Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category

This is a nice twist on your summer beverage, healthy and tasty. Yerba Mate is one of my favorite tea’s. A bit of a stimulant due to the vitamins, minerals and a tad bit of caffeine. It’s not a late night tea for me.  No jitters if you are caffeine sensitive. This weekend when I was making my pot of tea I added fresh pineapple mint from my garden. Pineapple mint has a subtle flavor. It added a nice twist, plus the wonderful digestive benefits of mint. Get additional health benefits by sweetening with stevia. No calories, no effect on blood sugar. It takes a fraction of the amount to sweeten compared to sugar.

Growing mint is easy. It’s a hardy plant but can be invasive. I recommend keeping it in a pot.  It is an attractive plant and will look good among your other plants or on your patio.  When brewing it in with my tea I cut it up to help the oil release.

I like using loose leaf tea at home because I drink several cups a day and it’s less expensive and environmentally friendly.  A French press pot allows maximum contact between the water and herbs.  You can allow the herbs to steep for longer periods of time.  Brewing herbal teas longer is more beneficial to allow the vitamins, minerals  and all the good stuff to seep into the water.

In Joy.

I have recently added powdered MSM to my daily nutrient drinks. I usually have two a day, morning and late afternoon. I have also started adding to Mandy’s food because she has major allergy issues. We are on day 3.

I have noticed the increase in circulation for myself. With the severity of Mandy’s condition I think it will take a bit longer and I need to increase her dosage a bit.

I love using the tools that nature has given us for healing. MSM is a food that is easily used by the body.

Check here for more info

I don’t like to recommend to many things I haven’t tried myself so I’ll keep you posted on the benefits I experience along with Mandy’s progress.

Lounging in the ivy.

I just added another one of my favorite teas to my site.  Check it out Pau d’Arco.  This is a pleasant, mild tasting tea that is great for cleansing candida and balancing the bowel.

I usually drink it just because I enjoy the taste lightly sweetened with stevia.  I enjoy the flavor of all the teas I’ve recommended.  They have great healthy benefits and taste good.  Enjoy

I’m having my morning tea and working the sleep out of my body and mind.  I love a leisurely morning when possible to have my tea, do some exercise and journal.  I feel more prepared mentally and physically.

One of my favorite teas is Tulsi or also known as Holy Basil.  I found it a few years ago and it just seems to be getting breaking into a larger market now.  It’s from India and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is said to help lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and help you stabilize mood swings.

I can tell you it tastes great and I do find it helpful.  I find it relaxing, but not in the sleepy kinda of way.  More calming.  My sweetener of choice is Stevia.

Have a great day!

This morning I didn’t take the time to make my smoothie.  This is probably the first time since I started them.  I ate a yogurt, but noticed I started snacking on the junk food that was handy.  Ugh.  I realized I had been having an easier time walking past the junk food because of my morning smoothie made with 2 tsp of nutrient packed Sun Is Shining and 1 tsp of Maca.  It’s a quick and easy breakfast which I’m usually drinking on the run.

You can start with a variety of bases like Kefir, yogurt, any of the non-dairy milks like soy, hemp or almond.  Add your Sun Is Shining and Maca.  I also like to add a bit of Stevia for no calorie sweetening, some fresh or frozen fruit and a couple cubes of ice.  Blend away.  It’s quick, yummy and satisfying.

I’m excited to be puttering around my yard.  It’s one of my forms of meditation.  I get more grounded, calm and peaceful wandering around the yard with no intense agenda.  My plants have no pressing needs right now.  I do a little weeding, feed the fish and water where needed.

I connect to myself and the earth.  I fall into rhythm with her breath.  I feel nurtured here.  I almost don’t want to leave sometimes.

My deck becomes an extension of my living space.  I generally leave the sliding door open.  My animals are happy with that arrangement.  That reminds me of a Sunday last year when I had opened the door in the morning so Mandy could venture out.  I went upstairs for a minute and when I came down a chipmunk had boldly come into the living room.  He turned tail and bolted out.  I had the door closed more after that.  That didn’t last too long.  The door is slid open again.

I’m sitting on my deck with one of my favorite teas, Tulsi or also known as Holy Basil.  It’s not related to the herb Basil.  It comes from India and has a mild, pleasant taste.  I like my tea sweetened with Stevia so I’m not adding calories and it has no effect on the blood sugar like sugar does.  I found Stevia years ago when I discovered I had some Candida issues.  Stevia helped me avoid feeding the candida but still have a bit of sweetness.  I think it enhances the flavor of my tea.

Besides the great taste of Tulsi the other reason I drink it on a regular basis is all the positive attributes it has.

Tulsi Benefits:  Reduces stress, supports the immune system, abundant in antioxidants, builds stamina, aids digestion, supports adrenal and lymph health, powerful adaptogen, helps to balance the metabolism.

Cheers to a peaceful evening even though I’ll be working on my taxes next.  Hmmm, I’ll put on another pot of Tulsi first.

Maca and Spirulina can taste a bit “strong” in a smoothie.  This recipe works well and is loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein.

1-1/2 Cups Chocolate soy milk

1 tsp Spirulina

1 tsp Maca powder

1/16 tsp pure stevia powder

1 banana

1 tsp Sunflower butter

1 tsp Hemp oil

6 ice cubes

Everything goes in the blender till smooth.  Enjoy.

An Asian superfood worth adding to your diet because they improve liver function, strengthens eyesight, boosts the immune system, improves circulation, increases alkalinity, improves fertility, high in antioxidants, contains proteins, essential fatty acids, minerals, amino acids, more beta carotene than carrots, and increase stamina and energy.

Whew, that’s a lot. They are easy to add to your diet. They are tasty so you can munch on the dried berries by the handful. Try adding them to some trail mix. You can toss them in a salad. They add a nice variety in your diet.

For additional information and to order check them out in the Nutrition page.

Key benefits of using Maca root:

• Increases libido
• Addresses PMS/Mood Swings/Ease Hot Flashes and other menopause symptoms/Hormone replacement therapy alternative
  
• Enhance brain function
• Improves sleep
• Slows aging process
• Increases stamina and energy
• Helps you adapt to stress
• Good source of calcium

Give Maca root a try and see for yourself.  I’ve had great success with it myself.  It’s a great addition to smoothies and juice.  You can find more information in my Nutrition section as well as order some for yourself.

Adaptogen is a term associated with herbs that increase the body’s resistance to stress, trauma anxiety and fatigue.  I don’t know anybody that would say they couldn’t use a little help in those areas.  In the past these herbs were referred to as rejuvedating herbs, qi tonics or restoratives.

All adaptogens contain antioxidents, but antioxidents are not necessarily adaptogens and that is not their primmary mode of action.  Adaptogens allow the body to counter adverse physical, chemical or biological stressors by raising nonspecific resistance toward stress, thus allowing the organism to “adapt” to the stressful circumstances.

An adaptiongen is:

*non-toxic

*produces a nonspecific response in the body and an increase in the power of resistance against multiple stressors including physical, chemical or biological agents.

*has a normalizing influence on physiology, irrespective of the direction of change from physiological norms caused by the stressor.

Adaptogenic herbs are distinct from other substances in their ability to balance endocrine hormones and the immune system.  Adaptogens are proposed to have a normalizing effect on the body and to be capable of either toning down the activity of hyperfunctioning systems or strengthening the activity of hypofunctioning systems.

Peruvian Maca root is an adaptogen.  You can read more about Maca root in my Nutrition.