Thursday, August 28, 2008

This is Why I Love Portland

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posted by nicole @ 10:25 AM 1 comments

Monday, August 25, 2008

Fish (Oil) Never Tasted So Good

When I find a really great product, I feel it is my duty to tell the world that it is something we simply can’t live without. I apologize if this sounds like an advertisement, but Barlean’s "Omega Swirl" Fish Oil Supplement is a miracle in a bottle. I don’t know how Barlean’s did it- but they took the fishy taste out of fish oil!

The Product

About a year ago, I bought this huge bottle of regular “orange flavored” fish oil and tried to take two teaspoons daily… and I did- for a while. I just couldn’t get over the fishy taste. Eventually it made me gag- even with a chaser. I finally realized that I wasn’t going to ingest anymore of that stuff, but that the benfits of fish oil were too great for me to pass up. I went to Pharmaca (my favorite natural products & supplements store) with the intention of buying a bottle of fish oil pills. After asking my normal slew of stupid questions, the Pharmaca expert suggested Barlean’s Omega Swirl. I was really skeptical at first, especially because this expert told me that there was absolutely no trace of the fishy taste in this fish oil. Then I was reminded of Pharmaca’s no-questions-asked/no-hassle return policy.... (Added benefit: Barlean’s is actually cheaper than fish oil pills, so I was sold.)

I got home and promptly busted out the teaspoon and removed the safety seal to taste my new purchase. I was prepared to plug my nose for fear of that unbearable fish taste and I’m sure I had that “ew” look on my face prior to swallowing.





I’m not kidding- this stuff might be my new substitute for dessert… it’s THAT good!! It tastes like a little shot of lemon custard…. and not even a hint of fishy taste! Mmmmm. It’s a good thing that there’s a limit to how much of this stuff you can intake, because I might be at the fridge in the middle of the night squirting the bottle directly into my mouth.

The Benefits

So, in case you didn’t know how fabulous fish oil (and other omega-3 fatty acid food sources) is for you, I have compiled a summary of the benefits of fish oil.

Fish Oil and Omega-3s reduce:
-Inflammation (including inflammation from arthritis)
-LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)
-triglycerides
-blood pressure
-buildup of atherosclerotic plaques (aka, "hardening of the arteries")
-risk of stroke
-risk of heart attack & heart disease
-risk of dangerous abnormal heart rhythms
-risk of strokes
-risk of cancer
-risk of Alzheimer’s disease
-risk and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease
-risk and symptoms of multiple sclerosis
-risk and symptoms of dementia
-risk and symptoms of schizophrenia
-risk and symptoms of diabetes
-risk of premature delivery in pregnant women

Effective in Treating:
-depression
-brittle hair and nails
-fatigue
-gastrointestinal disorders (including Crohn’s disease)
-pain
-inflammation

Increases:
-HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) levels
-serotonin production

Improves:
-memory
-fetus development
-skin

Barlean's Omega Twist is found in the refrigerated aisle of your local health food store. Go fish.

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posted by nicole @ 6:00 PM 3 comments

Thursday, August 21, 2008

How to Remove that Kerry/Edwards or Bush '04 Sticker



In a couple of days, those bumper stickers will be obsolete. The leading Democratic and Republican candidates will announce their running mates and accept their nominations. And if you try to stick your new Obama sticker on top of that Kerry/Edwards sticker- it just won't stick until the 2012 elections, so please- do us all a favor and remove the old sticker properly so that we can reminisce about the 2008 elections for the next four years. I know- it's hard to let go of the '04 election and all the chaos in Ohio and Florida, but it's been four long years and, like I told Hillary, it's time to move on.

Here are directions for removing your outdated election bumper sticker (you may need a razor blade if you have been watching Olympic swimming and track & field events- they are nail-biters):

1. Go outside to your car.
2. Start by scraping diagonally from one corner of the sticker inward toward the center of the sticker until there is sufficient material to grab with your thumb and forefinger.
3. Simply pull the loosened corner (with your thumb and forefinger) diagonally until the sticker is completely removed. It's like magic.
4. Thoroughly clean the bumper where you envision your new election sticker. Allow to dry completely.
5. Attach your new bumper sticker according to directions.

I've heard the McCain stickers are extra sticky, so you might try sticking your McCain-Romney sticker directly on top of your "W '04" sticker.

By the way- I recently made a trip back to Bozeman, Montana- (widely regarded as Republican country) where I went to college. I was shocked to see NOT ONE McCain bumper sticker, but quite a few Obama stickers and yard signs...  

posted by nicole @ 1:41 PM 0 comments