Fresh Bountiful Basket Produce Makes Wonder Soup!

Almost every week on Monday I place an order with the Bountiful Basket Co Op for amazing produce...I say almost because 1 week a month (yikes 2 in August), he has to work so that Saturday afternoon we always hit the farmers market in Dallas. If you have never experienced Bountiful Basket Co Op check and see if it is offered in your area. We get top rate produce for a remarkable price. Anyways on with my story.... This is what I create for us to eat on this week based on my BB Basket 2 Saturdays ago (yes it is still fresh...AMAZING!) and a few items from the Farmer's Market this past weekend.

Cabbage soup

1 head of cabbage chopped

1 half head of Napa Cabbage chopped

8 nice size roma tomatoes chopped

1 white or yellow onion chopped

6 carrots chopped into bite size disc

2 carrots to be finally chopped

1 hatch or bell pepper chopped

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped (want more heat add 2)

1 head of garlic minced

½ head of cauliflower flowers chopped

Sea salt to taste

2 teaspoons pepper

Put all the above into a large of water except for the 2 carrots and ¼ of the cabbage head.

Bring to a boil and turn down to medium.

Last... chop the 2 carrots along with the ¼ head of lettuce.( I use my Ninja on pulse to do this.)

Add the finely chopped carrots and cabbage to the boil and continue to cook.  The soup is done when the cauliflower is soft. It usually takes about a hour to hour and half on medium heat. Make sure the water doesn't go down.

This makes a HUGE pot of soup that we eat on all week long. If you eat quinoa, cook some in water or veggie stock and add to a bowl topping with the soup. This makes a wonderful and healthy  meal all year long.

Mangoes are all the Rage this Summer

Mangoes Here ...Mangoes There ...Mangoes, Mangoes Everywhere..

I love Mangoes and today I made up a Mango Black Bean Salsa for dinner. The recipe can be found at our sister blog Recipes 4 Shweet Living.
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Mangos taste so good that people forget they are also healthy!  Discover how the “king of fruits” can help you, plus fascinating trivia and a few mango cautions and concerns.

Health Benefits:

1.  Prevents Cancer: Research has shown antioxidant compounds in mango fruit have been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. These compounds include quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid and methylgallat, as well as the abundant enzymes.

2.  Lowers Cholesterol: The high levels of fiber, pectin and vitamin C help to lower serum cholesterol levels, specifically Low-Density Lipoprotein (the bad stuff)

3.  Clears the Skin: Can be used both internally and externally for the skin. Mangos clear clogged pores and eliminate pimples. (Read more on page 5.)

4.  Eye Health: One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes.

5.  Alkalizes the Whole Body: The tartaric acid, malic acid, and a trace of citric acid found in the fruit help to maintain the alkali reserve of the body.

6. Helps in Diabetes: Mango leaves help normalize insulin levels in the blood.  The traditional home remedy involves boiling leaves in water, soaking through the night and then consuming the filtered decoction in the morning. Mango fruit also have a relatively low glycemic index (41-60) so moderate quantities will not spike your sugar levels.

7. Improved Sex: Mangos are a great source of vitamin E. Even though the popular connection between sex drive and vitamin E was originally created by a mistaken generalization on rat studies, further research has shown balanced proper amounts (as from whole food) does help in this area.

8. Improves Digestion: Papayas are not the only fruit that contain enzymes for breaking down protein. There are several fruits, including mangoes, which have this healthful quality. The fiber in mangos also helps digestion and elimination.

9. Remedy for Heat Stroke: Juicing the fruit from green mango and mixing with water and a sweetener helps to cool down the body and prevent harm to the body. From an ayurvedic viewpoint, the reason people often get diuretic and exhausted when visiting equatorial climates is because the strong “sun energy” is burning up your body, particularly the muscles.  The kidneys then become overloaded with the toxins from this process. ****Use Coconut water with Mango to balance without having to add a sweetener. ****

10. Boosts Immune system The generous amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A in mangos, plus 25 different kinds of carotenoids keep your immune system healthy and strong.

Info from an Article by Diana Herrington

Lots of Good Things This Week... Come take a Peek.

This has been the first positive week in about 4 months. Some of you know my legs have been swollen since Mid March of this year.Traditional doctors and medicines just could not find out why or get the swelling to go down. I visited every doctor on my list and everyone ran tests and simply told me to rough it out. 
By accident Marty and I met a wonderful doctor and his wife one Saturday about 5 maybe 6 weeks ago and found out about the Wellness Institute in Frisco. We went to visit and talk with Dr. Ferrell and after bloodwork and other testing we decided to give Non Traditional medicine a try. Let me rephrase the we know this is the way to go and I started treatment there. It's a really cool place and I feel like I am among friends.

I have been going once a week and doing some PT there and having adjustments. That in itself was wonderful. Last week I started on natural supplements. It is amazing how different I feel. I looked at my left swollen leg/foot and realized that although it is still swollen it is not as painful and doesn't look like a balloon.

Am I still just juicing? Well no. I am juicing, drinking smoothies made from kale and other veggies with a small amount of fruits as well as adding in other protein like Quinoa to my diet during the week. No milk products, processed food at all.

If you live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and you want to move your live in the right direction I would highly recommend visiting the Wellness Institute in Frisco. eMail me if you want to meet Dr Ferrell for one of his informational dinners.

BEFORE I CLOSE HERE IS THE RECIPE FOR TODAY'S LUNCH . 

For More Healthy Recipes check out Recipes 4 Sheweet Living.

Til tomorrow...Stay Healthy
Shweet SANDI

Summer Dairy Free Dessert

I received peaches and bananas in my bountiful basket this past week and since I am Rebooting I decided to create a healthy easy dessert. It is so simple and easy to make...and of so delicious. 

Take 2 peaches that are cut in half and pitted..Freeze them.

Cut 2 banana into slices. Freeze them.

Place your frozen peaches and bananas into a strong blender ,Vitamix or Ninja.

Pulse. If your "Ice Cream" is to thick add a small amount of Almond, Rice or Soy Milk.

Don't over pulse or your "Ice Cream" will become to thin.

Scoop and enjoy.

This made 4 servings for me...it all depends on the size of your fruit.

Nice Health and Oh So Easy Summertime Treat.

Wonderful Saturday Morning!! Fresh Food and A Promising Outlook

This was a wonderful way to start the weekend. We got up early and went to pick up our Bountiful Basket.
What is a Bountiful Basket you ask?
BBFC is a group of people who work together for mutual benefit. This is a grassroots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative. Since there are no employees at Bountiful Baskets, we as a group pay rock bottom prices on your food. This also means the co-op would not happen without volunteers. If you are interested in the co-op continuing, please volunteer occasionally. All it takes is a little time, energy and a smile. Volunteer opportunities include helping prepare the baskets, breaking down boxes, assisting with the distribution, and packing up. To help out, simply arrive an hour early dressed and ready to work with water to drink.<br>
To find out more about Bountiful Baskets in your community check out their website.

This was our first time to but it certainly won't be the last. This is what we got....

 We ordered the Bountiful Basket  plus Tropical add box on contained 1 box of mushrooms, 5 red apples, 5 bananas,5 yellow bell peppers, 8 bags of carrots ( got more because we helped out and there were left over’s), 34 Bussell sprouts, 7 nectarines, 1 big bag of green grapes, 2 avocados, 1 cabana melon, 1 coconut, 6 yellow mangoes, 5 limes, 1 butter lettuce, 1 plantain and 4 vanilla beans. Might have forgotten something but it was a lot of stuff. 

After we left the place were we picked up our baskets and volunteered, we decided to visit the Heart of Texas Show in Plano. Boy was I so happy we stopped in. We ran into Dr Ferrell and his wife from The Wellness Institute in Frisco. After talking to them he offered to have me come to the Institute so they can see if they can find the cause of all my problems. Also after talking to them Marty and I realized the chiropractor we were going to was really just doing PT. I am very excited. Got good food and positive outlook for maybe get a handle on this pain and illness.

Well off to watch my God Daughters' graduate via live feed and hopefully make it to Sat Mass. We have a new priest starting today and can't wait to see if I can read his lips. 

Check the recipe blog tomorrow for a new  juice recipe.

Stay healthy and Juice ON

Fourteen Months and Getting Healthier.... What is Your WHY?

WOW Hard to believe it has now been 14 months since I juiced my very first bunch of kale, oranges, apples, beets, radishes. I am so happy Linda told me to watch Fat Sick and Nearly Dead by Joe Cross (you can catch it on Join The Reboot.) Marty and I started juicing. I have lowered my medicines from 22 to 8... Gone from a size 24 holding at a size 18. Marty has gone down 4 clothing sizes and lost over 45 pounds. The most important thing was 1 year ago he was told he needed to get complete dentures and we have been on the dental college waiting list for that part of the classes. Last Friday when he went to the college to have his teeth and gyms checked they told him whatever he has been doing keep it up, it appears he has saved his back teeth. JUICING WORKS!!!

 A lot of people asked me why I still juice all the time? Is it to loss weight? Is it to get healthy? What is my reason, MY WHY?  Mine is very simple and very precious This is My WHY. 

ZOE BUG

I want to be able to play on the floor with her. Chase her around the park, simply go to the Zoo. I want to know that  I am doing everything in my power to be here when she graduates high school and college. To watch her get married and see her children play with the dolls I make.

Both of my parents passed away young. My daddy at 53 from a heart attack and my mom at 73 from Chronic Heart Failure. Get the drift? In 2 days I will be 54 years old. I will have reached a live span longer than my daddy did. Now I will be reaching to a much longer life and much fuller one too.

Before I close today I wanted to just put out there to the universe....

1. If you have not watched the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

take some time and watch it.

2. Consider cutting out processed foods from your diet. If you can't say what is it it, should you be eating it?

3. Add fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet each day. 

You can do it simple by eating raw or steamed food.

 Juicing a tasting and very energizing way to get  your veggies/fruits quickly and tastes good too.

(Yes I can give you recipes, Click Here for my Recipe Blog.) 

4. Cut back of if possible OUT meat. 

I know here I am in Texas and talking about not eating meat. 

You will get all the protein your body needs from the healthy produce you eat and drink.

5. Last Smile, Laugh and Everyday tell at least one person how Special they are.

With texting and social media in most everyone's life you can easily make someone's day day special

 and in doing so you bring an added peace to your own life.        

Til Tomorrow Stay Healty

Shweet Sandi                                                  

Produce That Speed UP Your Metabolism

In one of my groups we were talking about what produce for juicing that we should eat and juice, that would speed up our sludgy metabolism. After doing some research and asking a couple of my doctors I have come up with the following list. It is not gospel by far but simple a suggestion from what I have told, experienced and heard. Remember never add anything to your diet without checking with your own doctors first.

 

 

Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

Hot Peppers-Jalapeno, habanero, cayenne and other forms of spicy peppers directly boost metabolism and circulation. In fact, eating hot peppers not only speeds up your metabolism, it also reduces cravings. This is related to its capsaicin content, a compound that stimulates the body’s pain receptors, temporarily increasing blood circulation and metabolic rate. If you have ever experienced a bout of intense sweating after eating a particularly hot tamale, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, studies have shown that eating hot peppers can boost the metabolism by up to 25%, with the spike lasting for up to 3 hours.

Broccoli -High in calcium (a known weight-reducer), broccoli is also extraordinarily high in vitamins C, K and A. One serving of broccoli will also provide you with plenty of foliate and dietary fiber, plus a variety of antioxidants. Broccoli is also one of the best detox  foods you can add to your diet.

Apples and Pears- Studies show that these two fruits help boost metabolism and speed up weight loss. Research performed by the State University of Rio de Janeiro found that women eating three small apples or pears daily lost more weight than women who did not. Organic apples are one of the most widely available organic fruits and pears aren’t too hard to find either, great news!

Citrus Fruits-Fruits like grapefruit have been shown to help us burn fat and keep our metabolism high. This could be related to the fruits’ high amount of vitamin C, a helpful and healthful component that reduces insulin spikes.

Produce High in Calcium Like Leafy Greens- A study done at the University of Tennessee found that people who consumed 1,200-1,300 milligrams of calcium a day lost almost double the amount of weight as those who were not getting enough calcium in their diet. To help boost your metabolism, eat plenty of foods high in calcium. Some examples are spinach and kale. Getting our calcium from dark, green, leafy vegetables is a an excellent health choice. Spinach ranks very high in calcium, with 56mg of calcium per cup. A 100g serving of collards packs a 145 mg calcium punch. One cup of steamed bok choy has around 158 mg of the mineral. Kale ranks in with 139mg of calcium and the spicy mustard green has 103mg of calcium per 100g serving. You can also get your calcium from that wonderful tasting round sunny orange. One cup of freshly-squeezed organic orange juice offers approximately 72 mg of calcium. Not to mention plenty of vitamin C, which will significantly improve the amount of calcium your body absorbs. Besides vitamin C and calcium, oranges are also a great source of potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene.

 Foods High in Omega-3′s-Eating foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to boost your metabolism. These acids reduce the production of a hormone called leptin, a natural chemical that lowers your metabolism. (When you are not 100% juicing eat a handful of walnuts, add flax seeds or beans to your diet.)

Other foods that will speed up your body’s Metabolism are grapes, prunes, plums and berries. If you juice these are great fruits to add into your green juice drinks to sweeten up the taste.