Living Life to the Fullest

The quote below if from a newsletter sent by Rhonda Byrne from the movie "The Secret"

From The Secret Daily Teachings



Remeber to connect to your passions, to your purpose. What do you love to do? What would you do even if you never got paid for it?

There is no doubt that when using the law of attraction for the good of everyone, you are connecting yourself to great power. However, the law is also available to you individually so that you may live your life to the fullest. When you live your life to the fullest you have so much more to give others.

Your pain and misery does not help the world. But your joy and your life lived fully uplifts the world.

Do MORE of what you love. That is a great place to start.

INSPIRATIONAL MIND MOVIE

Here is a great video a lady did as a mind movie. She made it herself with a microsoft program.

It is very inspirational and I thought it was great. I loved the song. I am making one also.

BE GRATEFUL!

INSPIRATION - Crearting The Life You Want

GREAT ADVICE
FROM ANTHONY ROBBINS & Michael Lossier



Another video:



Here is another one - What you Focus On:



Video From Michael Lossier (Law of Attraction) on changing negative results:



About the Law of Abundance - Michael Lossier



I hope you enjoy these!!

REMEMBER - ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

DAIRY FREE HOMEMADE BANANA ICE CREAM - SO EASY!

Here is a great recipe for a super easy ice cream that you could make with probably almost any frozen fruit.

Bananas work so well because they are creamy. I do not eat ice cream because the dairy in it and I do not feel good after I have that much diary and I try to stay away from it completely.

This wonderful treat also can be made in literally a few minutes - kids will also JUST LOVE IT! I can guarnatee it!

I make a lot of green smoothies so I have frozen bananas in the freezer at all times. When bananas are ripe (and make sure they are), I peel them, cut them up and put in freezer. They are ready!

How to make banana ice cream:

• Have ripe cut bananas in the freezer
• Put some of the frozen bananas in a food processor
• Add some cinnamon and a bit of vanilla and then turn it on
• Blend until nice and creamy, be careful not to overblend or it will begin to melt and get too thin.

Voila  - it is done!! Here it is below:

Now as you can see above, I added some home-made chocolate sauce to it.The chocolate sauce is healthy too and contains no preservatives or additives. I will let you in on the recipe below. You do not have to add anything on top. Or, you can add chopped nuts or any other kind of sauce. It is so great just on its own! What a wonderful way to eat bananas!!!

Now for the sauce. I have told you of raw cacao before. That is the raw chocolate you can buy in a healthy food store that sells groceries. It comes from the cacao bean (where all chocolate comes from) but it is non-processesed.

You can use the cacao powder mixed with extra virgin coconut oil or you can use a cacao and coconut butter mixutre that I had bought in a small jar. I usually don't buy this but I did as a treat and it is easy to add to so many other desserts.

Cacao Sauce:

• 
  
  Melt extra virgin coconut oil (place in small glass bowl) and then place that bowl in a larger container and put hot water around the small glass bowl so that the coconut oil melts
• 
  
  Once coconut oil is melted, mix in the cocao powder and some sweetener (agave nector works well)
• 
  
  Stir really good and then pour over banana ice cream.

Try this simple, delicious treat and let me know how you like it!!

LOSING WEIGHT AFTER 40

I know that many women struggle with losing weight after the age of 40.

There are many things that go on as we pass the age of 40 from hormone fluctuations, our metabolism slowing down, our activity level slowing down and our muscle mass decreasing.

No wonder losing weight becomes a struggle!

BUT…I AM HERE TO SIMPLIFY THINGS

Regular diets do not work. They are also confusing form some people. There are so many! They may also include counting calories, keeping track of points, keeping track and calculating every single thing you eat. IT BECOMES SUCH A CHORE! No one needs all those things added to their day and busy schedule!

You may be confused about what carbohydrates are good and which ones are bad. Some diets have you eating their food or “light” or “diet” packaged foods, bars, dressings, etc, that are full of chemicals and contain no nutrition at all! Then there are the ones where you take a ton of supplements that you could not possibly keep up after – nor would you want to.

WOW – IF I HAD TO GO TO A BOOK STORE AND RESEARCH MYSELF, OR ON-LINE, TO FIND A DIET I WOULD WANT TO TRY – I WOULD BE

EXTREMELY CONFUSED!

Why does it have to be so difficult?

I like the KISS principle.

KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!

(stupid word is not good but I forget the other word we use now for the last S)

I have mentioned this in a previous posting –

Eat more foods that are good for you and less that are bad for you. When push comes to shove you know what foods are good for you and which are bad – you know.

• Keep the meals simple and not complicated.
• Find a few recipes that contain nutrient dense foods but no meat, dairy or wheat.
• There is a ton of information on the internet.
• Try raw food blogs that are full of recipes of beautiful, highly nutrient foods that will leave you feeling satisfied. There are also some fabulous raw desserts that you – yes you – can have (at bottom of this post I have included a link to one)

If you have been unable to stick to a diet in the past but it is because you cannot give up some of the “junk food” you are addicted to, then you need to realize it is your addiction to those foods that are the problem. It is all emotional when there is an addiction. They are comfort food to you. You need to find new healthy comfort food to substitute the junky comfort food you always go back to.

Also, for things like coffee, cream and sugar and chocolate try slowly cutting them back. If you have a latte then have an Americano misto (less milk), then go to an Americano with ½” steamed milk on top (that’s even cheaper).

As for bread or any wheat or gluten or grain breads, muffins or cookies – you can take steps to slowly decrease your consumption of these. Of course you can always go cold turkey which works best for some. My suggestion – look to raw food recipes and you will find tons of things to substitute.

Use virgin olive oil instead of butter, even on popcorn. Butter and cheese contain “dioxins” which are dangerous chemicals – you do not want to ingest them. Most dairy products are not good for you anyway.

REMEMBER – When your body cannot get rid of the toxins it is has accumulated

– IT STORES THEM IN FAT!

Yes, that is absolutely true!

TO RELEASE THE FAT YOU MUST GET RID OF THE TOXIC BUILD UP IN YOUR BODY!!

Also if your diet in the past contained a lot of acid producing foods – which is true in the standard American diet, then that acid build up is also stored in fat. Bring your body to a more basic (alkaline) state and you will decrease the acidity and release the fat.

I have written more on acid/alkaline balance here:
Post on acid/alkaline balance

For some great raw food healthy snacks check out this post:
Tasty Healthy Chocolate Snacks

PERIMENOPAUSE NUTRITION

NUTRITION AND HANDLING SYMPTOMS OF PERIMENOPAUSE

I started this blog with the mindset and intention of writing about how to handle Perimenopause naturally. I was going to discuss symptoms, what is happening in the body at this time, supplements you can take, bioidentical hormones vs synthetic hormones, etc.


Because I am going through Perimenopause and I had started experiencing uncomfortable symptoms about 2 years ago, I wanted to share all what I have learned and what has worked for me.

When I began having the symptoms, I madly started researching how I could decrease the symptoms naturally.

I tried many supplements, I had saliva testing done, I started bioidentical hormones and I began looking again at what I ate.

I had already been eating a very healthy diet and I had been into fitness for over 20 years. Being a personal trainer and yoga teacher I new I was getting a ton of exercise. But…I was gaining weight in my waist. I was actually getting a spare tire – something I have NEVER had. So…I knew that I had to make some changes to my already very clean, healthy diet.

WHAT DID I NEED TO CHANGE?

FIRST - I took eliminated wheat and dairy and most meats.

SECOND - I eventually went gluten free.

I began cooking some gluten free muffins and cookies, etc. I ate cooked fish, but no longer had any meat. I still had extra weight. What was going on! My digestion was also getting worse. My energy levels were low and I felt “heavy” and full.

BACK TO LOOKING AT MY DIET

WHAT NEXT? I wanted more inspiration, food suggestions and recipes. I found info on raw food preparation. I began preparing these recipes and I was having so much fun! I was inspired again, I was excited again. I lost weight – it literally fell off!!! I had naturally eliminated cooked grains including brown rice which I ate a lot of. I did go through a detox and I had some unpleasant symptoms for a while. Looking back I didn’t really realize I was actually detoxing at the time. I realize that is what it was because now I feel so wonderful!

AND YOU KNOW WHAT???

I HAVE NO PERIMENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS ANY MORE. INCLUDING THE WEIGHT GAIN!

Even though I already had a very clean diet, eliminating the cooked starches had an amazing affect! I felt so light, so full of energy! I knew this was the secret – at least for me.

I can now add “Raw Food Chef” to my list of other things I do. I got certified and now instruct and coach raw food. I love it and it is my passion.

So now this blog will focus on nutrition and eating right. I am not telling people they should go raw but just include more raw, living foods into their day. That is the way to start.

I have so much to share so please tune in and I hope you find something that helps you on your journey to wellness.

I would love for you to leave comments. Hope to hear from you.

LIVE HEALTHY & HAPPY!

READ YOUR WAY HEALTHY

I have a fantastic resource for you if you value your health and realize that it is really up to YOU to take responsibility for it and do all you can to keep yourself healthy. You can then llive a long and happy life not relying on the health care system, your children, realtives, scooters and/or walking aides. Wouldn't you rather be mobile and independent and really able to enjoy your later years?

The web site is called Health Book Summaries and it is one of my favorites! That is because I do love to read and learn about health and wellness.

Why this is so great is that (as the name says) it summarizes health books for you. Not many of us have time to sit and read a full book or many books on the myriad of health topics that exist. Also, the money involved in buying all the books on health would be very pricey.

Health Book Summaries lists a wide variety of up-to-date health books. It displays each book cover, the tittle and the author. Next to that there is a button to click on to read the summary. It is fantastic!! If you love the summary and want to learn/know/read more you can also purchase the book on that site.

Below I have listed some names of books and their authors that appear on this site. Please note that this is just a small listing of the many books they have.

"Never Be Sick Again: Health is a Choice, Learn How to Choose It."

by Raymond Francis with Kester Cotton
(This is definately my motto)

"Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy & Community In a World Gone Crazy"

by Bruce E Livine, PhD
(Far too many woman are being prescribed anti-depressants that don't help them and only cause side effects and/or get them more depressed and unable to deal with life. Things have to change)

"The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Health & Rediscover Your Inner Glow."

by Phuli Cohan, MD
(If you are in your late 30's and beyond - check this one out for sure)

"The Food Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, Alcohol & Drug Problems - and Feel Good Again." 

by Jack Challem

(Now who wouldn't want to read this after seeing that title?!)

"Perfect Health: The Natural Way"

by Mary-Ann Shearer
(Plain and simple title - stating it like it is - great!)

"The Anti-Aging Solution: 5 Simple Steps to Looking & Feeling Young."

by Vincent Giampapa MD, Ronald Pero PhD, Marcia Zimmerman CN
(Only 5 steps - and simple! - I want to know!...Don't you?)

"Keep Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical & Emotional Health and Longevity."

by Guy McKhann MD, Marilyn Albert PhD
(I know you know how important this one is)

"Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever."

by Roger Gould MD
(I loved this one and I learned something that I didn't realize before - about my eating habits - that one things has made a HUGE difference for me - this is a must read)

Like I mentioned above, these are just a few of the books that are summarized on this site and available for viewing. This resource is great while travelling. If you have your lap top along you can click on one of the summaries and read and learn while you wait for your plane, ride on the train, bus or a passanger in a car. The summaries are not long - maybe about 10 pages so you can get some great tips and ideas in a short period of time.

Instead of sitting and reading a trashy magazine or paper giving you information that doesn't really matter - why not read and learn things that can greatly improve your life and your health and that of your family.

Check it out and I KNOW you will find a few books that you will really enjoy.

Stay Healthy & Happy!

EAT YOUR GREENS

I have been talking about acid/alkaline balance and how that contributes to health and weight loss.

Greens are a high alkaline food. They are also high in protein.

Yes, greens have protein and lots of it!

The best is to eat a wide variety of greens, that way you are taking in protein, minerals, vitamins, phytochemicals, anitoxidants and essential fatty acids.

For example, romaine lettuce is rich in both protein and essential fatty acids.

Studies have consistently shown the correlation between consumptom of these foods and a lower incidence of various cancers.

BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.....

Broccoli contains 11.2 g of protein per 100 calories
Romaine lettuce contains 11.6 g per 100 calories
Kale contains 9.46 g per 100 calories
AND
Sirloin contains 5.4 g per 100 calories

Sirloin is also much higher in fat and your body utilizes, absorbs and digests plant protein much easier than animal protein.

People usually eat kale cooked, but here is a recipe for a kale salad using kale raw so that you do not lose any of its fantastic nutrients. I also list all the great nutrients in kale below the recipe and picture.

KALE SALAD RECIPE
This salad contains kale, cabbage and tomatoes. All so healthy!

Ingredients:
Bunch of kale
Cabbage (white or purple) - the amount depends on you
Handful of grape tomates
1-2 Green Onions (according to taste)
Sesame seeds, pine nuts or hemp seeds (optional)
1 Avocado
1 Lemon
1 tbsp Braggs or tamari
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin

De-stem kale. Pile some leaves on top of one another and roll then cut into very thin strips. Do this for all of the kale. Cut it up small.
Cut cabbage up into thin, small strips.

Dressing:
Cut and mash avocado in a bowl. Squeeze in lemon, braggs, some olive oil and salt. Mix well. Taste it and adjust to your taste. Add cumin and mix again. You can also use a food processor.

Put kale, cabbage and diced green onions into large bowl. Put dressing on top and then get your hands in there and give the kale a massage - yes, massage the kale getting the dressing into the mixture. This will help to soften the kale. Work it until you soften the kale. If you feel you need more dressing then make more and add.

Cut up grape or cherry tomatoes and add along with sesame seeds (and/or hemp hearts, pine nuts). If you wish you can add cut up bell peppers. Top with sesame seeds, pine nuts or hemp seeds. This salad is best after it sits for a while. ENJOY!

Nutrients in Kale:
• More nutritional value for fewer calories than almost any other food around.
• Kale is an excellent source of traditional nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fibre, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium.
• Kale also contains manganese (a trace mineral). This trace mineral helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates, and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids that are important for a healthy nervous system and in the production of cholesterol that is used by the body to produce sex hormones.
• Kale contains phytonutrients that help activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver
• Contains in order: Vit K, A, C, manganese, fibre, copper, calcium, B6, potassium, iron, magnesium, Vit E, omega 3, B2, protein, B1, folate, phosphorus, B3

Now, try the kale salad - your body will love you for it!!

ACID/ALKALINE BALANCE AND HEALTH

In my last post I gave a couple lists of acid and alkaline forming foods. Foods from both lists are widely available. It is not hard to maintain a more balanced pH. It is not hard to change from an acidic body to a more alkaline body. We have everything we need available to us. So why are so many people/bodies still so acidic?

Well, in most cases they do not have a clue that they are. They don't know the difference between these foods and most people consume a highly acidic diet. Alcohol, coffee, diary, meat, wheat or grains, sugars, refined and over-processed foods make up the SAD (standard American diet). That is very sad.....

Where are the fruits, the vegetables, the leafy greens??? Having 1 apple or one small orange a day does not cut it!!

If you wonder why you are gaining weight or are overweight right now.....it is probably because of what you eat.

Your body holds waste that it cannot get rid of or use in body fat and fluids. Also, how much old food is sitting in your digestive system?

The best way to start is to eat and drink more alkaline foods and less acid foods. That is as simple as it gets. No more fast foods, less caffeine and alcohol (or cut them right out), less meats and/or fish, less refined grains, no white sugar and no chemical preservatives or additives. Become aware of what you eat! There is no secret diet.

Start by eating more more of the "good" foods and less of the bad foods.

When you body is more acidic your body is being depleted of calcium and magnesium. Potassium which is an important mineral for maintaining bone can be maintained and increase by eating more fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium. A handful of raisins, 2 dates or a small banana each provide more than 300 mg of potassium. Vitamins and minerals from foods are more easily absorbed and used by your body than they are in supplement form.

If you are tired, overweight, get sick all the time, have an illness or health condition, your pH is probably not balanced and is more acidic than alkaline. Illness and disease grown in an acid environment and cannot survive in an alkaline enviornment. So it makes sense, the more highly alkaline foods you eat, the more alkaline your body becomes and the less acidic. You will become healthier and stay healthy if you continue eating this way.

Like I mentioned in my previous posts, there are lists on the internet and books published on this topic. You can find what foods you should eat more of and what foods you should eat less of.

Giving up all the foods you love would be too much to ask at once, take small steps and start by adding more good foods. This will leave less room for the bad foods.

You will begin to feel better and that will keep you motivated to continue. Try it!

Acid and Alkaline Forming Foods

What are they and why is it so important to know?

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Here we are, at the start of a New Year. This sometimes puts a lot of pressure on us. What are my New Year’s resolutions? What should I do better this year than I did last year? What are my goals and plans for this year? Some people sit down and write all these out and I will do that, but haven’t yet. I think it is extremely important to do that so you have direction and focus. Doing so gives me hope and motivation.

One thing I will continue to do and I hope everyone does this also, is to maintain and continue with a higher alkaline diet. Get rid of some of the acid producing foods that you eat. I have worked on this so I don’t eat many acid forming foods anymore. I have learned of the destruction these foods cause within my body. I am continue to preach this to everyone who will listen, but unfortunately they are not always ready to hear it.

The SAD diet – Standard American Diet – contains many highly acid forming foods. Wheat, dairy and meat are the big culprits in this diet. Of course all junk food, packaged food, soft drinks, coffee, alcohol and many grains are acid forming and we should limit or even take completely out of our diet.

If this seems limiting there are still a TON of great alkaline forming foods to eat and that will keep your immune system strong, give you all the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, protein, amino acids, essential fatty acids, etc. that you need to stay healthy and happy.

There is also so much information in books and on the internet about acid/alkaline balance in our body and how important it is to maintain the balance.

Acid and alkaline foods don’t necessarily translate into acid and alkaline yielding foods. An acid-yielding food is one that crates a lower, or more acidic, pH. Citrus fruits and tomatoes are acidic but they have a net alkaline yield once their constituents get to the kidneys.

After digestion, all foods report to the kidneys and are then either acidic or alkaline. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body.

Acid forming foods include:
Sugar, meat, fish, dairy, wheat and grains, some nuts, processed foods, foods containing preservatives, corn, soy (except for fermented soy products), alcohol, coffee, black tea, soda, sweetened fruit juice, all packaged cereal, oatmeal, artificial sweeteners, chocolate bars, candy, canned veggies, frozen veggies, etc.

We do need some acid in our diet of course because we want to maintain balance. The problem is that many people eat more acid forming foods than alkaline forming foods. You want to get to about 75% - 80% of alkaline forming foods.

Alkaline forming foods:
Green tea, alkaline water, coconut oil, flax seed oil, olive oil, avocado, coconut, figs, lemon, limes, many fruits, tomato, lentils, navy beans, baking soda, almonds, almost all vegetables (in raw form), green leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, sea vegetables, etc.

The list of alkaline forming foods is very extensive and not enough room to put it here, same with acid forming foods. There are many charts on the internet.

You can try this web site that has a PDF version of an acid, alkaline food list.

http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html

Here is another one:

http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm

In my next post I will discuss why it is so important to eat more alkaline forming foods than acid forming and how it contributes to your health.

I wish you health and happiness in 2010!