Product Hits and Misses

Spending time in the grocery store is something that I love to do! Consequently, I am always exploring new products. Here are a few products that I are tasty (oh! they're nutritious too):
Kashi Tasty Little Cereal Bars - favorite flavor Blackberry Graham or little guy loves them too
Larabars - all the flavors are YUM!
Clif Bar Mojo Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars - grab this for breakfast with a banana
Hodgson Mills Whole Wheat Whole Grain Pasta - any shape

Here is one that I didn't like, the Slim-a-cado. We love avocados and when I bought them last I noticed a new version of the avocado, a slim-a-cado with less fat and calories than the original avocado. So I bought it and we (my husband and I) put it to the test. The result... it's flavorless and most importantly, the fat in a avocado is heart helping and may even help to keep away belly fat so in my opinion, skip this slimmed down version!

Law of Attraction?

One thing that I have noticed, particularly since being on a fruit diet, is how certain things have an attraction for you- and vice versa.

For example, just before I did a 26 day Orange juice fast; I was thinking about whether or not I wanted to go on O.J. diet ; when the car I was in passed a huge model of an Orange, in somebody's front yard!

I also find that as well as noticing images and information about Oranges, when I am on an O.J. diet or thinking about going on one, in turn I am also attracted to all things Orange.

I have(among other things) two very realistic looking fake Oranges, that I picked up from the local $2 store, a radio in the shape of an Orange(complete with straw antennae), a music shaker that looks just like a juicy Orange and a hair bobble with a plastic Orange attached.

It seems that whenever I am thinking about an O.J. mono-diet, then I get the 'orangey' signs. I see pictures of Oranges everywhere- in magazines and books and of of the corner of my eye as I am out and about.

I do think that we are like little receivers, we humanfolk; we send out certain signals, depending on where we are in life- and then we pick up on and are sent back the things that we truly desire!

As with fruit, it is similar with other people and animals; we draw into our lives those people and animals with whom our energies and wavelengths resonate.

The Universe is not an airy fairy wishy-washy place but very well ordered logical and rational.

There are definate laws. Certainly Health laws, but also the laws of Cause and Effect and Attraction.

A certain action or behaviour will elicit a certain response. The Universe acts on order and harmony and not disorder.

So if we eat and behave in a certain way, we will get definate responses to those actions from the Universe.

Each of our actions sets of a whole chain of other actions, that have an impact not only upon our own lives but also upon the rest of the Planet.

The Universe does not lie and cheat but can only be true to herself. Her Health laws will serve you well and are there for everyone to enjoy.

Similarly you will attract into your life that which is attracted to you!

Enjoy peace, love and a vibrant and happy life.

Love from Anne XXX.

Oh Bloody Good Juice!

One of the delights of Winter, for me, is the arrival of the Blood Oranges.Not too different on the outside from their cousins the Valencias, they hold a lush secret within.

The outside may be speckled with red or with red undertones; a little hint of what is to come.

Then cut or break into one and within is filled with deep red delights, more luscious than a ruby and filled with sweet life blood for us mortals.

The Blood Orange has more vitamin C than a standard orange and makes more juice than most other Oranges. It is a little juice bomb waiting to explode with flavour. When I lived in the Northern Hemisphere, I got beautiful Bloods from Sicily. The Scilians certainly know a thing or too about great fruit growing and I would go for their beautiful bloody oranges anyday in preference to their bloody Mafia.

Once I spent a month in Malta, close geographically, to Sicily and also a very beautiful island. Apart from two days, I spent the entire month living on Blood Orange juice. Now residing in the Southern Hemisphere, I appreciate that the Aussies have got their act together and are now growing some simply delightful Blood Oranges.

Do try them, a glass of Blood Orange juice looks so spectacular and always get comments such as "What's That!"

Build up your blood with Bloods. Leave the animal blood to the Vampire bats, go with the Fruitbats and drain the Blood Oranges dry!

Enjoy your Juicing,

Love from Anne XX.

Should All Athletes Eat Like Michael Phelps?

Are you enjoying watching Michael Phelps sweeping up more Olympic gold medals? I surely am! He's an amazing athlete. Although, as a Registered Dietitian, I was shocked to see what he eats! NBC even interviewed a chef/ owner from a local diner where he always hangs out. Greasy sandwiches, loads and loads of food, all totaling about 9,000+ calories per day. Pretty amazing and of course, his body definitely needs that much energy to fuel all of the exercise his 6 foot something body does everyday!

To put it in perspective, an average 160# person would have to swim about 15 hours to burn 9,000 or so calories! So in other words.... even if you're an athlete, don't start eating like Michael Phelps. In fact, I think he needs to work a Registered Dietitian :) To check out how many calories you do based on various activities, click here.

Tip of the day for athletes: refuel your muscles within 1 - 2 hours after a workout with carbs & protein. For example: a glass of chocolate milk (low fat) or a PB & J sandwich on whole grain bread and some plain old water too!

McDonalds, The Official Restaurant of the Olymics

While my husband and I were enjoying watching the Olympics, I was horrified to see the McDonald's commercial, touting... McDonald's, the official restaurant of the Olympics! Athletes were snacking on french fries! YIKES! Now, I do think there are healthy/healthier choices on the menu at McDonald's (e.g. apple slices, salads, yogurt parfaits, low fat milk) but showing athletes snacking on french fries?! Very disappointing to say the least. Next time you're at McDonald's or anyother fast food place, checkout the variety of great options they're offering and try one! Like the low fat milk with your meal.

If trends continue & 5 simple steps to reverse the trend

If trends of past 3 decades continue, every American adult could be at least mildly overweight by 2048, according to a study in the journal of Obesity. What's even more scary is that the study predicts that health care costs related to excess pounds could reach $957 billion by 2030. YIKES!
Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26058862/

Enough doom and gloom! Here are 5 simple steps to reverse the trend:
1. Have a glass of fat free or low fat milk at every meal! (just 8-ounces will do)
2. Snack on fresh produce like: apples, bananas, carrots, (my favorite) mango, or cucumbers!
3. Sip mostly water all day!
4. Have dinner together as a family, even if it's something quick like PB & J (on whole wheat bread), carrots, & fruit salad! (Don't forget step #1, see above)
5. Get MOVING! Do sit ups or leg lunges during tv commercials, go for a walk, take a bike ride... no excuses!

Suc(seed)ing

I must say that I do prefer fruit with seeds in.

Fruit, for me has a lovely symbiotic relationship with fruit eaters.

We savour the delights of fruit and in return we can spread the plant's seeds.

Fruit without seeds, changes this symbiotic relationship. We eat the fruit and then what?? No seeds to plant in return.

Fruit is made lush by the parent plant to entice us to eat, in the hope that the seeds will be spread and even fertilized!

No seeds and we renge on the deal.

Also it seems kind of inapproriate to me; here is this plant doing its best to create delish fruit so its seeds get spread and guess what there are no seeds.

So I stick with the most pippy Mandarins and Oranges I can. They also seem to make the greatest juice. Seeds to me give a fruit power and life; they contain that magical undefinable element of potential New Life.

A single seed can grow and prosper into a fine and beautiful tree; bringing food , shelter and shade to the local environment.

Tree planting rocks and seeds kind of help this process along.

Humans breed seedless fruit for our convenience but sometimes vital elements are lost in the name of 'progress' and an easy life.

We break that cycle and that connection of fruit eating and seed dispersal.

Man and woman are not islands, our lives are intricately entwined with every other species and life form on this Planet; by cutting some of those ties we not only loose connection with Nature but we loose something rare and special in our everyday lives.

Wishing you great fruit - with lots of pips!

Vivano! YUMMY!

I just had the new Starbucks Vivanno Nournishing Blend, it's delicious! I tried both flavors, the Orange Mango Banana Blend and the Banana Chocolate Blend. They are both equally nutritious, my favorite was the Orange Mango Banana! (It was my husband and our little guy's favorite too.) The best part it you can enjoy this drink without feeling guilty! There is at least 5 grams of fiber and 16 grams of protein and each contain at least a serving of fruit! Best of all, I compared the sugar content to other smoothies and there is about 50% less sugar in the Vivanno, as compared to other smoothie options. Enjoy it after a workout, for breakfast, or to satisfy your sweet tooth!