Living It With Lisa

Don’t feel guilty … you can have chocolate everyday!  That doesn’t mean a candy bar everyday.  It’s all about moderation.  One ounce will do it.  Studies show that dark chocolate has several health benefits and it now considered a superfood.

A significant reason is because dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids.   Flavonoids are commonly known for their antioxidant activity.  Dark Chocolate is not processed as much and contains at least 65% cacao.    I personally love 80% or more!

There are several delicious reasons to eat dark chocolate and here are my top three:

Dark chocolate fights free radicals and free radicals are responsible for aging and some diseases like cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.  I totally forgot to add Dark Chocolate to my new book  “101 Best Ways to Feel Younger and Live Longer”.  What was I thinking!

Some studies are showing that dark chocolate may help prevent cancer.  Why?  Because antioxidant rich foods contain cancer fighting properties.  I say great…. Instead of “an apple a day … “ we can say “an ounce a day keeps the doctor away!”

We know it makes us feel good … right?   Joy DuBost, PhD, RD says “The theory is that chocolate stimulates the neural activity in the regions of the brain associated with pleasure and reward.”

My suggestion … find 1 ounce pieces of dark chocolate that you can nibble on to satisfy that need for chocolate.  The perfect healthy indulgent bite!

My husband and I just returned from Barcelona, Spain where we sampled our share of Tapas Restaurants. Tapas refer to a type of Spanish cuisine used more broadly to describe a style of dining known as small plates.  Anything can come on a small plate.  You can order several different tapas and share them.  Mini appetizers if you will.  It’s a great way to try a variety of flavorful dishes in creating your dining experience.

During my time in the world of Tapas, I learned a few great lessons that put a twist into my daily eating routine:

Twist #1:  Use small plates.  Use no larger than a 9-inch plate, like a salad plate.  Studies show that food psychology works.  So whether it is a dinner plate or a salad plate, your eyes tell you it is a plate full of food!

Twist #2:  Rate Your Plate.  Your proportions on ANY size plate should be 50% non-starchy vegetable, 25% starch or grain, and 25% protein. With mixed dishes like casseroles, soups and stews, think of the ingredients separately to see if the proportions are correct.  All you may need to do is add a fresh salad. Avoid seconds at any meal. Save what remains for another meal and you have maximized your time in the kitchen.

Twist #3: Get colorful! Your plate should be a rainbow of color. Use fresh herbs and spices to kick up the flavors. Remember we eat visually with our eyes first.  If your plate looks boring and all one color it will not be very appealing to the eyes or to the palate.

The result?  A beautiful plate with balanced portions of healthy, fresh, and tasty food, just waiting to dance on your taste buds!

So if it’s time to lose a few pounds or make healthier food choices, try a smaller plate this year and you’ll SEE the difference.

Remember: Small Plates = Smart Plates!

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.  Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.

Also if one of your ingredients is oil, measaure that first and them add the sticky substance like peanut butter or honey.

To get something out of a tight space, a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum hose. It can be bent or flattened to get into narrow openings.

I woke up this morning to find this Natural News article in my mail box.   The opening paragraph got my attention:

“The CDC has estimated that by 2050, as much of thirty percent of the American population could suffer with diabetes.  New studies show that diabetics, in addition to coping with the effects of their disease, also have nearly double the risk of cancer compared to the rest of the population.’

Now I didn’t need any coffee to wake me up after reading that!   THIRTY percent!   Higher risk of CANCER! If you have Type 2 Diabetes now one would think, one would be doing everything to reduce the risk of the OTHER HEALTH issues potentially coming your way in addition to a higher risk of cancer too .

In this article they listed Maple Syrup, Tumeric, Fenugreek, Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Chocolate, Coffee, Red Wine, Blueberries, Cranberries, Strawberries, Cherries, Beans, Coconut Oil, Almonds, Walnuts, Buckwheat, Cinnamon, Green Tea, Black Tea, and Wakame.

Most of those items are easily found and can be incorporated in your diet quickly.

To read the entire Natural News article click here.  It includes the information and resources on the Top Twenty foods for reversing Type 2 Diabetes.

Great health starts one bite at a time.

So what are you waiting for … start today!

Do you realize that Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States?

Do you realize that Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke?   68% of Diabetes related deaths among people ages 65 years or older noted heart disease on the death certificates.

Do you realize that Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure? (44 percent of all new cases in 2008).  Many end up living on chronic dialysis or with a kidney transplant.

Do you realize that Diabetes is the leading cause (more than 60%) of nontraumatic lower-limb amputations?

Do you realize that Diabetes is the contributing factor of new new cases of blindness among adults ages 20-74 in the United States?

Do you realize that the risk for stroke is 2 to 4 times higher among people with diabetes?

Do you realize that periodontal, or gum disease is more common in people with Diabetes?

Do you realize that about 60-70% of people with Diabetes have mild to severe forms of nervous system damage?  What does that mean?  The results of such damage would include loss of  sensation or pain in the feed or hands, slowed digestion of food in the stomach, carpal tunnel syndrome, erectile dysfunction, or other nerve problems.

Do you realize that Diabetes is expensive?  A Diabetic incurs medical expenses 2.3 times higher than those who are not diabetics.

Those facts and complications are only a few that have been published by the NCDC.  I didn’t make them up.

Where to start?  Pay attention to your diet and quit making your body work harder than it has too. After all what we EAT directly determines the HEALTH that we have and the QUALITY of our life.

Change the course of your life …

Great health starts one bite at a time.

Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose or tights. Place pin in seam of slacks and …. ta da! … static is gone.

A Zen poet said, “A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body, their education and their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both.”

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.  I have also used cayenne pepper to keep the neighborhood cats out of my flower bed in Austin.  For some reason they love it as a litter box.  So buy the large size at your favorite Wholesale Store.

Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair.