magnesium, a mineral we need Wednesday, Dec 18 2013

Magnesium is a mineral that we get through our foods. Epsom salt baths provides magnesium sulfate which is used to soothe sprains, aches and stings..  Through our foods magnesium has many helpful properties. You can read about the following attributes of magnesium in the attached article.

Creates and maintains bone integrity, enables energy production, maintains nervous system balance, better control of inflammation and blood sugar.

After a good long hike, walk, run or daily activities enjoy a relaxing epsom salt bath.  you can find epsom salt at your pharmacy with wonderful fragrances such as lavender and peppermint. Pay attention to recommendations for existing health concerns.

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“break” “fast”, breakfast and moving Tuesday, Dec 10 2013

I am about to “break” my “fast” from this blog. Due to move and life I’ve not posted anything in a long while.  But, as I perused the content of this blog, although some posts several years old, all remains current especially the “stories” of those who have had great success with exercise and movement in their lives.  Be encouraged by these stories and send me yours–I would love to post yours. It too will encourage others to move.  Along with moving and life this past year I have spent quite bit of time reading about and studying movement, alignment, the foot, the shoulder and other body parts along with the sum of those parts. Now it’s time to “break” my “fast”. Fasting is an excellent method of regenerating, reviewing and renewing. While resting, a fast interestingly produces energy along with increasing motivation to move. Our nightly fast from eating while we are getting much-needed/required sleep is healthy. We “break” that “fast” with breakfast which has been touted as the most important meal of the day.  Maybe that’s because it really is or maybe it’s because the norm for breakfast is that breakfast typically consist of more real foods than other meals in our generation’s history, or maybe it’s a direct result of the fast.  I am not a nutritionist(as my simply fit clients tire of hearing), so these are my assumptions drawn from experience, observation and lots of nutritional information.  I love breakfast.  It’s a fast(ha), easy meal which is easy to consume real foods—-whole wheats, butter, eggs, grits(my husband’s fav), oatmeal–make it steel and  you’ve got whole grains, yogurt, fruits and those are just a few “normal” foods that we all have been familiar with before shopping at any natural food store became so popular. I enjoy natural food stores but I was advised by a reputable “real” nutritionist at our local natural food store that everything on the shelf there is not always real, or whole, or unrefined or unprocessed. So, she said continue to read labels, be informed and be selective when shopping where ever you choose to shop.  (I love that we live in a country where we have freedom to shop where we want to)  As 2014 begins if you are not a breakfast eater I would encourage you to “break” your “fast” from not eating breakfast and try an experiment for yourself. You might join my daughter and I in making healthy new year’s resolutions such as moving more and eating better.  Experiment with “breaking” your “fast” by eating breakfast with the purpose of establishing proof for breakfast being the most important meal in your day. You might also experiment with adding more movement to your day.  Next December it would be encouraging to hear and see your results from your experiments.  And I would love to work, i.e. “move” with you this year.  Make your year one of simply eating real foods and simply moving real muscles/bones–yours.

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Mint tea—causes us southerners to smile Tuesday, Sep 4 2012

a friend and I adventured to shepherd’s cross, a lamb farm in claremore, oklahoma. along with sheep, they have the most wonderful garden with a variety of vegetables, herbs and plants. in the garden a placard is posted beside each one giving a scriptural reference to God’s creation.  we were treated to taste the most wonderful grapes right off the vine.  our tour guide also gave us mint(herb) leaves to taste and told us how to make tea. so, i decided to give it a try.  i have often picked mint leaves from my “small” garden to put in water or in my tea; but I never knew I could brew tea straight from my yard.  i pulled several recipes from the internet and was pleasantly surprised with delicious tea that even looks like tea…..don’t know what i expected???  i looked up nutritional benefits(livestrong.com) of mint tea to make sure it wasn’t just a fun idea.  WOW—mint is of great value. some of  its benefits include relief from hiccups,  bad breath, irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, intestinal issues and heart burn.   it also cleanses the stomach, clears up skin disorders such as acne, reduces skin irritations, eliminates toxins from the body and is a very good cleanser for the blood.  i read that peppermint tea is touted to boost  mental performance and promote focus…..i will definitely continue this new-found treat!  menthol in a hot cup of herbal tea can help loosen congestion and relieve coughing associated with colds and allergies. according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint tea thins the mucus and acts as an expectorant to break up coughs, and can also relieve dry cough and sore throat. 
i also found strong caution:  Do not grow Pennyroyal because it is an abortificant and can cause liver damage if ingested. this mint variety is particularly dangerous if a woman has an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy that requires immediate surgery.  mint plants, for those people who are not pregnant or nursing a baby, have vitamins and minerals such as C, A, B-6, folate, iron, zinc, niacin, calcium and manganese.

while at the farm we also learned how to cart wool, drop spindle the wool into yarn and use a spinning wheel.  that was all pretty cool.  actually the weather wasn’t too bad, not like the 110 degree days we survived in july. i was amazed their garden actually had more green than brown color to it.  check out shepherds cross.  it was a great adventure. we need to go back and see the lambs—-somehow we got away without even seeing one——i know they were there and during the right season people get to see the sheep sheared. 

my recipe for mint tea:  i pulled several stalks of mint from my backyard  and cleaned with cold water and peroxide. i boiled water, enough to cover my leaves.  use boiling water because it removes more oil from leaves than hot water can remove. when water comes to a boil i poured it over the leaves, covered it and let it seep for 10 minutes(5 is enough).  i added honey or demerara sugar(less refined than traditional sugars).  i also added enough water to make a pitcher of tea.  i judged by taste and color.  i also like to put the vines in the pitcher—makes a pretty serving.

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3 fruits and 4 vegetables Monday, Jul 23 2012

the recommended daily allowance for women is 3 fruits and 4 vegetables.  do you eat 3 fruits and 4 vegetables every day? do you eat 3 fresh fruits and 4 fresh vegetables every day?  that’s almost impossible but it is a great challenge and one i like to give.  try it. see how many days in one week you “get to” eat 3 real pieces of fruit and 4 real vegetables.  my guess is fruit is the easiest quota to achieve but i could be wrong.  fruit drinks do not count—just sayin——

so what counts as a fruit or vegetable serving? one cup for vegetables and 1/2 cup for fruit or whole piece of fruit.  this has always seemed rather arbitrary to me, but i’m sure someone calculated the cost/effect and came up with a litmus.  i prefer to concentrate on eating  f/v rather than what/how much to eat because for me if i eat plenty of  f/v then somehow i don’t tend to want or eat or be consumed with not eating too much from my favorite bread group or that dessert group(isn’t there a dessert group?????)  i also like to buy a piece of fruit when grocery shopping to eat on the way home—a treat and my sneaky way to get one serving in.

as you can tell i am not a nutritionist, nor try or want to be—-but i love this time of year and want to encourage you to take advantage of all the real fruits and vegetables that are available right now—-enjoy!   nothing like home-grown tomatoes! after many years of planting a tomatoe plant or two i finally had great success.  seriously, nothing like good-ole home-grown tomatoes—counting all the past years of plants, dirt, water and time i’m thinking these tomatoes are around $20-$100 a piece——but they are heirloom variety—-and oh, so good—yes, worth the wait!!!  i hear its time to plant for fall tomatoes—–

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FIT TIP: eat breakfast Wednesday, May 2 2012

fit tip: research suggests that breakfast eaters weigh less and suffer from fewer chronic diseases than people who skip breakfast (Timlin & Pereira 2007).

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new year’s top 10 tulsa food list—in my opinion—- Friday, Jan 20 2012

Top 10 health foods that “I think” tulsa people actually consume:

After polling tulsa girlfriends, ages 30, 40, and 50-something I’ve come up with a list of actual healthy foods that realistically will make it into your and your family’s tummies. Following are real foods you most probably consume that are not only so very healthy for you but also delicious….

1. Fisher eggs, local and as one friend says, “check out their expiration date, wonderful!”… also, did you know eggs have most every nutrient we need and the cholesterol is actually used positively by our bodies.
2. Blueberries, also found locally—try thunderbird and toomey berry farms.
3. Good beef— http://www.johnsfarm.com or at 15th street farmers market during warm months. they are known for “healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people”. great recipes!
4. Good beef—-natural farms, a tulsa family business “specializing in pasture fed, lean beef and superior, quality natural groceries”.
5. Good beef—-good grief, we’re from Oklahoma—–favorite hunting friend who hunts in western oklahoma in those grass-fed fields where the beef doesn’t even need to be marinated because there is no game-taste. siegi’s processing factory does great job of preparing game for freezer.
6. Milk—swan’s dairy in claremore and their cheeses, especially curds. milk does a body good and actually if in order of personal preference this would be in the number one spot. whole milk has all the natural nutrients available in the way intended, no taking away or added to. braums, rbgh free!!!
7. Green beans, don’t give up young moms—frozen or fresh have great taste that one day most all our kids enjoy. fresh vegetables—-delicious!
8. Grains—-oatmeals, breads, rice
9. Honey—-reducing processed sugars is not just a current fad everywhere, it is critical to long term health for all ages and all sizes. but ask your doctor or nutritionist before giving baby honey.
10. Salt—-we all love it and can’t live without it…..#9 info applies.
11. oops, in all honestly could be #1, but since its been considered taboo in the health-food industry for so long and because it’s place is naturally after dinner it doesn’t make the top 10 but true to myself i can’t leave out dark chocolate—besides it has its own post(march 16, 2011). just a bite will do————

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Winter water Tuesday, Jan 10 2012

Are you thirsty? That is the litmus for how often and when to drink water. Another basic rule of thumb is that the color of urine is pale yellow when consuming enough fluids. Don’t be fooled by cooler temps of winter; the body can still dehydrate. 8-10 cups of fluid per day has long been the industry recommendation but this standard seems to vary amongst experts. In determining water intake amounts activity levels, age, climate, fitness/workout needs, medication, and other factors are considered. Although amounts are disputed all do agree that drinking water is healthy and just as important in winter as in summer. So, take a break and enjoy a glass of water. Add fresh fruit for the most effective nutrients and also for taste.

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Chicken Salad recipe Tuesday, Oct 11 2011

 

 one of my  favorite chicken salad’s—–mix the following together:  5 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken,  3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup each celery, cubed sweet pickles, chopped toasted pecans, seedless grapes, mayonnaise, 8oz can drained water chestnuts and pineapple tidbits, 1 T lemon juice, 1/2 cup green stuffed olives.  combine(leave out what don’t like) and chill.

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Brown rice and chicken recipe Tuesday, Oct 11 2011

BROWN RICE:  saute 2 cups brown rice, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes in 1-2 tbsp. butter or extra virgin olive oil. pour in 4 cups chicken stock(or part water, part chicken stock) and bring to boil. add 1/4 tsp, or less, sea salt. cook uncovered till water is about rice level. cover and cook one hour. can be made ahead.(taken from biblicalhealthinstitute.com and tested in my kitchen—yummy!!!)
serving size—-3/4 cup

serve rice with  baked chicken(place chicken in baking dish; add salt/pepper,  “dab” small amounts of butter on chicken( i find butter unnecessary when using dark meat or if baking both dark/light together). bake for approximately one hour.  or, cube chicken into pieces and bake 30 minutes or less.
serving size— size of bar of soap

serve with green vegetable and dinner is complete.  enjoy fruit for dessert and a nice long walk afterwards.

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Sausage and butter beans—-yummy!!!! and delicious!!!! Tuesday, Aug 23 2011

cook sliced sausage links(i used 4 cheese and jalapeno deer sausage so had to use olive oil), and one chopped onion for few minutes.  add 4 sliced carrots and cook till carrots begin to soften.  add one can or one chopped tomato, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp thyme, salt, pepper, 1/2 c  water and 12 oz bag  frozen butter beans.  cook till beans are ready.  serve with corn bread.  this turned out so good that i thought i would share. an easy and very quick dinner!

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