December News Letter

December

Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.

-Janis Joplin

I'm fat. I'm too skinny. I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs.

Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you're not alone. As a teen, you're going through a ton of changes in your body. And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself. Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem.

Why Are Self-Esteem and Body Image Important?

Self-esteem is all about how much people value themselves, the pride they feel in themselves, and how worthwhile they feel. Self-esteem is important because feeling good about yourself can affect how you act. A person who has high self-esteem will make friends easily, is more in control of his or her behavior, and will enjoy life more.

Body image is how someone feels about his or her own physical appearance.

For many people, especially those in their early teens, body image can be closely linked to self-esteem. That's because as kids develop into teens, they care more about how others see them.

What Influences a Person's Self-Esteem?

Puberty

Some teens struggle with their self-esteem when they begin puberty because the body goes through many changes. These changes, combined with a natural desire to feel accepted, mean it can be tempting for people to compare themselves with others. They may compare themselves with the people around them or with actors and celebs they see on TV, in movies, or in magazines.

But it's impossible to measure ourselves against others because the changes that come with puberty are different for everyone. Some people start developing early; others are late bloomers. Some get a temporary layer of fat to prepare for a growth spurt, others fill out permanently, and others feel like they stay skinny no matter how much they eat. It all depends on how our genes have programmed our bodies to act.

The changes that come with puberty can affect how both girls and guys feel about themselves. Some girls may feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their maturing bodies. Others may wish that they were developing faster. Girls may feel pressure to be thin but guys may feel like they don't look big or muscular enough.

Outside Influences

It's not just development that affects self-esteem, though. Many other factors (like media images of skinny girls and bulked-up guys) can affect a person's body image too.

Family life can sometimes influence self-esteem. Some parents spend more time criticizing their kids and the way they look than praising them, which can reduce kids' ability to develop good self-esteem.

People also may experience negative comments and hurtful teasing about the way they look from classmates and peers. Sometimes racial and ethnic prejudice is the source of such comments. Although these often come from ignorance, sometimes they can affect someone's body image and self-esteem.

Tips for Improving Your Body Image

Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.

The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size, or color it comes in. If you're very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify that things are OK. But it's no one's business but your own what your body is like — ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself.

Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't. Everyone (even the most perfect-seeming celeb) has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept — like their height, for example, or their shoe size.

If there are things about yourself that you want to change and can (such as how fit you are), do this by making goals for yourself. For example, if you want to get fit, make a plan to exercise every day and eat nutritious foods. Then keep track of your progress until you reach your goal. Meeting a challenge you set for yourself is a great way to boost self-esteem!

When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop. Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three compliments every day. While you're at it, every evening list three things in your day that really gave you pleasure. It can be anything from the way the sun felt on your face, the sound of your favorite band, or the way someone laughed at your jokes. By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself.

Recipe of the Month: Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro

This recipe is an eye-opener for those who find sweet potatoes cloyingly sweet or those who are tired of eating

them smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Japanese sweet potatoes, with their pale flesh and delicate

flavor, are a treat if you can find them.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 sweet potatoes

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2-3 limes

butter or olive oil, salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the sweet potatoes and bake them whole, in their skins, at 375 degrees until tender, about 40

minutes.

2. Wash and chop cilantro leaves.

3. When sweet potatoes are done, slit open the skin and place on serving plate. Season with salt and dots of

butter or a sprinkle of oil, if you like, then squeeze fresh lime juice all over, and shower with cilantro leaves.

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November News Letter

There is more to life than increasing its speed.
-Gandhi

Six Tips for Happiness

Advice from Tal Ben-Shahar.

1. Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness.

2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning.

3. Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account. Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity?

4. Simplify! We are, generally, too busy, trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much.

5. Remember the mind-body connection. What we do — or don't do — with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health.

6. Express gratitude, whenever possible. We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.

Food Focus: Oils and Fats
Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. However, fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. Our bodies also need fat for insulation and to protect and hold our organs in place.
A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth. When there are excess fats and oils in the diet, especially heavily processed fats, symptoms can include weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, liver strain and an overall feeling of mental, physical and emotional heaviness. Signs of insufficient high-quality fats are brittle hair and nails, dry skin, hunger after meals and feeling cold.
There are many sources of healthy fats and oils. For sautéing and baking, try butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil because they do not break down when used at high temperatures. When sautéing foods at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil. Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings on top of salads, veggies or grains. Other healthy fats are found in whole nuts and seeds and in their butters like almond butter or tahini. Whole foods such as avocados,olives and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 and omega-6 organic eggs. Experiment with these healthy fat sources and see which work best for you and leave you satisfied. When selecting oils, buy the highest-quality organic products you can afford, since cooking oils are the backbone of so many dishes. Good words to look for on the label are organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extravirgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted.

Recipes of the Month: Savory Tahini Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
pinch of cayenne (to your taste)

Directions:

1. In a bowl briskly whisk together the tahini and water until combined. It will look separated at first: just keep whisking!
2. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until combined.
3. Adjust flavors to your taste. Add additional water if you want it thinner.
4. Serve over grains and greens.

Note: Tahini sauce keeps refrigerated for up to one week.
Avocado Dip
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Yield: 1 cup
Ingredients:
1 large peeled and pitted avocado
2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt or soy yogurt
1 diced tomato dash or two of cayenne pepper sea salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Mash avocado with a fork until very smooth.
2. Add yogurt, tomato, cayenne. Blend until smooth. This may be done in a food processor, in a blender or witha fork.
3. Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.
4. Serve chilled with mixed raw vegetables.
Note: Best made a maximum of 1 hour before serving.

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Prepairing your Body Mind and Soul for Winter

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

If you are like me winter can be a time that many people go on a downward spiral of stopping in gaining weight and feeling depressed it has been prove that some people suffer SAD disorder. SAD Seasonal Affective Disorder makes people feel depressed and fed all the way up until the weather starts to pick up again. This due to the early drawn darkness and the feeling like the day has never actually lasted that long. Make sure you eat plenty of Fish for Vitamin D as we will not be sitting in the sun for the next 6 months. If you are Vegan,Vegetarian sources of vitamin D in fortified soymilk, fortified rice milk, and some fortified breakfast cereals you also may want to take vitamin D supplements.

To prevent getting caught in this trap you need to prepare yourself for winter.

Go shopping:

The shops have some beautiful trendy and fashionable clothes to brighten up your mood, with purples, navy's, blues, greens and rich warm berries and reds. It is proven that feeling good on the outside makes you feel fantastic in the inside. Knee high flat boots, bright tights and a woolly jumper are great for walking and enjoying the sights of the changing forest and greenery that once was.

Eat Out:

Use winter to try out new Healthy restaurants! People do often gain weight as it is much less noticeable hid under those thick layers topped by a heavy coat. To stay trim exercise in your spare time, and make healthier food choices

Bake:

Buy a brand new Vegan Vegetarian cook books and experiment with some new recipes; invite friends and family around to try them out. Include the whole family and have baking competitions. Make a three course meals all from scratch using winter fruits and vegetables.

In list in new hobbies:

Use the quiet way of life to go on long walks and experience the outdoors. In the snow take the children and dogs out and enjoy sometime making snowmen and walking in the white wonderland. I have been taking ZUMBA classes they are so much fun!!!!

Food Focus: Root Vegetables

The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel physically and mentally grounded and rooted, increasing our stability, stamina and endurance. Roots are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of necessary sugars to the body. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods, they regulate them. Since they absorb, assimilate and supply plants with vital nutrients, roots likewise increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts. Long roots, like burdock, carrots, parsnips and daikon radish, are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots, like turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas, are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar and moods, and alleviate cravings.

Recipe of the Month: Roasted Root Vegetables

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25-35 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

2 parsnips

2 carrots

2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)

olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Wash and chop all vegetables into large bite-sized pieces.

3. Place in a large baking dish with sides.

4. Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.

5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

6. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10

minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

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Family Wedding Rochester NY

Hello Everyone,
I just came back from a family wedding in Rochester NY!! My beautiful God Daughter Gia Got married!! When ever I go home to my family its always a food challenge to say the least. I am not super woman when it comes to food. Making the right healthy choices has always been tough for me. I am a food addict and I have to make 3 healthy choices every day!! I feel that is harder to with strain from food because we are surrounded with unhealthy food. Every where you turn there are un-healthy choices when it comes to food. So this is why I did my home work and looked for a Health Food Store, I am a health food store groupie. I love shopping at them I can't help me self!! So in Pittsford NY a few miles from my Zia Rosa's House I found Lori's Natural food center. Even if you make little adjustments as you are away by the end of the week you probably saved over 2,ooo.oo calories and you go home feeling good. We are Italian so I knew everyone would be eating pasta so I bought my favorite Brown Rice Pasta its so deloiuse and taste really close to the pasta I was raised on. The other whole grain pastas are to high in fiber and I do not like the texture. But if you don't mind them there are plenty healthy Whole Grain Pastas now. I got some Hummus and Organic Oat Meal. I come from a family of farmers so I was not worried about my fruits and veggies. My Uncle Giovanni had home grown radicchio escarole red hot peppers. He has an apple tree gave me a big box of fresh apples. The point I'm trying to make is I do not want to get stressed out about food or made to feel guilty so prepare your self well when visiting family and do not stress over the food. Enjoy your family with out worrying and focusing on food. Because life is about friends and family I do not eat dairy Meat or White flour but I do not what to miss out being with the people I love because they do not eat the way I do. Everyone needs to live the way they want to I do not want to be judged and I do not want to judge other people. Life is Short Enjoy every moment!!

Love Light and Laughter,
Agatha

Pizza Fusion Vegan Pizza in NJ

Well yesterday me and my 2 friends IIN Grads by the way Paola and Federica 3 Italians went to check out Pizza Fusion in Ridgewood,NJ. They were said to have Vegan Options so we were all very excited! I must say it was very good we were not disappointed.....

You get to create your own pizza they have Multigrain Crust and Gluten Free Crust! You can choose from Farmers Market Medley of roasted Veggies. This is big for NJ when ever I want Pizza I go to NYC to VIVA Pizza in the Lower East Side best Vegan Pizza I have ever had it is my favorite pizza place. But I must say that Pizza Fusion was very good and a great news for NJ as we never had a place were you can even get a Mulitgrain Crust or Farm Fresh Veggies for a topping never less VEGAN!!! I have begun to see little changes in NJ the State that I love were there are healthy options and every time I find a great place I will Blogg about it to let you all know. We started with a fresh Arugula Salad. Federica ordered the Gluten Free no cheese Farmers Market Veggie , Paola ordered the Multi Grain no Cheese Farmers Market Veggie, I ordered the Multi Grain Farmers Market with Soy Cheese!! We were all very happy with our orders!!

It was a little costly but when you consider I would have to get in my car cross the GW Bridge to go to lower East Side to VIVA it probably comes out to the same. Although VIVA is worth the trip into NYC but if you are in NJ and near Ridge Wood its great to know you have options!!

Real Food

Once and a while you come across something so special that you feel there is hope for all humanity!! I work a couple of days a week out side my own practice for a Acupuncturist in Chestnut Ridge,NY she has me there doing Acupressure for the people that have a fear of needles and I work on young children. Its on the boarder where NJ ends and NY begins 15 mins from Paramus. There is were I found The Hungry Hollow Co-Op! Shopping at a co op were foods are locally grown makes a world of difference the produce is so fresh and delicious..... They have Organic Prepared Foods for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner made fresh every day in there Kitchen. They even have Organic Nut Butter and Jelly sandwiches on Whole Grain Bread!!

WHAT IS A CO-OP?
We all have childhood memories of parents, teachers and others encouraging us to work together. A co-op is what "working together" looks like all grown up. From the outside, many co-ops look like any other business, since a co-op provides products and services like conventional businesses do. But it's what goes on behind the scenes that makes it different.
A cooperative exists to serve its members, but what makes co-ops unique is that the members are also the owners. So, in addition to getting the products and services you need, you also have a say in the business decisions your cooperative makes.

Living here in NJ there are not many places you can go to and get real food I can hardly ever eat OUT as I have so many food allergies and all we have are fast food chain restaurants not many real food restaurants and shops. Its very upsetting to me NYC is full of amazing ORGANIC great places were you can go and get fresh amazing meals juices and products. Yet here in NJ were I live I'm 10 mins off the George Washington Bridge and yet we are like 1000 years behind when it comes to REAL FOOD!! All we have here is Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Do not get me wrong I am grateful for them both but Whole Foods can be costly and you have to be alert and aware as not all of there products are organic and they really do not have much Locally Grown Produce.

Hungry Hollow Co-op is a much needed store we need more of these types of community oriented real food places. I hope and pray that one day there will be a store like this in every town in NJ. Everyone wanted things Bigger and that is not better all we have now are MALLS GIANT Supermarkets large varieties but the prices and products are not better they are more costly........ and the health and healing is no longer in our food as most of our fruits and vegetables are coming from thousands of miles away!! We really need to support our local farmers and small business owners and perhaps then we will find these types of stores popping up all over NJ! We need to get back Health and Happiness and put REAL FOOD on our tables again. Have dinner with Family nurish them with Organic Food Pure Love and conversation.. We lost all of this some where along the way and we need to find our way back to our family cooking and serving a healthy meal and sitting around the dinner table is a great place to start.

Wishing you all Love Light and Laughter,
Agatha

Great information on Vitamin D by Paul Pitchford

Should We Supplement with D?

Nearly everyone with an eye on nutrition has come across information in the last few years about the vitamin D deficit in contemporary people. Part of this deficit can be traced to our current lifestyle of working and living inside during most daylight hours and then applying sunscreen whenever exposed to sunshine for more than a few minutes. As a result of misinterpreted science, many people are now afraid to get any sunshine whatsoever because they fear it will age them prematurely and cause skin cancer. Unfortunately, with a lack of vitamin D in our systems, a number of functions in the body diminish. Bones get weaker and even the RNA-genetic processes involved in healthy cellular renewal are thwarted. Without appropriate cell renewal, we degenerate much faster than otherwise and cancer and the autoimmune diseases become more likely.

One of nutritional science's quick and easy solutions to the vitamin D dilemma is to take vitamin D supplements. There are several forms of these supplements and the most common are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. A number of reports indicate that vitamin D2 is unsafe and recommend only the D3 form. And now certain research suggests that vitamin D3 can present problems as well. For instance, well-designed studies indicates that taking vitamin D3 doses higher than 2000 IU daily (recommendations for 4000-5000 IU are now commonplace) can cause excess calcium in the blood, which in turn leads to calcification of the soft tissues as well as bone loss. And soft tissue calcification is commonly known in medical practice to contribute to vascular disease such as hardening and thickening of the arteries; moreover, such calcium excess is thought to set up the conditions for our common degenerative diseases including arthritis, cancer and diabetes—the very conditions that vitamin D from sunlight protects us from.

We can learn something about vitamin D risk by understanding another fat-soluble nutrient—vitamin A. And since vitamin A and D are related, let's now look at vitamin A risks. A little too much supplementary vitamin A/retinol ingestion and severe liver damage can result. Also life expectancy tends to plummet with long-term vitamin A supplementation [JAMA. 2007;297:842-857]. On the other hand, vitamin A from green and yellow plants (provitamin A) as well as animal foods is virtually always safe and in fact, highly desirable. However one food source of vitamin D—modern cod liver oil is normally much too high in vitamin A relative to vitamin D—and an excess of Vitamin A aggravates the function of Vitamin D in the body—thus the current recommendation by numerous health authorities to avoid cod liver oil. Generations ago, the cod liver oil given to children contained far more vitamin D.

Like vitamin A, will vitamin D in supplement form, even in amounts less than 2000 IU daily, also be shown by future science to contribute to a foreshortened life span? We simply don't know. However, studies suggest that people who take supplements containing moderate doses of vitamin D for many years in the range of 150 to 400 IU daily do seem to accrue some benefits to their bone health, while exhibiting few if any adverse side effects. Thus, it seems that 400 IU could be a relatively safe dosage for prevention and health maintenance for those who simply do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight exposure.

Yet consider the differing forms of vitamin D. Clearly they all work uniquely and as capsules, tablets, liquids, and sprays that we intake, none function identically to the incredibly complex action of vitamin D from sunshine on our skin. An isolated nutrient can never function in body as well as nutrients in the context of natural sources such as sunshine or whole foods. All isolates (including pharmaceuticals and refined foods) rob the body of the necessary cofactors needed to fully metabolize them. Therefore we should be wary of taking not only isolated vitamin D, but the long-term intake of all other isolates.

In my opinion, taking any isolate including drugs should be a well understood, disciplined process used only in a crisis and then ended when safer, more wholesome methods can support enduring health. Long-term use of individual chemicals, drugs, and nutrients all too often leads to deep deficiencies. Those who choose massive vitamin D3 supplementation, e.g., 10,000 IU daily for 8 months or more to overcome a severe deficiency, should be checked every 12 weeks by a doctor for possible imbalances in blood calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone. If you opt for sunshine, these issues seldom arise. No one ever gets too much vitamin D from sunshine because the sunlight destroys excess vitamin D once an adequate threshold is reached.

How can we maintain sufficient vitamin D without supplementation? The ideal way is to absorb sunshine for 15 minutes or so each day, at least on the hands and face, where most vitamin D receptors are located. Exposing arms, legs and more in the warmer weather helps to build a several-month store of vitamin D in our fat cells. Sunscreen, or better yet, light clothing can be utilized long before the skin starts to burn. Ultraviolet lamps are now available that supply UV-B wavelength to produce true and safe vitamin D—though one must monitor exposure, just like with sunlight exposure. Sunlight through clouds is also effective although less so than direct sunshine. (Sunlight through glass, such as in a car, home or office, provides no vitamin D activity.)

Thus the vitamin D challenge is solved by simply being outside enough in the daytime. Gardening, picnics, outdoor swimming, going for walks, biking, the traditional outdoor practice of qi gong ....there are plenty of ways we can choose to benefit from being in nature. We receive valuable "qi" vitality (an ancient Chinese term for life energy) from fresh air, plants, the soil, and the celestial bodies including the sun while ensuring adequate and safe vitamin D.

As we exit buildings and cars and enter a park or other pristine environs, we can embrace the non-linear, non-digital, unified nature of Nature. Wonderful alive colors of flowers and plants, aromas, reflected light, sights and sounds of wind, birds, moving leaves, falling rain, ocean waves…everything in Nature is able to impart healing renewal for our minds, psyches, emotions, and bodies. If we learn gratitude for the infinite qualities of Nature, we will want to be outside amply to respect and merge with it. Instead of the attitude that getting enough sunlight/vitamin D is a necessary “health chore”, we can joyfully look forward to being outside because we appreciate it and its limitless benefits.

A complementary approach to the vitamin D issue involves what nutrition pioneer Bernard Jensen referred to as "stored sunshine". This of course is chlorophyll, the substance created from sunlight on plants that makes them green. Dr. Jensen would advise convalescents and others without regular access to the sun to eat plenty of greens. Valuable edible green plants include parsley, kale, collards, mustard greens, cabbage, broccoli, arugula, dandelion greens, and many others. Can chlorophyll substitute completely for sunshine? Absolutely not, however it mimics vitamin D from sunshine in this regard: chlorophyll supports bone mass by directing calcium to deposit in the bone; it can also, like vitamin D, help with cellular renewal because chlorophyll foods all contain "growth regulating factors" that spark proper cell differentiation, growth and development. This healthy cell patterning stands in contrast to the unchecked, undifferentiated, malignant growth of cancer. Therefore the most chlorophyll-rich sources such as barley grass and chlorella are frequently used in nutritional approaches to cancer therapy. As Vitamin D via gene regulation counteracts pain, inflammation, and depression, chlorophyll-laden foods likewise feature these benefits, though the precise physiologic pathway is not yet known.