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Midwest Living and Added Sugars

July 17, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

In the latest issue of Midwest Living, which can be downloaded for free through ValueMags, one of the features highlights vegetable dishes and the “vegetable butcher” herself, Cara Mangini. Mangini specializes in cooking with vegetables and not just boring salads, but rather delicious bites that any palate would enjoy. From Mangini’s bigger foods, like her grilled eggplant mozzarella sandwich with spicy tomato sauce and pesto to her small bites, like her marinated garlic tomato goat cheese crostini, Mangini’s recipes challenge every bad vegetable stereotype you’ve ever heard.

This could be a good thing for Midwest Living’s American readers. From wide consumption of foods with added sugars to many people still struggling with vegetable consumption, Americans could use a few of Mangini’s recipes to help make their diets healthier and lead healthier lives overall.

When it comes to added sugars, many people do not realize how many foods have them. Even foods that are not sweet-tasting can have added sugars in them. When defining added sugars, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) writes that “Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. Naturally occurring sugars such as those in fruit or milk are not added sugars.”

Further, the CDC recommends that Americans limit the amount of added sugars they consume each day to just 10% of their total caloric intake. For example, if one were following the common two thousand calorie daily intake, then only 200 calories or less should be from added sugars. However, America’s average daily intake of added sugars is still at 94 grams (358 calories), according to STAT.

While this number is lower than it has been in recent years, it is still almost double the 50 grams (200 calories) that the CDC recommends as the limit. To imagine how easy it is to overdo added sugar intake and not realize it, consider the average 94 grams of added sugar Americans consume each day to STAT’s analogical equivalent of two and half cans of Coke. For many people, two and a half cans of Coke are easily part of their daily diet.

While paying attention to the ingredients of the foods one consumes can help greatly with reducing added sugar consumption, eating more fresh foods, like fruits and vegetables, helps even more because these foods are not processed and only have natural sugars, if any. Similarly, according to the CDC, 22.6% of Americans reported eating vegetables less than once daily in 2013. Not only could eating more vegetables help reduce added sugar consumption, it could also help more Americans get the essential nutrients their bodies need from vegetables.

To get started on leading a healthier lifestyle with more vegetables and less added sugars, redeem your free digital Midwest Living subscription from ValueMags and start trying out Mangini’s recipes today!

Diabetes Self-Management

July 10, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

Did you know that more than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes? According to the CDC, this number is up from the 26 million people that had this disease in 2010. Diabetes is a difficult disease to handle, especially if you do not know you have it. The CDC reports that one in four people do not know that they have diabetes. Therefore, it is very important to continue educating the public about all things diabetes, and ValueMags can help you do this with a free subscription to Diabetes Self-Management.

Diabetes is a difficult disease for multiple reasons. One of which is the impact it can have on overall health, especially if it is not managed correctly. According to the CDC, risk of death for adults with diabetes is fifty percent higher than those who do not have diabetes. Similarly, diabetes can lead to an increased risk for other health problems, such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and stroke, among others.

Knowing these facts, it is easy to see why it is so important to learn about diabetes and how to manage it. This becomes even more important when considering that 86 million people—that’s more than one in three people—have prediabetes. That said, let’s explore some of the ways you can prevent or delay diabetes and ways to manage it if you are diagnosed.

The most basic advice when it comes to preventing and managing diabetes is to take care of yourself. This means be as active as you can be, from walking more places to exercising multiple times a week. This also means eat as healthy as you can—fruits and vegetables are a good way to go, as Diabetes Self-Management reports that a recent study suggests that a diet high in vegetables and fruits and low in sugars and white bread may help if you have diabetes. And, if you do not, eating a healthy diet like this can help decrease your chances of developing diabetes altogether.

Overall, managing diabetes is not an easy thing, but being educated about the disease, whether you currently have it or not, can increase your likelihood of preventing the disease or developing other serious health conditions if you already have diabetes. To further your education and get helpful tips and articles on all things diabetes-related, download your free digital subscription of Diabetes Self-Management from ValueMags today!

BHG Foot Health

June 26, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

In the most recent Better Home and Gardens issue, which can be redeemed for free through ValueMags, their health section details foot health, including tips to keep your feet the healthiest they can be. This feature is very important because, according to the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association, seventy-five percent of Americans will have foot health problems at least once in their life.
Feet are probably one of the most important parts of your body to take care of over the span of your life. To demonstrate how complex and important your feet are, consider these other facts from the Illinois Podiatric Medical Association:

Your feet make up one fourth of all the bones in your body—fifty-two bones altogether;
Each foot has twenty-six bones, thirty-three joints, 107 ligaments, and nineteen muscles;
Sometimes, when you walk, the pressure on your feet exceeds your body weight;
When you run, this pressure can be up to three to four times your weight;
Walking is the best exercise for your feet; have a goal of eight to ten thousand steps daily;
If walking eight to ten thousand steps a day, the average person will have walked the distance of four times around the earth by the time they turn seventy.

As you can see, feet are much more complex than most people realize, which makes it even more important to take care of them. Since it is currently summer, let’s focus on a few tips specifically for feet in warm weather.
When pool trips start becoming more frequent, many people begin wearing flip-flops for their ease. However, flip-flops are not always the best shoes for your feet. The American Podiatric Medical Association says that wearing flip-flops at the pool and in places like public showers is highly recommended to avoid getting a foot infection. However, if you are going to be walking longer distances, flip-flops are not the best option, as they rarely offer enough support for your feet. In these cases, opting for shoes with more support, such as athletic shoes, may be the better option.
With warm weather also comes more opportunities to run outside. No matter what time of year, though, having the right kind of athletic shoes for running and any other sport is essential (especially when you think about the pressure of three to four times your weight pushing onto your feet). The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends different types of athletic shoes depending on what type of arch you have—low, normal, or high. If you are unsure about your arch, seek out a store that specializes in running and running shoes. Stores like these are often more helpful than general sporting stores because they often have equipment and specially-trained employees to help determine the right shoe for you.
To read more foot health tips from Better Home and Gardens, redeem your free digital subscription from ValueMags and start reading today!

Marlin Mag

June 16, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

Are you an avid fisher? Do you use the Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service (ROFFS) to inform you of where you should fish and what the conditions will be like in each area you are considering? If so, the latest issue of Marlin, of which you can get eight issues for free on ValueMags, includes an interview with Mitch Roffer, the main person behind this entire system. Even if you are not the most enthusiastic fisher, this interview is interesting and relevant to many kinds of readers because it touches upon Roffer’s work at NASA and the impacts of different meteorological occurrences on our oceans.
As detailed on pages 19-24 of the July 2017 Marlin issue, Roffer was a person who had always loved the ocean and was often curious about it as a kid. Roffer told Marlin about how he started down the path he is now on: he got his Ph.D. and started fishing with some of the captains that had been asking him for help. After a little while, he realized he could charge people for his services and began to use his meteorological skills and his love for the ocean to grow a business.
Perhaps most notable is what makes ROFFS so unique. While many other forecasting services just show “…satellite images or uncalibrated models,” ROFFS adds emphasis and clarity through text, seemingly making the software more comprehensive and easier to use. When asked what makes ROFFS unique, Roffer answered, “We focus on detail; that’s the difference.”
These are just a few of the things that Mitch Roffer talked about with Marlin, allowing room for much more within the article. To check out more Marlin articles and to read the rest of this interview, go to the ValueMags website to get your free subscription!
Are you receiving Marlin or another magazine that you wish to cancel? Cancelling on ValueMags is easy, just visit us at https://www.valuemags.com/supportticket.asp or email us at [email protected]. However, if you’re cancelling a magazine and are still looking for some interesting and affordable reading, head over to ValueMags to browse the other free magazine subscriptions. And remember, we never automatically renew and we do not charge you any money for the free magazines, because they truly are free!

Looking to plant this summer?

June 12, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

Summer is here, which means more vegetables in season and more time to spend in the warm weather! In the June 2017 issue of Family Circle, which can be accessed for free on ValueMags, there is no shortage of tips and tricks to make this summer a great one. Within the many ideas is a vegetable challenge for families and some gardening tips that will be incredibly helpful, no matter whether you’re a pro or a beginner.

The veggie challenge, detailed on page four in the letter from the editor, resulted from a partnership between Family Circle’s sister magazine Eating Well and the Recipe for Success Foundation. Aptly named the Eat More Veg Challenge, their goal is to get as many families as they can to explore more vegetables and eat healthier by challenging them to try 30 different vegetables in 30 days, which is no small feat. If you’re interested in joining this challenge, download the VegOut! App and visit the ValueMags website to get your free subscription to Family Circle.

Among the multiple different gardening tips included in this issue, the main focus is on creating container gardens, which are made up of multiple pots of plants. While this may sound easy to some, Family Circle talked to a Home Depot garden associate, Danny Watson for some suggestions. Watson recommends three different kinds of plants for each container: thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Each type of plant has its own section and own function in the container. Thrillers are the main plant, living up to their name. Fillers are the littler plants that are put around the thriller plant, taking up any empty spaces and giving the potted plant a full look. Spillers are located at the lowest level of the plant, allowing them to hang down from the pot and creating an elegant look for your garden.

By using all three types of plants, your potted plants will be full of life and add greatly to any outdoor space. However, these are not the only gardening tips Watson gave Family Circle. There are many other aspects of gardening that Watson touched upon, from soil types and watering to picking out the perfect pot. If you’re not a Family Circle subscriber, visit the ValueMags website to get instant digital access to this month’s issue for free and check out the many other free magazines ValueMags offers.

ValueMags Cancel

May 23, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

ValueMags has multiple sites that contribute to the success of their social media and customer service. Among those sites is ValueMags Cancel. ValueMags Cancel is a site which directs customers receiving unwanted magazines how to cancel the magazine. It is essential for the success of any company to have effective information on their websites like ValueMags. An informative website and web resources will allows individuals on the other end of a company’s screen to communicate with them quickly and efficiently.

If you have any questions or concerns about magazines that you are receiving and did not explicitly order, please visit the link above. Your questions will be answered and you can contact the company with one email or phone call!

How the displacement of living organisms is affecting the world

April 28, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

Due to the effects of climate change, animals, microbes and plants are on the move. Recently a federal study has been conducted and found that spring is arriving as many as 20 days early in some parts of the United States.

Here is an interesting way to illustrate the change in climate. The first thing that responded was shrubs. Before the industrial revolution, alder and flowering willows indigenous to the Alaskan Arctic grew to only 3 feet. But as temperatures warmed with increased fossil fuel emissions, seasons that allowed for more growing lengthened. In turn, these shrubs multiplied and thrived to what they look like today to just over six feet tall.

The bigger shrubs attracted moose that were rarely seen in the Brooks Range before the 20^th century. You can now see them hang around the Arctic river corridors where the vegetation has grown tall enough to appear through the many inches of snow. Moose are not the only animal that has moved over to the area since hares can also be easily spotted.

Hunters who live in this part of northern Alaska are having a harder time catching seal, which has been in their diets and a staple meal in their culture. But because they are harder to catch due to melting sea ice caps, these hunters are catching more mouse and hare.

This example is just one of thousands of ways human-caused climate change has transformed the lives of plants and animals. This in turn has an impact on the lives of humans and can be devastating at times. So in other words, as the climate warms up, species are moving to where, when and how they thrive. This is changing the way humans eat and is causing new disease risks, shacking up industries and changing how whole cultures use land and sea.

The instances for Malaria are increasing since mosquitoes are going to higher elevations due to warmer weather on mountain slopes. In addition, a tropical infection is being found in northern Texas as sandflies that carry the disease head north. It doesn’t stop there since agriculture is being affected as pests expand their range. For example, cabbage, kale and cauliflower fields are being devastated by diamondback moths grown by poor urban farmers.

In other food industries like coffee and wine, there is an increased threat of funguses and pests in new areas. Scientists are even blaming climate change to the spread of a weed called Johnson grass, which is very invasive and reduces the amount of legumes, corn and soybeans can grow.

How to produce better quality breast milk?

March 24, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

As a new mom, you will constantly be asking yourself questions to make sure your baby is doing fine. Some questions may be if your baby is getting enough milk or if you are producing enough. Since new moms have never breastfed before, it can feel uncomfortable since they have to deal with two bodies; theirs and the baby’s. Often times, it is normal to have more questions than answers. The best course of action is to see a lactation consultant to give you piece of mind. They can help you figure out if your milk supply is low or not. If is it, they can give moms advice on what to do to increase it.

There are certain foods that are known to increase milk production for mothers. But be careful on what you think is good for you and your baby. Sometimes certain supplements and lactation teas may have side effects. Alicia Simpson, a certified lactation consultant, has put together a list of foods that are known to help with lactation. It can help increase the quantity and quality of the breast milk.

Barley is the richest source of beta-glucan, which is known to increase the breastfeeding hormone. As you may know, beer is made out of barley but alcohol is known to hinder milk production so it is best to have it in other ways. Some examples of how to add it to your diet is to add are to soups, stews or salads. Barley malt is another great source of lactogenic beta-glucan. You can use it as a sweetener since it can be replaced for maple syrup. Fennel and fenugreek are other food sources that increase breast milk production. Fenugreek is a herb that is used most commonly in India and parts of the Middle East. There are many creative ways to have fennel in your diet. Since it has a black licorice taste, it can pair well with different types of foods.

Oats are the most commonly known breast milk producer after barley. They are one of the easiest ingredients to add to recipes. Papaya is another food that is known to be beneficial to breast milk production. Since this ingredient is being studied within recent years, the benefits are not quite known yet.

The Benefits of Taking Naps

March 17, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

Recently, Swisshotel, a hotel chain, has posted some compelling evidence on why you should be taking a nap during the day. There are a slew of benefits people who take afternoon naps get such as increased productivity, attentiveness and ability to recall information, just to name a few. Our bodies are actually programmed to have two periods of deep sleep a day; one in the early morning and one in the early-mid afternoon.

Unfortunately most people in North America do not have the luxury to take that second nap during the day. That is where Swisshotel comes in to offer a few tips on how to make the most of a quick hour-hour slumber. A third of people believe they are not getting enough sleep at night. There are even successful people throughout history that are known to be midday nappers.

Out of all mammals, 85% of species are known to sleep for short periods throughout the day. The way human’s sleep, with just one long period is considered an anomaly. This specific pattern is not the way we are naturally programmed to sleep. Most people may experience some drowsiness not because of lunch but due to the fact of the tuning of your natural circadian rhythm.

There are many benefits to napping. Even with just a 10-20 minute nap, it will improve creativity and reaction time. It will even lower the chance of making mistakes and prevent burnouts. There has been a study conducted by NASA proving that naps increase performance by 34% and alertness by 100%. It will even increase happiness, memory and helps with weight control. Naps even decrease the chance of heart disease, blood pressure and dementia. It even helps increase your immunity and help with damaged skin.

Did you know that there are different types of nappers out there? Depending on your lifestyle and your schedule, you can either be a planned napper, power napper, micro napper, emergency napper, habitual napper or a prophylactic napper. Some famous people who are strong advocates of napping are Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali and even John F. Kennedy.

Keep in mind a few pointers for a perfect nap such as keeping your nap to around 30 minutes long. If it is any longer, it can interfere with your night’s sleep and make you feel groggy. Make sure the environment you sleep in is comfortable and lie down since it can take you 50% longer to fall asleep upright.

Dealing with the struggle of food allergies

March 10, 2017 / Vmsearchreputation

There is an increasing amount of children with food allergies. Raising kids with a certain kind of allergy for something considered common, is very stressful. If they eat the wrong thing, it can be fatal. Parents have had to deal with their children who have had a reaction to them consuming food they are allergic to.

The norm in schools is nowadays is to be nut free as well as having EpiPens on hand in case a child does come in contact with nuts. According to latest statistics, 2 out of 25 kids have some kind of food allergy and more than 1 out of 3 has suffered a severe reaction. Imagine the daily worries of parents on how to protect their children from the threats of food allergies when it is not always obvious as peanut butter.

A parent gives her account of her daughter getting a reaction from eating chicken. Her aunt had cooked chicken and let her hungry daughter have a taste. But little did she know, the chicken was dipped in eggs which she was allergic to along with peanuts, spy, shrimp and sesame. Within seconds her daughter started getting hives and was having trouble breathing. She thought with just the use of Benadryl and her inhaler, her daughter would be fine but she was in denial about the severity of the allergic reaction her daughter was having.

On the way home, it seems as though her daughter was feeling better after she had threw up once more. But the episode was not over since her daughter came into her bedroom late at night saying she was once again having difficulty breathing. This happened since she did not give her daughter her EpiPen quickly enough. The reaction got more severe and her daughter got pneumonia. Because she did not understand the severity of the reaction, it lead to this. From that point on, she made sure her house was nut free by double checking the manufacturers of the food facilities. Unlike eggs, nuts have a bad tendency to contaminate the surrounding environment.

In addition, she made sure all of her family and friends are trained in injecting the EpiPen in case something like the episode she went through does not happen again.

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