It Ain’t Easy Being Healthy

         

            It ain’t easy being healthy but it is a whole lot easier then having one or more of the many diseases that are plaguing this country. Every week we hear about the rising numbers of people with cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. This week obesity has been the main focus from every news source. And they all have their own rationalization as to why obesity is increasing at such disturbing rates. Some say it is the restaurants that are causing this with their unhealthy menu choices. Others blame the food industry, advertisers or the government, the schools and our parents. But could it really be the combination of all of these?

            It has never been that just one single thing makes us sick and not just one single thing that makes or keeps us healthy so let’s stop playing the blame game and place the responsibility back on the individual. I guess the big problem with this ides is that most individuals are not motivated to get healthy or to stay healthy. I got motivated as a teenager when doctors told me that it would not be long before I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Some people get motivated to quite smoking after having a child. Having a heart-attack motivates others. What will it take to get people motivated to be healthy? Maybe just taking some small steps will provide each person with opportunity to find their own motivation. It may not be easy being healthy but it is worth every bit of effort.

These are six essential areas that directly affect the quality of our health

What we eat

What we drink

How we exercise

The rest we get

The air we breathe

What we think

 What motivates you to be healthy?

Everyday Salad

          Spring is in full bloom now and weather you grow your own vegetables or buy them, the freshest salad fix-ens are now available. A salad is the best way to get a delicious variety of raw vegetables. Raw vegetables are so good for us because they come with all the enzymes that are needed for good digestion. Raw vegetables also provide much needed fiber, vitamins, and minerals (plus, they help to clean our teeth). Have fun while making a salad, see what new flavors you can add and change it around often. I have listed different vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts that I use, but don’t limit yourself—add in any healthy flavor that you can come up with. Many times it is the dressing that is the unhealthiest part of a salad so choose a dressing that enhances the flavors and nutrition of your salad. I like to squeeze a few lemon wedges over my salad.

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Greens- romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, bib lettuce, baby spinach, dandelion greens, kale, arugula, collard green, chard

Cabbage- red or green

Carrots (sliced with a vegetable peeler for a nice thin slice)

Daikons (sliced with a vegetable peeler for a nice thin slice)

Sweet peppers- red, green, orange, yellow

Hot peppers- fresh or dried

Cucumbers

Snow peas

String beans

Tomatoes- red or yellow, cherry, grape, plum

Squash- yellow, zucchini

Sprouts- alfalfa, mung, soy, radish

Avocado

Artichoke hearts

Onions- white, yellow, red

Fruit- apples, raisins, dried cranberries, dries dates

Olives- green or black

Nuts- almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pecans

Seeds- sunflower, pumpkin, ground flax, hemp

Soy beans- dried and toasted or edamame

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          Start with a base of greens, shredded cabbage, carrots or squash.  Then just build up from there with ideas from the list above and let your taste buds and eyes be your guide. Variety and change will keep you from getting tired of a daily salad plus supply you with an assortment of nutrients. Prepare the salad in a large bowl so that everyone can help themselves or in individual dishes so everyone can create their own. Serve as a side dish or as a meal.

Enjoy a salad today and everyday! 

Spring Broccoli?

If you have never heard about "Spring Broccoli" you are not alone, I never had either. But there waiting there in my garden when I went out to get the soil ready for planting my vegetable seeds was a broccoli plant full of florets ready for the picking. The first of the year I went out to the garden to pick, what I thought was, the last of the fresh broccoli. But with our mild winter the plant did not die as usual during the winter. I may not add broccoli to what I consider "spring vegetables" but this year my family had the unexpected joyed of home-grown broccoli for a spring dinner.

Welcome to Meatless March

If you already go Meatless congratulations, March is celebration YOU!

If you still enjoy meat regularly here is your chance to explore some new and flavorful foods as well as improving your health. Did you know that by Cutting back on animal protein you can lessen your risk of heart disease, cancer, & obesity? Its true that studies show that these major health issues and many more health problems are more prominent in people who consume animal products regularly.

Do you think that this is just a fad that some people go through for a short period in their lives? The numbers of vegetarians are consistently growing not only for their own personal health but also for the health of our planet. In fact you may of heard of some...Pythagoras, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Confucius, Buddha, Gandhi, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin, Natalie Portman, Carrie Underwood, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Lindsay Wagner, Ted Danson, Bob Barker just to name a few.

Why don't you give it a try, start with just one meatless meal a week.

So, you are now sure if you will like the taste? Here is a meal that you will never miss the beef in.

CHILI
2 cups TVP flakes
2 Tbs. ketchup or tomato sauce
2 cups boiling water
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
Jalapeno pepper or pepper of your liking (optional)
2Tbs. chili powder
2tsp. cumin
2tsp. oregano
½ tsp. cayenne
2 28oz. cans of tomatoes, chopped
2 16oz. cans red kidney beans with liquid
2 cups of frozen corn

Pour the boiling water over TVP, add the tomato sauce and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large pot sauté the onion, garlic, and peppers in olive oil then add in the seasonings. You can add as much heat or as little as you like.

Add in the TVP to the pot and blend it all together well. Put the tomatoes and beans into the pot also and simmer for 45 minutes. Add in the frozen corn and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with warm corn bread and a salad.

HONEY, MORE THEN JUST SWEET

For most of us honey is a nutrient rich alternative to refined white sugar, but there is so much more to this golden sweetness. Honey as a food and a health remedy has been around since ancient times and is now making a come-back. As a food honey will never go bad. Because of its low moisture content no organism can effectively multiply in substantial amounts and because of its high sugar content bacteria is unable to survive. Be aware that not all honey is equal, it can be made from a variety of plant, by the way it is collected and refined or not refind all contribute to its quality. Regardless of what type of honey you have it can be dangerous to infant so never feed it to anyone under 12 months old.

Today some are finding allergy relief from raw honey local to where they live. Why is this? As the bees are collecting pollen to make their honey they visit many of those plants that cause the allergy symptoms. When they return to the hive and transform the pollen into honey not all the pollen spores get converted but remain in the honey. When the honey is eaten the pollen spores then act as a homeopathic remedy or a vaccine does by causing an immune response. Antibodies are produced strengthening the immune system and ready to help you fight off the symptoms caused by the local foliage. There is no scientific analysis of this but it works for so many and what could it hurt to try.

But scientists are looking at honey for other health benefits, according to Science Daily, “Honey could be effective at treating and preventing wound infections.” (Jan. 30, 2012.) They are learning all about what makes honey so good as an antibiotic. That is good news with the growing antibiotic resistance that we have been seeing. The better news is that there are so many more health benefits then I mentioned here so go on and enjoy your honey.

Raw vs Cooked Tomatoes

I love my raw vegetables. I eat them all year long, in salads, as juices, and to snack on. But with tomatoes they are just more nutrition for us after cooking them.

Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of caned tomatoes instead of fresh because they are picked ripe then caned right away. The fresh tomatoes usually had to travel a long distance and probably lost a lot of its goodness by the time you get to cook with it. When in season I do chose fresh! OK, about the added salt and other ingredients you don't like, you can find brands with low salt (add a little less salt when preparing them)and limited extra ingredients and organic just read your labels.

some ways I like to eat tomatoes in the winter are over spaghetti, eggplant Parmesan, on home made pizza, veggie meatball sandwiches, chili,and Pasta e fagioli. Or you might like to try making your own tomato sauce with vegetables, it's easy!

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 leaves fresh basil or 3 tsp. dried basil
4 leaves stevia or ½ tsp. dried
1 -2 cups of chopped vegetables
12 oz. bag vegetarian chicken pieces(optional)
¼ - ½ cup sliced black olives (optional)
⅛ cup olive oil

Into a large pot add the tomatoes, water, chopped onions, and garlic. If you are using dried basil and stevia, add them now also. Bring to a boil. In 5 minutes turn the heat down to a simmer and add in the vegetables and veggie chicken pieces if you like. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Add olive oil and if you are using fresh herbs put them in now. You now have a deliciousness sauce to use in any dish.

Hot Drinks for the Holiday

Now that Winter has officially begun it is nice to warm-up with a hot drink. These are 2 of my families favorites; Hot Mulled cider and Hot carob rice-milk.

Hot Mulled Cider

2 quarts cider or natural apple juice
1 tsp. whole allspice
1 ½ tsp. whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon
Orange slices

Pour the cider into a crock pot or large pot and heat on low. Put the allspice and cloves into a tea ball or cheese cloth then drop into the cider along with the cinnamon sticks. Float the orange slices on top. Cover and let heat for 2 hours. Serve hot.
Variation; for hot spiced wine substitute port wine for the cider.

Hot Carob Rice-Milk

Heat a cup of carob rice-milk for each person over medium heat until it just starts to simmer. remove from heat and carefully fill mugs with with the yummy hot liquid then top with fresh whipped cream!

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla or peppermint for a holiday twist.
¼ tsp. stevia

Add all the ingredients into a blender in the order that they are listed while on low speed. Cover and turn blender speed up to high. When cream has gotten thick, it is done.

Enjoy these drinks with your family and friends and have a wonderful holiday season and all winter long!