Holiday Giveaway for Moms [giveaway]

Ever wanted to own a VitaMix? Looking to start the new year on a healthy foot? Enter below for a chance to win a variety of prizes perfect for every mom! Prizes include the following:

1. 1st prize: VitaMix + 1 (one) $250 gift card for our Amazon store* to kickstart your journey to wellness (1 winner)
2. 2nd prize: 1 (one) $250 gift card for our Amazon store* to kickstart your journey to wellness (5 winners) 
3. 3nd prize: 1 (one) $60 gift card for our Amazon store* to kickstart your journey to wellness (5 winners) 

 *Only valid for products available on Schwartz Bioresearch Amazon Catalog.

Holiday Giveaway for Moms - $2,200 worth of prizes
Giveaway is for US only and ends on December 31, 2016. Random winners will be chosen around January 5th, 2017. Schwartz Bioresearch is responsible for selecting and contacting the winner and will be shipping the prizes to the winner.

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Do You Brush Enough? Top Dental Tips for Everybody [ad]

If you’re like most people, you probably think that you’re doing just fine with your dental routine. You brush in the evening before going to bed and you floss when you remember to do so. This is about my usual routine. I floss and brush at night. However, this might not be enough. 

However, there are additional things that you can do to improve your dental care regimen. Keep reading to learn more about how you can keep your teeth healthy and white for as long as possible. 

Brush More

It stands to reason that brushing your teeth frequently is a good idea. Your dentist tells you all the time, and chances are you heard about how important brush was from at least one of your parents every day when you were growing up.

To make the most of brushing your teeth, you need to consider doing it after every meal. The ideal time to brush is about 30 minutes after you eat. That way you won’t be forcibly damaging your enamel by rubbing sugars and acids from foods into your teeth.

Floss Regularly

Brushing is incredibly important to your dental health, but most dentists Brooklyn residents trust would tell you that if you could only do one thing, flossing would be more important. That’s why you also want to take the time to floss between meals if you can. 

Carry dental floss in your car and keep a spool in your desk at work. It’s easy to find a couple of minutes to floss your teeth without anybody even noticing.

It might seem strange at first, but your teeth will thank you over the long run. You’ll have fewer aches and pains and lower dentists bills too!

Chew Gum

There used to be a time when chewing gum was considered one of the worst things you could do for your teeth. That was a long time ago, and gum formulas have changed quite a bit since them. At least some of them have, anyway.

What you’re looking for in a chewing gum for dental health is an ingredient called xylitol. Like an artificial sweetener of sorts, xylitol actually works to clean your teeth and dislodge problematic food particles when you chew gum. 

Just make sure you avoid gum that contains actual sugar or any artificial ingredients. It might be a tasty treat, but it’s one of the worst things you can do for your teeth.

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A Healthy Nut-Free Snack [Review]

Healthy and filling snack foods always catch my eye. When I came across Tiger Nuts, I was curious what these "nuts" were all about. Nuts are a big part of my family's snacks because they are nutritious, healthy, and delicious! Tiger Nuts are actually tubers (a root or something that grounds underground). When they dry, they resemble chickpeas in size and look. Tiger Nuts are a low-calorie, healthy, nut-free snack food that can help with weight loss.

Tiger Nuts                  
Tiger Nuts Flour       

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Healthy snack food
Portable
High in fiber, keeps you full

Let's talk about what Tiger Nuts actually are. They are tubers, not nuts. If you are looking for a nut-free snack or a nut-free gluten-free flour, then this is the perfect product for you. Tiger Nuts are raw and dried. They are high in fiber, which keeps you feeling full longer and helps aid in moving food through the digestive tract. Tiger Nuts also act a prebiotic to stimulate the growth of good bacteria.

One ounce of tiger nuts (~50 pieces) contain 120 calories, 10g of fiber, and 7g of fat. Compared to other nuts, Tiger Nuts are a great low calorie, low fat, and high fiber snack.

I received a package of peeled Tiger Nuts and a package of Tiger Nuts gluten-free flour. Tiger Nuts are a great on-the-go snack and the package is portable. They are raw nuts (tubers) that have been dried and look like chickpeas. They are slightly chewy, in a satisfying kind of way. Tiger Nuts have a sweet and nutty flavor. My toddler and I have enjoyed snacking on these. The size is just right for him to be able to grab and chew on, though the package does caution not to give to young children. We eat a lot of nuts and I have really liked the change up.

Tiger Nuts Organic Gluten-Free flour was intriguing. We have done some gluten elimination diets and I have some gluten-sensitive friends, so I like to keep a variety of gluten-free flours on hand. Additionally, I like to cook and bake with gluten-free flours to change things up a bit.

Tiger Nuts flour was a new flour for me. The flour is made from ground up tiger nuts, so it has the same great nutritional benefits. The flour is milled finely. I read some reviews that mentioned the flour being gritty. I did not find this to be case when I baked Buckwheat Bites (recipe coming soon!) with tiger nut flour. I would not equate the tiger nut flour to a powdery flour like coconut flour or millet flour, but it is more fine that stone ground whole wheat flour. I really like the sweetness and heartiness that it added to my Buckwheat Bites.

If you are looking for a new nut-free snack or are diving into the gluten-free world, give Tiger Nuts a try. They are delicious and can be used in a variety of ways.

Disclosure: I received a sample of the product to facilitate this review. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.

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Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor [Review]

My approach to keeping myself and my family healthy is to be proactive about our health. I believe that we either will pay now or will pay later. Paying now includes eating organic, whole foods, exercising, using natural and organic body and cleaning products, etc. Paying later includes healthcare costs that will be incurred in the future because we did not take care of our bodies today. Inevitably, family history comes into play. We have to be aware of diseases and illnesses that our relatives have endured. My husband and I both have family history of high blood pressure. An upper arm blood pressure monitor is now part of our home medical kit.

Coosh Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor      

Rating: total green check marks out of 5.

The Good	The Not So Good
Easy and fast to use	Body made from plastic
Compact storage

Coosh Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor is an automatic blood pressure monitor that is compact and easy to use. The display is large, back lit, and has large numbers that can be easily seen. The arm blood pressure monitor includes two parts, the digital LCD screen and the arm cuff and comes with a carrying case. The monitor is FDA certified so that you can be confident that accurate measurements are being taken.

Usage: The arm cuff goes on the upper arm, just above the elbow. The cuff includes a graphic that shows where to place the cuff to accurate measurement. The placement lines on the cuff also help. The cuff plugs into the main unit. When ready, push the blue On/Off button and the blood pressure monitor begins working.

Tip for Measuring Blood Pressure: If taking resting blood pressure, sit or lie down for about 10 minutes to let you blood pressure calm down and get an accurate measurement. Even just a few minutes will help to get an accurate measurement. Standing blood pressure is going to be different than blood pressure sitting down or lying down. Relax the arm that the cuff is on and place it in your lap or next to your body.

Upper arm blood pressure monitors are more accurate than wrist blood pressure monitors because the position is closer to the level of the heart. The monitor is just as easy to use. If you recall manual blood pressure meters and those used at a professional doctor's office, the cuff is always on the upper arm.

Results: The upper arm blood pressure monitor completed the measurement fairly quickly. Although I felt like the cuff around my arm became extremely tight, this is normal for blood pressure measurement. It means that the monitor is doing its job to get an accurate reading. I really like that the monitor is easy to use, the display is large enough for someone with poor eye sight, and the unit stores compactly in the carrying case.

I would recommend the Coosh Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor to be a part of everyone's home medical kit. This affordable blood pressure monitor is great for anyone looking to keep daily track of their blood pressure.

Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own and are honest. I am not a medical professional. Please consult your physician for more information.

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