AVOCADOS – A Real ‘Super Food If you haven’t been watching the food network or dining out at trendy restaurants lately, you don’t know that Avocados are enjoying top billing on menus and chefs are coming up with creative dishes to incorporate them . Which is great because they’re so good for you.
Avocado has sometimes received a “bad rap” as a vegetable too high in fat.
While it is true that avocado is a high-fat food (about 85% of its calories come from fat), the fat contained in avocado is unusual and provides research-based health benefits. Avocados are an excellent source of “healthy fat” along with organic raw butter, coconut oil, and organic pasteurized eggs, just to name a few.
Like other high-fat plant foods (for example, walnuts and flaxseeds), avocado can provide us with unique health benefits precisely because of its unusual fat composition.
Avocados (which are actually classified as a fruit) are rich in monounsaturated fat that is easily burned for energy. It is also very high in potassium and will help balance your vitally important potassium to sodium ratio.
What’s NEW and BENEFICIAL about AVOCADOS
Consider adding avocado to salads, and not only on account of taste! Recent research has shown that absorption of two key carotenoid antioxidants—lycopene and beta-carotene—increases significantly when fresh avocado (or avocado oil) is added to an otherwise avocado-free salad. One cup of fresh avocado (150 grams) added to a salad of romaine lettuce, spinach, and carrots increased absorption of carotenoids from this salad between 200-400%. This research result makes perfect sense to us because carotenoids are fat-soluble and would be provided with the fat they need for absorption from the addition of avocado. Avocado oil added to a salad accomplished this same result. Interestingly, both avocado oil and fresh avocado added to salsa increased carotenoid absorption from the salsa as well. That’s even more reason for you to try our 15-Minute Halibut with Avocado Salsa a great-tasting recipe that can help optimize your carotenoid health benefits.
The method you use to peel an avocado can make a difference to your health. Research has shown that the greatest concentration of carotenoids in avocado occurs in the dark green flesh that lies just beneath the skin. You don’t want to slice into that dark green portion any more than necessary when you are peeling an avocado. For this reason, the best method is what the California Avocado Commission has called the “nick and peel” method. In this method, you actually end up peeling the avocado with your hands in the same way that you would peel a banana. The first step in the nick-and-peel method is to cut into the avocado lengthwise, producing two long avocado halves that are still connected in the middle by the seed. Next you take hold of both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they naturally separate. At this point, remove the seed and cut each of the halves lengthwise to produce long quartered sections of the avocado. You can use your thumb and index finger to grip the edge of the skin on each quarter and peel it off, just as you would do with a banana skin. The final result is a peeled avocado that contains most of that dark green outermost flesh so rich in carotenoid antioxidants!
My Intuition says:even if these natural gemstone bracelets (designed by Shaman Sisters) which are beneficial for a multitude of reasons didn’t work, they’ll still make you feel good wearing them. Here is a sampling of what they do:
Black Tourmaline –
Powerful protective stone
Grounds energies
Transmutes negative energy into positive energy
Helps with positive thinking
Protects from electromagnetic frequencies from computers, cell phones etc.
Labradorite –
Powerful protective stone
Enhances psychic abilities
Increases self confidence
Inspires creativity
Regulates metabolism
Chakras – Sacral, throat, crown
Tigers Eye –
Attracts good luck
Increases manifesting
Balances emotions
Helps release fear
Sacral and Solar Plexus Chakras
Grounds energies
Magnesite Turquoise –
Opens heart Chakra
Calming stone
Assists with headaches and migraines
Enhances psychic abilities
Crown Chakra
Bracelets stretch over your wrist. Comes smudged with sage and charged with healing energy. Includes silk pouch. SOLD!
NARS lip pencils in rich VELVET Matte or creamy SATIN lip
Warning: you can become addicted
The application of a lipstick combined with the convenience of a pencil in a jumbo crayon design. Which kid like me doesn’t love drawing with crayons right?
The result is long-lasting (more for the matte shades), non-drying and enriched with emollients for a creamy texture. Use for lining, all-over lip color, or pair with another lip product. Enriched with vitamin E.
François Nars
“I wanted to create a modern way to wear a very classic lip. The creaminess of the texture makes them very easy to use.”
MATTE
For a sophisticated look with intense shades that won’t dry out your lips.
SATIN
A modern, long-wearing, vitamin-enriched formula in a jumbo pencil format to provide great wear and intense color with a satin finish.
Key Benefits:
* High-impact intense colour
* Convenient, easy and precise application
Price: Canada $31 US $25
The *two universally flattering shades shown in the photo were a birthday gift from Sephora. Thank you. photo: d. king
Okay, I’m talking mainly on vacation here but it’s great that white or versions of white (like off-white, winter white, antique white, ivory, & cream) are being worn more in winter now.
In a perfect world I would be wearing white (and its various counterparts) with colourful accents like jewelry, scarves and shoes with wild abandon & no need to carry a clorax bleach pen (not unlike tide-to-go but for whites only) because nothing would get in the way of spoiling my whites. Not chocolate, not coffee, not red wine nor spices like saffron and tumeric. It would just always remain unstained and looking pure. In other words, perfect right?So, it was super exciting to find out (from another blog I follow so you see – what goes around, comes around) that The Webster, Miami and Bon Marché, Paris were collaborating on an all-white collection. There are more than 50 designers involved in the partnership across fashion, beauty, and home, including Chanel, Dior, Chloe… and the list goes on and on. The best part is also the worst part – all-white designs will only be available from The Webster and Bon Marché – but only until February 21, 2015. Yes, it will feel extra special because of this but if you don’t live in either locale you better hurry up and book your ticket. Not much time left.
Okay, I’m ready to book my flight to Miami or Paris. Who’s with me?
Did you know? Even though the avocado has a green hue and savory taste, it is technically considered a fruit, and even more specifically, a single-seeded berry. Well if not, now you do.
Photo: Andrew Purcell; Food Styling by Carrie Purcell
Guacamole is always an easy, delicious hit as a part of any party spread. Who doesn’t love it? This version gives the classic Mexican dip an Asian twist, and calls for savory sesame, soy sauce, and chili-garlic paste to give it a real punch.
1) Spicy Sesame Guacamole
Ingredients
4 medium ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup (about 2 limes) fresh lime juice
4 green onions, coarsely chopped, plus extra for garnish
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (I recommend himalayan pink)
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
Directions
In a large bowl, mash avocados and lime juice with a fork or potato masher to desired consistency, leaving some chunks. Stir in green onions, cilantro, chili garlic paste, soy sauce, and salt.
Garnish with sesame seeds and extra green onions, and serve immediately with tortilla chips. To make ahead, place plastic wrap directly on top of guacamole and leave one of the seeds in the bowl to prevent browning, and refrigerate. Of course toss the seed when serving.
Source: Country Living
2) Apple and Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich by chef Julie Yoon
The tart Granny Smith apple kind of disappears into the background and adds just the right amount of sweetness, as well as a great texture and refreshing crunch. Trust me, along with the creamy cool avocado, it just works.
HOW TO:
CUT & TWIST: cut into the avocado lengthwise, producing two long avocado halves that are still connected in the middle by the seed. Next you take hold of both halves and twist them in opposite directions until they naturally separate.
Do you have a simple & delicious avocado recipe you’d like to share?
Of all the times I’ve driven through Oregon, not once until now did I stop to discover the vibrant little town of Ashland. Especially since it happens to be my kind of town with shades of Niagara-on-the-Lake. But that may be because normally we drive to the coast and Ashland is located off I-5 at the south end of the Rogue Valley and about 20 miles from the California border – our main destination.
Rogue Valley vineyards near Ashland in the fall
Surrounded by breathtaking scenery, majestic mountains, rushing rivers, rolling foothills and dramatic landscapes, Ashland is a gorgeous little city with an arts scene as appealing as its setting.
Shakespeare Festival
Ashland hosts Christmas celebrations and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (one of the largest and oldest regional theatres in the country) in winter, a film festival in the spring, classical music festival in summer and wine tasting celebrations in the autumn.
Not to be outdone by the festivals, is the food which seems to be right up there along with the quality of the art and wine scene. A local gave my travelling companions and I some recommendations of places to eat. They did not disappoint.
We had a very nice dinner at LarksWe had brunch at Morning Glory
We had dinner and cocktails at Larks (located in the historic Ashland Springs hotel) and for breakfast we went to Morning Glory (located in a heritage house) – photo below.
We were met there by the woman who made the recommendations – an interesting person who is the godmother of a mutual friend. Her father and grandmother are subjects of an oil on canvas painting by none other than Renoir which hangs at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. *Her story is worthy of a blog post of its own. Ashland is worth the visit and I will plan to spend a bit more time there on my next trip.
Not the group silly, the bird.Here are some principle facts:
Eagles fly alone at a high altitude and not with sparrows or mix with other smaller birds like geese. No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Principle: Birds of a feather flock together
Eagles have strong vision, which focuses up to 5 kilometers from the air. When an eagle sites prey – even a rodent from this distance, he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it. No matter what obstacles come, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it. Principle: Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacle you face and you will succeed.
Eagles do not eat dead things. He feeds on fresh prey. Principle: eat local and fresh.
The Eagle is the only bird that loves the storm. When clouds gather, the eagles get excited. The eagle uses the wings of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher. Once it finds the wing of the storm, the eagle stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees. Principle: We can use the storms of our lives (obstacles, troubles, etc.) to rise to greater heights. Achievers relish challenges and use them profitably.
The Eagle tests before it trusts.When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male pursuing her.Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases until he reaches it and has to catch it before it falls to the ground, then bring it back to the female eagle. The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a much higher altitude pursued by the male until she perceives it high enough, and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of picking the twig which shows commitment, then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her! Principle: Whether in private life or in business, one should test commitment of people intended for partnership.
When the eagle grows old, his feathers become weak and cannot take him as fast as they should.. When he feels weak and about to die, he retires to a place far away in the rocks. While there, he plucks out every feather on his body until he is completely bare. He stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, then he can come out. Principle: We occasionally need to shed off old habits, things that burden us, or add no value to our lives.
The other Eagles
If you could try out life with bigger breasts for a day, would you do it?
Cinderella’s fairy godmother turned a tattered dress and a pumpkin into a shimmering gown and a lavish ride. Remember, though, there was one catch: The makeover lasted only until midnight. With his InstaBreast technique, Norman Rowe, a New York plastic surgeon, is playing fairy godmother to women temporarily seeking larger, fuller breasts, but his handiwork also lasts for only one night. In about 20 minutes, you can go from flat-chested to cleavage-proud.
Rowe’s method is remarkably simple: He designates a site at the edge of each nipple, and after the area is anesthetized, he injects about a half-liter of sterile saline solution—essentially salt water—into the patient’s breast tissue. He maneuvers the needle at various angles to different areas, expanding each breast until it reaches the desired fullness. The saline is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream, with the full effect lasting about 24 hours. (Rowe says that saline is considered perfectly safe; it’s the same stuff you would get in an IV if you were dehydrated.)
While some doctors suggest that instant breast augmentation is just a fad, it’s hard to ignore its potential (consider the hundreds of thousands of women who don’t hesitate to have volumizers injected in their face). And the desire for bigger breasts is as popular as ever: According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 313,327 breast augmentations and 137,233 breast lifts were performed in the U.S. in 2013. “Women want cleavage,” Rowe says matter-of-factly. “And this is fast.”
Fast results were just what Shavon Jovi, 28, a model and aspiring actress, was hoping for when she underwent the procedure with Rowe several months ago. After a few pricks of an anesthetic into the skin surrounding the nipples, Rowe injected anesthetic-laced saline solution into her 32A breasts, one syringe at a time. The effect was an instant fullness that brought her chest to a C cup. “For the longest time I’ve wanted to get a breast augmentation,” says Jovi. “I was sort of shocked when I saw them, but I loved it immediately.” Within two days she was back to her natural size (how long it takes depends on how your body metabolizes the fluid). So why have the now-you-see-’em, now-you-don’t procedure? Like many of Rowe’s patients, Jovi wanted to “try on” implants in a way that computer imaging just can’t mimic, says Rowe, adding that some of his patients go for the temporary inflation for special occasions, such as a wedding, a big birthday, or a beach vacation.
Nicole, a 30-year-old mother of two, spent a day walking around with saline-inflated breasts, and a few months later went under the knife for implants. “It was amazing to see what my breasts would be like,” she recalls. As for how it felt? “I’ve had Botox and fillers, and it’s similar.” About 75 percent of Rowe’s patients who opt for the $2,500 procedure go on to get implants. However, it isn’t a helpful test-drive for every woman. “If you need both a lift and an augmentation, the saline won’t give you a realistic approximation,” explains Rowe.
Not everyone is singing the praises of the short-lived boob job, and there are limitations and risks to it. Since the skin of both breasts is pierced by the needle, bruising can occur. And like any procedure that penetrates the skin, infection is possible. Some doctors see other downsides as well, cautioning that undergoing the procedure repeatedly could cause the skin to stretch—”like a Slinky that you stretch out past the point of no return,” says Adam Kolker, a plastic surgeon in New York. Rowe counters that this is highly unlikely. “The skin has to be stretched for a much longer and continuous time period for it to display permanent stretching,” he says. Heidi Waldorf, a New York dermatologist, agrees, noting that having the procedure once is “probably okay. As long as it’s short-lived, the area should return to its normal contour,” says Waldorf, but she has concerns about stretching for those who return for more.
For her part, Jovi wanted to capture the results before they faded away. “I definitely posted a few #InstaBoob selfies that day,” she says. In the spirit of the procedure, though, perhaps she should have used Snapchat.
As for me, I’ll just stick to push-up bras (as needed since I hate needles) and do more gel manicures instead which lasts longer. But secretly (between us) it would be tempting to try.
A majestic bald eagle sits on top of a totem pole in kitsilano overlooking the doggy beach on a morning run.This is what I LOVE about living where I live! This is what he was looking at. This is where I run.
If you haven’t been watching the food network or dining out at trendy restaurants lately, you don’t know that Avocados are enjoying top billing on menus and chefs are coming up with creative dishes to incorporate them . Which is great because they’re so good for you.even if these natural gemstone bracelets (designed by Shaman Sisters) which are beneficial for a multitude of reasons didn’t work, they’ll still make you feel good wearing them. Here is a sampling of what they do:
Bracelets stretch over your wrist. Comes smudged with sage and charged with healing energy. Includes silk pouch. SOLD!The application of a lipstick combined with the convenience of a pencil in a jumbo crayon design. Which kid
So, it was super exciting to find out (from another blog I follow so you see – what goes around, comes around) that The Webster, Miami and Bon Marché, Paris were collaborating on an all-white collection. There are more than 50 designers involved in the partnership across fashion, beauty, and home, including Chanel, Dior, Chloe… and the list goes on and on. The best part is also the worst part – all-white designs will only be available from The Webster and Bon Marché – but only until February 21, 2015. Yes, it will feel extra special because of this but if you don’t live in either locale you better hurry up and book your ticket. Not much time left.
Here are some principle facts:
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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