Nutrition Corner: Raychelle's Power Smoothie

There are many benefits of eating fruit. Fruits are generally low in fats, calories, and sodium. They contain no cholesterol. Coupled with high amounts of dietary fiber, fruits are heart healthy. Some of the nutrients contained in fruits include potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). Potassium helps to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Dietary fiber, obtained from eating fruits whole, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and can lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is very important for elimination of wastes (proper bowel function). It helps to reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Vitamin C supports the immune system. It is also important for body tissue growth and repairs, helps to heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Folic acid helps the body to produce red blood cells and reduces the risk of neural defects in unborn children. The USDA recommends that we should consume a minimum of one to two cups of fruit daily depending on our respective ages and genders. Children should eat at least one to one and one-half cups of fruit per day, while adults should eat a minimum of one and one-half to two cups daily.

Are you getting enough?

Click the following link to see how much fruit you should eat everyday:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/fruits_amount_table.html

So what counts as a cup of fruit?

A cup is the equivalent of one small apple, one large banana, 8 large strawberries, or 8 ounces of 100% fruit juice. Be sure to note that drinking fresh juice is excellent for quick absorption, however, it will be necessary to compensate for the lack of fiber contained in it. My suggestion would be to take the remaining pulp and add it to a smoothie. For more examples of your favorite fruits, click this link:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/fruits_counts_table.html

A great way to ensure that you consume a variety of fruits everyday is to blend them into a smoothie. (I like to freeze my fresh cut fruits prior to blending because I like a slushy consistency.) The key to choosing fruits is to make sure that you eat as many colors of fruit every week. You should opt for pesticide-free, organically- grown fruits whenever possible and make sure that they are in-season. To learn more about locally-grown fruits in your state, visit the following link:

http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/

Here is a recipe for a great smoothie:

Raychelle’s Power Smoothie

1/2 cup strawberries; 2 cups unsweetened apple juice; 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed

1/2 cup pineapple; 1/4 cup aloe vera juice; 1 ripe banana

1/2 cup mango; 1 cup crushed ice; juice of 1 large lemon

2 tbsp. honey or agave nectar


Gradually combine all ingredients in a blender .
Use additional juice to achieve desired consistency.
Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Be good to yourself! More next time...

Defining Your Success: Part 1

In a previous post entitled "Lessons from my Life Coach", I made the following statement in my closing remarks:

"Each of us is entitled to being wildly happy, having vibrant health, fostering good relationships, being wealthy and successful as defined on our own terms,..."
(http://journeysfit.blogspot.com/2009/01/lessons-from-my-life-coach.html)

At the time I wrote that piece, I was reflecting on the idea of success and what that really means. By definition, success is:

1. the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors;
2. the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like;
3. a successful performance or achievement;
4. a person or thing that is successful;
5. Obsolete.

But, who decides what is 'favorable'? How much wealth is enough? How many honors must one attain? When does one's success become obsolete? Does every aspect of one's life have to be successful before he/she can call him/herself successful? What I deduced is that success is relative to one's own definition of it. The question that every individual should consider is, "Did I achieve what I set out to accomplish within the scope of my goals/vision?" Success can be measured in many different ways and by many different criteria. Because success is relative to the individual, he or she should never gauge it by anyone else's standards.

In subsequent posts, I will elaborate on this concept. Until then, I'll leave you with some notable quotes made by people who have been regarded as successful in their fields of endeavor. My hope is that you will think over this and either formulate or expand your own definition of successful living. I will do the same.


"Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value." -Albert Einstein

"I can't give you a sure-fire formula for success, but I can give you a formula for failure: try to please everybody all the time." - Herbert Bayard Swope (1882 - 1958)

"If your success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all." -Anna Quindlen (1953 - )

"Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." -Maya Angelou (1928 - )

"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much." -Bessie A. Stanley

"The only place where success comes before work is a dictionary." -Vidal Sassoon

"Success is relative. It is what we can make of the mess we have made of things." -T.S. Eliot (1888 - 1965)

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." -Colin Powell (1937 - )

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." -Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1915)

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." -Arthur Ashe

"Success isn't permanent, and failure isn't fatal." -Mike Ditka (1939 - )

"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance - and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning." -Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), O Magazine, September 2002

"I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate." -George Burns (1896 - 1996)

Be good to yourself! More next time...

You Are What You Ate

Did you know that it can take up to eight hours to digest one meal? If you ate breakfast at 6 a.m., your body won't finish metabolizing it until around 2 p.m. this afternoon. If you eat lunch at noon and dinner at six, you might be creating a bit of a traffic jam in your intestinal track. Not to be crude, but have you ever paid attention to a baby's elimination habits? They seem to pass what they eat and drink several times a day. Believe it or not, that's normal. In a 24 hour period, a person who has eaten 4 big meals could still have 2 or 3 of them in a holding pattern waiting to be broken down and absorbed by the small intestine. If there was a lot of sugar released into the bloodstream, it is being converted to fat. Often I hear people say that they will just work out extra tomorrow to "burn off" the double-fudge cakes, carbs, and alcohol consumed tonight. The problem with this strategy is that the weight gain that results from overeating and poor diet doesn't happen until the meals in question are digested--sometimes 2 or 3 days later.

I would like to offer some advice for those who would like to improve their eating habits. There are some very simple techniques that will allow your body to use food for fuel more effectively and avoid overloading it. Some simple changes will result in increased energy, better sleep, and an improved overall sense of well-being.

1) Eat the recommended number of servings from each food group daily (http://mypyramid.gov).

2) Control your portions. Too much of a good thing is bad.

3) Stay well hydrated year-round. Hunger between meals is often a symptom of dehydration. Don't wait until you feel thirst to take a drink.

4) Eat foods that are high in fiber. This helps to keep you feeling satisfied and "keeps things moving." fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains are good sources.

5) Cut refined sugar from your diet. The more you eat it, the greater your cravings. You will also avoid overtaxing your pancreas, liver, and kidneys in your body's attempt to digest it.

6) Go meatless (what?) once a week. It takes more time and energy to digest meat. Beans contain high protein and fiber without all of the bad fats. Here is a quick and easy recipe for you to try:

Vegetarian Lentil Savory

1 lb. dry lentils, 2 diced medium tomatoes

8 oz. tomato sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic

1 large carrot, peeled, 2 stalks celery

1/2 large white onion, 1/2 cup bell pepper (all colors) diced

1 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. chili powder

sea salt, water to cover

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Chop all vegetables and combine with beans and seasonings. Bring soup to a boil. Simmer for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Serves 8. Enjoy!

Be good to yourself! More next time...