Red, White and Blue Salad

Here is a salad that's great for Memorial day or the Fourth of July. It's called the Red, White and Blue salad and it is both patriotic and nutritious. Here is the recipe:

Dark Mixed Greens (2 cups)
Sliced Tomatoes (1 medium tomato)
Sliced Mushrooms (5 domestic mushrooms)
Blueberries (handful)
Chevre Cheese (2 oz.)
Onions (1/2 onion diced)
Serve with a Rice Wine Vinegar and Olive Oil dressing: (olive oil should be no more than 2 tablespoons)

The nutrients in the Red, White and Blue are:

Mixed Greens: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Calcium, Folate, Fiber and Photo-nutrients

Tomatoes: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Iron and lycopene which has been proven to reduce the risk of prostate cancer

Sliced Mushrooms: Selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin D

Blueberries: High in the antioxidant Anthocyanin, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, cooper, Selenium, Zinc and Iron

Chevre: High in protein and calcium


These vitamins, nutrients, minerals and antioxidants do this for the body:

1. Fight Disease: The antioxidants like Selenium, Anthocyanin and lycopene help neutralize free radicals, help prevent diseases like cancer, and slow the aging process.

2. Weight Loss:  Fiber helps a person feel full and they are less likely to overeat, leading to weight loss. Potassium helps maintain the metabolism.

3. Prevention of Stroke and Heart Attack: Vitamin C can help prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke.

4. Overall Wellness: Vitamin C is a nutrient that helps maintain normal bodily functions. Beta Carotene improves eye sight. Vitamin D helps you to have strong bones, prevents cancers, maintains normal blood levels and protects from some auto-immune disease. Vitamin A helps protect the eye and helps support the immune system. Calcium helps keep the bones strong and protein helps keep the body healthy and strong.

This salad is satisfying and a powerhouse of nutrients for the body. If you like this blog, be sure and follow me! thanks

10 health benefits of Cinnamon including weight loss and fighting cancer cells

Cinnamon has been used for medicinal purposes for years in ancient cultures and dates back to biblical times. Cinnamon has long been believed to be an anti-inflammatory, a boost to the immune system, and aid in longevity. There have been modern studies that show that adding cinnamon to the body lowers blood sugar. In 2003 Diabetes Care published an article of a study of 60 people who took different amounts of cinnamon pills; all showed a decrease in blood sugar levels, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

1. Proven to lower blood sugar in diabetics
2. Weight Loss- Cinnamon lowers blood sugar and insulin levels which makes a person less hungry. Also there is some evidence that Cinnamon speeds up the metabolism.
3. Studies have shown inhaling Cinnamon increases memory and boots cognitive function
4. Anti-clotting effect
5. Eases the pain of menstrual cramps
6. Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
7. Great source of manganese, fiber and iron
8. Works as an anti-inflammatory
9. In a study by the Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells
10. Longevity- increases the immune system which keeps us well.

Most commonly used Cinnamon is Cassia but Ceylon, though more expensive, may have better results. Here are three ways to add cinnamon to your health routine. 

1. Add Cinnamon powder to your food

2. Drink Cinnamon tea with honey

3. Use Cinnamon oils in Aromatherapy

Be careful with Cinnamon, some people are allergic to it and it is a very potent herb. If you take too much Cinnamon it can have a harmful effect. Be especially careful with the essential oil. Essential oils are always more potent that herbs are powders.

Avocados heath benefits, who would have thought it?

I have to say that this is just one of my favorite foods ever and the sad thing is I avoided it for years because I thought it would make me fat. The reality is avocados are high in monounsaturated fat which has been shown to cause weight loss. People who eat monounsaturated fats tend to eat less because they feel full. So order that avocado salad, or California sandwich without guilt and see some of the other health benefits of avocados such as these below:

1. Beautiful skin: Avocados are high in vitamin E which protects against many diseases but also makes the skin radiant and glowing.
2. Slow aging: Avocados are high in glutathione. Researchers are saying that glutathione is an antioxidant that slows aging as well as protects the body from all sorts of diseases.
3. Aids Nutrient Absorption: When eating a salad with an avocado the body will absorb five times the nutrients that it would without the avocado.
4. Prevents Disease: The antioxidants and nutrients in avocados help prevent breast, oral, and prostate cancer as well as lower cholesterol and prevent strokes.
5. Healthy Heart: The avocado has 23% of the daily recommended folate. The people who eat diets rich in folate have much less heart disease. Also the vitamin E and gluthathione are great for your heart.

The benefits to eating avocados besides being delicious are weight loss, beautiful skin, the slowing of the aging process, prevention of disease, super nutrient absorption, and a happy healthy heart.

the wonder food= weight loss, anti-aging and prevents disease

I am a huge fan of the olive, especially the Kalamata. I love the taste but there are many more exciting benefits to olives than just the flavor. Here are some of the miraculous benefits:

1. Weight Loss: Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat. Studies have shown that people who eat monounsaturated fat eat less. The "British Journal of Nutrition" published a 2003 Australian study of eight overweight men who lost a significant amount of body weight when on a diet high in monounsaturated fat as opposed to a diet they had been on that was high in saturated fat. In "Diabetes Care" a Spanish study published in 2007, they found that a diet rich in monounsaturated fat discouraged distribution of fat at the belly as compared to diets high in other fats like saturated. 

2. Beauty and Anti-Aging: The oil is not only good for cooking but women have been using it for years in the Mediterranean on their skin as an anti-aging moisturizer. The olive oil can protect the skin from free radicals and is high in vitamin E which is a great skin enhancer. You can also add olive oil to your lips for a shiny lip gloss. Sophia Loren claims olive oil as her beauty secret. 

3. Overall Health: Olives are full of vitamins and antioxidants such as Vitamin B1,2,3,5,6, E, K and beta carotene. All of these vitamins do great things for the body; they combat stress, create energy, enhance the skin and smooth wrinkles, fight free radicals, prevent cancer, strengthen eyesight, and bring overall health and wellness.

4. Herbal Remedy: Olives leaf can be made into a potent herb for healing. Olive leaf extract is an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It was the first medicinal use of herbs recorded in the bible. God sent an olive leaf to Noah by a dove after the rain. 

If you don't like the taste of olives, try olive oil but get this amazing fruit (yes it's a fruit) in your diet!

"You are what you eat" and better yet "you get what you eat"

Remember the saying "you are what you eat"? I think you could say it this way "you get what you eat". I've been working to try to up my diet to 75% raw food. I am getting closer. Yesterday for lunch I had a large mixed green salad with carrots, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and 1 serving of Tuna with a balsamic vinaigrette, with an added splash of Turmeric seasoning. I also had the salad with a handful or raspberries and 1/2 an apple.

Here are the nutrients in my lunch and the combined overall health benefit:

Tuna: B1, B2, B3, C, Magnesium, Iron, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Protein
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Anti-Bacterial, Anti-Fungal, Anti-oxidant
Mixed Greens: c=Carotenoids, Flavanoids
Tomatoes: Contains C and Lycopene
Mushrooms: Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Copper, Selenium,
Carrots: Beta Carotene, Vitamin A, Alpha-Carotene
Turmeric: Anti-oxidant and Anti-Inflammatory
Raspberries: Anti-oxidants and Vitamin C
Apple: High Fiber, flavanoids plorizidin, polyphenols, Vitamin C, Vitamin B

Add a cup of ice tea sweetened with stevia and my lunch does this for my body:

Boosts my metabolism, slows the aging process, reduces cholesterol, speeds up my energy levels, helps eases stress and controls cortisol, helps keep my heart healthy, lowers blood pressure, keeps my muscle's relaxed, raises my immune system, prevents degenerative diseases, destroys pre-cancerous cells and free radicals, keeps my bones strong, aids in weight loss, reduces inflammation, builds muscle, reduces risk for diabetes, and does a lot of things science hasn't even discovered yet.

If you choose to establish healthy habits in your life like eating real food instead of "processed tasty food-like substances" your body will look and feel at it's best because it will have all the benefits of health.

Stop the 3 "S's" for weight loss

Losing Weight is pretty attainable. Eat less and workout more. The unfortunate problem is that maintaining weight loss is not so attainable for many people. I've lost and gained more weight in my life than I'd really like to count. If a person focuses on changing habits and not losing weight quickly, then that person is much much more likely to keep the weight off. Do you remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. The hare in his quickness didn't win the race but the turtle even though he was slower crossed the finish line first. There are many promises of "get thin quick" but choosing healthy habits will bring long term weight loss. One of the best benefits of choosing health is being slim and trim. Stop chasing the benefit and go for a healthy life. Here are 3 "S's" to stop when choosing healthy habits.

STOP:
1. Snacking: We've been taught that to have a mid-morning or afternoon snack, to keep us from over eating at lunch and dinner. This is true if we do two things. One, choose a small portion; and it needs to be real food like a half a piece of fruit or 8 raw almonds. The sad fact is, people underestimate the calories in snacks and they tend to overdo, especially late at night. Snacking can add anywhere to 200 to over a thousand extra calories. That's fine if your are a body builder and you need the extra calories, but if you are trying to lose weight this will blow your plan daily. Your body will adjust to not snacking and then when you've reached your goal weight then you can reevaluate snacking and see if that's something that you want to add.

2. Sugar, refined. The average American consumes about 2-3lbs of sugar a week. Refined sugars like sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar) and high fructose corn syrup are being added to most foods in the American diet, such as ketchup, bread, peanut butter, chips, mayo, spaghetti sauce and a ton of other processed food. You have to make a conscious decision to avoid refined sugars or you will eat them without knowing. Sugar spikes your insulin, so after you eat it, you just get hungry again; which starts a vicious cycle. Spiking your insulin also causes your body to store fat. There are also scary health issues with eating sugar such as aggravated asthma, type 2 diabetes, mood swings, it increases the chance for high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, and refined sugar suppresses the immune system.

To clarify, I'm not saying take out all sweeteners in your life but become aware. Honey is a great sweetener full of minerals and nutrients. It still has calories so be careful about portions. Stevia is natural, has fiber and zero calories and best of all tastes great. Xylitol is used around the world to sweeten gum and mints (except the U.S.) and has great health benefits such as fighting tooth decay and it tastes great as well. You don't have to live a sweetless existence but know your sugars. Avoid all chemical sugar free substitutes too. Your body doesn't know what to do with it, so it processes it as toxins which is stored as fat.

3. Seconds. Choose to weigh out portions and then chew slowly when you eat. Going back for seconds can double your calories for that meal. If you eat slowly your stomach will register that it is hungry and you won't overeat. I hate this one because I am a fast eater. I really have had to make a conscious decision to put my fork down between bites and try to chew fifty times. Sometimes I make it to fifty, sometimes I don't, but I do notice that I take longer to eat and feel fuller at the end of the meal. Stop when you're still hungry if you need to. your stomach will catch up and signal to the brain that you've eaten and the hunger will go away after about twenty minutes or so. Enjoy and savor the meal in front of you and drink plenty of water when you are done eating.

It takes a while to develop a habit. There are studies that show that habits are developed somewhere between twenty one days and six months. Don't beat yourself up in the process, just don't give up either. Renew your mindset to live with healthy habits and you can excuse yourself from the yo-yo diet, the starve yourself and gorge lifestyle.

Top Ten Reasons Why Green Tea is the Miracle Drink

Green Tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, in particular EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which is a powerful anti-oxidant. Green Tea is processed different than other teas like black and oolong. It is actually steamed and the processing does not destroy the EGCG, which researchers are believing is the reason behind the amazing health benefits of green tea.

Here are ten wonderful health benefits that studies attribute to drinking green tea every day.

1. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells and also kills them without harming healthy tissue.
2. Lowers LDL Cholesterol.
3. Inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots.
4. Can prevent tooth decay
5. It helps irritable bowel brought on by Crohn's Disease
6. Helps control blood sugar
7. Helps with weight loss by boosting the metabolism and burning fat
8. Reduces inflammation and helps with diseases like arthritis
9.  Reduces Blood Pressure
10. Green Tea drinkers have lower risk of a wide range of diseases, from bacterial and viral infections to degenerative diseases including cancer, cardiovascular, stroke, and osteoporosis.

To receive these health benefits, about 5-9 cups of green tea a day is recommended. If you are like me and you really don't enjoy the taste of green tea, try an all natural sweetener like stevia or honey. Also a little freshly squeezed orange juice will help the taste of the green tea and help the body absorb the antioxidants better. I enjoy iced green tea with stevia and hot green tea with honey. Avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners that will counter the health benefits of the green tea.

Orange Roughy Citrus

There is some evidence that eating Orange Roughy once a week will lower your cholesterol. However, I wouldn't eat it more than that since it can have high mercury levels. It is a wonderful tasting fish and here is a recipe that I think is delicious. I had it last night for dinner.

Orange Roughy Citrus:

10 – 12 ounces orange roughy fillets

¼ cup slivered almonds

5 sprigs parsley, minced

3 T. melted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Paprika

Arrange the Roughy in a single layer in a small shallow baking dish.  Sprinkle with almonds and parsley.  Combine the butter and juices, pour over fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then uncover and bake it for 15 minutes more.  Sprinkle with paprika and add a bit more parsley to look pretty.

Serves two.

rawvolution

There is a movement in the health world today called Raw Foods. People who are a part of this movement believe that there are many health benefits to eating food raw as opposed to cooked. Raw foodists eat mostly plant and nut based foods, but there is steak tartare or raw fish like sashimi that can be a part of their diet depending on how strict a person is. Many celebrities explain that raw foods is the reason for their youthful and slim appearance. Here are some of the basic beliefs:

1. That heating food above 105 degrees destroys enzymes that aid in digestion, such as amylases, proteases, and lipases.
2. That raw foods have good bacteria that the gut needs to have a healthy flora and that it is killed off when cooked past 105 degrees.
3. Raw foods have a higher nutrient value than cooked or processed foods.
4. That raw foods help promote weight loss, healthy glowing skin and great vitality.

So, I decided I am upping my raw foods to 75% of each meal for the next 21 days starting yesterday to see if I feel that big difference. I'm sorry I'm not quite ready for the 100% raw foods yet or EV-ER. For lunch I had a huge green salad with raw vegetables, 1/2 a pear, 1/2 a plum and 4 oz. ground beef patty and yes it's cooked, see the pic above. I am going to explore a ton of recipes with my Matthew Kenny, Oklahoma City's own chef of 105degrees , book "Entertaining in the Raw" so I can eat more than just salad. I'll let you know how it goes.

My Big Fat Greek Fish Recipe

My mom makes a great healthy fish dish with a great Mediterranean flare. The recipe is from Flavors of Greece by Rosemary Barron available at the Mediterranean Deli on May avenue. I personally would suggest using coconut oil, which is great for cooking, instead of the olive oil. Also be sure to use fresh fish. There are two great fish markets in Oklahoma City on North May avenue, Avalon Seafood Market and Gulfport Seafood Market

Baked Sole in Grape Leaves 

Four Fillets of Sole

Juice of one lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Grape leaves – (available in a jar from the Med Deli).  Dip them in boiling water for three seconds, then drain.  (If you happen to have fresh grape leaves, increase their boiling time to five seconds).  Three seconds doesn’t sound like much, but it is important.

For serving:  Parsley, lemon wedges, and if desired, a dozen or so Kalamato olives, rinsed and pitted.

Rinse the filets in cold water and dry on paper towels. 

Sprinkle both sides with half the lemon juice and the salt and pepper, and set aside for thirty minutes.

Hear the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush a shallow baking dish, just large enough to hold the filets in a single layer, with some of the olive oil.

Cover the bottom of the dish with half the grape leaves, glossy sides up.  Brush the leaves with olive oil, lay the filets on top, and sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice and olive oil.

Cover with the rest of the grape leaves, glossy side down, and sprinkle with 2 T. water.

Bake, uncovered, for twenty minutes, until the filets are an even milky white all the way through.

Discard the top layer of grape leaves.  Spoon the pan juices over the fish, sprinkle with the parsley, olives and pepper, and serve with the lemon wedges.

coconut oil not only great for cooking but for skin, weight loss and hair too

Over the last few years I have discovered coconut oil and its many health benefits. Many of the Health Guru's like Jordan Rubin and Dr. Mercola have been saying that olive oil is great on vegetables but too delicate for cooking, and suggest coconut oil instead. In fact Dr. Mercola says, "Coconut oil is the smartest oil you can use in cooking" and Jordan Rubin calls it the healthiest unprocessed cooking oil. I do all my cooking with coconut oil but here are some other great reasons to buy extra virgin coconut oil:

1. Hair: Coconut oil is one of the best nutrients for hair. I have tried it and it makes my hair silky.

2. Skin: It is a great moisturizer and delays wrinkles. Polynesian women have been using coconut oil for centuries as a great skin beautifier.

3. Aging: It's full of antioxidants and helps prevent degenerative diseases and premature aging

4. Metabolism: It increases the metabolism by taking stress off the pancreas, by burning out more energy.

Coconut oil also has a ton of other health benefits including lowering stress, aiding the healing process, is great for weight loss and best of all it taste great.

Kitchen Garden Salad

My mother's recipe "Kitchen Garden Salad" is a winner. It's very tasty and extremely healthy. The recipe is:

Thrice washed organic mixed greens: Full of antioxidants

Cut parsley from the garden: Good for anemia, bad breath, blood purifier, digestion and weight loss

Grape tomatoes: High in lycopene known for preventing cancer

Diced Strawberries:  Full of antioxidants and high in vitamin C

Chevre Cheese: High in protein

White Onion: Anti-bacterial properties

Sliced Mushrooms: Potassium, riboflavin, niacin and selenium

served with a rice vinegar and olive oil dressing.

This salad is full or raw living foods and full of anti-oxidants and vitamins the body needs to be healthy, lean and full of energy.

Sketch to Screen, OKC Museum of Art

I got to go to the Screen to Sketch exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art this week. It really was a treat. If you get a chance check it out. Creativity begets creativity, so if you're feeling a little low on the creative level go check out the brilliant costume directors from the last 100 years of the silver screen. There are costumes from such movies as The Titanic, Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette (The original), True Lies, Moulin Rouge, Superman and many others. My favorite was the green dress Keira Knightley wore in Atonement. The museum is also showing some of the movies on Thursdays. So check it out!

To buy organic or not to buy organic, that is the question

I often am asked if it's really that important to buy organic fruits and vegetables. First of all I tell them what we call "organic food" my grandparents called "food".  Times have changed in the way mass vegetables and fruit are produced and so has Americans physical health. There are many reasons why we are now a nation that is 2/3's overweight with a soaring rise in type II diabetes and an upsurge in degenerative diseases. One way an individual can start taking responsibility for their health is by choosing organic foods. There are some non-organic foods that are safer to buy while some really should be organic.

I really enjoy reading Dr. Don Colbert M.D.'s books such as Toxic Relief and Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting. He gives some reasons on why organic is important and some options you can buy non organic:

He says organic produce is best because it is grown without pesticides and herbicides. Growers are allowed to use up to 400 pesticides on crops. Each year in the United States, two billion pounds of these products are sprayed on the food we eat. A study of government-collected information found residue on almost 75% o conventionally grown produce.

Here are the highest with pesticide residues. Buy these organic when possible:

Apples

Bell Peppers

Celery

Cherries

Grapes (imported)

Nectarines

Peaches

Pears

Potatoes

Red Raspberries

Spinach

Strawberries

When buying commercial go for thicker peels: Bananas, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Grapefruits, and Watermelons.

If you still can't afford organic try to buy domestic fruits and veggies that will bring down the pesticide residue some. 

Eating breakfast helps control weight

Have you ever heard the saying, that you should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. There is much truth to this wise old saying and turns out that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. 

I spent years wondering why I had a sluggish metabolism and shrugged off breakfast with the excuse that "I'm not hungry in the morning". Funny thing was, I seemed to make up for that meal later in the day. I am now a breakfast fan. I eat breakfast everyday. Today I had a 2 egg omelet with a piece of Ezekiel bread and strawberries, banana and orange slices. Here are some reasons from the Mayo Clinic Nutritionist, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. on why breakfast helps you control weight:

1. Eating Breakfast reduces your hunger later in the day

2. prolonged fasting can increase your insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain

3. People who eat breakfast tend to make healthy choices all day. Breakfast gets you making healthy decisions from the morning.

4. Eating breakfast gives you energy increasing your physical activity all day. 

When you skip breakfast, you are skipping nutrients and minerals that the body needs to function and work at optimum health. So have a great breakfast tomorrow morning!

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Cool Greens: Coolest New Restaurant in Oklahoma City

The coolest new restaurant in town has to be Cool Greens. I have become quite the regular. I enjoy the amazing fresh delicious food and am wowed by the chic decor and contemporary atmosphere. They offer amazing salads, wraps, pizzas, soups, frozen yogurt, smoothies and freshed squeezed juices with a wonderful drink selection. The picture above was my lunch from today. It is a build your own salad. I chose mixed greens, grape tomatoes, red onions, avocados, chevre cheese and salmon on top with a chipolte dressing. It was superb. This is the kind of place you visit weekly. I recommend it as one of my top five places to eat in Oklahoma City for excellent health options and delicious meals. Bravo Cool Greens!

Jordan Rubin at Akins Wednesday at 7:00pm!

Jordan Rubin, founder and CEO of Garden of Life will be at the Akins at 63rd and May tomorrow, May 12 at 7:00pm. I discovered Jordan Rubin a few years ago and read his book "The Maker's Diet" and it changed my life. The truths from this book led me to begin my learning journey into studying about health and wellness. 

Jordan Rubin has an amazing testimony of how he cured himself from Crohn's Disease - which is considered to be incurable - through biblical food, supplements, oils and faith confessions. I actually saw him speak for the first time in London at Hillsong church. He will be sharing keys that will help unlock potential and empower extraordinary health. 

Sweet smelling aroma and it's good for you!

Today I was at the gym running on the treadmill and watching Dr. Oz , two of my favorite things to do. He had an aromatherapist on who was talking about essential oils. He mentioned 3 oils to have in the house.

1. Manuka Oil: I've never heard of it before. Dr. Oz's guest said that it was great for cuts and scrapes & as a first aid remedy. Wow, just looking it up, it turns out that it's got other great purposes too. It aids in sunburn relief, and fights fungal infection, athlete's foot, oily skin and pimples, foot odor, insect bites and aching joints. I'm going to get some of this stuff and try it out. I'll let you know what I think.

2. Lavender Oil: Lavender is good for romantic moods as well as relaxation and anti-stress. I love Lavender. It is a cure all. It's good for sleep, the nervous system, pain relief, respiratory, skin and hair care, and insect bites and scrapes.

3. Peppermint Oil: He said that peppermint was one of the few oils you could ingest and it was good for indigestion, irritable bowel and diarrhea. I would add though that you should look into therapeutic grades before you would ever ingest an oil. The safest way to use essential oils I have listed below. Peppermint is also great for relieving headaches and waking you up.

Aromatherapy works by bypassing your cortex and going deep into the brain to work on your body. It’s been proven to boost the levels of dopamine and serotonin, the happy hormones. Essential oils were used for hundreds of years for medicinal purposes. It's been told that the perfumers centuries ago all escaped the plague during the epidemics because of the anti-bacterial, anti-fungal properties in the oils.

Ways to use aromatherapy:

1. You can spray or place drops on your pillow (choose a relaxing one like lavender so it can help you sleep.
2. Drops in the tub. I put hyssop in the tub. It is known for metabolizing fat. (yeah baby)
3. You can rub on your hands and inhale. You only need a little, remember this is going straight into your brain. Peppermint is good this way in helping with headaches.
4. Rub on your feet, especially if you are not crazy about the smell but would like the effects or a certain oil.

How I love B, let me count the ways

Friday, I was tired all day and I ate pretty healthy, took my supplements including my multi-vitamin, worked out and drank lots of water. Yesterday I decided to add B-12 to my supplements and had an amazing amount of energy all day. I do credit the B-12. All B's are amazing and necessary for the body to operate at top optimum health. Check out what this super vitamin does:

Vitamin B1 : (thiamine)
works with other B's to breakdown food and turn it into energy & helps keeps tissue healthy

Vitamin B2: (riboflavin)
repairs and performs maintenance to the body, metabolizes fat, carbohydrates and protein into energy

Vitamin B3 : (niacin or niacinamide)
helps maintain the health of the digestive system, nervous system and skin, it also helps reduce cholesterol and prevents pellagra

Vitamin B5 : (pantothenic acid)
anti-stress vitamin. It keeps your nervous system healthy and strong

Vitamin B6; (pyridoxal,pyridoxine, pyridoxine hydrochloride)
master vitamin in the processing of amino acids. It also helps make happy hormones like serotonin, melatonin, dopamine. I like me some B6

Vitamin B7 : (biotin)
enables your body to process fats, carbohydrates and protein into energy

Vitamin B9: (folic acid)
needed for DNA synthesis. Very important for pregnant women

Vitamin B12: (commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements)
* Increased energy
* Restored mental clarity, and help with memory loss
* Reduced daily stress and irritability
* And many other great health benefits

A Heart Healthy Lunch

My mom recently went through a heart event as we are calling it. She came home from the hospital a little over 2 weeks ago and I decided to make her 3 heart healthy meals a day. I pulled from my catering/restaurant experience and my passion for health and wellness and here is an example of a lovely lunch for mom and me alfresco.

To start with we have grilled wild caught Alaskan salmon with a lemon wedge. Mixed Green salad with dark greens, sliced Roma tomatoes, Kalamata olives, Chevre cheese, red onion and an olive oil vinaigrette dressing. Slices of orange wedges and a summer fruit salad that consists of sliced strawberries, diced organic apples, sliced bananas, crushed walnuts – mix and add cinnamon powder and heated raw honey. Place a few raw almonds on the side of the plate and you have a dish chock full of proteins, omega 3s, antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. A great delicious meal that doesn’t take that long to prepare that provides the body with the needed nutrients and has a great aesthetic value.

protein: building and repair of body tissue, it produces enzymes and hormones, regulates body processes and helps a person not become fatigued

omega 3′s: lowers triglycerides, prevents blood from clotting as to prevent strokes, helps lower blood pressure

antioxidants: best way to maintain good health, slow down oxidation which causes narrowing of the arteries, protects against cell damage, reduces the risk of certain types of cancer, healthy skin and a host of other amazing health benefits

Vitamin C (both oranges and strawberries): destroys free radicals, helps wound healing, collagen in bones, aids in the absorption of iron, boosts the immune system

Fiber: keeps weight under control by allowing the body to feel full, can prevent certain diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticular disease, gallstones and kidney stones.

Be sure to be eating foods with these nutrients because no medicine compares with real food in prevention of disease.

Food Journal

So here’s the results for my first day of incorporating those 4 healthy habits. I have to say that the last 15 minutes of cardio was a bit painful but afterwards I sure did feel like a million bucks. Gotta love those endorphins. So here’s the stats:

Breakfast: slice of Ezekiel Bread Cinnamon Toast with a teaspoon of peanut butter: (yummy), 1 1/2 eggs scrambled and 1/2 slice of orange

Lunch: 1/2 can of chicken chili on a handful of brown rice with a mixed green salad, 2 dollops of humus, 3 Suzie’s Organic non yeast crackers, fresh berries and 1/4 of a banana. My lunch is the one on the right.

Snack: Half a Banana

Dinner: Thai Basil Tofu on Brown Rice. I had half of the portion and a Mixed Green Salad.

H20: over 8 glasses (boy that makes you go to the bathroom a lot)

Cardio: One full hour on the treadmill mostly running.

I want to know what you had to eat today, send me your comments.

5 Remedies for a Good Night Sleep

Well, I figured since my earlier post discussed Warwick’s University study that makes the connection between not enough sleep and premature death, I would give you some tips on getting a good night’s sleep. I am blessed in this area. I’ve fallen asleep in airports, class(sadly), pretty much anywhere, everywhere and anytime. I did go through a period of my life when I had insomnia and it was truly a horrible season of my life. I was prescribed sleeping pills that just made me more tired and groggy during the day. Here are some things I’ve learned that helped me get back to having a great sleep life:

1. Melatonin: Melatonin is naturally found in the body. It is a hormone that makes you sleepy. You can find it in the health food store. It’s not something you want to take every night but it’s great for a sleepless night or if you have jet lag. I took melatonin after I flew to Cambodia and it helped a lot. Check with your health practitioner before taking any supplement.

2. Go to bed with a notebook and pen: I remember nights where my mind would be racing and I couldn’t sleep and someone told me to try this trick. Bring a notebook and pen to bed so when something comes to your mind, you can write it down. This way you know that you will have it in the morning and you could stop thinking about it. It totally worked with me.

3. Valerian Tea: There have been many studies that show that Valerian root helps promotes peaceful sleep. I have had valerian tea before bed and found that it completely relaxed me and I fell right to sleep. Check your health food store to find Valerian tea.

4. Chamomile Tea: Chamomile tea has a calming effect. Studies of Chamomile have also shown that the herb has had an effect in fighting inflammation, colds, menstrual cramps and nervousness. TAZO carries Calm tea that is a blend of herbs including Chamomile. It tastes great too.

5. Aromatherapy: lavender is a wonderful essential oil that helps bring relaxation and sleepiness. Find real lavender and you can spray it on a pillow, drop it in the bath, rub it on the hands and inhale, to experience not only a wonderful scent but also your body relaxing into a deep sleep.

Sleep is clearly essential to good health. As Shakespeare said “We are such stuff, as dreams are made on, and our little life, Is rounded with a sleep.”
The Tempest

Less than 6 hours sleep linked to premature death

A recent study from Britain’s University of Warwick is saying that people who sleep less than 6 hours are more likely to die prematurely. “If you sleep little, you can develop diabetes, obesity, hypertensionand high cholesterol,” said Francesco Cappuccio, the lead researcher. The findings were published in the Sleep Journal. I find it ironic that the main researchers last name was Cappuccio, so close to the drink that used to keep me up all night. Well, anyway, I myself am a huge fan of 8 hours of sleep. There have been times in my life that I survived on much less, sometimes no sleep at all but I found that my body always paid for it, in lack of concentration, sense of poor well being or in weight gain. If you cheat your body of its needed sleep, there are consequences.

Here are some benefits to a good night sleep:

Heart Healthy- More heart attacks and strokes happen in the early morning. Lack of sleep can worsen blood pressure and raise cholesterol.

Beauty - Tissue repair happens during sleep including repair of skin damage by UV light.

Concentration- lack of sleep causes poor concentration and poor decision-making. Memories also are not formed well without a full night’s sleep (7-8 hours).

Healthy Immune System- When the body gets a good night’s sleep (7-8 hours) the body can fight off infections and disease better.

Happy- Not getting enough sleep can lead to a decrease in serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the hormone that produces that happy well feeling.

Getting the right amount of sleep leads to mental clarity, feeling energized, and enhanced appearance as well as protection from heart disease and infections.

I will follow this blog with herbal and natural ways to get a good night sleep.

Road Trips good for the soul!

There’s nothing like a great road trip with a good friend to bring healthy emotions to your heart. My friend Erin and I went to Ardmore Oklahoma to The Cloverleaf boutique. The store is a pink daydream that is covered in tiaras’, pink wigs, glitter and designer clothes for sale to delight the heart of every inner shopping girl. We dressed Erin in a silver tank top, Pink crinoline and to top it off big beautiful fluffy white wings. She’s photographed here by Christopher Ray of Bethany, Oklahoma. The wings are something a girl should never be without when she is riding her vintage dusty pink bicycle. Road Trips are a great way to really get to know a friend. There’s always a sense of adventure and time to share the things of your heart that you might not have time to talk about in the busy hustle and bustle of modern life. Get on the road with a friend and develop those needed relationships that make life valuable.