How About a Snack?

Arriving home and ready for that "crash and/or burn" moment? What do we usually do? Grab something to eat and fast.  Then the regret sets in. 

On the website mind body green, some excellent snack options are offered, including the following:

Baked Kale Crisps--Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Take one bunch kale (rinsed and dried) and chop into chip-sized pieces. Be sure to remove the stalks.Spray a large baking sheet with coconut cooking spray. Bake until crisp. Enjoy!

Crispy Apple Chips--Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Slice apples into the thinnest possible slices. Sprinkle on 1 T. cinnamon and 1/2 t. sea salt. Bake for one hour. Let cool to lose the "chewy" consistency. Eat alone or with a nut butter.

Banana Soft Serve--this one sounds great!

In a blender, combine 2 bananas (removed from their peels and frozen), 1/4 c. unsweetened nondairy milk (like almond), 1-2 t. agave nectar, 1 t. vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. When smooth, sprinkle on shredded unsweetened coconut.

Don't let junk food become your snack of choice; choose healthier options. Your body will love you for it!

Eating Healthy Cooking Classes at Petersburg Branch Library

Interested in learning how to cook for yourself and/or your family using healthier methods? Starting March 6, from 5:30-7:00 p.m., you're invited to join a free of charge class to learn the "how-tos" of healthy cooking. Better yet, if you have children, they can come along! Mrs. Edwards at the library will be offering the kids a healthy snack and activity during the class--then, at the end of the class, they can join you and see what you've created.

Be sure to sign up by March 3. The class will be capped at 12. Don't miss the opportunity to learn some really healthy alternatives to cook for you and your family. You can sign up at the Petersburg branch of the public library or by sending your name and a contact number to eatwelllivewellpikecounty@gmail.com.

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According to Dr. Mercola, one in five Americans will die of some form of obesity. Diabetes type 2, heart disease, hypertension, and dementia are all side effects of obesity and the inflammation that accompanies it. We can ALL do something about this just by eating healthier. Try it for one meal a day for starters. Over time, you will be able to shift into better options that will help your body fight more diligently in order to maintain health. Never give up!

Healthy Eating Kick-Off is Monday--Let's Eat Healthy, Pike County!

On Monday, February 24, from 10:30-11:30 a.m., an information session for the first of a series of healthy eating/cooking classes will be held at the Petersburg Branch of the Pike County Library. Tina Weisman, working in conjunction with the Healthy Communities Partnership of Southwest Indiana, will be available to answer questions about the series as well as questions about the upcoming Farmers Market season and the Healthy Eating initiative. Be sure to stop in and get information. Hope to see you there!

Be sure to check out a new recipe on the Recipe Page. Sweet potato and quinoa cakes with avocado/cilantro dressing!

Are You Breathing?

Of course you are, or you wouldn't be reading today's blog. But...just going through the motions of breathing isn't quite as beneficial as really BREATHING. Granted, it does keep us alive, but just as we've become a country of malnourished over-weight folks, we're also becoming malnourished with our "junk" breathing.

Every cell in the body needs oxygen to survive. In addition, our lungs need exercise to keep them rose-pink and pliable. Too often, with our sedentary lifestyles, we tend to "chest breathe"--we breathe very shallowly and our body doesn't benefit as it should from inhaling and exhaling.

 "Belly breathing" is a great exercise in which be breathe in deeply enough that our bellies expand with each inhale and contract with each exhale. Interestingly, doing this type of conscious breathing at times throughout the day gives you just the benefit you need at the time: stresses release; energy returns when in a mid-morning or mid-afternoon lull; and, at day's end, relaxation comes more smoothly.

So, as the song says, "Just Breathe"--but do it with a little more emphasis a few times during the day.

Raw Desserts, Anyone?

Most every part of a meal can be easily tuned into a healthy alternative. The salad course, for example, can be made healthier with some nice mixed greens and a salad with healthy oils. Soup courses can be made healthy with less simple carbs and a tomato base. Main courses and sides can become healthy alternatives with just a little bit of ingenuity and a little less sugar and salt. 

And then there's dessert. I've experimented with several recipes and some have turned out nicely. Nevertheless, my range was somewhat limited. 

And then I discovered raw desserts.

Raw desserts are like the old tried and true no-bake cookies, only much healthier. Most are sweetened with honey, agave nectar, or xylitol. There is no flour or unhealthy fats in them. And, they are very simple to make. Here is an example from a really neat website, http://rawmazing.com

Blackberry Lime Hearts

Hearts: 1/3 cup lime juice, zest from two limes, 1 c. cashews-soaked until soft, 1/2 c. water, 1/4 c. agave or desired sweetener, 3 T. coconut oil, 1 C. blackberries.

Ganache: 1/2 c. cacao powder, 1/2 c. agave, 1/4 c. coconut oil--melted. Whisk all the ingredients together.

1. Blend all heart ingredients (except blackberries) until smooth. Place a layer of berries in the bottom of your mold. I use this one: silicone heart mold. Fill with lime mixture almost to the top. They will expand a little with freezing. Drop the pan a few times to get the air bubbles out. Freeze until solid. Un-mold and top with ganache.

Sounds good! Give raw desserts a try! You won't need the heart molds; spoonfuls will work as well.

Keeping Our Hearts Healthy on Valentine's Day (and Always)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

On this auspicious day when that vital part of our anatomical systems are the centerpiece of many a card and model for jewelry designs and boxes of chocolates, let's take time to truly honor our precious hearts and the precious hearts of those around us.

We need them to stay healthy in order to "wear them on our sleeves" to "break" to "soar" to "pitter patter" with excitement and anticipation...all figuratively, of course.

Literally, we just need them to stay healthy.

So, on this day of loving observation of our precious hearts and the precious hearts of those around us, take a moment to examine some habits...

smoking? 

eating lots of bad fats?

not exercising?

too much alcohol consumption?

too much consumption of unhealthy and processed foods?

These don't exactly keep our precious commodity happy or healthy.

Starting today, give some serious thought to making some changes. It can be done. The Million Hearts campaign page on this website gives you some great ideas on how to begin. 

There's nothing much more gratifying that looking into the eyes of those we love and know that we are playing an important role in keeping that precious heart as healthy as possible.

Happy, Healthy Valentines Day!!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!!!

The sun is shining today and, yes, some snow and ice is even MELTING! Hooray!! Perhaps the deep, deep freeze of the winter of 2014 is going to transition into just the winter of 2014--we can hope!

We have cats around our house, and as the sun starts warming the deck, they congregate to sleep and especially to s-t-r-e-t-c-h in the warming rays. Have you ever noticed that a cat does little before it stretches? Smart cat.

We tend to do just the opposite. We begin a new exercise plan, get up from an extended period of sitting or lying down, or any number of things without giving a thought to stretching our bodies out for the next activity. And, at times, our bodies retaliate. 

We are made up of an incredible amount of muscles and those muscles need some heat in them to work correctly. Stretching does just that--it gets them prepared for the task or adventure. 

Some of you may practice various types of yoga--great idea! Yoga is very body-friendly and gives those muscles just the encouragement they need to work more efficiently. Even something as simple as a gentle spinal twist while sitting for long periods of  time will work wonders.

There are a tremendous number of good yoga You Tube videos, books, dvds, etc. in libraries as well as online. Don't forget we also have trainers in the area that teach yoga as well. 

I started out years ago with a Yoga for Dummies vcr tape and became happily hooked. I'm not the greatest about practicing it faithfully everyday, but I do make sure I get a few stretches in each day to keep things in check.

So, if you feel more creaky than flowing the next time you raise up out of a chair or upon waking in the morning, think about adding a little yoga to your day. Don't ever forget to act like that cat and s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

Grab Those Seed Catalogs!

It's time! Have you started receiving seed catalogs in the mail yet? I'm guessing you have. Why not try a little gardening this year? It's great to get outside and there aren't too many things more gratifying than seeing little seedlings pop up through the soil...unless it's picking the fruits (or vegetables) of your labors. 

If you're new to gardening, there are some great resources nearby that will help you with the adventure. You can contact the Extension Agency (located at the Pike County Court House) and the good folks there will set you up with some beginners information. You can also contact the Farmers Market Group; this is a group of area growers that would be happy to share their successes.

Start off this spring with something easy that's really pretty...how about nasturtiums? They are hardy, they grow in many kinds of soils, and, believe it or not, they are edible! For a really good how-to instructional site on growing them, click here.

So, grab that seed catalog, start shopping, and happy growing!

The Archeological Dig in Your Own Home

Feeling like having an adventure? How about going on an archeological dig? Not too much in the mood to travel half a world away to have this adventure?

Try your own home...really!

Most of us have "hidden treasures" throughout our home. Wintertime is a great time to unearth them and put them to use.

The "treasures" of which I speak are all that exercise equipment you've collected over the years. How about digging it out and organizing it into a spot in your house for you and everyone to use? I've found that putting it all into one easily-accessible area makes it more encouraging to use. Be sure to remember even those little pieces of equipment, i.e. the rubber band-type exercisers, balance ball, etc. in addition to the exercise bike and treadmill that are probably now being re-purposed as coat and clothes racks...they do make handy clothes racks!

By doing this, you will achieve two goals this winter--you'll be doing some early spring cleaning and you'll be getting yourself motivated to do some exercise while it's still too ugly to be outdoors. Just be sure to check with your health care provider if needed.

Happy excavating!

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Check the recipes page for a new dessert!

Restorative Sleep

"What hath night to do with sleep?" was a question from John Milton in Paradise Lost.  It seems, if Facebook posts at all hours of the night are indicative, that many folks feel this way. Insomnia has been around for the ages and seems to be becoming more prevalent with each passing year. 

Why? Many reasons.

To truly get restorative sleep, the kind we need to meet our utmost needs for a good night's sleep, it takes about 7-9 hours by most experts' calculations. Most people look at that number and think how does that work? How can a person take that many hours out of a too busy day to spend only on sleep? I'm guessing that most reading this average about 6 hours at the most--that seems to be what most people give as an answer when asked about sleep habits. 

And how much of that is spent in actual sleep? If you're thinking about how the day went (or didn't), what should have been done (or shouldn't), or how the next day should go, you're wasting valuable shut-eye. Just thinking about wasting valuable shut-eye keeps one awake that much longer...it gets to be a pretty vicious cycle in no time.

So, what to do? 

If at all possible, relax. Our bodies have very finely-tuned receptors that easily pick up stressors. To help ourselves, we need to truly prepare ourselves for sleep. That means no last-minute intense TV show right before bed, no heavy eating, no borrowing tomorrow's troubles tonight. The show's not that important, you've probably had enough to eat to hold you over until tomorrow morning's breakfast, and tomorrow will find you soon enough. It's okay to allow yourself some good sleep. 

If you are seriously having issues with sleep, there are a number of things that can help. Integrative healing such as Reiki, reflexology, massage, meditation, and yoga can help. Your physician can help you figure out if you perhaps need more magnesium. Remember to try natural ways first before trying prescription medications; many times these have some extreme side-effects you might be able to avoid. If you do need these medications, be sure to have a physician's careful guidance.

Natural, restorative sleep can be achieved in a natural way in most cases. Give yourself the time and ability to re-learn how to sleep--one step at a time. Before you know it, you'll be snoozing well and waking up even better!

Making Proteins Work as Carbs

Carbohydrates can be troublesome when it comes to keeping weight under control. Unfortunately, carbs are lurking in so many of the foods that are eaten in abundance in our daily diets.

What to do? Substitute protein-rich foods to help keep the carb/protein balance a little more...balanced.

One suggestion that is making its rounds on Facebook and other Internet site is using grated cauliflower to make pizza crust. More and more the use of chick pea flour is being utilized into a number of recipes including bread. Zucchini that is very finely sliced will work as lasagna "pasta". Nut flours such as almond and coconut can be used in place of white or wheat flour in pancake or muffin recipes. 

No, it won't have the same taste or have the same "mouth feel" as traditional pizza crust, bread, pancakes, or muffins. That comes from the highly processed/high simple carbohydrate white flour. We've grown to love these tastes, but we also need to realize that we pay for them with our health if they're eaten in excess. Our bodies become more insulin resistant when we constantly eat white flour foods; as a result, inflammation becomes an issue and damages our arteries, our kidneys, and our pancreas, just to name a few of the parts of the body that suffers. 

So, have that good, old-fashioned pizza or pancake or lasagna or bread and enjoy it...just not constantly. Make it a treat, not a daily diet item. In between, try the lower carb/higher protein substitutions. 

Ancient Grains

Most all of us are familiar with the usual grains and grain products that we find on our grocery shelves and in our pantries. Some of the most popular would be wheat, oats, and rice. However, when looking at expanding your grain-eating repertoire, think about some of the following:

1. barley--a grain that is less starchy than rice, it has a good source of fiber, vitamin B, copper, and iron. Barley is great to use in filling soups.

2. spelt--it's been around since medieval times. It is a wheat product, but some can use it even with a wheat sensitivity (always be sure to tread carefully!). It is packed with lots of great magnesium, iron, and zinc. 

3. amaranth--a very ancient grain, it's a nice alternative to the morning oatmeal or rice. It has a great deal of protein and some much-needed amino acids. It works great with berries and nuts for a morning treat.

Don't limit your palate when looking at grains. Most of these can be found in grocery stores or health food stores. Keep watching the Recipes page for some tasty recipes using these grains.

(Information borrowed from http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/nutrition/12-ancient-grains-you-may-have-never-tried.html)

Snow Bound...Again

The weather outside is, as they say, frightful. More snow and more ice. Our cats realized that this morning at feeding time as they followed out to the compost pile. They were skating as much as they were walking. We two-foot variety need to take it easy on days like this, too...one wrong step and we're healing up well into the promising days of spring. So, take it easy out there and stay healthy!

While you're once again stuck indoors, why not do a good deed? It will brighten up your home and your heart. Just doing that nice thing for someone else will also lift your spirits and perk up your health. Call someone that is alone, write a good old-fashioned note to someone, or grab those scraps and make a little lap blanket for someone in the nursing home. There are also missions going to destitute countries that are always in need of blankets and mended gently-used clothing for those in need...good deeds are always available for us to do. 

For the recipe today, be sure to check the Recipes page. It's a really pretty and tasty quinoa salad with lots of taste and crunch!

Remember that, even if you're stuck inside, you can still use your own body for some great weight-bearing and resistance exercises. Even gentle stretching and gentle spinal twists wake up the body and the mind. Google some good, basic yoga stretches and check out some useful instruction on You Tube. Make each day count...even when you're "stuck". Your body will thank you when it's time to be moving and working outside with yard/garden activities. 

Spreading the Word

Happy February! The project of Eat Well, Live Well Pike County is now officially in its second month of sharing healthy recipes, exercise and fitness opportunities, healthy dining options, etc. for the good folks of Pike County. The goal is to reach as many people as possible and encourage them to look at their current lifestyles and see where healthy adjustments can be made. Extreme measures aren't necessary for the vast majority of us. Something as simple as cutting out one sugary snack a day or by-passing the fast food over-eaters special can make a real difference!

I was talking to Beth Schilling the other day while interviewing her introducing her gym. She asked me how I was going to get the word out beyond the regulars that were already reading health-related materials and learning good practices. 

Good question. 

And you, readers of this blog, are the answer. If each one of you give the website to a couple of people, we can more than likely double the readership. For those of you not getting the website in your email each day, check your spam boxes. It's probably drifting there. You can re-set your mailbox to make it a good thing to receive in your mailboxes. If you read the website as a link through Facebook, please share the post.

We have a rare opportunity to do something really neat...we can get the whole county (or the greater majority of it) involved in the idea of getting healthier. Perhaps we can work together and keep childhood obesity and other diseases at a minimum. Perhaps we can encourage those who know that it's time to turn around unhealthy practices. And, perhaps, we can raise our statistics for this county to be a little less sickly and a little more healthy for now and for generations to come. 

Please come be a a part of the change. Spread the word.

If any of you have an idea to share to make this blog more helpful, please share it! Just drop your idea into the comments section. The blog belongs to everyone; with lots of ideas, it can be a really helpful place to all.