Pantry Cuisine

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This past week brought an unusual Nor’Easter; it was October, it was before Halloween, it was weird! We gained 14″ of snow and lost power for several days.

I wasn’t looking forward to trekking to the grocery store since many trees were down and crews were everywhere trying to clear the roads and restore power. So, upon looking through the pantry and freezer I decided that I have enough food to get us by for the week.

I made lots of dried bean recipes and included whole grains such  as brown rice, barley, quinoa and bulgur wheat. I used various spices on hand and a few leftover fresh herbs from my brother’s garden, thank you Chris, Laura and Holly!

What I found in eating this way is that I made more room in both the pantry and refrigerator and I lost 4 pounds just by eating whole grains and various vegetable proteins. Bonus!

So now I’m heading out the door to the local farm stand, yes, they’re open until the day before Thanksgiving, thankfully! I plan to stock up on fresh, local, seasonal squashes, greens, potatoes and fruits. Then, I’m off to the grocery store for the typical staples of dietary life.

I will continue to have a few days every month of “pantry cuisine”, that way it will keep the pantry slim as well as my waistline!

My Recent Spiritual Growth Spurt

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I’ve heard it said that sometimes, the very thing you’re looking for is right in front of you. This statement has recently been proven true for me. While all my questions aren’t yet answered, some very big ones are.

On my journey to find perfect faith and fellowship, I learned that I was already on the right path and didn’t need to take the path off to the side. You see, I decided to attend a bible study at the church of a childhood friend. She seemed happy there so it must be the right place for me as well. Besides, I needed to reach out and find like-minded acquaintances, so I thought. In the end I found that I was already in a fellowship with like-minded acquaintances. They are all around me and are as supportive to me as I am to them.

Upon attending this new place of fellowship I was looking forward to this new experience and perhaps bonding with my long-time friend again. I eagerly arrived as early as possible each week in a positive mindset and anxious to make new friends. As I approached people, stepping outside my comfort zone for sure, I found that they already had their friends and didn’t need more. I walked toward groups of women talking in order to introduce myself and become part of this body, but instead I was met with “excuse me” as they walked away. I clearly was ‘in the way’.

I figured it was all new and they would get to know me and accept me into their world. As the weeks passed, three women talked to me before study began, though it wasn’t every week, they asked curious questions and moved on. I felt like an outsider; I felt alone, still.

As time went on I still didn’t feel welcomed. I felt that everyone had their click and didn’t need newcomers. I continued to try to mix in and continued to feel ‘in the way’. I felt that there was a conditional fellowship there and I didn‘t meet the conditions. It weighed heavy on me. I began feeling further away from God than I was prior to attending this bible study. My hunger to get my close spiritual connection with God back was stronger than I’ve ever felt before! I had other issues that were gnawing at my heart too and I felt that if I didn’t find my way back spiritually I’d lose my mind and my heart was feeling broken already.

I prayed and meditated. I asked for answers. I asked, “what is going on Lord, where do I belong?”. I asked about forgiveness and how to forgive. I learned that I need to learn the full definition of forgiveness before I can truly forgive. I also learned that before straying to another place of fellowship, I was already in the right place of fellowship; the place where God put me-the place where I was led to follow through with the plan he has for me. I’m already in the community of fellowship that has a strong spiritual relationship with God and a strong faith. I’m in a community that is full of love and hope and I realized this when I reached out to my spiritual community. They were there for me even during the time that I explored the other path.

There are many paths that lead to the same destination. We’re to follow the path that God leads us to even when that path may be windy, uphill, down hill and has offshoots to explore.

That path that I explored is right for some, but it’s not the path for all of us, there’s not enough room for everyone in one place; not until we’re all in that one place with God.

Though I was hurting, feeling unloved and heartbroken, I thank everyone that I came to know at that study group because its through them that I found where I belong.

I was/am already in the place where my spiritual growth is strong and will continue to grow. For that short time I felt further from God, but through this journey I’ve become closer to and have gained a stronger spiritual connection with God.

Change Your Diet for a Day!

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If you’ve been planning to improve your diet, lose weight or just change your habits a little but can’t seem to bring yourself to begin, perhaps taking a small step at a time is just the thing for you.

Choose one day during the week or weekend that you will eat and think about food differently. Name your day; call it something like “Simply Mine”, “Simply Eating”,  “Just My Day” or anything creative, make it yours. It’s important to write out a plan before you begin. Pick your day, choose your menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, find the recipes for each meal, make your grocery list, then shop the day before you plan to follow your one day health plan.

Some healthy menu ideas are:

Breakfast- whole grain, steel cut oatmeal with fruit/berries mixed in, or an egg & whole grain toast and a piece of fruit, sliced or chunked up, or an egg scrambled with a varius unlimited amount of green veggies and a piece of whole grain toast. Green tea, unsweetened apple juice or water.

Lunch- A large salad with many different veggies such as spinach, raw or lightly steamed green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, peppers, pea pods, carrots, onion, sprouts, avocado and beets. You can add beans and peas such as chickpeas, black beans, butter beans, canneloni beans…etc. Top it off with almonds, walnuts or pecans. You can compliment your salad with a simple soup for added nutrients and hydration. You can easliy make your own with a good quality canned low or no sodium broth and add your own ingredients such as brown rice or whole grain pasta, a handful of your favorite veggies like carrots, onions, chopped garlic, celery, and even a chopped tomato and kale; add whatever you like the most.

Dinner- Your plate is healthiest in terms of fat content and nutrient content when half of it consists of vegetables, two-thirds of it has a whole grain and one-third is a protein. When you think of vegetables think of a rainbow, choose greens, oranges, yellows, purples and reds. It’s easy, just go to the grocery store and choose a few from each color scheme. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to prepare it, buy it and request help here, I’ll be happy to send along some simple recipes and ideas! Also, opt for sweet potatoes or yams over white potatoes.

As for the grain there are many. Choose whole grains. Some are brown rice (if you make some for your soup, make extra for dinner and just heat it up in a pan with a little water), quinoa is great and versatile, barley is hearty, bulgur wheat is great too.

For your protein you can choose animal or a vegetable protein. If it’s meat, try to choose a lighter choice such as chicken or fish but red meat is ok too. The important thing is portion size. Try to keep it the size and thickness of your palm or smaller; this doesn’t include your fingers.

A hearty soup and salad is also a good choice for dinner.

Healthy snacks include, fruits, nuts, raw vegetables, a low-fat, low or no sugar yogurt with whole grain unsweetened granola, green tea, even a slice of cheese unless you’re avoiding dairy for your day.

On this particular day think of food as merely fuel. It’s the reason we eat. If you can distract yourself from thinking about food or your next meal until you’re hungry you’ll enjoy your day more. Eating when your hungry and not because it’s ‘six-o’clock, dinner time’ will serve you better also. Listen to the signals your body gives you. Pay attention to the thoughts you’re having about eating. Are you hungry or do you just feel like eating something? Find things to do in order to keep your mind and body busy. Plan that into your day as well. Do things like hiking with a friend, your dog or siblings. Walk the beach, the wooded trails, play outside, go to the local park, visit a museum or take any other trek you’ve been wanting to do. Make it your day and if you feel inclined, make it a day with your best buddy and support each other through your day of healthy choices.

The last very important thing I recommend is to drink lots of water this day and every day. Hydration is necessary on a daily basis as many ailments come from dehydration.

I hope you choose to try this soon and I send warm, positive energy your way!

Please write and share with each other how ‘your day’ went!

What Will You Do?

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Many of us go through times when we’don’t feel happy or loved or satisfied with our lives. It’s always up to us to find the feeling that we prefer. If we want something good to happen, we must head in the direction that will bring good, bring happiness, love and satisfaction back into our life.

It’s easier to do than one might think. The first step is to change the thought process that brings you to those negative feelings. It may help to write the things that bother us, how we feel about each thing and what we need to do to change that thought to a positive thought about that particular ‘thing’. We often attract what we think about most. So why not think good will come?

It will always take a little work in changing any of our habits, but once we do, our new actions will become our habits and we won’t have to work so hard anymore. We can move on to the next step in our life process.

Think of one thing this week you would like to have improved and work on that one thing a step at a time, a day at a time. Accept that you might backslide and be ok waith that; it’s good to note it and move forward without regret or any feeling of failure. There is no failure!

Indian Summer Harvesting

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With summer coming to an abrupt close for many of us, we should take full advantage of the bright sunny days that we can walk outside without a jacket, and of the fresh fruits and vegetables of local gardens.

Most folks I know love the smell of fall and the feel of the cool crisp air. We will soon glow with the sunshine bouncing off the colorful leaves of autumn. Fall is a time when we begin once again to simmer stews, make heartier soups and other warming foods. Apple picking is among the weekend ventures as well as canning. Canning is something I have not yet ventured to do myself but I see it somewhere in my near future. I have a terrific sister-in-law that cans like crazy and she’s very good at it…to her I raise my jar!

Some produce from the Indian Summer bounty includes Brussels sprouts, kale, sweet potatoes, winter squash such as acorn, pumpkin, butternut, garlic, carrots, avocado, apples. citrus fruits, figs, dates, ginger, and several other herbs and spices. This is just to name a few, you can find more at your local farm or farmers market.

Dig in and dig this lovely weather. Enjoy the last bits of very warm sunshine and try with all your might to be in the moment each day. Harvest all that you can physically and emotionally!

The Importance of Drinking Water

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The Importance of Drinking Water

The human body is made of roughly 75% water and the brain is about 85% water. The brain is highly sensitive to dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, it redistributes its water supply and controls how much water will be used and where it will be used.

Over time, as the body becomes more dehydrated, the body sends signals that certain organs need to ‘shut down’ to reserve the water that’s left. This type of ‘shut down’ begins slowly and we don’t recognize the signals as a result of dehydration. We don’t only feel dehydration through thirst; our body feels it through, fatigue, headaches, stomach aches, fluid retention and more.

Thinking that coffee, tea, soda, juices and other similar beverages are a water substitute is a common mistake. While these drinks contain water, they also contain dehydrating substances such as caffeine, sugars and chemicals. These dehydrating substances remove the water they’re made in as well as water that your body has in store. Notice next time you drink one of these beverages that you will pass more urine than the volume of drink you consumed.

Quoted from Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, “Chronic dehydration can have a permanently damaging impact on a person’s descendants. If the root cause of a disease is dehydration, (which is most often the case in many circumstances), the same malfunctioning sensor systems that permit dehydration to establish in an individual can eventually be inherited by some of the offspring. This is why asthma, allergies and heartburn are very serious conditions that should be prevented by full hydration at all times.”

Without water, nothing survives. Imagine that you pick a ripe blueberry and leave it out on the counter. In a short time it begins to soften then shrink. It eventually dries up and shrivels. This is exactly what happens to our bodies inside and out. Our cells begin to soften and shrink, shrivel up and dry out and cause us aches, pains, constipation, lethargy, tiredness, depression, headaches, sleeplessness, cravings, anxiety, hypertension and more.

Some chronic illnesses that can be associated with dehydration are; asthma and allergies, depressed immune system, blood pressure, diabetes, constipation and autoimmune diseases.

Diabetes seems to be the end result of water deficiency to the brain. The brain is designed to increase the glucose threshold so that it can maintain its own volume and energy requirements when there’s a shortage of water in the body. When there is a chronic dehydration, the body depends on more glucose as a source of energy. The pancreas as largely affected as well as it needs an efficient amount of water to function properly. When it’s lacking a sufficient amount of water and can’t deliver its watery solution into the cells of the body, they wither up and die and this process is associated with diabetes.

Some classic symptoms of dehydration are:

Heartburn

Chest/ heart pain

Abdominal/digestive/reflux pains

Lower back pain

Joint pain

Migraine headaches

Colitis pain

Fibromyalgia pains

Morning sickness during pregnancy

Bulimia

Obesity

Cholesterol plaque

Osteoporosis

Osteoarthritis

Gout

Strokes

MS, MD and Parkinson’s disease

Many of us take medications on a daily basis to make life bearable when we simply could benefit more from water. In return we often get side effects from the medications such as organs becoming toxic, and our dependency on the drug.

For healthy hydration individuals should drink water before and during meals, upon waking in the morning, two hours after a meal to complete the digestive process, before and during exercising, and every time thirst strikes. A good rule of thumb for the amount of water one should consume is half your body weight in ounces (a 140 pound person should drink 70 oz. water daily, give or take a ‘few’ ounces depending on each individual and the level of activity being performed at a given time in the day).

I hope that reading this has given you a craving for water. Here’s a toast to you as you tip your glass of the  crystal clear beverage of life! Here’s to you and here’s to drinking plenty of water!

Dawn Silva- CHHC, AADP

Ref: Water for Health, for Healing, for Life-Dr. F. Batmanghelidj

Deadliest Catch? Maybe a close second or better yet, runner-up in tenth place!

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Deadliest Catch? Maybe a close second or better yet, runner-up in tenth place!

 

So this is my story about the guy’s deep sea fishing trip out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. There were close to a dozen guys included in this fun filled excursion; my boyfriend was among them. The day began early. They woke up just before sunrise, readied themselves, packed the gear and hit the road. Everyone met up at the pier and boarded the vessel. It was a two hour trip to the area of the big blue-green sea that they were destined to fish that day. The seas were rough on the way out but nothing too dramatic and after all these were big, burly, rough and tough men! The fishing boat stopped, cast the buoy and the casting of the rods began.

As they drifted and fished the boat rocked back and forth and up and down. The skies were over cast, it was damp and cool and the rocking didn’t stop. After about an hour and a half, sea sickness started to take over. Some of the younger guys, boys to be exact, initiated the feeling and it worked its way to the men; those big, burly guys that can pick up a boat with their bare hands if they so desired. Yup, they began feeding the fish! Of course not the fish that were caught!

My man, one of the big, burly ones was also overcome by the relentless rocking to and fro and so he too fed the creatures of that blue-green sea. He might have been the biggest contributor to feeding that day. He tried his hardest to keep fishing but soon gave in to the nausea and went below deck to lay his weakened body down to recoup. Try as he did, fishing more that day just wasn’t going to happen. He resurfaced for a short time but decided that he was better off below; and perhaps the other’s thought the same thing. At least he wasn’t alone, one of the other big, burly(s) was sick as well and the kids or young men, didn’t recoup totally either. When the stationery portion of the trip was over and the vessel was headed back to land, my man resurfaced for the duration of the floating ride back to shore.

Fish were caught though not by everyone but everyone got a portion for the price they paid to attend. Yes, we got fish! Cod was the fish of the day. I drove to the home of the coordinator of this joyous venture, my older brother, when the trip was done to catch my man and drive him home after eating a feast of…..pulled pork, ribs, baked beans and such. Nope, not fish.

The five or so pounds of cod was brought home and tossed un-affectionately into the freezer. Fortunately it had been cleaned by the runners of this deep sea fishing company. Now, imagine what happens to a bag of half-way frozen fresh fish when it’s treated as though one couldn’t look at it again for a while. I have this frozen lump of white fish and empty thoughts about how to deal with it.

We’re heading out to camp in our twenty four foot travel trailer that offers all of the amenities of home. I took that frozen white lump and lovingly put it into the refrigerator to thaw so that I can create meals with it. Yes, I have to make several meals from it because when this once oh so fresh beast is thawed, all of it needs to be cooked.

Post meal!

Well, this beautiful white lump of ocean goodness thawed nicely. I took it out of the freezer bag not quite sure what to expect. To my delight, the cod was still nearly perfect and as I rinsed and dried it my thoughts of how I was going to prepare it were in full swing. Because we were camping, my spices and useful produce were limited. I had butter, I had white wine, I had a savory spice mixture, a lemon and salt and pepper. That’s what I used. I grill baked this concoction until the fish was flakey yet moist. I used two foil pans because I had so much fish! We slowly devoured every bit of one of the pans of fish and I wrapped the second pan tightly and froze that poor fish one more time.

Last night, in our haste to pack up the camper for another trip, I heated the frozen fish in the oven alongside sweet potatoes and I lightly steamed some broccoli and that was our dinner. Once again, we devoured every delactable bite. And…neither of us mentioned anything about the way this fish came into our lives.

What is your lifelong dream?

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Many of us have dreams we’ve never spoken aloud. Do you have one? Why haven’t you spoken it or written it? Do you feel that you could never accomplish it? Are you afraid you might accomplish it and then not know where to go or where you’ll be? Are you confused about where to begin to head in the direction of your goal? Are you unsure of the unknown journey along the way? Change is inevitable; change is good. Change is often moving forward. I have many goals and I write them down. I see them and think of them often but that’s not enough. That won’t make them happen. I pick one of my seemingly simpler goals, set the first intention, and take the first step which always leads to the second step then the next and so on. Practice meeting your goals. Set small ones, set the first intention and take that first step. Bigger goals sometimes require help, don’t hesitate to ask for that help. A certified holistic health coach, I’m one, can be the perfect help you’re seeking. Don’t put your own goals and lifelong dreams off; take the first step. Ask for help, love yourself enough! Have a dream!

What is one of your goals or lifelong dreams? Share it here, ask questions, share experiences.

My First S’mores…..and probably my last

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Everybody has their favorite snacks, treats or guilty pleasures. I know my niece is a dedicated fan of S’mores and for very cool reasons, it’s fitting to her!
Well, I finally had my first experience ever making and eating smores last night. Of course, because it’s been many years since I even toasted a marshmallow, I had to catch one on fire, blow it out and pull the first layer of burned sweetness off the stick and re-toast the remaining bit that was left. Yum….for that ‘one’ anyhow! Then onto the full smore…toasted another white fluff of sugar, laid it gently onto the chocolate layered graham cracker and squeezed another cracker on top…time to bite into this delectable fireside sweet; mmmm…it’s ok…didn’t love it…First off, I’m not a big chocolate fan, I rarely ever eat desserts…but, the cracker was good. But wait! I can’t stop here! It’s too fun to build these critters! I made several more and fed the man! He was still on his first when I began making them for him. He was so patient and caring while he turned his marshmallow ever so slowly and while it toasted gently and lightly. OH MY! I don’t do many things slow so it was torture for me! He enjoyed the one or two he made and the seven I made for him! We both did agree at the end that it’s not something either one of us would care to have again though, I bit too sweet! But the experience was equally as sweet!

Taking Time Out

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So often we forget to take time to just be. We plan vacations and included in our luggage is work. We decide that we need to finish up this or that so we promise to do it on our down time while away.

I did this myself this week. I went away and knew I had some work to do so I figured I can get it done early in the week then begin my vacation after I was done. This work involves technology, internet and cell phone service.

I found that the internet connectivity is timed and the cell phone service is pretty much a void.

The lesson I’ve learned from this little inconvenience is that the universe will intervene when we’re not following it’s advice! I suppose we need to be thankful for these little inconveniences. We need to realize that pretty much no matter what, the things we needed to get done will still be there when we are back.

Rest and relaxation is a must every so often so let’s take it seriously and fall into nature and the natural way of life….it’s time to get back to basics whether it’s around food or around emotional wellness!

And so with that note, I must end here before I get bumped off and cannot share my story with you!

Remember to stop a few times today even if it’s for 2 minutes and realize life!