Living It With Lisa

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!

I received this from my neighbor Michel and just had to share.  It gives us room for thought and a real reason to “enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.”

=======  ~~~~~ ======

Recently, in a large city in  Australia, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said, “This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?”

A middle-aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,
Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.)
They have an active sex life, get pregnant and have adorable baby whales.
They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp.
They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like  Patagonia  ,
the  Bering Sea and the coral reefs of  Polynesia  .
Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs.
They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans.
They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don’t exist.
If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices
of psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?
They don’t have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex?
Just look at them … where is IT?
Therefore, they don’t have kids either.
Not to mention, who wants to get close to a girl who smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me: I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and a piece of chocolate with my friends.

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.   So we aren’t heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, ¨Good grief, look how smart I am!

Today is my birthday.  The only gift I really REALLY wanted was to know where my dear friend Cynthia Ray is.  That didn’t happen.  She is still missing.  No leads.  No clues.  Vanished.

Last night I cried myself to sleep … literally with Vic holding me close.  That meant alot.

As bad as the realization was that I would not have an answer, tomorrow will be harder for her husband Allen.  It will be their 25th Wedding Anniversary.  Keep him in your thoughts and prayers for strength. 

The surprising gift this morning was sleeping in so long.  I haven’t been able to do that for days.  It seemed like the nights got shorter and shorter.  So when I wandered out to the kitchen, Victoria had come in and left some gorgeous flowers from Drew and the family for my birthday and she drew a little note with stars and balloons on a orange post it note with birthday wishes.  I admit I was teary eyed.

Next I checked my phone and dearest son Joseph had left me a voice mail early wishing me my first Happy Birthday.  Now that was a gift since he is in California.  I am sure he went back to sleep after I called him back. 

Then… I started to check email and found a ton of Facebook messages.  When I went to my wall, I could not believe how many had left me heartfelt wishes.  This continue throughout the day. 

Many wishes stood out … here are a few …

Charlotte:  I send you a Happy Birthday greeting with all my heart even though I understand this must be one of the saddest birthdays in your life.

Brenda:   Happy Birthday Lisa. I know it is hard to keep your spirits up.

Michel:  You birthday is your day.  No one but you can take the joy our of your day.  Go and enjoy.

Tyler and Savannah:  The ultimate birthday duet and the Baby Girls due date… Dec 21st!.  Okay they don’t know what the sex is but I am claiming PINK!

Emma and James:  HAPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYY HIIIPPPPPPYYYYYYYY FANTASTICCCCYYYYYYY BIRTHDAYYYYYEEEEEEEE Aunty Lisa! We can’t wait to be featured on “Living it with Lisa” when it hits reality T.V. as special guest stars chatting about our genius idea for the name and James is just going to chat along and drop in his latest title… “Eating it with Edward”   Hope you had a wonderful birthday!!!!

Love Emma and James
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Carter:  Happy Birthday Woman!

Allen: and his amazing rendition of Happy Birthday on my voice mail. 

========

Yes today was not the outcome I wanted regarding Cynthia, but when I realized that I still was the one in charge of my life.  Only ME, could take the joy out of it.  I began to move thru that pain and find the joy in my day. 

I got the note from Emma and James when I returned from my spa day with Vic and dinner. What a smile and laughter to end my birthday with.  If you are not sure exactly what they were referring to… you will find the story in ABOUT ME on the blog. 

So THANK YOU … ALL my friends and family who sent their abundant love to me today.

It was glorious! 
PS… Vic decided that we should do a spa day every month and then have a dinner date night in town.  WOO HOO … see it was worth not traveling to the Chocolate Spa in Hershey.  Besides he gave me a Hershey Chocolate Kiss when we finished at the spa here at home …. AHHHHH!  

I am blessed!

As you know my girlfriend Dianne and I have be researching the benefits of dark chocolate (which is more than 70% cocoa).   I just read this article and am thrilled to share it with you!

Chocolate May Boost Brain Power and Fight Fatigue

The next time your energy slumps, but you need to be sharp, a cup of hot chocolate might be just the boost you need.

That’s because flavanols, which are chemicals plentiful in dark chocolate, fight fatigue and hone mental sharpness, according to scientists at the Brain, Performance and Nutrition Center at Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK.

Researchers gave 30 people a series of math tests before and after having either a flavanol-loaded chocolate drink or a placebo beverage. On a test that required repeatedly subtracting numbers, volunteers who got the flavanol-rich drink performed better than those drinking the dummy drink. In addition, the flavanols seemed to offset the fatigue from the intense mental concentration.

“We asked them about their mental fatigue, and that increased, but the cocoa offset that increase,” said researcher Crystal Haskell.

The brain-boosting effect is tied to flavanols’ ability to dilate blood vessels, allowing more blood to reach important areas of the brain.

The study also found that a 500 mg dose of flavanols worked best. That’s the equivalent of five bars of chocolate, so researchers are trying to discover whether lower levels work as well.

“The amounts we were giving them were more than you would get from eating small amounts in diet,” said co-researcher David Kennedy, “But there is quite a bit of evidence showing that general consumption over time is protective against neurodegenerative disease and decline in cognitive function.”

Flavanols are also found in red wine, olive oil, broccoli, blueberries, tea, and onions. They’ve been linked to lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and brain function.

Did you ever wonder if you were eating chocolate correctly?  Yes, I am serious!

My girlfriend Dianne and I discovered this fabulous store called Viva Chocolato! in the Domain here in Austin the other day.  Well we have been back more times than we care to admit in the last 7 days!    Anyway who is counting?  We have sampled their award winning Blue Cheese Truffles, Tito’s Vodka truffles, ChocoCaviar truffles and 99% truffles along with their Diva Salad with Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette!  

It was there that Dianne bought me a chocolate cookbook aka primer.   When we got home with the book in tow we found out that the proper way to eat chocolate is not to chew it, but to let it melt in your mouth.  Letting it touch all the taste-buds.  If you are a wine aficionado you will understand that is also how you should drink your wine.

As the good students that we are  <grin> we tried it and it is true.  You really get ALL the amazing flavors that a simple truffle offers.  And a truffle can last for several bites and becomes a fabulously filling and satisfiying dessert.  In this case, less IS more. 

Now the other tidbit of information that Cynthia, the manager told us is that if you eat 1 ounce of chocolate (70% or more) each morning an hour before you eat breakfast you will lose weight.  She has gone from a size 14 to a size 10 since November and that is the only thing she has done different.  Now that is a food plan we can be excited about! 

Okay… back to dinner last night.  Wayne, Dianne’s boyfriend arrived and we decided that we would stay in and cook.  Little did we know that we would be entertained by the worst hail storm in the Austin area in years.  I grabbed my Flip video camera and captured the hail up to golf ball size at my house!  

Anyway, after dinner we were teaching … okay sharing our truffle eating knowledge with Wayne.  Yes I bought our favorite 2 truffles for each of us for dessert and a box to take with me to share with Vic.  How easy is that.  Well Wayne was sharing how he learned how to eat M&M’s from Dianne.  

Dianne eats M&M’s one at a time because when she was younger she didn’t get them very often and she wanted them to last longer.  Well as Wayne was sharing I decided that I had to Flip video his explanation for Vic since he wasn’t with us.  So here is the video that Vic saw last night.

Let me know how YOU like savoring your truffles this way…

Enjoy!

” target=”new” title=”Download: Other Media” class=”podpress_downloadimglink podpress_downloadimglink_misc_other”> Other Media ” target=”new” class=”podpress_downloadlink podpress_downloadlink_misc_other”>Download

Do you know what the Lipstick Index is?  During the last recession and an upheaval in economic times women would wear red lipstick.  Who knows why … maybe the bright color would cheer them up.   

However, the tidbit that I find interesting is that when you are STRESSED you should eat DESSERTS.  Why? Because Stressed spelled backwards is … drum roll please … DESSERTS … !!! 

Forget the lipstick … what is your favorite dessert?  

I have mine picked out … More on my latest discovery another day  ;-)