Photo by:  yanasawa

• I would like to share some eating habits that can be changed to improve the mind, body, and spirit. 
• The way we eat is important and can make a big difference in our nutrition.  Eating slowly and completely chewing the food starts the digestive process in the mouth and saves stress on the stomach and digestive tract. 

Some eating habits that can be changed are:

• Overeating:  We all overeat, and this is one of the most common dangerous dietary habits of all.  When people get together it is mostly done around the idea of eating.  The more food that is consumed makes it harder to reach the state of feeling satisfied all the time.  A way to change this into a good habit is to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of 1 or 2 large meals.  Incorporate 2 healthy snacks and 2-3 meals a day.  Make sure you have a variety of flavors, textures, and types of food to help satisfy you and lessen the desire to eat more.
• Eating Late:  Due to many people having busy schedules eating late is another common habit.  Food acts as a sedative and can help us physically relax.  Late eating can contribute to poor sleep and digestion.  This can cause a person to wake up feeling full and sluggish.  The best suggestion is to eat earlier in the evening.  My rule is to eat no later than 7:00p.m.  Try to keep the meal on the lighter side.  If possible get some type of activity, both physical and mental, after dinner, limiting yourself to very little food two to three hours before going to bed. Continue Reading »

No Comments »

 Photo by:  rajatt2010

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

 How does one make their year happy?  You should live throughout the year being happy with yourself  in mind, body, and spirit.  Happy with the way you think, feel, and love life.

Have you been promising yourself to loose weight, be a better person, or become healthier?  You can succeed in all areas of improvement by first taking “baby steps”, not jumping into a changeover with full force.  By trying to make a difference too fast you will burn yourself out and not stick with the changes you would like to make.  I continue to take “baby steps” after 10 years of replacing my past lifestyle with  new alterations.  I always look to see what I can do different to live healthier.  It is an everyday challenge that I turn into a game.

My number one rule in loosing weight is DO NOT diet!  You want to make lifestyle changes.  Diets do not work. Continue Reading »

No Comments »

• I found this recipe in a book I used during my studies from Clayton College of Natural Health.  The cookie is a little healthier  using ingredients that are good alternatives.

Almond Power Cookie Recipe

1 cup barley flour or oat flour

1 1/2 cups oak flakes or oatmeal

1 tsp baking soda or 2 egg whites

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup almond butter

1 banana, mashed (pureed prunes or raisins may be substituted) Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Photo by:  The U.S. Army

• Here in Taos, NM there are street vendors who sell the weekly newspaper on the busy street corners in town.  While I was heading into town to babysit and run errands I stopped and bought my weekly paper from one of these hard working souls.  A few hours later I was making my last stop which was to put some mail in the drive-thru mailbox.  As I was making my turn I noticed a newspaper street vendor sitting under a tree looking sort of lonely.  With it being the holiday season I was overcome by a thought to share and give this man two dollars, just because.  Two dollars may not sound like a lot, but who is to judge what amount is or is not appreciated?  I told the man I already had a paper but wanted to donate the money to him.  Well, needless to say he was ecstatic and just kept saying “bless you”, “bless you.”  I actually got a little tear in my eye as I pulled away.  It felt so good to know I had warmed this mans heart.  I just felt like sharing, knowing how hard these people work to make their living or to supplement their income.  More times than not I give the vendors a tip but I like to be extra nice this time of the year. Continue Reading »

No Comments »

• I have mentioned before how much I like to throw soups together.  The other day I was in the mood to make a potato soup but I decided to make one with a twist.  A friend had given me some ground elk, so I thought “why not put that in the soup” that I had decided to make.  I have never had meat in a potato soup, but who says it can’t be done?  To be honest it made the soup that much more special.  The flavor was much appreciated. Not sure if putting beef in the soup would have the same flavor.  I don’t eat beef and usually don’t eat meat period.  This elk came from the mountains of New Mexico and I felt pretty safe eating it.  I have chosen to avoid meats for health reasons but decided it wasn’t the end of the world to have once in awhile (if it is organic or free range).

• This recipe only requires the chopping of onion and the potatoes which is why it is so quick.  The chopping, and simmering the soup until the potatoes are cooked, is all that is needed for preparation.

Recipe for Potato Soup:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 TBS olive oil or water
2 cups vegetable broth
1 clove of chopped garlic or 1 tsp granulated garlic
1 cup rice milk
1 cup organic cream top milk
1 cup water
4 potatoes, chopped in 1-1 1/2” cubes
white pepper to taste
1lb. elk meat or ground beef – optional

Add the oil or water along with the onions and cook on med-high heat until onions are transparent. If you use meat, add it at this time and simmer until cooked all the way thru (red color gone).  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until potatoes are cooked to the desired consistency approximately 20 minutes.

Yields about 4 servings

• To make this an easy recipe use the boxed vegetable broth.  White pepper is optional, if you don’t have any use regular ground pepper.  We use rice milk and cream top milk for everything but you can be flexible and use whatever milk you have on hand. I hope when you use regular milk you would consider organic for a healthier choice.  You could add some variations to this recipe with adding celery and/or carrots.  Have fun making the recipe to the way you like potato soup.

• This recipe would be good for a cold winters night.  Serve with some salad and you have a nice healthy meal.

No Comments »

Photo by:  KOMUnews

• Chemical manufacturing began in the early 1900‘s.  Products for killing disease-carrying insects and pest were made available to protect us.  It was later discovered the chemicals in the products were extremely dangerous to our health and environment.  There are over 75,000 chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency with only about 600 of them tested for safety.  Many of the chemicals have been found to be carcinogens.  Some of these chemicals can upset the endocrine system, and mimic the estrogen molecule.  They are called “chemical estrogens,” or “xenoestrogens.” Some toxic chemicals damage the immune system, nervous system, and the reproductive system.  These chemicals can weaken the body making it more prone to cancer development and growth.

• Most people are exposed to more chemicals in their home than anywhere else.  You may have never given a thought that some of your cleaning products in the kitchen, bathroom, and garage could be unhealthy, or that beauty and personal-care products are toxic.  These products can cause irritation and toxicity by contact and by inhalation of the fumes.  Toxins from the chemicals in products can possibly stay in our bodies for decades.

Some of the personal-care and beauty products containing toxic chemicals are:

1. Mouthwash (phenol, formaldehyde, peroxide, ammonia, ethanol, cresol, hydrogen, artificial color and flavor)
2. Talcum powder (may contain asbestos)
3. Dandruff shampoo (formaldehyde, polyvinylpyrrolidine plastic (PVP), detergents, artificial colors, and fragrance)
4. Nail polish and remover (phenol, toluene, xylene, acetone)
5. Cosmetics and mascara (PVP, alcohol formaldehyde, plastic resins, artificial colors)
6. Aerosol hairspray (formaldehyde, PVP, artificial color and fragrance)
7. Hair color (ammonia, coal tar dyes, detergents)
8. Hair removers (ammonium thioglycolate) Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Photo by:  House of Sims

• High, low, or normal blood pressure depends on a couple of factors: the resistance to blood flow of the blood vessels, the output from the heart, the volume of blood, and blood distribution to the various organs.  All of these factors in turn can be affected by the activities of the nervous system and certain hormones.
• High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because usually there are no symptoms until complications develop.
• Warning signs related to advanced hypertension may include sweating, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, rapid pulse, and visual disturbances.
• There are two categories of high blood pressure, designated primary and secondary. High blood pressure that is not due to another underlying disease is called primary hypertension. A precise cause is unknown, but a number of definite risk factors have been identified.

Risk factors such as:

• Obesity
• Stress
• Cigarette smoking
• Drug abuse
• High sodium intake
• Overabundance use of stimulants like coffee and/or tea Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Photo by:  SuperFantastic

• Do you know rosacea is an inflammatory skin affliction?  The cheeks, nose, forehead, or the chin are persistently reddened and prone to breaking out in acne-like welts.  Rosacea does not produce blackheads or whiteheads and rarely appears during adolescence.  It is more common in a person’s thirties or forties and more women than men are afflicted.  Men can tend to have more severe cases.

• Rosacea begins with a mild pink blush that doesn’t go away.  Treated early, the condition may never advance any further or may even subside a bit.  In advance cases, it can cause permanent thickening and redness, especially on the nose.

Flare-ups of rosacea can be caused by anything that dilates blood vessels, such as:

1. Hot liquid
2. Alcohol
3. Coffee
4. Spicy or fatty foods
5. Extreme temperatures
6. Harsh wind
7. Sun exposure
8. Stress

• Skin conditions commonly point to some kind of digestive problem, with rosacea being no exception.  Low levels of stomach acid have been found in many rosacea sufferers, which hinders proper digestion of trace minerals and possibly the overgrowth of bacteria  that irritates the skin.  Constipation and/or sluggish bowels may have the same effect on digestion. Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Photo by:  VirtualErn

When I am feeling the need for a warm quick soup, I usually start preparing vegetable soup.  Probably what I enjoy the most when making this soup is what I think of as “cleaning out the refrigerator.”  I pull out refrigerated and frozen vegetables that need used up.  This is why it is always good to have a few varieties of frozen vegetables on hand.  I don’t have a recipe for making this soup because I just use what I have available at the time.  I always use onion, celery, and carrots.

• The last batch of vegetable soup I made included the following:

1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
3 stalks chopped celery
Frozen Peas
Frozen Green Beans
Frozen Chopped Spinach
1 diced potato
2 small diced sweet potatoes
8 sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small can whole tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
16 oz. of vegetable broth in a box
About 3 cups water
Spices
Continue Reading »

No Comments »

Photo by: whoohoo120

You are going to see in the papers, on television, and even on the computer advertisements for sales, sales, sales, during the holiday season.  Does this make you feel like you “have” to go out and buy “stuff” because it is on sale?  Do you realize this causes stress?

Stop and think about what the true meaning of the holiday is.  Okay, so you feel the need to give a gift to Aunt Sue, the mailman, Mary’s teacher, etc.  There are ways to go about gift giving that can be fun, rewarding, and very much  appreciated without a lot of stress.  Have you ever thought about making a gift?  If you are like me I would want it to be something easy and stress free. Continue Reading »

No Comments »