Healthy Blog Snack

Posts Tagged ‘fun facts’

The Beautiful Blogger Award!

January 16th, 2010

HOORAY HOORAH! Healthy Blog Snack has been chosen for the Beautiful Blogger Award! But wait – there IS a catch! The rules say I have to share 7 zaney facts about me with ya’ll, and then nominate another 7 bloggers for this fabulicious award. A big THANKS to Corinne at Green Grapes Blog for the nomination – reading your facts was a hoot!

Okay, now time to get down-’n-dirty with these facts:

7 Little Known Facts About Lindsey Toth

I used to want to move to the Caribbean to be a dolphin trainer when I grew up. I was convinced me and my dolphin were going to be the next Flipper. True story.
My belly-button is confused: it’s half inney, and half outey. I used to really want to get it pierced, but figured it already looked weird enough and a piercing would just draw attention to its weirdness. As I grew up and watched all of my friends take out and retire their belly-button rings, I was thankful for my dysfunctional belly-button.
I love writing, and one of my life goals is to write and publish a book. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to write a spicy romance novel or the next revelation in nutrition advice – I guess you’ll just have to wait and see .
I save brown smooshy bananas in my freezer. The brown ones are the sweetest and make the best banana bread!
One of my favorite hobbies is rock climbing. I love the challenge that indoor climbing walls present. An ideal Saturday for me would be spent sweating it out at an indoor climbing gym, or even better, outside on some real rock.
My newest mindless and guilty pleasure is watching The Jersey Shore L. It just boggles my mind that these people actually exist! And let’s face it, it really is absolutely hilarious.
When I was 18, I spent time in Australia as a volunteer, helping to build a land and wildlife preservation school in order to educate young people on the importance of eco-friendly and sustainable living.

HealthyBlogSnack.com Award

So now that you know a few random bites of info about me, it’s time for me to announce the next 7 award recipients:

The Hip Hostess duo, Debbie and Andrea, at The Hip Hostess
Kim at Kimmy’s Kitchen
Helen at Tartelette
Nicole at Prevention RD
Stephanie at The Skinny Plate
Kristen at Eating RD
Kasey at Fit for Wellness

Congrats to the winners! I can’t wait to read all of your fun facts!

Happy Snacking,

Lindsey

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Posted in A Few of My Favorite Things, General Blog Bites

Tags: Awards Beautiful Blogger Award fun facts

The Colorful World of Carrots

July 8th, 2009

Beautiful, huh? Who knew carrots came in so many colors! Oranges, yellows, reds, whites, purples – each carrot at the farmer’s market this weekend came packing its own unique color punch. But hey – when was the last time you saw purple carrots in the grocery store??? The carrot has evolved over the years, turning into the beloved orange stick you see in grocery store – but where did it all begin?

Some History…

Carrots, a root vegetable, are considered to be a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, parsley, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin and the poisonous hemlock. Carrots originated in Afghanistan as purple, red, white, and yellow specimens, but not the familiar orange color we see today. The carrots that originated in Afghanistan are considered to be part of the class of carrots called Eastern carrots.

Western carrots emerged from the Netherlands around the 17^th century. Western carrots include the familiar orange carrots, which came about by cross-breeding white and red carrots, in order to produce a color that was symbolic of the Dutch’s struggle for independence.

Some Nutrition…

Our familiar orange carrots get their pigment from an antioxidant known as beta carotene. Beta carotene is considered to be from a class of plant-derived chemical compounds known as phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and are believed to convey specific health benefits, such as increasing antioxidant activity, assisting with immune function, reducing inflammation, and providing antimicrobial activity. Beta carotene is considered to be a carotenoid, the primary source of dietary pro-vitamin A in the world, and a precursor to Vitamin A, which is needed for normal vision, bone growth, reproductive activity, and regulation of the immune system, among other things.

Carrots contain more beta carotene than any other vegetable, with about 16,679 IU of beta carotene per carrot. Though beta carotene is a healthy nutrient, eating too many carrots can actually turn your skin a yellowish-orange color, specifically on the palms or the soles of your feet. This phenomenon is known as carotemia, and is completely reversible, providing you slow up on your carrot intake (someone better warn Bugs Bunny!)