HEALTH / FITNESS

Information about fitness, health, nutrition and weight loss

Do you know of a new diet or fitness routine that you'd like us to review? Or perhaps you want to write a review yourself and see it in print! Got a great recipe you want to share? Let us know at submissions@ssbbw-magazine.com.

In this Section....

September Recipes
Exercise Videos
Vanilla Facts

September Recipes - Click Here

Try one or more of these recipes that feature vanilla.

We'd love to feature one of your favorite recipes in any one of our monthly issues, just send them on to us at submissions@ssbbw-magazine.com. Hope to hear from all of you in the following months!

Exercise Videos - Click Here

In previous issues we have featured simple exercises you can do in the comfort of your own home and without buying fancy expensive equipment. You can view these videos on our Youtube channel.

Bland. Dull. Boring. Middle-of-the-road. What do these descriptions have in common?

Vanilla.

Meaning "little pod" in Spanish, vanilla has become synonymous with the ordinary. When you want to say that something is almost without flavor, call it vanilla. Why is vanilla perceived a so the blah when vanilla is the most popular ice cream flavor?!

Despite its reputation for sweetness, vanilla is a wonderful flavor they can also be used to enhance the savory dishes. So before you use the word vanilla to describe something as ho-hum vanilla let's review a few facts:

Vanilla is expensive because it requires A great deal of time, specialized growing conditions and the work of human hands in order for it to go from beans into the extract that we use.
Vanilla is a member of the orchid family and it's only fruit bearing type.
Vanilla Bean flowers only last one day and the production process can take up to six months.
Only saffron is more expensive than vanilla.
The same vanilla vine grown in five different climates and soils will have their own distinctive flavor whether they are grown in India, Tahiti, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, or Madagascar.
Vanilla is used to conceal the smell of industrial products like cleaning products, paint, and rubber tires.
Spiders don't like vanilla! Whole beams can be used to scare away those pesky critters.

So, while chocolate is revered and placed on a pedestal around the world, let's not forget the vanilla. It may not have its own day in September, like chocolate, but vanilla is still a wonderful ingredient in both foods and perfumes.

Take time this September to take another look at this so-called "boring" flavor. Try this month's recipes or incorporate vanilla into your favorite dessert. Give it a new chance to tantalize your taste buds and you will find that vanilla is anything but ordinary.