What's For Dinner?OMG! When will this epic heat wave every end? At 18 days it feels endless. However, according to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist, Marty Whitmore this is not the longest heat wave we've had. In 2021 we had 22 consecutive days above 90-degrees. We're not at 22, yet, but this streak sure feels like it.
When it's hot sometimes it's hard to find good things to eat that also cool us off. Sure, popsicles and ice cream taste fantastic and do the job. However, we still need to eat our veggies! I love cold soup and I'm sharing one every Friday until this heat wave breaks. Cold soups are a snap to make, are an easy way to eat our daily fruits and vegetables, and just taste so darn good. Try today's #foodiefriday recipe for cold zucchini soup from Food and Wine. With this high heat zucchini are staring to come online in my garden. I'm excited to give this recipe a try over the weekend. Be sure to let me know if you make it:)
0 Comments
Backyard Habitat is for the BirdsProviding a safe and inviting habitat for birds in your backyard is simple and will help our feathered friends thrive in the summer and survive during the winter. I have had a certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat in every home I've lived in. My Montana home is Certified Wildlife Backyard Habitat #197,214. All you need to provide is four things: food, water, cover, and places to raise young.
Water Providing water in the summer is not as critical as in the winter. In the winter, many natural sources of fresh water are frozen, but birds still need clean, fresh water for drinking and bathing. Finches, sparrows, warblers and towhees will eagerly visit a birdbath in the winter. To prevent the water from freezing, install a birdbath heater or a “water wiggler,” or dump out the water in the evening before it has a chance to freeze. Either way, change the water frequently. To keep the birds healthy, scrub the bath with a stiff brush every few days. If it is really soiled, use a dilute vinegar solution or mild soap and water to clean it. Just be sure to thoroughly rinse it. Food Food is easiest to provide by hanging a feeder. There are many different types, and each feeder is designed to replicate a specific feeding niche in the ecosystem. The most common feeders are tubes filled with black-oil sunflower seeds that attract house finches; thistle sock feeders that attract colorful goldfinches; and suet feeders that attract flickers, sapsuckers and some woodpeckers. These feeders can be purchased in most nurseries and garden centers. Cover Cover is any place a bird utilizes to perch, seek shelter or escape predation. Just about anything can be used for cover, including living plant material, snags and rock or brush piles. But, the best way to provide cover is by planting a diverse selection of perennials, annuals, grasses, shrubs, vines, and of course, trees. Grasses are especially important because they provide cover during the winter. Leaving spent flowers and stalks through the winter will also provide cover. Nesting Places Installing a nesting box is the best way to provide a place for your backyard birds to raise their young. Birds can be very choosey when it comes to selecting a nesting place. It pays to do some research and provide a nesting box with the appropriate size and dimensions. There are local stores that specialize in birding and wildlife habitat, as well as online sources. An excellent resource for information on nesting boxes is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website section devoted to nesting box characteristics, http://www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse/instructions/. It provides bird-specific nesting box requirements and downloadable plans on how to build your own box. Building nesting boxes is an excellent woodworking project for the entire family. They also make wonderful handcrafted holiday gifts. Providing habitat for our native birds not only helps them survive, but it can also bring us great joy and contentment, as we watch them frolic in our yards. However, be aware that attracting small wildlife to your yard can also attract larger wildlife, such as deer or bears, so always be cautious. Once you have all of the critical habitat pieces in place, you can get your backyard wildlife habitat certified by the National Wildlife Federation. The online application is available at http://www.nwf.org/backyard/. This is a reprint of an article I wrote when I was the commercial horticulture program coordinator for the western area of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. âPoop Health
Pooping, the frequency, the volume, the consistency, etc., has been a concern of folks for a long time. Did you know that enema use, according to the Lavage Wellness Center, "is 'one of the oldest medical procedures still in use today.' Tribal women in Africa, and elsewhere, routinely use it on their children. The earliest medical text in existence, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, (1,500 B.C.) mentions it."
No Shit:) Talking about poop makes most of us giggle. Great, laugh away. But, no body laughs when you haven't pooped in days. Or your poop is suddenly a pressing problem. Your poop is an important indicator of your health and there a boat load of things that impact it. I recently came across this great post by the brilliant duo of women doctors behind the Unbiased Science podcast. Have you experienced an epic coffee poop or period poop? Here's some info on why these things turn you into a smooth operator. Coffee: while not fully understood, there are some working theories. First, coffee (caffeinated and decaf) contain chlorogenic acid. This leads to secretion of gastrin in the stomach, which stimulates smooth muscle contractions in the GI tract, called peristalsis, to move stool through the gut. However, caffeinated coffee has a greater impact than decaf, so there is likely a contribution from caffeine. Data suggest that caffeine relaxes smooth muscles in the GI tract, which promotes BMs.
I want you to pay attention to your poop. I give a $h!t about you, and I want you to give a $h!t every day and pay attention to it.
Your poop can give you a big insight into your health. It's shape, smell, consistency and frequency can clue you in to the affect of your lifestyle choices. Here is a great infographic about poop health from the Precision Nutrition folks.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
What if You Never PR Again?Today we are repeating a classic CrossFit workout. For many of us this could be our 4th, 7th or 10th time doing it. Some of us will be faster and some of us won't. Is there value in doing the workout even if you don't think you'll be faster? ABSOLUTELY! Remember, we are TRAINING when we attend classes, not COMPETING. If you're only chasing PRs when you repeat workouts, you could missing the stimulus of the training program. Many of our workouts, like today's classic, has multiple training stimuli. Sure, one stimulus is speed. Other stimuli could be unbroken reps, a faster run, a heavier weight. There are many ways to approach each workout to ensure it provides the stimulus you need to improve your fitness today. When you repeat this workout again you might need a different stimulus for your fitness. Listen to this podcast from BTWB on how to continue training even if you never PR again. |
Special EventsRecord your WOD on Beyond the Whiteboard.
Do you need CrossFit or yoga gear? Click on the links below to buy through our GORUCK, Reebok, Rogue or Affiliate share sale programs. These are affiliate links and our gym will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.
Check out our Flickr page!
Categories
All
Archives
July 2024
|