Asparagus makes me happy? AND it fights dementia? I'm in!

Jacob came home from school yesterday and wanted us to make brownies. So, we did. Then, the pan of brownies was sitting there. I was faced with a serious dilemma. Do I grab the pan with both hands, pull it up to my face and dive in OR do I take the butter knife and keep slicing off the edge......until the edge is at the other end of the pan? Just then, I saw my neighbor outside....be aware of your surroundings. You never know when a little divine intervention is waiting for you! I went outside to visit with our neighbors and they offered me asparagus, already grilled. They had too much for their supper and were willing to share with me if I liked it. Holy Cow! Yes! I love asparagus! Jacob was in the mood for PB &J last night, and daddy was at work late. So, I didn't feel like cooking and the pan of brownies was calling to me to eat it for supper. Here, my lovely neighbors shared their asparagus and didn't even know that it was going to be my nutritious supper. The asparagus was seasoned and grilled wonderfully and I am very grateful. Later in the evening, when I was relaxing with my Kindle Fire, I downloaded a book for free about how food affects our mood. Mood Boosting Food Mood Boosting Recipes
I noticed that I was feeling sublimely happy, content, at peace. I don't know when the last time was I felt this way...which is why I noticed I had such energy and patience and was giggling with Jacob the whole evening as if I was part of a Lisa Frank picture with rainbows and unicorns and for some reason I was so happy that I got to hug a koala......ok..ok....I digress. But you get the picture. I was a happy girl.

I start to read the book after the boys went to bed. First chapter: Asparagus - and I quote: "Asparagus is a great "brain food" and is loaded with folate. (A lack of folate has been linked to depression.) Just one cup of asparagus has 66% of the daily recommended amount of folate. It is also full of compounds that are necessary in order for your body to produce serotonin, which helps boost your mood. There is some evidence that asparagus might also be able to help ward off dementia. ....... Asparagus also helps your body produce enough red blood cells which help to keep your brain supplied with enough oxygen to keep it alert......"   I about fell out of my chair. I squealed with glee, as I put my recliner mechanism down, making my husband jump, and exclaimed, "Honey! Listen to this!" I bored him to tears with my new knowledge and a confirmation that it wasn't because he walked through the door that I had transformed into Mary -Frickin-Poppins. Though, he'd be goofy to think anything other than me being completely happy to see him. ;)

I will be buying asparagus this weekend. Unfortunately....something ....has penetrated through the Mean Green and I am having a lot of pain today. At first, I thought it was from my walking yesterday. I took a break this morning and didn't go walking today. As the day has gone on....the humidity is increasing or the heat is...or both...and I feel like someone has popped an IV in me that is circulating poison/acid through me. I did have 3 brownies between last night and today...could it be that? I don't know. I need to get this over with so I can attend our first coach/pitch game tonight. Jacob declared after his last practice, as he walked in the door, "MOM! I smoked them balls!" Aaaahhh....so grateful to have boys I can talk like boys with!

Enjoy your weekend my dears!

Love and Grace,
Beth

Cheers!

A Health Cocktail. My Mean Green this morning:
4 stalks of kale, 2 stalks of celery, 1/2 lemon, 1 inch of ginger root, 1 cucumber, 1 green apple

First time I'm adding ginger root. I've been meaning to but I kept forgetting it when I make my fridge veggie round-up each morning. I actually don't even taste it. I'm surprised because ginger has a distinct flavor.

Kale is full and I mean cup overfloweth full of Vitamins K and A and C. It is a natural detoxifier. It is loaded with omega-3 which aids as an anti-inflammatory. Kale is an antioxidant and a powerful one. Kale aids the liver by lowering cholesterol intake. Knowing these qualities of Kale get me excited about my lifestyle changes.

Celery is packed with vitamin C, so it strongly supports my immune system. It is also a blood pressure lower-er [oops....a Bethanese word]. Celery is rich in potassium and sodium - originally known as a diuretic- a powerful regulator of fluids.

Cucumbers have nutrients that also aid in detoxing, preventing cancer and eliminating inflammation.

THE Apple. The word "apple" is a noun a verb and adjective and adverb. The old adage: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." No joke! It's fiber. It helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates. It reduces glucose absorption. Helps regulate blood sugar by sending a message to our pancreas to make more insulin. The apple has cancer-fighting benefits as well as anti-asthma benefits. I didn't used to like apples unless they were baked in something. Knowing what I know now? I HEART them! :)

Lemons are full of vitamin C. The polyphenols in lemons fight cancer and protect against rheumatoid arthritis as an anti-inflammatory. Get a pitcher of water and squeeze a fresh lemon in the water. Drink that for a day. It's a natural cleanser. Lemons are so refreshing!

Ginger is a great aid in fighting inflammation. It is also a protector against colorectal cancer.

I just googled "benefits of __________" to give you this information this morning. The website I was consistent to pull up is www.whfoods.com .

I had another day without pain yesterday. This morning, I am sore. But that is because I met friends and walked this morning. I got approximately 2 miles in. I have people keep throwing up to me about weight loss since I'm juicing. I'm down a little bit. I have not been doing a juice fast. For my lifestyle, that is not practical. I eat breakfast usually eggs as an omelet or a hard-boiled egg. I am also a huge fan of steel cut oats! I just saw a recipe on Pinterest about some oatmeal cakes. I'm going to try that this weekend. My son got me started on toast with honey on it. So, since it's morning, I go ahead and have that. I try to pack my most calories in before 10AM so that I have the rest of the day to pack in the juice and allow my body to not work at digesting as much as repairing cells. Lunch time, I've been having a huge salad, with dark leafy greens. Supper time this week, I am drinking a juice. Last night, I had a beet juice.

4 stalks of kale, 1/2 cucumber, 2 stalks of celery, 1 Pink Lady apple, 1/2 lime. Check out www.nosugarsweetlife.com for her beet juice recipe. It is delicious!  

Everything on the plate above, makes this tall glass of juice. It's sweet and I really love the color. I want to paint a wall in my house this color!

For snacks, I eat a handful of nuts or fresh fruit and veggies. I make guacamole and dip celery sticks in it. I don't eat anything after 6 PM. I do have a cup of green tea once my babes are settled into bed for the night, usually 8-8:30'ish. I am not doing this to lose weight. My motivation is to eliminate PAIN by getting healthy. The weight won't really peel off me til I can really get moving with exercise. I'm listening to my body on that. This morning, I felt like an old car shaking apart trying to go 90 down a highway. I definitely lost a muffler and maybe the carburetor. ;)

Grapefruit juice is one of my absolute fave juices. Straight up...grapefruit juice!

This is the juice from one grapefruit. It's plenty! Now...where's the vodka.......?

I'll leave you with this thought, which someone shared on Facebook a couple weeks ago:
It's none of your business what others think of you!

Love and Grace,

Beth

The Mean Green

For the past couple of years, I’ve been dealing with pain. I didn’t know what chronic pain is..but have since learned I have chronic pain. I don’t remember when it started exactly. I know that the past 2 months it has reared an offensive ugly head. I was scared. It happened on a Thursday. I could barely walk. I truly looked like a 98 year old woman trying to get around the house. I couldn’t get on the floor with Bennett. It was extremely difficult to navigate the stairs going from the main floor to the basement. Either I felt like I was losing control and going to fall down them and going up them was like climbing a mountain for a 98 year old woman. Such pain in my joints – all of them. I was bruising very easily, and just a general pain and ache all over my body. For years, I had been telling myself, “You fatty…get off some weight and then you won’t hurt. You carry more than your body is built to carry!” Real loving, right? The Fall that Levi died…I had shed 30lbs. really fast but looking back the whole time my self-talk was SO hateful towards myself.

I went to the doctor. He ran some labwork that showed high auto-immune levels and inflammation. He referred me to a rheumatologist for further examination and a diagnosis. I had an exam with the specialist and he ordered lab work. Almost 3 weeks ago, Steve and I went to meet with the rheumatologist. He had taken 13 screenings. The inflammation screening got missed. This was the most important of the screenings to me, because I know I have inflammation. Instead, the lab did two tests on the auto-immune levels which were a non-issue based on the newer technology and science, ordered by the rheumatologist. He told me I’d have to have another round of labwork drawn up and then he’d call me if the inflammation levels were alarming. I haven’t don’t his yet. I keep putting it off, because I’m annoyed. In the meantime, he gave me pain pills - a medication they prescribe for fibromyalgia patients. We left. As we drove out of the parking lot I learned that Steve heard everything positive – because the specialist ruled out rheumatoid arthritis and lupus –though it “may be the beginning stages of it”. I didn’t receive it positively. I heard him telling me that based on the lab …I don’t have anything. As if the pain and excruciating pain was in my head. So, two days later, I started taking the pain pills and I also started juicing at least twice a day, for meals. Why? Because I want to give my body a shot at healing itself if I fuel it properIy. I also decided to drink only water [no more than 60oz./day] and an occasional cup of coffee and the occasional gin and tonic or martini. It’s about balance for me. I need to program myself that it’s not an all or nothing gig. There are “sometimes” foods and beverages. I basically cut out sugar except for a seldom treat. I’ve been using agave nectar and honey and Stevia in the raw. I’ve been successful thus far in mostly cutting out aspartame and the likes. It’s long been known the damage those agents will cause to joints. I’ve been doing the common sense things like portion control and listening to my body and asking myself, “are you hungry or trying to fill up some hole that keeps eating away at you?” Rarely is it hunger. So, I give the hole to God. This happens over and over. The pain pills worked the first 6 days. Then, they started working less and less. I’ve continued to take them because once when I missed a dose by 3 hours – I was laid out again and could not believe the pain. So, I know they tame the pain down. Then, last Thursday, I had a relatively pain-free day. Mother’s Day and most of Monday – zero pain. Tuesday was good til the afternoon and I had a Mean Green juice for supper and within an hour [and I accidentally missed a med dosage by 2 hours] I was pain free. When I say pain free it’s what I mean. I am limber, can almost run up and down the stairs…it’s amazing. That is how I want to live! Knowing the benefits of juicing and how it’s helping me feel, I’ll soon be able to start aerobically exercising. I had such energy last week, even with the pain. I’m occasionally doing pilates. Very occasionally. Like twice in the past 15 days.  ;) 

After talking to my mom, we are believing the pain is less because I’ve gone to a more alkaline diet instead of acidic. All I know is that I’m more in the moment and happier without the pain. It’s about being good to myself. I bought a Kindle a couple weeks ago. I love it! I’m reading more. A couple weeks ago, we organized a stay-at-home-moms group, in our community. We’ve been attending church regularly and are in the process to become members. Eating naturally has been a growing passion of mine and I am excited to share this journey with you. There are some fantastic resources and blogs available to inspire and guide me on this adventure. Here’s the recipe for the Mean Green juice I drink. One can put any kind of produce in a juicer and all of it is good for us. However, for detoxing, blood cleansing, alkalinizing, and overall strength – drink green juice!

My Mean Green:

4 stalks of kale, 2 stalks of celery, 1 green apple or green pear, 1 cucumber [with peel on], 1/2 lime[optional] and 1 kiwi

I really do like what 1/2 lime does to the juice. It jazzes it up a bit with that tang. I love it!

My Breville juicer cleans very easily. The container which the juice goes in to, has a lid that will prevent the foam from pouring into your glass if you prefer that. I guess I mostly like it without the foam on top.

It takes some getting used to..but hey...who ever drank beer or wine for the first time and said, "Damn! I got to have more of that NOW!" ;)

Here is a picture of my Darling Bennett. He is wearing 18 month clothes and he’s not quite 8 months old! He is such a lover. He eats well, sleeps well and still loves to snuggle. He’s starting to get up on all fours to prepare to crawl. We are super excited for big brother to be done with school so we can all be together this summer – only 7 more days to go! We have so many plans….swim lessons, coach/pitch, gardening, riding bike, mom’s group, reading, a wedding in Arkansas, their Mimi [my mama] is coming to Iowa! Jacob is reading! I’m so proud of him. His year of kindergarten was a huge success and he’s so good at school. 



So, stay tuned. Blogging has been an outlet I have missed tremendously.

Love and Grace!
Beth

Pineapple Coconut Smoothies

Pineapple Coconut Smoothies


I MUST share this from PBS's website and another blogger I follow at EatLiveRun.com. I can't wait to try this recipe! Since purchasing our juicer, I only purchase a fresh pineapple. I won't buy canned pineapple anymore! I don't have to worry about it going bad, because I throw in the juicer with an orange and a grapefruit and It. Is. Heavenly. [end of that sentence] :)

Nickelback - Lullaby

While I was feeding Bennett this morning, I stumbled upon this video on VH1. I love Nickelback and they're videos to interpret their songs. That's all I have to say about that.

Tenderness

I feel inspired to write my guys a ....something.  I had always desired a daughter to do "girl" things with....whatever "girl" things are that I currently don't do with any girls in my life.... However, some "dreams" die and it's all so much more fun than I could have imagined. I am crazy in love with my own group of guys. I have years of being the girl in their lives....of course, one of the guys is stuck with me forever.... ;)

Little brings me more pleasure than measuring my day in giggles, loud voices, and slobber. For these days do not last forever...in fact they're gone as quick as tomorrow!

Early I wake to the bed shaking, when Jacob comes bounding in. It is our time, Boy Wonder, to catch up, to snuggle,for just a few moments we have each other all to ourselves, as it used to be.
Next, I get out of bed, to the sounds of Bennett, jabbering with glee. I open the door, exclaim, "Good morning My Darling!" He greets me with a smile so big, so bright - there will be no storm to snuff out his light.
There is always a time, in the morning, before everyone goes their separate ways, when my waist feels the hand of my Favorite Person, he always brings a grin to my face.
May you each know, now, tomorrow, the next and everafter - no greater love grows, in my heart than the love I have for Steven, Boy Wonder and My Darling!

My Darling 6 months old

Same morning, last week. I LOVE the "just woke up" eyes!

Today, was early dismissal for Boy Wonder. Daddy went to get him and together they picked these posies for me! Jacob is getting to a new "place" where taking pictures over every little thing just isn't as fun as it used to be...for him!

Hubby knows I love gerbera daisies and the little green button'ish mums - though I don't think that is what they're called. Jacob picked out the butterfly.

I needed to make sure and include a picture of my guys. This was taken on my birthday last month. It's easy to see the love and closeness between them here and for me, behind the camera. It's one of my favorite pictures.

To do what one loves....

takes training, practice, years. I have loved writing on my blog and am out of practice and would very much love to continue with my blog. However, I trust my instinct for topics to write about, in this moment, as much as I trust a fickle person. ;) Allow me to share a very short chapter from an excellent book, which I am reading over and over again, called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It may sound familiar -  it is a book that propelled me into scratching the surface of being.....me, shortly after losing Levi.

"A Professional Acts In The Face Of Fear" p. 79 of The War of Art:

The Amateur believes he must first overcome his fear; then he can do his work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist.
What Henry Fonda does, after puking into the toilet in his dressing room, is to clean up and march out onstage. He's still terrified but he forces himself forward in spite of his terror. He knows that once he gets out into the action, his fear will recede and he'll be okay.


In light of me being out of practice of writing/blogging/creativity - I am reading this book from cover to cover almost daily to spark the fire of creating again. I no longer want to fear being a stay at home mom, of being an artistic soul, of being afraid to ask for help when I'm lonely or really need some help, or of what people think of me. I think I have painted a picture of myself on Facebook and in interactions with people that I'm a tough cookie. Internally though? I want to be vulnerable. I want to live out loud. I want to embrace the things inside of me that are not meant to be dormant.