for a good half hour and seemed to be hitting it
off. She was very pretty, smart and nice. We even exchanged email
addresses. I was so excited!


Then, things suddenly went downhill. I commented that she had a
“really nice, hourglass figure”. I thought she would take it as a
compliment but instead she became deeply offended. I went into damage
control mode and tried to clarify my comments but I think I only made
things worse when I used the term “healthy”. With a look of complete
disgust, WHAP!, she slapped my face and departed.


As I was standing there alone rubbing my cheek, with my friends nearby
laughing at me, I was wondering why she was so offended. She had a
classic hourglass figure – very busty, narrow waist, shapely hips/legs.
I guess she had interpreted “hourglass” as meaning big/overweight/full
figured. Why can’t girls embrace their curves?


Btw, I do have her email address. Do you think I should her an apology
note or should I interpret the slap in the face as another way of
saying she does not want to see me again?




Dear Kevin,

First of all, can I just totally thank you for making me feel like Dear Abby as I write this?  I mean I am channeling her in a big way right now.  Go me!

Moving on to your dilemma (*ahem*)…

Why can’t girls embrace their curves?  There is a myriad of reasons why that’s so hard for many women to do.  I could totally go on and on answering this question alone, but for time’s sake I’ll just get mention one that comes to mind.

The media.

Let’s be honest here, the world is not to kind on anyone who doesn’t fit into the ideal-size mold.  If a celeb puts on a few pounds…everyone’s a critic.

If memory serves me, wasn’t there an article written recently where a journalist called out Jennifer Anistion and Courtney Cox for looking a little on the heavy side?  COURTNEY COX and JENNIFER ANISTON!!!???

My left thigh is bigger than Jennifer Aniston’s waist (not literally, but you catch my drift right?) and here she is being chastised for (maybe?) putting on a pound or two.  I mean, I honestly didn’t think she did…but if she gained 5 lbs it’s not a big deal.  She looks great!

You get where I’m going here?

What kind of message does that send to a teenage girl?

A girl who’s already insecure and in the process of trying to figure out who she is.

That might be a little of where she’s coming from.

To start off, just lose the words healthy, big-boned, curvy, shapely, and voluptuous from your vocab.

At least for now.

Try replacing them with beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, and amazing.

Also, learn how to respond correctly to a female.

For instance, if I say to my husband hey, does my butt look big in these jeans he better damn well reply (very quickly too) why no honey, not at all.

Because if he didn’t…there would be hell to pay.

Trust that.

So my advice to you is this.

If you really like this girl, start groveling now.

Just grovel like you’ve never groveled before.

Then maybe, just maybe, she’ll accept your apology and allow you into her life.

Maybe.

You better hope she does too…she actually sounds pretty fabulous.

Any girl who’ll smack a guy in the face, then turn on her heel and leaves is the shiz in my book honey.

For the past several years, Whole Foods Market has partnered with the Washington Bulb Company in Mount Vernon, WA to bring our stores one of the finest in the daffodil family. Specializing in the Dutch Master, as well as Flower Carpet, Unsurpassable and Standard Value, these varieties are real show-stoppers – known for their rich golden color, true trumpet shape and thick, upright stems. When it comes to daffodils, most of us visualize the standard yellow bloom, but did you know there are approximately thirteen recognized divisions of daffodil? Within each division, there are cultivars (or variety classifications) that are based on the description, and measurement of the variety. Depending on which botanist you talk to, there are between 40 and 200 different species, subspecies or varieties divided among the thirteen divisions of the classification system; so not all daffodils are created equal!

Owned and operated by the Roozen family, this 2nd generation farm started on five acres of land with William Roozen holding meetings in a garage and toiling long hours beside a few hired hands. Roozen worked for other farmers in the Skagit Valley, before setting off on his own in 1950. Five years later, he purchased the Washington Bulb Company, founded by two of the area’s first bulb farmers, Joe Berger and Cornelius Roozekrans. They have since grown to be one of the largest tulip-bulb growers in the country, farming 2,000 acres of land, with 550 dedicated just to daffodils.

They are also one of the largest employers in the Skagit Valley, where the floral industry has become an important part of the county’s economy. Closely tied to their community, they host photo contests of customer gardens, where the winning entry is used in their official Bulb Catalog, along with photo credit and a gift certificate. Each fall, the 3 acre show-garden is planted with around three hundred thousand spring-flowering bulbs, providing a gorgeous display of color during the early weeks of spring. Roozengaarde (Washington Bulb’s retail store) is an official Sponsor of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival that runs for the month of April each year.

When it comes to a domestically grown daffodil, the team at Washington Bulb takes pride in their crops, and stand by their motto that “there is no substitute for quality.” Whether you plan to enjoy them yourself or share a smile with others, these golden trumpets will surely impress as you bring home the best from the fields of Washington State!

Yep, it’s true we are no longer publishing health and fitness posts on a regular basis, but please check back for occasional updates. You can also catch Crabby McSlacker wasting time on Twitter, or can visit the blogs of former Cranky Fitness co-bloggers Merry, Gigi, Jo, and Jo again.

But don’t go yet, there’s still plenty of Cranky to be had right here!

Check out our Ginormous Archives. Did you know there are almost 1,000 posts in there? Holy crap, that’s a lot of verbiage! It would be a shame to see all those nouns and adjectives and prepositions go to waste.

Browse Cranky Fitness By Topic:

As you will soon see on our sidebar, we will be rolling out pages dedicated to the following subjects:

About the Blog;
Eating Right;
Working Out;
Weight Loss, Dieting & Body Image;
Mind, Motivation & Mental Health;
Diseases, Dangers, Aging and Annoyances;
Drugs, Sex, and Rock ‘n Roll;
Product Reviews; and
Blog Traditions and Other Miscellaneous Crap.

On these topic pages you will find typical posts, as well as an alphabetical list of post labels. So, say, if you click on a label such as “Raw Food” or “Circuit Training” or “Dumbassery,” you will see all the posts that have used those particular labels.

Check the Sidebars for Other Ways to Explore

If you are a fan of chronological order, you can expand the Blog Archive widget in the sidebar and view posts that way. Alternatively, if you prefer a random approach, we also have a Random Post widget. Or finally, you can search the entire blog for words of your choice. At the very top of the page on the left side there is a tiny little search bar.

Important Note: We do not claim to be health experts and are not offering medical advice. Consult your doctor before doing anything that might affect your health!

Thanks So Much For Stopping By!