There are some popular beauty myths out there that we all get caught believing. But we shouldn’t–because they aren’t true! Here are the beauty myths you should stop worrying about, and what you should worry about instead.
Life
Hot Finger Foods: Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
Sometimes a recipe can be more about the method–and that’s true for this jalapeno poppers recipe I’m sharing today. What do I mean by that? Simply that once you understand the method of making jalapeno poppers, you are free to adjust and customize the ingredients to make this jalapeno poppers recipe your own. And football season is coming up fast, so it’s the perfect time to learn. Don’t go away, because jalapeno poppers are the ultimate in hot finger foods for football lovers.
Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
There are some basic things you need to have on hand the next time you want to make jalapeno poppers. Here they are:
- Fresh jalapenos
- Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup per half pound of jalapenos
- Softened cream cheese, about 8 ounces per every half pound of jalapenos
- Spices, including onion and garlic powder
- Bread crumbs {for fried jalapeno poppers}
- Beaten egg
- Bacon, if desired
- Cilantro {optional}
- Oil {if frying}
Note that you can make this jalapeno poppers recipe either baked or fried. If you have an air fryer, you can fry your jalapeno poppers with no oil for a healthier but still delicious option. It is also delicious to bake your jalapeno poppers in a smoker or pellet grill, so don’t be afraid to try it if you have one!
Jalapeno Poppers Basic Method
- Wash and remove the seeds from your jalapeno peppers. Be careful, as the seeds can burn your skin. Wear kitchen gloves for protection.
- Decide if you want your jalapeno poppers whole or halved. Either way is great–it’s just a matter of personal preference. It’s best to leave them whole if you want to stuff and fry them in oil.
- Mix softened cream cheese and shredded Monterrey Jack cheese together in a small bowl. Add desired spices, but remember that the jalapenos themselves are going to be the kicker! If you aren’t wrapping your poppers with bacon, you can pre-cook the bacon, dice, and mix into the cheese mixture.
- Stuff the jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture.
- For fried jalapeno poppers, dip the stuffed peppers in beaten egg, then bread crumbs, then in beaten egg once more.
- Allow the poppers to sit while you heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Or, preheat the air fryer if using.
- Fry the jalapeno poppers in hot oil for approximately 3 minutes, or until golden brown in color. Remove from the oil and drain.
- Optionally, air fry the jalapeno poppers in a single layer at 400 degrees F until golden brown, rotating partway through cooking.
Jalapeno Poppers Variation
An easy variation for the basic method is to cut the jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise before stuffing. Stuff with the cheese mixture. Wrap each jalapeno with 1/2 – 1 strip of uncooked bacon. Place the bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapenos on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees F 10-15 minutes, or until bacon is cooked and cheese is bubbly.
Sleep Tips: How To Have The Sleep Of Your Dreams
Poor sleep has negative impacts on physical health, mental acuity, emotional well-being and exercise performance. So it is obviously important that we do all we can to sleep well each and every night. Even if you feel that your sleep is good enough, why not take a look at the following sleep tips to see if there is any improvement you can make? Your mind, body and spirit will thank you.
Sleep Tips For The Sleep Of Your Dreams
A great night’s sleep does so much for you. It positively affects your hormones, appetite, mental health and physical well-being. Yet there are a lot of us who get poor sleep at night, and some don’t even realize how much better their sleep could be. To boost your overall health, you need to boost your sleep. Here are the sleep tips for the sleep of your dreams:
- Get more sunlight during the day! Your body’s internal clock needs regulating, and one way it regulates itself is by getting enough sun exposure during the daylight hours. If getting enough sunlight exposure is an issue for you, try an artificial daylight lamp with full-spectrum light.
- Limit daytime naps to no more than 20-30 minutes. Longer naps tend to confuse that internal clock and make it harder for you to fall asleep at night.
- Be consistent about bedtime and wake time. Irregular sleep times also confuses your internal clock. For better sleep, make a set bedtime and wake time, even on weekends, and try to stick to it. Your body will learn exactly what to expect.
- Limit alcohol consumption, especially at night. Alcohol consumption at night tends to mess with your melatonin production. It also can increase symptoms of sleep apnea and snoring.
- Check your bedroom temperature. Do you know that bedroom temperature has a huge impact on the quality of sleep? The higher your bedroom temperature, the more you experience disrupted sleep. A temperature of about 70 degrees F is the best sleeping temperature for most of us. If in doubt, err on the cool side.
- If you need a bedtime snack, keep it light and higher in protein. A meal or snack that is high in carbohydrates is best eaten at least four hours before bedtime, otherwise it can interfere with your normal sleep patterns.
- Set a pre-bedtime relaxation routine. Some people swear by things like reading a book, taking a warm bath, or drinking a warm cup of chamomile tea. See what works best for you. Never fall asleep without doing these 5 nightly beauty rituals!
- Make sure your bed, pillow and comforter are not negatively impacting your sleep. Sleep experts suggest upgrading your mattress and bedding about every 8 years for optimum comfort.
- Regular exercise during the day leads to better sleep at night. Just don’t exercise too late in the afternoon or evening, because it will have the opposite effect.
- Keep the electronics out of your sleeping space. Blue light interferes with your body’s internal clock.
These sleep tips are the best ways to improve your sleep quality. Get ready for the sleep of your dreams!
How To UP Your Good Vibrations
Today’s post is all about how to UP your good vibrations. What exactly do I mean by that? It’s pretty simple, actually. We all want to have the best day we possibly can, each and every day, don’t we? One way to do that is to increase your positivity level. You might think you aren’t capable of it, but everyone is. Upping your good vibrations might take practice, but it’s worth doing. It only benefits you and all the people you interact with. Here are some ways you can UP your good vibrations!
Ways to UP Your Good Vibrations
What are those “good vibrations,” other than a song lyric? They are the actual vibrations {your overall state of being} that make up your positive energy, and everyone has positive energy inside them. Sometimes it might be buried under negative energy, but you can dig it out and learn to suppress the negatives. Here are some simple ways to do that.
Work on being more mindful of your own thoughts and feelings. How many negative versus positive thoughts do you allow into your mind on a daily basis? They do impact you!
Practice gratitude. It’s a fact that grateful people are happier people. If you want to UP your good vibrations, increasing the level of gratitude in your life will definitely help you do it. Keep a gratitude journal to help increase the feelings of gratitude you feel every day.
Look for the beauty in your every day. There are beautiful things all around us, in nature, in people, and in situations. Practice looking for it, and then note it and appreciate it whenever and wherever you find it.
Be kind. It really does positively affect you and the people you come into contact with. There’s nothing like the feeling that comes from being kind to others whenever you have the chance!
Feed your body good food. When we fuel our bodies with crap, it does affect our body’s vibrations. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat certain foods. Those that drag you down or make you feel worse should be cut out of your life. Find the foods that nourish you and make you feel healthier, stronger, and more positive. Try more alkalinizing foods for better overall health.
Stay hydrated! This is something you may not think of as affecting your positive energy, but it does. Water helps our bodies get rid of daily toxins that would otherwise weigh us down.
Start with these simple methods to UP your good vibrations, and see how much better you feel!
The Health Benefits Of Alkalizing Foods
Anyone who wants to look and feel their best should be familiar with the benefits of alkalizing foods. But what are alkalizing foods, and why are they important for good physical and mental health? You’ve come to the right place, because today we are delving into this subject. Stick around to learn more about an alkaline diet and why you should consider following one.
What Is An Alkaline Diet?
Some foods we eat are acidic, and others are alkaline. Proponents of this diet believe that eating mostly acidic foods makes your body more acidic, while an alkaline diet does the opposite. Another way to think about it is in pH levels. pH levels range from 0-14, with 7 being neutral, and 8-14 being alkaline. A pH lower than 7 is acidic. Alkaline diet proponents say you can get a look at your overall health by testing the pH level of your urine. Urine is how the body gets rid of excess acidity. For example, if you eat a roast beef dinner, your urine is going to be acidic for several hours afterward. It takes awhile for your body to remove the excess acidic waste from your system.
Acidity in the body is thought to feed certain diseases such as cancer, while an alkaline diet suppresses them. In a nutshell, alkalizing foods are a protection from illness and disease while acidic foods can make you more susceptible.
What Are Alkalizing Foods?
The foods included in an alkaline diet consist mainly of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and seeds. Another way to describe this diet would be plant-based. In contrast, an acidic diet is mainly red meat and dairy products, poultry, fish, grains and alcohol. The idea behind an alkaline diet is to eat mostly alkalizing foods. Some alkaline diet proponents even test their urine regularly to be sure that their pH level stays at least 7 or above. Keep reading to find out the health benefits of alkalizing foods!
Benefits Of Alkalizing Foods
There is some research that suggests that kidney disease patients can improve their health by following an alkaline diet. This is mainly because an acidic diet makes the kidneys work harder. And though there isn’t a lot of scientific research to back it up, people who eat mostly alkalizing foods report that the diet promotes weight loss and better all-over health. What are the other benefits of eating this way?
- By virtue of the diet, people who follow it are eating more fruits and vegetables than they were before.
- Proponents are also eating less processed foods and dairy products that are high in fat.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables is a natural way to promote weight loss.
- It is shown that a reduction in protein intake is helpful for those with reduced kidney function.
- An increase of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet is helps prevent cancer and other diseases.
- Because an alkaline diet is naturally lower in calories and fat, heart health also shows improvement.
In talking about the benefits of alkalizing foods, we can conclude that alkalizing foods are definitely healthy foods. When eaten in combination with reducing other less-healthy {and acidic} foods from your diet, alkaline foods can certainly play a positive role in overall health.
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