Energy Boost Meal Recipe!!

Need an energy boost? Make this stuffed pepper recipe  from the Kitchen Diva to get your energy levels up. It’s full of vitamins A and C which fight stress and exhaustion. Bon Appétit!!

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings, 2 stuffed pepper halves per serving

8 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers or a mixture of all (about 4 lbs)

2 tbsp canola or olive oil, divided

1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

16 oz fresh Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing or lean ground turkey (You can use pre-cooked turkey or slices of deli turkey cut into small pieces and use it in place of the turkey sausage, if desired.)

1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa, mild or hot

2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and chopped or 1 (10 oz) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture

1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

2 large avocados, peeled and pit removed, sliced

1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, slicing from the stem to the bottoms, leaving the stems intact. Remove the white pithy ribs near stem and down length of inside. Remove the ribs and seeds and discard. Place the peppers in a shallow 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover the dish with foil, and bake the peppers 15 to 20 minutes, until they start to soften.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and the spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice and quinoa (optional).

Carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers. Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Top the peppers with a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt.  Place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper.  Sprinkle with the basil.  Serve immediately.

COPYRIGHT 2011 (c) ANGELA SHELF MEDEARIS, THE KITCHEN DIVA!

Tap away your Anxiety, Health Problems and Pain!

Lately I have been looking for alternative ways to heal my body, instead of taking excessive amounts of medications. I came across a technique called tapping.Tapping provides relief from chronic pain, disorders, addictions, emotional problems, post traumatic stress disorders, phobias and physical diseases.Tapping is a healing that is based on practices in eastern medicine for over five thousand years. Tapping utilize the body's energy meridian points. You stimulate these meridian points by tapping on them with your fingertips, releasing your body's own energy and healing power.Even science is supporting this healing technique  studies done at Harvard university found that the brain's stress and fear response could be lessened by stimulating the meridian point.
As an example of how to perform I have included a basic tapping sequence below from an official tapping website, give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Basic Tapping Sequence for Anxiety

Try it now with this initial sequence. Here's how a basic Tapping sequence works:

• Identify the problem you want to focus on. It can be general anxiety, or it can be a specific situation or issue which causes you to feel anxious.Consider the problem or situation. How do you feel about it right now? Compose your set up statement. Your set up statement should acknowledge the problem you want to deal with, then follow it with an unconditional affirmation of yourself as a person.
  "Even though I feel this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself.
  "Even though I panic when I think about ____,I deeply and completely accept myself. "

• Perform the set up. With four fingers on one hand, tap the Karate Chop point on your other hand. The Karate Chop point is on the outer edge of the hand, on the opposite side from the thumb.Repeat the set up statement three times aloud, while simultaneously tapping the Karate Chop point. Now take a deep breath!
  Get ready to begin tapping! Here are some tips to help you achieve the right technique.

• You should use a firm but gentle pressure, as if you were drumming on the side of your desk or testing a melon for ripeness.
• You can use all four fingers, or just the first two (the index and middle fingers). Four fingers are generally used on the top of the head, the collarbone, under the arm... wider areas. On sensitive areas, like around the eyes, you can use just two.
• Tap with your fingertips, not your fingernails. The sound will be round and mellow.
• The tapping order begins at the top and works down. You can end by returning to the top of the head, to complete the loop.

Now, tap 5-7 times each on the remaining eight points in the following sequence:

Head (TH)
The crown, center and top of the head. Tap with all four fingers on both hands.

Eyebrow (EB)
The inner edges of the eyebrows, closest to the bridge of the nose. Use two fingers.

Side of eye (SE)
The hard area between the eye and the temple. Use two fingers. Feel out this area gently so you don't poke yourself in the eye!

Under eye (UE)
The hard area under the eye, that merges with the cheekbone. Use two fingers, in line beneath the pupil.

Under nose (UN)
The point centered between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip. Use two fingers.

Chin (CP)
This point is right beneath the previous one, and is centered between the bottom of the lower lip and the chin.

Collarbone (CB)
Tap just below the hard ridge of your collarbone with four fingers.

Underarm (UA)
On your side, about four inches beneath the armpit. Use four fingers.

Head (TH)
And back where you started, to complete the sequence.

As you tap on each point, repeat a simple reminder phrase, such as "my anxiety" 

Now take another deep breath!

• Now that you've completed the sequence, focus on your problem again. How intense is the anxiety now, in comparison to a few minutes ago?

Don't Ruin Your Health, With Stress!!

Stress is the number one contributor to premature aging. Stress has also be in a contributor in causing numerous diseases. The strongest evidence that stress contributes to disease comes from research on depression, which shows that stress is associated with the onset of depression. Stress is also harmful when people use tobacco, alcohol, or drugs to try and relieve their stress. But instead of relieving stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances cause the body to stay in stressed state and cause more problems. Learning to relax and relieve stress naturally is important to prevent diseases from developing from stress.

Suma Extract-A vine root that is used as a tonic to regulate many systems of the body. It is a traditional medicine that acts like your body's buffer to outside stressors. It balances blood sugar levels to combat mood swings. Take 500 mg twice daily, it can be ordered online or in health food stores.
Stretch-Stress restricts blood flow, causing tension in your muscles and lower back. Stretching helps stimulating receptors in the nervous system that decrease the production of stress hormones. 
Herbal Neck Wrap-The wrap is made with over 13 stress-busting grains and herbs, like valerian root and lavender. You can heat up the wrap in the microwave to loosen the neck muscles and relieve tensions.
Mediation-Mediation can center your mind, and free your mind of stressful thoughts. Just a few minutes a day can make all the difference.
Change of Scenery-The perfect way to change your stressful perceptive, is to change your surroundings. Taking a walk or even a hike in the woods can help relieve stress and anxiety.  



Living a life free of stress is imperative to your health. If you eat health, exercise regularly and are physically fit, but are stress all the time, you are not living a healthy life can could be effecting your health and chance for disease. Relieving stress is as important to your health as eating right and exercising.

The Benefits of Capsicum!!

Research shows that adding something hot and spicy to your diet, before your workout may optimize your calorie burn. Capsicum is derived from red hot peppers, its gives them its spicy taste. Capsicum can be added to food or taken in capsule form, if you do not prefer spicy food. Capsicum activates the sympathetic nervous system that is associated with thermogenesis, which speeds up the body's oxidation of fat. Some research shows that capsicum decreases appetite, improves circulation and have some antioxidant effects.




What to Do:

• Take 200 mg at least 1 hour before exercising.
• Do not overdue it, because it could cause indigestion.
• After consumption, focus on exercises that build lean muscle.
• You can also add cayenne pepper to your foods.

Do Not Take If:

• Do not take if you have any blood disorders.
• Do not take if you are taking blood thinners.
• Do not take it you have a history of gastrointestinal disorders, ulcers, and acid reflux.

Where to Find it:

• Health Food Stores
• Most Grocery Stores

Capsicum can also be Effective in Treating:

• Pain from shingles
• Nerve Pain, in people with diabetes
• Arthritis Pain
• Pain from Fibromyalgia
• Back Pain
• Headaches

Hey Ladies!!

 Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the US and is effecting more and more young women. There are known and unknown risks that are associated with this deadly disease and stroke symptoms can be very different for women.

Stroke Risk Factors for Men and Women:

• Family History of Stroke
• Being Overweight
• Not Exercising 
• High Cholesterol 
• High Blood Pressure
• Diabetes
• Smoking

Risk Factors that Only Effect Women:

• Using Hormone Replacement Therapy.
• Taking Birth Control Pills
• Being Pregnant (increased blood pressure and stress on heart)
• Migraine Sufferer. Most who suffer from migraines are women, and their stroke risk is increased 3-6 times.
• Drinking One Glass of Sweetened Juice or Soda Per Day.
• Sudden Neck Movement
• Pain On One Side of Body
• Hiccups
• Sudden Nausea and Vomiting
• Extreme Exhaustion

If you think you are having a stoke call 911 immediately, you need to get medical attention within 3 hours of the first symptoms for the best chance of recovery.

If you think that someone else is having a stoke, act FAST, and do this simple test

• F-Face-Have the person smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• A-Arms-Have the person raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S-Speech-Have the person repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
• T-Time-If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately.

it is important to control those risk factors that we can such as keeping a healthy weight, do not consume soda or sweetened juice, do not smoke, and exercise regularly. Your health is in your hands and today is not too late to start living a life focused on health and fitness, it could save your life.