Welcome to curiouslyawesome.com

ProfileWelcome to Curiously Awesome! I have always been curious about a so many things and this blog is where I'll highlight various issues and information that I think deserves a closer look. I tend to focus on health issues, but I won't limit Curiously Awesome to only health issues. This is more of a place where anything unusual, encouraging, or even so outrageously awful it needs to be talked about. This will be a journey. I hope you enjoy! Read my blog mission here.

Turbocharging for More Power and More Savings

Posted by admin on Jul 03 2008 | Sponsored

If this is your first visit, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. It makes me happy when my numbers go up!

How about more power for your vehicle and saving some money on gas? I never thought about it much, but how about the possibility of turbocharging one’s car? A relatively simple upgrade, and just think about the speed and power and savings that your vehicle might give you.

Turbocharging is most commonly used on two types of engines: Gas engines (high-performance cars) and diesel engines (work trucks). Small cars can also benefit from this technology. A vw turbocharger would be an example of this.

Check out turbochargerpros.com and look at their extensive inventory - full warranties too!

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Processed Chocolate Bars Have Almost No Flavanols

Posted by admin on Jul 03 2008 | Natural Health, To Your Great Health!

Unwrapping Valrhona Ampamakia 2006Don’t be misled into believing that the typical chocolate bar is good for heart health. Most processed chocolate bars contain very low amounts of the nutrient that makes chocolate good for you.

There has been a series of recent studies that suggest that the flavanols contained in dark chocolate are good for the heart.

The flavanols that make chocolate healthy also make it bitter. For this reason, this is removed by many commercial chocolate manufacturers. I addition, there is no requirement for manufacturers to state on the label whether flavanols have been removed or not.

Flavanols are naturally occurring plant chemicals in the flavonoid family. They are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to have a number of health benefits, including for the heart. Flavonoids are also found in tea, red wine and a number of fruits and vegetables.

If you wish to benefit from chocolate’s heart health effects, it is recommended that you eat dark chocolate. This contains an average of 53.5 milligrams of flavonoids per bar. The average bar of milk chocolate contains less than 14 milligrams and white chocolate contains none.

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Got Affordable Seating?

Posted by admin on Jul 02 2008 | Sponsored

Finding quality restaurant furniture has to be quite a challenge. I admit, I’ve never done it…but I fear that my taste and what I would want might put my budget in the red if I owned a restaurant.

There are quality options, though!

AffordableSeating.net
offers a wide range of high-quality, customizable restaurant seating products. They not only have a great selection of restaurant chairs and barstools, but they also stock table tops and bases and much more.

This company has well-designed, stylish options that are competitively priced and readily available. Not only this, but they have an expert staff that can give you the benefit of their expertise and help you make these very important choices.

They even have an online vinyl/finish preview tool so that you can ensure your finished products will meet all of your expectations. Short delivery times of 7 to 14 days for selected items, too!

This site was a thorough pleasure to glance through. Great prices, great items, and well designed. Go see!

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State of California Studying Caffeine Effects for Pregnant Women/Fetuses

Posted by admin on Jul 02 2008 | New Health Discoveries, To Your Great Health!

Aspettando
A California state advisory panel has recommended that the state conduct an investigation into whether caffeine poses a risk to unborn children.

The recommendation from the Science Advisory Board Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee is nonbinding, but the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment promised to “give it heavy weight because this is a panel of scientific experts.”

If the state determines that caffeine poses a risk to unborn children, it would have to place warning labels on certain caffeine-containing beverages.

Studies have linked caffeine consumption to miscarriages, premature birth and low birth weight. However, a variety of health groups including the College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the March of Dimes and the Mayo Clinic have given the green light to consuming up to two cups of coffee or seven caffeinated soft drinks per day for pregnant women.

This ambiguity is part of why the board concluded that further studies are needed.

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Get the Painting Job Done by CollegePro

Posted by admin on Jul 02 2008 | Sponsored

I live in an older home with a unattached garage. My garage, believe it or not, is as big as a house. I’m not sure of the square footage, but it is a triple garage with a full attic second floor. I believe what we call our “garage” in actuality was originally a barn for our house about a hundred years ago.

We are fortunate to have our house sided, but our garage is not sided…and painting this huge building is a project we are going to be dealing with in the not-too-distant future. Let me just say…I do not like painting. A paintbrush in my hand is not really a good thing…I am an unbelievably SLOPPY painter. It’s pretty scary how sloppy I am with a paintbrush. I start out all well and fine, but that doesn’t last long. I have stories I could tell, but I digress.

This is why, when it does come time to actually get our garage painted, my vote goes to hiring a good student painting company. This just makes sense to me. We get a job done that we don’t want to do ourselves, and we give our business to a company that employs students who need the money and experience.

I’ve looked into Collegepro before, and I liked what I saw - this company gets two thumbs up from me. If you have a painting job that needs done but you don’t relish the task, check out Collegepro!

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Seattle Grocery Store Bans High Fructose Corn Syrup

Posted by admin on Jul 01 2008 | Natural Health

PhotobucketSeattle-area store PCC Natural Markets has stopped selling all products containing high-fructose corn syrup. They have announced that they will no longer carry any product sweetened with corn syrup.

High-fructose corn syrup has drawn criticism both as a sweetener in general and also due to its specific biochemical properties. Studies have indicated that high-fructose corn syrup may be worse for the body than similar sweeteners, and that it may interfere with the brain’s ability to tell when it is full.

Food manufacturers have long been attracted to corn syrup because it is so cheap to produce. This has enabled them to add sweetness to just about anything very inexpensively.

PCC has also banned trans fats and milk produced from cows treated with growth hormones and does not provide plastic bags for shoppers.

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An Option for Insurance

Posted by admin on Jun 27 2008 | Sponsored

United American Insurance Company was founded over sixty years ago to provide life, health, and accident coverage (originally only to the people of Texas). Since that time, they have grown and today UAIC operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia and Canada.

Health insurance is expensive. Paying for insurance can be expensive…not having it can be devastating. I appreciate insurance that is value priced so that my family can receive the care and prescriptions that we need when we need them.

United American Health Insurance is known for its good service and responsiveness to its customers.

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Don’t Count Calories - Count Nutrients

Posted by admin on Jun 27 2008 | Natural Health, To Your Great Health!

Mmmm breakfast
To lose weight, try not counting calories and start counting nutrients or super foods instead.

Companies like Weight Watchers come out with these low calorie bars and ready made meals… but how many nutrients do they have? Are they really going to help people lose weight? And how long will this weight stay off? As soon as they stop counting the calories the weight will return.

The secret to losing weight and truly experiencing optimum health is to count the nutrients in the food you are eating. Love the food you eat because you know it will nourish your body and in turn make you look and feel gorgeous.

Imagine how effective forgetting the calories might be. Enjoy a healthy smoothie for breakfast. Who knows how many calories it has… and who cares? Every ingredient is nourishing the body and mind. It is literally filling the body with the fuel it needs to do its job.

Vow to never count a calorie again!

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Reconstructive Surgery

Posted by admin on Jun 26 2008 | Sponsored

Someday I would like to explore my options for plastic or reconstructive surgery. Kids have taken their toll on my body over the years. It’s not THAT bad…but let’s just say it’s not like it once was - before kids, that is.

If you are interested in having some “work” done…here is some good information that may be useful. If a breast enlargement San Dimas is what you are interested in, then read on. This is a very informative website and there are many procedures to read about.  If you look carefully at their site you will be able to find case studies and testimonials as well.

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Make Your Employees Happier With Live Plants

Posted by admin on Jun 26 2008 | New Health Discoveries, To Your Great Health!

spider plant
According to the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), Americans who work in offices spend about 52 hours a week at their desks or in their cubicles. Those who work in typical office environments, often in windowless spaces with no natural light, have increased stress and reduced job satisfaction levels.

Could there be a relatively simple and inexpensive way to make the American workplace more humane and even healthier? Yes! Research published recently in the ASHS journal HortScience concludes the workplace can be improved with the addition of live plants and/or a view of the outdoors.

A study was designed to see if offices with windows and views of green spaces as well as offices containing live plants increased productivity and employee happiness on the job. The research team used a satisfaction survey posted on the Internet and administered to office workers in Texas and the Midwest that asked questions about work environments, job satisfaction, the presence or absence of live plants and windows, environmental preferences of the office workers, and demographic information.

The survey results revealed that employees who worked in office environments containing live plants or window views reported a dramatically better overall life quality and feeling of job satisfaction compared to employees who worked in office environments without plants or windows.

The complete study is available at the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site:
((http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi…) .

If you’re interested in boosting productivity and just feeling better while working in your office, try adding a few plants:

1. Philodendron scandens ‘oxycardium’, heartleaf philodendron

2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron

3. Dracaena fragrans ‘Massangeana’, cornstalk dracaena

4. Hedera helix, English ivy

5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant

6. Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’, Janet Craig dracaena

7. Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’, Warneck dracaena

8. Ficus benjamina, weeping fig

9. Epipiremnum aureum, golden pothos

10. Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’, peace lily

11. Philodendron selloum, selloum philodendron

12. Aglaonema modestum, Chinese evergreen

13. Chamaedorea sefritzii, bamboo or reed palm

14. Sansevieria trifasciata, snake plant

15. Dracaena marginata , red-edged dracaena

It’s important to note that NASA scientists found that some of the plants zero in on specific chemicals. For example, English ivy, gerbera daisies, pot mums, peace lily, bamboo palm, and Mother-in-law’s Tongue are best for eliminating benzene while the peace lily, gerbera daisy, and bamboo palm are effective in treating trichloroethylene. NASA research also revealed the bamboo palm, Mother-in-law’s tongue, dracaena warneckei, peace lily, dracaena marginata, golden pathos, and green spider plant are good at filtering out formaldehyde.

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