Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

“Clever Mouse,” Whispers the Elephant to Himself

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I have turned into a tiny field mouse, and now, my task is to eat an elephant.

It’s something I’ve done before when I couldn’t even see how big the elephant was. It might be the size of a three-month meal.

No.

A six-month meal.

No.

Will it be a year?

We’ll see.

No.

Longer than that.

Are you being asked to eat an elephant? Do you even know how big it is? Can you see your elephant growing?

These elephants can be tricky.

Sometimes, you think you’ve taken that last bite as you pat yourself on the back for hanging in there, and then – BAM! – something else comes up.

That’s called life.

At present, I am face-to-face with an elephant named DOWNSIZING. Downsizing from living in the same house for 42 years. Downsizing to a new town – to a brand-new life – with my brand-new forever love.

To everything there is a season, and this is the season for fresh starts. After mindfully moving along from loss, grief, and exhaustion – I am ready for this new chapter of continued discovery and adventure.

Will it start after this VERY LARGE meal? No.

Life is now. In the present – and I am going to enjoy each bite of this meal because life experiences have given me the skills needed to press on.

Yes, there will be lots of learning. I’ve never sold my house before – or rented a storage unit for my dwindling stuff before – or built a new house in a subdivision before – or sold furniture online before.

But, you know, it’s all good. My friends and loved ones are offering all kinds of support and help. The right professionals are coming my way.

There was that moment of feeling mouse-sized, overwhelmed, and crushed by the enormity of the work ahead. That’s when loved ones stepped in to remind me that I needed to step back and celebrate the day’s efforts.

Downsizing does not have to wait for retirement. We can reduce our quantity of possessions at any stage of life. Travel lighter. Do we really need 10 black pullover tops? Have we opened that book on the shelf in the last 5 – 10 years?

As a follow-up to the post last week about showing some love before we go, I am working toward showing some love to those who will survive me by simplifying and organizing my possessions. It’s hard enough as a survivor to go through someone else’s stuff without also having to go through their clutter.

Yes, it’s tough letting go of stuff.

Find a good home for your extra stuff. Feel good about making a gift of something you no longer need to someone who will appreciate it.

Throw the years out-of-date food/make-up/yard care products into the garbage.

Remember … it’s only stuff.

There’s a garbage bag calling me … time to discover what has been languishing in that bottom bathroom drawer…Yikes! Stuff!

Always striving to balance mind, body, and spirit through food, exercise, and thought –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction

Before You Go

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We are publishing this post on Monday, Valentine’s Day, instead of Tuesday, because we have an important message about how our love can be much bigger than hearts, flowers, loving sentiments, kisses, or hugs.

It may be easier to buy a box of chocolates, perhaps, than delve into this topic – but – the legacy of doing these simple things will reverberate with your loved ones in a far deeper and meaningful way that will carry your embrace far longer than the chocolates ever will.

What am I talking about?

Did you know?

Somebody is going to leave.

Yes. Leave.

It might be you first or it may be your loved one.

Age or state of health does not matter at all.

We. Are. Going. To. Die.

Somebody is going to be left behind.

So. Before you go … do this today.

Share. Share your knowledge.

If a clot hits your brain like a bullet train at rush hour five minutes from now, would there be anyone at your job or in your house who knows how to carry on?

Would they know how to write a check, order supplies, know when the next shipment is coming in, how to start the lawn mower, or turn off the water in case of a leak?

Would your family know what your favorite hymns were? Did you want to be cremated? Where did you want your ashes scattered? Is there an insurance policy? Where is it?

So many questions.

Often, there are too few answers for the ones we professed to love who are now going out of their broken minds and hearts trying to navigate on their own without a map or compass.

Their confusion and lack of direction is under our control – until it isn’t.

So, before you go, please click on each link to download Talking Points for The Conversation and The Business Side of Dying Checklist to start the ball rolling today on Valentine’s Day – the day of love.

In these two downloads, you will discover issues that are of immediate concern today – before you go – that help smooth transitions through normal stages of life, death, and survivorship.

Instead of another giant stuffed teddy bear the dog may destroy in a day, how about sharing some real love for when either you or your loved one is left behind?

It’s a gift that will keep on giving.

These two downloads are from my double book: Toolkit for Caregivers. Please share the love by clicking on the MORE button below.

In love and health-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

And Now, We Must Look To The Stars …

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While Deidre is taking some personal time away this week, I thought I would throw in a post of my own. It really doesn’t have much to do with eating right, or clean, or Keto, or kale chips – I do have to tease her sometimes about all that.

I want to talk about one of my favorite subjects – the universe – and I do think about it a lot.

What has that got to do with me, you ask?  Well, plenty actually.

First off, do you even realize where we are in the universe? How big, or small, we are compared to other planets? Do we always turn in the same direction? Why do we have different seasons? Are there more babies born on a full moon? (Yes, there are!)

Because of some of these things, I have often wondered:

How are flight patterns made?

How did we first figure out time zones?

Why did we make the Farmer’s Almanac?

How bad does it have to get to say, “Houston, we have a problem!”

These are just a few, there are thousands more. I’m not trying to be silly; I really do ask myself these questions.

I guess this would be a good time to admit, as long as I can remember, my childhood desire was to be a starship captain – just like Janeway – although I’m a little pudgier. You can’t imagine my disappointment the moment I found out none of it was real – no starship, no Janeway, no five-year expedition tour out in the galaxy. I was heartbroken. I even wrote about it in my children’s book, If the Stars Were Mine.

One thing I don’t question is my belief that God, or a superior being – if you will, made the universe and everything in it – including us. As differently colorful, questioning, amazing, unique, fun-loving, aggravating, and just-plain-weird we all are – I believe there is a bigger plan for everybody and the universe proves it.

To put all this information into context, several years ago, I happen to hear Louis Giglio speak on the universe and I was completely blown away. I was amazed at the information he shared. I found his YouTube video and thought I would include it here so I can share it with all of you.

Louie Giglio – Star Maker

Now let’s talk about one of my favorite spacecrafts. Since its launch on April 24,1990, Hubble Space Telescope has been sending images back to us to witness our incredible world-within-worlds we live in. After all, you could be on the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest, standing proud at 29,032 feet above sea level, and never get a hint of what Hubble can beam back.

We can now see stars and formations such as:

Pillars of Creation, inside the Eagle Nebula

Helix Nebula, otherwise known as the Eye of God

Arp 142 – which looks like a floating angel to me

The Cigar Galaxy

The Cat’s Eye Nebula

The Sombrero Nebula

The Orion Nebula – known as the stellular nursery. It’s where stars are made.

I, personally, believe we were formed and placed within a solar system that deliberately fits perfectly together. And, on top of that, a creator Who knows each of our names, as well as names every one of the stars He creates!

My long-term wish is that I will be able to fly around the universe He keeps building upon. I am going to stand fast on this. Perhaps it is to make up for any disappointment about the whole starship thing. I know they meant well.

Who wants to be my wingman? (Get it?)

What do you suppose we will see when we leave this earth behind? I think the most fun is ahead of us and what we have here is nothing in comparison to what it will be.

When I lose someone I love, I always think of a poem I heard long ago. It brings me such comfort. It’s by Henry Van Dyke and to paraphrase:

Henry Van Dyke

I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, “There, she is gone.”

 And, just at the moment when someone says, “There, she is gone,” there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes!”

Our post this week is dedicated to Deidre’s lifelong friend and neighbor, Reuben Earl Hart, from New Bern, North Carolina.

Fly high, Reuben!

Sheree

A Memorial to Reuben – Unshed Tears

Tears are streaming from my eyes

unbidden

From whence are they coming?

They will not stop

My dear one departed years ago

This kind of grief is past …

Or is it?

Why is my grief so raw?

How is it the faucet won’t turn off?

It seems there are unshed tears for

grief itself

Sprung to life with the passing of

a sweet neighbor

Sprung to life with the kind of

knowing

Only ones who have walked this path

know

I know what kind of a journey

She who is left behind is

starting

Tears for her pain

Tears for the fist pounding pain of loss

Tears for her birthing process in becoming

One who has lost

Everything will be rebuilt

That which we didn’t want rebuilt

New perspectives

we did not want

No

But we are thrust forward

So, these unbidden tears are for

both of us

Tears I had saved, unknowingly

That will buoy us all up in the river

of life

We float along toward the sunny spots

That await and will bless

But

For now

Just know

These tears

Are our Baptismal waters

You are strong and you can float

And you are not alone …

Deidre Edwards for Carole Hart

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, This -n- That

Soup du jour For A Cold Winter Day

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We had our first big snow of the year the other day. Yup. A whopping 3.5 inches of the white stuff in my new central North Carolina home. Back nearer the coast, my former hometown dealt with ice and a bit of snow – sorry, guys.

We are all looking for big bowls of soup or soupy stews to warm our insides here in the Northern Hemisphere. Our down-under friends can file these ideas away for comforting food in a few months.

Over these last few weeks, there have been several soups – including:

Potato Leek Soup – with chunks of leftover ham added after blending, mmm …

Clam Chowder

Spicy lasagna soup with gluten-free lasagna noodles as a substitution

Chili

Plus, a couple of stew-like chicken and vegetable concoctions served over rice using these:

Yai’s Thai brand yellow Thai coconut Curry, and

Mina brand Shakshuka Moroccan Tomato Sauce

These two jarred sauces added just enough punch in their respective stews to make our tastebuds sing. And, in keeping with eating real foods, the ingredient lists are short with only real foods listed. No chemicals or preservatives. Yay.

The chicken-based stews both featured cubes of butternut squash and potatoes. The added potassium in these two have quelled my nighttime foot cramps. Review the post about potassium HERE.

Vegetable components varied using what was on hand for the Shakshuka sauce to bags of frozen Asian stir fry veggies for the curry.

All I had to do was throw the chicken into the crockpot or into a large pan with lid – I prefer boneless and skinless thighs – with the sauce, potato and butternut squash chunks, and onion, and forget about it. When the chicken was tender, extra veggies were added to finish.

Easy-peasy.

I must give a shout-out to Half-Baked Harvest for the yummy Spicy Lasagna Soup. That one is a keeper! Tieghan Gerard has some wonderful recipes on her site. I just eschew most of the dessert and bready items – foods that cause spikes in blood sugar are truly evil – more on that as we revisit Metabolical in a coming post.

Lastly, as I was stationed in the kitchen chopping veggies for these soups and stews, I answered the call of my rumbling tummy with an old childhood favorite.

Do you remember stuffed celery? The kind with peanut butter? Maybe you called it Men in a Boat if raisins were added?

Check out my Reece’s version of Men in a Boat using mini semi-sweet chocolate chips – delish!

In health – fall, winter, spring, and summer – one decision, one bite at a time –

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Titles Worth Reading

Playing The Game Of Clue

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We are presented with a victim covered in band aids.

Every year, more and more band aids are applied to stop our victim’s various leaks. Each effort is quelling one leak, but more leaks keep popping up.

What is the cause?

Are we so busy treating the symptoms, that a true understanding of the causes for our collective diseases are being ignored? Or maybe truly fixing the cause is not financially advantageous to those who are supplying their vast resources of expensive band aids to us?

We explored leaky gut last year HERE, but now I want to soar even higher for an even broader, 50,000-foot view.

Ever wanting to learn more about health and wellness, I have discovered Metabolical by Robert H. Lustig, MD. He compliments my messages in Toolkit for Wellness– our being designed for good health and eating an anti-inflammatory diet – and focuses his prescription for health into 1) protecting the liver and 2) feeding the gut.

In his scholarly book, he peels back layer-after-layer of the band aids to reveal the long-ignored causes. His descriptions of the intricate physiology of cells and body systems underscores my determination to not use band aids – but to prevent needing them in the first place.

Lustig calls this solving the problem upstream – at the source of the trouble.

Where’s the trouble?

In the food.

Processed food, specifically.

Not vegan vs. keto vs. organic vs. fill-in-the-blank.

This is not a new message, I know. Hang with me for a moment.

Lustig supports his conclusions that 75% of the US health dollars and 50% of the world’s health dollars go towards efforts to medically “fix” the host of chronic non-infectious diseases that affect modern society: diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

These fixes are failing at dizzying speed as numbers of cases rise every day despite all the money being spent AND as our life expectancies shrink.

He likens our efforts to medically “fix” these and other noncommunicable diseases that plague us as “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” for all the good they are doing.

Even cancer, autoimmune disease, dementia, and psychiatric disease is being shown to be processed food related, and more cases of advanced disease processes of all kinds are being seen in teenagers.

As I have long said, we are not crumbling genetically – we are feeding our bodies the wrong food. These startling statistics are simply the culmination of 40-50 years of relying upon food-like substances, not real food.

I’m just on page 55 so far, but the over-arching message is that the chronic diseases of today are a result of abnormal metabolism in different cells and different organs of the body. Abnormal metabolism becomes metabolic syndrome which is the springboard for insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver disease – and obesity.

Abnormal metabolism is set aright not by a fix of pills, (band aids), but by food choice.

What’s for dinner tonight? Is there added sugar and/or salt to the ingredients list? When was the last time any of us cooked a meal totally from real/whole food with no labels?

I’ll be sharing more from his book in future posts but let me leave you with Lustig’s experience with trying to advance treatments for his pediatric diabetic patients.

After years of falling in line with the likes of the American Diabetic Association and others who rested their diabetes approaches on “covering” blood sugars with appropriate amounts of insulin, Dr. Lustig proposed something novel: How about decreasing the need for insulin by NOT eating sugar?

He was regarded as if he had sprouted horns.

Why?

Because some studies have not been conclusive as to what raises blood glucose levels. Really? Oh, you mean the studies that were backed by food interests – including Pepsi? Hmmm…

The studies not backed by food/beverage interests did show that sugar causes diabetes (Type 2).

Ta-da!

Food for thought, dear readers. That’s why we call this foodtalk4you.

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In health-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That, Titles Worth Reading

GOD: Yes, I Hear You …

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There are those who pride themselves in avoiding all forms of social media. That’s fine. Taken to an extreme, we are apt to have permanently bent over necks and backs as we gaze at our phones instead of looking up or out at the world in the first person.

Checking on the latest news in my respective feeds is something I do have to rein in from time to time. There is the element of becoming addicted.

But hearing the daily “Banjoy” from George Oliver as he plays a short banjo ditty from his front porch or seeing the latest photograph or drone video from photographer friends, Elaine Varley, Sue Williams, Steve Smith, and Ben Linderman, and my day is brighter.

Then, a friend will post an inspiring thought I might share as well.

Some posts seem to come around every so often. I appreciate the repeated messages of hope and love. Often, they seem to appear just when I need them.

Then, there’s this poem that found its way to my Facebook feed again earlier this month. Perhaps you, too, have seen it:

HEY GOD – Author, John Roedel

Me: Hey God

God: Hello …

Me: I’m falling apart. Can you put me back together?

God: I would rather not.

Me: Why?

God: Because you aren’t a puzzle.

Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?

God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.

Me: You don’t understand! I’m breaking down!

God: No – you don’t understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren’t falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don’t need any more to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don’t fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go.

Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?

God: Only the very best pieces of you.

Me: I’m scared of changing.

God: I keep telling you – YOU AREN’T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING!

Me: Becoming who?

God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don’t change! … Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I’m going to keep telling you this until you remember it.

Me: There goes another piece.

God: Yep. Let it be.

Me: So … I’m not broken?

God: Of course Not! – but you are breaking like the dawn. It’s a new day. Become!! Become!!

Becoming is our everyday state, our journey. My appreciation for the state of becoming increases with each passing year – it’s a part of gaining perspective.

It’s easy to see the uncomfortable changing processes on the heels of tragedy, grief, loss, or enormous positive shifts in our lives. But the subtleties of cleaning out a closet cannot be ignored as we let go, realizing we no longer need this or that.

This becoming thing has lessons for us on cosmic, earthly, and on mundane levels.

The words of John Roedel are resonating with me to the point I have now purchased two of his books and am following him on Facebook. The details of the birth of his writing journey may inspire your own life journey. Check him out HERE.

Just wanted to share something of value with you today.

In health-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Exercise, Habit Building

Work That Body – Do The Lunge!

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You can lunge in so many directions.

You can step forward.

You can step backward.

You can step to the side.

You can even do a curtsy lunge. Just saying – in case you are going to be bowing down to any kind of royalty, this one’s for you.

As we spring into the new year of 2022, my body just seems to naturally want to move more.

Is it because I am pre-programmed to work off those sitting-around-watching-Hallmark-movies-or-bowl-game habits I so easily acquired in November and December? Or is it from the January TV commercial blitz to lose weight or firm up at the gym?

Whatever the reason, my MIND and BODY are telling me – it’s time to get real. Time to dust off my forgotten planks, daily walks, and those morning movements in the kitchen prior to breakfast.

I know that returning to a daily commitment will often rely upon whether the house has warmed up enough yet or if the sun is cheering me on, but first steps have happened.

A start is a start. Small starts count.

So, what has been my start?

Lunges.

Inspired by my past experiences in a pre-Covid gym class and by a loved one’s recent physical therapy exercise recommendations, I am lunging.

It is possible to lunge-walk your way around the house.

Rather than saying, “I need to get back to the gym,” or “I’ll watch that YouTube exercise video after breakfast,” just lunge your way into the kitchen or any other room RIGHT NOW.

How do lunges help your most important areas?

Lunges target the largest muscles in the body – quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core muscles – thus, they can reeve up metabolism and contribute to weight loss.

Lunges strengthen your back, hips, and legs, while improving mobility and stability.

A stronger core helps other movements happen more smoothly and naturally – allowing for increased ease and a more upright stance.

Before starting your lunges do this:

Make sure any exercise routine is safe for you by checking with your doctor or medical professional. The first rule of exercise is do no harm.

Since lunges fire up the big muscles, it is always wise to place lunges toward the middle of your routine – after you have warmed up. At the very least, for a quick bout of exercise, start with gentle stretches like marching in place, and gradually work up to full lunges.

Lunging 101

One of my favorite online resources HERE provides us with some good lunge basis, and I quote:

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart
  2. Take a large step forward with one leg
  3. Keep the majority of your weight on your front foot as you lower your hips, keeping the front foot flat and back heel lifted
  4. Descend until your rear knee almost touches the floor and the front knee is stacked directly above the ankle, creating 90° bend in both knees
  5. Drive through the heel of your front foot and push yourself back up to your starting position

If you are new to lunges or if it’s been a while since you have done them, the wonderful thing is that you can modify the length of your forward step and you can limit how far down you lower your hips. My Silver Sneakers instructor often had us just bounce down at a higher hip level before having us lower our hips for a deeper stretch.

You are not cheating if you are holding onto a counter’s edge or chair back for stability. This is a balance strengthening move – eventually, you may be able to let go of any stabilizing tool. Remember- safety first!

Lunges as therapy

If you are experiencing nerve/muscle pain, tingling, and numbness in your thigh or leg – as I and my sweetheart are – you might find your therapist recommending lunges as a part of your therapy. Consult with your specialist to see what approach would serve you best.

Another good lunge resource is found HERE. 

Well, that’s a wrap! Sending this on to Sheree and then … I’m lunging!

In health-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

A Time For Reflection, 2022 Is Finally Here!

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Sometime this week, I will dump out the contents of my 2021’s Blessing Jar.

There, strewn across the counter, will be small pieces of paper – each with a notation about a blessing that came my way in the past year.

Random things.

Sometimes it’s a happy touch of unexpected sunshine on my face on a cool fall day. Perhaps the blessing came in meeting someone special.

A blessing can also come from knowing I had been a blessing to someone else.

The process of pausing beside the Blessings Jar occasionally to note recent positives helps to keep me focused on the good – the positive – and on the opportunities to give and receive blessings.

And, wow, what an amazing experience it is to revisit a year’s worth of blessings in one sitting!

The blessings are there all the time – even in challenging and life-changing circumstances. Bad health? How about the nurse who took extra care in helping you? Difficult times at work? Maybe you found a way to overcome obstacles, or maybe you found a better position.

In this time of reflection, my thoughts have been boosted by two authors whose writings crossed my path recently.

One involves the realization there are more years behind me than there are ahead of me. Truly absorbing this reality colors my choices in how I want to spend my limited currency of precious moments. Trivial pursuits/people/conversations, or rehashing things that will never change, only serves to rob my limited resources.

In the words attributed to Antonio Marulli:

“I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch hearts, people who have been taught to grow up with gentle touches of their soul.

Yes, I’m in a hurry, I’m rushing to live with the intensity that only maturity can give.”

The second author, Rachel – who writes as Finding Joy on Facebook, inspired me as she wrote about longing to counsel her former broken self, saying that though the path would be hard, brighter days lay ahead.

I knew brighter days would eventually come to me, while still in the depths of anticipatory grief as a caregiver. I knew the price would be paid of having even harder, gut-wrenching events happen first – thus, making the hope of joy almost shameful.

Creating as much light during the dark-yet-blessed days of caregiving and pushing myself forward through the time of abject grief, I held onto the hope of brighter days ahead.

Now, I can fully write my former shell-shocked self, saying:

Dearest Self-

Your journey is about to get more challenging than you can even imagine, but fear not!

You are blessed with enough strength, faith, family, friends, and seemingly random connections that will pave every step of this journey.

The more you let go, the more will be given to you.

Continue to do your best, be your best, and reach out to the best.

Like a fine piece of metal being hammered into shape, every blow, every challenge will shape you into a more beautiful vessel than you could ever have imagined.

There will be times when you will need to just lean into the suffering, sadness, and challenge.

At other times, you will find the strength to say “Stop” to the downward pull of negativity so that you can push forward – maybe not even knowing why/how/or where you are going – and you’ll be able to feel the sunshine once again on your face.

While you will wrestle with impatience to be whisked through the Valley of Despair, you know fully well that timing is Divine. Delay often means that lessons are yet to be learned.

Each lesson prepares you for success in the next steps you desire.

And that which you desire will be out-shined by the reality of the full manifestation!

May each of our foodtalk4you readers take some moments to reflect on last year’s blessings and know that we can identify with your anxiety, cares, and concerns.

We often resolve one set of issues – only to pick up new ones along the way. But …

Reflection can yield a healthier view with a very comforting perspective.

Have you started your Blessings Jar yet? Read more about this HERE. With link to 3rd post for 2021 re blessings jar and word of the year.

Maybe you, too, could write your former self a letter of encouragement.

In health for the New Year-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, This -n- That

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut … And That’s Okay

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If you are blessed to be in the 98%+ of people who can safely eat tree nuts, we have some good news for you.  

Not only are nuts satisfying to consume, but they can be impressive sources of good fats, protein, and fiber. When eaten slowly and deliberately – read “mindfully” – regular, modest nut consumption can contribute to good health.

Let’s dive into a bowl of cashews:

Raw – I prefer to buy my cashews in-the-raw, so I’ll know for sure how they are handled. Raw cashews lack that satisfying crunch we associate with nuts but can easily be added to blended sauces or beverage blends often crafted with almond milk.

Activated – Whenever possible, soaking and dehydrating all nuts is a plus to make them more digestible. See my book, Toolkit for Wellness, for background information and a method that preserves a live state. When activated, nuts will have crunch without high heat, oil, or salt. 

Dry-roasted – The method we often choose because it seems healthier, but manufacturers of dry-roasted nuts often add extra salt to boost the flavor factors lost with the elimination of oil. Sodium contributes to higher blood pressure and a host of other health issues. Go for the lower-salt versions.

Oil-roasted – This is the method we were probably introduced to in our youth. I remember happily nibbling on oil-roasted nuts at holiday parties as a kid, only to dread dropping one on my clothes because of the oil stains they left. The very thought of highly refined, processed oils used in manufacturing this type of nuts makes me shudder today.

Even without a dehydrator, raw cashews can be dry roasted in the home oven – ideally after soaking. Check THIS out for a good method.

I have even roasted nuts in a sauté pan over medium low heat – just keep the nuts stirred as they warm in the pan; constant vigilance is mandatory to prevent burning.

Okay- How can cashews help us? Here’s a summary of what I have learned:

Heart health – Cashews are linked to a lowering of bad cholesterol and an increase in good cholesterol. This translates to lower blood pressure and lower LDL cholesterol. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids found in cashews helps improve overall heart health.

Blood sugar stability – The high fiber content of cashews is the probable link in a 2019 study showing Type 2 diabetics achieving better control of blood sugar when eating cashews daily. Fiber directly contributes to a slower release of glucose into the blood.

Weight control – High fiber foods are very satiating – especially coupled with the healthy fats contained in cashews. A one ounce serving makes a great snack.

Copper – As a trace mineral, copper packs a powerhouse of benefits for heart, vascular, and blood health, as well as assisting the proper functioning of the immune system. That one-ounce snack of cashews delivers 70% of our copper needs.

Antioxidants – Long recognized as being the supermen of fighting off the bad guys – free radicals – the antioxidants found in roasted cashews are particularly high in two types of antioxidants critical to living the inflammation-free life we need.

“What does one ounce of cashews look like?” Good question, because going overboard – even with a healthy food – could result in consuming too many calories.

An ounce would consist of 16-18 cashews of medium size. It would take fewer of those giant ones that are often sold. Gee, do we have to biggie-size everything?

I often use a little dish to portion out a snack of cashews. Mindfully munching one cashew at a time really ramps up the enjoyment of a controlled-size portion.

Cashews are also versatile ingredients that can add smoothness, flavor, and all the nutrition mentioned above. Check out this article for a variety of cashew recipes that could inspire your menu tonight, or for your New Year’s celebrations.

Sheree and I both wish you a happy, safe, and healthy New Year. We look forward to sharing more mind-body-spirit health ideas next year, along with some big news about a new release in books.

Crunching on cashews in health-

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, This -n- That

What’s in Your Sugar Plum?

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Is it the sights of the season that dazzle? Is it the explosion of flavors in your mouth that have set your taste buds dancing? Is it the sound of the choir and orchestra sending you on a journey to the heavens above?

It’s fun to partake in such things. Spirits soar in delight. Imaginations are tickled.

This year, the usually full music experience has been much less because I have not been able to safely sing thanks to Covid concerns.

But seeing and exploring new sights has filled my holiday calendar this year. My companion and I have managed to check off two items on our mutual bucket lists.

Returning to Colonial Williamsburg to experience and learn about how Christmas was celebrated in the living museum town did not disappoint.

Our leisurely week there afforded us so many opportunities to stroll the streets just soaking up the beauty of the lingering colors of fall as seen in the glorious ginkgo trees; smelling the smoke from the blacksmith’s fires; hearing the clomping of passing horse drawn carts and learning of colonial life.

To top things off, we were further rewarded by a weekend of Grand Illuminations activities unlike anything we’ve ever experienced before.

We reflected on our hopes and dreams for the new year and burned up our woes as we tossed our evergreen sprigs into the Yule Log fire.

The following evening, the fireworks-to-end-all-fireworks were seen from the Colonial Governor’s Palace.  It was an indescribable experience!

Our grand holiday trek concluded with a host of sensory delights as we experienced the Biltmore Estate’s annual candlelight tour.

Biltmore Gingerbread House – Time to completion: 1,200 Hours and 5 months 78.5″ W x 32″ D x 32″ H

Check out this grand gingerbread house version of the Biltmore. Wow!

We sit back in reflection of having seen such wonders. Fully sated and happy.

Then there comes a text message with a picture that shuffles our thoughts of contentment back to reality.

Here is my sweet joy. My own sugar plum. My newest granddaughter.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, sweet readers. May your sugar plums be ones that fill your soul.

Deidre

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From Sheree: I want to extend my good wishes and prayers for all that you have a very merry, happy, and healthy Christmas. Remember the true reason for the season.

The First Christmas

Marian Swinger

It never snows at Christmas in that dry and dusty land.

Instead of freezing blizzards, there are palms and drifting sands,

and years ago a stable and a most unusual star

and three wise men who followed it, by camel, not by car,

while, sleepy on the quiet hills, a shepherd gave a cry.

He’d seen a crowd of angels in the silent starlit sky.

In the stable, ox and ass stood very still and calm

and gazed upon the baby, safe and snug in Mary’s arms.

And Joseph, lost in shadows, face lit by an oil lamp’s glow

stood wondering, that first Christmas Day, two thousand years ago.

God bless us everyone …

Sheree Alderman, Editor

Reclaim your health one meal at a time