It is also a leading cause of disability among women. If you’ve got a heart, you should be aware of the signs and symptoms of heart disease. Fortunately, heart disease is a problem you can do something about.
WHAT IS HEART DISEASE?
According to Women’s Health.gov, heart disease includes a number of problems affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include:
Coronary Artery Disease is the most common type of heart disease and is caused by the narrowing and blockage of the coronary arteries. Due to the narrowed artery wall or blockage, blood has a hard time getting to the heart. The heart does not get all the blood it needs causing a heart attack.
Coronary Artery Disease can lead to:
Angina is chest pain or discomfort that happens when the heart does not get enough blood. It may feel like a pressing or squeezing pain, often in the chest, but sometimes the pain is in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It can also feel like indigestion (upset stomach). Angina is not a heart attack, but having angina means you are more likely to have a heart attack.
Heart attack occurs when an artery is severely or completely blocked, and the heart does not get the blood it needs for more than 20 minutes.
Heart failure occurs when the heart is not able to pump enough blood through the body. This means that other organs, which normally get blood from the heart, do not get enough blood. It does not mean that the heart stops. Signs of heart failure include: shortness of breath, swelling in feet, ankles, and legs or extreme tiredness
Heart arrhythmias are changes in the beat of the heart. Most people have report that they felt dizzy, faint, out of breath or had chest pains. These changes in heartbeat are harmless for most people. As you get older, you are more likely to have arrhythmias. Don’t panic if you have a few flutters or if your heart races once in a while. If you have flutters and other symptoms such as dizziness or shortness of breathe, call 911 right away.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and secondhand smoke are risk factors associated with heart disease. For a full list of diseases and conditions along with risk factors and other health information associated with heart disease, visit the American Heart Association website.
The following information was obtained from The Mayo clinic website- mayoclinic.com
Heart disease risk factors for women
Although the traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease — such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity — affect women and men, other factors may play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women. For example:
• Metabolic syndrome — a combination of fat around your abdomen, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides — has a greater impact on women than on men.
• Mental stress and depression affect women’s hearts more than men’s. Depression makes it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow recommended treatment, so talk to your doctor if you’re having symptoms of depression.
• Smoking is a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men.
• Low levels of estrogen after menopause pose a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease in the smaller blood vessels (small vessel heart disease).
Is heart disease something only older women should worry about?
No. Women under the age of 65 who have a family history of heart disease should pay particularly close attention to the heart disease risk factors. Women of all ages should take heart disease seriously.
What can women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?
There are several lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of heart disease:
• Exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day on most days of the week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Quit or don’t start smoking.
• Eat a diet that’s low in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt.

This tyrannical law
puts all food production (yes, even food produced in your own garden) under the
authority of the Department of Homeland Security. Yep — the very same people
running the TSA and its naked body scanner / passenger groping
programs.

This law would also give the U.S. government the power to
arrest any backyard food producer as a felon (a “smuggler”) for merely growing
lettuce and selling it at a local farmer’s market.

It also sells out U.S.
sovereignty over our own food supply by ceding to the authority of both the
World Trade Organization (WTO) and Codex Alimentarius.

It would
criminalize seed saving (http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/20…), turning backyard
gardeners who save heirloom seeds into common criminals. This is obviously
designed to give corporations like Monsanto a monopoly over
seeds.

It would create an unreasonable paperwork burden that
would put small food producers out of business, resulting in more power over the
food supply shifting to large multinational corporations.

I encourage you
to read more about this dangerous bill at the Food Freedom blog on
Wordpress: http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com/20…

Watch this
excellent video on NaturalNews.TV which explains S.510 in more detail:
http://naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=9209B…

Take action now or lose your right to grow your own food

Sign this
petition at Citizens for Health:
http://www.citizens.org/?page_id=2312

Do it today! This
is really important.

In addition, the Cornucopia Institute
recently sent out an urgent call-to-action email containing the following
information: (http://www.cornucopia.org/2010/11/a…)

How to
protest Senate Bill 510

1) Go to Congress.org and type in your zip
code in the box in the upper right hand corner.

2) Click on your
Senator’s name, and then on the contact tab for their phone number. You can also
call the Capitol Switchboard and ask to be directly connected to your Senator’s
office: 202-224-3121.

3) Once connected ask to speak to the legislative
staff person responsible for agriculture. If they are unavailable leave a voice
mail message. Be sure to include your name and phone number.

Give them
this message in support of the “Tester Amendment” which would exempt small farms
from S.510:

“I am a constituent of Senator___________. I ask that he/she
support the Tester Amendment to the food safety bill. The Tester Amendment will
exempt the safest, small, owner-operator farms and food facilities and farmers
who direct market their products to consumers, stores or restaurants. Food
safety legislation should not create inappropriate and costly regulatory
barriers to family farms and the growing healthy food movement in the drive to
crack down on corporate bad actors. Please support the Tester Amendment and
market opportunities for small and mid-sized family farms, and small food
processing facilities.”

You may also wish to explain that you oppose
the Food Safety Modernization Act in its entirety, and it is a destructive,
freedom-crushing law that will destroy the future of food in
America.

Remember, America has already lost control over its money supply
to the Federal Reserve (nearly a hundred years ago). America has lost its health
due to the medical industry and its profit-from-sickness agenda. Now we may
lose our right to grow our own food and save our own seeds if Senate Bill
510 passes.

This is a dangerous, tyrannical law that would thrust the
American people into an age of darkness and malnutrition. It would criminalize
many of the very people growing our food and turn food production into yet
another corporate monopoly.

Please take the time right now to
contact your U.S. Senator and voice your strong opposition to this
bill

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030418_Food_Safety_Modernization_Act_seeds.html#ixzz1beU7qMDW

Welcome to the 2011 Summer Health Challenge!

We challenged 39 clients to six weeks of healthy eating, fitness classes, and more! Listed below are: Shared Recipes, Book Reviews, and Health Tips that our challengers shared. Theresa Rhine was our winner with over 200 points–go Theresa!  Theresa has been a client of Pilates Plus for eight years–taking Pilates, Yoga, Boot Camp, Cardio Kickboxing, and more!  We love to see her here, she is an inspiration to us all!

If you want to join us for the NEW 2012 Challenge, which will begin on January 1, 2012, email us at: pilates@proskillsplus.com

Shared Recipes/Tips

Submitted by Tanya Fulgham

Recipe- Spinach Salad with Ricotta Salata, Olives, Pine Nuts and Tomatoes
From Against the Grain

Intro from book- Salads that couple fresh spinach with cheeses abound inside and outside the Mediterranean. In this salad, you can substitute the mild, buttery Greek manouri cheese or ricotta salata with something more robust, such as feta, Gorgonzola, or even Roquefort.

8 Servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons pine nuts
6 cups (about 10 oz) fresh young spinach, washed, drained and trimmed
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 pound ricotta salata or Greek manouri cheese, cut into ½ -inch cubes
½ cup pitted wrinkled black olives, such as Greek Thassos or Moroccan olives

The Dressing:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions:
Toast the pine nuts in a dry nonstick skillet over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to cool.

Place the spinach in a serving bowl. Top with the onion, tomatoes, ricotta salata, olives, and pine nuts.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and serve.

Per serving: Calories- 214; Fat- 19g (Sat 6g); Cholesterol- 2mg; Sodium- 460mg; Carbohydrates- 10g; Fiber 3g (Digestible Carbohydrates- 7g); Protein- 5g

“Fasting”- Jentezen Franklin

About the book:
Fasting is a book written to provide a guide for anyone interested in learning more about spiritual fasting and how to properly fast. The book provides information on what fasting is and is not, different types of spiritual fasts, examples of fasting from the Bible and how fasting can benefit the Christian believer. Jentezen Franklin shows how fasting is not an option for the Christian believer but, that Christians are called to and required to fast according to God’s Word.

What I liked about the book:
This is the 3rd time that I’ve read this book and what I can say that I like best about the book is that I always find something new and learn a new way of applying fasting to my life. I first read the book in 2008 because it was suggested reading for a group fast that I was participating in with my dance school. I had checked the book out of the library because my intention had been just to read it as part of the fast and then return it. However, when I read it in 2008 I learned so much that I didn’t know about fasting that I decided to buy the book the next year when we did the group fast again in 2009.

I was fascinated with the book because it was a very simple read but, still provided so much information. The book is outlined well and has a good progression from one facet to another so one who is new to fasting can really connect the information and be able to apply it practically. It also helps those who have fasted often to be able to use the book as a reference and a guide during their times of fasting. I had heard about different types of fasts before; however, reading how Jentezen Franklin outlined the different fasts (absolute, normal and partial) helped me have a better understanding of how each works and how each can be used for different situations and for one’s Spiritual breakthroughs.

The first part of the book (i.e. the first 2 chapters) I considered to be an introduction. Although he has a “formal” introduction, I really felt that the first 2 chapters could easily be considered an intro as well because they introduce the reader to fasting and discuss some basic misconceptions and things to expect when fasting (i.e. feeling “hungry”). So, the book begins with the author’s journey and how he came to make fasting a regular part of his life. He then discusses why one should fast or would want to fast, what fasting is and is not, how Christians are called to fast, how fasting can strengthen the believer’s relations with God and how Christians should conduct themselves when fasting.

The rest of the first part of the book deals with the “nuts and bolts” of fasting and how fasting can bring “public reward”. Throughout the book he not only discusses fasting from a Biblical perspective but, he also gives scientific, health benefits and facts regarding fasting which I felt was important to strengthen one of his points of what fasting is not; i.e. something religious fanatics do, and how fasting is safe and natural.

Each chapter of the book opened with a Scripture verse related to fasting (for the 1st part) or Spiritual development and growth (for the 2nd part) which I liked and thought was important to have the actual verses written out so the reader could see how fasting is often referenced in Scripture. He also used Scripture references throughout that could be looked up for even more examples of fasting and how it has been used in the Bible.

The second part of the book speaks more deeply about using fasting for Spiritual growth and development and increasing one’s relationship with God. This part of the book also has a chapter dedicated to the importance of fasting for “our little ones”…our children. I enjoyed this half of the book particularly when reading it multiple times because it really helps in deepening the fasting experience. The second half has been very helpful as well when I needed to just use the book as a reference when fasting for a specific situation as a means of guidance and encouragement.

What I didn’t like about the book:
.There wasn’t much that I didn’t like about the book. There is now a workbook / journal that goes along with the book which I think is a good additional and will be very helpful. The only other thing I think could enhance this book would be a topical/subject index. I think it would have been good to have a place to easily cross reference certain topics and ideas to specific pages.

“Against the Grain”- Diane Kochilas

When I first saw a cookbook on the list of books for the Health Challenge my first thought was, “How can someone get credit for reading a cook book?” “How can someone write a book report on a cookbook?” was my second thought. I hadn’t intended to read or write a book report on a cookbook; however, when I asked which books were still available for the Challenge, this was only one of two options. The other option was a book I really wanted to read but, knew that I wouldn’t have time to complete it for the Challenge. So, Against the Grain, it was.

When I first started reading the book I was amazed. I was actually going to be able to read this “cookbook” and also write a report. As I began reading the introduction I realized that this wasn’t a typical cookbook.

About the book:
Against the Grain is a cookbook which highlights “good carb” and low-carb, Mediterranean cooking. The author is from Greece and a chef. She has four cookbooks but, for this one she was inspired to rethink how she cooked foods she loved after being on the Atkins (a low-carb) diet. She decided to incorporate some of the philosophies of low-carb eating into her recipes and produced a book of tantalizing, Mediterranean-inspired recipes.

What I liked about the book:
As I mentioned above, this was not a typical cookbook. A typical cookbook usually has some general information in the beginning about how the book is laid out and general cooking basics. Against the Grain started off with an Introduction- true “book” style. The author began the book with her story and how she became inspired to write this cookbook. She provided some background on low-carb dieting, how the food industry has contributed to the obesity epidemic, how Mediterranean cooking was already a healthy way of eating and how she came to marrying the two styles of food preparation.

The author also included “The Good-Carb Mediterranean Pantry” glossary in the Introduction which helped to define some of the staples of Mediterranean cooking and to help someone identify what to look for at the grocery store when searching for these staples. Throughout the book she also provided shopping information and/or substitutions to look for in North America which was very helpful.

I also enjoyed the book because it was filled with interesting historical and cultural information. I used to think of the Mediterranean of places like Greece, Turkey, and Morocco. Although these places are all part of the Mediterranean, I also learned that the Mediterranean was a vast region spreading from France to Turkey. Many of the recipes in the book were inspired by cooking from Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Istanbul, Tangiers, Spain, France, Italy and others.

The author introduced each section of the book with some cultural and historical tidbits related to the section. For example, I learned how eggs are important throughout the Mediterranean and are cooked in countless different ways. I also learned the various ways salads are served in the Mediterranean; most of which are warm, not the cold, raw variations that we have here in the U.S.

But, she didn’t stop there with bringing the Mediterranean culture and history into the book. For almost every recipe, she provided a short intro about the dish. For some dishes she would explain its history or inspiration; for others she would give cooking or serving tips; and still others, she would give information about the best time of year to serve the dish. I felt that this really added something extra to the book. These recipe intros paired with the chapter intros really made this book very interesting for me.

What I didn’t like about the book:
There really wasn’t much I didn’t like about the book. However, the only thing that could have made it better for me was if she had provided more details about the serving sizes. Each recipe had the number of servings the recipe yielded as well as nutritional information per serving; however, she did not indicate how much was in a serving. So, I didn’t know if a serving was 1 cup, 4 oz, etc. The only other thing I would have liked would have been a few pictures since I am a very visual person. However, overall, the book was excellent. I will likely buy it myself because there are several recipes I would like to try.

Tuna and Quinoa Wrap
1/2 cup 2 percent Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 6-inch whole-wheat wrap
1/4 cup tuna in olive oil, drained
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1 tsp capers
Zest of 1/2 lemon

Mix yogurt, herbs, and garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 2 Tbsp of yogurt mixture on wrap. Top with tuna, quinoa, capers, and lemon zest. Fold wrap to seal.

Per serving: 167 cal; 5 g fat (1 g sat fat); 21 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbs; 428 mg sodium; 21 g protein; 2 g fiber

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Super Sandwich Combinations

Submitted by Lyn Barry

Best Spinach Ever

You can use frozen (but fresh baby spinach is better). If you use frozen, squeeze all excess juice out. This can be a side or a meal by itself, depending on how much you make.

Large tub of fresh spinach (this shrinks a ton when you cook it) or a large frozen bag.
Sauté spinach in olive oil and a clove of chopped garlic at medium heat.
Add juice of one lemon or lime; red pepper flakes, and pepper.
Grate parmesan cheese over it and enjoy!

Submitted by Regina Philips

Review of DVD: 8 Minutes Produced by RaveDiet.com

The DVD begins by describing the unique abilities of familiar animals, and states that the more we learn about them the more intelligent they become. For example; cows have excellent long term memory, are quick learners, and never forget a place or face. Pigs are friendly, loyal, and smarter than dogs. Chickens, often thought of as dumb, are intelligent, social, and learn from one another. Animals have been known to travel thousands of miles unassisted to reunite with their families. How many humans can do that? Animals have individual personalities, use body language, and display a capacity for joy, grief, and compassion. To think of them as unfeeling creatures is not accurate.

According to the DVD eating meat is a habit that we do not have to have. The best way to break this habit is to spend time in a slaughterhouse, but most people prefer not to think about what they are eating. The average American eats over 3,000 animals in a lifetime. Animals that are as intelligent as your household pet live short lives in brutal conditions before slaughter. Eating meat is the root cause of the biggest killers in the US, namely cardiovascular disease and cancer. This is nature’s way of telling us to show respect for fellow creatures and let them be.

The scenes in the DVD switch to slaughter houses where animals are being processed, and documents inhumane treatment. Animals are strung up by one foot, and while clearly still alive, their throats are slit open. The cows, pigs, and chickens hang there while they watch the blood drain out of their bodies and onto the floor. Sometimes the animals initially struggle, then become still while the camera focuses on their eyes. The DVD cuts to scenes of a happy young boy holding a hotdog, and smiling people eating and serving meat. There are also scenes of cats in cages and slaughtered dogs being sold at what looks like a market. Amazing Grace and Ave Maria play in the background.

To close, the DVD shows several quotes regarding consuming animals. Two of these are:

‘You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughter house is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.’ ………..Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘The most violent weapon on earth is the table fork.’ …………Mahatma Gandhi

The DVD provides no new information but brings up a subject that everyone needs to think about. I honestly could not watch the scenes at the slaughterhouses without looking away and feeling very strongly impacted. The scenes were very disturbing and sickening. I think that was the point. I wondered if all slaughter houses are like this, and does that really matter? I recommend that you watch it and make the decision that is best for you and your family.

Whole Grain Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked whole grain pasta
1 tsp table salt, for cooking pasta
1/4 cup(s) canned chicken or veggie broth – low sodium, low fat
2 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
8 oz spinach, washed, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 5 cups)
Fresh Thyme
Fresh dill
Fresh basil
1/4 tsp table salt, or to taste
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste
1 cup(s) grape tomatoes, halved
6 Tbsp freshly grated asiago or parm cheese
Instructions
• Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid before draining pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat broth in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes. Add spinach, basil, dill, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add cooked pasta, reserved cooking liquid and tomatoes to skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until tomatoes are slightly pulpy, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes; add cheese and heat through. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.
7 points – 4 servings

These tips submitted by Darissa Simms

Why Buy Local ?

Sign up at: http://www.buy-local-challenge.com/

Why buy local: http://buy-local-challenge.com/why.html
Buying local is good for you, good for the local economy and good for the planet!
In addition to providing food that’s fresh and nutritional, buying from local farms promotes cleaner air and water and reduces our carbon footprint on the planet. In Maryland, if every household purchased just $12 worth of farm products for eight weeks (basically the summer season), over $200 million would be put back into the pockets of our farmers. Imagine if every household in the entire USA made a similar commitment.

Where to buy local: http://buy-local-challenge.com/where.html

Tips and Recipes: http://buy-local-challenge.com/tips.html

Submitted by Pamela White

Book Report:
I recently read two related books by Dr. Mark Hyman, MD: “Ultra Metabolism,” and “The Ultra Simple Diet: Kick Start Your Metabolism and Safety Lose up to 10 Pounds in 7 Days.” I borrowed these books from our local library. I would suggest is the best way to go since, although they are a reasonably interesting read, I believe that there is not enough new information in either of these books to warrant buying them.
In his book, “Ultra Metabolism,” Dr. Hyman states that the “UltraMetabolism Prescription” is not so much a diet as it is a way of life. There are two phases of this program:
1. Detox your system;
2. Re-balance your metabolism and maintain a lifelong healthy metabolism.
The detox phase, which lasts 3 weeks, includes things that many other detox regimens suggest: eliminate “garbage food” (packaged, processed, refined); sugar (all types including stevia, Splenda and, most especially, high fructose corn syrup); virtually all meat, but especially red meat and pork; hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils; and caffeinated beverages and alcohol. Additionally, avoid food that may have sensibilities (e.g. wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, soy, peanuts). Eat whole, unprocessed foods and drink lots of green tea and clean water, which Dr. Hyman defines as, preferably from a osmosis filter installed in your house, or bottled water certified as pure and in glass (not plastic) containers.
This detox phase relies heavily on “Ultra Broth” (This is basically a vegetable broth. Dr. Hyman provides a recipe, but acknowledges that many people with busy lives will more likely buy a packaged organic vegetable broth.); “Ultra Shakes” (Dr. Hyman provides three versions to appeal to different tastes and dietary needs.) and “Ultra Baths.” The baths are to help eliminate toxins from the body. Dr. Hyman suggests that people use steam baths or saunas on a daily basis, but, in the absence of the ready availability of these facilities, he provides a recipe for an “Ultra Bath.” Basically, run a bath with water as hot as you can comfortably stand. Dissolve in the water 2 cups of Epsom Salts, 1 cup of Baking Soda and 10 drops of lavender oil. Bathe for at least 20 minutes. Again, he suggests you take such a bath every day, at least during the detox phase. Anyone who attended Lorraine’s Aromatherapy workshop this spring at the studio has bath salts that would be a delightful alternative to this recipe. The second phase of the program lasts from 4 weeks to the rest of your life. During this phase, you begin to add healthy foods back into your diet slowly, learning to avoid any foods that seem to either disagree with you or cause any inflammation. Key instructions for this phase is to eat good carbs, good proteins and good fats from organic and local sources wherever possible. He also provides strategies to deal with constipation and emphasizes that any sign of constipation should be taken care of immediately. He encourages regular exercise and a good night’s sleep.

The second book, “The Ultra Simple Diet: Kick Start Your Metabolism and Safety Lose up to 10 Pounds in 7 Days,” was written in response to readers who wanted a quicker solution to weight loss. The principles set forth in this book are the same as in the first book, but everything is foreshortened. Dr. Hyman provides a detailed day-by-day checklist for this 10-day program.
In summary, after reading both books, I found that a lot of the information was reasonably interesting. However, very little of it was new. It simply reinforced a number of things I have read about in other books, or learned at some of the Pilates Plus workshops. I continue to try to incorporate many of these healthy habits into my daily life. I also have been taking “Ultra Baths” which are quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Submitted by: Allison Blake
Hi friends,

Looks like I’ve lost 3-4 pounds since the Challenge started – woo hoo! To this I mostly credit two things: stopping eating by 7 p.m., and eating a daily local meal. Eating local this time of year is super easy as we all know, but after the Challenge started I found that the best way for me (and others in our household) to achieve this goal is to eat breakfast, which I don’t otherwise consistently do (except for oatmeal sometimes.) So, I’ve been eating one or two local eggs scrambled with a few local grape tomatoes (try the Sun Gold variety – they are heavenly!). maybe with a clove chopped garlic or a tablespoon of chopped cilantro or basil, maybe ½ of a medium-sized zucchini or 1/4 a medium chopped onion left over from last night’s dinner -whatever good local veggies are in the fridge or herbs that are growing in the garden can be used. Making this takes about five minutes, if that. If you really love avocado, add ¼ of an avocado after the eggs have come out of the pan and you’ll feel like you’re eating like a queen (but be careful re/the calories here – avocado calories add up quickly!). You can use this same formula for other meals and just add the veggie/herb/avocado mix to fish or meat instead of the eggs.

Hope everybody’s starting to feel the benefit! I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to re-establish healthy discipline.

Submitted by: Darissa Simms

#3: Week of August 1, 2011
Book: The Maker’s Diet – Daily Reminders
Author: Jordan S. Rubin

Book Is About:

The book is the companion for The Maker’s Diet by the same author. The author shares diet concepts that he developed during a period of illness that are based on biblical principles and scripture references. This companion book helps the dieter maintain the diet program with daily encouragement and spiritual support. The companion book also provides health facts that are biblically and scientifically proven. The companion book also includes a tip-a-day that emphasis boosting your immune system, attaining and maintaining your ideal weight, harnessing abundant energy, enhancing your physical appearance, reducing stress, improving digestion and so much more vital information.

I Liked the Book Because:

I enjoyed ready this book because it only offered biblical and scientific information on food and health. The book also offered daily living tips that were informative, easy to understand and simple to follow. The book is written in a daily format of 365 days of information. The tips-a-day were short, therefore making it easy to read in a short period of time.

Things I Learned from the Book:

The author provided and anonymous quote that I how humorous: “Too many people confine their exercise to jumping to conclusions, running up bills, stretching the truth, bending over backward, lying down on the job, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.”

My Opinion of the Book:

This book is easy and quick to read in a short period of time. The book offers the reader a lot of great information in a simple format. The book is probably most helpful when read along with the original diet plan. But it does hold its own and a stand-alone book.

Shared Recipes

This tip in from Alison Blake:

For this week’s sharing tip, here’s my beloved secret weapon for healthy eating/cooking: http://whfoods.org/. First, my disclaimer: I can’t vouch for the official veracity of the info in this website. But I can say that from the extensive reading I’ve done, this seems to be a good resource for overall healthy eating and it has been a big part of making a dietary change for my household very easy. Go to the top and click on the “foods” link to see how the info’s arranged, with nutrition et al. Then take a look at the “recipes” link next to that. Basically, it’s set up database style so you can (hopefully) put together a recipe that works with the ingredients you have or can easily obtain. Plus, the recipes are super simple and most are not so exotic that you’d never consider in regular life. Those that I’ve used or adapted have been very good.

This recipe and information from Ronda Sharman

Here is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It comes from the Whole Foods Cookbook. You can always substitute another kind of milk such as soy or rice if you don’t like milk. (Never tried rice milk in this recipe but I always use soy.) Also, if you like your quiche more solid you can add more egg and less milk. I always add one extra egg to the mix. Also, don’t overcook your potatos as they fall apart. You want nice thin slices of potato.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/349

Spinach Quiche with Pine Nuts Serves 8
This quiche, with its wondful aromas of garlic, sage and pine nuts, hails straight from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook. Fresh tender spinach combines with red potato, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in this satisfying, flavorful pie. Perfect for entertaining, as the dish may be made up to three days before serving.
Ingredients
1 frozen 9-inch ready-made whole wheat piecrust
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
6 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 large red potato, steamed until firm-tender, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove piecrust from the freezer and thaw for ten minutes. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove crust from the oven to cool.

Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add garlic, spinach, salt, pepper and sage. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until the spinach is just wilted. Stir in pine nuts.

In a small bowl, mix mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. In another bowl, whisk milk and eggs together.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on the piecrust. Top with half of the spinach mixture.
Place potato slices on top of spinach. Add half remaining cheese mixture and then remaining spinach mixture. Top with remaining cheese.

Place the pie pan on a sheet pan. Carefully pour in milk mixture. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting.
Nutrition
Per Serving (3.5 oz-wt.): 180 calories (120 from fat), 14g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 10g protein, 6g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 75mg cholesterol, 450mg sodium
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/349

This recipe in from Pam White:

White Bean Salad

Salad ingredients:
3 1/2 cups White beans*
1 1/2 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion (sliced fine)
1/4 green pepper (chopped)

Dressing:
1T fresh lemon juice
1 T Balsamic vinegar
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-2 tsp Herbs (Use any dried herbs you like. I used Herbes de Provence and Tumeric. However, most any you like will work, e.g., Thyme, Basil, Oregano, Italian Seasoning.) Kosher or Sea salt and Freshly ground pepper to taste
Prepare and mix salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing, pour over salad ingredients and toss together. Putting the prepared salad in the refrigerator for a few hours gives all the favors a chance to blend together.
This recipe makes about 3 3/4 cups of salad and each 1/4 cup has 50 calories (of which 6 calories are from fat).
Enjoy.

Two Recipes submitted by Lyn Barry:

Ingredients

2 spray(s) cooking spray

3 large peach(es), pitted and sliced
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
6 Tbsp whole wheat flour
6 Tbsp sugar, granulated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp table salt

1 large egg white(s)
4 Tbsp butter, melted
Instructions
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, gently toss peaches with brown sugar until sugar starts to dissolve; spoon fruit into prepared baking pan.
• In another small bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt; add egg white and combine with your fingers until mixture comes together and starts to crumble. Drop clumps of flour mixture over fruit; drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake until fruit just starts to bubble, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm. Yields about 2/3 cup per serving.
Notes
• This recipe works well with plums and nectarines, too.

VEGGIE SOUP

0 POINTS

Cut up onions, green beans, carrots, zucchini, squash (and anything else that sounds good) and sauté in pan with spray butter.
Add fat free and low sodium chicken broth and simmer.
Season with pepper, red pepper and lemon garlic (salt-free) spices
Add one teaspoon of tomato paste and stir.

Freezes great!

Submitted by Susan Spangler

One Pan Zucchini

Take a throw-away tin and cube a large Zucchini. Mist with olive oil. Massage oil into zucchini. Season with sea salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (optional). Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. If you prefer the dish more tender, bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh parmesean cheese.

Book Report By Gayla Bergren

Flip the Switch: Proven Strategies to fuel Your Metabolism & Burn Fat 24 Hours a Day
Authors: Robert K. Cooper, PhD. Recipes by Leslie L. Cooper.
Copyright 2005 by Advanced Excellence Systems, LLC
Dr Robert Cooper, one of America’s top weight loss researchers, explains the process called “Meta Stat” as the secret to kick-starting the brain’s weight management process. The goal is place the body into longer periods of fat burning mode to ensure greater weight loss and build energy. Flip the Switch offers 12 scientifically proven switches to turn on fat loss or thermogenesis, workout suggestions, an suggested eating plan, record keeping, and sample recipes. The ten areas to kick start thermogenesis include: Waking up routines, physical activity (build more muscles), improve light energy, breathing techniques for better oxygen, improving fluid intake (more water, correct caffeine and alcohol), improve posture, turn down the heat in the room, improve hormone balance, stay calm, stop the stress response, ramp up the late afternoon evening metabolism, and good quality rest/sleep.
Some of the new things I learned about are: importance of eating protein for breakfast, frequent exercise spurts vice long duration exercises, muscle toning vice lots of aerobic exercise, chewing gum to increase metabolism and energy, optimizing exposure to light, belly-breathing, hand held power lung device, maximizing caloric burn by drinking cold water, drinking green tea, more soup, tips to improve posture and reduce tension, d -layer clothing, turn down the heat, lose the heavy blankets, managing hormones such as insulin and thyroid T3, changing the pace of work, visually shifting eye-focus, defusing stress through breathing and humor, decompressing at the end of the day, exercise and snack before dinner, exercise right after dinner, eating earlier, eating protein, eat slower, keep a food consumption record to lose the most weight, 7 hours of sleep – same doze off time and same wakeup time every day including weekends, warm baths before bed, not going to bed hungry (cottage cheese, warm milk, or turkey)

Shared Recipes

This recipe in from Regina Phillips:

Un-Fried Chicken

The secret to the success of this recipe is to make sure that both the chicken and the yogurt are very cold (hence, soaking the chicken in the ice water). The preliminary soaking will help the breading adhere and produce a crisp coating much like that of fried chicken.

Light vegetable oil cooking spray
6 chicken drumsticks, skin removed
3 chicken breasts, skin removed
3 ½ cups ice water
1 cup plain water

FOR THE BREADING:
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Coat a baking sheet with 3 sprays of vegetable oil.
Put the chicken in a large bowl with the ice water. Put the yogurt into a medium bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Toss all the breading ingredients into a large, tightly sealed plastic bag. Seal and shake well to mix
Remove 2 pieces of chicken from the ice water. Roll each piece in the yogurt. Put the chicken into the plastic bag, reseal, and shake to coat thoroughly. Transfer the breaded chicken to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the process until all 12 pieces are breaded. Spray the chicken lightly with the vegetable oil.
Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 1 hour, turning the pieces every 20 minutes to allow for even browning.

Each Breast piece: 2.2 grams fat, 185 calories
Each Drumstick: 4.2 grams fat, 195 calories

This recipe in from Tereaz Scholze:

Summer Veggies

2 ripe tomatoes
1onion
1 cucumber
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T cold pressed olive oil
Garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Cut all veggies into small cubes, add all other ingredients…ENJOY!
This keeps well in the refrigerator for those of you who have to take food to work or are on the go a lot!

The answers to these deep questions have profound implications for everyone. First, there are no “right” answers. How you conduct your life is a personal choice. But in fact many people do not make active choices. They exist in a default state, floating along on the current of any random convenient stream. “Whatever” is the slogan and catch-phrase of these persons.

Such individuals fail to recognize that we live in an entropy-seeking universe. Breakdown, disorder, and decay are the tendencies of all things. Our health is no exception. If you do not proactively take steps to combat the inexorable progression to disorganization, your body will gradually fall apart. Literally.

Understanding that the patterns of life are cyclical does not imply that you should just lie down and take it. The fact that downward trends are inevitable does not imply that doing good things for your health and well-being are useless and a waste of resources. In fact, taking action on your own behalf makes the highs of the cycles higher and simultaneously decreases the depths of the lows.1,2

The result of such action is specific improvement of your health over time. Yes, improving your health takes effort. In this space-time continuum unless effort is exerted to maintain the organization of matter, disorganization will rapidly follow. Muscles don’t stay hard and strong on their own. Without proper training, heart and lung efficiency and strength deteriorate over time.3 With a careless diet, digestive organs become sluggish and function poorly. And so on down the entire list of physiologic components and functions.

So, yes, it’s a random universe. Stuff happens, so why not sit back and “go with the flow”. Quality of life is the criterion. How much quality our lives have is based on our personal contribution. Our personal effort. Our personal commitment to healthier lives for ourselves and our families. And that requires effort.

1Stineman MG, Streim JE: The biopsycho-ecological paradigm: a foundational theory for medicine. PM R 2(11):1035-1045, 2010
2Pinto BM, Ciccolo JT: Physical activity motivation and cancer survivorship. Recent Results Cancer Res 186:367-387, 2011
3Brinkhaus B, et al: How to treat a patient with chronic low back pain – Methodology and results of the first international case conference of integrative medicine. Complement Ther Med 19(1):54-62, 2011

Saturday, June 26, 2010

4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

$35

Conducted by Janelle Jones

Your feet are your foundation!

They carry you through life, and yet we usually tend to ignore them until they hurt or we want them to look nice in a pair of shoes.

Learn to love your feet, get a leg up on your yoga practice, and put your best foot forward!

In this workshop, you will:

• Gain a better understanding of your feet by learning functional anatomy. Not just WHAT your foot is made of, but WHY and HOW the structure of your foot supports and transports you.
• Recognize common foot misalignments and injuries, and learn therapeutic techniques to address these issues.
• Develop a deeper awareness of your feet in yoga poses. Learn to build your poses from the ground up and use your feet more effectively.

How to register

If you would like to take the first step towards foot health, please register online or print our registration form. If you have questions about this workshop, please call the studio at 301-952-1111. We would love to hear from you!

Enjoy robust health with raw foods!

What do you mean by “raw foods”?

There are many different ways to define a raw diet. Raw food aficionados have varying viewpoints; some people advocate a raw vegan diet while others believe that raw meat and unprocessed dairy are a component of healthy living.

For our purposes, when we say “raw food,” we mean uncooked, unprocessed, organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. As you will see, this definition encompasses a wide range of culinary delights.

Why should I eat more raw foods?

Optimal health benefits

The biggest benefits of enjoying fresh, unprocessed plant food is that you will be able to easily meet the daily requirement for fruits and vegetables that lead to optimal health.

What is this requirement? According to the Harvard School of Public Health, you should try to up to thirteen servings a day!

Easier weight loss

Like most of us who have increased our intake of raw foods, you may be surprised at how full you will feel and how quickly you will be able to shed extra weight. The reason for this is four-fold:

1. Raw fruits and vegetables are naturally low in calories. For example, if you snack on a slice of leftover cheese pizza, you are consuming about 230 calories (and who can eat only one slice?). If you choose raw apples instead, you would have to eat over three-and-a-half to get the same level of calories. Three apples will most certainly fill you up!
2. Raw vegetables and most raw fruits have very low glycemic loads, which means that you have less excess insulin flooding your body when you eat. Excess insulin is indicated in obesity, diabetes, and some cancers.
3. Raw plant matter is high in fiber. You will stay full and your digestion will work like clockwork!
4. Our bodies absorb calories from cooked and processed foods very efficiently. Cooking was a wonderful advance in human nutrition back when foodstuffs were scarce—but in these modern times too many calories are the problem, not too few.

How do I get started?

The easiest thing you can do is simply eat more uncooked fruits and vegetables! When you plan your meals, opt for a salad, bell pepper wedges, or a luscious fruit plate instead of traditional sides like cooked potatoes, rice, noodles, or bread.

Also, when shopping, choose uncooked walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, etc. instead of the usual salty snacks you buy. Grabbing a handful of raw nuts gives your body healthy fats and keeps you feeling full and satisfied.

If you like cooking already, you may find that exploring raw food preparation leaves you feeling a bit lost at first. Don’t worry! You can use this as an opportunity to try new recipes and flavors that will expand your culinary skills.

For example, are you curious about kale? Raw beets? How about exotic fruit like star fruit, mangoes, and kiwi? You now have a reason to drop those unusual produce items into your shopping cart.

What resources would be helpful?

Pilates Plus Wellness Center Nutrition Counseling

For our clients in Prince George’s County and vicinity such as Upper Marlboro, Dunkirk, Lothian, and Brandywine, we invite you to make an appointment for our Nutritional Counseling service.

Our counselor uses a holistic, whole foods approach based on the belief that minimally-processed, organic food is the best way to improve your health. We will with you on food mix, recipes and portion sizes.

Reading resources

One of the best sources of information on healthy foods is the non-profit website, World’s Healthiest Foods. This site, while not exclusively raw, advocates a minimal cooking approach to most fruits and vegetables and offers easy recipes for fresh foods. And if you want to know any nutritional data on these foods, this is the place for that, too.

Another good source of information is Jonny Bowden’s book, 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Again, this is not an exclusively raw book, but he demystifies many fruits and vegetables and explains ways in which they can be enjoyed.

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At Pilates Plus Wellness Center, we care about you and your quest for a healthy lifestyle. If this article inspires you to try raw foods, please share your experiences with us in the comments section. We would love to hear your thoughts!