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!

Health Nuts: Cracking the Code To Better Health

Hey there Living Healthy and Wealthy followers.  Hope everyone is doing what they can to live their best lives.  Instead of a traditional blog post, I decided to do a little somethin' somethin' different.  Today, I wanted to highlight a fellow health nut who is living healthy and wealthy. 

I'd like to introduce you to Lori, founder of SenTeAmental Moods - a tea company that is helping people brew better health one cup, one pot, and even gallons at a time.  She's following her dreams and not working for someone who decided to follow theirs (do you understand what I'm saying here?). I sure hope so. If not, leave me a message and I'll explain it to you. When you're done reading about Lori's company, check out her website http://www.senteamentalmoods.com and take her advice, which is "BE GOOD TO YOUR HEART AND ENJOY A FRESH CUP OF TEA".  Lori's products are definitely fresh.  I tried some recently.  In fact, it's called WaterColors - a crisp, aromatic berry blend that is sweet and relaxing and will excite your palette. 

And if you need help putting together your health puzzle, be sure to check out my website http://www.ritechoicenutrition.com and schedule a free health consultation.  You know my motto:  Your health is your wealth, SO STOP SQUANDERING IT!

Smooches!

About Us

Hello! Thank you for visiting us today.

I founded SenTEAmental Moods as a way of providing a simple way for people to indulge in the pleasure of tea while enhancing their well-being.

Our mission at SenTEAmental Moods is to help people discover the relaxing attributes of fine teas, and how tea contributes to wellness.

We present high quality teas imported from the best gardens in Asia, Africa and South America. We also obtain fresh fruits and herbs from local farmers and dehydrate them to use in our blends.

At SenTEAmental Moods we embrace the tranquil aroma, delicious taste and calming sensation of good quality teas. We offer our guests excellent tea products and accompaniments that will add to their appreciation of tea.

To manage the daily stresses in life, it's important to take a few precious minutes to relax and reflect. We are here to provide you with a simple way to rejuvenate your senses.

SenTEAmental Moods is for you. Use our Tea Resources page to learn more about tea. Visit our online Tea Shop to purchase your selections. Never hesitate to Contact Us about how we're doing. We love to hear from you.

Enjoy!
Lori

http://www.senteamentalmoods.com

Ignore Your Health and It Will Go Away

How many times have you tried to ignore a problem, a situation and a person hoping it or they would just simply go away?  Did it work?  Chances are if it did or it didn't, another unexpected circumstance popped up or even though you eliminated the issue you still could not get it out of your mind.  As I continue my journey in the health coaching world, I'm learning that people also treat their health like an unimportant annoyance that will go away in time if they continue to ignore them.  And you know what?  They are absolutely, emphatically, without a shadow of a doubt RIGHT!!!!

Let me give you a few examples or some actual real quotes I've heard over the years and even in the last few weeks: 

A woman says:  "I want to get more fruits and vegetables in my diet, but eating organic is not for me." 

A man says: "I'm not a "true diabetic", so I don't take all the meds my doctor prescribes."

A woman says: "After having 8 days off from work, I got extremely depressed thinking about going back.  If fact, this morning, I actually burst into tears.  So, I got out of my car and went inside and tried to work around it, but I was miserable the whole time."

Another woman says: "You know I have diverticulitis. (http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/diverticulitis-topic-overview  I can't eat anything with seeds or nuts.  I can't eat corn either.  Me:  "Wow, that seems extreme.  Have you gotten a second opinion.?"  Woman says:  "No, I just don't eat a whole lot of fruits, vegetables or nuts that have seeds and I'll keep taking the medicine my doctor has prescribed."  Me: "Do you have any other health problems?" Woman: Yes, but they're not related to my diverticulitis - so they don't really bother me."

OK, I think you get the point.  All of these are examples of diversion tactics people use to ignore their health.  Whether it's a mental, physical, emotional, spiritual or relationship problem, if it's not addressed it will affect your overall health.  So please my friends, whatever it is you have or you think you don't have it, look it straight in the eye and say, today is the day I get on top of this and assess how it's truly affecting me. 


The signs might not be so obvious, so really take time to look at every area of your life .  Figure out how it's affecting work, relationships, your time, your emotions, your finances, your physical health and most importantly, you happiness.  And if you need help, that is what I am here for.  Living healthy and wealthy is not just about what foods you put in your mouth, it's about learning to feed the mind, body and spirit.  Contact me for a free initial health consultation Sign-up on my website: http://www.ritechoicenutrition.com

Until next time, keep living healthy and wealthy!
 

Have You Taken/Given Any Vitamin "L" Lately?

Ahhh, vitamins.  We hear so much about them.  We think we know so much about them as well.  From Vitamin A, to Vitamin C, to D, E - and so on.  But one vitamin we don't hear enough about is Vitamin L.

I know.  You're thinking this girl is off her rocker.  There's no such thing as vitamin L.  Well my friends, I beg to differ.  And if you don't know what I'm talking about, chances are you are not taking or giving enough of it.  Vitamin L is something that everyone needs and deserves.  The "L" stands for LOVE.

Love is a four-letter word I don't mind using on a regular basis.   And I do my best to display it everyday, all day.

What is love?  What/Who do you love?  Who do you love?  Where can you find love?  Can you have too much of it?  While I will leave the first 3 questions for you to answer, I will weigh-in on the last two.  You can find love anywhere and everywhere.

You can find it at home, at work (yes, even at work), at church, at school, in your neighborhood, at the grocery store, at the mall, at a restaurant, the dry cleaners - OK, you get the drift.  What I'm basically telling you is this:  If you know what love is then you know you can find it and see it in almost everything or anyone.  And no, you can never have too much of it.  We should be expressing love every time we open our mouths and in our actions.  If we aren't, then we need to reassess our lives and figure out where we're falling short.

When we fill our lives with love, there's nothing that can harm us.  As the old saying goes, "Love conquers all."  So be sure to get a regular dose of vitamin L daily.  This is the only vitamin that will ensure you continue to live healthy and wealthy.

Love you guys!!  Smooches!



Mooooove Over Milk - Healthier Choices Are Available

Does milk really do a body good? If you believe the U.S. government's dairy campaigns, the "My Plate" food pyramid and other old wives tales, then you'd probably say yes.

Did you know we are the only mammals that drink another mammal's milk? We know that most people drink cow's milk, but the most surprising fact is that not only do we barely absorb the calcium in cow’s milk (especially if pasteurized), but to make matters worse, it actually increases calcium loss from the bones.

Unbelievable right? I agree. Especially after having those milk campaigns and doctors drill into your head that you should have a serving a milk with each meal. What a waste!! Still don't believe it? Here's how the calcium loss plays out. Animal protein acidifies the body pH (milk is an animal protein). Calcium is an excellent acid neutralizer. The biggest storage of calcium in the body is in the bones. Therefore, the same calcium our bones need to stay strong is used to neutralize the acidifying effect of milk. The calcium is pulled out of the bones and leaves the body through the urine. The end result is an actual calcium deficit.

So am I anti dairy? No way! Occasionally, I love my full-flavored, full-fat butter pecan and pistachio ice creams. And I absolutely love low-fat cottage cheese. But nowadays, my milk of choice is almond milk. It contains more nutrients than other dairy milk alternatives like rice milk, it tastes great and you can find unsweetened versions that will only set you back 35 to 40 calories per serving.


According to my health nut colleagues "3 fat chicks" - Here are 6 benefits of almond milk:

Benefit #1: Weight Management

The low caloric content of almond milk causes less of an impact on our daily consumption of food calories. Some milk varieties contain more sugars than the cereal they get combined with.

Benefit #2: Heart Health

Almond milk contains no cholesterol and only 5 mg of sodium per serving. Consuming foods low in sodium and cholesterol help us to maintain better heart health and normal blood pressure. Without cholesterol, almond milk also decreases our chances of gaining bad cholesterol levels, all while increasing the good cholesterol levels. Almond milk also contains 150 mg of potassium in every serving. This mineral works to promote healthy blood pressure.

Benefit #3: Blood Sugar Friendly

Unlike other milk alternatives, the plain almond option contains only 8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The 7 grams of sugars that make up the carbohydrate content have a limited affect on our blood sugar levels. When we consume simple sugars, our metabolic functions tend to miss the nutrients, storing much of the carbs as fat. Instead, the low amount of sugars in almond milk have a low glycemic nature, meaning our bodies fully digest them and use them as energy. Diabetics benefit from this characteristic as well.

Benefit #4: Bone Health

Almond milk contains 30% of our recommended daily value of calcium and 25% of Vitamin D. These nutrients work together to build strong bones in men, women and children. Vitamin D also helps improve immunity and cell function. Some studies have shown that Vitamin D helps decrease osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s disease. The magnesium in found in almond milk helps absorb more of the calcium provided by the nutritious beverage.

Benefit #5: Skin Care

Every serving of pure almond milk contains 50% of our recommended daily value of Vitamin E. This powerful nutrient has antioxidant abilities in that it helps regulate Vitamin A use and availability.
More importantly, Vitamin E acts as the primary regulatory nutrient that improves skin health.

Benefit #5: Eye Health

The moderate levels of Vitamin A found in almond milk helps keep our eyes functioning properly. Vitamin A directly influences the eye’s ability to adjust to differences in light.

Benefit #6: More Muscle Power

Even though almond milk only contains 1 gram of protein per serving, it does contain B Vitamins in the form of riboflavin, plus other muscle regulating nutrients like iron. Each serving of almond milk contains about 4% of our recommended daily intake of iron, which helps muscles absorb and use protein for energy, growth and repair. Iron also regulates certain cell functions like oxygen absorption.

So there you have it! On your next grocey shopping trip, consider adding almond milk to your list. Try it out, see what you think. You can use almond milk just like you would use regular dairy milk. It works well in recipes, smoothies, cereals and as a stand alone beverage. Just be sure to read the label. You don't want to buy those sweetened and flavored ones with all the extra calories and sugar. Try the plain version or if you just gotta have flavor - try the vanilla- most are under a 100 calories per serving.

There is one caveat: be sure to shake the container well before serving since the milk is fortified with calcium which may have settled. Additionally, the milk should be consumed within about seven days of opening, which you may find is a shorter life than dairy milk. Once you start drinking it, it won't last seven days!!

Until next time, here's to your health and wealth!

Bonus Nugget!!!!!



Looking to add even more calcium to your diet? Coral Calcium may do the trick!!

Calcium is a daily calcium supplement that support your health providing you a complete source of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D, plus chondroitin and glucosamine to help nourish your body and skeletal system. It may also help to increase the absorption of magnesium and potassium while maintaining healthy bones and teeth.

Everyday health benefits:

• Complete source of Calcium*
• Help nourish your body and skeletal system *
• Maintains healthy bones and teeth*
• Magnesium* improves absorption and regulation of calcium and potassium*

Nutritional Facts Label

 

 

For more information or to purchase coral calcium, visit online at:

 http://www.reduce3sizesin10mins.com

 

Almond milk resource: http://www.3fatchicks.com/6-health-benefits-of-almond-milk/

Curious about Quinoa

Yummy!!!  Quinoa, it's one of my new favorite foods that tastes great, is versatile and most importantly, is so good for you.  Don't know what it is?  I'm sure if you're a fan of any health show, cooking channel or read lots of food and trendy magazines, you've run across the word "quinoa".  It 's pronounced "keen-wah" - although I heard a guy the other day call it "ken-noah".  I don't care how you say it, just try it! It's become a go-to staple in my diet


So what is quinoa?  Here's a little 411 on this glorious grain:    Quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds.  It has the most protein of any grain and is a great source of vitamins & minerals - iron, magnesium, Vitamin E, potassium, amino acids and fiber.  While it is ideal for vegetarian or vegan diets, my carnivorous friends will also benefit from incorporating it into their diet.

I know you're waiting for the big pay off... and that is the taste.  No fear, healthy can taste good too.  Qunioa has a a delicious nutty flavor.  And for those of us who are always on the go, it's quick & easy to prepare.  One piece of advice:  soak or wash the grains before you use them.  It helps improve the taste.

If you like rice and pasta, but are trying to cut back because of the calories and carbs, quinoa is a great alternative.  You can use it as a side dish, spice it up the way you like, add it to soups, eat it as a hot cereal, use it in baking and as I mentioned earlier, substitute it for your rice and pasta dishes.  There are so many meals you can create with quinoa.  It's up to you and your imagination. 

You can purchase quinoa from most health food supermarkets and lots of traditional stores are selling it now too.  The price-point varies - from $5 - $10, but keep in mind, a little goes a long way.  You probably won't have to buy it often - depending on how much you eat it.

So when you head out to do your shopping for the upcoming memorial holiday, think about serving up a quinoa dish.  It will surprise your family or your guests because it's unexpected and best of all, it'll taste so good.  Let me know if you try out any recipes or if you have any of your own.  Check out the recipe below that would make an excellent side dish or even a complete meal for non-meat eaters.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ready In: 50 Minutes Servings: 10

"Whether you're trying quinoa for the first time or just trying a new recipe for quinoa, this mixture of quinoa, black beans, corn, and spices will make this dish a new favorite."

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper salt and pepper to taste 1 cup frozen corn kernels 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1.	Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2.	Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3.	Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Nutritional Information

Quinoa and Black Beans

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 76

• Total Fat: 1.5g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 190mg
• Total Carbs: 13.7g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.9g
• Protein: 2.6g

Standing On God's Promises

Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.




Hey friends... it's been a while since my last post.  I underwent shoulder surgery nearly 3 weeks ago and I have been easing myself back into typing.  Things are improving, but I still can't type too long without experiencing some pain.  So, I'll be short and sweet.  A recurring theme for me today and throughout my recovery has been this:  Stand on the promises of God and everything will work according to His will."

While I aware that God always has my back, I have to remind myself to not let negative naysayers and adverse situations cause me to falter.  It's easy to let feelings of doubt, despair and hopelessness set in.  But it takes courage, faith and joy to let your light shine.

I won't go into detail about all the obstacles that have come my way.  Just take my word when I tell you the road to recovery and justice has not been easy.  I however find comfort in knowing as the scripture tells us the Lord has plans that are meant for good.  I am a child of the most High King.  Every thing and anything I desire shall come to pass as long as it lines us with God's word.  This of course is true for you as well.  Man may fail you, but God never fails.  The victory is already ours!

May you continue to live healthy and wealthy, in Jesus name!