***Just because its the crazy holiday season, that's no excuse to go crazy and resort to unhealthy habits. We feel festive, we feel entitled (especially when we're stressed), we may feel childlike and like this sugar laden, ooey-gooey something is a "gift for me"! Get a-hold of yourself people! It's a gift for your hips and although "hips don't lie", don't trust them! They'll get squishy real fast if you feed them too much of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff. It's all about balance.
***Eating healthy doesn't mean doing without; or being sad and forlorn at the buffet. It means adding a little "girl math" to your meals. (You don't have to ba a girl!) Rachel Ray says that if you eat right you can eat more.
Its like shoes. If you save $$ on a pair of earrings, you can spend that on shoes! -You know, girl math! Eat well, don't be a pig and make sure you get your whole grains and veggies. Here are a few more ideas...
***No matter what the corn syrup lobbist says, there's a difference in how your body metabolizes sweeteners. Dr. Oz, world renowned cardiologist, author and TV host says that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) isn't seen by your body as food. And without going all technical on you, our bodies won't
turn on the 'stop eating' chemical. Yikes! No wonder we feel like we're
going to burst! Read labels. Adjust your diet.
***Agave syrup (right next to the honey on the grocery shelf) has a lower glycemic index than honey or sugar. Again simply, glycemic index means how fast your blood sugar shoots up. High blood sugar = not good. Agave has no
specific taste. Use for baking or instead of honey or sugar in anything.
And, while we're on syrup: Get the real thing! Real maple syrup costs more than brown colored HFCS so you'll use it sparingly!
***Soda is bad- the worst waste of your calorie investment. Try this:
Mix frozen orange juice concentrate with a small amount of seltzer. When smooth, add more selzer to taste. No guilt orange soda! Works with grape juice (make sure you get the good stuff with no sugar or fake chemical sweetener)or pineapple juice, or apple juice.
***Apple juice is a great sweetener too. Use instead of water to cook Old Fashioned Oatmeal. (Not the instant gunk! In fact, the best is steel cut oats, but they take the longest to cook.) I'm not expecting miracles! If you use apple juice and maybe some raisins, you'll use less sweetener. If you miss brown sugar (no better than white sugar), add a dab of molasses. Brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added. I make my own.
***Get some whole wheat flour and use it for thickening gravy, coating chicken, baking, etc. Forget you ever heard of white flour! Use ONLY 100%
whole grain bread, tortillas, rolls, pitas, etc. (100% means they can't lie about how much white flour they sneak in there!)There is no excuse, they're all available. You have too much else to think about around the holidays to be worrying about if you're getting enough fiber. Make more things automatic and it won't be hard to incorporate good habits.
***Oh, and at the buffet, visit the veg platter first so you can use your girl math when it comes to dessert!
*** It may seem like we're all too busy to start changing things, but if not now then when? There's always something going on. Then again, there's always plenty of time while recovering from any number of diet-related conditions! Too snarky? Consider it a holiday wake-up-call, my little Naturegirl gift to you! Try some little things. Let me know how they work out.
***Rachel Ray has some good healthy ideas, and Drs. Oz and Roizen (Oz's brilliant co-author) have written a wonderful series of "YOU" books; ie
"You on a Diet" and "You, the Owners Manual". All of their books are found on Amazon. For your convenience, you can reach them through the carousel on the right.->
***Have a happy and healthy, guilt free holiday season right through New
Years Eve...less Resolutions on Jan. 2nd!
Birdwatching, Gardening, Deep Thinking
Monday, November 29, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Renewal
***This morning as I began my day. I was feeling a little less than hopeful;
maybe somewhere in the range of blah or ho-hum. (Its Monday). So, I took my own advice and went outside to fill the bird feeder.
***I immediately felt the cool air. It was refreshing. My eye was taken by a shiny something in the grass. What is that? It looked like leftover tinsel from last year's tree. Right in the middle of the yard, in a shadow. ***Then a glistening diamond caught my eye across the yard. Dangling from a low tree was a beautiful large dewdrop. Wow. There was a thick fog last night so a heavy dew is responsible for the sparkle.
***Then I noticed the smell of morning. No, not eggs & bacon, but earth and leaves! My senses are awakening. What better place for them to do that but in Nature. You don't even have to go camping for this delight.
***The colors are drawing me now. A pretty, persistant Petunia is showing me her lavender lushiousness. A happy little Tropicana rose surprises me
by popping out even more beautiful bright orange blooms after resting a month or more. The trees are wearing their Autumnal best and the grass and evergreens show off many verdant shades.
***Nothing is moving. The stillness is most likely caused by a lurking Hawk. "Cooper" has been keeping the residents on their little birdie toes!
They'll be back. They always are. Like the seasons and the weather and the Spring flowers, Nature is continually renewing Herself. And so should we.
***The purpose of this space is so that I can share with you my appreciation
for the "Finer Things In Life". Put in perspective, that's what Nature is.
The renewal, rebirth works over & over. I guess that's the definition of renewal, isn't it? Its a sure thing in an unsure world. I want to convey
to you this deep secure Spiritual anchor to Life Itself that benefits me and connects us all to all that is.
***I was interrupted in my revielle and lost that "lovin'
feelin'". Went back outside and checked on that bright little gem in the grass. It was a tiny delicate web, bedazzled by the dewdrops. There's no "Finer Thing" than that on a late Autumn Monday morning.
maybe somewhere in the range of blah or ho-hum. (Its Monday). So, I took my own advice and went outside to fill the bird feeder.
***I immediately felt the cool air. It was refreshing. My eye was taken by a shiny something in the grass. What is that? It looked like leftover tinsel from last year's tree. Right in the middle of the yard, in a shadow. ***Then a glistening diamond caught my eye across the yard. Dangling from a low tree was a beautiful large dewdrop. Wow. There was a thick fog last night so a heavy dew is responsible for the sparkle.
***Then I noticed the smell of morning. No, not eggs & bacon, but earth and leaves! My senses are awakening. What better place for them to do that but in Nature. You don't even have to go camping for this delight.
***The colors are drawing me now. A pretty, persistant Petunia is showing me her lavender lushiousness. A happy little Tropicana rose surprises me
by popping out even more beautiful bright orange blooms after resting a month or more. The trees are wearing their Autumnal best and the grass and evergreens show off many verdant shades.
***Nothing is moving. The stillness is most likely caused by a lurking Hawk. "Cooper" has been keeping the residents on their little birdie toes!
They'll be back. They always are. Like the seasons and the weather and the Spring flowers, Nature is continually renewing Herself. And so should we.
***The purpose of this space is so that I can share with you my appreciation
for the "Finer Things In Life". Put in perspective, that's what Nature is.
The renewal, rebirth works over & over. I guess that's the definition of renewal, isn't it? Its a sure thing in an unsure world. I want to convey
to you this deep secure Spiritual anchor to Life Itself that benefits me and connects us all to all that is.
***I was interrupted in my revielle and lost that "lovin'
feelin'". Went back outside and checked on that bright little gem in the grass. It was a tiny delicate web, bedazzled by the dewdrops. There's no "Finer Thing" than that on a late Autumn Monday morning.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sacred Moment
I love on Autumn evenings how the leaves begin to glow,
The grey clouds seem to hover as the sun peeks out below.
A spotlight shines across my yard and beams upon the trees.
The moment is so beautiful it brings me to my knees.
The contrast of the golden light that plays upon dark tones
of evergreen and sepia and Nature no one owns.
A sunset is a gift from God for just a few to see.
It lingers not, but hurries on. It doesn't wait for me.
For those of us who catch it, a calm and thoughtful lot;
Are the ones who find such wonder, the ones who Time forgot.
It marches on not caring who witnesses the show
So take the time to notice as the sun slips down below.
If you're hurried, worried, harried, you may miss your chance tonight.
But in Autumn, in the evening sometimes there's a sacred light!
The grey clouds seem to hover as the sun peeks out below.
A spotlight shines across my yard and beams upon the trees.
The moment is so beautiful it brings me to my knees.
The contrast of the golden light that plays upon dark tones
of evergreen and sepia and Nature no one owns.
A sunset is a gift from God for just a few to see.
It lingers not, but hurries on. It doesn't wait for me.
For those of us who catch it, a calm and thoughtful lot;
Are the ones who find such wonder, the ones who Time forgot.
It marches on not caring who witnesses the show
So take the time to notice as the sun slips down below.
If you're hurried, worried, harried, you may miss your chance tonight.
But in Autumn, in the evening sometimes there's a sacred light!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
A Case for Birding
***These are interesting times. Stressful, intense, fast-moving times. Everyone's in such a hurry. We know stress isn't good for us, but most of us don't have a clue how to take a moment and just breathe. Well Naturegirl has a suggestion for you...
***GO OUTSIDE! No surprise there! But what to do when you get there? Its
great to just breathe in the fresh air, to notice the difference between the scent of Nature as opposed to the stuff we don't even notice wafting through our lungs. Try it, and be aware of yourself in the moment when you do.
***That's enough for some people, but for birders its just the begining.
Pretty much anywhere you are, they are there too -sometimes watching you right back. In fact, you can bet those little flying acrobats were aware of you long before you spotted them. Catbirds in particular love to sneak up on you and check out what you're doing. They get really close and its obvious they are people-watching. One day I swear I'll look up to see one spying on me with a pair of tiny binoculars! Catbirds are great singers from the "Mockingbird school" of tunes. And if you are lucky, when he or she turns to go, you may see the beautiful burgundy patch they keep in hiding on the underside of their tail.
***Bird watching, or birding as we bird-brains call it, is a fun, rewarding
inexpensive hobby. You can do it all by yourself or involve the whole family. Birding is great for kids as it helps to develop skills of observation and alertness. Not to mention it gets them off the couch! Those same skills are also helpful to seniors. Heck, we could all use a trip off the couch from time to time!
***It is very helpful to have a pair of binoculars and a bird book. There are loads of books on the subject and even the most basic can get you started. The same holds true for binoculars or field glasses. See my suggestions on the carousel to the right. My rule of thumb is "never take a bird for granted". Many times I discovered a new species in my yard that I thought was a sparrow I had seen before. Ho-hum turned to oh wow! You never know til you look closely! Lots of beautiful little warblers look quite dull to the naked eye. Especially when they're whipping through the treetops. Even the "usual suspects" are beautiful up close.
***For instance, the Mourning Dove is really beautiful, especially the males in Spring. They appear to be grey and tones of dull beige-y, taupe.
In truth they have extraordinary coloring. Mourning Doves' feet are hot pink! They get patches of metallic gold and metallic fuschia on their necks (to match their feet)! And, they have beautiful wedgewood blue caps on their heads and matching blue eye-rings.
***Don't count out those sparrows either! The Brownish looking White Throated comes in two color schemes. Stripes on the head are brown & beige or black & white and both have brilliant yellow spots between the eye and bill. All have the reputed white throat.
***Have I made my case yet? Are you heading for Amazon to order an Audubon book and some binos? Do it. You won't regret it and your family and/or birding buddy will be forever grateful for inspiring a new lifelong passion. Relax, breathe, go birding!
***GO OUTSIDE! No surprise there! But what to do when you get there? Its
great to just breathe in the fresh air, to notice the difference between the scent of Nature as opposed to the stuff we don't even notice wafting through our lungs. Try it, and be aware of yourself in the moment when you do.
***That's enough for some people, but for birders its just the begining.
Pretty much anywhere you are, they are there too -sometimes watching you right back. In fact, you can bet those little flying acrobats were aware of you long before you spotted them. Catbirds in particular love to sneak up on you and check out what you're doing. They get really close and its obvious they are people-watching. One day I swear I'll look up to see one spying on me with a pair of tiny binoculars! Catbirds are great singers from the "Mockingbird school" of tunes. And if you are lucky, when he or she turns to go, you may see the beautiful burgundy patch they keep in hiding on the underside of their tail.
***Bird watching, or birding as we bird-brains call it, is a fun, rewarding
inexpensive hobby. You can do it all by yourself or involve the whole family. Birding is great for kids as it helps to develop skills of observation and alertness. Not to mention it gets them off the couch! Those same skills are also helpful to seniors. Heck, we could all use a trip off the couch from time to time!
***It is very helpful to have a pair of binoculars and a bird book. There are loads of books on the subject and even the most basic can get you started. The same holds true for binoculars or field glasses. See my suggestions on the carousel to the right. My rule of thumb is "never take a bird for granted". Many times I discovered a new species in my yard that I thought was a sparrow I had seen before. Ho-hum turned to oh wow! You never know til you look closely! Lots of beautiful little warblers look quite dull to the naked eye. Especially when they're whipping through the treetops. Even the "usual suspects" are beautiful up close.
***For instance, the Mourning Dove is really beautiful, especially the males in Spring. They appear to be grey and tones of dull beige-y, taupe.
In truth they have extraordinary coloring. Mourning Doves' feet are hot pink! They get patches of metallic gold and metallic fuschia on their necks (to match their feet)! And, they have beautiful wedgewood blue caps on their heads and matching blue eye-rings.
***Don't count out those sparrows either! The Brownish looking White Throated comes in two color schemes. Stripes on the head are brown & beige or black & white and both have brilliant yellow spots between the eye and bill. All have the reputed white throat.
***Have I made my case yet? Are you heading for Amazon to order an Audubon book and some binos? Do it. You won't regret it and your family and/or birding buddy will be forever grateful for inspiring a new lifelong passion. Relax, breathe, go birding!
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