Yummy Easter Fun! Healthy Eyes and Fibromyalgia

by | Apr 9, 2011

Janet Scott

Whew!  What a day!  I have felt like I am on a treadmill all day, working and working but not feeling like I got anything done.  It is hard to believe Easter is just around the corner!  It will be April 24th just in case anyone was wondering.  🙂  I found some cute little chocolate eggs to try this year – they look amazing! 

Healthy Eyes:

Taking care of our eyesight is very important, I don’t know of anyone who would want to lose their sight and yet we often take it for granted.  Here are a few tips to protect your eyes:

1)  Ultraviolet rays can burn your eyes, the symptoms are burning, itchy, gritty feeling in your eyes so wear sunglasses.  The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB radiation, screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light, are free of imperfections and distortion, and have gray lenses for proper color recognition.  There are even some cloudy days that can require wearing sunglasses. 

2)  Carrots have always been recommended for the Carotene that is in them but eating a lot of green leafy foods is very benefitial as well.  Foods like; broccoli, kale, spinach and collard greens are high in carotenoids as well so eat up. 

3) Visit your eye doctor regularly.  Many eye diseases and disorders can be diagnosed and quite often corrected if caught early. 

4)  If you’re like many Americans who spend countless hours staring at a computer screen, be warned: You may be at risk for developing computer vision syndrome (CVS). The symptoms include eyestrain headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. CVS usually wanes after you’ve stopped using the computer, although certain symptoms may persist. If you’re bound to your computer, take these precautions: Set the center of your computer screen 4 to 5 inches below eye level and 20 to 28 inches away from your eyes.Reduce glare by using lower-wattage lightbulbs overhead and closing curtains or drapes. Finally, try to blink more often, and rest 15 minutes after every two hours of computer use.

Fibromyalgia tips:  I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 15 years ago and I was determined to win the battle without prescription medications.  I have to admit when I was first diagnosed I was taking 4 Ibuprophin every 3 hours to take the edge off the pain.  I was in so much constant pain that it brought tears to my eyes when my children would hug me.  My feet felt as though they were bruised and I was walking on rocks.  Every inch of my body ached like I was covered with a massive bruise and someone was pushing on it.  I also had Chronic Fatigue so I could fall asleep in an instant, but never felt rested.  Here are a few things that I found to be very helpful, they are not known to cure any of this:

1)  Pay attention to what you eat!  I found certain foods seemed to aggrivate my condition for example; Dairy products, Sugar and Caffeine were my worst enemies but everyone is different.  Those are the first 3 foods I would watch though for starters.

2)  Drink plenty of water!  Divide your body weight in half and you should drink that many oz. of water a day; 120 lbs you should drink 60 oz. of water a day. You may be in the bathroom a lot the first 3 days but it will balance out if you stick with it.

3)  Take a Natural Supplement, there are a few good ones out there.  I would highly recommend also taking extra Calcium Magnesium and possibly B-Complex.  The Calcium Magnesium is not only good for your bones but it also helps with your sleep and seems to help your muscles relax.  The B-Complex seems to help most women with their hormone balance which can also affect Fibromyalgia.

4)  Keep moving!  The best thing you can do is exercise in moderation.  Stretches are wonderful to help work the tension out of your muscles and ease some of the pain.

5)  Avoid stress whenever possible!  Yeah, I know that sounds crazy but if there are situations you can avoid then by all means do so.

Ok so now let’s at least start with something healthy in the RECIPES  catagory:

Cheesy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Prep: 15 Min  Bake: 50   Let Stand: 10

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)

1 1/3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

  • Heat the oven to 375°F.  Stir the soup, water, rice, onion powder, black pepper and vegetables in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. 
  • Top with the chicken. Cover the baking dish.
  • Bake for 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. Top with the cheese. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes. Stir the rice before serving.

RECIPE TIPS

  • Serving Suggestion: Serve with a Caesar salad. For dessert serve frozen Italian-style water ice or gelati.
  • Alfredo: Substitute broccoli flowerets for the vegetables and substitute 1/4 cup grated Parmesan for the Cheddar cheese. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese with the soup. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
  • Lower Fat: Use Campbell’s® 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup instead of regular soup and use low fat cheese instead of regular cheese.
  • Mexican: In place of the onion powder and black pepper use 1 teaspoon chili powder. Substitute Mexican cheese blend for the Cheddar.
  • Italian: In place of the onion powder and black pepper use 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed. Substitute 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan for the Cheddar.

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

Servings: 24   Prep Time 1 Hour + Chilling

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 jar (7 ounces) marshmallow creme
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, divided
  • 3 to 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional
  • 2 cups (12 ounces) white baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons shortening
  • Icing of your choice
  • Assorted decorating candies

Directions

  • In a large bowl, beat the butter, marshmallow creme and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in 3 cups confectioners’ sugar. Place 1/4 cup creamed mixture in a bowl; add yellow food coloring if desired and mix well. Shape into 24 small balls; cover and chill for 30 minutes. Wrap plain mixture in plastic wrap; chill for 30 minutes.
  • Dust work surface with remaining confectioners’ sugar. Divide plain dough into 24 pieces. Wrap one piece of plain dough around each yellow ball and form into an egg shape. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm.
  • In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip eggs in mixture; allow excess to drip off. Return eggs to waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Decorate with icing and decorating candies as desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.

I hope you have a blessed weekend! 

God Bless,

Janet

 

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