1 English cucumber, chopped bite sized
2 cups fresh melon (cantaloupe, mango, watermelon etc), chopped bite sized
½ cup red onion, chopped, fine
1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed & drained
Freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to bowl and toss with olive oil and apple cider or red wine vinegar.
For a creamier dressing mix ½-¾ cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 Tablespoon cilantro.
Let flavors marinate 2-24 hours. Serve.
Many of us both look forward to and dread the foods of the season. Don’t let food get the best of your efforts to lose weight. With these few simple steps you can enjoy and burn off holiday, summer BBQ’s and other celebration type foods. Try to get a leg up on being in control and fit; boost your metabolism so that our body can burn calories more efficiently.
One sure way to boost your metabolism is to get some exercise in your routine weekly or daily if you’re super motivated. Even a short 20 minutes a day can make a significant difference in your energy level and it can boost your mood to a happier more positive place. When you add just 5-10 pounds of lean muscle you can rev your resting metabolism burning up to 100 calories when doing nothing!
Eat right & don’t skip meals. Yes, once again vegetables are a star in eating well. You should aim for 5-8 dark, colorful vegetables every day, 1-3 fruits, lean proteins such as eggs, chicken, smaller cold water fish, and fiber. Fiber foods such as dark leafy greens, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds are harder for the body to digest making the body work harder, using up energy thus boosting metabolism in the process; and you stay full longer. Just 1/2 cup is a serving for vegetables, beans and grains, so it’s easy to get 5-8 servings daily.
Drink water! Proper hydration will keep your body in gear. Hydration is equally important in cooler weather as it is in the hot weather. Carry water with you wherever you go.
Setting and reaching goals seem to be hit and miss for many individuals. I’ve known many people who have had to reach a goal in order to benefit for a surgery, a bank loan, a raise in pay, a promotion, a freebie, and many other reasons; and they do it. They succeed for that short duration but then they let go of their motivation and desire even when their behavior toward reaching their goal felt good or invigorating.
Have you been in this position before? Have you reached a goal because you had to just to lose every bit of encouragement and success that you made? What forces you to let go of your success and fall back into your pre-goal status?
Maybe you need that reason to be held accountable and the tools to stay on track. If this sounds like you, let’s talk!
What stirs deep inside you? Do you feel you’ve lost control and want it back? What steps did you take to achieve your goal in the first place? What was your state of mind then and what is it now?
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained ( you can use cannellini beans too)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil (roughly)
10-15 garlic scapes or more if you wish
Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth and creamy.
Add small amounts of water or extra oil as needed if it seems too dry.
Cover and chill for a few hours or overnight. The longer it chills (marries) the better it will taste.
Spring, early summer and fall welcome us with fresh pollens that affect so many of us and if you’re a lover of being outdoors as I am, it can truly put a damper on your fun.
A few things that you can do to help boost your lung function is of course drink plenty of water to flush your system regularly; many of us decrease water consumption when the weather isn’t hot, however, it’s important to drink plenty every day of the year. Some of the following healthy lung foods will help as well:
Vitamin A foods
kale, romaine, broccoli, carrots, watercress.
Vitamin C foods
guava, rosehips, red, green and yellow peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, dark leafy greens, tomatoes, strawberries & citrus.
Fresh herbs
garlic, onion, shallot, oregano, dill, thyme, ginger, mint and parsley.
By adding these simple foods in your everyday meals you will get great benefits throughout your body as well as your lungs. You don’t need mega doses, every small amount helps. You can add lemon, mint and ginger to your water, sprinkle parsley on almost every dish and nibble on leafs of it throughout the day.
My Chinese practitioner/chiropractor shared a soothing remedy with me so I will pass it on to you. You’ll need:
1 green Bartlet type pear, seeded and cut into chunks
1 cup of water
and a sauce pan
Add the chunks of pear to the pan on water and poach for 15 minutes. Drink the ‘tea’ and eat the pear. It nourishes the lungs and helps to open the air passages. It’s also soothing for asthma, bronchitis and dry cough.
Healthy eating is healing; healthy eating is living!
When we are young children every one of us imagines our life as a grown-up; did you ever wonder what your life would be like if you followed through with that image? Sure, some people have followed through and are living the life they imagined as a child but my guess is the majority of us haven’t – yet. I have that cup half-full kind of thinking.
I haven’t reached my full potential yet, I’m working on it and I refuse to give up despite what others might think or say about me. The life I imagined as a child is completely different from how my life is today but that doesn’t mean I have to let go of my childhood dream as long as I am flexible to how it can work at the present time. In case your anxiously wondering what my personal childhood dream was/is, I thought I’d be a writer with several books published, I’d have 2 kids, one boy, one girl, a dog, a home down the Cape, a faithful, caring and dedicated husband, and close family and friends. Simple? Perhaps. I have some of the things mentioned but not as I had imagined them, but that’s ok, I love my two boys, two dogs, thankful for a home to live in and the ability and the drive to keep moving forward.
What did you dream that your life would be like? Have you reached that dream? Would you still like to reach at least an aspect of your ultimate life? Did your dream change and if so, are you happy and content with yourself today?
Share your thoughts, don’t be shy, I’d love to talk about how you can live your deepest dreams!
I am fortunate to have a great friend who sent me an entire pound of organic cinnamon and a wonderful aunt who shared with me her bounty of saffron given to her from her friend from Tehran, Iran. Due to these two powerfully healing, widely useful spices, I thought I would share!
Cinnamon has been used for centuries for treatment of such things as fever, diarrhea, bronchitis, colds, sinus congestion, sluggish digestion, poor circulation, intestinal infection and the list goes on! Cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, It has also been used topically for scrapes and cuts.
Cinnamon scent can help lift depression, mental fatigue, nervous exhaustion, and improve concentration.
Cinnamon can be used in countless ways! I use it every day. I add it to my coffee grounds before brewing or dripping through the Keurig using my refillable pods. I also add it to tea, yogurt, cereal, fruit, cottage cheese, smoothies; it sweetens a veggie smoothie perfectly spaghetti sauce especially when making lasagna, other sauces, chicken, various bean dishes and of dessert dishes whenever I make them.
In order to let you to decide how to use your cinnamon here’s a link with many recipes instead of a single one:
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/cinnamon_recipes?slide=1#leaderboardad
Saffron
You may already be aware that saffron is an expensive little spice at roughly $40/oz., this is due to the labor in harvesting it. It takes about 3 acres of the flower, crocus by the way, to produce 1 lb. of saffron. It is cultivated in many places but primarily in France, Spain, Sicily and Iran.
When using saffron it’s important to use only a tiny pinch; it’s flavorful and potent. Saffron contains a poison that acts on the central nervous system and damages the kidneys, large doses can have severe effects; one-half ounce (10-12 grams) is a fatal dose for humans; But don’t let that halt you from using it.
Saffron can be used in rice dishes, seafood dishes, chicken and stews. Here’s a recipe to get you started.
Saffron Chicken w/ White Wine
2 chicken breast halves cut into thirds
1 medium onion, sliced thin lengthwise
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
½ cup chicken broth
Pinch of saffron (roughly ¼ tsp.)
Juice of half a lemon
Heat the olive oil and butter, add chicken and sear on all sides. Add onion, wine and stock. Simmer 15 minutes until chicken is cooked and liquid is cooked down. Add Lemon juice and saffron, simmer 5 minutes more. Season with parsley and serve alongside rice seasoned with olive oil, pink Himalayan salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of saffron if desired.
1- Don’t skip breakfast; choose a balance of protein and complex carbs such as greens and/or a piece of fruit.
2- Eating healthy snacks frequently helps keep blood sugars balanced.
3- Eliminate artificial sweeteners. They are 600 times sweeter than the natural sweetener and it tricks the brain causing your body to crave the real thing
4- Manage stress. Find ways to calm yourself and de-stress daily. Find activities that relax you and get support for stress and other issues in your life. (a health coach can support you to healthier lifestyle habits)
5- Outsmart food triggers. Activities such as movies, holidays, birthday parties, weekends can sabotage your good intentions. Find healthy alternatives for the typical junk foods.
6- Deal with hidden food allergies. Allergies cause inflammation which can decrease blood flow which can also cause cravings.
7- Use supplements. There are a few supplements that will help balance minerals in your body that help control cravings in order to ‘get’ those needed minerals. A few good supplements are fish oil, vitamin D and a good quality multi-vitamin.
Most of us declare a New Year Resolution and we start off full throttle but soon find that we lost steam making our resolution something of the past. We’re halfway through the year, ugh, I can’t believe it either! Revive your resolution. Set your intention and remind yourself daily what it is, why you set it and how you can accomplish it; also remind yourself of why you set it in the first place.
Remember:
Healthy has no size.
Healthy is what you put into your body to feed your cells.
Healthy is what type of physical activity you do on a regular basis.
Healthy is mental stability. Healthy is a choice.
Don’t look back…put your foot forward and focus on your goal.
I’ve had cilantro on my mind and on my plate for the past month, I’m not sure what has caused this craze but I won’t complain. Cilantro is good for you. Cilantro is also known as coriander and Chinese parsley. It is beneficial to cleansing your blood, it lowers your blood sugar and your bad cholesterol levels; it also has antibiotic properties.
You can use cilantro in many dishes and many ways. It’s best not to cook it so be sure to add it last if you’re using it with a hot dish. It’s a main herb in homemade salsa which makes your own salsa so much fresher tasting! I like adding it to tabbouli, and my black bean & corn salad.
Cilantro, Lime Avocado Dressing/Sauce
1 lg. handful cilantro, rinsed
½ a Haas avocado
Juice of half of a lime or 1 Tbs. lime juice
½ tsp. pink salt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
Mix in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Add water to thin to desired consistency if using as a dressing.
Serve over fish, poultry, eggs, or cooked or raw vegetables; or use as salad dressing.
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| Cilantro, Lime Avocado Dressing/Sauce |
Bonus Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Salad
1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 can corn, 2 cups frozen, thawed corn or fresh corn from the cob
1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles or freshly chopped tomatoes & jalapenos
1 lg. handful cilantro chopped
half of a small onion chopped or 2-3 stems green onion or handful chives, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped – you can add chopped carrot also if you wish
Dash olive oil and apple cider vinegar
Mix all and chill.
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Every New Dawn 