If you're reading this, that means you are a part of our Abundant Healthy Living community and benefiting from the empowering principles and supportive friendships that are at our core.
This is something we do not want to keep secret. Do you know someone who is ready to make changes in their lives? Someone who believes that health and wellness is something they want to make a priority?
Invite them! Share our blog link. Invite them on our calls. When they start listening, they'll know if this resonates with them. We never know what lives we can touch unless we ask.
This past session's recording is a great one to listen to, and our next one, even though we're finishing up this round, it's as much about opening the next door as it is about closing this one.
We look forward to welcoming new adventurers on our Abundant Healthy Living journey! Who will you bring along with you?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Lawnwork - Definitely Exercise!
Day 3 of blog posts.
Today my 'extra' exercise was mowing the front lawn and taking the leaf blower in vacuum mode and getting up most of the leaves as well. Definitely a workout. 4 Bags Full!
Whew!
Today my 'extra' exercise was mowing the front lawn and taking the leaf blower in vacuum mode and getting up most of the leaves as well. Definitely a workout. 4 Bags Full!
Whew!
Food and Depression
Here is a story I pulled from YAHOO! News this morning. I have struggled with a very low level of depression since childhood. I have not really made the connection between depression and diet - but - DUH! - it makes sense. Channel 4 also had a piece on the 11:00pm news last night (which I think you can access from their website).
More and more it becomes VERY evident that you are - in fact - what you eat.
Love, Tee
LONDON (AFP) – A diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression, according to British research published on Monday.
Researchers at University College London also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.
They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.
Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.
People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.
The researchers put forward several explanations for the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Firstly, the high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression.
Secondly, eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.
And they said it was possible that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient.
The researchers concluded: "Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people's diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders."
The study was carried out on 3,486 people with an average age of 55, who worked for the civil service in London.
Each participant completed a questionnaire about their eating habits, and a self-assessment for depression.
More and more it becomes VERY evident that you are - in fact - what you eat.
Love, Tee
LONDON (AFP) – A diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression, according to British research published on Monday.
Researchers at University College London also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.
They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.
Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.
People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.
The researchers put forward several explanations for the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Firstly, the high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression.
Secondly, eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.
And they said it was possible that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient.
The researchers concluded: "Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people's diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders."
The study was carried out on 3,486 people with an average age of 55, who worked for the civil service in London.
Each participant completed a questionnaire about their eating habits, and a self-assessment for depression.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Challenge!
Ok Tee - Here's to National Blog Posting Month!
How many Blog entries can our Abundant Healthy Team Members make this month? Everyone's goal should be to make one blog entry EVERY DAY! Let's see what creative ways we can share about being Abundantly Healthy and Fit!
Share a winter soup recipe.
Share what you did today that showed how you used Healthy Fit Principles.
Share a quote.
Share YOU!
Even one sentence counts, so no excuses!
I'm off to bed to do my part to get a good night's sleep - definitely an Abundant Healthy Living activity.
Night all! Gerri
How many Blog entries can our Abundant Healthy Team Members make this month? Everyone's goal should be to make one blog entry EVERY DAY! Let's see what creative ways we can share about being Abundantly Healthy and Fit!
Share a winter soup recipe.
Share what you did today that showed how you used Healthy Fit Principles.
Share a quote.
Share YOU!
Even one sentence counts, so no excuses!
I'm off to bed to do my part to get a good night's sleep - definitely an Abundant Healthy Living activity.
Night all! Gerri
Today from the Daily OM website
The Time You FindSimplifying Your Schedule
For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much. You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren’t doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities. Determining where your priorities lie can be as easy as making two lists: one that outlines all those obligations that are vital to your wellbeing, such as work, meditation, and exercise, and another that describes everything you do that is not directly related to your wellbeing. Although there will likely be items in the latter list that excite your passion or bring you joy, you may discover that you devote a large portion of your time to unnecessary activities. To simplify your schedule, consider which of these unnecessary activities add little value to your life and edit them from your agenda. Remember that you may need to ask for help, say no firmly, or delegate responsibility in order to distance yourself from such encumbrances. However, as you divest yourself of non-vital obligations that cause you stress, serve no purpose, or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself, you will feel more energetic and enthusiastic about life in general. If simplifying your schedule seems prohibitively difficult and you still feel pressed to take on more, try imagining how each new commitment will impact your life before saying yes. When you consider the hassle associated with superfluous obligations, you may be surprised to see that your schedule is impeding your attempts to grow as an individual. Your willingness to pare down your agenda, no matter how gradual your progress, will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.
For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much. You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren’t doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities. Determining where your priorities lie can be as easy as making two lists: one that outlines all those obligations that are vital to your wellbeing, such as work, meditation, and exercise, and another that describes everything you do that is not directly related to your wellbeing. Although there will likely be items in the latter list that excite your passion or bring you joy, you may discover that you devote a large portion of your time to unnecessary activities. To simplify your schedule, consider which of these unnecessary activities add little value to your life and edit them from your agenda. Remember that you may need to ask for help, say no firmly, or delegate responsibility in order to distance yourself from such encumbrances. However, as you divest yourself of non-vital obligations that cause you stress, serve no purpose, or rob you of opportunities to refresh yourself, you will feel more energetic and enthusiastic about life in general. If simplifying your schedule seems prohibitively difficult and you still feel pressed to take on more, try imagining how each new commitment will impact your life before saying yes. When you consider the hassle associated with superfluous obligations, you may be surprised to see that your schedule is impeding your attempts to grow as an individual. Your willingness to pare down your agenda, no matter how gradual your progress, will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.
Crock Pot Recipes
Hey AHL BUddies -
Just wanted to include the link to the crock pot website I mentioned during the call - www.crock-pot.com
Enjoy!!!!
Love, Tee
Just wanted to include the link to the crock pot website I mentioned during the call - www.crock-pot.com
Enjoy!!!!
Love, Tee
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Rustic Potato Soup
I wonder how this would taste with some cauliflower substituted for some of the potatoes!
Rustic Potato Soup
Some might consider caldo verde, a thick soup of kale, potato, and sausage, the national dish of Portugal. It’s a rib-sticking, one-pot meal that requires little effort. (from America Test Kitchen-Cook’s Country)
Rustic Potato Soup
Some might consider caldo verde, a thick soup of kale, potato, and sausage, the national dish of Portugal. It’s a rib-sticking, one-pot meal that requires little effort. (from America Test Kitchen-Cook’s Country)
Test Kitchen Discoveries
- Substitute kielbasa for hard-to-find Portuguese linguiça sausage. The garlicky, spicy flavor of the two sausages is similar.
- Partially mash a portion of the potatoes to thicken the soup.
- Cook the leeks and the kielbasa together, and then stir them into the potatoes, broth, and kale.
- Leeks can be very dirty and hard to clean. We recommend cutting the leeks, then soaking them in water and draining them.
Ingredients
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
1 bay leaf
2 T unsalted butter
1 lb kielbasa sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only,
Cut in half lengthwise, then slice thin crosswise
½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into ¼ inch strips (about 4 packed cups
Ground black pepper
Let the potatoes simmer in the broth while you prep and cook the remaining ingredients. Because the kielbasa is quite salty, no added salt is necessary.
Bring broth, potatoes and bay leaf to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Using potato masher, coarsely break up potatoes, leaving some large chunks.
Meanwhile, melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Kook kielbasa, stirring frequently, until lightly browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Add leeks and cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
Add potato mixture and kale to Dutch oven and simmer until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and serve.
Serves 4-6
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