Category Archives: Physical

Health and Fitness, Physical

Angry Black Man…

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BREWING EMPORIUM – This is a story about beer. What were you expecting? Oh, you thought from the title this was going to about something else didn’t you. We were going to come up with a fancy name for this post but… we felt like the name of the homebrew alone would cause enough 🤨 to make you want to read more.

So how does beer fit in with “Promoting Total Wellness”? Done in moderation and barring any pre-existing disposition or battle with alcoholism, drinking a cold brew at the end of a long day can be one of THE BEST THINGS IN THE WORLD.

So how did this home brew get started? First, there was a love of beer. One that has driven the brewer to travel great distances to attend various festivals.

Second, there was the suggestion that he try brewing his own. He began with one of the ready-made beer brew kits (which shall not be named because they’re not sponsoring this post) to get a feel for how it’s done.

Angry Black Man brewing emporium home brew setup – July 2021

Finally after coming to understand the process, a desire to create new and different flavors arose which led to a need for more than the beginner’s home brew kit. Materials and tools became more sophisticated (like acquiring a refractometer and building the setup pictured above) which led to unique brews like Zamba Juice 2xIPA, Wascally Waspberry wheat beer, “Hey You Kids, Get Off My Lawn!” English IPA, and Ms. ME’s personal favorite, the Black is Beautiful stout. And no it’s not her favorite because of the name but because of the hints of coconut rum that you taste and a tendency to favor stouts.

Why the name Angry Black Man? According to the founder, it is to stimulate conversation. So if you want to join the conversation you can find out more about Angry Black Man Brewing Emporium at the following locations online:

Make sure to let him know you heard about him here on ECVtalks.com!

Health and Fitness, Physical

Helping Your Kids get Physically Fit

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We know that for adults, the benefits of being physically active are myriad.

Reducing the risks of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and obesity are worthy goals we should strive for. But how often do we think of these health concerns when it comes to our kids? They’re just kids, right?

When was the last time your kids exercised for an hour every day during the week? According to the US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, this is the recommended amount of physical activity for children and youth.*

However, statistics show that a large majority (more than two-thirds) of children and adolescents don’t meet this standard. Although it’s typical that physical activity tends to decrease with age, developing an active lifestyle while young will likely influence activity levels into adulthood. For instance, if you used to run half-marathons as a teen, the idea of running a half-marathon now – as an adult – wouldn’t be as jarring as if you had never done that at all.

Studies show that there are several factors that can help increase physical activity in children. The first factor is the parents’ activity level. Simply put, active parent = active child. This is relevant for adults who don’t have their own kids, but have nephews, nieces, or kids they mentor. An adult’s level of activity can help foster the activity levels of the children they influence.

Another factor is getting children involved in a rec league or team sport. By adding these into a child’s weekly schedule, each extra hour per week of practice, games, meets, etc., adds nearly 10 minutes to the average daily physical activity for the child. They’ll never have time for exercise if it’s never scheduled to begin with. (This tactic works for adults, too, by the way.)

This much is true: being physically active while younger will affect the health of a child as they grow into an adult. So whether you have children of your own or children you are connected to, your level of activity can help contribute to building a habit of physical activity which will carry on into adulthood. Here’s to building our health, and our children’s, for the future!

Source:
“Physical Activity Facts.” Centers For Disease Control and Prevention*, 6.28.2017, http://bit.ly/2muNrvY.

Health and Fitness, Physical

10 Best Foods To Eat When You Are Sick

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Being sick is no fun! All you want is to become better as soon as possible and while there are many medicines that can help you do so, there’s nothing like natural foods that will do the trick. So, you can have natural foods as an alternative or as an addition, depending on your condition. […]

10 Best Foods To Eat When You Are Sick
Health and Fitness, Physical

Tasty tuesday update

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It’s stick to your New Year’s Resolution day! So if your resolution was to eat healthy here are some snacks and food tips, starting with these pre-packaged (by you at home) smoothie blends. Start with 2 cups of washed, peeled and chopped ingredients as listed below. Package them in a resealable plastic bag and toss in a blender with the listed liquid or your liquid of choice when ready for your smoothie.

1. Berry Blue Smoothie Recipe
Blackberries + Blueberries + Kale + Tea

2. Hello Yellow Smoothie Recipe
Mango + Pineapple + Banana + Yogurt

3. Orange Plunge Smoothie Recipe
Peaches + Apples + Cantaloupe + Orange Juice

4. Think Pink Smoothie Recipe
Strawberries + Raspberries + Red Grapes + Cranberry Juice

5. Green Goodness Smoothie Recipe
Green Grapes + Kiwi + Spinach + Soy Milk

Recipes originally found on Ziploc https://ziploc.com/en/recipes/breakfast/5-prep-ahead-freezer-smoothie-packs?pp=1
Health and Fitness, Physical

Conquering the Dry Spell

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Winter lumbers on in the northern hemisphere which typically means battling dry skin. (Unless you’re in Florida where as this is being typed I’m waging a war against turning on the AC to beat the 80°F temps we’ve been blessed with the past few days.)

First the definition – I guess I misspoke but then so do a number of us. Dry skin is actually a skin type. In another life when I maintained my cosmetology license we’re taught that there are four skin types: dry, normal, oily and combination. If you have truly dry skin, you have it year round thanks to genetics and may have to deal with flakiness and itchiness. Then there’s dehydrated skin which feels tight, looks dull and is due to changes in the weather, other environmental factors and diet.¹ So what do you do whether you have dry or dehydrated skin?

Moisturize, both inside and out.

Can we take an aside and talk about how gorgeous this girl’s skin is? #goals You didn’t know? Check out her Instagram!

Sometimes we forget that skin is our biggest organ, living cells that need to be fed and watered. While there is no limit to the number of moisturizing products on the market for you to choose from, are you remembering to drink enough water? If not, we’re inviting our readers to participate in this water challenge starting January 11th.

21-day-hydration-challengeDownload

Want to do a little extra? Ash has recently started drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning to help clear her skin. Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon into hot water and sip away.

So you’ve moisturized the inside by drinking more water, but don’t forget to continue using your fave moisturizer. Click here for six other tips to care for your winter skin.² What are your winter skincare secrets? Share below & on our social media.

¹"The difference between dry skin and dehydrated skin", Naturally with Shaklee, https://go.shaklee.com/the-difference-between-dry-skin-and-dehydrated-skin/?j=359193&sfmc_sub=10451068&l=33_HTML&u=26471819&mid=100009.$207&jb=109&utm_source=mktg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20201212_cnl_winterbeauty&utm_content.=image_dryskin&utm_kxconfid=sw793c3ln
²"8 tips for winter skincare", Naturally with Shaklee, https://go.shaklee.com/8-tips-winter-skincare/?j=359193&sfmc_sub=10451068&l=33_HTML&u=26471817&mid=100009207&jb=109&utm_source=mktg&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20201212_cnl_winterbeauty&utm_content=image_8tips&utm_kxconfid=sw793c3ln