Salad dressing to (not) die for
One of the ways I eat healthy — but enjoy every bite – is by finding really full-of-flavor, good items that I enjoy. I’m not going to sacrifice taste, and, honestly, there’s no need to.
I’ve always eaten salads, but when I first made up the recipe for my own salad dressing below, it helped making choosing a salad as part of dinner or lunch a no-brainer. Mix some spring greens, different veggies (cherry tomatoes, snap peas, broccoli, red pepper, etc.), a bit of great cheese like Parmesan (the real stuff, not the shaker can stuff!), top with this dressing, and it’s good every time.
No need for any bottles of packaged stuff. I really can’t stand the taste of most of those anymore. There is nothing that beats the taste of homemade. And this one isn’t complicated or expensive. Four basic ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, and you’re ready anytime. I usually make up a double batch, keep it in the refrigerator, then make more as needed.
Here you go; enjoy!
Whisk together 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, two (or more) tablespoons of red wine vinegar, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a clove or two of garlic, minced, and some salt and pepper.
How simple is that? Simplicity, taste, nutrition — the makings of good health, all rolled into one. Try it, and let me know what you think!
Doing “nothing” counts
“Leisure is a form of silence, not noiselessness.
It is the silence of contemplation such as occurs when we let our minds rest on a rosebud,
a child at play, a Divine mystery, or a waterfall.”
~ Fulton J. Sheen
Bugs bugging you?
I try to have this natural relationship with bugs. I attempt to explain to them: Excuse me, I don’t go around biting you so how’s ‘bout you don’t go around chomping on me? Yeah, you guessed it – doesn’t work so much!
So, what to do? Slather myself in products containing DEET so I don’t come home from a hike looking like I have chicken pox? No!
It worries me that people don’t see a range of choices in a lot of areas. As in – being chewed up or using a chemical that is harmful to your health. There’s a lot of range in there; not just one choice.
Natural products can save you from being bitten … while saving you from harming your health. Pretty sweet deal, right?
Currently I use one or both of two things. One is 10-25 drops of geranium essential oil mixed into two tablespoons of vegetable oil or a nut oil like almond. (Almond oil also helps repel bugs.) Mix well; apply a few drops in various places, like your neck, wrists, ankles. (You can apply this to your dog’s collar as well. But, please, not to cats!)
The other is a natural spray called Badger Anti-bug Shake & Spray. Yes, shake and spray! Note that with a lot of these type of products, you need to mix them well before applying each time. They’re natural; they aren’t loaded with the nice chemical additives that might help them stay mixed. Yes, it would be more convenient not to “shake and spray” but at the price of potential harm to your health.
In addition, a Consumer Reports study showed that the natural bug repellent, Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent, was as effective as their other top choices that contained DEET.
Why avoid DEET? It’s a poison even though the EPA seems to feel it’s okay for us to have small doses while acknowledging that long term exposure is harmful. So, okay, what does a small dose equal or how do you avoid long term exposure? Only use it once each year or don’t use it until you are 84? Seems like a gamble to me. Especially when it’s been proven to kill brain cells and can cause seizures, even death. With heavy exposure, you may experience memory loss, headaches, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and shortness of breath.
If you’re interested, pick a natural product and give it a try. Make sure to shake it up if needed and make sure to apply it well enough. You also may have to re-apply more often. But all that is worth it to not introduce one more chemical into our already-overloaded systems.
Live well
“Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. You just have to
live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off,
speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone’s hand, comfort a friend,
fall asleep watching the sun come up,
stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts.”
~ Author unknown
Beat the heat, naturally
Tired of heat? I’m with you! Even in air conditioning — which never feels quite as good as a lower temp breeze – my body still knows it’s too warm outside for real comfort.
Funny thing is that a lot of what you can do to beat the heat is great for your health, too. So, cool down and build some new, good habits with the following tips:
• Drink a LOT of water. Your body is primarily made up of water, and it’s heating up! Lots of clean, cool water will help you feel better and keep your energy going. Plus, if you’re sweating, you need to replace what you’re losing. Drinks with sugar or caffeine or alcohol will only make you feel worse.
• Hydrate the outside of your body with a quick, cool shower or a nice swim. You’ll remove the sweat, lower your temperate and feel refreshed. Can’t do either at the moment? Put a cold washcloth on your wrists and/or the back of your neck or at least run cold water over your wrists. Soaking your feet in cool water helps, too, as that is one of the ways your body removes excess heat.
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables … the natural way, as they grow in nature. Especially cooling fruits are watermelon, grapes, peaches, nectarines and plums. Vegetables that contain more water like tomatoes, leafy greens and cucumbers also do a better job of cooling you down.
• Lighten up on that heavy meat protein which warms up your body when you digest it. Instead choose fish or vegetable proteins like beans.
• Nope, ice cream won’t help! It’s too heavy, and, again, your body warms up trying to digest it. Stick with fresh fruit or a sorbet.
• Wear natural fabrics — think cotton and linen — instead of synthetics like polyester and rayon in loose fitting styles.
• Use natural products on your skin that have mint in them. Mint produces a natural cooling effect.
• Keep the air moving. Any sort of breeze, even if artificially created, will make you feel like the temperature is lower.
