Detox

Detoxing seems to be a surprisingly controversial issue in the health world. Some people swear by it and others think it is superfluous because your body detoxes naturally when it is taken care of properly. (But honestly, how many people really are able to be really healthy every day in this fast food, high stress world of ours?)

Personally, I think people should try it and make their own judgements. I have actually been pretty happy with any sort of detox or juicing that I've done but for me it is always in moderation. I'm pretty strongly against any sort of crash diet because it wrecks havoc on all kinds of things in your system.

But, I recommend incorporating some of these detoxing things into your daily life for a boost of detox power:

• Green vegetables
• Gel type products, chia seeds, absorb bial salts
• Gelatnis fibers
• Parsley
• Cilantro - removes mercury
• Deep green leafy veggies
• Good water, air, sunlight
• Healthy sources of food
• If its made in the garden...
• Keep it simple
• Vegetable juicing
• Cleaning store bought vegetables (vinegar and water mix)
• Avoiding fried and oxidated skin, avoid BBQ
• Spiralina
• Hemp seeds
• Yogurt
• Aloe Vera 

But again, everything in moderation, including detoxing. Life should be more about variety and joy then sticking with a strenuous diet. But learn to incorporate these things into your life in a natural way and you will never feel deprived. 

Eggplant, yummy Eggplant

I know I've already told you about my love of Farmer's Markets. When I go I try to keep an open mind and just buy whatever happens to look good. Each region will be different but where I'm from you're somewhat limited because it is a very arid climate. Regardless, the farmers bring forth their variety of produce religiously each Saturday morning.

One of the things I wasn't sure about the first time I picked it up was Eggplant. First of all, a lot of produce looks much different at a farmer's market than at your local grocery store. This can be due to many reasons. It can be a different strain of the same fruit or vegetable, harvested at a different time, or it doesn't have the genetic alterations that a lot of grocery store produce has that makes them more appealing to the eye.

But, don't think for a second that you are sacrificing on taste. In fact, your local, fresher, and probably organic produce from your farmer's market will have more taste than anything you've picked up at a grocery store.

But back to the eggplant. So the first time I bought eggplant at the farmer's market the vendor said that it is an asian eggplant so they are smaller and longer. I brought them home and cooked them on 300 for 30-40 minutes with some salt/pepper/oil covered it. (tops removed and cut lengthwise) They turned out OK. They were a little crispy and a lot of the eggplant meat seemed to have shrunk in the oven so there just wasn't much there. The flavor was still pretty good, though.

The next time I went I bought some eggplant from a vendor that had your traditional variety of eggplant. But, they tended to be a bit smaller than what I had seen in the stores. I would say they would be considered small to medium sized. I found a great recipe, though for Basil Eggplant. Luckily, on a whim I had also bought some basil as well.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly but it turned out pretty good. I started with about 6 small eggplants or same as about 1 large eggplant. The eggplant was cut into 1-inch cubes, tossed with olive oil and half a lemon worth of lemon juice, and seasoned with coarse salt and pepper. I also added a little garlic powder and perfect pinch seasoning. I roasted the cubed eggplant on 450 degrees for 25 minutes. After roasting I squeezed the other half of the lemon (about 2 tablespoons worth) over the eggplant and added minced basil and tossed it.

Now you could stop there and be happy with it. I snacked on it quite a bit in that state and enjoyed it immensely. I had a bit more of a hunger though so I mixed the eggplant with a beef pasta sauce and spaghetti and made dinner of it. My non-vegetable-loving fiance got a meat sauce & spaghetti dinner and we were both happy. :)

I love Farmer's Markets

Lately, I have impressed myself. I have made one of my long lost goals and dreams finally come true. It might not impress you much, but, I'm pretty proud of it... I made it to the farmer's market!

Yes, I know, it shouldn't be that big of a deal but I cannot stress enough that historically I have never been a morning person. I would rather do anything but wake up before the sun comes up. I love sleep and I love my bed and I love sleeping in my bed.

But, I also love fresh produce. It used to make me giddy to buy organic or locally grown dishes when I lived in Austin. And the flavors were ALWAYS remarkable.

So, needless to say that I was thrilled that I made it to the farmer's market for some local fresh produce not only this last Saturday but the Saturday before that as well!

The word on the street is that you want to be there early. The earlier the better. Otherwise a lot of the good stuff is gone and lots of vendors have already left as well. So my goal is to get there before 9 a.m. (opens at 7:30 a.m. around here).

And if you've never been to a farmer's market here are a couple of tips:

- Learn how to pick out good produce. Find out what to look for in different types of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes experience is enough of a teacher, but if you're just starting out on a new healthy lifestyle then you'll want to know before you waste your money on less than perfect produce

- Bring two things: Cash and a bag or basket. I like to bring about $15 (most of our local providers group their products into bunches that cost $1 each. It makes change easy) I also bring a cloth grocery bag to throw the veggies and fruits in so I can carry more.

- Eat it! It does you no good to buy the stuff if you don't do anything with it. Don't hesitate to get creative. You're getting a good deal on the food anyways so take it as an opportunity to experiment with new types of recipes. Don't like your eggplant a certain way? Try another way next time! The options are endless. You're bound to find a few recipes you love!

Go forth and take advantage of your local Farmer's Market!

Be easy on you

In continuation of my previous post, I was excited to find this awesome article from another blogger:
http://www.thefreedomexperiment.com/2011/10/28/55-gentle-ways-to-take-care-of-yourself-when-youre-busy-busy-busy/

I just absolutely love these healthy tips for keeping yourself taken care of when things are running a littler faster than we'd like. It is inevitable that we will be stressed and overwhelmed at one time or another. Don't let your health and happiness suffer. Take care of yourself first so you can perform at your peak during the difficult times.

Some of my favorite tips that she shares include:

• Drink tea
• Delegate
• Breath
• Walk Everywhere
• Learn to say no
• Do something silly

By by and large, my absolutely number 1 is SLEEP! No matter how busy you feel and how many things seem to need to get done, let yourself sleep. It is the absolute number 1 thing you can do for yourself to be healthier and happier, and it makes you more beautiful, too! Sleep is when your body regenerates itself so without it we look tired, worn down, and our skin looks unhealthy.

So, stay happy and healthy ladies! Take care of you! 

Love You

When it comes to stressed... I know stress. If it wasn't for some amazing books, influences, and travels in my life, I would still think it was normal to never sleep, wear myself out, and overextend myself to the extreme.

But the truth is, life is not about being stressed. It is about finding beauty in each day, feeling like you're contributing to something bigger than yourself, and loving those around you. Its not about doing more than everyone else, exercising instead of spending time with family/friends (more on that later, exercising is VERY important), and becoming involved in absolutely everything.

Trust me, I learned the hard way. I think that growing up was the only way I was able to see and realize how important and not important our lives are, and being ok with it. When I was younger I thought that being more involved, and more busy, and more stressed meant that I was being a better person. But, because I'm not perfect, I kept messing up. I would accidentally miss a meeting here or there, forget my papers, fail a test, miss the bus... lots of mistakes.

But at the same time, I was still moving forward. Each mistake brought me closer to who I really am and helped me be ok with that. To be easy on yourself, is the best gift anyone can give. It is one thing that will help you be happier and healthier. No one is perfect, even though we all try. At the end of the day, to have a sense of humor, to laugh, to have friends and family there to share your time with, and to know that you are a good person, are really all we HAVE to do. The rest is just filling time...