The Health and Wealth of Your Pets

The Health and Wealth

The Health and Wealth of Your Pets

'Tis the season to be holly, jolly and footloose and fancy free. There'll be party after party, dinners, lots of family and friends to see and entertainment. But let's not forget the four-legged members of our families who sometimes get lost in the shuffle. As we embark on the busiest time of the year, slow down and remember to have safety measures in place for our furry little friends. Whether you're a pet owner or not, I wanted to provide you with valuable tips so you don't make a mistake and unknowingly make Fido or Fluffy sick. Just because what you're eating looks good, smells good and tastes good means that it is any good for dogs or cats. Remember, dogs may be man's best friend and cats are cool companions - you have to be an even better best friend and a cooler companion and protect their best interest. Check out the following safety tips that are especially important reminders throughout the holiday season and anytime of the year. 


My little girl Daisy, asleep after a good snack and a lot of running around

 



Holiday Safety Tips

 

 

Cut the fat

Fatty or rich foods like beef fat, poultry skin and gravy can cause severe gastrointestinal issues in pets, including:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive gas
• Serious diseases like pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is a severe inflammation of the pancreas, an organ that produces digestive enzymes. On the mild side, pancreatitis can cause vomiting and a decrease in appetite, but can potentially be fatal.
If you want to treat your pet, it’s best to stick to a pet treat or a couple of small bites of lean poultry or unsalted/unbuttered vegetables.

Bones are bad

Although bones from our holiday birds look good to pets, they are dangerous and can cause intestinal upset and may even splinter once digested.

 

Watch the packaging

• Make sure you dispose of any turkey or other food packaging quickly and appropriately.
• All strings, plastic holders and bags that have a meat smell to them can be very attractive to a pet. Once ingested, these items can cause damage or blockage of the intestines.

Chocolate is particularly toxic

 

 

Consider all the cookie and desserts offered during the holidays, many of which contain chocolate.
Chocolate is dangerous for dogs in particular because it contains theobromine, a caffeine-like ingredient that can be toxic to your pet. Dogs are not able to metabolize theobromine as quickly as humans. Complications include:

• Digestive issues
• Dehydration
• Excitability
• Slow heart rate

Later stages of theobromine poisoning include epileptic-like seizures and death. Keep your pet away from dark, semi-sweet and baker’s chocolate because they contain higher levels of theobromine

Source: www.banfield.net

Zesty Zucchini Pancakes

Happy Sunday my healthy and wealthy friends.  I hope wherever you are you are feeling good,

looking good and enjoying the day, no matter what!  I wanted to do something a little different today for breakfast/brunch.  Instead of the usual smoothie, protein shake or veggie omelet, I decided to see what had been sitting in the vegetable bin and put it to use.  I found a very large green zucchini squash begging to be eaten.  I didn't want to grill, saute' or stir-fry as usual.  My taste buds wanted pancakes, but not traditional ones.  So I whipped together a batch of zucchini pancakes, which were simple and oh, so good!  Zucchini is also very good for you too.  Check out the nutrition content and health benefits:  

Nutritional Value in Zucchini

Given below is the amount of nutrients present in 135 gm, raw zucchini:

 

• Calories: 17
• Protein: 1.4 gm
• Carbohydrate: 3.6 gm
• Total Fat: 0.17 gm
• Fiber: 1.5 gm
• Vitamin C: 11 mg

Health Benefits of Zucchini

• Zucchini helps cure asthma, as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• The vegetable is known to help prevent diseases like scurvy and bruising, caused by the deficiency of vitamin C.
• Regular intake of zucchini effectively lowers high homocysteine levels in the human body.
• The vegetable can help prevents risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).
• Zucchinis have high water content (over 95%), high nutritious value and contain a very low amount of calories, so they make the perfect snack item for people on diet.
• The vegetable contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A, necessary for proper functioning of the human body.
• Zucchini contains Vitamin C and lutein, both of which are known to be good for the eyes.
• The vegetable is a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin, manganese and a lot of other nutrients.
• Eating zucchini is known to help the body in supporting the arrangement of capillaries.
• Regular consumption of the vegetable can help protect the body against colon cancer.
• Zucchini is believed to be beneficial in preventing heart disease and related symptoms, such as high cholesterol.
• The rind of zucchini contains the nutrient beta-carotene, which is known to be full of antioxidant properties and thus, helps protect cells against oxidation damage.
• The vegetable proves to be a good source of magnesium and phosphorus, the nutrients essential for building and maintaining healthy bones.
• Zucchini is rich in vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant that can provide protection against cardiovascular disease

Now for the simple and easy to follow recipe:

2 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons grated red onion
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten (I only had medium eggs, so I used 4)
6 to 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking power
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used Himalayan salt - it's unprocessed and good for you too)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
unsalted butter and vegetable oil (I have switched up and only use coconut for cooking)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Grate zucchini into a small bowl using the large grating side of a box grater.
Stir in the onion and egg.  Then stir in 6 tablespoons of flour, the baking powder and salt and pepper.  If your batter is too thin, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour.

Heat a large saute' pan over medium heat and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil.
When the butter and oil are hot, but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low.  Drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan.  Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side until browned.  Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in oven.  Use more butter and oil in the saute' pan between batches if necessary to keep pancakes from sticking.

Serve warm and top it with just about anything you want!

I tried them drizzled with a tablespoon of raw, organic honey.  I also tried them with a few shakes of my favorite Mexican hot sauce.  You could dollop some sour cream or Greek yogurt on them too.  Sky is the limit when it comes to your taste buds and creativity.

Bon Appetit!

Friends Forever

Friends are hard to find. So when you are blessed with one do everything you can to preserve the relationship.

 You know the old saying ... keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?  Well, that was one of those sayings I used to think was true.  And maybe it still is to an extent.  But a conversation I had today with a dear friend of more than 20 years got me to thinking:  You need people in your life who have your back.  Don't let the haters or the false "friends" disrupt your spirit.  Who needs them "closer?"  You already know their M.O.  So align and surround yourself with people who are going to support you, tell you where you may be going wrong and help set you straight.  You need people who appreciate your  transparency and honesty.  While I understand the "fake it til you make it mentality," there's nothing like being REAL.  You'll feel a lot better about yourself and situation and who knows, your story can teach and inspire others.  You never know who you'll be a blessing to nor who could come as your blessing. 

Here's my living healthy and wealthy assignment for you this week.  Reach out and connect or reconnect with people you believe are special parts of your life.  Tell them you love them.  Tell them you've got their back.  Share a laugh or a cry.  "Friends" come and go.  But the "true-blue" ones last a lifetime.  As I pointed out to my friend Keisha Corban, we may not have talked for at least 15 years, but it's not like we've lost a beat.  We are kindred spirits.  I love her and appreciate her more today than I could have ever done when we back in high school.  The "Red Bone" and "Caramel Cone" are back together and we're about to show the world the true meaning of friendship.  Thank you Keisha for being my friend.  Smooches!!!

 

Let's Get To The Root of What You're Craving!

Hello my healthy and wealthy friends.  The weather is rapidly changing that means your diet should be changing too.  If you're like me, it's getting colder where you live.  Chances are you are looking to enjoy more comforting, warming foods to help you survive the fall chill that's in the air in many states.  One way to fill up without filling out (if you know what I mean), is to add root vegetable to your diet.    Root veggies make us feel physically and mentally grounded and for lack of a better word, ROOTED!.  They are a rich source of nutritious complex carb that provide a steady source of necessary sugars to the body without upsetting blood sugar levels.  Roots also increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts.

Long roots, like burdock, carrots, parsnips and daikon radish, are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots, like turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas, are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar and moods, and alleviate cravings.

So let's get rooted folks.  Try out this simple, delicious recipe and tell me what you think.  See if it can curb your cravings for the usual sweets.


Recipe of the Month: Roasted Root Vegetables Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25-35 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings


Ingredients 
1 sweet potato

2 parsnips

2 carrots

2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)

olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Wash and chop all vegetables into large bite-sized pieces.

3. Place in a large baking dish with sides.

4. Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.

5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

6. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.


Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

Recipe of the Month: Maple Fruit Compote with Honey-Ginger Toasted Nuts

Adapted from "The Cane Mutiny," New Age Magazine, March/April 1999

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2-3 apples
2-3 peaches or pears
2 table spoons of "real" maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup walnuts or nuts of your choice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons of "raw" honey



Directions:

1. Wash, core and chop fruit into slices or chunks.
2. Place in a large saucepan with 1/3 cup of water.  Add the maple syrup and raisins.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes
4. Add lemon juice and cinnamon.  Cook for anouther 10 minutes, until soft
5. While fruit is cooking, place chopped nuts in a skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring often for 5 minutes.
6. Drizzle honey over th enuts and add ginger, but keep stirring since the honey can easily burn.
7. Top warm fruit with toasted nuts and enjoy!

Share the wealth.  Forward this recipe to a friend!

Oh So Sweet Strawberry Smoothie

 

Hey friends, it's been a while since my last post.  I apologize.  I've been recovering from tennis elbow surgery and it's still very hard for me to type without experiencing  a lot of pain.  I wanted to share with you a quick and easy recipe that can be used  for a satisfying treat or even a fulfilling meal.  That's been the name of the game for me over the last month - quick and easy, since I am not allowed to lift anything or do any strenuous activity.  Here's the recipe for my non-dairy for my Oh So  Sweet Strawberry Smoothie made with Coconut-Almond milk.  One sip and you'd swear you were sipping one of those sensational tropical adult drinks on an exotic island.  This tasty beverage can be enjoyed by kids of all ages.  Best of all, it's roughly 80 to 100 calories, depending on the amount of strawberries you use or if you need a little extra almond-coconut milk to thin it out.  Try it out and tell me what you think.

Ingredients:

6 to 8 medium/large frozen strawberries

8 to 10 ounces of almond-coconut milk (found in the same section as soy milk)

1 or 2 packets of stevia (all-natural sweetener, no bitter aftertaste, better than those chemical sugar substitutes we are told are safe and excellent alternatives to sugar....uh...NOT!  Stevia is sold at health food stores, including GNC )

Toss all of the ingredients into your blender, magic bullet or whatever blender-like wonder you have, let it rip until it's "smooth".  Pour into your favorite cup, grab a straw and enjoy!

That's all to it.  The only warning here is to control yourself.  You'll want to slurp the entire thing down in seconds and even consider seconds.  You could if you were going to make this a meal.  I'd suggest adding a scoop of your favorite protein powder to give it a little more sustenance for your appetite.

Let's Dish: Ali B's Asian Cucumber Salad

Hey Healthy and Wealthy friends. Hope you are having a wonderful hump day. I wanted to "dish" today about a wonderful new find I was introduced to a a local farmer's market. It's this remarkable, delicious cucumber pictured here to the right.

I must admit, I was a bit intimidated when I first came across it.  While it looked like a huge squash, I was drawn to it's celery green color - something I'd never seen before in this category of vegetables.  The nice men who sold it to me said it is very popular, tastes similar to a regular cucumber and can be used in a variety of recipes or eaten as is.  Well, I dabbled around in the kitchen a couple of days, did a little research on the Internet and came up with a delightful, tasty and colorful creation which I think you will enjoy.  It's easy to put together too. 

Here's what you'll need:

serves 4 as a side dish

1 large or medium Asian cucumber (check your local farmer's market)
- slice to your preferred thickness and then quarter it - should have at least 2 cups.

2 Tbsp red onion - diced
1/4 cup Tbsp red bell pepper - diced
2 Tbsp yellow bell pepper - diced
1 small cove of garlic, crushed
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (optional)

Dressing
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1T sugar
healthy pinch of salt


Combine cider vinegar, water, sugar and garlic in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Stir and remove from the heat when the sugar is fully dissolved. Add a pinch of salt and let cool.

Meanwhile, toss all the remaining ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. When the dressing is cool, pour over the vegetables; you may not want to use all the dressing if you prefer a drier salad. Toss and serve right away. Also, since the salad improves with sitting, it’s fine to do this up to several hours ahead of time.


Presto!!  Here's the final product....

Didn't I tell you it was colorful?!?!?  If you'd like to spice things up a bit, add a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce.  I used Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce- you can find it in most supermarkets or Asian food stores. And if you don't have black mustard seed, skip it.  Use fresh cracked pepper.  I omitted the salt, just because I'm always careful of my salt intake.  The salad didn't need it.  And instead of sugar, I used liquid stevia - sweetened to taste.


I really enjoyed this salad.  It was light and refreshing and best of all, easy breezy!  Best of all, a 1/2 serving is less than 30 calories, especially if you use stevia to sweeten it!!!! Try it you'll like it. 

If you have other recipes for this Asian cucumber send them to me.  I'd like to try a few more before the end of summer/fall.  Otherwise, I'll probably have to wait til next year when the farmers markets are in full swing.

Let me hear your thoughts on this latest healthy and wealthy recipe.

Smooches!