CHRYSALIS

Cocoa Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 13:23:00 +0000

I just discovered the cocoa tomato. I was shopping at my local Food Lion and saw some small round things near some vine tomatoes. I walked over and saw that they were cocoa tomatoes. I had never heard of them before or seen them. I bought 4 to start with just to try with my salad on Saturday. When I got home I bit into one. It was so sweet and juicy. I added a little sea salt and I was hooked.

Well I went back and got about 12 more. They are juicy, hearty and just so good. I have not put one in the salad yet. So far I have eaten them like apples. So good! These at my grocery store and being shopped from Canada. After doing a little research they are a European tomato eaten mainly in Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland and the Mediterranean. It is a very earthy tomato and the color goes from green to brown as it ripens.

These cocoa tomatoes have definitely been a treat! My daughter the picky eater won't try one because of the color. This is the same child who will not eat purple lettuce. It must be green and her tomatoes must be red. She does not know what she is missing out on.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Making a Better Choice

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 12:47:00 +0000

So many times I think that women can be driven by their urges when it comes to food. I know that it is that way for me sometimes. Not always, but it seems that I know that chip or that piece of candy is not the best option but I go for it any way. I want to make a better choice and of recent I have. One of the things that has helped me had been participating in a small group study using the Daniel Plan. It has made me think and be very aware of what I choose to eat and then makes me accountable to others in my group. It has made me shop better and make better choices in the grocery store. When all at the office may be eating candy to get through the day I have been able to resist and pull out my avocado instead.

Our group has finished the study and the key is to keep going. To keep making the right choices when it comes to food. Our health depends on it. My health depends on it. Food has to be the right choice to help my body get better and maintain. I am making a better choice.

On this Sunday morning I am beginning with a detox drink that I have seen all over the internet for years and it works. I have drank it before but not in a long while. It is supposed to help with turning those taste buds around too. I make a tea and drink it warm. 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, juice of one lemon, a shake of Cheyenne pepper and 2 tablespoons of raw honey. I add hot water to that in my favorite coffee cup and ta-da--- detox tea! This I drink on an empty stomach to start the day.

Breakfast will be 2 boiled eggs, a banana and 2 small cocoa tomatoes. Breakfast of champions!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

An Afternoon Away

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 20:47:00 +0000

Yesterday was my birthday so I took off today and tomorrow from work. I was tired and wanted some ME time. I hardly get any of that....just to lay on the sofa and do nothing..resting is good for the tired body. Sometimes it is not even rest I want. I just want to be able to do something I consider fun or rewarding...like posting on my blogs. They have been sadly neglected but I am catching up. Today I woke up before the alarm went off. That is an everyday occurrence. I did manage to go back to sleep. Now that never happens. I woke up again at 9 and that is a rare occurrence for me when it if normally 5AM everyday!

After coffee with my daughter at Starbucks, I headed to the DMV to do the one thing I had to do today....get the car tags renewed. It was painless and unbelievably fast! I was in and out I 10 minutes. After that a quick stop at the grocery store to get a few things. I did get some tart cherry juice and chili ingredients. I read about the tart cherry juice and I tried it just on a whim because I had been having leg pain. I first went to the doctor and after checking my blood she said I was very vitamin deficient in potassium and D. So she added those supplements to my pill regime. This was a few months ago. I saw little change with the added supplements.....just a little better. I felt tremendously better with drinking tart cherry juice twice daily. It really makes a difference.

The benefits of tart cherry juice are many but for me it reduces the leg pain caused by my statin drugs. It may even be reducing the cause of many illnesses...inflammation. Whatever it is doing, it works and it has made me almost pain free. It is hell to feel achy and sore with every step.

After getting home I watched a movie, ate lunch and just took it easy. I feel a nap coming in my very near future. Lazy days! They do a body good!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Early Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:04:00 +0000

It is about 5:45 AM now and I have been awake for hours. I woke up about 2am and have been awake ever since. I decided to do something constructive. I made dinner for today. We are having mung beans with spinach and coconut milk over rice. I did decide to add some beef tips so I browned them and added them. I work today at 11 so by 10 dinner will have been cooking for 5 hours in the crock pot.. It will almost be done. The dog and the cat have been my constant companiones this morning.

I did eat a very early breakfast. I had an apple and two eggs fried in extra virgin coconut oil. That is being topped off with a cuppa dandelion tea. I also loaded the dishes in the dish washer. My eyes are now feeling heavy. I put in Independence Day so I do believe it will be watching me in about 15 minutes, as opposed to me watching it.

I do know I need to try to sleep now a few more hours because it will be a very long day. 8 pm is a long time to be awake when the start of the day was at 2am. Peace out for now.....nap times and tea are calling me.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Castor Oil: I'm In!

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 06:19:00 +0000

I have heard all the hubbub about castor oil and I have decided to try it. I have only heard good things like it actually will help your hair grow longer and that it is a superior moisturizer. It is even supposed to make gray hair go away; as in reversing the graying process. I am all for that.

Online there are all sorts of castor oil challenges. I think because it is to so thick that I will use it about 3 times a week for several months and see if there is indeed a difference. It is thick but I can always thin it with a little olive oil.

Let the good hair begin to come in. It is castor oil for me for the next several months.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Beach Serenity

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 17:10:00 +0000

Whenever I need little piece of mind I always find it at the beach. This year I am determined to make it to the beach more than once. I only went once in 2014. So far this year I have been 3 times! Making some headway! I went out to Folly Beach this morning and it was quiet, cold and serene. There were a few people out but not many. The wind was doing a constant blow. I was glad I had my sweater wrap with me. It felt good and it did a great job of insolating me from the cold.

The wind and the roar of the ocean cleared my mind. My spirit felt renewed and the freshness in the air was better than anything found in the city. A beach town in the early morning is very quiet. There are people around but the ones I saw today looked very unique. Some would even say savory characters. Once on the beach it was one family, a few runners and a few dog walkers. There was even a group of 6 Japanese men working with 2 women on a photoshoot near the Folly Pier. Odd because I know those two models had to be cold in those little tiny swimsuits.

I walked. I scanned the horizon and watched the clouds change color as the sun tried to rise. It was serenity. It was peace. It was me. The ocean called to all things at unrest n my soul and took then down to the deep, dark depths. Then it gave me a gift. A starfish. A starfish just for me. My soul loves the sea and it loves me!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

A Trip To Whole Foods

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 05:46:00 +0000

I made my very first trip to Whole Foods about a week ago. I must say that I see what the craze is about. I was blown away as soon as I walked in the door. I normally go to Earth Fare because it is located on the same side of town where I live. I ventured out to Whole Foods to just check it out. It was almost like Earth Fare on crack! There was so much more as far as selection in everything. I did end up purchasing a few things and they were just random purchases. I was like a kid in a candy shop.

I was out of olive oil so I did get a bottle. Unfiltered....a sort that I never have tried before. It was just so inviting. The we came across the olive bar. I love olives. The bar there was ginormous! I mean GINORMOUS! I got olives of various sorts, mushrooms, caper berries and garlic! I was in heaven. When I got home I had some of the mix before dinner. It was amazing. So fresh. Well about an hour later I could not resist. They were so good, I finished off the entire container.

I got an onion and what you see in the picture above. Blue sweet potatoes. I have never seen them before. They were so unusually shaped and blue! Who could not pass those up. That was a pure random purchase. Then these cheese! Cheese heaven. My daughter then randomly decided she needed to make a baked brie recipe she had seen on pinterest earlier in the day. Well,a brie wheel later and a roll of puff pastry and she was also buying random things!

The store made us do it! We did not buy but a few items and we left there leaving behind about $90. It costs money to eat organic, healthy food. We are still excited to have finally gone to Whole Foods. There was a lunch station that looked amazing! We can't wait to go back. It will be in a few paychecks though. We have to still shop at a "regular" grocery store to be able to buy mega groceries to be able to eat! $90 will buy a lot at the local Harris Teeter!

Whole Foods was amazing! Can't wait to go again.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

The Eos Effect

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 01:39:00 +0000

Why are the Eos lip balms so popular? I am not exactly sure. I first saw one on my coworkers desk last year. I had no idea what it was. I thought it was an office supply. Then I saw a second coworker with one just sitting and again I had no idea what it was. I did not want to ask so I just waited and watched. Lip balm! Well it sure had a different shape.

After a long weekend I came into work and a third person had one. Well, I then had to find out what it was. What brand and why it was so popular. I went to my local Target and found them. Eos. They were kind of pricey but I decided to get one. I had to seeif it worked.

It works. The Eos lip balm is pretty amazing. First the shape makes it very unique. Fun and very easy to apply. It is made with shea butter, vitamin E and it glides on giving long lasting moisture. It is flavored and feels wonder on my lips. It is also 100% natural. I love it. A little goes a long way so it seems like it will last forever. It gives smooth, soft kissable lips! Eos! Try it!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

The Price of Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 12:48:00 +0000

The price of beauty is high. Coming up as a young teen in my home there was not a lot of emphasis placed on skin care of make up. My mother barely wore any makeup and if so it was almost like she had none on...mainly lipstick. None of the many small bottle rituals of today. When I got in high school some of my friends began to use make up and soon I was introduced to the world of skin care regimes and makeup. A whole new world. I started with Charles of the Ritz as it worked well for African American skin as well as Caucasian skin. They had everything from the skincare to the make up to Charles of the Ritz fragrance that I absolutely loved. My mom was a little dismayed I was getting into all of that. I had to. I had skin that was so oily, I could fly eggs on it, if it was hot enough. So much oil. So much! There was not a lot of skincare products out there for black woman. We only had Ebony Fashion Fare and that did not do well with me. While the colors were beautiful, it was oily. And there was something in some of the frosted lipsticks that made my lips beak out. Not good. I rallied on using drug store acne products and Charles of the Ritz.

After college and after major burn out in a large, high pressure job, I decided to work in retail. Something that I thought would be mindless and would give me a mental break. I went to work at the cosmetic counter at my Thalheimers. I started out at the Charles of the Ritz counter which was combined with Naomi Sims cosmetics. I did very well. So well that I was soon promoted and moved to Estee Lauder. Estee Lauder, the best of the best. Soon I was educated in all the products and benefits of their line. It was eye opening. The line was for all skin types and all people. That was about 30 years ago. Once I worked for Estee Lauder I used nothing else for skincare and color. About 10 years ago I discovered MAC for color, so now it s Lauder for skincare and MAC for color. It works well.

It works well but of course Estee Lauder is very expensive; but so worth it. Last week I bought a bottle of Diminish and the new moisturizer for oily skin and for those two very small bottles and jars, they were $54 and $50 apiece. If those products did not work I certainly would not be buying them for all these years. It costs to be beautiful! Diminish minimizes pores and helps with oil. The new moisturizer is clean, light weight and feels wonderful on my skin. My face seems to soak it up.

The price of beauty is high. Paying $50 for a small jar of cream that works wonders is so very worth it!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Sparkle!

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:25:00 +0000

Leave a little sparkle wherever you go!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Raccoon Stew

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:09:00 +0000

In February, this article in the Charleston City Paper had lots of people stewing. Check it out.

Are you brave enough to try the recipe?
Raccoon Stew Recipe

2 raccoons, deboned (should be about 5 lbs.)
½ lb. fatback or salt pork, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup flour
1 bag baby carrots
2 bags peeled pearl onions
1 lb. white mushroom caps

For the marinade:

1 bottle good Burgundy
1 large finely chopped onion
3 finely chopped carrots
4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
5 sprigs of parsley
4 stems of thyme
2 whole bay leaves
6 whole black peppercorns

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Put the cut raccoon meat in the marinade and mix together by hand. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
For the stew: Strain the raccoon from the marinade in a colander, reserving the liquid and thoroughly dry the raccoon meat out on paper towels. (If the meat is wet, it will not brown.) Fry out (brown and crispy) in a big skillet at medium heat fat back or salt pork (minus the skin). Set aside on paper towels. Drain off some of the fat and hold in reserve if needed.
In manageable doses, salt and pepper and then add the raccoon meat to the fat and brown all over at medium heat. Set aside on paper towels until all is done. Add more fat if necessary. When finished, add flour to the pan and stir until flour has browned. Add a little more fat to this if necessary. When flour has browned, add the strained marinade and stir well. Add the browned raccoon meat and browned fat back. Reduce heat to medium low to low, cover and cook until tender (about 3–4 hours.) Then add carrots, pearl onions, and white mushroom caps, and cook for a half hour longer at medium heat. Serve over rice.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Organic Granola Today

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 15:54:00 +0000

Organic granola. I love all sorts of granola and granola bars. This was the morning breakfast! Rise and shine! Raspberry and almond granola with almond milk. The only tedious thing about is is the chewing. It takes about 20 chews to get through a teaspoon of granola and milk. Final bit of breakfast was tea. A steaming cup of earl grey! Carpe diem!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Crock Pot Corn Beef and Cabbage

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 08:06:00 +0000

Ingredients

4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, cut into quarters
3 lbs corned beef brisket ( with spices)
8 small white potatoes or 8 small yellow potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters
1 head cabbage, cored and cut into 10 wedges ( about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 -5 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

Combine the water vinegar, sugar, pepper and onions, in a 6 qt crock pot and mix well.
Place corned beef and contents of spice packet in the mixture.
Scatter the potatoes over the top and along the sides.
Cover and cook on high heat setting 4 hours.
Remove the lid and scatter the cabbage wedges over the top.
Cover and continue cooking on high 3-4 hours longer, or until beef is tender.
To serve, carve the beef into slices against the grain and serve with the cabbage and potatoes, with some of the cooking liquid spooned on top of the beef to keep it moist.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Egg Salad Escapade

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 04:02:00 +0000

Middle school. Most likely 6th grade. 1972.

I was making egg salad for lunch the next day. The time was about 7pm. I was very tired. I had put 2 eggs on to boil. My father was finishing up the dinner dishes at the sink. Mom was in their bedroom getting ready for work the next day.

All I know is that I am tired. So...so tired that I tell myself I will just go lie down on my bed and rest my eyes for just a minute. My father leaves the kitchen. I leave the kitchen table and collapse on my canopy bed just to rest my eyes. I will get up in just a few minutes and make my egg salad. Just a minute...

My eyes open to pitch blackness with a hand covering my mouth tighly so that I could not scream. It is my mother.
She is whispering. What I do not know. I just woke up and do not know what is going on. She whispers some more and will not remove her hand until I understand the whispers.

The whispers are orders... over and over again orders--to get up, to not speak, to tiptoe and come with her. I get up and follow her out my room into the hallway. There is my father with the shotgun aimed ahead of him. There is my brother as well. My mother places us in the correct order. She gets behind my father, I am behind her and my younger brother is behind me. We all tiptoe down the hall toward the kitchen.

I hear sounds now and we are all terrified. Sounds like someone is moving in the kitchen and looking for something. It was a burglar. Why else would my father have the shot gun and why else would the four of us be tip toeing in the pitch blackness toward the kitchen. Why did'nt my parents simply call the police? That was the only thing I could think. We were going to die or get shot with that gun or would have to fight for our lives.

We continued to tip. The sounds got louder. Popping sounds like a gun going off in the kitchen. We got to the entrance of the kitchen and my father fired that shotgun blindly into the night. I think my father fired all the bullets. I heard a click and no more firing from his gun.

We only heard silence from the kitchen. We all stood frozen in the hallway for what seemed like an eternity. We still only heard silence. My mother whispered for my father to turn on the light. He did. I was expecting to see dead bodies. There were no dead people in the kitchen.

The only thing of any great notice in the kitchen was just my pot sitting on the stove, black from heat. It was devoid of all water and had been for quite some time. It was also devoid of eggs. The burglar sounds we thought we heard was the sound of eggs exploding right out of their shells. They had burst wide open and yoke and egg white was strewn all over the cabinets and the floor.

My parents turned to look at me. My legs turned to jelly. My father had shot up the kitchen for the love of egg salad! I did not make egg salad again for a long time.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Dinner: Wilted Kale and Asian Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 20:48:00 +0000

Deciding what to cook day in and out can be a chore but I have decided to really let the spices do the talking. Simple meals with lots of flavor are what I am trying to make now. Quick, easy with lots of flavor. Today I will be making this exact meal except for the meat. Pictured here is shark steak seasoned with Asian spices. Today I am making it with baked, Asian chicken instead.

My most favorite thing on this plate is the wilted kale. I use the same recipe whether it is for kale or chard. It always turns out great and my child loves it! She even asks for seconds when it comes to the vegetables.

To make wilted greens all I do is first sauté onions and sweet peppers until they begin to sweat. I use either olive or coconut oil. Then I put in the greens and strip as needed until they are wilted and they shrink down. It is amazing how a large bag wilts down to just a few cups. If there are a lot of stems which sometimes occurs with the plastic bags of kale, I may even add about 1/2 of water and let them simmer for about 15 minutes until they get tender. I do let the water all simmer away because I want the wilted flavor of the greens to be there. About 25 minutes later, a great wilted green dish.

The rice is the jade pearl rice. It is green because it is infused with bamboo juice. So, the rice, wilted greens and Asian chicken....it's what's for dinner today! Happy eating!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Worry: Don't Let it Steal Your Peace

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 03:38:00 +0000

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Detox Drink

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 03:14:00 +0000

I have been trying the detox drink for the past 2 mornings. I must say it works. The recipe is:

3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons of raw honey
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

I mix all in a cup then fill to the rim with water and then heat in the microwave and drink it like tea. It does taste good. It really does clean out the insides at it works it way through. I do believe the claims that it will help clean out the colon of undigested debri and food.

If you try this, stay close to the bathroom. It the end it will make you feel better, your stomach will be flatter and it had benefits of stabilizing blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and a few others. I drank it for 3 days in a row so far. I'm taking a break for the next 2 days. I will then enjoy it again after that. I think you have to work up to it being a daily drink. It is strong but it clearly works.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Crunchie Bars

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 00:21:00 +0000

Okay. So today was a fail in this respect. I ate one of these. I saw it at the grocery store and saw that it was Cadbury. You know...soon to be one of the chocolates we will not be able to but in the states anymore. I tried to justify it by telling myself that it has a honey comb in the middle. That makes it healthy, right? It is not the normal chocolate bar....with that honey comb in there. Well, tomorrow is another day. Another day to get it right.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Savannah Bee Hand Creme

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 00:07:00 +0000

I lucked up and found the best hand crème that I have loved in quite some time. I was at my local Earth Fare store and they have an expansive selection of Savannah Bee products. I have always know about the brand and in the past the only thing I tried was a lip balm. That was quite a few years ago and it was great.

With the winter and me always cleaning, my hands have been just so rough recently. Regular lotion several times a day was not doing the trick. I saw the hand crème and decided to bite the bullet and buy it. Pricey for me, it was $10. I love it. Besides smelling great, it is creamy and is full of moisture. The bees wax helps to seal in the moisture. I have been using it for a week now and I can already tell a difference. It is all natural and it hydrates! If you come across it, purchase! You will not be disappointed! My hands don't sound like sandpaper anymore!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Tart Cherry Juice

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:26:00 +0000

Tart cherries are bursting with the antioxidant benefits of five different anthocyanins, as noted by the University of Michigan Health System. Antioxidants from tart cherries are readily absorbed and keep your bloodstream antioxidants elevated for up to 12 hours after you've eaten them. A study published in the August 2004 issue of the journal "Behavioural Brain Research" found that tart cherry anthocyanins may reduce joint pain and inflammation. In the animal study, doses of 400 milligrams per kilogram body weight of anthocyanins produced comparable benefits to the prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin. Researchers concluded that the pain-relieving benefits of tart cherry may due to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of anthocyanin compounds.

Drinking even small quantities of Montmorency tart cherry juice has been linked to decreased levels of uric acid in the blood along with a key biomarker for inflammation, known as C-reactive protein, according to a pair of new studies.

Cherries have been revered for their anti-inflammatory properties for years. Tart cherries, specifically, were declared in 2012 to have the highest anti-inflammatory content of any food. Prior research has found tart cherry juice can cut inflammation levels in lab rats by as much as 50 percent.

I have recently begin to drink tart cherry juice and I can tell a difference! Less pain for me. Food is medicine. The older I get I come to realize this is true!\

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

About Turmeric

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:11:00 +0000

I have just begun doing my research on turmeric and its use as an alternative medicine. It grows wild in and is the forests of Asia and is a herbaceous plant. The root can be dried and ground up or used whole like ginger. I have never used it whole, just the powder. It is mainly used as a spice for cooking in Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern foods.

Turmeric has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years to cure liver ailments, stomach problems and skin problems. Turmeric has been shown to be effective in treating inflammatory illnesses also. I think now that there are clinical trials being done to see if it is effective in treating cancer.

I am even more convinced that food is medicine and can be used to treat our ailments. Food can also be a preventative measure if we take the time to eat the right way to heal our bodies.

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

Tumeric! It Works!

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 23:52:00 +0000

I have always heard that food is medicine but I have not really paid that any attention until now. Recently I have been having joint pain, maybe even a little gout as I have not been the healthiest in the past year. I read quite a few articles on turmeric and found that it may reduce pain. So I thought I would try. As you may know from an earlier post I am into oil pulling. That works.

So this past Saturday I went to my local Earth Fare and bought some turmeric supplements. This is day 2 and I swear the relief has been almost magical! I will be taking this for a while. The achy pain I was feeling is just about gone! I can hardly believe it worked so fast but it has!

Here is a little research about the benefits.

What the Doctor Says:

This orange and yellow spice, famous for its extensive use in South Asian cuisine, also has anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Santos recommends it frequently to patients complaining of sore and achy joints, and uses it herself to relieve pain in her joints from sports and exercise.

“I use a lot of turmeric in my practice,” she said. “It’s an amazing spice. Usually what I do is I make sure nothing else is going on, that it’s just plain old inflammation from wear and tear.”

While many people may encounter turmeric only in curry dishes and South Asian restaurants, Dr. Santos advises her patients to find it in health food stores in pill or capsule form. She recommends a dose of 1,000 milligrams a day. The benefit of buying it in a bottle, she said, is that it’s usually combined with a compound called piperine, which aids absorption.

“In India, whenever they use turmeric they usually have pepper in the meal,” said Dr. Santos. “Piperine is a pepper. It helps the turmeric get absorbed so that it goes into your bloodstream versus staying in your gut.”

Dr. Santos said she recently suggested to her father that he try turmeric after an operation on his hip. He was undergoing rehab and was experiencing pain and stomach issues, another area in which the use of turmeric has been studied.

“He was skeptical,” she said. “But he called me up a few days later and said he was pain-free.”

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

First of This New Year

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sun, 22 Feb 2015 23:36:00 +0000

Where am I? Still weighing more than I should. Still not exercising enough and I really need to step it up. I signed up for the Cooper Rover Bridge Run this year...to walk with a friend and that day will soon be here. If I do not start walking daily, I will have to cancel out. I will not be able to make it.

That's bad. I can do more but now, just not that motivated. I used to be. I used to be a gym rat that spent about 2 hours daily at the gym. Loved every minute of it. I can see that immobility is a vicious cycle. If you do not get off the couch, you do not WANT to get off the couch.

I feel a personal intervention is needed. I need to do better. It will be a daily challenge but I need to get the exercise in daily. I need to shoot for daily because some days due to my work schedule I will not make it.

I still have a closet full of skinny clothes. I will not get rid of those. They are what I will be wearing when I loose the pounds. I just gotta get off the sofa. I just gotta!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~

CHRYSALIS: Oil Pulling Explained

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 16:57:00 +0000

CHRYSALIS: Oil Pulling Explained: Well, a few weeks ago I saw a show on Dr. Oz where he was talking about oil pulling and other mystical treatments. I have tried this and it really works. Check out the article. It is worth a reblog! Oil pulling works!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.~~Unknown~~

Sweat is Fat Crying!

noreply@blogger.com (My Shoes) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 16:48:00 +0000

Hello blog! It has been a while. I am back. I have found my muse and a little motivation too. I plan to get back on track with the exercise and getting more active. That is my issue. Not enough motion in my day. I need to get up and get moving and I plan to make an effort to do that. Right now I think that my weight is getting the best of me. Weight on a bad knee is not good. So I think I will have to fight thru the pain to better rewards!

The time to fight fat is now. What is it that I hear people at the gym saying? SWEAT IS FAT CRYING! So get ready to cry FAT! It is on!

You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder. ~~Unknown~~