Attitude: I'm On Vacation!

NPS Photo

In keeping with a healthy attitude—part of the roots of optimum wellness—we are going on vacation to rest, relax and recuperate, as in charge up our jet packs for the next round. It has been a bit overwhelming in our lives lately and we've planned this trip since late last summer when my hubby got reservations at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. ~Leonardo DaVinci

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Kidney Bean and Corn Salad Recipe

This spicy salad is wonderful—full of structure and spice. Great for the coming warm months—warmth will come. Use this salad as a side dish to some grilled fish or by itself for lunch. Feel free to taste-test as you put the dressing together to make it how you like it. The recipe is portioned to be mildly spicy. Add more chili powder or more hot sauce to suit your desires.

Using frozen corn helps to pre-chill the salad so you can serve it more quickly. When corn is available fresh, clean the corn and then slice off the kernels. Nothing more yummy than fresh corn off the cob. Refrigerate, if desired, before serving.

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The (Mad) Science of Food Packaging

Notice how food packaging touts the benefits and good things they put in the product in big bold print on the front of the package?

• Good Source of FIBER
• Made with WHOLE GRAIN

Like putting it in BOLD CAPS makes it good. Most people get sucked in thinking they're getting a healthy product. Don't fall for the mad science.

It's a calculated ploy to convince you that junk food is healthy for you. Put the package down, step back and walk away... no, run!

Yes, these cereals are junk food!

Let's look at Froot (nothing close to fruit) Loops:

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Pear Berry Crisp Recipe

Pears are a delicious choice for cooking, baking and salads. Summer pears, such as Bartlett, are harvested in July and August. Winter pears—which include most other varieties—can spend anywhere from a month to six months in cold storage after their autumn harvest. Picking before they ripen and putting them into cold storage halts the ripening until they are brought to room temperature.

Pears should be fully ripe for eating out of hand. For salads or cooking, they are best when firm-ripe. Check this article for details on types of pears and what to look for when selecting pears for cooking.

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Farmer's Market Now OPEN

Golden Apricots

Watching the thunder storm in the West heading our way, I went from church to the first Sunday of our local Farmer's Market at Town Center in El Dorado Hills. There was a break in the weather following plenty of rain the night before and more the previous hour. I followed an SUV with fresh snow piled on the rear-mounted spare wheel as I headed West down the hill two freeway exits from my church.

Grabbing my shopping bag, camera and money, I moved swiftly to check out the market, hoping to make my purchases and get back before the rain struck again—this time with thunder and lightening.

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Dealing with Temptation

You’ve told yourself you’re making the switch to healthier eating, but you see food all around you (on TV, in your mailbox and email box, in the store, on the menu) that you know isn’t good for you. What can you do to deal with the temptation?

You need a plan.

Start with your home—that will be the hardest—especially if your house is full of hungry grouches (I say this endearingly) who don’t see eye-to-eye with you on eating healthy.

Here are things you can do to make things go smoother.

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Thai Tofu and Vegetable Curry Recipe

It would seem that I'm on a Thai roll here. Thai food is so healthy. I can always go Thai when I eat out. Vegan/vegetarian is a snap to get at a Thai restaurant. And they always have lots of veggies in their creations. If you're concerned about heat, Thai food can be adjusted. Of course, if you want heat you can add more fresh ground chili paste (aka Sambal Oelek).

This recipe is very mild so if you like heat you may want to get out your Sambal paste and add a bit. You know a little goes a long way. I adapted this recipe from one in the newsletter for the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

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Attitude Is Everything

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. ~Voltaire

I want to introduce the fourth root of optimum wellness: Attitude. Together with diet, exercise and sleep, a healthy attitude will assure you stay healthy and live longer. Attitude encompasses a myriad of issues. You can do all the right things with diet, exercise and sleep, but if you are negative, take things personally or hold on to issues of hurt from your childhood, I guarantee your health will suffer.

Psychological Issues
Attitude is more than just positive thinking. There are some things we cannot think away. I put these into the category of psychological damage. Stuff that we endured in our childhood and likely carried into a marriage or other relationship. These are things that hold us back and keep us from believing what God says about us. They haunt us (oftentimes unconsciously) and cause us to react relationally in an unhealthy way.

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What? I'm Having a Baby?

That's news to me!

A couple of months ago I started getting spam for mothers and mothers-to-be. I shook my head, marked it as Junk and went on my merry way.

Then last week I opened up my mail box and found a box of Similac samples. Wha? I wondered, How did they get my address? And, What made them think this grandmother of three was having a baby? For the record, that would be a miracle... and then I got an American Baby magazine in my mailbox.

I'm gonna chock this up to two things:

• There is no privacy—everything about you is known by anybody who wants to know
• Can anybody get anything right today?

So, dear blog readers, I'm taking this opportunity to do an evaluation of infant formula.

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Thai Spring Rolls Recipe

For Cinco de Mayo the recipe this week is Asian Burritos (aka Thai Spring Rolls). These raw and delicious wraps have been a hit at our monthly community wine social. I've been bringing the spring rolls as my appetizer contribution for the last two years—since I changed my diet. People love them so much, they expect me to bring them.

So since its Cinco de Mayo, I'll be bringing Asian Burritos this time. Dipped in the peanut sauce I bring, they are deelicious. Late comers to the food table always find them gone cause they get gobbled up.

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