Tomato Bulgar Soup

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Tomato Bulgur Soup

What You’ll Need:
6 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

What You’ll Do:
In a soup pot over medium-high heat, mix 1 cup broth, onion and garlic.  Once the onions become translucent add the uncooked bulgur wheat and remaining broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil and then simmer.  The bulgar wheat will begin to expand.  Cook until the bulgur wheat is tender.  Mix in tomatoes and simmer until heated then serve.

Craving A Diet?

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Your body is craving a diet. How do we know what is right for us? Diets are a dime a dozen.  It seems like every other day there is a new “miracle diet” promising to make us the leanest, healthiest person on the planet.  Well I say give me a break!  Though we know there are many items out there we should avoid to maintain our health we need to be realistic in what will work for each of us.  One person may find it easy to cut out all carbs and sugar, never touching them again, this diet is definitely not for me; some people may love the Paleo diet or others feel more inclined to be vegetarian.  The only diet we would suggest you not follow is the the fast food diet for obvious reasons. When your body is craving a diet these are things to consider.

Our Body Is Craving A Diet

The bottom line is we have to be in-tune with our bodies needs.  The body runs on the nutrients we take in.  There are some foods that do not agree with our bodies or items we just plain don’t like which we can avoid.  When we take clues from our body it will tell us what we need.  Often when our body is craving a diet there is a specific nutrient our body is telling us we are deficient in. Our body needs many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which to function properly.  The issue is when we feel in dire need to subside our craving. The cookie monster comes out and we pick items we otherwise would not consider eating like, the whole bag of chips or carton of cookies.  Next time cravings attack check out the craving chart and see what healthy alternative will make that craving subside.  Even better print the chart and tape it up on the inside of your kitchen cabinet.  By listening to clues from our body we can save ourselves from over eating, choosing the wrong items or being coming ill through a lack of proper nutrition.

Personally I enjoy a vegetarian diet 99% of the time.  When my body craves meat, I’m down to honor what my body is telling me and have a few bites of steak or sushi.  I do not deprive myself of anything.  I feel that once we start telling ourselves we can’t have something we end up wanting it more. This perpetuates the body craving a diet. My motto is everything in moderation.  When I came across some info on eating for your blood type I was intrigued.  The information was pretty spot on for me and my husband.  My blood type aligns with being a vegetarian and my husband is a serious carnivore.  When he is craving a diet and when I am craving a diet our needs look very different. No matter what your preference is it is interesting to take a look at the eating for your blood type outline to see just how close your natural inclinations are to what the eating for your blood type chart suggests. When it come to tips and personal coaching Our Wellness Revolution is here to be of service.  When you’re ready contact us for a consultation and together we will set achievable goals for your individualized needs.

 

Craving A Diet: Type O
People with type O blood flourish on a high-protein diet because they digest meat easily. The most beneficial meats for type O blood types are lamb, beef, venison, mutton and veal. However, type O blood types should not consume pork or goose. The most beneficial fish for type O blood types are herring, mackerel and cod, and the least beneficial are catfish, conch, octopus, salmon, barracuda, caviar, octopus and pickled herring.

Type O blood types should severely restrict eggs and dairy products and should not eat many whole-wheat products because they are not well tolerated by this blood type. People with type O blood should eat collard greens, garlic, spinach, artichokes, red peppers, sweet potatoes, romaine lettuce and figs, plums and prunes to support optimal health.

 

Craving A Diet: Type A
Type A blood types should not eat meat because they naturally have a low stomach-acid content that cannot digest land animal meats. However, type A blood types can eat seafood such as yellow perch, red snapper, monkfish, salmon, carp, group, mackerel, silver perch, snails and rainbow trout.

Type A blood types cannot easily digest dairy products but can consume goat milk and cheese, yogurt, mozzarella, kefir, ricotta and feta cheeses. Type A blood types can digest cereals, grains and pastas well and should eat an abundance of fresh, organic vegetables including alfalfa sprouts, romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, dandelion greens, artichokes, turnips and okra. Type A blood types should eat a wide variety of fruits including plums, blackberries, cranberries, figs and prunes.

 

Craving A Diet: Type B
People with type B blood can flourish on a wider variety of foods than any of the other blood types. Type B blood types should eat meats such as rabbit, venison, turkey, veal, beef, lamb, pheasant and mutton and abstain from chicken, goose, duck, pork, quail and Cornish hens. Type B blood types should eat seafood such as flounder, halibut, trout, sole, salmon and flounder but should abstain from all shellfish, yellow tail tuna, snails, striped bass, eel, frogs and barracudas.

People with type B blood can eat a variety of dairy foods including cow and goat milk, cottage cheese and ricotta, but not American or blue cheese, string cheese or ice cream. Type B blood types should also abstain from grains and eat green, leafy vegetables, and bananas, grapes and plums.

 

Craving A Diet: Type AB
People with type AB blood generally have a weak immune system and should eat a vegetable-rich diet that includes green, leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, cucumber, mushrooms and parsnips. Type AB blood types can eat a variety of fruits including plums, grapes, cherries, grapefruit and cranberries but cannot tolerate tropical fruits such as coconut, bananas, mangoes and guava.

People with type AB blood can eat a wide array of carbohydrates including rice, sprouted wheat and flour products, but should abstain from corn and buckwheat products. Type AB blood types do not digest meat well and should not eat chicken, veal, beef, pork or shellfish. However, AB blood types can eat turkey, lamb, rabbit, tuna, ocean perch, monkfish, grouper and sardines.

 Stop Craving A Diet with this chart

 When you crave this…what you really need is that.  Try the healthy alternative.

When you crave this...what you really need is this. Try the healthy alternative.

Eating for your blood type out line adapted from: LiveStrong.com

Honey Candy

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What You’ll Need:
1 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup nut butter (I used crunchy almond butter here, you can also use peanut butter, cashew butter, sunbutter, etc)

What You’ll Do:
Pour the honey into a heavy saucepan. Place pan over medium heat until mixture starts to boil. Adjust the heat lower if needed and let boil until honey reaches 300 degrees F (hard crack stage.) This takes around twenty minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and nut butter. Stir thoroughly then immediately pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in freezer or refrigerator to cool. Once completely chilled, break into long strips, then break those again into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Store in freezer.

Dry Brushing

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Dry brushing is an act of self care with many benefits.  Join us in exploring how and why we dry brush as drybrushing.net walks us through the process.

How To Dry Brush

This article will cover the basics you need to start dry brushing. We’ll cover selecting a brush, exactly how to dry brush, and end with a few tips.

Selecting A Skin Brush

Start off with a natural bristle brush or loofah. Look for boar bristles or fibers from plants, synthetic bristles can be too harsh and cause irritation. One that either fits in the palm of your hand or has a shorter handle which will give you more control.  It is best to go into a store and feel the bristles so that you can find bristles that best suits your taste.

The Drybrushing Process

  1. Start with your feet, moving in soft circular movements (always moving towards the heart) first on the bottom of the feet, and then on the top.
  2. Work up each leg, one at a time, first the back of the leg (using the same soft circular, always towards the heart, movements) up through the buttock and then the front of the leg.  Avoid any delicate skin, like the skin on the insides of the thighs.
  3. After you are finished with the lower half, start at the fingertips of one arm; move up the arm (palms of hands, back of hands, forearm, biscep) and towards the heart.  Repeat on other arm.
  4. Move to the back (this is where a short handled brush may come in handy) working your movements towards your stomach, starting and finishing with one side of the back and then the other.
  5. When you get to your stomach, start at your lower abdomen and work your way up (make sure to steer clear of delicate areas like the nipples) and end at your chest in an upward stroke.
  6. Rinse off and shower as normal.

Skin brushing Tips

  • Avoid the face! While dry brushing is excellent for exfoliating skin, this body brush will be too rough for the delicate skin on your face.
  • It’s sometimes best to dry brush in the shower (with the water off) since there may be a lot of dead skin brushed off.
  • Try using a natural and healthier body soap (like those containing natural peppermint or tea tree oil) since the pores in your skin are open and clear.
  • However, It isn’t necessary to use soap to wash up in the shower or bath after dry brushing; your skin is as clean as it can be.

How Often To Dry Brush

For best results dry brush at least two times a week.

Why should you dry brush?

This technique not only promotes healthier skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, but also by stimulating and increasing skin cell production, giving your skin a healthy glow all year long.  But the benefits are not just skin deep – dry brushing both increases blood flow and circulation and enhances detoxification through the skin.  It is also said that the gentle pressure and brushing sensations have a calming effect – just like a massage!  But be aware that the increase in blood circulation will also give you that “awake” feeling, so a dry brushing session before bed might not be so convenient.

Benefits:

  • Skin that is healthier and smoother: removing dead skin cells and opening pores to allow them to “breath” and absorb nutrients.
  • Stimulated lymphatic and circulatory systems: boosting your immune system and increasing circulation to help detoxify.
  • Stress relief: increasing your blood flow reduces stressed areas of the body and stimulates nerve endings in your skin which in turn rejuvenates your nervous system.
  • Reduced cellulite: increasing blood circulation to the skin helps break down and releases toxins that cause cellulite in legs and hips.

Is it for you?

As long as you don’t have any severe skin irritation (acne, rash, eczema, open sore/cut, etc.) this is for you! It is an invigorating way to start the day, and you won’t believe how smooth and healthy your skin will feel.

This is from: http://drybrushing.net

Spinach Pies

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This delicious recipe is a great way to get your daily serving of spinach and we should be eating spinach or another green leafy vegetable everyday. Spinach is a power house of nutrition for our bodies. It is packed full of vitamin A, E, K, magnesium, calcium, zinc, beta-carotene and it is high in fiber, antioxidants, folate, and flavanoids. Spinach is low in calories, is anti-inflammatory, increase brain function and circulation, it boost the immune system which helps fight infections. It promotes healthy skin and bone density, it also promotes healthy eyes. Wether you have spinach pies for dinner, a spinach salad or a smoothie with spinach in it make sure to get your daily dose of spinach. Here are some juice recipes, try the Radiant Skin juice recipe.

DYI Bath Salts

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There is nothing quite like a warm bath to melt away the stress of the day. By adding Epsom salt to our bath water we can reap many health benefits. Epsom salt eases muscle pain, stimulates relaxation and well-being in the brain, improves oxygen use and absorption while improving concentration. It helps maintain proper calcium levels in the blood as magnesium and calcium go hand in hand. It is great for ridding the body of dead skin cells, keeping the skin soft. Epsom salt reduces pain, inflammation and eases migraines. It detoxifies the body of pollutants. This is just a few of the benefits of Epsom salt as the list can go on and on. Now lets melt away the stress and take an Epsom salt bath.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp & Quinoa Salad

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Ingredients:
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
24 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 c. quinoa, cooked
1 lime, juiced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c. water
1/2 tsp. honey
1 c. tomatoes, halved
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, peeled and diced
feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Cook quinoa per the package instructions, set aside. Combine the first 7 ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well. Add the shrimp to the marinate and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mix chopped onion, tomatoes, water, honey, chickpeas and lime, simmer on lower until heated throughout. Cook shrimp with marinate in a frying pan. Scoop a generous helping of the quinoa mixture onto a plate. Sprinkle feta cheese and avocado pieces. Place shrimp on top and serve.

Stuffed Peppers

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Stuffed Peppers

What You’ll Need:
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls of spinach
2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3⁄4 cup quinoa
3 carrots, grated
sliced Pepper Jack cheese
4 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed water

What You’ll Do:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a skillet sauté first 7 ingredients. Stir in beans, quinoa and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer. Cover the mixture. Cook until quinoa is tender. Stuff the peppers with the heated mixture. Place tomato juice in the baking dish.
Bake for 30 minutes. Add sliced cheese on top of the peppers and continue baking until the cheese is melted and begins to brown.

DIY Christmas Projects

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Whether you are looking to make homemade Christmas gifts this year or simply need a project to keep the kids busy over Christmas break there is an idea for everyone here.

Click on the image to follow a the link to the DIY tutorial.

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Mason Jar Goodies                                   Soap                                       Studded iPhone Case

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Instagram Coasters                  Scrabble Coasters                   Decorative Bowls

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Infused Vodka                              Artsy Clutch                            Book Ends

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BBQ Scrub                                  Relaxing Bath Salts             Crazy Crayons

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Jewelry Holder                         Wrap Bracelets                      Dry Erase Calendar

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Lip Balm                                     Stationary Sets                       Aluminum Lanterns

Is Your Workout Keeping You Fat?

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This excuse is used over and over again, “Working out is boring” or “I don’t have time to workout”.  If we are in the rut of doing the same exercises and cardio program at every work out; we are not giving our body what it needs to improve, of course we will become bored.  Our goal when working out is to tear down our muscles so that the body can build them to be stronger.  Although cardio is great, we are not all training to be long distance runners in the next Olympic games. The question is: Is Your Workout Keeping You Fat?

What our bodies need is interval and strength training.  Interval training pushes our boundaries and increases metabolism for up to 36 hours.  After a good workout we should not feel depleted of energy, we should feel energized. Once we adapt to our work out, change it, keep your body guessing what is coming next.  If a work out has become comfortable then we might only be maintaining, push through a new threshold.  Now we are not saying that working out should be painful.  We must be mindful of our body, we want to challenge ourselves to improve, we do not want to injure ourselves.  If we are using the treadmill start by running for 2 minutes then walk for a one minute, increase the incline and speed settings, creating variation in the workout.  Mix up each workout and have fun with it.

Is Your Workout Keeping You Fat?

Scales are not a good measure of progress, body fat and muscle tone are.  Remember that cardio does not build bone, only strength training does.  Get a balanced program of cardio and weight training.  Ask yourself if what you are doing is giving you the results you desire.  Track workouts to see what is giving the desired results.  We want to track the type of workout, the intensity, frequency and time.  Which category that is being tracked can be adjust to get more results?

If you have knee issues, strengthen your quad and hamstring muscles.  Add more fish oils to your diet.  Do exercises like stairs which are safer then lunges or walking lunges.  You can do strength training as long as you are aware of what modifications are more gentle on your body.  The hip and ankle directs which way your knee goes and the amount of torque on the knee.  When we strengthen the hip and ankle we strengthen the knee.  We must be aware of what works for our body and be kind to injuries.

Take a look at your future self and see if you want to be there.  Look at an elderly person as they struggle to walk, do you want to be there?  It’s a choice.  Changing your belief system and thought process will do wonders for your outlook.  Start exercising because you love yourself.  Understand the benefits you get from doing it and make it your why.  Do not allow excuses to dictate your life.

Be comfortable and appreciative of where you are and be open to where you are going.  The old and the new will co-exist for awhile like a caterpillar morphing into a beautiful butterfly.  Be patient with yourself, an amazing change is taking place.

Try this easy exercise circuit.

 Finish each work out with 5 minutes of stretching.

Workout

 

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