Monthly Archives: July 2014

How to Use Cucumbers When You Have Too Many–One of My Favorite Cucumber Side Dishes: Cucumber, Onion and Herb Salad

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IMG_20140712_171025_211At this time in the summer, many vegetables are getting ripe, and you may be trying to decide how to use cucumbers that are growing too quickly in your garden.  One solution may be one of my favorite cucumber side dishes. You can probably find fresh herbs this time of year, too.  If you have them in your garden, this is the least expensive time of year to use fresh herbs. Free is great!

This is the perfect time to make a cucumber salad. It tastes great on a hot day. This dish is also great to take to a picnic, reunion, or potluck, because it safe to sit out without refrigeration for a number of hours. I took this to a family reunion and to a family dinner recently, and received compliments on it.

Soaking the sunflower seeds removes some of the enzyme inhibitors, which makes them easier to digest. Use more or less of them, depending on how well you like them. You could substitute soaked raw pumpkin seeds, if you wish. The amounts given for the herbs are approximate. I do not usually measure. Use the amount that tastes good to you. Try other fresh herbs either in addition to or in place of the herbs in the recipe.

This recipe was inspired by the Thai Salad in Eating for Energy by Yuri Elkaim. This salad makes a cool and delicious side dish to any meal and is a healthy and tasty snack, as well.  It is another great way to add more fresh, healthy vegetables into your diet. Dishes like this, especially when made ahead and kept in the refrigerator, will help me stay on track with my goal of healthier eating. The little bit of sweetness from the honey and the taste of the fresh herbs makes this very satisfying. I hope you enjoy it, too!

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 Cucumber, Onion and Herb Salad

Ingredients:

2 – 3 medium size cucumbers, cut into thin slices

1 medium onion, quartered (or cut into sixths) and then thinly sliced (I like to use purple or Vidalia onion.)

1/4 – 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked  (measurement is before soaking)

1/8 –  1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh dill leaf

1 teaspoon (or more) fresh flat leaf parsley

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1/2 – 3/4  teaspoon sea salt (to taste)

1  1/2 tablespoons honey (to taste)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Pinch (about 1/16 teaspoon) curry powder (to taste)

Directions:

  1. Soak the sunflower seeds a few hours to overnight (or for as long as you can if you have less time).  Drain them well. It is alright to use unsoaked seeds, also.
  2. Slice cucumbers and onions.
  3. Finely chop the herbs. You may add other fresh herbs, if you wish. (When I did not have enough fresh dill, I have also used some dried dill along with the fresh, with good results.)
  4. Mix the herbs and sunflower seeds with the sliced cucumbers and onions in a bowl.
  5. Whisk together the other ingredients in a small bowl.  Start with a little less lemon juice and taste.  Add more lemon juice or honey, to taste.
  6. Pour this dressing over the cucumber mixture. Mix well.  Taste again and adjust seasonings, lemon juice, and honey. It is a little better after it has been combined for a few minutes. Stir several times as it sits and again before serving.
  7. This is best served the first day, but is still good and will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Use any dressing that is left behind in the bowl as salad dressing.

Variations:

  • Add or substitute other fresh herbs.
  • Omit the curry powder (or add more).
  • Add other raw vegetables, such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, summer squash, kohlrabi, or anything you like.

 

By Tia Lee

 

 

 

How to Make an Easy Healthy Smoothie for Weight Loss and Better Health

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I thought I would share with you how to make an easy healthy smoothie, since I am beginning my weight loss and better health journey today in earnest. I am about to give you some easy fruit smoothie recipes–actually a fruit and greens smoothie recipe that can be changed into any number of recipes to fit your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.  Also, eating a variety of healthy foods helps insure that you are ingesting a variety of needed nutrients.

(I am basically going to be following Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy program. I will be adding some probiotic foods, including milk kefir, because I am using these to rebuild my gut health.  The Eating for Energy program focuses on eating 80% or more raw foods as well as moderate exercise and other healthy lifestyle practices. Its goal is to enable you to become healthier and gain more energy while losing weight, if needed. It includes over 40 smoothie and juice recipes. I will be documenting my progress as I go through the program. The last time I lost a significant amount of weight, I used this program. I sure wish I had kept it up then, but I am determined to make this a permanent lifestyle change for my better health.)

Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to include many healthy fruits, vegetables, and other health-promoting foods into your diet.  Smoothies taste great, are usually low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients, and are very filling. You can consume many more raw fruits and vegetables in a smoothie than you can by just eating them.  All of these  smoothie benefits are great for both your health and for weight loss.

You want to make sure the largest proportion of your smoothie is made up of raw fruits and vegetables with a healthy amount of one or more green, leafy vegetables. Then you can add other ingredients for extra nutrition, added fiber, and taste. Some ingredients, such as flax seed meal, hemp seeds (hemp hearts), and chia seeds, add thickness and some creaminess.  Avocado also adds creaminess to smoothies. A small amount of avocado is all that is needed.  Although is is high in healthy fat, it still adds extra calories. A handful of raw nuts can also add some creaminess. I like to add some milk kefir (made from raw goat milk) for the probiotic benefits, but you could substitute other probiotic foods such as water kefir or kombucha. Don’t forget some sprouts, too, which are fresher than any produce you buy in the store, as long as you make them yourself.

The Basic Recipe that I Used Today

Ingredients:

1/2 mango

1 banana

1/2 carrot

1/4″ slice of raw beet

1 and 1/2 cups leafy greens (combination of spinach and leaf lettuce) [I usually use about double this amount.]

1/4 cup of clover sprouts

1/4 cup raw goat kefir

1 tbsp. ground flax seed

1 and 1/2 tbsp. hemp seeds

1/4 cup water

2 drops of liquid stevia

1/2 tsp. erythratol

about 10 ice cubes

Directions:

This makes about 2 to 3 cups of smoothie, depending on how thin you make it.

  1. Place all ingredients into a VitaMix or other high-speed blender container.IMG_20140708_111231_548  If not using a high-speed blender, make sure to cut all pieces very small, especially the hard ones like carrot and beet. Add softer ingredients first and greens last. The liquids will run down to the bottom to help the blending process get started.
  2. Blend all ingredients, except ice until smooth.  Add ice cubes and blend until smooth.  These will cool the smoothie and thin it down to a drinkable consistency. Add more water if it is still too thick.
  3. It is best to make and drink this right away, but you can make extra and drink it within 24 hours.  It is most nutritious when first prepared.IMG_20140708_111406_064 IMG_20140708_111439_519

 

Variations:

  • Substitute any fresh or frozen fruits. Be sure to eat a variety over time in order to get a variety of nutrients.
  • Substitute any other fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and sprouts. Be sure to eat a variety over time.
  • Add or substitute any other raw seeds and/or nuts.
  • Substitute another probiotic ingredient, such as yogurt, kombucha, water kefir, or even fermented vegetables (or leave it out).
  • Add other superfoods, such as goji berries, greens powder, maca powder, or others you desire.
  • Add other ingredients for taste, such as cinnamon, coconut, cacao powder, coconut wate ror milk, etc.
  • The sky is the limit with different combinations.  Use what you like, but do eat a variety of foods over time.
  • Substitute other liquids for some of the water, but watch your calories if you are trying to lose weight.
  • Use any healthy sweetener of your choice, or leave them out. (Please avoid artifical sweeteners such as aspartame. acesulfame potassium, and sucralose, as they are very toxic to our bodies. Research them to find out more.)
  • Leave out or substitute ingredients that you are allergic to.
  • If using a written recipe, feel free to substitute and/or leave out ingredients according to your taste or what you have on hand.

Possible leafy greens include any kind of leafy lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, dandelion greens, collard greens. You may use any sprouted seed, grain, or legume. Sprouted or at least soaked nuts are healthiest, because soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors that make them more difficult to digest.  Sprouting increases the nutritional value of seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts.

When to Drink Smoothies

You can drink smoothies at any time of day.  They are great for breakfast, especially if you need a breakfast to take with you on the way to work.  They also make a great snack because they are nutrient dense, full of fiber, and low in calories. The more vegetables and greens you use, the lower the calorie count. You can also use them as a meal replacement or as part of a meal.  They are very versatile.  You can even make them with a little more fruit or using a combination like banana with cacao to make a dessert smoothie that is healthy.  Just experiment.  The only way you can do it wrong is by not making them.

Please comment below and tell me what your favorite smoothie or smoothie ingredient is. Also comment on weight loss issues.  Please feel free to leave other comments or questions, too. Let me know if there is a topic you would like for me to address.

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a fantastic day!

 

Is Happiness Good For Your Health?

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Is happiness good for your health? For the last decade or so, many people have been focusing more on things they can do to improve their health.  This often includes eating a healthier diet, exercising, reducing stress, and getting enough sleep.  More and more, experts and laypeople alike  have been finding that happiness is very much linked to good health.  Being happy and having a positive attitude, which often go hand in hand. have a very positive effect on a person’s health.

There is a definite link between our thoughts and our health.  Studies have often shown that people can “cure” themselves of a serious illness by believing they can get well or that their treatment will be effective.  This is often seen as the placebo effect when a person is given a medication or other treatment which he or she thinks is the real thing, but it is just a placebo.  There have been many instances in which the person recovers, and the only explanation is that the person thinks he or she was getting the effective treatment.

The reverse has also been seen.  When told a treatment was found to be ineffective, patients have been found to worsen or have their disease or condition return.

This has often been called the mind-body connection.  Dr. Lissa Rankin  has written a book called Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself  in which she details many examples of this phenomena and documents many studies.

There are also many mind-body practices, like meditation, reiki, tapping, and working with the chakras, as well as many ancient medical traditions that utilize this mind-body connection.  Many of us in the western world are now beginning to learn about this wonderful healing modality and methods to maintain and improve our health.

Think about how you feel when you are in a good mood.  Things like aches and pains may not seem to bother us as much as they do when we are in a bad mood.  When we are feeling happy, we are often experiencing less stress. Stress causes physiological changes such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, stopping or slowing down of digestion, and tightening of muscles.  These physiological changes can not only cause more pain but can lead to health problems.

I always knew that someone who was nice and friendly to me could make me feel better.  I find that if I think in a positive manner and say and act like I am in a good mood and feel good, I almost always do feel better.  Other people often respond positively when I speak in a positive and friendly manner.  It seems to be contagious. Sunshine seems to have a similar effect on me and on others.  So, I think there is something to the beneficial effects of positive environments, attitudes and actions.  They effect not only our moods, but often our health.

I have been making a conscious effort to bring more positive thoughts and actions into my life. I want to be more grateful for what I have and am and for everything around me. I want to see how much of a positive difference this can make in my life, and possibly in those around me.

Please share what you think about the connection between happiness and good health.