There's Something In The Water

I'm sure you've heard by now that Coca Cola has purchased the Center for Responsible Hydration aka Glaceau. What in the world is a "glaceau"? They're the makers of VitaminEnergy, SmartWater, FruitWater and my absolute favorite drink in the world...VitaminWater.

If you haven't tried VitaminWater, I encourage you to give it a sip...or guzzle...whichever you prefer. Why? This is one of the most complete drinks I've ever had the fortune to hydrate with. In fact, this is my choice for getting my vitamin supplements in. Yes, vitamins in pill form are readily available but since you only get about 10% of the vitamins in those pills (90% goes undigested), I for one prefer to ingest them already broken down. This pretty much ensures that your body will get what it needs without having to "overextend" itself.

With 15 flavors to choose from (11 of which I love, the other four I haven't tried yet) you are sure to find something that you just can't seem to hydrate yourself without. This water not only makes drinking water hip (who would have thought?), it also says being healthy is in!

Thatsa Mighty Good Pizza

Contrary to popular belief, pizza is actually one of the healthier take out foods. That's a good thing for me especially since I love me some pizza. YUM! With so many varieties, I'm willing to bet you can eat pizza everyday for a year and not have the same combination twice.

For healthier pizza choices you want to stay close to loads of veggies, no extra cheese (as hard as that is), shrimp, clams, chicken and fruit (you've got to try pineapple chicken pizza!). Tofu and tempeh actually make pretty good additions to your healthy pizza choices as well.

Pizza is also a quick and easy, fulfilling meal. Feel free to express your creativity with pizza dough as your canvas. Trust me, you won't be sorry. One of my favorite "make your own pizza" recipes is Pineapple Citrus Chicken with Spinach and Feta Cheese. I know it sounds like there's a lot going on but the first time I "accidentally" made this I was smacking my lips for days. It's real easy to make too. Here's what you'll need:

A Pizza Shell (Di'Giorno or Boboli)
Tomato Sauce
Shredded Cheese
Feta Cheese
Grilled Chicken Strips marinated in Orange Juice, cut up
Pineapple Chunks, drained
Frozen Spinach, thawed

You know what to do: throw everything together and bake for about 20 minutes or so. DELICIOUS!

Be You...You're The Best

I've been gone for a while I know. But I'm back and in full effect. Check out my b-boy stance. Oh wait you can't see me. Ok just use your imagination. *CHEESE*

While on my hiatus I've been getting other businesses off the ground and my focus has been elsewhere to be quite honest. I've received quite a few emails from the best readers in the blogosphere (you of course!) telling me in no uncertain terms to get my "sit down place" (my brother especially will appreciate that) back here. As I read through the emails and reflected I have to say that I'm quite happy with what One Healthy Sucker has turned out to be. So many people have told me that it's unlike any other health related blog out there and while that's challenging at times, it certainly makes me feel good that I can be myself and have others appreciate it.

This brings me to something I'd love to share with you all today: BE YOURSELF! NO ONE DOES IT BETTER! So many try to duplicate what others are doing but end up losing themselves and what they're about individually. Yes, I do understand there's something to be said about not reinventing the wheel. To that I say but rims are a great addition and custom rims are even better. *SMILE* You owe it to yourself to be the customized person you were created to be. Make sure you're not easily replaced or easily forgotten. Step outside the box. Go ahead you can do it. I know you can (especially if you're a reader of this blog). We (you and I) exemplify individualism at its best.

I want to thank you all for checking the site daily and standing by me. Now if ya'll would subscribe I'd be in Heaven. I get LOADS of visitors a day but only have a few subscribers and many of my visitors are repeat visitors. So c'mon hit those subscription buttons. YAY!!!

(In case you're wondering yes that's a picture of me. Aren't I a cutie pie?)

Top 5 Health Inspiried Top Fives

Problogger's Group Project really has had some good submissions (including mine if I say so myself) Believe it or not quite a few of them had something to do with health. I'm posting my favorites here. In the spirit of the Top 5 here are my Top 5 Health Inspired Top Fives:

5 Cool Things You Can Do With Your DNA
Get Fit&Sexy While Blogging
Top 5 Healthy Relaxation Techniques
Top 5 Special Health Tips
Top 5 Ways To Get Rid Of Your Muffin Top Without Dieting

This one and this one aren't health related but I had fun reading them. I'll be back with more of these awesome submissions tomorrow. I won't promise they'll all be health related though because there are some great non health posts that I'm really digging. (<-----how 70s is that?) I'll tell you one thing...I don't envy Darren (Mr. ProBlogger himself) in the least. LOL

5 Reasons To Work From Home (or call in sick)

There as so many reasons to actually work from home (something I have the privilege of doing), I had trouble only picking five. Okay, I know there are some of you out there who think that the only reason I had trouble picking five was because I love to run my mouth. My response? So what? *CHEESE* Enough stalling, here's what you've been waiting for:

Top 5 Reasons Working From Home Improves Your Health (of course they're in no particular order)

• Work in your pajamas/don't have to get dressed. What does this have to do with health? Well women especially can appreciate this since foot health is enhanced. There's something to be said about no longer having to worry about high heel induced corns/bunions on your toes.
• Less weight gain. No more fast food lunches. Not to mention office potlucks followed by continuously sitting on an ever spreading rear end (or "sit down place" as we grew up saying in my family) are now shifted to the past.
• Stress Levels/Blood Pressure become lower. Since office politics and gossip are reasons for now ex coworkers going postal, you can breathe a sigh of relief. After all, you're sitting comfortably at home.
• Cultivate a more positive family environment. Now you have more time to spend with your family and have the time to take an active part in your child(ren)'s education. Better yet, Billy and Susie don't have to break into their piggy banks to hire actors for "Parents Day" at school.
• Promotes Respiratory Health. Now that your commute is gone you're not only saving the environment but your lungs too. No sitting in traffic breathing in the fumes of that old truck in front of you.
  

Here's a bonus reason (yeah I know it was only supposed to be 5):
Joint Health: You're no longer jumping through hoops to win that coveted "Employee Of The Month" parking spot. Hallelujah! No more mad dashes for the last decent parking space. That's a two fold reason right there. Why? That also means no more "life comes at you hard" moments when you're trying to park and a coworker tries to swoop in at the same time.

POST NOTE:

Thanks to Darren at ProBlogger for inviting us to submit our TOP 5 lists. Hey if you have a Top 5 click on the link and get your shot at winning $1001USD!

Be A Boy Scout...Even If You're A Girl

For the past couple days I've been thinking about being prepared in an emergency. I gave myself a test of my own making and realized I barely knew what to have in my emergency kit. I knew the important things such as beef jerky (I prefer the healthy jerky), first aid kit, flashlight with batteries and water. I'd forgotten clothes, plastic garbage bags and needing to pack my items in a water resistant backpack. Ehh, you can't remember everything. But anyway, I figured I'd better get my emergency bag packed now rather than waiting until an actual emergency because I know I'd definitely forget something in the rush should anything actually go down. Of course, saying this to myself made me think of you all. So with that said, here's what the Red Cross says you should have in your Emergency Preparedness Kit. A couple things that aren't on the list are activities and games including books, drawing and writing materials, pocket sized electronic games. These are a must, not only if you have children but for you too. Nothing like keeping your mind occupied. Hmm, I wonder if having one of those inflatable air mattresses would be going overboard? What do you think? Well anyway, definitely keep in mind that there's certainly something to the Boy Scout Motto: ALWAYS BE PREPARED!!

Me Want Healthy Donut...Mmmm

Apparently, I'm late since I'm just finding out about a couple donuts on the market that are proclaimed to be healthy/good for you. You know me, I had to dive in and find out all that I could about these delicious little bits of healthy goodness.

First on the list is the Whole Wheat Glazed Donut from Krispy Kreme. I know, I know, you're salivating at the thought of a Krispy Kreme donut that may actually be good for you. Right? I know the feeling. So just how "healthy" is this donut? Bottom line? Not much.

Here's how it stacks up versus their Original Glazed Donut:
Total Calories: WWG-180 OGD-200
Calories From Fat: WWG-100 OGD-100
Total Fat: WWG-11g OGD-12g

I could post more nutritional information but really, what's the point? Lesson learned here? Naming something "Whole Wheat" doesn't necessarily mean that it's healthier for you. Just think, I was even bent on forgetting about the "sugar shake" that overcomes me whenever I bite into a Krispy Kreme donut for this. Blah!

Now for the second healthy donut "Super Donut", brought to us by former Pittsburgh Steelers star, Franco Harris.

The Super Donut (retails for about $2.69/box of 6) is chock full of vitamins, minerals and protein. They don't contain preservatives, trans fats, artificial flavors or colors. What's the nutritional breakdown here?
Total Calories: 240
Total Fat grams: 13
Carbs: 24
Protein: 7g
14 vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, C, E and Bfamily, folic acid and calcium.

Of the two of course the Super Donut is the healthier choice. In fact, you can find these donuts in school cafeterias all over the United States, nursing homes, health care facilities, even on our military bases! Come to think of it, as of now, those are really the only places you'll find them unless you live in the Pittsburgh area (pick them up in your grocers freezer. I've always wanted to say that).

What To Eat When You Can't Sleep

Insomnia has many causes including stress, depression, over excitement, overeating too late too close to bedtime and jet lag. Another cause may be just plain old nosiness, being afraid you'll miss something. But I don't know if that's scientific enough to be an "on the record" cause.

If you're one of the many people who suffer from insomnia, you know how hard it is to fall asleep and stay asleep. What you may not know is what happens as a result of you not being able to sleep. Some common complications of insomnia are developing psychiatric problems, taking unnecessary risks, traffic accidents, developing diabetes and also hypertension.

Also as an insomnia sufferer, you've probably tried different things in hopes of finding a remedy. Help is on the way. Today's post is all about foods you can eat that are supposed to be solutions for insomnia.

Just what exactly can you eat that will send you on a roundtrip (yes roundtrip...one way would mean you're dead) journey to "LaLa Land"? According to this list found on Healing Food Reference, the foods that are terrific for calling the hogs are:

• Wheat
• Mulberries
• Zucchini
• Kava
• Chia seeds
• Oysters (hmm now I thought oysters were an aphrodisiac too...)
  
• Pumpkin
• Lettuce
• Oats
• Barley

If you're surprised that turkey didn't make the list since it contains L-tryptophan, don't be. Don't know what L-tryptophan is? It's an amino acid known to have a sleep inducing effect. Don't be surprised because turkey also includes other amino acids that somewhat counteract tryptophan's effect. If you're still skeptical and thinking that you know you feel lethargic on Thanksgiving after eating your delicious helping of turkey, keep in mind that Thanksgiving is normally a carbohydrate, fat filled feast. That certainly contributes to a little sheep jumping over the fence action.

Ok, soon to be sleepy heads, grab a couple slices of Zucchini Nut Bread, Oat Barley Soup or Pumpkin Dip and see how long it takes before you're watching the back of your eyelids. Ahhh, sleep at last, sleep at last, thank God Almighty, sleep at last!