Archive for the ‘Energy’ Category

Healthy Recipe: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

April 25th, 2010 Soulshine

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1 Tbs. ground cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
  • 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 cup quinoa
  • 3 large carrots, grated (11/2 cups)
  • 11/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided or Daiya Vegan Cheese
  • 4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed

Directions:

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Posted in Animal Foods, Awakening Spirituality, Carbohydrates, Compassionate Eating, Dairy, Disease, Energy, Exercise, Fats, Healthy Diet, Healthy Reciepes, Local, Mindful Eating, Nutrition, Organic, Spirituality, Sugar, Vegan, Vegetarian, Weight-loss, detoxification, healthy recipe Tags: , , , , , 13 Comments »

An Alkaline Diet and Mindful Eating

April 13th, 2010 Soulshine

Just recently, there has been an explosion in nutrition awareness and conscious dieting. Dieting and proper nutrition is the practice of regulating the ingestion of the types of food to control weight or improve overall health. There have been developments in nutrition, not only in taking on the proper lifestyle changes that make us lose weight, but in consuming foods that are healthy and good for our bodies as well. It is extremely vital to eat an alkaline diet. This diet looks at nutrition with a new angle. It explores the acidic effects of foods and how you can improve your health by balancing your acidic and alkaline food intake.

Most people regularly eat foods that are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates. Breakfast foods such as pancakes and muffins are infamous for containing high sugars and carbohydrates thus increasing high acid levels and pH levels in our bodies. Eating this kind of diet on a regular basis  poses health risks as well as develops an unhealthy acid level in the body. Such health risks include heart problems, skin problems, and calcium related issues. Having an imbalanced acid level also makes people prone to illness and causes headaches, anxiety and irritability.

This acid imbalance in the body can be neutralized or balanced out by consuming the right amounts of acid forming and alkaline forming foods.  A diet consisting of alkaline foods can create a healthier, more pH-balanced body. An alkaline diet would consist mostly of all vegetables and fresh fruits with low sugar such as oranges and other citrus fruits. This diet also includes  potatoes, yams, nuts, and legumes like peas and nuts. The diet also encourages the consumer to avoid acid forming foods such as meat, dairy products, chocolate, bread and all kind of other yeast products. If possible, a whole, living food conscious vegan diet bares the most resemblance.  Drinks that are acidic should additionally be avoided. Drinks like alcohol, carbonated soft drinks, caffeinated coffee and tea can increase the acidity in your body as well.

The diet is not only healthy in terms of pH level and alkaline forming foods but most alkaline foods also provide other nutritional values as well as contain even less harmful qualities like carbohydrates and fat. Most alkaline foods give your body a boost of essential vitamins and minerals and healthy fats and enzymes that are natural and generally improve health. It is recommended to people who are lacking in energy and are prone to illness such as frequent colds and flu. An alkaline diet also reduces the chance of kidney stones, osteoporosis and heart related issues.

After a certain time period of consuming these alkaline foods, your body will immediately react to this diet. The alkaline diet restores the ideal pH level of your body as well as extracts acid wastes from your digestive system. Eating alkaline foods also improves your body’s energy levels. You will immediately feel energized and find yourself getting tired, less and less. The diet also improves skin tone and skin health because of the improved acid levels in your body.  One of the strongest benefits of an alkaline diet, is the reduced risk of allergies, arthritis, heart problems as well as mental clarity.

Plenty of fresh, purified water should be consumed.  Preferably ionized water or water purified via reverse osmosis.

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Green SuperFoods

April 6th, 2010 Soulshine

What Are Green Superfoods?

Superfoods are a category of foods found in nature, they are superior sources of essential nutrients-nutrients we need but can not make ourselves. We all may be adding more salads and vegetables to our diets, but concern for the quality of foods grown on mineral depleted soils makes superfoods popular. They are nutritionally more potent then regular foods and are wonderful food sources of anti-oxidants for healthy healing. Superfoods are nutrient dense and calorie sparse.

Green Vibrance Review

An excellent formulation of spirulina, grasses and vegetable powders. Includes a nice selection of “extra botanicals” including bee pollen, ginko biloba, green tea extract, and Astragalus. Contains a slightly high amount of filler/fibrous ingredients, but that’s offset by an excellent price tag. Also has a fruit blend, probiotic cultures and enzymes. The mango powder, cayenne, and ginger are excellent additions. Overall, this is an excellent formulation at a reasonable price.

Manufacturer’s Description

Restorative, concentrated superfood. Supports the four foundations of Health: Nutrition, Digestion, Circulation & Immunity. Designed to rehabilitae the digestive tract, thereby improving nutrient absorption. Delivers a host of trace nutrients. Improves circulation and cardiovascular health in order to deliver those nutrients to every cell of the body. Supports a vigorous and efficient immune system to protect the body from invaders. Supports directly & indirectly the other body systems (musculo-skelatal, neurological, integumentary, respiratory, urinary, endocrine, cardiovascular/circulatory, digestive, reproductive and immune).

Where To Purchase

Health Food Stores

Comes in powder, single-serving packets and capsules.

Taste

Slightly grassy. Slightly Earthy

Pros

Contains a nice array of nutrient-rich food powders, together with a good selection of “special herbs,” such as Astragalus, green tea extract, bee pollen, vitamin E, milk thistle, ginko biloba, Suma, bladderwrack, rockweed, ginger root and cayenne. Good cost-benefit ratio and a very well thought-out formulation.

Cons

Some of the special herbs in this formulation may be herbs that you purchase separately, and so may be duplicating your purchase with this formulation. Many, however, are well chosen, in that you cannot get too much of them (green tea, pollen, vitamin E, ginger and cayenne for example). Contains Fructo-Oligosaccharides and an unknown fiber, trademarked “FiberAid”

Recommended Usage

Mix in juice or water, one Serving per day.

Certifications & Manufacturing

No organic or kosher certifications. The following ingredients are organic: Spirulina, Alfalfa Grass juice powder, Barley grass juice powder, Oat Grass juice powder, Wheat Grass Juice powder, Alfalfa sprout powder, Kamut grass juice powder, Parsley powder, Beet juice powder, Carrot root powder, Broccoli sprout powder, Spinach powder, Nova Scotia Dulse, Rockweed, Whole Apple powder, Acerola berry juice powder, Ginger root powder, cayenne pepper powder.

100% Gluten free
Company tests every ingredient before manufacturing.
Manufacturing is in-house.
Company lists measurements of all ingredients on label.

Price

12.17oz = $46.95 ($3.86 per ounce)
24.34oz = $78.50 ($3.22 per ounce)

Price per oz: $3.86

Posted in Awakening Spirituality, Compassionate Eating, Disease, Energy, Exercise, Healthy Diet, Healthy Reciepes, Mindful Eating, Nutrition, Organic, Vegan, Vegetarian, detoxification Tags: , , , No Comments »

Water and Health: The Story Of Bottled Water

April 4th, 2010 Soulshine

This is a fantastic video that gives great information about the bottled water issue.  At the conclusion she mentions “…clean, safe water for all”, meaning tap water. Bottled water is undoubtedly a menace in many ways, but don’t assume that tap water is automatically healthy in your city or town.  The most logical step is to? filter your own tap supplied water because public water supply infrastructure that’s needed to clean and deliver safe tap water is ultimately too expensive.  I recommend a water ionization unit or a reverse osmosis filter.

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Healthy Recipe: Smoky Chipotle & Mushroom Chile

April 1st, 2010 Soulshine

2 cups onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
1 cup red pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
12 oz. portabello mushrooms, roughly chopped
8 oz. button mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice, roughly chopped
2 T. garlic, minced
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. ground cumin
2 t. chili powder
1 – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 – 15 oz. cans kidney beans, rinsed, and drained
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 T. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, pureed
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
2 T. dark miso

In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the green, red, and jalapeno peppers, and saute an additional 3 minutes. Add both types of mushrooms and garlic, and saute an additional 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin, and saute an additional 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients, except the 1/4 cups water and miso, and cook over low heat for 20-30 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the 1/4 cups water and miso, then add it to the pot, and simmer the chili an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.

Serves 8

Posted in Animal Foods, Awakening Spirituality, Carbohydrates, Compassionate Eating, Dairy, Disease, Energy, Exercise, Fats, Healthy Diet, Healthy Reciepes, Mindful Eating, Nutrition, Spirituality, Vegan, Vegetarian, detoxification, healthy recipe Tags: , , , No Comments »

The Importance of Skinny Bitch

March 29th, 2010 Soulshine

It’s a “diet” book, but it’s also an awareness book. Don’t let the name scare you. It’s a great book to a least flip through. I had been feeling run down from my first desk job, so, being a vegetarian, I wanted a guide to healthy eating. Some rules that I could live by, not just something I could apply for a month or two and then go back to eating half of a cheese pizza and some candy for dessert.

I read this book, and the first thing I did was quit my coffee habit! Now, this is no small feat. I worship coffee! I’ve read long books on the history of coffee, like Uncommon Grounds (another great book, by the way, if you’re at all a history buff). SO after my withdrawal symptoms including headaches, nausea, and BODY ACHES — no one told me about these hellish body aches — subsided, I went out and bought all organic vegan products from my local health food store. When I say “local,” I actually mean about a half an hour away, so we stocked up!

I’ve been vegan for 2 weeks now. I don’t consume refined white sugar or aspartame or high-fructose corn syrup or white bread, white rice, or white flour. I also don’t buy any products with any of these things listed in the ingredients.

How am I doing?

Shockingly well! I have more energy now, I’ve been jogging 4 days a week and practicing yoga, and I feel good about the positive mental side effects: it’s an anticruelty diet. That says a lot.

The cons? The rest of the world will think you’re crazy! My husband Carl, who eats fish but is otherwise a vegetarian, nearly lost it completely.

“What are you going to eat?!! What CAN you eat? A twig?”
“An organic twig,” I tried to joke. “No, you’d be surprised…”

He had a couple of days to adjust and let his mind wrap around the VEGAN, organic way of life.
It sounds a little frightening, like a Vulcan or something. Maybe vegans are a type of alien. You could certainly view being an alien as a drawback. Somehow (especially after reading the chapter entitled “You Are What You Eat” in Skinny Bitch) whenever I get invited to lunch gatherings to steak houses and the like and I see everyone mashing carcasses of previously abused animals into their mouths, I feel like I must be on the wrong planet. I like these people and I want to be polite, but…
Spock: If I were human, I believe my response would be: ‘go to hell’. If I were human.
The Final Frontier
…thanks, Mr. Spock. But I don’t think I’m quite there, yet.
But, it’s a fun book that’s easy to read but has a lot of impact.
Source

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Fruits, Veggies & Pesticides

March 23rd, 2010 Soulshine

The Environmental Working Group recently analyzed samples of 47 common produce items in the state that they’re usually eaten (i.e., avocados were peeled, apples washed with water, etc.) then ranked them according to the amount and variety of pesticides the researchers found. Bananas come in at a surprisingly high 27, and cucumbers at 19. “It’s really hard to use your intuition to figure out what’s going to have high pesticide loads,” says EWG spokesperson Amy Rosenthal. “Skin is something to take into account, but it doesn’t always make a huge difference.”

More findings: Peaches, apples, and sweet bell peppers were the three most pesticide-laden crops tested, while frozen sweet corn, avocado, and onion were least contaminated. The EWG team estimates you can lower your pesticide intake by as much as 80 percent if you steer clear of the top 12.

In descending order, the EWG’s 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables:

RANK FRUIT OR VEGGIE SCORE
1 (worst) Peach 100 (highest pesticide load)
2 Apple 93
3 Sweet Bell Pepper 83
4 Celery 82
5 Nectarine 81
6 Strawberries 80
7 Cherries 73
8 Kale 69
9 Lettuce 67
10 Grapes – Imported 66
11 Carrot 63
12 Pear 63
13 Collard Greens 60
14 Spinach 58
15 Potato 56
16 Green Beans 53
17 Summer Squash 53
18 Pepper 51
19 Cucumber 50
20 Raspberries 46
21 Grapes – Domestic 44
22 Plum 44
23 Orange 44
24 Cauliflower 39
25 Tangerine 37
26 Mushrooms 36
27 Banana 34
28 Winter Squash 34
29 Cantaloupe 33
30 Cranberries 33
31 Honeydew Melon 30
32 Grapefruit 29
33 Sweet Potato 29
34 Tomato 29
35 Broccoli 28
36 Watermelon 26
37 Papaya 20
38 Eggplant 20
39 Cabbage 17
40 Kiwi 13
41 Sweet Peas – Frozen 10
42 Asparagus 10
43 Mango 9
44 Pineapple 7
45 Sweet Corn – Frozen 2
46 Avocado 1
47 (best) Onion 1 (lowest pesticide load)

Source

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Produce With The Least Amount of Contamination

March 20th, 2010 Soulshine

Buying organic produce can get pretty damn expensive.  It’s okay to prioritize a bit and use non-organic varieties of the fruits and vegetables listed below, which usually contain the smallest amount of pesticides. You should still make it a habit to wash them thoroughly prior to  eating or cooking to remove dirt and bacteria.  You can also look for locally grown produce which also has many benefits as opposed to fruits and vegetables that have been flown across the planet.  Local farmers markets are fantastic for locally grown produce which also support smaller, local farmers as well as your local economy.  According to the Environmental Working Group, these are the fruits and vegetables least likely to be contaminated:

  1. Onions
  2. Avocados
  3. Sweet corn
  4. Pineapples
  5. Mangos
  6. Asparagus
  7. Sweet peas
  8. Kiwi
  9. Cabbage
  10. Eggplant
  11. Papaya
  12. Watermelon
  13. Broccoli
  14. Tomatoes
  15. Sweet potatoes
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Delicious Tomato Mushroom Sauce

March 19th, 2010 Soulshine
A healthy and delicious recipe that is bound to impress.  A healthy diet is vital to an over all healthy mind, body and spirit.
Enjoy this recipe for lunch or dinner.  Eat slow, savoring each bite and take a nice 15 minute walk after words to aid in your digestion.

Tomato Mushroom Sauce
Description
It’s nice to make your own tomato sauce. Of course, time doesn’t always permit it, but when it does, try it. This is a favorite of mine that I use quite a bit in pastas and vegetable dishes.
Ingredients
12 medium ripe tomatoes or 16 ounces canned peeled organic tomatoes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound mushrooms, diced or chopped
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons basil
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
If using fresh tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice an ‘X’ on the bottom of each tomato, and drop them in the boiling water until the skins start to loosen, about 2 minutes.

Drain and cool completely.

When cool, squeeze each tomato over a strainer set over a bowl to trap the seeds, reserving the juice and the pulp.

Purée the juice and the pulp in a food processor until smooth. If you are using canned tomatoes, simply scrape out the excess seeds and mash the tomatoes with their juice by hand or with a fork.

Sauté the onions with the green peppers in the olive oil in a large sauté pan for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the wine, mushrooms, herbs, salt, the tomato purée, and the bay leaf. Simmer for 1/2 hour.

Remove the bay leaf. Mix in the tomato paste and the honey and cook for 10 more minutes.

Makes about 4 cups

Source
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How Important Are Multivitamins?

March 16th, 2010 Soulshine

There is absolutely NO substitute for a ultra low-fat, whole-living-food diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that supply the essential vitamins and minerals which we need in order to stay healthy.  Unfortunately, most people do not eat right and get the diet they need to stay healthy.

Add to that the potential harmful side effects of stress, aging, lack of exercise, pollution, illness, and supplements become even more important. That’s why so many experts now recommend that most people take a high-quality, daily multivitamin.

You should not depend on your multivitamin for your daily vitamins and minerals.  When used properly it will support a healthy diet, exercise and emotional health.  If your intent is to take a multi as your primary source of goodness, you are failing miserably.

If you haven’t taken a multivitamin – don’t worry.  The good news is that it is not too late to start a healthy regimen.

I reitarate,  taking a multivitamin is not a license to skip your fruits, veggies and grains. A daily multivitamin should be part of a healthy diet, not a substitute for it.

When you are ready to look for a high-quality supplement, take the following points into consideration:

  • Read the label on the bottles. Ingredients for the supplements should be from organic sources whenever possible.
  • Dietary Supplements should be tested for toxic substances and any kind of contamination such as lead or mercury.
  • Look for hypoallergenic products if you have sensitivity problems or allergies. On the labels, avoid products which have wheat, yeast and corn.
  • Look for an expiration date and make sure the product is fresh. If there is no expiration date on the label, buy something else.
  • Dietary supplements are not regulated, so the amount of the nutrients that are claimed on the label might be different than what is really in the pills. Contact the lab that makes the vitamin supplements and ask them how they test their products. A good company will have professionals who can answer your questions. If you don’t get an answer, you may wish to find another company.
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