Alkalized Double-Protein Meal

Grilled Chicken, Asparagus & Rice

 

 

Baby Spinach leaves (raw) ~ vitamin A, C, Calcium, & Iron

Avocado halfed with seed removed (raw) - (wipe with lemon to prevent from turning brown) ~ Omega 3, Antioxidants, vitamin A, B, C & D

Steam Fried Asparagus sauté' minced Garlic in a fry pan with little water until garlic is beginning to brown, and water is mostly evaporated (no salt) ~ Potassium, Antioxidants, Alkalizing properties, vitamin A

 

Chicken Breast (grilled)

fully cook chicken breast on grill (with your own spice blend), slightly charred but cooked until internal temperature reaches at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit, let set to seal in natural juices, cut cross grain, place over Red Pepper Sauce.


Red Pepper Sauce

2 Red Bell Peppers (roasted)
1/2 Red Onion (med)
6-8 Cherry Tomatoes (garden fresh)
1/2 Cup Raw Cashews (overnight soaked)
1 clove Garlic
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard (to taste)
Water (consistency)

Roast red peppers over an open flame until fully charred. remove from flame, let cool in plastic bag. Once cooled, remove charred skin and seeds. Place in processor with all other ingredients. Blend all ingredients together into a paste, add water for desired sauce consistency.

Rice w/ Vermicelli & Black Beans
  Prepare rice as usual, place vermicelli in pan with 2 Tbsp. Coconut oil on med heat until brown. Add 1/3 cup water and your personal spice blend. cook until water is all absorbed. (vermicelli should be plump and golden brown) Add rice. cook until slightly brown, there is minimal moisture and rice grains separates easily. (grate in some carrots and chopped spring onions for extra nutrition & flavor)

10 Stress Reduction Tips You Can Use Now

 

  

 

 

We live in a microwave world where everything is wanted instantly... You don't need a spa weekend or a retreat. Each of these stress-relieving tips can get you from OMG to om in less time than you think.



1. Meditate
A few minutes of practice per day can help ease anxiety. Daily meditation may alter the brain's neural pathways, making you more resilient to stress, and helps to regain clarity and focus.

It's simple. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Close your eyes or find a neutral focal point. Focus your attention on reciting -- out loud or silently -- a positive mantra such as "I feel at peace" or "I love myself." Place one hand on your belly to sync the mantra with your breaths. Let any distracting thoughts float by like clouds.


2. Deep Breathing
Take a 5-minute break and focus on your breathing. Sit up straight, eyes open with a neutral focal point or closed, with a hand on your belly. Slowly inhale through your nose, feeling the breath start in your lower abdomen and work its way to the top of your head. Reverse the process as you exhale through your mouth.

Deep breathing counters the effects of stress by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure. Inhale good, exhale bad.


3. Be Present
Slow down and enjoy a cup of green tea.

While sipping, you can talk yourself through whatever is causing the stress, first by identifying the source, dissecting it, then verbalizing your course of action to accomplish the task at hand. Green tea has micro and macro antioxidant properties that also promotes focus.

Take 5 minutes and focus on only one behavior with awareness. Notice how the air feels on your face when you’re walking and how your feet feel hitting the ground. Enjoy the texture and taste of each bite of food. When you spend time in the moment and focus on your senses, you should feel less tense.


4. Reach Out, Touch Someone
Your social network is one of your best tools for handling stress. Be careful, it can also be a primary source for stress. Talk to others -- preferably face to face, or at least on the phone. Share what's going on. You can get a fresh perspective while keeping your people skills and connections strong.


5. Tune In to Your Body
Mentally scan your body to get a sense of how stress affects it each day. Lie on your back, or sit with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and work your way up to your scalp, noticing how your body feels.

Simply be aware of places you feel tight or loose without trying to change anything, For 1 to 2 minutes, imagine each deep breath flowing to that body part providing exactly what it needs to restore balance. Repeat this process as you move your focus up your body, paying close attention to sensations you feel in each body part.


6. Decompress
Place a warm heat wrap around your neck and shoulders for 10 minutes. Close your eyes and relax your face, neck, upper chest, and back muscles. Remove the wrap, and use a tennis ball or foam roller to massage away tension.

Place the ball between your back and the wall. Lean into the ball, and hold gentle pressure for up to 15 seconds. Then move the ball to another spot, and apply pressure.


7. OMG... Laugh Out Loud
Laughter doesn’t just lighten your mood. It lowers your stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, and boosts chemicals in the brain called endorphins, which help your mood. Lighten up by tuning in to your favorite sitcom or video, reading the comics, or chatting with someone who makes you smile. Laughing tricks your nervous system into making you happy.

Here is a 5 minute video to laugh:

8. Play Some Tunes
Research shows that listening to soothing music can lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety. Create a playlist of songs or nature sounds (the ocean, a bubbling brook, birds chirping), and allow your mind to focus on the different melodies, instruments, or singers in the piece. You also can blow off steam by rocking out to more upbeat tunes -- or singing at the top of your lungs!


9. Get Moving
You don’t have to run in order to get a runner’s high. All forms of exercise, including yoga, tai-chi, Pilates and walking, can ease depression and anxiety by helping the brain release feel-good chemicals and by giving your body a chance to practice dealing with stress. You can go for a quick walk around the block, take the stairs up and down a few flights, do your best shadow dances or do some stretching exercises like head rolls and shoulder shrugs.

Physical activities and routine movement helps to promote better sleeping habits, which in turn decreases overall stress.



10. Eat Right & Be Grateful
A proper diet and gratitude are closely related. Unfortunately, it’s when we have the most work that we forget to eat well and resort to using sugary, fatty snack foods as a pick-me-up. Fruits and vegetables are always great choices, and fish with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the symptoms of stress. Fish really is brain food.

Keep a gratitude journal or several (one by your bed, one in your purse, and one at work) to help you remember all the things that are good in your life.

Being grateful for your blessings cancels out negative thoughts and worries, just as feeding your body with proper nutrition cancels out stress-related hunger

Use these journals to savor good experiences like a tasty well-balanced meal, a sunshine-filled day, and good health. Don’t forget to celebrate accomplishments like mastering a new task or a new hobby.

When you start feeling stressed, spend a few minutes looking through your notes to remind yourself what really matters. You Matter.

7 Ways to Eat Healthy on a Budget

 

 

The following are 7 Ways to Eat Good on a Budget. But the bottom line, always remember, is this: we can pay now or pay later (in suffering, doctor bills, etc.) when it comes to our dietary discipline and food choices.

 

1. Choose Produce Not Packages: People think eating healthy is about buying a lot of expensive boxes and packages of processed foods -- but that isn't the case at all. The cheapest, most nutrient-dense foods in a grocery store live in the produce aisle. Fresh vegetables and fresh fruits.

 

2. Cook Big and Save Some for Later: Cooking meals in large batches and freezing the leftovers for later in the week, or month, can save you a lot of time and money. Instead of buying fast food or eating out at restaurants, or even cooking a full meal every time you get hungry, it's way more cost effective, time-saving and healthy for you to pull something out of the freezer and warm it up than it is to wash/chop/slice/boil/bake/wait in line/wait to be served.

 

3. Soup Up Your Options: Large vegetable soups over brown rice or whole grain noodles pack in vitamins and nutrients, fill you up, and are easy to make and delicious. Add beans, canned tuna, etc... Going totally meatless a couple of times a week (or for good) also helps your budget and gives your palate a variety to enjoy. Frozen veggies, which are inexpensive, work great in soups.

 

4. Make a Plan and See Where The Values Are: Make eating healthy a priority in terms of how we spend the resources we have. Makes no sense to be fronting like a rich person on the outside, but being in poor health on the inside, right?

 

5. Season Your Food: Eat fruits and vegetables that are in season, that is! Otherwise you'll be paying a much higher price. Also, eating foods that are current in their natural growing season can help strengthen your immune system for that season. Seasonal fruits can be frozen and blended to smoothies. Frozen vegetables also can be used to make a stir fry. They're convenient and they don't spoil quickly like fresh fruits and veggies.

 

6. Join a Co-op or Local Community Garden: In exchange for your minimal volunteer work hours per month, you get your groceries at co-op members-only prices. Same thing goes for community gardens. And not only that you get to learn a WHOLE lot about nutrition and health being in that kind of environment.

 

7. Drink More Water: Many times when we think we are hungry, it may be actually a sign of thirst. Bottled water getting too expensive? Get a basic filter for your tap, some for as low as $20 bucks. We don't even know it, but when we are drinking enough water it curbs our appetite so we don't overeat. Drinking water also saves us money on all the sugary drinks on the market.

 

Summary

In summary, the main thing to remember for eating good on a budget is that it is doable!



SMOOTHIES & YOGA

 

 

 

 

Elevate yourself enough so that there is minimal opposition in reaching the desires of your being.  Allow yourself to keep your third eye open knowing that your portals are strategically protected yet welcoming and inviting.  Understand yourself enough to realize the meaning of infinite abundance and appreciation.  Mostly, work tirelessly at being an example of truth manifesting.

 

Namaste' 

 

 

 

Healthy Smoothie & Snacks Made Easy

 

 

There is really no excuse to not eat healthy... I have often heard that eating healthy is difficult or hard to stay on top of.  I have also heard that it takes too much time, or too much focus, or too much of this-and-that.  Well, in a world full of sickness, disease, and Genetically Modified Organisms* (GMO), all it takes is to make right choices and make it delicious. 

 

 

 

Choose to eat more fresh fruits & vegetables daily to replace processed foods and snacks that you would normally choose to eat.  The choice is to simply 'get it in' with no excuses... and one of the best ways to get it in is to make plant-based decisions... smoothies and/or snacks.  Now you're eating healthy.

 

Be Creative and Eat the Rainbow... or DRINK it!

 

 

*A genetically modified organism (GMO), also known as a transgenic organism, is any organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques.  GMOs are the source of genetically modified foods and are also widely used in scientific research and to produce goods other than food.

Naps are Nice

There are multitudes of benefits to napping, when done right.

I live in a pro-nap-happy world. (pun intended) ...for maintaining optimal mental health & clarity. Let's face it, we all go through periods of foggy-ness, irritability, mood-swings, and/or feelings of disconnection. Any of those conditions may be instantly resolved within a blink of an eye. Some may require a rather lengthy blink.

Which style of napping will work best for you and/or your situation?

Blink nap. This is a momentary power nap you can easily enjoy, even without realizing! If anything, they're certainly the most amusing of naps; we've all witnessed someone do their best not to nod off while tired on the way home from work. For example, when you fall asleep during a train or bus trip this is considered a blink nap.
 
The benefits of the Alert nap are dubious, since one is generally not asleep long enough to truly relax. In this case it’s like a 'sleep attack', similar to a Blink nap. Shown to be surprisingly effective at shedding sleepiness. This is a longer nap, ranging from 2 to 5 minutes. Studies indicate that a power nap of this length can significantly reduce tiredness for the remainder of the day and also help improve alertness. Even though this type of nap has benefits, it's not something to regularly practice or make a habit.

Sleep Fact:

Large companies in the U.S. are convinced by the benefits of power naps.  So much so that Google have adopted the power nap to their policies by providing 'sleep pods' for staff on their lunch break.

 

Nap Trick:

When doing the alert nap, it will be helpful to hold a pencil (or small object) in your dominant hand while drifting off.  As you fall into a sleep, the hand-held object will become unstable, allowing your auto-reflexes to gain a grip.  Your reflexes will disallow you to fall into a deep sleep.

For a Quick Boost of Alertness, experts say a 10-to-20-minute power nap is adequate for getting back to work in a pinch. This is probably the one that gives you the best bang for the buck. This naptime even work great with coffee drinkers. By drinking 4 to 6 ounces of warm coffee, the body gets more relaxed. The caffeine will take about 15-to-20 minutes to kick in. Although longer than the other two, it is still relatively short in length, limiting your rest to NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, making it easy to hit the ground running when you wake. Sleeping up to ten minutes longer than this may cause 'sleep inertia' - the groggy feeling which takes considerable time to ease off before the power naps' restorative benefits shine through.
 
For Cognitive Memory Processing, however, a 60-minute nap may do more good, Dr. Mednick said. Including slow-wave sleep helps with remembering facts, places and faces. The downside: some grogginess upon waking.
 
For a Full Cycle of Sleep, the 90-minute nap will likely involve a timer to wake up to. A full cycle of sleep aids creativity and emotional and procedural memory, such as learning how to ride a bike. Waking up after REM sleep usually means a minimal amount of sleep inertia.

In addition to those recommendations, one surprising suggestion is to sit slightly upright during your nap, because it will help you avoid a deep sleep. And if you find yourself dreaming during your power naps, it may be a sign you're sleep deprived.

　

...............Required Sleep:...............

Newborn.................... Up to 18 hrs

1-12 months................... 14-18 hrs

1-3 yrs............................ 12-15 hrs

3-5 yrs............................ 11-13 hrs

5-12 yrs............................ 9-11 hrs

Teens................................ 8-10 hrs

Adults................................. 6-8 hrs

It is best to get regular sleep on a regular schedule at presicely the same time daily.

Sun Salutations Fun & Easy

(see video below)

Greet  each and every day with a warming salute to the Sun (an essential provider of life) by repeating a series of flowing poses.  The most familiar of asana sequences, Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is as rich in symbolic and mythic overtones as it is in physical benefits.

   One of the means of honoring the sun is through the dynamic asana sequence Surya Namaskar, better known as Sun Salutation). The Sanskrit word namaskar stems from namas, which means "to bow to" or "to adore." (The familiar phrase we use to close our yoga classes, namaste—te means "you"—also comes from this root.) Each Sun Salutation begins and ends with the joined-hands mudra (gesture) touched to the heart. This placement is no accident; only the heart can know the truth.

 

 

The eight basic postures, in order of performance, are:

 

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)

Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

Lunge

Plank Pose

Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose)

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose)

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

The transition from posture to posture is facilitated by either an inhalation or an exhalation. As you move through the sequence, watch your breath closely. Slow your pace or stop and rest entirely if your breathing becomes labored or shuts down altogether. Always breathe through your nose, not your mouth: Nasal breathing filters and warms incoming air and slows your breathing down, thereby lending the sequence a meditative quality and reducing the risk of hyperventilation.

   Remember, this is only a half-round; you'll need to repeat the sequence, switching left to right and right to left to complete a full round. If you're just starting out, it might help to work on the poses individually before you put them together
 

   Launch your practice slowly with three to five rounds, gradually building up to 10 or 15. If this seems like a lot, remember that the traditional number of rounds is 108, which may take you more than a few weeks to work up to. You can pace the sequence briskly to generate heat and cleanse the body-mind, or more moderately to create a moving meditation.

   The goal is to practice, not to be perfect.   Nature will handle that.  Namaste’

Simplify

 

With today's busy lifestyles, It always seem to be something that needs to be done... yesterday.  Some might call it multitasking, I call it loosing the value of the present, thus not benefiting fully by being present.  Even when we are sleeping, we should be as present as possible. Know that the time slotted for rest is set-up for rest. 

______________________________________

sim·pli·fy

/ˈsimpləˌfī/
verb
verb: simplify; 3rd person present: simplifies; past tense: simplified; past participle: simplified; gerund or present participle: simplifying. -make (something) simpler or easier to do or understand. -"an overhaul of court procedure to simplify litigation"
synonyms: make simple/simpler, make easy/easier to understand, make plainer, clarify, make more comprehensible/intelligible; paraphrase
"please simplify your answer"
antonyms: complicate

_______________________________________

There is an art to simplifying, and there are also substantial benefits. The art of it is to just do it.  Begin somewhere.  Make an effort by doing, and not just let it be wishful thinking. Begin with consciously thinking and knowing that things will not simplify themselves.  On the most part, everything performs best at its simplest.  Unadulturated.  The same applies to living well and being well.  The basics are the essentials, all else reduces its simplicity.

Do you want to simplify your eating and work out habits?

Here are 4 solid reasons why it's a good idea.

1) Less stress. Your health and fitness regimen should enhance your life. It’s something that should REDUCE stress, and not increase it.
When you keep things simple you won’t be overwhelmed or stressed out as is common when trying to revolve your life around a rigid diet and complicated routine.

2) Develop habits that stick. If something is simple, you’re more likely to do it consistently, and consistency is what develops long-term habits. Long-term habits ensure you achieve and maintain results.
This is main goal – to make certain habits fit into your lifestyle so they eventually become effortless, or at least so they don’t require much thought.

3) Greater flexibility. A few simple guidelines allow you to accommodate for everyday occurrences. Let’s face it – life is unpredictable and can throw us curve balls, but simplicity allows us to adapt. For example, if you have the goal of eating real, whole foods most of the time, you can indulge in your favorite not-so-healthy treats and meals when a special occasion presents itself or you have a craving.
You’ll also be able to make a good food decision, no matter where you’re eating if your sole goal is to eat mostly real foods.

4) Greater focus. When you choose to focus on a few BIG things instead of a dozen or more smaller things, you’ll be significantly more focused. That means you’ll get more done.
So as you can see, there are some great arguments for simplifying your health and fitness regimen. If you’re convinced of the benefits, it’s time to start simplifying and experiencing the results for yourself.

How to simplify!

1) Begin by changing ONE thing, and one thing only.
Where are you struggling the most in your health and fitness routine? Do you work out consistently but struggling to make better, more consistent nutrition changes? Then make the only change in your current routine be to eat more slowly. Or maybe you can focus on eating more real, whole foods. Just pick ONE simple thing to focus on, exclusively, for a period of 4-6 weeks. Once you’ve nailed that one thing as a habit, do one more small thing.
Are you having trouble sticking to a workout program? If so, why? Is it because your current routine doesn’t fit your schedule or you’re trying to force yourself to work out too often? If so, follow a two day per week or a three day per week program that more easily fits your schedule.
Or perhaps you want to save time and would rather do bodyweight workouts at home.
Whatever the case may be, find a way to make your routine fit into your life and don’t revolve your life around an unrealistic routine.

2) Ask yourself, “Is this essential?”
There’s a good chance you’re focused on too many small things that don’t have much of an impact on your goals.  Some things may only increase stress or cause you to get too concerned with insignificant details. For example, if you find yourself obsessing over small details like, “Should I eat white or brown rice?” ask yourself, “Is this essential? Is trying to decide between white or brown rice essential to improving my health or reaching my goals?”
The answer, in this case, is “No”.  Focus on the main things that produce the vast majority of the results, and forget the rest.

3) Stop searching – start doing.
According to Wikipedia, analysis paralysis is an anti-pattern, the state of over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome.
I understand – you want to do the right things. You want to be armed with knowledge, so you go to those other fitness websites or flip through the latest magazine. Perhaps you even read debates and research articles. As a result of consuming so much information, we get too caught up in looking for the next big thing, the best workout program, or waiting until we have all the information before we take action.

The details of nutrition and fitness will always be debated, but most people can agree on a few key principles.

• Eat a variety of mostly real, whole foods
• Be physically active whether you choose to strength train,  participate in sports, play instead of exercise, or any combination thereof
• Get enough sleep
• Do these things consistently

Take action and do those things consistently, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your health and fitness.  If you’re not achieving the results you want or find yourself constantly searching for the next big thing – simplify. Focus instead on the few things that matter most and experience the benefits for yourself.