Zucchini Quandry?

Is your garden just overflowing with gigantic zucchini?  I've never grown it because I usually have friends that are very generous with their bountiful harvest come the end of summer.   And this year my daughter and her hubby rented a plot in a community garden, so we're all reaping the benefits of their green thumbs!  I just came across this recipe for using up some of that zucchini.  And if you have that pot of basil just going to seed on the patio, here's a great way to use some of that,too!

What I love about this (even though I haven't even tried it I just KNOW I'm gonna love it!) is that it's quick, easy, fresh and RAW!  Mmmmmm!  My mouth's already watering!  Here's the recipe. You can check out more at epicurious.com

FYI - the reviews say that there is too much dressing and you definitely don't want to put it on the zucchini too early or you'll just have soggy stuff!

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 2 pounds medium zucchini, trimmed
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• Small wedge of Parmesan cheese
• 
  
  
  
  Whisk oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and crushed red pepper in small bowl to blend. Set dressing aside.
  Using vegetable peeler or V-slicer and working from top to bottom of each zucchini, slice zucchini into ribbons (about 1/16 inch thick). Place ribbons in large bowl. Add basil and nuts, then dressing; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using vegetable peeler, shave strips from Parmesan wedge over salad.
  
  

The Breakfast Experiment

What did you have for breakfast today?    A bagel?  Fruit?   A coffee cooler?  NOTHING??!!  

Reality check:  How are you feeling right now?  Totally amped and ready to attack the rest of the day?  Or groggy, crabby and in desperate need of a Snickers?

We’ve heard it a milion times:  Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  If that’s the case, why do so many of us have such a hard time doing it?? Here's a breakfast “experiment” you might want to try.

For the next week, eat the following meals for breakfast, one each day.  Afterwards, check in with yourself.  Be really aware of how you’re feeling.  Tired?  Energized?  Crampy (or crabby!) and bloated?  These clues can help you tune into how certain foods affect your body and also give some ideas as to your “metabolic type”, which is a hot topic in nutrition nowadays.

So - here are the breakfasts:

1. Fruit;  fresh fruit salad or fruit smoothie or baked fruit;
2. Oatmeal (not instant); with nuts and dried fruit (dates, raisins, apples)
3. Eggs; however you like them (excepted basted in bacon fat!) with veggies (try lightly sauteeing onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and/or spinach)
4. Savory; fresh green salad or leftovers from dinner
5. Beverage; coffee, OJ, tea or milk
6. Whole grain toast with nut butter
7. Whole grain cereal with fruit on top

I’m going to suggest one more thing.  Ooooh, this is going to be hard for some people!  Try to sit down and actually experience your breakfast.  Chew it, taste it, ENJOY it!  Take these few minutes to actually pamper yourself - you’re worth it!

Okay - now you’re going to make a sort of mini food journal.  This is an important step so don’t skip it!  Write down the following:

What you ate

How you felt right after eating

How you felt 1 and 2 hours later

At the end of the week, see if there is a pattern.  Which foods worked best for you?  Did you feel best when you had the meal with eggs? (Maybe your body works best with more protein)  Or was it the oatmeal that helped you sail effortlessly through the morning?  (Maybe you need more whole food carbs)

Use these clues to make up your own meals and make the perfect breakfast to help you start every day right!

The Price of Beauty

Did you know that the ingredients in your cosmetics might be making you sick?  Cosmetic companies are not regulated, so they can put almost anything into their products for you, the trusting consumer to purchase.  


But did you know that there are a LOT of ingredients which are known to be toxic (which means they have the potential to be cancer causing, neurologically distruptive, hormonally distruptive, etc.) that are being added to the products we use on a daily basis?   And we use a lot of them (think shampoo, conditioner, face wash, facial moisturizer, body moisturizer, foundation, blush and eye products, hair care products, tanning sprays, nail polishes - you get the picture).  


And even though you might think you only use a little bit, a little bit every day adds up.  They can accumulate in your body's tissues and eventually lead to feeling lousy, chronic disase and even cancer.   And we're passing this along to the next generation - babies are born with toxins already in their bodies!  How scary is that??!!    Take a look at this new video from the same people who created "The Story of Stuff" (which, if you haven't seen it, is definitely worth watching!) - I think it does a great job explaining the problem.


http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=DF7480A7C06A9D99B9F641B0F0D4AB00

Breakfast Quickies

Yep - you've heard it before and it's true!  Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day.   Your body is just waking up so it appreciates a lighter meal packed with whole foods like fruits and/or veggies.  One of my favorite ways to start the day (besides a good cup of coffee - c'mon - a girl's gotta have a few vices!), is a nutritious, delicious protein smoothie.  

Bursting with flavor and loaded with all kinds of good stuff, smoothies are the perfect way to grab a quick, nourishing meal on the go.  All you need is a blender, some protein, fresh or frozen fruit and a little creativity.

Here's my "go-to recipe".   For a complete meal smoothie, include fruit or veggies (I use spinach in my chocolate smoothie!), protein and fat

Mammograms - Putting on the Squeeze

I seem to be among the minority of women who don’t get routine mammograms. My friends gasp when I say I refuse to get them, my doctor has likely put a note in my file labeling me as a non-compliant patient and lately I’ve been getting reminders from my insurance company that I need to get in for my regular dose of radiation (my words, not theirs). Those reminders go directly into the circular file.

Here’s why I go against the grain.