How To Sleep When It’s Hot

by Cascade Ice on August 2, 2011

With record-setting temperatures this summer, some people might find it harder to sleep. Why do we have trouble dozing off when it’s too hot out?

According to cnn.com, sleep is directly correlated with a steady decrease in core body temperature. Ultimately, if your body’s temperature can’t drop, it will be  harder for you to fall asleep.

If you are having trouble sleeping during the summer and don’t have the convenience of air conditioning or simply don’t want your electricity bill to skyrocket, there are solutions.

Before you go to bed, take a cold shower. Your body will begin cooling and this will help you fall asleep faster!

If this doesn’t work, get a small water feature or fountain for your bedroom. The sound of water will make you feel cooler.

You can also make your bed a bit more comfortable by cooling off your pillow cases. Put your linens in a storage bag and pop it in the refridgerator for an hour. Climbing into bed will be a relief at the end of a long, hot day.

How do you fall asleep when it’s hot? Please share your tips below!

Our Skinny Cocktail Creation Winners

by Cascade Ice on July 25, 2011

Congratulations to Lindsay Cotter of Cotter Crunch! She is the winner of our Cascade Ice Skinny Cocktail Creation Contest!

Lindsay created a super yummy Strawberry Limoncello Spritzer on the Rocks, and has won a Cascade Ice Cocktail Party!

Congratulations to Bambi McCole as well! Bambi was randomly picked as number 275 and has won our Cascade Ice Prize Pack!

We would like to give a special thanks once again to our other bloggers who participated in our contest: Laurel Moll and Tara Theoharis! You both were great competitors and made some amazing skinny cocktails!

Be sure to stay tuned for other contests coming soon to Cascade Ice!

Fennel your way to calm

by Cascade Ice on July 19, 2011

The Flavorful Life is featuring several “healthy living journey” stories from Cascade Ice fans around the country, where guest bloggers tell us their thoughts on how they face challenges and come up with new ideas to pursue better health and fitness lifestyles. The following is the latest update from Dawn Sievers of Knoxville, TN, and blogger for “The Healing Morning”

Fennel?  Calming, you say?  Yes, I do!  Fennel is one of those overlooked vegetables, not all that common here in the southeastern region where I live.  I have to go to a specific grocery store to find it, but it is well worth the extra trip.  Once I began to research the health benefits of fennel, I found that it has been an ages old remedy for a wide range of ailments.

Fennel provides an excellent source of potassium, vitamin C and fiber.  It is also a very good source of folic acid and phosphorous.  In addition, fennel is a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and manganese.

So, how is it calming?  Consumption of fennel has been proven to release endorphins into the bloodstream. Endorphins are the feel-good chemical that helps calm fears and anxiety levels.  You may have heard of “runner’s high” that marathon runners feel after running long distances.  I don’t know about you, but I’d just as soon find a different method to access endorphins than tormenting my joints with marathon running!  And I can report from my own experiences in my kitchen that fennel does give a sense of calm, without the carbohydrate overloads that you would have with chips, pasta or potatoes.

Fennel also aids in digestion and is often eaten at the end of a meal, in raw form.  The taste is similar to licorice, and is stronger in raw form, milder after being cooked.  My favorite method is cutting the fronds (leafy, feathery greens at the top of the bulb) off, splitting the bulb in half and brushing with balsamic vinegar, then grilling.  You can also save the fronds and snip them into salads for a light, licorice flavor.   Being a Cascade Ice Water fanatic, the other day I had leftover fennel fronds in the refrigerator and I snipped them into a glass of Cascade Ice Strawberry Lemonade – it was delicious!

Has anyone out there made any special dishes with fennel? Please share below!

Skinny Cocktail Creation Contest

by Cascade Ice on July 13, 2011

It’s so hot out we thought we would cool off with some fun, blogger-created, skinny cocktails using Cascade Ice 2-calorie water.

Lindsay, Laurel, and Tara, our 3 bloggers, have stirred up some clever creations that are not only delicious but also healthier than your typical cocktail! You can still enjoy a poolside beverage and be bathing suit ready.

We are so excited about these tasty summer treats that we want to share the fun! We are giving away a Cascade Ice prize pack to a lucky winner.

Entering the giveaway is easy! All you have to do is vote on your favorite Skinny Cocktail on our Facebook Page and enter!

Good luck!