Recipe for a Happy Life

I know that I typically use this blog to share food ideas and recipes so that you may be healthier  and feel good in your life. But I have learned that optimal health is not just dependent on what you put in your body, the key to a truly healthy body goes deeper than just what you eat.

As Thanksgiving gets nearer I am always reminded that this is a wonderful time to express appreciation and gratitude. But why limit it to just one day. The key to a happy life, to feeling good, to being truly healthy in mind body and spirit is enhanced by the daily practice of appreciation. And it feels great!

The physical benefits are multiple and include; strengthening the immune system, less aches and pains, lower BP, lowering stress and stress hormones and better sleep, just to name a few. If you practice gratitude you will feel more alive, alert, more joy, optimism and pleasure. Need I say more?

So how can you make appreciation a habit? For some of us, it actually takes a lot of practice so I suggest a few simple techniques. Firstly, when you wake up in the morning, before you get out of bed, think of three things that you are grateful for. You can do this at night before you go to sleep as well. It can be as simple as the feeling you have in your toes, or the sensation of the sheets on your body. Next, as you take your first bite of food or drink, take a moment to appreciate the source of your food, did it come from the earth, who took care of it before it reached your table, imagine the energy it took to grow. When you bite into your food, be grateful for the way the flavor bursts in your mouth and enjoy every bite. Think of all the nutrients that your body is receiving with every morsel and be thankful that you have such rich, nutritious food at your finger tips.

You can actually practice gratitude and appreciation all throughout the day. There is always something to be thankful for in every moment. I tell all of my patients that maybe every time they look at their phone, to use this as a reminder thoughout the day to express your gratitude. You can just think about it, you can journal it, even keep a gratitude jar in your home so that you can visualize all that you are grateful for as the jar continues to fill up. Notice how your heart expands and your life begins to improve and feel better the more that you engage in this magical practice.

Appreciation is a wonderful gift that you can give to yourself before thanksgiving and all year round. When it becomes the way of living, when we practice noticing the little joys in life, everything in our lives appreciates!

In Gratitude…

Alison

 

Cooling Delicious Lycopene and Vitamin rich Rich Watermelon Lime Sorbet

Five reasons to enjoy watermelon today

1. It soothes sore muscles.

According to a small study, drinking watermelon juice before a hard workout helped reduce athletes’ heart rate and next-day muscle soreness. That’s because watermelon is rich in an amino acid called L-citrulline, which the body converts to L-arginine, an essential amino acid that helps relax blood vessels and improve circulation. The researchers also determined that intestinal cells can absorb more citrulline from watermelon juice than from citrulline supplements, especially when the juice is unpasteurized.

2. It helps heart health.

Postmenopausal women experienced improved cardiovascular health after six weeks of taking commercially available watermelon extract supplements containing citrulline and arginine, according to a study published by Florida State University. It may also help to lower blood pressure as it acts as a natural diuretic.

3.  It’s rich in vitamins and minerals, but low in calories.

Given its name, you might assume the fruit has little nutritional value—and it is more than 90% water. But a 10-ounce (300-mL) wedge of watermelon packs in about one-third of the recommended daily value of  vitamins A and C, as well as a modest amount of potassium (9 percent of the daily value).

4. It may be protective against certain cancers.

Watermelon is rich in lycopene, an antioxidant linked to both the prevention and possibly treatment certain cancers, specifically of prostate cancer, although scientists are still investigating the details of that connection.

The trick to making this recipe at a moment’s notice is to have your freezer already stocked with chopped watermelon. Then all you need to do is toss everything into the food processor and you can have a healthy, refreshing dessert in minutes!

5. It is seriously juicy, refreshing, delicious summer treat.

Try this fabulously easy yummy recipe;

4 to 5 cups frozen watermelon chunks-I like to include the seeds but not necessary
the juice of one organic lime with a splash of zest
sweetener of choice: 1/3 cup local organic honey or organic agave nectar or you can use liquid stevia or you can use coconut sugar
1/8 teaspoon guar gum

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until all of the chunks have become a smooth sorbet. The pulsing is really the trick here, so if the watermelon chunks just are not breaking down, turn off your machine, then pulse. Taste and add more sweetener if necessary. Pulse again and enjoy! You can serve it right away or scoop it out and freeze for a few hours in a container.