Archive | February, 2012

Tasty Tuesdays: Quinoa Soup with Avocado and Cilantro

28 Feb

Enjoy Healthy Soup!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a great alternative to using noodles in soup that is abundant in anti-oxidants.  Quinoa is a great vegan source of protein and it is a complete protein, meaning it includes all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa is also a gluten-free grain, which is a great choice if you have an intolerance or allergy to gluten, as discussed in a previous post.  Quinoa has other health benefits, it is high in magnesium, which can help reduce migraine headaches, improve cardiovascular health because it helps relax blood vessels and lower the risk for type 2 diabetes.  It is also a great source of fiber, which helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure and prevents gallstones.  With all these great benefits, quinoa is an overlooked grain that adds to your health! I also added, avocado, cilantro and turmeric, which all have anti-inflammatory properties. I always recommend using organic ingredients to steer clear from food with harmful pesticides.  Enjoy!

PREPARATIONS: 5 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10-15 MINUTES

2-3 SERVINGS

RECIPE

1 cup of quinoa

1 avocado

Vegetable or Chicken Broth (To save time you can use Whole Foods Market organic low sodium broth, when you have more time you can make a homemade broth.)

Cilantro

Sea Salt

Pepper

Turmeric

  1. Rinse Quinoa and place 1 cup of quinoa in a medium saucepan with 2 cups of filtered water.  Bring to a boil and then turn to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes (depending on stove.)  When it is ready, it will look fluffy with all the remaining water cooked off.
  2. Heat up soup broth in a separate pan.
  3. Cut up 1 avocado
  4. Chop a bunch of cilantro.
  5. Depending on how you like your soup, spoon quinoa into bowl and place desired amount of broth over it.  Mix in the avocado and Cilantro.
  6. Add turmeric, salt and pepper to taste!
  7. Enjoy!

Part 1: Is Water Draining Your Bank Account?

27 Feb

Bottled water is something of a mystery to me.  A single 16.9 oz. bottle of water sells for approximately  $1.50 to $2.00 and if you go to the movies that price doubles.  A study by the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security shows that it requires 2,000 times more energy to produce a liter of bottled water, compared to a liter of tap water. The study also went on to show that an estimated extra 32 to 54 million barrels of oil are consumed every year to produce the plastic to bottle the water and then distribute it across the country.  This all adds to the increased cost of water that gets, bottled, perfectly packaged and then sold to the consumer.  This also may explain why a natural resource that should only cost pennies to the gallon, is being sold by the ounce for outrageously high prices.

In a previous post, I spoke about the importance of drinking 3 liters of water per day for health.  Let’s say you were able to find a case water for $6.99 (that’s 24 bottles per case,16.9 fl oz. or .5 liter per bottle). If one person were to consistently drink 3 liters of water per day, it would cost you $0.58 for 1 litter and $1.75 for 3 liters each day.  Seems like a good deal, right? WRONG. At $1.75/day for water, one individual would be spending on average $638.75 each year on water! But wait, there is more, if you are a family of 4, you are spending a whopping $2,555 on water a year for your family.  So what can you do? The answer is simple…stop buying bottled water. Instead, get a high quality water filter for your kitchen sink and a reusable water bottle.

Premium 10 Stage Water Filter

New Wave Enviro makes  a Premium 10 Stage Water Filter that easily hooks up to your kitchen sink.  You can keep the filter on your kitchen counter for clean water to both drink and wash your produce.  This filter retails for $125 and will provide you with 1,500 gallons of clean filtered drinking water for up to 18 months before the filter needs to be replaced.  That is enough drinking water for a family of 4 and a huge financial savings! When it is time to replace the filter the company will send you a reminder to buy a replacement cartridge. You can buy the water filter online or at store near you.

Under Sink Mount for Water Filter

If you prefer, you can buy a conversion kit and mount it under the sink.  If you are handy you could install this yourself otherwise the plumber can do a one time installation for you.

Stay tuned for Part 2 on why to not drink bottled water and why it may be harmful to your health!

Find your truth.

Be Inspired! Feel Gratitude.

23 Feb

Artwork by Amanda Kosarin

“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”  — Brian Tracy, American Author.

“Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind.” — Lionel Hampton, American Musician.

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.” — Anthony Robbins, American Author, Peak Performance Coach, Motivational Speaker.

“Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can – there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.” — Sarah Caldwell, American Author.

“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life.  And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given to you.” — Sarah Ban Breathnach, American Author.

Find your truth.

Tasty Tuesdays: Popeye’s Special

21 Feb

All the ingredients in the Vitamix Container

Ready to Drink and Enjoy!

Popeye’s Special is loaded with spinach, which is rich in phytonutrients such as carotenoids and flavonoids, both which which have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer  benefits. It also has an immense amount of antioxidants vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin C and E  to neutralize any free radicals that can damage healthy cells and strengthen your immune system and regulate hormones. Mangos and Spinach, are  both known to be rich in iron, which is responsible for carrying oxygen to the blood cells. Mangos are also known to have enzymes that can help to relieve indigestion problems. I always recommend using organic ingredients to steer clear from fruits with pesticides.  For this recipe I used the Vitamix Blender, it has so many capabilities (purée, blend, dice, chop, make hot soups, chop nuts etc.), it blows away anything else I have ever used.  That’s one less piece of equipment you’ll need, it saves counter space and money! Enjoy!

PREPARATION: 5 MINUTES

PROCESSING TIME: 1 MINUTES

YIELDS: 3 CUPS

RECIPE

1 medium apple

1/2 cup of strawberries

1 cup of fresh spinach leaves

3/4 cup of mango

3/4 cup of banana

1/4 cup ice

  1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
  2. Select Variable 1.
  3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
  4. Blend for 1 1/2 minutes, using the tamper to press ingredients into the blades.
  5. DRINK AND ENJOY!

Be Inspired! Be Love.

16 Feb

Artwork by Amanda Kosarin

“Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”’  — Robert A. Heinlein, American Science Fiction Writer and Screenwriter.

“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” — Sam Keen, American author, Professor and Philosopher.

“Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.”  — Benjamin Franklin, American Inventor, Author and Statesman.

“Love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love.”  — Erich Fromm, German-American Psychologist.

“We’ve got to convince our egos and our minds that if we want to live happy lives, love is more important than anything else!”  —  Ken Keyes, American Author and Lecturer.

 

Find your truth.

Tasty Tuesdays: Coconut Ice Cream Sundae

14 Feb

Happy Valentines Day! No matter who you are celebrating with, love yourself enough to enjoy a healthy treat!  Try an organic coconut ice cream sundae topped with organic chocolate syrup and organic fresh berries!

Organic Coconut Ice Cream

Coconut Bliss ice cream is organic, vegan and dairy/soy/gluten free.  It has only a few ingredients and you know what they are! You can go to their website to find a store near you.  I get mine at the local Whole Foods Market.  They have several flavors, but here are a few examples.

Vanilla Island:
Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water, Guar
Gum*), Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Fair Trade Vanilla Extract, Organic
Fair Trade Vanilla Beans.

Mint Galactica:
Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water, Guar
Gum*), Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Fair Trade Dark Chocolate (Organic
Chocolate Liquor, Organic Sugar, Organic Cocoa Powder [processed with
alkali], Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Vanilla Extract), Organic Coconut
Oil, Organic Peppermint Extract, Organic Vanilla Extract.

Dark Chocolate:
Organic Coconut Milk (Organic Coconut, Water, Guar
Gum*), Organic Agave Syrup, Organic Fair Trade Cocoa (processed with
alkali), Organic Vanilla Extract.

Ah!laska Vegan Chocolate Syrup

Ah!laska Chocolate Syrup is organic, vegan and dairy/soy/gluten free.  Add it to your coconut ice cream of choice!  You can buy online or find a store near you.

Ingredients:  Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Water,Organic Cocoa (Non-Alkaline), XanthanGum (a Natural Fiber Thickener),Organic Vanilla, Citric Acid.

Top Off Your Sundae With Fresh Berries

Top off your coconut ice cream sundae with organic fresh berries to add some antioxidants to your treat!  Try Organic raspberries, strawberries or blackberries and load up with vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Manganese, Fiber and Potassium.

Enjoy and share your love!

Perfume May Be Making You Sick

13 Feb

Toxic chemicals are not listed in Perfume and Cologne

You love the way your perfume or cologne smells, your favorite celebrity wears and endorses it, but do you actually know what is inside the beautiful bottle that is packaged so perfectly?  The fragrance industry uses over 900 synthetic ingredients that are identified as toxic.  Even worse, the makers are not required by law to list the ingredients they use on their labels because of a loophole in the Federal Fair Packaging and Labeling Act of 1973 that excludes fragrances because of “trade secret” considerations.

Common Side Effects

Studies have shown that many of the popular brands don’t list the harmful ingredients that are linked to hormone disruptions, reproductive toxicity, sperm damage, allergy problems, skin rashes, respiratory problems like asthma/wheezing, liver damage and carcinogens which may cause cancer.  The perfume or cologne is sprayed directly on the skin, which is a direct line into the bloodstream or it is inhaled when sprayed on the skin, causing many of the side effects listed. This is also the reason people get headaches from perfume.  If you smell a fresh flower, it will most likely not result in a headache but when you smell a synthetic fragrance that is supposed to smell like a flower, there can be over 40 toxic ingredients that you inhale.

Ethanol is Poisonous

Most perfumes use alcohol as the base carrier for the scent, denatured alcohol to be exact, which is another way of saying Ethanol. Ethanol that has been denatured prevents its use as a beverage, so you can’t drink it! That being said ethanol is still highly toxic and can’t be made non-poisonous. It is a highly flammable liquid and vapor, if you flip over your perfume bottle you should see a little warning.  Despite its poisonous nature, it is still used in perfume and cologne even though it is harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. It affects the central nervous system, causes irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and may affect the liver, blood, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract and reproductive system. These are effects from just one ingredient in perfume and cologne!

you do?

Use a perfume or fragrance made from natural sources, such as essential oils, botanical oils and flower water.  Essential oils are derived from plants and have therapeutic benefits, so they not only smell good but also can have wonderful effects on your mental, emotional, spiritual and physiological health. These fragrances will use plant-based oils as the base carrier instead of poisonous denatured alcohol.  Essential oils should not be placed directly on the skin without a base carrier oil.  Also, many popular perfumes now come in roller ball bottles, these are not to be confused with natural plant-based oils perfumes, as they still have alcohol in them. If you see the word alcohol listed in the ingredients of the perfume, chances are there are harmful toxins inside the bottle and steer clear!

Brands to try

Lavanila Forever Fragrance Oil

Lavanila Forever Fragrance Oil is great to try and its made purely from botanical oils.  They also make perfume spray with alcohol derived from organic sugar cane, so there are no petrochemicals that will be harmrful to your health! You can buy them online or at Sephora.

Pacifica Perfume Spray

Pacifica is another great brand that is cruelty free and made with no harmful chemicals.  Their perfume spray has alcohol that is derived from corn and is gluten free.  They also make a great solid perfume that comes in a tin and has a base carrier of coconut wax and organic soy. They have several different scents to try! You can buy them online or at most Whole Foods Markets.

Lakshmi NYC The Goddess Line

These perfume oils smell wonderful and use natural plant based oils as the base carrier!  You can buy them online or can find a complete list of stores on their website. One of my favorites!

Auric Blends Essential Oil Perfume

Auric Blends naturals come in 4 different scents and use jojoba oil and vitamin e oil as the base carrier, so they will moisturize the skin as well! You can buy them online or at most Whole Foods Markets.

Strange Invisible Perfume

Strange Invisible Perfumes are a beautiful fragrance that use organic grape alcohol (beverage-grade) as a base carrier.  The fragrances are organic, pesticide free and made from essential oils.  They are made in both Pure Perfume and Eaux de Parfum.  Even with a name like that, this fragrance is anything but strange!

Find your truth.

Be Inspired! Feel Happy.

8 Feb

Artwork by Amanda Kosarin

 

“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is: that they always see the past better than it was; the present worse than it is; and the future finer than it will be.”  —Marcel Pagnol, French Novelist, Playwright and Filmmaker.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” —Mahatma Gandhi, Preeminent leader of Indian nationalism.

“Happiness is not the absence of problems; but the ability to deal with them”  —H. Jackson Brown Jr., American Author.

“Remember, happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have, it depends solely upon what you think.” —Dale Carnegie, American Writer and Lecturer .

“True happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents.” —John W. Gardner, American Educator, Author and Social Activist.

Tasty Tuesdays: Basil Lime-Lemonade

7 Feb

All the ingredients in the Vitamix Container

Enjoy a frosty drink!

Basil Lime-Lemonade is loaded with antioxidants vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin C to neutralize any free radicals that can damage healthy cells and strengthen your immune system. The oil in the basil leaf has  anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, so it not only tastes good but will add to your health. I always recommend using organic ingredients to steer clear from fruits with pesticides.  For this recipe I used the Vitamix Blender, it has so many capabilities (purée, blend, dice, chop, make hot soups, chop nuts etc.), it blows away anything else I have ever used.  That’s one less piece of equipment you’ll need, it saves counter space and money! Enjoy!

PREPARATION: 5 MINUTES

PROCESSING TIME: 1 1/2 MINUTES

YIELDS: 5 CUPS

RECIPE

1 lemon, peeled, halved, seeded

1 lime, peeled, halved

1/4 cup of agave or sweetener of choice

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2-3 cups of ice cubes

  1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
  2. Select Variable 1.
  3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
  4. Blend for 1 1/2 minutes, using the tamper to press ingredients into the blades.
  5. DRINK AND ENJOY!

The Freedom of Choice

6 Feb

Artwork by Amanda Kosarin

In every moment we have a choice.  The freedom to choose our actions that create our day, month and year all adding up to the life we are creating for ourself.  Even if you think are not choosing, you are.  No decision is a decision.  The choices we make either support our goals and the life we truly want to live or they are taking us further away.  Our choices cause us to feel great pleasure in our life or they are creating pain and suffering.  Without focusing on the past too much, reflect back on the last couple of days, the last week or even the last month.  What choices have you made that led you to where you are or allowed you to stay stagnant with no growth at all?  What do you want to accomplish? How do you want to feel? If you’re not sure what choices you have made, then just look at your actions.

If you want to lose weight and you choose to not work out or eat fast food, than the choices you are making do not support your goal.  Every time you look in the mirror and see no progress you create pain and suffering for yourself.  If you want a new job, but you don’t update your résumé, network or apply for jobs, than your choices are not supporting your goal and everyday when you go to work at a job you don’t want to be at, you create pain and suffering for yourself.  If you are unhappily in a relationship and you choose to complain to everyone around you, rather than communicating to your partner to see how they feel, make an effort to improve your relationship by working on you or decide to end the relationship, than you create pain and suffering for yourself and your partner.  How about anytime you need to drive somewhere you have never been and are unfamiliar with.  If your goal is to arrive at your destination, you can choose to put the address into the navigation on your phone, print out directions, use a map, or you could just get in the car and drive, hoping that you get there.  Which choice will allow you to arrive at your destination? Which choice do you think will give you more pleasure than pain?

You can take this formula and apply it to any part of your life.  The formula to feeling pleasure is not complicated, but it’s also very easy to feel pain and suffering.  So you have a choice, what do you want to feel, pleasure or pain?  Choice is a decision to take action or not. Tony Robbins said, “A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action.  If there is no action, you haven’t truly decided.”  So whatever your goals are, whatever life you want to create for yourself, the first thing you have to do is choose to take actions that will support your goal so you can ultimately feel more pleasure and less pain.

Find your truth.

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