Crazy about Cilantro and its Healing Powers

 

Cilantro, cilantro, cilantro.  What can I say?  I have been in love with this herb for a while now, but I fell in love with it even more today when I learned of its healing powers.  I always knew it, along with other herbs are good for you, but I didn't know specifically how this savory, pungent and tasty fella actually fit into living healthy and wealthy.  Listen up, if you don't have any cilantro in your kitchen, go out and buy some today.  Here's why:

If you are concerned about exposure to heavy metals, that pose a real risk of heavy metal poisoning, not to mention that our environment is saturated with these toxins, a method called "chelation" is the only way to remove metal toxins from the body.  A synthetic amino acid called EDTA is administered orally.  It then binds with the heavy metals in the body and aids with the excretion of  toxins. For years this was believed to be the best way to rid the body of heavy metal toxins.  But, in 1995 a man named Dr. Omura of the Heart Disease Research Foundation made an exciting discovery. He realized his patients excreted higher than normal levels of mercury after consuming significant quantities of cilantro. The original discovery was entirely accidental, but Dr. Omura did further research and found that dosing patients with cilantro was an effective means of removing mercury from the body. This is considered the most natural way to rid the body of such poisons.

You'll just need a couple of tablespoons of fresh cilantro daily to do the trick in about three weeks. Cilantro also provides an overall blood and body cleanse. It increases liver function, helping the organ detoxify the blood and lymph fluids.

It's easy to incorporate cilantro into your diet. This is a relatively common Mexican herb. The fresh leaves and stems provide the best healing qualities. Toss them into a salad or make fresh salsa with chopped cilantro for a powerful flavor boost.  I use cilantro in tacos, omelets, rice and pasta dishes and anytime a recipe calls for parsley, I may toss in a few sprigs.  I used some today in my homemade 4-bean turkey chili.  I can't wait to chow down and heal my body and my appetite!  Chow!

 

Do You Do "doTerra"?

Welcome to May my healthy and wealthy friends.  It's been about a month since I was able to check-in with you.  I apologize for my absence.  While I have been insanely busy, I've missed you like crazy. 

April was an amazing and challenging month for me.  I won't burden you with all the details, but just know that a lot of time was spent on ways to expand my knowledge base and equip myself with more tools to help us continue to grow and flourish in the healthy wealthy destinies we were created to live.

One of my most interesting and rewarding finds is an awesome company called doTerra, meaning gift of the earth. doTerra markets some of the safest, purest essential oils and wellness products available in the world today.  They are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) essential oils that are 100% pure aromatic extracts and contain no artificial ingredients and are tested to be free of contaminants such as pesticides or chemical residues.

I have personally used 4 of their fabulous products over the last week and I have to say I was completely blown away by the results.

Here's what I tried out:  Deep Blue, for achy/sore joints and muscles, Lavender and Peppermint oils for a headache and an essential oil called Breathe for cold/congestion symptoms.  Every single last product worked like magic. 



I massaged in the Deep Blue cream on my shoulders and elbows - if your remember, those are the areas I underwent surgery for last year.  They still get a bit sore and stiff from time to time.  Within about 15 minutes of applying Deep Blue, my targeted areas felt loose, relaxed and pain-free.  I was able to sleep through the night without the tossing and turning I usually experience because I am in pain.




Next up, Breathe; what can I say, it is a breath of fresh air!  No kidding.  I have literally been walking about with some remnant of the cold and flu for about a month.  I just couldn't shake it.  It eventually turned into pneumonia.  Well, my chest congestion has been downright miserable and my off and on clogged sinuses made me feel like every breath would be my last.  I rubbed some  Breathe essential oil on my chest and neck.  Ten minutes later my nasal passages were open and all of the icky junk clogging me up started coming out.  Don't be too grossed out by that - it was the best my respiratory system felt since March!  And much of my annoying coughing subsided too!





Last but not least, Lavender and Peppermint oils are my new headache go-to remedy.  I had a booming headache after all of that coughing and hacking.  I didn't want to take another Tylenol or Aleeve, because they weren't working!  So I flipped though my doTerra Family Physician Kit and saw that lavender and peppermint combined are a great remedy for headaches.  So I dabbed the oils on my temples and massaged them in for a minute or two and just 15 minutes later, my headache was gone and it has not come back since then.

Ok, so in a nutshell, if you don't use doTerra products, you should!  They are a great way to help and heal what's ailing you and your family and friends.  Instead of running out to your local pharmacy for those over-the-counter medicines that can have terrible side-effects, long-term or short-term for some people - you could go to your kitchen, your bathroom, your bedroom or living room and find a safe, holistic approach to your needs.

If you have any question about these products, check out my website for details.  The web address is http://www.mydoterra.com/aliciabettes/ or shoot me an email.  If I don't know the answer, I will find someone who can help us with a solution.

Thanks so much for being loyal, healthy and wealthy followers.  I love you all and wish you an abundance of peace and blessings!

Food Focus: Greens

Hello Healthy and Wealthy Friends!  Happy April 1st!  No fooling around here today.  I am serious about your health, wellness and happiness!

Just last month, I talked to you about how important it is to "GO GREEN" in your diet.  This month, I really want you to consider actually doing it.  If you read my latest newsletter, you know I suggested you do a little spring cleaning this month.  Not just your home, but your physical body as well.   One of the best ways to do that is by incorporating leafy greens into your daily routine.  Greens are some of the easiest and most beneficial vegetables can cook and eat.  Densely packed with energy and nutrients, they grow upward to the sky absorbing the sun's light while producing oxygen.  Members of this royal green family include kale, collard greens, Swiss chard, mustard greens, arugula, dandelion greens, broccoli rabe, watercress, beet greens bok choy, napa cabbage, green cabbage, spinach and broccoli.

How do greens benefit our bodies?  They are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and zinc, and are a powerhouse for vitamins A, C, E and K.  They are crammed full of fibger, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micronutrients and phytochemicals.  Their color is associated with spring, which is a time to renew and refresh vital energy.  In traditional Asian medicine, the color green is related to the liver, emotional stability and creativity.  Greens aid in purifying the blood, strengthening the immune system, improving liver, gall bladder and kidney function, fighting depression, clearing congestion, improving circulation and keeping yoru skin clear and blemish free.

Leafy greens are the vegetables most missing from the American diet and many of us never learned how to prepare them. Start with the simple "Shitake and Kale" recipe that is posted today on my facebook page. Then each time you go to the market, pick up a new gree to try. Soon you'll find your favorite greens and wonder how you ever lived without them.

 

Feelin' Green: Part 3: Energetic Kiwi-Pineapple Salsa

Everybody is feeling green today.  It's St. Patrick's Day, and whether you agree or not, you're an honorary Irishman (smile).  So, kick back and enjoy the day with this delightful, Energetic Kiwi-Pineapple Salsa recipe.  What's so energetic about it?   The little mean, green powerhouse kiwi!  As I mentioned on Friday, just 2 of these guys is only 100 calories, has more potassium than a banana, more Vitamin C than an orange and more fiber than a bowl full of bran flakes.  They are the perfect on-the-go snack that can give you a energy boost anytime of the day.  They also are very delicious and versatile when it comes to cooking and baking.  Try this salsa recipe with the kale chips I told you about yesterday and wow your family and friends.  They probably won't realize the combo is so good for them because they taste awesome!

Ingredients

• 2 (8-oz.) cans pineapple tidbits, drained (you can use fresh pineapple too if you like)
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño pepper
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Stir together first 5 ingredients; add salt to taste.

Food for thought:

This recipe is really, really low in calories.  So don't sweat it.  Just eat it!  It's all about getting good things in your body and eating until you're almost full, not miserable.  Drink water before and after your meal/snacks.  Not during.  You'll get fuller faster, stay fuller longer and not want to crunch and munch on unhealthy, sugary, salty and fatty foods. 

Feelin' Green: Part 2: Krispy Kale Chips

 

Good Evening healthy and wealthy friends.  I hope you are having a super Saturday! As I promised yesterday, here's a tasty green recipe I simply adore!  It's for my Krispy Kale Chips.  They are super delicious, nutritious and great for those of us who crave crunchy and salty snacks.  They only problem is you feel like you can't stop eating them!  But don't worry.  You can eat a ton of these and still not rack up the calories, salt and sugar in a bag of potato chips.  Seriously, give them a try and let me know what you think.  Oh, and that frosty drink next to the bowl of kale chips is a berry-mango smoothie I whipped up.  What a great treat this was last night.  I think I may have it again tonight!

 

 

Ingredients:

 

- 1 bunch of fresh kale greens

- Olive Oil

- Your choice of seasonings

 

 

 

Directions:

 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees:  Lightly coat a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

 

2.  Take your bunch of kale and separate leaves from stems (I like the stems so I left them on).  Wash and thoroughly dry the kale.  Then transfer to cookie sheet.

 

3.  Drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasoning.  Try to use salt-free/sugar-free seasoning - we are trying to keep this healthy!!)  Himalayan or Celtic salt are also OK to use since these are salts that are good for you.

 

4.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until the edges of the leaves are "krispy" and little brown but not burnt.

 

5.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Makes roughly 6 servings.  Calories will range from about 40 - 50 per 1 cup serving; this depends on the amount of oil and the type of seasoning you use.  Don't even sweat the fat - it will be a minimal amount anyway, plus it's olive oil - a good source of mono-unsaturated fat. 

 

 

 

Tomorrow I'll share an energy boosting, kiwi salsa recipe you'll simply adore!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm Feelin' Green...but that's okay! It's All Good!



Green, leafy vegetables and fruits - Should be 60% of your daily diet

I just can't get enough green things these days. Yeah, money ranks right up there, but I'm talking about food! I actually crave every green, leafy veggie and fruit you can think of. From collard to kale, from apples to kiwi, every day I make sure to get these bad boys in my diet. In fact, I aim for making fruits and veggies 60% of my daily diet. And if I may offer a suggestion (cuz' that's what I do - LOL!), you should start feeling green too!

Green is not just for St. Patrick's Day, although I do enjoy the Chicago River when it's fashionably dyed a darker green that it already is this time of year (ha!). We should incorporate the color in our daily diet. Plant-based foods are essential for our health. And the most potent ones are...you guessed it, GREEN. They packed with a lot of flavor and are a nutrient powerhouse! The have tons of vitamins and minerals and even protein. They help keep you feeling alive, fresh and clean (literally). They're great for clearing up respiratory problems, digestive issues and boosting energy. My two favorite glorious green foods are Kale and Kiwi - not together necessarily, but as I'm typing this, the pair may combine efforts for a scrumptious salad.

Why Kale? Kale is so versatile. You can enjoy it cooked or raw, lightly stir-fried, baked, as a condiment on a sandwich or the centerpiece of a really, super-duper smoothie. This "new beef" of greens is low in calories (1 cup = 36 calories), high in fiber, has more calcium than milk, an excellent source of antioxidants and a great source of vitamins A and C.

And that little mean-green kiwi isn't short-stopping either! The kiwi packs more potassium than a banana. It's also a superb go-to item when your energy needs a boost. Just 2 kiwi will only cost you 100 calories so it's the perfect afternoon snack, salad topping or smoothie ingredient.

If you'd like to learn more about why it's so important to really feel green in your diet or if you energy level needs a boost, please contact me today to schedule your free initial consultation. You can log onto www.ritechoicenutrition.com for more information


I hope you enjoyed these healthy and wealthy nuggets. Tune in tomorrow for some great Kale and Kiwi recipes!

Have a great Friday!



Dream Big, Live Big and Enjoy the Journey



"I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate."

                                                               

         -George Burns

 

 

I am sitting here at my desk on this beautiful Monday morning just thinking and thanking God for all He has blessed me with over my life - particularly this day.  I am healthy and alive - two of the biggest gifts anyone should be overjoyed to have.  And with this being the first Monday since March 2012 that I haven't had a school assignment, modules to listen to and study and a test to take, I began to feel a little bit out of sorts, like I didn't know what to do or what could be headed my way.  My graduation from nutrition school is this Friday and I'm starting to get those doubtful thoughts in my mind - you know the ones you get when you embark on something new.  "Is this really going to work?"  "Did I make the right decision by starting this journey?"  "Can this be successful?"  That's when it hit me.  The words of the man who played God for many years - Mr. George Burns.  I have his quote hanging over my desk.  "I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate."  And just for a moment, those words of wisdom and encouragement escaped me.  So I began to think about the journey getting to this point in my life.  The ups, the downs, the wins, the loses.  I then examined how I feel today versus a year ago in my life - and you know what? 

 

I FEEL AWESOME!!!

 

 

 

 I won't go into all the particulars.  Wait for the book (LOL!).  But I will say this.  I didn't let anyone or anything limit my dreams.  I believed in myself and trusted God to see me through.  I continued to speak words of faith over my life and surrounded myself with positive people, events, books, media programs and music.  No Negative Nellies Allowed!!!  No matter what problems/challenges I may have face, I know they are only temporary and are shaping me to become a better and more brilliant specimen of my former self.

 

Remember this:  Life is short.  I don't care if it's 1 year, ten years or a hundred or more years.  It never seems like there's enough time for anything these days.  So stop procrastinating.  Get focused, take risks and do all the things you have been dreaming or wishing you could do.  And remember to bless people along the way and enjoy your journey.  God sees your hidden treasures and wants to bring them out of you.  You just have to trust He'll make your dreams a reality!  He wants you to live healthy and wealthy for an eternity!