Everything you see at the farmers markets is fresh, locally grown and organic.
Natural coloured cauliflower. I like purple.
Last Saturday we visited the farmersmarket in Palm Springs. It’s small compared to most I’ve seen, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with prize produce and products. I mentioned how large the size of the grapefruit, oranges and lemons are but we came home with a bag of the tiniest Hass avocados I’ve ever seen (just as good but with a much smaller pit), Barhi Dates, Smoked Gouda, baby heirloom tomatoes, Oatmeal honey bread (no preservatives of course) Avocado oil with lime (Mexican dinner coming up), a delicious Avocado body lotion with jasmine and a fruit I’ve never heard of before.
waiting to ripen
It’s just so nice walking around in the open air on a nice day and looking okay, sampling all the good stuff. Everything is slightly more expensive than shopping the local grocery store, but considering the quality and work involved it is quite worth it, not to mention healthier. Maybe I won’t buy every single item there but for a whole lot of things it makes shopping & cooking a much more pleasurable experience. AND you are helping to support the farmers.
• 1-2 avocados, depending on size
• 1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 thick slices of sour dough bread
• 8 slices of watermelon radish
• 1 scallion, sliced thin
• 2 sprigs of fresh parsley or chervil
• 2 tsp. pickled mustard seed
• 1 small pinch of chili powder
• 1 pinch of flakey sea salt
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil Recipe:
1. In a bowl, mash avocado.
2. Add lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt.
3. Toast bread and layer with avocado mash, followed by radish, scallion, herbs, and mustard seed.
4. Finish with a sprinkling of chili, sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
Mustard Seed
Ingredients:
• 1 cup mustard seeds
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tbl salt
Recipe:
1. In a small pot, add mustard seeds and cold water to cover. Bring to boil and immediately drain and repeat three times. On the final time, drain seeds and transfer into a jar.
2. Warm the water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Once it comes to a simmer and the sugar has dissolved, pour into jar with mustard seeds and allow to pickle for at least 3 hours before using.
We went to Ernest Coffee in Palm Springs for coffee and an almond croissant and then got thirsty for some water. But they had no bottles – because all its water came in boxes. First time for everything.
I try to do my part as much as possible for the environment as only one little person can. Which means carrying reusable bags and often lugging around a reusable water bottle but admit to buying bottled when it is most convenient – like travelling.
The company calls itself Boxed Water Is Better and describes itself as part water company, part art project, part philanthropy. That is more than a little affected, but the simple, chic design and the creative approach to selling water will probably pique some interest.
It started with the simple idea of creating a new bottled water brand that is kinder to the environment and gives back a bit—they found that it shouldn’t be bottled at all, but instead, boxed. So they looked to the past for inspiration in the century old beverage container and decided to keep things simple, sustainable, and beautiful.
Their argument for why boxed is better?
76 percent of the box is made from a renewable resource—trees—making it one of the most sustainable beverage packages available.
Those trees come from certified, well-managed forests.
The boxes are shipped flat, which is significantly more efficient than shipping empty plastic or glass bottles.
The boxes are recyclable—where facilities exist.
The company plans on donating 10 percent of its profit to organizations working to improve access to clean water, and promote reforestation.
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!
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.
Why drinking water is the best way to start your day:
It is said that drinking about 7 to 8 glasses of water daily is important for your health. One thing many people do not know is that having the first glass of water as soon as you wake up also comes with its therapeutic benefits. This traditional Ayurvedic treatment has benefits for conditions that range from *asthma, pain to even cancer. Most of us start our mornings with a fresh, hot cup of coffee or tea and when we drink water, we tend to prefer it cold, but according to Ayurvedic medicine, we have it all wrong. Regularly drinking very warm water, especially in the morning, can heal our bodies, providing digestive power and reducing metabolic waste that could have built up in our immune system.
Statistics: In Japan, it is common practice to drink two full glasses of water upon waking. It’s said to have the ability to fully cure a number of diseases, including cancer, as well as provide a host of other benefits. As a nation, Japan has the overall greatest longevity, currently hosting over 50,000 centenarians, or 100+ year olds. Whether it’s the water practice or something in the tea they drink, we can learn a few tricks from the Japanese.
70% of the human body content is water, and so water plays an important role in the proper functioning of your body.
The human brain cells contain about 85% of water.
75% of muscles is water
Bones also contain about 25% water
82% of blood consists of water.
It is also helpful to consume foods that contain lots of water; for example soups (broth-based), vegetables and fruits.
What Are the Benefit of Drinking Water FIRST THING in the Morning?
It is a long known secret that drinking water as soon as you get up, i.e. before eating anything, is a good way to purify your internal system. One of the most important results of undergoing this treatment is colon cleansing, which enables better absorption of nutrients from various foods. When there is production of haematopoiesis, better known as “new blood”, you will have immense body restorative effects and you can even be cured of existing ailments. Drinking water the first thing in the morning has the following benefits:
Make your skin glow. Water is known to purge toxins from your blood, and as a result you get glowing skin. And who doesn’t want that?
Renew cells. Drinking water first thing in the morning increases the rate at which new muscle and blood cells are produced.
Balance the lymph system. When you drink water first thing in the morning on a daily basis, you help balance your body’s lymph system. Lymph glands found in your lymph system fight infections helping you to perform your daily activities. They also balance the fluids in your body.
Lose weight. When you consume about 16 ounces of water (chilled), you will boost your body’s metabolism by abut 24% thus help you lose those extra pounds.
Purify the colon. When you drink water after you have woken up before eating anything, you are purifying your colon thereby making nutrients absorption easy.
Cures illnesses and diseases. Drinking water first thing in the morning has been proven to cure illnesses such as vomiting, throat disease, menstrual and cancer disorders, eye diseases, diarrhea, urine disease, kidney disease, meningitis, TB, Arthritis, headaches among others.
Source: this according to New Health Guide
My new morning concoction:
This new year’s day I woke up with a dry cough and a bit of a sore throat and a killer hangover. Besides the normal taking it easy & getting plenty of rest I decided to start the day with several mugs of very warm water and 2 scoops Vitamin C powder (I take Medi C Plus which contains L-Lysine), lemon juice, ginger and honey. Not only is it healthy but it tastes like a very nice tea and I think it really helped in getting me back on my feet. Whatever works right? I think it will become my new first-thing-in-the-morning drink – even before coffee. It might be a good preventative to getting sick in the first place. That and staying away from people who already have a cold or flu.
We know that pheromones are chemicals secreted by the body that influence the behavior of others of the same species. Apparently this also includes insects. Each persons (or animals/insects) pheromones are biologically different, and have a different effect on other people/animals/insects. Scientists believe that human sexual orientation and sexual attraction may be partially based on pheromones.
Humans produce pheromones called aphrodisiacs that affect the sexual behavior of other humans. Though each person produces pheromones with a unique chemical formula, there are certain foods that can affect human pheromones.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate has long been regarded as a romantic gift. Research indicates that chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a stimulant that causes a sense of excitement and well-being.
ASPARAGUS
Asparagus with Tomatoes
Asparagus is high in Vitamin E, which is believed to stimulate sex hormones. In ancient societies, asparagus was considered to be an erotic stimulant because of its phallic shape. Next Tuesday: Recipe for Asparagus Soup. RED HOT Chili Peppers
Chilies contain capsaicin, the chemical that adds heat to peppers and other spicy foods. Capsaicin stimulates nerve endings and raises the heart rate, causing the release of endorphins.
RED WINE
Burly red wines, evoking the scents of leather, tobacco and earth, are said to act as aphrodisiacs. It is believed that the musky bouquet of red wine imitates male hormones.
CELERY
Celery Heart
The nutrients found in celery are believed to stimulate the pituitary gland, which releases sexual hormones. There is also some evidence to indicate that the scent of celery suggests androstenone, a primary male pheromone. In the Middle Ages, celery was advised as a treatment for impotence.
OYSTERS
According to legend, Casanova ate oysters everyday, using them to seduce vestal virgins. Oysters are high in zinc, which is used to produce testosterone.
My order of preference for the above would be 1) Chocolate 2) Red Wine (1 + 2 preferably together) 3) Chili Peppers (but not raw) 4) Asparagus 5) Oysters (with wine) 6) Celery (preferably cooked or in a salad).
How about you?
Sources: Lane Madison, Discovery Health, CNN, Eat Something
That’s Cystic Fibrosis, commonly known as CF. Last Saturday I attended an event in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. It was the 14th Annual 65 Roses Gala held at the Pan Pacific Hotel. The theme was Oh, what-a-night and it was!
Sisters
An all-around great evening met with reception champagne cocktail or pomegranate martini while busy perusing all the silent auction items, then delicious 3 course dinner with free flowing wine (supplied by Okanagan Crush Pad), live auction bidding and finally dancing to the excellent live band – SideOne.
But there was more to this evening. The intention was to raise awareness for a life threatening disease affecting children and adults to which there is no cure. Also I have a personal connection as a good friend of mine has CF. So I just wanted to let you know about it because it is not so prevalent as Cancer – something we’re all too familiar with. It is a terrible and fatal genetic disease.
People with CF spend the equivalent of four months of full time work every year on life-sustaining therapies. Despite this intensive work to stay well, less than half are expected to reach middle age. I’m happy to report that my friend has reached middle age, looks good and is doing well.
Cystic fibrosis causes various effects on the body, but mainly affects the digestive system and lungs. The degree of cystic fibrosis involvement differs from person to person. However, the persistence and ongoing infection in the lungs, with destruction of lungs and loss of lung function, eventually causes death in the majority of people who have cystic fibrosis.
Typical complications are difficulty in digesting fats and proteins; vitamin deficiencies due to loss of pancreatic enzymes; and progressive loss of lung function.
Since the first 65 Roses Gala in 2001, the Gala has raised over $2.5 million to fund research and clinical care here in B.C. and across Canada. CF Canada supports the transplant center at Vancouver General Hospital, one of only five centers in Canada. A double lung transplant is “THE ONLY OPTION” (can you imagine?) for many people with end stage CF. It is not a cure; it buys time and it is not available to all. Can you even imagine? They can always use more support in their desire to find a cure.
CAUSES OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that occurs when a child inherits two abnormal genes, one from each parent. Approximately, one in 25 Canadians carry an abnormal version of the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis. Carriers do not have cystic fibrosis, nor do they exhibit any of the symptoms of the disease.
When two parents who are carriers have a child, there is a 25 percent chance that the child will be born with cystic fibrosis; there is also a 50 percent chance that the child will be a carrier; and a 25 percent chance that the child will neither be a carrier nor have cystic fibrosis.
SYMPTOMS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS
Cystic fibrosis is a multi-system disorder that produces a variety of symptoms including:
Persistent cough with productive thick mucous
Wheezing and shortness of breath
Frequent chest infections, which may include pneumonia
Bowel disturbances, such as intestinal obstruction
Weight loss or failure to gain weight despite possible increased appetite
You know that saying…is the glass half empty or half full? By now we all say “half full” even if we really see is as “half empty.” We know better. But here’s another test. This one by a doctor (Dr. David Rosen to be exact) who specializes in stress management.
Today in terrorist times we should strive to develop the fighter pilot’s philosophy of “a wealth of optimism and a want of fear.” I’m sure they would all pass this test:
So here goes; TAKE A LOOK at these letters:
“OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE”
If you decipher the letters to read “opportunity is now here” you will survive disastrous times. But you flunk the test if you read “opportunity is no where.”
But lighten up, it doesn’t mean your life will end soon……just that you are not as optimistic, or a fighter pilot.
I like this
Source for test: W. Gifford-Jones, MD (from the book – What I Learned as a Medical Journalist)
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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