Archive for July 2012
Summer Strawberry Salad
Posted on: July 19, 2012
- In: Gardening | Healthy Body | raw food | veggie foods
- 2 Comments
Summer Strawberry Salad
I am so excited to share this salad with you guys! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been really working on planning my meals better and eating a bit healthier (emphasis on “a bit,” since there’s still ice cream in the equation). As I’ve geeked out and created weekly menus, complete with Excel spreadsheets, it’s lead me to a lot of great, healthy recipes to add in the mix. Out of all the yummy new dishes I’ve tried, this one has been my absolute favorite. Simple ingredients, fresh flavors, and—best of all—super quick to prepare. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Lots of shredded romaine lettuce.
Step 2: Some fancily-arranged avocado.
Step 3: Fresh, crunchy cucumber.
Step 4: Beautiful, juicy strawberries.
Step 5: Cottage cheese.
That’s right, cottage cheese. Along with the moisture from the avocado, cucumber, and strawberries, the cottage cheese functions as the dressing for this salad. I know it sounds a bit odd, but trust me, it’s surprisingly delicious.
Finally, Step 6: Chopped, toasted pecans.
And that’s it! Quite possibly one of the easiest salads I’ve ever made and yet also quite possibly one of the most delicious. Personally, I love the the cottage cheese in place of a dressing, since even vinaigrettes can sometimes taste a little too heavy and savory. This easy combination of fresh ingredients makes for a refreshing, delightful summer salad.
Do you have any favorite salad combos? What are your go-to summer munchies? Tell me in the comments!
Summer Strawberry Salad
Recipe Adapted from The Undressed Skeleton
Printable Recipe
For 1 serving:
1/2 head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped or shredded
1/2 avocado, pitted and sliced
1/4 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
3 strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1/3 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
Mix sliced cucumber with lemon juice, set aside.
To assemble the salad, first fill a plate or bowl with romaine lettuce. Arrange layers of avocado, cucumber, and strawberries on top. Add cottage cheese and salt, then sprinkle with toasted pecans.
Serve immediately.
You are what you eat after all
Posted on: July 17, 2012
And I think, not only in terms of what you nourish your body with, so it can renew and rebuilt, heal and maintain itself – but also is an an indicator of how adventurous your spirit is and how connected you are to your fellow humans and the rest of the world.
In many ways, the transportation system that allows us to sample the produce of the world from the convenience of your local grocery store is a wonderful way to have a shared experience with other people in other regions.
and not everyone lives within a 100 miles of where food is grown or produced.
urban sprawl and that for the first time in human recorded history, more people live in urban cities than in rural farm lands…….
not a good thing for that many people to be disconnected with nature and unconscious to how food is produced and it’s impact on the health of the planet.
climate change is natural but the human activity of slashing rainforest for grazing land, the manure and methane and chemicals – including hormone disrupting pesticides – produced by agriculture and industry -in addition to the radioactive pollution and expended nuclear rods created by the nuclear industry – which we do not manage well, when the best maintained and operated plants are in high seismic zones as is the case for Japan – or as the Chernobyl plant was caused by a head engineer who really did not understand the science or the procedures to use the equipment – and he ordered an unsafe test that caused that meltdown and cancer rates around the globe to increase….
we need to be more sustainable in our approach to both nutrition of ourselves and the planet – the only one we have and we have to learn to share it – work and play well with others.
Solar, wind and wave energy is perpetual – at least as long as the planet is around – best to tap into these sustainable sources – and create untold number of jobs – from research/development, construction, maintenance and operation.
Every home could have solar panels o their roofs to offset the power grid, instead of being a heat sink or merely reflective of the heat back into the atmosphere.
underwater turbines, made safe for wildlife would generate more reliable power than wind, being a constant source of motion – and really, we’d be tapping into connection between the earth and moon.
building agricultural density – towers with indoor farming instead of workstations – better pest control by moving farming indoors to high density – making it possible to grow food in city limits and control the pest by simply controlling the building access – beneficial insects like bees would also benefit from a secure from parasites and predators like wasps environment.
harmony with nature, understand the science and adopt a philosophy of curious compassion towards your fellow people, their cultures, alternative ways of living and be creative with living.
life is an an experiment and it’s up to each of us whether we are designing and operating the experiment of our lives or if we’re someone else’s lab rat.
Posted on: July 17, 2012
- In: Uncategorized
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Hemp Growing Was Once the Law in the US
Before you start growing your own hemp plants it is worthwhile to read up on the history of hemp growing in the US. At one time it was legal. Not only was it legal, the law required the growing of it.
According to the book Healthy Oils, hemp is another word for the plantCannabis sativa L. Marijuana comes from this same plant genus – as does cauliflower and broccoli. However, the strains used in consumer and industrial
HEMP IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY, highlighted a 1914 series $10 bill of a hemp harvest, and it is discussed in the video attached. The bill is printed on 100% hemp paper. The first Federal Reserve Bank notes were issued in 1914. This $10 bill bears the signature of Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of the…
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Coke Soda – a cleaning acid!
Posted on: July 17, 2012
- In: Uncategorized
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#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION:
calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.
It’s the Real Thing! Now available in a convenient trigger sprayer.
http://dustinmaherfitness.com/tag/negatives-of-soda/?newwindow=true
8 Nutrient Dense Foods!
Posted on: July 17, 2012
Nutrient-dense foods have a high nutrient/calorie ratio. Meaning they are rich in nutrients when compared to their calorie content.
A good example of a nutrient-dense food is strawberries. One cup of strawberries contains only 150 calories, but 3.5g fiber, a massive 86mg of vitamin C and a useful 26.9mcg of folate.
Nutrient-dense foods are the oppposite of empty-calorie foods which are low in nutrition when compared to their calorie content.
Food fulfills three basic needs: (1) to provide energy; (2) to support new tissue growth and tissue repair; and (3) to help regulate metabolism. These three requirements are met by components of foods called “nutrients”, which consist of six classes: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Foods that are “nutrient dense” supply a significant amount of these nutrients for their calories. A high-performance diet emphasizes nutrient-dense carbohydrates necessary to maintain muscle glycogen – the primary fuel for most sports.
1. Spirulina: Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids, antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage. It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid).
Check out FitLife.tv’s Spirulina Smoothie Recipe
2. Kale: According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, kale is the most nutritious food, loaded with minerals, vitamins, fiber and amino acids, as well as important antioxidants that reduce inflammation and can prevent cancer. It’s also delicious and an easy to prepare, versatile food. Since kale is rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and have anticancer properties. This makes it perfect for juicing. Kale is also rich in fiber and detoxifies your entire system. You should select kale that is fresh, dark green and tender.
Check out the Alpha Reset 
3. Hemp Seeds: Hemp is considered one of the world’s most nutritious plants. Hemp seeds contain all of the essential amino acids making them an ideal source of protein for vegans and raw foodists. The essential fatty acids are abundant in hemp seeds and come in a ratio that is highly beneficial to humans. Magnesium, iron, and potassium are in good supply along with fiber. You can use hemp seed oil on your salads. You shouldn’t use hemp seed as a frying oil or high heat oil.
4. Chocolate: Yes, you read right. Cacao beans are so nutrient-dense that scientists haven’t even begun to identify all the benefits in the little bean yet. Don’t grab a Snickers though—the good stuff is found only in raw cacao beans or nibs (or really, really dark 
chocolate). Minerals, vitamins and tons of antioxidants are great for your heart, skin, and release chemicals in the brain that make you feel like you’re in love.
5. Broccoli: Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family. It is one of the most nutrient dense foods. Packed with vitamin C and has anticancer effects. When selecting broccoli to juice, look for dark green broccoli or purplish heads. The stalks should be firm. Avoid broccoli with wilted, yellow or soft leaves since their nutritional content is low.
Check out Juice Up Your LIfe – The Alpha Reset for more information.
6. Spinach: Spinach is packed with powerful nutrients. Spinach has fiber, flavonoids which have anticancer properties, antiflammatory properties due to neoxanthin and violaxanthin properties, lowers blood pressure, packed with vitamin A which helps with immunity and skin complexion, and vitamin K. Choose dark green and fresh spinach. Fresh or cooked, spinach’s sweet and hardy flavor brightens any meal.
7. Chia: The chia seeds are “super” because, like a superfruit, they deliver the maximum amount of nutrients with minimum calories. They have several of the same benefits as the more well-known “super seed” flax, but unlike flax seed, you don’t need to grind them to reap the health benefits. The nutritional benefits of chia include fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium, antioxidants and much more – even protein!
8. Blueberries: The USDA ranked this indigo fruit #1 out of 40 common fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants. Blueberries are believed to lower cholesterol, prevent urinary tract infections, and improve memory, eyesight, balance and coordination, in addition to slowing signs of aging and reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Source:
Types of Berries – Find Facts About Berries at WomansDay.com – Woman’s Day
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/spirulina-000327.htm
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/beverage1/a/what-are-hemp-seeds.htm
nutrition blast
Posted on: July 17, 2012
The pancreas is one of the digestive organs responsible for assisting with food digestion and blood sugar regulation. After you eat, the pancreas releases a host of digestive enzymes and the hormone insulin, which break down foods and modulate blood sugars. People with pancreatic cancer face myriad digestion and nutrition concerns, including malnutrition due to taste and absorption changes, as well as weight loss and fatigue from treatments. Juicing foods might help patients obtain the full healing power of fruits and vegetables.
Queer parenting
Posted on: July 16, 2012
Cucumber Noodles
Posted on: July 16, 2012
- In: Gardening | Healthy Body | raw food | veggie foods
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Cucumber Noodles
serves 2 ~ $2.50 per serving
2 cucumbers, noodled ($1.59)
2 tomatoes, chopped ($3.00)
1 medium onion, chopped ($.05)
2 tablespoons olive oil ($.20)
1 tablespoon vinegar ($.10)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon dried basil ($.05)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
This is fresh and light and perfect for a hot summer afternoon.
Shave the cucumbers into noodles. Top with chopped tomatoes and onions.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients and drizzle over the top.
Living Well 