Popcorn

Every Sunday night, as I was growing up, we had popcorn for dinner with maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich ad fruit. We would watch Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom followed by Bonanza.

Little did any of us know that our home cooked PC was so good for us! A recent study has shown that not only does PC carry tons of fiber but but it also carries more healthful antioxidants than previously thought.


Read more in my upcoming newsletter!

SUMMER FOODS!

Summer foods! Fresh salads, fresh vegetables, cooling fruits......Even with stifling heat, these foods uplift and energize me. I feel the winter weight falling by the wayside. Each evening I crave a big salad filled with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onion, walnuts, dried cranberries...and the list goes on. I rarely use a dressing unless it is a homemade vinagrette. Herbs do wonders. I was at the Farmer's Market today to stock up for the week. How lucky I feel to be able to get foods that have traveled no more than 50 miles, thus remaining fresh. Often when I look at foods in the supermarket, I see that they have come from Brazil, California and even Australia. How can they still be fresh and full of nutrients. Plus a store bought tomato does not carry the incredible flavor of one fresh off the vine! Today your assignment is to try to find local summer foods to prepare for the week. Flash frozen vegetables and fruits are a good substitute if you cannot find fresh. Look for fun recipes that do not call for high fat content and make note of your energy. I felt so energetic last weekend that I hiked the Catskills, then returned to a great round of tennis!

Be Yourself

How often have you become so frustrated when trying to act as someone wishes you to act but it is not true to your own nature? I know I get stressed, eat way too much and do not like getting out of bed. Have you taken the time to try to see what gives you passion. What are your interests? What are you excited about? Do you like technology? Art? Hiking? Contracting? Accounting? If we were all made the same it would be such a boring world! We all have unique talents. This is why I excel in speaking but fail in plumbing. I don't know a piece of pipe from an ink pen! Find your passion and pursue it! Maybe make a career of it! Have FUN!

Go Fishing

Summer will be upon us before we know it. A favorite pastime is to go out in the early morning with rod and reel and relax to your heart's content fishing. It depends on where you live as to what your catch might be. In my case, it is fishing in the supermarket. It is well known that fish provides the much needed Omega 3's our bodies crave and need but most of us do not get the recommended 8 oz a week. These good Omega 3's can boost your heart health, protect against depression, dementia and inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. If you do not fish on your own, good sources are the ocean salmons and sardines, anchovies, wild caught Pacific shrimp. Even the canned salmon with the bones offers high benefits. The bones of the salmon are easily absorbed as calcium in your body. This time of year many salad recipes appear in magazines. Try adding some of the fish mentioned above to enhance your health, as well as the meal!

Practice What You Know

What are you good at doing? What is your hobby? Do you have a passion?

We all have an interest that makes us want to learn more about it, even become an expert. Yet it seems all too often that our day jobs have nothing to do with that passion.

Could you make money with this hobby? Is it a dream you felt you could never attain? Is this something you could sell on the side without risking the day job?

I have passions for creating new recipes. I love doing videos. I love learning all about the health aspects of the foods we consume.

Think about your "dream job" an see what you can create, small steps at a time.

Youthful Passion

OK, admit it. You are hooked on your Blackberry or iPhone. You cant go anywhere without it and stop right off the escalator to send a text. (This is a bit pet peeve of mine). Do you rush home and turn the TV on, the computer on and still text?

I used to be so hooked to the technologies in my life that I found it hard to stay motivated to achieve a goal. It was much more fun to stay connected to friends, their lives and have "The Flintstones" playing in the background.

Yet when we were younger and had a goal in mind, literally nothing could stop us. If I wanted to have a specific role in a play, I would get the script early and become the character before the audition. No TV, cell phones did not exist yet (am I dating myself?) and I was driven with passion.

Now I live in a place with no TV, my cell can't be used during the day due to the nature of my job, and I find myself preferring a good book to the computer. Friends are my fun distraction and I can stay focused on my goals.

Don't let your temptation for "bright shiny toys" take over your life and keep you from your goals!

Spring is Here!

This is my favorite season.

I was recently in the midwest, middle of March. Already the temperatures were soaring in the low 80's and I had to buy some shorts. Literally in the course of a few hours, daffodils bloomed.

Unfortunately, the bugs have already decided to show up. I saw my first mosquito in February and flies are beginning to crop up. We did not have a cold enough winter to kill the "bad bugs".

Despite the bugs and any possible allergies that might pop up, I revel in the freshness of the air, the aromas of the flowers and the chance to be outside without massive layers of clothes.

Go out and put a "spring" in your step. Take the time as much as you can to walk in the sunshine and nature!