Quick Bites

Fast Food:  Not your drive-thru variety

We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, yet many of us rarely acknowledge its existence.


Get the most mileage out of your food.  Eat healthy 90% of the time.

  Did you sleep too late?  Are you too tired to eat or just not up for eating first thing in the morning?  Whatever your reason for not eating breakfast, it's time to change your tune.  Eating breakfast can fill you up and help prevent snacking.  If you're trying to lose weight, gain more energy or you have simply have run out of options, I have a few breakfast suggestions that will fuel you and help you rise and shine the rest of the day.

 

1. Fruit.  Start your day with fruit.  There are a number of ways you can incorporate it in a healthy diet and quick meal.  Apples, bananas, pears, grapes are the best grab-and-go types, but any and all fruit is highly recommended.  Fruit is low in calories and contains some of the fiber necessary for a healthy diet. Click here to read more on why fruit is so important to our daily diet. 
2. High-fiber toast. Not just any bread will do.  Go for 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain breads.  Pop a piece or two in the toaster, spread on some almond butter or peanut butter for protein and out the door you go!
3. Hard-boiled egg. Got 5 to 7 minutes?  Then hard-boiled eggs are in order.  They are full of protein and a great source of vitamin B-12 and riboflavin - which are essential for energy production, cancer prevention, better hair, skin and nail and cell regeneration.  Cook your eggs ahead of time and then they're ready to enjoy alone, on a breakfast sandwich or salad (yes, you can eat salad for breakfast too!)
4. Smoothie. By far, my favorite option.  You can combine your favorite fruits and veggies, protein source, choice of dairy or non-dairy items water or juice.  Check out my monthly newsletter for a quick and easy recipe.

5.  Oatmeal, cream of wheat or grits. Have to eat at your desk?  Packets of  instant oatmeal and grits are easy to store in your desk and simple to make.  Just add hot water and eat.  Add fruit or nuts to bulk up your fiber and protein I Your instant options are high in carbohydrates and fiber and relatively low in calories.  Just watch out for added sugar.  Try to buy low-sugar or unsweetened varieties.   

 

 

 

 

Forward to a Friend:

It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this blog to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.

 





Overjoyed With Oils

Hi healthy and wealthy friends.  I trust everyone had a safe, relaxing and prosperous long holiday weekend.  Now that it's the un-official start of summer, this is also a good time to do some early summer purging and makeovers.  Yes, it's kind of an extension of spring cleaning - but I like to call it my pre-summer tune-up.  And my initial area of attack - my medicine cabinet.  Yes, I am going through a MEDICINE CABINET MAKEOVER!

I am so excited today to share with you my experiences with using essential oils.  I have really been head-over-heels and overjoyed by the results.  The certified pure therapeutic grade or CPTG, essential oils I've been using have been life-changing.  Here are a few I believe no home should be without.

LEMON ESSENTIAL OIL - This oil can be used aromatically, topically, internally and with or without dilution.  I add a few drops to my water EVERY DAY!!! It provides me with so many benefits.  For starters, it helps boost my immune system, so I can prevent sickness and disease in my body.  Lemon also helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes.  It flushes out toxins and relieves respiratory problems.  You can also use it to elevate your mood, soothe a sore or dry throat and it can be used to clean kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances!  This is an all-around utility oil with many uses - even more than I have listed.

PEPPERMINT ESSENTIAL OIL - Ok, peppermint oil is my new BFF.  I use it to help combat any nasal or respiratory stuffiness or chest tightness from allergies and asthma.  My symptoms have been almost non-existent since I started using the oil.  If an allergen triggers discomfort, the problem ceases within about 10-15 minutes of using the oil.  Peppermint oil is invigorating, so it helps wake you up and improve your alertness and it can cool you down if you're feeling overheated.  I also use it with lavender oil (which we'll talk about next) on my forehead, temples and neck to calm a headache.  Goodbye over-the-counter meds that cause all kinds of ridiculous side-effects and possible interactions.  Don't get me wrong - you guys work, but now that I know better, I DO BETTER!


LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL - Can you say oh, so relaxing?  I know you have heard about the calming effects of lavender.  And when you use pure therapeutic grade lavender, you are transported into a spa-like realm that words just can't describe.  As I mentioned, it works wonders for soothing headaches and your emotions.  But did you know that when it's applied topically it can calm irritated skin, lips and reactions to bee stings or bug bites?  If you have trouble falling to sleep, a few drops on your pillow or to the bottom of your feet will have you hanging out with the Mr. Sandman in no time.

 

 

These three oils offer benefits beyond measure.  They, in my opinion, should be in everyone's medicine cabinet, purse, brief case, gym bag or whatever you use to carry your personal belongings.  They are the "essentials" when it comes to making over your medicine cabinet with essential oils.

I have an awesome way for you to get these home at a fraction of the cost too.

Go to http://www.mydoterra.com/aliciabettes and click the shopping link.  Under the products list, click on "product packages."  Scroll down the screen and look for the introductory kit.

It will run you only $26.67 - tax and shipping not included. You'll receive a 5 ml bottle of the 3 oils I mentioned today and an introductory CD and booklet in a stunning presentation box that includes suggested uses of the oils.  You can then begin the immediate experience of the life-changing benefits that make me extremely excited.  Trust me, you won't regret your purchase.

If you want to save even more or your next purchase, contact me at alicia@ritechoicenutriton.com so you can become a preferred member and receive 20% off all future purchases.

Thanks again for following me on this journey.  And as always, remember this:  Your health is your wealth, invest in it wisely every day!

More 411 for your MEDICINE CABINET MAKEOVER
 

 

http://www.mydoterra.com/aliciabettes

 

*None of these statements are meant to diagnose, cure or treat any disease

 

Oklahoma: Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

In light of recent events in my life and today in Oklahoma, I felt it was necessary to post this simple, yet profound quote of the day - which should be our mantra for life:

Remember, this is the only way to ensure you are living the healthiest and wealthiest life of your dreams!

Now, stop existing and get back to living!




 



Fried cabbage with spicy turkey sausage, made by Alicia Bettes 

Good Afternoon my healthy and wealthy friends.  As promised yesterday, via my pages http://www.facebook.com/RiteChoiceNutrition and http://www.facebook.com/abettes  ,  I tried out this great fried cabbage and sausage recipe with a few "healthy" modifications.  Check my Facebook pages for the complete recipe.  But I'll tell you what I swapped.  First of all, the recipe called for bacon grease.  I won't even go there right now - so, what I will tell you is that I used coconut oil instead.  And I also traded polish sausage - which is usually made with pork casing - for a spicy turkey sausage made with a soy casing.  All I have to say is mmmm, mmmm, good!  This is a quick and easy recipe.  I don't think the most inexperienced cook could mess it up.  I also made a pan of homemade cornbread.  Just Google an easy recipe that fits your fancy or whatever box version you're used to.  The combination was scrumptious!  And this pan gave allowed plenty of leftovers for my husband and me.  The great thing about this is the cabbage and the other veggies help fill you up with good fiber and low calories.  You can change up the type of sausage (chicken, beef, pork, veggie) for a nice protein boost and the cornbread helps kick the meal up a notch - making it complete.  The only thing missing is a fruit.  You can save that for an after dinner snack/dessert  or make a fruit smoothie.  Anyway - give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.  Bon Appetit ! 



 

***Be sure to keep my website handy if you or someone you know is in the market for a holistic health coach:  www.ritechoicenutrition.com - I empower women to stop dieting and learn how to eat right and live the life of their dreams!

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.