One Degree of Change #9

One Degree of Change #9


Florida at Christmas time.  What a joy to go for a run in the beginning of December in shorts and a long sleeve shirt.  Of course when you finish, you look like a drowned rat because of the lovely humidity that we encounter.  This display of lights which illuminated my foggy, early morning run was at Jacksonville Beach.  They had all the lifeguard stands decorated for the 2nd Annual Deck the Chairs!  It was well done and great to see a community come together.  They have four big sand buckets that act as food collection containers for a local charity! 

#9 Clean all the cans out of your pantry/cabinet.  This week's One Degree of Change has a two fold purpose.  First, we buy cans of food in Florida in case of an emergency, like a hurricane.  We didn't have a hurricane this year.  Pull all those cans out of your pantry and/or cabinet.  Part of the purpose of this blog is to get you to make a change.  Don't buy precooked, processed food stored in metal cans that are not good for your health.  I want you to eat live food.  Food that is nutrition rich and fiber dense.  You can't get that from a can. You are trusting someone else's preparation of food that you are going to eat to nourish your body.

Secondly, those cans can be useful to the community.  Near our Eustis office, we have a place called Lake Cares Food Pantry which will gladly take those cans and other non-perishables that you have in your pantry. When you deliver to Lake Cares, they greet you at the door and welcome whatever you bring, always with a warm smile and a thank you.  Many local churches and schools have food drives.  There is another website called Suntopia, which lists 42 options for donations just in Mount Dora.  Our Winter Park office also has many selections.  Food Pantries is a website that you can locate food pantries in your area. And all pantries accept paper products like toilet paper and paper towels.  Toiletries are also welcomed. 

Organize a food collection at your office.  It doesn't have to be a holiday.  We have done random food drives at our offices.  Or when you have a holiday party next year, request food donations instead of gifts.  Remember our furry friends too.  We have a holiday party at the end of our street for our neighbors every year.  We ask for donations of pet food, supplies and toys, which we take to the Humane Society of Lake County.  It gives everyone a chance to give back and spread the holiday cheer! Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

The new year is just around the corner.  A perfect time to make that One Degree of Change that you have been thinking about or from the ideas that I have been giving you each week.  Start the New Year 2015 with a Standard Process Purification Program to give your body a jump start after the sugar filled holiday you are having this month!

One Degree of Change #8

One Degree of Change #8

My favorite time is early in the morning, and I do mean early.  I roll out of my warm, cozy bed around 3:45 a.m. ready to start my day.  We have been having cooler weather than usual.  The temps are in the mid to upper forties.  Which means it is the perfect season for catching a few shooting stars or meteors.  Sunday morning while doing my neighborhood tour during my run, I scanned the crystal clear sky.  My joy of seeing rapid fire meteors decorating the sky always makes me smile.  This is the Geminid Meteor Shower which occurs each year when Earth passes through a cloud of debris created by the extinct comet 3200 Phaethon ( I know, I sound like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory).  They appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, giving this shower its name.  Even the universe understands the idea of seasons.

#8 Enjoy Fruits and Veggies that are in season. Just like the seasonal meteor shower, nature knows the best time for fruits and vegetables to grow.  We are fortunate in Florida because we can grow year round.  Think about the citrus trees.  I have a row of trees which include pink grapefruit, navel, tangerine, blood orange, juice orange, and Meyer lemon.  All of the trees flower in the spring, begin forming fruit when the flower falls and the fruit matures in December and January.  Those months are also when we need Vitamin C to boost our immune systems. And the cold snap we get in our so called "winter" turns the fruit into a sweet nectar.  It is such a delight to walk out to the tree and pluck a tangerine from the tree. I savor the flavor and enjoy the citrus scent on my hands left from the oils of the skin of the freshly peeled fruit.

We are in Zone 9 in Central Florida. It is inclusive of not only Central Florida, but the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas, a good deal of California, and the southern Oregon coast. The growing season is long and our winters are mild; minimum temperatures range from 39 - 45º F with the first fall frosts occurring towards the end of November. These are the veggies that are ready for fall planting to provide produce in the winter.

• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spinach

The best fruits in the winter are going to include citrus of all types, strawberries, and carambola (star fruit).  I do have some papayas left on my tree and a few avocados too.

The spring time in Florida is only a couple of months away.  And it seems like it only lasts a few weeks or even days and then summer begins.  I will give a spring menu when the time is appropriate.

Since beets are one of my favorite veggies and so good for you, I wanted to give you a recipe that I'm experimenting with for a dessert.  We make an Avocado Lime Ice Cream that is so creamy and easy to make.  So what could be better?  That's right Roasted Beet Ice Cream!  Hold your judgment till you try it.  I like easy recipes.  Especially recipes with only 3-5 ingredients!  And if you are doing my Standard Process Purification Program in January, this is a legal recipe!

Dr. B's Roasted Red Beet Ice Cream (Healthy Version)

1/2 cup coconut milk, I use Thai Coconut Milk in BPA free can
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon arrowroot (I'm going to try chia seeds next time)
1 cup of roasted beets processed in Nutribullet
1 small apple processed in Nutribullet
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced and scrap seeds

In a medium mixing bowl, stir the arrowroot with 1/4 cup of the coconut milk until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the remaining coconut milk and the vanilla seeds in a small saucepan over low heat until it bubbles around the edges.

Whisk the arrowroot mixture into the coconut milk and cook gently over low heat, stirring briskly, until mixture begins to thicken, which will happen quickly.

Once it appears to be thickening, remove it immediately from the heat and whisk in the processed beets and apple.

Transfer the mixture to a metal or heatproof bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

Place metal bowl into freezer and freeze for 3-4 hours.  If you have an ice cream machine, process in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Enjoy! It will be oddly refreshing!

One Degree of Change #7

One Degree of Change #7

The butterflies are popping out of chrysalises, right and left!  We have a finial that sets on top of the half wall in our courtyard.  I was standing and observing the wall, of course, counting the number of chrysalises, when I looked at the finial.  To my amazement and joy, two caterpillars had formed chrysalises on the edge of the finial and a third was in transition. It looks like earrings from the backside of a Buddha statute.  Speaking of, Buddha, did you know the Buddha is recognized as a symbol of peace of mind. Some psychotherapists and alternative healers place statues of the Buddha in their lobbies and waiting rooms to encourage an atmosphere of well-being and calm. A glimpse of the sublime Buddha, with his eyes gently closed and his lips curved into a subtle smile, may provide inspiration to deepen your own practice of inner peace.  And so continues my practice of helping you create your One Degree of Change for inner change.

 

#7 Eat at a raw or vegan restaurant once a month. We are very fortunate in the Winter Park area to have several restaurants within walking distance from our WP office. The two restaurants that are closest to us are Ethos Vegan Kitchen and Café 118. Both offer amazing food.  The other thing that makes me love these restaurants is they are socially responsible business and they are environmentally aware.  They source local organic produce and use vendors that honor the same principals.  The food is creative and beautiful in presentation.

In the Golden Triangle area which is the location of our Eustis office, we also have two choices.  In downtown Mount Dora, my personal favorite for date night, we have Vitality Bistro.  They put a twist on old favorites.  The food is very tasty and I love the energy in the restaurant.  The chefs are passionate about what they prepare.  They also offer classes on how to make some of their recipes.  I think that is so special that they share their expertise.  My other favorite place is in Leesburg.  Living Green Health Foods is a retro kind of place.  They recently moved from downtown Tavares to a new location in Leesburg, right on the main drag.  This is a friendly, feel at home venue.  The food is delicious and it is a great place to pick up your organic supplies.  I love to stop in for a Living Green Smoothie with a scoop of protein, my kind of "fast food"!  Their menu is limited, but the taste is huge.

The thing that I love about all of these restaurants is the owners are just like you and me.  They are passionate about their foods, they support local vendors and they source local produce for their menu items.  I know that the prices maybe slightly higher than going to a big box restaurant, but these people are providing a unique gift to our towns and to our lives.  A gift of health and vitality, literally feeding our souls with foods that are nutrition rich and fiber dense, just the way it should be.  You won't find that at any big box restaurant.  So, pick a restaurant listed above, plan a date night and support a local business.  It does a body good!

The newest addition!

Another special treat today!  She hatched!  She is drying her wings gently before she takes her first flight.  I watched her fan her wings, slowly and meticulously, not only to dry them, but to unfold and strengthen them. Then in a moment of time, she was fluttering randomly about, trying out her new wings.  She paused on rock, fanned her wings in the sunlight a dozen times, gave a gentle bow and she was off into the wild, blue yonder!  What an extraordinary gift!

Your One Degree challenge: Spread your wings and plan your date night at a local restaurant that actually feeds you!

One Degree of Change #6

Moments before hatching!

One Degree of Change #6
 

My fascination with the Monarch butterfly continues!  On Thanksgiving Day when the family was visiting, I gave them the chrysalis tour. We now have a grand total of 26 chrysalises in the entry way to our front door.  All were amazed and had fun searching for them.  It was like an Easter Egg hunt on Thanksgiving Day.  The six milkweed plants in our garden are stripped of leaves and there are still at least two dozen caterpillars still gnawing on the stalks and seed pods. And even though their food source has been depleted, they only eat what they are supposed to eat.  They don't begin eating the next green thing.  They instinctively know that their little caterpillar stomachs are full of the right amount and the right kind of nutrition to transition to the next stage.  I wish my patients would be more like that!  There would be less obesity in this world.  Look at this chart for Florida!  Only 35% of the state of Florida are at a healthy weight! That means the rest of the state is either overweight or obese.  Sad but true.  This is part of my passion and purpose in doing the one degree of change.  My vision is 62% of the population being at a healthy weight.  Just one degree at a time!

#6 Try one new veggie per month.  There are so many vegetables out there, people!  You are adults, don't snub a veggie because you didn't like it when you were a kid.  There are so many resources for recipes.  Be brave, create something that you would enjoy!  Here's your monthly vegetable list for next year:

•  January:      Jicama Try using a Spiralizer (this what I use)
• February:    Rutabaga
• March:        Beets
• April:          Collard Greens
• May:           Eggplant
• June:           Kale
• July:            Swiss Chard
• August:       Spaghetti Squash
• September: Sprouts (any variety)
• October:     Avocado
• November: Pumpkin



January-Jicama

• December: Acorn Squash

Okay, I have even done your homework for you.  If you click on each veggie, it will take you to a recipe.  I used a variety of vegan and vegetarian resources.  And, no, I am not a strict vegan or vegetarian.  But this helps with those that have food allergies and you know who you are!  Give it a try.  Make your shopping list each month to include ingredients to make one new veggie dish for a Meatless Monday!  If you have eaten that vegetable before, try a different recipe.  Make it a family affair!

And we have a beautiful Monarch!

I just walked outside to check the mail and we have BUTTERFLIES!  The first one was on the wall, already out of the chrysalis and drying her wings.  I inspected all the chrysalises that formed about the same time and one on the silver palm that was turning dark. An indication that the final transformation is impending.  So I walked inside to get my phone to take a picture of the recently hatched butterfly and the one I just observed, hatched too!  And I missed it! So is the marvel of one degree of change, right before my eyes.  Once again proving that each degree we make in our personal world does make a difference.

Will you accept the challenge on making just one degree of change?